Sauteed Kale

Greg and I have been on a kale kick, especially Greg.  He requests it.  It seems to be our preferred leafy green these days.  We have it at least a couple times a week.  I like to serve salmon over a bed of sauteed kale, or just as a side dish with anything and everything.  And a bonus, it lasts longer in the fridge than spinach.  

The next part of this post is a trial, I usually talk very little about nutritional components, because I hate preaching, but I'm going to give y'all a little nutrition tidbit on kale.  Let me know what you think.

Kale seems like just another leafy green, but it's actually related to broccoli and other veggies like cabbage and brussel sprouts. I always shoot to include some sort of leafy green in my diet each day because they are such nutrition powerhouses.  

A cup of raw kale has all kinds of goodness in it:

• 5 grams of fiber
• 15% DV of calcium & B6
• 40% DV of magnesium
• 180% DV of vitamin A
• 200% DV of vitamin C
• 1080% DV of vitamin K (Whoa!! Careful if you take blood thinners!)

Wow, eat some kale everyday with a balanced diet and you can throw out that multivitamin!  It's always better to get our nutrients from real food anyways!  

How can it be such an awesome food? 

There has to be a catch right??  

Actually there is.  Kale contains oxalates, which interfere with calcium absorption....BUT this is actually good news because you can.....

SKIP THE MILK AND HAVE WINE!  Ha!  

Here's one of my favorite ways to eat kale (PS: Kale has stronger cholesterol lowering capabilities when it's cooked).

Wash kale thoroughly. Remove the center stem and chop kale.

Saute onion, garlic and red pepper flakes briefly.  Don't let garlic burn.
Add broth, bring to a simmer.

Add kale, cover and allow to simmer until wilted.
I like mine slightly crispy.

I top mine with sea salt, pepper and a little balsamic vinegar!
Enjoy!

Sauteed Kale
Makes about 3-4 servings

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup broth (or water)
1 bunch of kale, stem removed & chopped
*sea salt, pepper & balsamic vinegar optional for serving.

Heat oil over medium heat, add onion, garlic, & red pepper flakes.  Before garlic browns, add broth and bring to a simmer.  Add kale; cover and cook until wilted and liquid has cooked out.
*I like mine still slightly crisp and I top it will balsamic vinegar, sea salt and pepper!

Vanilla Spice Coffee Creamer

I have been religiously making my own coffee creamer ever since I wrote this post a couple weeks ago  If you haven't checked out my original post on homemade coffee creamer, be sure to give it a look-sie.
After a couple weeks of drinking this goodness and I've decided to experiment with a new flavor.  I've also decided that the original recipe may not have been creamy enough for many of you, especially if you are weaning yourself off of that nasty, thick, syrupy crap from the store.

Store bought creamer officially grosses me out!  I hate to be the nutrition freak that tells you to read your labels, but if you haven't read your creamer label yet, I DARE YOU!  You'll be confused and disgusted....there's no cream to be found in most of them.  Ok I'm going to shut up.

So here's a new recipe that does a few things.......:
A) It makes more creamer!  Between Greg and I, we've been going through it like toilet paper!  It's that good.
B) It is creamier, with a few additional calories & fat, but very little (see nutritional info in original post).
C) It has more flavor!!  I added cinnamon and more vanilla to this for a chai inspired flavor.

If you are feeling extra wild, sneak a sip of while it's still hot.  It's SO yummy alone, too!

Here goes:

Vanilla Spice Coffee Creamer

1.5 cups half & half
1.5 cups lowfat milk
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (the real kind, please!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bring all ingredients to a simmer, stirring often.  Remove from heat and cool.  Remove film off top, if one forms. Pour into a mason jar or other container to store in fridge.  Splash into your coffee and enjoy!

PS...I totally recycled the last photo from the original post.  Please forgive me.
xoxo, D

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My last post was a crazy good recipe for making Homemade Coffee Creamer, so I figured what could possibly go better with coffee than some delectable, chewy, scrumptious, perfectly-perfect chocolate chip cookies?

Everyone has their favorite style of chocolate chip cookies and many of you probably have a recipe that you always follow.  I always follow good-old Betty Crocker, because that's what my Mom does, BUT let me tell ya, this recipe just slid into home base and there's no going back, baby.  Sorry Betty and Mom, but this is the new chocolate chip recipe.  

Have an open mind and give it a try.

There is an unusual ingredient in the recipe for these especially chewy cookies, I'll see if you notice what it is.

You should probably make these when you are going to have company, unless you want to eat the whole batch.  Yup, that's how good they are.  NO joke.

Ultra-Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(inspired by Apple A Day Blog)

3/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2-1 cup chocolate chips (depending on how many chips you like, I prefer less chip and more cookie)

Preheat oven to 350*  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (PLEASE go buy parchment and USE it if you haven't don't this yet.  It makes perfect cookies.)
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
Mix in dry ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
Drop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet, bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly gold.  Don't overcook!
Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Later this week, I'm going to post about my trip to LA last week.  Lots of Disney, family and beach time.
Enjoy your coffee and cookies.
D

Homemade Coffee Creamer

Holy moly, I am so excited about this post.
Don't you just LOVE your morning coffee?
Do you have a favorite coffee creamer?
Have you ever read the ingredient list on your creamer?
If you look, you'll find things like palm oil, sugar, corn syrup, dipotassium phosphate, salt, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium castenate, artifical color & flavor......
Do I really need to go on?
It's called coffee creamer, but it usually a non dairy product full of nasty oils, flavors & sweeteners. It's pure junk!!

This all came about because I weaned myself off of the "junk" and resorted to a splash of milk or black coffee.  Well, this doesn't work for Greg because he likes the flavored stuff, so I started buying "Natural Bliss" by Coffee-mate.  It doesn't have any of the nasty stuff in it, it's simply cream, sugar & flavor.....BUT it has full fat cream and "natural flavoring" that tastes really fake.
After reading the ingredient list on the "Natural Bliss", I was like...."why the heck don't I just make it myself, it seems pretty dang easy."  So I did it and OH MY!  It's amazing.
My goal for making my own creamer was to have it taste great, not all artificial-ly AND to have it be low fat.  It was a complete success.



For my milk product, I used ultra-pasteurized 2% milk.  You can find this at most grocery stores and the benefit to this, is that it lasts longer without going bad.  Ultra-pasteurized simply means that it was heated to a higher temperature than most milk is to ensure that ALL the bacteria is killed.  The expiration date on ultra pasteurized usually goes out at least a month.  I thought this would be best, in case I didn't use the creamer quickly, it would have a longer life.
For example, I bought milk today 2/24 and it expires on 3/26.
(If you have a problem with dairy, feel free to sub in your "milk" product, rice/almond/soy/etc).

Please use GOOD vanilla!  No imitation!  Trust me!  You can't imitate good vanilla.

Here's the simple recipe:

2 cups ultra-pasteurized 2% milk
2 tablespoons honey
1.5 teaspoons vanilla (ONLY THE GOOD STUFF! NO ARTIFICIAL/IMITATION!)

Bring milk & honey to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Once it comes to a simmer, remove from heat and add vanilla.  Cool and pour into a refrigerator-friendly container.  My favorite is a mason jar.  Enjoy with your coffee.

NUTRITION FACTS: 
Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
Calories 10
Fat 0.3 g
Cholesterol 1.2 mg
Sodium 6.3 mg
Carbs 1.3 g
Protein 0.5 g

If you want your creamer to be creamier, sub half of the milk for half & half for only an additional  6 calories and 0.5 gram of fat.

Here's the comparable nutrition info for "CoffeeMate French Vanilla"
Serving Size 2 tablespoons
Calories 80
Fat 4 g
Carbs 10 g
(The fat-free version has the same # of calories/carbs)

Looks like all that crap they put in there to imitate milk, didn't work out so well.

Finally, the comparable nutrition for "CoffeeMate Natural Bliss Vanilla"
Serving Size 2 tablespoons
Calories 70
Fat 3 g
Carbs 5 g

If you want a creamier recipe with a little more flavor, check this one out--> Vanilla Spice Coffee Creamer
Whatever floats your boat....

Freezer Oreo Cheesecakes

AND.....It's time for a naughty recipe!  I thought this day would never come.  Posting healthy recipes is fun and all, but the desserts just hold a special place in my heart.  

So I'm sure many of you have seen these mini-cheesecakes on Pinterest.  That's where I got the idea to make them.

Originally, I simply followed the recipe and thought they turned out great!  Then Greg, the genius he is, said, "I think we should put them in the freezer!" 

AND the lightbulb went off.

Brilliant!

Here we go.

This recipe makes about 16 mini cheesecakes. 

Put liners in a muffin pan and simply place an Oreo in the bottom of each liner.

Now the filling.  Can you really go wrong with cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, eggs, & sour cream?
First, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
Next, add in the sugar & vanilla until smooth.
Finally, beat in eggs.
Lastly, combine sour cream until silky smooth.

Stir in chopped cookies.

Spoon filling into cookie-lined muffin tins and bake @ 300* for 20-25 minutes or until filling it set (AKA it doesn't jiggle when you shake the muffin pan!)

Cool completely and place in freezer from 8+ hours (or overnight) until firm.

CONSUMER WARNING: Having these scrumptious morsels in your freezer can seriously test your self control.
RECOMMENDATION: Treat your favorite friends & family to their own individual cheesecakes, in order to spare your own backside a few pounds. :)

Nom. Nom. Nom.

Of course, you could just refrigerate these, but the texture of these when they are frozen is absolutely brilliant.  Trust me.

Freezer Oreo Cheesecakes
(makes about 16 servings)

22-25 Oreos (16 left whole for "crust", and coarsely chop remaining cookies for filling, about 1 cup)
1 pound (2, {8oz.} bricks) of light cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. light sour cream

Preheat oven to 300*.  Put liners in a muffin pan and simply place an Oreo in the bottom of each liner.  Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually beat in sugar & vanilla.  Add eggs, beating to combine.  Lastly, beat in sour cream and stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Fill cookie-lined muffin cups with prepared filling.
Bake about 20-25 minutes or until filling is set.
Cool completely and place in freezer for 8+ hours or overnight.
Enjoy.

(Feel free to double the recipe if you are making these for a crowd, because they will be wildly popular)

Hummus

Since I AM a dietitian, I have decided that I must post at least 2 healthy posts to each of my naughty posts.  I was going to share an awesome chocolate chip cookie recipe with you guys, but that will have to wait until later in the week.  Today we are going to make homemade Hummus.

Making your own hummus is SO much more economic and tasty than the pre-made stuff from the store.  Plus, it's free of preservatives because there's no way it's going to last that long once you whip up a batch.

I seriously recommend using a food processor, something that I am not blessed with in the trailer.  As many of you know, I chose to take my blender with me over my food processor because I thought it had more uses.  I wish I had more storage space in here because I would bring my food processor and my Kitchenaide stand mixer.  Oh how I miss those two lovely gadgets in my life.

Ok, so back to the hummus.  Use a food processor if you can, but a blender (mixer or potato smasher) works pretty good.

Start by rinsing those garbanzo beans really, really well until the water runs clear, with no bubbles.  This helps reduce sodium content AND reduces some of those "gases" we associate with beans :)  Both things that most people are trying to reduce in their lives! 

Roughly chop some gaaaarlic. (that's my Boston accent coming through, haah!)

TAHINI, my friends, is the secret to good hummus.  It's pretty much like peanut butter, except it's made out of sesame seeds instead of peanuts.  You usually find it in the grocery store next to the peanut butters.
It's all natural, with no hydrogenated oils, so the oil will settle on the top.  Give it a good stir and store it in the fridge once you open it.
I always store my natural nut butters, Adam's peanut butter & tahini, upside down in the fridge.  That way the oil is on the bottom of the jar and I don't spill it all over when I try to mix it up.  Just another little "trick of the trade"

Combine beans, tahini, seasoning, oil, water and lemon juice in your blender or food processor; pulse until smooth.  You will obtain a much smoother consistency in a food processor.  Add more water if necessary.

Serve with fresh veggies, pita chips, or put on your favorite sandwich or wrap.
Hummus is a great source of protein, fiber, iron, plenty of B-vitamins and minerals.

You could also add a flavor punch to your hummus by adding sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, roasted garlic, etc. etc. etc.

Enjoy this lovely snack, guilt free!

Hummus

1 (14 oz. can) garbanzo beans (AKA chickpeas)

2-3 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cumin, or more to taste

2 teaspoons olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of water, (or more to achieve desired consistency)

salt to taste

Rinse beans well.  Combine all ingredients in food processor/blender and pulse to combine.  Continue to pulse, adding more water if needed, until desired consistency is achieved.

Garnich with fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, etc).

Serve with veggies, chips or use as a condiment on sandwiches/wraps.

Can be stored in the fridge for about a week.

Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

You know those last few slices of bread in the bag? 

Uh-huh. 

You know how those slices are usually dried out?

Oh yeah.

Do you ever throw out those last few slices?

Sometimes.

Have you ever read the ingredient list on breadcrumbs?

Probably not, but it's long.  There's lots of salt and crap in there.

And how does this all tie together?  

By making your own bread crumbs, you use the whole loaf of bread, you simplify the ingredients, lower the sodium AND it saves a bunch of moo-lah.

Not only does making your own breadcrumbs do all of the above, but you are also able to make whole wheat bread crumbs, which are really hard to find at the store.  We should all be making an effort to switch our refined white grains to whole grains. This is just another way to reduce the refined crap in our diet. 

SO let's do it.

You have two options to dry out the bread:
(1) Take those last 3-4 slices of whole wheat bread out of the bag and set them out on the counter for a couple days until they are hard and crunchy (this is what I do).
OR
(2) Place bread on a cookie sheet in a 250*-300* oven for 20-30 minutes, or until it's all dried out.

Break up your hard bread into chunks and place in a food processor. In my case, I only have a blender since I have limited storage space in the trailer and no room for my beloved food processor.  A food processor would work best though.
The only *must*, is to make sure your blender or processor is completely dry, or instead of crumb you will get nasty sludge.

Pulse until bread crumbs form.  It's your choice whether you want a fine crumb or a heavier crumb!  That's the beauty of making your own! It's your choice.
Ahhh, the power of choice.  I'm pro-choice :)
3-4 slices of bread make about 1 cup of crumbs.  You can leave them plain or......

If you want seasoned breadcrumbs, feel free to add seasonings.
To one cup of crumbs, I added 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning.
Give it a good stir.

Whole wheat bread crumbs, it's as easy as 1-2-3!!
I made chicken nuggets with these the other night and they were tasty and healthy!
They would be good for chicken parmesan, pan-fried fish, and endless casserole dishes.

For best results store in a airtight container, of course my favorite container is a mason jar.

There's really no specific recipe here.  Feel free to add any of your favorite seasonings, or leave them plain and add the seasoning when you use them each time.  If you leave them plain, you can season them appropriately for whatever you might be cooking.
Have fun, save money and stop wasting :)  Happy crumbing my friends.