Nothing can doom a diet like the crispy, crunchy craving for chips — until now! Rather than ditch this snack for good, we found healthy takes on our favorite savory and salty recipes. So go ahead: give your veggies a new twist and indulge in the crunchy deliciousness of these 11 fit chips.
— Additional reporting by Aemilia Madden
Original article and pictures take http://www.fitsugar.com/Healthy-Chip-Recipes-23946130 site
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Looking for a tasty vegan crockpot option or just something healthy?! Check out this Crockpot Quinoa and Vegetables recipe that turns out delicious every time!
Looking for some healthier, or even vegetarian crockpot options? Check out this delicious recipe for Crockpot Quinoa and Vegetables. This recipe is very easy to throw together and you will have a fantastic side dish or meal in no time.
If you are not Vegan or Vegetarian you can make this Crockpot Side Dish into a meal by mixing in beans or even grilled chicken to stretch it even further. Any way you cook it, this turns out delicious!
Original article and pictures take http://momswithcrockpots.com/2013/07/crock-pot-quinoa-and-vegetables/#_a5y_p=733025 site
These easy camping meal ideas are true to the spirit of good ol’ campfire cooking, but without all the muss and fuss of a lot of work. Everyone wants to enjoy good camp food, but why should you get stuck doing all the cooking?
Kids love these because they get to feel like big kids – making their own food. And camp cooks love them because they are a lot less work than traditional camping meals.
The concept:
An assortment of foods are wrapped in foil and cooked in campfire coals – or on a grate over the coals – or even over charcoal briquettes in a grill. One good feature of these meals is the camp cook can get by with just prepping and laying out the camp food for the meals – then each camper creates, wraps, and cooks their own meal.
The plus:
With just a little adult help, you can let the kids create their own foil packs. And – they are cooked in an open campfire. Just like all good camping meals should be.
How it’s done:
The original foil meal, was a Boy Scout creation that was just; some hamburger, diced potatoes, corn, peas, and carrots, and a little salt & pepper, wrapped into a pack using a double layer of heavy-duty tin-foil.
Note: See a demonstration and video of one Boy Scout method from: Phoenix Boy Scout Troop 109.
Cooking Tips
Ingredients: – per meal
Note: Other vegetables can be added, (or substituted), ie. onions, sweet peppers, or green beans. Fresh is best, but frozen works fine. Tip: 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce really boosts the meat flavor.
Start with a double layer of cabbage leaves, (as shown in video), then the frozen and fresh veggies, followed with the hamburger, followed with the Montreal Steak Seasoning, salt & pepper, (seasoned to taste), and butter. Then complete the package by topping with more cabbage leaves, (as seen in video)
Place completed foil pack on mature coals, (not in or over open flames, or still-flaming coals – the food will burn), for 25-30 minutes.
Tip: A good pair of campfire gloves is almost a must-have for campfire and tin-foil cooking.
Here is a guide to some good choices for campfire cooking gloves.
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A campfire cooking grill is one of the handiest, (and least expensive), pieces of camping gear you can have. And it doesn’t have to be a 30-pound cast iron monster either.
A folding grill grate like the pictured Coleman model works great, isn’t too heavy, and takes up very little space. Even when your camp site fire-ring has a grill you will still find yourself using this one too!
Campfire Cooking Grills
Check out these samples of camping cookware and camping tools available on Amazon. Once you have one of these camp tools you will wonder how you ever did without it. Especially when you see how inexpensive they are when you buy them online.
Original article and pictures take http://campingwithgus.com/easy-camping-meal-food-ideas/ site
An easy to throw in a pan, stick in the oven meal – this Southwest Chicken Bake is one of our family favorites!
By now you know easy is what I do when it comes to cooking. Sometimes I go all out but most of the time it is the quickest and meals that I know my family love that win out. This chicken bake doesn’t take much effort but the results are so so so good. You have the spices from the ingredients, the crunch from the chips and everything tastes good with cheese, right?
I’ve had this recipe from one of my closest friends for probably close to ten years now. I’ve added different things here or there to give it a little variety but every time I make it, my family loves it!
You most likely have all of the ingredients you need for this Chicken Bake sitting your pantry but wouldn’t have thought to put them together. You can also use this as a base and add in additional vegetables, spices, etc.
This recipe calls for baked chicken. There are lots of ways to do this – but the biggest thing is making sure no matter what method you use, you need to make sure it’s cooked all the way through. You can do at a high temperature for a shorter amount of time or a lower temperature for a longer time.
Here is a rough guideline (though it will depend on how big of chicken breasts you use):
How long to bake chicken depends on the temperature you use and how big the chicken breasts are. As I mentioned, you can bake low and slow or high and short.
If you love this easy Southwest Chicken Bake recipe, you’re going to love these other chicken casserole ideas. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
It’s sort of a cross between nachos and a chicken bake. I love the cheese and the crunch. One of the things my kids love is adding toppings to it. One kid likes sour cream, another doesn’t. They can put whatever they want on top of it.
If you love this Southwest Chicken Bake recipe as much as I do, please write a five star review, and be sure to help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!
Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you never miss a post! Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram
Original article and pictures take http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2014/05/southwest-chicken-bake/#_a5y_p=1848173 site
Ellie Krieger is a celebrity chef, best-selling and award-winning author, and nutritionist who believes the best route to eating healthy is to focus on flavorful foods that happen to be good for you. One of her go-to choices is Grapes from California.
Malena is a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator whose work includes counseling families and groups to help them with lifestyle changes. As a nutrition consultant, Malena collaborates on research programs and provides nutrition-education services to the Latino community of Denver including the development of consumer-oriented print and video-learning materials on general nutrition and diabetes topics. She is an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Ellie Krieger is a celebrity chef, best-selling and award-winning author, and nutritionist who believes the best route to eating healthy is to focus on flavorful foods that happen to be good for you. One of her go-to choices is Grapes from California.
An Atlanta-based registered dietitian nutritionist who uses a food first, mostly plant-based approach. Marisa is a past spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and a trusted food and nutrition expert, appearing in several major media outlets.
A Philadelphia-based registered dietitian who appears in regular cooking segments on local and national TV. Her writing and recipes have been showcased nationally in O, the Oprah Magazine, Family Circle and more. Katie was awarded Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly 2012 and 2014-Nutritionist.”
A health journalist and the author of several nutrition books. She specializes in weight management and behavior change therapy, assisting people who struggle with diet and food issues.
An Orlando-based registered dietitian and regularly appears as the “Diet Diva” on the nationally syndicated morning television show, The Daily Buzz. Tara is also the dietitian for the Orlando Magic and authored the book “Pregnancy Cooking & Nutrition for Dummies.
A Chicago-based registered dietitian and a certified specialist in sports dietetics. She is the author of “The Flexitarian Diet”. a nutrition consultant to the Chicago Cubs, and a blogger for The Huffington Post.
A Los Angeles-based registered dietitian specializing in nutrition and health communications. The author of “Eat Right When Time is Tight”, Patricia is passionate about helping children and adults implement easy steps to improve their lives
Stock up the cooler and go with California grapes to the game! Endlessly versatile and full of healthy goodness, grapes are the top pick for better-for-you game-day snacking. With their fresh burst of flavor, heart-healthy grapes are great on their own or as the star ingredient in these championship recipes. Whether a salad, skewer, sandwich, or salsa, Tasty Tailgating has a California grape recipe that is perfect for every hungry fan. These recipes will have everyone cheering, “Go… Grapes!” Go with grapes every day for a whole bunch of healthy!
Californians have been cultivating grapes for more than two centuries. Today, 99 percent of U.S. table grapes are produced in California's warm, dry climate that is ideal for grape growing. With more than 85 grape varieties grown, California grapes come in three colors—green, red and black—and are in season from May through January.
Original article and pictures take http://www.grapesfromcalifornia.com/recipes/recipe.php?id=237 site
I’ve has this vision of molasses buttercream floating around my head ever since Heather came to town. She brought some delightful espresso macarons to her book signing this past summer, filled with a surprising molasses buttercream.
I haven’t forgotten it.
I first attempted to re-work the bourbon layer cake, intending to use it as a base for this inspired buttercream, and also playing with the recipe as it has never completely satisfied me in terms of consistency. Unfortunately, my modifications, which I thought would help make the cake lighter and fluffier, only made things worse.
With another cake failure settled into the garbage and me not wanting to give up just yet, I still needed a vehicle for my molasses buttercream. So I turned to my faithful stand-by: Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes. In it was a recipe for a delightful sweet potato cake. Seeing as how we’ve been getting a steady 2 pounds of sweet potatoes each week with our CSA and a whopping 10 pounds this past week, I had no shortage of sweet potatoes. It seemed it was meant to be.
While it isn’t the simplest cake to prepare, the extra step of whipping and folding in the egg whites make the cake light, with a delicate crumb that most sweet potato or pumpkin cakes lack. In fact, I may have to try this trick on the aforementioned bourbon cake as it could definitely use some lightening up.
The cake itself has a very light sweet potato flavor and subtle spiced undertones. It’s like a milder version of pumpkin pie, only with sweet potato, and cake instead of custard (ok, so maybe it’s not like pumpkin pie at all). But my intuition that it would be delightful in combination with a sweet and sticky molasses buttercream? Spot on.
I’ve slowly realized, over the years of making cakes and cupcakes, that buttercream has distinct seasons (and I’m talking about straight up American buttercream here, don’t even get me started on the meringues and other varieties). Summer means soupy buttercream, so you better have some shortening handy. Spring and fall are ideal for buttercream-preparation, where the temperature of “room-temperature” is, apparently, perfect. But I never thought I’d have trouble with winter buttercream, even more so than the pesky summer stuff. It definitely requires some more experimentation on my part to figure it out, but I assume that the butter is simply too cold. Even at room temperature it’s still a chilly 65 degrees. My winter buttercream often stays thick, bordering on buttery/greasy in texture (even though the powdered sugar makes it plenty sweet). Adding more milk/cream to lighten it up only works to a certain extent, after which adding more doesn’t change things one bit. Poor, sad, moody buttercream.
Guess you can add American buttercream to the ever-growing list of seemingly-simple things with which I constantly battle (including, but not limited to: chocolate, chocolate ganache, chocolate candy coating, caramel, and pie crust).
Perfectly fluffy or not, luckily, it still makes for a fantastic cake.
For Cake:
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 lb)
3 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs, separated
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups whole milk
For Frosting:
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup milk or cream, more or less as needed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prick sweet potatoes in a few spots with a fork, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, or until the potatoes are very soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven cool slightly.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 9-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper; butter parchment.
When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel of the skins and remove any blemishes. Pulse in a food processor until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of puree (discard or reserve the rest for another use).
In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large metal mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Gradually beat in /4 cup of sugar, increase speed to high, and beat until the egg whites form moderately stiff peaks.
In another large mixing bowl, combine sweet potato, butter, vanilla, and remaining 2 cups sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by 1/2 of the milk. Repeat with another 1/3 dry ingredients, remaining milk, and finally remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated.
Using a large rubber spatula, fold 1/4 of egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Add the remaining egg white and continue to fold just until incorporated; be sure not to overmix the batter.
Divide batter among prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely, at least 1 hour.
To prepare frosting, in a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add molasses and beat until incorporated. Depending on the temperature and consistency of your frosting at this point, add milk or cream, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed, then continue beating until frosting is light and fluffy.
To assemble, level each cake layer by cutting of the domed top with a long serrated knife. Place one layer, flat side down, on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread on a layer of buttercream using an offset spatula. Position second layer on top and press to adhere. Repeat with another layer of buttercream, and then position final cake layer, flat side up.
Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This “crumb coat” will make frosting the cake easier. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to allow this crumb coat to set.
Remove cake from refrigerator and frost with remaining buttercream, reserving some for piping decorative details if desired.
Let us know what you think!
Leave a Comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #loveandoliveoil.
Original article and pictures take http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2012/11/sweet-potato-layer-cake-with-molasses-buttercream.html site
I feel like we are a couple of weeks behind everyone else, but it’s finally back-to-school week at my house. We’re getting back into the swing of things, painfully shedding our summertime schedules and trying to remember what it’s like to set alarm clocks and adhere to bedtime routines. Since I’m totally a creature of habit, I look forward to this time of year. I love having my daughter home with me all summer long, but I thrive on schedules and routines.
Plus, do you know how much tidier my house is during the school year? Five days a week of tag-teaming little girls makes for a seriously messy house. All of the time. ALL OF THE TIME.
With school and extracurricular activities, it’s also time to dust-off my old meal planning notebook. (Yes, I have one of those. Doesn’t everyone? No?) Summertime afforded the luxury of late dinners, last-minute trips to the grocery store and making due with what we had in the pantry. Back-to-school means back to quick and easy meals, readily available around the clock.
And what’s quicker and easier than a salad?
This quick and easy homemade honey mustard salad dressing is one of my favorite salad dressings of all time. I usually just make enough for one salad, but this keeps really well in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, so don’t be afraid to make a bigger batch. We use an organic canola Mayo and organic yellow mustard, and of course honey from our own bees, so it’s a much healthier option – in terms of knowing your ingredients – than store bought. It’s also much less expensive. Win!
This is also a PERFECT dip for homemade pretzels. Like, stuff-your-face amazing. Try it.
Before I go today, I just wanted to send a heartfelt thank you out to all of my readers. I reached a big milestone for my little blog today – 15 THOUSAND likes on Facebook. It might not seem like much to some, but I never dreamed that 15 thousand people would care to follow my recipes, photographs and stories. You all are awesome, and I can’t put into words how much I appreciate each and every one of you!
So, to show my appreciation, I’m giving away a KitchenAid mixer. Scroll down below the recipe, and give it a second to load – and be sure to enter!
Enjoy, and thank you!
Don’t forget, if you haven’t yet, make sure you stop by my Facebook page and follow along – you can also find me on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!
Thanks for stopping by today! Leave me a comment below so I know you were here!
♥erin
Original article and pictures take http://lemon-sugar.com/2013/08/honey-mustard-salad-dressing.html/ site
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Turn four simple ingredients—potatoes, flour, egg yolk and salt—into light and fluffy homemade gnocchi (that's "NYOH-kee"). With these step-by-step instructions, you'll learn how to make gnocchi so you can give the delicious gift of homemade pasta to your family and friends. Buon appetito!
Step 1: Scoop the insides out of baked potatoes and press them through a potato ricer fitted with a fine disc onto a clean counter. (If you don't have a ricer, mash the potatoes until smooth.)
You can also use sweet potatoes, like in this recipe.
Tip: Press the potatoes through the ricer while they're still hot.
Step 2: Gather the potato into a mound on the counter, sprinkle with salt and let cool, about 15 minutes. Then, pour egg yolk over the cooled potato and sprinkle with flour.
Step 3: Use a bench knife or metal spatula to gently fold the flour and egg into the potatoes until combined (it will not look like dough at this point).
Step 4: Gently squeeze, knead and pat the dough until it holds together and resembles biscuit dough or cookie dough. The dough will be a little sticky; if it's very sticky, add more flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time, as necessary. Be careful not to overwork the dough; overworked dough will yield tougher gnocchi.
Tip: Don't add too much flour or the gnocchi will be tough.
Step 5: Pat the dough into a 1-1/2-inch-thick disk and then divide it into 4 equal pieces.
Step 6: Working on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands, roll each portion into a 24- to 26-inch-long "snake," 1/2- to 3/4-inch wide. Start at the center of the dough and roll out using your fingertips and very light pressure; gently pull the dough out as you roll.
Tip: Use a gentle touch when rolling the dough, you want tender gnocchi.
Step 7: Cut the snake into 3/4-inch pieces.
Step 8: Use your fingertip to make an indentation (or "dimple") in the center of each gnocchi. Place the gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet as they are made. Cook about one-quarter of the gnocchi at a time in a large pot of boiling water. When they float to the top, transfer to a parchment or wax-paper lined baking sheet. Serve warm tossed with your favorite homemade or jarred sauce, or use them in your favorite recipe.
Tip: A bonus of making potato gnocchi: It's easy to make ahead! Toss cooked gnocchi with olive oil and refrigerate in a single layer for up to 2 days. Or freeze cooked gnocchi in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator, then reheat gnocchi in boiling water until they float.
Pictured recipe: Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons & Parsley Brown Butter
Gnocchi is the perfect base for your favorite flavors. It's a pasta at heart so consider all the ways you might top spaghetti. Here is a starting list.
• Proteins: Turkey sausage, shrimp, chopped chicken, white beans, bacon, crab, chorizo
• Vegetables: Spinach, chopped asparagus, peas, leeks, cherry tomatoes, zucchini ribbons, chard, artichoke, diced carrots, mushrooms, onion
• Cheese: Mozzarella, Parmesan, goat cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola, feta
• Sauces: Cream, tomato, browned butter, olive oil, lemon juice, pesto, garlic
• Herbs: Crisped sage, chives, basil, rosemary
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Original article and pictures take http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101_basics_techniques/kitchen_tips_techniques/how_to_make_homemade_gnocchi?socsrc=ewpin_homemadegnocchi&crlt.pid=camp.ceOebfG9izke site
I love German Chocolate cake . . . all the gooey coconut is so good to me! However, my husband is not as crazy about it as I am, so if I make a German Chocolate cake, I usually end up eating it all myself. Delicious going down, super hard to work off. 🙂
I found these little bars and knew they would be the perfect alternative to a cake . . . and easy to share with friends and neighbors so that I don’t end up eating them all myself!
A delicious chocolate cake with a gooey coconut topping! You can't eat just one of these amazing bars!
Ingredients
We know how hard it can be to get dinner on the table and that is exactly why we created our menu planning service! We offer several menu options so you can find the plan that works best for your family. Each week you will receive a menu plan and detailed shopping list that will make shopping a breeze! Each plan includes 6 main dish, 2 side dish, 2 dessert, and optional side dish recipes. We’ve done all the busy work for you, so you just need to shop and cook!
Original article and pictures take http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/german-chocolate-cake-bars-recipe.html site
Learn how to make creamy green bean casserole completely from scratch with real ingredients. This family favorite side dish will put that Thanksgiving turkey to shame!
When I told my husband I was making green bean casserole completely from scratch for Thanksgiving one year, he nearly lost his mind. Green bean casserole is his absolute FAVORITE and this homemade version blows every other recipe out of the water. Bold statement, right? It’s true.
I can’t remember a single holiday season without a batch of good ol’ green bean casserole. You know, the kind made from condensed soup and those addicting greasy fried onions? Like my husband, I love this Thanksgiving side dish. But I decided to make it completely from scratch, right down to the fried (baked!!) onions sprinkled on top. And we couldn’t be happier with the results. You haven’t had green bean casserole until you’ve had green bean casserole from scratch.
Fresh green beans give the most wonderful flavor and texture. They aren’t soggy like canned green beans. This homemade version of the classic puts the Thanksgiving turkey to shame.
Let’s not ignore the fact that green bean casserole is, for lack of better words, heavy. Rich, buttery, heavy comfort food. It’s certainly not something we eat all the time, which makes it even more special around the holidays. If you’re going to fatten up innocent green beans, this is the way to do it!!
For the “fried” baked onion topping, you need 1 large onion, flour, egg, Panko breadcrumbs, milk, salt, and pepper. The onions are golden brown and unbelievably crunchy, the perfect texture contrast to the creamy sauce!
What about those mushrooms? They give such a wonderful flavor to the creamy gravy, but I understand they’re not everyone’s favorite. If desired, leave the mushrooms out or replace with 1 thinly sliced bell pepper.
Prepare everything as directed, except turn the oven off after the onions are done. After the sauce is finished and the casserole is assembled, set aside and allow to cool. Cover tightly, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, bake for 15-20 minutes at 400°F (204°C) until bubbly. You can also prepare the casserole, including topping with onions, then freeze for up to 3 months before baking. Thaw in the refrigerator then bake as directed.
If you’re looking for Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts, I have you covered!
Original article and pictures take http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/11/21/creamy-green-bean-casserole-from-scratch/ site
This truly is the best chocolate buttercream frosting recipe ever. You’ll have to read on to see my secrets! I can’t believe that it’s tak...
