The Ultimate Salad of Health

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Today, I'm sharing a crazy-good-for-you salad recipe. Justin and I make salad for lunch at work every day. This is one of our recent favorites.

Fat calories in this salad come almost exclusively from avocado. If you nix the avocado, you'd ring in at about 145 calories instead of 270 -- but, for someone who is active and working out, adding those healthy fats is a good thing (and a 145 calorie lunch just isn't enough, folks).

Items to incorporate into your salads (if you're not already doing it):

• Kale: Either raw or steamed, Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale also has at least two major chemicals (sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol) that are known as potent cancer-fighting and cancer-blocking chemicals. (Wiki for Kale)
• Scallions (Green Onion): High in fiber means Scallions will fight off bad cholesterol. They also score well on the fullness to nutrition scale (meaning they are high on the list for helping you feel full while also being high on the list for nutrition!). Scallions are also a strong anti-inflammatory, which helps for sore muscles! (Nutrition Data for Scallions)
• Spinach: As far as any salad base goes, Spinach is by far one of the most nutritious, while also being easy to handle and rip. Replacing iceberg or romaine lettuce with spinach for more vitamin C (an antioxidant), iron (helps prevent anemia), magnesium (can help protect against heart disease) and vitamin K (good for bones and blood). (The Tribune on Spinach vs Romaine)
• Egg Whites: Add some protein to your salad without overloading on calories! One hard boiled egg white packs 3.6 grams of protein in just 17 calories. Other awesome nutrients in an egg white: Selenium and Riboflavin! (LiveStrong on Egg Whites)

The Ultimate Salad of Health!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Chopped Spinach
• 1 stalk Chopped Scallions (Green Onions)
• 1 leaf Chopped Kale
• 3 rinsed and sliced strawberries (or other berries)
• 1 large Egg, hard boiled, egg whites only
• 1/2 Avocado, without skin or seeds
• 1 tablespoon Feta Cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon Diced Walnuts

Directions:

1. Combine
2. Toss with low-fat dressing (such as Newman's Own Asian Ginger)
3. Serve!

Sriracha Polenta with Kale Chips

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This dish is not for the faint of heart. Grilled polenta slices look like corn bread but taste like the smooth-talking cousin of Quinoa; crispy Kale chips add a delicious, salty crunch; and Sriracha adds the flavor of fresh hot chilies and sweet garlic. It's hot, hot, hot! 

A few weeks ago, Justin and I had dinner with my parents in Wicker Park and I had my first taste of Polenta. "What is this stuff?" It looks like cornbread... but tastes like Quinoa. Whoa. Insert my "OMG" face here. You can bet I went back for seconds on that one...

Since I'd already had the good fortune to meet Polenta, it seemed like fate had intervened when it caught my eye at a recent trip to the supermarket. You mean it's already made and rolled up in a tube? Score! [Go ahead. Call me lazy. Do it. My boyfriend is taller than your boyfriend.]

In need of a quick dinner fix one night, I popped out the Polenta, ripped up some Kale, and went heavy on the Sriracha. My tongue may or may not still be burning. I can neither confirm nor deny... because I can not feel my tongue! Alright, I may be slightly dramatic. All I'm saying is... have some milk on hand; this dish is not for the faint of heart! [Or you can skip the Sriracha... if you absolutely must!]

Sriracha Polenta with Kale Chips

Calories: 30 each

Prep Time: 2-5 minutes

Cook Time: 10-16 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• Polenta (prepared, bagged in a long roll)
• Sriracha Sauce (to taste)
• 1 Recipe Kale Chips (requires 5 large leaves Kale, 1 tsp Olive Oil, and 2 pinches Sea Salt or Garlic Salt. Feel free to cut the Kale Chip recipe in half, or just have the leftovers as a side with the Polenta!)

Directions:

1. Slice and cook Polenta. Slice Polenta into 1/2"-1/4" thick rounds. Place in a lightly olive oiled skillet over medium heat. Continue to check and flip each polenta piece once they begin to brown (about 5-8 minutes).
2. Bake Kale Chips. Use this recipe for Kale Chips.
3. Final Prep! Remove Polenta from the stove and stack two pieces high. Drizzle Sriracha over each stack (careful, that stuff is hot!) and top with Kale chips!

Cotton Candy Rainbow Cake

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The cake is decadent and moist, yet surprisingly light feeling. The fluffy frosting, to put it in Justin's words, tasted like "the frosting equivalent of cotton candy." And you know what else? It melts in your mouth. Seriously. It's magic!

My brother is a huge dork. Like seriously. So, when he turned 18 this month, I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't make him a regular birthday cake. It had to be special.

Special means different things to different people, doesn't it? For some people, a special cake means an amazingly decadent oreo ice cream cake. For my dad, a Coca Cola fan for life, a special cake means a German Chocolate Coca Cola Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Gingersnaps. For my brother... well, he's a special kid -- the kind of special kid that dresses up like Ron Burgundy from Anchorman for a choir concert. He's crazy and full of energy and color. He might just be a little insane (we are, after all, related).

So, what kind of cake do you make Ron Burgandy-loving, loud-mouthed, stranger-mooning kid? Well, I originally called this a crack cake. No, there's no crack in it. But it's addicting nonetheless... and when you present it to friends, they'll think you've finally cracked...

...that is, until they taste it. Despite having no added sugar, this cake tastes like pure, sugary heaven.

Cotton Candy Rainbow Cake

Calories: 124

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 22-26 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients (For the Cake):

• 1 box Sugar-Free Yellow Cake
• 12 Ounces Sparkling Water (Perrier, La Croix, etc all work)
• Food Coloring: I used Blue and Purple gel food coloring (by Wilton) for the cake 

Ingredients (For the Frosting):

• 1 cup Truvia (or you can substitute sugar or splenda)
• 1/3 cup Water
• 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• Food Coloring: I used Pink gel food coloring (by Wilton) for the icing.
• Sprinkles: I used anything colorful I could find. There are even Spongebob-themed sprinkles on there. Thanks, Mom.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and pre-grease two small (I used 12") round cake pans.
2. Mix. Combine cake mix and sparkling water in a mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Color and pour. (Optional) To color, dip a table knife into blue gel food coloring, then mix the color into the cake batter. Once well mixed, pour half of the batter into one of the cake pans. Next, dip a fresh knife into purple gel food coloring, then mix the color into the remaining cake batter. Once well mixed, pour the rest of the batter into a new cake pan. Note: If you won't be coloring the batter, simply divide it between each cake pan and skip any of the coloring-related comments!
4. Bake for 22-26 minutes, or until a fork or toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Be sure to let the cake completely cool before removing from the pans!
5. Prepare the frosting. In a small pot, combine water, sugar, and cream of tartar and heat on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and small bubbles begin to form. While you're heating that mixture, whip egg whites and vanilla and almond extracts until soft peaks begin to form. Add the sugar and water mixture gradually, while mixing, until stiff peaks form. This should take about 8-10 minutes. Finally, use a table knife to dip into pink gel food coloring, then mix the color into the frosting.
6. Finishing touches. Flip one of the round cake pans over on a serving platter, holding your hand underneath the cake to help gently lower it down onto the platter. Cover this with a layer of pink frosting. The frosting is fairly frothy/messy, so, especially if you're going for the crazy look of the cake I made, feel free to slap it on and make a mess! Next, slowly remove the second cake from its pan, then flip it on top of the first piece, so that the smooth, round top of the cake faces up. Cover this in the rest of the frosting, then add sprinkles to taste!

Whole Wheat Flax Waffles/Pancakes

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This weekend was beautiful in Chicago! Justin and I went on a 26 mile bike ride... a ride worthy of much food consumption (seriously, or else I would have passed out). Here's the thing about those days when you've got some extra wiggle room on your food intake: be careful!

"But Carly, what if I bike 26 miles and burn over a thousand calories like you did?" Why, I'm glad you asked. First of all, you can eat your way through any workout. If I had come back, pounded the St. Patrick's Day Beers, consumed a big meal of Corned Beef Hash and Red Potatoes, and topped it off with a bucket of FroYo... well, my friends, that could quite possibly have been me "eating" through my workout. Regardless of how many calories you burn in any given day, stay smart and don't stuff your face with unhealthy crap!



Second, on top of the possibility of eating through a workout, remember that your body needs to recover post-workout -- especially an intense one. While good carbs and proteins are helpful to your body's recovery, beer and processed foods will leave you dehydrated and sore.

So, as Spring is (very swiftly) moving in and we all start spending a bit more time outside and active,  I'm working on a number of recipes for healthy foods that will supplement your intake of fiber, protein, and good carbs.

I recently made these Whole Wheat Waffles with ground flax meal, which is a good source of fiber and lignans. Here's a delicious recipe for a hearty breakfast (perhaps before a long bike ride?!), a late brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner! Why Fiber? Fiber rocks! High-fiber foods decrease appetite, lower blood sugar, reduce chances of cardiovascular diseases, and speeds up your metabolism by helping your body process foods more quickly. Why Lignans? Lignans are antioxidants known to fight against unwanted cell growth. Recent studies are showing they also help fortify your body against breast and colon cancer (and prostate cancer, too!).

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Carrot Cake Pops

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Starbucks has been featuring <200 calorie "Cake Pops."  Having already done the "Cake Balls" thing, I figured I'd whip up some of my own! By cutting out oil, eggs, and butter, these babies are under 150 calories a 'pop!'

Are you loving this? Check out some similar recipes. While the Carrot Cake Pops are in popsicle (or lollipop) form, feel free to use the recipes for any of the following truffles or cake balls. All of these would work quite well: Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles, Thin Mint Truffles, Oreo Truffles, Low Cal Cake Balls.

For those of you who are on a more serious diet... don't cry! You don't have to feel left out of the truffle madness! Try these Cake Batter Truffles for only 100 calories... or these Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies (kid tested!) for a fiber-filled treat!

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What You Need:

• 1 box of Carrot Cake mix
• 2/3 box of low fat cream cheese
• 1 can of La Croix
• 1/2 cup of White Chocolate Chips
• Vanilla Candy Melts
• Popsicle/Sucker sticks

What You Do:

1. Mix cake mix and 1 can of La Croix

2. Pour into cake pan and fold in white chocolate chips 

3. Cook for 35 minutes (or according to package directions), then take out and let the cake cool (if you're impatient like me, you can put it in the freezer for an hour or two).

4. Once the cake is fully cooled, mash it up (this is fun). Add 2/3 of a package of low-fat cream cheese and combine until fully mixed.

5. Roll into small balls (appx 1-1.5 inch in diameter).

6. Add sticks and place aside.

7. Melt candy coating. Start with 1 minute in the microwave, then stir. Heat in 15 second intervals and stir in between. Don't over heat... but if you do, and the candy gets chunky, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil and stir.

8. Using the stick as a handle, dip cake balls into the candy coating. Use a spoon to make sure you're getting the candy coating all the way to the popsicle (once the coating hardens, this will hold the cake ball onto the popsicle stick).

9. Set aside to cool!

P.S. I ran out of white melts so I made a few that were covered in Peanut Butter melts -- that's why there are a few brown ones.

Have a good one :) 

Bad Salad. Good Salad.

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Salad.  It seems like a good decision, doesn't it? Sometimes salad can seem like a fortuitous nutritional decision but actually turn out to be a huge mistake. Don't believe me? Here are a few examples..

• T.G.I. Friday’s Santa Fe Chopped Salad has 1,800 calories (MSNBC).
• Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad has 1,310 calories, 93 grams of fat, and 1,470 milligrams of sodium (MSNBC).
• California Pizza Kitchen's Waldorf Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing has 1,570 calories, 30 g saturated fat, and 2,082 mg sodium (MSNBC).

On your way to a dinner date?  Here are some salad-ordering tips:

• Mexican Themed Salads = bad.  They're usually loaded with thinly cut tortilla chips (bad), lots of fat-saturated meat (bad), and an abundance of cheeses (also bad).
• Creamy Dressings = bad. As far as dressing goes, if you can't see through it, it's bad.  That's a good rule of thumb to keep you away from heavily cream or mayonnaise/fat based dressings.  Steer clear of Blue Cheese, Ranch, and Thousand Island.  Head, instead, for vinaigrettes - my favorite is balsamic vinaigrette. 
• No Croutons!  They seem harmless but are actually tiny little packages of carbs and calories.
• Similarly, stay away from tortilla crisps, crispy noodles, etc.  Anything bread-related (even bread cousins like noodles and chips) should NOT be on your salad.

Or... stay home and make it yourself! Here's a salad recipe I came up with after having this delicious salad at Basil Leaf Cafe in Lincoln Park:

Here's my improvised version...

What You Need:

• Spinach (Mixed greens in these pictures, but I prefer spinach)
• Strawberries (Cut into thin rings)
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Feta cheese
• Sliced almonds or pine nuts
• Dressing:  Balsalmic Vinaigrette

How You Do It:

• Alright, salads are pretty much just about throwing stuff on a plate, right? So... do that!

Here are some links for further reading:

MSNBC 5 Restaurant Salads That Are Worse Than A Whopper

Men's Health 20 Salads That Are Worse Than A Whopper

Men's Health Best Bottled Salad Dressings

Chocolate, Chocolate Cake! Oh My Gosh! Let's Bake A Cake!

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Give me a reason and I'll bake you a cake. Seriously. I'm always looking for reasons to bake a cake.  One summer, when my friends and I were sitting outside on a summer night around midnight, my friend Jimmy said, "Man, I really wish we could have cake right now!"  Well, guess what, ladies and gentleman? I baked the man a freaking cake.

Guess what this post is about?  Have you guessed it yet?  5 points if you guessed "CAKE!" Such a smartypants.

The Story:
On Fathers Day, my father was in Boston, getting my little sister oriented for her college career.  So, naturally, there was a cake waiting for him upon his return...

Along with these cards on his bedroom door (I took this before we'd even finished, so there are a few missing).  Yes, let's just say that I tried to make some of them look the way my handmade cards looked when I was 5.  Quit judging, already!

Anyways, back to the whole cake thing... When it comes to baking, the challenge with my dad is that he doesn't like food that tastes healthy.  This isn't necessarily because he is anti-health (is anyone?), but more so due to the fact that he doesn't want to get slighted in the taste department just to score well in the health department.  Since it was his cake, I had to oblige his taste buds.  

The man likes chocolate.  The man likes fruit.  Hmm.  Do the noodle dance.  

Eureka!  Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse frosting and strawberries.  

What you need for the cake:

• 1 box of Sugar Free cake mix (or regular, your calories not mine!)
• 1 can La Croix

How to bake the cake:

1. Start with the cake mix and 1 can of La Croix.  Mix with an electric beater. (Can substitute 2 bananas & 1/2 cup water... Or you can follow the box directions and use eggs/milk/oil etc)
2. Pour into a pan (whatever size cake you're going for) and bake according to box directions.  Check the cake with a toothpick on the earlier side of the timeframe the box provides (Ya know how boxes always say "35-42 minutes" or something like that?  Go with the 35).  Take it out when the toothpick comes out dry. :)
3. Let the cake cool while you make the "frosting" aka mousse

What you need for the frosting:

• 1 box of Jello's Chocolate Mousse
• 1 cup of Skim Milk
• (Optional Strawberries)

How to make the frosting:

1. Mix "Mousse"  mix with Skim Milk using an electric mixer.
2. Pour into one large bowl (or just refrigerate your mixing bowl for less cleanup).
3. Refrigerate
4. Once the cake is fully cooled, spoon the "Mousse" on top and smooth out
5. Add sliced strawberries.

Why did I use Chocolate Mousse instead of real "frosting?"

The short answer:  It's healthier and saves a whole lot of calories.  I hate when I make a healthy cake only to ruin it by smothering it in icing.

The real answer:  Frosting is jam packed with sugar, fat, and calories (and, even for those who aren't trying to be 'calorically' healthy, the sugar rush and eventual crash are just not good for your system). Mousse has a similar consistency to a fluffy frosting but has so much less crap in it (excuse my French). 

 

A jar of frosting has around of 1400 calories in it... but, by making mousse (which actually gives you more volume to work with, anyways, so your frosting on the cake is thicker), you're working with about 430 calories (if you use Skim milk -- 2% would only bump that up to 480).  To put it in perspective, you're saving ~1000 calories in the cake by switching to chocolate mousse.

Okay, that's all folks!  See you later with some pics from a Chicago adventure!

Because I love you: "Banana Nut Muffins With Peanut Butter Whip Frosting."

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One morning this week, I was mysteriously uninterested in my usual breakfast (One slice of whole wheat toast with jelly. One slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Do NOT stick them together.  Alternate from one piece to the other.  Double fisting toast.  Breakfast of the champions.).

Naturally, my disinterest with my usual breakfast could mean only one thing: MUFFINS!  These have surpassed delicious.  It’s all about the frosting (which, because of being Cool-Whip based, is extremely low-cal). I tasted it during the preparation process and found myself silently praying that I had made too much and could eat the leftovers.  Seriously.  It is so good... I just want to make love to it (did I take that too far?).  Okay, but honestly, it might be the best thing I have ever created.  'Nuff said.

Here’s the recipe for Banana Nut w/ Peanut Butter Whip Frosting:

 What you need for the muffins:

• 1 box of muffin mix (banana nut). I used Fiber One because I like that their mixes are generally low-calorie and, as the name suggests, full of fiber.
  ***Sidenote: Want to know why I used a box mix as a starting point? Read the bottom of this post.***
• 1 can of La Croix (or 2 bananas & 1/2 cup water). This entirely substitutes for any oil/butter/eggs the box asks for. I used La Croix because I was impulsively baking and had no bananas on hand… but I’ve made these before using 2 mashed up bananas and 1/2 cup water and I do slightly prefer doing it that way, because it totally amps up the banana flavor and makes it a bit more moist.
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped (or just break them apart with your fingers). This is not an exact number. Could be anywhere from zero to an entire cup. It just adds to the very slim nut presence already in the muffin mix.

What you need to do:

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix the muffin mix with the substitute ingredients (either 1 can of La Croix or Bananas/Water). Mix according to directions on the box. 
2. Place in cupcake/muffin papers and bake as directed. Take them out of the oven on the earlier end of what it says on the box, because these substitutes tend to need slightly less time in the oven than the alternative ingredients. 
3. Take them out. Don’t eat them. Seriously, you want to make this frosting…

What you need for the frosting:

• ½ tub of Cool Whip (I used sugar-free. This stuff is magic). 
• 3 tablespoons of Peanut Butter (I use Organic or Jiff Natural). 
• 2 teaspoons of Brown Sugar (or Lite Brown Sugar)

What you need to do:

1. Place 3 tablespoons of Peanut Butter and 2 teaspoons of Brown Sugar in a mixing bowl. 
2. Add appx half of a tub of Cool Whip 
3. Mix for 4 minutes on medium speed. Make sure to check on it a few times so that all ingredients get incorporated and you don’t end up with some big clumps of peanut butter sticking to the sides. 
4. Grab a spoon and eat a spoonful. Seriously it’s barely 30 calories and tastes like I imagine clouds would taste if they went to heaven and back.

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Sidenote: I’m (usually) not a huge fan of making things entirely from scratch.  This is for three reasons...

1. making it from scratch only tastes better if the alternative is preparing a store-bought mix based on the store-bought preparation directions.  If you’re changing things up (ex: adding bananas, adding nuts, trying some cream here or peanut butter there…), it doesn’t matter and it’s not worth the following two issues…
2. making things from scratch makes a HUGE mess.  Flour everywhere.  Powdered sugar in my hair.  Messes are fun but cleaning them = not so much.
3. making things from scratch takes FOREVER.   Girlfriend doesn’t have that kind of time.  Okay, scratch that, I have time to spare – but would rather be doing other things with it.  At least I’m honest.