Quick and Healthy Tropical Green Smoothie

It's a week into January, and it seems that if one considers him or herself to be a blogger, one must use this week to post at least one healthy recipe. And while I love me a giant plate of nachos (no seriously - who can hook a girl up??), I also know how necessary it is to counteract all those holiday calories with some lighter fare. I've been a fan of smoothies for a while now, and I've recently settled on what I believe to be a pretty stellar combination. The spinach adds a whole lot of green-goodness, the blueberries give you those much-needed antioxidants, and a gajillion people have told me to start incorporating chia seeds into my daily life. This is a quick and easy smoothie that gives you a giant glass of healthy deliciousness.

Some pro tips:
* Use an immersion blender for quick mixing and easy clean up - I use a Cuisinart Smart Stick and love it!
* Buy pre-cut frozen fruit - this will not only reduce your prep time, but will also give your smoothie a cold kick. No need for extra ice cube, which just water down the drink, because the frozen fruit are the ice cubes! My favorite come from Trader Joe's - in the smoothie above, the blueberries, mango, and pineapple bits are all from TJ's.

Tropical Smoothie
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 banana, sliced
- 8-10 frozen mango chunks
- 1 small handful frozen pineapple bits
- 1 small handful frozen blueberries
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, diced
- 1 tsp. chia seeds
- 1 cup orange juice
Optional add-ins: 1tbsp. of shredded coconut, 1 tsp. honey, 1 oz. apple cider vinegar

- Layer all ingredients in the cup of your immersion blender and blend well. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Smoothie season!

Maybe it's because the weather has finally (finally! finally!!) warmed up, but I seem to be back on the smoothie train. There's just something so refreshing about sipping a cool beverage as a gentle breeze wafts in through the open window while I get ready for work - talk about a great wakeup call! The recipe below is for my favorite smoothie - made with orange juice and pineapple bits, it temporarily transports me to a beautiful island much more tropical than Manhattan :)

Tropical Green Smoothie
- 2 handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
- 1 whole banana, peeled and sliced
- 2 tbsp. pineapple chunks (TJ's sells a bag of frozen pineapple tidbits that I just love)
- 1/2 tbsp. coconut flakes
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 oz. apple cider vinegar (use a shot glass to measure or just eyeball it)
- 1 cup orange juice

Place all ingredients in the cup of an immersion blender and and blend until everything is smooth and liquid. Pour into a glass and serve with a straw!

Black bean hummus

You guys, I can't. stop. making. hummus. Seriously, I opened the Pandora's box of homemade hummus and can never go back. It's just so good! And so cheap! In that, it's inexpensive, not that it's of little account or value (thanks, dictionary.com). Anyway, to make this hummus:

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz.) of black beans, drained, but reserve the liquid
2 tbsp tahini sauce
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Juice from 1/2 a lime
Spices to taste - I used a dash of salt, a dash of cumin, and a healthy helping of Trader Joe's Everyday Seasonings

How to: 
In a blender or in the cup of your immersion blender (which I personally prefer), puree until smooth all the ingredients listed above plus half of the liquid from the can of beans. If you like a thicker hummus use less liquid, use more liquid to thin it out. Add some cilantro if you like (I'm actually not a fan, but most people love it) and serve with your favorite chips and/or veggies!

Quick bites: veggie naan pizza

Last week, J brought home some extra naan from a work lunch thing he attended. It sat in the fridge for a few days, until inspiration struck - I'd make a flatbread pizza! Now, I'm clearly not the first person to have this idea (google "naan pizza" and you get like 6 million results), but the pizza I made was just so good I had to share it with you. All you need is a a slice of naan and your favorite pizza toppings. I started with a light brushing of pesto, then added my go-to pre-made pizza sauce (Ragú Pizza Quick), sprinkled some shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheeses (the combo is delicious), then topped the whole thing off with my favorite veggies - fresh chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms, marinated tomatoes (leftover from my homemade hummus) and artichoke hearts. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted. So yummy. So easy. And so close to my beloved Chicago-style-thin-crust that my soul did a happy dance ;)

Salt and pepper sweet potato chips

I had one lone sweet potato left over from Thanksgiving and couldn't figure out what to do with it, so this afternoon I made these incredibly easy and tasty sweet potato chips! To make them, simply slice a washed sweet potato into very thin rounds (the thicker the slices, the longer you have to bake the chips) and spread evenly onto a large cookie sheet. Brush both sides of the slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (I used truffle salt for an added kick) and roast at 200 degrees for 2 hours, or until the edges have curled and the potatoes are crispy (times may vary due to differences in your oven). That's not a typo, by the way - slow roasting at a low temperature for a lengthy period of time is the best way to lock in the flavor without the vegetables getting dehydrated. One sweet potato generates enough chips for a solo snack, but if you're cooking for a party be sure to add a few more to the order ;)

A Healthy Treat to Keep Your Resolution Going

Let me guess.

You're seven days into your steadfast New Year's Resolution to eat healthier food and lose some weight this year. You've cleared all the junk food from the cabinets, renewed your gym membership (which you're totally going to use this year), and look! you even ordered a lite beer when you met up with your friends a few days ago!

You're lookin' pretty good, feelin' pretty fine, and is it just me or are these pants a little big in the waist?!

But there's a problem.

You're hungry.

And you want some pie.

Never fear, mon cheri, I am not about to entice you with cloying pictures of caloric pie porn or wax poetic about artery-clogging but flaky butter crusts (that will all be in the next post). I am here today to help you continue your fruitless valiant workout and healthy lifestyle efforts by giving you a Fruit Tartlette.

Made in tiny pie tins (I found mine at the kitchen supply mecca that is Chinatown's Bowery Street) and using fillo dough instead of pie crust, these mini tarts are only around 100 calories per serving yet sweet enough to curb any crazy sugar craving your hungry body might be experiencing.

Ingredients (these measurements will yield enough for 5-6 tarts, depending on the size of your tin)
1 apple (I went with Honeycrisp; Granny Smith is also great for baking)
1 pear
2 tbsp lemon juice
Pam cooking spray
5-6 sheets fillo dough
1 tbsp jam/jelly/fruit spread (I used cranberry chutney, your favorite spread will work just fine)
2 tbsp pulp-free orange juice
    **Use sugar-free fruit spread and orange juice if you're watching your sugar content!
1 tbsp finely chopped almonds
1 tbsp confectioner's sugar, for dusting

How To
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and thinly slice the apple and pear. Immediately toss in lemon juice (to prevent browning) and then set aside.

Sliced apples and pears

If the fillo dough is frozen, unroll 5-6 sheets and lay out to thaw for a few minutes. The directions on the box say to cover each sheet with a warm damp towel, but I found this method a bit problematic because it made the dough way too pliable. Letting the sheets get to room temperature seemed to work just fine.

While the dough is thawing, prep your pie tins with a generous spray of Pam. I found that also lightly spraying each fillo sheet with Pam readies them for baking.

Mini pie tin; the penny is there to show scale

Once your tins are sprayed and the dough is thawed, layer each sheet to cover the bottom and sides of the tin. Depending on the size of your sheets and tins, you might have to cut the sheets into smaller squares; I found a pie cutter works well. If you think of each sheet as a diamond instead of a square, you can soon achieve the angular pattern that will make the tart strong enough to stand on its own and pretty to look at. Placing an extra sheet or two at the very bottom of the tin also helps to create a sturdy base.

Fillo dough decoratively arranged in the pie tins

Once the dough layers have been arranged, fill each tart with the sliced fruit.

Layers of apple and pear slices

Mix together the orange juice and fruit spread, then generously brush over the fruit in each tart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until dough is brown and flaky.

While the tarts are baking, crush your almonds if they're not already finely chopped (I tend to buy almond slivers, that way I can chop or keep them whole as needed).

Using a rolling pin is an easy way to crush almonds

When the tarts are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and sprinkle with almonds and powdered sugar to decorate. Gently scoop the tarts out of their tins (a fork works well for this) and serve immediately.

Enjoy your delicious Fruit Tartlette!

This recipe is adapted from Pies, Delicious Homemade Recipes published by Paragon Books, 2005