Tag: stay healthy

Week 49

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Tis the season for Christmas Cookies!! For week 49 I bring you Almond Thumbprint Cookies! I had to fill in cooling time with some art projects to not tempt myself into eating … so I worked on our Christmas stockings. The little one and I both agree they were worth the wait!

Almond Thumbprint cookies

For the jam filling

  • 1 1/2 cups mixed berries
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the almond cookies

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup all purpose or 1-for-1 gluten free flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 5 tablespoons melted butter (sub coconut oil or vegan butter for vegan)

For the glaze (you’ll use about 3/4 of this)

  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk (or oat or almond milk for vegan)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Make the homemade jam: Add the berries, maple syrup, and cinnamon to a small saucepan. Cook on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the berries break down. Run the mixture through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl, mashing the berries with a spatula. Return the sauce to the same saucepan, then add the cornstarch and heat on low 2 more minutes until bubbly and thick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while making the cookies. (This step can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week before making the cookies.)
  2. Bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and kosher salt in medium bowl.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and maple syrup. Mix in the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until well combined.
  5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take about 1 tablespoon of the dough and roll it into small balls, about 12 for one tray, 24 in all. Start with one tray only, then refrigerate the dough for the second tray. Gently press your thumb into the center of the ball. (You can re-form the cookie with your fingers if it cracks a little.) Then add about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each cookie.
  6. Bake the first tray 13 to 15 minutes until browned on the bottom. Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then place on a baking rack to cool. Meanwhile, prepare and bake the second tray and allow it to cool (baking the trays separately allows for the most even bake).
  7. Ice the cookies (optional – if freezing, add after): Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), make the powdered sugar icing. Stir together the confectioners’ sugar and milk (start with a little less if using non-dairy milk) until a smooth sauce forms and all lumps are dissolved. Place the cookies on parchment paper, dip a fork into the glaze and drizzle in a zigzag pattern. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the glaze is dry, about 15 minutes.
  8. Store at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for 1 week. To freeze, place baked cookies without icing in an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the icing after thawing to room temperature.

Week 47

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With 2 days until Thanksgiving 🦃 I decided to pick a snack that had a holiday feel to it this week, Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts. Continuing the holiday spirit, two things I am grateful for are handwritten letters and creating new family traditions, what are two things YOU are grateful for today?

  • 2 to 3 large sweet potatoes sliced into ¼-inch rounds
  • 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt

Herbed Ricotta:

  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1-½ tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
  • ¼ tsp sea salt or to taste

For Serving:

  • 1 cup raw walnuts roasted and chopped
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries
  • honey

Instructions

  1. Add all of the ingredients for the herbed ricotta to a small bowl and stir well to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the sweet potato slices to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with avocado oil. Sprinkle sea salt and ground cinnamon over rounds. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasoning on both sides of the sweet potato rounds. Arrange rounds on a large baking sheet (or two if necessary). Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the rounds, then bake for another 17 to 20 minutes, or until rounds are cooked through and crispy on the edges
  3. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet. 10 minutes before the potato rounds are finished cooking, place the walnuts in the oven to roast.
  4. Remove sweet potato rounds and walnuts from the oven. Place walnuts on a cutting board and chop.
  5. Place oven on high broil setting and move the oven wrack second to the top shelf. Place a dollop of herbed ricotta on each sweet potato round and place in the oven for 2 minutes, just until ricotta is melty and warm.
  6. Add chopped walnuts and dried cranberries to the rounds. Drizzle with honey and serve!

Week 16

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Continuing with the Coronavirus miniseries of shelf stable snacks, my sweet tooth decided on Black Bean Brownies.

Yes, I made this for breakfast. No, I don’t regret it.

Black beans are a great source of protein, fiber, and have a low glycemic index, which means they can help stabilize your blood sugar.

Recipe

  • 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder 
  • 1/2 cup quick oats 
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
  • 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (Not optional. Omit at your own risk)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well.
  3. Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan.
  4. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies.

One cup (172 grams) of cooked black beans contains roughly:

Calories: 227

Protein: 15.2 grams

Fiber: 15 grams

Folate (vitamin B9): 64% of the RDI

Manganese: 38% of the RDI

Magnesium: 30% of the RDI

Thiamine (vitamin B1): 28% of the RDI

Iron: 20% of the RDI

Week One

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Welcome to my journey of making one healthy snack per week for the year! I decided on embarking on this culinary journey for two reasons.

The first was to lose weight, I’m still around 165 lbs. after giving birth 😐 my pre-pregnancy weight was 140. My little is finally starting to sleep longer stretches and am I ready to focus more time on me!

The second is for my little! She will be starting solids in a few months and having an arsenal of pre-taste-approved snacks seemed like a good idea!

So on that note, welcome to Week One!

This week is an Antioxidant Paradise Smoothie and it’s refreshing! The maqui berry adds such a delicious tartness and I sweetened mine up with a little raw honey. 🐝

Some of the my favorite health benefits of this smoothie are: high in Vitamin C, good for heart health, helps aid digestion, anti-inflammatory effects, and it’s packed full of antioxidants!

Recipe:

  • 2 cups frozen strawberries
  • 1 1/4 cup mango
  • 1 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
  • 2 tablespoons maqui powder
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Sweetner of choice (to taste)

Blend and enjoy!