Posted on February 20, 2011 in Dinner, Gluten Free, Ingredients, Lunch, Potatoes, Recipes, Wheat Free
Sweet potato fries are giving good old french fries a run for their money! AND sweet potatoes are healthier than white potatoes.
Apparently a sweet potato is not technically a potato, but who cares about that? What we do care about is that they have more fiber, more vitamins A and C, and a lower glycemic index than white potatoes.
However, how many fried potatoes can you eat when you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle? An occasional treat is fine, but maybe you want those sweet potato fries more often. I know I do!
So, here is my spicy sweet potato “fries” recipe, which, as you might have guessed, is not fried in a deep fryer with a boatload of oil but is oven fried.
I promise you’ll love them!
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
3 sweet potatoes (or yams)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt
pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Take peeled potatoes and cut in half lengthwise, then take each half cut into spears that are fairly consistent in size (so they’ll cook evenly).
Put oil and spice in a large bowl or ziplock bag and mix (if you like things really spicy add more chili and paprika). Then add the potato spears and toss to coat.
Put potatoes on a cookie sheet, making sure to leave space between each spear. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven, turn each spear over and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Serves 4
Posted on in Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Snack
Almost every restaurant menu offers a Caesar Salad, because we love it! Even non-salad eaters love it! It makes a great first course before pasta, or a good main course topped with chicken or grilled shrimp.
But, although ordering a salad feels like a good choice, the sad, sad truth is that salads can be deceptively high in calories, fat, etc. Especially if you let the restaurant dump on the dressing, and if the restaurant’s caesar dressing is creamy.
So, here is my HFS healthy version, which captures the great flavors of a caesar but is good for you!
Healthy Caesar Salad
2 heads of romaine lettuce
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 Tbl red wine vinegar
3 Tbl olive oil
parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
1 slice whole wheat toast
sprinkle of oregano, thyme
Wash lettuce and tear into bit sized pieces, dry thoroughly.
Peel garlic clove and place in a garlic press, and put mashed garlic into a small dish. Add anchovy paste and stir, then add worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Blend again and slowly add olive oil.
Meanwhile, make your whole wheat croutons by brushing a slice of bread with a little olive oil and sprinkling with oregano and thyme. Toast and then cut into small cubes.
Place lettuce in a large salad bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with parmesan, salt and pepper, and add croutons.
Serves 4
Posted on in Beverage, Recipes
Oh, the “ice blended” frappuccino, slushy, slurpee, sugary, icy, crunchy, satisfying beverage. Do you ever wonder why you can’t enjoy one of these chilled delights without consuming 1000 calories or having a serious stomach ache? CHECK this out, now you can enjoy your iced beverage at home, spend less money, and stay cool and refreshed!
I made mine dairy free and caffeine free, but you can use any type of milk and caffeine it up if that’s what you like!
Coffee Frappe
2 shots of espresso OR 2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 2 tsp boiling water
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk (or milk of any kind)
2 tsp agave
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbl vanilla soy ice cream (or vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt)
3/4 cup ice
Put espresso or dissolved instant coffee in your blender, add milk, agave, vanilla and soy ice cream. Blend quickly, then add ice and blend again until smooth. Pour into a glass and place in freezer for 5 minutes or so, until it’s thickened a bit. That’s it!!!
Serves 1
Posted on in Bell Pepper, Dinner, Gluten Free, Ingredients, Lunch, Meals, Recipes, Rice, Turkey
Peppers are usually stuffed with beef and white rice, not exactly HFS friendly. So I came up with a delicious, healthy version!
Peppers can be expensive, but if you live near a Costco they have a 6 pack of multi-colored peppers that are fresh and reasonably priced. Don’t fret that six servings will be too many, this recipe freezes well and is also great the next day, so leftovers are welcome!
If you don’t have time to cook the rice you can use frozen, ready to use brown rice or the kind you boil in a bag.
Once you prepare the stuffing you just fill the peppers, cover and bake. Easy!!!
Peppers stuffed with Turkey and Brown Rice
1 package ground turkey (usually weighs 1.25 lb)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 chopped onion
4 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
oregano
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 jar tomato sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off each pepper and remove the seeds.
Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan and cook the onions until golden, then mince the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the ground turkey, season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and oregano and cook until brown.
Put the turkey into a bowl and add the brown rice, then stir in 1/2 of the tomato sauce and the raisins. Fill each pepper with the turkey mixture. Top with a little tomato sauce, then cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 1 hours.
Remove from oven and uncover. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake until bubbly.
I like to serve this with a little brown rice on the side and some sauteed spinach, kale or chard.
Serves 6!!!
Posted on February 5, 2011 in Beans, Bell Pepper, Breakfast, Corn, Dairy Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Lunch, Recipes, Tomatoes, Wheat Free
So now you have beautiful home made tortillas (assuming that you made the ones in my last entry) that you are snacking on while thinking, “man, these are good but what now?” Put that tortilla down! Stop snacking… you’ll be full before dinner!!!
“Re-fried” Pinto Bean Tortas
12 homemade tortillas
2 c pinto beans (pre cooked)
1 jalapeno pepper
1 onion
4 tomatoes
1/2 bell pepper
1 carrot
2 scallions
3 cloves of garlic
6 limes
1 bunch cilantro
salt
pepper
Finely chop the whole onion, put half in a large pan that has 1/4 c of hot olive oil and begin to brown the onions, and the other half in a bowl for your salsa. Once the onion is tender add the garlic and 1/2 of the jalapeno pepper (both minced). Chop up the pepper and the carrot very finely and add those to the onion-y garlicky goodness.
When all of the vegetables are tender add the pinto beans. Let the beans simmer until they begin to get a little pasty. Add more oil whenever the mixture starts to appear a little dry. Add a handful of chopped cilantro and the juice of 5 limes.
Chop up the other half of the jalapeno, the tomatoes, a fist full of cilantro and add it to the left over onions. TADA… salsa.
Salt, pepper and lime both to taste.
Place a dollop of the beans on the tortilla, followed by the salsa and some chopped scallions. If you want, you can add some regular, or vegan, sour crème to the top.
MMMMMM.
Serves 4
Posted on in Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Recipes, Wheat Free
This is my favorite breakfast (for now). I always seem to get burnt out on breakfast foods, so every once in a while I like to re-invent the ol’ breakfast wheel. This is how I came up with my granola recipe!
Granola Parfait
Cinnamon Apples
- 1 sweet apple
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp agave
Combine all of these ingredients in a small pot and let the apples cook down. They are done when you can poke through the apple with a fork.
Serves 2
BUT WAIT, you need the granola!
Granola
- 1 1/4 c rolled oats
- 1 1/2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/4 c maple syrup
- 2 tbsp raisins
- handful of coconut
- 10 pecans
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Melt the vegan butter and add it to your oats. Then add the maple, coconut, pecans, cinnamon, cloves and oil. Notice the raisins have NOT been added yet!
Line a cookie sheet with the parchment paper and put the oat mixture on it. Bake the granola for about 10 minutes. Then give it a good shake and add the raisins! This prevents burnt, nasty raisins.
KEEP YOUR EYE on the granola. Maple syrup goes from yum, to yick, very quickly. Every few minutes give the oats a good shake.
The granola should take about 20 minutes, it depends on how hot, and evenly, your oven cooks!
Serves 5
Once you have the apples and the granola you are ready to go!
I like my parfait with goat yogurt, but you may prefer something else.
Take a dollop of yogurt, sprinkle with any fruit of choice (raspberries are in the image), and then add the home made cinnamon apples and the steel cut granola!
YUM YUM YUMMMM!!!
Posted on January 23, 2011 in Breakfast, Desserts, Fruit, Nuts, Pumpkin
I love pumpkin muffins, but often find the ones at the bakery too greasy and sweet. So I came up with a version that is moist, lightly sweet and not too fatty.
I made it vegan however you can always use dairy milk instead of soy milk and one egg instead of flaxseed/water substitute.
I like to use a combo of currants and raisins to naturally sweeten these muffins because the teeny tiny currants distribute well and give you a little sweetness in each bite. But feel free to use all raisins or cranberries instead.
These freeze really well, just wrap tightly in foil and put in a ziplock. Then defrost overnight, slice, toast and spread with a little vegan butter. Yummm!
Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbl pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 1 tbl flaxseed mixed with 3 tbl water (substitutes for one egg)
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 3 tbl canola oil
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 10 muffin cups (you can also just grease the cups but these tend to be a little sticky).
Combine flour through pumpkin pie spice in a bowl and gently stir. Combine sugar through oil in another bowl and beat until blended. Fold dry ingredients into wet and gently incorporate (don’t over mix!). Add raisins, currants and walnuts.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Serves 10.
Posted on in Chocolate, Coconut, Desserts, Nuts, Recipes, Tofu
Soooooo, craving the peanut butter parfait that I experienced at Native Foods, I came up with this recipe that is really delicious and healthy (for a dessert that is).
Try it, you’ll like (maybe love) it!
And it’s easy…..
Peanut Butter Parfait
- 2 packs Mori-Nu firm tofu
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 box of Annies chocolate graham bunnies
- 1/2 cup of coconut
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Grind up graham bunnies (sounds hostile) in blender and set aside.
Put both boxes of tofu, sugar and peanut butter in the blender and blend until smooth. Place a spoonful of graham crumbs in a parfait glass, sprinkle with coconut, and top with peanut butter mixture. Top that with a sprinkling of crumbs, coconut and a few chocolate chips. Refridgerate for 3-4 hours and serve.
Soooooo yummy!
Serves 6.
Posted on January 2, 2011 in Breads/Pastries, Desserts, Fruit, General, Gluten Free, Ingredients, Recipes, Wheat Free
Being the Health Food Stalker means I bring you lots of ways to keep you on your road to health and longevity. HAVING SAID that… here is a fried doughnut recipe!
Before you mock my first 2011 entry, let me tell you a bit about these apple fritters. They’re gluten free, they don’t have any dairy products AND the main component of the doughnut is an apple ring! That’s right the only part of this doughnut that is fried is the outside of the apple. So, let’s have a little fun shall we? Remember, the most important part of staying healthy is to allow yourself to enjoy something decadent every once in awhile. It is not about deprivation, it is about incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables and less packaged, prepared boxed, sugary foods.
HERE IS TO 2011!
Gluten Free Delicious Apple Fritters (a New Years Delight!)
- 3 large apples (peeled and cored)
- 1 c gluten free flour
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp organic sugar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 whole egg
- ¾ c soymilk
- cinnamon and powdered sugar for dusting
- sunflower oil for frying
Fill a pot with a few inches of oil. In a large bowl combine the flour, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking powder, sugar, honey and salt. In another bowl whisk the egg and soymilk together. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Dunk each apple in the batter and then fry them in the hot oil, WATCH them, they’ll burn fast. Depending on how hot the oil is will determine how long each takes to cook. Aim to cook the fritters for two minutes on each side.
Sift some powdered sugar and cinnamon on top. Serve hot!
Serves 6 ish
Posted on December 4, 2010 in Cucumber, Fruit, Gluten Free, Ingredients, Nuts, Recipes, Wheat Free
Fruits and vegetables that have a brief season are sometimes sadly ignored. They just aren’t around long enough or perhaps they’re not familiar enough to be in your culinary repetoire. But come on, isn’t it fun to discover that you not only love a seasonal variety but that their fleeting appearance helps celebrate that time of year? Watermelon at its peak in the summer, corn in the fall, cherries in June, the list goes on and on and on…
Persimmons are here, so check them out. There are two types, the Fuyu, which is shaped like a tomato and crisp, and the Hachiya, which is oblong and eaten when very soft. I Love the Fuyu in salads. It has a very subtle, sweet flavor and a wonderful crunch.
To get you on the persimmon bandwagon here are two easy salad recipes:
Green Salad with sliced persimmon
organic lettuce (I used red leaf and romaine)
red cabbage
sliced persimmon
jicama
black olives
walnuts
Simply assemble salad and customize to suit your taste. Dress with shallot vinagrette and season with salt and pepper.
Walnuts are a great source of omega 3’s and taste great in salad, but you can substitute pine nuts, pistachios, sliced almonds or pecans.
Chopped Salad with Persimmon
large tomato
1/2 large cucumber
1/2 fuyu persimmon
hard goat cheese
1/4 cup red cabbage
2 large basil leaves
red onion (as much as you like)
Simply dice everything and dress with shallot vinagrette, season with salt and pepper.
Shallot Vinagrette
1/2 shallot, diced small
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp agave
3 tblsp red wine vinegar
3 tblsp rice seasoned vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Place diced shallot in a small dish. Add mustard and mash shallot and mustard together. Add agave and stir, then vinegars. Slowly add olive oil and stir until incorporated.
