When I find something I like, I tend to get a tad bit obsessed. For example, after I took my first hot yoga class, I immediately signed-up for an unlimited membership to my studio and began practicing close to every day of the week.  When I was a youngster and fell hard for New Kids on the Block (they will never be N.K.O.T.B), I covered my walls with their posters, never missed a concert and bought every teen magazine that had their pictures plastered all over them (I also convinced myself that I was going to marry Jordan, but that’s a story for another time).  My first trip to Trader Joe’s led to about three more trips in that same week.  And then there’s food.  When I find something that tickles my fancy, watch out!  It’s almost as if I think the store is going to run out of my newly found item, or all of the sudden my taste buds are going to change and I will no longer fancy it.  As you already know, I’ve been known to hoard things, and if I’m in love with a new ‘flavor of the week’, then chances are there will be multiples of the item in my shopping cart.

Image Credit – survivaldigest.com

OK, I’m not that bad!

In one of my recent posts, I talked about how I ‘re-discovered’ Swiss chard.  I love the unique taste of this leafy green and the fact that it’s loaded with vitamins and nutrients.  Plus, it literally cooks up in a hot minute.  It’s also healthy for your wallet.  So really, what’s there not to like about this veggie?  I can’t seem to find a single darn thing.  Not sure if this is actually fact for me, or simply my justification for being obsessed with the chard of Swiss, but I can’t stop dreaming of new and creative ways to eat it.  I even challenged the Healthy Chow brain to come up with a little diddy using only the ingredients that existed in my fridge and cabinets.  My creation came out quite well.  I’m pretty sure you won’t be hatin’…

You Won’t Be Hatin’ POM, Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Bacon
Serves 2 (as an entrée) or 4 (as a side dish)

• 1/3 cup of POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth (I used Trader Joe’s Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
• 1 TBSP of Worcestershire sauce
• few dashes of white pepper
• few dashes of onion powder
• 1/2 TSP of Dijon mustard
• 1/2 TSP of corn starch dissolved in 1 1/2 TBSP of warm water
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 5 slices of turkey bacon (I used Jennie-O brand)
• 4-5 medium-sized white mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup of chickpeas (I used canned)
• sea salt to taste

1) In a small saucepan, combine the POM juice, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, white pepper and onion powder.  Heat everything on medium/medium-high heat.  Keep stirring as it starts to come to a slow boil.

2) Add the Dijon mustard.  Mix until the Dijon mustard is well-blended (there will be little lumps of mustard, it won’t completely dissolve).  Add the cornstarch mixture to the pot and keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken.  It should take about 3 – 5 minutes.  Turn the heat to low, cover and set aside.

3) Heat a large skillet on medium-high.  Once the skillet is hot to the touch, add the bacon in a single layer.  Allow the bacon to cook for about 3 minutes or until it begins to crisp.  Flip the bacon and cook on the other side for another few minutes.  Once it has reached your desired crispiness, drain on a paper towel-covered plate.

4) In the same skillet, add the Swiss chard and begin moving the Swiss chard around in order to mix in with the bacon drippings (because it’s turkey bacon, it won’t be very greasy).  Allow the Swiss chard to wilt a bit, it should take a couple of minutes.  Then, add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet.  Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown.  Add the white pepper and sea salt to taste.

5) Turn down the heat to medium.  Begin tearing the bacon into bite-sized pieces.  I left mine on the larger side for a more rustic look   Add the bacon to the skillet and stir until warmed.  Finally, add the chickpeas.

6) Add the pomegranate juice mixture to the skillet.  Mix until everything is well-blended and the juice reduces a bit. It should take another minute or so.

7) EAT!  This is great as a side dish, or as your main dish served over a hot bowl of brown rice or quinoa.  Heck, eat it in pita pocket if you want!

DEE-VINE!  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I began combing all of these ingredients together.  While I like the unique taste of Swiss chard, I know many are turned off by its mildly bitter taste.  Thus, I wanted to find something to cook the Swiss chard in that would remove or lessen some of that often considered undesirable taste.  Because POM juice is tart and semi-sweet, I figured it would be a good match.  The saltiness and smokiness from the turkey bacon rounded out this dish and added to the layers of flavor.  I threw in some chickpeas for an additional kick of protein, and mushrooms because I like the taste of mushrooms   If you’re wondering, the POM juice wasn’t overly tart or overbearing in this dish.  In fact, it nicely lightened the recipe without making it taste too fruit-like.  And, the POM juice made this recipe even more nutritious by adding a boost of antioxidants!

It’s safe to say that my obsession with Swiss chard won’t be going anywhere any time soon.  Even when I tossed various random ingredients with this vegetable, it still tasted great.  Actually, I didn’t even eat this recipe with any rice, quinoa or bread.  I ate it as soon as I plated it.  With all those beautiful colors and fabulous flavors, I just couldn’t resist.  I guess I’d just rather declare, “I’ll Be Loving You Forever” versus “Hangin’ Tough” and fighting my love for this mighty green!  (Oh yes, that was corny.  But like I said before, I was obsessed!)

Do you have any guilty pleasures?  Perhaps a cheesy TV show, band or movie?  Come on, I know you do…

Namasté,
Nicole

***Thank you so much for your concern and well wishes for me and my car.  I can’t tell you how much your kind and sweet words mean to me.  You made a dismal week a brighter one, and further proved to me that no person can ever take away the things that truly matter most to me.  I am blessed!  Thank you!!!***

Growing up in my household, tofu was a family favorite at the dinner table.  My grandmother added it to soups, stir-fried it with vegetables and often times, it was served as one of the main entrées.  I love the silky texture of tofu and how it can be easily added to practically any dish.  It soaks up any flavor you add to it and can be prepared in so many different ways.  At our house, tofu was as common as sliced bread.  For that reason, I tend to assume that my husband everybody is as fond of tofu as me.  Yeah, not so much…

Image Credit – polyvore.com

But I like a challenge and I’m not one to give something just one try.  I was a woman on a mission.  After a few less-than-stellar attempts at eliciting an enthusiastic response from Patrick on my tofu,  I decided to try something completely different.  Instead of just stir-frying or sautéing the tofu in various sauces and seasonings, I realized I needed to go down a whole other route.  If Patrick wasn’t so keen on the taste of tofu, perhaps I should try to make the tofu taste more like something else?  But just what could I magically transform this brick of protein to taste like?

Spicy Flax-coated Peanut Tofu
Makes 10 slices (serves 3)

• 1 brick of extra firm or firm tofu (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 2 TBSP of peanut satay sauce (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1/2 TSP of sesame oil
• 1/2 TSP of garlic powder
• 1/2 TSP of ground ginger
• 1 TSP of dried cilantro
• a dash of cayenne pepper (you can use as much or as little as you’d like)
• dash of white pepper
• 1 TSP of lime juice
• 1 TSP of soy sauce
• 1/3 cup of liquid egg whites
• 1/3 cup of ground flax

Getting ready for the tofu…

Ooops, I forgot to add these…

1) Drain the tofu after opening the package.  Pat dry the tofu and roll in paper towels.  Place the paper towel-wrapped tofu between two plates with something heavy on top.  I used a tea kettle filled with water.  You could use a heavy frying pan, a book, a bowl full of fruit, etc.  Let the tofu press between the two plates for about 20 minutes.

Right out of the package…

All wrapped up…

Pressing…

2) While your tofu is being pressed, combine the peanut satay sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, ground ginger, dried cilantro, cayenne pepper, white pepper, lime juice and soy sauce in a medium-sized bowl.   Mix until well-blended.  Set aside.

The mix…

3) Once your tofu has been pressed and most of the liquid is gone, slice crosswise into 10 slices.

Sliced…

4) In a shallow bowl, add your egg whites.  In another shallow bowl, add your ground flax.  Line up your three bowls to create a dredging station.

5) Dip each piece of tofu in the egg whites, then the peanut satay mixture and finally, the ground flax.  Make sure each piece is well-coated.

6) Let the coated tofu sit and marinate in the fridge for about an hour.

7) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly cover an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place the tofu on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Oven ready…

Up close and personal…

8 ) Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, flipping your tofu about halfway through.  I cooked mine for 33 minutes and flipped after 18 minutes of cooking.  FYI, you don’t want to overcook your tofu.  Your tofu should still be somewhat soft to the touch when it’s done cooking.

They tend to puff out a bit while baking…

Baked to perfection!

My attempt at making a tofu dish, not taste like tofu, was a big success!  The ground flax coating gave the tofu an almost crispy fried taste and feel, without the grease and unhealthy fat.  The peanut satay sauce, along with the cayenne pepper and sesame oil, gave the tofu a unique spicy flavor.  There was a hint of spiciness, a bit of sweetness and then some savory all rolled into one.  The toasted ground flax gave this dish a nice subtle crunch and complemented the chewy texture that baked tofu tends to take on.  I really enjoyed the various textures in this recipe.  I think some are turned off by the mushiness of tofu, and baking tofu that has been previously pressed definitely removes this factor.  If you haven’t tried pressing your tofu before baking it, I highly recommend it.  It makes a huge difference!

Lotsa green with some protein!

Looks just like chicken…

Not only did I think my tofu recipe was pretty tasty, but Patrick really enjoyed it as well.  I served it with steamed spinach and broccoli and used honey mustard as a dipping sauce (in hindsight, I think a sauce made of Greek yogurt,  fresh cilantro, lime and garlic would have been fabulous!  There’s always next time…).  I didn’t tell Patrick what we were eating until after he took a bite.  He said it tasted good and wanted to know what he was eating.  When I told Patrick it was tofu, he laughed and said it tasted nothing like it.  He could hardly believe that it was baked, and not fried, and that he wasn’t consuming meat.  In fact the most memorable line of the night from Patrick was, “Wow, this is amazing!  They taste just like Wendy’s chicken tenders!”  Hahaha!  I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment or as an insult, but if Patrick’s happy, then I’m happy!

Do you have any recipes or tricks for making certain foods taste like other foods?  I like being ‘fooled’ by food! Do you have a favorite tofu recipe?

Namasté,
Nicole

What ever happened to Bobby McFerrin?

Guess What?!  The other day I had the pleasure of receiving the Happy 101 award/game from the lovely Kate! Thank you so much, Lady!  It was such a sweet way to brighten my day and a good reminder that when the world and your surroundings get you down, we have to remember the things that makes us happy and smile from the inside out.

According to Kate, the only thing I have to do is list 10 things that make me happy and then pick 10 people to do the same.  Sounds pretty easy!  Drum roll please…

1) Finding a great bargain – I love to shop.  I love clothes.  I love shoes.  I love handbags.  I love jewelry.  I love food.  And I love it even more when I can get all of those things on SALE!  I don’t what it is, but I get this high like no other when I can find an amazing deal.  And you know what’s even better?  When someone sees me in/with my new bargain purchase and then compliments me on it.  I honestly have to bite my tongue so I don’t yell, “Guess how much I paid for it?!  You won’t believe it!”

2) Yoga - I probably don’t even need to explain this one, but yoga is definitely something that makes me happy.  I love how I feel when I’m on my mat; I feel energized, strong, calm and capable of anything and everything.  Feeling my breath slowly filling every inch of my body and then feeling every ounce of it exit out of my body relaxes my mind, spirit and soul and when I’m finished with my practice, I emerge as a new person.  I feel whole again.

3) Afternoon naps – I’m not sure if I liked taking naps as a small child, but as an adult, I love them.  Being able to curl up on my couch on a snowy and cold day with my favorite blanket (and person) and catching a few zzz’s mid-day is heavenly.  It’s definitely a luxury and one I won’t have forever once I have my own children to prepare for nap time

4) Spending time with Patrick - We really know how to crack each other up.  There are moments when we’re just being silly and goofy and all we can do is laugh at each other.  And, there are times when we’ll have our heart-to-heart talks or when I’ll need a shoulder to cry on and Patrick is always there to make me feel better.  I’m so lucky and blessed to have him in my life and I cherish all the time we spend together.

5) Trader Joe’s - I know I’ve said it before, but I will say it again.  I <3 TJ’s!  I could spend hours there just staring at all their wonderful (and wonderfully priced) products.  And, the people who work there are always so cordial and helpful.  Trader Joe’s makes me happy because I always leave there feeling like I got some good food, some great service and an amazing feeling in my heart.  You can’t beat that!

6) Compliments on the jewelry I’ve created – Making jewelry is something I started close to ten years ago and I still love it to this day.  Being able to have an idea in my head and then making that idea come to life is truly magical to me.  But when someone compliments me on my work and is then interested in that same piece for themselves, it’s music to my ears!  I take pride in my work and being recognized for it makes me a happy camper.

7) Hugs - There’s nothing better than a hug.  I don’t think people give enough of them and even more so, I don’t think people allow themselves to receive them enough.  When my goddaughter or nieces give me a hug, it brightens up my day and totally melts my heart.  I can’t help but grin from ear-to-ear after that.

8 ) Coffee with my sister – After Michelle and I go to yoga class on Saturday morning, we have our morning coffee together.  It’s our time to bask in our post-yoga glow, catch-up on ‘what’s the haps’ and enjoy a fresh brew.  Sometimes, we’ll just sit and chat for hours and before we know it, it’s almost time for lunch.  It makes me happy knowing I have a great relationship with my twin sister and that I’m fortunate enough to see her as often as I do.

9) The arrival of spring -You know that day that comes at the very, very end of winter (or sometimes it’s technically already spring) when all of the sudden you realize the day is longer, the sun is warm and shining and you don’t need to wear a down coat anymore?  Well, that day makes me want to jump up and down and scream for joy!  There’s that somethin’-somethin’ in the air and you just know that the cold is gone and warmer days are here to stay.  I equate the feeling I have on this day to the feeling I used to get on the last day of school before summer vacation…almost.

10) When someone tells me how much they enjoy reading my blog – Whenever I receive a comment in my inbox or on my blog and they tell me how much they enjoy reading Healthy Chow and how inspired they feel, my spirits are immediately lifted.  I started my blog because I wanted to live a more healthy and balanced life.  I did it for me.  But knowing that I’ve been able to bring a little joy in someone else’s life and that I’ve been able to give them some encouragement, makes Healthy Chow a Happy Chow!

And here are the 10 bloggers I wanted to pass Happy 101 along to…(FYI, I wanted to pass this along to everyone!)

Astrid – Two Feet Ten Toes
Angela – Angela Loves Food
Morgan – Life after Bagels
Lauren – Giant Scoops of Joy
Shannon – Lessons to Learn
Sophia – Burp and Slurp
Casey – Spicy & Sweet
Alyson – Nourished Fitness
Morgan – Live, Love, Eat and Play
Ashley – Daily Goods

Thank you again, Kate! This was a fun exercise and definitely brought a smile to my face.  Maybe I should make this a regular practice of mine?  It really does bring things into perspective and reminds me of how fortunate I am.

What are some of the things that make you happy?

Namasté,
Nicole

Doh!  Just when you think you’re done posting all of your recipes for Christmas, a little birdie chirps and tells you…”Hey!  When the heck are you gonna post your recipe for that pumpkin lasagna you made?”  I totally forgot!  I blame it on the cookies…

When it’s time for the holidays, all I can think of is food.  And the more, the better!  It’s not like anyone in my family is going to go hungry if a certain dish isn’t present at the table, but for whatever reason, I just feel better knowing it’s there.  Call it what you want (insanity, cray-cray, loca, nuts, bonkers, lights are on – nobody’s home), but it’s just how I roll… For that reason, I decided we needed to have a lasagna at Christmas dinner.  Even though I knew there was already going to be a turkey and a roast beef and all the fixings present, I just couldn’t resist bringing a pasta dish.  But instead of going the traditional route, I decided to spice things up a bit and put a new spin on the ordinary lasagna.

Pumped-Up Pumpkin Lasagna
Inspired by Food Mayhem and Taste of Home
Makes a 13 x 9-inch tray

• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 TSP of olive oil
• 1 lb. of Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s brand, about 7 links)
• 1 pound 5 ounces (or 21 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 TBSP of buttery spread (or butter)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15 oz. cans of Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 3 TBSP of light brown sugar
• 1 TBSP of agave nectar (or pure maple syrup)
• 1 TSP of  cinnamon
• 1/4 TSP of nutmeg
• 1 TSP of dried sage leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch white pepper
• 8 regular lasagna sheets (I used Barilla brand, NOT the no-bake kind)

1) In a large skillet on medium-high heat, sauté the mushrooms, onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt in olive oil until tender, about 3 – 5 minutes.  Then, add the chicken sausage and cook until the sausage starts to brown a little (the sausage is already fully-cooked, so you are just heating up).  Turn the heat down to medium and heat everything together for another few minutes.  Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese and 12 oz. of the mozzarella cheese.  Set aside.

3) In a medium-sized pot, melt butter on low heat.  Add garlic and brown lightly.  Stir in pumpkin, brown sugar, agave nectar, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried sage, salt and pepper.  Stir until it’s all warm.  Remove from heat and set aside.

4) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4) Spray your baking dish with cooking spray.  Smear a thin layer of the pumpkin mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

5) If you’re not good at eyeballing things (like me), divide your remaining pumpkin mixture, your ricotta cheese mixture and your meat mixture into two equal portions.

6) Top the thin layer of pumpkin mixture with 3 lasagna noodles going lengthwise and 1 going widthwise (you’ll have to break/shorten this in order for it to fit).  Using one of the reserved portions of the ricotta cheese mixture, smooth it over the noodles.  Using one of the reserved portions of the meat mixture, top the ricotta cheese.  Repeat this process again starting with one of the reserved portions of the pumpkin mixture, then the noodles, then the ricotta cheese mixture, then the meat mixture and then end with the pumpkin mixture.  Top the final layer of the pumpkin mixture with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese.

7) Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

One word for this dish.  OK, maybe two words.  Delicious and hearty.  I think some of my family members were a tad concerned when I told them what was on the dining room table was a pumpkin lasagna.  I’m not sure if they envisioned a dessert-like version of the multi-layered noodle treat or if they just thought it was weird that I would change up a classic and add something as odd (to them) as pumpkin.  But their faces definitely expressed some doubt and hesitation until they took a chance and finally took a bite.  Once they tasted this dish, they were pleasantly pleased (as was I).  One of my relatives actually said, “this tastes just like a regular lasagna, but only spicier and better.”

In fact, this recipe does taste very similar to a traditional lasagna, except not as acidic and a bit sweeter.  The dried sage definitely gave this lasagna a nice kick in flavor and complimented the subtle sweetness of the pumpkin.  All of the rich flavors and layers helped to make this recipe quite the filling one.  Just a tiny piece was enough to make a meal (even though I had a big piece along with turkey, roast beef, caesar salad, stuffing…but heck, that was so last year!).  And while this dish tasted great with the flavoring from the sweet Italian chicken sausage, it could easily be made without meat or with meat-free sausage.  As a side note, I used the regular lasagna noodles in this recipe.  I just put them in the recipe uncooked and baked them.  They turned out great, and not hard at all.  Actually, the noodles were perfectly al-dente.  I have found that boiling the noodles and then baking can sometimes produce a mushy lasagna.

I will definitely make this recipe again.  However, next time I’m going to make a mental note to make more than the suggested amount of pumpkin purée mixture.  Or, perhaps I will try to thin out the mixture a bit?  It seemed that I had trouble evenly spreading the pumpkin during the layering process and felt as if I was going to run out.  But if you’re a fan of this fibrous orange gourd like I am, then lather it on thick and make this dish pleasantly plump and you’ll be pumped to have this grace your dinner plate.

***And if you need another reason to try out this recipe, just check out what’s #11 on this list (thanks Kevin!)!***

After baking my cookies the other day, I noticed there were slight stains left on my baking sheet.  I didn’t spray any cooking spray or use any grease on my sheet before baking and the cookies had no problem sliding off.  Anyone know why this would have happened?  The baking sheet is pretty good quality, too. Your thoughts?

Namasté,
Nicole

If you read my last post, you’ll know that I was in cookie heaven this past weekend.  I attended my first cookie swap and was excited to see what all the party guests were going to bring.  But, if I was excited to find out what they were going to be making and bringing to the party, I figured they were all anticipating the same about me.  Thus, I wanted to find a recipe that was different, somewhat ‘healthy’, delicious (obvi) and something that I could easily execute.  With all the various criteria I wanted in my cookie recipe, it took me more than a few minutes of searching both on and offline to find the right one.  Just when I was about to give up and go with the standard chocolate chip cookie, I found the perfect recipe!

Lemon Almond Cranberry Crescents
Inspired by Whole Living
Makes 3 dozen

• 1/4 cup of evaporated cane juice (I used Florida Crystals)
• 1/8 cup of agave nectar (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1/2 cup raw almonds, finely ground (I used close to 2 individual serving bags of Trader Joe’s raw almonds)
• 6 TBSP of Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend Stick (thank for the idea, Shannon!)
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 TBSP of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 TSP of lemon zest
• 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, chopped (again, more Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
• Vanilla sugar, for rolling

1) Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined, about 2 minutes (I used my hands).

I used my food chopper to chop up my almonds until they were finely ground…

The ground almonds with the Smart Balance and unsweetened applesauce…

Now with the all-purpose flour, dried cranberries, lemon juice and lemon zest…

Once giant ball of dough…

2) Let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

3) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into a crescent shape.  Place on a baking sheet.  Repeat.  Bake until light golden brown, 20 – 25 minutes.  Cool on trays for 10 minutes.

Roll a tablespoon worth of dough into a long tube shape …

Bend into a crescent shape until it looks like an um,…a crescent!

Ready to bake!

4) Roll in vanilla sugar*

It’s more of a ‘vanilla sprinkling’ versus a ‘vanilla rolling’…

*From giftsfromyourkitchen.com – To make vanilla sugar, combine 2 cups of evaporated cane juice (or sugar) and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.  Mix until well-blended.  Spread vanilla sugar onto a wax paper-lined tray.  Let dry for about 4 hours.  Place vanilla sugar in a sealable plastic bag.  Seal and crush vanilla sugar with a rolling pin until smooth.  Or, place vanilla sugar in a large bowl and crush with the back of a spoon until smooth.  Store vanilla sugar in an airtight container.  You can also make vanilla sugar by splitting two vanilla beans and placing them in an airtight container with 2 cups of evaporated cane juice (or sugar).  Let stand overnight and up to 3 months.

These cookies (or crescents) were great!  While they technically were ‘cookies’, I felt that they had more of a tea biscuit/biscotti taste.  The original recipe seemed a bit bland when I first read through it, but served as a good base.  I felt that it needed some sprucing up and could use a little zing.  But, I didn’t want to add any more sweetener or too many more calories.  Thus, I threw in some dried cranberries, lemon juice and lemon zest to give this recipe some much needed tartness and zip.  The result was fantastic!  While I was skeptical about the vanilla sugar and the impact that it would make on the cookies, the vanilla sugar actually gave the cookie a nice subtle sweetness that paired well with the lemon flavoring.  The size of these crescents were also perfect – both for the cookie swap and for my consumption.  Like potato chips (and french fries), I can’t just have one cookie.  But because these cookies were small and were only about 60 calories each, I didn’t feel so bad eating a few at a time

I felt my crescents were a nice addition to the smörgåsbord of cookies at Shannon’s party.  Just like every person has their place on this earth, my cookie had its place at the swap.  I liked what Elina said on her blog post best, “Nicole’s lemon almond cranberry crescents – such light, sophisticated little bites.”  Thanks Elina! That said, I’ll hold my pinky up, sip my tea and enjoy another one of my cookies (in addition to the rest of glorious treats I brought home).

Does anyone know any good hand stretching techniques?  My left thumb is getting achy from constantly using the left mouse-click on my laptop.  Maybe I need to do some hand yoga?

Namasté,
Nicole

***Guess what?  Vee is doing a series of interviews with bloggers about their take on both mental and physical health.  I had the honor of being her first interviewee!  You can check it out here.  Thank you again, Vee!  It was a blast!***

Life as a food blogger is so hard…

Yeah right!  When Shannon invited me to her cookie swap, I was so excited that I practically yelled at my computer screen.  I had never been to a cookie swap before and the thought of attending one with local food bloggers was enough to make me jump for joy.  I immediately replied yes to Shannon’s email (after all, she can’t hear me yelling through my computer) and began my search for the ultimate cookie recipe.

Image Credit – newenglandcoaching.com

But finding the ultimate cookie just wasn’t as easy as I had anticipated.  Do you know how many recipes there are out there?  Holy moly!  And because my blog is called ‘healthychow’, I wasn’t sure if I should make a recipe that was ‘guilt-free-esque’ or if I should just throw that idea out the window and make a cookie that was fully indulgent, fully fattening and chock full of calories.  I didn’t want to stress over this little matter, but I also wanted my first cookie swap recipe to be pretty darn good.  But then I realized, cookies are cookies and the whole point of a cookie swap is to be able to taste a vast array of these baked goods and to see and appreciate all kinds of recipes.  So, I just went with my gut (lame pun intended) and baked the cookie that sounded the best to me.

Finally, the day had arrived!  I was so happy all day Sunday before the swap.  I’m not sure if it was because I just love a good party or if it was in anticipation of all the yummy treats I was going to be consuming.  Whichever the case was, I was psyched by the time I reached Shannon’s door.  Shannon’s home was cute and cozy and so inviting.  Because Shannon literally lives down the street from me, I was able to burn off a few calories while taking my brisk walk over to her house.  I felt that if I could burn a few calories before consuming a few thousand, it was better than nothing.  Right?

Image Credit – foundation.wchob.org

I can’t believe the amount of cookies!  There were a total of 10 guests at the party, meaning there were going to be 10 different kinds of cookies and each guests was going to be taking home about 3 – 4 cookies of each.  Ummm, that meant we were all going to be taking home a shiz-nit load of cookies!  Oh.em.gee!  Among the guests were Shannon (obvi), Adrienne, Mary-Kate, Elina, Tina, Kerstin, Kelly, Rebecca (Shannon’s friend who was also present at my apple picking adventure), Bridget and me (another obvi).  I was so impressed!  Each of the cookies present were so unique and had their own individual flare, much like the guests and their respective blogs.  I was in blogger and cookie heaven!

Cookies galore!

And so we wouldn’t go into an immediate cookie coma, Shannon, being the wonderful host that she is, provided us with some delicious snacks.  After all, it wouldn’t be appropriate to just eat cookies all afternoon…or would it ?  We all slowly nibbled on the savory finger foods in order to prep our bellies for the main event.  Everything was so tasty and I wanted so much to eat more of the snacks, but I knew I had to save room.  It’s a good thing I wasn’t wearing a baggy pair of stretchy sweat pants!

Salmon mousse with crackers and cucumber slices

Coconut-chai almonds (made by Shannon – so good!), smokey bacon potato chips (brought by Elina), mini pear, walnut and Gorgonzola quiches (made by Shannon – loved the sweet and savory combo!)

The guests of honor:

Cookie Dough Truffles by Kelly and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Elina

Lime Meltaways by Adrienne

Maple Toffee Bacon Cookies by Shannon

Break-up Bars (Chocolate Caramel Bars) by Rebecca

Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Bars by Tina

Black and White cookies by Mary-Kate

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars by Kerstin

Lemon Almond Cranberry Crescents by Me

After we devoured sampled all the various types of cookies and packed up the rest to take home, we let our sugar highs slowly come down by playing a round of Foodie Fight.  This was a Trivial Pursuit type of game that only involved questions about food.  How perfect!  We took turns reading off questions and answering them until we were able to fill all the ‘pies’ (hahaha!).  I couldn’t believe how tough some of the questions were, but even more so, I couldn’t believe the party guests actually knew the right answers.  Needless to say, we laughed a lot and learned a bunch and fortunately, we didn’t eat anymore cookies!

Mary-Kate and Kerstin

Shannon reading some trivia questions

Bridget, Tina and Kelly

Kerstin, Adrienne and Elina

If you couldn’t already tell, I had a blast at my first cookie swap.  Shannon gave a great get-together (that’s a lot of ‘G’s’!) and was a gracious host (one more ‘G’).  I had so much chatting it up with the ladies and of course, tasting all of their heavenly creations.  Even though this was a cookie swap, we also traded laughs, smiles and stories that I’ll be sure to remember for quite some time.  And while I may have eaten more cookies than any normal person should on one given day, I would never swap this good time for anything else.

My loot

I’m having a serious sugar overload at the moment (oh yes, I had more cookies today!).  Do you have any tips to help me snap out of this? I think I am going to drink some hot water with lemon…

Namasté,
Nicole

***I wrote this post a few months back but wanted to post it after our friends, Matt and Laura, left for Italy.  As a tribute to them, I thought I would post it today.  Matt, Laura and Giulia – I hope you are having fun in Italy! ***

I have a sweet tooth.  While I think I have more of a french fry tooth (and no, I don’t have a ranch tooth.  But that would be hilarious if I did!), my sweet tooth does have a tendency to rear its ugly head more often than I would like.  So, while I try to quell it with things like dried figs dipped in honey, dark chocolate melted over strawberries and peanut butter covered apples, sometimes all Healthy Chow wants is a little brownie.

Image Credit – allstarhealth.com

Now, I’m not trying to say there’s anything wrong with craving a real baked good every now and again, but the problem is, once I start, I just can’t stop.  So instead of denying myself the pleasure of having a piece of pastry, I allow myself to have that treat.  But, I try to do it in as smart of a way as I can.  Thus, when my friend, Laura, asked if I would like to come over to her house to bake and then test the No Pudge Brownies, Healthy Chow was all in!  Plus, I had the chance to cook in someone else’s kitchen (which I love) and it was a good way to spend girls’ night in with two of my favorite ladies – Laura and her two year-old daughter, Giulia.

Laura was as excited as I to try out this product.  We had seen it at Trader Joe’s, the regular grocery stores and even at Target, and while we were both intrigued, we had both never opted for a pudge-free baked good.  Laura is one of those lucky people that just doesn’t seem to have a craving for sweets.  Unless she hides it too damn really well, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen my friend indulge in a baked good.  She claims she just really doesn’t crave sweets.  Huh?! Is this possible?  Not in the world of Healthy Chow! Hell to the no!  But Laura and I both strive to eat well and know the importance of a well-balanced diet and exercise.  That said, we’re constantly trading health and fitness secrets and sharing tips on how to make everyday meals and the foods we love a little more figure friendly.  And we could both chat for hours on just about any topic, so our ‘bake n’ bitch’ was a perfect way to end a long week.

After getting Giulia bathed and settled into bed with one of her favorite DVD’s, we made a b-line to the kitchen to get our brownies going.  Like any other brownie mix, the instructions could not be any easier.  You simply take the mix out of the box and dump into a bowl and then mix in some nonfat vanilla yogurt (or you can substitute plain nonfat yogurt with a teaspoon of vanilla extract).  Once that is blended well, you dump it into a greased pan.  Bake and voilà!  The brownies are done!  Easy as pie (actually, pies are a lot tougher to make).

We used a food processor instead of hand mixing in a bowl – gotta make sure it’s smooth!

We used Stonyfield Farm yogurt…

with vanilla extract…thanks for modeling, Laura!

Ooohh, looks like ice cream!

While the brownies were baking and Giulia was still trying to find Nemo, Laura and I enjoyed a cup of tea and caught up on just about everything.  We talked about her upcoming job interview in Milan and how if things went well, she and her family would be moving as soon as the beginning of next year.  While it was sad to know a close friend of mine could possibly be moving to another country, I was happy for her and excited that she had this amazing opportunity.  Selfishly, I wish she and her family would stay in Boston because they are such great friends and support systems to both me and my husband.  Patrick and Laura’s husband, Matt, are very close friends, practically brothers, and Giulia is our goddaughter.  Needless to say, there’s going to be a void in our lives if Laura is offered the job and accepts.  But life is about exploration, growth and change and as good friends, the only feeling we can have is true happiness.

Like her mom, little Giulia likes shoes…

After about 30 minutes, the brownies were done baking and we were ready to eat.  They smelled incredible (but then again, when do baking brownies don’t?) and looked just like the any other brownies would.  And the taste?  They were quite good!  They didn’t have that velvet-y and soft consistency like a traditional fudge flavored brownie and they certainly weren’t as dense and rich, but then again they didn’t have the added oil and/or eggs either.  Considering we only added yogurt to the mix, these brownies were not dry at all and were quite chocolate-y tasting.  I’d even venture and say that they almost had a ‘dark chocolate’ taste versus a ‘milk chocolate’ taste.  Combined with our hot tea, these brownies were definitely a winner!  Although making your own ‘healthier’ brownies from scratch would not be that much more difficult than making the No Pudge brownies, this was definitely a great option if you’re looking to fix your chocolate craving in a fast and ‘less-pudgy’ way.  We both thoroughly enjoyed our baking job for the evening and savored each and every bite.

Hmmm, fresh out of the oven…

A few days ago, Laura made the announcement that she was offered the job in Milan and accepted.  While we weren’t shocked that she was made the offer (Laura is a very hardworking and talented individual), we were surprised that Laura would have to move as early as this November (the whole family would move in January 2010).  Moving to Italy was always something Laura and Matt considered doing, but when it became a reality, it definitely hit me hard.  Being able to have such wonderful friends live so close by and being able to watch our goddaughter blossom into a beautiful little girl is truly a blessing.  It’s that comfort of knowing you have your very close friends living only minutes away from you that I’m honestly going to miss.  But it’s the strength our our friendship that I’ll always value and our strong bond that will continue – no matter how many oceans apart we are.  Spending time with Laura and Giulia at our girls’ night in is something that I’ll cherish and remember, especially after November.  But like the brownies we baked tonight, life must be enjoyed and can’t be kept in a box.  We have to be open to trying new things and see the possibilities that our lives can brings us.  And when we do take the chance to venture out and spread our wings, life can be sweet and definitely worth indulging in.

Delish!

hello, sweetie…

As Sting says,

If you love somebody,
If you love someone,
If you love somebody,
If you love someone, set them free
Set them free…
Set them free…
Set them free…

So maybe in Italy I’d be called Healthy Ciào?!  I like the sound of that…!

Would you ever move to another country to take a job?

Namasté,
Nicole

Do you ever just go on a tear when you’re shopping, whether it be at the mall or at the grocery store, and you start buying things you don’t need, but at that instant, you’re convinced life would be so much better if you bought it?  Well, this happens to me quite often and especially when I’m at the grocery store (cough, cough, Trader Joe’s).  I see things that look interesting and if they’re reasonably priced, I convince myself that I must buy them.  And then I come home, unload my bags and stare at my new products with delight, envisioning what I can make with them.

The hands on the clock go flying around and the pages on the calendar turn…(do you like the drama?)

Image Credit - guardian.co.uk

About a few months go by and my excitement for the new products dwindles.  For whatever reason, these products get pushed to the back of the fridge and the cupboard (to make room for more new products) and the expiration dates that seemed to be light years away, are now just around the corner.  All of the sudden, it becomes a do or die situation – meaning I either eat the food or I dump it.  Sound familiar?

The other day, I was faced with the aforementioned situation (no, not that ‘Situation’.  Just a regular situation).  I looked in my fridge and I saw that I had a package of Trader Joe’s Organic 3-Grain Tempeh that expired was about to expire and a bag of Shirataki fettuccine noodles that had about a week of life left.  I knew I wanted to have some sort of pasta dish (I guess I really had no choice) and wanted the tempeh to accompany it (again, I wasn’t left with much of a choice).  But they really don’t go together and the thought of combining them didn’t sound too appetizing.  And then it hit me!  The light bulb went off.  I started rummaging online for some tips and in a short time, dinner was served!

Meatless Meatballs and Fake Fettuccine
Inspired by Soap and Chocolate

For the meatballs (makes 12 meatballs):

• 1 8 oz. package of tempeh (I used Trader Joe’s Organic 3-Grain Tempeh)
• 1 TBSP of grated parmesan cheese
• 2 TBSP of ground flax in 3 TBSP of water (I used Trader Joe’s Golden Roasted Flax Seed, ground)
• 1 1/2 TBSP of pesto (I used Classico brand, but your own homemade version would be even better)
• 7 oz. can of mushrooms, chopped (yeah, I’m not sure why I had these in my kitchen, but they’re gone now!)
• 1/4 cup of onion, minced
• few shakes of garlic powder
• few shakes of dried oregano
• few shakes of dried basil
• few shakes of dried parsley
• s&p

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) In a small cup, add your flax to your water and let it sit for about five minutes.

3) Crumble your block of tempeh into a small bowl.  I steamed mine for about 6 minutes on each side in the microwave to soften before crumbling.

4) When your tempeh is the consistency of chunky rice, add your parmesan cheese and flax mixture.  Give it a little mix.  Then add your mushrooms, onions, pesto and seasonings.  Mix everything around until it all gets sticky.

5) On a foil lined rimmed baking sheet covered with cooking spray, shape the tempeh mixture into about 12 balls.

6) Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, until beginning to brown.

For the fettuccine:

• 1 8 oz. bag of Shirataki fettuccine noodles
• 1 TSP of pesto
• few shakes of parmesan cheese

1) In a colander, wash your Shirataki noodles thoroughly (rinse for a few minutes).  If you can still smell them, keep rinsing!

2) Microwave the noodles in a bowl for about 1 minute.  Drain the water from the bowl.  Microwave for another minute or so.  If the noodles are still wet, microwave again or pat dry with some paper towels.  You want dry noodles.

3) Once dry and hot, add the pesto.  Stir until the pesto is well-blended into the noodles.

4) Serve with a few of the ‘meatballs’.  Top with parmesan cheese and eat!

WOW!  These meatballs weren’t missing the meat (TWSS…it’s been awhile!) and neither was I (tee hee).  The distinct tempeh flavor that most know and not everyone is a fan of, totally disappeared in this recipe.  With the parmesan cheese, onions, mushrooms, pesto and seasonings, these meatballs tasted just like traditional meatballs.  The only thing that was a tad different was the consistency.  I think the initial steaming of the tempeh made the ‘meat’ in the meatballs too wet and adding the canned mushrooms contributed to the wetness.  Thus, the meatballs crumbled a little too easily.  Next time, I am going to add more flax, use fresh mushrooms and not steam the tempeh.  Hopefully, the meatballs will hold their shape better.  However, the taste of this recipe more than made up for the crumbliness (a word?).  In addition, eating these meatless wonders with my ‘not-so’ noodles, made me think I was having a real Italian-inspired meal.  I would have never guessed in a million years that I was really eating soybeans in cake-like form along with more soybeans combined with some yam flour.  HA!

So, I’m still not sure why I decided to wait so long to use these grocery goodies.  It’s not that I all of the sudden have a change in heart and in taste buds.  I just seem to forget that I bought these foods.  Not good. I guess the lesson here is to be happy with what you have (or at least make use of what you have) before deciding that you need more.  This is a lesson that doesn’t have an expiration date and is something I going to try my hardest to keep fresh in my mind.

Have you ever had your ‘15 minutes’ of fame?  If so, what was it?  My sister and I were in the play, The King and I, with Yul Brynner when we were eight years old.  That was my 15 minutes.  Do you ever wish you were famous?

Namasté,
Nicole

Yes, you read that one correctly.  This post is a recipe for sweet potato brownies.  I figured if a can of puréed black beans can be baked into a box of brownie mix as a substitution for the eggs and oil and pumpkin purée can be subbed in for the eggs and oil in spiced cupcakes, a mashed up sweet potato would work in a brownie.  Right?  OK, you might not believe me now, but once you see my creation and taste how delicious they came out, you’ll be a believer!

Remember when I told you in my post last week that I had just about used up all of my Thanksgiving leftovers for my soup? Well, I sorta lied.  I still had one straggler tucked away in the back of my fridge.  It was a sole baked sweet potato that came along in my leftovers package from my mother-in-law.  And while no one would have known if I just tossed it out, I felt bad for throwing away perfectly good food.  There was nothing wrong with the sweet potato; I just didn’t care to eat it.  I guess I was just tired of consuming more Thanksgiving leftovers.  I felt as if I had been eating the same meal over and over again.  While I do like routine, eating more turkey, stuffing or sweet potatoes felt like Groundhog Day to me.  So when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  And when life gives you a leftover sweet potato that you can’t bear to look at anymore, you make brownies!

Sweet Potato Brownies…Say What?
Serves 8 – 12

• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/4 TSP of baking powder
• 1 TBSP of instant coffee
• 1/4 TSP of sea salt
• 1 TBSP of organic shredded coconut (I used Woodstock Farms brand)
• 1 TBSP of pecans, chopped (I used the last of the ones I received from The Pecan Store)
• 1 TBSP of raw almonds, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1/2 cup of agave nectar (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 2/3 cup of puréed sweet potato (about 1 medium-sized baked sweet potato)
• 1 TBSP of ground flax seeds in 3 TBSP of water (I used Trader Joe’s Golden Roasted Flax Seed, ground)
• 1 1/2 TSP of vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup of cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking powder, instant coffee and sea salt.  Whisk everything together, so that it is all well-blended.  Then add your dried coconut and nuts.

3) In another large bowl, combine the agave nectar and the sweet potato purée (to get the sweet potato purée, just remove the flesh from the skin and mash until you get the consistency of a purée).  Then add the vanilla and the ground flax seeds that have been mixed with water (allow the flax seeds to combine with the water for about 5 minutes).  Finally, add the applesauce and the cocoa powder.  Mix everything together.

Ground flax seeds soaked in water – before & after

Next time, I’ll use a bigger bowl!

Fudge-y!

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Mix until everything is well-blended and you no longer see any bits of dry flour.  The batter will be quite thick and almost cake-like in consistency.

Mix it!

Don’t worry, it’s supposed to look like this!

5) Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.  Smooth the batter out evenly.

Smooth it out…

6) Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

7) Allow the brownies to cool for about 5-7 minutes before cutting.  Then, DEVOUR!

Dy-no-mite! These brownies were incredible, if I do say so myself!  I loved how rich and chocolate-y these brownies tasted.  They weren’t overly sweet and had more of a dark chocolate flavor.  And, they were super moist!  I think it must have been the sweet potato?  Since I didn’t use oil, butter, milk or eggs, I wasn’t sure how this treat was going to turn out.  I was afraid they might come out a tad dry, being that I used whole wheat flour, but the applesauce kept the brownies moist and the ground flax seeds soaked in water helped to hold everything together nicely.  The addition of the pecans, walnuts and dried coconut gave this recipe some needed depth and also added to its unique flavor.  These brownies had more of a fudge-like versus a cake-like consistency, something which I prefer.  This was the first time I used ground flax seeds as a substitute for eggs and it came out wonderfully.  While I’m not vegan, I do appreciate the vegan style of eating and get truly excited when I can pull off a vegan recipe!  But whether you’re a meat eater or not, these brownies are sure to please.  And no, you can’t taste the sweet potato at all! This baked good tasted truly decadent without having the extra fat and calories.  They’re simple to make and can again help a leftover not go to waste.  Have I made a believer out of you yet?

What’s your favorite kind of chap stick?  I’m a Burt’s Bees lover, but I was curious to know what are some of the other brands you use?  The cold wind has been brutal lately…

Namasté,
Nicole

Right now, I’m sure most of you out there are seeing the same thing in your fridge.  No, and I don’t mean that box of baking soda that’s been sitting in the back corner for who knows how long now.  I’m talking about your leftover Thanksgiving turkey (if you’re veggie, maybe some leftover tofurkey?).  If any of you have any leftover from your day of feasting, it’s probably not much and probably not as tasty as it was about a week ago.  But if you’re like me (or a certain energetic, carrot cake lovin’ Duke University student), you hate wasting food.  That said, I decided to whip up a quick lunch with my leftover turkey versus being a turkey and leaving my food for the garbage disposal’s pleasure.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I could make being that I was sort of tired of the turkey sandwich and really have had enough carbs lately to last me until the media stops talking about the ‘ay-yi-yi’ of Tiger Woods.  Man, this story keeps on going and going and going! Plus, being that it’s been getting chillier here (although it was a balmy high-60’s yesterday!), I was in the mood for soup.  And when you’re in the mood for some quick soup, there’s nothing quicker than soup in a box!  Armed with my trusty and reliable rectangular wonder and some other remnants in my fridge and freezer, I came up with a masterpiece (at least in my mind)!

Jazzed and Pizazzed Black Bean Soup
Serves 1

• 1 cup of black bean soup (I used Trader Joe’s boxed soup)
• shredded pieces of leftover turkey (I think I used about 1/2 – 3/4 cup?)
• 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of edamame, shelled
• 1/4 of an avocado, sliced and cubed
• 2 TBSP of nonfat ricotta cheese (Greek yogurt would have been great, but I didn’t have any)
• few shakes of adobo powder
• few shakes of dried cilantro
• s&p

1) In a medium pot, begin warming your black bean soup on medium heat.

2) Add your turkey, chopped tomato, edamame, adobo powder, dried cilantro, salt and pepper.  Give everything a good stir.  Allow everything to heat up and the flavors to blend together for 5-7 minutes.

3) Once hot, pour your soup into a bowl.  Top with avocado and ricotta cheese.

4) Discover your new found love for your Thanksgiving leftovers!

Turkey, leftover or not, has always been one of my favorite foods.  I love how it can be so versatile and can take on the flavors of anything and everything you wish to add to it.  In this meal, my turkey had an almost Mexican flare with the black bean soup, cilantro, adobo powder, avocado and tomato.  It was hard for me to imagine that about a week ago, when it was served with mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.  If you can’t already tell, I really enjoyed this soup.  I know that I really didn’t do too much for all this to come together being that the soup came pre-packaged and the turkey was a gift from my mother-in-law (thanks El!), but that’s what makes being creative so much more rewarding.  With this quickie meal, I was able to clean out my fridge, have a healthy and hearty meal in a jiffy and not waste a single piece of turkey (I made Patrick this soup, too, and he gave it two thumbs way up!).  It sort of makes me wish I had more to gobble, gobble up!

What did you do with your Thanksgiving leftovers?  Has anyone seen a Zhu Zhu Pet in person?  I just saw them on tv the other day and I can’t believe they’re all the rage?! What is up with that?

Image Credit – boncherry.com

Namasté,
Nicole