Avocado Coconut Popsicles

These creamy popsicles are a real treat! Made with just 4 ingredients – nutrient dense avocados, coconut-almond milk, raw sugar and sweetened coconut flakes. They are also dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free.

It’s no secret, I'm pretty avocado obsessed! I grew up eating avocados all my life and I usually incorporate them into a meal just about every day! In fact, I love them so much I created an entire Pinterest Board devoted to avocados. But I usually eat them in some type of savory dish such as guacamole, BLT, egg salad, in my salad dressings, with my soups and more.

But the fact is, in Brazil where my Dad lived for many years, avocados were never eaten with salt; instead they were treated as the fruit that they are and were often sweetened with sugar. My dad used to make a smoothie years ago with avocados, milk and sugar which he called Vitamina. Because I love coconut, I took his smoothie idea and added coconut flakes and loved it! And since avocados are so nutrient dense, you're also getting a good dose of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals to boot!

PS - The popsicle mold I used is from Progressive which I bought on Amazon, click the link if you're interested.

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Cauliflower Watercress Soup

Cold winter nights call for hot soup. We were hit with a snow storm yesterday, and we're expecting another tonight. After shoveling myself out of my parking spot and coming in from the cold last night, this soup hit the spot. It's healthy and light, with a creamy texture from the cauliflower that's perfect served with a crispy whole grain piece of bread and a drizzle of olive oil on top, yet it's light enough to serve with a sandwich or a first course.

This recipe was inspired from someone who tweeted me the idea to add watercress to my Dad's cauliflower soup. Such a great way to incorporate watercress into soup which is considered a superfood. It's rich in fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamin C, beta-carotene, folate, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron and adds a bright green color to this soup.


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Baked Buffalo Chicken Jalapeño Poppers

The little bite sized babies might be cute, but watch out – they pack a little punch!

I love jalapeno poppers AND buffalo chicken so I decided to combine them both and really spice things up!

These are so good and real easy to make. Prep them ahead and bake them just before you're ready to serve. They should be served hot, so don't bake them ahead. If you want to go carb-less or gluten free, I think they would be good without the panko too.  Just please do yourself a favor and wear gloves when you cut the peppers.

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PB & J Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Made with just just 4 ingredients – bananas, oats, peanut butter and jelly, these cookies are meant to eat warm right out of the oven for a fun spin on my 3-ingredient healthy cookie recipe.

I'm so addicted to making these cookies. Whenever my bananas are over-ripe, I whip up a batch which takes only minutes. These are best when the bananas are super ripe as their natural sweetness is what's used to sweeten the cookies. Keep in mind they aren't crisp like a dessert cookie. Instead these are moist and chewy and best eaten warm, right out of the oven. They are great as an afternoon snack or healthy enough to have for breakfast if you wish. You can easily make half the portion with just 1 banana if you want to make less.

I've made them with walnuts which tasted like banana bread, I've tried them with chocolate chips which so yummy! This time I decided to switch things up and see what happens if I add some chunky peanut butter to the batter and top them with reduced sugar jelly – yum!
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Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Lace Cookies

These delicious cookies are light, crisp and chewy, made with basic ingredients like oats, flour, butter, sugar and spices– then once baked they are sandwiched together with melted dark chocolate. If you're baking cookies for Holiday parties, or just to leave Santa, these are a must!

Holiday traditions in my family always included baking cookies with the kids. My Mom did it with my brother and I, and she still does it with my children. To ease some of the guilt, I try to include some lighter cookie recipes in the mix and these lace cookies are one of my favorites. Of course, I do practice restraint and tracking (and exercise) helps keep me in check this time of the year.

One thing to keep in mind when baking these cookies is the batter will spread once baked so don't put them too close together on the cookie sheet. Once baked they will keep well in an airtight container.

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Banana Cranberry Bread

If you have ripe bananas lying around, today is the perfect day to make this wonderfully moist banana bread studded with tart ruby cranberries!

It's snowing here today – the kind of day I look for any excuse to turn on my oven so I can warm up my home with the scent of fresh baked goodness. With ripe bananas on my counter, and some cranberries left over from yesterday's pear-cranberry crumble, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

This bread turned out moist and wonderful, I love the contrast of the sweet bananas with the tart cranberries in each bite. Some other Skinnytaste banana bread recipes you may enjoy are Banana Nut Bread,  Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread, Petite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Loaves, and Pumpkin Banana Bread.

Stay warm and enjoy!

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Baked Salmon Cakes

Baked salmon cakes make the perfect Holiday appetizer, made with wild Alaskan salmon, diced peppers, capers and breadcrumbs. For dipping, I made my favorite Zesty avocado cilantro dressing which compliments the flavor of the salmon and makes these absolutely addicting!

Target has partnered with the Target Inner Circle crew to put together a Holiday Party 101 blog series. As a team we are sharing everything you need to plan the perfect holiday party from cocktails, music, decorating tips, invitations, and more!

I was put in charge of the appetizers which was a fun challenge for me, and I came up with the idea to lighten up a recipe I recently had at a friend's house after stumbling on Simply Balanced Wild Alaskan Salmon at Target. I also picked up some holiday plates, napkins and this simple white flat plane platter from their Threshold collection which I will be using for everything.

When purchasing fish, I always opt for wild rather than farm raised so I was happy to see wild Alaskan seafood in Target. I adapted the original recipe from Ina Garten with lighter ingredients, then baked the cakes rather than frying and they turned out wonderful. I love a good dipping sauce and knew that my avocado cilantro dressing would be the perfect fresh compliment!

If you are looking for a healthy appetizer idea this Holiday season, look no further. Wild salmon is loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s and these salmon cakes are pretty easy to make. You can assemble them ahead of time, then put them in your oven when your guests arrive. Set them out on the table and watch them disappear!

To tune in to more holiday party-throwing tips, be sure to follow #mykindofholiday and #targetinnercircle on Pinterest. Target will be compiling all the posts for an article on A Bullseye View. Happy party-planning everyone!

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Baked Mini Spinach and Sausage Arancini

These mini baked Italian rice balls are made with brown rice, chicken sausage, spinach and mozzarella cheese. Served with some warm marinara sauce, they make the perfect finger foods for the Holiday season or any time you want to serve appetizers.

The Holidays are right around the corner, so this week I am sharing Holiday recipes to get you in the spirit. I don't know about you, but I love Italian rice balls. They are often deep fried and high in calories so I typically stay away unless I'm making this Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole which turns rice balls into a meal!

I came across a recipe from the Baby&Toddler on the Go Cookbook (which btw is such a great book for feeding young kids) for mini baked brown rice aranci, and adapted them with adult palates in mind and more of the flavors I typically like in a rice ball. This recipe cuts a substantial amount of fat by baking instead of frying and replaces the white rice with brown – but you still get plenty of flavor from the sausage and Pecorino Romano cheese.

You can make the filling ahead of time, roll them into balls and refrigerate until you are ready to bake them. I would bread them just before baking.

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Light and Easy Cauliflower Gratin

Thanksgiving is at my Mom's house this year. She makes the turkey, stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes and we all bring the rest. I always bring a vegetable or two and some appetizers, my cousin brings dessert and my sister in law usually brings a salad.

Last year I made a cauliflower gratin that was a lot more complicated than this, but I wanted to test out an easier version knowing many of you will be looking for easy sides. This is super simple, all done in the oven so you don't need to dirty extra pots and pans. You can double this in a 9 x 12 baking dish if you want to feed more people. I used light Havarti cheese because I love the taste, but you can use Swiss, cheddar or whatever you wish. Each serving is under 100 calories or 2 points plus if you're doing WW.

And BTW, the serving spoon in the photo above and fork below is from Such A Time Designs. Beautiful, affordable silver plated one-of-a-kind hand stamped flatware that makes great gifts. This week I am running a giveaway on Skinny Bits – $100 worth of store credit to use on her Etsy shop. If you're interested click here for details.

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Dad's Creamy Cauliflower Soup

We're getting some cold weather here in New York for Autumn, temperatures are in the thirties – a perfect day for soup. This recipe is an oldie but goodie, one I make quite often and grew up eating as a kid and since I was making it today, I thought I would highlight it for those of you who haven't tried it.

Both my parents loved to cook and no doubt that has rubbed off on my brother and I. My Dad's style of cooking was very different from my Mom's since he was born in Prague, Czech and she was born in Colombia. As you can imagine, the meals we group up with were pretty eclectic, but one of the simplest recipes my Dad made was this soup.

As a kid, we had a cup of homemade soup almost every night before dinner. I wasn't always happy about this, because believe it or not, I was pretty picky. But on the night's we had this soup, I never complained. 

My father lost his vision a few years ago, so sadly he no longer cooks. But thankfully he is still with us, and I've been trying to learn some of the dishes he once cooked. This one is EASY, only 5 ingredients and you have yourself a warm, delicious bowl of soup that is so light you can serve this as a first course for dinner or with a half sandwich for lunch.

There is no cream added, the silky texture is simply from pureeing it.  Dad used water and chicken bouillon which I often do (I use Better Than Bouillon) but here I used chicken broth instead; use whatever works for you. Sometimes I add some diced carrots, or even celery – there are no rules here.

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Cilantro Lime Cauliflower "Rice"

Grated cauliflower makes a fantastic low-carb, grain-free stand in for rice when you need a little carb detox. You can season this any way you wish – here I brightened it up with lime and cilantro and served it with a broiled pork loin. It has a couscous-like texture, and is perfect with chicken, pork chops, steak or anything you would normally serve with rice.

Does it taste like cauliflower? Yes, it does so if you're not a cauliflower fan (I love it!) this may not be for you. But if you're a fan like me, you'll love this side dish! And it's also vegetarian, vegan and Paleo-friendly.

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Oats, ripe bananas and chocolate chips – these healthy, "breakfast" cookies are chewy and delicious, and made with just three ingredients.

I was craving chocolate this morning, and decided to whip up a batch of these yummy cookies for breakfast (I ate 4 cookies, for 4 points). Some of you may recognize them, in the past I made them with walnuts in place of chocolate chips.

I would never eat cookies for breakfast, but these are made with healthy ingredients – oats, bananas, and a handful of chocolate chips (antioxidants, right?) with no added sugar or flour. If you wanted, you could replace the chocolate chips for cocoa nibs, raisins, craisins, whatever! Perfect for breakfast, snack or any time you crave a sweet healthy treat. And these are nut-free, gluten-free and egg free so they are perfect for different diet restrictions.

The riper your banana the better, so make these when your bananas are almost black and freckled with dark spots.

I personally think these are best eaten warm, right out of the oven. They taste almost like mini banana bread muffins, the texture is soft and chewy, not crisp like a dessert cookie. If you're expecting a crispy cookie you would keep in your cookie jar – you WILL be disappointed. But if you have a very ripe banana hanging around your counter, and you are craving chocolate... make these! You will be happy you did.

If you want more of a "traditional" oatmeal cookie recipe, then try my Low Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies instead... but I wouldn't eat them for breakfast.

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Matcha Green Tea Shots

These healthy energy shots give you a BLAST of antioxidants, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up for a healthy Happy Hour!

I'm in love with Matcha, not just because of the antioxidants, or because it has two amino acids (theophylline and L-theanine) which have both an energizing and calming effect (which explains why Buddhist monks have been drinking Matcha for centuries!)

I really just love the taste of Matcha, more than I enjoy drinking a regular cup of green tea. Because it's a fine powder form of the tea leaf, it quickly dissolves in anything you put it in, hot or cold, so if I want to drink it cold, I just mix it in – no heating required!

This is so easy, and takes just 1 minute to make. I combine sweetened vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk and Matcha powder – then shake, shake, shake! That's it! You could even use unsweetened almond milk and a few drops of stevia.

For a quick afternoon pick me up, rather than reaching for a cup of coffee (which I prefer to drink in the mornings) I go for Matcha instead. It's the perfect pick me up without the jitters.


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Sauteed Julienned Summer Vegetables

Zucchini, yellow squash and carrots cut into spaghetti like strands and sauteed with garlic and oil. I make this side dish ALL summer long – not just because it's low-carb, gluten-free, clean and paleo friendly, but because it's delicious, good for you and also happens to be my husband's favorite way to enjoy zucchini!

This goes great with anything you grill, but I especially love serving this as a side to fish. It almost feels like you're eating noodles, maybe you can call them "zoodles".

The trick to quickly cutting the vegetables into thin long strips is to use a mandolin with a julienne blade. You could also do this with a sharp knife if you have serious knife skills, but I say splurge on a mandolin. My mandolin is from OXO, I've had it a few years and I get so much use out of it. I basically run the vegetables through the mandolin until I get the center where the seeds are, then I turn it. The carrots are a bit tougher to cut, so sometimes I just buy a bag of pre-shredded carrots. Once the cutting is done, it takes less than 4 minutes to cook, or vegetables that are tender crisp like al dente pasta.

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Simply Obsessed Frozen Coconut Mango Pops

Frozen popsicles made with coconut milk and pureed mango, so good!!

We're having a heat wave here in New York. The kind of heat that you don't want to be outside, unless you're in a pool or sprinkler keeping you cool. I won't dare turn my oven on this week, even grilling is out of the question until things cool down.

But these ice pops... I'm obsessed!! I'm making these all summer long, I can't even begin to tell you how delicious they are. I don't think any of my other ice pops come close. And since so many of you asked about what popsicle mold I use, I linked the popsicle maker from Progressive available on Amazon here.

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Grilled Cilantro Lime Shrimp Kebabs

Grilled shrimp on skewers seasoned with cumin, garlic and finished with fresh squeezed lime juice and cilantro.  

I use my grill all summer long, and since we LOVE Cilantro Lime Shrimp, I adapted for the grill. This would be perfect for back yard parties as an appetizer, or you can serve this for dinner for 4 people with cilantro lime rice, fiesta bean salad, a big garden salad with avocado, or whatever you desire.

Since making the salmon kebabs last week, I loved how the lemon wedges looked between the salmon chunks, so I thought it would be pretty to do the same with the lime here. Completely optional but if you decide to do this, keep in mind that the lime juice will begin to cook the shrimp if you prep these too far in advance.

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Peaches and Cream Popsicles

There's nothing like eating a sweet, juicy, ripe peach on a hot summer day – but these peaches and cream popsicles made with yogurt, almond milk and almond extract make a wonderful treat on a hot day like today.

It's in the nineties today, the kind of day where you want to either sit in front of the air conditioner and never leave the house, or swim in the pool all day – we opted for the latter.

I've been thinking about making a peach dessert combined with almond extract – because I love the smell of my peach-almond facial scrub, so I came up with this easy dessert using really ripe sweet peaches, unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk and almond extract – delish! And by the way, Almond Breeze now comes in single size servings and is hosting a giveaway on Skinny Bits. Click here for a chance to win.

I used raw sugar to sweeten these, but you could sweeten them with stevia or whichever sweetener you prefer. My star shaped ice pop mold, which you can find on Amazon makes 4 oz popsicles, so depending on the size of your popsicle mold, you may get different amounts. 

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Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread

 

This banana bread is moist and delicious, made with white whole wheat flour, sweet roasted strawberries and ripe bananas, with just a smidgen of butter, so you can enjoy a slice without the guilt!

I had some bananas that were getting brown and I was really in the mood for banana bread, so I combined the two for a delicious quick bread. You can turn these into muffins if you prefer. In the past I attempted this recipe, but the strawberries released too much liquid which made the bread a little too moist. Roasting the strawberries is the perfect solution, most of the liquid dries out from roasting so you get the flavor of the strawberries in every bite.

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Red White and Blue Fruit Skewers with Cheesecake Yogurt Dip

If you need a quick last minute dessert that doesn't require much work, it doesn't get easier than this! These fresh strawberry, blueberry and angel food cake skewers are perfect for Memorial Day.

I'm not sure what it is about putting fruit on sticks that makes them so appealing, but my youngest daughter's eyes lit up when she couldn't wait to eat them.

I wanted a cheesecake flavored dip so I played around with yogurt, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar, and it was exactly was I was looking for. The strawberries tasted wonderful with this dip, a keeper!

This will feed a large crowd, you can assemble it in the morning, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

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Superfood Triple Berry Chia Pudding

 

I LOVE chia pudding! And what can be easier than throwing a few chia seeds into a mason jar with some fresh fruit and almond milk and giving it a good shake! Side note: please excuse the manicure.

If you've never tried chia pudding, I highly recommend picking up some chia seeds and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk and give it a try. Chia is a super food; an excellent source of omega fatty acids, has more antioxidants than blueberries and it's full of minerals, calcium, protein, vitamins and fiber. Plus it is low in calories and is incredibly satiating.

Some of you may have tried my Mango Coconut Chia Pudding which is always a favorite of mine, but I wanted to try something with all the berries I bought this week and used fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries... delicious!

All I do is combine the chia seeds with milk (my favorite milk to use when making chia pudding is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond-Coconut Milk) then add fruit and a little liquid stevia or whatever sweetener you like, then shake it all up, let it sit 15 minutes and give it another good shake and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Karina, my oldest loves this! Madison, my youngest wanted to help me style the shot, perhaps I have an assistant in training...

Isn't she such a ham : )

This is so healthy you can even eat this for breakfast, which is what I did this morning. Did I mention this fits into so many dietary restrictions; gluten-free, dairy-free, low sodium, low sugar, low calorie, vegetarian, vegan... enjoy!! By the way the lovely spoon is by For Such A Time Designs.


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