Grilled Peaches with Yogurt Walnut Topping

Grilled fruit?!?!  YUP!  If you ask me, people don't grill enough different types of foods.  I grill meats, fruits, pizzas.  I'd grill pasta if I could, but much like the Tater-tot incident with my friend Mandy in our youth, turns out the pasta falls through the grates.  

The great thing about grilling fruit, is that it has all the natural sugars that are needed to caramelize the outside.  Add those with a titch of cinnamon and a sprinkle of Stevia, and all of a sudden you're tasting something that you would have sworn was way too decadent to be healthy.

Ingredients:
2 Peaches, ripened
1 tbsp. Canola oil
2 tsp. Cinnamon, divided
2 tsp. Stevia, divided
4 tbsp. Fat-free Greek Yogurt
1 splash of Vanilla extract
2 tbsp. Walnuts, toasted

Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits.  It should be noted here that if you get under-ripened peaches you'll have a heck of a time trying to get them in half and remove the pit.  You have been warned.  Brush the cut side of the peach with canola oil (or any oil that can withstand high temperatures) and sprinkle all four pieces with 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1 tsp. of Stevia.  Place the peaches, cut side down, on a grill heated to medium high.

Give the fruit about 5-7 minutes to caramelize on the cut side, checking regularly to make sure that it is not burning, and flip.  Allow to cook on the other side for an additional 5-7 minutes.  You'll know the peaches are done when both sides are browned, and they squish easily when you grab them with tongs.  

To make the yogurt topping, place the yogurt, 1 tsp. of cinnamon, tsp. of Stevia, and a splash of vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk.  Garnish each peach with 1 tbsp. of the yogurt topping, and sprinkle on the toasted walnuts.  

Appreciate this dish because so often in the summer season in New England we are surrounded by cookies, and brownies, and everything else that is full of fillers.  Choose fruit salad, or better yet, choose grilled fruit salad.  It tastes better, and who doesn't love the smokey flavor of Cowboy charcoal on everything from meats to fruits?

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.  

Super-Easy Walnut Crusted Salmon

Ahh, salmon, we meet again.  In looking to always change up my salmon prep for dinner, I came across a couple of recipes that used a walnut crust, and an almond flour crust.  I had traditionally cooked salmon either by itself, or brushed with this awesome agave nectar with a little salt and pepper, but I was looking forward to trying something with a little more crunch, and a little more warmth.  This was super easy, and took almost no time.  

Ingredient List:

1/2 lb. salmon filet

1/8 c. of chopped walnuts

Dash of cinnamon

Most people expect that in order to put a crust on a protein you need to do an egg wash, or something wet in order to get the nuts or flour to stick.  Salmon, luckily, tends to be on the moist side, so there was really no need to dip the filet in any eggs.  All you need to do is chop the walnuts however fine you like the texture, dip the salmon in the nuts and press down to make them stick, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, primarily to add some warmth to the dish, and place in a non-stick sprayed pan, pre-heated to medium.  Sear on each side until the salmon is cooked to your liking.

I often prepare a green side dish with my salmon, but choose whatever you like to pair with your fish.  I'm lucky enough to have some really great pans to steam my greens really easily, so I tend to throw them on with a little seasoning and just leave them until my steam pan screams at me and tells me their done. Pick something relatively easy so you feel like you're getting a fancy dish, but you're really not doing a whole lot of work with either your protein, or your side dish! 

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

I had been reading about Wheat Berries all over the place, and couldn't find them in my local grocery store, and was starting to get aggravated.  What where these so-called Wheat Berries, what did they look like, and where could I find them?  Well, while in another grocery store, with more health food options, I spotted them in a bag placed with other grains, and I did a mini-celebration dance in the middle of the isle.  Hooray!  

Now, what did I want to do with them?  The Wheat Berry (also know as Hard Red Winter Wheat) are the grains of wheat without the husk.  They can be used in both savory dishes, and to my delight, sweet dishes.  I found this recipe on the back of the Wheat Berry package and immediately had to give it a try.  I love Waldorf Salad, and everything in this recipe screamed Superfood, and I didn't have to modify it at all!

I took 1/2 c. of Nature's Earthly Choice Red Winter Wheat Whole Grain Wheat Berries and cooked them with 1 1/2 c. of water.  You'll want to cook them for about 15 minutes.  The grain should be soft, but still chewy.  You will want to drain them like you would a pasta.  In a large bowl, I combined 2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. of honey, 1 sweet apple, I stalk of cerlery, 2 tbsp. of raisins, 1/3 c. of FF Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1/2 c. of walnuts.  I then added the cooled Wheat Berries and mixed away.  

This has become one of my favorite cold salads, and is a great dish to bring to cookouts where so many people prepare potato salads, that I'm always trying to avoid, mostly because of the potatoes themselves, and the mayo that is always being added.  I promise that you won't feel like you're missing out on anything when you combine this dish with any grilled meat that you love!