Clean Eating Peanut Butter Granola

Nom Nom Nom..I LOVE granola. My favorite store bought granola is by the "Kind" brand, but my preference is to make it homemade. 

When I make granola, I typically make the same kind every time.  Today, however, I decided to throw one of my all time favorite ingredients into the mix... Peanut Butter! The peanut butter causes the granola to have all of these delicious clusters running through it..YUM! 

The basic formula for granola is: oats, dried fruit, nuts/seeds, a sweetener of sorts, and some sort of oil to bind everything. When I make granola, I prefer not to use dried fruit, so I use extra nuts and seeds. I also always use a natural, clean-eating sweetener like honey or maple syrup, and I always use coconut oil so it's extra healthy!

You can totally switch up this recipe and make it your own. It's really hard to mess it up, so don't be afraid to have fun with it!

Coconut Oil is my superfood. Coconut oil has SO many health benefits. It contains lauric acid which is a saturated fat that is said to improve good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. Lauric acid is also know to prevent heart disease and reduce chance of injury to the arteries. Coconut oil also has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties which helps strengthen the immune system and ward off illness. 

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup all natural salted peanut butter

1/8 cup melted coconut oil

1/8 cup honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2 tbsp. chia seeds

2 tbsp. hemp seeds

1/8 cup slivered almonds

1/8 cup chopped pecans

1/8 cup chopped cashews
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2) Melt coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter in microwave for 30-40 seconds or until creamy 

3) Add oats, coconut, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and all the nuts in a big bowl. Pour in the melted honey/PB/oil mixture and stir until combined. 

4) Add cinnamon and stir until incorporated.

5) Pour mixture on a greased cookie sheet.

6) Bake for 1.5 hours, stirring around every 30 minutes.

(Store at room temperature for 2 weeks or in refrigerator for up to 2 months!)

Baked Fish Sticks with Yogurt Lime Caper Sauce

For the last few months, I have been participating in a "fish share" through my local farm. Every other week I would go to the farm and pick up anywhere from 1-3 lbs of delicious locally caught New England fish. Some examples of the fish included were salmon, swordfish, and tuna. This particular week was Haddock. 

Haddock is a very mild white fish that is widely caught in New England. The Haddock share this time was about 3 pounds, so I was able to freeze a few portions.

When I was on the phone with my mom the other night, I explained to her that I had no idea what to cook for dinner. I mentioned the Haddock portions I had in the freezer and asked her to help me brainstorm. She came up with the brilliant idea of healthy baked fish sticks!

I have always loved pre-made frozen fish sticks since I was a kid. I'm reluctant to eat them now because of all the weird ingredients in them and the high fat content. When my mom mentioned the idea of making them myself, I thought this was pure genius!

I think ketchup would be a fine dipping sauce for these sticks, however I decided to kick it up a notch with a yogurt lime caper sauce. I ALWAYS have greek yogurt, lemons or limes, mayo and capers in my fridge, so for me this was simple. If you don't have these ingredients, do not worry! The sticks are tasty all by themselves. :)

Haddock contains Omega 3 fatty acids which can help relieve inflammation and prevent heart disease. Haddock also contains the mineral selenium which is known to prevent cancer and diabetes.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Haddock or any other white mild fish (Cod would work well)

1/4 cup light mayo

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 lime-juiced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Lime Caper Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

1/8 cup. light mayo

2 tbsp. capers

1/2 lime- juiced

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheet with foil and non-stick cooking spray.

2) Pat fish dry and cut into 2 inch long strips.

3) Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper on both sides.

4) Mix mayo, Dijon, lime juice, salt, and pepper.

5) Combine crushed cornflakes and panko bread crumbs in a bowl.

6) Coat each 2 inch piece of fish in the mayo mixture followed by the bread crumbs.

7) Place each piece of fish on greased baking sheet. Spray top of fish with non-stick cooking spray.

8) Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.

9) While fish is baking prepare dipping sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl.

10) Eat and enjoy!

Chocolate PB Corn Flake Clusters

Chocolate cravings are the worst! In my case, it seems to be an every day occurrence. I'm usually good at calming these chocolate cravings with a small piece of dark chocolate, or a couple chocolate chips, but today I needed more.

I wanted to make something sweet and salty that I didn't have to bake. I had cornflakes in my pantry from a recent chicken recipe so I decided to use them and make up a concoction. As you all know, I LOVE peanut butter so I decided to throw that into the mix as well.

The result: Amazing sweet and salty crunchy bites. Utter perfection.

These are so simple to make and relatively guilt-free if you only have one or two. (I had to hide the rest from myself in a container in the fridge.) 

My recommendation in making these is to use good quality chocolate chips and all natural peanut butter. I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips and Teddie all-natural salted peanut butter. 

My superfood of the week is CHOCOLATE, what else?! Here are the health benefits of chocolate from a previous recipe to make you feel better about indulging in these clusters.

Ingredients:

-2 cups cornflakes- crushed

-1 cup chocolate chips- melted

-2 tbsp. all natural peanut butter

-1 tbsp. coconut oil

-sea salt for sprinkling 

Directions

1) Crush corn flakes in a zip top bag and pour into a mixing bowl

2) Melt chocolate chips in microwave and mix with cornflakes 

3) Melt coconut oil in microwave and stir in peanut butter. Pour into corn flake mixture and stir all ingredients to combine

4) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray

5) Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto the baking sheet. (Should make 12 clusters)

6) Top each cluster with a sprinkle of sea salt

Sweet Potato Lasagna

I love the kind of meals where the leftovers taste just as good as the dish the night it was cooked. Well, lasagna is the perfect meal from which to achieve these perfect leftovers. Recently, I've been experimenting with different kinds of Lasagnas to try to make them healthier and more nutritious than the regular Italian version.

My mom became gluten-free a year and a half ago, and she came up with the idea of using corn tortillas instead of noodles. I love making Mexican Lasagna this way. Check out my recipe for that here.

I decided I wanted a carb-free layer in addition to the corn tortillas this time, and thought thin slices of zucchini would be perfect. After you thinly slice the zucchini, lay it on a paper towel and sprinkle it with salt to make sure you get out most of the liquid. Zucchini contains a lot of water so if you skip this step, your lasagna might be a little soggy. 

The sauce for this lasagna is by far the best part of the whole dish. It's made by roasting sweet potatoes and pureeing them with milk and chicken stock. The result is a velvet-y smooth sauce that accompanies the ground turkey and onion mixture PERFECTLY.

Sweet potatoes contain beta carotene which is an antioxidant that gives the potatoes their bright orange color. Beta-Carotene is said to prevent many different types of cancer. Sweet potatoes also contain Vitamin A which helps promote healthy eyesight as well as healthy skin and hair. Lastly, sweet potatoes are e a great source of potassium which helps lower blood pressure.

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes diced 

8 corn tortillas

1 onion- diced

3 cloves garlic- grated

1 lb. ground turkey

1.5 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk

2 zucchinis- thinly sliced, salted and patted dry. (read above directions)

1 cup part-skim ricotta

1 egg

2 cups spinach

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 tbsp. olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2) Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and roast them for 25-35 minutes or until tender

3) Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. 

4) Add sweet potatoes to a food processor with salt/pepper, chicken stock and milk and puree until a silky smooth sauce appears. (Add more liquid if necessary)

5) Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium high heat

6) Add onion and cook for 15-20 minutes or until caramelized 

7) Add ground turkey and heat until totally cooked through

8) Add garlic to turkey mixture with the red pepper flakes and more salt/pepper to taste. Mix around and taste for seasoning. Add more spices, if necessary.

9) Mix ricotta in a small bowl with the egg until completely incorporated

10) Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray

11) Pour 1/4 cup cold water on the bottom of the pan so the tortillas do not burn

12) To start building your lasagna, add corn tortillas to the bottom, top with half of the turkey mixture, and 1/3 of the sweet potato puree. Place zucchini strips on top and then add the ricotta mixture. Top ricotta mixture with the raw spinach leaves. Add the rest of the turkey mixture and more of the sweet potato purees. Line the top with the 4 remaining corn tortillas and pour the remainder of the sweet potato puree on top. 

12) Cover the lasagna with foil and cook for 30 minutes

13) Remove from oven and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Cook for additional 10 minutes uncovered.

14) Remove from oven and let sit for 20 minutes prior to eating so the lasagna stays together when you cut into it.

My 1 Year Blogiversary!

It's hard to believe that it was was ONE year ago that I started the Superfoods Girl Blog! I started the blog with the goal of motivating people to eat healthier and incorporate heart-healthy superfoods into their every day diets. I truly believe I've been successful in this goal, and I look forward to sharing even more recipes with you.

You will notice the my blog got a face-lift. I owe that all to my extremely talented friend, Julia who spent time revamping my site and making it fancy. :)

To celebrate this Blogiversary, I have decided to post my top 5 favorite recipes of the year. If you haven't made these, I encourage you to give them all a try!

Recipe #5: Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
This is the most delicious and satisfying breakfast in the cooler months--especially in apple-picking season!

Recipe #4: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

Need a sweet and healthy treat to satisfy your chocolate cravings? Look no further! Make these easy and scrumptious chocolate peanut butter banana bites.

Recipe #3: Protein Power Balls

These superfood-loaded treats are the perfect on-the-go snack to make you feel energized and ready to take on the day!

Recipe #2: Penne with Sauteed Shrimp and Avocado Pesto

Obsessed with avocados like I am? Stop making the traditional olive oil-loaded pesto and use avocados instead! 

AND..my FAVORITE recipe this year... Recipe #1: Eggplant "Meat" Balls

This is my mom's famous recipe, and it is definitely a winner! Try introducing "Meatless Mondays" at your house. I guarantee you- nobody will miss the meat!

Thank you all for your support and for contuing to read my blog each week. Going into year #2, I feel more inspired than ever to create and share more delicious recipes with you!

~xoxo Emily

Fiesta Quinoa Avocado Salad

Every Sunday morning, my ritual is as follows: I drink my coffee, watch Food Network, and browse Pinterest to see what new and exciting lunch recipes were posted. 

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I get bored with food VERY quickly. I know there are some people (cough, my husband) who can eat the same thing for lunch every day and never get tired of it. Well, my friend, I am in no way like that. 

I like to think of lunch as my reward for getting through the morning at work. Therefore, I want this "reward" to be utterly delicious and refreshing to my palate! 

There are 4 qualities that are very important to me when it comes to lunches. I want:

• A dish that's easy to make
• A dish that doesn't require 800 ingredients 
• A dish that's healthy and hearty (has enough protein to keep me full)
• A dish that doesn't smell (like fish or curry- let's be honest, we hate the people who bring smelly lunches into work)

This dish was inspired by a Barefoot Contessa recipe that I saw on Food Network this morning. She made a delicious-looking corn and avocado salad that almost made me start drooling. I decided to sort of recreate this with my own flare. I used black beans and quinoa in my salad to amp up the protein and fiber to really keep me satisfied throughout the day. I also added cumin and paprika to give it a little zesty edge. 

In addition to being great for lunch, this salad is also the perfect dish to bring to a party or BBQ because it really adheres to most dietary restrictions: The salad is gluten free, dairy free, nut-free, and vegan! Could you ask for more?!

I used cilantro in this recipe, which I know a lot of people dislike. Feel free to sub this out with parsley or any other herb you love. I also found the most beautiful cherry tomatoes that I thought would be perfect for this salad, but you can use any kind of tomato you want. Lastly, I used black beans, but I think kidney beans or cannelini beans would also also work very well. Mix it up and have fun with this recipe!

My superfood of the week is quinoa which I've featured before in my Quinoa Fried "Rice." To get the health benefits of quinoa check out that recipe: Quinoa Fried "Rice"

Ingredients:

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 cup dried quinoa

1 large english cucumber-sliced

1 can black beans- rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro-chopped

2 cups corn (I used frozen and thawed it prior to adding)

1 avocado- diced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup olive oil

2 limes- juiced

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. paprika

Directions:

1) Cook quinoa to package instructions and let cool

2) Combine tomatoes, cucumber, beans, corn, cilantro, and avocado in large bowl

3) Mix vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, sugar, sea salt, pepper, cumin and paprika in a small bowl with a wire whisk. Add dressing to the veggie mixture

4) Add cooled quinoa to mixture and stir to combine

5) Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper if necessary

6) Refrigerate at least 2 hours before eating to allow flavors to marry

Healthy Chocolate PB "Ice-cream"

It's Labor Day Weekend, and I just cannot believe how fast the summer has flown by. Seriously, it feels like July 4 was just yesterday! To celebrate the last real weekend of summer, I decided to treat myself to a refreshing bowl of "ice cream." 

I'm sure you've seen recipes before for the 2 ingredient "ice-cream," which is simply a frozen banana and peanut butter. I've made that and it's awesome, however today  I wanted to kick it up a notch.

I added some raw cacao powder to make the "icecream" chocolate-y. I also experimented adding Greek yogurt to give it the tang of froyo and make it a little more creamy and luxurious. The Greek yogurt also adds a healthy dose of protein making this the perfect snack to have post work-out!

Bananas are a superfood because they contain potassium which helps lower blood pressure and regulates sodium in the body. Bananas also contain soluble fiber which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Bananas can also help you feel energized with the healthy levels of carbohydrates and sugars they contain.

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana

1 tbsp. all natural creamy peanut butter

1/8 cup 2% Greek  Yogurt

1 tbsp. raw cacao powder

chocolate chips and peanuts for topping- optional

1) Add first 4 ingredients to food processor

2) Blend until creamy

3) Sprinkle toppings of your choosing and enjoy!

*Makes 1 serving