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Healthy Halloween Pumpkin Cookies – Yummm

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Halloween is the time when we have to remember that our kids are not the healthiest in the world and we must protect them from diabetes, obesity and heart disease which are are on the rise among children.

So, I would like to share with you this Healthy Recipe I found at www.foodnetwork.com

Why is it healthy?

Just in case if you don’t know, spices, like ginger and cinnamon boost our immune system helping fight with cold and flu.

Dark molasses are a great substitute for sugar as well as a good source of iron and B vitamins.

As for raisins, they can protect our oral, dental and bone health, be helpful for our vision and beneficial if you have constipation, weight gain or anemia.

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin puree

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses in a second bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients and raisins into the dry ingredients until no traces of dry ingredients remain. Drop the batter by level tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and lightly golden on top, 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
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Bon Appetit!

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Sweet Potato Souffle

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

I know it is time for Gingerbread cookies, and I am sure you will find a lot of healthy recipes on the web. I would like to share with you this recipe of Sweet Potato Soufflé by Martha Rose Shulman I found in New York Times in Fitness and Nutrition Section

This soufflé makes an impressive dessert. You can make individual soufflés or one large one, which is easier to make than a pie.

2 pounds sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup mild honey, such as clover

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

8 egg whites, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce in several places with a sharp knife. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the potatoes on top. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes, until thoroughly soft and beginning to ooze. Remove from the heat and let cool.

2. Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven and turn the oven down to 400ºF. Rub the inside of a 2-quart soufflé dish or six 1- or 1 1/2-cup soufflé dishes with butter and dust with 2 tablespoons of the sugar, tilting the dish to coat evenly.

3. Peel the potatoes and puree in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ginger, yogurt, and lime juice and mix together well.

4. Begin beating the egg whites at medium speed in a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with an electric beater. When they begin to foam, add the cream of tartar. When soft peaks begin to form, slowly add the remaining tablespoon of sugar while beating and continue to beat until the egg whites form stiff but not dry peaks. Stir one fourth into the sweet potatoes, and gently fold in the remainder. Scrape into the soufflé dish (or dishes). Place on a baking sheet and bake a large soufflé for 20 to 25 minutes, small soufflés for 15 minutes, or until puffed and just beginning to brown. Serve at once. The soufflé should be runny on the inside.

Bon Appetit!

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Breathe, smile and be happy,

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Ingredients:

4 -5 cups whole wheat pastry flour or whole grain flour _ginger_bread
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa or carob powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 C. margarine, non-hydrogenated or unsalted butter
½ C, brown rice syrup or wheat malt
½ C. barley malt

4-5 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. nutmeg ground
1 tsp. vanilla
Vanilla rice milk

orange zest of one orange

Directions:

Mix margarine with rice syrup, barley malt, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Slowly add flour, baking powder, cocoa powder or carob, spices, ginger, salt and zest. Mix well until a dough has formed. If the mixture seems dry, slowly add the rice milk to achieve the moisture you need. Divide the dough in half and refrigerate at least for 2-3 hours. Roll out every piece of dough and cut into shapes using various cookie cutters. Place cookies about an inch apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes until golden brown at 375 degrees.

For decorations use raisins, pumpkin or sesame seeds, minced walnuts or pecans, toasted coconut.

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Bon Appetit!

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Breathe, smile and be happy,

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Healthy Substitutes for Your Recipes

Monday, December 15th, 2008

Just wanted to remind you about healthier alternatives for your cooking or baking recipes:

1 whole egg can be substituted with 2 egg whites

white flour can be substituted with whole grain flour (rice, barley,millet, buckwheat – basically you can grind any whole grain)

sour cream can be substituted with low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream

milk can be substitute with skim, 1% milk or powdered milk

ice cream can be substitute with frozen yogurt

heavy cream (not for whipping) – 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (eg. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of non fat milk)

whipped cream can be substituted with chilled evaporated skim milk or other low fat whipped products

cheese can be substituted with low-fat cheese (please note: non-fat cheese does not melt well if use in cooking or baking)

margarine can be substituted with butter

butter can be substituted with light butter, vegetable oil or ghee

sugar ( brown or white) can be substituted with date sugar, barley malt, blackstrap molasses, pure raw honey

table salt can be substituted with sea salt

Happy and Healthy Cooking and Baking!!!

Breathe, smile and be happy,

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Create a Healthy and Delicious Thanksgiving Pie

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

Here is an opportunity for you to create your own delicious Sweet Potato or Squash Pie for your Thanksgiving dinner. Or… you can bake three different pies to impress and surprise your family and friends

Good Luck!

Ingredients to choose:

I. Pick one:

1 and a half can pumpkin puree

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes

3 cups cooked mashed buttercup squash

3 cups cooked mashed butternut squash

II. Pick one:

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

½ cup maple syrup

¾ cup Agave Nectar

III. Pick three or more:

1/5 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp allspice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp orange zest

IV. Pick one:

1 cup soy milk

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup almond milk

1 cup rice milk

V. Pick one:

3 eggs slightly beaten + 2 tbsp flour

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup firm tofu

2 tbsp semolina

VI. pinch of salt

VII. I – 2 tbsp Molasses

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and pour into the crust.* Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for 45 – 50 minutes.

* Basic Crust

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup margarine

5- 6 tbsp cold water

Directions:

Mix together flour, margarine and salt. Add water, one spoon at a time until pastry holds together. Shape the pastry into a ball and put into the refrigerator for 45 min.

Bon Appetit!

Let me know which one you like best.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Pumpkin Brulee

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Healthy Apple and Mushroom Stuffing Recipe

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

Image by miss_rogue via Flickr

I don’t eat meat, only fish, unlike my family, so I always have to compromise to keep everybody happy including myself. I hope this alternative to traditional stuffing recipe will make you also feel happy during your family Thanksgiving Dinner. You know why? Because it will help you not to gain weight and stay healthy during cold and flu season.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup cooked wild rice
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 big organic apples peeled and diced
1 cup walnuts
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup dill or cilantro
2 cups vegetable soup stock
1 tsp minced lemon peel
Seaweed Gomasio (sesame seeds, seaweed and sea salt) and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Sautee onions and mushrooms in olive oil for about 8-10 minutes. Add apples and cook another 4-5 minutes. Mix all ingredients in a bowl; taste it and make it extra moist. Bake in an oiled, covered casserole at 350 degrees for 20 -30 minutes.

Bon Appetit and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

Let me know if you and your family like this recipe.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Healthy Halloween Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Image by kevandem via Flickr

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp organic baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons black strap molasses
1 tbs kefir or plain yogurt
1 cup (8 ounces) butter (softened)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned cooked pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup cranberries
1/3cup dried cherries
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Get ready two lightly greased baking sheets.

Mix the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; add sugar, oil (or butter), molasses, pumpkin. Mix thoroughly and add raisins, cranberries, cherries and walnuts. Put a mix on the baking sheets with a spoon. Bake for about 15 minutes.

Happy Healthy Halloween to you and your kids!!!

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Breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com