Monday Motivational Meal - Deviled Eggs

 

Deviled eggs are one of this family’s favorites. They are great as a side dish/appetizer for brunches, picnics, cookouts and backyard barbecues. They are great to bring along to a potluck. Summertime seems to call for a batch of homemade deviled eggs. Try our recipe and remember to serve them up on Livliga's right-sized healthy lifestyle side plates!

Get the recipe here.

 

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3 Dips—Perfect for healthy summertime munching

In the summer we want fresh and easy recipes we can enjoy in our own backyard, or that are ready in our refrigerator for a healthy, satisfying snack. Here are three of my favorite dips that make munching on veggies a delicious treat. They are dips with different flavors to suit your mood…and, of course…all easy to make!

Why these dips? They are easy to make ahead of time and are ready when you need them. Making your own ensures there are no extra ingredients…you control what goes in it and because it is fresh there are no needed additives or preservatives you find in store bought versions.

Dip #1

Wasabi Dipping Sauce

Why this dip? It’s unusual. A dip that is great to serve with blanched green beans for a different take on the predictable crudité. The flavor is spicy but not hot with heat.  It is super easy to make and can be stored in the refrigerator for at least a week. Did I mention it is a snap to make all in one bowl and only has 5 ingredients?!

Dip #2

Carrot Hummus with Turmeric

Why this dip? It is a great way to fit in more veggies! Turmeric is the “hot” new spice that is considered to have a number of health benefits…especially anti-inflammatory. You use a food processor for easy prepping and don’t forget the garnish of fresh mint or other herb from your garden.

Dip #3

Yummy “Cream Cheese” Dip 

Why this dip? It’s luscious and creamy. The yogurt “cream cheese” you make in the first step is a great base for a variety of dips. And for those needing to focus on higher protein foods this dip is loaded with it. It is so satisfying especially because of the high protein content.

What to serve these dips with? Think about fun and different vegetables you find fresh in the summer months. Think about blanching asparagus or green beans (our favorite with the Wasabi dip). Then there are these tasty and crisp veggies like jicama, Hakurei turnips, radishes, cucumber, zucchini or cherry tomatoes and all colors of sweet peppers. Celery makes for a great dipping veggie…keep the leaves on for extra visual flair. If you have a vegetable garden its great to see what you have a ton of and use it for your crudité!

Want some chips? Make homemade tortilla chips with tortillas you buy at the grocery store. Spray them with olive oil spray on both sides and baking them at 350 for about 15 minutes until they brown and become crisp. Voilá! You now have fresh chips to go with your fresh dip and veggies!

Want more dip ideas? Click here!


Enjoy! And Live vibrant!

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Guest Blog: Roasted Cauliflower “Faux Potato” Salad

Almost like Mom used to make . . .

Roasted Cauliflower “Faux Potato” Salad

Some of my best memories growing up in Alabama were of summertime cookouts! I remember heading down to the “valley” to visit our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on the 4th of July and we always had the best celebrations.  There were hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill and my mom always made a big, huge bowl of Southern Potato Salad and of course my grandmother had a big bowl of Ambrosia Salad (a southern fruit salad).

Since my weight-loss surgery in 2004, I had to alter a few of these delicacies that I remember from holiday gatherings so I could still experience the nostalgia from those precious family gatherings and satisfy my palate.

I experimented a lot with cauliflower over the past year making pizza crusts, cauliflower rice and even cauliflower mac and cheese and the texture of the cauliflower really stands up for those dishes so I thought I would try if for potato salad. The eggs and mayo in this dish really take me back to those “good ol days” – I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (about 2 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• ¼ cup sweet relish or chopped sweet pickles
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
• 1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s)

For the roasted cauliflower:

Step 1 - Preheat an oven to 450 degrees.
Step 2 – Mix cauliflower florets, minced garlic and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over the cauliflower mixture and season with the salt and pepper. Toss and spread evenly over a banking pan (line with foil).
Step 3 – Roast in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, turn the cauliflower and continue roasting for about 10 minutes. Cauliflower will be soft and have a little brown on the florets.
Step 4 – Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Step 5 – In a large mixing bowl, toss in chopped eggs, chopped green onions, sweet relish, chopped celery, spicy mustard and mayonnaise.
Step 6 – Once cauliflower has cooled toss with ingredients in mixing bowl and sprinkle with paprika.
This can be eaten warm or cold.

Nutrition Information
Servings: 6. Calories: 321. Fat 26g; Protein 7.2g; Total Carbohydrate 17.3g; Net Carbohydrate 15.6g; Cholesterol 174mg; Fiber 1.7g; Sodium 1041 mg

Guest Blogger Bio

Denise Roden is a successful Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass patient since 2004.  Denise is committed to providing quality education & coaching services to the bariatric community. She is credentialed as a Bariatric Support Group Leader, a Success Habits Trainer, a Back On Track Trainer, and a Bariatric Health Coach. You can find her on Facebook at Bariatric Center for Success or Twitter and Instagram @BariatricDC.

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Carrot Hummus with Turmeric--Bright and Flavorful!

Eating healthy is a lot about the adventure of trying new combinations of foods or using a well known food in a different way. Someone gave me the idea to try out carrots as a way to make hummus. It struck me as fun and fresh as well as a great way to add in more veggies. Then I thought about the spices to use.

Turmeric is a great spice to use with carrots. It is also considered wonderful for our health. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a strong antioxidant. It is also linked to improved brain function and lowered risk of heart disease. And as if this wasn't enough, it can help with depression, arthritis, and delayed aging. What's not to like!?

This dish passes the Livliga test: healthy ingredients, visually appealing and tasty!

Carrot Hummus with Turmeric

Ingredients

• 2 cups carrots, peeled, cut into 1inch pieces

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 teaspoon turmeric (try fresh if you can find it…Whole Foods has it)
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tsp)

• ¼ cup water (or enough to process the carrots smooth)

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

• ½  Tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds to garnish

• ½ Tablespoon mint, thinly sliced to garnish

• Paprika to garnish
 (optional)
• Lemon zest to garnish

Directions

1. Blanche/Steam carrots for 5 minutes.
2. In a food processor add carrots, garlic, and turmeric with water and lemon juice and lemon zest.     Process until smooth. Add in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve in a small bowl, garnished with olive oil, mint, sunflower seeds, lemon zest and a dash of paprika.

Makes: 2 cups.
Serves: 16; serving size ⅛ cup.
Calories: 70 calories per serving.

Serve with cloud bread and/or crackers, cucumber and jicama. Great for backyard barbecues, picnics and potlucks.

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Hello Dollies- Lighter and Healthier--Dessert

Hello Dollie Recipe Makeover (photo by LivligaHome)

Every once in a while I have the urge to fix one of our "old favorites" for a holiday. Hello Dollies are a long time favorite of this family for the 4th of July. They are part of the classic picnic food we prepare. They are rich and gooey and go quite well with fireworks.

The problem is they are packed full of calories and no-so-good-for-you ingredients. This year I decided it was time to try and do a "recipe makeover" for our beloved Hello Dollies.
The goal was to make them lighter, healthier and with fewer calories but without giving up the rich and gooey taste.

Here is what I came up with-

Healthier Hello Dollies

Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats (Old Fashioned Quaker Oats), ground
⅔ cup oat bran
2 tablespoons Truvia sugar, baking blend
1 stick butter, light and unsalted
1 cup coconut
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 can condensed milk, fat free (Eagle Brand)
Cooking Spray

Using Healthier and Lighter Ingredients for Hello Dollies (photo by LivligaHome)

Directions
1. Place oats in food processor and process until the oats become flour-like.
2. Combine ground oats, oat bran with Truvia sugar in small mixing bowl.
3. Melt butter on low heat in a small saucepan. Pour melted butter over oat mixture. Mix well.
4. Spray bottom and sides of a 7x11 inch Pyrex dish. Spread the oat mixture over the bottom of the dish.
5. Next add a layer of coconut, then the chocolate chips and top with pecans.
6. Pour the condensed milk evenly across the top of the dish, saturating the pecans.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until top is browned.
Makes 24 squares. Serving size: 1 square. Calories: 146

The oats and oat bran are so much healthier than graham crackers. By using the lighter versions of sugar, salt and condensed milk I was able to reduce the calories per bar as well. In reality, just reducing the size of the Hello Dolly bar helps with the calories which is something I have done in general. Using quality dark chocolate chips and coconut also enhances the healthiness of the dessert.

By my calculations if you make 24 bars out of the recipe, which makes a decent sized dessert, you end up with 146 calories per bar. The "old" way there would have only been 20 bars for 193 calories per bar...a reduction of 47 calories per bar. If you compare the calories for the same sized bar the calorie savings are 15 calories per serving. My philosophy is every little bit helps just so long as you don't give up quality, flavor and overall satisfaction.

The finished Hello Dollies looking yummy! (photo by LivligaHome)

These Hello Dollie bars fit the bill. They are healthier, lighter and reduced in calories while still being rich and gooey.

Wishing you a happy...healthier...and fun 4th of July!

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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Rethinking The “Classic” Potato Salad

Rethinking Classic Potato Salad (photo by LivligaHome)

As we look forward to summerand the Memorial Day holiday, many of us are planning our special meals. Central to the backyard barbecue or the tailgate picnic we anticipate is the classic potato salad.  The challenge I have always seen with the mayonnaise-based salad is two-fold: it can go rancid in the heat as it sits out baking in the sun; and it is higher in calories and carbs than other potato salads you can choose that are equally, if not more, delectable.

Two of our favorite potato salads have a vinegar-based dressing that keeps fresher and longer out on the picnic table, tastes delicious and each has less calories and carbs than the classic potato salad.  They are German Hot Potato Salad and Grilled Garlic and Portobello Potato Salad. The Grilled Garlic and Portobello Potato Salad is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe I found years ago. My recipe is:

Ingredients-
5 cups sliced red potato (@2 ¼ lbs)
½ cup sliced green onions
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbls lemon juice
2 Tbls capers
2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried tarragon
¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
8 garlic cloves, roasted and finely chopped
2 portobello mushroom caps, grilled and thinly sliced
Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Directions-
1. Place sliced potato in a large saucepan, and cover with water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potato is tender; drain. Let cool.
2. Place the garlic and mushrooms whole in a heated and sprayed cast-iron skillet. Roast/grill, turning regularly, until the garlic and mushrooms are golden brown. Remove from skillet and chop/slice. Let cool.
3. Combine green onions, parsley, lemon juice, capers, olive oil, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add potato, garlic and mushroom. Toss well.

Serves: 8. Serving size 1 cup. Calories: 119. Calories from fat 27%; Fat 3.6g; Satfat 0.5g; Monofat 2.5g; Polyfat 0.4g; Protein 2.8g; Carbohydrate 20g; Fiber 2.1g; Cholesterol 0.0mg; Iron 1.3mg; Sodium 177mg; Calcium 24mg.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

Healthy Eating Tip: Looking for a way to serve up attractively and in right-size portions? Check out Livliga's attractive Aveq Serving Bowl and pair it with our serving spoons with measurement, LivSpoons!

Re-posted from Sheila's Blog on TheEpochTimes.com.

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Honey Balsamic Bean Salad-super easy!

Honey Balsamic Bean Salad

Bean salads can add flavor and satisfaction to just about any meal. They are also a very flexible dish. Depending on your schedule, you can make a bean salad the day before. It will also keep nicely for a few days in your refrigerator to be used for lunches and even afternoon snacks. Since they are hearty and packed full of protein, they are a good dish to help us feel full and satisfied. I recently made this Honey Balsamic Bean salad (240 cal) to add to our Citrus-Jerk Fish dinner. It is a three bean salad with panache. And so easy to make. The beans can be canned and sitting in your pantry. You can buy your romaine lettuce in a bag pre-washed and pre-torn to use. Then while the almonds are toasting you can put together the dressing of Balsamic Vinegar, honey, lemon juice and oil. It is visually appealing and tasty. This would also be a good salad for a picnic or to take to a potluck.

I served this bean salad with a Citrus-Jerk Fish and a sugar snap salad (see previous blog/Feb 5/2013) for a total calorie count of 481. It was a dinner packed full of flavor and different textures to make it satisfying and filling. It was a hit and a definite repeat.

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Perfect Picnic Food--Even in the Rain!!

We had so much fun! I fixed a from scratch picnic dinner with the intention that we were going to our outdoor cinema to watch Back to the Future....but then the storm clouds came in and the lightening sparked in the sky. So we stayed home and set up our picnic inside. The food was wonderful and the clean up was a cinch. Our fun was not dashed, not for a minute!

The menu I picked and prepared for our picnic was:
Oven Fried Chicken                                     297 calories
Tropical Cucumber Salad                           169 calories
Fresh Tomato and Pepper Salad                 20 calories
Chocolate Chip Cookies                              88 calories
Cranberry & Lime Perrier                           24 calories
                                                      Total        598 calories

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Tropical Cucumber Salad--Yum!!

I love fixing a Tropical Cucumber Salad. This is a great summer salad. It uses wonderful fresh ingredients like mango, cucumber, avocado and cilantro. It is great for picnics. It is more like a fruit salad so it is a good complement to an all vegetable salad you might also serve. For our picnic I served both this salad and a Fresh Tomato and Pepper Salad. It is always a big hit. It is not the usual salad so it is one of my favorite stand bys to impress family and friends on a hot summer night. Each 1 Cup serving is 169 calories.

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First Picnic using Blog menu and picnic paraphrenalia

I thought it would be fun to follow up on the menu I designed and posted on my blog. We did go on our first Healthy Living Picnic this past weekend. It was so hot, it was the perfect night for a picnic. We got out our new picnic basket, plates, silverware and cups...none of which had even been washed!
I also got busy preparing the food. This is what we had-

Appetizer- Green Olives
Main Course- Oven Baked Fried Chicken
Salad- Tropical Cucumber Salad & Blanched Haricot Vert in Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette
Dessert- Rainier Cherries & Homemade Date Bars

The green olives I got from the Deli in our local Safeway. I chose the ones marinated in garlic. The Oven Fried chicken was delicious. I used the recipe I posted in my "Picnic" blog. Definitely a repeat...it was moist and satisfied the "fried" part of the expectation. One of the tricks to making it crispy was the baking soda added to the flour mixture...it worked! The Tropical Cucumber Salad was also the same recipe I posted in the picnic blog. It is made with fresh mango and has avocado in it as well. It was the perfect summer salad. It was bursting with flavor. The Haricot Vert were so easy to make and a fun finger food to nosh on. The Rainier cherries were "to die for". They have such a brief season they make for a very special treat. Our friend brought the date bars which were a healthy version, although I know were not the lowest in calorie! A worthy treat on a hot summer's night shared with friends and family.

All-in-all it was a great picnic and re-affirmed that picnics can be fun, pretty easy to organize and possible to make healthy. A part of a Healthy Living Lifestyle.

Note: The cheese you see in the photo was brought for our vegetarian friend...

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Cookies Packed with Goodies: Tasty & Healthy and Ideal for a Hiking Treat

Cookies Packed with Goodies Served Up on Halsa!

These Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies are ones I used in designing my hiking menus. They are very tasty and were a big hit with the family. They are a hardy cookie filled with tastes and texture. How can you beat a cookie with oatmeal, cranberrys AND chocolate chips in them?! These cookies have brown sugar and honey in them--no refined sugar. I even took it a step further and substituted agave nectar for the honey. They were satisfying to eat and didn't trigger my need to eat more, as cookies with refined sugar seem to do. Since they are a hardy cookie, they travel well in a back pack for hikes. These cookies were inspired by a recipe in the 400 Calorie Fix cookbook by Liz Vaccariello. Each cookie has 55 calories.

Good Hiking Cookies with Oatmeal, Cranberry, and Chocolate Chips

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dried, low sugar cranberries
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Combine the oats, flours, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.
3. Combine the brown sugar, oil, honey, egg, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
4. Add the brown sugar mixture to the oat mixture and mix until well blended. The dough will be firm and sticky.
5. Fold in the dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
6. Drop teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press down with damp fingers
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Nutritional information

Serving size: 2 cookies. Calories: 110. Fat 4g; Sodium 90mg; Carbohydrates 18g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Protein 2g.

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Picnics as part of having fun...and a great way to spend time on a holiday weekend

My husband and I just celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary. As part of my tribute to our longevity I gave him a picnic basket, filled with all the necessary paraphernalia, and a kite. We have known each other since we were 12 years old. Our early dates were spent climbing trees in our local park, flying kites and enjoying Alfresco picnics. I thought it was time to remember how much fun it was to lounge on a blanket in the park, eating good food, listening to great music and, of course, flying a kite.

Spending time outside enjoying each other's company and the spring time sounds fun. A great way to spend time with kids and friends as well. This definitely fits into the Healthy Lifestyle scenario. But what about the picnic part? I think of picnics with fried chicken, potato salad, alcoholic beverages, yummy desserts along with a bounty of other choices of foods.  How can we still make it feel like a picnic but be conscious of healthy food choices? Planning is key. Working through a good design for a menu is a must. Thinking about overall calories has to be incorporated. So I surveyed various resources and came up with some recipes that seemed to fit my concept for a perfect picnic. I decided that a picnic could qualify for 800 calories. Seems like a lot, I know, but my logic was that my daily allotment for snacks as well as a meal could be combined. The other meals for the day could be on the light side as well. I also realized that my previous consumption at a picnic was probably more than double that amount of calories...always humbling to acknowledge...Here is what I came up with:

Picnic Delights

Recipe                                                Resource                               Portion          Calories

Tropical Cucumber Salad                                                                 1 C            169 

 http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tropical_cucumber_salad.html     

Fresh Corn-Cilantro Salad                                                               ¾ C              130         

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-corn-cilantro-salad-10000000222724/

Oven Fried Chicken                                                                            2pc            226    

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/oven_fried_chicken.html

Budweiser Select 55                                               12 oz/ 1 bottle       55

Patti’s Chocolate Delights                                                                 1                   113

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/pattis_holiday_chocolate_delights.html 

Fresh Cherries                                                                                        1 C               74

           

                                                                                                                  Total              767

We plan on having lots of picnics this summer so count on more picnic menus. I want to come up with menus at different calorie counts and one that is easy to prepare. I also want to give feedback on the recipes and how they were to prepare as well as how tasty they are.

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