Lemon Blueberry Bars

I just love recipes with stories attached. And maybe this is New-Age-California-Yogi-Speak getting to my head, but I sincerely believe that when food is cooked with love and a loving intention, the food is better. That's why I was so touched when our friends in New York served these lemon bars which have such meaning and significance in their lives. Sparing you the details of their family history for the sake of their privacy, these bars were made in a poignant gesture of love and comfort in unimaginably difficult circumstances. Now, they are made in celebration of family togetherness and joy. I was humbled when they agreed to share the recipe with me so that I could bake these little morsels of citrusy love for the Eat My Blog charity bake sale that is happening today at Tender Greens in West Hollywood, CA. I made a couple little tweaks to the recipe--I just love the combination of lemon and blueberries (and blueberries are fantastic right now), so I added those and because I love the tartness of lemony desserts, I reduced the sugar slightly and added some lemon zest. I hope that you will go to the bake sale to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank today!!! Or if you do not live in L.A., perhaps you'll make these goodies for a friend who's going through a hard time or just for your family to tell them you love them. A Votre Sante!!!

Lemon Blueberry Squares

2 sticks butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cup flour plus 4 Tablespoons flour

4 eggs

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

5 Tablespoons lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)

1 cup blueberries, dusted with flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Blend butter and sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add salt, two cups flour, and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Press into a 9X13 greased pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, mix the eggs, sugar, 4 Tablespoons flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Fold in blueberries. Pour over baked crust.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are light brown. Let cool 1 hour.

5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy! (These freeze well, too!)

Printable version here.

Babycakes Brownies

First of all, I ask your forgiveness for being so MIA as of late. I was on a cleanse developed by Kirsten McCormick, my friend and owner of Running with Forks. for 21 days and was cooking very simply as my choices were so restricted. The cleanse required that I give up all animal products (Vegan), all sources of gluten, and of course, sugar, alcohol, and sweeteners. I felt really great afterward and realized how little animal protein I actually need! The weekend after my cleanse, I had to go back to my hometown for a funeral and my husband's family and I all had dinner together--we opened bottles of wine and kept 'topping off.'

I would not recommend this.

I had a massive hangover the next day as I had just re-toxed my recently de-toxed liver. Poor liver. Poor me! I felt horrible. Anyway, my stomach hurt and so I told myself that I could eat crackers and bread until the stomach pain went away. Well, it kept on keeping on! 5 days later, my stomach still hurt until I realized (duh!) that I was making it hurt by eating wheat! I am not sure if I have wheat intolerance, gluten intolerance, or just a sensitivity to one of these things, but as soon as I stopped eating that stuff, I felt better.

The interesting thing is that I have never had issues with wheat....that I knew of! It wasn't until I went off gluten (found in wheat products and some other grains) that my body kind of just tightened up. I lost some bloat that I had thought was just 'normal.' I had a similar experience with milk. After three weeks of not drinking milk, I became lactose-intolerant which I think is really a good thing. There exists lots of evidence that suggests adult humans should not be drinking milk at all.

So, now I find myself in a place where I am finding new and interesting ways to eat delicious foods without dairy or gluten! Hence I picked up this cookbook, Babycakes. If you live in New York or Los Angeles, you may have heard of this bakery. They bake only Vegan, Gluten-Free, and mostly Sugar-Free products. If you're thinking, "Nasty," I can assure you I was with you 100%. But the remarkable thing about this bakery is that their cupcakes were rated #1 in LA ABOVE traditional bakeries!

These are the Brownies from this cookbook. I ate three (quality control....just a sacrifice I have to make for my readers!) but I'd recommend one or two if you can stand it--they're rich!

The one drawback to the cookbook is that you will have to purchase a bunch of ingredients that you can either find at Whole Foods or you will have to order online and are a bit pricey but for me, it's totally worth it. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Babycakes Brownies

1 Cup Garbanzo-Fava Bean Flour

1/4 Cup Potato Starch

2 Tablespoons Arrowroot

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, plus more for tins

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water or coffee (I used coffee)

1 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease three 12-cup mini muffin tins with oil.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the 1/2 cup oil, applesauce, vanilla, and hot water to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Using a melon baller, scoop the batter into each prepared mini-muffin cup. Bake the brownies on the center rack for 10 minutes, rotating the tray 180 degrees after 5 minutes. The finished brownie will have a firm edge with a soft center and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Let the brownies stand in the pans for 10 minutes; they are best served warm. To maintain freshness, leave the brownies in the tins until ready to serve. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Printable version here.

Sole with Asparagus and Morels

I have been eating very clean lately as I am doing a cleanse that I am helping to develop with yogaposer, the an amazing yoga teacher training company that has hired me as the Director of Nutrition. I feel great and I can't wait until the day that I can share the not-yet-fully-developed cleanse with all of you! The only drawback of eating super healthy is that meals can get a little boring, but they don't have to! This meal was totally 'gourmet' and incredibly healthy, too. Sole is a low-toxicity fish, so it's a great choice when you're trying to rid the body of metals, etc.

1 cup fresh or 1 package dried morels

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed (break one to see where to cut)

4-6 sole filets

1 lemon, zested and cut in half

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. If using dried morels, boil water and pour over the mushrooms. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, heat up a large saucepan with water). Scoop the morels out of the soaking liquid after that time, rinse, and pat dry. (They're like little sponges so make sure to dry them off well). Chop roughly.

3. When water is boiling, add asparagus. (Tip: Keep the rubber band around the bunch. It's totally safe and makes it easier to take the asparagus out). Take out after 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4. Dry each piece of fish. Sprinkle with lemon zest, salt ,and pepper. Add 4 or 5 stalks asparagus and starting with the thicker end, roll the fish around the asparagus. Put seam-side down in a baking dish. Repeat with all the fish. Sprinkle mushrooms and thyme over the fish. Drizzle with olive oil, and add a small pinch of salt and pepper.

5. Put the baking dish in the oven. Bake fish for 7-8 minutes, or until opaque and fish pushes back slightly when touched.

Serve with sauteed spinach and whole-grain pasta. Sprinkle all over with lemon juice.

Serves 2.

Printable version here.

Best Tuna Fish Salad

Lunch in a rut? Gussy up your tuna fish with this amazing combo of flavors. You'll never go back to the old way.

1 can tuna fish (dolphin-safe, albacore), thoroughly drained

6 kalamata olives (pitted), chopped

1 Tablespoon dried cranberries

1 stalk celery, cleaned and diced

1 Tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise*

1/2 apple (Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Fiji are best), chopped

2 Cups mixed greens

lemon juice

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon sunflower seeds (optional)

1. In a bowl, mix tuna fish, olives, cranberries, celery, and mayonnaise.

2. In another bowl, toss greens lightly with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper sparingly. Plate.

3. Mound tuna fish over greens. Top with sliced apple and sunflower seeds, if using.

Serve 1.

*If you do not eat mayonnaise, a Tablespoon (or less) of good-quality extra virgin olive oil will also work beautifully.

Printable version here.

Banana Leaf-Steamed Salmon with Citrus Pesto

I kinda hate bananas. I can't really explain it. Can't stand the smell...even hate banana Runts.

Banana leaves, however, have no banana-ish flavor and are great for steaming fish. For some reason, steaming a piece of fish inside a banana leaf seals in moisture and flavor. It's like magic. If you can't find banana leaves, don't worry about it at all. You can steam inside parchment paper just as easily.

I don't like bananas but I do like pesto! I have this very distinct memory of going to see the most recent Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly and even though I loved that movie, having to keep reminding myself to stop thinking about possible pesto combinations and to just watch the movie! (This is what goes on inside the mind of a food blogger, I suppose).

I came up with this pesto for fish because I do not like the combination of cheese and seafood, in general. This has a lot of flavor and only uses one Tablespoon of olive oil for the whole batch. You'll have lots left over, which you could use with chicken or pork, or you could add some more vinegar and olive oil to it and make it into a really fantastic and interesting vinaigrette.

1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted

3 cups loosely-packed basil leaves

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 orange, half zested, both sides juiced

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for salmon

salt and pepper

2 6-0z. pieces wild salmon

2 banana leaves (or two sheets of parchment paper 1-ft each in length)

1/2 lb. green beans or haricot verts

1. Combine walnuts, basil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, Tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse to desired texture.

2. Prepare steamer. If you don't own an electric steamer, put a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil (you will need a steaming basket and a lid).

3. Prepare the salmon. Place each salmon filet in the middle of the banana leaf or parchment.

4.Drizzle sparingly with olive oil, generously salt and pepper. Fold one side of the leaf (closest to you) over the salmon. Fold both sides (on either side of the filet) in, like a burrito. Then flip the salmon filet one or two times until it resembles a little package.

5. Place 'banana leaf packages' in the steamer and steam for 8-15 minutes depending on thickness. (Usually fish needs 10 minutes per inch of thickness.)

6. Steam green beans after you have taken the salmon packets out, for 4 minutes.

7. Serve the salmon in the banana leaf, unwrapped with a dollop of pesto, alongside the green beans.

Serves 2.

Printable version here.

Chicken-Apple Burgers

Some days, the cooking mood just strikes me. I said to my husband this morning, "I want to go to the farmer's market and then the grocery store and then just cook all day." He said, "OK," being the accomadating and wonderful guy that he is. And cook all day I did. First, I made a white chicken stock. Then I made a brown chicken stock using the white chicken stock (a tip I picked up from Tom Colicchio's book Think Like a Chef.) Then onto some homemade granola, and finally to my dinner, these chicken-apple burgers.

All of the recipes on this site are original unless specified otherwise. It is the reason that sometimes there is a week or even a two-week lapse between recipe posts. I have to not only have time, come up with a recipe, and try it-- but I have to like it so much that I put my Haute Health seal of approval on it so that my readers will never try one of my recipes and think, "Well, that was so-so." Of course our tastes might differ, but for me to post a recipe, I have to think, "YES. This is a good one."

A couple weeks ago, I tried a butterflied turkey breast, stuffed with blanched asparagus, lemon rind, and goat cheese. Sounds good, right? Yeahhhh....not so much.

Anyway, the point of this story is that when I tried this out tonight, I did a little dance around the kitchen after my first taste. And then after my first burger, I had another one. They're that good.

Note: I use 1 Tablespoon of butter to cook 4 turkey burgers, so I still qualify this as an 'angelic' recipe. If you are really watching your saturated fat, though, you can use just olive oil or even just cooking spray.

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

2 stalks celery, minced

salt and pepper

1/2 cup white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc (could use chicken stock here)

1 lb. ground chicken

1 container fat-free plain yogurt

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 whole wheat buns (optional)

1. In a nonstick skillet, heat teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, apple, and celery. Sweat for 3-4 four minutes, stirring often. Add wine (or broth) and reduce heat to medium-low until wine is evaporated and mixture is soft. Scrape contents onto a small plate and let cool completely.

2. Combine chicken, yogurt, and cooled apple mixture. Stir until combined. Score with fingers into four equal sections. Wipe out pan with paper towel and return to skillet. Turn on stove to medium-high heat and add butter and teaspoon oil. Working quickly, make four patties. Salt and pepper one side and then add that side to the skillet. Salt and pepper the other side in the skillet. When one side is browned, flip carefully (they will be loose). Turn heat to medium-low and cover to finish cooking, 5-7 minutes or until juices run clear.

Serve on whole wheat buns or over lettuce, as shown in the picture above.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!!!

Printable version here.

Red Snapper with Suzy's Sorta-Gremolata

When I hear the word "Snapper," I think about camp. In 6th grade, I was at a girl scout camp in Wisconsin where there was all sorts of wild life all around, especially in the summertime. Every day, the girls and I would pass this big turtle and look at it. We were told that it was a snapper and not to get too close. Well, one day after a courage-inducing meal of pancakes or something, the bravest girl in our troupe, Nicole, took a stick and gingerly approached the turtle. It tolerated her waving and poking of the stick for a while, and just as we were about to be convinced that it was not, indeed, a snapper, that big-ass turtle lurched viciously in her direction. You can imagine the screaming that ensued. I'm sure all canine ears within a 2-mile radius perked up a little. We all hauled it back to the campsite. I probably dug into a secret stash of Samoas, knowing myself at that age. (Fat kids tend to go one or two ways: Stay fat or get into fitness....but I digress...). I will never again hear the word snapper without thinking of that day and our near-death experience at Camp Singing Hills.

I wonder if red snappers have that same sneaky face, like a decrepit mean ancient person. Ah, I don't really care. I quite like how the fish tastes, and I buy it in cute little filets that look nothing like a fish. Or a turtle, for that matter.

Anyways, this is your dish if you have 15 minutes to make a delicious and easy meal for dinner. It takes less time than a frozen pizza. Do yourself right and try this for dinner this week. Then eat as many Samoas as you like.

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1 large handful walnut halves/pieces, chopped

1 heaping Tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon-juice after zesting)

1/4 cup basil, chopped

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

pinch red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons dried cranberries

4 red snapper filets

salt and pepper

olive oil

4 cups arugula

1. Preheat broiler.

2. In a nonstick pan, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and walnuts, and toast, stirring continuously, until light brown. Take off heat and put the walnut-breadcrumb mixture in a small bowl. Add the lemon zest, parsley, basil, and cranberries. Stir. Set aside.

3. Wipe out pan. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and put back over flame. Turn heat to medium-high. Salt and pepper the fish and add to the skillet. (May need to do this in two batches). Cook on one side for 2 minutes, flip. Cook for another minute or two depending on thickness of fish, then pile the breadcrumb mixture on the fish and transfer to the oven. DO NOT LEAVE! Breadcrumbs burn quickly, so watch with the oven door ajar. You want the breadcrumbs to toast to a nice deep brown but not to burn. (Less than a minute). Remove pan from oven and set aside.

4. Drizzle the lemon juice over the arugula and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Add a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, toss, and distribute among plates. Plate the fish carefully (you might need two spatulas for this).

Enjoy!!!

Serves 4.

Printable version here.