Fresh. Clean. Radiant. Living life on the sunny side.
I recently made this Japanese-inspired salmon recipe from Jessica Sepel’s blog JS Health and am totally hooked! This is a great simple dish when you want a quick, nutritious dinner during the work week. I love the sesame and soy flavors, while fresh ginger and a dash of spring onions add a kick of freshness. As you can see, I typically serve mine with sweet potatoes and asparagus for the perfect well-rounded meal on the run, or a a protein-rich dinner after a tough workout.
If you read the blog regularly, you know that I absolutely love the Fourth of July! I’ve been on a big baking kick recently (as my friends and co-workers are probably starting to realize), and this week I wanted to share a few of my favorite healthy dessert recipes for the 4th. While my favorite is always a classic, all-American berry pie, my mom makes these every summer and they’re the perfect light summer treat. Best of all, you don’t need to cook anything and they’re super easy to assemble.
Want to try some other ideas? Check out last year’s post, my favorite tasting menu, or try one of these delicious options:
Mango Lassi Frozen Yogurt (Courtesy of Cookie and Kate)
Individual Avocado Chocolate Mousse Cups
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One of the biggest challenges to being a food blogger is that we’re trying to constantly sell our dishes and convince readers that the recipes we’re sharing really are as amazing as we say they are on paper! This recipe–developed by Monique over at Ambitious Kitchen— is one of those. In fact, I would go so far to say that after this week it might just be my favorite dessert of all time.
These truffles are gooey, chocolatey, melt-in-your mouth good, yet the best part is that they require zero baking AND contain healthy, all-natural ingredients. The result? An amazing dessert that totally satisfies your sweet tooth (take it from a fellow chocolate lover) but doesn’t make your blood sugar spike or give you crazy sugar cravings like most desserts do. Oh, and they only require about 10 minutes of prep work.
First, let’s talk about the chocolate covered strawberries. In theory, they’re super simple, but if you’re like me they always get so messy so quickly! The tricky part here is getting the right consistency on your chocolate, and adding enough oil to it to give it a glossy candy sheen. Here, I used 1 teaspoon of coconut oil for every 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Dip them in the chocolate, stem first, and set on parchment paper. Then, set them aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.
Now for the truffles! Oh, the truffles. At the risk of sounding too pretentious they’re actually paleo “cookie dough truffles,” but before you freak out about them being paleo, hear me out–they taste nothing like health food. The full recipe from Ambitious Kitchen is here, but I recommend adding 2 tablespoons of almond butter to each batch to give them a nuttier, chewier texture and flavor. They also have coconut flour, flaxseed meal, and almond flour, which you can’t actually taste but pack in lots of nutrients for an added health boost. It almost balances out all the chocolate, right? 😉 I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! They truly are heavenly! 
Next time you invite friends or family over for breakfast or brunch and want to impress them, this is your dish. In fact, it’s so good that our family still talks about it weeks later! For an extra touch and the perfect blend of breakfast-inspired sweet and savory, I love serving it with this Pear Ginger Smoothie.
How do I make this wonderful creation? First, I love using rainbow chard as a side to make the dish unique. Haven’t heard of it before? It’s similar to kale nutritionally speaking but it’s much less bitter and really absorbs the flavors in the dish. Plus, the stem is literally “rainbow” colored, which is so fun and adds so much color to your plate! To cook it, I sautee freshly chopped garlic in olive oil in a large pan until slightly brown, and then throw in the chard for about 10 minutes, covered, until it wilts. Season with salt and pepper and set aside–so easy! Tip: Chard cooks down quickly, so you’ll want about 2 large bunches for a breakfast with 4 people. I generally use 2 cloves of garlic per bunch so there’s a lot of flavor!
While the chard is cooking down, I throw sweet potatoes (whole, washed, and with the skin on) into a large pot of boiling water, cooking them until tender, also about 10 minutes depending on size. As they boil, saute olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, half of an onion, chipped, 1 tbs coriander, and 3 tbs. thyme in a large saucepan. Drain potatoes, pat dry with a paper towel, and slice into large, bite-size pieces. Add sweet potato into the saucepan and saute with onion and spices until tender to taste. Set aside. Fun fact, did you know that coriander seeds actually come from the cilantro plant?
Finally, the poached eggs! These often get a bad rep as being hard to cook, but with the right technique they’re actually the easiest eggs to make in my opinion. In a large saucepan, bring 2/3 cup water to a rolling boil and add in 2 tsp white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or another light, mild tasting vinegar will also work–this helps the eggs to form, and you won’t be able to taste it later if you use this small amount. Using a small amount of water–rather than using a full pot of water like you would for hard boiled eggs–will also help here.
Turn down the water to a simmer and begin to stir the water clockwise, making a gentle “current” that moves around the center of the pan. With the water and vinegar still moving in a clockwise motion, carefully crack the egg into the center of the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Pat dry carefully with a paper towel and add to plate, seasoning with your garnish of choice–here I used a hint of paprika, fresh chives, and a lemon wedge on the side for the rainbow chard. Thyme, rosemary, or any other earthy herbs would also be wonderful. Add in your sides of choice, and enjoy!
This is the perfect light, summer dish when you want to cook something healthy for dinner but don’t want to be spend too much time in the kitchen!
First, I used this simple baked citrus salmon recipe and added in some cherry tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil and thyme to roast them and draw out their flavor. For sides, I included couscous and a homemade tzatziki dip, which really makes the dish. You can use really any brand of couscous you like– to be honest I just used a boxed kind from Near East–but I make it extra flavorful by adding a touch of white wine at the end.
For the tzatziki, I used Greek yogurt, cucumber, and lots of lemon juice and fresh herbs (see my recipe below). It’s traditionally made with plain yogurt and/or sour cream, but I find that Greek yogurt has just the right amount of thickness and tanginess (plus, it’s healthier!). Serve with a fresh mint garnish, and enjoy!
Often, I find that the best and sweetest moments come from small, simple things that elevate everyday life. This recipe is one of those things.
After months of being a regular at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, I finally took the plunge and decided to try a homemade loaf of honey sourdough bread from one of our local farmers. The smell is amazing each week, and the loaves are often still warm as they’re unloaded out into the market. All I can think now is, what took me so long?
To make croutons, I simply tossed diced pieces of slightly stale bread in some high-quality olive oil, fresh rosemary, and sea salt. It’s so simple, but the result was so good that I have to confess they hardly made it off the baking sheet this week. Once they’re cooled, remove the croutons to an airtight bag and store in the fridge for three to five days. I add them to salads for a bit of extra crunch, but they might be even better in a hot cup of soup. Or, on their own–they’re that good.
Here in DC, our neighborhood coffee shop is known for their baked cheddar chive biscuits. Like clockwork, every morning at 8:00 am they take trays of these out of the oven, and the smell alone isgood enough to make everyone in the neighborhood detour on their morning commute to grab one. Since moving back from California, I’ve tried all sorts of recipes to try to recreate them, but this is the first one I’ve found that even comes close.
These biscuits are flakey, buttery, soft, warm, and melt in your mouth, with the softest hint of onion from sweet green chives at the end of each bite. And, in my humble opinion, they also happen to be the perfect pairing for my very favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup , for a weekend brunch with the girls, or on the dinner table for Thanksgiving dinner. Trust me–you won’t be sorry. Everyone has to indulge every once in a while, right?
This gorgeous seasonal salad is the perfect compliment to heavier winter meals. The arugula gives a fresh, peppery flavor, the pomegranate adds tremendous color, and the fruit and walnuts add great texture and crunch. Best of all, the dressing seals the deal with a hint of sweetness. Enjoy!
Do you ever feel like you’re in a recipe rut and eating the same dishes all the time? Last week I was in one of those moods (read: tired of making the chicken all the time) and came across this wonderful recipe from Barefoot Contessa. Light and refreshing, this Mediterranean-inspired shrimp and orzo dish is packed with lots of fresh herbs and is a perfect way to mix up weeknight dinners.
My tips? Add in some extra lemon juice and make sure you use a high quality feta cheese–my favorite is Bulgarian, which has a creamier texture and is less salty than Greek feta. I also like to add in some ripe cherry tomatoes, but it would also be great if you added asparagus, olives, or other complementary flavors as desired!
Original recipe available here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe.html
One of my family’s favorite traditions is making fresh, warm, melt in your mouth chocolate croissants every Christmas morning–it is such a treat and literally feels like waking up in Paris! Our trick is that we get a little help from Williams Sonoma, who sells boxes of these beautiful croissants baked by their in-house pastry chef, Jean-Yves Charon. These little beauties arrive in a big box of dry ice and a box of 15 usually lasts us through to the next year for other holidays, from New Year’s Day to birthdays during the year. Just set them out to let them rise overnight, add an egg wash in the morning, bake for 15 minutes, and voila! A perfect Parisian Christmas in the comfort of your own kitchen. Bon appetit!
