Browsing Tag

healthy

Tasty

Did Someone Say Burrata?

June 2, 2014

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Got your attention did I?

Sliced Tomatoes

Well I was craving some comfort food amongst this warm weather (why, I have no idea), and wanted to make a seasonally appropriate dish… here is what I put together:

Heirloom Tomtato and Burrata Pasta

  • 10-12 heirloom tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 lb. pasta (I used quinoa spaghetti that worked well)
  • course sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • Burrata cheese (how much depends on you decadent you want it – I used 1/2 a ball
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Slice tomatoes in half and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  3. Top with mixture of olive oil, vinegar, garlic and heavy seasoning of salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt). Mix until combined.
  4. Spread tomato mixture on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes (you want the tomatoes to be caramelized).
  5. While tomatoes are roasting, cook pasta in salted water until al dente and drain.
  6. Return noodles back to pot and once tomatoes are ready, add complete contents of baking sheet (tomatoes and their juices – not the foil) to the pot.
  7. Depending on how would like to present it, either add the burrata in now and give it a good stir, or individually plate the pasta and give each person their own portion of burrata atop their pasta.
  8. Garnish with herbs (basil works best, but chives, parsley, or whatever you can get your hands on should do the trick!)
  9. Mangia!

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Tasty

Healthy Donut Holes

May 21, 2014

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The hardest part about my Barre3 Spring Challenge is laying off of the sugar (oh and the wine, and the bread, and…) but luckily they have a ton of recipes to help you get through the month with minimal slip-ups.  My favorite “cheat treat?” These “healthy” donut holes.  And not only are they not SUPER bad for you, but they are easy enough to make that a 4 year old can make them… literally!

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Healthy Donut Holes

by Andrea Nakayama

  • 1-1/2 cups raw almonds
  • 5 tbsp raw cacao powder
  • 1 cup dates (pitted)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Large handful unsweetened, shredded coconut (I recommend toasting it!)
  1. Place first 5 ingredients (all but coconut) into a food processor and combine until mixture resembles a cookie dough consistency (you may need to add a little water at this point… I usually need a Tablespoon or 2).
  2. Roll the dough into little bite sized balls (about a Tablespoon worth).
  3. Roll date balls/donut holes in coconut.
  4. Transfer finished treats into a Tupperware and freeze for about an hour (although they really are great straight away too) and enjoy!

Store them in the freezer/fridge until a craving hits!

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(they took artistic liberties during our arts and crafts session)

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The great part about this recipe is once the dough is made, any little helpers can be in charge of making their own bited sized treats.  Or you can be like Tucker (above) and just eat your serving straight away.

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They store wonderfully… so I highly recommend doubling this recipe and storing for those days where you want to go nuts on those new Ben & Jerry’s Core Ice Cream flavors… ugh.

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Party

Spring Brunch

May 19, 2014

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A little late, but I wanted to share some pictures from our Mother’s Day brunch.  I’ve been trying to “eat clean,” so scroll down for my attempt at a “whole food” brunch menu.

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Menu

  • Poached Farm Fresh Eggs
  • Roasted Asparagus
  • Roasted Tomatoes
  • Truffled Mushrooms
  • Avocado Toast on Gluten Free Toast
  • Mixed Berry Salad with Chopped Mint

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Roasted Tomatoes

For the veggies, I simply drizzled them in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and roasted them at 425 for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on them).  I sliced mushrooms (you can use cremini or regular mushrooms) and sauted them with truffle oil (from Trader Joe’s) until the water released. The eggs were poached (you can use this tutorial) and we sliced avocado over toast (you can mash it, add lemon pepper, drizzle high end olive oil, Maldon sea salt… get crazy!). The berry salad was simply blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries sprinkled with chopped mint.  We paired everything with some yummy champagne (can’t be totally diet centered on a holiday!) and breakfast was served!

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Glasses/Placemats/Serveware/Mom’s Vintage China

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Tasty

Vegan/GF BBQ Salad

March 17, 2014

IMG_8002 This week is all about getting Spring Break ready!  While being a college grad/adult, I may not get an actual “Spring Break” on my calendar anymore.. but I am lucky enough to get to tag along on my family’s annual vacation – thus gifting myself a “Spring Break” each year.

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That being said, working 8-10 hour days everyday takes a toll on your body, and getting spring break ready is a lot of work… so this week is going to focus on some key points.  First up – health.

The past few weeks I have been focusing on clean eating – a lot of produce and fish, and minimal red meat/gluten, and no processed foods.  That being said whole eating is a priority, and here is one of my go-to salads (great for dinner or lunches for the week).

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BBQ Veggie Salad

  • 1 head of Romanesco cauliflower (or regular cauliflower)
  • Lentils or black beans
  • Radishes
  • Carrots
  • Red Onion
  • Avocado
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
  • Vegan Ranch Dressing
  • Tortilla Chips (optional)
  1. Cut cauliflower into florets and roast at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
  2. Brush BBQ sauce onto cauliflower and bake 3 minutes more.
  3. Assemble salad with ingredients of your choice.
  4. Top with more BBQ sauce and/or ranch dressing.

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* Disclaimer: The joy of this salad is it doesn’t really need a recipe – you can add (or not add) whatever you would like – other ideas include cilantro, corn, celery, cheese (if you don’t want to go dairy free), etc.

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Tasty

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

March 5, 2014

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In preparation for our annual family vacation, the Feezor females have kicked healthy eating into over drive – gotta get swimsuit ready!  That being said, I still have a major sweet tooth, and sometimes it just cannot be denied.

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I have been on the prowl to figure out a great dessert option that is quick, easy and has a little bit less guilt factor.  I introduce you to – the Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie – created by the very talented Shockingly Delicious!  I’m telling you, with 5 ingredients, and no usual gluten free baking ingredients (you know what I’m talking about – aarowroot starch, xanthan gum, tapioca flour – WHO HAS THIS IN THE PANTRY?!), this is a great way to fight a craving before you walk down to 7-11 to binge out on Snickers Bars and Skittles.

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GF Peanut Butter Cookie

via Shockingly Delicious

  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I used organic TJ’s)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Blend above ingredients in a Kitchen Aid mixer until well mixed (about a minute or so).
  3. Use a cookie scoop to portion cookie dough to a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet.
  4. Using fork tines, press the usual “peanut butter cookie crosshatch” pattern into the tops of the dough balls.
  5. Sprinkle course sugar (I used raw brown sugar).
  6. Bake for 11 minutes and let cool on baking pan for 5 minutes or so (they are really fragile until they have cooled down).
  7. Let cool completely on a rack and store in airtight container.
  8. Allow yourself to eat one cookie… as to not completely botch your attempt at dieting.

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Now go make them and tell me that you would even know they are gluten free…