These melt-in-your-mouth Linzer cookies are healthier than traditional Linzer cookies and every bit as delicious!
A LINZER COOKIE FOR SPRINGTIME
Linzer cookies originated in Austria, having evolved from the classic Linzer torte, a heavily spiced jam and nut filled tart that has the distinction of being known as the world’s oldest cake, dating back to the late 17th century. Traditionally Linzer cookies were associated with Christmas but have become so popular over the years that they’re now made and served all year long. My unique take on this beloved sandwich cookie produces cookies that will literally melt in your mouth. Gluten-Free Linzer Cookies have the same soft, buttery flavor as their classic counterparts but are absent the nuts, yuletide spices, and refined sweeteners, making them lighter, healthier, and more befitting of springtime. (more…)
A healthy remake of the beloved Girl Scout Cookie. Simple to make with only 3 ingredients and no baking required.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NUTRITIOUS TREATS
If you’re trying to eat a little healthier these days, here’s a tip that might seem counterintuitive. Don’t banish treats from you diet. Why? Because giving up things we enjoy eating entirely can lead to feelings of deprivation and eventually weaken our willpower. You’re much better off replacing these indulgences with healthier alternatives rather than giving them up altogether. To do that however, you need an arsenal of nutritious treats at your disposal – treats like these 3 Ingredient Healthy Samoas. These delicious little cookies are a remake of the famous Samoas Girl Scout Cookies (alternatively known as Caramel deLites). They’re made with just 3 simple ingredients, require no baking, and are guaranteed to satisfy your sugar cravings. (more…)
The perfect balance of sweet and heat in a quick, healthy, and delicious seafood dinner.
EASY SALMON RECIPE
Here’s an easy salmon recipe you’ll come back to time and time again! 3 Ingredient Sweet and Spicy Salmon is the kind of dish you make when you want a quick and healthy meal with minimal fussing around in the kitchen. You can literally have dinner on the table in about 20 minutes. This recipe works with any kind of salmon (fillet) and produces a delicious glaze with the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness. For an additional boost of flavor consider topping or serving the cooked salmon with:
A squeeze of lime juice and/or some freshly grated lime zest
A terrific plant-based lunch option. Cool, creamy, delicious, and ultra-healthy!
PLANT-BASED LUNCH OPTION
Chicken salad, tuna salad, and egg salad are popular lunch choices but if you’re looking for plant-based options these perennial favorites are off-limits. Indeed, it can be challenging to come up with a satisfying mid-day meal that doesn’t contain meat, seafood, eggs, or cheese. That’s why this Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad is such a winning dish. It’s completely plant-based, easy to prepare, and is packed with fiber, healthy fat, and a decent amount of protein to satiate your hunger, and leave you happy and content until your next meal because let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than eating lunch and being “hangry” two hours later. (more…)
An easy to make homemade onion dip mix that’s much healthier than store-bought packets.
One of the most addictive snacks on the planet just got more nutritious!
If you consider yourself a healthy eater you probably don’t eat things like potato chips with sour cream and onion dip too often, but if you miss those indulgences, I have some good news. There’s a way to make this no-so-healthy snack into one that’s free of the harmful oils, chemicals, and preservatives that health-conscious people strive to avoid. Here’s how:
1. Buy potato chips that are fried in unrefined oil. Check the label on almost any package of potato chips and you’ll likely see that they’re made with sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and cottonseed oil. These refined, highly processed oils are thought to cause widespread inflammation in the body and have been linked to diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Fortunately, because of the growing awareness of the harmful effects of these oils a few food manufacturers now use unrefined oils (i.e. olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil) to process potato chips. I buy olive oil potato chips at Trader Joe’s and stores like Whole Foods stock a wider variety of chips that may also include avocado oil potato chips, and coconut oil potato chips.
2. Make onion dip using Healthy Sour Cream and Onion Mix instead of those nasty store-bought packets that are full of all sorts of unhealthy ingredients like monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed corn protein, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils, and silicon dioxide just to name few. In contrast, this mix is a combination of dried herbs and seasonings in a base of buttermilk powder and nutritional yeast – simple savory ingredients that, rather than harming our health, might actually improve it! (more…)
A fantastic alternative to traditional coleslaw in a healthy, lightened up dressing made with Greek yogurt and avocado mayonnaise.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS INSTEAD OF CABBAGE
This recipe puts a unique spin on classic coleslaw by using shaved Brussels sprouts instead of cabbage, and, rather than an all-mayonnaise dressing, calls for equal parts avocado mayonnaise and Greek yogurt resulting in a lighter, tangier coleslaw. Lemon juice, fresh dill, and white balsamic vinegar add to its fresh, bright flavor with just a hint of sweetness imparted by a little bit of maple syrup. Take Brussels Sprouts Coleslaw to your next picnic, tailgate, or backyard barbeque and watch it disappear because this is definitely not your average coleslaw! (more…)
Get a healthy dose of veggies with this low-carb, keto, gluten-free bread made with just 3 ingredients!
BROCCOLI – A CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLE
Most people are aware that vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts are “cruciferous” vegetables, but have you ever wondered what that word actually means? The term “cruciferous” is an informal way of classifying members of the mustard family of vegetables and derives from the Latin word “Cruciferae” which means “cross bearing”. Vegetables in this category are so named because their 4-petaled leaves resemble (roughly) the shape of a cross.
Cruciferous vegetables are best known for their cancer fighting compounds but they’re also:
• high in fiber and calcium
• good sources of beta-carotene (turns into vitamin A)
• rich in vitamins C, E, and K
• low in calories
Broccoli is probably the most popular cruciferous vegetable here in the U.S. so it’s worth exploring new and different ways to prepare it because let’s face it, plain old steamed or roasted broccoli can get a little boring. How about trying this 3 Ingredient Broccoli Bread? It’s a fun, delicious way to eat broccoli and each slice contains the equivalent of more than 1 serving (1 cup) of broccoli. It’s also low-carb, keto, gluten-free and grain-free. (more…)
An easier, more flavorful alternative to classic caramelized onions.
AN EASY ALTERNATIVE TO CARAMELIZED ONIONS
If you love caramelized onions but think they’re too much trouble to prepare then this recipe is for you! Roasted Honey Balsamic Onions aren’t exactly like caramelized onions but they’re a good proxy and are so much easier to make. This recipe doesn’t cut down on cooking time – both caramelized onions and Roasted Honey Balsamic Onions take about an hour to cook, but the big difference is that most of the cooking in this recipe is “hands-off” cooking. Once the onions are in the oven, you need only to stir them twice while they’re cooking after which time all the liquid will be evaporated and they’ll be golden brown and slightly caramelized. In contrast, classic caramelized onions are cooked on the stovetop and require constant stirring (“hands-on” cooking) so you’ll need to be tethered to that stovetop for the duration, dealing with sizzling and splattering cooking juices and getting an onion steam facial! I much prefer a recipe like this one where I can prep the onions, stick them in the oven, and move onto other tasks.
Delicious, gluten-free bread made with super clean ingredients. Only 5 grams of carbs per slice.
AN EASY-TO-KEEP RESOLUTION
The New Year is a time for healthy eating resolutions – turning over a new leaf and setting dietary goals to change our lives for the better. But lasting improvement can only happen if one sticks to their intentions, and sadly, the research tells us that even though approximately half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions, less than 10% actually keep them for more than a few months. Often times the problem is that people make resolutions that are too ambitious, like vowing to give up eating bread. The key to making resolutions one can keep, the experts tell us, is to set small, realistic goals, which, over a long period of time, can yield big results. For example, instead of giving up bread entirely, simply switch to eating bread that’s less refined and lower in sugar and carbohydrates than conventionally made bread – bread like this Low Carb Almond Flour Bread. It’s made with super healthy ingredients and is guaranteed to satisfy even the most intense bread craving. Now that’s a resolution anyone can keep! (more…)
Gluten-free, grain-free, brownies with a cake-like texture and rich chocolate flavor.
UNUSUAL BROWNIE INGREDIENTS
Cassava Greek Yogurt Brownies are delicious gluten-free brownies with a cake-like texture and rich chocolate flavor. They’re made with two ingredients not commonly found in brownies: grain-free cassava flour and Greek yogurt. At first glance these seem like odd ingredients with which to make brownies, but each serves an important purpose. The cassava flour replaces all-purpose wheat flour in this recipe and is the perfect baking substitute for those who adhere to gluten-free diets or who must avoid grains. The Greek yogurt, in turn, adds moisture – without it the brownies would be too dry because even though cassava flour can usually be substituted 1:1 for all-purpose flour, it’s more absorbent than all-purpose flour, so when baking with it, other ingredient adjustments – in this case, adding a dairy product – are often needed. So, what is cassava flour? Read on. (more…)
AN EASY-TO-KEEP RESOLUTION