Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

I consider myself to be a pretty healthy eater: I have good portion control, I try to avoid fried foods and heavy cream sauces, and I try not to eat out too often. However, with all of that being said, I have quite the sweet tooth. I seem to always crave something chocolatey and delicious after a savory meal. Typically, a piece of dark Dove chocolate will satisfy me and prevent me from delving into something incredibly rich and unhealthy. Tonight, however, a little piece of chocolate just wasn't gonna cut it! 

I decided to come up with a concoction containing dark chocolate, because that happens to be my very favorite superfood. This concoction turned into a delicious treat that I know you are going to love. It's also something that you can store in an airtight storage container and have in the freezer for weeks- even months! These are the perfect little desserts for me after dinner, and I'm so happy they turned out so yummy.  Hope you enjoy, and just so you all know, this will be the first of MANY dark chocolate recipes. :)

Dark chocolate is a superfood because of its high level of antioxidants  Antioxidants help keep the heart healthy and prevent cardiovascular disease. Dark chocolate also improves blood flow to the brain, in turn improving cognitive functions. Lastly, dark chocolate is said to encourage your brain to release endorphins, thereby promoting feelings of happiness. (You sold yet?) :)

Ingredients:

3 bananas

1.5 cups dark chocolate chips

Peanut butter or almond butter

Directions:

1) Slice bananas into 1/4 inch pieces

2) Spread almond butter, peanut butter, or whatever kind of nut butter you have on one piece of banana and place another piece of banana over top to create a sandwich

3) Melt chocolate chips in microwave for 2 minutes- stirring halfway to avoid burning 

4) Dip each banana "sandwich" in the chocolate and place on parchment covered baking sheet

5) Freeze the chocolatey bites for 2 hours and enjoy!

(As mentioned before, put these in an airtight container and they will last a long time)

*Recipe makes about 20-25 bites*

Mom's Purple Potatoes with Winter Pesto

This recipe and narrative comes right from my guest blogger, my mom:

Greetings from the kitchen of guest blogger, Elyse. While not a trained cook, I've been cooking since I could reach the stove. I've never taken a formal cooking class, but own over 100 cookbooks and thousands of newspaper clippings and torn magazine pages. I dream food, and wake up salivating for the recipes of my reverie. For me, cooking is at once a relaxing past time and an exhilarating and joyful confluence of all five senses. Just the smell and sizzle of onions in a fry pan puts me in the zone, and shuts out the worries, distractions, and  stress of a bad day.

As the weather turns cold and the sun sets early, I find myself yearning for the vivid colors and bright flavors of Indian summer long gone. No worries, because Nature's colorful palette is still full of  surprises. Throughout the year, but especially in winter, purple reigns supreme. This royal shade comes from anthocyanins, which are disease fighting antioxidants. Purple cabbage, kohlrabi, and potatoes are not just pretty, but full of nutritional power as well. Research on anthocyanins indicates they may be effective in preventing certain cancers, reducing the risk of heart disease, and improving eyesight. This week's recipe is for: 

Purple Potatoes With Winter Pesto (Serves 4)

4 medium size purple potatoes, scrubbed well and boiled in a pot of salted water for 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife. Cool until easy to handle. 

Winter Pesto:

1 cup packed flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, basil, mint, oregano or any combination of green herbs

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

Blend all in blender or food processor, while potatoes are cooking.

Stir in 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.

1) Peel and slice potatoes, and top with winter pesto. 

2) To round out the meal, serve on a bed of cooked lentils and/or top with a poached egg.

Super Protein Salad (Vegetarian)

My goal on the weekends is to do something that will make the work week a little bit easier on myself. This can include doing chores, making a few extra dinners, or in this case- preparing the week's worth of lunches. This week, I decided to make salads for myself. 

When I'm at work, I ALWAYS seem to be hungry. Maybe it's because my brain is working hard, or maybe it's stress- either way, I am far hungrier at work than when I'm at home relaxing. If I just packed myself a typical salad with all veggies, I'd be hungry an hour later. This week, I decided to really bump up the protein value in the salad by adding edamame, chick peas, and cheese. I have to say, this salad was not only delicious, but kept me full until my daily 3:00 snack time ;)

My super food of the week is beets. I actually was never a fan of beets until a few months ago when I had them in an amazing salad with goat cheese. I realized how much I liked their taste and texture and also discovered how unbelievably healthy they are.

Beets have an immense amount of vitamins and minerals that can help keep your immune system healthy and prevent illness. They also are a part of the crimson colored foods that contain a ton of antioxidants. 

I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I have never cooked my own beets. I always take the short cut and by them already cooked and peeled so my hands don't get stained! See above picture of the prepared beets from Trader Joe's.

In this particular salad, I used a goat cheddar cheese from Trader Joe's since I love that goat cheese and beet combination  You can feel free to substitute any kind of cheese you like though, this is simply a suggestion!

Ingredients:

2 Bags Spring mix salad

3 Cooked Beets- Diced

1/4 lb Goat Cheddar Cheese- Cubed

9 oz. Shelled Edamame

1 15 oz. Can Chick Peas

*Use salad dressing of your choosing or feel free to use my recipe for balsamic vinaigrette:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/8 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp. Honey

Salt/Pepper to taste

(Whisk ingredients until blended)

Pumpkin Hummus

I truly cannot believe it's November already! It feels like this year is just flying by. The good news is, we still have an entire month left of pumpkin season! I warn you that this will not be my last pumpkin posting. I am totally in love with pumpkin. I like it in sweet dishes, I like it in savory dishes, I like it flavored in coffee, I pretty much like it in everything.

This is a very special guest blog post, as it comes from my wonderful mother. She is one of the biggest reasons why I decided to start this blog and why I've become obsessed with super foods. She is one of the healthiest eaters and chefs that I've ever met. I think it took me until college to realize how good I had it when I lived at home and ate her meals for dinner!

Anyway, my mom was reading about fun and creative recipes with pumpkin and came across a pumpkin hummus recipe. Being the adventurous cook that she is, she decided to recreate the recipe with her own unique flare. 

This hummus is so versatile. It can be eaten with something sweet like apples, or paired with salty crackers or pita chips. It is also a beautiful color, and the perfect appetizer to bring to a party or a friend's house. 

This recipe calls for Tahini which is a paste made from sesame seeds. It has the same texture and consistency as peanut butter. Most grocery stores now carry Tahini but if you can't find it- substitute good quality olive oil. It will have a different taste and texture to the hummus but will still be delicious!

Pumpkin is a super food for so many reasons. First off, it is extremely high in fiber and low in calories- which is always a plus. It has many disease fighting nutrients such as Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Potassium. Pumpkin also has an immense amount of Carotenoids. Carotenoids are a fat soluble compound that exists in many plants. Carotenoids are said to promote health and ward off diseases- particularly cancer. 

Ingredients:

1 16.oz Can Chick Peas

1 Cup Canned Pumpkin 

4. Tbsp Tahini 

1/4 Cup Shallots- diced. (drizzle these in olive oil and roast in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes prior to making the recipe)

1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tsp. Cumin

Juice of 1 Lemon

2 Tbsp Tamari or Low Sodium Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. Crystallized Ginger- chopped (optional)

1 Tsp. Smoked Paprika (optional)

Directions:

1) Blend first 8 ingredients in blender of food processor. *Do not over blend or it will become too watery

2) Pour into serving bowl and stir in optional ingredients, if desired. 

3) Pair with chips, crackers, apples, or whatever dippers you have on hand.

4) Eat up and enjoy this super hummus!