Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins

On my quest for finding healthy recipes, I ran across this recipe that sounded fantastic.  I'm really not a big fan of sweet potatoes but I thought these muffins sounded too good to pass up!  Enjoy!
The crystallized ginger, coconut milk, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie spices make these muffins a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.


Ginger Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients


•1/2 cup salted butter
•3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
•2 large eggs
•3/4 cup mashed sweet potatoes
•1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
•1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
•1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
•1/2 cup coconut milk
•1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 12 muffin tins with nonstick spray. Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add eggs and continue to beat until mixture is very fluffy. Add mashed sweet potatoes and grated ginger root and beat at medium until blended. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together. Fold in half of flour mixture. Stir in coconut milk. Fold in remaining flour mixture and crystallized ginger. The batter should be smooth, but be careful to not over mix. Fill prepared tins halfway with batter. Bake until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes before removing muffins.

Grilled Chicken and Rice Salad

Happy Hump Day or Happy Wednesday to all of my readers.  I thought this recipe sounded good.  I have not had artichoke hearts before, though.  Has anyone ever tried them?  Let me know with a comment.
4 servings
Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 recipe Thyme Vinaigrette

12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs

1 cup loose-pack frozen French-cut green beans

2 cups cooked brown rice and wild rice blend, chilled

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 green onion, sliced

Lettuce leaves (optional)

Directions

Prepare Thyme Vinaigrette. Brush chicken with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette; set aside the remaining vinaigrette until ready to serve.



Grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling. (Or broil on the unheated rack of a broiler pan 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once halfway through broiling.) Cut chicken into bite-size strips.



Meanwhile, rinse green beans with cool water for 30 seconds; drain well. In a large bowl toss together beans, cooked rice, artichoke hearts, cabbage, carrot, and green onion. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over rice mixture; toss to gently coat.



If desired, arrange lettuce leaves on 4 dinner plates. Top with the rice mixture and chicken.



Thyme Vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar combine 1/4 cup white wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons water; 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese; 2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cover and shake well

Curried Sweet Potato Fries

Health benefits of Sweet Potatoes:  They are bursting with vitamin A (377 percent of your daily recommended intake per cup!) and are high in potassium and fiber, this versatile vegetable can be worked into a variety of dishes, from sides to desserts. One point to note: Its high sugar content translates into a fair number of calories, so consider this ingredient more like a starch than a vegetable.



1 serving
Ingredients

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into long 1/2-by-1/4-inch-thick fries

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. mild curry powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. finely grated lime zest, plus a lime wedge for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top bag; toss until fries are well coated. Spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet; bake until fries are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve with a lime wedge. (Fries can be reheated in the oven or a toaster oven.)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Happy Monday to All!  Here is another Healthy Fall Recipe that I found that I thought sounded good!  I wanted to share it with all of my readers.
5 servings
Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot. Add onions and saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes more. Add squash, broth, curry powder, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until squash is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in honey, and puree with a mixer or in batches in a blender until smooth

Ladle into serving bowls and drizzle yogurt over each

Healthy Halloween Recipe - Cheese Finger Food

This is a fun recipe to try for your child's Halloween party! And, the best part is that it is a healthy snack that the kids will love!  We need to get our kids away from all of the candy and sugar associated with Halloween. 

Cheese Finger Food

Ingredients:


Mozzarella string cheese

Green bell pepper

Cream cheese


Instructions:

Wearing plastic gloves or sandwich bags over your hands to keep the cheese as smudge-free as possible, use a paring knife (parents only) to cut each string in half and then carve a shallow area for a fingernail just below the rounded end of each half.
Mark the joint right below the nail as well as the knuckle joint by carving out tiny horizontal wedges of cheese, as pictured.
For the fingernails, slice a green bell pepper into 3/8-inch-wide strips. Set the strips skin side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it's about half as thick. Then cut the strips into ragged-topped nail shapes and stick them in place at the ends of the fingers with dabs of cream cheese.

Feta and Vegetable Rotini Salad

Here is another healthy salad recipe for everyone that is trying to eat healthier foods.  Let me know if you try it and like it.

3 c. tricolor rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 c. Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
1 c. chopped cucumbers
1/2 c. sliced black olives
1/2 c. Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 c. finely chopped red onions

Combine all ingredients.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Serving:  1 cup
Calories per serving:  220
Carbohydrate:            28 g.
Sodiium:                   430 mg.

Healthy Recipes - Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad

If you are like me, I love sweets and don't always eat as healthy as I should.  I am now on a quest to eat healthier.  As I find new healthier recipes to make, I will be sharing them with you.  I would love to hear your comments about the recipes that I find.  If you made the recipe, did you like/not like it?

Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 large Cucumber, chopped
1/2 c. coarsely chopped green peppers
1/2 c. thinly sliced red onions
1/2 c. ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 c. Kraft Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Toss all ingredients in large bowl.  Serve immediately, or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrional Information:
per serving

Calories             130              

Total fat                 9 g           

Saturated fat          3 g

Cholesterol         10 mg         

Sodium            330  mg      

Carbohydrate       8 g

Dietary fiber         2 g            

Sugars                 5  g           

Protein                4  g

Vitamin A         15% DV    

Vitamin C         45% DV     

Calcium              6% DV

Iron                    2% DV

        

Homemade natural Adzuki Bean Soup to cure dark circle under eye

In my quest for all things Natural, I ran across this little tidbit of information.

This strange Japanese bean helps to enervate the appearance of gloomy dark circles under the eyes by refining the body from inside. Adzuki beans are superb for the kidneys and when the kidneys are calm the outcome is gloomy dark circle development under the eyes.

Adzuki beans are emergent in popularity. They can be found at edifice dietetic materials and a emergent number of epicure dietetic store such as gourmet food markets.

Step1:
Marinate 3 cups of beans in a large pot of cold water for 24 hours or overnight. Drain.
Step2:
Add 2 quarts of cold water using the beans to the pot and food to a boil.
Step 3:
Drain the beans, then add 2 quarts of tepid cold water again.
Step 4:
Boil for 30 comments, then add 2 Tbsp. of cumin and 1 tsp. colorless shower

Healthy Food Tips - Sardines!

One fish that you should be eating (and probably are not) is the humble sardine. Sardines (Pacific, wild-caught) are one of the healthiest foods we can consume, according to health and environmental experts. These nutritional powerhouses are one of the best sources of omega-3 fats, with a whopping 1,950 mg/per 3 oz. (that’s more per serving than salmon, tuna or just about any other food) and they’re packed with vitamin D. And because sardines are small and low on the food chain, they don’t harbor as many toxins as bigger fish can.

Try this recipe:

Greek Salad with Sardines

The fresh, tangy elements of a Greek salad—tomato, cucumber, feta, olives and lemony vinaigrette—pair well with rich-tasting sardines. Look for sardines with skin and bones (which are edible) as they have more than four times the amount of calcium as skinless, boneless sardines. If you’re lucky enough to have fresh sardines available in your supermarket, try them in place of the canned sardines. Lightly dredge them in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour and sauté them in a little olive oil. Serve with: Warm pita bread and a cold beer.