Category Archives: Recipes

School is Hard, Cookies are Soft. #GF Quinoa Oat Almond Chocolate Chippers

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Wow, it has really been hard getting back into the school routine. And, I’m not even the one attending class! We hit the ground running last week for our family’s final year with three kids in three different schools –  high school, middle school and elementary. Please, please don’t let there ever be another preschooler in my future. Been there, done that . . . and loved that! But, know we’re moving onto the hard stuff – hard in the sense that I hear my 11th grader whispering to my 8th grader, “Don’t ask mom to help with your homework.”  Sigh.

jennifer fisher thefitfork.com quinoa oat almond chocolate chip cookies

While pre-calculus and physics might be hard, I am happy to report that cookies are soft. They are soft and chewy and gooey with chocolate chips. That’s the way we like to do cookies in my house.  I’ve been trying to make healthier treats for my kids, so the recipe for Quinoa Granola Chocolate Chip Cookies  in the September 2013 issue of Cooking Light caught my eye.  The Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cookies (PaIeo) I created a while back were a huge hit. However, I love the fact that these chocolate chip cookies are made with quinoa flour. I hadn’t ever baked with it before and was excited to give it a try.  Quinoa is high in protein, calcium and iron and the same holds true when it is ground down into flour.  Baking experts say you can substitute quinoa flour for half of the all-purpose flour in many recipes or completely replace wheat flour in cakes and cookie recipes.

Does summer vacation really have to be over?

Does summer vacation really have to be over?

Since we have a few gluten intolerant friends that like to hang around after school, I thought I’d tweak the recipe to suit a GF diet. I calling my version Gluten-Free Quinoa-Oat-Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies and, I think it turned out pretty well.  What I did to make them gluten-free was  substitute the one cup of all-purpose flour that accompanied the quinoa flour with ½ cup almond meal and ½ cup ground oats. What I found out about oats and a GF diet is that oats are gluten-free; however there is a risk for contamination in the field or in the factory – that’s why it’s best to buy specifically labeled gluten-free oats. Also, another thing to be aware of, especially when serving to gluten intolerant guests – a very small percentage of people who are sensitive to gluten also have an allergy to oats.

smart cookies thefitfork.com

Gluten-Free Quinoa-Oat-Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, ground
  • 1/2 cup quinoa flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free granola
  • 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate mini-chips

 

In a medium bowl, combine quinoa flour, almond meal, ground oats, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugars, oil, and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until combined. Add vanilla and egg; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in granola and chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Divide dough into 24 equal portions (about 4 teaspoons each). Roll portions into small balls; arrange balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls slightly. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown.

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The Cooking Light Quinoa Granola Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I was inspired by is also an excellent healthy option for those of you who don’t need to worry about dietary restrictions. Mmmm, here it is below. Also, check out their collection of portable, healthy snacks — all perfect to pack in backpacks!

quinoa-granola-chocolate-chip-cookies-ck-l

Seven Days of Sweet & Savory Things

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Aug 24: Ran the epic Hood to Coast Relay for the second year,  on a team called Cherry Limeade sponsored by the always awesome, always refreshing Nuun Hydration.  This Seattle-based maker of electrolyte tabs is focused on creating a take-along product that keeps runners and other athletes hydrated flavorfully – in fact, they have so many flavors, it will make your head spin.  My favorites are Kona Kola and Strawberry Lemonade, oh yea — and ½ a Banana tab with ½ a Watermelon tab!  I appreciate the fact that I’m not sucking down a bunch of sugar with this product, goodness knows I’ve been the poster child for losing time on a race course due to GI distress.

hood to coast van two getting ready

I was so inspired by the women runners in my team’s van 2, that I just have to shout them out —  Allison, Tanaya and Tere from Arizona, Emily (now) from Oregon and Paige from Washington. I’m already looking at the upcoming race calendars to cherry pick (or, should I say ‘cherry limeade pick’?) a few for reunion visits! BTW, all the women I met on the Nuun teams rocked; however, these particular ones though had to put up with me for 40 straight hours with no sleep. There was no do-it-yourselfing on this trip, well except the running. We had the luxury of being chauffeured around on this 200-mile race by our fearless, amusingly foul-mouthed and seriously funny van driver Vishal, a Nuun employee who also made sure that we had our Starbucks, Diet Mountain Dew, and never-ending food and pit stops expertly arranged.  Thanks to Megan Fay for organizing the chaos and chief hydrator and company president, Mason Reay, for another year of gracious hospitality. Random side note: I knew Mason lived in Austin for a while, but found out that our children attended the same preschool at the same time! Now that I think of it, he might have been the dad at the Thanksgiving Pow-wow who offered to bring beer.

August 25: Traveled the entire day, plane had mechanical problems and I wasn’t in bed until 2:30, and shortly thereafter greeted my 5:30 alarm clock. That was neither a sweet nor savory thing. But, while waiting at the airport, I did order a “personal mix” of granola from MixMyOwn.com.  The site is so cool, you choose a base cereal, other grains, fruits, nuts and add-ins and then bag it up and ship it straight to your door! On the back of the bag, the nutrition label reflects the exact mix that you made. And, it tastes really fantastic on my Greek yogurt.

mixmyown

August 26: School started, enough said. Sweet! Okay, I’ll say more – and I don’t usually dump out this much mushy personal information, so here you go! My three sons have entered 11th, 8th and 5th grades, so proud of them and it’s going to be a great year.  Got a sweet kiss from each this morning!

my three boys

August 28: Finally read my September Cooking Light magazine and made a recipe for Quinoa-Granola Cookies that I will share on the blog tomorrow. Love to put healthy cookies in my kid’s lunches. Sneak peek:

quinoa-granola-chocolate-chip-cookies-ck-l

August 30:  Brought a post-practice treat to football practice, Jamba Juice smoothies! Seeing as it was 105 degrees, I had no trouble passing off every last one of the Strawberry Surf Rider smoothies to those hot, sweaty boys. This is one of the reasons why I love being a Jamba Juice Whirl’d Ambassador (disclosure).  If you sign up to receive Jamba Juice news and specials via email, you’ll receive a coupon for a $2 16-ounce smoothie. That’s a sweet-sweet situation!

SAMSUNG

August 31: Celebrated National Bacon Day by wrapping a piece of cured pork around a club cracker and rolling it in brown sugar – then baked at 400F until bubbling with greasy-salty-sweet goodness. This sweet-and-savory sin was not my own doing – inspired by the Pioneer Woman.

national bacon day

September 1: Shared my love for beef and why it is great fuel for an athlete at the Tri-Rock Triathlon Expo in Austin, Texas.  Looking for a delicious dinner idea that’s healthy and fast? Check out my recipe for Spice Crusted Tenderloin with Street Fair Corn, hurry and make it before grilling season slips away.

jen and jackie tri rock

Camping Kaboom | Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese Onion Bombs

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Forget about roasting hotdogs and warming up beans from a can on your next outdoor adventure; that is just so  . . .  uh, terribly untasty. I created a simple recipe that creates a complex, crazy explosion of flavor that will appeal to even the most discriminating of culinary-centric campers.  Check out this recipe for Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Onion Bombs at Living Litehouse, the blog of a fabulously fresh food company that has been supporting my love for creating tasty, healthy dishes for a variety of occasions – today, camping!

jennifer fisher camp onion dinner single

These “bombs” are made from lean ground chicken breast that has been stuffed with blue cheese, kicked up with hot pepper sauce and then “wrapped” inside two cross-sectioned onion halves. You could call them stuffed meatballs in onions or even inside out mini-meatloaves – but they are totally the BOMB because they are dangerously delicious and wrapped up in foil like little grenades.  Toss these bad boys on the grill or nestle in an open campfire to cook up quick as a short-fused firework. For you that don’t like to leave the comforts of your kitchen, I’m not going to stop you from just baking them in the oven.  From mess kit to mouth, your every sense is going to be blowing up! Just as you would Buffalo Chicken Wings, balance these spicy bombs with the tangy coolness of blue cheese dressing. Oh, and don’t forget the celery!

jennifer fisher litehouse camp stuffing blue cheese

Check out the whole recipe and see lots of other yummy pictures at Living Litehouse.

living litehouse button

Healthy Travel Snacks + What is a Mangosteen Anyway?

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I love traveling because it means I’m most likely off for a new adventure. However, I don’t like being out of my normal healthy eating routine while en route to my final destination.  I recently got back from a trip to the beach. We traveled by car and I packed baby carrots, celery sticks and almonds for the car ride. With four adults and three teen boys in the car, my stash didn’t last long and I regretted not stowing away more sustenance for the road – like many of the travel-friendly snacks from my post on healthy purse snacks.

purse snacks

Of course, with all the man-sized appetites in the car, it was only a matter of time before we hit one of the Whataburger fast-food establishments that are so prolific in the one-stop light towns of Texas. As my mom and I found out, even Whataburger has begun to offer some healthier options including an Apple & Cranberry Chicken Salad with Low-Fat Pepper-Honey Vinaigrette. There is also the no-top bun burger trick that I’m fond of – take off the uber-bready top bun of my hamburger – cut the burger in half and then re-sandwich together for a double-decker ½ burger. All of these tricks kept me lean, mean and in fighting shape for some bad a$$ery on the beach.

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - what fitfluential and 46 years looks like

Today I am travelling by plane to Seattle to meet with my Hood to Coast Relay teammates and sponsor, Nuun Hydration, before we hit the van for our 200 mile race from Mount Hood in Oregon to the beach of Seaside.  I did this same race last year (read all about it) thanks to the fine folks at Nuun Hydration, a Seattle-based company that makes a sugar-free electrolyte tablet in tons of delicious, yummy flavors. These electrolyte tablets are perfect for runners, triathletes, golfers and other people who are working hard and sweating all day in the sun. By the way, my team is named after one of the new flavors – Cherry Limeade!  Follow the adventure on the thefitfork’s instagram feed. #nuunhtc #teamcherrylimeade

e me high jump

Since most airlines don’t serve meals anymore (would you really want to eat these high-sodium, high-fat, highly unappetizing meals anyway?), a traveling girl such as myself is either subject to what she can find in the airport concourse (again, usually yucky) or what she brings along. I think I have just enough time this morning to make a delicious recipe I found at Cooking Light in a collection of their 75 Healthy Snack Ideas —  Honey Glazed Almonds.  These spiced nuts are made quickly on the stove top rather than being baked for an eternity in the oven.  Plus, the sweet-spicy nuts (kicked up with Chipotle powder) store well in an airtight container for several days, although I’m sure they’ll be gone before my plane change in Salt Lake City.

honey-glazed-almonds-x

I’m also taking some of the new products from SunRype, including the Mango Mangosteen Fruit Source Bar made with all natural ingredients and no preservatives whatsoever. Each 100% fruit bar features 2 servings of fruit with this particular flavor featuring the Mangosteen. So WHAT is a Mangosteen anyway? I thought it was just a cute name for “mango,” but, in fact, the Mangosteen is actually a purple super fruit indigenous to Indonesia and now grown in warm, tropical environments including South America and South Asia. The exterior of this uncommon fruit is purple, but only the white inner flesh and juice is edible.  But, it’s well worth eating the Mangosteen as studies have shown that it has super-powered antioxidant properties (especially high in xanthonoids) that has anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce the risk for cancer. While the juice has high astringency value properties and has been used topically to treat acne, I would not recommend rubbing the fruit bar on your face!

mangosteen collage

Hot Mess Hatch Green Chile Burgers with Calabaza Squash “Buns” Recipe

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jennifer fisher thefitfork hatch green chile burger squash bun

I mentioned it in a recent post, but it’s worth repeating – Hurray, it’s Hatch green chile season! This precious pepper, which hails from the magical soils of New Mexico, has a cult-like following of foodie fans devoted to adding the pepper’s distinctive flavor to nearly every dish imaginable. If you didn’t see it earlier, check out my unique recipe for Hatch Green Chile and Chicken Cheesecake, a savory entrée for brunch or a light summer dinner. Here is an FYI fact for you, the word “Hatch” only refers to the small town that these peppers are grown in, not the actual variety. Hatch peppers range from mild to hot depending on what type you buy. For example, the Sandia chile is fairly mild while the Big Jim packs more heat.

jennifer fisher squash hatch burger

I whipped up this healthy bun-less burger recipe for the love of Hatch (and to enter into a healthy burger recipe contest). I’m calling it Hot Mess Hatch Green Chile Burgers with Calabaza Squash “Buns.” By the way, if you’re not familiar with Calabaza squash, it’s a wider-girthed gourd that tastes pretty much like zucchini. You could use zucchini, but the “buns” won’t really be big enough to contain the patty. Hope you enjoy this “hot mess” covered in Hatch green chile sauce; you’re going to have to eat it with a fork and knife!

Hot Mess Hatch Green Chile Burgers with Calabaza Squash “Buns” Recipe*

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  • 1 (1lb) calbaza squash, sliced into 8 discs
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 lb 90% ground beef
  • ¼ cup roasted hatch green chilies, seeded, skinned and diced
  • 1/4 cup prepared pico de gallo (drained of any liquid)
  • 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (or omit if Paleo)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Garnish: 4 grape tomatoes

jennifer fisher thefitfork hatch green chile sauce

Hatch Green Chile Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup roasted hatch green chiles, peeled seeded and diced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (substitute Coconut Flour if Paleo)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¾ cup water

Lay squash rounds out on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add hatch green chiles, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, cumin and salt. Knead this mixture together until incorporated. Divide mixture into 4 sections and shape each into a patty with a small indention in the center (this helps them from balling up on the grill).

Heat gas or charcoal grill to approximate 400 F degrees. Grill squash and burgers, flipping burgers once until desired level of doneness achieved. Squash is done when it has softened (but not soggy) and has turned lightly golden with grate marks.

Meanwhile, make Hatch green chile sauce. In sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft. While this is cooking, stir together the flour and the spices. Sprinkle this mixture over the onions and stir to coat.

Add water to the mixture in the pan and stir to make sure the flour has dissolved. Add green chiles, mixing well. Remove ½ ingredients and process in food processer until lumpy-smooth. Add back to remaining ingredients in saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer for 15 minutes.

To serve, place one burger patty between two squash rounds. Skewer with a grape tomato to keep burger and buns in place. Use the green chile sauce to drizzle over burgers or to create a “bed” of sauce for burgers to sit it.

Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people)

* Get a more print-friendly version in the “recipe” link under the header