Roasted Chicken and Pecan Rice

PECAN "RICE:"
3 cups riced Cauliflower
2 TBS butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 TBS minced parsley
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt

"RICE": Place the cauliflower heads into a food processor (click HERE to find the one I use), pulse until small pieces of 'rice.'

In a pan, melt butter and mix in "riced" cauliflower and onions, fry until soft. When cauliflower is done, add pecans, parsley, basil, ginger, pepper and salt. Serve with chicken.

Nutritional Comparison (per cup):
Cauliflower "Rice" = 28 calories, 3 carbs, 1 fiber
White Rice = 242 calories, 53 carbs, 0 fiber

ROASTED CHICKEN:
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, giblets removed
Celtic sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup butter, divided
1 stalk celery, leaves removed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Place 3 tablespoons butter and the onion in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining butter around the chicken's exterior. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.

Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted butter and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

Eggless Mango Chocolate Cake,Eid Delicacy 2

I don't dislike eggs ,but its good to experiment without them every once in a while to create a lighter calorie baked goodies.Also,for those with egg allergies(like my mom ) and on restricted diets this(and the previous) eggless bake wouldn't be a let down.


Talk about the star ingredient in the cake - the mangoes.The mango puree not just replaces the eggs but also adds to the sweetness of the cake.The fresh mango slices in every bite would make the cake a true mango indulgence.And of course the chocolaty touch with 100% cocoa powder cannot be substituted with any other ingredient.


Recipe Eggless Mango Chocolate Cake
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup 100% cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder(alum free)
1/3 cup agave nectar or 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup mango puree unsweetened
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 ripe mangoes,sliced lengthwise


Method
Preheat oven to 350ºF and adjust oven rack to middle .Lightly grease and line a 8x8 inch round pan with parchment paper.Arrange in the pan,the fresh mango sliced in a flower pattern.
Sift all the dry ingredients in large mixing bowl,also mix in the chocolate chips.In another mixing bowl whisk together oil,milk,mango puree,vanilla and sugar.

Now combine wet and dry mixtures. Pour in the prepared cake pan and set in the oven for 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool cake for 30 minutes and flip on to a plate.Peel off the parchment,slice and serve.Can be refrigerated for a week.



Hard to believe the cherished month of Ramadan is ending soon.Eid marks the celebration of recharged faith.Sweet delicacies of all kinds adorn the eid feasts,the cake would be such a pleasant addition.


Farewell to Ramadan and mangoes......

Eid Mubarak !

Chicken "Noodle" Soup

I remember enjoying a bowl of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup as a kid, but now that I know what the ingredients are in that little metal can...no thank you!

INGREDIENTS: Chicken stock, enriched egg noodles (wheat flour, egg solids, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cooked chicken meat, water, contains less than 2% of the following ingredients: salt, chicken fat, cooked mechanically separated chicken, monosodium glutamate, cornstarch, onion powder, modified food starch, yeast extract, spice extract, soy protein isolate, sodium phosphates, beta carotene for color, chicken flavor (contains chicken stock, chicken powder, chicken fat), flavoring, dehydrated garlic.



I was reminded of the wonderful Daikon veggie last night when I took a teenager and her mom to the grocery store last night for some healthy shopping. I also noticed Daikon hash-brown recipe on the UNBREADED Blog.

A one cup serving of daikon contains about 20 calories, 4g carbs and 2g of fiber for an effective carb count of 2g. Daikons are an excellent source of vitamin C and has lots of magnesium, folate, and provides 10% of your RDA for fiber.

CHICKEN "NOODLE" SOUP:
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
4 cups Daikon OR zucchini (cut into noodle shapes)
12 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
3 slices fresh ginger root (optional)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 TBS dried parsley

Peel and cut daikon with the veggie cutter (click HERE to find it on Amazon.com) or by hand to resemble noodles. In a large stock pot, saute celery and onion in butter until soft. Add chicken, carrots, chicken broth, marjoram, ginger, black pepper, bay leaf, and parsley. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add Daikon, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Makes 10 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Noodle Soup = 227 calories, 8g fat, 24g protein, 19 carbs, 2 fiber
"Healthified" Noodle Soup = 120 calories, 8g fat, 24g protein, 4g carbs, 2g fiber

Triple Hot Chocolate and WEIGHT GAIN

I always enjoyed a little warm drink around the campfire, but I had a hard time finding a replacement for the good-old packages of hot chocolate mixes that have trans-fat in them.

NESTLE HOT COCOA INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, VEGETABLE OIL (PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COCONUT OR PALM KERNEL AND HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN), DAIRY PRODUCT SOLIDS (FROM MILK), COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, AND LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, CELLULOSE GUM, SODIUM CASEINATE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CITRATE, SODIUM ALUMINOSILICATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, GUAR GUM, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SUCRALOSE. MADE ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES SOY AND WHEAT.

Harvard scientists studied Trans-Fat vs. Saturated Fat. All they were studying was heart disease, they weren't even thinking about a weight gain issue.

•Group A and B consumed same calories and fat
–Group A = Trans-fat
–Group B = Saturated-fat

Surprised to find…Group A gained 3 times as much weight!!! »A calorie isn’t just a calorie!


Here is my solution:
1 chocolate hazelnut tea bag
Few drops of chocolate stevia
1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk


If you wanted to make it "a quadruple" hot chocolate, you could also add a TBS of unsweetened cocoa powder!

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Swiss Miss "SUGAR FREE" = 60 calories, 10 carbs, 7g sugar (using WATER)
"Healthified" Hot Chocolate = 40 calories, 0 fat, 0 protein, 1 carb, 0 SUGAR

Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies , Eid Delicacy 1

The sumptuous Sheerkhorma and Saffron Sevia are definitely the classic delicacies served on the big holiday of Eid,but I also love to compliment the Eid feast with some adorable baked goodies.



These nutty cookies are ridiculously simple to bake and quite a treat on the special day.Did I mention these are also incredibly nutritious ?


Recipe : Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies with Dark Chocolate Drizzle
yields about a dozen cookies
Ingredients
1 cup fine shred coconut
1 cup fine ground raw almonds
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup Agave nectar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon virgin pressed coconut oil
1/2 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method
In a large mixing bowl combine the coconut,almonds ,salt and flour.In another smaller bowl mix in the sugar,honey and melted coconut oil.Stir in the honey mixture in to the coconut mixture,combine well.
Preheat Oven to 350F.
Take a tablespoon of mixture,roll and slightly flatten the balls, lay on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.Bake for 10-12 minutes,until lightly crisp on top.Let cool before drizzling the chocolate over.

Melt the chocolate in microwave,stir every 10 seconds until completely melted,add about a tablespoon of soy or almond milk and keep stirring to make the mixture smooth and glossy .

Using a spoon ,drizzle the chocolate all over the cookies.Can serve immediately.Or to store let cool completely,can be kept in refrigerator for over a week.

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

It is my 30th birthday today. My wish it that I get our referral today for our baby. My husband is terrible at keeping secrets (he usually has me open my present the day he gets it:) even with Christmas presents). But I hope that he knows and is just keeping it a surprise for me. I will let all of you know as soon as I know! I also wanted to thank all of you who have purchased my books, all the the profits go to our adoption fund. So if it weren't for all of you, this wouldn't be possible!

So, I made my own birthday cake, well, CHEESECAKE. I combined my two favorite foods: cream cheese and peanut butter:)

CRUST:
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1 cup coconut oil or butter
1 cup Just Like Sugar (or erythritol)
2 tsp stevia glycerite
1 tsp Celtic sea salt

FILLING:
6 - 8 ounces cream cheese
3 eggs
3/4 cup erythritol or xylitol(powdered fine)
1 tsp stevia glycerite
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean)

PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL:
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/8 cup erythritol
1/4 tsp stevia glycerite
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or cream)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the "crust" ingredients and then press into bottom of spring-form pan.

If using vanilla bean: Cut a vanilla bean open through the middle and scrape the beans out of the inside with a sharp knife.

Option: in a coffee grinder, blend Truvia (or erythritol) until a fine powder. This creates a smoother cheesecake.

Mix the peanut butter swirl ingredients together until smooth and set aside.

Mix cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low after each, just until blended. Pour over crust. Then using a knife swirl in the peanut butter mix.

I use a water bath to create a more even baking process. To prevent water from seeping into the removable bottom of the springform pan, wrap aluminum foil completely around the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Place the cheesecake into a jellyroll pan (or any baking pan with sides) and place the pans into the oven. Use a teakettle to fill the outer pan with hot water. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around the rim of the pan to loosen cake and allow to cool before removing the spring-form pan ring. Refrigerate overnight.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
2 TBS grass fed butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered* erythritol (or Organic Zero)
1 tsp stevia glycerite

Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water). Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), add in the cream, and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick. Smooth all over the top of the cooled cheesecake and set back in fridge to set.

We cut the cheesecake into 18 pieces, which were so satisfying!

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Cheesecake Factory = 930 calories, 93 carbs, 1 fiber, 3 protein
"Healthified" Cheesecake = 407 calories, 4.8 carbs, 1.2 fiber, 3 protein

Shrimp Stuffed Peppers

For all you pepper lovers out there, here is an awesome way to enjoy them!

3 whole bell peppers
1/4 cup coconut oil, divided (or butter)
Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
12 medium shrimp - peeled, deveined and chopped
1/8 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup broth (chicken or other)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Optional: Capers for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop out the flesh of the peppers; set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Saute shrimp, basil and garlic until shrimp turns pink, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in broth, and cook 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl, and mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Stuff mixture into pepper shells, and sprinkle top with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Makes 3 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving):
Shrimp Sandwich = 490 calories, 29g fat, 9g protein, 49 carbs, 1g fiber
“Healthified” Shrimp = 235 calories, 23g fat, 9g protein, 9 carbs, 3g fiber