Cook: Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

Here's a recipe that I've been wanting to try for a while from The Diva Dish. It's been sitting in my notebook, so when my roommate mentioned that she was in the mood for quinoa - voilà! Well it probably wasn't that dramatic, but I did coincidentally have my notebook that a few recipes tucked in the pocket. So we gathered up the ingredients, pulled out our cutting board and utensils, and combined forces to make this Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad. We left out the avocado because my roommate is allergic and changed a couple measurements to our liking and the end result was delicious! We will definitely be making this one again. Hope you enjoy this one as much as we do! 

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1/2 cup quinoa 
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth 
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 avocados [omitted due to food allergies]
• 2 cups spinach 
• 1 bunch cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 

Dressing:

• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Zest of 1/2 a lemon 
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp agave nectar 
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• dash of salt and pepper 

Directions

1. In a medium pot, bring the vegetable or chicken broth to a boil, add the quinoa and reduce to a low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the quinoa has fully soaked up the liquid. Once cooked, remove from heat and cover the pot with a lid.
2. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients: lemon juice, zest, mustard, oil, agave, cumin and salt and pepper, and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the qunioa, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, garlic cloves. Add the spinach and dressing last and toss until completely incorporated. 
4. Plate, serve and enjoy! 

*Picture: Served with Salmon seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.

Bake & Play: Holiday Special - Sugar Cookie Recipe & a Quick Workout

The Holidays are here and while it may seem like we do not have any time to get any exercise in between baking, cooking and trying to find the perfect gift for the people we love, getting your heart pumping is actually pretty easy. It just takes an open mind, a little creativity and a few back to the basic moves.

And although this may sound cheesy, the greatest gift you can give to your family and friends is you! That is why it is very important to stay healthy this season and all year around. While some may lack the motivation to get moving, or just want to resolve to get healthy in the new year, I say, Why not start now? Who says that you can't multi-task and incorporate a quick workout routine in between your holiday treat making?

You don’t necessarily need to hit the gym to exercise. If you have one, let's put the treadmill or elliptical that sits in the living room or garage into good use. If not, just throw on a pair of running shoes and head outside. You can also use your own body weight as resistance to do a little strength training. Follow the sample workout I put together with a few basic movements: squats, lunges, crunches and push ups, which I called "The 3x15", or switch out a few exercises with your favorites.

Here are a few tips from a multi-tasking veteran coupled with a sugar cookie recipe adapted from Sweetsugarbelle.com and help from my sister.  

Have fun and Have a Happy & Healthy Holiday from my kitchen to yours!

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup (two sticks of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
• ¼ tsp salt (optional)
• 1 egg
• 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 2 ½ + ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

 

Makes: 2 - 2 ½ dozen cookies

Prep Time: About 30 mins                    Bake Time: 7-8 mins each batch

Directions

1. Let the butter sit out at room temperature to soften.
2. [While you’re waiting, get 20-30 mins of cardio in, before you gather the rest of your ingredients and materials for baking.]
3. In a large mixing bowl, use a metal whisk or an electric mixer with a whisk  attachment to cream together softened butter, confectioner’s sugar and salt.
4. In a small bowl, combine the egg and both extracts. Add the egg mixture to the butter sugar mixture and mix until egg is thoroughly incorporated.
5. In a separate large bowl, sift together 2 ½ cup flour and the baking powder. If using an electric mixture, switch to a dough paddle attachment and at a low speed, add the flour to the mixture, a small amount at a time. The dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. The dough should not stick to your fingers, if it does add up to ¼ cup of additional flour.
6. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes before rolling it out.
7. [Start on The 3x15 while you're waiting.]
8. Preheat the oven to 375°.
9. Roll the dough out on parchment or wax paper to about ¼ inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary. Then cut with your favorite cookie cutter shapes and place on parchment lined cookie sheets.  
10. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or before the edges start to brown.  
11. [In between batches, finish up the rest of your 3x15.] 
12. Transfer to a cooling rack and get ready to ice and decorate! With this recipe you can bake them one day and ice and decorate the next. Enjoy!

Exercise Tips (while baking):

• Make sure to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.
• Always wash your hands and make sure to keep your baking space sanitary.
• Don't forget to time the cookies while they are baking, so you do not burn them while you’re exercising.
• Have fun and Have a Happy Health Holiday!!

Cook: Fall Favorite - Spaghetti Squash

Like I promised, here is my recipe for Spaghetti Squash! It is relatively easy to make and can be cooked many different ways. I have tried both the oven baking and microwave cooking methods and have included directions for both for you to try!

Fun Fact: Spaghetti Squash is a fruit, like all other squash that we sometimes like to categorize as a vegetable, because it contains seeds. The benefit of replacing your traditional spaghetti dish with spaghetti squash is spaghetti squash is a whole food that contains fewer calories, fat and carbohydrates.

1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash without salt:
Calories: 41.9
Total Fat: 0.4 grams  
Carbohydrates: 10 grams

1 cup of cooked spaghetti, enriched without salt:
Calories: 221
Total Fat: 1.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 43.2 grams

*Spaghetti noodles contain higher amounts of minerals such as iron and manganese, than the squash, so don't forget to incorporate whole grains as part of a well-balanced daily diet. 

Spaghetti Squash in the Produce section

 Ingredients

• Spaghetti Squash
• salt
• dried basil
• olive oil
• granulated garlic (garlic powder)
• parmesan cheese
• pepper

Makes: About 3-6 servings                              Prep Time: 15 minutes                             
Cook Time: 35 minutes (if baking); 15 minutes (if microwaving)

Directions

Oven:

1. Rinse the spaghetti squash under cool running water for a few seconds.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Then use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp from the center.
4. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and basil and place in the oven for about 35 minutes, or until tender.
5. Remove from the oven, let cool for about 5 minutes, and using a fork - scrape the strands of spaghetti squash into a large bowl.
6. Season the large bowl of spaghetti with more salt, basil, and the olive oil, granulated garlic, parmesan and pepper to taste.
7. Optional:Top with your favorite pasta sauce!
8. Plate, serve, and enjoy! 

Microwave:

1. Rinse the spaghetti squash under cool running water.
2. Use a large sturdy knife to stab holes throughout the squash. (This helps with the cooking process and will ensure that the squash does not explode while cooking.)
3. Run the squash under cool running water one more time, this time you want the squash to soak up the water so that the inside will cook without drying out.
4. Place in the microwave and set on High to cook for 15 minutes, rotate the squash halfway through to cook evenly.
5. Using oven mitts or a clean washcloth, remove from the microwave and let cool for about 15-20 minutes. The squash gets really hot!
6. Cut in half, remove the seeds and pulp with a spoon, and fork out the strings of squash into a large bowl.
7. Season the large bowl of spaghetti with more salt, basil, and the olive oil, granulated garlic, parmesan and pepper to taste.
8. Optional:Top with your favorite pasta sauce!
9. Plate, serve, and enjoy!

Bake: Fall Favorite - Persimmon Pillow Puffs

If your mom is like my mom and A) you have a persimmon tree in your yard, or B) you have a relative or a neighbor that has a persimmon tree in their yard, then C) you most likely ended up with at least one overflowing bag of them! I love my mom <3, but I ended up with half a bag of ripe persimmons and I was kind of getting tired of eating them. Luckily, persimmons can be made into dessert that can be shared :) 

And I had the chance to play with this recipe and will now share it with you!

Ingredients

• Pastry dough (frozen food section of the grocery store)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 4 persimmons, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp water

Makes: 9 pillow puffs                              Prep Time: About 15 minutes

Directions

1. Let pastry dough sit out at room temperature so it is easier to work with later.
2. Preheat oven to 385°F.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Add persimmons and lemon juice; toss to coat. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes if the persimmons are ripe and up to 10 minutes if the persimmons are firm. Remove from the heat.
4. In a small bowl, combine the egg and water.
5. Unfold, or separate the pastry dough and cut into squares, I divide each sheet into 9 squares. Lightly brush the squares with part of the egg mixture; these will be the bottom halves of the puffs. Spoon about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of the persimmon filling into the bottom halves. Cover the filled halves with the remaining pastry dough squares and press edges to seal and use a fork to press for an added design.
6. If the dough has become too soft, let the puffs sit in the refrigerator on a clean cookie sheet, for about 15 minutes before baking. When you're ready to bake, place the puffs on a greased cookie sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining egg mixture. With a sharp knife, cut three shallow slits in the top of each puff. (This part is important because it will allow steam to escape and prevent your pastry from exploding!) 
7. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
9. Plate, serve, and enjoy!

Bake: Fall Favorite - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fall is finally here! 

A few of my favorite things about this season are: the crisp light sweater weather, the chance to once again break out the boots that have been quietly awaiting their return from the back of my closet, the changing colors of the trees as the green chlorophyll slowly drains from their leaves (everywhere except in most parts of Southern California apparently), epic football games and tailgates, and last but not least - the bountiful harvest that brings us such foods as pumpkins, squash, and persimmons.

I would have to say that pumpkin is by far one of my favorite foods and flavors. I love everything pumpkin, from pie, to bread, to cookies...and now that I write this I realize that I might just like it because it seems synonymous to dessert... ;) ...so it is no wonder why this food enthusiast with a huge sweet tooth loves it.

The number one pumpkin recipe that I am best known for is my recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. And today, I am sharing it with you! Enjoy!

*This recipe is the first in a series of Fall Favorite recipes that I will be sharing until the end of the season.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 can of pumpkin puree (15 oz)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 stick of butter (melted and cooled)
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2/4 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp almond milk (or any other milk)
• 2 cup chocolate chips

Makes: About 3 dozen cookies                              Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar, butter, applesauce, egg, vanilla, and all spice.
4. In a separate bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the almond milk and add to the wet mixture.
5. Mix together the wet and dry mixtures until just combine and add the chocolate chips. Make sure you do not over-mix the cookies, because this will result in tough cookies rather than soft and fluffy ones.
6. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are starting to brown on the edges.
8. After taking them out of the oven, let the cookies sit for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. And now you're ready for a taste of Autumn!

Healthy Alternative: Quick No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Looking for a healthy alternative sweet treat?

My roommate brought home a recipe that our whole apartment has fallen in love with. And now I'm sharing it with you! 

This recipe is for a quick, no-bake chocolate chip cookie dough treat that is a healthy alternative to the usually high in sugar, once in a while snack. And because it does not contain any wheat, it is also gluten free. The best part is, it only takes about 5 minutes to make!

In my version, I have reduced the amount of sugar, added a small amount of almond milk for smoothness, and added cinnamon for a kick. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) 
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 - 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 - 2 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Makes: About 1 1/2 cups of cookie "dough"

Prep Time: 5-10 mins

 

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients together except the water and chocolate chips in a food processor or a blender.
2. Slowly puree the mix for about 2 minutes. After every 20 seconds or so you will have to check on the mix and scrape the sides down. When the mix gets hard to puree, add small amounts of water, a little at a time. The cookie dough is ready when it is thick, but smooth.
3. Mix in the chocolate chips at the very end with a spoon.
4. Place in a serving bowl and you're done!

* Recommended pairing: Sliced apples :)

Healthy Alternative: Eggplant Party! - Eggplant 2 Ways - Baked Side & Mini Pizzas

How much do you love your veggies?

Just last week, Dylan Stableford posted an article in The Lookout, a Yahoo! News blog about how the “World may be forced to go vegetarian by 2050… if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations.” The news came from the Stockholm International Water Institute at the start of the World Water Week in Stockholm. The Institute made their estimate based on the world’s population increase trends. 

Here are some highlights in the article:   

• 70% of all available water is used in agriculture, and growing more food to feed the additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place greater pressure on available water and land.
• Humans intake about 20% of their daily protein from animal-based products. 
• We will have to cut that down to 5% by 2050 considering the planets water deficits.
• A move towards vegetarian diets could help free up large portions of arable land to human food production.  
  (Stableford 2012)

If these predictions are accurate, then we better start spreading the veggie love! 
I am featuring Eggplant this weekend, which is one vegetable that I think is often overlooked. 

Eggplant is a vegetable that is an excellent source of fiber, which helps slow down digestion and contributes to the “feeling of fullness”, as well as potassium, vitamin K, copper, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate and niacin (The George Mateljan Foundation). Just less than ½ a cup of eggplant raw contains 3.4 grams of fiber, 230 milligrams of potassium, and 1.01 grams of protein (Elements 4 Health). 

Cooking eggplant may be a daunting task for some and even my roommates have asked me how I cook mine. I’ve shared my recipes with them and now I get to share them with you! Here are 2 recipes that I have put together that do not require too much preparation. The Eggplant Mini Pizzas contain about 8 grams of protein total when I use ¼ a cup of Part Skim Mozzarella cheese and the Baked Eggplant Side does not contain a large amount of protein, aside from the small amount of protein from the vegetable itself. But I have created these recipes to encourage the love of this vegetable and to show that Eggplant can be relatively easy and fun to cook! Both recipes have the same bake temperatures so you can make both recipes simultaneously, one for dinner and one for lunch the next day, make it an Eggplant Party in your kitchen! Enjoy! 

  Baked Eggplant Side

Ingredients 

• Eggplant
• Complete Seasoning (or a mixture of Granulated Garlic, Dried Basil and Salt)
• Olive Oil
• Grated Parmesan Cheese (Optional) 

Prep Time: 5-10 mins                                      Bake Time: 40 mins 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Rinse the eggplant whole, remove the top, and then slice across the width making each slice about ¼ inch thick. 
3. Lightly drizzle a little olive oil into an oven safe dish to prevent the eggplant from sticking.
4. Spread the eggplant slices out next to each other to make the 1^st layer.
5.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the eggplant and sprinkle the seasoning on top of the eggplant. (Use a very light amount of olive oil and seasoning because you will be adding them to each layer).
6.  Repeat steps 4 & 5 in multiple layers until all of the eggplant is used.
7.  Bake uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes.
8. Take the eggplant out of the oven and flip each slice. From here I also switch the top layer of slices with the bottom layer of slices because the bottom layer of slices is now softer than the top layer.  
9. Apply one last layer of olive oil and seasoning to the top layer.
10.  (Optional) Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top.   
11. Reduce the heat of the oven to 375° and place the dish back in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.   
12. Remove from oven, plate, and serve! This recipe can be fixed as a main dish or a side.

Eggplant Mini Pizzas

Ingredients 

• Eggplant
• Complete Seasoning (or a mixture of Granulated Garlic, Dried Basil and Salt)
• Spaghetti or Marinara Sauce 
• Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
• Dried Basil 
• Fresh Basil 
• Mushrooms (Optional) 
• Cooking Spray or Olive Oil (to prevent form sticking) 

Prep Time: 5-10 mins                                      Bake Time: 35 mins

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Rinse the eggplant whole, remove the top, and then slice across the width making each slice about ¼ inch thick.
3. Spray or drizzle a little olive oil into an oven safe dish to prevent the eggplant from sticking.
4. Spread the eggplant slices out next to each other, in 1 layer, without overlapping.
5. Drizzle a little olive oil over the eggplant and sprinkle the seasoning on top of the eggplant. 
6. Bake uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes. 
7. Take the eggplant out of the oven and flip each slice. 
8. Cover each slice with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
9. Sprinkle the dried basil on top of the sauced slices.  
10. Then add the mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. 
11. Top off each mini with a sprig or 2 of fresh basil, and the optional mushrooms. 
12. Reduce the heat of the oven to 375° and place the dish back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes.   
13. Remove from oven, plate, and serve! These minis are better when they are hot and fresh!  

References

Elements 4 Health. Health Benefits of Eggplant. Retrieved from http://www.elements4health.com/eggplant.html.

Stableford, D. (2012 August 27). World may be forced to go vegetarian by 2050, scientists say. Retrieved from http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/vegetarian-2050-190426669.html.

The George Meteljan Foundation. Eggplant. Retrieved from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=22.