Sensible Sweets | Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cookie Recipe #Paleo

Posted on by frogifer

The big news about being a semi-finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest has had me in the mood to crank up the oven for some cookie making. By the way, have you voted for my Spicy Beef & Sweet Potato Samosas? It’s an easy 1x vote through Thursday, June 27^th – look for the recipe and my name (Jennifer Fisher).

Okay, back to the cookies. While I love the Doughboy and am an eater of all things, these Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cookies are whipped up especially for my Paleo diet-following friends with more caveman and cavewoman-inspired eating habits. The cookies are dairy-free, gluten-free with a sweet-salty surprise! If these cookies look familiar, that’s because they are the base cookie recipe from my White Chocolate Protein Ice Cream Sandwich recipe. That’s right people, double the recipe and keep the extras in the freezer for sustained snacking options –today it’s a simple but oh-so-good topping of chocolate and salty nuts and next week maybe the frozen protein filling! Oh, and the Paleo cookies are good plain too!

Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cookie Recipe

¾ cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ cup coconut sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 large egg
3 tablespoons almond flour
½ cup dairy-free, organic chocolate chips
¼ cup salted, roasted pistachios, coarsely ground

In a medium bowl, add coconut flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, salt and baking soda. Mix thoroughly.

In a separate bowl whisk together the melted coconut oil, eggs, and milk. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until thick dough is formed. Dough will be fairly crumbly at the beginning; use your hands to form it into one big ball.

On a clean work surface, roll out the dough to approximate ¼” thickness. Using a round 2 ½” diameter cookie cutter, cut out circles. Reroll dough scraps as necessary and continue cutting circles until all dough used. Dough should create enough for 16 cookies. Bake cookies on a lined baking tray at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to let cool completely.

With sharp knife or food processor, coarsely grind pistachios. Place in shallow bowl, set aside.

Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until smooth, melted consistency achieved.

Spoon chocolate over top of a cookie and spread around with back of tablespoon. Immediately sprinkle with pistachios. Repeat for remaining cookies.

Makes 16 cookies.

Hurray! I’m a Pillsbury Bake-Off Semi-Finalist – Please Vote for Recipe

Posted on by frogifer

Okay, whoohoo, drumroll, yeah! I finally have a recipe getting somewhere in the Pillsbury Bake-Off® the big news is that my Spicy Beef & Sweet Potato Samosas recipe is a semi-finalist. Would you please help make my bucket list dream come true? All you need to do is head to the Pillsbury Bake-Off® and cast an easy one-time vote. The recipe is under my name, Jennifer Fisher, and seems to be rotating from row to row depending on the day. Did you find it? Is your mouth watering yet?

Over the years, I’ve had pretty good luck in recipe contests and cooking competitions and whipped some awesome memories in the process. However, gaining an entry into the biggest and most beloved cook-off has been as elusive as getting a soufflé not to fall in a house of three rowdy boys. I’ve entered dozens of recipes in the last decade, from tried-and-true family favorites to recipes with bold creative direction –or, as my husband would say , “What IS this?”

This year the bake-off put forth a new charge and I was ready to rise like a buttery biscuit and meet the challenge – create a recipe that takes 30 minutes or fewer to prepare (not including baking) and uses two eligible ingredients but no more than seven ingredients total. This sounds like the cooking style of a busy mom like me!

I can’t even imagine what it would be like to win the grand prize – a million freakin’ dollars – I’m just excited I might have a chance to get a little giggle out of the Pillsbury Doughboy as I pinch his belly. I just love the Doughboy!

Make sure to VOTE for me at the Pillsbury Bake-Off® and get the entire recipe to make at home!

Digging into Dinner (and Dialogue) on the Farm

Posted on by frogifer

As part of the Blogher Food 13 Conference this weekend, I had a chance to dig around for answers to my food-source issues and share dinner with some fine folks from across the country, each and every one represented the entrepreneurial spirit and sweat-of-the-brow work ethic that I believe is still the reality of farming and ranching today. I’m talking real people with real families and a real commitment to providing quality products – produce, dairy, meat and more. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in several “farm to fork” educational excursions and, as with those previous outings, this dinner definitely reinforced my confidence and trust in today’s agricultural industry. In fact, I’m honored to be putting my name and face in magazine ads to support an industry built with honest, salt-of-the-earth people like these.

Getting these commodities into our grocery stores and onto our plates may be a big business at an aggregated level, but the plain fact is that most farms and ranches across the US are surprisingly small, multi-generational family operations that work tirelessly to provide safe, nutritious and affordable options for America’s dinner tables. Despite our probing questions, I could tell from their readiness to dialogue on a both factual and personal level that these people weren’t just shoveling us bloggers a pile of manure! If you have your own questions about how today’s food is grown and raised, I suggest checking out FoodDialogues.com, an online resource operated by our host for the evening, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance.

I have to give a quick shout out to a few people I really enjoyed chatting with including watermelon grower, dairy farmer (and new grandpa!), Russell Boening from Floresville, Texas and Jason and Marianna Peeler also from Floresville. Jason is involved with several sides of the cattle industry and his wife, Marianna, runs a cage-free poultry operation called Peeler Farms. I could really relate to Marianna as we shared so many of the same things – we’re the same age, have teenage children and have a passion for running, CrossFit and preparing healthy meals! I also met Sara Ross, a young mom and 6^th generation farmer-rancher from Iowa — check out her blog about farm life and how food gets to the table at Sara’s House HD. Morgan Kontz, another fun young mom, has a blog that chronicles her adventures after marrying into South Dakota farm life – Stories of a First Generation Farm Wife.

So, onto dinner and the sights! Springdale Farms, an almost four-acre urban oasis on the east side of Austin, was decorated like a quaint scene for some movie set. In reality, this venue is a real-live working farm providing organic, locally-sourced food options for the surrounding community. How have I not been here before? Huge oak trees shaded our party until night fell over the farm, at which point old fashioned glass bulbs strung from limb to limb illuminated the rustic picnic tables dressed with a hodgepodge of many a grandmother’s best china. Our facilitator of fun for the night was Danny Boome, intrepid gastronaut and television personality on numerous food shows.

The menu was divine and made with ingredients plucked right from the farm:

Gazpacho
Green Salad
Collard Greens
Sweet Potato and Egg Salad
Beef Tenderloin
Pork Tenderloin
Berry Cobbler with Cream
Iced Tea with Mint

One Week Countdown: Austin Fit Magazine FitTest

Posted on by frogifer

Ready or not, the final countdown (queue music) is on! The AFM FitTest is happening next weekend in Austin, Texas and I’ll be there. This 12-test event has been my official challenge goal in a sponsored campaign I’m promoting for Under Armour #WhatsBeautiful, a movement of women coming together to redefine the female athlete. Whatever your fitness goals, the point is that you HAVE fitness goals and TODAY is the time to go out and start putting in the work to make them happen.

Last year was the debut of AFM FitTest as well as my debut into any sort of competition other than running . . . or cooking. Most of these physical events were well outside my comfort zone; I’m talking standing long jump, precision throws and medicine ball throws – eek! But, I completed every challenge and survived. Not only did I survive, I was inspired to set some new fitness goals that I never, ever imagined for myself. Looking forward to competing with the ladies of Austin next weekend, here are a few AFM FitTest veterans (including myself) that are heading back for a second shot. I think we all fit perfectly with the philosophy of the Under Armour #WhatsBeautiful campaign.Go ladies!

So, let me give you a little update on how MY training is coming on some of the tests– but not so much as to alert the competition!

$2013_05 cap tex tri 1 thefitfork$

Mile Run: This will probably be my best event, even though we’ll be running in the late morning sun. Just Recently competed in the CapTexTri (10k) in 90 degree heat, so I should be acclimated.

Shuttle Run: My husband calls these “gassers” and I can see why – I’m all out of fuel by the time I’m finished with the last interval.

Pull Ups: Even though I did “okay” last year, I excited to report a significant improvement here thanks to making them weighted in practice!

Medicine Ball Toss: Even though they’re using a medicine ball that weighs 2lbs less this year, can’t seem to throw it any further.

By the way, it’s not too late to sign up for the 2013 AFM FITTEST sponsored by Trigger Point Performance. Packet pick-up is on Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. Details can be found at the AFM FITTEST website; you can register in person at packet pick-up (there is NO EVENT DAY registration) or online.

Summer Loving | Green Chile & Pork Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

Posted on by frogifer

Blogging about healthy food has its perks; pretty tasty perks. I’m talking about the opportunity to eat at an endless buffet only limited by my imagination. But it also has a downside; really just little nuisances like cleaning up a mountain of dirty pots and pans and getting critiqued by my kids who can’t fathom wanting to substitute sugar or certain fats in a recipe for something more nutritious. But, today my blogging bothers were multiplied 100x due thanks to my basically skipping a decent lunch.

Although I had pre-prepared most of the night’s meal in the morning before I tackled a day filled with gym-going (training for my Under Armour #WhatsBeautiful Campaign Goal), errands and (gasp) other writing work, I could scarcely contain myself until it was my turn to eat. So, while everyone else was digging into this delicious recipe for Green Chile & Pork Stuffed Zucchini, I was out in the backyard beating the sunset so I could take all the requisite food shots. At one point, I really thought about ditching this post so I could just go ahead and eat.

Glad I didn’t though; the recipe turned out fantastic and offers a practical way to take advantage of a zucchini squash surplus this time of year. I’m also thinking it would be damn good with Calabacita squash, zucchini’s south-of-the-border cousin. If you are craving enchiladas and want to go a little healthier, this recipe ditches the tortillas and most of the cheese. It’s hard to believe, but one medium-sized squash only has 33 calories. I think you’d probably go into a calorie deficit just eating and digesting it. All you like-minded vitamin and mineral nerds will be glad to know that zucchini is also a great source of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and magnesium.

Green Chile & Pork Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

4 to 5 zucchini squash (about 1.25 lbs)
1 cup chopped fire roasted green chiles – peeled,seeded and divided in half*
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¾ pound shredded pork roast, pre-cooked
1 15-ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
4 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
16 grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

Chop stem end off of each zucchini, discard. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and pulp with a grapefruit knife; reserve for use later.

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Par-boil zucchini for 2 minutes or slightly tender. Drain and place, scooped side up, in a 13” x 9” glass baking dish.

Add olive oil to skillet; bring heat up to medium-high. Add cumin and garlic and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add chopped red onion and sauté for 2 minutes, add reserved zucchini pulp, and ½ cup of green chilies and continue to sauté for 2 -3 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Stir shredded pork into vegetable mixture. Top zucchinis with even portion of mixture, leftover may be place around the sides of dish.

Add enchilada sauce and remaining ½ cup green chilies to blender; pulse on and off a few times to coarsely break up green chills. Pour over top of stuffed zucchinis. Top with shredded cheese and rows of grape tomatoes to indicate where each stuffed zucchini is buried.

Serves 4 – 5.

*By the way, I broke into my stash of fire-roasted Hatch green chiles for the making of this recipe! I have 75 pounds in the freezer, seriously! The recipe is best with fresh, fire-roasted (Hatch season is still a couple months away) — but substituting an 8-ounce can of green chiles will do in a pinch!

Deviled Egg in Tomato Canoe Salad Recipe+ How to Peel Eggs + Hellmann’s Longest Picnic Table

Posted on by frogifer

Even if summer isn’t officially here for a few more weeks, it certainly feels like it is here in Austin, Texas. The kids are basically out of school, barring the last few finals and a field day, and our family calendar is booking up with neighborhood pool parties, potlucks and lazy-day picnics. The more leisurely pace of the season lets me do one of the things I love best, and that’s get creative with recipes.

So how very timely that I found a contest being sponsored by Hellmann’s® in honor of the company’s 100th Birthday. Part of the happy hoopla includes Chef Mario Batali (I love his recipes, don’t you?); here’s his spin on five old-school, classic Hellmann’s® recipes. The new creations are sure tasty looking; I’m salivating just reading the recipes for Chicken Pasta Salad with Green Olives and Raisins, Chicken Wings with White BBQ Sauce, a Juicy Salsa Burger, Fiery Chipotle Deviled Eggs and Favorite Parm Chicken. You can get all these recipes at Mario’s Table.

You can make these recipes at home “as-is” (and you know they are delish, because this guy has some mad chef skills), or better yet, add your own flair to the chef-inspired recipes. Hellmann’s® is inviting you to submit your best version of one of these five recipes. Just add one to three new ingredients and explain how you would make it better! You could even win a trip to celebrate Hellmann’s® birthday in New York City and be a guest at the “World’s Longest Picnic Table.”

So, I’ll go first! Of course, with my picnic and potluck state of mind, I chose Mario’s Fiery Chipotle Deviled Eggs to make over. Deviled eggs – or really any egg recipe –never lasts long in my house. And, honestly, there’s nothing to feel guilty about when it comes to eating a few – what a great source of protein and B vitamins and other nutrients. I also appreciate how Hellmann’s® is now using 100% certified cage-free eggs in the making of their Lite Mayonnaise. This keeps with the brand’s commitment (which I second) to ‘Real Food’ made with simple ingredients.

Spicy Deviled Eggs in Tomato Canoes (Served as a Salad)

12 large eggs
1/2 cup Hellmann’s® Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
2 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
6 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded
9 ounces baby spring mix
1/4 cup crumbled bacon

Instructions:

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; add cold cater to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil; cover, remove from heat and let stand 9 minutes (or a little longer if you are using XL eggs).

Drain immediately and fill the saucepan with cold water and ice. Tap each egg firmly on the counter until it forms a web of cracks and peels under cold running water. See my other egg peeling tips below.

Slice eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove yolks. Place yolks in medium bowl with mayonnaise and add mustard, hot sauce and celery salt and mash until smooth. Spoon yolk mixture into egg white halves; set aside.

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place one egg in one tomato half and sprinkle with approximately 1 teaspoon of the bacon crumbles. Repeat for remaining eggs. For an individual serving, place 4 egg and tomato halves on a bed of lettuce.

Serves 6.

Tips to Make Peeling Hard Boiled Egg Easier

Don’t use straight-from-the-hen’s-behind fresh eggs. What I’m trying to say here is that eggs that are about a week old work best for boiling. I don’t know why!
When boiling eggs, cover them in cold water in the pot and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Starting from cold lessens the chances of the shells cracking before completely cooked.
Some people suggest adding a teaspoon of salt or baking soda to the water to make peeling easier. Wish I would have found this tip earlier!
Store eggs in the refrigerator for a few days before you plan to use them. For some reason, eggs that have been hanging around for a while have peel that slips right off in big pieces rather that little shards of shell that also take off chunks of the cooked egg.
Peeling eggs under cold water also seems to facilitate the process.

Superfoodie: Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon

Posted on by frogifer

I love living life on the “wedge.” I’m crazy like that. Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits. Actually, it’s a vegetable related to cucumbers and squash, but don’t tell that to my kids. Everyone in the family agrees that there’s not much that tastes better in the heat of the summer than a big slice of juicy watermelon – the five of us have no problem polishing off a whole melon in one day! A simple and healthy dessert for picnics and pool parties, watermelon can be enjoyed right off the rind or dressed with a little spicy surprise – check out my recipe for Watermelon with Spicy Salsa that was once featured in Better Homes & Gardens.

Last night I decided to add a little sophisticated spin to watermelon and put it on the dinner plate as something other than just a sweet side. My experimenting has been named Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon and it is super delish, especially topped with my favorite fish – salmon. Hey, that’s two superfoods in the same recipe for maximized nutrition! I served it on a bed of organic red quinoa and broccoli, but you can tweak that to suit your tastes.

Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon Recipe

For Watermelon & Fish:

1 cross section watermelon (1″ thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
2 wild caught salmon filets, skinned

For Sauce:

¼ cup sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Cut watermelon into 2 planks approximately 1” thick, 6” long and 3” wide. Add olive oil to skillet and bring heat to medium high. Add watermelon and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side, or until watermelon flesh is beginning to caramelize. Remove from skillet, season with sea salt and set aside until fish is ready.

Keep heat on and add fish to skillet used for watermelon; leave residual juices and oil in there. Saute for approximately 5 -6 minutes per side until cooked through and fish is lightly browned on the outside, firm and flaky.

In a small bowl, whisk together chile sauce, Sriracha sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, oil and sesame seeds. Pour over fish during last 2 minutes of cooking to glaze salmon and warm up.

To serve, place fish atop seared watermelon plank and spoon extra spicy sesame sauce from pan over the top.*

Serves 2.

More reasons to love watermelon:

Low Calorie: Watermelon is basically free of fat, cholesterol and sodium and has only 80 calories in a 2 cup serving. Plus, with a high water content, along with some fiber, this melon gives you a feeling a fullness that will help curb unhealthy snacking.

Nutrient Rich: An abundance of vitamins and minerals are found in watermelon including Vitamin A (25% DRV), Vitamin B6 (6% DRV), Vitamin C (30% DRV), Thiamine (6% DRV), Magnesium (6% DRV), and Potassium (8% DRV).

Lycopene Leader: Watermelon actually trumps tomatoes when it comes to lycopene, offering up to 20 milligrams in a two-cup serving. Not only does this amazing antioxidant give watermelon its pink-red pigment, it’s an efficient oxygen scavenger that helps to repair cell damage caused from daily living.

Heart Health: Eating six cups of watermelon (not that hard, trust me) increases free arginine which maintains cardiovascular function. Plus, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as opposed to a diet filled with bad fats and processed foods has been shown to contribute to longer living.

Hydration: Watermelon is a tasty way to replenish body fluids, plus it is naturally infused with electrolytes. Because watermelon flesh is comprised of 92% water, eating 1 cup of diced watermelon is the equivalent of drinking 7.36 ounces of water. Get super hydrated with my recipe for Watermelon Blueberry Nuun Agua Fresca!

Facts come from the National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Wednesday WOD: It’s One-Derful and Filled with Running!

Posted on by frogifer

I’m keeping this post short and sweet, like a one mile run! Speaking of one mile runs, this week’s Wednesday WOD has a few wonderful one mile runs for you to enjoy. Don’t sprint the first mile all out, you’ll run out of gas for V-crunches, kettle bell swings and remaining miles. Instead, aim for an 80% effort and see if you can hold the pace, even as you become fatigued from the accumulated output. I suggest running around the track and completing the exercises in the grass, but you could also lay a mat out by the treadmill. Inspired by the Under Armour Women’s What’s Beautiful Campaign, I designed this WOD to help me achieve my goal of competing in (and rocking) the Austin FitTest Challenge event that is coming up in a few weeks. I hope it helps you reach your goals too! Whoohoo, this is going to be fun!

On Mile Run: Think about keeping your cadence around 180 – 200 steps per minute for optimal performance. Stand tall, leaning slightly at the hip and concentrate on ‘pulling” your leg up, not “pushing” off from the ground. Below, Valerie shows the right angle for using”falling” in running and allowing gravity help you move efficiently.

100 V-Crunches: Lie on ground and start in hollow body position. With legs straight and together, bring them up and towards your torso. While raising your legs, reach for the toes with your hands. Finish in a pike position with your hands and feet meeting at hip level, then return to hollow body position. Check out a video if you need more visual. If you can’t complete these crunches all at once, break them up into sets of 10, 15, or 20.

100 Kettle Bell Swings: When completing the swings, focus on keeping shoulder blades pinched; don’t round back on descent. Also, keep weight on the back of your heels, don’t fall forward onto toes. And, the power behind the move comes from driving the hips forcefully, coming to a full hip extension at the top of the swing. If you can’t complete 100 at one time, break them up into 4 sets of 25 or 2 sets of 50.

thefitfork.com

The Fit Fork

Hurray! I’m a Pillsbury Bake-Off Semi-Finalist – Please Vote for Recipe

Digging into Dinner (and Dialogue) on the Farm

One Week Countdown: Austin Fit Magazine FitTest

Summer Loving | Green Chile & Pork Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

Deviled Egg in Tomato Canoe Salad Recipe+ How to Peel Eggs + Hellmann’s Longest Picnic Table

Superfoodie: Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon

Wednesday WOD: It’s One-Derful and Filled with Running!