Cinnamon Tortilla Snacks

Cinnamon Tortilla Snacks

4 whole-wheat tortillas (fajita-size)

6 T Chocolate PB2 (Not sure what this is? Click here )

4 T water

Cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and grease with cooking spray.

Add water to Chocolate PB2 and stir until smooth.  Spread a thin layer of this mixture evenly over a tortilla.  Roll tortilla up and cut in half.  Repeat with remaining 3 tortillas and Chocolate PB2 mixture.  

Place tortilla rolls on baking sheet.  Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 5-7 minutes.  Serve warm or room temp.

Eggless Whole Wheat Pancakes

Eggless Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

 1/2 tsp salt

1 T flax seed mill in 3 T water

2 T butter, melted

1/2 c skim milk

Heat a skillet over medium and grease with cooking spray. 

Mix first 4 ingredients together and set aside.

Combine flax in water, melted butter, and milk.  Add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 

Pour a small amount of batter into the heated skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Repeat with remaining batter.

Top pancakes with fresh berries, nonfat plain Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey!

Polenta and Butternut Squash Lasagna

Never tried polenta?  You have been missing out then!  Don`t know what polenta is?  Click here.

Polenta & Butternut Squash Lasagna

2- 18 oz. pkgs pre-cooked polenta (comes in cylinder shape)

10 oz. fresh butternut squash

1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth

2 c part-skim ricotta cheese OR low-fat cottage cheese

2 c shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

2 T Italian seasoning

Rosemary for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil.  Add squash, reduce to simmer, and cover.  Cook until squash is tender (about 25 min).  Puree with a hand blender or food processor until a smooth, sauce-like consistency.  Set aside.

Add Italian seasoning to ricotta or cottage cheese.  Stir to combine and set aside.

Cut both cylinders of polenta into round slices each about 1/2 cm thick.  Line the bottom of the baking dish with one layer of polenta rounds.  Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese mixture.  Next, spoon pureed squash sauce evenly over the cheese.  Top with a layer of mozzarella.  Repeat until you are out of ingredients!  

Note: Make sure the last layer you add is mozzarella.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, until top layer of cheese is bubbly.  Remove and let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.  Garnish each plate with fresh rosemary.

Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos with Turkey Bacon & Black Beans & Avocado-Adobe Cream

Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos with Turkey Bacon and Black Beans and Avocado-Adobe Cream

For the tacos:

 10 oz. fresh butternut squash, cubed

1 T canola oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 yellow onion, diced

6 slices low-sodium turkey bacon, chopped

1 tsp canola oil

1 cup of cooked black beans, (if canned, then drain and rinse)

1/2 c pepper jack cheese, shredded

cilantro

4 whole wheat tortillas 

For the Avocado-Adobe Cream:

1/2 of a ripe Hass avocado

1 T adobe sauce (The sauce that chipotle peppers are canned in.)

1/3 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt

skim milk

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a bowl, toss squash with oil and dry spices. Arrange on a baking sheet.  Bake in preheated oven 25-30 minutes.

While the squash is baking, heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet over medium.  Add onions to hot pan.  Saute for 2 minutes, then add bacon.  Cook until bacon is crispy and onions translucent.  Remove from pan and drain.  Pat with a paper towel to remove excess grease.

Prepare cream by blending avocado, adobe sauce, and yogurt in a food processor. Add milk 1 T at a time until cream has reached a pourable consistency.  (Runny, but not watery.)  Set aside.

Remove squash from oven.  Divide evenly among 4 tortillas.  Add 1/4 cup beans to each tortilla.  Next, add bacon and onions to each.  Drizzle a small amount of cheese over each.  Dollap or drizzle a T of prepared cream over each taco and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!

Stay tuned for...

• Roasted Butternut Squash Tacos with Turkey Bacon and Black Beans!

• Polenta and Butternut Squash Lasagna!

 ....Can you tell I am a tad bit obsessed with butternut squash right now?  Yummmmm...

Feast on the Fruit or Just Juice It?

It seems like everyone these days juices.  I have heard people become obsessed with concoctions that I just could not stomach...

So what`s the deal?  Are homemade smoothies and juices a good idea?

That depends on what goes in them, how much, and what you are using the juice or smoothie concoction for.

People often juice their favorite fruits and veggies as a way to fit more nutrients into their diet, a great idea! 

However, I do have a few thoughts:

1. Consider the fiber in those fruits and veggies.  Fiber is often in the peel and pulp, which sometimes gets strained out of juices. You need fiber!
2. An adult needs anywhere from 1.5-2 cups of fruit daily.  Many people have this in just one of their juices or smoothies.  While fruit is good for you, eating too much of it takes up calories that might otherwise be used up in the other food groups that you need: whole grains, lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats.
3. Watch what you add!  I have heard everything from wheat germ to protein powder to blackstrap molasses in various juicing and smoothie concoctions.  Adding certain supplements for added benefits is advised, but just make sure you don`t kick up the calorie amount so much that you are canceling out the benefits! 
4. We like to eat.  Our brains communicate with our tummys when we chew and swallow food to help us know when we are full and satisfied.  Drinking your food does not always have the same result!  You may feel like you are hungry even though you just drank 300-400 calories!
5. Just because you add honey or agave, both considered natural since one comes from bees and another from a plant, does not mean you aren`t adding calories and sugar! 

Better-for-you Birthday Cake!

Today is my birthday and like everyone else who has a sweet tooth, I LOVE cake.  Birthday cake, graduation cake, anniversary cake....and my favorite thing about holy unions: wedding cake! (Oh! And the champagne...)

But most of the time we have NO idea what goes into these cakes!  Shortening in the frosting, a dozen eggs in the batter, a heaping of sugar in the fondant.....cake is often a trans- and saturated-fat-filled and cholesterol-soaked slice of a blood sugar nightmare.  Though yummy to the tastebuds, it does virtually nothing good for your body. 

While we can`t control what the bakery puts in the pre-made cake that is sitting on the table at your graduation party, we can control what goes into what we make ourselves!  Though I don`t encourage frequent use of store-bought cake mixes, I know most people buy them and use them for birthdays and special occasions. So rather than preach against them, let me suggest some ways to make them better for you...

• Swap out the oil that the cake mix requires for an equal amount of applesauce (you won`t detect this in the finished product).
• Swap out the oil that the cake mix requires for an equal amount of Greek yogurt (you won`t detect this in the finished product).
• Swap out the oil that the cake mix requires for an equal amount of mashed avocado.  I would only recommend this in chocolate or red velvet cake. (Otherwise, the color will be different!)
• Swap out the egg or eggs that the cake mix requires for egg whites, egg substitute, OR 1 T of flax seed mill in 3 T water for every egg.
• Leave out both the oil AND the eggs and add a 1 can of pureed pumpkin.  This will make for a stiffer cake but won`t change the flavor.  I would only recommend using this with chocolate, red velvet, spice, and carrot cake mixes.
• Add raisins and chopped nuts to the batter.  This will add iron, protein, and some healthy fats to your dessert!
• If using a carrot cake mix, add 1/2 shredded carrots to the batter!  This will add moisture and Vitamin A!