How good does that look? I love Guacamole. I love the texture of it, the flavor, and the add-ins you can use to spice it up (I once had guacamole with balsamic vinegar and goat cheese in it - delicious!).
I also love that it's really good for you. Avocado has fiber and tons of healthy fats (monounsaturated fat - the kind that helps lower [more]
Tips from Healthy Chef Devin Alexander
I’m a big fan of Chef Devin Alexander, a healthy chef and a curator on OpenSky.com, since her food philosophy and mine are totally aligned: that healthy food can taste good! But what I admire the most about her is that she lost 70 pounds about 15 years ago and has kept it off ever since. So when I got the opportunity to interview her, I was [more]
New Giveaway: A Pure Cacao Drink From Choffy!
Hi Everyone! I hope you're having a great weekend. I have an awesome new giveaway for you today, but first - I'd like to congratulate Jenny who won my eco-friendly giveaway!
Congrats Jenny! You should be receiving your Bamboo Bottle and book very soon :) Thanks to everyone who entered - it was so nice reading all of your comments and hearing [more]
Samosas are one of the few Indian fried treats that I just can't get enough of. They are savory, puff pastry packets of heaven: spicy and sweet, with a great crispy crust surrounding a piping hot filling. When made well, they aren't too oily and are just fried to perfection.
I don't usually make samosas at home, because honestly if I did, I [more]
8 Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipes
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Breakfast.
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It's the most important meal of the day, and can also be the most delicious meal of the day, but oftentimes it's overlooked, eaten on the fly, or replaced with a can of Diet Coke.
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I always eat breakfast but I'm definitely a creature of habit - oatmeal being my go-to breakfast of choice. And while I do eat breakfast every [more]
Mushroom and Spinach Tartines with Roasted Garlic Spread
Mushroom and Spinach Tartines.
Doesn't that just sound like some kind of exotic treat you'd get in France?
"Tartine" is actually a fancy bread with either a sweet or savory spread on top, often found in France. It sounds fancy, but it's basically an open-faced sandwich. It also happens to be the name of one of my favorite bakeries in San [more]
20 Healthy Snacks for Kids, College Students, Home, or Work
- You’re in college or grad school and you don’t have a kitchen to cook in, and you either have no fridge or a very tiny fridge
- You’re a busy professional, your fridge is empty and you use your oven for storage
- You always find yourself on the go: you’re traveling on planes often or just never at home
- You just don’t like to cook, but you still want to eat healthy
- You have kids and a full time job, but still want to give your family healthy options
Homemade Guacamole
How good does that look? I love Guacamole. I love the texture of it, the flavor, and the add-ins you can use to spice it up (I once had guacamole with balsamic vinegar and goat cheese in it – delicious!).
I also love that it’s really good for you. Avocado has fiber and tons of healthy fats (monounsaturated fat – the kind that helps lower cholesterol). And the best part is that you can use avocado (or guacamole) in so many different ways: as a topping for Mexican food, as a dip on it’s own, in sandwiches, as a topping for tortilla soup, the list goes on and on.
My husband loves guacamole, or “guac” as we lovingly call it, and oftentimes I will come home from work only to find him sitting at the table with a bowl of guac, a bag of chips, and a book.
I enjoy making Guacamole at home, because it’s so easy and you just can’t beat that fresh taste. I made this recipe for “Glammed Up Guac” from the book, Must Have Been Something I Ate, and it was the perfect twist on a traditional guacamole.
The Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1 Tbsp chipotle peppers, finely diced
- 1/2 Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Tips from Healthy Chef Devin Alexander
I weighed close to 200 lbs when I was 15. I always like to say, “My two Italian grandmothers taught me how to get fat.” I tried so many diets but I just couldn’t lose weight. I loved cooking and I couldn’t imagine not making food myself, so I learned how to cook healthier versions of the foods I loved. Eventually, I moved to LA to be a screenwriter, and some celebrities found out that I could make healthy food taste good, and that’s how I ended up on the path I am now. I never, in a million years, had planned to be a Chef, but I love what I do now. I always tell people that if you’re struggling with your weight, you can make a change. If I can do it anyone can!
I’ve been able to maintain my weight mostly because I eat what I really want, and I work to “spend” my calories on things I crave. I don’t just eat things “willy nilly,” I’m conscious of what I eat. I can’t eat whatever I want, but I do make sure that I eat what I really want. There’s no room in my life for empty calories and accidentally eating a bag of chips on the sofa (for example). I stay away from fast food and fried food – it’s not an option for me to eat that now. But that used to be my main food source – I used to eat fast food all the time. So instead, I have just made over all the “junk” foods I loved: from chocolate cakes to brownies to crusted chicken to Italian favorites and potato chips. I play mad scientist in my kitchen – anytime I crave something I figure out how to make it healthy. And I always, always eat chocolate every day.
I talk a lot about healthy swaps and making recipes healthier. But one important thing to understand is that you can’t just make one swap to a recipe and have it taste the same as the original. There are so many components to a dish that you have to change the flavor, moisture, etc. of the whole dish. For example – if you substitute turkey for a recipe that calls for beef, it really won’t taste the same. I suggest people use ground chicken for beef in recipes instead of turkey. In my brownies, they have a rich chocolate taste, and it’s because I take some of the flour out and add extra cocoa powder (if you don’t take out some of the flour, it gets too dry). Another swap I make often is in meatballs, I substitute egg whites + oatmeal for eggs + breadcrumbs. I always suggest that people find a couple of good healthy cookbooks that have gotten good recommendations (don’t just pick one randomly off the shelf) to get yourself started with a healthy lifestyle, and remember: for everything you swap you have to make other changes to the recipe to achieve the same result!
What are some tips you’d give to people who are trying to (and struggling to) lose weight? Where should they start?
My main thing is to get people out of the diet mentality, because it’s too restricting. To start, I suggest that people track exactly what they eat, for 3 days straight. And to be really honest – like count every single morsel and figure out what you’re eating. Once you do that, you can figure out what things you really cannot live without, and what food items you don’t care as much about. Then make sure you incorporate enough servings of fruits and veggies into your diet, and build room for the “must-haves” (like chocolate is for me). So for example, if you can’t live without mac & cheese, then align your diet around that: have the mac & cheese but for your other meals have lean protein and veggies. Since I have to have chocolate every day, I created this treat that’s in the Biggest Loser Quick & Easy Cookbook: Frozen bananas + cocoa powder + protein powder – it tastes like chocolate ice cream when it’s blended together!
Another favorite chocolate recipe of mine is: True Love in a Bowl
It’s just: Frozen bananas + cocoa powder, and it gives you 2 servings of fruit + 4g fiber from cocoa powder. I call it true love because it doesn’t make you fat!
That’s how I get by, I take the time to make that treat instead of eating a scoop of ice cream (for example). It’s all about playing with the things you really love and figuring out how to satisfy your cravings. Another tip that works well: if you are cooking for one, portion your serving out first and then package the rest for leftovers, so you’re less likely to go back for seconds later at night.
Once you find those recipes that are your go-tos – it makes it a lot easier when you go to a party or go out to eat to resist temptation. I’m a huge chocolate person, so if I go to a restaurant and I take a bite of something and it’s not that great, it’s not worth the calories to me because I know I can make something better. So that makes it really easy for me to say no, and mean no, and not want it. I am also of the philosophy that if you tell yourself you can’t have something it will make your body revolt. Like if you are eating junk food and simultaneously telling yourself “I shouldn’t be doing this,” it’ll make you want it more, you’ll crave it more, and you’ll end up eating it more.
What is your favorite dish to make?
True love in a bowl is definitely up there these days. For chocolate lovers, I also created my “Chocolate Not Only in Your Dreams Cake”. It basically tastes like a warm flourless chocolate espresso cake, but instead of having 750 calories and 30g fat like the restaurant versions, mine is only 200 calories, 2g fat and has 6g fiber. It’s weight watcher friendly and insanely decadent. I like to eat it with raspberry liquor.
Thanks Devin for all of these great tips! It was so nice speaking with you 
For those who are interested, you can have access to more tips and great experts similar to Devin on OpenSky.com.
New Giveaway: A Pure Cacao Drink From Choffy!
Hi Everyone! I hope you’re having a great weekend. I have an awesome new giveaway for you today, but first – I’d like to congratulate Jenny who won my eco-friendly giveaway!
Congrats Jenny! You should be receiving your Bamboo Bottle and book very soon Thanks to everyone who entered – it was so nice reading all of your comments and hearing from some first-time readers! And now, all of you have another chance to win in this week’s giveaway from CHOFFY!
So what exactly is Choffy? Choffy is brewed, pure, all-natural, chocolate. It is made from 100% premium organic cacao beans – so it’s not sweet at all – it tastes more like a delicious super dark chocolate bar. And since Choffy comes straight from the cacao bean, it’s extremely good for you! The cacao makes it a superfood: there are more antioxidants in one 8oz cup of Choffy than in two servings of blueberries. And while it tastes like chocolate, it’s only 20 calories per serving, which makes it a guilt-free pleasure.
The cool thing about Choffy is that you can make it using a french press, just like you would with regular coffee. But unlike coffee, it doesn’t have caffeine in it! So you can get your rich-hot-drink-in-the-morning fix without the effects of caffeine. For those of you trying to cut back on your coffee fix, this might be a good replacement
There are also tons of different ways to enjoy Choffy – here are three that I tried:
Option 1: You can drink it black just like coffee (although, keep in mind that since it is cacao, it will be slightly bitter) – I actually thought it was pretty smooth when I took a sip straight, but I decided to add a bit of milk to make it even more decadent!
Option 2: Mix a 1/8 cup of 1% organic milk and some Stevia to taste into your Choffy. This is how I chose to drink it, and it tasted like an amazingly decadent hot chocolate. It was like liquid chocolate melting in my mouth. I couldn’t believe it was only 20-30 calories (with the milk).
Option 3: Use it in a blended chocolate drink by brewing Choffy, mixing it with milk and Stevia, adding ice cubes, and blending until combined
All were amazingly delicious. This is really a fantastic hot drink, and it is SO good for you. This has made it into my morning hot drink rotation, which was previously exclusively occupied by Chai Tea
For those of you who are thinking of trying this product, here’s a nice little graphic describing how to brew Choffy:
And for one lucky reader, you’ll win a bag of Choffy to try at home for free! The bag is HUGE, so it will last you quite a while.
Now, the important part – To Enter: You can enter in one of three ways -
- Subscribe to The Picky Eater via RSS or via email
- Follow me on Twitter (@pickyeaterblog)
- Like The Picky Eater on Facebook
Then post a comment here letting me know which option above you chose. If you already are a subscriber, follower, or like The Picky Eater on Facebook, just leave a comment indicating that – it will count as one entry.
This giveaway will be open until Saturday, February 4th at 11:59pm PST. I will be selecting the winner at random (via random.org) and will contact them via email. I’ll be announcing the winner on Sunday, February 5th. I’m so excited for you to try this product, it really is great!
Traditional Indian Samosas
Samosas are one of the few Indian fried treats that I just can’t get enough of. They are savory, puff pastry packets of heaven: spicy and sweet, with a great crispy crust surrounding a piping hot filling. When made well, they aren’t too oily and are just fried to perfection.
I don’t usually make samosas at home, because honestly if I did, I would eat them all. They’re mainly a treat for me when we go out to Indian restaurants for dinner.
The husband is somewhat of a samosa connoisseur - he loves them even more than I do. It’s pretty much guaranteed that if we go to an Indian restaurant that no matter what the other appetizer options are available, he will order samosas every time. This actually works out well for me, because then I can nibble on the crispy pastry crust of more than one samosa without my fellow diners getting annoyed with me Because honestly, the crust is SO good.
When making samosas at home, I would probably bake them in the oven versus frying them. This recipe below gives you the instructions to fry them if you so choose, but you can also bake them in the oven using these directions from Aarti on the Food Network.
Today’s recipe for samosas comes courtesy of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, who contacted me with the idea of adding split peas into samosas to amp up the protein & fiber in traditional recipes. I thought it was a great addition to the traditional samosa filling, since it goes really well with the potatoes and other Indian flavors in this dish.
Note: Makes about 24 samosas. These little turnovers contain yogurt in the dough and a curried vegetable filling. Serve them with chutney or a good tomato ketchup.
The Ingredients: Filling
- 1 cup dry USA green or yellow split peas, rinsed
- 2.5 cups water
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1.5 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander (with a few whole coriander seeds sprinkled in)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- Chutney or tomato ketchup, for dipping
The Ingredients: Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat flour preferred)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup plain yogurt
- 1⁄4 cup canola oil
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The Directions
- In a medium saucepan, combine split peas and water. Bring them to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until peas are tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Drain peas, and set aside.
- Boil potatoes with 1 teaspoon salt until they are tender. Drain, and mash the potatoes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dough. Combine flour and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Make a well in the center and add yogurt and canola oil. Mix ingredients until they form a ball.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it is smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cover dough, and set it aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a heavy skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are translucent. Add ginger, and continue stirring for another minute. Add coriander, garam masala, and salt, and cook, stirring, for about a half minute more. Add potatoes and peas, and mix well. Set filling aside.
- On lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring about 12 x 18 inches. Cut dough into 3-inch squares.
- Place 1 scant tablespoon of filling on each square. Use your fingers to moisten edges of dough with water, and fold dough diagonally in half to make a triangle. Press edges firmly together to seal in the filling.
- Heat 1 inch oil in a heavy skillet until it is hot but not smoking, about 350° to 380°. Fry samosas until golden, turning once. Drain samosas on paper towels, and keep them hot.
- Transfer samosas to a heated serving dish, and serve them with chutney or tomato catsup.
If you don’t already love samosas, you will after trying this recipe!
Nutritional Info: For 1 Samosa
- Calories: 82
- Protein: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g
8 Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipes
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Breakfast Option #3: Make a chocolate shake with bananas, frozen berries, cocoa powder and honey. Mix all in a single serve blender and drink!
Breakfast Option #4: 1 serving of low fat cottage cheese (about 100 calories) with either 1/2 cup blueberries or (for those who like something savory) with pepper and a side of sliced tomato.
Breakfast Option #5: Whole grain or sprouted grain toast topped with 2 sliced up hardboiled eggs served with a sliced apple or grapefruit
Breakfast Option #6: Whole wheat pita filled with hummus, 1 Tbsp fat free feta, arugula, sliced tomato, sliced red onion, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil; serve with a side of grapes
Mushroom and Spinach Tartines with Roasted Garlic Spread
Mushroom and Spinach Tartines.
Doesn’t that just sound like some kind of exotic treat you’d get in France?
“Tartine” is actually a fancy bread with either a sweet or savory spread on top, often found in France. It sounds fancy, but it’s basically an open-faced sandwich. It also happens to be the name of one of my favorite bakeries in San Francisco.
In the spirit of incorporating more whole grains into my diet, and my recent partnership with Sunbites, I decided to post this great recipe for a healthy take on the traditional Tartine.
It seems like a bit of an odd pairing of ingredients, but I promise it tastes delicious. The secret is lots of garlic, and a great crusty bread. This dish was inspired by a recipe I found on VegetarianTimes.com. I made a few modifications, so my modified recipe is below. To all of my Sunbites readers, I hope you enjoy this recipe! Don’t be thrown off by the addition of tofu into the spread: it provides a great protein punch, and it doesn’t taste like tofu at all!
This is the perfect recipe for a simple, weekend supper but it can also be used as an appetizer for parties.
The Ingredients
- 6 oz. soft tofu, drained
- 6-9 cloves roasted garlic (I say the more garlic the better, but if you’re not a garlic lover like I am, go with 6 cloves)
- 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
- 10 oz of sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 6oz-10oz fresh baby spinach
- 1-2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese per tartine (so if you’re making 8 tartines, that’s 8-16 Tbsp total)
- 1 whole-wheat baguette, sliced lengthwise and toasted
The Directions
Step 1: Roast the garlic. This is very easy to do: simply trim the tops of whole garlic bulbs to expose the cloves, set on a piece of foil, and drizzle with olive oil (about 1 tsp).
Step 1 (continued): Wrap the garlic tightly in foil, and bake 30 to 35 minutes at 400°F, or until garlic bulbs are soft. When it’s done, it looks like this:
Step 2: Place tofu and garlic in blender or food processor, season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth.
Step 3: Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sauté mushroom and onion 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
Step 4: Stir in spinach, and sauté 2 minutes, or until wilted. Add 1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese to pan, and remove from heat. I also added salt and pepper to taste for more flavor.
Step 5: If you have any roasted garlic left over, spread one clove over each baguette half. Top with tofu-garlic spread, then with mushroom-spinach mixture, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Toast under broiler 1 to 2 minutes, or until cheese begins to brown. I also added a bit of salt and pepper on top (just a sprinkle) for extra flavor.
Doesn’t that look delicious? If you’re eating this as a meal, I’d serve it with some light tomato soup to make it more of a well-rounded and filling dinner. As an appetizer, it can be served by itself.
Either way, it is extremely healthy for you! It’s full of whole grains, fiber from the vegetables, and protein from the tofu and cheese. 1 tartine has ~300 calories, 14g protein and 12g fiber (which largely depends on the amount of fiber in your baguette). Dig in!
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