Ceasar Salad: A Healthier Take On A Classic Recipe

Friday, April 30, 2010


Ceasar salad is a staple in takeout and even in fancy restaurant menus. But most often than not, what should have been a healthy salad is made unhealthy with heaps of bacon and high-fat dressing. Make your Ceasar salad healthier with this Martha Stewart recipe:
Healthier Ceasar Salad

2 cups chopped romaine
2 sardines
1 hard-boiled egg
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
1/2 cup croutons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Wash romaine leaves in cold water. Drain thoroughly.
2. Debone sardines and ground with a fork into a paste.
3. Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice until emulsified. Stir in sardine paste.
4. Slice hard boiled egg.
5. Toss egg, lettuce, and croutons with the dressing.

Tip 1: If you want bacon in your Ceasar salad, toss a few rashers of turkey bacon onto a baking sheet and bake until crisp. Drain bacon of excess fat and put them inside a brown paper bag. Roll a rolling pin over the paper bag to crumble the bacon. Top your salad with bacon after tossing.
Tip 2: If you like garlic, slice the top off a garlic clove and rub it on the inside of your salad bowl.

Posted by chel.h at 11:44 AM 0 comments  

Tuna Burgers

Thursday, April 22, 2010



If you enjoy burgers, there's no reason to stop eating it just because you want to stay healthy. The key idea is to choose a healthier burger. Lean beef and turkey work well, but for variety, hold the bacon. Tuna burgers can be just as satisfying and they are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins as well. Try Tyler Florence's tuna burgers the next time you have a craving.

Tuna Burgers

For the Sauce:

1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
salt and ground pepper

For the Burgers:
1 pound sushi-grade tuna ground
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
salt and ground pepper


1 cup spicy sprouts, for garnish
4 whole-grain hamburger buns
1/2 avocado, sliced

1. Blend sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
2. Lightly combine burger ingredients and form into four patties. Grill until cooked to desired doneness.
3. Place burgers on buns, garnish with avocado and sprouts, and sauce.

Posted by chel.h at 6:33 AM 0 comments  

An Anti-Aging Breakfast Smoothie

Tuesday, April 13, 2010


Tired from a long night of work or play? Revive yourself with a serving of this anti-aging smoothie from Martha Stewart. Loaded in antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins, this smoothie is perfect for breakfast or even as an afternoon energy boost.
Anti-Aging Breakfast Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup chilled green tea, unsweetened
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
Turbinado sugar or other natural sweetener to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process or blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more yogurt.

Tip 1:
If you are lactose-intolerant, you can substitute cultured soy for yogurt. Similarly, if you don't like yogurt, low-fat milk is a great alternative.
Tip 2: When serving this smoothie as part of a brunch spread, blend yogurt, tea, sweetener, and flaxseed together first. Divide into two equal parts. Blend blueberries with half of the yogurt mixture and pour into a glass. Do the same with strawberries and pour into the same glass. Stir for a fancy color effect.

Posted by chel.h at 11:44 AM 0 comments  

Quick Lemony Couscous

Monday, April 5, 2010


Want something fancy and light, but not over-the-top? Try this lemony couscous side dish recipe from Eating Well. It's light, satisfying, fancy enough for a dinner party, and most of all, effortless to make. You can use whole wheat couscous to add more fiber to the meal, but it's healthy and tasty just as it is.

Lemony Couscous

Couscous:
6 cups large pearl couscous
2 cups roughly chopped cilantro leaves
water, enough to cover couscous

Lemon Dressing
4 lemons, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cook couscous according to package directions if using instant.
2. For non-instant couscous, place couscous in a large bowl. Bring water to a boil.
3. When the water is boiling, pour couscous in and stir. Cook until tender. Drain and set aside.
4. Lay lemons out on a plate and salt on one side. Turn over and salt the other side.
5. Stack lemons on top of each other and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with cold water.
6. Dice lemons into 1/2 inch pieces and toss with couscous, cilantro, salt, and peper. Serve warm.

Posted by chel.h at 9:24 AM 0 comments  

A Healthy Dessert: Grilled Peaches with Amaretti


The Barefoot Contessa is known for lots of butter and decadent cooking, but even she can cook something healthy and delicious. It's also good enough for a fancy party, but still fun enough for alfresco dining. Try this Grilled Peaches with Amaretti recipe the next time you have friends over.

Grilled Peaches with Amaretto

8 ripe peaches, cut in 1/2 and pitted
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/4 cup good dark rum
1/4 cup good amaretto
8 amaretti cookies, crumbled
Creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream to serve


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat a grill with a single layer of charcoal. When the coals are hot, brush the grill with a little oil. Grill peaches, cut side down, and cook until they're slightly charred.
3. Place the peaches in an oven-proof dish, sprinkle each half with a little vanilla sugar. Combine the rum and amaretto and drizzle 1/2 of it on the peaches.
4. Bake the peaches for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with crumbled amaretti cookies on top and a dollop of creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.