Recipe Exchange

Hummus and Veggies The Middle Eastern chickpea spread is an easy, protein-rich snack that fights hunger and balances blood sugar levels -- and a little goes a long way. Baked pita chips aren't the worst thing you can eat, but substituting some veggies can make a bigger impact than you think. "Hummus boosts energy because it contains iron, and red bell pepper slices are high in vitamin C, which helps to utilize and absorb the iron from the hummus," says holistic nutritionist Peggy Kotsopoulos, author of  Must Have Been Something I Ate . Follow her easy recipe for plain hummus by throwing 1 can of chickpeas in a blender with a dash of ground cumin, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, and splash of lemon juice. Keep a few batches in the freezer so all you have to do is thaw. Salsa When not paired with greasy fried tortilla chips and margaritas, salsa is surprisingly low in calories. Kotsopoulos suggests buying yours from the refrigerated section of the grocery store w...

Prep Time:  15 minutes Cook Time:  25 minutes Yield:  Yield: 4 sandwiches (serving size: 1 sandwich) Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 478 Fat per serving: 26g Saturated fat per serving: 9g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Protein per serving: 26g Carbohydrates per serving: 38g Fiber per serving: 3g Cholesterol per serving: 233mg Iron per serving: 4mg Sodium per serving: 1148mg Calcium per serving: 222mg Ingredients 4  slices (5 1/4 oz.) thick-cut bacon, cut into thin matchsticks 1  medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 6  packed cups chopped, stemmed kale Pepper 2 tablespoons   extra-virgin olive oil 4  large eggs 4  multigrain English muffins, split and toasted 1/2  small clove garlic Preparation 1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring, until crisp and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon...

Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  15 minutes Yield:  Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups) Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 119 Fat per serving: 1g Saturated fat per serving: 0.0g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0.0g Protein per serving: 2g Carbohydrates per serving: 30g Fiber per serving: 6g Cholesterol per serving: 0.0mg Iron per serving: 1mg Sodium per serving: 37mg Calcium per serving: 26mg Ingredients 2 tablespoons   honey or agave nectar 3/4 teaspoon   dried lavender 1/8 teaspoon   freshly ground black pepper Pinch salt 1 tablespoon   fresh lime juice 1  peach, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges 1  nectarine, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges 1  large plum, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges 1 cup   raspberries 1 cup   blackberries 3/4 cup   blueberries 1 tablespoon   small whole mint leaves Preparation 1. Combin...

Working on weight loss? Then you probably want results -- fast. Let me save you some time: skip the fad diets. Their results don't last. And you have healthier options you can start on -- today! You can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD. How to Lose Weight Fast If you burn 500 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose about 1-2 pounds. If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more. For instance, if you take in 1,050 to 1,200 calories a day, and exercise for one hour per day, you could lose 3-5 pounds in the first week, or more if you weigh more than 250 pounds. It's very important not to cut calories any further -- that's dangerous. Limiting salt and starches may also mean losing more weight at first -- but that's mostly fluids, not fat. "When you reduce sodium and cut sta...

Ingredients FOR THE COOKIES: 1-¼ cup Wheat Flour ½ cups Dark Cocoa Powder (or Regular, But Dark Is Best!) 2 teaspoons Cornstarch 1 teaspoon Baking Soda ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder ½ teaspoons Pink Salt 1-¼ cup Coconut Sugar ⅔ cups Earth Balance Butter Or Organic Butter, Softened 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract 2 whole Eggs 1 whole Egg Yolk FOR THE FILLING: ¼ cups Coconut Butter Or Vegan Cream Cheese ⅔ cups Earth Balance Butter Or Organic Butter, Softened 1-½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract 7 drops Liquid Stevia And/or Sub 1/2 Cup Xylitol For The 7 Drops Stevia ¼ cups Flour 2 Tablespoons Diary Free Milk Preparation For the cookies: Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add coconut sugar and soft butter. Add vanilla and eggs and mix in until all is combined. Roll out the dough on a flat, lightly floured surface and cut out cookies with your preferred size round cookie cutters. Or scoop out tablesp...

Ingredients FOR THE BREAD: 1 cup Sugar 1 whole Egg 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature 1 teaspoon Vanilla 1 cup Buttermilk 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour ½ cups Hazelnut Flour/meal ½ teaspoons Salt ½ teaspoons Baking Soda 1 teaspoon Baking Powder 1 cup Chocolate Chips Plus A Few Extra For Topping FOR THE GLAZE: ¼ cups Powdered Sugar 1 Tablespoon Milk 1 Tablespoon Chocolate Hazelnut Spread 1 pinch Salt Preparation Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and egg using a hand or stand mixer. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all the flour is incorporated and then fold in the chocolate chips. Butter and flour a standard size loaf pan (add parchment paper with paper hanging over two sides of the pan for easy removal) and pour in the batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake t...

Ingredients 8 ounces, weight Strawberries, Fresh Or Frozen And Thawed 4 ounces, weight Raspberries, Fresh Or Frozen And Thawed ¼ cups Honey 2 Tablespoons Raspberry Or Strawberry Jam 2 Tablespoons Coconut ¾ cups Light Coconut Milk ½ cups Plain Greek Yogurt ¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt ¼ cups Toasted Shredded Coconut Preparation Freeze ice cream maker bowl according to instructions. Hull strawberries and slice into fourths. Place in a large bowl with the raspberries, honey, jam, and coconut rum. Stir to coat berries in the honey and rum, then let sit at room temperature for 1 hour to macerate. To the bowl with the berries, add the coconut milk, yogurt, and salt and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until mostly smooth. Return to bowl, cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic is touching the surface, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions, addi...

Ingredients 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil 2 cloves Garlic, Minced 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika ½ teaspoons Cumin 1 whole Medium Red Onion, Diced 2 whole Sweet Potatoes, Peeled And Cut Into 1/2-inch Cubes 15 ounces, weight Black Beans, Rinsed If Canned 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice ¼ teaspoons Salt ¼ teaspoons Pepper 8 whole Tortillas, Flour Or Corn 4 ounces, weight Feta Cheese (up To 6 Ounces) Greens And Cilantro, To Serve Preparation Heat the oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the paprika and cumin and stir a few times. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Add the sweet potato, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring once or twice. Add the black beans and lime juice and cook until heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Assemble the tacos: Spoon the cooked sweet potato mixture into the taco shells and top with feta, greens, and cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh lime.

Ingredients 4 stalks Lemongrass, Ends Trimmed, Stalks Beaten And Roughly Chopped 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled 2 whole Large Shallots, Roughly Chopped 2 whole Jalapeños, Seeded And Roughly Chopped 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar ⅓ cups Fresh Lime Juice 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 2 pounds Flank Steak Preparation Combine the lemongrass, garlic, shallots, jalapeños, brown sugar, lime juice, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Place the meat in a large baking dish and pour the marinade over the top, turning evenly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lift the meat from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and serve.

Makes about 6 (8-ounce) drinks 1 pound strawberries, trimmed Juice of 1/2 lemon 1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves 1 cup sugar Carbonated water Juice strawberries using a juicer or blender.  If using a juicer:  Juice strawberries according to manufacturer's instructions. Discard pulp. If using a blender:  Place strawberries in a blender and pulse until smooth. Strain through a sieve, pushing juice through with a spatula. Discard solids. Pour strawberry juice into a liquid measuring cup. Add water to reach 1 cup if needed. Pour into a small saucepan with lemon juice, basil, and sugar. Heat mixture over medium heat until boiling. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain syrup through a sieve into a clean container and discard solids. To serve, spoon 2 tablespoons of syrup into an 8-ounce glass, top with carbonated water, and stir. Taste and add more syrup, if desired. Can refrigerate syrup up to 1 week.

Gingerbread is the perfect fall cake flavor. It's filled with flavor and even better when drizzled with a sweet cinnamon glaze. If you have never given gingerbread a try, you are in a for a treat. It's packed full of flavor, and it's the perfect flavor for fall or winter. This time around, we kept it basic and baked them in mini Bundt pans. But for a bigger cake, feel free to use a larger cake pan. To top it all off, we glazed it with cinnamon glaze. Can this cake get any better? Gingerbread mini Bundt cakes with cinnamon glaze recipe Adapted from  These Peas are Hollow Yields 24 mini Bundt cakes Ingredients: 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup white whole wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 cu...

Join me now to make gluten-free gingerbread cookies. Shhhh, we’ll hide some from the children to ensure they still taste like gingerbread even after they’re decorated! Combine the following ingredients in a bowl and set them aside: 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour 1 cup almond flour 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Beat 6 tablespoons softened butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer on medium speed. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add 1 large egg, 1/2 cup molasses and 1 teaspoon vanilla, and beat briefly on medium-low speed. You don’t want to stir too much air into the cookies or they’ll become puffy and lose their shape in the oven. Your goal is for everything to be well blended. Add the dry ingredients all at once, and stir until just combined. The dough will be quite soft at this...

So, did the title of the blog get you riled up? No worries, I’ve no intention of starting a turf war nor am I trying to stick labels on anyone. I was just pondering the other day where I fall in the baking scheme of things, and thought it was an interesting topic. As a baker, I definitely fall more into the cake category than the pie category. I love to  eat  pie and I’m pretty happy with my pie making skills, it just isn’t something that floats my boat the same way that making cake or cookies does. Maybe it’s a bit like fashion. I can admire and even desire to own a stunning pair of stiletto heels, but I just don’t want to wear them any more. Too much trouble on the tootsies. As a pie maker, I would tend to want perfect crimps and decorative borders. I’d want cutouts and colored sugars and more, more, more filling. Our pie making tools are getting fancier and more sophisticated all the time and that is definitely a boon to my pantry, but my heart as a baker l...

My favorite thing about sangria, the Spanish punch, isn't actually the wine or spirits; it's the luscious assortment of fruit that gets ladled into each glass. I love how refreshing it is to sip, and munch, on a warm day, and I've often felt bad that my teetotaling partner hasn't been able to enjoy it. I developed this non-alcoholic version with him in mind, and discovered that I like it just as much as the real thing. There are thousands of recipes for sangria, each using a different combination of wine and fruit, so I don't worry too much about whether this one is "authentic." For the fruit, I like to use the ample supply of citrus in my local markets and gardens – thin slices of oranges, lemons, limes – plus an apple for crunch. You could also try fresh fruits like strawberries, pineapple or grapes. When steeped for several hours, the fruits both flavor the drink and soak up the liquid, turning plump and juicy. They not only look pretty in th...