Recipe ReDux Post # 13 Quadruple Berry Spinach Salad With Almonds and Goat Cheese

Now that it’s May, many of us are knee deep into “shower season” including baby and wedding showers, as well as graduation parties. Brunches go hand in hand with these occasions so this month’s Recipe ReDux challenge was to “share our favorite healthy brunch dish for the upcoming 'shower season.' “.  I was very excited about this “theme of healthy, special occasion/holiday brunch recipes “ and wanted to create something healthy and unique.  Brunches tend to be carb and protein heavy with baked goods, casseroles, pancakes, waffles, fruit, egg dishes and meats and veggies are often an afterthought or neglected.  I felt a brunch salad was in order so I combined the theme of fruit salad and veggie salad together, and my recipe was born. This salad is sweet, savory and has a nice crunch of almonds, plus creamy goat cheese too! It is so easy to make so I would have no problem throwing it together the morning of and shoveling it into to my mouth even at a breakfast hour :)  It’s a powerhouse of antioxidants and fiber and really great for any meal besides brunch.  Try it out and also take a look at the other yummy “shower season” favorites whipped up by the talented Recipe ReDux group too!

Ingredients:

4 heaping cups of fresh spinach

¼ cup each of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and chopped strawberries (2 cups total of the mixed berries)

¼ cup slivered almonds

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

dressing of choice (my recipes for Strawberry Vinaigrette and the Easy Version taste great in this salad, as well as good ol’ Trader Joes Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette!)

Directions:

Wash and dry the spinach and berries and chop up the strawberries into smaller pieces.  Add them all to a medium sized bowl. Top with the goat cheese and almonds, toss with dressing and serve. Chill if not serving immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: 1/4^th of recipe cup (not including dressing) Calories 100 Protein 4 g Carb 8 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 2 g Fat  5 g Saturated fat  2 g Sodium 95 mg

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Lemon Raisin Walnut Brussels Sprout Salad

I really enjoyed the Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad With Cranberries and Almonds that I created for the holidays so I decided to come up with another delicious variation!!

8 cups Brussels sprouts, stems trims and halved 

¼ cup walnuts

¼ cup raisins

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and trim stems of Brussels sprouts and cut into halves. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray and roast for 20-30 minutes, (turn/toss them half way through) until lightly browned and tender but firm when pierced with a fork.  Let cool and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice.  Chop up the cooled Brussels sprouts and add them along with the raisins and walnuts to the bowl and mix well until evenly coated with dressing.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the fridge if not serving immediately.

Makes 8 cups 8 servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 140 Protein 4 g Carb 13 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 6 g Fat 10 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium 25 mg

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PB Rice Krispie Treats

 

Substituting PB for marshmallows makes a surprisingly tasty treat and makes them all natural with less sugar too!

Ingredients:

¼ cup chocolate chips (I used the Enjoy Life Brand, which is dairy and soy free)

1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used Trader Joes salted crunchy)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2.5 cups rice krispies

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine the peanuts butter, syrup or honey and vanilla extract and mix well.  Stir in the krispies and continue to mix until well incorporated. . Press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.)   Refrigerate for at least one hour.  Store in the fridge in an airtight container

Makes 16 squares, 16 servings

Serving size: 1 square Calories 150 Protein 4 g Carb 14 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 8 g Fat 9 g Saturated fat 1.5 g Sodium  95 mg

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In The News: Consuming One 12 Ounce Soda Per Day Can Increase Risk For Developing Type 2 Diabetes By 22 Percent!

A recent large scale European study has revealed that drinking just one 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soft drink a day can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by up to 22 percent!  Previous studies done in the U.S have shown similar statistics (increased risk by about 25% for soda consumers) and the researchers set out to investigate the link in the European population as well.  The effects of soda were independent of weight status too. The article was published in the journal Diabetologia and you can read it on their website.

So it seems, that no matter where you live in the world, drinking soda is NOT a good habit for health!! One 12 ounce soda has a whopping 39 grams of sugar, check this page for some staggering soda statistics.  Instead chugging down empty sugar- laden calories from soda, try water or tea as a beverage. Also, try my refreshing Cucmber Water recipe, or for a lower sugar, vitamin packed drink, check out some of my smoothie recipes as well!

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New Segment: Copycat Recipes, #1- Loubieh (Easy Tomato Green Beans)

I have decided to add another new feature to my blog called copycat recipes. Often, when I try a great dish at a restaurant or while traveling, I make it my mission to re-create it at home. This section will feature some of my best copycat recipes and the stories behind them as well. First up- Loubieh, this is a traditional Lebanese sauté of green beans. I discovered this yummy dish by choosing it as one of the sides when we ordered take out one night from our FAV local Mediterranean restaurant, Gaby’s. I had never heard of this dish before, but I love green beans and tomato sauce, so the combo sounded like a winner and it was! I had to re-create it at home so we could have it more often, especially since my young daughter eats it all up too. The trick it to get larger green beans and to make sure you simmer them for a while to be nice and soft.

Ingredients:

4 cups green beans (large, wide, flat types work best) fresh or frozen thawed
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
One 15 ounce canned tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook greens beans al dente (just before done) by boiling in a pot of water for 7-10 minutes or steam in a microwave dish with in a small amount of water for 5 minutes, then drain. Meanwhile add the teaspoon of olive oil, onions and garlic to a large pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes on medium high heat until lightly browned. Add the canned tomatoes, paprika, the cooked green beans, (salt and pepper if desired), cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes. Makes 5 cups 10 servings

'Serving size 1/2 cup Calories 45 Protein 2 g Carb 8 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Fat 0.5 g Saturated Fat 0 g
Sodium 70 mg (not including adding salt)

 

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Recipe ReDux Post # 12 Mini Oatmeal Raisin Bar Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

The recipe ReDux challenge for April is “The Cupcake Conundrum” and we were urged to create our own “ReDux-ed mini-cake version”.  But I was excited to see an exception that allowed all non-cupcake fans to come up with their own “favorite hand-held dessert” instead.  I chose the latter.  It’s not to say that I dislike cupcakes, but I think they are indeed a bit overdone lately and I am sooo into bar desserts these days, as well as my home made protein bars!  I think an up and coming trend in the dessert arena is ice cream sandwiches and a mini-version would be quite cool (no pun intended). So I took a recipe for no-bake oatmeal raisin bars that I have been working on, froze it and then added ice cream in between and voila- my trendy little dessert creation was complete! (And if you don’t want the ice cream, then I say make the bars anyway, they have all the yummy-ness of soft oatmeal cookies without the eggs, flour AND baking fuss!)  Also, check out all the other mini-cupcakes and desserts created by the talented ReDux blogger group.

Ingredients:

1 cup oats (old fashioned, not quick)(*use a gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)
½ cup creamy or crunchy unsalted natural almond butter (I used Trader Joes Raw Unsalted Crunchy)
¼ cup pure maple syrup  
4 tablespoons raisins
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cinnamon

a dash of sea salt (optional, and recommended if you are using unsalted almond butter)

1 cup reduced fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt

Wax or parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and almond butter and mix well.  Stir in the oats and raisins and mix some more. Press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.) Chill in the freezer for at least 2-3 hours, until very firm. Cut into 16 squares and sandwich 2 level tablespoons of ice cream/frozen yogurt in between 2 squares for a total of eight mini-sandwiches and serve immediately (if you cannot wait!) Otherwise for best results, wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil and freeze again for 30 minutes to an hour

Makes 8 servings

Serving size: 1/8th of recipe, 1 mini ice cream sandwich  Calories 200 Protein 5 g Carb 23 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 14 g Fat 10 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 15 mg

Serving size: 1/16th of recipe, 1 oatmeal raisin square by itself  Calories 80 Protein 3 g Carb 19 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Fat 4.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 0 mg

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Easy Mediterranean Tostada

A quick and easy recipe- great for a light lunch or as a hearty snack. Kid friendly too!

Ingredients:

1 pita

2 heaping tablespoons of hummus or baba ghanoush

2 tablespoons chopped tomato

2 tablespoons chopped cucumber

2 tablespoons chopped olives (I used kalamata)

2 tablespoons crumbled reduced fat feta cheese

Oregano, basil, parsley (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Toast the pita if desired.  Spread with hummus and then layer on the tomato, cucumber, olives and cheese.  Sprinkle with basil/oregano/parsley (if you would like some additional zest) and serve.

Makes one serving

Serving size: 1 whole tostada (entire recipe) Calories  320 Protein 11  g Carb 43  g Fiber 3 g Sugars 2 g Fat  12 g  Saturated fat 2  g Sodium 650 mg

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