Carrot Cake Pancakes for a Lazy Sunday

Today was one of those lazy Sundays for me where I took about an hour to wake up and then lazed around in my sweats relaxing for a while. It's this kind of Sunday that presents opportunity to get some friends together and make brunch... The below Carrot Cake Pancake recipe from Cooking Light is absolutely great for a lazy Sunday and because of the 2 cups of grated carrot, this proves to be a much healthier brunch option than many other breakfast options!


Carrots: This super versatile veggie offers a dense, sweet taste that allows it to seemlessly be incorporated into sweeter foods (i.e.- pancakes & other breads). Carrots are known universally for keeping your eyes healthy. How does this happen? Carrots deliver great levels of beta-carotene which the liver converts into Vitamin A when a beta-carotene source such as carrots are consumed. The Vitamin A then travels to the retina where it is converted into a pigment necessary for night vision! Kinda cool how it all breaks down :)
The carotenoids found in carrots (beta-carotene) aid in over all health outside of maintaining vision. High carotenoid intake has been linked to decreased incidence of bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, & esophagus cancers. Consuming foods rich in carotenoids (carrots, sweet potatoes...) can also protect against lung cancer.
Carrots are also high in fiber & potassium. Fiber helps manage your weight, fills you up, keeps you regular, & also promotes heart health. Potassium, fun fact, is the 3rd most abundant mineral in the body, that's great to know! Consumption helps prevent stroke, maintains level blood pressure, and aids in heart, brain & kidney function.

The below recipe is super delicious in and of itself, but now that you know why it's healthy there's really no reason to not try it out! It's Sunday Brunch, you're allowed to splurge :)

Carrot Cake Pancakes
courtesy of cookinglight.com

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
Dash of ground ginger
1/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c low-fat buttermilk
1 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 c finely grated carrot
Cooking spray
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey

In a mixing bowl, comine Flour & next 7 ingredients (through ginger) & stir w/ a whisk. Combine 1/4 c brown sugar & next 4 ingredients (through eggs). Add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in 2 cups Grated Carrot.

Heat lg nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan w cooking spray. Spoon (4) 1/4 c batter mounds onto pan, spreading w a spatula. cook for 2 mins or until tops are covered w bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over, cook 1 min or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat w remaining pancake batter.

In a small mixing bowl combine butter and honey to serve w pancakes. (2 pancakes=315 cals)

This amazing recipe is perfect for anyone who appreciates any sort of carrot cake, zuchini bread, pumpkin pie, etc recipes because it incorporates all those great spices! That said, this one's for you SKT :)



www.whfoods.com
www.organicfacts.net

Chicken w/ Balsamic Peppers

Cooking Light comes through again with this absolutely stellar Chicken & Balsamic Peppers recipe!



The key players here are Chicken, Bell Peppers, Shallots, Balsamic, & Chicken Broth. They come together so nicely so the flavor is awesome and the calorie count is low!

Bell Peppers: I think it's starting to become clear that this ingrediant is a favorite of mine and something that I consume a lot of. Well, there's a reason for that! Bell Peppers (grab any color you want) are loaded with well over 100% of your RDA for Vitamins A & C. Vitamin A is essential for keeping your eyes, skin, & mucous membranes moist (Fight that winter dehydration!). Vitamin C not only acts an anti-oxidant in the body, protecting your cells from free-radical damage, but also assists in the production of collagen which is needed to help recover after injuries and surgery.
On top of all this Vitamin C also aids in iron absorption. If you're someone who bruises like a peach you might want to check that iron level!

Bell peppers are also a great source of Folate, Vitamin E, Potassium, & B Vitamins! Really this veggie is PACKED with nutrients :)



Chicken & Balsamic Peppers

4 Chicken Breasts
Garlic Powder (Really any chicken rub you have lying around will do to season this!)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cooking Spray
2 cups Red Bell Pepper Julianned
2 cups Yellow Bell Pepper Julianned
1/2 cup Thinly sliced Shallots
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh Rosemary
1 cup low sodium Chicken Broth
1-2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Season chicken w garlic power/rub/salt & pepper. Saute up in your favorite saute pan to desired degree of doneness (When I made this, we cut the chicken into thin strips so it cooked faster!). When done place on a plate and put to the side while the Pepper mixture finishes cooking.

In a separate skillet pour 1-2 tbsp into the pan and add Peppers, Shallots, & Rosemary. Saute for 4-5 mins. Stir in broth, scraping pan to release any browned bits. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins. Then increase heat back up to med-high and add in balsamic, salt & pepper to taste, and stir freqently for 3 mins. Top chicken with Pepper Mixture and Enjoy!! We paired this with Quinoa because that's what was available but it would go well with rice or even some aspargus on the side!



http://www.whfoods.com/

Red Thai Curry Chicken

We made the below Red Thai Curry at a dinner party this week and it was a huge success! I like to load up on Peppers & Onions and use light coconut milk to shave off calories.

Peppers: One of my personal favorites (I think I eat about 4 peppers each week!). Peppers are super high in Vitamin C & Vitamin A which are loaded with free radical fighting antioxidants!

Curry: Curry paste contains tumeric, and one of the key components in tumeric is curcumin. This awesome chemical offers a world of health benefits. Studies have been conducted with link consumption of curcumin to boosting brain function and aiding in he prevention of Alzheimer's. Tumeric, found in curry, is also found to block or shrink tumors. On top of all that, curry is also shown to help regulate blood sugar which is great for diabetics!


Red Thai Curry Chicken & Peppers

4 Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
1-2 Red Bell Peppers, julienned
1 Green Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Vidalia Onion, julienned
2-3 tbsp Red Thai Curry Paste
1 c Light Coconut Milk
1 c Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Brown Sugar

Saute chicken in a saute pan put on a plate to the side when finished. Using the same pan, coat bottom with Olive Oil and toss on Red & Green peppers 2-3 mins. Then add Onion and saute for another 8-10 mins, until the onions & peppers are tender. While the peppers & onions saute, in another sauce pan bring the coconut milk & chicken stock to a boil. Add brown sugar, and Red Thai Curry Paste, stirring until both have dissolved into the liquid. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 mins, until the mixture has reduced by about half.
Combine the peppers and chicken in 1 pan and pour sauce over. Toss to coat.
Serve with 1 cup quinoa & enjoy!!

Healthy Valentine's Day Salmon Recipe

Valentine's Day is coming up this Sunday and you are in luck because the below Grilled Salmon w Red Wine Butter is the absolute perfect V-Day dinner recipe! While it's a little higher on the caloric scale than my normal posts, it's made up for by all the amazing heart and other health benefits offered by Salmon. It's Valentine's Day- you're allowed to splurge a little!

Salmon: Wild Salmon is really such an amazing protein source, and if you don't eat a lot of aminal products it's totally worth spending a little more money on! Salmon is packed with Iron which carrys oxygen to blood cells, Calcium, Phosphorus & Vitamin D which promote bone health, and Selenium which builds up tissues, hair & nails.
On top of all this, Salmon is also widely know for being an excellent source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Consuming Omega-3's helps keep the heart healthy by lowering cholesterol, preventing hardening of the arteries and cardiovascular veins, and strengthening the heart muscles. Recent studies have also focused attention on Omega 3's role in the development of brain cells as well as the prevention of Alzheimer's Disease. According to a study published in the March 2005 Journal of Neuroscience, Omega 3 Fatty Acids may prevent the accumulation of a protein believed to be linked to Alzheimer's.


Grilled Salmon with Red-Wine Butter
Courtesy of Menshealth.com

1 Shallot, minced
1/2 c Red Wine
1/4 c Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Stick Butter, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme
Salt & Pepper to Taste
2 6 oz. Salmon Filets
Olive Oil

Combine Shallot, Red Wine, & Balsamic Vinegar in a sauce pan over med-low heat and cook until reduced to half, approx 10 mins. Once reduced allow red wine reduction to cool then add butter and fresh thyme. Thoroughly mix using a spatula.
While the Red Wine mixture reduces, heat a grill pan to med-high and season the Salmon to taste w/ Salt & Pepper. Coat pan with Olive Oil and place fish in the pan. Cook approx 4-5 mins on each side.
Plate the Salmon with grilled asparagus & brown rice and drizzle the Red Wine reduction over for a truly impressive dinner for two!


www.healthcastle.com
www.organicfacts.net

Host a Healthy Superbowl Party

Superbowl Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year. One of the top reasons I love this day so much, aside from being able to watch Peyton Manning play this year :) , is because of all the yummy food you get to eat! However, we all know how notoriously unhealthy game day food can be.
In an attempt to not deny any of us these delicious indulgences, below are a few recipe makeovers to help lighten up the day. Shaving off 20 calories here or there can really add up!

Nachos: Lighten up nachos by cutting out the fatty ground meat, excessive cheese, and calorie-dense sour cream. Instead top with reduced-fat shredded cheddar (I like Weight Watchers brand) to add a calcium boost. Black beans which contains super high fiber content to lower cholesterol and prevent blood sugar levels from spiking. And last throw on some fresh Pico de Gallo- the tomatos in here offer a good deal of Vitamin C to give your immune system a boost!

Pico de Gallo
* 6 medium Tomatoes diced
* 1 medium Onion diced
* 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped.
* 2 to 4 Fresh serrano or jalapeño seeded and minced
* garlic powder just a pinch * Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl add 1/2 cup of cold water, mix well. Let set a few minutes.

Chips & Dip: Greesy potato chips and dairy/cheese based dips will leave you feeling super-gross on Monday morning.. Completely not worth it!! Swap out the greesy chips for some homemade whole grain pita chips. Cut pita bread into triangles, drizzle EVOO over sprinkle some course sea salt and toss into the oven at 400 F until they're crisp. Doing this will cut calories & fat while adding fiber!
As for the dip, why would you eat a creamy dip drenched in calories and fat when you have the option to pair those killer pita chips with yummy hummus! I love all Trader Joe's brands. Chick Peas make up the foundation of this great dip and pack in even more fiber to keep you regular as well as a decent amount of iron which helps blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs to the tissue cells which need this to function!

Sweet Tooth: For anyone with a sweet tooth, swap out heavy cakes for some dark chocolate covered strawberries! This way you can satisfy any sweet or chocolate craving while packing in some great antioxidants from both the Strawberries & Dark Chocolate! I mean really, have you every met anyone who DIDN'T like chocolate covered strawberries?

So there you have it! Everything you need to lighten up your game time noshing. Enjoy & go Colts!!