Quinoa, Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

Although the Holiday gatherings have been wonderful, I'm ready to get back to healthier eating. And that means adding more cruciferous vegetables into my diet because they are among the healthiest foods available ;o) This is a light delicious salad that includes quinoa ~ a complete protein. The dried cranberries, toasted pecans, goat cheese and granny smith apples soften the slightly bitter taste of the kale and brussels sprouts. 

Salad Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pecans
• 16 ounces baby kale, about 8 cups
• 1 cup brussel sprouts, shaved
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup dried reduced sugar cranberries or cherries
• 1 granny smith apple, core removed and sliced

Quinoa (1 cup dry quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked):

• Drizzle of olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 teaspoon coriander

Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons raw honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette dressing ingredients.
2. Toast Pecans: Place pecans in a dry medium-size skillet (iron, if available) over medium heat. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until pecans start to brown and turn fragrant. Set aside.
3. Quinoa: Rinse and drain quinoa. Heat 2 cups of water and a drizzle of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and coriander and bring back to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside. 
4. In a large bowl, mix kale and brussels sprouts together. Toss with dressing.
5. Divide kale mixture among four individual salad plates or bowls. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of toasted pecans, goat cheese and dried cranberries on each plate. 
6. Scoop 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa on top of each plate (you will have an extra cup to snack on later ;o) Assemble 1/4 of the apple slices around sides of each plate. And enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. Combine sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl.
3. Place sweet potatoes on baking sheet (single layer). Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and salt and pepper.
4. Roast 35-40 minutes or until tender.

Falafel Wrap

Serves 4

Falafel Ingredients:

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup leeks, finely chopped
• 1 small egg
• 2 tablespoons white whole wheat or white all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, snipped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:

• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 cup of fresh baby spinach or greens
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-8.8 ounce package Whole Grain Tandoor Baked Nann, halved

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse chickpeas, leeks, egg, flour, dill, garlic, coriander, vinegar, cumin and salt and pepper together until it forms a thick paste.
2. Yogurt Sauce: Whisk together all yogurt sauce ingredients; set aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium size skillet. Over medium-high heat, cook patties until heated through and browned, about 5 minutes on each side.
4.  Assemble Wraps: Sprinkle salt and pepper on cucumber and tomato slices. Place falafel in center of each Nann half. Add tomatoes, cucumber and greens. Serve with yogurt sauce.

Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

Cute simple decorations for my sugar cookie recipe ;o)

Pumpkin Pie

Christmas Day has almost arrived when it's time to bake my homemade pies!  This is a traditional pumpkin pie recipe that includes more spices than many recipes... simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1-15 ounce can whole pumpkin
• 1-14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1-9" inch uncooked pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed (or by hand), mix all ingredients together until fully incorporated and smooth.
3. Pour pumpkin mixture into a 9" crust-lined pie pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in middle comes out mostly clean.
5. Cut after cooled; serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Ginger Spice Cookies with Crystalized Ginger

This cookie recipe was adapted from the Food Network magazine, December 2016. These cookies are more time consuming to make than most other cookie recipes but worth the time. They are not only cute, but delicious! I'll be adding this cookie to my Christmas trays for years to come ;o)

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 6 tablespoons no salt butter, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped crystalized ginger

Icing Ingredients: 

• 2 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons warm water
• 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
• Liquid food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine first seven dry ingredients together in a large bowl; set aside. 
3. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until well blended. Add molasses, egg and crystalized ginger and continue mixing. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. (If dough is too sticky, refrigerate about 30 minutes.)
4. Form dough into 3/4 inch balls and place on prepared cookie sheets at least 1 inch apart. For uniform cookies, use a small cookie scooper to make your balls. Flatten balls slightly using bottom of greased glass.
5. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Place on cooling rack.
6. Icing: Mix all icing ingredients, except food coloring, together, until smooth. Put about 1/2 cup of icing in a small shallow bowl; add a few small drops of food coloring to icing and swirl around with knife for a marbled effect. Dip top of cooled cookie in icing; allow excess icing to drip off before turning over. If icing is too thick, add a few more drops of water until nice consistency. Repeat until icing is used; adding more small drops of food coloring and/or water as needed. Add another 1/2 cup of icing to small bowl; add different color of food coloring, as desired. Continue until all cookies are iced. 

NOTE: Use only 1/2 cup of icing at a time so food coloring does not lose it's marbled effect.

Christmas Thumbprints

My Christmas baking has officially begun... I usually start with thumbprints ~ my very favorite Christmas (or anytime ;o) cookie! I tried two new cookie recipes this season (see one of the recipes below and the other one will be posted soon).  Good luck with your baking!

Cinnamon Cookies with Almond Flour

It's all about moderation, right ~ and it just wouldn't be Christmas without trays of homemade cookies! Although it's hardly possible to use strictly healthy ingredients when making homemade cookies, at least you can use high quality products without any preservatives or additives. This chewy cookies are a bit healthier than traditional cookies because they include almond flour, instead of white flour. Happy baking ~ and let the Christmas cheer begin!

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal/flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Cinnamon sugar

1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl; set aside.
2. Mix butter and sugars by hand (or mixer) until creamy; add egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well blended.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm enough to roll into balls.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator. Shape dough into small balls; roll in cinnamon sugar to coat; and place onto prepared baking sheets, at least 1 inch apart.
6. Bake 10 minutes (without opening oven), or until nicely-browned. After cooling for a few minutes, move to cooling rack.

Red Lentil and Kale Soup

Yum ~ I love the aroma of soup simmering on the stove on a cold wintry day. Many of my soup recipes on this blog include lots of vegetables, which means a lot of slicing and dicing. This recipe includes fewer ~ carrots, celery, parsnips, kale and tomatoes. It's a quick and easy recipe ~ and both healthy and tasty ;o)

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 2 cups parsnips, peeled and diced
• 1/2 leek, thinly sliced
• 2 quarts low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1-14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 teaspoons orignial Mrs. Dash
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 ounces baby kale (grab a bag that includes a bit of red cabbage, if available)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, parsnips, and leeks; cook about 5 minutes or until soft.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, lentils, and seasonings; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer about 30 minutes or until lentils are soft. Stir in baby kale and cook a few minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving. And enjoy ;o)

Spinach and Roasted Butternut Squash Strata

This is a great dish to serve for a Holiday brunch. You'll love the taste of the cinnamon raisin bread and sweet fontina cheese. You can prepare it the night before; refrigerate; and then bring to room temperature before baking. 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, stems removed
• 10 large eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 8 slices cinnamon raisin bread, cubed
• 1/2 leek, finely sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces fontina cheese
• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 9" by 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Add about 1" of water to small saucepan and bring to a boil; add spinach and cover saucepan; cook a few minutes, just until spinach begins to wilt. Drain using cold water; remove excess water with paper towel; and chop spinach.
3. Whisk together eggs and half-and-half in a large bowl; fold in bread, leeks, spinach, and 3/4 of cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread squash (single layer) on baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Season with salt and pepper; roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven; reduce heat to 325 degrees. 
5. Add squash to egg mixture and stir until combined.
6. Pour egg mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake about 45 minutes. Increase temperature to 350 degrees and cook an additional 10 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes before cutting.

Quiche with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, Spinach and Sweet Cheddar Cheese

This savory quiche includes butternut squash, mushrooms, spinach and sweet cheddar... an ideal brunch recipe to serve at your holiday gathering ;o)

Ingredients:

• 9" pie crust (see Pie Crust 101 for recipe)
• 1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 cup mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, separated
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk (or other milk of choice), separated
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus additional to taste
• 8 ounces sweet cheddar (and/or other cheddar), shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place butternut squash and mushrooms in a small bowl. Toss vegetables with about 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil; place veggies on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute about 2 minutes; add spinach and continue sauteing an additional 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a small jar with lid, add about 1/4 cup milk and flour; shake until flour is dissolved. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, flour and milk mixture, along with the rest of the milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add cheese and stir until combined.  Fold in spinach mixture, mushrooms and squash until fully incorporated.
5. Pour egg mixture into prepared pie shell and bake about 45 minutes, or until set in center. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Sweet Potato Pie

My sweet potato pie recipe includes fresh sweet potatoes roasted in the oven, which gives the pie an extra rich and yummy taste ;o)

Yield: 8-12 servings

• 1 9-inch pie crust (see Pie Crust 101 for recipe)
• 1 pound cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cup half and half
• 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until soft. Reduce heat to 350 degrees.
2. Put cooled sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth; add cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt; and continue beating until fully incorporated. 
3. Pour sweet potato mixture in pie crust and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or when tooth pick comes out clean. 

Perfect Apple Pie

There aren't many recipes that I've continued using since I started baking many many years ago ;o) but this is definitely one of them. I adapted it from my very first McCall's cookbook. Although I've tried several different apple pie recipes throughout the years, I always come back to this one. For a tasty apple pie, make sure you choose apples appropriate for baking. I usually use Granny Smith apples because the sugar counteracts their tartness, and they mix well with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Let the fall begin...

Ingredients:

• Pie crust for 2-crust pie (see Pie Crust 101 recipe for homemade crust)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6-7 cups thinly sliced, pared tart cooking apples, such as Granny Smith  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In small bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice. Add sugar mixture to sliced apples; toss lightly to combine. (If you prefer softer apples ~ like me ~ place apple mixture in microwave for 5 minutes.) Set aside.
3. Fold bottom pastry in half; carefully transfer to pie plate, making sure fold is in the center of plate. Unfold pastry, fit carefully into pie plate, pressing gently with fingers, so pastry fits snugly all around, trying not to stretch. 
4. Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie plate, mounting up in center. Trim overhanging pastry to measure 1/2" from rim of plate.
5. Fold top crust in half; using a sharp knife, make some cuts near center for steam vents. Center and place top pastry over apples. Trim overhanging pastry to measure about 1" from edge, all around. Fold top pastry under edge of bottom pastry. With fingers, press edge together to seal, so juices won't run out. Press upright to form a standing rim. Crimp edges. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, if desired.
6. Bake 45 minutes to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden. 

~adapted from The McCall Publishing Company

Vegetable Lasagna

The weather is getting colder so I'm ready for some comfort food ~ yep, lasagna!  When I make lasagna, I like to make my own sauce... it just doesn't seem homemade using spaghetti sauce. This sauce is super easy to prepare too ~ just throw the ingredients in a large saucepan and let it cook while you work on the rest of the recipe. You love mushrooms and sweet peppers on your mozzarella pizza, right ~ so you're sure to like them in your vegetarian lasagna... enjoy!

Serves 6

Tomato Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 28-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 6-ounce can no-salt tomato paste 
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil 
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Lasagna Ingredients:

• 3/4 package (1 pound size) lasagna noodles
• 16-ounce package frozen cut green beans (or fresh)
• 2 cups red, yellow and/or orange sweet peppers, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 15-ounce carton reduced fat ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Sauce: Add all sauce ingredients to large saucepan over medium-high heat; stir to mix. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer 1 - 1 1/2  hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Cook lasagna as label directs. Drain; rinse in cold water. Set aside.
3. Clean and cut vegetables. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and parsley flakes until well combined.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. lightly spray 13-by-9 inch baking dish with cooking oil.
6. In prepared baking dish, spread 3/4 cup of sauce. Layer half the noodles, ricotta mixture, green beans,  sweet peppers, mushrooms, sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake uncovered in preheated oven 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly around edges. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Mexican Salad in a Butter Lettuce Bowl

Have you had your salad today? If not, try this one... although it's not just a salad, it's a meal! The beans, rice and veggies provide plenty of fiber and nutrients and the avocado, olive oil and pine nuts provide some smart fats ~ and to top it off, you're surely to feel satisfied. Go ahead, and indulge ;o)

Yield: 2 salads

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 tablespoon of butter
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup sweet peppers, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
• 5-6 ounces butter lettuce
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• Handful of grape tomatoes (or cherry, halved)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Guacamole Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash of red pepper flakes

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rice: Cook rice, per package directions. Stir in butter, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Guacamole: Pulse all guacamole ingredients in mini food processor (or mash avocado with fork and stir all ingredients) until smooth. 
3. Dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
4. Wash and finely slice red onion and sweet peppers. 
5. Place pine nuts in dry skillet on medium heat and cook about 4 minutes, or until nuts start to brown.
6. Assemble salads: Line two salad bowls with whole butter lettuce leaves. Tear or cut the balance of lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in bowl; add dressing and toss until combined. Gently place half the dressed lettuce in the center of each bowl, ensuring whole leaves stay in place. Divide the onion, peppers, beans, and tomatoes evenly among the two bowls. Drop dollops of guacamole over salads and top each salad with a half-cup of rice. Sprinkle each salad with 1 tablespoon of pine nuts. 

Almond Butter and Cacao Granola Breakfast Cookies

I usually work at home where my go-to-breakfast is a hot bowl of oatmeal. However, when I have to head to the office, I don't always have time to prepare a hot breakfast. On these days, I grab something to go... like one of these Almond Butter and Cacao Granola Breakfast Cookies. The base for these chewy cookies is oatmeal; and they're loaded with toasted coconut flakes, toasted sliced almonds and cacao nibs. Raw cacao nibs is the purest form of chocolate that you can consume and a good source of antioxidants and fiber. They have a rich chocolatey flavor, but less sweetness than traditional chocolate chips. If you like a sweeter granola (or don't care for the taste of cacao), use chocolate chips instead of cacao nibs ;o)

Yield: 9 large cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup coconut flakes, toasted
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cups cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together almond butter, honey, coconut oil, egg and vanilla; add rolled  old-fashioned oats and mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in toasted coconut flakes, toasted sliced almonds and cacao nibs.
3. Drop 1/3 cup ball of mixture onto baking sheet; flatten slightly. 
4. Place in preheated oven and bake about 30 minutes, or until firm.

Power Greens and Super Grains Salad

We all want to eat better to feel better, right? This salad not only fits the "eat better" bill, but it's really delicious too! There are so many organic medleys of hearty greens ~ washed & ready to use. For this recipe, I used one with baby greens: spinach, chard, kale, and mizuna. Have you tasted mizuna? It's an Asian mustard green and looks like arugula. The mild greens are packed with vitamin C, iron and folate ~ and contain powerful antioxidants. And I used a super grains blend of buckwheat, millet, red quinoa and white quinoa to make the salad heartier. (If you don't have access to a power greens mix or a super grains mix, you can use any one or a combination of these.) Also, I added some thinly sliced brussels sprouts to get some cruciferous veggies into the mix.

The granny smith apples add some tartness, dried cranberries some sweetness and toasted pecans an earthy flavor, while adding some crunch (definitely don't skip the toasting because toasting intensifies the flavor ;o)  A light sweet and sour dressing is all that's needed to complete the salad. I hope you enjoy this healthy and delicious salad as much as I do!

Yield: 2 main course salads (or 4 side salads)

Salad Ingredients:

• 5-6 ounce bag of mixed dark greens
• 6-8 brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
• 1 granny smith apple, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup reduced sugar whole dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted

Super Grains:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup super grains
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon raw honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Super Grains: In medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine water, a dash of salt and super grains. Cook until all water is absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in butter, salt and pepper; set aside. 
• Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients; set aside.
• Wash and cut brussels sprouts and apple. Toast walnut pieces in dry skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently, until browned to perfection ;o)
• Assemble Salads: Evenly divide ingredients between 2 salad bowls or plates starting with salad greens, brussels sprouts, apples and onions; drizzle with salad dressing and mix until thoroughly combined.  Sprinkle with cranberries and toasted pecan pieces. Top with 1/2 cup of super grains. (There will be leftover grains.)

Peg's Healthy Granola with Hemp and Chia Seeds

The base for this healthy and delicious granola is raw oats. It includes toasted coconut flakes, toasted almonds and two super foods: hemp and chia seeds ~ excellent sources of Omega 3, protein and fiber. The granola is sweetened with raw honey, which has been my sweetener of choice lately. Did you know that raw honey contains natural antioxidants, as well as many vitamins and minerals? There's no reason to fill guilty about incorporating some of this granola into your daily diet ;o)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups raw oats
• 1/2 cup organic coconut flakes, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Toast coconut and almonds: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread coconut on one side and almonds on the other side (single layer). Remove coconut after about 4 minutes, or until lightly browned; toss the almonds around and continue toasting them for another 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Mix balance of ingredients in a small bowl; add mixture to dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Spread the mixture on two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper (reuse baking sheet from step 1). Bake for 30 minutes; stir and bake another 15-20 minutes. After completely cooled, store in airtight container. 

Applesauce Walnut Mini Bundt Cakes

These cute and moist Applesauce Walnut Mini Bundt Cakes are light and delicious. The recipe includes just 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and they're sweetened with applesauce and less sugar than most traditional cakes. The walnuts were added to give them some crunch and texture. There's always room for a little treat ;o)

12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup original coconut milk
• 2  large eggs
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Lightly grease 12-cup mini bundt cake pan (or cup cake pan)
3. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl; set aside. 
4. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together applesauce, sugar, milk, eggs, coconut oil and vanilla; add dry mixture and beat until batter is smooth. Fold in walnuts. 
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared mini bundt cake pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
6. After allowing cakes to cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes; remove cakes from pan. Dust with additional cinnamon and sugar or confectioners sugar, if desired.

Cruciferous Salad with Crunchy Italian Roasted Chickpeas

It's common knowledge that a higher consumption of vegetables protects against some diseases, including some types of cancers. Dr. Fuhrman, who promotes eating an anti-cancer diet, recommends eating vegetables from the cruciferous family everyday. I'm always looking for ways to include more cruciferous vegetables in my diet. I used to think that cabbage was only for cole slaw, but have discovered that it's a great base for many salads. This recipe includes cabbage and brussels sprouts, two vegetables from the cruciferous family. Since they have a slightly bitter taste, they are blended with carrots, dried cranberries, and a slightly-sweet dressing. And the crunchy Italian roasted chickpeas sort of serve as a healthier crouton replacement! I hope you enjoy this good-for-you cruciferous salad ;o)

4 Servings

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 cups green cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 cup radicchio, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup brussels sprouts, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup low sugar dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Chickpeas Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas (or soak and cook dried chickpeas)
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp herbes de provence seasoning (or any Italian blend)
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp raw cane (or other white) sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp herbes de provence seasoning (or any Italian blend)
• Salt and pepper to taste

*Or use any sweet Italian dressing 

1. Dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl; place in refrigerator until you are ready to serve the salads.
2. Chickpeas: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Place chickpeas, oil and seasonings in a small bowl (or sealable plastic bag); toss until chickpeas are evenly coated with mixture. Place chickpeas (single layer) on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (or parchment or wax paper). Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until crunchy.
3. Salad: While chickpeas are roasting, finely slice the vegetables, except radicchio (if available, use a food processor with a slicing blade ;o)  Place sliced vegetables in a large serving dish. Roughly chop the radicchio and toss with the other vegetables. 
4. Just before serving, divide vegetables among 4 individual salad bowls or plates. Divide roasted chickpeas, cranberries and pumpkin seeds evenly among the plates. Drizzle dressing over salads.