Quinoa Tabbouleh + Summer Berry Cobbler from the Skinnytaste Cookbook

I know a lot of you are really excited about The Skinnytaste Cookbook release. Well guess what?, so is Target! So excited in fact that they are carrying my cookbook which is now available for pre-order on Target.com.

The Skinnytaste Cookbook has 150 recipes – 125 of those recipes are brand spanking new and have never been published on my blog. But I gave Target a sneak peak inside the cookbook and shared two exclusive recipes and photos from the book. (photo credit: Penny De Los Santos)

I chose two of my summer favorites so you don't have to wait until September 30th – you can start making them now while the weather's warming up. The Quinoa Tabbouleh tastes so fresh – a perfect summer salad whether you serve this as a main dish or a side dish with grilled chicken or lamb. And this Summer Berry Cobbler – cobbler is my weakness and this is my absolute favorite way to utilize those sweet summer berries.

Did I tease you enough? Well that wasn't my plan... head on over to Target's A Bullseye View and get the full recipes!!!

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.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Fruit Pizza

Need a colorful dessert idea for Mother's Day? Try these lightened up white chocolate cookie bars topped with cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit. The perfect dessert for Spring or Summer!

I brought these to my daughter's class party yesterday and shared a photo on my Instagram and everyone wanted the recipe, so here it is! You can use any fruit you like, I usually use my favorites and try to keep it colorful but if you don't feel like cutting fruit, just use berries! You may notice some of the photos pictured here don't have white chocolate chips, that's because I tried it both ways and liked it better WITH the white chocolate, but if you're not a fan of white chocolate you can leave them out and increase the sugar slightly. The recipe below and nutritional info includes the white chocolate.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Strawberries

Vanilla beans, strawberries and cream make this luscious dessert worthy of a standing O!

Panna cotta is one of my FAVORITE desserts when prepared properly. It’s such an easy dessert to make and it can easily be adapted with many different flavor profiles. Although it's usually made very rich with heavy cream, I've been able to play around with the ingredients through the years to give this dessert that same lusciousness, yet using much less cream.

If you need a dessert this Holiday season to impress your guests, I promise, this one is it! And since it needs at least four to five hours to set it's the perfect dessert to make a day or two ahead.

I've tried so many panna cotta recipes from blogs through the years that looked so beautiful, only to be disappointed. Perhaps I'm a bit of panna cotta snob, because I know what a good panna cotta should taste like. It shouldn't have the texture of jello, instead it should be creamy and smooth, almost pudding like in texture. I've tested this particular recipe FIVE times to get it perfect, so if you plan on trying this – don't change a thing!

For diabetics, yes, this will work with Splenda or other sweeteners, and of course cut back on even more calories. So go grab a spoon and savor each spoonful of this vanilla treat.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

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.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

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. 

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

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.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

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.


Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Guiltless Banana Ice Cream

The ultimate "guilt-free" frozen ice cream treat made with only ONE ingredient, over-ripe bananas! No cream, or sugar added. Finally it's OK have ice cream for breakfast.

You know those bananas sitting on your counter, the ones with all those brown spots that you think are passed their prime. Well those bananas make the BEST dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, fat-free, frozen ice cream treat.  (Cute spoons can be found on Etsy For Such A Time Designs )

On my recent trip to the Dole Banana Summit, I was introduced to my first Yonanas Ice Cream Treat Maker - coolest machine EVER! You basically take your over-ripe bananas, freeze them, then run them through this simple machine. Out comes a healthy frozen, soft-serve banana ice cream. 

So easy, and fun to make with the family. Ever since I got my Yonanas, we've been experimenting with all the possibilities but quite honestly my favorite is some chopped walnuts and berries. I put some colored sprinkles on my toddler's and she loves it.

You can also add other frozen fruit such as berries, pineapple, mango or if you want something a little more decadent you can add some dark chocolate, or peanut butter. Think of the possibilities! 

Now, if you don't own a Yonanas, you can still make this frozen treat in a food processor , simply freeze the bananas and process until smooth and creamy. Thanks to the kind folks over at Dole Bananas, they are giving away ONE Yonanas Ice Cream Treat Maker to a lucky Skinnytaste fans. For a chance to win, head on over to Skinny Bits, the giveaway ends Friday, November 16th.

The ultimate guilt-free snack, breakfast or dessert!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Raspberry-Blueberry Gazpacho with Fresh Mint

A simple, chilled sweet berry soup topped with fresh berries and mint topped with frozen yogurt. The perfect dessert if you're having company because you make it ahead and keep it chilled until ready to serve.

I get so many magazines delivered to my house yet never seem to find the time to read them. However, I found myself thumbing through last month's Bon Appétit and came across a Mixed Berry Gazpacho with Basil by Chef Michael Laiskonis and ripped out the page.

I changing it up slightly using raspberries and mint from my garden and some store bought blueberries. It was so easy to make and a perfect light ending to my meal. They topped theirs with olive oil and fresh cracked pepper, but I kept it simple and made it without. A scoop of Stonyfield's frozen yogurt was the perfect finish to this easy light summer dessert.

And let's just talk about this spoon for a minute, isn't it the most darling spoon? If you love supporting local artists on Etsy, you'll love this giveaway from For Such A Time Designs, she creates fun vintage hand stamped and re-purposed flatware and lucky me, she agreed to do a giveaway! If you're interested in her pieces go to Skinny Bits for the giveaway!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Guiltless Banana Split in a Jar

Perfectly portioned banana splits in a jar that are decadently delicious, but won't hurt your waistline!

National Banana Split Day was tomorrow (Aug 25th) and Dole, the world’s largest banana provider set out to create a "No-guilt National Banana Split Day" to inspire food bloggers to make a healthier alternative, so naturally I was all over this!

The original banana split was created in 1904 by a 23-year-old Latrobe, Pa., pharmacist and is now one of America’s favorite desserts. At an average of 1,000 calories, it’s also one of the country’s biggest nutrition offenders.

Keeping the portions realistic, and using nonfat frozen yogurt in place of ice cream allows you to indulge without the guilt. Topped with whipped dairy topping and a cherry, who can resist this simple treat.

And yes, I went with a whipped topping made with real cream (Reddi Wip) because I feel the fat-free creams are just a whole lot of chemicals. Because it's mostly air, it's still relatively low in fat and calories. I'm really hoping someone out there can figure out how to make a healthier yet light whipped cream, the closest I found is truwhip. Hope you all have a great weekend and Happy Banana Split Day!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding Pops

Chia pudding, in a popsicle!

Quite frankly, when I thought up this idea I didn't know what to expect. I recently saw a recipe for rice pudding pops which sparked this idea. I LOVE chia pudding and I love coconut milk, so I figured how bad could they be so I basically recreated my mango coconut chia pudding using raspberries in place of the mango.

The results... fabulous!

The texture, the flavor and the little bits of fruit in each bite. They are refreshing and delicious and virtually guilt free! Don't be scared, give them a try! I used Nu-Natural liquid stevia (my favorite stevia) but you can use whatever sweetener you prefer, and sweeten it to your taste.

And by the way, if you are new to chia... chia (yes, same chia as a chia pet) is an ancient grain eaten by the Mayans and Incas. It has a lengthy list of essential fatty acids that support heart health, plus fiber which helps support normal functioning of the digestive tract. It also keeps you full for longer periods of time, so it's great to add to cereal, muffins, etc. If you can't find them in your health food store or Trader Joe's you can buy them on amazon.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Cherry Custard

This simple dessert is similar to a French Clafoutis, only made lighter and served in individual ramekins for better portion control.

Happy Friday everyone!! Before the summer comes to an end, I am trying to enjoy all my favorite summer fruits, especially cherries, watermelon and peaches. This cherry custard is a must, I just love the flavor and you'll be surprised how easy it is to make.

I used raw sugar as my sweetener, but Stevia or Splenda would work fine too. By the way, if you haven't read the Skinny on Sweeteners yet, I highly recommend it – a very informative article on  a very confusing topic written by Heather K Jones, RD.

And speaking of pitted cherries, I am loving my new cherry pitter, from Amazon, it makes pitting cherries a breeze!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Skinny Pina Colada Ice Pops

Easy Piña Colada Ice Pops, made with pineapple, coconut milk and a splash of rum will whisk you away on a tropical island with every bite you take! Head on over to Dash Recipes for the full recipe where I will be contributing a skinny dessert once a month. For those of you following Weight Watcher Points Plus, only 3 points + each (2 without the rum).

Summer is great for luau themed parties, another fun dessert you can make this summer if you have an ice cream maker is this yummy Piña Colada Sorbet; serve it in hollowed out coconuts for a cool presentation.

If it's cupcakes you crave, then these ever so popular Skinny Piña Colada Cupcakes are quick, easy and always a crowd pleaser!

Stay cool and enjoy your weekend!

Cherry Lime Ice Pops

Sweet summer cherries with a touch of lime make these sweet popsicles a perfect treat on a hot summer day.

I love the deep red color you get from using real cherries and the flavor is not that artificial cherry taste you get from those imitation flavored pops, it's richer with a more intense cherry taste.

If you plan on making these, I highly recommend buying a cherry pitter, there are so many to choose from on Amazon. Stay cool!

PS- You can find the popsicle molds on Amazon too! I used this mold, with regular popsicle sticks.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Frozen Mango, Kiwi, Raspberry Pops

Cool off with these homemade frozen fruit pops made with fresh fruit puree.

Aren't these the prettiest things! I just love the vibrant colors you can get from using fresh fruit, and the flavors are refreshing and sweet.

Use any fruit you wish, I added a little sugar because my fruit tasted a little tart, but you can leave it out or use stevia if you prefer.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Watermelon On A Stick

Watermelon on a stick, isn't that the coolest idea? No cooking required for this one! Sometimes it's the simplest things that make the best desserts.

Take sweet watermelon for example, the perfect summer dessert as is - but add a stick to it and you have a fun way to present it at your backyard parties. I saw this on Real Simple and I knew I wanted to share this idea with you all. My husband thought it was brilliant as we happily enjoyed this after dinner.

Note: not a recipe, simply a fun idea I thought I would share. No cooking requires : )

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Frozen Banana Popsicles

Frozen bananas on a stick dipped in chocolate – an easy, fun summer treat for the kids and grown-ups too!

These are so easy to make and use only 4 ingredients. Sprinkle them with red, white and blue jimmies for the Fourth of July, or use colored sprinkles, crushed walnuts, peanuts, or whatever you like! So fun, you can even get the kids involved!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Skinny Honey Lemon Bars

 

Pucker Up! These sweet and tangy bars are lighter than traditional bars, but are not lacking in flavor! The sweet and tart topping is made from fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and sweetened with honey atop a shortbread crust. Perfect for potlucks, back yard parties and picnics.

I recently found a lightened up Lemon Bar on a blog (I forget which, sorry) that was adapted from America's Test Kitchen Light and Healthy Cookbook. I tested it out and further adapted the recipe swapping out ingredients and changing it to my taste and the result was a sweet-tart bar I couldn't resist! I'm really not sure what the original recipe looked like, bit I can tell you I loved how these turned out and I will certainly be making them again..

The only problem with these lemon bars is that I find myself making up excuses as to why I can eat another. I suggest making these only if you have some friends to share them with!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...