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Showing posts with label Snacks & Appetizers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snacks & Appetizers. Show all posts

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

Memorial Day weekend is THIS weekend. First of all, how did that happen?! Time is going by waaaay to quickly, my friends. And second of all, that means summer weather is coming.... right?? Here in Colorado, we had a snow storm a little over a week ago. And by snow storm, I mean 10 inches. In May. We've only been here for a year, but everyone says it's fairly normal. Good thing it melts quick because mentally, I just can't handle being locked up inside the house yet again due to a snow storm. :) So here's to warm weather and popsicles! I don't know about you, but we practically live off popsicles in the summer. I have a goal of making lots of real food popsicles this year because let's be honest. Otterpops are full of who knows what, and buying real food popsicles in the store would get expensive really quick. Especially when we average about 3 per person around here per day come July and August. Here's a popsicle we made up on the fly. I was tempted to call it a margarita popsicle because that's just what it tastes like. It's super yummy and everyone gave it two thumbs up!

Watermelon Lime Popsicles
8 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           FREEZE: 60 minutes            READY IN: 65 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 2 cups watermelon, cut up
  • 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS


  1. Place the watermelon into a blender. 
  2. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the blender.
  3. Blend until the watermelon and lime juice is mixed, and looks like a slushy. Add the honey and keep blending for a little bit.
  4. Pour into popsicle forms and freeze for about an hour.

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 serving    17 calories   .1g fat   4.5g carbs    .3g protein    3.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Apple Bites


Swimsuit season is right around the corner people! I've definitely procrastinated so its time to hit the gym hard (like the PTFTriathalon) and eat extra healthy. But is it just me or does everything I look at turn into one giant chocolate fountain or candy bar? It's a problem I'm working on.  So to fix that I try to incorporate a little sweets into my diet even when I'm trying to eat healthy so that I don't binge eat later...learned that the hard way :)

In browsing for some sweet treats to make I came across these peanut butter chocolate apple bites. They had me at peanut, so I just had to make them. They are so delicious and hit the spot. Take my advice and make sure you have all these ingredients in your pantry at all times so you will always have a healthy alternative for your sugar cravings.


Peanut Butter and Chocolate Apple Bites
makes 16 wedges 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 30 seconds            READY IN: 6 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 2 apples, cored and cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup low fat peanut butter
  • 1/8 cup rolled oats or granola of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons semi sweet or dark chocolate, melted (optional)

DIRECTIONS


  1. Core and cut apples in to 8 wedges each. 
  2. Cover each apple with a small amount of peanut butter.
  3. Top with oats or granola then drizzle with small amount of chocolate. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 wedge  43 calories  3g fat   5g carbs    1g protein    2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from www.thecomfortofcooking.com

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Texas Caviar

My husband and I just got back from a week in Florida where the weather was well into the 80's and 90's. Summer can't get here fast enough. I'm already looking forward to barbecue worthy food! I can't wait for the get togethers we'll have this year eating our fresh watermelon and basking in the sun. My favorite! This year I'll have watermelon in one hand and texas caviar in the other because this recipe is definitely going on the menu! It would also be a perfect addition to a Mother's Day buffet this weekend.



Texas Caviar
10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes      COOK: refrigerate 2 hours to overnight     READY IN: 2 hours 10 minutes 

  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 2 15oz cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 16oz bag super sweet white corn, frozen
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest 
  • 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 2 avocados, chopped

DIRECTIONS


  1. Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours to overnight. 
  2. Before serving, add avocados and mix gently so you don't mash the avocados. Garnish with more chopped cilantro. Serve at room temperature. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    1serving    191 calories   6g fat   28g carbs   7g protein   6g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Once Upon a Chef.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Ranch Roasted Chickpeas

Looking for a nice, healthy snack that even your kids will love? Well, look no further! We've been seeing roasted chickpeas all over Pinterest, but decided to put our own spin on it by trying a ranch flavor. My kids are hooked and now we'll try experimenting with other flavors. I love these as a snack by themselves, but also think they'd make a nice addition to a summer salad. I have yet to try that though, as they get eaten way too quickly around our house to last for dinner time.


Ranch Roasted Chickpeas
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 3 minutes           COOK: 45 minutes            READY IN: 48 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 16 ounce can chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning 

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat oven to 375ยบ.
  2. Open the can of chickpeas, drain and rinse. Dry off on a towel. 
  3. In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil. Then add the ranch seasoning. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the chickpeas. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy. If they are still soft, cook a little bit longer. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    1/4 cup serving    165 calories   4.8g fat   25.6g carbs    5.6g protein    0g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Modern Parents Messy Kids.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Healthy Habits Challenge March: Eat Real Food, Part 4- Real Food Recipe Round Up

Welcome to the final week of eating Real Food. I hope you've made some baby steps towards implementing real food into your meals! My husband and I went on a little road trip this last week so needless to say life has been crazy trying to get back into our routine. I haven't had a chance to cook much (at all, actually) and am dying to get back into my healthy eating kick. I tend to crave healthy food after eating junk all week long! I noticed that as I was on vacation I just snacked all day long because I wasn't eating filling, nutritious food.

To get back into the swing of things it's important to have a menu plan (are you sick of me saying that?). Menu planning can be TOUGH, and I'm sure not a pro at it, but there are some awesome sites out there to help with your menu planning! 100 Days of Real Food has a link to their Facebook page, here, where they give you a great meal plan that is easy to follow. Give it a try!

Below are some of my favorite real food recipes for every meal that I'll be adding into this months menu planning!!



Breakfast:


Breakfast Tostada via Happy Wives Club


Pumpkin Protein Pancakes via Pass The Fresh


Berry Chia Shake via Pass The Fresh


Lunch:

Oriental Chicken Salad via Pass The Fresh


Roasted Red Pepper Soup via Pass The Fresh


Greek Salad Sandwich via Skinny Taste


Dinner:

Chicken Pepper Stir Fry Skillet Recipe via The Country Chic Cottage


Low Carb Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup via Pass The Fresh

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Curry
Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Curry via Perry's Plate


Snacks:

Banana Fudgesicles via Divine Healthy From the Inside Out


Fresh Banana Ice Cream via Pass The Fresh


Avocado and Mango Salsa via Skinny Taste

Friday, March 21, 2014

Apple Chips

To go along with this month's Healthy Habits Challenge of eating REAL FOOD, I wanted to try making Apple Chips, which have been on my list for quite sometime. These are not hard to make at all so I'm not quite sure why I've put them off this long. Especially since my children really, really like them. The hardest part is making the time to let them bake in the oven for an hour. Which shouldn't be hard, but planning ahead just isn't my fortรฉ. :)

Warning: These will make your house smell delicious!


Apple Chips
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 60 minutes            READY IN: 65 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1 apple (I tried granny smith and gala and I kind of like the tart better) 
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat oven to 275ยบ.
  2. If you have a madolin slicer, slice the apple using that. I didn't so I just did thin slices by hand with a paring knife. I was worried I wouldn't be able to make them thin enough, but I did and it wasn't hard so you can totally do this!
  3. Remove all the seeds. (You can core the apple if you want, but I didn't).
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  
  5. Lay out the apples so they don't overlap. I fit about 1 medium-large apple per baking sheet.
  6. Sprinkle the apple with cinnamon. Turn the apples over and sprinkler with cinnamon again.
  7. Bake apples for an hour. Let them cool and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS



    1/2 apple    56 calories   0g fat   15.3g carbs    .1g protein    9.5g sugar   

Enjoy!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

Who knew you could make something so delicious, right in your kitchen?? These mozzarella sticks, which taste very similar to Arby's by the way, were a fun treat for us the other night. I'm always looking for ways to make fast food recipe items healthier and these definitely did the trick! They would also be a fun hands-on recipe for the little ones in your house.


Homemade Mozzarella Sticks
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 35 minutes           COOK: 8-10 minutes            READY IN: 45 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 6 mozzarella string cheese reduced-fat
  • 1/3 cup panko
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS


  1. Unwrap each string cheese and cut in half.
  2. In two small bowls, mix the panko and bread crumbs in one and the flour in the other.
  3. In another small bowl whisk the egg and milk together. 
  4. Dip the string cheese first in the flour, then in the egg mixture, followed by the bread crumbs. 
  5. Put cheese in the freezer for 30 minutes. (This step is essential. If skipped, the cheese will just make a melted mess!)
  6. Preheat your oven to 350ยบ. Pull your mozzarella sticks out and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 7-8 minutes. 
  7. Serve with marinara sauce. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    1 string cheese     167 calories   7.8 g fat   13.8 g carbs   11 g protein    0.9 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Gunny Sack

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Almond Meal Rosemary Raisin Crackers


Around our house, we have a Trader Joe's market that we make frequent walking trips to. I find it's  perfect to just load the kids into the stroller and go for a walk - they enjoy the scenery, I enjoy some peace and quiet, and at the end we get to enjoy the sampling snacks that they always have available at Trader Joe's. I find that there is also always some snack or treat that catches my eye there, and that I then become addicted to (which means we get to make more walking trips!). If you have a Trader Joe's near your house, then this particular recipe will taste familiar, because one of their absolute best crackers are rosemary raisin crackers. The raisins and rosemary provide a balance of flavors that is neither salty nor sweet, but instead somewhere in the middle. This means that they are wonderful to eat plain or topped with any number of cheeses.

This recipe is a gluten-free, grain-free version of those perfect crackers. They come out nicely crisp, with that surprisingly addictive flavor combo of the rosemary and raisins shining through. My husband and I both are hooked (we hide them from the kids when I make them!), and a bonus is that baking them fills the house with a fantastic aroma for the rest of the day.


Rosemary Raisin Crackers
Recipe makes about 20 crackers
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 3 teaspoons raw sunflower seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves)

DIRECTIONS


  1. Preheat the oven to 350ยบF. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  2. In a food processor, pulse together the almond flour, olive oil, water, and salt until well combined. 
  3. Add in the raisins and 2 teaspoons sunflower seeds. Pulse together again until the raisins and sunflower seeds are broken into small pieces. Finally, add in the remaining sunflower seeds and rosemary and pulse until they are spread evenly through the dough. (The dough should be moist but hold together easily, with flecks of raisin, rosemary, and sunflower seeds visible throughout.)
  4. Form the dough into a single ball and place on a 18-inch sheet of wax paper. Cover with another piece of wax paper about the same size on a flat surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough between the wax paper sheets until it is 1/4-inch thick and mostly rectangular. (I found that it helped to alternate the sides I was rolling on to avoid wrinkles in the paper, by flipping the wax sheets occasionally.)
  5. Uncover one of the wax sheets, and lay that side of the dough down on the parchment covered baking sheet. Gradually peel off the other layer of wax paper to expose the dough. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1-inch rectangles. (Depending on how uniform you want the crackers, you can cut off the edges and repeat the process of rolling and cutting, or you can leave the edges to cook in non-uniform shapes.)
  6. Bake the crackers for 15-18 minutes, rotating once halfway through. They are done when they start to look golden on top (if the edges are looking too brown but the middle needs to cook more, you can remove the cooked edges and allow the remaining pieces to continue cooking). 
  7. Let cool for 15 minutes, then separate the crackers and enjoy. They can be stored for several days in an airtight container.

NUTRITION FACTS



    2 crackers   78 calories   6.5 g fat   4.0 g carbs    2.5 g protein    1.5 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Against All Grain.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Fresh Banana Ice Cream

My kids and I have a new favorite afternoon treat! It's a great way to use those brown bananas and with Spring right around the corner, this will be nice on those warmer days. It's super easy and only takes about 2 minutes to make if you already have frozen bananas. You can be creative with the toppings you pair with the bananas too. Just about anything works.


Fresh Banana Ice Cream
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 60 minutes           BLEND: 1 minutes            READY IN: 61 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1 very ripe banana
  • Mix-in(s): We used 2 tablespoons of 60% cacao chips. Other ideas would be peanut butter, strawberries, honey, raspberries, blueberries, coconut. Really just about anything you would like.

DIRECTIONS


  1. Cut the banana into 1/2 inch pieces. Separate and put on a plate. Cover with foil and put it in the freezer. I usually do this the night before so we don't have to wait for them to freeze. If you haven't done that, let them freeze for about an hour.
  2. In a food processor or heavy-duty blender, pulse the bananas with the topping(s) for about a minute, or until the bananas start to come together. 
  3. Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS



    1/2 cup serving    93 calories   3.2g fat   17.5g carbs    1.1g protein    10.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Monday, March 3, 2014

Family Favorite Guacamole

You know those people who are pretty much magicians in the kitchen? They walk in, throw a few things together, and something delicious and a little bit magical is born? Well my dad is one of those people. For my whole life he has been the "head chef" at our house, always throwing the most random things together - and always creating the best tasting meals!

This guacamole recipe is one of those concoctions. It's not your average just plain smashed avocado guacamole - because for my dad that is just a little too boring. So when you add a little salsa (homemade or store-bought), sour cream, and taco seasoning - it's pretty much a party in your mouth! Pair it with your favorite corn chips and you'll be ready for your next get-together or party.


Family Favorite Guacamole
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 3-4 avocados 
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning

DIRECTIONS


  1. Peel and scoop out the avocado. Smash with a fork until desired consistency.
  2. Add salsa, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Continue to smash until mixed thoroughly. 

NUTRITION FACTS



    3/4 cup serving    365 calories   33.5 g fat  16.9 g carbs    4.8 g protein    1.8 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Lemon-Raspberry Ricotta Parfait

In a need for a sweet snack that still allows those inches to fall off your waist line? This is it! Now, by the looks of the nutrition facts, it doesn't look all that good for you. But keep in mind that the sugar is coming from the honey, which is a natural sweetener, and also the fruit, so it's a lot better than granulated sugar.

I love the freshness of the raspberries, the sweetness of the honey and the tang of the lemon juice. I just cant say enough good things about this. Try it out in your next meal planning!



Lemon-Raspberry Ricotta Parfait
1 SERVING 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 5 minutes

  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon reduced sugar red raspberry preserves
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • zest from half lemon
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • sliced almonds for topping

DIRECTIONS


  1. In a small bowl mix together your ricotta and raspberry jam. 
  2. In a separate bowl mix your fresh (or thawed) raspberries with lemon juice, zest, and honey. 
  3. Top ricotta mixture with your raspberries. Top with sliced almonds for a little crunch. 

NUTRITION FACTS



   1 serving   323 calories  8.8g fat  56.1g carbs   10g protein   42.3g sugar   

Enjoy!

Friday, February 14, 2014

Strawberry and Brie Crostini

Thanks to Costco samples my husband has been on a brie kick. It's been his go-to snack for the last 2 weeks. Now don't get me wrong, it's delicious - but crackers and brie every time can get kinda of boring. I decided to mix it up a little and make a fancy appetizer dish. You can pair brie with just about any fruit, but I loved this strawberry and basil combo. SOO good!


Strawberry and Brie Crostini
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 5 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes


  SIMPLE         HEALTHY      YUM
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INGREDIENTS


  • 1 loaf French baguette or other french bread, cut 1/2 inch thick (mine only made 12 slices)
  • 4 strawberries
  • Brie slices-2 per piece of bread
  • basil for garnish

DIRECTIONS


  1. Turn oven on broil. 
  2. Cut loaf of bread into 12 diagonal pieces.  Brush with oil or butter. Place on a cooling rack, on top of cookie sheet and place in oven. Let bake for a few minutes until bread is browning. 
  3. While bread is still warm layer 2 slices of Brie on the bread, topped with strawberries. 
  4. Garnish with a dash of basil and enjoy! 

NUTRITION FACTS



  1 slice   94  calories  0.6g fat  18.4g carbs   3.8g protein   1g sugar   

Enjoy!

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