Sweet Avocado Crostini

It's the weekend! Score on the "good day" list: one. Score number two: this recipe has avocado! Take about a reason to celebrate, right? I love avocados. I could seriously eat an avocado with every meal and not get tired of them. They add the perfect creamy texture to any recipe, but they're also delicious on their own. Since they have a nice (healthy) fat content and a substantial texture, I use them a lot to replace meat in recipes when I don't feel like using beans or tofu. My apartment-mate likes to sprinkle them with celery salt and eat them with a spoon. Just like that. Simple and delectable.
 
Fun avocado facts: According to FoodRepublic.com, 90% of Avocados are grown in California (which is where I am right now for the summer! Fresh produce abounds. Side note: Davis farmer's market is awesome and if you're in the area you need to go. Every Saturday morning!). There are also a ton of different kinds of avocados, although here in the US we normally see Hass. Even between States, though, avocados differ. For example, Florida avocados are often not as fatty as those from California. This doesn't mean that you should avoid California avocados, though-- the fats provided are healthy monounsaturated fats, which actually benefit cholesterol levels.

As far as nutrition goes, Avocados are a powerhouse of awesome: they have a ton of healthy fats (monounsaturated, as mentioned above), fiber, potassium (more than bananas!), vitamin K (which helps with blood clotting, bone strength, and many other functions), and various B-vitamins. They are also relatively low-sugar, compared to other fruits (and yes, avocado is technically a fruit). This recipe combines mild avocado with hearty sourdough, tart and sweet cranberries, and a drizzle of rich balsamic.

Sweet Avocado Crostini
Serves 2           Serving Size: 2 crostini

Ingredients

• 4 (1oz) pieces sourdough bread
• 1/2 medium avocado, thinly sliced
• 2tbl dried cranberries
• Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Instructions

1. Toast bread.
2. Evenly divide avocado slices among bread. Sprinkle with cranberries and drizzle with balsamic. 

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 437mg
Total Fat: 8g
         Saturated: 2g
         Monounsaturated: 5g
         Trans: 0g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 5g
Calories: 240

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I have certain meals that I'd refer to as "fallbacks".

Let me explain. 

We all know those days where we get home from work/school/maybe-both and we just want to collapse on our bed and have someone spoon-feed us chocolate cake. Maybe with caramel and whipped cream on top, because let's be honest here. But then, as we walk through the door, we realize that we still need to do x number of chores and clean the bathroom floor and make a meal that provides something besides pure sugar for us (and probably our family).

Hence where fallbacks come in. These are dishes that are easy and no-fuss, that I have made so many times that I know I can count on them to come out perfectly. Plus, they're delicious, not to mention healthy. A lot of healthy cooking can require a bit of thinking-- my fallback meals don't. It's just saute a bit here, boil a little there, shove in the oven and then eat. After a long day, not much is better.  

Stuffed peppers are my number one fallback meal (besides hummus and steamed vegetables, which doesn't really count as a recipe so). These are bright bell peppers packed to the brim with a fragrant saute of onions, tomato, spinach, and plenty of spices. Add in some cheese for some salty, gooey goodness and BAM! you have a meal. Bonus: these are packed with tons of protein and are under 150 calories per pepper. Low fat, low sodium, yadayada you get the point. They're awesome. Without the cheese they have the potential to be vegan, too, so yay!

P.S.
Did I mention that they're pretty?

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4        Serving Size: 1 bell pepper

Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers, any color
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2tsp olive oil
• 1 large tomato, cored and chopped
• 1/4c. sliced green onions
• 1 (9oz) package frozen spinach, thawed according to package directions and squeezed of all liquid
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1/4tsp garlic powder
• 1/4tsp paprika
• 1/3c. reduced fat feta cheese
• 1/4c. shredded skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Take peppers and cut off just the very top (see photo). Take out any membranes or seeds. Place peppers in the water (fully submerged) and boil for five minutes [this ensures they are soft enough to cut through]. Remove from water and let cool.
   
3. Preheat oven to 375F.
4. While peppers cool, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat for five minutes. Add tomato, green onion, spinach, and all the spices. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Let cool. Add in feta cheese and mix to evenly distribute.
5. Place peppers in a medium baking dish coated with cooking spray. They should be standing up (open side facing the ceiling) and cozy with each other (sides touching). Divide filling evenly among the peppers. You will have to pack it in, and that's ok. 
6. Top each pepper with 1 tablespoon mozzarella. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through with bubbling cheese on top.

Nutrition Facts
Sodium: 393 mg
Total Fat: 5g
         Saturated: 2g
         Mono: 2g
         Trans:0g
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 9g
Calories: 147

Blueberry-Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's Friday!

Therefore, cupcakes.

Correction: mini cupcakes. (Because we all know that anything mini is automatically cuter.) When I was a Freshman, the Dining Halls would have this celebration called "Cupcake Friday," which basically rewarded us all getting through the week via delicious baked goodies. Namely, cupcakes. Carrot cake, mint chocolate, tiramisu.... Ah, those were the days.

I have a secret, though.

(These are just as good).

Shhhh, don't tell anyone. 

Actually, tell everyone, because everyone deserves cupcakes. Piles of cupcakes. Mini cupcakes. Plus, these aren't just mini cupcakes. They're mini blueberry lemon cupcakes. With zesty, bright lemon and plump blueberries. And a gooey, sweet, delectable cream cheese frosting that drips down the sides slightly in that messy, hello-childhood-where-have-you-been way. They are delicious, and with the cutest presentation ever because, as mentioned before, mini things automatically do that.

Blueberry-Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 24

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1c. light vanilla soy milk, divided 
• 1tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1c. plus 2tbl all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2c. whole wheat flour 
• 1/2c + 2tbl sugar OR splenda
• 1 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/8tsp baking soda
• 3tbl no sugar added applesauce
• 1 large egg
• 1tsp grated lemon zest
• 3/4c. frozen blueberries, thawed, juice drained 

 Frosting:

• 4oz low fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1tbl light margarine
• 1tsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2tsp orange extract
• 1/2c. sugar OR splenda
• Fresh blueberries (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 24 mini cupcake holders with cooking spray.
2. Combine 1/2c. soy milk with 1tsp vinegar, and set aside for at least ten minutes (it will change consistency slightly).
3. To prepare cupcakes, combine 1c AP flour plus 1/2c whole wheat flour. Add another 1 tbl AP flour, the sugar, the baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the baking soda in a large bowl. Combine applesauce and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add soy milk (the non-vinegar and the vinegar ones) and 1tsp zest. Add wet mix to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. 
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
5. To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese, margarine, zest, and extract(s) with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add sugar. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts (using sugar):
Sodium: 79mg
Fat: 1g
        Saturated: 1g
        Trans: 0g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 2g
Calories: 103

Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

There's this silly trend that sometimes rears its ugly head of "Oh my god, carbs are bad, carbs make you fat!!" Um, no. This myth drives dieticians crazy. In every single nutrition class ever (or, at least, the accurate and well-taught ones), my professors have stressed, over and over again: carbohydrates are essential for life. We need carbohydrates like whole wheats, rices, and fruits to keep us moving and to provide us with the energy we need to live. And it's not carbs that make us fat-- it's calories. If you eat more calories than you burn off (whether that be in daily activities, workouts, or body functions), then you will most likely gain weight. Simple as that. If you eat 2000 calories of just protein and you only use up 1400 calories that day, you will have an excess of 600 calories. It's the exact same as eating 2000 calories of just carbohydrates when you only need 1400 calories. So why not eat a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein, and fat?

Here's a hint: if you ever discover any type of elimination diet (ex: NO sugar EVER, NO carbs EVER, ONLY juices), then it's often not healthy and you shouldn't do it. There is a ton of nutrition information out there that is misleading and is only spread around to make people who aren't certified dieticians money. Don't fall for it. Repeat: everything in moderation. You can have sugar, you can have carbs, hell if you like juice then drink your juice-- but do it in moderation, and keep your diet varied.

I am a carb lover, so I can't go long without having some type of pasta. When I am craving something that is rich and warm with creamy cheesy-goodness, I gravitate towards stuffed pasta. It's pretty simple: blend savory tomato sauce with just the right amount of rich, creamy ricotta and delicate spinach. Baking pasta is a fantastic way to get a bubbly, creamy, warm dish.

Spinach-Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Servings: 6           Serving Size: 3 shells (with the sauce)

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 2c. of your favorite low-sodium marinara, divided (my recipe:here)
• 3/4c. yellow onion, diced
• 10 ounces of frozen spinach 
• 2c. low fat ricotta
• 1/2c. skim Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2c grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2tsp dried oregano
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2c. fresh basil, cut into very thin strips. divided 
•  2 garlic cloves, minced
• 24 cooked jumbo pasta shells

Instructions:

1. Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray and evenly spread 3/4c. of the marinara on the bottom. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a small skillet, saute the onion in cooking spray for 3 minutes (until slightly cooked). Place in a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. 
4. Thaw spinach according to package directions, and then squeeze out the moisture. Place in the same bowl as the onion.
5. In the same bowl and the onion and spinach, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan,  oregano, salt, pepper, egg, 1/4c. basil, and garlic. Make sure to thoroughly combine.
6. Stuff about 2 tablespoons of filling into each shell, and place them open-side down in the baking dish from step one. Pour the remaining marinara evenly over the shells, and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. Remove and garnish with the remaining 1/4c. basil. Devour!

Nutrition Information:
Sodium: 498 mg
Total Fat: 10g
         Saturated: 5g
         Trans: 0g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 18g
Calories: 319

Raspberry-Blueberry Muffins

I once heard someone call muffins "cupcakes without frosting." I wanted to flag them down, jump in front of them with all of my muffin recipes and beg them to reconsider. It's true that many store-bought muffins are, indeed, basically cupcakes being sold as a breakfast food. The amount of sugar in some of those things will make most nutritionists and healthy foodies shudder. But I firmly believe that muffins don't have to be like cupcakes. We need to let muffins be the cool cousin of the cupcake, the one who you can meet with all the time and who listens to your problems and consoles you.

Ok, maybe not that far. But you get my point, right? We can allow muffins to come back into the spotlight as something that can give you health benefits, something that is acceptable as a breakfast food. This involves reducing the sugar and the oil, using more fruit to add sweetness instead of relying on chocolate. It's an easy switch.

I'm not saying to never eat cupcake-muffins. Cupcake-muffins taste good. But muffins, just muffins, also taste good. Really good. Actually, I personally think they taste better. Especially when they're packed with oats and raspberries and blueberries, sweetened with a touch of sugar and undertones of vanilla. It makes it easier to have a healthy lifestyle with these guys every day than with cupcake-muffins every day. Because if I have to choose between "not-so-healthy+tastes good" versus "healthy+tastes-AHmazing," I think we all know what I end up eating.

Raspberry-Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 servings

Quick tip: If you are using frozen blueberries when baking, toss them with about one tablespoon of flour before mixing them into the batter. This stops them from leaking blue into the rest of the muffin.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/4c. oats (quick cooking)
• 1/2c. all-purpose flour (Plus 1 tbl)
• 1/2c. whole-wheat flour
• 1/3c. sugar OR Splenda
• 1/4c. brown sugar, unpacked
• 1 tbl. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1c. light soymilk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2/3c. frozen wild blueberries (use only 1/3 cup if they are not wild -which means small-) rinsed and drained
• 2/3c. fresh raspberries, cut in half
• Cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix together the oats, flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the egg, milk, and vanilla. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir together just until moist (over-mixing can cause unpleasant texture).
5. Mix the frozen blueberries with 1 tbl. flour until they are coated. Add in raspberries. Fold berries gently into the batter, making sure they are evenly distributed
6. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, and fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way full with batter (Tip: I like to use a ice cream scooper to fill mine. Just spray the scooper with cooking spray before hand, and the batter will slide out easily).
7. Place the muffins in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes: this changes depending on where you live (I’m high elevation, so my baking times usually take longer); just make sure to keep an eye on them! (Tip: To test if they are done, either stick a toothpick in and see if it comes out clean, or touch the top of the muffin and if it springs back it is ready). 

Nutrition Facts (using sugar):
Sodium: 227mg
Total Fat: 2g
      Saturated: 0g
      Trans: 0g
Sugar: 12g
Protein: 5g
Calories: 160