Spiced Nut Clusters

This recipe was inspired by a similar concoction that is part of Prevention Magazine’s new DTOUR diet. The diet is designed to reduce blood sugar spikes and avoid diabetes. This recipe is pumped up with extra-healthy nuts and seeds, plus cinnamon can increase metabolism.

Ingredients:

1 tsp honey
1 egg white, whisked
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cardamom
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, broken into pieces
½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup flax seeds
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sultanas

To prepare:

1. Whisk the egg white, honey, and spices until smooth.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients, coat well.
3. Drop by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet, you may need to shape the clusters gently so that they are a solid shape.
4. Bake for 15 minutes at 350º until golden brown.
5. Store in an airtight container, they make a great afternoon snack!

Potato Leek Soup

This soup employs a delicious, creamy texture without any cream!

Ingredients:

5 lb russet potatoes
3 cloves garlic
2 large leeks
1 yellow onion
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp ground mustard
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Chicken stock
3 lbs carrots
1 tbs butter

To Prepare:

1. Carefully rinse the potatoes until clean, place into a large soup pot and add broth until all of the potatoes are covered boil, uncovered until the potatoes are cooked through.
2. In the meantime, finely chop the garlic, leeks, and onions.
3. Brown the garlic in the butter and a few tsp. of olive oil in a large fryer then sauté the leeks and onions until they are very soft. Season with poultry seasoning, mustard, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from the pot and place them in a large bowl.
5. Peel the potatoes and set the peels aside, chop the peeled potatoes into 1-inch sections
6. Return the potatoes to the broth and add the leeks and onions.
7. Place a few cups of the soup and the potato skins in a food processor or blender, pulse until well combined and return to the soup pot. Blending the skins allows you to enjoy all of the nutrition found in the skin of the potato without sacrificing texture.
8. Repeat the above twice until the soup reaches a rich, creamy consistency.
9. Roughly chop the carrots and add to the soup.
10. Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Season to taste and serve topped with light cheese or fresh black pepper.

Oven Fries

It’s surprising that you can easily find such a great healthy alternative to one of the most cravable treats. Once you remove the grease, fries can actually be a healthy snack or side dish. The key is getting the satisfying crunch that you love in fried fries. That’s what your broiler was made for.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. russet potatoes
1 tsp. olive oil
Garlic salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked Hungarian paprika

To Prepare:

1. Soak potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes to get them clean.
2. Leaving the skins on, cut the potatoes lengthwise into half-inch slices.
3. Cut each slice lengthwise into half inch fries.
4. In a large bowl, coat with olive oil.
5. Gently toss fries with garlic salt, pepper, paprika, and any other spices or herbs you enjoy. Try crushed garlic or rosemary!
6. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
7. Spread fries on the baking sheet evenly and cover with another sheet of aluminum foil. This will steam-cook your fries before you broil them.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 425º.
9. Remove from the oven and gently toss to ensure that the fries don’t stick to the foil. Discard the top sheet of foil.
10. Broil for an additional 10 minutes, turning once until desired crispness is reached.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

The healthy ingredients like nuts and seeds in this recipe give the body energy it needs. Dark chocolate is known to contain important antioxidants and can boost mood. This recipe combines the perfect balance of heath and rich taste to keep you going.

Ingredients:

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp freshly ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly group nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
¼ c. whole flax seeds
½ c. dry oats
2 eggs
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. light brown sugar
1/3 c. light olive oil
¼ c. applesauce
4 large bananas, mashed
¼ c. chopped walnuts
1/3 c. dark chocolate chips

To Prepare:

1. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, make a well in the middle of the bowl and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl combine eggs, sugars, oil, applesauce and bananas until well-mixed.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once until just combined, this batter will be lumpy.
5. Gently fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
6. Pour the batter into the loaf pan
7. Top the batter with a sprinkle of oats, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.
8. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350º.
9. Enjoy!

Simple Crostini: Apple-Mushroom

Ingredients:

2 large granny smith apples
1 large bunch of Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Salt
1 whole wheat baguette

To Prepare:

1. Cut the baguette into quarter-inch slices with a sharp serrated knife, either straight across or diagonally.
2. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven until the top is crunchy, avoid letting the edges brown or the crostini will be too messy to serve as an appetizer
3. Peel, core, and quarter the apples and slice thinly, each slice should be about the size of the baguette slices and about an eighth of an inch thick
4. Gently wash the mushrooms and remove the hard stems, discard,
5. Crush garlic and infuse olive oil in a medium pan over low heat
6. Turn the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and a sprinkle of salt to the pan, tossing lightly
7. Cover and allow the mushrooms to become soft, stirring occasionally; remove from heat
8. To make the crostini place one slice of apple and a small spoonful of mushrooms on each slice of bread, serve immediately or refrigerate. This is a great appetizer to make ahead for dinners or parties.