Raspberry, Avocado, and Mango Salad

Raspberry, Avocado, and Mango Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups organic raspberries, divided
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black ground pepper
8 cups organic mixed salad greens
1 ripe organic mango, diced
1 small ripe avocado, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped, or sliced almonds (optional)

Preparation:
Puree 1/2 cup raspberries, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender until combined.
Combine greens, mango, avocado and onion in a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and gently toss to coat.
Divide the salad among 5 salad plates. Top each with the remaining raspberries and sprinkle with nuts, if using.

Prep Time: 15 minsTotal Time: 15 mins

Nutrition Facts:
Number of Servings: 5 Amount Per Serving Calories: 215 Total Fat: 16 g Saturated Fat: 2 gCholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 122 mg Total Carbohydrate: 18 g Dietary Fiber: 7 g Protein: 3 g

Beef Tenderloin with Green Bean & Cauliflower Mash ~ Justin & Irene

Beef Tenderloin with Green Bean and Cauliflower MashJustin and Irene

Ingredients (makes two servings)
2 three-ounce beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed of excess fat
1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon reduced sodium Worcestershire sauce
1/4 medium red onion sliced
1 head of cauliflower
2 Tablespoons reduced fat cream cheese
2 scallions, sliced
8 ounces fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
1/8 cup sliced almonds
1 Tablespoon Galeos Caesar or Ginger Wasabi Dressing
Sea Salt

Instructions

Steak:
Put soy sauce, 1 tablespoon garlic, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Marinate steak for 10 minutes. Place steak on a hot grill. Cook 4-5 minutes each side for medium rare.

Green Beans:
Spray pan with cooking spray. Saute 2 teaspoons of garlic and almonds with string beans until al dente. Toss in Galeos dressing.

Cauliflower Mash:
Steam cauliflower. Place in food processor with cream cheese. Mix until smooth, but not too smooth. Top with scallions

Place steak on plate, top with a few red onion rings. Place green beans on plate. Place 1 cup of cauliflower mash on plate, top with scallions. Reserve remaining cauliflower mash for another use

Nutritional information (per serving):
Calories 230
Fat calories 70
Total fat 8 grams
Saturated fat 2 grams
Cholesterol 45 milligrams
Sodium 380 milligrams
Total carbohydrates 21 grams
Fiber 7 grams
Sugars 10 grams
Protein 24 grams

Hearty Apple Loaf

Hearty Apple Loaf
By The Sprouted Kitchen
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Muscovado sugar is a natural sweetener that has a more intense flavor than brown sugar. It is also more moist and sticky, so it holds up well in baked goods. It has a nutritional profile rich in minerals as a result of not being over processed. Turbinado sugar is much easier to find and would work fine as an alternative, just expect a coarser texture.

Ingredients
2 Heaping Cups Chopped Apples, Fairly Small Pieces
¾ Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
1 Cup Almond Meal
½ Cup Oatmeal
1 tbsp. Baking Powder
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tbsp. Fresh Ginger
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 tbsp Real Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Ricotta
¼ Cup Butter, Just Barely Melted
½ Cup Muscovado Sugar (plus 2 tbsp for the top)
Squeeze of lemon

Instructions
Heat oven to 375’
Butter the loaf pan.

Put the chopped apples in a bowl of warm water with a squeeze of lemon and let them sit.

Whisk the eggs, butter, ricotta, vanilla and buttermilk together.

Add the dry ingredients together, including the cinnamon, ginger and salt and mix to combine. Gently mix in the buttermilk mixture till incorporated.

Drain the apples in a colander and give them a little shimmy to shake off excess water. Fold in the apples, do not over mix.

Fill the loaf pan and sprinkle remaining 2 tbsp. of the Muscavado sugar. Bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes until golden on top and springy to the touch. Test for doneness with a toothpick, as the type of pan and oven vary. Do not overcook, as it will continue to cook a bit more when you remove it. Remove and cool.

While cooling, mix together your yogurt frosting. Cut yourself a slice of the loaf and drizzle it with a generous dose of the yogurt goodness.

Total Servings: 10
Nutritional Information Per Serving
Calories: 252
Carbohydrates: 30.7 g
Cholesterol: 54 mg
Fat: 11.9 g
Saturated Fat: 4.3 g
Fiber: 3.5 g
Sodium: 321 mg
Protein: 7 g

For more recipes go to Foodily.com
Find more WebMD recipes on the Recipe Finder

Staying in the Sweet Zone: Healthy Desserts

Staying in the Sweet Zone: Healthy Desserts
By Diane Feen Glee Contributor
Updated: Sunday, October 29, 2006

Stella's Berry-Layered Ricotta
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 handful of assorted berries
1 tsp. raw honey
1 tbsp. slivered almonds
First, layer ricotta approximately 1 inch in a small bowl. Then layer with half of the berries. Repeat steps one and two and top with honey and almonds.

Whole-Wheat Carob Bars
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
4 tbsp. carob powder
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 egg, beaten well
Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Add honey and slowly sift in the carob and cocoa powders. Use a wire whisk and blend in the vanilla and egg. Sift the flour and baking powder into the saucepan. Pour into a greased, square pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Carob Smoothie
1 cup low-fat milk or milk substitute
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Crushed ice
Process all ingredients in blender and serve.

Healthy Granola with Shredded Coconut

*I would really like to try & make this:
Healthy Granola with Shredded Coconut

The beauty of this granola recipe is that you can add in whatever you have on hand -- dried apricots, cherries and pistachios work as well as the fruits and nuts in the original recipe.

SERVINGS
Makes around six cups of granola

INGREDIENTS
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries

PREPARATION
1. In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds and coconut; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, oil, honey, maple syrup and cinnamon; bring to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over oat mixture; stir to coat.
4. Spread in a large shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool.
5. Add raisins and dried cranberries. Store in an airtight container.
Recipe courtesy My Baking Addiction blog.
Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/coconut-granola-bar-recipe#ixzz1AaUQfYDQ

15 Immune Boosting Foods

15 Immune Boosting Foods

Almonds
A handful of almonds may shore up your immune system from the effects of stress. A recommended 1/4 cup serving carries nearly 50% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin E, which helps boost the immune system. And they have riboflavin and niacin, B vitamins that may help you bounce back from the effects of stress.

Elderberry
An old folk remedy, extract from these dark berries appears to block flu viruses in test tube studies. And a few small studies done in people show it may help you recover more quickly from flu. But scientists caution that further study is needed. The fruit itself is rich in antioxidants and may also have the ability to fight inflammation.

Button Mushrooms
Don't dismiss the lowly mushroom as nutrient poor: It has the mineral selenium and antioxidants. Low levels of selenium have been linked to increased risk of developing more severe flu. And the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin, found in these mushrooms, play a role in a healthy immune system. Animal studies have also shown mushrooms to have antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-tumor effects.

Acai Berry
Hawked as a "super food" along with produce like blueberries, the little acai berry's dark color signals that it is high in antioxidants called anthocyanins. While the acai is not scientifically linked to specific disease- or illness-fighting ability, antioxidants may help your body fight aging and disease. Acai berries can be found most often in juice or smoothie form, or dried and mixed with granola.

Oysters
Aphrodisiac? Immune boosters? Maybe both, thanks to the mineral zinc that's found in oysters. Low zinc levels have been associated with male infertility. And zinc appears to have some antiviral effect, although researchers can't explain why. However, they do know it is important to several immune system tasks including healing wounds.

Watermelon
Hydrating and refreshing, ripe watermelon also has plenty of a powerful antioxidant, glutathione. Known to help strengthen the immune system so it can fight infection, glutathione is found in the red pulpy flesh near the rind.

Cabbage
This is another source of immune-strengthening glutathione. And cabbage is easy and inexpensive to find during the winter months when it's in season. Try adding cabbages of any variety (white, red, Chinese) to soups and stews to sneak in extra antioxidants and boost your meal's nutritional value.

Grapefruit
Grapefruits have a good amount of vitamin C. But science has yet to prove that you can easily get enough vitamin C through foods alone, without supplementation, to help treat cold and flu. However, grapefruit is packed with flavonoids -- natural chemical compounds that have been found to increase immune system activation. Dislike grapefruits? Try oranges or tangerines.

Wheat Germ
Wheat germ is the part of a wheat seed that feeds a baby wheat plant, so it is full of nutrients. It has zinc, antioxidants, and B vitamins among other vital vitamins and minerals. Wheat germ also offers a good mix of fiber, protein, and some good fat. Substitute wheat germ for part of the regular flour called for in baked goods and other recipes.

Low-Fat Yogurt
A daily cup may reduce your chances of getting a cold. Look for labels listing "live and active cultures." Some researchers believe they may stimulate your immune system to fight disease. Also look for vitamin D. Recent studies have found a link between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of cold and flu.

Garlic
Garlic offers several antioxidants that battle immune system invaders. Among garlic's targets are H. pylori, the bacteria associated with some ulcers and stomach cancer. Cooking tip: Peel, chop and let sit 15 to 20 minutes before cooking to activate immune-boosting enzymes.

Spinach
Known as a "super food," spinach is nutrient-rich. It has folate, which helps your body produce new cells and repair DNA. And it boasts fiber, antioxidants, such as vitamin C, and more. Eat spinach raw or lightly cooked to get the most benefit.

Sweet Potato
Like carrots, sweet potatoes have the antioxidant beta-carotene, which mops up damaging free radicals. Sweet potatoes also boast vitamin A, which is linked to slowing the aging process and may reduce the risk of some cancers.

Broccoli
Easy to find at the grocery store and incorporate into meals, broccoli is an immune-boosting basic. One study reported a chemical in broccoli helped stimulate the immune systems of mice. Plus, it's full of nutrients that protect your body from damage. It has vitamins A, vitamin C, and glutathione. Add some low-fat cheese to round out a side dish with immune-enhancing B vitamins and vitamin D.