Whole Wheat Waffles

Breakfast & Brunch
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4 Comments

What to do on a snowy day? .. Make waffles of course! Had to experiment with my new waffle maker! I am so happy how these came out. These waffles can easily be frozen and toasted up again for an everyday breakfast. The nutrition breakdown of these waffles is great that they can become part of your daily breakfast options.


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These heart healthy whole wheat waffles are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Providing 6 grams of fiber and 12 grams of protein, these waffles will power you through the whole morning.

Whole Wheat Waffles

Makes 5 waffles

 

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
2 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup liquid egg whites (or 4 egg whites)
2 cups unsweetened almond milk

 
Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, ground flax seed, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

3. In a sperate bowl, combine the banana, egg whites, and almond milk. Slowly pour the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until combined.

4. Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray. Spoon the batter into the waffle iron and cook according to your waffle iron directions, until waffles are golden brown.

 


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(nutrition facts based on calorie count – 1 full waffle, no toppings)

 

 

Enjoy!

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Soups & Stews
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Nothing is better than coming inside from a cold winter day and warming up with a hearty bowl of soup. Making soup from scratch is by far better than the canned stuff. Canned soups are packed with a ton of sodium. The recommended intake of sodium is < 2,400 mg per day. In some soups thats 75% of your sodium intake right there!
 
Making homemade soup is simple. Plus, if you make a big batch you can freeze half and bring it back out later in the winter season. Stick to the broth based soups with tons of vegetables for fewer calories and for a nutrient dense meal.

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Hearty Vegetable Soup

Makes 12 servings

 

Ingredients:
4 strips bacon, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into a small dice
4 celery stalks, chopped into a small dice
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium red onions, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
2 quarts low sodium vegetable stock
2 quarts water
 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
1 lb whole-wheat ditalini pasta
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas


Directions:

1. In a large stock pot over add the bacon and cook until crispy. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and onions to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 7-8 minutes more.

2. Add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and cook for another 2 minutes.

3. Add the stock and water to the pot, and bring up to a boil.

4. Add the kale, pasta, and chickpeas to the soup pot, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls.


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 (nutrition facts based on calorie count)

 

 

Enjoy!

Secrets to making perfect granola

Breakfast & Brunch, Snacks
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2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of granola are those big chunks. I prefer making my own granola versus buying it. A lot of the store bought granolas are packed with a ton of sugar. A lot of recipes I tried to make at home left me with just little pieces of oats and nuts with anything barely sticking together. With a little research I discovered a way to make the perfect granola.

Tips to making chunky granola:

1. Add egg whites. – By adding beaten egg whites, it works as a binding agent to help the granola clump together.
2. Don’t stir. – A lot of recipe say to stir the granola mixture a couple times when it is baking in the oven. By not stirring, it will let the ingredients stay together in larger clumps.
3. Let the granola cool completely. – By letting it cool completely will ensure clumps stay put. You can then break them into whatever size pieces you prefer.

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Granola
Makes 18 servings
(1/3 cup = 1 serving)

 

Ingredients:
3 cups oats
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup walnuts
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 egg whites, beaten until frothy
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried blueberries

 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, cinnamon, and salt. Toss to combine.

3. Add in the maple syrup and syrup. Toss to combine until all the dry ingredients are coated.

4. Spread out on a large baking sheet and pat down. Bake for about 40 minutes. Check to see if granola is evenly browned. (May need a few more minutes)

5. Take out of the oven and let granola completely cool in the pan. This will help the large chunks stay together. Then break up granola to whatever size chunks you like. Toss in the dried cranberries and dried blueberries.

* This recipe is very versatile and ingredients can be substituted with different nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

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(Nutrition Facts based on Calorie Count)

 

Enjoy!

Blueberry Quinoa Bars

Snacks
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5 Comments

July 2013 Recipe Redux submission is here!


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What is Recipe Redux? Click here to learn all about it!

July 2013 Theme: Have Snacks, Will Travel!

Sometimes, the food is the best part of the journey. Be it business travel or a road trip for pleasure, share your favorite travel snacks/mini meals. Do you pack a special treat for the road to eat in the car or at rest stops? Or do you have a tried & true snack that makes it safely through airport security? Share your healthy recipe for road trip nourishment.

This was a perfect theme for me because I am currently on vacation right now and I needed to pack snacks for my travel time yesterday. I always like to pack snacks with me when I am traveling. It ensures that I will have a healthy snack and plus saves money from buying snacks that are way over priced at the airport.

I love these bars because they are super filling and easy to carry in your bag.


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Blueberry Quinoa Bars
Makes 8 servings

 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg whites, and vanilla until combined.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture until combined. Do not over mix.
5. Gently fold in the quinoa, oats, blueberries and pecans.
6. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 12-14 minute, until golden brown.
7. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into 8 even bars and wrap individually for a perfect traveling snack!

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Enjoy!

Click on the link below to look at all the other submissions



Herb Veggie Dip

Dips, Sauces & Spreads
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1 Comment

I recently got a new job as a personal chef for a family. This family has 2 young children. The parents want me to try and sneak in healthy foods, and encourage eating fruits and vegetables.. that’s my specialty! The kids have no problem eating their vegetables but are used to dipping it in full fat ranch. I wanted to make them a healthier, but just as tasty dip they can enjoy thier veggies with. I’m also definitely going to be using this recipe for Sunday football days when the season starts for a healthy snack.
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Herb Veggie Dip

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
12 ounces plain greek yogurt (2 small containers)
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
5 scallions, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
fresh ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the greek yogurt and cream cheese until well combined. Add in the scallions, parsley, dill, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Mix until combined. Serve with veggies or pretzels.
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Enjoy!