Quick Pickled Radishes

The Radish.

Beautiful to look at, but sometimes not so fun to eat.

Until now.

Radishes can be bitter and a bit too peppery for some people. While I adore the taste of radish, many find it overwhelming. So I thought the radish would be a good ingredient to tackle, especially since it s currently in season. Instead of serving it raw, I like to make radish pickles. This transforms the radish into a treat that is slightly peppery and sweet. A tangy twist from some vinegar makes these pickles perfectly tart and deep in flavor. With hints of dill and cardamon, they are a great addition to a burger, salad, or veggie skewer-- pretty much any application in which you would use a normal pickle and more.

They soften slightly but still keep a little bit of crunch, and can be made in a snap (seriously!). I confess that I actually eat them plain sometimes, or with a slice of cucumber and orange (soo good!). They add gorgeous color to dishes to make them pop, too-- and looking at them really makes you think of spring and summer.

Whip up a batch of these in 30 minutes and give your taste buds an explosion of flavor!

Quick Pickled Radishes

Adapted from Chow

Entire Batch: 120 calories           Makes a lot of pickles (enough for a few salads!)

Ingredients

• 1 bunch red radishes (about 10 radishes)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2tbl granulated sugar
• 2tbl splenda
• 1/4c. water
• 1tsp kosher salt
• 1/8tsp dried dill weed
• 1/4tsp whole cardamon pods

Instructions:

1. Rinse radishes and trim off their tops. Cut into thin-ish rounds, trying to make even slices so they brine evenly. Set aside in a medium bowl or jar and put in the fridge.
2. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, sugar, splenda, water, salt, dill, and cardamon in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring often until sugar dissolves. 
3. Remove from heat and let pickling brine cool for about 5 minutes. Remove radishes from the refrigerator and pour brine over them. Let cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then move around with a spoon and let sit another 10. Drain the brine from the radishes, and either use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

One Lovely Blog Award

Hey there guys! Just a quick piece of news for you: This week, i had the honor of being given the "One Lovely Blog Award" by BinomialBaker! Thank you so much BinomialBaker, i really appreciate it!

A few things that come along with this:

1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2. Paste the award image on your blog.
3. Tell 7 facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other blogs that you would like to give the award to.
5. Contact the bloggers that you have chosen and let them know about the award.

So, here we go! 7 Facts about myself!

1. I am absolutely obsessed with bagels and cheese.
2. My passion for photography started in a 9th grade class (gosh, how the time flies!)
3. I have a beautiful, attention-seeking cat named Sophie.
4. I love watching football. 
5. I despite any type of Calculus.
6. My favorite city of all time is Seattle, WA, and I hope to move there one day.
7. I love wearing dresses and skirts, especially in the summer.

I follow many blogs, all of which I adore, but I would like to draw some attention to:

1. http://www.runningonhappiness.com/
2. ohsheglows.com
3. itsnotyouitsbrie.com/
4. www.edibleperspective.com/
5. dietrecipesblog.com/
6. www.greenkitchenstories.com/
7. www.theppk.com/
8. www.colourfulpalate.com/
9. www.healthyvegetarianrecipeblog.com/
10. blog.healthyandsane.com/
11. www.ecocentricblog.org/
12. www.simplefoodhealthylife.com/
13. pathforlifefood.com/
14. chocolatecoveredkatie.com
15. skinnytaste.com

Thanks again!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Some of us aren't morning people.

But these moist, flavorful muffins can definitely make getting out a bed a little bit easier!

They start out with a rich and sweet cream cheese base, which ensures a decadent and moist end result. Fresh raspberries are folded in at the end, making each bite bright and flavorful. If you think you have seen it all, think again. At only 104 calories per muffin, this recipe still manages to create fruity, fluffy muffins that are one of a kind an delish! Have some Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins with a cup of tea to beat any morning blues!

P.S.

I brought these to a class of mine, where I got feedback from 14 people and the prof. I heard words like "delicious," "moist," "amazing," and "divine". I always like to test my recipes on people who are not regular "health foodies". Well, the proof is in the pudding... or in this case the muffin: these things are super yummy! 

Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Adapted from Cooking Light

Makes 12         Calories/Muffin: 104

• 1/4c. light vanilla soy milk
• 1/4tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3c. reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 3tbl light margarine, room temperature
• 1/2c. splenda
• 1/4c. sugar 
• 1 large egg
• 3/4tsp vanilla
• 1tbl canola oil
• 1/2c. all purpose flour, plus 1tbl
• 1/2c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1/8tsp baking soda
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1c. fresh raspberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In a small bowl, combine soy milk and cider vinegar. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese and margarine in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until very creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly add splenda and sugar; beat until fluffy. With the mixer still running, add vanilla, egg, and oil. Beat well.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and soy milk to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (I did it in 2 batches). Mix until just moist, and then put away the mixer.
5. In a small bowl, coat the fresh raspberries with 1tbl flour (this helps them from bleeding into the mix and from sinking to the bottom of the muffin). Using a wooden spoon or a spatula, gently fold them into the muffin batter. 
6. Cook at 350° for 17-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Vegetable Cream Cheese

Every Saturday morning for the past four years, my father and I have driven to our local bagel shop and enjoyed a Spinach Parmesan bagel and fresh, delicious cheese. The shop, Biff's Bagels, has the most fantastic bagels! They are some of my favorites. Last summer, I tried their Veggie Cream cheese.

Wow. 

It was absolutely amazing. I fell in love. This spring I started thinking, "How hard can it be?" I decided to make some Vegetable Cream Cheese at home, and the results were awesome! It is super simple to make; some hot sauce, fresh veggies, and store-bought cream cheese make a delectable combination.

Slightly spicy, with tender veggies and a creamy texture, this is a great cream cheese to slather onto a bagel or some toast. Spice up your cream cheese --and your morning!-- with this super simple recipe!

Add in some fruit to make a filling and balanced breakfast. Enjoy!

Veggie Cream Cheese

Makes 8oz

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-oz) package of low fat or fat free cream cheese (block or whipped works)
• 1/2c. diced celery
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/8tsp pepper
• 1/8tsp salt
• Hot sauce to taste

Instructions:

1. Bring out cream cheese and let sit until it reaches room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, saute celery and bell pepper in a medium skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook until a bit tender, about 3-4 minutes on medium-low. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Mix in salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, veggie mix, and hot sauce (to taste). Blend with a spoon until smooth and well-mixed.
4. Slather onto your favorite bread, bagel, or other treat! Enjoy!

Toasted Oat Pancakes with Strawberry-Apricot "Compote"

Spring and summer are the perfect times for pancakes! With lots of fruits becoming in-season, it is super easy to create healthy and flavorful toppings to slather onto your breakfast. Whats awesome about this recipe is that you can use whatever fruits are cheap and in season in your area.

In this batch, I decided to do strawberries and apricots! Light pancakes are given a hint of toasty nuttiness from self-ground-and-toasted oats. Cooked to fluffy perfection, these pancakes are made even more decadent and bright by adding slices of fresh apricots and strawberries that are cooked in sweet maple syrup. Warm, buttery, and just downright drool-worthy, these pancakes are the perfect breakfast for spring and summer!

Toasting and grinding the oats adds a depth of nutty flavor to what would otherwise be "normal" pancakes. it not only makes the texture lighter and fluffier, but is adds a nice healthy boost too! It may sound hard to do the toasting and grinding, but it literally took me two minutes and a coffee grinder. I could rave on and on about these pancakes-- they are seriously the best I have ever had. The syrup gets thick and coats the fruit, bringing out the natural sweetness of the apricots and strawberries in what I liked to nickname a "wannabe compote." 

Want sweet, buttery pancakes on your breakfast plate? Whip up this easy pancake recipe and be transported to pancake heaven!

Toasted Oat Pancakes with Strawberry-Apricot Compote

Serves 2       
Serving size: 2 huge pancakes and compote      
Calories/Serving: 316

Ingredients:

• 1c. light vanilla soy milk
• 1/2tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3c. one-minute oats
• 1/3c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3c. whole wheat flour
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1/4tsp baking powder
• 1/4tsp salt
• 2tbl splenda
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2c. sugar free maple syrup
• 2 medium apricots, sliced
• 8 strawberries (stems trimmed off), sliced  
• water as needed

Instructions:

1. Combine the soy milk and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes. (The 10 minutes is not optional. It needs time to react with the soy). 
2. 
   
   
   Meanwhile, over low heat, toast the oats as you would do for almonds or walnuts. Stay attentive and focus-- the oats will burn quickly after browning. Once the oats are golden, remove from pan and put into a coffee grinder or mini food processor. Grind until it resembles flour.
   
3. Lightly beat the egg white, and add it to the soy milk mixture. 
4. Heat a medium skillet over medium. Add the fruit in (you should hear it sizzle slightly). After 30 seconds, add in the maple syrup. Reduce heat to low and allow to thicken, until berries are warmed and well-coated (about 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, ground oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and splenda. Add in the soy milk mixture, and mix well until a batter forms. If it is still too thick add water until it is pancake-batter-consistency. 
6. To make the pancakes, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Use a heaping 1/3c. batter for each pancake, and cook until golden brown on each side (about 1 and 1/2 minutes for the first side and 30 seconds to 1 minute for the second side). 
7. To serve, place 2 hot pancakes on each plate and top with half of the warm compote. Allow the maple syrup to drizzle down the sides. Yumm!

Creamy Spring Vegetable Soup

Being sick isn't too fun. With beautiful weather outside, birds flying through the air, and the smell of blooming flowers wafting in with the warm breeze, it is hard to resist going for a long run and enjoying the sunshine. However (lesson time!), being sick requires lots of R and R, so I am forcing myself to stay inside and drink lots of liquids. I'm so lucky to have a plethora of recipes to test in order to distract me!

Today, I lucked out and made a delicious (and I mean DE-LISH-OUS!) creamy spring vegetable soup. Served hot or cold, this smooth and nutrient-packed soup is perfect for spring. Taking advantage of in-season veggies like broccoli and spinach, this soup is good and good for you! Being sick and all, I wanted something that was easy to prepare and able to help fight off my sniffles and coughing! This soup did the trick, and gave me everything I was looking for!

Topped with a little sour cream and cheddar, this soup is heaven. Hot, cold, or somewhere in between, don't miss out on this awesome spring soup that packs a punch of flavor! Wish I could say more, but I feel a mid-afternoon nap calling my name... Enjoy!!

Creamy Spring Vegetable Soup

Serves 6         Serving Size: 1 and 2/3 cups soup                
Calories/Serving:  (with garnish)-254                   (without garnish)-212

Ingredients:

• 1tsp extra virgin olive oil
• cooking spray
• 1c. chopped yellow onion
• 2 large stalks celery, diced (about 1c.)
• 1c. sliced white button mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2tsp)
• 4c. low-fat, reduced-salt chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 pounds uncooked broccoli crowns, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 (15oz) can white beans, reduced sodium
• 1tsp cumin
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2tsp pepper
• 1 (12oz) can fat free evaporated milk
• 3c. baby spinach leaves
• your favorite hot sauce, to taste
• Garnishes: 6tbl light sour cream   and   6tbl reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Coat a large pot with cooking spray. Add in olive oil, and heat over medium. Add in celery, onion, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add in garlic; cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add broth, broccoli, beans, salt, pepper, and cumin to the pot. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes covered. 
3. Add in evaporated milk, and cook over medium uncovered for 2 minutes. Add spinach, and remove from heat. Allow to cool, and then blend with either an immersion blender or a normal blender (in batches) until creamy and smooth.
4. To serve (hot or cold) ladle 2 cups of soup into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 1tbl sour cream and 1tbl cheddar. Serve with hot sauce (to taste).

Mini Carrot Bunt Cakes

It t'was a wise man who said, “Vegetables are a must... I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie” (Jim Davis). Well, I might not be able to give you all of those in one simple post, but I can certainly give you the first one!

Not as sweet as traditional carrot cake, this recipe was originally called "Carrot Ring Mold" in the family recipe book I found it in. Around Thanksgiving, my family serves it with cranberry sauce that has hints of orange in it. Man oh man, is it delicious!!

And what's better than moist, carrot-packed cake with a gooey and creamy frosting drizzled over the top? How about adding aromatic cinnamon, sweet nutmeg, and decadent brown sugar to create a flavor-packed bunt cake? These can be made mini (as pictured) or in one big bunt pan: either way, this delightful and divine carrot cake is a sure-fire hit! This recipe was passed down from my Grandmother, and edited a little by me to make it a bit healthier without sacrificing any of the rich, scrumptious flavors! 

Below is the recipe for the mini bunt cakes; if you want to make one large ring mold, prepare the exact same way but cook for 45 minutes (instead of 23). If you want it to be super sweet (but trust me, it is plenty sweet already for most!) I would add another 1/2c. of splenda in there.... but I love it the way it is!  When the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg baking away in the oven wafts upstairs to tantalize your senses, you'll understand just how amazing this dish is!
 

I can't stand it any longer! Turn on your oven and treat yourself!
 

Mini Carrot Bunt Cakes
Serves: 12          Serving size: 1 bunt cake with frosting                    
Calories/Serving: (with frosting): 106            (without frosting): 91
 

Ingredients:

•     1/4c. packed brown sugar
•     1/3c. splenda
•     1/2tbl baking powder
•     1c. all-purpose flour
•     1/4c. whole wheat flour
•     1tsp cinnamon
•     1tsp nutmeg
•     3/4c. no sugar added applesauce
•     1tsp baking soda, dissolved in 1tbl warm water
•     2tbl light margarine, melted
•     2tbl light sour cream
•     1large whole egg
•     1 large egg white
•     2c. grated carrots

 For the Cream Cheese Frosting

•      4oz package fat-free cream cheese
•     1/2tsp vanilla
•     1/4c. Splenda
•     about 1/4c. skim milk (I would start with a little, then add more to get to the desired consistency you want)

 *Note: you only need 12 tablespoons of frosting for this recipe. You might have leftovers, but each tablespoon of frosting is only about 15 calories! I use it on practically everything that I want to sweeten. It is smooth, creamy, tastes just like cinnamon roll frosting, and just delightful! Seriously, you will not miss the calorie-laden frosting of the past!
 

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking spray.
2.     In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, splenda, baking powder, flours, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and place in all remaining wet ingredients (except carrots). Mix until moistened, then add in carrots. Mix well. Batter will be relatively thick.
3.     Fill each bundt cup about 2/3 of the way up. Bake for 17-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.
4.     Allow to cool, and then carefully remove from pan. Drizzle lightly with the thinned-down cream cheese frosting (about 1tbl per cake). Devour!