Author: Denise

My name is Denise and I love good food, but enjoy preparing it more. I spend a good portion of my free time searching recipes, experimenting in the kitchen and coming up with tasty creations. Some of my other favorite things are my pets, family, friends, traveling (especially to tropical destinations and Paris), the beach, music, movies, and shopping, to name just a few ;)

How to Eat and Live Clean


I just purchased a magazine that I’ve never heard of before, Clean Eating, and am thrilled that I did. It has me more inspired about eating and cooking even healthier than I currently do now. The following is an excerpt from the magazine, which basically explains the rule(s) of thumb for clean eating.

The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time.

  • Eat five to six times a day – three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.
  • Drink at least two liters of water a day – preferably from a reusable canteen or container, not plastic; being friends with the environment is important!
  • Get label savvy – clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.
  • Avoid processed and refined foods – such as white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.
  • Know thy enemies – steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans-fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.
  • Shop with a conscience – consume humanely raised and local meats.
  • Consume healthy fats – essential fatty acids or EFAs, every day.
  • Learn about portion sizes – and work toward eating within them.
  • Reduce your carbon footprint – eat produce that is seasonal and local. It is less taxing on your wallet and our environment.
  • Drink water with a lemon wedge – a glass of red for a special occasion is OK, but it should be a rare indulgence. The health benefits of red wine are reversed after more than one glass a day.
  • Slow down and savor – never rush through a meal. Food tastes better when savored. Enjoy every bite.
  • Take it to go – pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go.
  • Make it a family affair – food is a social glue that should be shared with loved ones. Improve the quality of your family’s life along with your own.

Note: So, while I think these are all excellent tips and I actually do most of them already, I do have some recipes that use sugar, white flour, bread and pasta. My thoughts… eats those things in moderation as best as you can.

Mini Crab Cakes with Cilantro-Lime Aioli


These elegant crab cakes are baked (not fried!) in mini muffin tins to ensure a non-greasy and perfectly shaped appetizer. The cilantro-lime aioli adds zest and color.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Neufchâtel or cream cheese, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt such as Fage or Oikos
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
  • 4 tsp plus 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives, divided
  • 1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 6 oz fresh lump crabmeat, picked over and coarsely shredded
  • 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pans
  • Fresh chives, cut into 1” pieces
  • Cilantro-lime aioli
  • 2 mini muffin pans

Directions

  1. In a bowl, using your electric mixer and beat the cream cheese until smooth.
  2. Add 1/4 cup of the Pecorino and the egg; beat until incorporated.
  3. Beat in the yogurt, zest, 4 tsp chopped chives, salt, and spices.
  4. Fold in the crabmeat. This can be made up to 1 day ahead (just keep chilled and covered in the refrigerator).
  5. Preheat oven to 350F.
  6. Generously butter 2 mini muffin pans.
  7. Toss the breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup of Pecorino and 2 tbsp of chopped chives.
  8. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter and mix until evenly moistened.
  9. Press 1 rounded tsp of panko into the bottom of your prepared muffin tins.
  10. Top with 1 tbsp of crab filling.
  11. Sprinkle with more panko until it is full covered.
  12. Continue until you have used all the bread crumbs and all the fillings.
  13. Bake the crab cakes until golden on top and slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.
  14. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then use a skewer or knife to gently loosen the cakes and remove from the pan.
  15. Arrange on baking sheets and let stand at room temperature.
  16. Rewarm in 350 degree oven for 6 minutes before serving.
  17. Arrange on serving tray and drizzle each crab cake with 1 teaspoon of aioli dressing.
  18. Top with two crisscrossed chives

Cilantro-Lime Aioli


This aioli goes with the Mini Crab Cakes, but is a lovely addition to seafood, and can also be used in sandwiches or over grilled chicken.

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
  • Juice of half a lime
  • 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard (not coarse grained)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bunch cilantro, washed, trimmed of the stem bottoms, and patted dry
  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Add the egg yolk to the bowl of your food processor with the blade attachment. Whisk in lime juice and mustard.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the oils and then add the oil mixture in a slow steady trickle through the opening in your processor while the blade is whisking constantly.
  3. Continue until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture has emulsified (thickened to a creamy consistency).
  4. Add the garlic cloves and cilantro in small bunches, allowing it all to be processed and incorporated.
  5. Season with kosher salt to taste.
  6. Chill, covered, until ready to use.

Top ↑

Lemon Herb Chicken


This is a quick, light and delicious recipe that should take only 30 minutes from start to finish!

Recipe courtesy of Women’s Health Magazine

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tsp olive oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Juice & zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in an oven-proof skillet on high heat.
  3. Place chicken in skillet and sear for 2 minutes per side.
  4. While the chicken cooks, put the 4 tsp olive oil, along with the lemon juice, zest and herbs into a blender or processor & pulse until well mixed.
  5. Place the skillet with the chicken in oven & roast for 8 minutes.
  6. Remove skillet from oven and place chicken on a plate.
  7. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Pour the wine into the skillet, scraping any brown bits from bottom of pan.
  9. Add the herb sauce to skillet and cook on stove top for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
  10. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Cupcakes!


For those of you that don’t know me personally, I’ll fill you in on one of my passions… cupcakes. Specifically, mini-cupcakes (aka little cakes). I love making them about as much as I enjoy eating them. I recently made these marble cupcakes, which basically just consists of devil’s food cake and yellow cake, swirled. Since time was a factor, I “cheated” and used two cake mixes and two containers of frosting (one chocolate and one vanilla), instead of making them from scratch.

Ingredients

  • 1 box Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake mix
  • 1 box Betty Crocker Yellow cake mix
  • 6 eggs
  • 2/3 cup oil
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 container Betty Crocker Chocolate frosting
  • 1 container Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting

Directions

  1. Follow directions on cake mix, which includes oven temp and baking time.
  2. Cool cupcakes completely.
  3. Frost using a mix of chocolate and vanilla frosting. I used a decorator’s bag and tip to get a unique blend of the two frostings and the grooved design pictured above. Of course, you can simply use a knife and just use a little bit of both frostings.

Almond Chicken Dijon


Here’s a light and easy chicken dish that takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

  • 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb)
  • 2 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Directions

  1. Heat over to 375F.
  2. Place chicken in lightly greased 13×9 baking dish.
  3. Mix mayo and mustard, spread on top of chicken. Sprinkle with nuts & press in slightly.
  4. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Healthy Snacks


I want to talk about snacks and give you some low-calorie options for when hunger strikes in-between meals. It’s a good idea to have a snack to keep your metabolism going and the ones listed here, are only about 150 calories each! So, whether you’re watching your weight or just need a little something to hold you over ’til lunch or dinner, these are all guilt-free and pretty tasty.

  • 1 oz. healthy nuts (47 pistachios or 24 almonds or peanuts)
  • 2 whole-grain crackers with 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 cup baby carrots with 1/2 cup hummus
  • 6 oz. nonfat yogurt with 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
  • 3 cups popcorn (popped in 2 tsp canola oil)
  • 3/4 cup fresh pineapple with 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
  • 1 cup fresh fruit with 1 part-skim string cheese
  • 1 cup whole-grain cereal (such as Cheerios) with 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk & 1/2 cup slice strawberries
  • English muffin pizza: 1/2 whole-grain English muffin with 1 tbsp tomato sauce & 1/2 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese (add green pepper and onion slices on top if you’d like)
  • 1 apple with 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal with sliced almonds (about 5) and 1/2 cup skim or 1% milk
  • 1 oz. low-fat cheese with 3 whole-wheat crackers
  • 1/2 small whole-wheat tortilla with 2 slices turkey (or tofurkey), 1 slice tomato and 1 small slice avocado
  • 12 whole-grain corn chips and 1/2 cup salsa
  • Fruit smoothie: 1 cup skim or 1% milk blended with 3/4 cup berries

Hot Seared Chicken


Here’s a low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-calorie chicken dish that’s quick & easy to whip up during the week.

Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lbs)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp blackened seasoning mix or jerk seasoning (dry)
  • 1/8 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp butter or margarine
  • 1/4 cup water

Directions

  1. Remove fat from chicken.
  2. Mix 1 1/2 tsp of lime juice, seasoning mixture and cumin.
  3. Rub mixture evenly over both sides of chicken.
  4. Spray 10 inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray & heat over medium-high heat.
  5. Melt butter/margarine in skillet.
  6. Cook chicken in butter/margarine about 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest pieces are cut.
  7. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
  8. Add remaining 1 1/2 tsp lime juice and the water to drippings in skillet.
  9. Heat to boiling. Boil & stir about 45 seconds or until liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp.
  10. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Nectarines Poached in Lavender-Honey Syrup


Are you aware of the difference between nectarines and peaches? If not, here’s a little intel on them: Nectarines can be used in the same way as peaches, and may be considered as substitutes for peaches. The only difference between peaches and nectarines is the lack of fuzz on the nectarine skin. Nectarines tend to be smaller and more aromatic than peaches and have more red color on the fruit surface. Fresh peaches provide respectable amounts of the antioxidant vitamins A and C, in addition to potassium and fiber. Nectarines provide twice the vitamin A, slightly more vitamin C, and much more potassium than peaches.

With that being said, this dessert is amazingly tasty and one you should try!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp dried lavender buds
  • 6 nectarines, halved & pitted (about 1 1/2 lbs)
  • 6 cups vanilla low-fat frozen yogurt
  • Fresh lavender sprigs (optional)

Directions

  1. Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven, stirring to dissolve sugar.
  2. Stir in lavender buds.
  3. Add nectarines. Reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes or until nectarines are just tender (do not overcook).
  4. Remove nectarines from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid in pan. Bring liquid to a boil, and cook until reduced to 3 cups (about 10 minutes). Cool slightly.
  5. Serve syrup with nectarines and yogurt.
  6. Garnish with fresh lavender, if desired.
Source: Cooking Light

Banana French Toast


If you like bananas, then you’ll love this recipe that’s just a slight variation from the traditional French Toast, as it contains bananas and cream in the batter.

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces of bread (I prefer whole grain or wheat)
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 2 eggs (or 1 egg, 1 egg white)
  • 1/8 cup whipping cream (or milk)
  • Cinnamon
  • Cooking spray

Directions

  1. Put eggs, 1/2 banana, cream and a dash of cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
  2. Mix using hand mixer (or blender) until smooth.
  3. Heat large skillet over medium-low with cooking spray.
  4. Soak each piece of bread in egg mixture just long enough to make sure it’s saturated.
  5. Transfer to skillet and cook until lightly browned on each side.
  6. Remove from heat and serve with other 1/2 banana, cut into slices, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and syrup.