Chickpea Barley Salad with Tofu Mayonnaise

Tofu Mayo + Sriracha

This is a great side dish for those who are vegan and/or for those who just want a basic low-fat alternative to mayonnaise. I personally don't think I could ever go vegan, but since I don't eat mayo, this is the perfect substitute for me. My sister, however, is a vegan, so I figured this post would be appropriate.

My mom and I attended this "cooking seminar" where they made tofu "mayonnaise."  I thought this was an excellent idea for those who want to cut down on saturated fat yet maintain that thick and creamy mayonnaise texture in their food.  

Silken tofu is frequently used in vegetarian and vegan recipes, such as salad dressings, pies, pudding, bread, and etc.  It is low in fat and carbs and is a good source of protein, as well. Here is my version of tofu mayonnaise with a splash of cider vinegar and lemon juice. 

Chickpea & Barley Combo

In this "salad," I used pearled barley and chickpea because they are excellent sources of fiber and protein. Although pearled barley has been processed more than hulled barley and technically is not a "whole" grain for that reason, it still contains 8g of fiber and 5g of protein (1/4 cup). This combination of barley, chickpea, and vegetables mixed with this tofu mayo creates a low fat, high fiber & protein nutritious powerhouse.  

A few things to consider: Soak chickpea and barley overnight for faster cooking.  Also, cook in broth or stock for more flavor.

Chickpea Barley Salad w/ Tofu Mayo

17 oz silken tofu
1 tbs + 2 tsp cider vinegar 
1 tbs + 2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp dijon mustard 
1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs sriracha (optional)
Salt to taste

2 cups peeled pearl barley, cooked
3 cups chickpea, cooked

1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tbs onion, minced or grated
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1/4 cup almonds (optional)
cilantro

1) Add diced tofu into blender with vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard. Add garlic powder and salt to taste.
2) Blend until soft and to mayonnaise-type consistency. Add soy milk, almond milk, or grapeseed oil if prefer a more runny consistency.
*Note: 17 oz makes a lot of mayo, so store in airtight container or jar and refrigerate
3) Toss everything together and serve! May chill before serving, as well.

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Nutrition Facts: Pearled Barley
Serving Size= 1/4 cup
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Carbohydrate: 32g
Dietary Fiber: 8g
Protein: 5g
Potassium 200mg


Nutrition Facts: Chickpea
Serving Size= 1/4 cup
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Carbohydrate: 29g
Dietary Fiber: 14g
Protein: 8g

Nutrition Facts: Silken Tofu
Serving Size= 3oz,
Calories: 45
Total Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Carbohydrate: 2g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Protein: 5g
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Healthy Indulgence: Banana French Toast Sandwich

Almond Butter, Banana, Dark Chocolate <3

Almond butter. Banana. Dark chocolate. French toast. Need I say more?

When you can't decide between two dishes, why not have both? Here's my take on a peanut butter and banana sandwich morphed with a French toast. Just a thought!...a very yummy thought. =)

I bought this amazing Whole Wheat Quinoa Bread w/ Flaxseed from Whole Foods the other day, and I can't seem to get enough of it. I also bought some WW sourdough bread which unfortunately tasted like play dough. NEVER again! Good thing it was BOGO since Whole Foods was closing up. Can't complain there! =)

"Grated" (more like peeled) the Dark Chocolate with a knife

I treat myself to a piece (or 2) of dark chocolate every morning to keep me happy for the day. It's pretty much what keeps me going in life. Here, read this article for yourself about how beneficial dark chocolate can be for your health and your LIFE! Amen! =)


Ok, here we go:

Flipped after a little over a minute

Banana French Toast Sandwich:
 Serving Size = 2

4 slices of whole wheat bread
1 egg
1 tbs almond milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 tbs almond butter (1 tbs per sandwich)
1 banana, sliced
Dark Chocolate, grated
Confectioners sugar





1) Spread almond butter on each slice of bread (1/2 tbs per slice). Top 2 pieces of bread with banana and grated dark chocolate, then sandwich!
2) Whisk egg, milk, and cinnamon in a bowl. 
3) Spray non-stick cooking spray onto pan over medium heat. Dip entire sandwich into egg mixture and soak both sides for a few seconds (depending on thickness of bread)
4) Cook on both sides until lightly browned (about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes). Sift confectioners sugar over french toastwich and sprinkle dark chocolate on top.

YES

Had to share my fortune: Talk about reading my mind!!

Skinny Mini Apple Muffins

Do you ever have the urge to devour those giant buttery muffins topped with that evil sugary streusel topping?  It takes a lot of self control to avoid foods that are detrimental to your health, but you don't have to deprive yourself any longer because this nutritious muffin recipe is here to prevent you from getting that muffin top.

These mini apple muffins are incredibly moist, flavorful and nutritious. When you take a bite, you get little chunks of the sweet apple and walnuts.  In fact, you can actually feel good about eating these muffins because they have NO added butter and/or oil and contain only 3 tbs of brown sugar. I also used almond milk to cut down the carbs, but this is not necessary if you only have regular milk.

Try out this recipe if you want to satisfy your cravings the right way because you will be surprised at how you can actually bake delicious and healthy muffins without sacrificing the taste.

I adapted my apple muffin recipe from this blueberry muffin recipe and used it as my base. I made this recipe before with blueberries, banana, oil and all, but my apple version makes these muffins much more moist, tastier, and healthier.  I knew the sugars from the sweet fuji apples would naturally sweetened up the muffin, so all of that extra sugar is absolutely unnecessary. Try using this method with your apples:

When I use apples in muffins, I like to use them in two ways: shredded and chopped. However, I couldn't find my shredder, so opted for the zester. Either way, as long as you break down the apple and extract the juice, same difference.  I found this method to be very effective in locking in the moisture and enhancing the taste.  That way, you get both a moist muffin with little chunks of apple. Try it out! It  truly makes a world of a difference.

Topped with oats

Skinny Mini Apple Muffins:

 Serving Size = 18

1 1/2 cup WW flour
1/4 cup bran
1/4 cup ground flax
1/4 cup rolled oats (extra for topping)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

1 egg (Vegan: Substitute w/ 3tbs water + 1tbs ground flax)
1 cup almond milk
3 tbs brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup apple, zested/grated/shredded
1 cup apple, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped


1) Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick spray
2) Medium bowl: Mix WW flour, AP flour, bran, flax, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
3) Large bowl: Beat together egg, milk, sugar, apple. Mix dry ingredients into wet. Mix in walnuts.
4) Fill mini muffin pan almost to top (approx. 1 1/2 - 2 tbs). Sprinkle oats on top of batter and lightly press them on top. Bake 12-14 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let sit in pan for about 3-5  minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Delicious chunks of apples and walnuts

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Nutrition Facts: Skinny Mini Apple Muffins

Serving Size= 1 mini muffin

Calories: 86.5
Total Fat: 3.3g
Saturated Fat: 0.35g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Protein: 2.6g
 
**Per muffin, 21.3 calories, 2 g of total fat, and 0.2g of saturated fat come from the WALNUTS (good for you, but can be eliminated if you wish)
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Green Pea Cakes

Green pea cakes topped with yogurt and sliced almonds

Here's a healthy dish you could easily whip up with whatever you have in the kitchen.

When I was living on campus, I made a similar recipe using canned tuna since I had to make do with whatever was in the kitchen at the moment.  Well, now I don't have any canned tuna at home, so peas it is!

Green peas are an excellent source of dietary fiber, folate, vitamin C and K, and other beneficial nutrients, which is why I decided to play with it in my recipe. I used frozen peas, and instead of boiling them in water, I simply thawed it out overnight in the fridge. You could also microwave it according to the package's instructions. However, boiling vegetables make them lose their nutrients in the water, so you should use this method sparingly.

Yogurt for the creamy texture and Sriracha for the heat

I love making these little cakes because they're easy to make AND extremely versatile. They have that fluffy yet meaty crab cake texture along with a nice crust from the breadcrumbs. As I mentioned above, I made this with tuna before.  If you want to switch up the ingredients by using pureed corn/carrots/other veggies, fish meat, mashed beans, or etc, all you have to do is add breadcrumbs until the mixture gets sticky enough to form the cakes.  In fact, it's almost like you're making burgers...except cooler.

1 cake is missing...

Green Pea Cakes:

 Serving Size = 9

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
2 tbs Greek yogurt
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash of salt & pepper
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tbs ground flaxseed*

1/2 tsp garlic powder
* I added flaxseed to compensate for the lack of whole wheat breadcrumbs

1) Blend (not puree) together peas, onion, garlic, yogurt, sriracha, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Transfer to medium bowl
2) Mix in bread crumbs, flaxseed, and garlic powder
3) Spray non-stick cooking spray onto pan over low-medium or medium heat. Shape palm-sized "cakes" and place on hot skillet for approximately 3-4 minutes each side or until lightly browned with crust
Tip: it might help to make the cakes while the pan is heating to quicken the process

Nice patty-textured cake

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Rosemary Honey

Sweet Potato Pancakes layered with Cottage Cheese and
topped w/ Walnuts & Rosemary Honey

Since I missed out on IHOP's free pancake day yesterday, I had to make it up to myself by making my own pancakes using my favorite Korean sweet potato (goguma). I usually make pancakes with blueberries, bananas, or whatever I have at the moment, but I never tried making them with sweet potatoes, so this was a nice change! I also bought fresh rosemary to make my quick and easy herb-infused honey for that fresh "piney" aroma and taste.

You really don't need to use sugar and/or butter in this recipe because you can dress it up with fresh fruits, honey, maple syrup, or etc.The herb-infused honey really enhances the flavors of the pancakes & walnuts by adding sweetness with a hint of fresh rosemary. I also layered the cakes with cottage cheese because I'm a cottage cheese fan, especially when paired with fruits and nuts. Some people don't like the taste and texture of cottage cheese, but I understand that because it had to grow on me, too. HOWEVER it is very low in fat and high in protein...so you gotta love it! =)

I love that cottage cheese

I made some alterations to my basic pancake recipe and came up with this. (I put my basic recipe at the bottom just FYI). Instead of using whole wheat flour, I decided to go with AP flour + ground flaxseed + wheat bran. In my opinion, whole wheat flour in pancakes usually turn out pretty dense and take much longer to cook through. Therefore, I added fiber (bran) and omega 3 (flaxseed) to compensate for the lack of WW flour.  I also used almond milk instead of regular milk because it cuts down the carbs by a LOT.

Flip when bubbles form

Mini pancakes using 1/4 cup batter--approx. 4"-5 diameter

Sweet Potato Pancakes:

 Serving Size = Approx. 10

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup AP flour

2 tbs ground flaxseed
2 tbs wheat bran

1/2 cup sweet potato, mashed

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:  

1 egg
1 cup almond milk*
2 tbs apple cider vinegar*
* Regular milk and any type of vinegar works

1) Mix milk + vinegar in small bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes. This is a method to "replace" buttermilk.
2) Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl
3) Whisk egg into milk mixture
4) Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix. Mix in mashed sweet potato and let sit for about 20 minutes
5) Pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet over low-medium to medium heat. Cook until bubbles form then flip

Rosemary Honey

Quick Rosemary-Infused Honey:
 Serving Size = Approx. 4

2 tbs pure honey
15-18 rosemary "leaves"

1) Pour honey into pan or pot over low-medium heat. Add rosemary leaves and let honey simmer for at least 10 minutes.
*You can also chop up leaves for stronger taste. If you make this ahead of time, you can place some chopped up leaves and a sprig of rosemary in a jar, pour in honey, and let sit for 1-2 weeks.

My standard first bite picture

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Nutrition Facts: Sweet Potato Pancakes

Serving Size= 1 Pancake

Calories: 49
Fat: 1.2
Saturated Fat: 0.2
Carbohydrate: 7.6
Dietary Fiber: 0.8g
Protein: 2.5g
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*FYI, in case you only have AP flour, here is my basic recipe that always results in nice and fluffy pancakes. Not the healthiest, but that's okay!*

Blueberry Pancakes:

 Serving Size = Approx. 10

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup AP flour

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:  

1 egg

1 cup milk

2 tbs vinegar

1/3 cup blueberries*
* Sprinkle on top of batter after you pour it into hot pan to avoid blueish green pancakes