Strawberry Greek Yogurt Tart w/ Gluten-Free Crust

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Is there anything that a strawberry dessert doesn’t make better? Not only do these beautiful berries make both sweet and savory dishes sing with the flavors of the season, just the smell of them lifts my mood for the better. Plus, it has only 202 calories per slices (with 12g fat, 16g net carbs, and 7g protein).

This recipe for Strawberry Chocolate Greek Yogurt Tart (with Gluten-Free Coconut-Almond Crust) is made in honor of my mom on a past Mother’s Day. Read on to get the recipe and find out why I picked strawberries over other berries — you’ll be surprised. Continue reading →

Cottage Cheese, Please! Lemon Chia Tea Cakes with Berries Recipe #GlutenFree

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Daisy Cottage Cheese.

Today, it’s cottage cheese, please! But, as I kid, I expressed my displeasure with this curd-style dairy product with the same gusto that was reserved for having blood drawn, getting grounded, having to babysit my brother instead of hang out with friends — no, please, please, please don’t do this to me! Crying, screaming, gnashing of teeth and so on. Boy, how times change! I barely wince at a needle prick, never get in trouble with my parents anymore and would welcome the opportunity to spend more time with my brother. And . . . as you probably have guessed, I now love cottage cheese!

When I headed down to the store to get my carton of Daisy Cottage Cheese, I noticed that the brand has rolled out new packaging – it’s so catchy with the white carton, blue lid and signature flower. It’s easy to figure out if you’re buying delicious full-fat Daisy (dark blue lid) or low-fat Daisy (light blue lid) — these little details matter, especially if I’m in a rush! But a great carton isn’t the only #DaisyDifference when it comes to stacking up this product against similar seeming cottage cheese brands on the shelves. Daisy Cottage Cheese just plain uses better ingredients (and fewer) than the competition. Made from only four ingredients, this stuff is straightforward and simple – just the way it should be. I feel confident serving Daisy to my family knowing it isn’t gunked up with unnecessary additives, preservatives and thickeners.

Nutrition Label for Daisy Low-Fat 2% Cottage Cheese

What I’ve found as a mom and athlete is that cottage cheese is a great way to pack a wallop of protein into any meal of the day– even snacks and treats! Did you know that a ½ cup serving of 2% Daisy Cottage Cheese has just 90 calories and 14 grams of protein – getting me well on my way to achieving my daily protein requirement. As a runner and fitness enthusiast who often works out two times a day, I require extra protein to help my body recover and rebuild muscle. It’s so easy to add cottage cheese to a smoothie, a salad, or on top of a baked potato – I even blend up cottage cheese to transform it into a creamy sauce and silky, smooth baking ingredient. Plus, since our family is on a budget, I really appreciate the value that cottage cheese offers as a protein source.

In honor of spring and all its fresh flavors, I whipped up this yummy batch of Lemon Chai Tea Cakes with Berries. It’s a healthy dessert that is balanced with protein – actually, I think it would also be great for breakfast! As a bonus, this recipe is gluten-free and doesn’t have a lot of added sweetness – only a bit of honey and lemon curd.

Lemon Chia Tea Cakes with Berries Recipe

2 cups gluten-free oat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup 2% Daisy Brand cottage cheese
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup lemon curd
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Sauce and Garnish

½ cup 2% Daisy Brand cottage cheese
¼ cup lemon curd
Blackberries and raspberries

In large bowl, mix together oat flour, baking powder, chia seeds and salt until combined.
In blender, mix together cottage cheese, lemon juice, lemon curd, honey, vanilla, eggs and oil until smooth.
Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring until just combined but not over mixing.
Spoon batter into 4 free-standing paper baking cups (4” diameter) or 8 standard size muffin tins.
Bake for approximately 20 – 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center pulls clean.
While muffins are baking, make sauce by adding ½ cup cottage cheese and ¼ lemon curd in blender; blend until smooth.
To serve, spoon sauce over cooled tea cakes and top with berries. Serves 4.

Don’t Miss the Twitter Chat with Daisy Cottage Cheese

Find out how to “Power Your Way Through the Day” with cottage cheese, a versatile protein source for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks – as well as for workout fuel and recovery. I can’t wait to learn more about the benefits of cottage cheese from the experts and find out some of the Fitfluential community’s favorite recipes.

Twitter Chat:
Hosted by: FitFluential
Date: April 10, 2014
Theme: Power Your Way Through the Day
Time: 9:00 pm EST
#DaisyDifference

Strawberry Cucumber & Spinach Salad – There’s an App for That!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Everything seems to finally be coming up spring! Gardens are growing and offering up the first bounties of the season. I plan to be down at the local farmer’s market every weekend decked out in my sandals and sun hat – yes, you guessed it, I’m a warm weather-loving girl. Oh my goodness, the fruits and vegetables of this time of year take my breath away – the amazingly sweet berries, the mild spring onions, crunchy cucumbers and delicate baby greens. Ahhhh!

Foodie Recipes App to the rescue while shopping at Sprouts!

Usually, I’m pretty creative about pulling together a meal out of what I already have on hand in the fridge and pantry. But somehow, when I see the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at the market, I sometimes get overwhelmed by the unlimited possibilities for my dinner table. That’s why I love Foodie Recipes; it’s a virtual cookbook full of recipes that I can take on the go. When my head starts spinning and I don’t know where to start, I can open up this app on my iPhone or iPad to find the perfect healthy recipe complete with gorgeous photos, clear instructions, and preparation and cook times. Yes, I’m the fly-by-the-seat of her pants home chef who plans her menu while pushing a cart or finishing a workout at the gym – thank goodness I now have “an app for that!”

It’s really neat how the format of the Foodie Recipes app reads just like a traditional cookbook, but with much more convenience. Every month, a new batch of food-editor curated recipes are uploaded in “editions” that fit the season or a theme – for example, past editions have included “Easy as Pie,” “Dinners for Two,” and “Holiday Sweets.” One of my favorite editions is “Gluten-Free Meals;” it features a seven day meal plan for folks who have allergies, are intolerant or just want to avoid foods with gluten. All 30 recipes in this “Gluten-Free Meals” edition were created by Café Johnsonia and organized so your every sense will be delighted from Meatless Monday through Sunday Supper (with Traditional Tuesday, Western Wednesday, Thai Thursday, Friday Favorites and Sunrise Saturday in between).

So, yesterday, as I toggled my way through the Foodie Recipes app, I found this lovely Strawberry Cucumber & Spinach Salad and it just reminded me of all the things I love about spring. I knew my mom and friends would love the gluten-free recipe too, so I shared through email and my social media outlets to spread this tasteful message of the season. You could serve this healthy recipe as a side dish or top with your favorite lean protein for an amazing entrée salad.

Enjoy! And, don’t forget to check out the FREE Foodie Recipes app for the iOS platform (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) – available for free download in the iTunes Store.

Strawberry Cucumber & Spinach Salad Recipe

For salad:

8 oz. strawberries, sliced
1 small or ½ large cucumber, peeled if desired, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
5 oz. fresh baby spinach
2-3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
½ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

For dressing:

2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
1-2 tsp. honey, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

For salad: Place all ingredients into a large serving bowl. Add some of the dressing and toss gently to coat. Add more if needed. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.
For dressing: Whisk the yogurt, lemon juice and olive oil together. Add the honey, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings as necessary, to taste. Chill until ready to use. Yield: ⅓ cup dressing

Serves: 2

This post sponsored by Foodie.com and the Glam Network. However, all opinions are my own.

Healthy Chocolate Recipe Round-Up!

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Have yourself a merry little Christmas and let all your treats be light. Dig into my favorite healthy chocolate recipes and your troubles will be out of sight. Troubles out of sight? Okay, there are still a few holiday headaches going on at my house (nothing major), but at least sabotaging all my hard work on the track and in the gym isn’t one of them. Now, if you’re looking for splurge chocolate recipes, check out my Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies or Chocolate Mint Crinkle Kiss Cookies.

When friends and family gather near over the holidays, many of my delicious chocolate recipes are made as special requests – some I even package up in pretty wrappings to give as Christmas gifts. How can you not love holiday treats that are as healthy as they are heavenly tasting – it’s a win-win when your willpower is waning!

I don’t even need to rationalize making all my healthy chocolate recipes; research does it for me. Studies have shown that the flavanols (compounds found in cocoa) have antioxidant properties that help repair damage done by free radicals. The flavinols can also help reduce the risk for heart disease by relaxing artery walls and preventing blood platelets from getting clogged up.

The more cocoa in the chocolate the better it is for your health; this means darker chocolates are healthier than milk chocolates. Eating raw cocoa can be a bitter shock at first; ideally you should try to eat chocolate that is made from 70% cocoa – even this takes some getting used to. But, I think we’re all willing to hang in there when it comes to eating chocolate, right?! So, let’s get to the recipes!

It’s still pretty warm here in Austin, so we’ve been enjoying this frosty and festive Chocolate Peppermint Sorbet I created for the Core Power blog. Made with the Chocolate Light flavor of Core Power High Protein Shakes, it’s the perfect treat for recovery after a long run or hard workout.

If you have company coming and they are living the caveman lifestyle, you might what to whip up a batch of these Salted Pistachio Chocolate Cookies. The cookies are dairy-free, gluten-free with a sweet-salt addictive quality!

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - chocolate date candy bars

Craving a candy bar, but aren’t willing to give in? My recipe for Chocolate Date “Candy Bar” Bites makes a healthy and heavenly substitution. Also Paleo-friendly, these chocolate treats make a thoughtful gift packaged up inside a sparkly gift tin – that is, if you don’t eat the whole batch up front.

Power up a holiday breakfast with a handful of Chocolate Strawberry Protein “Donut” Holes. Protein powder giveS my baked doughnut holes a little extra oomph and will satisfy your hunger until lunch! I’ll let you in on a secret; I like to sneak a few as a bed time snack!

If you want the whole donut, then I’ve got you covered with these Baked-and-Better Chocolate Protein Donuts – ahh, the chocolate glaze is delish!

Another chocolate breakfast yum-yum (and fantastic healthy snack) is my Choco-Cherry Protein Granola. Eat by the handful right out of the container or sprinkle over Greek yogurt – this doesn’t last long at my house.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is great anytime of the year; have a piece with your salad, as a snack or a sensible addition to your morning cuppa Joe. Oh, and this one is paleo-friendly and gluten-free too!

And finally, check back next week and I’ll share my blog post for steamy, silky Chocolate Chai made with Core Power protein drink (and other healthful stuff) – they sell something similar at Starbucks, but this is way better for you!

Summer Loving |Roasted Strawberry Coconut Milk Sherbet

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Roasting strawberries, hmmm. Normally I would never have enough leftover strawberries in the fridge to consider getting creative with them, but after a trip to the market today I was blessed with a windfall of red, ripe strawberries that were just begging for an adventure. Since it’s been so hot here in Austin (and everywhere else, I’ve heard), I decided that a strawberry sherbet would be the ideal way to end the day. Actually, I think I have a thing for frozen strawberry treats, check out my recipes for Strawberry Lemonade Coconut Water Pops and ‘Whey Cool’ Frozen Strawberry Pie.

But, today my mind is going elsewhere with the strawberries; I’m looking to put a new spin on a sure-thing sherbet. In the past, roasting other fruits has worked well for me, magnifying the flavors and intensifying the sweetness. So, I decided to throw caution to the wind, turn on the oven, and give these beauties a blast of heat. I also used coconut sugar and unsweetened coconut milk (the kind from the carton, not the thick sweetened stuff from a can) in my recipe to keep it gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and paleo-friendly. Whoohoo, Roasted Strawberry & Coconut Milk Sherbet for everyone!

Roasted Strawberry & Coconut Milk Sherbet Recipe

4 cups strawberries (approx. 1 lb), hulled and halved
1 cup coconut sugar*
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (from carton)
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Combine strawberries and sugar on a rimmed metal baking sheet, tossing until all berries have been coated with sugar.

Roast strawberries, stirring occasionally, about 12 – 15 minutes until juicy and bubbling. Keep a close eye on oven to make sure sugar doesn’t start burning. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Add strawberry mixture, coconut mile and sea salt into blender and puree for until smooth, approximately 1 minute.

Process sherbet mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer sherbet to freezer-proof, airtight container until ready to serve.

Let soften for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping.

Serves 6.

*Coconut sugar is actually dried sap from the coconut tree and has a lower glycemic index than conventional sugar. However, it does have a brown color which makes the sherbet have a darker color. If you want “pink,” you’ll have to use white sugar . . . uh, and maybe food color (eek)!

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Tag Archives: gluten-free

Strawberry Greek Yogurt Tart w/ Gluten-Free Crust

Cottage Cheese, Please! Lemon Chia Tea Cakes with Berries Recipe #GlutenFree

Strawberry Cucumber & Spinach Salad – There’s an App for That!

Healthy Chocolate Recipe Round-Up!

Summer Loving |Roasted Strawberry Coconut Milk Sherbet