Power Up!

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you, I'm seriously about to burst. We're talking Energy Balls, friends--and darn good ones at that.

These little treats may be smaller than a golfball, but they sure pack a powerful punch. Forget your Lara Bars. Toss that granola out the window. Today's recipe will give new meaning to your mid-morning snack.

I discovered these little gems on Kat's blog--a mere week after I tested (and devoured) her Peanut Butter Cups. I call 'em Energy Balls because they're the perfect post-workout fuel and they definitely give you the energy needed to power through work until your lunch break.

Best of all, with only 1 tablespoon of honey, they're short on added sugar. Yet, miraculously, they also satiate my sweet tooth. Bonus points!

Enough talk. You need some energy, and I've got just the solution...

Energy Balls

(recipe adapted from Kat's at Keep n' the Faith)

These bite-size energy treats will give you just the pre- or post-workout fuel you need. They also serve as the perfect after-work snack...or crumbled on top of banana soft serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted (unsalted)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 - 3 TBSP ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup almond or peanut butter (I actually used 1/4 cup almond butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter)
• 1 TBSP honey
• splash of vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Add more dry or wet ingredients if needed to reach your desired consistency. Roll into balls and eat up :)

Waldorf Re-Mix

I'm a sucker for salads that include both veggies and fruit.

Add some toasted nuts into the mix, and I just may reach food nirvana (I just invented food nirvana. Don't question it.).

So when I stumbled upon a recipe for Waldorf Salad in my Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Favorites cookbook, I knew it would be a winner in our house.

This salad combines the best parts of an old-school Waldorf Salad (fruit + veggies + nuts), while nixing the less-than-desirable part (creamy over-the-top mayonnaise sauce). Instead of the creamy sauce, we go with a light, oil-free orange juice dressing.

Paired with spinach salad and a slice of Irish Soda Bread, this was an easy dinner to pull together. The salad is quite reminiscent of one of my ol' favorites: Apple-Almond-Bulgur Salad. I noted few differences between the two, although I found the Waldorf Salad a bit more filling and suitable as a "main course" salad.

Eat up, friends, and enjoy this hearty salad while it lasts. Tomorrow? We're talking homemade (and arguably "healthy?") peanut butter cups.

Stay tuned.

Waldorf Salad, Re-Mixed

(recipe adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)

The one things missing from this delightful salad? Grapes! If you have them on hand, I recommend halving a handful and tossing them right into the mix.

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 - 1/2 cups diced apple
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 3 TBSP lemon juice
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 tsp. ground coriander

Directions:

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and stir to coat. Enjoy!

Ga Ga for Goat Cheese

Cinnamon. Pecan. Goat Cheese.

Oh, yes I did.

Yesterday I made myself a little snack that, incidentally, could also serve as an impressively festive appetizer for a holiday party.

I already disclosed the secret ingredient: Cinnamon-Pecan seasoned goat cheese. Holy yum. I mean, what doesn't go well with goat cheese? On second thought, don't answer that. Just know that cinnamon and pecans go with it really well.

On top of my goat cheese slather you'll find the festive portion of the dish: bright red, dried cranberries, and chopped pistachios. 'Tis the season for holiday color coordination.

Perhaps the best part of this little treat was the crazy accessibility of the Cinnamon-Pecan goat cheese. No, I didn't pick it up at a quaint little gourmet food shop. I didn't even find it at Giant Eagle. I discovered this little gem of a cheese at Aldi--the low-price, do-it-yourself mini grocery store. (PS--I also picked up a few rounds of seasonal Brie...oh goodness yes).

Adam returns from his manly hunting trip tomorrow, so I'll try to have a plate of these goat cheese dream boats waiting for him in the fridge. Let's just hope he's as ga ga for goat cheese as I am.

What's your favorite dish to take to a holiday party?

Pistachio & Cranberry Appetizers

(aka "Goat Cheese Dream Boats")

Ingredients:

• one whole grain baguette, sliced
• a little Smart Balance
• Cinnamon-Pecan Goat Cheese (if you don't have any on hand, trust your foodie instinct and mix some up yourself!)
• Dried cranberries
• Chopped pistachios

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spread the top of each baguette slice with a little Smart Balance (or other non-hydrogenated vegan margarine). Toast in oven for about 5 - 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Spread each slice with goat cheese and sprinkle with cranberries and pistachios.

Health Loaf Love

This week I was craving a treat that Adam begrudgingly refers to as a "Health Loaf." Translation: A low-fat, low-sugar quick bread loaded with fiber, fruit, and nuts.

Needless to say Health Loaves don't fall at the top of the man's favorite foods list. He's more inclined to opt for cheesecake.

Me, on the other hand? I LOVE a big ol' slice of Health Loaf (although, I prefer to call them by their true names--e.g., Pumpkin-Walnut Bread). Perfect for a breakfast side dish or a snack, a slice of healthy quick bread satisfies my craving for a baked treat without doing the damage of Metabolism Man's cheesecake.

One of the first places I turn for baking inspriation is Joy's blog. This lady has it going on in the kitchen. Last week she shared a heavenly recipe for Apple-Cranberry-Pecan-Everything Bread. This baby was moist, rich in flavor, and screamed from the pan "I taste like the holidays!"

I managed to morph Joy's wonderful recipe into a tasty, filling Health Loaf that even Adam enjoyed. (Although, his enjoyment might have something to do with the Nutella he smothered on his slice.). To health-i-fy the bread, I almost completely eliminated the oil, cut the sugar in half, and increased the amount of apples, among other changes. I like each to eat my slices plain n' simple, with a little spread of Smart Balance.

Today, let's raise our glasses to all the Health Loaves out there. They deserve a little lovin' every now and then.

What's your favorite quick bread to make? If you have a favorite Health Loaf recipe, please post the link below!

Pumpkin-Apple-Cranberry-Pecan Bread

(adapted from Joy's recipe)

This fruit n' nut loaded bread has completely hit the spot for me this week. Lots of spices, apple chunks, and toasted pecans lend it the perfect holiday flavor...in health loaf form :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I cut the sugar in half! Tastes perfect to me, but if you prefer it sweeter, by all means go for the full cup. But remember folks...it is a health bread.)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt (I topped off the 1/2 measuring cup with canola oil though--probably about 2 TBSP total)
• 3 - 4 TBSP maple syrup
• 3 TBSP water
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (MUST toast 'em!)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 apples, diced

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, yogurt, maple syrup, and water. Gently add to dry ingredients, stirring until just mixed. Fold in pecans, cranberries, and apples.

3) Bake for approximately 60 minutes (I think mine was done at about 56 minutes), or until lightly browned and firm. This guy has a strange texture that I love :) Not a moist crumb like non-healthified breads, but rather a dense, smooth texture.

T-Day is on its way...

T minus 18 days until it's here.

That's right, friends: The BIG day. The revered fourth Thursday of November. The food-loving holiday that allows us to put aside any modesty at the dinner table, and actually celebrates gluttony and excessive eating.

Bring on the stuffing and roll out the pumpkin pies. It's Thanksgiving season, and I'm ready to rock n' roll.

Although I'm sure most people like to rely on family recipes and long-standing traditions for Thanksgiving foods, I actually enjoy the challenge of experimenting with new and unique twists on Thanksgiving recipes. Over the next two weeks, I'll be posting some of my most recent T-Day favorites, in the event you want to switch things up at your own feast table this year.

First on the menu? Cranberry sauce. My dad often recalls, with great fondness, the can-shaped tube of cranberry sauce that my grandmother used to serve at Thanksgiving--the jelled substance was always plated on a large lettuce leaf and sliced as neatly as a frozen roll of cookie dough.

Despite the awesome retro-factor of my dad's cranberry sauce memories, I've opted out of my grandmother's "recipe," in favor of my mom's updated fruit n' nut-loaded version. Thank you, Hungry Spoon Mama!

I've used this crunchy, fiber-licious and flavorful recipe for the past few years--loaded with toasted walnuts, oranges, apples, and celery, it easily surpasses the "wow factor" of the jiggly red globs from days past.

I'm always looking for new ideas to change up my favorites though, so if you have any creative suggestions for cranberry sauce add-ins, please share below!

Fruit n' Nut Cranberry Sauce

(Recipe from the Hungry Spoon Mama)

I'm big on texture and a good solid crunch when it comes to food, and Thanksgiving recipes are no exception! This cranberry sauce packs a high crunch-factor, with nuts, celery, and apple. For a sweet treat the following week, stir some into a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 can of mandarin oranges, rinsed and drained (or use cut segments from 2 oranges)
• 2 apples, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 2 - 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• A little orange zest
• Optional: diced fresh mango (this is a fantastic addition, but sometimes--like today--a girl just doesn't have a mango sitting around)

Directions:

1) To prepare cranberries (as directed on the side of the Ocean Spray bag!): Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (cranberries will start to split open). Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

2) Once cranberries have cooled, stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate before serving

5 Ingredient Gourmet

With the holiday season approaching, it's time to put on our thinking caps and brainstorm those unique dishes and delightful desserts that are perfect for serving company.

Sometimes I struggle to select the perfect "company is coming" meal. While it's fun to share an elaborate, time-consuming dish with someone other than Adam (although he is a stellar tasting subject), I also hate to devote excessive amounts of time to cooking prep when I would much rather be visiting.

Today's recipe offers one solution to this "Company-is-Coming Conundrum."

Picture it: Pear halves roasted in apple cider, stuffed with dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and blue cheese crumbles. Serve this baby over a bed of chopped spinach, and you'll be ready to invite the Queen over for lunch.

This recipe may scream fancy when it's served by candlelight, but it also screams "Eat Me!" as a filling after-work snack (Trust me: I know from personal experience). It takes only 15 minutes to prep (unless you're speedier at cutting your pears), and 30 minutes to bake.

So tonight, it's 5-Ingredient Gourmet. Whether you're trying to impress your mother-in-law, or serving up a lunch for dear friends, this one's for you :)

Roasted Pears with Cranberries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese

(a beautiful classic from Ina Garten's Back to Basics cookbook)

As noted above, this is a lovely dish for company, but it's also a light and simple lunch or dinner. We enjoyed ours for dinner with a side of roasted squash.

Ingredients:

• 3 firm, ripe pears
• 
  3 oz. crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• Optional: spinach, chopped and stemmed

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2) Slice the pears in half lengthwise. Remove the core of each pear, leaving a cavity for filling the pear with the stuffing. Trim a small slice off the bottom of each pear-half (so the pear will sit flat in the baking dish). Place the pears in a baking dish that holds them snugly, core side up.

3) Combine the blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a bowl. Fill the cavity of each pear half with the stuffing mixture. Pour the apple cider over the pears.

4) Bake pears for 25 - 30 minutes, or until tender. Baste the pears with apple cider halfway through the baking time.

5) To serve, place the pear halves over a bed of spinach, and pour the reserved apple cider from the baking dish over the pears and spinach. Call the Queen. It's dinnertime!

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

This weekend has been filled with plenty of delicious Foodie adventures...although very few have actually taken place in my kitchen.

The Hungry Spoon kitchen was abandoned yesterday in favor of a day trip to Pittsburgh. That's right friends: we headed north for a day in "the big city."

We enjoyed a trip to the Market, explored the Strip District, spent a good deal of time at a used book store, and settled for the afternoon at the Beehive Coffeehouse. Inevitably, the day concluded at my favorite spot for vegetarian cuisine--The Quiet Storm (I ordered the ultimate and highly addictive Apple Panini. I urge you to re-create this in your own kitchen. You won't regret it).

Enough about my travels, though. Let's get to the good stuff: White Chocolate-Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. I initially feasted my eyes on these sweet treats at the Simply Life blog, and reading the recipe title alone convinced me that I had to try them.

Magnificent! I baked a batch late last night after we returned from PA, and I have no doubt they'll be gone quite soon. This cookie is chewy and rich, and the tart cranberries balance out the sweetness of the white chocolate quite nicely.

Happy Baking to you!

Do you ever do late-night baking?

Cranberry & White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

(recipe courtesy of Simply Life blog; makes about 2 dozen cookies)

This cookie exemplified the perfect oatmeal cookie for me--chewy and sweet. Cranberries and white chocolate make a great addition.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1- 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1 - 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat 375 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well-combined.

3) Combine the dry ingredients (through the salt) in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips with a spoon.

4) Place rounded spoon-fuls of dough on cookie sheet and bake 8 - 10 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges (mine were done in 8 minutes exactly).

4) Enjoy! These are definitely good cookies to eat with a glass of milk :)

Pumpkin Head, Pumpkin Bread

I’ve been waiting patiently (or, not-so-patiently) the entire month of September for pumpkin to arrive in Morgantown grocery stores.

Living pumpkin-less for the better part of this month, I’ve resorted to ogling the tempting images of mouth-watering pumpkin treats posted by fellow food bloggers--pumpkin breakfast oats, pumpkin chocolate energy bars, pumpkin cookies...and the list goes on.

But alas! Sunday, in a last-ditch effort to complete my pumpkin hunt at the 4th grocery store of the weekend, we found a small, picked over shelf of Libby’s pumpkin. A tiny, pitiful sign accompanied the shelf, noting “Pumpkin: Limited Quantity.” No kidding.

Needless to say we purchased 4 of the jumbo cans. I left two on the shelf for the next desperate baker to snatch up.

I wasted no time putting my pumpkin to good use. First on the recipe list? Healthy, hearty, and oh-so-nutty pumpkin bread.

My favorite almost-fat-free pumpkin bread recipe comes from Susan at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. While the bread would be virtually fat-free, I prefer to add a heavy dose of chopped walnuts to the batter, eliminating the “fat free” part, but (in my opinion), enhancing the healthiness factor with those awesome omega-3s. As a side note, I also reduced the sugar in Susan's recipe by 1/2 cup.

Thus, the Great Pumpkin Crave of September 2010 has calmed; the appetite has been satisfied.

And with an added piece of pumpkin goodness to my morning eats, it looks like my breakfast just got a little bigger :)

Pumpkin Bread (the healthy version)

(adapted from Susan's recipe for Oil-Free Pumpkin Bread at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)

This is a tasty, low-fat recipe that satisfies my pumpkin craving at breakfast like no other.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar (Susan's recipe calls for 1 -1/2 cups, if you prefer a sweeter bread)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup water
• Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs (I just used 2 eggs!)
• 1 - 2/3 cups flour (I used a mixture of whole wheat flour with unbleached all-purpose flour)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice
• some orange zest (I didn't measure! Just mixed a little zest from a fresh orange right in!)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) Beat the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients (except the walnuts and cranberries). Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold in walnuts, cranberries, and orange zest.

3) Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (mine loaf was finished in 65 minutes).