Sweet Foodie

Canning Jar Salads

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:29:00 +0000

I've got salad-in-a-jar fever - and the only cure is MORE canning jars.

Are you looking for an easy, stress-free way to eat more fruits and vegetables during the week? Do you want to find fun ways to get your kids to eat their greens? Do you have a little extra time on the weekend you can carve out for food prep? Then read on.

If you store salads in a canning jar, you can eat them all week long. Yes, even on the last day of the week, your salad will taste as fresh as day one. It's truly amazing. The secret is in the stacking. Stack your salad right, and it will stay fresh and crisp. Oh, and they're beautiful. Bonus.

How to Stack Your Canning Jar Salad:

Step 1: Prep the vegetables and keep them separate.

Step 2: Pour your favorite dressing into the jar first.

Step 3: Add protein or a hearty vegetable like quinoa, faro, chickpeas, cooked chicken, cauliflower or broccoli.

Step 4: Add chopped vegetables.

Step 5: Add greens like spinach, iceberg, arugula, kale, etc.

Step 6: Top with treats like chopped apples, a little cheese, a sprinkling of walnuts, or even edible flowers.

Step 7: Close the jar and put it in the fridge.

On your way out the door that week, grab: your jar, a bowl, a fork, and a napkin. At lunchtime, shake your jar to mix the dressing and pour it into the bowl.

For families - If you have kids, let them help you prep (if they're old enough), and layer the ingredients. At dinner time, give everyone their own closed jar. Let each member of the family shake up their own salad and pour it out. Make salad fun!

Salad Recipe Inspiration:

(from the bottom up)

Spinach-Apple-Fennel:

balsamic vinaigrette
rainbow quinoa
thinly sliced fennel
spinach leaves
chopped Gala apples that have been sprayed with lemon juice
chopped Gruyere cheese

Strawberry-Feta-Pasta:

sherry vinaigrette
whole wheat rotini
chopped red peppers
rough chopped spinach leaves
sliced strawberries
crumbled feta cheese

Fig-Almond-Couscous:

balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of honey
whole grain couscous
chopped cucumber
arugula
chopped figs
chopped almonds

You could add tofu, chicken, tempeh, or roast turkey to these salads too. Use my ideas as a starting point for your own favorite combinations!

Dressing Recipes (if you have time):

5-minute Basic Vinaigrette (from Mark Bittman):

You'll need olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots, and salt and black pepper.

-There are endless variations on this dressing - add honey, use different vinegars like sherry or apple cider vinegar, throw in some chopped tomatoes, etc. More recipes from Bittman and the New York Times here.

I'm also playing with the small canning jars - like this pint size. I stuck celery sticks in peanut butter and I'm calling it a celery forest. It's a great snack for work!

I've been loving the Ball wide-mouth pint and a half jars for salad (makes filling and pouring easier) and the half-pints for snacks and sides.

Do you like canning jars? What are you going to make?

Can't wait to hear!

Caroline

Have Fun & Stay Healthy This Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Fri, 10 May 2013 23:59:00 +0000

The first official day of summer is June 21st! So soon! I love the long, light days of summer and the fun outdoor activities that come with them - taking evening strolls, tossing a football, meeting up for BBQs, reading in the park, and brunching outdoors to name a few. Granted, a lot of the summer is still spent indoors working while looking at the nice, sunny day outside...but there are many more fun weekend options for non-winter-loving people like me.

Often, these exciting weekend options like fairs and ballgames center around food. Specifically junk food. You can't avoid it - it smells good, people are probably yelling it out at you "Hot dogs! Ice cold Coke!" and let's face it, there's something there that you know tastes good. Look, I'll admit it, fried dough tastes really good. It's designed to taste really good. It's fried. dough. Now, if you have a little once a year and you share it with friends, fine. But, if you're a family going to these events all summer, it can be difficult to stay on a healthy track.

The solution to a summer of junk food? Well, actually, there are three.

To learn the three guidelines and prepare for your fun, healthy, active, awesome summer, check out my article at NY Metro Parents magazine.

A Balanced Plate (& A Cheesy Giveaway!)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:56:00 +0000

When I want it decadent and gooey, I hit up San Francisco’s American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. When I feel like a little kid, I peel thin strings off a cheese stick and pretend I have a cheese beard. When I’m really hungry? Slices of comté. Bread knife. Kitchen counter. But, when I’m feeling fancy, I pull out my cheeseboard, cheese knives, and a bottle of wine. And sometimes I invite other people to join me.

As a dietitian, I want people to enjoy eating. We typically eat at least three times a day, every day for our whole lives. Let’s say you start eating regular meals at about a year old and you live until you’re 90 – that’s at least 97,455 eating opportunities. And that doesn’t count standing outside the refrigerator plucking out handfuls of grapes, eating frozen mini chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s, or enjoying healthy snacks throughout the day.

Food is both personal and social, and if you stress about everything you eat, you’re going to spend…well, a lot of time stressed out. And that’s going to do a number on your body’s ability to regulate its own hunger and fullness signals and desire to retain or lose weight. Not to mention bolster its uncanny ability to wind and warp feelings of hunger and fullness with emotion, totally confusing us inside and out.

On the whole, I believe that if you like something, eat it. If you feel better not eating it, and you can maintain a healthy attitude and get all the nutrients you need, don’t eat it. I’m not a fan of “forbidden foods” because that all-or-nothing mindset leads to guilt, and more guilt. Better to balance your diet by eating lots of healthy food so when you make an indulgent choice that’s got the whole delicious fat-salt-sweet thing going on, you’re all good.

This leads me back to cheese.

My typical advice for people who are trying to eat healthfully is to enjoy small amounts of full-fat cheese, and use reduced-fat cheese when you're making a dish that calls for a lot of dairy and you just need that cheesy flavor and texture. For example, when I make lasagna, I use skim milk shredded cheese for the majority of the dish, and mix in some full-fat cheese to boost the flavor.

When Culture gave me the opportunity to throw a cheese party, I jumped on it, and prepared a bunch of healthy apps to go alongside the main attraction.

They sent a pretty box of cheeses: Bayley Hazen Blue, Comté, and Great Lakes Cheshire, along with spiced pecans and oat crackers.

While the cheese was a huge hit, the Zingerman’s Spiced Pecans may have won the popularity contest. Friends dipped their fingers into the empty bowl to scoop up the sweet powder.

Another unexpected hit was celery and carrot sticks dipped into spicy Thai peanut sauce. It went with chicken skewers, but people seemed more interested in dipping the veggies! The Barefoot Contessa’s spinach gratin made with skim milk went over well too. Special thanks to Saffron Road and TraderJoe’s for letting me pour some appetizers out of a bag. I chose a mix of high-stress (raw chicken on the counter 30 minutes before people arrived) and low-stress appetizers (open plastic container of edamame, insert spoon, place on table). There are shortcuts for pretty much everything – you gotta pick your party prep battles.

I’ve posted my recipes and other healthy app ideas on my Pinterest page!

THE GIVEAWAY:

You could win a copy of Cheese for Dummies, courtesy of Culture magazine!

To enter, tell us: what are your favorite healthy appetizers? You must post a comment to enter the giveaway. For every tweet or facebook post, you get an extra entry! The giveaway ends on Tuesday, March 12th at 12pm EST. I'll announce the winner later that day.

I can't wait to hear about your favorite healthy appetizers - if you have links to the recipes, please share them with everyone!

How to Handle After-School Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 22:52:00 +0000

(Tip #1) Have a bowl of cold, washed fruit on the table waiting for them

Does your child come home from school "ravenous" every day? Take the stress out of feeding your sweet hunger-monsters by preventing intense after-school hunger pangs, and learn how to get healthy, yummy snacks on the table FAST!

Read my article at PBS Parents

New Year, New Foods: How to encourage picky eaters (and their parents!) to try new foods in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:08:00 +0000

Happy New Year! If you're aiming to include more veggies on the table in 2013, check out my latest article for the Campbell's Nutrition & Wellness Newsletter to learn how to get picky kids (and their parents!) picking vegetables. I've also included links to a bunch of websites to get you motivated - from age-appropriate kitchen activities to how to start a vegetable garden.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

For more tips, read the entire article by clicking here [this will open in a new window].

Make a list of seasonal vegetables to try every month!

Caroline Kaufman Nutrition is now on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 01:50:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

Looking for even more healthy tips, links, recipes, and strategies for you & your families? Visit Facebook and "like" my new business page: Caroline Kaufman Nutrition.

Yes, I'll be posting new content all the time, but I also want it to be a place for you to share with me and one another. I want to hear from you! Stop by and join the conversation.

Here's a sampling of the fun, practical posts you'll find on my new Facebook page:

1. Kitchen Help: Are you making healthy, savory sandwiches or grilled dinners on your panini maker or Foreman grill? Check out my tips on how to clean them (hint: save those take-out chopsticks!)

http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-more/inside-magazine/ask-real-simple/clean-panini-maker-00000000018609/index.html

2. Food Safety: Reusable grocery bags are great for the environment, but they may be carrying more than food. Wash them to get rid of lurking bacteria. http://www.eatright.org/kids/tip.aspx?id=6442469594

3. Easy Cooking Tips: Bored with baked sweet potatoes? Check out some creative ways to eat sweet potatoes and mix it up at the table. If your kids don't like one prep, they may like another!
http://www.beewellforlife.com/5-fast-and-tasty-ways-to-eat-sweet-potatoes/

4. Delicious Dinners: This chicken piccata from EatingWell will be a hit at dinner (and makes great leftovers for lunch). Add zucchini in with the mushrooms to amp up the veggie power.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/best_healthy_chicken_recipes?slide=69#leaderboardad

5. Family Nutrition: advice for parents trying to raise healthy eaters & take the stress out mealtime. Here are some tips on handling picky eaters:
http://www.eatright.org/kids/article.aspx?id=6442467922

I hope to see you there!

Caroline

Apple Cheddar Bagel Chips

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Day old bagels get a second life when they're sliced thin, sprayed with olive oil, and toasted crisp in the oven. Pick up a variety at your nearby market or favorite bagel haunt - the everything, onion, rye, whole wheat, and pumpernickel are all delicious in chip form.

You can eat pretty much anything with a bagel chip. They're a base for open-faced sandwiches, a conduit for getting hummus from the container into your mouth, and a tasty tray for tart apples and shredded cheddar cheese.

These guys go great with bowl of soup or paired with a healthy fat for a weekend snack. Whole grains (like the rye or whole wheat bagels) plus a protein or healthy fat make a perfect snack. Try a bagel chip with sliced turkey or almond butter to get you from lunch to dinner.

Cabot Creamery sent me Sharp Extra Light (75% reduced fat) cheese to play around with. It has a mildly sharp flavor, shreds really easily and melts and browns like a cheese should. I like using full fat cheese when I'm not using a lot - like grating fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano on top of pasta. But, when I need a lot of cheese, like for a lasagna or these cheese bagels, I like to use (or mix in) some reduced fat cheese.

Ingredients: bagels, apples (sliced), shredded cheese

Bagel Chips with Sliced Apples and Melted Cheddar Cheese:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Thinly Slice bagels into rounds, being careful of your precious fingers!
Spray rounds with olive oil (as you know, I love the Misto)
Arrange bagels on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flipping them over halfway through
Layer bagels with apples and cheese and place under the broiler for 5 minutes, watching to make sure they don't burn.
Let cool for 2-3 minutes before eating

Note: I received free samples of cheese from Cabot Creamery. I was under no obligation to write about the product and received no monetary compensation.

Holiday Gift for Your Favorite Cook or Baker

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:51:00 +0000

If you have friends who love to cook or bake, check out these super helpful and colorful posters from The Sweet Tooth Company. They'd be a perfect holiday gift for your favorite food lover.

This poster of volume conversions is one of my favorites (i.e. 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup):

comes in 6 colors

For more holiday gifts for food lovers, check out my ever-expanding Pinterest board.

Thanks to Abby over at The Soul of Health for letting me know about these.

Note - I have no relationship with this company. I just like what they're selling!

Mini Gingerbread Loaves (Holiday Gift Friendly)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:48:00 +0000

I just pulled these lovely mini gingerbread loaves out of the oven. They're perfect for giving as holiday gifts. You can wrap them in parchment paper and tie with a pretty string - badaboom.

The recipe is for a traditional gingerbread, made healthier with some whole wheat flour, canola oil, and applesauce to bump up fiber and take down saturated fat and cholesterol. The two teaspoons of ginger give it a spicy kick. This is not a sweet, sticky dessert cake. It's much more about the molasses and spices. Of course, adding a scoop of ice cream will sweeten it right up, but I think it's asking for a dollop of lemon curd and a cup of hot tea.

Click on the link below to access the recipe and find mini loaf pans like mine:

Recipe from EatingWell

Made in this mini loaf pan

Amazon has a lot of mini pan options

At-Home Sushi Rolls {Recipe ReDux}

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 22:33:00 +0000

This month's Recipe ReDux challenge was, well...challenging. The theme was to use fermented food in a recipe, or ferment something yourself.

I didn't want to buy a giant jar of sauerkraut because I don't really like it...or pickles because I'd eat one or two and leave the rest aging the fridge...or kefir because I find its identity too confusing - is it a smoothie? is it a yogurt? is it a milk?

And I definitely wasn't going to ferment anything myself. I am way too scared of giving myself botulism to can food.

So that left me with my kitchen pantry. With some neglected bottles of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and white wine vinegar on hand (all fermented - CHECK!), I decided to make sushi. A quick visit to the market, and I was back home with sushi rice, an assortment of veggies, a package of smoked salmon, and some sheets of seaweed. Check out my step-by-step instructions below to make your own sushi at home, and enjoy the benefits of fermented foods.

What are those benefits? Well, I couldn't find a lot of reputable summaries of the benefits of fermented foods. There is definitely information out there, but nothing I'm comfortable promoting. There's emerging evidence, but it's not consistent and there are a ton of different strains out there being examined, according to an article in Food & Nutrition Magazine. The article reports that recent studies show that the bacteria in fermented foods may be beneficial for many GI conditions.

Making Sushi at Home:

Ingredients:

Sushi rice (only use short or medium grain rice, or "sushi" rice, otherwise it won't stick together and roll)
Rice wine vinegar
Mirin/sake or white wine vinegar (depending on rice seasoning recipe below)
Low sodium soy sauce
Seaweed paper
Assorted veggies, sliced into logs. Examples: baked sweet potato, cucumber, avocado, carrots, smoked salmon

Steps:

Rinse sushi rice under cold running water at least 5 times, until the water is no longer milky. You need to wash off a lot of surface starch so the rice isn't too sticky.
Cook the sushi rice following the directions on the package or using a rice cooker.
While the rice cooks, make the rice seasoning. I used this recipe by sushi expert Masaharu Morimoto. I found it too salty - try one tablespoon instead of two. Another recipe you can try is this one by The Pioneer Woman.
Add the seasoning to the rice according to the seasoning instructions.
Layer seasoned rice on one piece of seaweed paper. Add your favorite vegetables and/or smoked salmon on one side and roll. Slice into six pieces with a wet knife. Dip into soy sauce.

Note: Many grocery stores sell bamboo mats and a bamboo spatula - the mats make it easier to roll and the spatula is perfect for dressing, mixing, and cooling the rice. They also make you feel and look totally pro.

I made the following rolls: smoked salmon/avocado sushi; cucumber; cucumber/avocado; apple (bad idea - skip this)

Check out what the other ReDuxers made for their fermented foods challenge!

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Pantry Staples (Are Some Sabotaging Your Diet?)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:10:00 +0000

First let's talk about the word "diet," then we'll get to pantry staples.

I don't like the word "diet." When I think about the word alone, I get hungry. 99% of the time, all those popular restrictive diets are unsustainable. Yes, you can lose weight, but if you're going to deprive yourself of food you like, and then gain the weight back (plus some), then what's the point? When I say diet, I mean the food choices you make every day.

What do I focus on, if not diets? Healthy lifestyle choices. Exercising because it makes you feel alive and strong, and reduces anxiety. Eating whole foods because they taste good and give you energy. Crunching on grapes slowly and enjoying the "pop" as your teeth sink in. Savoring the buttery goodness of a homemade chocolate chip cookie as it melts in your mouth. Sitting across the table from someone you love and eating a ground turkey chop suey you threw together.

Acknowledge what you're eating and enjoy it until it doesn't taste as good as the first bite. Eat calories, don't drink too many of them. And try to keep your weekly food intake balanced and healthy overall.

Okay so now that I've talked about my philosophy a little bit (and there's a lot more if you're interested!), let's hit the pantry.

Pantry staples are the non-perishables you keep in your cupboard so you can quickly cook a healthy meal with a few fresh additions. You can even save yourself a trip to the grocery store with some advanced planning. Frozen meat and vegetables in the freezer and a batch of rice or beans you cooked on Sunday + pantry staples = instant meal.

Your Pantry Shopping List:

Oils:

olive oil

Grains:

whole grain pasta
oatmeal
brown rice
quinoa

Protein:

dry or canned beans
dried lentils
canned tuna and salmon (and sardines if you like them)
peanut butter

Frozen:

vegetables
fruit

Canned:

canned tomatoes (crushed, chopped)
tomato sauce
spaghetti sauce
low sodium chicken or vegetable broth/stock

Dried

herbs and spices (fresh tastes best but dried will still go a long way)

Other

chocolate chips (...I always have them on hand)

What can you do with all of this? Salmon burgers, tuna salad, veggie-loaded pasta and sauce, rice + veggie casseroles, breakfast quinoa with frozen fruit, fruit smoothies, no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies, and bean burritos become a lot easier to whip up.

Once you get to the grocery store, it's label reading time! Two popular staples are often loaded with hidden ingredients you'll want to avoid. Make sure you're not sabotaging your healthy meals with MSG and added sugars.

Broth/Stock:
Avoid those with: MSG, hydrolyzed wheat gluten (if you're gluten intolerant), honey, and evaporated cane juice. Broth does not need added sugar.

Likely safe bets: Swanson; Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (low sodium); and Health Valley Broth (no salt added)
Make vegetable broth/stock yourself and control the ingredients. Save the peels and stems from fresh veggies in a large freezer bag. When the bag is full, pour the veggies into a large pot and cover with water (the less water, the more concentrated the stock), bring to a boil, and then simmer for about an hour. Strain the broth into a bowl and store. Freeze so it's ready when you need it.
Make chicken broth/stock yourself: Same as vegetable stock but add a whole chicken (giblets removed). Simmer for 4 hours until the chicken is cooked. Drain into a bowl and store the broth. Combine the tender cooked chicken with pantry staples for a quick meal!

Jarred Pasta Sauce:
Avoid those with over 3g of sugar. One high-end brand had 12g of added sugar in a 1/2 cup serving. That's more than one Krispy Kreme glazed original donut. If you have a cup of sauce, that's equivalent to pouring 6 teaspoons of sugar on your pasta.

Likely safe bets: Classico Traditional Favorites Pasta Sauce Tomato & Basil; Rao's Homemade Pasta Sauce Tomato Basil
Make pasta sauce yourself and control any added sugar:

Beefsteak tomatoes make a fresh sauce from Real Simple
Check out Martha Stewart's Marinara

What are your favorite pantry staples? What are your top speedy homemade dinners?

Arancini (Baked Crispy Risotto)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 20:25:00 +0000

Leftover risotto is good, but you know what's better? Leftover risotto formed into little balls, stuffed with mozzarella cheese, rolled in panko crumbs, and baked into a crispy, melty treat. It's so easy to give these leftovers a delicious makeover.

Ingredients: leftover risotto, mozzarella cheese (cubed), panko bread crumbs, fork beaten egg, olive oil spray

Recipe:
Take a small bunch of risotto in your clean hands, put a cube of mozzarella in the center, and form into a golf ball shape.

Brush fork beaten egg on the risotto ball (or dip in egg) and roll in crispy panko (Japanese bread crumbs). Spray lightly with olive oil.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy plain or with a side of marinara sauce.

These aren't healthy - but they're delicious and you could serve them as an appetizer before a healthy meal or a side dish - perfect for little kid hands. Arancini are not an every day food, so enjoy them as part of a healthy balanced diet.

Step-by-Step:

Take risotto and cubes of mozzarella cheese

Fit a cube of mozzarella into the risotto, cover with more rice and shape into a golf ball

Cover the risotto with egg

Roll in panko crumbs

Bake until melty and crispy

Enjoy a yummy forkful

Magic Kitchen Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 02:16:00 +0000

I have a lot of food memories. In fact, most of my childhood memories involve food in some way.

I used to play "cafe" in the basement for hours. I had a big cardboard box of play food and plastic menus, and the box doubled as a stove for my "cooking." I was the hostess, waitress, and chef; the customers were a few very lucky stuffed animals.

When I think of sleepovers at my grandparents' house, it's flavors that come to mind first - not words. Waking up at the usual kid time (5:30 - 6:00 AM), my grandfather, hearing me stir, would wake himself up, and head straight to the kitchen. There he'd prepare the best oatmeal I have ever had to this day. I seriously think there was magic involved. And cream. There was definitely a lot of cream. We would sit quietly at the kitchen table in the early morning light; my grandfather, in his bathrobe and slippers, and me, in pajamas and socks. With my grandmother still asleep, this was our special morning time to be together. The memory of a bowl of warm cinnamon raisin oatmeal hiding under a pool of silky cream is intricately intertwined with the memory of my grandfather himself.

One of the great things about cooking is that kitchen tools transform intangible memories into something tactile. Instead of just remembering your grandmother's applesauce, you can actually recreate it by using the very same food mill she used when she made it for your mom. This is not a random analogy. I have my grandmother's food mill and pink bowl. She always served her delicious pink applesauce in that pink bowl. I'll be using her recipe, food mill, and bowl to make it for Rosh Hashanah in a few weeks. I think that's pretty darn cool. Here's the recipe if you want to make it with some of those delicious early fall apples.

So, sometimes you remember special things, sometimes you inherit special things, and sometimes you make things special. Like when my friend Jenny and I went to paint-your-own-pottery in Brookline, Massachusetts during college and spent the afternoon making a bowl (for her) and a mug (for me). I rediscovered the mug when I was going through things in my childhood home. It made me so happy. She did a stellar job with the puzzle piece pattern.

What are your favorite food memories? Do you have any special kitchen tools?

Vote for Sweet Foodie!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 14:35:00 +0000

I'm really excited to tell you all that Sweet Foodie has been nominated for "Nutrition Expert Blog of the Year" in thePlate Awards. Big YAY. If you'd like to vote for me (and I really hope you do):

Head over to thePlate. Sweet Foodie is in the first column. There's also a space at the bottom for you to write in "top blogger of the year," if you feel so inclined.

You don't need to register for anything - it's really easy.

Thank you, Thank you!!!

Pan con Tomate {The Recipe ReDux}

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 22:09:00 +0000

This month's Recipe Redux challenge is to beat the July heat with a no-cook meal. I can't think of a better one than my dinner last night. It's rustic, it's easy, it's no-fuss, and it's got my mouth watering thinking about it.

Pan con tomate is a quick, light meal that highlights the outrageously good flavor of late summer tomatoes. If you're hungry, it's a great warm appetizer. It's basically warm garlic bread with sliced tomatoes and sea salt. Like a bruschetta without all the leg work.

Use an heirloom (the ugly, colorful ones that appear in late summer) or a flavorful red like the ones from Backyard Farms. In Spanish, pan con tomate means "bread with tomato" if that gives you an indication of how easy this is going to be.

You don't need many ingredients, but it's important that they are all awesome.

For one person, gather 1 medium-sized tomato, 4 slices of rustic bread, one piece of peeled garlic, some olive oil, and sea salt. Multiply from there for more hungry tummies.

Simple Steps:

1. Toast slices of bread.

2. Spray the toast with a thin layer of olive oil (check out the Misto), or baste a light coat.

3. Rub a raw, peeled clove of garlic on the warm, oily toast.

4. Spread slices of tomato on top.

5. Sprinkle with sea salt.

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Raspberry Chocolate Parfait Shots {The Recipe ReDux}

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:56:00 +0000

In an attempt to throw together a dessert that required minimal hot kitchen time (um, it's 100 degrees out), I mixed up a one bowl chocolate cake and layered pieces with fresh, seasonal raspberries and light whipped cream. To keep the dessert mini, I portioned the parfaits into miniature glasses.

By the way, a good tip to keep a lid on snack sizes is to scoop a handful into a teacup or small bowl. If you want more, refill the same amount or less each time. Try to find a container that makes your snack look plentiful - you'll likely feel more satisfied if you feed your hungry eyes too. If your container is large and it looks like you're only eating a few measly bites, you'll be inclined to eat much more.

Ingredients for Parfait: chocolate cake (see below), fresh raspberries, whipped cream

Note: There are no eggs in the cake - the vinegar-baking soda reaction mimics the rise you get from eggs. Don't worry, you can't taste the apple cider vinegar at all!

Gooey Chocolate Cake:

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of cider vinegar

4 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk dry ingredients through sugar in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients. Finally, stir in chocolate. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch round cake pan or 8x8 inch square. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. When cool, remove squares for parfait as needed.

To assemble parfait, layer chocolate cake, whipped cream and raspberries twice.

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Hearty Beef and Vegetable Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:12:00 +0000

Some days you just want to eat something familiar and comforting. And warm and cheesy. And gooey and slightly browned on top. And tomatoey. And pretty. But still hearty and rustic. Some days you want to eat lasagna. And yesterday was one of those days.

Here's the deal - Yes, you can totally make this without the meat, or you can sub it for crumbled tofu, or use ground turkey, or turkey sausage (without nitrates), or vegan sausage. BUT, if you're feeling ground beef - DO it. If you don't have it very often and you're feeling it - have it. Eat it slowly and enjoy the combination of flavors. Start with a small piece. Go back for seconds if you're still hungry. Wait a few minutes. Still hungry? Give yourself permission to eat more. When you start to feel full and the lasagna doesn't taste as good as it did those first few bites, stop. Eating mindfully, taking note of the flavors of your food, and giving yourself permission to eat until you are full will help you start to enjoy your meal more and avoid overeating. This is not a "cheat" meal - it's just a meal - and a good one at that.

Beef Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup water
1 24-26 oz jar of marinara sauce (try Barilla - it has a great flavor and thick consistency)
8 oz (1 bag) shredded part-skim mozzarella (measure 2 cups and leave the rest in the bag)
2 cups (1 16-oz container) lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 zuchinni, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 artichoke heart rounds, sliced thin
12 dry lasagna noodles (the regular ones, but you can sub the no-boil ones)

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350° (or prepare lasagna ahead of time, cover & refrigerate and bake 80 minutes before serving).
Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions. Once they're drained, stack them in between sheets of parchment paper to keep from sticking.
While the noodles are boiling, lightly mist olive oil into a large non-stick pan. Cook ground beef over medium heat until brown and crumbly, stirring occasionally.
Add water and marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 cups mozzarella and next 5 ingredients through black pepper.
Cover a 9x12 baking dish with aluminum foil.
Spread 1 cup turkey-tomato mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.
Arrange 3 noodles over the mixture and top with 1/2 cup beef mixture.
Spread half of the cheese over the beef mixture.
Cover with all of the carrot, zucchini, and artichoke heart slices.
Repeat steps 8-9 until finished, ending with beef mixture on top.
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese, and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

American Chop Suey (Macaroni and Lean Ground Turkey)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:09:00 +0000

I loved American Chop Suey when I was growing up. For those of you who didn't grow up in New England (I'm from Boston - Go Sox!) Wikipedia says you may know it as macaroni and beef or American goulash. No matter what you call it, it's a delicious comfort food dinner. Traditionally a savory stew of of chopped tomatoes, macaroni pasta, and ground beef, I made a healthier version by swapping ground beef for lean ground turkey, adding a ton of chopped veggies, and starting from scratch (some recipes call for Campbell's spaghetti - I used chopped tomatoes and organic, low-sodium broth instead).

Aside from the taste, this dish is an example of how you can stretch your grocery budget and improve your health simultaneously. You can save money, eat less saturated fat and cholesterol, and keep more food ready-to-go in your freezer if you replace most of the meat in a dish with beans, vegetables, and/or rice. Dried beans are one of the cheapest foods in the market - you can boil them, refrigerate them, and use them in meals throughout the week. Canned beans are a great quick alternative, but since they're usually swimming in salt, rinse thoroughly with cold water in a colander before using. Freeze the meat you saved, and it's handy for future meals.

You can easily create a very low-sodium version by using canned diced tomatoes with no salt, low-sodium broth, and prepared dried beans. Go vegetarian by nixing the meat altogether or using a non-meat substitute like Field Roast vegan sausage links (made of whole grains, veggies, and spices) in place of the turkey.

Oh, and I took a knife skills class two weeks ago, and learned how to cut vegetables properly. I was really excited to use my new-found skills to medium-dice the carrots, celery, and onions...I had to post a photo of the prep so you could see!

American Chop Suey

Adapted from Everyday Living's pasta e fagioli recipe

Serves 4, Total Time to Dinner: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 + 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 celery stalks, diced medium

2 carrots, diced medium

1 small red onion, diced medium

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound of ground white meat, lean turkey breast

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 sprig fresh oregano

1 can (28-oz) chopped tomatoes (or 26-oz box chopped tomatoes)*

2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 Parmesan rind (optional), plus 1/4 cup grated Parmesan for serving

1 cup macaroni pasta

1 can (15.5 ounces) white beans such as cannellini, rinsed and drained

Recipe

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium. Add the ground turkey and brown, cutting it with a spatula into small pieces while it cooks. While turkey browns, begin step 2.

2. In a medium heavy pot (cast iron works well here), heat oil over medium. Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 9 minutes.

3. Add the cooked turkey, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and Parmesan rind (if using) to the pot. Increase heat to high (or keep on medium and wait a little longer if using cast iron), and simmer rapidly until liquid thickens slightly, 5 minutes.

4. Add pasta and cook, partially covered until tender, 10 - 15 minutes.

5. Add beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.

6. Before serving, remove the Parmesan rind and oregano sprig. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.

*I frequently buy tomatoes in aseptic boxes instead of cans. I do used canned foods, but sparingly because I try to minimize my exposure to BPA, which is found in the lining of most soup and drink cans. For more information, check out this article from The New York Times.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (with wheat germ! and whole wheat flour!)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:58:00 +0000

These little choco-nana treats are airy, not overly sweet, and have a je ne sais quoi flavor (hint: it's the lemon zest). The whole wheat flour and wheat germ don't carry them to health food status, but they do add fiber and antioxidants from whole grains, and a signature nutty flavor that brings depth to traditional baked goods. Most banana bread recipes have a heavy, rich taste, but this one sidesteps the issue by incorporating lemon zest. The zest brightens the flavor, adding freshness without leaving any trace of lemon on your tastebuds.

If for nothing else, they're a fantastic way to get rid of those two black bananas sitting on your counter. Don't throw them away - the darker their skin gets, the better these muffins taste!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

(Adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 stick butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 large eggs, beaten

2-3 mashed ripe bananas (about 1-1 1/4 cups)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin.

2. Whisk together the flours, wheat germ and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and lemon zest at medium speed until creamy.

4. Beat the eggs and mashed bananas into the butter-sugar mixture.

5. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, beating until smooth after each addition.

6. Fold in the chocolate chips.

7. Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about 1/2-way. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes and then remove the muffins.

Whole Grain Spring Quiche {Cabot Contest & Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:48:00 +0000

I don't want to bury the lead, so I'm going to give you the head's up - this quiche tastes like a vegetable fritatta on a cheesy polenta crust. YUM. (If you're still interested, read on):

{I received free samples from Cabot Creamery of the cheese and giveaway items mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Cabot Creamery Cooperative and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.}

The Cabot Creamery, up in one of my all-time favorite states, Vermont, threw the gauntlet at the Recipe Reduxers. They asked us to take a whole grain, fruit, or vegetable we've never tried before, and develop a rockstar recipe that includes their reduced fat cheddar cheese. I selected not one, but two whole grains that have never graced my kitchen cabinets, and got to work. I developed a delicious quiche crust out of these two unusual (but available!) whole grains that's soft like a nutty polenta on the bottom and crispy and delicious on the top. You know how good cheesy polenta is? Then you'll start to understand how great this crust is with the quiche.

Let's talk about these new grains first :

Amaranth is actually not a grain (FYI - quinoa isn't either - mind blown?), it's a seed, but it's treated like a grain. It's got a sweet, nutty taste - when you cook it in water, it tastes like a more substantial cream of wheat cereal. Even though it's a tiny little seed that comes in a box, it's related to beets, swiss chard, and spinach. I know. This sounds crazy. But stick with me - there's more. This little seed, that's cousins with swiss chard, can not only be eaten like porridge or cooked with grains like rice, but it can be popped like popcorn in a skillet. According to the Jefferson Institute, the popped kernels are traditionally mixed with honey or molasses and shaped into snack bars and cakes (like Rice Krispie Treats) in Mexico. It's the jack of all trades of the seed/grain world. It's high in protein, and has lysine, an amino acid that most grains don't have (so it's good to mix into a vegetarian diet!). Did I mention it's also gluten free?

And let's not forget about bulgur - the other high-profile, whole-grain component of the quiche crust. While amaranth comes to us from Central America (where it was grown 6,000 years ago), bulgur makes it's way from the Middle East. It's made from cracked wheat berries and loaded with fiber. It cooks up into a soft, light dish, and it's got a nutty flavor that helps give the crust its own (albeit small) voice.

So this quiche starts with an awesome, fun, nutty, yummy, whole grain-crust. Then, it gets filled to the brim with an egg custard that's loaded with veggies including spring's very own asparagus. I've trimmed the saturated fat by swapping 2% milk for cream, and reduced fat cheddar cheese for whole-fat cheese.

I hadn't tried Cabot's reduced fat cheeses before, so this was all new to me. I was suspicious - not gonna lie. I kind of assumed they would be flavorless and rubbery like the fat-free shredded cheeses I mistakenly purchased a long time ago. But...they were delicious - totally sharp, cheesy, and melty! And they taste awesome in this quiche. I used a mix of the 50% and 75% reduced fat cheddar cheeses.. Their sharp, cheddar bite complements the nutty flavor of the crust, and mixes well with its polenta-like texture. Deliciousness.

And now for the Giveaway! Two readers will win a coupon for a free reduced fat cabot product. To win, tweet to @sweetfoodie about what you plan to do with your reduced fat Cabot cheddar cheese, or write in the comments below. I'll pick two winners at random on April 7th. Good Luck!

Whole Grain Spring Quiche

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup amaranth

½ cup bulgur wheat

½ tsp salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Quiche:

1 ½ cups shredded 50% and/or 75% reduced-fat Cabot cheddar cheese

½ cup milk

3 large eggs

½ cup mushrooms, chopped

¾ cup asparagus, sliced into small pieces on the diagonal

½ cup tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, diced

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

Crust:

Boil 1 cup of water in a non-stick saucepan. When boiling, add 1 cup rinsed amaranth, and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, until water is absorbed. Pour amaranth into a medium bowl.
Mix bulgur wheat with 1 ½ cups water and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the water has been absorbed. Add bulgur to amaranth and mix to combine.
Stir butter and salt into the grain mixture and refrigerate about 1 hour until cool.
When cool, mix in 2 tablespoons of milk and stir until combined.

Press a thin layer of dough into a greased 9-inch pie or quiche plate. You will not use all of the dough. (see note)

Bake the crust in a 425 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, until it's golden brown.

Remove from the oven, brush with a beaten egg yolk and bake for 3 more minutes to harden.

Quiche:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Sauté chopped asparagus and mushrooms for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
Whisk together egg, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg (optional) in a medium bowl.
Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus, and chives.
Sprinkle ½ the cheese on the crust.
Pour the custard on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 40-50 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Note: Warm the remaining grain mixture for breakfast porridge the next day. It’s like a whole grain cream of wheat and is delicious with chopped fruit and nuts (and a little maple syrup or honey to sweeten if you would like).

Sources:

Jefferson Institute: http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/amaranth.php

USDA: http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/specialty_crops/amaranth/

Wheat Foods Council: www.wheatfoods.org

Sweet Foodie on WBUR Boston

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:14:00 +0000

WBUR (Boston's NPR station) featured Sweet Foodie on their kitchen blog! You can check it out here.

Maple Syrup Kissed Roasted Vegetables {The Recipe ReDux}

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:08:00 +0000

Send winter's famous root vegetables off with a kiss of spring's sensational maple syrup. Like turning straw into gold, maple trees weave their magic by converting starch into golden syrup. In this recipe, we enhance the subtly sweet nature of roasted carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes by roasting them in an all-natural maple syrup glaze. Serve the vegetables as a side dish, or make them into a main course by mixing with wild rice, cranberries, and toasted pecans.

Distinguish between different varieties of maple syrup by looking at their grades. Unlike in school, however, these grades have nothing to do with quality - they correspond to the color and flavor of the syrup. It's usually easier to find Grade A light and medium amber syrups, but keep an eye out for the darker, thicker, richer varieties, like my personal favorite, Grade B.

If you can, visit your local farmer's market (find one here) and ask for a taste of each one - that's how I learned about the different flavors (thank you to the Burlington, VT farmers market!) Here's an easy guide to Maple Syrup Grades (information from the Huffington Post).

Grade A Light Amber (Fancy): light flavor, light color, thin consistency.

Grade A Medium Amber: stronger and darker than Grade A, but still light flavor and thin consistency.

Grade A Dark Amber: rich flavor, deep golden color, thick consistency. Very rich.

Grade B: Strong maple flavor, thick consistency. If you love maple syrup, you'll love pouring this on your pancakes, and adding it baked goods.

Maple Syrup Kissed Roasted Vegetables

(serves 3 as a main course)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into spears or chopped

1 large parsnip, peeled and sliced into spears or chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and sliced into spears or chopped

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Your favorite cooked rice or whole grain (like wild rice, quinoa, or whole wheat couscous)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, toss the vegetables with olive oil and a few shakes of salt and pepper to coat. Place in a foil-lined baking sheet or tinfoil pan and bake for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour the maple syrup over the veggies and mix to coat. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes until the vegetables are tender and have started to brown. Add chopped pecans and cook for 3 more minutes until lightly toasted. Serve over a mix of grains and dried cranberries.

Note: I love the fruity, nutty flavor of Lundberg's wild blend rice. It's a beautiful, aromatic mix of wild rice and brown rice, and takes about an hour to cook on the stove. Start it before you begin to prep for this recipe, and they'll be done at the same time. Check out your local grocer for Lundberg's rice, or order it online if you'd like to try.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Chocolate chip cookies are supposed to be a delicious treat, and these are no exception. Yes, I swapped half of the white flour for fiber-filled, antioxidant-packed whole wheat flour, but they still taste exactly like a delicious chocolate chip cookie should. My fiancé, who topped his cookie with vanilla bean ice cream (yum), couldn't even tell I made the substitution. I think the special flour makes them taste even better - but I'll let you be the judge...after you give them a try.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Tulips and Flight Suits

inspired by a blog post on Hopelessly Techie

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degree. Lightly grease cookie sheets.

2. Sift together the two flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended.

4. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted flour mixture until just blended.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop rounded balls of cookie dough onto the greased cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart.

6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Eggless Chicken Caesar Salad (20 minute meal)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:38:00 +0000

Skip the high-fat creamy bottled dressings or raw eggs, and get the same tangy flavor you love in Caesar salads with a vinegarette-based dressing. This salad is robust enough to serve on its own, but it can be paired with soup or a side of whole wheat pasta for a heartier meal.

Shortcuts: Halve prep time (but lose some of the texture and flavor of fresh) by using a pre-washed package of Caesar Salad lettuce mix, rotisserie chicken, and 1 tsp of bottled minced garlic.

You can find anchovy paste with the tomato paste in your supermarket. Try it, even if you don't like anchovies - it adds a distinctly "caesar" flavor to the dressing, but it's not fishy.

Eggless Chicken Caesar Salad (adapted from Cooking Light, November 2011)

(serves 3 as a main course)

Ingredients:

1/2 a french bread baguette, cut into small squares

olive oil spray (optional)

2 (8-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

black pepper

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste

6 cups (3 hearts) chopped romaine lettuce

2 cups (1/2 head) of radicchio lettuce

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan

1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for nine minutes, or until lightly toasted.

3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill on a panini grill/foreman for about 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatively, heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat the pan with olive oil spray, and cook the chicken for 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan, let stand 5 minutes, and slice.

4. Whisk together 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, and next four ingredients (through anchovy paste) in a large bowl. Add romaine and radicchio to bowl and toss to coat. Plate the lettuce mixture and top each serving with chicken, handful of croutons, and sprinkling of cheese. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top of each serving.

Dark Chocolate Orange Tofu Mousse

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet Foodie) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:07:00 +0000

Non-dairy, creamy, rich, dark chocolate orange mousse. Yes, it does exist.

I feel like tofu can be really divisive. There's the "I love tofu" camp, and the "that's the ickiest food ever" camp. A lot of times people are turned off by its texture - and hey, I get it - it's white, slimy, and flavorless - it's not the snugly teddy bear of foods. But those qualities can be a total plus - it's a blank slate! You can marinate it, and give it whatever flavor you want. You can grill it or bake it, and change the color and consistency. You can blend it into drinks and desserts to add a creamy texture without messing up the flavor. See? Glass just went from half empty, to half full.

I just joined a really cool group of health-focused bloggers called the Recipe ReDux. Each month, we're all given a theme, and we each create a different recipe based on that theme. We post them on the same day every month, so you get a lot of recipe options to choose from - all of them designed to be both delicious and healthy. This month, the theme was a chocolate recipe in which the chocolate complements other heart healthy, "good for you" foods. It was thought up by the lovely ladies over at Meal Makeover Moms. My recipe includes tofu (heart healthy soybeans) and oranges (a fruit with lots of fiber), and excludes cream (high in saturated fat). Dark chocolate itself has antioxidants that fight free radicals, which cause cell damage, and may help lower blood pressure. One study showed that milk may interfere with how your body absorbs those antioxidants, but you don't have to worry about milk in this recipe - we use tofu to get a creamy consistency. Topping with whipped cream is up to you, but this recipe could be easily non-dairy by omitting the whipped cream, or using a vegan alternative.

As you know, I love a good presentation, so I scooped out the center of an orange, used the juice for flavor, and spooned the mousse inside. As the mousse chills, it takes on even more of the orange flavor.

Dark Chocolate Orange Tofu Mousse

(makes 2)

Ingredients:

2 navel oranges, hollowed out & juice reserved

12 oz silken tofu, drained

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

whipped cream (optional)

orange peel shavings to garnish (optional)

1. Melt chocolate in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until chocolate is almost completely melted. Stir to dissolve the last bits.

2. Puree 12 ounces of drained tofu with 2 tablespoons of reserved orange juice, melted chocolate, and vanilla extract. A mini food processor is great here, but a blender or immersion blender will work too.

3. Spoon mousse into orange cups and refrigerate, at least one hour.

4. Before serving, top with whipped cream (optional), and garnish with chocolate shavings and orange peel shavings (optional).