Date Chocolate Nut Balls

For the past couple months, I haven't been consuming refined sugars. I will admit that I had a slice of this pie (sans the coconut) that I made on Thanksgiving and tasted a cookie or two over the Christmas Holidays, but for the most part, I haven't been eating it. I haven't been baking very much. I still make my kids cookies or muffins occasionally, but I don't always consume what I make. I also have been experimenting with other ways to enjoy sweet treats.

We are big LARABAR fans in this house. If you are familiar with those, you know that they can be a little bit pricey. Especially when a certain 9 year old wants to eat one- every. single. day. *sidenote- his favorite flavors are - Coconut Cream Pie, Cashew Cookie, and Chocolate Coconut Chew :D

I have seen multiple recipes for Homemade LaraBars and so, I bought a huge bag of dates a few weeks ago.

Long story short- These little Date Chocolate Nut Balls were the first thing that I made with my dates. They are kinda like little nuggets of a LaraBar.

These little treats are so good. They are just sweet enough to qualify as a treat and the perfect way to top off a meal. I made them when I was taking dinner to someone and kept quite a few for us. We have been enjoying them as snacks straight from the freezer. I worked out the calorie info and each one has about 40 calories. I will be making these over and over again.

Here is the recipe for Date Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
* I used a mixture of cashews, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts instead of peanuts
* I used unsweetened coconut milk instead of water, just because I had it in the fridge

Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Pesto

I saw this recipe floating around on the internet somehow and quickly bookmarked it, so that I would be able to use some of my eggplant to make these chips. I always love it when I see unique ideas that use vegetables I love.

I made these for lunch one day last week and they were really tasty. I had a few problems getting the chips to crisp up, so I adjusted the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, and had to cook them for a little longer than called for. I also got a few slices that were really loaded with paprika, so next time I make them I think I will sprinkle the seasoning on after the olive oil is lightly coated onto the eggplant slices.

This recipe does take a little bit of time, so make sure you read the entire recipe before you begin. The eggplant slices need to be salted and then sit for an hour, but that is when I decided to make the pesto sauce.

There was enough pesto leftover to use on some pasta later in the week and it was delish!


Here is the recipe for Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Pesto
* I upped the oven temperature to 400 degrees, so my chips would crisp up

Chicken, Kiwi, and Mango Salad

Finally, it is beginning to warm up around here! I think Spring might be right around the corner. I'm so happy about this because the cold is going to leave and go away for a really long time!

The sun is shining and it is beautiful outside. Those two things make me think of fresh, springy (or summery) salads.

This is a salad that will make you feel happy and it is really easy to make. You just need a handful of ingredients. The dressing is made with mayo, but I used lowfat greek yogurt instead and it is flavored with ginger and lime. The kiwi and mango are delicious with the chicken and those cashews add just the right amount of crunch. Yum.

Recipe for Chicken, Kiwi, and Mango Salad
* I used greek yogurt instead of mayo

Watermelon-Cucumber Salad

Watermelon. There is nothing better.
I love it so much. It might be a big part of the reason that summer is my favorite season.

I discovered a yellow watermelon and decided to try it in this salad, along with a red one.

I found the recipe in The Food Network Magazine and thought it would be a beautiful + delicious side dish to round out our Father's Day feast.

I really like the ingredients in this salad. Watermelon, cucumber, cashews, feta, lemon juice, mint. They all come together and make a very tasty combination. The sweetness of the watermelon is balanced by the crunch and salty flavors that the other ingredients add.

Other family members weren't so sure about this salad. Some people in my family are a little bit fussy about mixing certain foods, but everyone gave it a try and it was victorious in a couple of mouths.

I was fine with it not being the most popular dish of the day because that just meant that I got to enjoy the leftovers a different day.

Recipe for Watermelon-Cucumber Salad
* I reduced the amount of red onion
* I reduced the amount of olive oil to 1 Tbls
* I used feta cheese instead of goat cheese

Cashew Chicken with Fresh Chinese Noodles and Chow Mein Cookies

Sometimes it is nice to have a familiar meal that you know will come together in minutes. This is one of those. I have been cooking chicken breasts ahead of time and using the shredded meat in lunches and other dishes. It came in handy for this meal.

We have been eating Cashew Chicken for years and always just served it over rice, but then I noticed Fresh Chinese Noodles in the grocery store, by the wonton wrappers and tofu and thought it might be nice to try them for a change. Well, here is the confession- we won't be going back to rice. These noodles are perfect for this dish and many others (like Kung Pao Tofu).

I knew I was going to be using chow mein noodles and happened upon these cute little cookies over at Taste and Tell and thought they would go perfect with this meal.

They were sweet but also a little salty and I made them too big, so I ended up breaking most of them in half. I also melted the marshmallows into the pb/butterscotch mixture to mellow the flavor of the butterscotch chips. Yum- I am sure they will find themselves into someone's lunchbox too!

Cashew Chicken with Fresh Chinese Noodles adapted from The Black Cookbook
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 Tbls oil
1 can Healthy Request condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups chow mein noodles
1 cup salted cashews

1. Saute celery, onion, and green pepper in oil until soft. Mix soup with milk and stir into celery mixture along with chicken, 1 1/2 cups of the noodles, and cashews.
2. Pour into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining chow mein noodles and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over fresh chinese noodles or rice.

Chow Mein Cookies found on Taste and Tell who adapted from Goodman's Galloping Gourmet
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 10 oz. bag butterscotch chips
2 cups marshmallows
3 cups chow mein noodles

Melt the peanut butter and butterscotch chips together either using a double boiler or microwaving on half power until melted together. Stir in marshmallows and noodles. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper, and let sit until hardened.


Coming tomorrow- The premiere of the Cake Slice- Hot Cocoa Chiffon Cake!

Lettuce Wraps

The original title of this recipe is Better Than P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps. It is taken from Best Bites in Boston, this recipe by Jennica Galovan. I adapted it a bit and so decided to leave off the first part of the title. They were delicious, let me tell you, but I don't want anyone to get upset about it!

Lettuce Wraps
20 oz ground turkey breast

2 minced garlic cloves

3-4 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1 cup diced onion

3/4 cup chopped cashews

2 tsp freshly grated gingerroot

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbls Hoisin sauce

lettuce leaves- Boston, Bibb, Iceberg, Romaine, or Red Leaf

Heat 2 tsp canola oil in a electric skillet. Add ground turkey breast and season with salt and pepper. Add minced garlic. Cook until browned and cooked through. Transfer meat to large bowl. Heat 2 tsp canola oil in skillet and add cabbage, carrots, and onion. Cover with lid and cook, until veggies are tender and cabbage is wilted, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and add ginger, soy sauce, and Hoisin sauce. Stir until all ingredients are combined and then, add cashews.

Serve meat and veggie mixture on lettuce leaf, folding over sides so the filling doesn't fall out.

CASHEW CHICKEN

(photo updated 10/08)

1 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 Tbls oil
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups diced cooked chicken
3 oz chow mein noodles
1 cup salted cashews

1. Saute celery, onion, and green pepper in oil. Mix soup with milk and stir into celery mixture along with chicken, 1 1/2 cups of the noodles, and cashews.
2. Pour into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining chow mein noodles and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over rice