Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay- I realize this is not the most original recipe to post- but the pic I saw of these thin chewy delights got me baking. This recipe comes from blissblog. Which I just realized today has a sister all-food blog: relishingit. 

Although cookies are never Great for you- this is a healthier option that I will tuck away for the day when I have little rugrats running around. I had a friend in college once who told me about her uber-healthy mom who would never make cookies or sweets, and if she did they were oatmeal-raisin. Well- unfortunately- that just wouldn't work for me. I need to LIVE. And living for me includes the occasional cookie and icecream. 

And now I'm headed off for another hour and a half of bikram yoga to make it all worth it! 

Kalachandji's

If you haven't eaten at Kalachandji's yet- it's about time.
Incredibly delicious Indian Vegetarian Restaurant. Strangely- they have amazing homemade bread as well. Anyways- the food rocks- the atmosphere rocks- and you should be in your car by now headed over there to check it out. Get some food, and some culture all in one.

Artichokey?

Recipe today from Pioneer Woman. I love her format- takes you step by step with photos.  However, not as health-conscious as I prefer- which is why I only dabble here : ) But that doesn't mean it's not stinkin delicious! I have heard several people swear by her homemade cinnamon rolls, they are on my list to try.  However I'm not sure they can beat my favorite- Clone of a Cinnabon.

We are obsessed with this tomato cream sauce- it is to die for. Geoff made dinner the day we tried this since I was out at a church thing. I was starved by the time I got back- and totally scarfed this meal. It's totally delish. I would serve with a side salad- it is pretty rich.

Substitutions: Whole Wheat Spaghetti, and "No-Chicken Broth"

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• ½ cups Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Cook spaghetti till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

Avocado Enchiladas

If you have had a baby in my ward before- it's likely you have eaten my Avocado Enchiladas. It's an easy go-to recipe and doesn't have any ingredients that hardcore meat-eaters are scared of. Geoff's family is very accommodating of us being vegetarian, however we often have to scrounge something up at my parents house. During one of these times- I developed this recipe which is now a fav in our house.

It's so easy, it's almost embarrassing to share. But none the less- it's delicious. 

2 large or 3 small ripe avocados

1/2 packet of taco seasoning

Tortillas of choice. corn/wheat/white all taste great

1 can black beans or refried black beans. Vegetarian/fat free

1-2 limes

1/2 tsp Cumin

1/8 tsp Red Pepper

1/4 tsp oregano

1 can green enchilada sauce

1 package mexican blend shredded cheese

Salsa

Cut Avocados in half, remove pit and cut into a grid. Spoon underneath the flesh right next to the skin. Drop the avocado in a bowl. Add half of a packet of taco seasoning, other seasonings, and juice of 1 lime. Taste- and adjust seasonings/lime as you prefer.

Warm up your tortillas in pan individually. As they come off the pan, add a few tablespoons of refried black beans on the bottom and 2 Tb of avocado mixture on top. Roll up, and put into a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Repeat with as many tortillas as it takes to use up the filling.

Pour Green Enchilada Sauce over the top of all the filled tortillas, finish with cheese.

Warm in an oven at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and is sauce bubbly. 

Cool, serve with salsa on top. Great for dinner with spanish Rice, Mexican Salad, etc.

Popsicles & Pupsicles!

Geoff and I are totally obsessed with popsicles this summer. Cold-Sweet and very low cal- you can't beat that kind of treat. My current favorite is Breyers Fruit Bars- raspberry is to die for- especially right after I get home from my hour and half bikram yoga classes.

a fellow art teacher and dog lover shared a pupsicle recipe with me this week and it blew my mind! So now you know what Cozby will be eating this week : ) One happy fluff.

Frozen Pupsicles

Click here for a recipe from SaucyandSweet.com

The other recipe I have has no honey, and added a little flaxseed- sounds a little healthier. 

Summer Salads

Salads for dinner will make your body feel happy and look great. 

A few of our favorite summer salad recipes:

First 3 from VegetarianTimes.com

Red Cabbage Salad with Pears and Walnuts- Click Names for recipes

Pineapple-Fennel Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing

Blackberry, Jicama, and Apple Salad

Razzle-dazzle Salad- VeggieNumNum

and last but not least:

Warm Mexican Salad

 I really just made this up- and it' not original in any way but I crave it constantly. Using salsa for dressing cuts a lot of calories while keeping flavor. 

1 bunch Red Leaf Lettuce Chopped

1 Can of black beans rinsed well

1 Can Corn, drained

Boxed/Bagged Mexican/Spanish Rice cooked according to package- you can also add the spice packet to some quinoa. 

1/2 cup Prepared Salsa

Tortillas-warmed. 

Place torn lettuce on bottom top with corn and beans, warm spanish rice, and finish with salsa. I usually eat one tortilla on the side, you could also use tortilla chips as croutons. 

Now go get your Salad On!

Rice Paper Rolls

Mixing it up with Salads : )

Another great VeggieNumNum recipe. This one is super versatile you can change it to suite your craving. It's also super fun to make at the table- we are planning on doing it for dinner with friends.

In addition to original recipe, we add fried eggs cut into strips (instead of tofu), and sushi rice to make it a little more filling for dinner. I couldn't find those adorable little Enoki mushrooms- but regular mushrooms worked great too.

Quick Rice Paper Rolls w/ Tofu & Enoki Mushrooms

Preparation time: 20mins
Serves 2-4
Soy Simmered Enoki Mushrooms

• ¾ cup enoki mushrooms
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbs rice wine vinegar
• ½ tsp raw sugar
• a few of Vietnamese mint leaves (optional)

Add all ingredients, except the mint leaves, into a small sauce pan bring to the boil and allow to gently simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl with a few mint leaves stirred in.


Quick Rice Paper Rolls w/ Tofu & Enoki Mushrooms

• 1 large carrot, scrubbed & grated
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 2 cups lettuce greens
• ½ cup fresh herbs (mint, Vietnamese mint, coriander)
• 150g marinated tofu, sliced
• 10-12 rice paper rolls
• Soy Simmered Enoki Mushrooms (as prepared above)
• ¼ cup sweet chilli sauce

Arrange all the filling ingredients on a large platter and serve with the rice paper rolls and a shallow bowl of water.
To assemble the rolls, dip one rice paper sheet into the bowl of water for 30 seconds until just soft, remove from the water and lay on a clean plate. Add a little of each filling ingredient, fold in the ends and roll into a loose parcel.
Dip into the sweet chilli and/or soy from the enoki mushrooms before devouring :)

Indian Any1?

Indian and Pizza- two words not normally used together.  I adore indian food and all curries and this is the perfect fast dinner or a great appetizer to take to a party, etc. We took it to a party not long ago and it was a huge hit.

Recipe from VeggieNumNum again : )

Sweet, Spicy and Healthy

Indian Spiced Pita Pizza

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Preparation time: 30mins
Serves 4 { as a snack or light meal with salad }

• 2 large pita bread or tortillas
• 2 good tsp Masala curry paste
• 1 good tsp tomato paste
• 1 red skinned potato, thinly sliced
• ½ kumara (sweet potato), thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely diced (optional)
• 2-3 cups baby spinach
• 2 tbs shredded coconut
• 2 tbs sultanas (raisins)
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1-2 tbs sunflower oil
• 1 tbs fresh chopped coriander &/or mint

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F
Combine the Masala curry paste with the tomato paste and spread evenly over the two pita or tortillas.
Layer each pita or tortilla with baby spinach, top with one layer of potato and kumara slices, scatter evenly with the diced chilli, coconut and sultanas and then sprinkle with the paprika and drizzle over the oil.
Place the prepared pizzas on an oven rack in the pre-heated oven and cook for 15-25 minutes. {The cooking time will depend on your own oven}
Watch the pizzas carefully and remove once the tortillas are nice and crispy, potato cooked and toppings golden.
Allow to cool slightly and sprinkle with fresh herbs before cutting into wedges to serve. Accompany with non-dairy or dairy yoghurt and chutney for a light snack. Or serve with salad for a light meal.


**This pizza is too pretty to show only one pic! 

Soba Noodle Yum Yum

I know I say that every recipe is my favorite- but really- I have another. Plus it's awesome packed for lunches!

Seriously refreshing meal- I'm a texture gal and I love the crunchy cucumbers, bell peppers, and peanuts.

Soba Noodle Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Vegetarian Times Issue: September 1, 2009   p.29  

Ingredient List

Serves 4

• 6 oz. low-sodium soba noodles
• 1/2 cup Maranatha Organic No Stir Peanut Butter
• 1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs. agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 Tbs. lime juice
• 1 tsp. fresh lime zest
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced (11/2 cups)
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced (1 cup)
• 1 large carrot, grated (1/2 cup)
• 2 Tbs. chopped peanuts, optional

Directions

1. Cook noodles in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain, and rinse under cold running water.

2. Purée peanut butter, vinegar, agave nectar, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, and 1/4 cup cilantro in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy, adding 2 to 3 Tbs. warm water to thin, if necessary.

3. Toss together noodles, cucumber, bell pepper, carrot, and peanut butter mixture. Garnish with remaining cilantro and chopped peanuts, if using.

Nutritional Information

Per : Calories: 404, Protein: 13g, Total fat: 17g, Saturated fat: 4g, Carbs: 51g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 255mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugars: 14g

Bliss Blog

I've found some new foodie blogs that rock that I want to share:


First is: bliss- lifestyle blog with amazing recipes. I have tried 2 recipes so far:

Geoff and I eat mostly salads for dinner in the summer so I'm always hunting for more interesting combos.
This one is delicious- love the raw asparagus!

Asparagus, fava and pecorino salad

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus, tough bottom stems removed
1 cup fresh shelled fava beans
1/2 cup shaved aged pecorino
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Cut the asparagus, including the tips into very thin slices, crosswise ( I used a vegetable peeler) and place in a medium bowl. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil and blanch the favas for 1 minute then shock in a bowl of ice water. Gently peel skins from the favas and add to the asparagus. In a separate bowl. combine the lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Feel free to add more or less lemon juice or olive oil to get a balanced flavorful dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, then shave the pecorino over the top and sprinkle with the chopped mint. Enjoy! 

And HOLEY MOLEY- Salted Caramel Brownies- this brownie recipe is stinking amazing. If you're like me- be prepared to make two sets of caramel. Even with a candy thermometer- it always takes me two batches to get it right.

link for recipe


I'll definitely be trying more of her recipes and I'll let you know how they are.

And just for kicks- check out the cutest "brownie packaging" ever by ruby from cakies with the same recipe. I seriously look forward to checking out this blog everyday. As well as bleubird. Coolest mom's ever. Okay- I check like 20 blog everyday...but who's counting?

Okay- back to the "brownie packaging".  Click here

Plantains are one of my favorite foods ever!! If you're ever in Austin you have to order them at La Condessa. And while you're there- order about 3 desserts because their pastry chef totally rocks my world.

Anyways- this recipes comes from VegetarianTimes and features the marvelous fruit. It is super fast and easy with very little clean up.

 If you haven't had them- plantains are basically a kind of banana that have less sugar, and are firmer. They are a staple in the tropics and are cooked much like potatoes. And like I said- one of my favorite foods. And it's good for you- high fiber, low fat,

We use our grill pans to grill these, it's just easier.  If you don't have grilling capabilities- I imagine it would work out just fine to saute them in a pan with some oil.

The cheese: You can substitute several cheeses. I would recommend feta. We have had this with several kind of cheese. We have used melty cheeses sandwiched between two pieces of plantain, and crumbles feta on them. It's all good. We have not had much luck grilling the queso fresco however- any tips on that would be welcomed.

Grilled Plantains with Queso Fresco

Ingredient List

Serves 2

• 2 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
• 2 oz. queso fresco, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, plus more crumbled for garnish (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh-packed salsa
• 2 Tbs. chopped cilantro, optional
• 2 1/2 tsp. lime juice, divided
• 2 cups torn romaine lettuce or baby mesclun greens

Directions

1. Spray plantain slices on both sides with olive oil cooking spray, and sprinkle with chili powder. Season with salt, if desired. Brush grill with oil. Place plantain slices on grill, close, and cook on medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes, or until plantain slices look crisp and dry. Transfer to plate. 

2. Place queso fresco on grill, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until grill marks appear. 

3. Meanwhile, stir together salsa, cilantro (if using), and 1/2 tsp. lime juice. 

4. Arrange greens on one side of each serving plate; drizzle with remaining 2 tsp. lime juice and 1 Tbs. oil. Set 1 layer (4 to 5 slices) plantain slices on other side of each plate; top with grilled queso fresco slices, and then with remaining plantain slices. Spoon salsa over plantains, and sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco (if using).