Snacks – Page 2

October 6, 2016

Pumpkin Spice Date Balls

Well, well, well. If it isn’t the season for sweet treats and pumpkin flavored errthang! Before we jump into today’s yummy recipe, let’s catch up, shall we?

You may be saying to yourself, wow, Alexandra fell off the face of the blogosphere since May. Eek…May!!! Needless to say there aren’t really excuses for not getting on here and posting some sort of valuable and interesting content, but if you would accept my reasons for being MIA, here is what has happened in the last 4 months:

I graduated from my dietetic internship
I moved from SB to SD
I took an intensive 3 month biochemistry course (such a fun way to spend the summer…not!)
I studied for my RD exam (see above parenthetical)
I took and PASSED the RD exam- Yes, I am officially a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, and it feels amazing!
I started a Masters program in Nutrition for Wellness

So that brings us up to current times. Thank you for sticking with me. I will work on balancing textbook reading and blogging from here on out! 🙂

Time to talk pumpkin. The de-facto MVP (most valuable produce) of the season. Pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A, which is crucial for eye health, skin health and cellular turnover, and even immunity. Plus, the beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor) acts as an antioxidant to neutralize free radicals in the body. Pumpkin luvahhhs rejoice!

This recipe is also refined sugar-free. We get the sweetness from dates, which are full of potassium (key for electrolyte balance and blood pressure regulation). Oats add heart-healthy fiber and make everything stick together, with the help of the dates. Pumpkin spice lattes and candy corn can’t even hold a jack o’ lantern to the nutrition power of these balls. (Pssst: Enjoy those things in moderation, and don’t feel guilty about it! There is a place for your favorite, traditional holiday treats, and a place for a whole food-based treats, as well.)

I like these to have as a snack, as a treat with a cup of tea, or to take on a hike for a burst of energy.

If you are looking for a more wholesome alternative to cupcakes, candies, and cookies that overflow during this season, these pumpkin spice date balls make a great dish to bring to a Halloween Party. If you have friends or family who are raw/vegan/gluten-free, this treat is just the answer!

Pumpkin Spice Date Balls

Makes about 16 balls

Ingredients:

1 cup oats (use certified gluten-free oats if this is a concern for you)

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cups dates, soaked and pitted

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Optional for topping: Cacao nibs, cacao powder

Combine all ingredients (except cacao nibs and cacao powder, if using) in a food processor to make a “dough”. If you find the dough is a little dry, add a tablespoon of water or milk at a time to get the consistency sticky, but not loose. Portion out large spoonfuls (about 2 Tbsp) of the dough, and use your hands to roll it into a ball. Place on a baking sheet. If desired, roll date balls into toppings like cacao nibs of cacao powder. To allow the balls to set, place cookie sheet in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour

What are your favorite treats this season? What about all the pumpkin hype? Do you love it or think it’s overrated? Any Halloween treats you would like a healthy recipe makeover for? Let me know in the comments!

XO,

Alexandra

March 14, 2016

Shamrockin’ Smoothie

Who’s ready for St. Patrick’s day??? Funny childhood story: every year growing up,my sister and I would place our slippers at the end of our bed the night before St. Patty’s Day. (Disclaimer: we are not Irish in the least bit). In the night, the leprechaun, aka our mom, would stuff our slippers with little goodies and treats! We thought the leprechaun left presents in the slippers of all the children, but come to find out, none of our friends ever had this experience!! I remember one year, my sister got goo in her slippers, and I still got presents! Just goes to show you, it always pays to stay on the good side of a leprechaun 😉

While we are talking about St Patrick’s Day traditions, let’s get right to a fan favorite and the recipe inspiration of the day: the Shamrock Shake. The OG Micky D’s Shamrock Shake clocks in at 530 calories and 73 grams of sugar. That’s for a small!!! That’s more than 18 teaspoons of sugar, people! Curious about what gives the shake its neon glow and minty flavor? Why that would be the Shamrock Shake syrup, with a not-so-magical list of ingredients:

High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Water, Sugar, Natural Flavor (Plant Source), Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Yellow 5, Blue 1.

Now that’s a list of ingredients unfortunate enough to make a leprechaun cry. Let’s not make any leprechauns cry this year, and stick to something more wholesome and nutritionally dense, shall we? Enter my Shamrockin’ Smoothie, the green juice-loving, yoga-doing cousin of the Shamrock Shake. The recipe for this Shamrockin’ Smoothie is creamy, satisfying, and minty, of course! It basically makes you feel like you’ve found your very own pot of gold, and now you drink all of your smoothies out of it. #tumblergoals

Just being real here: I have never had an actual Shamrock Shake. So while I can’t claim that this smoothie will taste like the real thing, I can claim that it’s darn delicious and wayyyyyyyy more nutritious.

Don’t be scared by this list of ingredients. There is no food coloring involved in this recipe, unless you count the glorious, natural color that come from mint, spinach, and avocado. Wait- spinach, mint, and avocado? Alexandra, are we making a salad or what?! Trust me, you cannot taste the spinach, and the avocado adds creaminess like you wouldn’t even believe. Plus, why not boost the nutrition of our smoothie with some vitamin-rich leafy greens, and some healthy monounsaturated fats? Ya feel?

Shamrockin’ Smoothie

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 medium frozen banana
1 small avocado
1 cup spinach
1 cup mint
1 1/2 cups milk of choice
a few drops of peppermint extract– adjust depending on how minty you like it
1/2 cup ice to use as needed to adjust frothiness to your liking
optional garnish- a few mint leaves, cacao nibs

Add all ingredients to blender except for ice and peppermint extract. Blend it up on high until smooth. Taste, then add ice if you want a lighter, frothier smoothie, and add a few drops of peppermint extract for that strong, minty flavor!
If you want those smoothies Instagram-ready, top with a few mint leaves and a sprinkle of cacao nibs. Happy sipping!

Tell, tell: Do you have any fun (or weird) St. Patrick’s Day traditions? Even though my mom is not living in my apartment, I am still putting my slippers out at the end of the bed. You never know, maybe an actual leprechaun will step in this year 🙂 ! Have a fab, very green week!

XO,

Alexandra

November 1, 2015

Pumpkin Spiced Party Popcorn

I hope you all had a spooky Halloween! Hopefully you are not in too much of a candy coma after all of yesterday’s festivities. I had a fun, low-key Halloween with my sister. We dressed up as spiders, went out to dinner, and watched movies. Sometimes it’s nice to have a night in. Plus, I love any excuse to lounge around in my PJs with some tea and a bowl of popcorn. But not just any popcorn…I like it gourmet! Today’s post is a yummy, healthy Fall (or all year, I don’t judge) treat. Pumpkin Spiced Party Popcorn is the perfect snack to whip up for parties, entertaining, movie nights, holiday gatherings, girl’s night in, or whenever the craving hits! It’s got all the flavors of pumpkin spice that you know and love, with a little sweetness from chocolate chips ( I used vegan ones sweetened with Stevia), and a hint of saltiness from a sprinkle of black sea salt. The salty/sweet combo is always a win in my book. I also love the crunch from the pumpkin seeds. Yep, this recipe uses pumpkin two ways- the seeds, and pumpkin puree as a base for the pumpkin seed “brittle”.

Popcorn is a great low-cal snack, and it is so versatile, too. I buy plain, unsalted popcorn and add my own mix ins, so I can really customize the popcorn to whatever I’m craving, and control the ingredients going into it. A lot of popcorn comes laden with butter, oil, salt, or worse- artificial butter flavor, so by flavoring it yourself, you can really keep the nutrition value of your popcorn in check. This was the first time I bought non-microwave popcorn, and I made it the old-fashion way on the stove top. It couldn’t be easier, and it makes you feel like a kitchen boss.

Time to add pumpkin seed’s nutrition profile to the list reasons we are all pumpkin obsessed!! Pumpkin seeds are a great source of iron, zinc, and protein, which are important nutrients to pay attention to, especially if you are vegetarian or vegan. Iron plays a major role in oxygen transport and DNA production. If you are always feeling tired, it could be a sign of iron deficiency, as iron carries oxygen to the mitochondria of the cells, which are responsible for energy production. Women especially need to make sure they get enough iron in their diet, since we lose some every month.

Zinc has tons of different functions, like playing a role in the breakdown and use of carbohydrates/fat/protein, the activation and use of insulin, optimizing immune function, hormone production, and in growth and repair of tissue. Show your body some love from the inside out, and add pumpkin seeds to your diet this season!

Pumpkin Spiced Party Popcorn

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients for the Pumpkin Seed Brittle

1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 dates, soaked
1/4 cup plus 2 TBS milk of choice
1 cup pumpkin seeds

Ingredients for the Popcorn

4 cups popcorn: non- GMO, please! I use Bob’s Red Mill Kernels
Pumpkin Seed Brittle
1/4 cup chocolate chips ( I used vegan ones sweetened with Stevia)
sprinkle of black sea salt
dash of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
drizzle of oil (I used coconut)

To make the Pumpkin Seed Brittle:

Roast pumpkin seeds on a sheet pan at 300 degrees for 45 minutes.
While the seeds are roasting, place pumpkin puree, milk, and dates into a food processor and mix until smooth
Drizzle the sauce over the pumpkin seeds, and place in a the oven at 250 for 2 hours to crisp up the seeds. Your house will smell really yummy!

To assemble the popcorn:

To a large bowl, add popcorn, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, and a drizzle of oil. The oil will help the spices to adhere to the popcorn.
Toss with a spoon to coat popcorn with the oil. Add sea salt and spices. Toss to combine.
Add one more sprinkle of cinnamon as a garnish, and you are ready to snack away!

Let me know what you did for Halloween/what you dressed up as. And what are your favorite ways to dress up your popcorn? Have a fabulous week!

XO, Alexandra

August 9, 2015

Roasted Banana Passion Fruit Ice Dream

My latest food find is the exotic passion fruit. I happen to have a passion fruit vine where I live, and it has been dropping fruit like crazy! I have consumed more passion fruit in the last month than I have in my whole life! Honestly, when I first saw the vine, I had no idea what kind of plant it was. It was covered in gorgeous whispy, purple/ombre flowers and these strange green fruit I had not seen before. Naturally, I had to research to find out what in the world this vine was. (Mostly because I wanted to know if I could eat the fruit or not:) )

Once I discovered that the fruit on this vine was passion fruit, I could not wait to eat them! I also learned that you have to be patient when it comes to this fruit. Don’t pick the green ones, because they do not ripen off the vine. (Made that mistake). How do you know when the passion fruit are ready to eat? The plant does all the work for you- the fruit turns purple, and they fall to the ground! Soooo easy to harvest, since all you have to do is pick them up off the ground, and they are guaranteed to be perfectly ready to eat, every time!

Passion fruit has an exotic, tangy, just barely floral taste. Think of a flavor cross between a citrus fruit and a mango. It is almost too complex to describe, so you must try it for yourself, or just imagine taking a bite of Brazil/Paraguay/Argentina, which is the native territory of this zippy fruit. Leave it to our South American friends to have a fruit named passion fruit. One bite makes you wanna dance! 🙂

Passion fruit is a good source of fiber (important for satiety, regularity, fighting a slew of health problems like not-so-great cholesterol), and is a low calorie fruit option, as well. A lot of the passion fruit recipes floating around out there (heyyyy, Pinterest) are for high calorie, sugary desserts, like rich mousses, panna cottas, cakes, and pavlovas. I wanted to showcase a way to use passion fruit in a dessert that has no sugar added, is fat free, and fits all dietary needs (gluten free, vegan, dairy-free, etc). This is a treat that could be enjoyed everyday because it is just that clean when it comes to the ingredients. Time to dive into Roasted Banana Passion Fruit Ice Dream!

“Ice Dream” is the name I’m giving this dessert, because it’s just like ice cream, but of course there is no cream, milk, or dairy of any kind. Plus, it tastes like a dream, so there’s that. 🙂 What takes this recipe over the edge is roasting the bananas. Please, I’m begging you, don’t skip this step! That caramel-y, toasty, sweet flavor you might know and love from Bananas Foster totally carries into this Ice Dream when the bananas hang out in the oven for a bit and develop a deep sweetness you just can’t get from a plain ol’ banana. Whip this up on a hot day, or when you are craving a scoop of creamy goodness. Prepare to be transported to a tropical locale!

Roasted Banana Passion Fruit Ice Dream

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 bananas
1/3 cup passion fruit (both the juice and seeds from inside the fruit)

Directions:

Slice bananas into coins, and place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Roast at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until caramelized.
Transfer the banana to the freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Add banana and passionfruit to a high speed blender, and blend on the ice cream setting, or on high for 20-30 seconds.
Enjoy right away with toppings of your choice (I recommend cacao nibs and toasted coconut), or place in freezer for 10-20 minutes if you prefer a more firm frozen dessert texture.

Have you ever tried passion fruit before? Any other mysterious or exotic fruit you are dying to experiment with in the kitchen? Let me know!

XO, Alexandra

June 23, 2015

Avo All Day

I have a confession. I am addicted to avocado. I need to enjoy it at least 3 times a week, or I feel like there is a spot in my stomach that is longing for something more. One of the simplest, most versatile ways to whip up an avocado meal/snack is avocado toast. It seems to have taken the world by storm, as it has popped up all over the blogosphere and instagram as the trendiest thing to eat. I’m just happy that the trendiest thing to eat is actually super nutritious, too!

As the saying goes, an avocado a day keeps the cardiologist away. Or that’s how the saying should go, anyway. Research shows that consuming avocado helps to lower LDL cholesterol and helps maintain or increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Avocado consumption will keep your heart happy and healthy. Gone are the days where eating certain fats needs to be feared or avoided. Avocado contains heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and fiber that can aid in weight management, since they help to keep you full and satisfied for longer. Not to mention, avocado contains antioxidants and vitamins that keep your skin gorgeous and youthful. Who doesn’t want that?!

Don’t worry- if avo toast isn’t your thing, avocado adds an amazing creaminess to smoothies, and is the perfect mayo substitute in sandwiches, and it’s incredible tossed into salads. Guac is always a good standby, but watch the portions. Its way too easy to eat your weight it guacamole. Now back to the recipe of the day: Avocado Toast!!!!

I feel silly even calling this a recipe. Making avocado toast is a totally based on personal preference. Make it spicy, smoky, zesty, sweet- whatever! To bump up the nutrition and fiber, I prefer using sprouted Ezekiel 7-grain muffins rather than run-of-the-mill bread. Of course, it is always best to look for a 100-percent whole grain option. Bonus points if you can get your hands on a product that is low in sodium, since bread products can be a sneaky hiding spot for sodium to turn up.

Easy Avocado Toast: Serves 1 as a meal or 2 as a snack

Ingredients:

1 medium Hass avocado
toasty bread of choice
topping options pictured: a dash of cumin, pepper, turmeric, chili powder (my fave!!!), and a tiny sprinkle of sea salt- FYI truffle salt takes it over the top (a little goes a long way)
edible flowers, if you are feeling gourmet 🙂

Directions:

I told you this was easy: spread the avo on the toast, pour on the toppings to your hearts content (except the salt, since too much salt can cause bloating, and a slew of other health problems), and enjoy!!!

As always, let me know how you love to eat avocado. I’m always looking for recipe inspiration! Lately I have been obsessed with making chocolate avocado pudding. It is so delicious, I might have to do a post about it in the near future. Happy Summer!

XO,

Alexandra

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