Tag Archives: recipe

Raw Kale Salad with Hazelnuts, Gruyere and Red Onion

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When I was in New York a few months ago on a business trip, they brought in lunch for us from Birdbath Bakery. After one taste of this salad, I ignored every other option on the luncheon buffet and made my entire meal out of it. I was so madly in love, I had to find out how to make it!

So, I searched until I saw Marcus Samuelsson was also a fan of the very same salad and had created his own version of it. He’s almost exactly dead on with the flavors. The combination of the creamy cheese with the strong red onion flavors and the toasted hazelnuts is amazing. I don’t know how else to describe it. You just have to try it yourself.

I’ve made this recipe many times since and have introduced a few friends to the joy of raw kale as well. I hope you take the time to try this recipe and I’m sure you, too will become a fast fan.

I recommend serving it with the Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter from 101 Cookbooks I posted about recently. Also, you may want to make this a few hours in advance of serving it so the flavors have some time to meld together. Don’t worry, the raw kale is so… shall we say… ‘stout’… that it won’t wilt under the pressure of the dressing.

Raw Kale Salad

Photo by Lindsay Hunt via Marcus Samuelsson

Raw Kale Salad with Hazelnuts, Gruyere and Red Onion

Serves 2. Recipe derived from Marcus Samuelsson

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch kale, cut into ¼-inch strips horizontally, about 4 cups
  • ¼ red onion, cut into 1/8-inch slices (a mandolin works well for this)
  • ⅓ cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to combine.
  2. Combine olive oil and vinegar together. Drizzle over the ingredients, and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss to combine, and serve.

Almond Poppy Crackers with Ricotta and Honey

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I made this recipe as an appetizer for a small party I hosted recently. It was quick, easy and tasted delicious.

Thank you, Pinterest (most addicting site ever!) for the idea.

Almond Poppy Crackers

Image from Whole Living

Almond Poppy Crackers with Ricotta and Honey

Recipe based on Whole Living
Makes 1 dozen. Serves 6

Cracker Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (bobsredmill.com)
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

For the Topping:

  • 3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup honey

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine flour, poppy seeds, oil, salt, and egg white.
  3. Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with parchment; roll out dough to an 8-by-12-inch rectangle (approx 1/8 inch thick). Uncover, and cut into twelve 2-by-4-inch crackers using a paring knife.
  4. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool.
  5. Spread with ricotta cheese. Drizzle with honey.

Nutrition (approx): 285 cal, 18g fat, 19 carb, 3 fiber, 10g protein

Almond Butter with Flax Seeds

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I’ve been obsessed with almond butter recently. Just a nice, all-natural almond butter. Unfortunately, the prices that in the stores around here are anywhere from $6-8 a jar! Eek. So, I decided to whip up a batch of my own for literally a third of the cost!  I bought a big 3lb bag of raw almonds for $9 at Costco and gave it a whirl. I used 1/3 of the bag and came out with the same amount as a standard jar. And it’s delicious!

Image

Almond Butter

  • 1lb raw almonds
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (plus extra if needed)
  • Approx 1 Tbsp honey (optional)
  • Approx 1 Tbsp kosher or sea salt (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp flax seeds (optional)
  1. Roast the almonds in a 350 F oven for 10-12 minutes until starting to darken color and smell warm and nutty. Allow to cool for 5 mins.
  2. Place almonds and oil in a sturdy food processor. (If you prefer a chunky almond butter, reserve about 1/3 cup of the almonds to add later.) Turn the processor on and let run until it begins to look like a traditional nut butter (3-5 mins) and is very smooth. Scrape down the sides occasionally. Add a little more oil if it’s too think for your preference.
  3. Add the optional honey, salt and flax seeds and blend for another 30 sec-1 min. Adjust salt and honey to your taste preference.
  4. If you’re making chunky almond butter, add the reserved almonds. Watching carefully, blend until they are well chopped up but not completely pureed.

Chocolate Chip VitaMuffin or VitaTops Copycat Recipe

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Vitalicious products are expensive. There’s no way around that. At a local grocer, a box of 6 VitaMuffins or VitaTops are likely to set you back $6, maybe less if you were lucky enough to catch a sale. Either way, it’s expensive at right around $1 each muffin. The good thing is they are all natural, low in fat and calories and high in fiber. They are a tasty, chocolate-y treat.

So, why do we have to pay them to make them when we can make them ourselves at home, right? Ah, a recipe. That’s what’s missing.Oh wait… But I have one right here for you!

This recipe tastes surprisingly close to the VitaMuffin/VitaTop version. It does have that same slightly ‘healthy’ undertone to it, so if you’re looking for a really decadent chocolate muffin, this isn’t it. But don’t let that detour you from trying it out. If you’re wanting a sweet, healthier treat, this will definitely do the trick. Especially heated up with a little low-fat vanilla ice cream over the top. Yum!

It makes a fairly large batch, so I recommend freezing them and pulling them out one at a time. To freeze, I suggest you cool them down twice before moving them to the freezer. Cool them completely on the counter, then move them to fridge to chill. Finally, seal them up really well and freeze. When you’re ready to eat a frozen one, simply microwave it for 30-45 seconds (60 if you prefer it hot).

Now, go get in the kitchen, you chocolate-loving vitamuffin/vitatop people, and whip up your own batch!

(Sorry, no pictures of this one. I’ve been meaning to make another batch so I can snap a few, but I haven’t been able to and I didn’t want to hold out any longer, so I’ll just show you a picture of chocolate and hope that suffices for now until I can come back and add a photo.)

Chocolate Chip Muffins (or tops)

Makes approx 36 mini muffins.

  • 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3 egg whites
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fat-free half & half
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp unflavored fiber supplement (such as Metamucil Clear & Natural)
  1. Preheat your oven to 365 F (Note: you will drop the temperature down before actually baking the muffins. Don’t forget!)
  2. Using a mini muffin tin or a muffin top pan, lightly spray the pan with a non-stick spray.
  3. Sift all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all wet ingredients except the water.
  5. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the water and stir until completely incorporated. Do not over-stir.
  6. Divide batter between muffin tins and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of each.
  7. Put your muffins in the oven and CHANGE the temperature to 350 F. Bake 8-10 mins, or until toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake or they will get very dry. Let cool for 15 mins on a wire rack.

Nutrition (approx): 70 calories. 1g fat. 14g carb. 1g fiber. 1g protein.

Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait

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This pumpkin yogurt has become a staple in my fall eating repertoire.  Breakfast, snack, dessert, midnight snack. It’s super healthy, super satisfying, filling and all kinds of yumminess all wrapped up in one delicious bowl (or parfait glass). Don’t be scared off by the layering fanciness. The truth is I usually throw it all in one bowl and mix it up in one goopy glob of goodness. But layering makes for prettier pictures. It also makes for a fun holiday breakfast or brunch item to add to your entertaining menu.
Pumpkin Parfait

Pumpkin Yogurt Parfait

Serves 1

  • 1/2 c pumpkin puree, canned
  • 1/2 c nonfat greek yogurt (such as 0% Fage)
  • 2 Tbsp sweetener of your choice (sugar, brown sugar, splenda, agave, honey, etc)
  • 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice (more or less to taste)
  • 1 t cinnamon (more or less to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal

The quick way… Throw everything except the cereal into a bowl, mix and sprinkle cereal over the top. Or, if you prefer, follow the directions below to make a pretty parfait and add some elegance to your day.

The parfait way… Divide the yogurt in half and place in 2 small bowls. Divide the sweetener  between the two bowls. Add pumpkin puree and all the spices into one of the bowls. Mix each thoroughly to combine. Layer in a parfait glass starting with 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture, 1/3 of the cereal, 1/2 of the yogurt. Continuing layering in this order.

Nutrition (without sweentener): 138 cal, 1g fat, 21 carb, 5 fiber, 13g protein

Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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20101103_pumpkin_whoopie_pie-1

Holiday baking has begun! Spicy, pumpkin-y, deliciousness all wrapped up in one little whoopie pie. Smooth cream cheese frosting sandwiched between two moist, fluffy pumpkin cookies. Amazing.

What’s the history of the whoopie pie? The legend goes that Amish women would send them with the farmers in their lunch and upon discovery, they would say “whoopie!”  And I think these delightful fall-inspired pumpkin whoopie pies will inspire the same exclamation!

WHOOPIE!!!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Recipe from Martha Stewart
Makes 24 minis

Pumpkin Cookies:
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling:
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
  3. Using a melon baller (or teaspoon), drop approx 48 heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
  4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner’ sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
  5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

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I’ve been making this dressing for a while, mostly in my head and loving it. It’s fresh for spring and just overall tasty! It tastes especially good on butter lettuce with canned (or homecooked) beets – not pickled – and goat cheese. Maybe even some slivered almonds. I made this salad for some friends over the weekend and they were asking for the recipe.  I usually do it all by “feel” and “taste”. But I did my best to capture it here. (and sorry, no pics)

Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 shallot, finely minced
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • Sea salt
  • Fresh ground pepper

Whisk together sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Whisk in dill, shallots, salt and pepper. Finally, whisk in olive oil. Drizzle over salad and toss or serve separately.