Chocolaty Bird Nest Treats

With a lot of hard work at the gym, following healthy eating goals 98% of the time, comes a time for a special little Easter treat, so here's something for that 2% special occasion-  dark and chocolaty, crunchy, sweet and salty... a little bit of every taste sensation fulfilled!

Chocolaty Bird Nest Treats

Ingredients:

2 cups dark chocolate chips (or semi sweet, butterscotch or peanut butter chips)
3 cups crunchy chow mein noodles
30-50 small egg-shaped candies

Directions:

Melt your chocolate in a microwave, 1 minute at a time and stir until all is melted.  Add your crunchy chow mein noodles to the bowl and stir to combine. Drop teaspoon full on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and place a small dent in the middle of the treat.
Fill with whatever egg-shaped candies you like- I used almond M&M's- but Cadbury mini eggs would be great, as would jelly beans.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Best served cold.

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'.

Unbelievably Delicious Oatmeal Peanut Butter Brownies

Sometimes a girl needs to bake for her family. Sometime a girl needs sometimes that feels decadent, but making something healthier is a better choice. So let me introduce me to you a great no flour alternative, backed with peanut butter and oatmeal... Yes, it is a healthy brownie!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

(Adapted from http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/06/10/skinny-peanut-butter-swirl-brownies/)

Ingredients:

•         3/4 cup (185 grams) creamy peanut butter (do not use natural, runny peanut butter or powdered "peanut butter")

•         6 oz. low fat or fat free vanilla greek yogurt

•         1/4 cup (60 ml) skim milk (or almond milk)

•         1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)

•         1/4 teaspoon salt

•         1 teaspoon baking powder

•         1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar  (see note above in post about substitutions)

•         1/2 cup (64 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

•         1/2 cup (40 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

Some peanut butter...

...oatmeal....

Directions:

1.        Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 8×8 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2.        Place all of the ingredients except for the peanut butter into a blender or food processor. (Yes, a blender!) For easier blending, place the liquid ingredients into the blender first. Blend until mix is smooth and oats are ground up. You will have to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times.

3.        Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Batter will be thin.

5.  Microwave peanut butter for about 30 seconds. Drop melted peanut butter by spoonfuls onto the batter, swirling gently with a knife to create a marbled effect. (Try not to overmix!)
 

4.        Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Brownies will be extra fudgy, so be sure to wait until COMPLETELY cooled - I stuck mine in the refrigerator for 2 hours, which allowed them to be cut very easily. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Pudding Cake

Sometimes a girl needs the warmth of a deep, dark chocolate, coffee spiked on a cold night.... if you are there, or have been there and need a 'Healthy Alternative' let me introduce you to a recipe I found on the eatingwell.com website that is sure to fulfill your warm chocolate dreams.

This reminds me of the warm caramel puddings I had growing up. But instead... it's darker, richer and a bit healthier- made with whole wheat flower, dark chocolate, walnuts- it includes some healthy alternatives that boost the nutrition.

Chocolate-Fudge Pudding Cake

(adapted from http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chocolate_fudge_pudding_cake.html)

Ingredients

    1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient notes)

    1/2 cup all-purpose flour

    1/3 cup sugar or 3 tablespoons Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (see Ingredient notes)

    1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

    1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 large egg

    1/2 cup 1% milk

    2 tablespoons canola oil

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, (optional)

    1 1/3 cups hot brewed coffee

    2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, or Splenda Granular

    1/4 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans, toasted

    Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar (or Splenda Sugar Blend), cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk egg, milk, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Add to the flour mixture; stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, if using. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish. Mix hot coffee and brown sugar (or Splenda Granular) in the measuring cup and pour over the batter. Sprinkle with nuts. (It may look strange at this point, but don't worry. During baking, cake forms on top with sauce underneath.)

 Bake the pudding cake until the top springs back when touched lightly, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve hot or warm

Makes 8 servings

Nutrition per serving

Per serving: 220 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 27 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 237 mg sodium; 105 mg potassium.

Good for You Chocolate Banana Souffles

Looks decadent right... and it's made mostly with bananas and cocoa powder!

On a cold Fall evening, I felt like I needed some warm, chocolaty comfort. But sticking to my guidelines of healthy eating, I set out to find a healthy alternative. I visited one of my favourite websites for healthy eating- www.skinnytaste.com.  Look what I found! Absolutely delicious AND nutritious.

Chocolate Banana Soufflés

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/12/chocolate-banana-souffles.html

Ingredients:

    2 ripe medium bananas, mashed

    2 tsp cornstarch

    1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

    1 tsp vanilla extract

    2 large egg whites

    3 tbsp sugar

    cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat over to 400F. Coat 4, 6 oz ramekins with butter flavored cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet.

 

In a medium bowl, mash bananas and vanilla together. Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder over bananas and stir well.

In another medium bowl, beat egg whites with sugar until they form soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into banana mixture. When incorporated, fold in the rest of the egg whites. Spoon mixture into ramekins.

Wipe the top 1/4 inch “collar” of the ramekin to remove any excess batter so that the souffle will rise straight and place ramekins on a baking sheet. 

Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Et voila! You do have to eat it immediately warm from the oven. Here's the nutrition info:
Calories: 131.2 • Fat: 3.6 g • Carb: 23.5 g • Fibre: 3.2 g • Protein: 4.8 g

Ok, seriously, have you even seen a desert with so much fibre and protein!

A few of my huband's favourite things...

Peanut butter and some football, to start...

I love my husband, and so when I want him to enjoy some healthy alternatives to the usual Sunday NFL snacks, I make him some homemade, heart healthy snacks. Quacamole is one of his favourites, and I thought I would try incorporating Chia seeds -full of Omega-3 and fibre- into some oatmeal peanut butter cookies.  Of course, served warm from the oven with a cup of his favourite tea in his team mug, it was a recipe for success!

... and for me, a little dark chocolate, just a few little chips, makes the whole thing a totally delicious snack. Check his little cute smile in the background!

Here's the recipe:

Chia Seed Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

 (adapted from: http://www.hungryhealthygirl.com/2013/02/26/chia-seed-peanut-butter-oat-cookies/)

Yield: 24 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie, Calories per serving: 133

Ingredients

    1.5 cups rolled oats

    1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    2 tbsp Chia seeds

    1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature & unmelted (I used butter)

    1/2 cup Stevia baking blend (brown sugar would also work)

    3/4 cup peanut butter or other nutbutter

    2 eggs

    2 tsp pure vanilla extract

    1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine oats, flour, baking powder and Chia seeds in a medium bowl and set aside.  Add coconut oil, Stevia, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat ingredients together using an electric mixer.

Gradually add oat mixture to wet mixture and stir together with the electric mixer. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon about 1.5 tbsp of dough onto baking sheet that has been prepared with parchment paper or natural cooking spray. I like a flatter cookie, so I used my hands to flatten dough and shape it in to a circle. These cookies will not spread, so you can set them on the baking sheet close to another cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for a couple of minutes.

...couldn't wait to taste those golden, puffy mounds of chia, peanut butter, oatmeal goodness!

 

Oh, there's one of my husband's favourite things-  Kiss... and me serving him some fresh baked wholesome peanut butter cookies in his old Kiss concert tee, PRICELESS!!!