Fresh Mango Banana Smoothie

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegetarian 2 Comments

My daughter had a herbst appliance put in her mouth today by our orthodontist & knowing how painful this must be, I decided to make her a liquid after-school snack to help.  I took my mango pitter – the best tool for removing a mango pit by far – & peeled the remaining flesh.  Toss that in your blender with 4 scoops of low or non-fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, 1 ripe banana & 3/4 c of low fat milk or almond milk.  I also throw in some flaxseed meal (2 tbl).  Blend that in your blender (mine has a smoothie setting).  And pour into glasses with a straw.  This makes two large servings.

 

— Knead to Cook

Cranberry Cider Steel Cut Oats.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Crock Pot, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Oh how I love my crock pot!  It turns the simplest ingredients into magic.  This recipe is without a doubt, one of my favorites to make, especially when I have an early morning run. I come home sweating/freezing & the smells fill the kitchen.  I melt into a bowl & it refuels me.  I’m ready for the day.  Who doesn’t want that?

This recipe is super easy!  If you have a small crock pot, use that, if not, use the big daddy version.  Spray the inside vessel with a nonstick spray.  I use Pam – butter flavor.  Coat it well.  Then to that I add 1c of steel cut oats (not oatmeal).  4c of Trader Joe’s Cranberry Cider **You can use apple juice, apple cider, cranberry juice… the options are limitless.  I just use what I have on hand.  A pinch of salt.  1/8 tsp of nutmeg.  1 cinnamon stick.  1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon.  Stir it up and put the lid on.  I usually make this around 730-8p and won’t eat until 630-7a.  When I get home from my run at around 6:20 or so, I remove the lid & give it another stir.  Leave the lid off for about 10-15 minutes.  This will help thicken the oat mixture.  Ladle into bowls and top with whatever nuts you love.  I also top with Chia Seeds & dried fruit.

Chia Seed information you should know.  These seeds are known as one of nature’s  perfect foods.  They contain essential fatty acids (an excellent vegetarian source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid), protein, soluble fiber, protective antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and more.  Great in smoothies as well!

This breakfast will fill you up & get you ready to battle whatever comes your way :)

 

— Knead to Cook

Cherries.

by Filed Under: Fruit, Snacks Leave a Comment

This is my go-to snack!  I tend to eat them more at night & after a bit of research, now I’m glad I do.  I’ve always known that they are great for muscle inflammation, which I have training for a marathon, but check out all of these amazing OTHER benefits.

~It is nature’s most powerful anti inflammatory!  This is due to the anthocyanins that block free radical damage better than many anti-inflammatory drugs.

~It lowers the risk factors of heart disease including inflammation, fat and cholesterol according to a University of Michigan study.

~Cyanidin is a natural organic compound that gives berries it’s bright red color.  Cyanidin has been found to greatly reduce oxidative damage to cells, research has suggested that it may also be an important factor in fighting heart disease & cancer.

~Provides a memory boost thanks to the anthocyanin!  Anything to help me improve memory is a benefit!

~They have a ton of beta carotene!  19 times more than blueberries or strawberries!

~They contain melatonin, which helps regulate your body’s sleep cycles.  So glad I snack on these at night!

— Knead to Cook

Peppercorn encrusted filet mignon topped with gorgonzola with a side of asparagus zucchini risotto*.

by Filed Under: Beef, Side dish, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Okay so not every meal I eat has to be over-the-top healthy! ;)  My filet was thinly sliced & oh so good.  We had leftover filet mignon from the holidays that we wanted to cook.  So we encrusted the filet with peppercorns (on one side) and grilled it over a gas flame.  Once it was almost cooked to our preference, we topped it with a tablespoon of gorgonzola crumbles and covered the grill.  Once melted, remove promptly, place on a platter & tent with foil for about 5-6 minutes for the juices to return back into the meat.

Risotto is one of the fabulously decadent foods that I love but despise making because you need to babysit it the entire time.  I’m a bit of a multi-tasker in the kitchen so I prefer not to sit and watch a pot but I made the sacrifice.  The recipe is as follows:

2 tbl of olive oil
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 c of Arborio rice
1/3 c of white wine, preferably dry
4 c of chicken broth
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced

First, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Place the asparagus in the pot & cover. Cook for 4 minutes.  While that’s cooking, get a large bowl of ice water prepared for blanching.  Once 4 minutes is up, drain & place the asparagus in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Remove once the stalks are cold and bright green.  Slice in half and keep off to the side.

In your large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion & garlic.  Stirring constantly.  After 3 minutes, add the rice and constantly stir.  This will toast the rice up nicely.  After about 4-5 minutes of toasting, add the white wine.  Stirring, constantly.  This should evaporate in 1-2 minutes.  Once that has, add 1.5c of the chicken stock to the rice.  Keep stirring until the rice absorbs all of the liquid.  This takes a few minutes.  Then repeat with another 1.5c of chicken stock.  Stir until absorbed.  Finally, add the final cup of chicken stock.  Stirring for about 2-3 minutes.  Then you will add the zucchini disks to cook.  At this point I added a splash more of the stock and covered the pot for about 2 minutes.  (Add more broth or water if necessary).  Uncover an stir again.  Then add your asparagus to heat through.  Serve immediately.  *Can be served alone for a vegetarian dish as well!

— Knead to Cook

Spicy hot popcorn.

by Filed Under: Snacks, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

If you’re captivated by spicy food, as I am, you may want to give this recipe a try.  First, homemade popcorn is so much better than microwaveable.  Second, popcorn is a healthy snack because it is a whole grain and has 1g of fiber per cup.  Third, it is much easier than you think to make it and you don’t need special equipment!

Drizzle about a 1/4 cup of spicy oil on the bottom of your 3-4 qt. saucepan and place over medium flame.  Add approximatley 1/2 cup of your popcorn kernels and cover with lid.  Shake occasionally.  Once the kernels stop popping, remove from the heat.  We sprinkle a tiny bit of salt over it and serve right away.  The spicy oil gives it a nice kick & no need for butter.

Spicy hot popcorn.

 

— Knead to Cook

Guava Martini.

by Filed Under: Beverages Leave a Comment

Guava Juice

Okay I love this drink.  Light, sweet & refreshing.  One part vodka (1 shot)  to three parts Guava juic (3 shots) .  I finish with a splash of fresh lemon juice and a few ice cubes.  Watch out – it will become one of your favorites!

Guava Martini.

 

— Knead to Cook

Healthy Whole Wheat {eggless} Flaxseed, Banana Pancakes

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Vegetarian 4 Comments

Okay thoughts of the New Year are upon us & I love healthy foods that taste great!  I came up with this recipe as we were out of eggs.  Necessity is the mother of invention, right?  The girls requested pancakes & here they are!  The recipe is super easy & totally kid approved!  My youngest, who normally eats pretty much nothing, ate 2!

Ingredients:
1 c of Whole Wheat Flour
1.5 tsp of granulated sugar
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
2 tsp of baking soda
1 tbl of ground flaxseed meal
1 pinch of kosher table salt
1 c of almond milk (vanilla flavored) or you can use low fat white milk
1 heaping tablespoon of applesauce
1 tbl water
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbl of melted butter or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (lower calories)
1 ripe banana chopped up into smaller chunks

Directions:

Combine all of the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl.  Add the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk.  Avoid over-mixing.  Add the banana last.
Spray your skillet with a nonstick spray.  Heat a large skillet over medium flame.  SWhen hot, ladle some batter into the pan.  Flip the pancake when bubbles appear & the side down that is cooking is golden brown.
You can certainly add any variety of fruit you like – blueberries, blackberries etc.  Again, add at the end of the blending process and mix by hand.  I added chocolate chips with the bananas.  I used a palmful to gauge the quantity.

 

— Knead to Cook

El Gringo II.

by Filed Under: Beverages 7 Comments

 

I had this amazing drink at The Standard in the Meatpacking District in NYC.  I fell in love with it.  It honestly seduced my thoughts from the time we left in September until we returned to NYC to celebrate my 40th birthday a week ago.  While we were there, we befriended the bartender to get a rough idea of what made up this lovely concoction.  Although my husband doesn’t remember the list of ingredients, he decided to make up his own version and it was quite good.  If you love spicy, you must give this a whirl!

Recipe:

Slice 1/4 inch piece of jalapeño and place in a cocktail glass.

In your cocktail shaker add the following:
1.5 shots of tequila
2 tsp of Cointreau or Triple Sec
3 tsp of simple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lime
Splash of water (according to taste).
Add several ice cubes and shake.  Pour into prepared glass & enjoy!

Now the original drink has a smoked salt rim.  We didn’t have any smoked salt to use but I’m on the hunt for some now because it does add to the flavor of the drink.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

— Knead to Cook

Black Bean Pumpkin Chili.

by Filed Under: Chili, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

    • I love black beans & pumpkin… so why not combine them?!  Perfect recipe for a cool fall day or a snowy winter one.  Easy & vegetarian!
      Ingredients:
      1 yellow onion, diced
      1 bell pepper, diced
      2 tbl olive oil
      6 garlic cloves, chopped
      3 c vegetable broth
      1 c of sweet corn (canned or frozen)
      3- 15 oz cans of low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
      2 c pumpkin
      1 -28 oz can of diced tomatoes
      2 tbl parsley flakes
      3 tsp chili powder
      2 tsp smoked paprika
      1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
      3 tsp ground cumin
      2 tsp dried oregano
      Salt and pepper to taste

      Directions:
      In a large Dutch oven, sauté the onion and bell pepper in the olive oil. Add garlic and continue to sauté for one additional minute. Then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a slight boil and then turn the burner down to the lowest flame. Simmer for 4-6 hours. Top with jalapeños, low fat cheddar, etc.

 

— Knead to Cook

Teriyaki Orange Sesame Sauce

by Filed Under: Sauces Leave a Comment

Perfect sauce for chicken (as shown in the photo), beef, tofu or even just vegetables.

Ingredients:

1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1 c water
2 – 3 tsp of freshly grated ginger
3 tbl light brown sugar
2 tbl toasted sesame seeds
3 garlic cloves, minced
Zest from one orange
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbl cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water (to mix with cornstarch)

Directions:
Combine 1 cup water, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of cold water and add to sauce as a thickening agent. Stir constantly. Add sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and orange zest. Then you can add your protein to the sauce… chicken, shrimp or tofu etc.

— Knead to Cook