Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Scone -it's time to celebrate!

Celebrate what, you say? 

Well it's been a great few weeks of triumph and discovery. First off, I went to the Wharton Clinic to check on my progress and I have lost another 6 lbs and I measured myself and lost another 4 1/2 inches. 

Awesome, I'd say!  It's a slow steady pace, but this is what is needed when you plan to live like this for LIFE.  Changing the way I eat, plan and prepare meals and live with activity. This is the way I live now, it's never about a diet. I hate that word- 'starting a diet' implies that you will 'end a diet'. Well guess what? This is not something I will ever 'end', I will continue to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, I will continue to strive to get activity every day.... for the rest of my life!

For the rest of my life I will also constantly re-evaluate what I am doing, where I want to be in my career. After some soul-searching moments, I have decided to take a post-graduate course in Human Resource Management through McMaster University. Yep, I'm going back to school! Online of course, so I can continue working and living my healthy life!

So part of being a successful, healthy living being is to prepare some food in advance for the week. Most of my recipes include whole grains and healthy fats, but sometimes..... I just need to enjoy a little spark of something homemade, fresh and delicious. I head to Pinterest and search... I needed to use some part-skim ricotta cheese and below is the final product.

Taste testers living and visiting my home over the weekend mentioned it was the best scone they have ever tasted. I would say it was the moistness of the ricotta, but also I doubled the lemon rind and lemon juice required and barely used any sugar for the glaze- mostly all lemon juice

Here's the recipe. I used skim milk ricotta and milk and it was still divine!

Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Scones (adapted from http://bakerbynature.com/blueberry-ricotta-scones/)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, VERY cold and cut into tiny pieces
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup (Whole Milk) Ricotta Cheese
3 tablespoons Whole Milk
8 ounces blueberries, fresh or frozen (If using frozen, do not thaw first)

For the egg wash:
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon milk or water
2 tablespoons sugar, for sprinkling

For the (optional) lemon glaze:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°(F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and lemon zest.
3. Cut the butter into small cubes then quickly work it into the mixture (using your fingers) until lit resembles a coarse meal.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, ricotta cheese, and milk, then add to flour and butter mixture. Use a fork to stir everything together until just moistened.
5. Add in the blueberries and gently fold them into dough with a spatula - don’t worry if some of the berries break up a bit.
6. Pour the shaggy dough out onto a clean, floured work surface and shape the dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut the dough into 8 wedges and carefully transfer to the prepared sheet.
7. Lightly brush each scones with the egg wash, then sprinkle the top of each scone with sugar.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
9. Cool for about 10 minutes, then make your glaze.
10. For the glaze:
11. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and confectioners sugar. Drizzle over warm scones and serve at once.

Love and Hearts revisited

It's been a very busy couple of weeks, but I wanted to share with you our Halliday Valentine's Day Love and Hearts Brunch and Dinner Extravaganza. While it's a few weeks late, I think you will still find the dishes inspiring, easy to make and healthy (ok maybe not the last one).

One of the best parts of this Valentine's Day Sunday was that all of us went to our respective gyms and worked out hard for a 1 hour class of sweating, cardio and heart-healthy strength and muscle building- what better love to give your real heart than the gift of exercise. I am so proud of my family- my husband recently joining a gym for the first time in his life and my teenage daughter for getting up at 7:30am on a Sunday morning to go to the gym and workout with me- this is truly the best love and hearts gift ever!

Here's the LOVE

.

Here's the HEARTS

For Valentine's Day Brunch I decided to make these delightful little heart-shaped French toast

All I did was use my heart-shaped cookie cutter on some Wonder White bread with Fibre and cut out the love shapes!  You ask, 'Chantal, what did you do with those crusts though, isn't that a waste?' Well, of course I wouldn't be so wasteful, I cut them up, seasoned them with spices and a bit of olive oil, baked them and made croutons with them!!!

Next, I thawed some frozen berries- those juicy and anti-oxidant filled plump jewels...

And then plated the heart-shaped French toast with some of those luscious berries on top. Gorgeous visually and good for you too!

So you might wonder what a woman who is on a healthy living journey might want for Valentine's day?  The finest of course-- Purdys!

As a commitment to my healthy living focus, I suggested to my dear husband that all I wanted was one piece of the best chocolate I have ever tasted. That is the Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel that you see here. It was beautiful, dark, rich, chewy, sweet and salty and worth all of it's 53 calories (which by the way I already 'burned' of at the gym that morning)!

Now for our dinner I wanted to make one of my daughter's favourites - Thai Cold Rolls. A time consuming, but totally healthy and nutritious appetizer. (recipe posted before)

And for my husband, I decided to make one of his favourite- SHRIMP!

But this time, I tried a spicy Asian twist. This was my take on a spicy coconut shrimp curry.

I served it over rice and a side of bok choi. 

It was very flavourful and not too rich.... that would be saved for the 'over the top' decadent desert served later.

Coconut Curry Shrimp (adapted from jocooks.com)

INGREDIENTS

For Shrimp Marinade

• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/7 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 lb extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (5.5 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
• fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
• cooked rice for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl toss the shrimp with the marinade ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. While the shrimp is marinating, heat the oil in a medium size pot. To it add the onion, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic, pepper, salt, coriander, turmeric and curry powder.
3. Continue to cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes with juices and all, stir well and cook for about a minute after which add the coconut milk, stir and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add shrimp with the accumulated juices from the marinade and cook for another 5 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and cooked through.
4. Serve over hot rice and garnish with cilantro or parsley.

Ok, so here it is....

This is what I prepared as our 'over the top' Valentine's Dinner treat.  Individual Peanut Butter Molten Dark Chocolate cakes.  My husband's favourite is peanut butter, mine is dark chocolate- marriage made in heaven right?

Well, I can't even tell you how rich this was. Although it was a small ramekin portion, I couldn't finish it all because it was so rich (a testament to my healthy eating transformation). It was a treat, it was incredibly decadent, it was great fun to make... but that's all folks. No sharing recipes of this little piece of heaven (but if you really want to see it, check out my Pinterest board).

After all this sharing, cooking, baking, working out, I want you to remember one thing: Focus on health, have the occasional treat and 'Keep Calm and Hug On'.

Banana Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan Crunch Topped Muffins

  ... Now that's a mouthful.... of seriously good morning 'on the go' eating....

I adapted this recipe from a Robin Hood flower recipe I found on line. The addition of the pecan-oatmeal crumble on top just sends them over the edge of yummy!

The original recipe called for 12 muffins, but I stretched mine to make 18 muffins.

Got some pecans ready...

Mixed some melted butter, brown sugar and oats...

...added my chopped pecans...

...and just sprinkled on top for some crunchy goodness!

Now here's the recipe:

 

Banana Cranberry Oatmeal Pecan Crunch Topped Muffins

Adapted from (http://www.robinhood.ca/Recipes/Muffins-Biscuits-Quick-Breads/Oat-Muffins/Cranberry-Banana-Oat-Muffins)

Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups   (300 mL)  Whole Wheat All Purpose Flour

1 1/4 cups   (300 mL) Quick Oats

2/3 cup   (150 mL) sugar 

1 1/2 tsp   (7 mL) baking powder 

1 tsp   (5 mL) baking soda 

1/2 tsp   (2 mL) salt 

1   egg 

2 cups   (500 mL) banana, mashed 

1/3 cup   (75 mL) butter, melted 

1 cup   (250 mL) dried cranberries 

 

Directions:

1.       COMBINE first six dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix well.

2.       BEAT egg, banana and melted butter together until smooth.

3.       ADD banana mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Stir in nuts, if desired.

4.       FILL greased muffin cups 3/4 full.

5.       Now here is where I adapted a little bit.. I chopped some pecans, added some brown sugar, oats a bit of melted butter to make a crumble top to sprinkle on each muffin.

6.       BAKE at 375ºF (190ºC) for 20-25 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched.

A Grillin' Mothers Day Celebration!

I'm having so much fun... I'm needing to catch up on my posts. Here's a little glimpse into my wonderful Mother's Day celebration. A day filled with love, treats, excursions and BBQ goodness!

It all started with a wonderful breakfast in bed. Brent and Melanie made me homemade French toast, bacon (treat!!!!) strawberries and coffee. Gave me a wonderful card and a pretty flower! Nice Bed Head eh?

 I received a wonderful apron, some more flowers, candles and a purse (of course)!!!! Spoiled, I know!

I wanted to go for a walk downtown Oakville, and of course browse through my favourite store- Anthropologie, wait... let me take a selfie!

 Brent made us a wonderful dinner on the BBQ. Some delicious grilled corn. He found a recipe on the web and it turned out great! All you need to do is shuck the corn and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Dry the corn and brush lightly with olive oil and grill on the top rack for about 15 minutes and then bring it down to the bottom rack for a little bit at the end to get those nice char marks.

 Of course, a family favourite- CHICKEN!

... all plated nicely with a little salad too! And for desert... what do you think? A special treat- Red Velvet Cupcake! What a wonderful day it was, and what a wonderful family I have. Thank you so much for making me feel like a Queen! Love you so much.

Nigella's Scones

Oh my goodness, the power of persuasion really works. Here's the proof!

I was watching one of my favourite TV shows- Nigella's Kitchen and she was making and then devouring these scones... I could taste them through the TV... I was hypnotized and had to make them myself right away.... except, unlike Nigella suggests in her recipe, I did not eat them with clotted cream or treacle... but jam!

So, I got started,  took out my little pastry molds, yes, from Dollarama, chose the perfect little blue one and got started... check it all out below.

 

Buttermilk Scones 

(courtesy of Nigella Lawson, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/buttermilk-scones-recipe.html)

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 teaspoons superfine sugar

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons soft vegetable shortening (I just used butter)

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg, beaten, for an egg wash (optional)

1 large lipped baking sheet or half sheet pan

1 (2-inch) biscuit cutter, preferably fluted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large lipped baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the flour into a bowl with the baking soda, cream of tartar, and sugar. Chop the butter and the vegetable shortening into pieces and drop them into the flour. Rub the fats into the flour - or just mix any old how - and then pour in the buttermilk, working everything together to form a dough.

Lightly flour your work surface. Pat the dough into a round-edged oblong about 1 3/4 inches thick and cut out 2-inch scones with a biscuit cutter. (Mine are never a uniform height, as I only pat the dough into its shape without worrying whether it's irregular or not.)

Arrange the scones fairly close together on your lined baking sheet,...

...and brush with beaten egg (to give golden tops) or not as you wish.

Bake for 12 minutes, by which time the scones will be dry on the bottom and have a relatively light feel.

Remove them to a wire rack to cool, and serve with clotted cream and your favourite jam.

Do you see the size of those scones, they puffed up so much are absolutely delicious served warm, right out of the oven.

Orange Cranberry Scones

I don't know about you, but when you are entering your third month of cold winter snow, there is nothing better than making a warm baked good filled with delicious wintery smells.

Here's a nice recipe for you to try... I just used a few extra 'healthier' options, like whole wheat flour and low fat milk to 'up' the nutrition a bit. 

ORANGE CRANBERRY SCONES

(adapted from COOKS.COM)

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour ( I used whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

grated zest of an orange

1/2 cup Craisins or golden raisins

1 stick (8 tbsp.) cold unsalted butter

2/3 cup buttermilk (plus extra for brushing)

coarse sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar for 30 seconds.

 

Cut the cold butter into small cubes 1/4-1/2 inch. On low speed mix until butter is just coated with flour, leaving large chunks. Stir in the Craisins or Raisins and the zest. 

 

 

Stir in 2/3 cup buttermilk and mix for about 30 seconds, or just until the liquid is absorbed. (The batter will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl). Using a spatula, scrape the dough down and form it into a ball.

Pat the dough together into a flattened circle 3/4-inch thick. Place the circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, a silicone baking sheet or a buttered sheet of wax paper. Divide the circle into eight wedges and separate the wedges out leaving a 1/2-inch space between them.

Brush the tops with remaining buttermilk or an egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar (sanding sugar or turbinado is best for a crisp crust).

 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with butter, jam or honey. Delicious!

 

Dr. Oz Whey Protein Powder Muffins

I wanted to get a lot more protein in my morning muffins... so I did some web searching and found this recipe.
I am a big fan of Dr. Oz, so I decided to try these... they taste a lot like their Whey Protein ingredient, so you need to like the taste to enjoy them. To 'mask' the taste for my daughter and even more protein for both of us, we just added some peanut butter and warmed them up in the morning and they were delicious served that way.

Super Protein Muffins from Doctor Oz

Ingredients
3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp Stevia
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease 12-cup muffin tin.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, flour, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, blend together the rest of the ingredients. Quickly incorporate the dry and wet mixtures and distribute into the prepared muffin tin.

Bake for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.(mine burned a little bit, so watch the time)

Muffins are about 200 calories and contain 15 grams of protein. Pretty good, I'd say!

Whole Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

In an effort to feed my family healthy, wholesome breakfast options. I tried this new recipe for some Whole Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Scones.
 

Here's the closeup....

Here are the bright and tangy ingredients, and now, the recipe!

Whole Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

http://keepyourdietreal.com/food/breadsmuffins/whole-wheat-lemon-poppy-seed-scones/

Ingredients:

2 cups   Whole wheat white flour

1/3 cup Brown sugar, packed

2 tsp      Baking powder

1/8 tsp Salt

1/3 cup Butter

1              Egg

1 tsp      Vanilla extract

1/2 cup 1% Milk

2 Tbsp   Lemon zest

2 Tbsp   Lemon juice

1 Tbsp   Poppy seeds

1              Egg (for egg wash)

1 Tbsp   Milk (for egg wash)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375º.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are a bit smaller than the size of a pea.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppy seeds.

 Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture until just barely combined then place the batter onto a floured surface and knead until it comes together (may need to add 1/2-1 cup of additional flour). The dough should be neither sticky nor dry.

Press the dough into a 1″ thick rectangle. Cut in half vertically, then horizontally, then again vertically. There should be eight triangle shaped scones of equal size.

Next, cut each in half again, diagonally. Now there should be sixteen triangle shaped scones of equal size.

Place the scones onto a greased cookie sheet. Create an egg wash by whisking together the egg and milk. Brush the top of the scones as well as the sides with the egg wash.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops turn golden brown.

Et voila! Now these are good served warm and you can add some nut butter to boost up the protein content for a good breakfast fix.