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This is a wonderfully healthy dessert that I served last night with low fat plain yoghurt and strawberries on the side. You can serve it with ice cream or frozen yoghurt if you prefer. It is best served warm. This recipe is enough to fill a 8' x 10' baking dish. It can be kept covered in the fridge for a few days and warmed again before serving.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
4 tbsps brown sugar
1 heaping tablespoon whole wheat flour
4 tsps sunflower oil
6 or 7 large apples (your choice), peeled, cored and sliced thinly
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly oil an 8' x 10' glass baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine the oats, 2 tbsps brown sugar & the flour. Drizzle the four tsps sunflower oil over the mixture and then mix together with a fork until mixture is crumbly.
3. In a large bowl, combine the apples, cranberries, remaining 2 tbsps brown sugar, the lemon or lime juice, cinnamon & nutmeg. Toss well to combine.
4. Spoon apple mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle with the oat mixture. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown--about 35 to 40 minutes.
We love jerk flavouring! Chicken and pork are both great with a jerk marinade. You can make this as hot or as sweet as you like. The point is the blending of flavours, not that it be so hot you can't tolerate it. I used a one pound pork tenderloin and marinated it for about 24 hours. It serves 3 people. Serve it with roasted root vegetables for an easy meal.
Ingredients:
1 1b pork tender loin
1 small chopped onion
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tsps dried red hot chili peppers (depending on your heat preference)
2 tbsps picante hot sauce
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsps sunflower oil
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Puree all ingredients, except pork, in food processor. Place pork in a glass bowl or a plastic bag. Pour marinade over pork and coat well. Place in fridge and marinade for 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375F.
3. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat 2 tbsps olive oil over high heat. Carefully place the marinated pork in the skillet and brown on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan.
4. Roast, uncovered, in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until juices run clear, basting occasionally with remaining marinade. Allow to sit for five or ten minutes before slicing.
Barramundi is a fabulous Australian fish that we were introduced to on our last cruise. It is an excellent source of protein, as well as Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Barramundi fillets are easily pan-fried. This fish is not easy to find. We bought it at our local Metro store. This recipe includes a nice spicy marinade. It will serve two people. I served it with sauted red and yellow sweet peppers and mushrooms and some steamed broccoli.
Ingredients:
2 barramundi fillets
1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon thai green curry paste
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried hot red chili peppers
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Whisk together all ingredients, except fish. In a large flat bowl, pour marinade over the barramundi, skin side down. Marinade in fridge, covered, for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add marinated barramundi, skin side up, and whatever is left of the marinade and the onions. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the fish and cook another 3 to 4 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
These cookies are very healthy, full of fibre and while they are a good size, they only contain about 150 calories each. Grab one as you go out the door for a light breakfast on the go! Makes about 20 cookies.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps sunflower oil
3 egg whites
1/2 cup plain, low fat yoghurt
1/2 cup dried dates, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal crisp cereal
2 tbsps ground flax seed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F/177C
2. Combine sugar, oil, egg whites & yoghurt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in chopped dried dates and cranberries.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, oat cereal, baking soda, flax, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir with a fork.
4. Add flour mixture to egg white mixture, stirring until just combined. Fold in walnuts.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoon full onto lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes (until almost set). Cool on baking sheet & transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
You can also use tilapia fillets in this recipe. Cooking the fish inside the red peppers gives it a wonderful sweet flavour. Serve it with a mixed green salad on the side for a wonderful healthy meal.
Ingredients:
2 red peppers
2 rainbow trout or tilapia fish fillets, about 1/2 1b (250 grams) each
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried red hot chili peppers
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Sauce:
1/2 cup dried basil
3 large garlic cloves or 1 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsps apple cider vinegar
3 tbsps olive oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut peppers in half length-wise. Remove seeds and pith. Place cut side up on lightly oiled baking sheets.
2. Pat fish dry and sprinkle both sides with paprika and garlic. Cut eat fillet in half length-wise. Fold each piece of fish and stuff into pepper half. Roast for 20 minutes.
3. Prepare sauce: In a bowl, combine basil and garlic. Whisk in vinegar, then oil. When fish is ready, serve with sauce drizzled over top. Serve with a mixed green salad.
Serve this delicious dish over some quinoa or brown rice. This recipe serves about four.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about one medium orange)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth (low fat & low sodium)
2 tbsps picante hot sauce mixed with 1/2 tsp dried hot red chili peppers and 1 tsp garlic
2 chicken breasts, sliced thinly and marinated for 2 hours in a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic
1 red sweet pepper, sliced or 2 cups green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1/2 onion, diced
1 large carrot finely chopped
3 cups baby spinach
Directions:
1. In a small sauce pan, put 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, while you prepare the remainder of the dish. After 15 minutes, remove the quinoa from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
2. Whisk orange juice with peanut butter, broth & hot sauce mixture. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed skillet, over medium high heat. Sir fry onion and chicken for about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
4. Add a touch more oil to hot skillet and stir fry carrots and peppers or beans for about 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet with vegetables and continue to stir fry for another 5 minutes.
5. Stir in sauce and spinach & stir until spinach is just wilted.
6. Spoon cooked quinoa into the centre of plates and serve stir fry ingredients over top.
I decided to change up my banana bread recipe a bit and it worked quite well! Oats are very good for reducing cholesterol levels; adding in fibre with flax and quinoa and using sesame oil instead of butter make for a very heart-healthy loaf. This recipe makes one loaf.
Ingredients:
1 large, very ripe bananas, well mashed. (if you have bananas that are ripe but you can't use them right away, just toss them in the freezer--you don't need to wrap them as they come prepackaged! Once you are ready to use them, let them thaw and then mash them)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
1/3 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F and lightly oil a glass loaf pan.
1. Mash banana very well with a fork.
2. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine all wet ingredients and sugar. Beat well with electric mixer at high speed for two minutes. Add banana mixture and beat again.
3. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add to banana mixture about 1/3 at a time and beat between additions, using a rubber spatula to scrape bottom of bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
4. Transfer to loaf pan; bake in preheated 325F oven for 30 minutes. Tent with foil to prevent further browning. Continue to bake for about another 30 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in centre. The loaf is ready when the toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan on wire rack.
This is a wonderfully healthy dessert that I served last night with low fat plain yoghurt and strawberries on the side. You can serve it with ice cream or frozen yoghurt if you prefer. It is best served warm. This recipe is enough to fill a 8' x 10' baking dish. It can be kept covered in the fridge for a few days and warmed again before serving.
