by Michelle | Jan 3, 2019 | Recipes
Chicken & Pear Salad
Recipe & Photo Source: FoodHero.org
Number of servings: 5
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 15 min
Ingredients:
2 cups pears, diced (fresh or canned)
1⁄4 cup celery, chopped
1⁄2 cup onion, chopped (sweet onion will be most mild)
1⁄4 cup raisins
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
2 Tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
Dash of Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. Serve now or chill.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
by Guest | Dec 28, 2018 | Recipes
Recipe Source: Recipe and photo from www.FoodHero.org
Number of servings: 12
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 40 min
Ingredients:
– 3 1⁄2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 8 1/2 medium apples [3” diameter])
– 1 1⁄2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
– 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
– 1⁄3 cup brown sugar
– 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
- In a large (5-quart) saucepan, combine all ingredients with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Use a potato masher or fork to mash mixture to the consistency you want. Serve warm or cold.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- When frozen or fresh cranberries are not available, substitute canned cranberry sauce for the cranberries and brown sugar. Add 1 (14 ounce) can of cranberry sauce to the saucepan after the mixture has been simmering for about 15 minutes.
by Michelle | Dec 20, 2018 | Recipes
By Dana Zia
December is bake till you pop month. We all know this. Visions of sugar cookies begin to dance in our heads and brainwash us into baking not just two dozen of them, but 6 or 10 dozen of them to spread the cheer. (Or the waist lines.) In my experience, it is very difficult to avoid all the Christmas cookies and other delights, but there is a way to mitigate the spread by baking lighter and with healthier ingredients.
First off, let’s debunk a myth that can be restricting when you start to experiment with changing your favorite recipes — baking is not an exact science. I know, I know, we’ve all heard how you must be precise in your baking but, I’m here to tell you, I am a first class experimenter on baked goods and rarely do they totally bomb. Ok, now that we have that cleared up, let’s get experimenting!
One of my favorite simple ways to make a healthier baked good is to replace white flour with whole wheat pastry flour. It will make a slightly chewier cookie that has a bit of a nutty flavor but I personally like that better. Whole wheat pastry flour is milled from soft white wheat so has a tender crumb, whereas regular whole wheat flour is milled from hard red wheat. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is a good source of dietary fiber; 28 grams (1 ounce) provides 4 grams of fiber per serving and white flour provides only 1 gram. I also like to add 1/4 cup of flax seed meal or wheat germ and reduce the flour by that same amount for even more fiber. Now that we have more fiber, let’s tackle the fat in baked goods.
Most cookies are high in saturated fats with all that jolly butter that they are baked with. It is very easy to reduce that by replacing half the butter with heart healthy light tasting olive or avocado oil to lower the saturated fat content. Neither you nor Santa will notice the difference.
Another option that works great is to replace half the butter with a fruit puree like apple or pear butter. This makes for a moist and tasty cookie but you will see a difference in the oven, they don’t flatten on their own while baking. To fix this, all you have to do is to squash them with the palm of your hand before baking them. (If you lightly wet your palm before doing it the cookie dough won’t stick to your hand.) Fruit puree replacement lends itself more to cakes, muffins and drop cookies but not so much to cut out cookies.
The last tip I’ll leave you with is simple but effective; make your cookies smaller. We are so use to having HUGE cookies served to us that small cookies seem like a rip-off. Adjust your mind set and cut calories by a remarkable amount just by reducing the size of your cookie. I bought a little mini ice cream scoop and use that size when baking so I keep them small. If you are making cut out cookies, use the smallest cookie cutters you have to limit size.
Here is my favorite light sugar cookie recipe that is delicate of flavor and texture. They tend to puff up a bit when cooking so will be a little different when baking but they are so worth it. Have a very merry cookie season
Light and Lemony Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Cooking light
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of butter, softened
1/4 cup of light cream cheese, softened
1 large fresh egg
1/2 of a lemon’s zest
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup of wheat germ or flax seed meal
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
First, play your favorite holiday music. (Very important!)
Beat the sugar, butter and cream cheese with mixer till soft and fluffy, then add the egg and beat some more. Next add the lemon zest, and vanilla and mix till well blended.http://tillamookcountyhealthmatters.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=17049&action=trash&_wpnonce=ba4f88b76d
In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together with a wire whisk till happily combined. Add the dry ingredients together with the sugary ingredients and stir together, by hand or blender, till the dough is well formed. Shape the dough into two disks and tuck in the fridge for a few hours or preferably overnight, to firm up.
When you are ready for the magical cookie making time, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll out one disk on a floured board or between two sheets of wax paper, till about a ¼ inch thick. Cut cookies out with your favorite cookie cutters and place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes till they are golden brown around the edges and the center is set. Don’t move the cookies for a few minutes while they set, they tend to be a bit fragile when hot. Decorate with icing and festive sprinkles.
Lemon icing
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tablespoon of low fat milk
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
Christmas Sprinkles!
Stir all the above ingredients together in a small pretty bowl till well blended. If it seems a bit thick, add a bit more lemon juice till you get the consistency that you want. Spread the icing on cooled cookies or squeeze through a pastry bag or a small zip lock bag, with a tiny corner cut off. Dust the cookies with your sprinkles immediately so they will stick. Ho Ho Ho!
Nutritional information if you make 20 cookies with icing; calories 125 , fat 3.5 grams, fiber, 2 grams.
by Michelle | Dec 14, 2018 | Recipes
Recipe Source: Recipe and photo from www.FoodHero.org
Number of servings: 6
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 15 min
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
3 slices whole grain bread
1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar
1⁄2 cup raisins
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1⁄4 cups nonfat or 1% milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Butter bread and cut into small cubes.
- Combine buttered and cubed bread, brown sugar and raisins in a one-quart microwave safe dish.
- In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, blend together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
- Heat on high for 2-3 minutes until hot, but not boiling.
- Pour over bread mixture and lightly blend together.
- Microwave uncovered at 50% power for 5-8 minutes, or until edges are firm and the center is almost set.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Serve with low-fat vanilla or lemon yogurt.
by Michelle | Dec 6, 2018 | Eat Well, Recipes
By Dana Zia, The Golightly Gourmet
“I think it is more important to have fun and spend time with my guests at parties.” The Barefoot Contessa
The festive party season has officially begun. Lovely parties decked out in garlands of cedar and holly berries, beckon to us. Twinkling lights, laughter and rich holiday foods grace warm homes filled with party goers. We might even be so inspired by the season as to deck our own halls and have a party. Whatever the case, going to or having a party, there is a definite art to it. Here are some tips to help you avoid getting stressed out of your mistletoed mind and expanding your waist to Santa’s girth.
One of the key components of a stress-free holiday party is easy, healthy food. I know “easy” and “healthy” used in the same sentence with “holiday party” seems like an oxymoron, but it is possible. I assure you.
There are two festive dishes that you can serve at any party that will be received with big rosy smiles; the vegetable platter and the fruit and cheese platter. We’re not talking just any ole platter like you get from a grocery store. (Even those will do in a pinch) We are talking about an updated, healthy and sexy looking tray of merry, healthy foods! These trays are easy to put together and filled with goodness that we all need this time of year. They can even be elevated to art work, with little planning and prep. Oh, and they don’t require any cooking. Easy, healthy and delicious; check.
First off, when planning the platter of your choice, think textures and colors. Start by choosing an interesting platter to arrange it on. A large wooden cutting board or a bamboo tea tray are my favorite go-to containers. I have found some great platters at Good Will or other thrift stores that are interesting and affordable too.
Let’s start with the luscious fruit and cheese platters. Pick out an array of different cheeses; a hard one, a soft creamy one, a mild one and a pungent one. Choosing locally made cheeses adds even more interest to the tray or try making a cheese log for a kick. Tip: Let your cheeses come to room temperature for a few hours before serving as cheese tastes better that way.
Next, think fruit; colorful, different shapes, and the simpler the better. Choose fruits that are in season and are easy to pick up and eat. Grapes, apples and pear slices, figs and tangerines slices are good choices for this time of year. (To keep your pear and apple slices from turning brown, squeeze the juice of an orange over them and toss till well coated.)
Add some dried fruit, like cranberries and apricots, then some nuts roasted cashews and almonds are always good. Choose some sliced breads or crackers for the platter as well. I love nut crackers, like “Blue Diamond Nut Thins” because they are healthy, gluten-free and have great crunch.
Let’s talk vegetable platters, or in French, “crudités platter,” which are equally enjoyable to create. Once again, think colors and textures. Carrots of different colors, sliced in half lengthways, radicchio and Belgian endive cut into little scoops, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, lightly steamed green beans and asparagus, julienned bell peppers and celery make great choices. Make a dip for the vegetables that is sleek and different. Something like a “Green Goddess”, baba ganoush, or zesty orange hummus dip. (Recipe follows)
Now for the fun part, assembling your masterpiece. Allow your creative spirit to flow here. Pick some herbs, like sprigs of rosemary and sage, to arrange around the platter to add interest. Pine boughs that have been washed work too if you can’t get fresh herbs. Pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries sprinkled around the herbs make a lovely holiday theme.
You can use leaves from the garden to place under the cheese, fruit and veggies. Make sure they are non-poisonous and pesticide free first! Our native salal is a great one to use; completely edible and evergreen. (Holly and mistletoe are not edible, so don’t use them.) Then arrange the fruit and cheeses or the veggies in a fun and pleasing way. Use your imagination and most of all enjoy the process and the different flavors you are presenting. Your tray will be well visited! There are many people wishing to eat healthy foods this time of year. I wish you a healthy and (relatively) stress-free holiday season!
Zesty Orange Hummus
Adapted from Cooking Light. You can get all the spices, from your local grocery store, including Mother Nature’s in Manzanita. Great served with veggies or pita wedges.
½ onion roughly chopped
2-6 cloves of garlic
¼ cup of orange juice
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
2 teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
¼ teaspoon of ground coriander
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of smoked paprika
Or regular paprika
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
Get down the old food processor or a blender on steroids. Add the onion and the garlic to the food processor then whirl until diced up. As the processor is running, add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time until well blended.
Serve sprinkled with smoked paprika, a drizzle of a really good olive oil and some holiday love.
by Guest | Nov 29, 2018 | Recipes
Recipe Source: Recipe and photo from www.FoodHero.org
Number of servings: 6
Time for preparation (including preparation and cooking): 15 min
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1⁄2 cup nonfat or 1% milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons white sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄4 cup unsweetened applesauce
6 slices whole wheat bread
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and applesauce. Mix well.
- Soak bread one slice at a time until mixture is slightly absorbed.
- Lightly spray or oil a skillet or griddle. Cook over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve hot.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- To use sweetened applesauce, remove about 3/4 teaspoon of sugar from the measured amount.
- Top with applesauce, fresh fruit or yogurt.
