Healthy | Eat Your Heart Out

Maple Granola with Pomegranate and Honeyed Greek Yogurt

January 9, 2013 by Stephie 12 Comments

This is the time of year when I start to feel a little sorry for myself whenever I walk through the produce section at the grocery store.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy citrus and apples as much as anyone else, but I always still miss the beautiful fruits of summer.

But the one piece of winter produce that I just can’t get enough of? Pomegranates. They’re just so beautiful, bright and fun.

So when my friends over at Chobani sent me a case of their 2% and 0% plain Greek yogurt, I knew I wanted to use it with some of those beautiful pomegranates I’ve been obsessing over.

Tangy, honeyed Greek yogurt. Sweet and crunch maple granola. Bright, tart pomegranate. That’s a breakfast that will make you feel good without feeling like you’ve over-indulged.

Ps – Did you know that there’s a super-simple trick for seeding pomegranates without making an enormous mess? Quarter the pomegranate. Fill a bowl with cold water. Then seed the pomegranate quarters under the water. The seeds will fall to the bottom while the pith floats to the top. So easy!

Granola adapted from White Jacket Required.

Maple Granola with Pomegranate and Honeyed Greek Yogurt

Yield: About 6 cups of granola

Ingredients

For the granola:

1 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups rolled oats
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup ground flax seed
½ cup slivered almonds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Sprinkle of sea salt

For the rest:

1 6-ounce container plain Greek yogurt (low or non-fat)
2 tablespoons honey
Seeds of 1 large pomegranate

Instructions

Make the granola:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup and coconut oil. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the granola ingredients. Drizzle with the hot syrup mixture and stir well to coat.
Spread granola on the prepared baking sheet and bake, stirring every 5-7 minutes, until the granola is golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Assemble:

Combine the Greek yogurt with 1-2 tablespoons of honey, or to taste. Top with some of the granola and the pomegranate seeds.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Snacks Tagged With: Almonds, Breakfast, Gluten-free, granola, Greek yogurt, Healthy, Oats, Pecans, Snacks, Vegetarian

Spinach and Kale Pesto

January 7, 2013 by Stephie 13 Comments

I’m trying to watch The Bachelor while I write this.

Scratch that. I’m trying to write this while I watch The Bachelor.

I’m sorry if images of Sean with his shirt off cause me to not be quite as articulate as normal.

In fact, you know what? Let’s just get to the recipe.

What we’ve got here is a gorgeous, down-to-earth guy…oh wait. That’s Sean again. Crap.

Ok, seriously. This pesto is delicious, but packed with healthy, nutrient-packed spinach and kale. Use it as you would any other pesto! In fact, my friend Stef has a great way for you to use it on some roasted potatoes. (And no, we did not confer about our kale pesto-making ahead of time.)

Have some pesto left over? Store it in an airtight container and store it in the freezer. When you’re ready to use it again, just thaw it out and you’ll be ready to go.

Spinach and Kale Pesto

Yield: Over 1 cup of pesto

Ingredients

2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
2 cups spinach
1-2 cloves garlic
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup toasted, slivered almonds
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the kale and cook for 1 minute. Immediately drain and dunk into ice-cold water to halt the cooking. Drain and wring out any excess water.
In a food processor, combine the kale, spinach, garlic, cheese and almonds. Pulse to combine. While the machine is running, stream in the olive oil, adding a little more until you reach your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, and pulse to combine again.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Almonds, Gluten-free, Healthy, kale, Pesto, Quick and easy, spinach, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Stew

November 29, 2012 by Stephie 9 Comments

I have a confession: I am really weirdly picky about soup.

Cheese had better be involved. Also, if there is cream in that situation, that’s even better. Bean-based soups are pretty good, too. But broth-based soups? Not exactly a fan. In fact, I tend to avoid them if possible. Sure, I’ll eat them…they just aren’t my favorite.

So when I found a broth-based stew recipe in Midwest Living magazine, I was surprised to find that it was calling to me, begging me to make it happen in my kitchen. I mean, of course I had to alter it quite a bit…but the general structure is still there. And there isn’t a drop of cream or speck of cheese in sight. And you know what? I really liked it. WEIRD, I know.

In fact, my father has declared this to be his new favorite soup of all time. Big statement, right there. I think he would eat an entire pot of this soup by himself if he could. But if you’re going to eat a giant pot of soup, this might be the one to choose. It’s hearty and will warm you up from the inside out, but is full of all sorts of winter veggies to keep you healthy during these long, cold months. Plus, it freezes extremely well, making it a great option for making ahead and reheating later. Consider serving it on top of some brown rice for some extra hearty goodness.

Maybe this is all a sign that I’m starting to grow up and appreciate soups that are actually good for me…Yikes!

Adapted from December 2012 Midwest Living Magazine.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Stew

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups cubed sweet potato
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon each dried parsley and dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cooked chicken
1 13-ounce package smoked turkey sausage, sliced
½ bunch kale, stems removed and cut into manageable pieces

Instructions

In a dutch oven, saute onion, carrot and garlic in the oil until onion is soft. Add stock, potato, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried herbs and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer 20-25 minutes, until potato is tender. Stir in chicken, sausage, and kale. Simmer until heated through and kale is wilted.
Will last for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.

Notes

The longer this sits, the more the flavor of the smoked turkey sausage mingles with the rest of the soup. You might consider making this the night before, then reheating and adding the kale just before serving.

Filed Under: Main dish, Soups Tagged With: Allergy friendly, Chicken, dairy-free, Fall, Gluten-free, Healthy, kale, Main dish, Quick and easy, Soup, sweet potatoes, Vegetables, winter

Black Bean Soup

November 12, 2012 by Stephie 13 Comments

When I had my first year anniversary, I asked everyone what you would like to see more of in the next year. While a lot of you said that you wanted more desserts and baked goods (I think I have already made good on that promise, no?), there were a lot of you who also wanted to see more healthy meals – especially soups – that could be frozen and reheated for quick and easy weeknight dinners. This black bean soup is a response to that request.

This is a healthy soup I can get behind. Yes, it’s vegan. It’s also dairy-free, gluten-free and low in fat. But that doesn’t mean we have sacrificed any flavor (you know I would never ask that of you!). It’s really just a bonus that this soup freezes well, making it perfect for reheating during the week. Serve it on its own, or alongside some cornbread for a truly comforting cold-weather meal.

{And since the soup is so good for you, that means you can have extra cornbread…right?)

Recipe adapted from Whole Foods.

Black Bean Soup

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound dried black beans
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 quarts vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Optional garnishes: Diced avocado; sour cream or yogurt; salsa

Instructions

Place the beans in a bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse prior to cooking.
In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and red pepper, sauteing until onions are translucent and just beginning to turn brown. Add cumin and chili powder, stirring to combine.
Add the beans, vegetable stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, the lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1½ to 2 hours, until beans are tender.
Remove bay leaves. Place 4 cups of the soup in a blender, pureeing until until mostly smooth. Return to the pot with the remaining soup, and add nutritional yeast and lime juice. Salt to taste. (Add a bit more chili powder if you would like more spice.) Serve warm with optional garnishes.
Will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Notes

Nutritional yeast – a popular substitute for cheese among vegans that is full of protein and B-complex vitamins – can be found in health food stores or specialty/natural food stores (such as Whole Foods).

Filed Under: Main dish, Side dishes, Soups Tagged With: beans, dairy-free, Fall, Gluten-free, Healthy, Main dish, Side dish, Soup, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, winter

Southwestern Style Veggie Burgers

September 24, 2012 by Stephie 7 Comments

Umm…is it Friday yet?

No? Well, shoot.

I have to make a confession to you: Lately, my weekday meals have been a little on the sad side.

Now, weekends are a different story. Weekends have become my time to work on recipes for the blog, which means that I eat pretty well on Saturday and Sunday.

But during the week? Not so much.

I think a lot of it has to do with my new job. Don’t get me wrong – I love this job more than I even thought possible. But I have been working my @$$ off, and with a variety of other things happening in the evenings, I’m exhausted by the time I get home. I’m lucky to bother doing anything aside from collasping in bed, much less making a balanced meal for just myself.

So I’ve been trying to come up with things that I can make over the weekends and then either freeze for later or eat throughout the week. Chicken and noodles were an option recently. And last week I decided to give these Southwestern Style Veggie Burgers a try.

This recipe makes 8 decent-sized burgers, which means that there is enough to eat and put into the freezer for later meals. Just cook ‘em, let ‘em cool, and wrap ‘em up. Then just let ‘em thaw before reheating in a skillet. Easy. And quick…just what I’m looking for these days!

And hey…remember that taco seasoning from last week?

Yep, that’s totally going in these bad boys.

Adapted from Edible Perspective

Southwestern Style Veggie Burgers

Yield: 8 burgers

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups cubed sweet potatoes (skin on), cooked
½ cup fresh or frozen corn
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 4-ounce can green chilis
½ cup cooked quinoa
6 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
½ teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon taco seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease or line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mash half of the black beans completely. Add in the remainder of the beans, lightly mashing just to combined (less than half of the beans should be left whole).
In a large bowl, mash the cooked sweet potato until each piece is mashed, but the mixture is not creamy.
In a food processor, pulse the rolled oats several times until the oats are mostly ground – you are looking for some of the mixture to be a flour consistency, while the rest is small pieces of oats.
Add the onion, green chilis, corn, black beans, quinoa, flaxseed, ground oats, salt, taco seasoning and olive oil to the sweet potatoes, mixing until just combined. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or taco seasoning as needed.
Using a ½-cup measuring cup, portion the mixture into 8 balls. Flatten the balls into ½-inch thick patties, placing them on the prepared sheet pan.
Bake for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.
Serve warm with your favorite fixings!

Notes

To refrigerate or freeze burgers: Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Store burgers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days; alternatively, wrap individual burgers first in plastic wrap, then in foil, and place in a zip-top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow frozen burgers to thaw completely. Head in a lightly greased pan over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes per side, or until heated through.