Pumpkin Pie Chia Mousse

Breakfast & Brunch, Snacks
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Whenever a recipe that is labeled “healthy” many assume that it won’t taste good. At work when I sample out a new recipe or a new product I always get different reactions when I label things “healthy”. Try this new “healthy (insert recipe name)” – some run over and are intrigue and some scrunch up their noses and walk away.
Let me tell you about this “healthy” recipe I made today. The ingredients and nutrition facts of this recipe scream healthy, but the flavors and richness scream dessert! If you LOVE pumpkin pie, you’re going to LOVE this recipe.
Yesterday, on instagram I posted the picture below asking “Can you guess what I’m making?”
IMG_3919A few guessed pumpkin chia pudding. Meme actually made a really funny comment that her head was racing with pumpkin thoughts. I’m turning that into a hashtag #pumpkinthoughts
Pumpkin pie chia pudding was actually my original idea but I changed it to Pumpkin Pie Chia Mousse because the cottage cheese whipped in with the rest of the ingredients created a smooth fluffy texture just like regular mousse.
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You can enjoy this as a breakfast, snack, or dessert! I sprinkled a little cinnamon granola and a few cranberries on top.
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pumpkin pie chia pudding

Pumpkin Pie Chia Mousse

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Yield: 4
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Description

A healthy recipe with decadent flavors. This Pumpkin Chia Mousse is like having dessert for breakfast!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree*
  • 3/4 cup cottage cheese
  • 1.5 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl combine the chia seeds and water. Set aside for at least 20 minutes until it becomes thick. Stir occasionally to avoid clumps.
  2. Simply combine the chia seed mixture, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.

Notes

Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree which is simply pumpkin. Don’t be fooled and purchase pumpkin pie puree which is loaded with added sugars.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 121
  • Sugar: 8.3
  • Fat: 3.8
  • Saturated Fat: 1
  • Carbohydrates: 17.7
  • Fiber: 4.6
  • Protein: 8.1
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In Good Health,
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Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Baked Goods, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, MAIN DISHES, Make ahead, Nut Free, Recipes
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What do you do when you have an over abundance of zucchini and don’t know what to do with it all? … Make muffins!! Double chocolate zucchini muffins that is.
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Two of my biggest nutrition tips for making healthy choices regarding muffins:

1. Make them yourself from scratch

2. Keep the size in check

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1. When you make your own muffins, you know exactly what is going in your recipe. Don’t like how much sugar the recipe calls for, simply trim the amount or use healthier swaps like pure maple syrup.
2. I always opt for the traditional size muffin tin when I am baking. Even though I am always trying to make my baked good recipes a little lighter, they aren’t a substitute for a whole meal.
For example, many grab breakfast on the go going to work in the morning. Maybe they pick up a coffee and a reduced fat blueberry muffin. One may think deciding on the reduced fat is a healthier choice, but let’s see how that measures out. Below is an example of a reduced fat blueberry muffin from a popular chain restaurant:

Just by looking at the nutrition facts, it looks like a cupcake in disguise. 410 calories!? 40 grams of sugar !? 26% of the daily value of sodium!? 10 grams of total fat!?

Scroll down a little and look at the ingredients from the muffins I made. Now scroll back up and look at the ingredients in that muffin? Have you even heard of half of those ingredients before? I’m thinking my muffins win!

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Real food. Real ingredients. (while sneaking in some vegetables!)
Pair one of these muffins with a glass of milk and a piece of fruit for a balance way to start your day! (instead of a giant sugar bomb!)

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double chocolate zucchini muffins in a muffin tin

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Yield: 12 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted then cooled – make sure it’s not hot!)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups grated zucchini
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners or grease with cooking spray.
  2. In a bowl combine the oat flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla.
  4. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
  5. Using a few paper towels or a cloth wring out excess moisture from the zucchini. Fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips (save some to add on top) until just combined.
  6. Fill each muffin tin and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top.
  7. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Store in an airtight container.
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Cheesy Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Quinoa

Dietary, Egg Free, MAIN DISHES, Meat, Nut Free, PREP, Quick & Easy, Recipes
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Cabot recently released their new line of farmers’ legacy collection of aged cheddar cheese.

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Traditionally, stuffed pepper recipes call for beef and rice. I swapped out rice for quinoa to incorporate whole grains and a little extra protein punch!
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I served these peppers with green beans on the side for a complete satisfying meal.
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stuffed peppers on a wooden board

Cheesy Stuffed Peppers with Beef and Quinoa

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large bell peppers
  • 1 lb ground beef, 96% lean
  • 2 tbsp, onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 (15 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup Cabot white oak cheddar, shredded

Instructions

  1. Cut a thin slice on the top each bell pepper to remove top stem of the pepper. Remove seeds and membranes inside. Cut a thin slice from bottom of each pepper to help the peppers stand up. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the peppers and cook for about 2 minutes; drain.
  2. In a large skillet sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add the beef and cook for about 8-10 minutes until browed; drain. Return beef back to the pan and add the quinoa and fire roasted tomatoes; cook until heated through. Stir in ¾ cup of cheese.
  3. Heat oven to 350°F.
  4. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in baking dish.
  5. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
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What would you make with one of the three new farmers’ legacy collection aged cheddar cheeses?

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad

Salads, Snacks
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I know there are many variations of this recipe. I like to keep it really simple – let the minimal ingredients develop powerful flavors that marinate together. The ingredients of this recipe contribute 3 out of the 5 taste sensations.

 So what are the 5 tastes you experience everyday when eating?

There are five known tastes that are detected by taste buds: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Although these tastes are detected by all taste buds, some regions of the tongue have a slightly higher sensitivity to some tastes than others.

  1. The sweet taste is created by carbohydrates such as sucrose and fructose, as well as artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine.
  2. The salty taste is generally created by salts containing sodium ions, such as sodium chloride (table salt) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Salts containing potassium, lithium, and other alkali metal ions also produce a mildly salty flavor.
  3. Acidic compounds, such as citric acid and vinegar, produce sour flavors.
  4. Bitter flavors are produced by a variety of organic compounds and are generally considered an undesirable or unpalatable flavor. Many toxic chemicals produced by poisonous plants have a bitter taste, thus leading to the negative reaction to bitter foods.
  5. Umami, or savoriness, is the most recently discovered taste, found in foods that have a “meaty” taste due to the presence of the chemical glutamate. Meat, cheese, mushrooms, and the chemical monosodium glutamate (MSG) all contain glutamate.
    (source)

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad

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Feta Mint Watermelon Salad

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad

  • Author: Julie @ RDelicious Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Category: Fruit, Salad, Fruit Salad
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Description

Light and Refreshing Summer Salad. This salty and sweet combo adds a new twist to watermelon. Bring it to your next BBQ!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups watermelon, cubed
  • 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Instructions

  1. Combine watermelon, feta cheese, and mint in a large bowl.
  2. Pour in lime juice and gently toss together.
  3. Serve immediately.
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Watermelon – Sweet

Feta Cheese – Salty

Lime juice – Sour

Feta & Mint Watermelon Salad 2

Secrets to making perfect granola

Breakfast & Brunch, Snacks
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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!

Tomato, Eggplant, and Spinach with Mini Raviolis

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So I went to Trader Joe’s today and picked up a few things. My friend Kim told me about these mini raviolis they had there. I just had to get them. They are just so little and cute! I also picked up 2 small eggplants that I wanted to use for dinner tonight. The rest of the ingredients were inspired from just rummaging through my kitchen and used what I had on hand.

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Tomato, Eggplant, and Spinach with Mini Raviolis
Makes 6 servings

 

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package of mini raviolis (can be substituted with any type of pasta)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 small (or 1 large) eggplant, peeled and diced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (make sure it’s in it’s own juices – no salt added)
3 cups spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:

1. Cook mini raviolis (or other pasta) according to package directions
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the eggplant to the skillet with 1 tsp of the salt. Eggplant is very porous and adding a little salt will help release the moisture and allow it to absorb the flavors in the dish.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, spinach, and oregano. Season with the remaining salt and pepper, to taste.
5. If you want the mixture to have a little more liquid, add a ladle of water from your pasta pot.
6. Drain the pasta, and top with the tomato, eggplant, spinach mixture. Top with parmesan cheese (optional).


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(nutrition facts based on MyFitnessPal)

 

Enjoy!

Blueberry Quinoa Bars

Snacks
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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



Lemon Rosemary Orzo

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Lemon Rosemary Orzo
 Makes 4 servings

 

Ingredients:
1 cup orzo
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon (or 2 tbsp lemon juice)
2 tbsp rosemary, chopped
Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to package directions.
2. Stir in the olive oil, squeeze lemon juice, and rosemary.

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Enjoy!

Herb Veggie Dip

Dips, Sauces & Spreads
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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!