Cacao mint smoothie

Cacao mint smoothie

A smoothie that tastes like dessert but is oh-so healthy. What's not to love?

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of coconut water

2 handfuls of spinach leaves

3 stems of mint leaves (leaves only)

4 tbsp of coconut milk

1 banana (frozen)

1?4 of an avocado

3 ice cubes

2 teaspoons of Vital Greens powder

1 teaspoon of honey/rice malt syrup (or to taste)

Cacao nibs, to sprinkle

Method

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes.

2. Check to see if more sweetener or liquid is required and blend again.

3. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

4. Don’t forget to sprinkle cacao nibs on top!

Low Fat Christmas Recipe - Cranberry Apple Glazed Pork

Cranberry Apple Glazed Pork

Glazed with a seasonal cranberry apple sauce, this lean pork roast makes an ideal holiday centerpiece. Serve with roasted vegetables and low fat mashed potatoes or with steamed green beans and wild rice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 3-pound boneless top-loin pork roast, trimmed
• 1 16-ounce can cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine herbs and seasonings to make a rub. Sprinkle mixture over all sides of the meat. Place pork in roasting pan and roast for 1 hour.

Combine cranberry sauce and apple cider in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Spoon 1/2 a cup of the sauce over the meat to glaze. Return meat to the oven and roast for a further 30-40 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 155 degrees. Remove pork from the oven and cover with foil. Let stand for 15-20 minutes. The meat will continue to cook and reach a safe 160 degrees while it rests. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Serves 10-12

Per Serving: Calories 218, Calories from Fat 55, Total Fat 6.1g (sat 2.1g), Cholesterol 64mg, Sodium 62mg, Carbohydrate 15.9g, Fiber 0.4g, Protein 24.8g

LOW CARB - Healthy Eggs Benedict

LOW CARB - Healthy Eggs Benedict

Ingrediants

• 2 Cups of baby spinach
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1 slice of bacon
• 1/2 an avocado sliced
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of hollandaise sauce 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of grated cheese

Method

1. Place oil garlic baby spinach and mushrooms into the frypan saute while stirring. 
2. Slice the bacon into two pieces, fry until cooked. 
3. Place the baby spinach and mushrooms on the plate, top with the bacon and grated cheese. 
4. Cook the egg and place it on top add hollandaise sauce and avocado and serve. 

Pomegranate Poached Pears

Makes: 4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ripe, firm Bosc pears
• 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 cup sweet dessert wine, such as Muscatel or Riesling
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, (1/2 large fruit; see Tip)

PREPARATION

1. Peel pears, leaving them whole and stems intact. Slice off the bases so the pears will stand upright. Use an apple corer to remove cores, if desired, working from the base up.
2. Place the pears on their sides in a large saucepan or small Dutch oven. Pour pomegranate juice and wine over the pears. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Turn very gently once or twice as they cook so they color evenly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a shallow bowl and set aside.
3. Boil the poaching liquid over high heat until the sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. To serve, spoon 1 tablespoon sauce onto each of 4 dessert plates. Place a pear upright on each plate. Drizzle remaining sauce over each pear and sprinkle pomegranate seeds around it.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 3. Cover and refrigerate pears in sauce for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature.

• Tip: Fill a large bowl with water. Hold the pomegranate in the water and slice off the crown. Lightly score the fruit into quarters, from crown to stem end. Keeping the fruit under water, break it apart, gently separating the plump seeds from the outer skin and white pith. The seeds will drop to the bottom of the bowl and the pith will float to the surface. Discard the pith. Pour the seeds into a colander. Rinse and pat dry.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 303 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 6 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 7 g fiber; 22 mg sodium; 559 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 3

Exchanges: 1 1/2 fruit, 1 1/2 other carbohydrates, 1 fat

Healthy Christmas Desserts - Vanilla-Pomegranate Parfaits

Vanilla-Pomegranate Parfaits

Makes: 6 servings

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 3 3/4 hours (including 3 hours chilling time)

INGREDIENTS

POMEGRANATE COMPOTE

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (see Tip)
• 2/3 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

PUDDING

• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds for garnish
• 6 mint sprigs for garnish

PREPARATION

1. To prepare compote: Mix 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add pomegranate seeds, pomegranate juice and lemon juice; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Refrigerate while you prepare the pudding.
2. To prepare pudding: Combine milk and half-and-half in a medium heavy saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (or add vanilla extract). Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk egg, egg yolk, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch in a medium bowl. Reheat the milk mixture just until steaming. Carefully whisk one-third of the steaming milk into the egg mixture. Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in butter.
4. To prepare parfaits: Divide the pomegranate compote among six 6-ounce (3/4 cup) parfait glasses, ramekins or other small dessert cups. Spoon the pudding mixture over the compote. Cover and refrigerate until the pudding is well chilled and firm, at least 3 hours. To serve, garnish each parfait with pomegranate seeds and a mint sprig, if desired.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the compote (Step 1), cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Cover and refrigerate parfaits for up to 8 hours.

• Tip: To seed a pomegranate, fill a large bowl with water. Lightly score the fruit into quarters from crown to stem end, cutting through the skin but not into the interior of the fruit. Hold the fruit under water, break it apart and use your hands to gently separate the plump seeds (arils) from the outer skin and white pith. The seeds will drop to the bottom of the bowl and the pith will float to the surface. Discard the pith. Pour the seeds into a colander. Rinse and pat dry. Seeds can be frozen for up to 3 months.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 209 calories; 8 g fat ( 4 g sat , 2 g mono ); 88 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 15 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 48 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.