Healthy & Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

The first day of spring is just around the corner, and the weather man is predicting a good dumping of snow tomorrow. Awesome. The longer days are helping to tend the winter doldrums, and I might as well take advantage of this ridiculous continuing cold to cook some good old fashioned comfort food that is still good for you.Chicken Dumplings

This is a great way to use up some left-over chicken. And Dispite the long list of ingredients, it is surprisingly easy! The only tip you really need is to make sure you cut all the veggies the same general size. Other than that, jus follow along and you will have this belly warming meal ready in about 30 minutes!Chicken Dumplings 2

Chicken & Dumplings Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (I boiled chicken breast. You can use left overs, rotisserie, etc)
  • 3 Tbsp butter or butter substitute ( I used Brummel & Brown)
  • 1 large russet potato (peeled, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes)
  • 2 stocks of celery (chopped)
  • 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 1/2 small vidalia onion (chopped)
  • 3 dashes of worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp Thyme
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup brocolli flowerettes
  • 1 cup Bisquick
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika

Directions

  • Place a large stock pot on medium-high heat. Add butter to the pot.
  • When butter melts, add the potato, celery, carrots, garlic and onion.
  • Add worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt and Thyme.
  • Continue cooking until carrots begin to become tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add flour and stir well for 30 seconds.
  • Add 1 cup of the broth and stir well to get brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
  • Add remaining broth and water and stir well.
  • Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer
  • Add chicken and broccoli to the pot
  • Meanwhile, in a seperate bowl, mix together the Bisquick, milk, pepper, garlic and paprika. Stir until combined.
  • Using a teaspoon, drop the Bisquick mixture into the soup, one spoon at a time.
  • Continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Stir and simmer for 10 more minutes.
  • Enjoy!

Filed under: Recipes | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Healthy Snack Halloween!

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

Did you know that Pink Panthers are addicted to Grapes? True story.

Today I have a very special Monday Halloween Edition of Healthy Snack Wednesday! Make sure to read all the way to the bottom for a chance to win your own trick-or-treat stash!

Here is the question. Why does candy rule Halloween? Sure, I love a few bars of chocolate to celebrate, but as a kid didn’t we almost always eat about a third of our stash, go into a sugar coma, and then forget about the rest of the candy until we find it petrified several months later?

Besides the time I was a shrub, this is my most embarrassing costume ever. At least I committed to the whole clown thing...

As an adult we have the chance, dare I say the responsibility, to make Halloween a little less glutinous, and a little more edible. So, I have a couple of suggestions of goodies you may want to opt for when distributing Halloween Booty this year. I would like to mention that the 3 snacks I have listed below were sponsors of the Boston Brunchers Bday Brunch. However, I love all of these products and what they stand for!

Biba

Biba is an all natural blend of essential vitamins, minerals and electrolytes with a crisp, refreshing lime taste. Caffeine free and low in sugar, Biba is a hybrid beverage; the great taste of a sparkling all natural soda loaded with electrolytes and vitamins to keep your body naturally hydrated.

I was super surprised when I tasted Biba. I am not a fan of “diet” drinks, and I am also not a fan of sports drinks. By reading about Biba, I somehow expected it to be in one of these categories. But it wasn’t. It was like a much more refreshing, less sweet lemon-lime soda. You really have to try it to understand. I promise the taste will happily surprise you too!

Why is this a good Halloween Treat? Hopping house to house with copious amounts of sugar can make a kid thirsty. Your trick-or-treaters will be excited to be able to quench their thirst without heading home. The cans are very light weight, and won’t weigh down their stash at all. Plus, you know you will be the only one on your street giving out beverages! Kind of like the one house in the neighborhood that gave away the full-sized candy bars. There was always a line to get to that guys doorbell!

Popchips

Have you tried popchips yet? If not, where the heck have you been?

think popped. never baked. never fried. when they said it couldn’t be done, we raised the snack bar. how do we do it? well, first let’s talk about how we didn’t do it. we never fry our chips. that just puts a lot of stuff in there that we could all do without. we never bake our chips either. that just takes a lot of flavor out, which, as snackers, we simply can’t so without. so we came out with a chip like no snack aisle has ever seen (or taste bud has tasted). thanks to the magic of popping, we found a way to pop all of the flavor in while keeping the fake stuff and more than half the fat of fried chips out.

Why is this a good Halloween Treat?  Handing out Popchips for Halloween will instantly up your street cred with the kids. You are giving them a snack that is unlike any other they have tried. Step it up by handing out the new Jalapeno flavor, and instantly your house will be the neighborhood trendsetter!

Pretzel Crisps

Pretzels that you can dip without stuff falling off, and they come in absolutely flavor-bud bursting flavors?! I’m in!

Pretzels Crisps® are a great alternative to potato chips and other snack foods. They contain 110 calories per serving and no fat (10-11 crisps) compared with 150 calories and 10 gram of fat (1 g saturated) per one ounce serving for potato chips.

Why is this a good Halloween Treat? I’m not going to lie, parents will probably steal the Pretzel Crisps out of their kids’ trick-or-treat bags before the last door bell has been rung! They are the perfect snack for entertaining, and the perfect substitute for greasy potato chips! But parents, you don’t have to steal the Pretzel Crisps from your kids, because I am about to make your Halloween!

Pretzel Crisps has generously offered one lucky Eat.Live.Blog reader a case of 150 Halloween sized (.5 oz) bags of Pretzel Crisps for their Halloween trick-or-treaters! All you have to do is comment below with a favorite Halloween memory or snack. If you would like an additional entry, and if you are on twitter, simply tweet “The perfect trick-or-treat snack thanks to @pretzelcrisps & @renh77 http://wp.me/pVsto-yA“. Leave me a comment here to say that you tweeted.

Contest open to residence of the continental US only. You must be at least 18 years old to win. Entries must be received by Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 11:59pm. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to the winner notification email.

So happy trick or treating readers! I look forward to reading what your favorite treat is!

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Healthy Snack Wednesday: Grab & Go Fast Snacks!

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

The summer isn’t the best time to hang out in the kitchen and whip up snacks. It is a great time to grab a piece of fruit and get your behind outside, or to find some new super fast healthy treats to get you through an afternoon at the beach, kayaking down the river…or even sitting through your summer class.

This summer I received quite a few samples of some really great healthy snacks that I would definitely recommend for the snacker on the go! But before I get to those recommendations, look at this amazing vending machine I saw in the Downtown Crossing T-station:

Now, I know some of the snacks inside are pseudo-healthy snacks, but it is a step in the right direction!

Now, on to some of my recommendations!

Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is one of my all-time favorite snacks. Period. I will eat it any chance I get, and I will make myself sick on it. Its just the way it is…although I realize now that would negate the “healthy” part of the snack. Imagine my surprise, a couple of years back, when I found out that this salty, chewy delight is actually *gasp* good for me!

One ounce of QUALITY beef jerky contains around 100 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 17 grams of protein! How do you like them…err…apples….

Jerky Photo Courtesy of Rocky Mountain Organic Beef

I have tried two great, and very different, jerkies lately. The first was from Rocky Mountain Organic Meat. This jerky blew me away for a few reasons: a) The philosophy and passion of the company is pretty amazing b) It is thick cut jerky, so it actually resembles real meat. This is the way I like my jerky and c) It was Honey Pepper flavored. I think I have said enough…

The next jerky I tried threw me for a loop. When the package arrived from House of Jerky, I was immediately excited by the breadth of flavors I would be trying! Flavors get me giddy, especially when one of them is Sweet & Spicy! Not to mention that they carry more than one flavor of Turkey Jerky, which made me happy since my poultry-only sister was coming to visit!

Turkey Jerky Photo Courtesy of House of Jerky

I was a little disappointed to see this was flat jerky after my last jerky experiences. BUT then I tried it! This jerky is amazingly tender and easy to bite, which is somewhat rare when it comes to flat jerky! You didn’t have to guess what flavor you were eating, the flavor bursted out in each bite!

 
Seedy Snacks
I know seeds are good for me, but I am just not a huge fan. So I was more than intrigued when Somersault sent me a fabulous package of their sunflower seed based snacks. I opened the Dutch Cocoa immediately. I am only slightly embarrassed to report that all 3 bags of this flavor disappeared within two days….
 
I thought it would be best to bring the rest of the snacks somewhere that I would be forced to share them. My summer class was the perfect testing grounds!

Erica and Lori were nice enough to help me taste-test the Salty Pepper and Sante Fe Salsa flavors. Both were a hit with the Salty Pepper being the class favorite. Somersaults boast as much protein, but half the fat, of almonds, and are a good source of fiber and Vitamin E. They also have a VERY limited list of ingredients, which is always a good thing!

Grab & Go Bars

There are a slew of healthy-ish bars out there that you can grab on the run and feel relatively good about. This summer, Soy Joy released a pineapple flavored Soy Joy bar, which brought the grab & go to the season! Talk about pure ingredients, these bars are a pure mix of Ground Whole Soybeans, Raisin, Egg, Dried Pineapple, Butter (from milk), Sugar, Dried Coconut, Maltodextrin (natural fiber source), Rice Flour, Salt, Natural Flavors, Pineapple Juice, Fermented Milk Powder. Not too shabby!

While the texture of these bars take a little getting used to, the pineapple flavor keeps you going back for more. Not to mention that it is only 140 calories and has 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber!

What is your go-to Grab & Go healthy snack?

Don’t forget you have until Thursday @ 10am to enter to win $20 in Eversave saves!

Disclaimer: I was provided with free samples of all of the above snacks. I was not required to review these products for the blog. As always, all opinions are my own!

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Healthy Snack Wednesday – Guest Post & Recipes by One Fit Foodie!

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

My guest poster this week is Naomi, who writes the blog One Fit Foodie. I mean, the name says it all, doesn’t it? Do I REALLY need to explain why I asked her to guest post on a Healthy Snack Wednesday? Naomi is constantly tweeting great exercise routines, and protein packed recipe ideas…Its like she was born for this guest post! Happy reading!

Hey Hey!

I first want to introduce myself for those who don’t know me. I am Naomi and I write the blog, Onefitfoodie. I have a BS in exercise science. I am also an ACSM certified personal trainer as well as hold my AFAA group fitness and spinning certifications as well. In addition, I compete in fitness competitions! You can say I’m a bit of a health nut!  Of course I am all about balance and moderation and FOOD. Oh gosh I love food. Generally I like to eat 6 smaller meals throughout the day to keep my blood sugar levels stable as well as keep my energy HIGH in the sky! My snacks and meals are a healthy combination of protein, fats and carbs which keep me fueled and energized so i can power through my workouts!

I was so excited when Renee asked me write a guest post for her especially having to do with Healthy Snack Wednesdays! On my blog, you will find a whole plethora of healthy and easy recipes, so I am going to give you a glimpse of some favorites that I enjoy quite often.
1. Sweet potato Protein Shake

INGREDIENTS:

  • Serving of Greek Yogurt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • Big ole’ hunk of sweet potato (cooked)
  • 1-2 packets stevia OR 1 T agave (optional)
  • 5 ice cubes
  • 1/2 C almond milk (or other milk) 1/2 C water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix everything in a blender, blend and drink! Super tasty like pumpkin pie! This shake is packed with healthy complex carbs (sweet potato) Protein (Greek Yogurt) and a ton of flavor!! I also sometimes add a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter as well for some healthy fat

2.Quinoa/Greek Yogurt Bowl: This is one of my all time favorite combinations. The quinoa is a nutty, protein packed grain and paired with creamy greek yogurt, fresh fruit and cinnamon, it makes for a perfect summertime snack.

3. Low fat Soy Muffins: These are one of my best creations!! They were even featured in Oxygen Magazine, March 2011.  The recipe calls for soy flour, banana, applesauce, stevia and lots of other yummy ingredients. They freeze well so you can make a whole batch and just grab and go! They are perfect for pre or post workout as well!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup soy flour (try: Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup Stevia baking blend
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup protein powder of choice
  • 1 very ripe banana, mashed
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup almond milk (or other low-fat variety of your choice)
  • Nonstick cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together first 6 ingredients.
  • In another bowl, mix together banana, applesauce and almond milk.
  • Add banana mixture to flour mixture and stir until well combined, but do not over mix.
  • Spoon mixture into a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes. Allow muffins to cool before serving

4. Roasted Corn and Edamame Salad: I made this for mother’s day and it was SUCH a hit! I also loved that it stayed good in the fridge after a few days. It is so summary, light and delicious! Protein from the beans and healthy carbs from the corn make this a perfect addition to your daily snacks! To complete the meal, I would throw in some walnuts or sliced almonds for some healthy fats!

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen shelled edamame, about 2 cups
  • 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, about 2 ears of corn
  • 1/4 cup finely diced scallion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Place the edamame, corn, scallion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into a 13 by 9 metal pan and stir to combine. Place on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, just until the edamame begins to brown. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator until completely cool, approximately 30 minutes.
  • Add the tomato, basil and vinegar to the edamame mixture and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

SOME OF MY OTHER QUICK HEALTHY SNACKS!

  • 2 rice cakes with 1 T coconut oil and sprinkled with cinnamon
  • 1 apple diced with almond butter and cinnamon
  • Protein Shake made with 1 scoop whey protein, frozen fruit, almond milk, ice and water
  • 1 Whole wheat pita with 1/2 C cooked egg whites and 1 T almond butter all wrapped up
  • Kale chips (Spray a bunch of kale with EVOO spray and bake kale in oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Top with sea salt and pepper.) I enjoy Kale chips with some sort of protein such as ground turkey or ground beef.
  • Healthy Turkey Meatloaf! CHECK THIS RECIPE OUT SO DELICIOUS!

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Healthy Snack Wednesday: Strawberry Rhubarb Mint Agua Fresca Recipe

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

So you have heard me whining a lot lately about trying to cook in this heat. To tell you the truth, half the time I don’t even want to eat in this heat! But drinking, that is a whole other story!

We only keep water and milk in our house. No soda, no juice, none of that crap. If you are thirsty, you drink water…that’s our motto! But then I made it to the Clover Food Truck on MIT’s Food Truck Row. And there I had…Rhubarb Agua Fresca…a moment of silence please….

For some reason I cannot get this beverage out of my mind. The flavor isn’t strong, but it dances with your taste buds. I found myself taking a sip and then rolling it around on my tongue to get the full array of the flavor. And I did not stop thinking about it!

Chef Rolando of Clover was nice enough to tweet me the recipe for my dream drink, and I was in heaven. Their traditional drink is straight rhubarb, water and simple syrup. I took some liberties with it, naturally!

This is the perfect drink to sip pool-side, beach-side, or inside in the AC! Where ever you enjoy this, I promise this drink will make you smile!

Recipe: Strawberry Rhubarb Mint Agua Fresca

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

  • 1 stalk of rhubarb (washed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
  • 2 strawberries (washed, greens removed, and chopped)
  • 5 fresh mint leaves (washed and torn into small pieces)
  • 16 oz filtered water
  • Simple Syrup, Agave or Honey (I used 1/3 cup simple syrup)

Directions:

  • You may use an immersion blender, food processor or blender.
  • Combine all ingredients except for the sweetener.
  • Blend for 30 seconds, stir, and blend for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Blend again if needed to get a smooth consistency.
  • Place a metal strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture through the strainer.
  • Use a metal spoon to press the remaining ingredients in the strainer until you extract all of the liquid.
  • Discard ingredients remaining in the strainer.
  • Add your sweetener (to taste) to the liquid.
  • Refrigerate the liquid until ice-cold! (If you can reserve the urge to guzzle this as soon as it is cold, and are able to let it sit overnight, you will get the best taste. The flavors really meld if they sit a little longer…but I do understand this may not be possible…trust me…)

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Healthy Snack Wednesday: Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Fritters!!

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

Confession: I almost skipped this week’s Healthy Snack Wednesday post. True story. My sister is coming to visit tomorrow, so this is the night that Ry and I finish cleaning the house. So after cooking an AMAZING dinner (Pom Wonderful braised chicken, recipe will be up soon) and cleaning for a few hours, I didn’t feel like messing the kitchen up, or cooking.

Lucky for you my faithful readers, I got a craving….I wanted fried bananas. This is our easy go-to night-time snack. You spray a pan with cooking spray, heat it up, throw in some banana slices and brown them up. Walla! Delicious. But worthy of a blog post….eh….

Then Ryan got a craving, for banana “freehos” as he calls them. I think he means my banana fritters. Well I wasn’t about to get that crazy in the kitchen. So I compromised. Grabbed a little of this, a little of that, and a new delicious, healthy night-time sweet snack was born!

I don’t know if fritters is exactly the right name. It was kind of a mix between a fritter and a pancake, but we’ll go with it. I sprinkled ours with a little powdered sugar, but they would have been great with some fresh strawberries and a little whipped cream on top!

Bon Appetite!

Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip “Fritter” Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 banana sliced
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp crushed walnuts
  • 1 tsp mini chocolate chips
  • cooking spray

Directions

  • Place banana, sugar and cinamon in a bowl and smoosh with a fork
  • Add flour and mix well
  • Mix in nuts and chocolate
  • Spray a non-stick saute pan with cooking spray
  • Heat the pan
  • Divide batter into forths and place each forth in the pan using a spoon
  • When bottom is brown (about 3 minutes) flip the fritters
  • Brown on this side for approximately 3 more minutes or until golden
  • Remove from pan and top with whatever you like!

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Healthy Snack Wednesday: Black Bean Salsa Recipe

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

Is it Wednesday already? Phew! These weeks are just flying by. I am happy to report that this week brought me some sunshine (cue the fireworks and hallelujahs!). So now my cheeks are sun-kissed, and I am ready for some cool and refreshing snacks.

This week I was actually craving my homemade salsa. Unfortunately tomato season isn’t in full enough swing for me to let an entire recipe lay on its shoulder. So, I looked in the cabinets to see what I could see, and that is when it came to me…black bean salsa!

This came out absolutely perfectly…and that is coming from some one who is usually grossed out by bean salsa! The texture was exactly that of a tomato based salsa, and it had a great bite and zip. Really, what’s a salsa without bite and zip?!

Serve your salsa with your favorite Pretzel Crisp or baked tortilla chip and have no regrets!

Did you vote for my mom & I on Eversave yet? Just “like” their FB page, then “like” our photo! Thanks for the support!

Black Bean Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 can black beans (drained but not rinsed)
  • 1 jalapeno (seeded and roughly chopped – keep a few seeds for more heat)
  • 1 small yellow tomato (diced)
  • 1/2 small vidalia onion (roughly chopped)
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 handfuls of fresh cilantro (washed)
  • 1 lime

Directions

  • Place beans in a bowl and moosh with a mallet or masher. Leave a few beans whole.
  • Squeeze lime juice over the beans
  • Place cilantro, garlic and onion in a food processor or blender and pulse until diced but not liquified
  • Mix diced veggies into beans
  • Add diced tomatoes and mix
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, stir and serve!

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Healthy Snack Wednesday: Boiled Peanuts (Don’t Knock it Before you Try it!)

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

I apologize greatly, but my pictures for this recipe are missing. I will update w/ pics as soon as I find them!

I know what you are thinking…gross! Who wants to boil a peanut? Especially my readers up here in New England, down south you may be somewhat more accepting/ familiar with this concept. Well, I will tell you who wants to eat them…me! And you will too after you try them.

This southern tradition was first introduced to me by my college roommate Lori. We were both from the Tampa Bay area, yet in my immigrant upbringing, I never met a boiled peanut. Thank goodness Lori came into my life!

We all know that peanuts are a fabulously healthy snack! When they are eaten without a lot of additives or extras, they are even better. Boiled peanuts allow you to have all of that nutrition with no added “no-nos”. For 33 nuts (each nut is one meat serving from inside a shell, not all of the nuts in each shell) you get 89 calories, 2.5 grams of fiber, and 3.8 grams of protein! Now, these are peanuts, so you do also get 6.2 grams of fat, but it is the good fat that your body needs!

Boiled peanuts have the added  bonus of a rich, smokey taste that naturally occurs when you boil these them. You will be surprised of what boiling does to the taste of the nut, pleasantly surprised.

Let’s talk texture for a second, because this is the part of a boiled peanut that may lose you. The shell gets soft, water leaks into the shell and squirts at you when you bite into it, and the nut inside is soft. Doesn’t sound so great? Well, it is! The first time you bite into a shell, you may coil back in surprise, wondering what the hell this snack is! But, most of you will go back for another, and another, because the flavor is amazing, and the textures all grow on you and you will start to crave them.

These peanuts are best served warm. Once they are cooked, you may keep them in the pot and just snack at them throughout the day, or store them in the fridge and microwave them for a couple of seconds before indulging. This is yet another portable snack that is perfect to take to work and keep you going throughout the day!

Ingredients:

  • Raw peanuts (uncooked, unsalted, in the shell…as many as you like)
  • Salt (2 tbsp per pound of peanuts)
  • Water

Stove Top Directions

  • Place peanuts and salt in a saucepan and cover, plus 2 inches, with water
  • Bring pot to a boil
  • Cover and reduce to a simmer
  • Allow to simmer for a minimum of 4 hrs
  • Peanuts are ready when the shells easily press in when you press them between your finger
  • Drain and enjoy! (only eat the inside, not the shell)

Crockpot Directions

  • Place peanuts and salt in crockpot and cover, plus 2 inches, with water
  • Turn heat on high for 1 hour
  • Reduce to low heat
  • Let cook over night, or for a minimum of 6 hrs
  • Peanuts are ready when the shells easily press in when you press them between your fingers
  • Drain and enjoy! (only eat the inside, not the shell)

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Healthy Snack Wednesday: Crispy Chickpeas and Dave Eats Giveaway!

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

 

The original goal of Healthy Snack Wednesdays was to create snacks that you could actually bring to work with you, or enjoy on the go. I don’t know about you, but around 10:30am and 2:30 pm, I always need a little something to revive me.

A few months back, recipes for baked chickpeas started flying all over the blogosphere, and I thought…wow, I should try that. But then I didn’t. A few weeks later I was searching for ways to make salt and vinegar potato chip seasoning, and came across salt and vinegar chickpeas. It was a sign from God. My time to bake some chickpeas had come!

Salt and vinegar chickpeas may have a white skin on some.

I wanted to try a regular batch before I dove into the likes of vinegar. So I pulled out my Dave Eats Hot Tabo Salt, some Habanero powder and my new favorite hot pepper sauce and got to mixing! The result was a perfect, crunchy, portable, slightly salty snack! I kept the jar on my desk for those emergency snack breaks, and it did the job for almost 2 weeks! Which not only makes it healthy, but very economical!

This snack has nutrition like you can’t believe! 1/2 cup of chickpeas packs 130 calories, 2 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein!! That’s what I call a power snack!

A few tips I learned along the way:

  • Make sure chickpeas cool ALL THE WAY before sealing them
  • Success is much more likely if you use dried chickpeas as opposed to canned chickpeas. Some times the canned beans are much thicker and have a chlorene-like taste
  • Experiment with seasoning! Curried chickpeas, sure! Cinnamon sugar chickpeas, why not? These can be great in any flavor you create!

With the hundreds of possible flavors you can create for the crispy chickpeas, I have to insist you try the one’s with Dave’s Tabo Salt. They were absolutely perfect! And I am going to help you do just that! Dave is sponsoring today’s HSW post with a little giveaway. One winner will be chosen at random to receive a sample pack of all Dave’s seasonings! You can thank me later…

To Enter:

  • Mandatory Entry: Head to DaveEats.com, peruse their products, and tell me which flavor seasoning you would most like to try by leaving a comment on this post!
  • Bonus Entry: Tweet about this contest – “I want to win @DaveEatsDotCom seasonings from @renh77 http://wp.me/pVsto-my“
  • Bonus Entry: Follow @DaveEatsDotCom, leave me a comment saying you did so
  • Bonus Entry: Become a fan of Eat.Live.Blog on Facebook and leave me a comment saying you did so

Fine Print: Only US residents with a US mailing address may enter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org on Monday, April 25, 2011. All entries must be in by the time of the drawing. Once the winner has been drawn, it is the responsibility of Dave Eats to mail the winner their prize. Prize has no cash value.

Crispy Chickpeas Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dried chickpeas (soaked according to bag’s instructions)
  • Seasonings of your choice ( I used several dashes of hot sauce, Dave’s Hot Tabo Salt & Habanero powder)

Directions

  • Cover your pre-soaked chickpeas with water plus 2 inches (use distilled white vinegar if making salt & vinegar chickpeas) in a saucepan
  • Bring to boil, cover and reduce to a simmer
  • Simmer for 1.5 hours, until al dente (just a tad bit firm to the bite)
  • Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Drain chickpeas
  • Place chickpeas in a mixing bowl
  • Coat with your seasonings (just salt if making salt & vinegar chickpeas)
  • Place beans on your baking sheet in a single layer (you will probably have to bake in 2 batches)
  • Place on middle rack of the oven
  • Bake for 20 minutes and then stir beans. Make sure they go back into a single layer
  • Bake for 20 more minutes and stir again.
  • Bake for 10 more minutes, checking them every 3 minutes or so.
  • Chickpeas are ready when they are crispy all the way through. Not all of them will get there at the same time. When most of them are crispy through, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool (they taste REALLY good hot, so start snacking!). Once they have cooled completely, place them in an air-tight container. The beans that were not all the way crispy will become crispy after a few days in the jar….if they make it that long!

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The Return of Healthy Snack Wednesday: Strawberry Sorbet Recipe

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Renee {Eat.Live.Blog.}

So here’s a funny story for you. The mecca of strawberry growing is Plant City, FL., about an hour and a half away from where I grew up. Every February Plant City is host to the Florida Strawberry Festival, which is a lot like a state fair, only with a strawberry theme. Awesome, I know…

Since birth I have pretty much been a strawberry addict, eating them as much as I can, whenever I can, in whatever form I can. So needless to say I got very giddy every February when it was time for the festival! The prize of the festival was taking home an entire flat of strawberries at the end of the day. To be clear, a flat of strawberries is 12 pints, or approximately 12 lbs of strawberries.

This one year in particular, I must have been about 7 years old. It was a long day at the festival as we loaded back into the station wagon for the trek home. I climbed all the way in the back of the wagon to take a little napper and make sure our flat of strawberries stayed safe. About 45 minutes into the car trip my dad called back to me to make sure I was okay, since I had been quiet the entire trip. The story goes that my head popped up with strawberries smeared all over my face. I had eaten the ENTIRE flat of strawberries!! You would think the stomach ache I got from that episode would have solved my addiction to strawberries. Not so much.

Back to Healthy Snack Wednesday. I have gotten a few requests to bring back this series, and I am happy to oblige! It gives me a goal to have to write regularly, and that is a good thing. It also makes me research and try new healthy snacks, and who wouldn’t like that?

I attended a tapas party last weekend, and one of the attendees made a strawberry ice cream cake that was amazing, so I knew I would be making strawberry something this week! Being that  6 oz of strawberries have only 49 calories and a whooping 3 grams of fiber, I knew this was the perfect “gateway treat” to make the return to HSW.

This dessert snack is fabulous! It can satisfy any sweet tooth, while remaining as close to “just fruit” as you can get. We ate the sorbet with a nice scoop of low fat Cool Whip on the side (yes, I like Cool Whip). You can easily make this into a larger batch for entertaining, or even mix it up by using a different fruit. I think I am going to attempt Nectarine Sorbet next! And, I’m not going to lie, mix in some rum and you may have the perfect party treat!

The hardest part of this recipe…trying not to eat all of the strawberries before you get the final product…

Strawberry Sorbet Recipe

(Adapted from AllRecipes “Sweet & Silky Strawberry Sorbet“)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb strawberries (stems removed)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1.5 Tbsp water
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

  • Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and pulse until pureed
  • Place strawberry puree and sugar in a sauce pan and heat until it JUST starts to boil
  • Meanwhile, mix together cool water and cornstarch
  • When puree begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in cornstarch mixture and lemon juice
  • Place mixture into a shallow dish with a lid and put in the freezer
  • Every hour, stir mixture and flatten back out. Place back in freezer
  • Repeat until sorbet is frozen

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