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Posts tagged ‘Healthy’

Muesli

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I’ve always had a bit of a cereal addiction.  I find it to be a great comfort food, no matter what time of day.  In fact, I love it so much that I had to stop buying it!  I’ve recently come up with a way to bring cereal back into my life in a healthy way: muesli, which is a homemade cereal based on oats, fruit and nuts.  I love how all the ingredients are fresh and not processed.  I feel good about eating it.

The recipe is very forgiving and adaptable.  I typically use sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds would work perfectly (try using both!).  You can get additional fiber by adding a tablespoon of flax seed.  My favorite dried fruits to use are cherries and dates, but raisins also work perfectly well.  The goji berries and cacao nibs are optional if you’re not one for fancy ingredients.  You can find them at most health food stores and they’re both considered superfoods.  I say yes to superfoods!  Might as well sneak a bit of extra nutrition in there, right?  They’re both very tasty; the cacao nibs add a lovely hint of chocolate crunch, while goji berries are sweet and chewy.  If you leave these out, add more nuts and dried fruit.

Because I find cereal to be such a tempting snack, I prefer to make this one serving at a time.  But to save time you can easily multiply the recipe and store it in an airtight container in the pantry.  It will stay fresh for weeks, if not months.  Instant, healthy cereal!

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Tri-Color Curried Potato Salad

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

Over the past several months I’ve been seriously attempting to cut down on the dairy in my diet. I have no intentions of cutting it out completely, mind you. I’m a big believer in moderation. It’s tough, because I love cheese, ice cream, cream sauces, soups etc. But I don’t need them all the time.

I’ve found coconut milk to be a fantastic substitution in a variety of recipes (now that warmer weather is here I might have to make some coconut milk ice cream!). For something a bit different, I decided to try using it in potato salad. I love curries made with coconut milk, and this recipe evolved from that concept. If it makes a great stew, maybe it will make a great salad! This is a much healthier alternative to vegan potato salads that use soy mayonnaise. No one will ever convince me that stuff is healthy.

If you’re not familiar with coconut milk, it’s often separated when you first open the can. The thicker, creamier coconut milk rises to the top, leaving a more watery mixture underneath. You’ll have best results with this recipe if you use the creamy stuff.

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Basil Apple Lime Juice

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I don’t know about you, but I’m still feeling really stuffed from the holidays.  Getting back into my work and exercise routine has been slow moving, to say the least.  At times it has been downright painful. Since returning home I’ve been watching my processed sugar and gluten intake to try and detox from all of the heavy food I consumed for 11 days straight.  I’ve also dusted off my juicer.  A glass of fresh juice can do wonders when I’m feeling rough around the edges.

This basil apple lime juice is very refreshing and full of health benefits.  Basil contains antioxidants, can improve digestion and aid in stress relief.  Lime juice is a great source of Vitamin C.  Apples are believed to have cancer fighting properties.   I feel almost like new after enjoying a glass!

Almost.

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Raw Almond Milk

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I recently watched the documentary ‘Forks Over Knives’ and it was a life changer.  The movie provides some stunning scientific evidence supporting the relationship between animal product consumption and disease.  I want to live a long healthy life!  I’m nowhere close to maintaining an exclusively plant-based diet, but I’m making changes.  For example, I’ve never been a big meat eater but I consume quite a bit of dairy.  To offset this, I’ve been alternating between milk and non-dairy alternatives.

Out of the wide array of non-dairy milk alternatives available, my favorite is almond milk.  It has a mild, smooth flavor and works great in cereal, coffee and smoothies.  I have yet to try baking with it but I’ve heard many success stories.  I decided to try making my own to see how it compared to store brands such as Almond Breeze.

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Strawberry Mango Yogurt Pops

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I’ve been making homemade pops quite a bit recently.  I go through phases where I get major sugar cravings in the evening (these phases seem directly related to carb and sugar intake during the day).  Homemade popsicles have become my answer! They’re healthy, filling, and they satisfy my sweet tooth.  I already keep Greek yogurt and frozen fruit handy to make smoothies.  For pops, I typically make the same smoothie I would have for a daytime snack and then freeze the contents into my Tovolo Green Star Ice Pop Molds.

It helps to have a good sturdy blender for this.  If your blender can’t puree frozen fruit, use fresh fruit.  My pop molds use approximately 2 1/3 cups of smoothie to fill all of the molds.  This recipe makes a bit extra in case you’re using a larger mold.  Drink the excess, it’s delicious.  And experiment with the ingredients!  I often use strawberries and mangoes because I love the flavor combination, but you can use any fruits you prefer.  Play around with the recipe and make a healthy, homemade pop that’s so much better than anything you’ll buy in the store.

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Whole Wheat Apple Orange Muffins

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

I’ve always been the type of person who thinks ‘what do I feel like cooking or baking this week?’  I brainstorm some ideas and then I’m off to the grocery store to pick up whatever I need.  It occurred to me recently that such thinking, while gratifying, isn’t exactly economical.  I have an entire pantry and fridge full of supplies.  Why not simply search around for ingredients I have on hand and go from there?  This is probably what the rest of the universe already does, but sometimes I look past the obvious.   Since we’re on a bit of a restricted budget right now, it’s my new plan.  And that is how this entry came to be.

I hesitate to call these Whole Wheat Apple Orange Muffins because the orange flavor didn’t come through as much as I expected it to.  But it was there.  I added 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice and 1 tablespoon of orange zest.  I contemplated adding 1 tsp of pure orange extract but went against my better judgement.  Next time I’ll definitely add that and I recommend you do the same if you want an orange flavor that stands up to the apples.  All that being said I think the orange ingredients definitely brightened up the recipe with a delicate aftertaste.  The final product was ridiculously moist and the brown sugar topping added the perfect crunch.

I’ve adapted this recipe from King Arthur Flour.  Aside from the oranges, I also added more apples.

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