Heathier Oatmeal Cookies

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I was a BOTTOMLESS PIT yesterday. I had a huge bowl of cereal with a sliced banana for breakfast, made corned beef and cabbage for lunch (of which I had a ginormous serving in early celebration of St. Pat’s, duh, necessary), snacked all day, and had cinnamon roasted sweet potatoes for dinner. By 7:30, I was somehow starving and craving baked goods of any kind… so of course, I succumbed to the craving.

tasty and a bit healthy? whaa?

 Our kitchen is all boxed up for the big move, so I wanted to make something that would use only what I had accessibly on hand (and wasn’t full of white sugar and butter); a google search led me to these. I replaced the butter with canola oil, decreased the brown sugar and added cinnamon and vanilla. When dunked in light vanilla soy milk, they were hearty, subtly spicy, and just sweet enough. My conscience and I present to you:

HEALTHIER OATMEAL COOKIES

Adapted from food.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  •  1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla Read More

Roasted Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes with Coarse Salt and Nutmeg (v, gf)

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If you have read my other posts, it’s no big secret that I adore sweet potatoes. With undying, eat-them-two-to-three-times-a-week adoration. They’re incredibly nutritious, they’re versatile, they’re filling, and they’re beyond delectable. Craveable, even… which leads me to this post.

snack ti-yme

I had NEVER TRIED sweet potatoes (say whaaaa!!!???) until I met my husband. My mother-in-law, Jane Ann, makes them in holiday casseroles and as dinner sides all the time and she opened my sad, beta carotene-deficient eyes to the wonderful vegetable. My life is now divided into time BSP and ASP.

These days, when I want a sweet and salty, deeply flavorful snack that is still going to do something good for my body, I make these. If you can wait about an hour to snack, I swear: give these a shot and they will kill any craving you have. They have all the warm, homey trappings of comfort food, and they won’t break the calorie bank. From the bottom of my orange, starchy little heart, here are:

ROASTED BROWN SUGAR SWEET POTATOES WITH COARSE SALT AND NUTMEG

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes (at least 1 pound)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • a few shakes of cinnamon (1/4 tsp or so)
  • freshly grated nutmeg (same- 1/4 tsp or so)
  • a large pinch of kosher salt (about 1/2 tsp) Read More

Oscar Night Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings and Egg Drop Soup

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Growing up, Oscar night was always very exciting. My Mom would let my sisters and me stay up to watch the show, and we’d ooh and ahh over the actresses’ dresses, and root for our favorite movies and directors to win. Know this: I am no less excited now by the big show than I was back then. I don’t think I’ve missed a broadcast since those days. It’s my Superbowl.

For the past three or four years, I’ve had a lot of fun trying to see as many of the best picture nominees on the big screen as possible. This is, of course, more difficult now that there are NINE, but trying to keep up with what’s still out in theaters (often movies are re-released before the Academy Awards) is a blast- I see a lot of movies I may not have chosen to otherwise (ahem, Moneyball).

Since the Oscar night tradish starts with watching the red carpet broadcasts and snarkily panning sub-par dresses, I uncorked a bottle of wine, ogled Gwyneth’s Tom Ford-designed dress and CAPE (cape!!), and made these:

VEGETARIAN STEAMED DUMPLINGS

adapted, to the T, from Alton Brown

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound firm tofu (I used Nasoya sprouted tofu)
  • 1/2 c grated carrot (about half a large carrot)
  • 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (I used bagged angel hair cole slaw cabbage) 
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1 large scallion, finely chopped (2 tbsp)
  • 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp reduced- sodium soy sauce (Kikkoman is delicious)
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 lightly beaten egg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • wonton wrappers (package of 35-40)
  • bowl of water and pastry brush
  • non-stick canola oil spray Read More

Quickie: Mexican Chicken & Quinoa Protein Bowl (gf)

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Whipped this up the other night when I was craving taco-style flavors but needed to enjoy them in a healthy way. It’s quite simple, and you could substitute other veggies or a different grain to fit what you have available in your pantry. This made quite a bit of food, so remember that the recipe can be halved easily. Enjoy!!

nutritious and delicious

MEXICAN CHICKEN & QUINOA PROTEIN BOWL

Ingredients:

  • 1- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 3 tbsp homemade or store-bought taco seasoning 
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
  • Salsas, cilantro, sour cream or greek yogurt to top Read More

Healthier Banana-Nut Pancakes with Blackberry Syrup (v)

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It’s Saturday morning again, my favorite time of the week!! In our house, Saturday morning means a big workout and a big meal, preferably with eggs and something sweet.
Dave is training for his first marathon and I swam laps in a ridiculously crowded pool this morning, so we needed some healthy but rewarding carbs after our workouts. This is a favorite recipe of mine: it’s fast, healthy, can be made ahead, and the fruit and nuts can be swapped out for lots of other combinations.

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BANANA-NUT PANCAKES WITH BLACKBERRY SYRUP
Ingredients:

  • 1 c oats
  • 1 c whole wheat flour (or 2/3 c whole wheat flour and 1/3 c vanilla protein powder)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp agave syrup or honey
  • 1 1/4 c soy milk, almond milk, or skim milk
  • 1/4-1/2 c chopped nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)
  • 1 banana, diced
  • Canola oil
  • 1/3-1/2 c frozen blackberries
  • 1/3-1/2 c sugar-free syrup of your choice

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the first eight ingredients until well combined. Note on the oats: for a smoother pancake, you can grind the oats into a flour in a food processor. I usually do this, but skipped it today so I could eat 45 seconds sooner. Once the batter is formed (it will be chunky), fold in the bananas.

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Quickie: Fried Eggs On Toast

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Because sometimes, Kashi Go Lean will not cut it.

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Fry two eggs while you toast a piece of good French bread. Butter the toast, place the eggs on top, shred Parmesan to cover. Place in broiler 3 minutes. Remove; crack black pepper over cheese. Savor. Very good with fresh fruit and someone you love.

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Quickie: Kimchi Fried Rice (veg, gf)

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First- happy Saturday! Saturday’s my favorite holiday, and it comes every week- it is so, so welcome right now. This week has been loooong.
Okay, now to the good stuff- I bought a jar of spicy kimchi, planning to eat it by itself, as usual, but thought a hot dish would be a better bet in January. Our local natural foods store had some beautiful, brown, farm-fresh eggs (cage-free, hormone-free, grain fed, generally pampered, etc.), so I grabbed a dozen and used two in this fried rice.

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KIMCHI FRIED RICE
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cold, cooked brown rice (or white, if you prefer)
  • 1 cup kimchi
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:
Heat your wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Side note: The wok in these photos was a thoughtful Christmas gift from a beloved friend- I have never been so excited to season a pan as I was with my wok! Thank you, Shahla!

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Tomato-Artichoke Rotini with Crab (pes)

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Today was another busy one- we’re working on putting an offer in what hopefully becomes our first house! After a full day of work, emailing our realtor, and stalking the home (twice), this is the quick and satisfying dinner I whipped up.
In other words: are you tired? Are you hungry? Do you have a can of crabmeat sitting around that you don’t know what to do with? Make this.

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TOMATO-ARTICHOKE ROTINI WITH CRAB

Ingredients:

  • 1 15-oz can crabmeat, or a 12 oz container lump crab
  • 1 carton Santa Sweets grape tomatoes
  • 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, in water
  • 10 oz whole wheat rotini
  • a few cloves minced garlic, optional
  • 1 tsp capers, optional
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Grated Parmesan

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the rotini. While you wait for it, heat a large sauté pan on medium-low heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the container of the (rinsed) grape tomatoes. Let those cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes to break down a bit.
While the tomatoes cook, finely chop the parsley, drain the can of artichokes and the can of crabmeat, and mince the garlic if you’re using it. Some folks live by the no garlic near crabmeat rule; I prefer the garlic in everything rule, and I don’t feel garlic overpowers the delicate crab flavor here.

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