Oatmeal Raisin and Banana Walnut Cookies

I'm always looking for new sweets, with better nutrition, and I was super excited when I came across this recipe while getting my toes 'did' at the nail salon.  I usually detest 'Fitness Magazine' because it's the most repetitive, and sometimes obvious information you could possibly get about nutrition and exercise, but this time, it actually came through.  So, I snapped a quick pic of the recipe with my camera phone, (always think about this when you're out somewhere and want to try a recipe later; who writes stuff down with a pen and paper now a days anyway?), and a couple days later, put the recipe to test.

The original recipe stated that a serving size was four, two-cookie servings, totaling eight cookies.  I decided to make them smaller so they were more of a dessert treat, as opposed to a breakfast cookie, which is what the magazine was shooting toward.  You can do whichever you would like, and it might be a great idea for those of you who are running out of the house in the morning, to try the two cookie servings to get your oatmeal in on the go.

Ingredients:
1 c. Oats, ground
1/2 c. Oats, whole
1 Egg, beaten
3/4 c. Low-fat milk
1 Banana, mashed
1/2 c. Golden raisins
2 tbsp. Flaxseed, ground
2 tbsp. Walnuts, chopped
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Honey
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse 1 c. of oats in food processor until they resemble a course powder.  Combine ground oats with the remainder of the ingredients.  Scoop batter onto a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake 10-12 minutes for small cookies or 12-14 for large cookies.

This recipe is really easy, but I did find that the consistency was a little loose at first, so I added an additional amount of whole oats until it was a scooping consistency.  Use common sense; if it's too loose add more oats, if it's not, leave it alone.  

Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Compote and Vanilla Yogurt-Cream Cheese Topping

A mouthful of a title?  Yes.  A mouthful of blueberries?  Most definitely.  I actually just made these this morning, and despite the fact that I have about five other recipes that I need to post about before this, I really shouldn't be jumping the gun to share this one, but it was so good I couldn't resist.  I also didn't want to forget how I made it before I could get to writing about it.  

My husband and I religiously watch Bobby Flay's Throwdown on Food Network, and recently saw an episode on blueberry pancakes, at which point my husband exclaimed, "You haven't made pancakes in a long time.  You should make blueberry pancakes."  The reality was, I hadn't picked up pancake mix in ages, and the last time I had made pancakes, I had done it by scratch.  Well, his suggestion was I all I needed to get me to pick up the Anson Mills Buckwheat Pancake mix, and start brainstorming my next creation.  

Sometimes I make something so delicious, it's like I can't even believe that it has happened.  This was one of those moments.

Ingredients:
Anson Mills Pancake Mix (6-8 pancake serving)
1/2 c. Fresh blueberries
3 tsp. Cinnamon
3/4 c. Frozen blueberries
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1/2 Lemon, zested
1/8 c. Water
3 tbsp. Stevia
2 tbsp. Non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. Fat-free cream cheese, at room temp.
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

To make pancakes, prepare the batter to package instructions (for this you will need egg, milk, and oil, so don't think that you have all the ingredients here.  Make sure to check whatever pancake mixture you buy, and see what you need to execute the pancakes).  When the batter is prepared, fold in the fresh blueberries, and 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  Preheat your pan to medium, and pour batter onto sprayed pan, letting cook on one side until bubbles form in the batter, and then flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes on that side.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, put 1 tsp. cinnamon, frozen blueberries, lemon juice and zest, water and 2 tbsp. of Stevia, and bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and allow to cook down until thickened, stirring regularly to make sure the fruit doesn't burn, and the mixture cooks evenly.  This should take about 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp. Stevia, 1 tsp. cinnamon, yogurt, cream cheese, and vanilla extract.

To build, place your pancakes on the plate, put a dollop of the yogurt-cream cheese mixture and then cover with the blueberry compote.  In order to keep everything fresh and tasting like it's just built, I would make your yogurt-cream cheese mixture ahead of time, and allow your compote to be cooking while you're getting your pancake batter ready, and cooking.

What I enjoy about the compote mixture, is you can refrigerate it if you have extra, and use it as a jam on toast, or to top other breakfast options.  You can also make your own fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts if you would prefer something fresher than what you pick up in your grocery store.  On top of that, I have left sugar-free maple syrup in the past, and this is such a great way to feel like you're getting your syrupy fix on, without all the fillers and unnatural flavorings.

Give the recipe a try, and you'll never go back to IHOP again for their blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup.  This is 10 times fresher, better tasting, and probably has half the carbs and calories, and shhh...you're kids will never know it's a healthier version!

Toasted Ciabatta Bread with Pea Pesto and Slice Tomato

You'll never guess where I got this recipe.  What?  Giada De Laurentiis?  Yup, shocking, I know.  For the most part, I kept the recipe the same, but I changed the type of bread I used, and I rubbed the bread with sliced garlic after it had been toasted.  What had drawn me to this recipe, was that I really enjoy pesto, but my husband hates pine nuts.  Because of this, I'm drawn to pesto sauces that don't involve pine nuts, but have a similar texture.  Also, this entire show, 'More for Less', had several recipes that I wanted to try, and this recipe, paired with the Lemon Chicken Soup (I will get to that blog soon), seemed delish!  And so, on the pea pesto journey I went.

Ingredients:
1/2 Loaf day old Multi-grain Ciabatta bread
1 10 oz. Frozen peas, thawed
2 Garlic cloves
1/2 c. Parmesan, grated
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/2 c. Extra-virgin Olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

To make the pesto pulse together the peas, 1 garlic clove, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  With food processor running, slowly add in 1/3 c. of olive oil until well combined.

For toast, use day old bread prior to toasting so you get a really good crunch.  If you don't have day old, you can always toast it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Slice the bread about 1/4 in. thick, and brush with olive oil.  Place the bread slices on a stove top grill or griddle and toast on each side for 2-3 minutes.  Immediately remove and take one garlic clove, cut in half, and rub the bread with the garlic, sliced side down.  You're basically making a quick garlic bread.

To build, lay the bread flat, top with the pea pesto, and cover with the sliced tomato.  You can add any additional salt and pepper to taste. 

I enjoy the recipe because it's something that you can serve with a soup, or as a passed appetizer at a party. It's so annoying when people offer starters that are near impossible to eat while standing up, or moving around.  For the love, I'm Italian, I talk with my hands, so I need something that can hold up to a little movement while I'm eating!  

Seafood Salad Pockets with Homemade Potato Chips

I was lucky enough to come across some free jumbo shrimp, and lobster tail, and wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it.  As much as I enjoy both seafood options by themselves, I wanted to make it a whole meal, as opposed to something that my husband and I picked at sitting at the dinner table.  With summer in the air, I decided that it would be a nice treat to have a nice seafood pocket with some potato chips.  *GASP* Potato chips???  Yes, potato is not bad for you, and chips are not bad for you, if you don't go dropping the chips in a giant fryer.  

Although I typically substitute Fat-free Greek yogurt for mayo, every once in a while I have to feed my husband textures and tastes of "real food" in order to satiate his sandwich needs.  *GASP*  Mayonnaise???  Yes, given the right mayo, (I use an Olive Oil based mayo), in a small quantity, it can give you the flavors and textures you crave, without all the crap that's in your typical full-fat mayonnaise.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp, cooked, shelled and de-veined
1 Lobster tail, cooked, and shelled
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Olive oil based Mayonnaise
1 Celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Dill
1 Russet potato, thinly sliced
Non-stick Olive Oil spray
1 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 c. Baby spinach
2 Whole-wheat pockets

To prepare the seafood salad, place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until you reach a desired consistency.  I like mine small because I keep the lobster chopped into larger chunks, in order to keep the lobster the main texture of the sandwich.  In a medium bowl, place the shrimp, chunked lobster, salt, pepper, mayo, celery, lemon juice and dill and mix.  Season to your liking.  Cut your pocket in half, place your spinach leaves, and spoon in however much seafood salad you would like.  I made a sandwich for both my husband and I, and still had some left over to eat on a regular salad the next day.

To prepare the potato chips, preheat oven on 350 degrees, and thoroughly wash the potato.  When the potato has dried, cut off a small part of one end, take a mandoline slicer set at 1/8" slice, and slice your potato.  Watch your fingers!  If you don't have a mandoline, you can always slice them with a sharp knife, however, unless you're a trained chef (which I am not) getting the slices thin enough for them to bake like real chips is very, very difficult.  

In a bowl, toss the potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place them on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow to cook for 12 minutes.  Turn the slices over, and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, checking on them periodically to see if they have browned.  If you want them nice and crispy, you'll want to see them really browned, otherwise the chips will be soggy and chewy.   Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve with your seafood salad pocket, or the sandwich of your choice.  

You can also use this chip recipe with sweet potatoes, if you want an even healthier version.  I just so happened to have used my sweet potato the day before for grilled wedges, so I went with regular potatoes, which was nice because it felt like a day at the beach eating this sandwich with these chips.  

Grilled Arctic Char Tzatziki with Grilled Asparagus

This dish was inspired by a dinner that my husband and I had at Fishbones restaurant in Chelmsford a few weeks ago.  Although salmon is our main superfood, I was intrigued to try something different, and seeing as it is a cross in texture and flavor of salmon, and lake trout, I knew I would love it.  Here, I merely recreated what I saw on a plate, and the flavors that had come out of the sauce when I ate the dish.  

Tzatziki is sauce made with strained yogurt, lemon, garlic, and herbs.  It can contain several different types of herbs and here, I used dill in order to replicate the sauce that I had for dinner.  I love the combination of the sauce with the Arctic Char, particularly because the fish is a lot lighter in texture and flavor than salmon, and therefore, tastes so extravagant with a fancy sauce on top.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Arctic Char, grilled
Non-stick spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. of Fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tbsp. Lemon zest
1 tbsp. Dill, dried or fresh
1/2 Cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 lb. Asparagus, washed and stemmed and grilled


To prepare your Tzatziki sauce mix the yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, cucumber, and salt and pepper to taste, in a bowl.  Allow flavors to marinate together for at least 20 minutes, refrigerated.  Make sure you taste the sauce, and season to your liking, because yogurt can be extremely tangy, especially mixed with lemon zest and juice.  You need to find the balance that works for your palate.

Preheat your grill to medium-high, and take the asparagus, tossed with some Olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste, and place it directly on the grill.  The asparagus needs to be watched closely, because it will not take longer than 5-7 minutes to grill directly on the grate, and needs to be turned continuously.  Take the stalks off as the appear to be done.

At the same time, place a large piece of aluminum foil on the grill, generously sprayed with non-stick spray.  Place the Arctic Char, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, and place it skin down onto the aluminum foil.   Like salmon, Arctic Char will not take long to cook, and really doesn't need to be on each side for longer than 4-5 minutes.  I would suggest using a spatula to turn, as tongs will just break the fish apart.  When both sides have been cooked, remove the fish from the grill, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Take your Tzatziki sauce out of the fridge, and place a generous amount over the fish, and plate with your asparagus.  You'll find that the flavors of the fish, with the sauce, are very complimentary, and light, especially paired with a nice light vegetable like asparagus.

A couple of notes on preparing the fish.  You could always place the fish directly on the grill, but I have found, that if the grate is at all sticky, the fish will just break apart.  So, with this approach, you get almost an indirect heat, but still retain the flavor of the charcoal.  If you're not able to grill, you can always pan-sear the fish, and oven roast the asparagus.  I personally don't eat the skin of the fish, but if you enjoy it, more power to you.  You can either leave it on and eat around it, or peel it off when you take it off of the grill.

Find your closest fish store with a variety of fish, and try something new today.  And, be inspired by the dishes you order when you go out.  Think about something you'd like to recreate when you get home, instead of something you can make at home, but are too lazy to create.    

Grilled Sea Scallops

When my husband and I fire up the grill, WE GRILL!  The scallops stumbled onto our grill because we were planning on doing Bison burgers, and I stopped at the Fish Market to get Arctic Char, so we figured, why not some grilled Sea Scallops?  Super easy, and although some people consider scallops a fatty seafood, they are a very good source of nutrients that promote cardio-vascular health with vitamin B-12, Omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and potassium.  That's all the information I need to convince me to eat grilled scallops.  SOLD!

Ingredients:

8 Sea Scallops
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1/2 Lemon rind
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Garlic clove, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Always make sure to rinse and soak your scallops for at least 10 minutes, if you don't, you end up with seafood that tastes like pee.  No joke.  I made seafood chowder once, forgot to do this, threw them in the chowder, and my husband and I were choking it down.  

Mix the lemon, lemon rind, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl.  If you get jumbo sea scallops, you won't need to skewer them, so lay them on a plate, and brush them with the olive oil and lemon marinade.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  I love the flavor of fresh seafood, so I find it unnecessary to marinate them, and instead let the natural flavor be the dominate taste, and use the other seasonings to enhance the flavor.  

Place the scallops on a grill heated to medium-high.  Let them sit on the grate for about 4-5 minutes before turning them.  Flip, and let them cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Too many people overcook scallops, and then end up with a rubbery texture.  Let them get nice and seared, but don't cook them all the way through, unless you prefer them that way.  

Spinach, Mushroom & Chicken Sausage Frittata

It's pretty evident that in order to eat healthy on a regular basis, it helps to have meals that are already made and ready to go in the fridge.  I find this especially helpful for my husband because he works mornings, and doesn't always have time to make a breakfast before he heads out of the house.  I don't know why it took me so long to give this recipe a try, but it was definitely great to have something already made, and that could be portioned away for when one of us needed a quick breakfast in the morning.  And, for the love, if I'm not using my cake pans for cake, then I'll use them for my eggs!

Ingredients:
3 c. Baby spinach
1 c. Mushrooms, your choice, diced
2 Chicken sausage links, your flavor choice
8 Eggs, scrambled
4 oz Reduced-fat goat cheese, or cheese of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saute pan heated on medium, sprayed with non-stick spray, saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until soft, and add the spinach and cook until wilted.  Remove from pan.  

Slice the chicken sausage (I like to remove the casing because I find it to be a little bit chewy), re-spray the pan, and saute the sausage until browned (most chicken sausage is already cooked, but I like the flavor of a re-heated link).  Remove from pan and let cool about five minutes.

Spray the 9 in. pie pan with non-stick spray, and then lay the sliced chicken sausage on the bottom of the pan, covering the entire pan.  On top, spread out the mushroom and spinach mixture.  Take the scrambled eggs and pour them over the chicken sausage, mushroom, and spinach mixture. Top the mixture with crumbled goat cheese.  (You'll notice here that one side varies from the other.  This is because my husband doesn't like goat cheese, so I did one side with goat cheese, and the other with non-fat mozzarella.)

Place the pie pan in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and eggs are firmly set.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve immediately, or cut into 8 wedges and portion them away for later use.

I liked to pair this breakfast with 1/2 an English muffin or a piece of fruit.  By itself, the frittata wedge can be a little bit light, so eating something else filled me up a little bit more.  Remember, the frittata's greatness lies in the fact that it can be a vehicle for almost any protein and vegetable.  Take whatever you have in your fridge, throw some scrambled eggs over it, and bake away.  You'll find that this can be an extremely versatile dish, and great for left-overs.