Tag Archives: litehouse foods

Rah-Rah! Baked Root Veggie Fries Recipe

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With basketball season in full swing and the upcoming football finale (I think it’s called the Super Bowl), I’ve been focused on making healthier snacks to go along with our “sit-on-our-rears-and-cheer” spectator status.  Sure, three teen boys and a hungry husband can pack the food away like ravenous linebackers, but WE aren’t the ones out on the court or gridiron burning off the calories! No fake cheese queso or corndogs sullying up the scene at my house; everyone’s eating nutritious yet nom-nom delicious Super Bowl snacks at our party. Why, because I’m the chef AND the ref of this house and what I say goes! I’m sure (heehee) this is just one of the reasons I was recently named one of the Six Healthy Living Bloggers We Love by AllParenting.com!

carrot beet parsnip fires

When I announced we were having “fries” last weekend, I scored big with the kids. But when I served them my healthy swap version (baked carrots, beets and parsnips), one rolled his eyes, one made a gagging gesture and the other gave me the silent treatment. Thank goodness for the delicious creamy dip from Litehouse Food; I was able to coax them into giving these healthy fries a try. And, judging on the fact that they actually cleared the platter clean, I’ll take that as a compliment – although “Sheeze, Whataburger fries would have been better, Mom.”   BUT NOT BETTER FOR YOU!

root vegetables

Carrots, parsnips and beets score big on taste and nutrition when baked into “fries.”

I’m pretty sure you hold your tastes and health to a higher standard than teen boys, so I KNOW you’re going to love this recipe for Rah-Rah! Root Veggie Fries I created for Litehouse Food.

healthy super bowl snacks

Rah-Rah! Baked Root Veggie Fries Recipe

Ingredients

  • Baking Spray
  • ½ lb. beets
  • ½ lb. carrots
  • ½ lb. parsnips
  • ¼ cup liquid egg whites
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp. Instantly Fresh Parsley
  • 1 tsp. coarsely ground sea salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • Vegetable Dip of choice

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

2. Trim stalks and ends of carrots, parsnips and beets. Use a clean scrub pad to thoroughly clean vegetables; no need to peel.

3. Use a sharp knife to slice vegetables into approximate 3-inch long, fry-sized strips.

4. Add egg whites to a shallow bowl, lightly whisk. Add panko Instantly Fresh Parsley, salt and pepper to another shallow bowl, toss together.

5. Dip vegetable strips into egg whites and then into panko mixture, a few at a time. If needed, lightly pat on panko so as much sticks as possible.

6. Spread out parchment paper on two rimmed baking sheets. Arrange vegetable strips in a single layer.

7. Bake in a 350 F degree oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until turned golden and crunchy.

8. Remove from oven and serve warm with your choice of dip.

Serves 8.

Happy Umami-days! Figgy Blue Cheese & Bacon Bites

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Inspired by the taste of umami, I have created an easy appetizer recipe that will have your taste buds exploding with happiness this holiday season – Figgy Blue Cheese Bacon Bites. I’ve talked about umami before, but in case you’re not familiar with the term, it certainly bears repeating. That’s because umami ingredients are a great way to bring crazy flavor to a recipe without tons of fat and calories.

Umami (oo-MA-mee) is a Japanese word that literally means “delicious essence” and is used to describe a fifth taste receptor. We all know the traditional four tastes of sweet, salty, bitter and sour are associated with specific parts of the tongue. However, there is a mouth-watering, savory, meaty and indescribable taste that happens when eating certain foods like beef, mushrooms, bacon, aged cheeses, fermented sauces and red wines – this taste is called umami. To put it sort of scientifically, umami is the taste of glutamates (the salts of an amino acid) and other small molecules called nucleotides working synergistically with other flavors to create a multidimensional taste experience.

blue cheese bacon fig newton appetizer

This recipe for Figgy Blue Cheese Bacon Bites is great to have on hand for impromptu holiday guests.  Using only four ingredients (including Fig Newton cookies!) you can treat guests to something simple and yet oh-so special to eat in no time!  It’s a recipe I’ve put together for Litehouse Foods using their delicious center cut blue cheese. Head on over to the Living Litehouse blog to get the full instructions.

I dare to say, you’ve probably already made quite a few recipes with food pairings that boost umami and not even realized it. Just think of the yumminess that happens when pairing salty feta cheese with ripe tomatoes or shrimp with soy sauce – all of these foods are high in glutamates. Below are a few favorite umami-rich recipes I’ve made lately, check them out!

jennifer fisher thefitfork.com pomegranate balsamic pot roast mushrooms

Pomegranate Balsamic Post Roast with Baby Bella Mushrooms

jennifer fisher litehouse camp stuffing blue cheese

Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Onion Bombs

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - spicy sesame salmon seared watermelon

Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon

Halloween Appetizers so Healthy, It’s Scary!

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For most, Halloween is a valid excuse to eat fun-size chocolate bars and candy corn until falling into a sugar coma – and I’m not immune. Aside from chocolate anything (natch), my favorite “kid” candies are banana Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Rolls and Hot Tamales!  There’s a reason why I don’t buy Halloween candy until the day before; if it’s in front of my face, I’m going to eat it! Actually, I’m repeating my treats last year and giving trick-or-treaters SunRype Fruit Strips (100% all-natural, no preservative fruit leathers). To prevent being “tricked” by ticked off pre-teens, I also offered candy under the obligation that each kid must take taking at least one healthy treat. (Nov. 1 update — the SunRype were actually very popular as Halloween handouts!)

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My older boys are having some friends come over for a scary-movie and video game party! I’m setting up a bone-chilling buffet similar to this one I created for Litehouse Foods. Look closely and you’ll see that this deconstructed platter of goblin parts is actually quite healthy, and could even be called a well-balanced meal. There are blood shot eyeball eggs, baked shrimp goblin fingers, molded intestine noodles and creepy crudities. Rattle your bones and get on over to Litehouse Foods to get the recipes for the Bloodshot Eyeball Eggs and Shrimp Goblin Fingers – your family will be screaming . . . with delight!

goblin platter no product large

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

jennifer fisher litehouse goblin platter whole eggs

Make these bloodshot eye eggs by gently tapping them to crackle shell and soak overnight in beet juice.

 

 

 

 

Now, I’m not that mom who refuses to serve something sweet and sinful. I’ll also be making this Halloween Trash recipe I found floating around on Facebook – it certainly looks to die for! So, for whomever is keeping score out there, this one is NOT as healthy! But, enjoy!

halloween trash

Here’s my take on throwing it together (plus I’m adding m&ms and pretzels) — 8 cups popped corn using my microwave brown paper bag method, 2 cups mini pretzels , 1 cup fall-colored M&Ms, 1 cup candy corn, 1 pound vanilla bark, Halloween sprinkles. Mix popped corn, pretzels and candy together on wax-paper lined, rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with vanilla bark melted according to manufacturer’s directions. Toss to coat evenly. Finish up with Halloween-colored sprinkles.

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

What Salad Dressing Says About You + Litehouse Foods Giveaway

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So many of our daily habits, things you or I would never think twice about, offer greater insight into our personalities than we realize. For example, consider how you install your toilet paper on the roller. The science of toilet paper orientation says that if you put the roll in so it pulls “over,” you are a logical, rational traditionalist who likes order. If you put the roll so it pulls “under,” you are more of a spontaneous, carefree and enthusiastic person. And, if you can’t be bothered with putting the roll on at all, then . . . shame on you!

toilet-paper

This post really isn’t about toilet paper. Keep reading on to find out about salad dressing and your personality and don’t miss the Litehouse Foods coupon giveaway.

The way you use salad dressing also provides insight into your inner being. In a recent blog I wrote for Living Litehouse, called Pour on Personality, explains the differences in disposition between “toppers,” “mixers,” and “dippers.” So, how do YOU use salad dressing? Maybe you have your own unique style – a “spritzer,” “forker” or maybe you use salad dressing as a condiment on other foods. Lately, I’ve been on a kick of combining ranch dressing and salsa together and then mixing it into my salad. But, then again, sometimes I just use it on the side to dunk my chunks of veggies into. Oh no – I have multiple personalities!

jennifer fisher litehouse salad dressing dipper

Don’t miss reading the entire post on Pour on Personality at the Living Lighthouse blog for Litehouse Foods.

Speaking of Litehouse Foods, I just love their products – that’s why I blog for them. Many of the healthy, fit foods I make at home are inspired by their fresh products. Litehouse Foods makes so many tasty things, from artisanal cheeses and fresh salad dressings (found in the produce section) vegetable and fruit dips . They also have a really unique product line of freeze-dried herbs, called Instantly Fresh Herbs, which taste amazing, rehydrate quickly within a recipe, and can be kept conveniently on-hand in the pantry. No more tossing away expensive fresh herbs that wilt away by the end of the week.

A few of the Instantly Fresh Herbs

A few of the Instantly Fresh Herbs

To share the love, I’d like to give away three (3) free coupons for any Litehouse Foods products the winner selects.  To enter, just follow the simple Rafflecopter instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway