Blackberry Red Wine Sangria Sorbet
PIN IT!This delightfully refreshing and beautiful blackberry red wine sangria sorbet is just what you need to cool down on these hot summer days!
You guys, I’m losing my mind. I really am. I’m THIS-CLOSE to being carted off to the looney bin. I never thought I’d be so reliant on wifi but OHMYGAWD how did people live without it for so many years? How? I had a bit of a mental breakdown this morning when I was at Starbucks trying to upload an article and the man next to me WOULD NOT STOP SINGING OUTLOUD. People, Starbucks is not your bathroom, so put down the hairbrush and stop trying to audition for American Idol. Also? No one wants to hear your political rant! Or hear about your stance on abortion. Or how you think women shouldn’t have to work.
And yes, these are all topics of conversation I was privy to this morning, without coffee yet, mind you. Seriously, if our apartment isn’t ready soon I’m afraid I might freaking lose my mind. Or kill someone. I mean, I have limited patience these days and I’m just about ready TO SNAP. [Cue pretty food photo to keep you all from running and screaming as far away as you can).
And the public library is no walk in the peaceful park either friends. As I’m typing this, the woman across from me is burping AUDIBLY and is also playing on a website with ADS with her computer on max volume. I’ve heard the Mattress Discounter ad about 5 times in the span of 5 minutes.
If you don’t hear from me, well, it’s because my husband has shipped me off to the insane alyssum. I wonder if they have sangria sorbet there?
FOR THE AMAZING BLACKBERRY RED WINE SANGRIA SORBET RECIPE, CLICK HERE!
Nutritional information per serving (about 1/2 cup):
Calories: 196
Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 40 grams
Fiber: Less than 1 gram
Protein: 2 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 5
Claire
Tags:dessert recipes, low fat summer recipes, quick and easy, sangria, sangria recipes, sorbet recipes, summer recipes
Asian Spiced Kale Chips
Salty, crispy, crunchy and low-fat, asian spiced kale chips are the perfect guilt-free summertime snack!
I can’t call myself a healthy foodie without having a recipe for kale chips on my blog. I mean, it’s a right of passage when you’re considered a “low-fat” or “healthy” food blogger. Whoops, must have missed that memo! But I’d rather have this recipe later than never and what better time than summer to enjoy a super low-fat, low-calorie asian spiced kale chips?
My first batch failed MISERABLY. As in the entire kitchen smelled like wet, burnt vegetables and I wanted to hide outside until it went away. The second batch came out a little….floppy. By the third try I was so pissed off I was going to eat them even if they didn’t turn out. Luckily the kitchen god’s were smiling down on me and they turned out PERFECTLY. Crispy, crunchy and oh so zesty. Paired with some spicy sriracha mayo, each chip is like a crispy bite of spicy heaven.
Now, the key to perfectly crispy kale chips is the timing. Too short will leave them limp and sad, too long will leave them burnt (and will make your house smell like a horrible, horrible place). I feel like I’m telling you a Goldilocks style fairy tale here. My perfect baking time was 14 minutes, but some people swear by 10 or 20. So really just keep an eye on them while you bake. And you know the very best thing about these chips? You can eat the whole batch (and two more) and still consume less calories than a handful of regular chips. Hello new favorite snack, it’s so lovely to meet you.
Want the recipe? Of course you do. Be sure to CLICK HERE FOR THE AMAZING RECIPE FOR THESE CRISPY ASIAN STYLE CHIPS!
Nutritional information per serving (handful of chips without dipping sauce):
Calories: 87
Fat: 4.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 9.6 grams
Fiber: 1 grams
Protein: 3 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 2
Strawberry, Peanut Butter & Chia Seed Smoothie
You know what I’m ready for? To have cable. And wifi. And a couch. A dining room table would pretty cool too. And you know what else? Not having our living room blocked off by giant boxes. I’m ready to have a real house (well, apartment) where I can happily invite people over and not stub my toe in boxes and computer monitors when I’m trying to work. I actually spilled my glass of this strawberry,peanut butter & chia smoothie because I ran into a box.
Luckily it was super easy to make another one. Sometimes I make complex recipes and sometimes I make REALLY easy ones that taste like heaven. And that my friends is what this smoothie is. Plus, can you really go wrong with strawberries, peanut butter and chia seeds?
For those who don’t know, we’re staying in a temp apartment right next to ours until it’s rebuilt and ready. So everyday we sneak glances inside to see their progress. As of now, there is still no flooring, cabinets OR appliances. So I’m thinking our ETA is looking like mid August (so not the 6 weeks they promised us). As I was telling my friend Julie over brunch, it feels like we’re squatters who are paying rent. I’m definitely doing my best to stay optimistic here but it’s hard to really feel comfortable “at home” when you don’t feel like you have one!
But we’re lucky, we have a roof over our head, a kitchen to cook in and very beautiful lighting. So, things could be worse. I know that, but I miss wifi. And a couch. And a dining room table would be pretty cool too.
Strawberry peanut butter chia seed smoothie
Yields 2 smoothies.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups strawberries, hulled
- 4 tablespoons low-fat peanut butter
- 4 teaspoons chia seeds
- 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup nonfat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and pulse on low until thick and creamy. Add additional milk if it’s too thick for you.
Nutritional information per smoothie:
Calories: 395.5
Fat: 15 grams
Carbohydrates: 34.5 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
Protein: 24.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 9
Claire
Tags:breakfast recipes, healthy recipes, low fat recipes, protein recipes, smoothie recipes, strawberry recipes
White Pork Belly Pizza
Today’s recipe isn’t exactly light, just as an FYI. But it’s Monday and sometimes you need some pork belly just to get through, am I right?
Oh sweet mama, this pizza makes me feel all hot and heavy. But then again, that’s just pork belly. I honestly don’t know what it is about that squishy, chewy little meat that gets me EVERY TIME It’s just so good. Probably because it’s all fat, but you know what, we all need just a little fat to survive. And we certainly can’t eat healthy ALL THE TIME, so might as well enjoy a little pork belly on a busy Monday.
Since I knew I’d be topping this pie with pork belly, I did my best to lighten up the sauce. Instead of normal alfredo, I made a quick white pizza sauce with some low-fat milk, garlic and parmesan. It was so easy and really paired well with the pork belly. If you’re having a crappy Monday, I’m SURE this white pork belly pizza will turn that frown upside down.
If not it’ll make you feel just slightly less homicidal. Which sometimes is the best you can get.
White Pork Belly Pizza
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 8.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 12 – 14 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pizza dough (I love this recipe)
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
For the toppings:
- About 1/3 – 1/2 pound pork belly, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- Chopped basil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large pizza pan or stone with nonstick cooking spray.
- Roll pizza dough out into a large circle (about 1/4 inch thickness) and set aside.
- In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add garlic. Add flour and stir to thick. Gradually add milk and stir after each addition. Heat until sauce starts to thicken. Add salt, pepper and cheese. Remove from heat and let sit for about a minute (it will thicken).
- Spread sauce over the pizza. Top sauce with pork belly bits, fresh mozzarella (cut into pieces), red onion and salt and pepper.
- Bake pizza for about 12 – 14 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Top each slice with chopped basil and enjoy!
Nutritional information per slice:
Calories: 309
Fat: 17 grams
Carbohydrates: 21.85 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 10 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
Peanut Butter Hummus
I have a serious addiction to peanut butter. Which is problematic because 2 tablespoons has 5 weight watchers points. And I only have 26 points a day and sadly wine has 5 too. So between my peanut butter and wine, well, I’m already halfway through my points. To solve my point dilemma, I found a way to eat my favorite nut buttah without getting fatter (or giving up wine) by mixing it with chickpeas and making peanut butter hummus!
I know, it sounds so weird. I mean, chickpeas and peanut butter together? It sounds like a crazy combination a pregnant lady would come up with (AND NO, I’M NOT, JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR). But you know what? It works. Just like pickles and ice cream, ketchup and peas, it’s a harmony of deliciousness in each scoop.
I love hummus, but I never make it because I never have tahini on hand. Which is a horrible excuse, but it’s true. And I always forget to buy it at the store or it’s $35 per bottle and well, ain’t nobody got money for that. This is why I’m totally obsessed with this hummus. No tahini and still as creamy, thick and yummy as ever.
I paired mine with Food Should Taste Good’s multigrain chips, which are perfect dipping receptacles (I really had a hard time finding a good word for that) because they don’t break against the thickness of the hummus. You may see many more of their amazingly healthy and all natural snacks on this blog because I’m partnering with them for recipe development now!
Let’s celebrate! Hummus for everyone! Wait, I take that back. This stuff is way too good to share.
Peanut butter hummus
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 6. Recipe slightly adapted by Cooking Light.
Prep time: About 3 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 7 tablespoons water
- 1 can chick peas, drained
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped peanuts
Directions:
- Mix the peanut butter, 1 ¼ tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, water, chick peas, paprika and salt and pepper to a blender. Pulse on low until thick and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hummus in a large bowl with the remaining ¼ tablespoon of olive oil to the top. Garnish with chopped peanuts.
Nutritional information per serving (2 tablespoons):
Calories: 95
Fat: 6.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 7.5 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Protein: 3.1 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 3
