Red, White, and Blue Dessert Nachos (With Fresh Berries and Coconut Cream)

June 30, 2012

Independence Day was one of my favorite holidays as a kid.

If my family didn’t spend the day at the beach (on the coast of Maine), we went to my aunt’s house for a huge family cookout with lots of fresh seafood.

For me, the holiday meant lots of swimming, running around barefoot, laughing with friends and family, and eating tons of fresh summer dishes.

So I wanted to create a dessert as light, easy, and carefree as all those holiday traditions.

These dessert nachos are patriotic with all the red, white, and blue ingredients (you can even cut the sweet nacho chips into star shapes).

They’re quick and simple to prepare (with minimal baking because it’s just too hot for that!)

They also taste really sweet, summer-y, and wonderful.

I think the only thing better than Fresh Summer Berries is Fresh Summer Berries served with sweet cinnamon crisps, smothered in coconut cream.

Here is everything you need to get started.

To begin, grab a whole wheat tortilla and a star-shaped cookie cutter.

Place the cookie cutter at the outermost edge of the tortilla for the first “chip.”

Arrange the next star as close as possible, almost interlocking the first, to use as much of the tortilla (with as little waste) as possible.

If you don’t have a star-shaped cookie cutter (or if you hate to see the leftover scraps of tortilla go to waste), just use a sharp knife and cutting board to cut the tortillas into small triangles instead.

Arrange a layer of tortilla chips on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

In order to get the chips as crisp as possible, they shouldn’t overlap.

Portion out about a tablespoon of canola oil and use a brush to coat each chip with some oil.

Then place them under the broiler for about 5 minutes.

Watch them carefully (they burn fast!) and when you see the chips just begin to turn golden, remove them from the oven.

Immediately sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar over each one.  If you do this immediately, the cinnamon and sugar will oh-so-deliciously melt a little into the crisps.

Cinnamon, by the way, is really healthy and a smart choice to add flavor to desserts.

It’s super-concentrated with antioxidants (1 teaspoon of cinnamon has the same antioxidant level as half a cup of blueberries!)  It’s also great to combine with sweets because it’s been proven to help regulate blood sugar levels, meaning it may help prevent or help control diabetes.

Next, prepare the coconut cream.  Place some Neufchâtel low-fat cream cheese, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Use a hand mixer to blend for about 2 minutes, or until all the lumps are worked out and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Note: to reach the ideal consistency for this Coconut Cream, use coconut milk that is fresh from the can and at room temperature.  (Refrigerated coconut milk will have solidified significantly. Still delicious, just very thick and tough to drizzle over the dessert nachos).

What I love about this recipe: it’s quick and easy  and so sweetly delicious. It’s creamy with a really rich hint of coconut.

Now that I’ve discovered it, I plan to use it in a hundred of my dessert recipes going forward…

Grab some fresh strawberries. Chop off the stems and quarter the berries.

Then cut each quarter in half again.

Set out bowls of the sweet cinnamon chips, coconut cream, diced strawberries, and some fresh blueberries.

Then allow everyone to dig in, building their own red, white, and blue desserts.

Fresh, ripe summer blueberries and strawberries are such a sweet treat on their own.

But the crisp, sweet cinnamon tortilla chips and the creamy, rich coconut cream take them to a whole other level of summer heaven.

This one is really, really delicious.

Enjoy!  Here is the complete printable recipe:

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Red, White, and Blue Dessert Nachos (With Fresh Berries and Coconut Cream)
Author: 
Recipe type: Guiltless Dessert
 

Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 8 whole wheat flour tortillas
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1½ tablespoons plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1½ tablespoons cinnamon
  • 8 ounces Neufchâtel low-fat cream cheese
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 16 ounces strawberries, stems removed and diced
  • 10 ounces blueberries

Instructions
To prepare the Cinnamon Tortilla Chips:
  1. Preheat oven broiler.
  2. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut star “chips” from each tortilla. Or just use a knife to cut tortillas into small triangles.
  3. Place one layer of chips (they should not overlap) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each chip with canola oil.
  4. Toast under the broiler for about 5 minutes. When chips turn lightly golden, remove from the oven.
  5. Immediately sprinkle cinnamon and 1½ tablespoons sugar over each chip.
To prepare the Coconut Cream:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the Neufchâtel, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and ⅓ cup sugar. Use a hand mixer to blend for about two minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
To assemble the Dessert Nachos:
  1. Place several Cinnamon Tortilla Chips on a serving plate. Top with plenty of fresh blueberries and diced strawberries. Drizzle the Coconut Cream all over the top.


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Puppy’s First Taste of Summer (And a Frozen Dog Treat Recipe!)

June 25, 2012

Summer descended upon New England with all the sweet and graceful subtlety of the driver of a yellow Hummer SUV, cutting off traffic and laying on the horn.

Our summer weather so far has alternated between 100 degree heat and humidity and drenching thunder storms.

But sweet little puppy Calvin has already fully embraced his first summer, and he intends to make the most of it.

He’s already got a long list of summer favorites:

Summer Favorite #1: Collecting tennis balls.

I say “collecting” because he’s not so much into Fetching.

Once he retrieves a tennis ball, he likes to keep it.

He’s most often seen running after tennis ball #2 while still carrying tennis ball #1 in his mouth.

Smart Cal feels he earned those tennis balls, and he’s not giving them back.

Summer Favorite #2: Finding a comfortable spot in the sun to lie down and chew on a stick or a wood chip.

True, Cal’s only been alive a few months, but he already knows “it’s all about the little things in life.”

Summer Favorite #3: Chewing on grass.

This is one hobby Calvin tried to embrace, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

One day he just started eating our lawn like it was his new favorite treat.

Despite our best efforts to stop him, every time we turned around, there was Calvin, smacking his jaws lazily like an MLB coach sitting in the dugout, grass hanging out of the corners of his mouth.

He tried to hide the grass chewing from us. (See that little bit of green evidence dangling from the side of his mouth.)

But this face gave him away.

That sour look spells out exactly how his tummy reacted to a day of grass chewing.

And he hasn’t gone back to the ‘chewing on grass’ hobby ever since.

Summer Favorite #4: Training for Puppy Summer Olympics.

Calvin keeps Chris and I cracking up by suddenly breaking into all-out Sprinting Drills, tearing back and forth across the yard.

He’s impressive. So impressive, I can never capture a good, clear oncoming photo.

We literally can’t keep up with him when he makes up his mind to run.

And he loves to do flying leaps and sometimes somersault to retrieve his tennis ball or frisbee.

He knows he’s good.

He panted for the first time after a good run on the first really hot day.

And I couldn’t get enough of this face with that adorable tiny pink tongue.

Summer Favorite # 5: Sniffing.

Anywhere, anytime.

Cal’s a beagle.

Enough said.

Summer Favorite #6: Sitting and looking irresistible, thus earning heaps of praise, kisses, and treats.

Calvin has perfected the I’m-So-Cute-You-Can’t-Resist Look to such a degree, a complete stranger at the vet just scooped him up and kissed him on top of his head.

Summer Favorite #7: Taking summer road trips.

This is a hobby-in-training at the moment.

Calvin wasn’t big enough to see out the window on his first weekend road trip.

So he mostly slept.

I know I’ll eventually get that snapshot of him with his head out the window, ears flapping in the wind.

Summer Favorite #8: Snacking on his very own frozen summer treat.

I noticed Cal looking longingly at my healthy Triple Berries and Cream Swirl Pops and wondered if he would like a healthy frozen treat of his own.

So I made him some yogurt and berry mini treats, and I was surprised to see how much he loved a snack so healthy and good for him!

Cal’s such a fan of these healthy treats, he couldn’t wait for the photo shoot to be over already.

The best thing about these treats: they’re extemely quick and easy to make, with just three ingredients.

Because this energetic little guy’s antics keep me too busy to have time for much more.

(I’m still wondering what this super mischevous look says about what Cal just did or is about to do…)

Here is the complete recipe:

Blueberry Frozen Dog Treats

Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Inactive: 6 hours

Yield: 16 treats 

Ingredients

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey

 

Directions

Puree all three ingredients in a food processor.  Spoon mixture into ice cube trays.  Freeze for at least six hours.  If treats do not release from ice cube tray by tapping on countertop, run the bottom of the ice cube tray under hot water for several seconds to help loosen the treats.

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Watermelon Basil Soda Pop

June 18, 2012

My goal toward healthy, whole eating has been, at best, a daily struggle (hello irresistibly cheesy takeout pizza and Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl from the ice cream shop down the street).

But here’s one thing I can say we’ve done well in our household: Our refrigerator hasn’t been stocked with so much as one bottle of processed, artificially flavored soda (Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, etc., etc.) in a long, long time.

I can’t remember the last time we bought soda.

My husband Chris and I mainly just drink water.

Plain old water does get boring though.

So recently I decided to make a fresh, summery homemade soda pop.

Full of fresh basil and watermelon, it’s a nutritious drink you can feel good about.

And it definitely offers a sweet, refreshing, flavorful break from plain old water.

Bonus: this drink just tastes like summer!

Here are the only four ingredients (yes, only four ingredients!) you’ll need for this recipe.

Begin by scooping out all the fruit from half of a seedless watermelon using a large spoon or melon baller.

Watermelon is made up of mostly water, so it makes perfect sense to use in a flavored summer drink.

But it also makes for an extremely nutritious drink  - watermelon contains a lot of Vitamin A (to protect your vision), Vitamin C (for a strong immune system), Lycopene (to help prevent cancer), and Potassium (for a healthy heart).

Place the watermelon in a food processor and pulse until it’s completely puréed.

You may need to work in batches to purée all the fruit.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the puréed melon through the strainer.

The strainer will catch any pulp and seeds – discard them.

Pour the strained watermelon juice into a large pitcher.

Add some fresh basil leaves.

Use a wooden spoon to press the basil against the bottom of the pitcher, releasing the basil flavor throughout the drink.

Add some sparkling water.

If you’re like me, you’re finished here!

I like my watermelon soda just like this, with just the slightest hint of sweetness from the watermelon.

But if you’re more like my meat-and-potatoes-guy and you like your soda pop the traditional way (i.e. a lot sweeter!), add some 100 percent pure pear juice for extra sugary sweetness.

Stir everything one last time and then pour into glasses and serve.

Side Note: because of the extremely fresh ingredients, this drink is best served immediately, not stored.

This fizzy drink has a lot of watermelon deliciousness, with a hint of sweet, fresh basil flavor.

Refreshing and unique.

Summer in liquid form.

One sip and you’ll feel pure,nostalgic, ‘hot-and-humid-last-day-of-school-before-summer-vacation’ joy wash over you.

Here is the complete recipe:

Watermelon and Basil Soda Pop

Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes

Yield: 6 (about 6 cups)

Ingredients

1/2 seedless watermelon
2 cups sparkling water
3/4 cup 100 percent pure pear juice (optional)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

 

Directions

Using a large spoon or melon baller, scoop the flesh of the watermelon into a food processor.  Pulse until the melon is completely pureed. (Depending upon the size of the food processor, this may be done in batches.) Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the puréed melon into the strainer. Strain and discard any seeds or pulp.  Pour the watermelon juice into a large pitcher.  Add the fresh basil leaves and use a wooden spoon to press the basil against the bottom of the pitcher, crushing the basil and releasing its flavors.  Stir in the sparkling water.  For added sweetness, also stir in the pear juice.  Serve immediately.

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Triple Berries and Cream Swirl Pops

June 12, 2012

Here’s a scene that’s played out too often in my life lately:

- Arrive home from work stressed and tired.

- Feel absolutely famished.

- Try to resist the urge to snack as I lament that (poor me!) it will be at least another hour before I’ll have dinner cooked and on the table.

- Cave to Hunger and Stress and Self-Pity and grab something out of the pantry in desperation – packaged cookies, crackers, chips – anything that’s easy and ready-to-eat.

- Eat way too much of the high-calorie, low nutrition packaged snack because I’m starving.

But I’ve come up with a solution that’s worked for me lately.

I make homemade popsicles with a variety of healthy berries and Greek yogurt when I have some free time on the weekend.

Then I have a week’s worth of grab-and-go snacks that are also healthy, filling, and satisfying.

I eat one of these super-nutritious popsicles in that Hunger- or Stress- or Self-Pity-induced moment of weakness and those processed and packaged snacks have nothing on me, thankyouverymuch.

Here’s everything you need to make your own Triple Berry Pops – couldn’t be simpler!

Begin by removing the stems from and quartering some fresh strawberries.

Add the quartered strawberries to a food processor, along with some raspberries and blackberries.

This triple-berry combo translates to a ton of vitamins and antioxidants in every popsicle:

  • Blackberries  - Vitamin E (for a healthy immune system) and Copper (for strong bones)
  • Raspberries – extremely high in antioxidants that prevent and inhibit cancer
  • Strawberries – packed with Vitamin C (for a healthy immune system)

The list goes on and on – berries always rank at the top of the list of healthiest foods.

But. (Have you experienced this problem?) Berries (especially raspberries, in my experience) can begin to turn moldy within the span of three days.

So puréeing and freezing them into popsicles is a great solution – all that healthy goodness, preserved to last all week.

Also add some agave nectar to the food processor, for just a touch of sweetness.

Substitutions:  if you love the flavor of honey, use that instead of agave.  If you don’t have agave or honey on hand, sugar will also work.

Pulse until all the berries are fully puréed.

Next, add some plain Greek yogurt to a mixing bowl.

Stir in a bit of agave (again, honey or sugar will also work as substitutes).

Last, add fresh vanilla bean.

Have you tried this yet?

For a while, I could never find it at the store.

I kept looking for it in the produce section with all the fresh herbs.

But it was my husband who finally stumbled upon it, in a tiny glass jar (am I the only one who had no idea it was sold in a jar?), in the spice aisle.

And I’m so glad to finally have it in my kitchen.

It’s a bit pricey, but actually so worth it.

Vanilla bean adds such yummy, rich vanilla flavor, you don’t feel the need to add so much sweetener to the pops.

Just slice into the center of the vanilla bean, lengthwise, with a sharp knife.

Then pull it open so it lies flat on the cutting board.

Use the tip of the knife to scrape out all of the delicious black seeds, and stir into the yogurt.

Next, grab a popsicle mold.

I found the one pictured here on Amazon.

Spoon about 2 to 3 teaspoons of the berry mixture into each mold.

Next, spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of yogurt into each mold.

Then repeat this process, alternating between the berries and the yogurt, until the molds are filled to the brim.

Add a popsicle stick to each mold.

Then freeze.  The popsicles will need at least six hours to fully freeze.

When you’re ready to eat one, just place the mold under hot running water for about 10 seconds.

After the sides of the pops have melted slightly from the hot water, the popsicle should easily slide out of the mold.

And your super-healthy snack is ready to eat!

The vivid deep purple berries combined with the creamy white, vanilla yogurt just looks pretty.

These pops taste slightly tart, slightly sweet, fruity, and creamy too.  And the hint of real vanilla bean flavor is such a treat.

Overall, the perfect summertime fresh and healthy snack.

Here is the complete recipe

Triple Berries and Cream Swirl Pops

Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
Prep: 15 minutes
Inactive: 6 hours

Yield: 10 servings (10 swirl pops)

Ingredients

16 ounces plain, lowfat Greek yogurt
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup agave nectar
3 ounces blackberries
3 ounces raspberries
3 ounces strawberries, quartered, with stems removed

 

Directions

Slice into the center of the vanilla bean, lengthwise, and open it up so it lies flat on the cutting board. Use the tip of the knife to scrape out all of the black seeds from the inside of the pod.

 

In a mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, the vanilla bean, and 1/4 cup of agave nectar.

 

To a food processor, add the blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and the remaining 1/4 cup of agave nectar. Pulse to a purée.

 

Spoon about 2 to 3 teaspoons of the berry purée into the bottom of each of the popsicle molds.  Next, spoon about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture into each popsicle mold.  Spoon another 2 to 3 teaspoons of the berry purée and then another 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture, and so on, until the molds are filled to the top.  Insert a popsicle stick into each mold, and place in the freezer for at least six hours.  When ready to eat, hold the mold under hot running water for about 10 seconds, or until the popsicle loosens and slides out of the mold.

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Grilled Sirloin with Lemon-Chive Pesto

June 4, 2012

If you love steak, this one’s for you.

And even if you don’t love steak, this one may still be for you.

Because I definitely don’t love steak, and I do enjoy this dish.

Here’s where steak ranks in my Likes vs. Dislikes Life List:

1) would prefer eating a plate of overcooked brussels sprouts (that aren’t even seasoned) to eating a steak

2) would prefer eating a few bites of steak to vacuuming the living room

3) would eat an entire three-ounce serving of steak if it could somehow buy my way out of a routine dental cleaning.

So, no, steak does not rank as one of the big loves in my life.

But I will say, this particular steak dish is one I enjoy.  I think the accompanying Lemon-Chive Pesto, with all its bright, light, fresh notes, is the perfect complement to the hearty, buttery grilled steak.

And my husband, always game for any dish meat-and-potatoes-related, says this recipe ranks high on his list of favorite steak dishes.

Here is everything you need to create your Lemon-Chive Pesto Grilled Sirloin.

Only six key ingredients (including the steak), and this dish is ready in 20 minutes!

Begin by squeezing all of the juice from one lemon.

Next, hold your knife (so it’s parallel to the cutting board, as shown) over a clove of garlic and press down hard to smash it, breaking the clove free from the skin.

Grab a food processor and add all of the following: lots of fresh chives, some fresh parsley, the freshly squeezed lemon juice, the clove of garlic, and some toasted pine nuts.

Season with salt and pepper.

Pulse until a thick paste is formed.

Add just a bit of extra virgin olive oil and pulse again, until well combined.

Next up: the steak.

If you’re wondering whether steak could actually be considered healthy, the answer is maybe.

Steak tends to be fairly high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but it can be a healthy choice for dinner, once in a while.

There are a couple of things to consider in selecting a healthier steak.

First, consider the cut of beef. Here’s a helpful guide to leaner cuts of beef.  To sum it up, ask your butcher for any of the following cuts:

  • Eye of round roast or steak
  • Sirloin tip side steak
  • Top round roast and steak
  • Bottom round roast and steak
  • Top sirloin steak

These are the leanest options and lowest in saturated fat (under 2 grams of saturated fat per serving).

Second, grass-fed beef is a good choice if you can find it.  Grass is what cattle were designed by nature to eat, so grazing on their most natural diet of grass is better for the animals and for the environment.

Grass-fed beef is better for us too, not just because it’s the more natural choice but also because it has a higher proportion of omega-3 fats (healthy, disease-preventing fats most of us need more of in our diets).

These selections can add up to a mild case of Sticker-Shock-Induced-Panic at the checkout register (quality beef is pretty pricey!).

So my solution is to make steak a once-in-a-great-while dinner option in our household.

Prepare the grill for medium heat.

Season the steaks well with salt and pepper.  Seasoning well makes a world of difference in the final flavor of your steak.

Place the steak on the grill and allow them to cook, untouched, for about seven minutes.

During this time, resist the urge to flip, move, or press down on the steak.  Allowing the steaks to cook, untouched, is key to getting a nice crust on the outside while the inside remains moist and tender.

Flip the steaks and allow them to cook for about seven minutes more.

The easiest way to tell when the meat is ready: insert a meat thermometer into the very center of the steak and look for an internal temperature of 145 degrees F for a medium-rare steak.

One more tip: allow the steaks rest for about seven minutes before cutting them.  This resting period is key to making your steak as tender, moist, and juicy as possible.

Top the steaks with plenty of the Lemon-Chive Pesto, and serve.

I love something fresh, bright, and citrusy to balance out the rich, buttery flavor of steak.

And all of the healthy citrus and herbs transform plain old steak to a dish that’s loaded with healthy nutrients.

This grilled steak is the perfect combination of flavors: a light, delicate onion flavor from the chives, lots of contrasting tart citrus, and a little nuttiness from the olive oil and pine nuts.

I actually finished my serving of steak when I made this dish, which says a lot.

If you ask me, I’d say this recipe is most certainly … okay.

If you ask my Meat-and-Potatoes-Guy (and I did) he’d say “this is a really delicious steak. This one definitely needs to go on your blog.”

Here is the complete printable recipe:

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Grilled Sirloin with Lemon-Chive Pesto
Author: 
Recipe type: Healthy Beef Dish
 

Total Time: 20 minutes
Prep: 6 minutes
Cook: 14 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces top sirloin steak
  • ½ cup fresh parsley
  • ¾ cup fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Arrange the pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until they become light golden. Watch carefully, they burn quickly!
  3. To a food processor, add the parsley, chives, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper. Pulse until a thick paste is formed.  Add the olive oil and pulse until well combined.
  4. Prepare the grill for medium heat.
  5. Season the sirloin steaks well with salt and pepper.  Place the steaks on the grill and cook, untouched, for about 7 minutes.  Flip the steaks and grill the second side for about 7 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the very center of the steak reads 145 degrees F (for a medium rare steak).  Place the steaks on a platter, cover, and allow them to sit for five minutes.
  6. Top each steak with a generous portion of the Lemon-Chive Pesto, and serve.


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