Dehydrated Strawberries

I do not own a food dehydrator.  I am afraid of what might happen if I ever had one.  I would probably try to dry everything.  Yesterday I made some apple chips in the oven and today I tossed some strawberries in there.  I halved or quartered some strawberries, depending on their size, and placed them on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and put it in the oven for 2 and a half hours at 250 degrees and turned the convection on.  If you don't have a convection oven, you can just make these without it, but it will take a little longer.  They have such a yummy concentrated flavor.  I added some to a trail mix snack.  It was so good and so good for you.

Cinnamon Apple Chips

Holy Moly were these good.  I wasn't sure how good these would be so I just sliced up 1 cored apple as thinly as I could and put them on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet.  Then I sprinkled some cinnamon on them and put them in a 210 degree oven for 90 minutes.  I used convection but if you do not have that feature with your oven, never fear.  It will just take a little longer for yours to finish.  They are well worth the wait.  Needless to say, my apple never made it past that cookie sheet.  I finished all of it while I was straightening up the kitchen.  Try it!  It is a delicious snack anytime and so good for you!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries

I saw these here and got out from behind my computer and made them immediately.  I just got 5 strawberries and cored them.  I put a laughing cow cream cheese wedge in a plastic baggie and snipped the corner of the bag so I could pipe the cream cheese into the strawberries.  Then I smashed half of a graham cracker sheet of 4 crackers with the back of a spoon and dipped the cream cheese end of the strawberry into the graham cracker.  It's a delicious snack for less than 100 calories.

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chick Pea Salad

I prepare my breakfast and lunch every Sunday for the week ahead, so there is never a question about what I am eating.  For my lunch, I usually make a new salad I can stuff in a wrap.  This week I made a Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chick Pea Salad that I adapted from here.  It is so summery and fresh!

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (cook it using package directions)
1 can of chick peas
1 pint of quartered tomatoes
2 diced avocados
2 garlic cloves
1/4 onion
1 bunch of cilantro
2 cups of spinach leaves

dressing:
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp. dijon mustard

In a food processor, zap the garlic, onion, cilantro and spinach until chopped finely.

Combine in a large bowl the cooled quinoa, chick peas, tomatoes and avocados.

Whisk the lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl.

Combine the mixture in the food processor to the ingredients in the large bowl and then pour the dressing over the top.  Combine all the ingredients together gently.  Eat on its own as a salad or put in a wrap!

Grilled Garlic Dijon Herb Salmon

I am always trying to find a new recipe for fish to serve to my husband who isn't a big fan of fish.  I came across this recipe and thought it would be perfect for him.

4 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried Herbs de Provence
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
2 T dijon mustard
cooking spray
4 -6 oz salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste
lemon wedges for serving

Zap the first 5 ingredients in a food processor to form a paste.  You can make this on the grill or in a grill pan on the stove.  Spray the cooking surface well before placing the salmon on it.  Cook at medium low heat for about 5 minutes.  Do not move it.

Flip the salmon over and spoon half the paste on it.  Cook for 3-4 minutes more.  Flip it one last time for 1 minute and spoon the remaining Garlic Dijon Herb mixture on them.

Turkey Cucumber Wrap

This is a yummy summery wrap.  I got the idea from here.

1 Low Carb wrap
1 Laughing Cow Cream Cheese (45 calories-I used Garden Vegetable)
a handful of spinach leaves

6 or 7 slices of cucumber
Turkey lunch meat

Spread the cream cheese on the wrap then place the spinach, turkey and cucumbers.  Roll it up, slice and enjoy!

Behold, the Skinnier Snickerdoodle

This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation of an adaptation.  Lol!  I love a good snickerdoodle.  I have always been a fan of an afternoon coffee with a cookie.  Actually, I used to eat cookies with my breakfast too, but that was at a different time in my life where I ate everything and anything all at once. HA!

I am not a huge fan of dessert recipes that are filled with substitutions for every single ingredient in the original full fat/full sugar versions.  It ends up not tasting anything close to what it is supposed to and I end up eating it disappointed, wondering why I am even eating it in the first place.  Here is a snickerdoodle recipe that I can live with and LOVE!

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tablespoon Agave
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg + 1 egg white

To roll the cookies in:
1 T. cinnamon
3 T. Sugar

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar and mix with a hand mixer.  Add eggs, agave and vanilla.  Then slowly mix the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients.  I then rolled the cookies into 1 1/2 inch balls and rolled them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.   I then placed them on a silpat (spray a cookie sheet if you don't have a silpat) 2 inches apart.   I put them in the oven for about 8-9 minutes and allowed them to cool on a baking rack.  Make a cup of coffee at about 3pm and join me for a cup of coffee and a delicious cookie.