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Are you ready for healthy mashed potatoes?

Wait, is this even possible??

YES IT IS!

This is because I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of butter and skim milk instead of the cream and ranch dressing that I normally use.  You see, I can eat a whole batch of mashed potatoes on my own, and now I can do it without feeling so badly about it afterward.

Nikki lent me a cookbook Super Natural Foods by Heidi Swanson.  Swanson’s focus is whole, clean, and healthy meal options.  I was completely enamored by this cookbook.  The food is vibrant, fresh, and amazingly delicious.  Just about every ingredient in her recipes are from the Earth – no processed food here, baby.   By eating the food that God created for us, we will live a healthier, sustainable, and more energetic life.  We’re just so spoiled by instant gratification that we have overlooked the importance of eating clean.  And it can be prepared quickly, too.

Heidi Swanson has a food blog – 101 Cookbooks.  Ironically, I have been following it for a while and was so happy to discover that she wrote the cookbook.  It is an award winning book for promoting healthy eating.  Swanson’s book and recipes  have been featured on NPR (which I heart), in Vegetarian Times magazine (which I also heart), and Time Magazine.  See??  We food bloggers know what we’re talking about.

This is where I found the recipe for mashed potatoes.

If you’re looking for buttery, velvety potatoes – you have met your match.  They are creamy and rich, without an ounce of butter.  I left the skins on my potatoes because of all the nutritional benefits, and I didn’t need to use a mixer.  I simply used my fork.  I also added leeks and chives to my potatoes while I was on a roll with the allium family (shallots, garlic – all the oniony goodness).  Yummy Yummy.

Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 pounds potatoes, cut into large chunks
sea salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced1/2 c. leeks, finely chopped
1 bunch kale, large stems stripped and discarded, leaves chopped
1/2+ cup warm milk or cream
freshly ground black pepper
5 scallions, white and tender green parts, chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish (optional)
2 Tbs. chives, for garnish (optional)
fried shallots, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, leeks, chopped kale, a big pinch of salt, and saute just until tender – about a minute. Set aside.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork. Slowly stir in the milk a few big splashes at a time. You are after a thick, creamy texture, so if your potatoes are on the dry side keep adding milk until the texture is right. Season with salt and pepper.

Dump the kale on top of the potatoes and give a quick stir. Transfer to a serving bowl, make a well in the center of the potatoes and pour the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with the scallions, Parmesan cheese, chives, and shallots.

I apologize for the absence.  I was in Florida with one of my best friends and partners in crime for the week.  One of the reasons that I love Nikki so much is that we share a love for really healthy food.  We’ll gab and gab about all the health benefits that certain things have or don’t have.  Naturally after being with Nikki for a week, I’m in a healthy mood so I whipped up a salad using Kale.  I was looking for Chicory but wasn’t able to find any, so this is what I got.  I have never had kale before – I didn’t even know if it would work for a salad, but I was pleasantly surprised.  It’s tougher than other greens, but kale is so packed with nutrients that it’s hard to imagine not including it in your diet because it’s one of those power house foods that have a deep impact on fighting cancer.

Kale Salad with Lemon Walnut Dressing

Ingredients:

Bunch of kale, thoroughly rinsed, stems removed and discarded, chopped
1 c. red, orange, and/or yellow peppers, chopped
1/4 c. Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1 1/2 Tbs. walnut oil
Juice from half of a lemon
1 tsp. honey
sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Directions

Place kale in bowl, top with the rest of the ingredients.

Simple!

A few months ago, I went to a bridal shower and on the hostess’s coffee table was this beautifully displayed dip with pita chips and crudites.  Not only was it beautiful to look at, it was delicious, too!  Everyone raved about this dip.  When the hostess explained what was in it she merely said, “I just put white beans and roasted red peppers in the food processor and whirled it around a bit.”

Well, that’s easy.  Why didn’t I think of that??

Over the past few months, I have overdone the hummus thing.  I have eaten so much hummus (which I adore, by the way) that now I’m sick of it. The problem is that I love dipping my veggies in stuff.   Yes, I’m one of those people that can’t just eat a carrot as is without wanting something to dip it in, sorry.  )

But what will I dip my veggies in now?

Ranch dip is too typical and though I love a creamy ranch on my salads, I need something with depth to it.  I need to be FULL when I’m done munching on my veggies and dip.  Now that hummus is temporarily not doable, I need to come up with something new.

Then I remembered the bridal shower…

I found a really good recipe for the dip at Smitten Kitchen, and it was a done deal.  The hummus has been replaced.  Don’t get me wrong, I will go back to hummus one day, but the white bean and roasted red/yellow pepper dip is right up my alley.  It took 5 minutes to make and is healthy.  Sweet deal.

My dip turned out more orange than it normally would because I used roasted red and yellow peppers.  So don’t be alarmed if your dip is brighter than mine.  It is a great appetizer and pairs well with pita chips and veggies.

White Bean & Roasted Red (& Yellow) Pepper Dip

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can of white cannelini or navy beans
1 small jar roasted red peppers, or about 1 cup, drained
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice from half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Puree everything in a food processor until smooth.

Tough, huh? ;o)

For those of you that know me personally, you understand that I’m going to grad school for Global/International/Peace Education.  I yearn to help children in developing nations that do not have the same rights and privileges that many of us take for granted.  I came across this website Blogger Aid through another food blog and was absolutely moved by its mission.  Blogger Aid is a group of bloggers that are uniting to help fight world hunger.  The program used by Blogger Aid targets a particular mission of the World Food Programme, which is affiliated with the United Nations.  A cookbook created by bloggers is being produced to raise money and awareness of world hunger.  People are also welcome to host events and volunteer in any way that they can.  It’s a noble cause that I am proud to now be a part of.  You need to check it out.  You don’t have to be a member of Blogger Aid to participate.  The deadline for cookbook submissions is March 31.

I have 3 guilty-pleasure foods that I have loved since I was brought into this beautiful, food-filled world…

1. Fettuccine Alfredo
2. Big Macs
3. Strawberry Frosted Pop Tarts by Kellogg’s

It does not matter what food I am introduced to, I will always love these 3 the most.  It has been this way forever.

Since I made my own strawberry jam, I needed to figure out ways to use it besides just spreading it on my bread.  Well hello Kellogg’s!  Let’s make strawberry, frosted pastry pockets!  I know that I seem to say this a lot, but this recipe mildly adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody was so simple that I didn’t even need a mixer!

Unfortunately, I get minus points for presentation, I apologize for that.  I made REALLY tiny pastries because I did not want the temptation in my house like the Lemon Sugar Cookies brought.  Being so small, I had trouble pressing the edges down without making the entire pastry an edge!

But hey, they sure do taste good.

I was initially put off by the glaze that I made.  It was WAY too sweet and I was afraid that it would ruin my little beauties.  Luckily the pie crust that I made was not sweet so it balanced the sweet jam and glaze.  Phew – that was a close one.

Strawberry Frosted Pastry Pockets

(yields 4 pastries)

Ingredients:

Pie crust (store bought or see recipe below)
Strawberry Jam (I made my own)
Glaze (see recipe below)
Sparkling Sugar or rainbow jimmies

To make Pie Crust:

1-1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
3 tablespoons cold water
Combine flour and salt in bowl.

Add butter and extract and blend with fork, pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture is fairly coarse.

Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently mixing dough after each addition until dough forms a ball.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a square/rectangle. Cut out long strips about 2 inches wide, and 3 inches long. Repeat till you run out of dough.

To make Glaze:

1 cup powder sugar
milk to thin

Place powdered sugar in bowl. Pour milk slowly until it has a consistency of really thick syrup.

Directions to make the Pastries:

Take one pie crust rectangle, fill with a tsp of jam. Cover with another piece of pie crust.

Crimp all four edges. You may use a fork to do this.

Repeat until you run out of pie crust. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 8 minutes or until slightly brown. Set aside to cool.

Once cooled, pour glaze on to pastry and decorate with sparkling sugar or jimmies.

Hey, if I made Homemade Peanut Butter, why not make Homemade Jam!?  I decided to halve the recipe since there are only two of us at home.

Again, I am amazed by how simple this is!  Since I made it myself, the taste is fresh, light, and sooooo good.  Fresh fruit tastes so much better than a jar of gloppy, sugary, full of preservatives jam.  There really is a difference.  I say the same thing when I make my own salsa – it’s so much fresher than the stuff in the jar.

Most jam recipes call for pectin, which is a gelling agent.  I just wanted to stick to my fresh, fruity ingredients so I omitted it.  Jam also calls for a TON of sugar.  You can’t avoid it because it helps create the jam’s consistency.

Or can you avoid it? )

You guessed it.  I used Splenda.  I couldn’t bear to use so much sugar.  Eek!  My teeth hurt just thinking about it.  Yay to Splenda!  (Sorry Splenda haters!)  Although, because I used Splenda my jam turned out quite sweet.  So if you plan to use Splenda, cut it back a cup.

This recipe literally took 15 minutes start to finish.  Don’t you love that?  You can look all Betty Crockerish with your homemade jam on the table, and it took minutes.  Fantastic.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Source: All Recipes

(Yields 40 servings)

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.

Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil.

Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).

Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process any unsealed jars in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don’t bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

I ate mine right away!  Mmmmmmmm…..

Holy Moly this dish was AMAZING, and it took me 5 minutes to make!  Can’t ask for anything better than that!  I wanted to involve my husband in my obsession with food.  We both love to cook and love to spend time together so why not do both?  Of course the recipe we pick to cook together is so simple that two people ending up making more of a hassle than one person.  So we decided to make a dance party out of it.  Nothing is better than cooking with your favorite tunes on!

Okay, so with the music on, it took longer to cook, but it was WAY more enjoyable. And by took longer I mean it took 15 minutes!

Everytime I added a spice, I did a dance move in the kitchen.  (If you know me, then you know that I LOVE dancing!)  Any excuse to bust-a-move is worth it!  And you get extra points if you know the song “Bust a Move”.  Hello 1990s!

Side note: If you don’t know it’s by Young MC.  And be ready to shake your booty if you listen to it!

AND if you love Mexican food then you will LOVE this meal.  It’s so yummy!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

Source: Cooking Light/My Recipes

(yields 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2  teaspoons  chili powder
1  teaspoon  sugar (or Splenda)
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/4  teaspoon  ground chipotle chile powder
32  peeled and deveined large shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1  teaspoon  olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
8  (6-inch) white corn tortillas (I used wheat tortillas… it was 4 grams of fiber!)
2  cups  shredded lettuce (I used whole baby spinach)
1  ripe avocado, peeled and cut
3/4  cup  salsa verde
1/4 cup favorite shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add shrimp, tossing to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and onion.  Saute until fragrant and translucent.

Add shrimp mixture to pan; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat.

Heat tortillas in microwave according to package directions. Place 2 tortillas on each of 4 plates; arrange 4 shrimp on each tortilla. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup lettuce, 2 avocado slices,  1 1/2 tablespoons salsa, cheese and cilantro.

Fold and enjoy!

Yes.  It’s peanut butter with chocolate and coconut in it!  I can hardly believe it myself.  This right here is the solution to the inevitable problem of – do I want salty or sweet?  IT’S BOTH!   There are days when I grab a potato chip, eat it, and regret my snacking choice.  I go back into my snack cabinet, get something chocolaty, eat it and then change my mind and want something salty again.  I end up eating a whole boat load of chips and chocolate for my snack.  Don’t you hate that? ;o)

During my daily perusing of recipes, I came across homemade peanut butter by Joy the Baker.  Since the US has been having its share of peanut butter drama, I haven’t really been thinking about the condiment so much.  Then when I realized how incredibly easy it is to make my own, I just HAD to have it.  I was reading the comments that other foodies have made about Joy the Baker’s peanut butter, and it gave me a few ideas.  It doesn’t just have to be peanut butter!  I can add melted chocolate to it!  Better yet I can add chocolate AND coconut!  It’s a woman’s dream.

You may choose any type of peanut that you wish.  Whatever you like to snack on.  Just be mindful that if your peanuts are already salted that you probably will not want to add salt to the recipe.  I chose cocktail peanuts.  (It’s all that they had at Target.)  I also added 1 tsp. of vegetable oil to make my PB nice and creamy.  Depending on the type of peanut you use, you may not have to do this.  Rumor has it that adding peanut oil to the peanuts is too overpowering.  Try to choose a neutral oil that doesn’t alter the flavor.

You also have to decide to what extent your want your PB to be sweet.  If you want a mildly sweet condiment, take it easy on the chocolate.  If you are a chocoholic (I know a few of those), then go crazy with the chocolate.  I chose a very balanced combination.

I added my salty-sweet PB to a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel, and let me tell you – it was AMAZING.  I can’t stop thinking about it.  It’s too good for words.

Homemade Chocolate-Coconut Peanut Butter

(yields 1/4 – 1/2 cup of PB)

Ingredients:

1 cup peanuts
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. melted chocolate – (I used Hershey’s mini chocolate chips.  Just zap in the microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring in between until melted.)
1/2 Tbs. shredded coconut

Directions:

Place peanuts in the bowl of a food processor with blade.  Make sure the lid is on tight and turn on the food processor.  Nuts will move from course to finely ground then begin to form a paste.  Feel free to stop the food processor once the paste begins to form to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Take a good look at your peanut butter’s consistency.  If you want it to be creamier then now is the time to add your oil.  If you like it as is, omit the oil.

Whirl in processor for 30 more seconds.

Add melted chocolate and coconut.

Turn on food processor again until the peanuts resemble a thick, but mostly smooth, and shiny peanut butter.  This took me about another 30-45 seconds of food processing.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  Place in a warm water bath or in a low microwave for 30-45 seconds to soften and spread.

ENJOY!

This is a Hane family favorite!  Jay and I LOVE this meal.  I mildly adapted it from You on a Diet.  It is healthy, filling, and fabulous!  In addition, it’s almost completely error-proof, which makes me a very happy camper.  (Insert very big smiley face.)  You can use different measurements of each ingredient each time, and it still turns out beautifully in the end.  This means that you can eyeball everything rather than taking the time to measure it out.  My only advice is to make sure that you make enough sauce that it covers the salmon while it marinates.  Other than that, do as you wish to the fish ;o)

The original recipe calls for the sauce to be used soley as a marinade, which is then discarded upon cooking.  Well, I decided to break the rules and pour it over the salmon while I cooked it.  The maple syrup caramelized during the cooking process making it absolutely awesome.   I cannot express to you how much I LOVE this salmon dish.

*PS – I store my ginger root in the freezer.  It lasts much longer, and you can just grate it frozen!

Maple Ginger Salmon

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 – 4oz. salmon fillets
1 c. reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. freshly grated ginger root
3 Tbs. scallions
1/4 c. Grade B Maple Syrup
Chives for garnish

Directions:

Place salmon in a large ziplock bag.   Add all ingredients except for the chives to the salmon.  (Or halve the ingredients and use two separate bags for salmon.  Whichever you feel like!)

Seal bag.  Shake well and let marinate for 15 minutes.

Cover a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.  Add salmon, cover with marinade.  Cover and cook for 6 minutes.  Flip and cook for 4 minutes or until both sides are have browned.

Garnish with chives.

It took me a few times before I actually succeeded in making these fluffy delights, but now that I have it down to a science I am going to be making these babies more often.  (I think that my students will enjoy them immensely!)

I got this recipe from Technicolor Kitchen.  I was so thrilled when I found it!  I never thought to put strawberry puree with marshmallows.  WOW is all I have to say.  The weird thing about this recipe is that it yields 36 marshmallows so when I cut the batch in half, I expected to have 18 marshmallows.  Well, I had EIGHT.  Ha.  I have no clue why I came out 10 marshmallows short.  Kinda funny if you ask me.

Some words of advice and encouragement….

• You need a candy thermometer.  So before you gather your ingredients, make sure that you have one.
• Keep an eye on your mixture as it boils.  It reaches the appropriate temperature in a relatively short time.  You don’t want to take your eye off of it for too long and end up with burnt sugar and corn syrup in the bottom of your sauce pan like I did the first time. (Oops!)
• Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan AS SOON AS YOU ARE DONE MIXING.  Otherwise it gels together making it very difficult to transfer.
• Make sure to cut the marshmallows with a lightly oiled knife.  Use vegetable oil.  It doesn’t alter the flavor.
• Don’t fret about your sticky dishes.  Hot, soapy water takes it all off in a jiffy!

Good luck!!!  Once you make them the first time, they become very easy to make.

Strawberry Marshmallows

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (or 8 sheets) unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup strawberry purée (blend/process 5-6 strawberries and pass through a fine sieve to remove the seeds)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water
½ cup + 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup  confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch

Directions:

Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Coat this with a very thin layer of vegetable oil.

Fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. In the mixing bowl, combine the puree with vanilla extract. Sprinkle with the gelatin and allow to soften.

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil with the lid on and without stirring. When it is at a boil, remove lid and continue to cook without stirring until it reaches the “soft-ball” stage (234-240ºF).

With the mixer at medium speed, pour tall of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Please be very careful with the hot mixture – use a splash guard if you have one. When all the syrup is added, bring the mixture up to full speed and whip until mixture is fluffy and stiff about 8-10 minutes – if you are using a Kitchen Aid mixer that will take about 5 minutes.

IMMEDIATELY pour marshmallow into the parchment lined pan and smooth with an oiled offset spatula if necessary. Drop food coloring over the marshmallow and swirl around with a toothpick to create the marbled effect. Allow to sit, uncovered at room temperature for 10-12 hours.

Mix confectioners’ sugar and corn starch and sift over the rested marshmallows. Turn slap onto a cutting board, peel off paper and dust with more of the powder mixture. Cut as desired and dredge again in the powder mixture, and shake off excess powder.