Heather's Recipe Dressing Room

About Heather

As a mother of four children, cooking has always been a daily necessity; however, rather than becoming a chore, cooking became my passion. I consider it a luxury to be able to take on an elaborate recipe, but more often than not I needed fast, efficient, budget conscious dinners that did not consist of reheated processed foods! This is where my creativity developed as a cook as I strived to prepare healthy meals, that my children would eat, based on what was on sale at the local grocery store. Wheat pasta dishes full of vegetables and turkey meatballs, homemade pizzas, turkey and sweet potato Shepards pie, meatloaf made with veggies, oatmeal, and flax are just a few examples of what graced our table. Now the children are grown, but I am still at it and have been able to branch out into all types of new directions! I “get lively” in my kitchen now, using new kitchen tools and experimenting with ingredients I never considered before. Delicious pureed soups, healthy alternatives to football day snacks and creating things out of vegetables I never thought possible! My Pinterest page is full of recipes that I have tried and ones that I will soon try. My new blog will serve as the place where I share my creative cuisine and review the recipes that I find online, in magazines, and that are shared by friends. I will be rating the recipes on a variety of criteria and invite you to submit a recipe to my “dressing room” to give it a try. Bon Apetit!

Posts by Heather Lee Fair:

10 Jan 2016

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living detox, detox water, healthy eating

Healthy Detoxing in the Recipe Dressing Room

Detox Watert Shrimp over Greens

Healthy Detoxing in the Recipe Dressing Room….

Have said all the “Merry Christmas’” and “Happy New Year’s” that I am going to say!!! Have made all the ham, lasagna, fabulous cheesy dips, cookies, cakes, macaroni and cheese, and pasta salads that I am going to make!! Indulged in some adult beverages, a few meals out and more than two pizzas!!! What now??? DETOX, HYDRATE, and EAT CLEAN!!!

This time, a morning shake, that is an original recipe compiled from several internet searches, an original healthy lunch recipe, and much needed detox water!

First, my morning shake… I have only been drinking it for a few days, but I already feel my energy level rising!

Ingredients:

Kale

Baby spinach

Pineapple

Banana

Avocado

Turmeric

Cinnamon

Coconut water

Frozen dark cherries

Morning Smoothie

I bought a fresh pineapple and prepped it for the week cutting it in roughly one inch slices and then again in half. In my Ninja blender large cup, put one banana, one piece of pineapple, hand full of spinach and kale, one half avocado scooped from its skin, 4 or 5 dark cherries, a good shake of turmeric and a double good shake of cinnamon. Added about 5 ounces of pure coconut water (add a little filtered water if the mixture seemed too thick,) 4 or 5 large ice cubes and let the Ninja rip on ultra blend!

I blend it right before I am walking out the door and drink it during my first hour of work. Tastes really good, is a really pretty bright green color, and does its job. Feeling energized at work is a really good thing especially in January!

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4 for ease just because it does require a little early AM work and a good blender!

5 for taste

5 for presentation (it is a very pretty color even if you have coworkers wrinkling their noses and asking what you are drinking!!!)

On to Lunch!

Original recipe: Shrimp in Coconut oil and Raspberry Vinegar over Greens

Ingredients

Coconut oil

Minced garlic

Milled flax seed

Tarragon (my go to spice!!!}

Turmeric

Raspberry vinegar

Large cooked shrimp

Spring mix greens

Brussel sprouts

Mushrooms

Green peppers

Walnuts

Veggies Shrimp Ingredients

I sautéed the minced garlic, flax seed, tarragon, and turmeric in the coconut oil and raspberry vinegar until bubbly and added the shrimp just for a few minutes to absorb the spices. Cooled and set aside to be reheated prior to the next day’s lunch. Combined the greens, chopped Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, green peppers, and walnuts in another bowl and left to chill overnight. Took the two mixtures to work with me in the am, reheated the shrimp mixture, poured over the greens, and had a very gourmet lunch that everyone was asking me about!

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Ease of recipe, probably a 4 as it does require some prep work but well worth it!

Taste 5, really tasty and satisfying!!!

Presentation 5, looks and smells awesome….many jealous coworkers!!!

Next up: Detox Water

I’ve been drinking a quart of it since Monday and reaping the benefits!

Courtesy of http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2014/05/skinny-detox-water-recipe/

Ingredients

1 lemon

1 lime

1 grapefruit

½ English cucumber

Fresh mint

Fresh ginger

Filtered water

Detox Water

So simple, and easy to prep for a few days ahead. I peeled and chopped one large grapefruit, a lemon, lime, and cucumber, used scissors to cut in fresh mint and added a little fresh chopped ginger to make it a little bit my own. Placed all chopped ingredients in a large glass jar, added filtered water and put in the refrigerator overnight. Each morning I fill my quart water bottle, and scoop a little of the fruits and veggies in to continue to infuse with the water all day.

Very refreshing, I look forward to sipping on it all afternoon after lunch.

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5’s all the way around, it cannot get easier, easy to make ahead and tastes great!!!

Happy New Year to all(ok said it again!!!) Would love to have some 2016 recipe submissions to try and rate! Any recipe, any time!

Aunnie H

10 Nov 2015

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living eat well, healthy living, squash

The Season of Squash: Recipes to Delight the Senses

As the leaves fall off the trees and create a breathtaking world of color, all the wonderful types of squash come into season!

A quick Google search yields some interesting squash facts:

The word “Squash” is derived from a Narragansett Indian word “askutasquash” which when roughly translated means eaten raw or uncooked, which is curious…doesn’t appeal to me uncooked but who knows maybe we can try an original recipe incorporating raw squash soon!

Another interesting fact is that every part of the squash plant is edible including the vines and flowers.

Finally, and a GREAT fact is the squash is mostly made up of water, so not a high calorie food, but does pack a punch of vitamins A and C and minerals Calcium and Iron!

This time we are going to work with two of my favorites, butternut and acorn.

We will start with a butternut squash recipe courtesy of http://www.jessicagavin.com/test-kitchen/rice-noodles/butternut-squash-macaroni-and-cheese/

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

Whole wheat elbows

Butternut squash

Cheddar cheese

Onions

Garlic

Tarragon

2% milk

Fresh parsley

Whole wheat panko bread crumbs

Olive oil

Black Pepper

I first caramelized the onions and minced garlic in olive oil (substituted for butter) until pleasantly browned. Instead of using broth to boil the chopped and peeled butternut squash, I used water with a few tablespoons of tarragon added. When the squash was tender and cooled, I combined the onion mixture with the squash mixture, milk, and about a ½ cup of the tarragon water and blended in my ninja blender until creamy.

I boiled the whole wheat elbows, and layered them in a casserole dish with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped fresh parsley. I then poured the squash mixture on top of the layered elbows and cheese. Finally, using olive oil again in lieu of butter, toasted several cups of breadcrumbs and topped the casserole in its entirety.

Baked in the oven until cheese melted, about ½ hour at 350.

This recipe gets a 5 for all except presentation.

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Super easy, the most difficult part was chopping the large butternut squash which can sometimes be a challenge.

Taste was definitely a five, creamy and full of flavor

Presentation, at least my presentation was only a 3, looks delicious but could be dressed up for a meal in little crocks to give it a 4 or a 5.

My acorn squash is an original recipe that I will call:

Spicy and Sweet Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

Acorn squash

Garlic

Oregano

Tarragon

Skim mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

Canned fire roasted tomatoes

Black olives

Red, green, and yellow sliced bell peppers

Sweet Italian sausage

Fresh kale

I began by cutting the acorn squash in half, removing seeds, and roasting it in the oven on 350 for about an hour and twenty minutes, until it came easily out of the skins.

While the squash was roasting I sautéed the chopped Italian sausage (I used regular sausage this time, but could be done with chicken or turkey sausage) in olive oil and minced garlic. When the sausage was almost cooked through, I added the tomatoes in their juice, peppers, chopped fresh kale, and olives and continued to sauté until the peppers were tender.

I removed the squash from the oven and scooped it from its skin into a large bowl, returning the skins to the casserole dish. I added the sausage mixture to the squash and mixed thoroughly. Next I filled the bottom of the squash skins with mozzarella cheese, oregano and tarragon. I scooped the squash and sausage mixture into each skin and then topped with additional mozzarella cheese. Baked at 350 until the cheese was melted about ½ an hour.

This recipe hits a 5 on ease, taste, and presentation.

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Preparation is a little time consuming, but nothing is difficult and you could use a Kitchen Aide mixer to combine the squash and sausage mixture, but I mixed it thoroughly with just a large slotted spoon.

The taste is spectacular could even be a 6, very full of flavor and filling.

Presentation also a 5 looks very pretty on the plate and could be served in halves as an entire meal or could be cut into quarters for a side dish.

Enjoy the beautiful world of color, because as we know pretty soon the red, yellow, and orange brilliance will be covered in white!!!!!

Next time we will take on some new dishes to add to your Thanksgiving Feast!!!!

Aunnie H

20 Oct 2015

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living chili, fall, fall cooking, healthy comfort food

Healthy Fall Comfort Food

Fall comfort food: one new “try on” and one original recipe

Fall brings thoughts of comfort food. A quick Wikipedia search for the origin of the phrase “comfort food” yields this information: The term comfort food has been traced back at least to 1966, when the Palm Beach Post used it in a story: “Adults, when under severe emotional stress, turn to what could be called ‘comfort food’—food associated with the security of childhood, like mother’s poached egg or famous chicken soup.” Sounds right on target! My first thought always goes to the years of enjoying my Gram’s homemade chicken pie as a child.

Fall is such a great time to snuggle up warm and enjoy some comfort food – and it can be healthy!

This time I tried two new recipes:

Turkey Quinoa Slow Cooker Chili courtesy of: Well Plated

And my own original recipe, a healthier version of Seafood Chowder.

Let’s start with the Chili…

Ingredients:

Ground turkey

Black beans

Canned tomatoes

Onions

Red peppers

Garlic

Olive oil

Sweet potatoes

Salsa

Quinoa

Chili powder

Red pepper

Tricolor pepper

Paprika

Cilantro

Baby spinach

Beer

I browned the ground turkey with a touch of olive oil, minced garlic, onion and red peppers until the meat was cooked through and the vegetables were tender, I added some baby spinach just to give the recipe a little bit of my own touch. Then in the spirit of fall, chose a Blue Moon Pumpkin Beer to add, allowing the combination to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Poured mixture into my crockpot and added: black beans, canned tomatoes with green chilies, red pepper, paprika, fresh ground tricolor pepper, chili powder, cubed raw sweet potatoes, a cup of hot salsa, and let it all simmer overnight. The quinoa??? Well not being a huge fan of it I subconsciously forgot to put it in before leaving the chili to cook all night!!!! Realized my “error” in the morning and added it in and simmered on low for a few more hours so the quinoa would cook adequately. I have to say, the quinoa added nice texture and flavor and glad I did not completely “forget” it!!!!!!

Served the final product topped with fresh chopped cilantro. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

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Ease of recipe 4, does require some chopping and prep work, but then you leave it, forget about it, and let it simmer away. The house smelled delicious in the morning after the chili cooked all night.

Taste of recipe 5, very tasty, had it for lunch with family, very well received! Even by my 7 year old nephew!!!

Presentation 4, pretty in the bowl and easy serving!!!!!

My own original healthier Seafood Chowder

I decided, not being a huge fan of fish (unless, I am ashamed to say, it is fried or blackened to dryness!!!!) that the seafood in my chowder would be shrimp and clams. Shrimp was an easy supermarket find, the clams proved to be a challenge! This is Cape Cod, with a fish market around every corner, but not a sea clam whole or minced to be found!!!

For a fleeting moment I thought about donning my Grampie’s waders and going to dig some myself, but then remembered the one time I tried that! It was many moons ago and off I went to the flats with my 4 little kids all under 10; we raked and dug, raked and dug, and all the trip yielded was one sad looking sea clam and 4 soaking wet, sandy, shivering children!!!!! Sometimes I still think I find yet another grain of sand in the bath tub from the afternoon of showering off the freezing, salty, sandy quartet!

Having no choice, and not wanting to change my plan, I lowered my standards to canned clams, however this recipe will be rerun soon in the future with those coveted fresh sea clams!

Ingredients:

Chopped large raw shrimp

Minced and whole (regrettably) canned clams

Fat free evaporated milk

Garlic

Olive Oil

Red Peppers

Onions

Baby red potatoes

Tarragon

Fresh chopped thyme

Turkey bacon

Low sodium chicken stock

First I chopped the turkey bacon into squares and sautéed in olive oil and garlic until slightly crispy.

Placed bacon mixture in my crockpot and added onions, red peppers, clams, shrimp, cubed red potatoes, fresh thyme, tarragon, and chicken stock and let simmer for about an hour.

Added 2 cans of fat free evaporated milk and left to simmer overnight. Great taste, despite the canned clam dilemma! I was very happy with the way this recipe turned out and will be trying again, next time definitely with fresh clams and maybe a few oysters and mussels too!

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Ease of recipe 4, fortunately I nixed diggings the clams or it would have been reduced to a 1!!! Just a little chopping and prep, but then again, walk away and forget about it and let it simmer away.

Taste 4, again the fresh clams probably would have pushed it to a 5, but it was very tasty and filling. Again shared it for lunch with family and both my 7 and 10 year old nephews gobbled it up!

Presentation 3, not really pretty, but the taste makes up for the appearance!!!!

Happy Fall!!! Next time perhaps a Halloween recipe theme!!!!!

Aunnie H

22 Sep 2015

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living fall cooking, Fall soups, healthy dessert, healthy eating, seasonal cooking, seasonal recipe, vegan cake, vegan dessert

My favorite Fall recipes and a “try again!”

Fall brings two thumbs up and one try again!

As much as I hate to let go of Summer, Fall is a nice season! Cool, crisp days, the different way the sun shines on you, thoughts of family and holidays, and best of all time to start making soup! I love soup, such a wonderful thing to come home to, when the days are getting shorter and the air is getting colder. A nice hot bowl of soup at the end of the day makes everything better.

We are going to make two favorite recipes of mine:

Tortellini Florentine Soup courtesy of: www.bhg.com

And Butternut Squash Soup courtesy of: www.ninjakitchen.com/recipes/

And a new one…

We are also going to try a new dessert:

Vegan Dark chocolate avocado beet cake courtesy of: Yoga Journal

Let’s start with the Butternut squash soup

Ingredients:

Butternut squash

Carrots

Apples

Onions

Garlic(not in the original recipe but gives a nice zing)

Cashews

Olive oil

Fresh thyme

Bay leaves

Vegetable stock

In a large saucepan,heat up the olive oil, then sauté onions and garlic until the onions are browned. Add cashews and sauté, add squash, carrots, apples and just sauté lightly careful not to burn the squash.

Add vegetable stock, fresh thyme, and bay leaves and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Allow mixture to cool and then in 4 parts (I always make a double batch) ladle mixture into a Ninja blender or equivalent and puree. After all 4 parts are pureed rejoin in one pan and reheat. Serve with a garnish of parsley.

I made this for a family lunch this weekend and we served it with fresh sour dough bread. It was scrumptious, even my 7 year old nephew Merrick could not stop saying “This soup is really good!!!” Definitely great in a cup as an appetizer or in a bowl as a meal. A must try!

Ease of recipe – I give it a 4, just because it does involve a lot of chopping, peeling, and does require a high powered blender to properly puree. The puree process immediately gives the soup that powerful “second day” taste as it instantly allows all the flavors to mesh into wholesome goodness!

Taste – 5+ the taste is incredible, the cashews add so much flavor to what might otherwise be more bland vegetables, and the thyme is the perfect complimentary spice. Very, very tasty!

Presentation – 4, not super attractive but a little bit of garnish helps, and it does have a beautiful rich orange color, perfect for fall.

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Tortellini Florentine

This has been a favorite of mine for a while. I make a huge crockpot of it and eat it all week for lunch, it is a flavor you don’t get tired of quickly! I’ve also have made it for parties and it has been very well received.

Ingredients

Boneless chicken breasts

Fresh baby spinach

Sun-dried tomatoes

Low sodium chicken broth

Minced garlic

Tarragon(not in the original recipe but I think tarragon makes everything taste better!!)

Spinach and cheese ravioli ( the original recipe calls for tortellini, but the spinach and cheese ravioli are a nice touch, if you can’t find them use whole wheat ravioli)

Warm crock pot and add diced chicken breasts, olive oil, garlic and let simmer for a half an hour. Add chicken broth, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes (I use kitchen scissors to cut them up into smaller pieces) and tarragon. Let simmer for about 2 hours and then add ravioli and simmer on low for another 2 hours.

Ease of recipe – 5, doesn’t get easier, just a little chopping, a little timing, but everything goes in the crockpot and then you can forget you are cooking!

Taste – 5, this is a really tasty, hearty meal, a little too hearty to serve as an appetizer but definitely a tasty main course, a little whole wheat garlic bread on the side would serve it well.

Presentation – 5, looks really pretty in the bowl, just a sprig of a fresh herb or a little fresh grated cheese dresses it up!

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And now to my try again!!

Vegan Dark Chocolate Avocado Beet Cake

Sounds wonderful and it sort of was wonderful, but made a few mistakes substituting ingredients which is why it is a try again!

Ingredients:

Coconut or vegetable oil cooking spray
1 3/4 cups gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill)(couldn’t find this at my local store so substituted coconut flour)
3/4 cup unsweetened dark Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond meal/flour( found this in my local store, but was very expensive so went cheap and substituted coconut flour)
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 fully ripe avocado, finely mashed
3/4 cup granulated coconut sugar
1/2 cup finely grated beets (loosely packed)
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
2 tbsp powdered sugar

I began by mixing the dry ingredients with my Kitchen Aide and substituted the gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour and the almond meal flour with coconut flour which I know was my downfall!!

Boiled fresh beets and then shredded them in my little 1 cup shredder, this is a great and inexpensive cooking tool when the shredding job is small and you don’t want to have to clean your large food processor. Added the mashed avocados and blended with my Kitchen Aide then added the coconut sugar, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and water

Began combining the dry ingredients with the beet mixture, and this is when I knew I had gone wrong substituting the flour. The mixture was not really a batter but lumpy and solid like a cookie dough, so I added another half cup of water but still had a cookie dough like texture.

In a measuring cup combined the vinegar and baking soda, and that is kind of a fun thing to do. Gave me a flashback to when my sister Elena, long before she had children of her own, thought it would be great fun to buy MY children a volcano kit for Christmas….the little eruption I had in my measuring cup was nothing like the grand eruption my children created on my dining room table so many years ago with their treasured volcano kit! Elena has three young boys now, wonder what is on my Christmas list for them this year!!!!!!

Added my mini eruption, the consistency remained like cookie dough, but placed it in the pan and cooked it anyway.

It came out of the pan easily and did look pretty with the powdered sugar on top, which turned out to be as crumbly as the cake was itself! Served it with ice cream and everyone seemed to enjoy, but have to try again with all the correct ingredients.

Ease of recipe – 3, it does involve several steps and searching for all the correct ingredients

Taste of recipe – 4, and maybe would have been a 5 if done correctly, everyone ate it!!

Presentation – 3, even if it had come out perfectly, not the prettiest presentation

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Next time maybe a little Fall and a little pumpkin and a little seafood…

Happy Fall!

Aunnie H

23 Aug 2015

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living frozen treats, healthy desserts, healthy eating, recipe redo, spaghetti squash, summer bbq

Recipe Re-run: Healthy Summer Treats Take Two

Recipe re-run

Those hot lazy days of summer… not very conducive for cooking!! However I took the opportunity, while my oldest son was visiting, to have a little get together and re-run some recipes with a little twist. Part of the fun of cooking is to tweak recipes that you have already tried and that is just what I did for our party.

The first recipe re-run is from my very first blog (original post below):

From Food Network: Naked Chocolate Cake

Another A+ recipe with beyond presentation appeal for a gathering!!

The cake is easy enough to make, but does require a kitchen aide or equivalent, and the initial mixture made of coconut oil, applesauce, brown sugar, yogurt and extract requires a mixer with a paddle attachment.

Made some “accidental” tweaks to the recipe, forgot to add the chocolate chips into the batter before putting it into the oven, so instead sprinkled chocolate chips on each layer. Grapes were not on sale at the store, so went with fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries, frozen blueberries and the prettiest fresh blackberries I have ever seen!!! Made a fresh whipped cream from heavy whipping cream, confectionary sugar and almond abstract(was out of vanilla) and drizzled each layer with store bought chocolate sauce.

Ease of recipe 3-4, several steps and really does require a kitchen aide or equivalent for the batter and fresh whipped cream.

Taste of recipe 5. Incredible in taste and presentation, also a 5. It’s a must try!

Here are the twists I tried this time around:

Remembered this time to bake the chocolate chips IN the cake!!!

In addition to the chips also added roughly chopped fresh mint, which added a freshness and kick to the flavor.

Replaced the brown sugar with coconut sugar.

And the ultimate twist to this recipe…replaced the fresh fruit with candied strawberries:

Slice fresh strawberries and place on a baking sheet, bake at 210 for 3 hours, so sweet and healthy too!

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Ease and taste ratings stay the same, drop presentation down to 4…not quite as pretty as the original recipe but definitely worth trying!

The second recipe re-run from my blog “Ode to the Spaghetti Squash” (original post below):

“SPAGHETTI SQUASH CHICKEN FAJITA”

Ingredients:

Chicken tenders or thin sliced chicken breasts

Olive oil

Cumin

Paprika

Chili powder

Cayenne pepper

Minced garlic

Sweet vidalia onions

Cooking white wine

Orange, red, and yellow sweet peppers

Canned tomatoes with zesty green peppers

Black olives

Cheddar or taco blend cheese shredded

I begin by steaming a large spaghetti squash until the flesh is tender, cool, remove the seeds, and set aside.

In a large skillet I combine:

2-3 TBSP olive oil

Minced garlic

Chicken tenders chopped to bite size

2 Tbsp cumin

2 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tsp cayenne

The chicken needs to have a coating of the spices, if above measurements are not sufficient, slowly add more until the chicken is coated.

Simmer until chicken is browned, add ¼ cup cooking wine, add sweet vidalias and sweet peppers chopped in half spirals.

Simmer until onions and peppers are tender.

Add one can undrained tomatoes with zesty green peppers, and add one can drained sliced or whole black olives, simmer.

In the meantime, drain, deseed and scoop the flesh of the spaghetti squash into a large bowl, keeping the spaghetti squash shell in tact.

Add chicken fajita mixture to the bowl of spaghetti squash and mix thoroughly.

Scoop chicken fajita, spaghetti squash mixture into saved spaghetti squash shells, top with cheddar or taco blend cheese and cook at 350 until the cheese is melted.

I give the ease of this recipe a 4. It too, has only a 2 pan clean up, but does require quite a bit of chopping and attention.

Taste is a 5, spicy and a little cheesy, what more could you want!

And presentation is a 3. Probably wouldn’t make a magazine cover, it is definitely no Giselle Bundchen, but would be good for a casual dinner or small get together. It could be sliced or scooped for serving.

Here are the twists I tried this time around:

Added Salsa in place of the canned tomatoes, cubana peppers, cherry tomatoes and a ¼ cup of white cooking wine to the chicken mix.

These ingredients gave that little extra zing I was looking for the first time around. I still served it in the shells, but because it was for a large party, provided serving spoons for guests to scoop portions.

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Taste and ease ratings stayed the same, upgrade to a 4 on presentation, was well received by my guests!

Lastly, one new summer recipe that is beyond simple, quick, healthy and doesn’t require turning on the oven!

Frozen yogurt bark – courtesy of Myfussyeater.com

Ingredients:

Plain or vanilla greek yogurt

Honey

Cranraisins (I used blueberry)

Fresh strawberries

Chocolate chips

Shredded coconut

Used my Kitchen Aide to mix the greek yogurt and honey until well blended, at a low speed mixed in cranraisins.

Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet(about ½ inch thick) lined with parchment paper and topped with the fresh strawberries, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut.

Place in freezer for at least one hour, break into pieces and store in freezer bags.

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Could it get an easier! Great Summer treat! All 5’s for ease, taste, and presentation!

Enjoy the rest of the summer! Next time, low fat meals for the Fall and meals that you can make ahead of time and serve over greens for lunches and dinners!

Aunnie H

1 Jun 2015

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living broccoli pesto dip, cole slaw, healthy eating, healthy food, summer bbq, sweet potato burgers

Healthy Summer BBQ & One Special Lady!

Who doesn’t love a summer BBQ??

BBQ’s are a staple in the summer. Being outside, enjoying the sunshine, and perhaps a salty breeze. I feel like we all connect a little bit easier in the fresh air, with the “no stress” feeling that the warm air brings!

BBQ’s happen all over Cape Cod from Memorial Day to Labor Day and we had a very special one this Memorial Day weekend…

Our was to celebrate our mother’s birthday, who is affectionately known as Chris, Mom, Gram Chrissy, and Fradoodle by her extended family; three daughters, one granddaughter, and six grandsons!

She is a very special person to all of us, and when she is not spending all her time raising and taking care of us, she also goes to rock concerts! (Seen here rocking out to Neil Diamond)

This blog is all about her very special birthday BBQ. It included sweet potato burgers, beet, red cabbage, and cranberry slaw, and broccoli pesto dip.

Sweet potato burgers:

From My Whole Food Life.

This is the easiest recipe, with huge rewards!!

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and boiled

3 cups, all natural 5 grain cereal (oats, rye, triticale, barley, golden flax)

2 bunches scallions, chopped

1 bunch fresh parsley, cut up with kitchen scissors to the stem

I boiled the peeled sweet potatoes until just tender. Drained and added to the other 3 ingredients in a large bowl. I used my kitchen aide paddle attachment to mix, and then scooped out patty size.

I baked them in the oven, but I think they could be done on the grill with cooking spray.

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Ease of recipe 5, did use my kitchen aide, but could be mixed with a little effort and large metal spoon.

Taste of recipe 5, these were incredibly tasty!! Some of our guests ate them over salad, some on nice wheat rolls, I think all used a touch of spicy mustard for a topping. Yummy!!!!

Presentation 5, look very delicious on the plate even before dressed.

Beet, red cabbage, and cranberry slaw

From: Reluctant Entertainer

Slightly difficult recipe. I’ve never cooked raw beets and they can make a holy mess! However, the outcome was completely worth it!

Ingredients:

½ Head red cabbage

3 Fresh beets

1 8oz package dried cranberries

2 shallots chopped

4 TBSP red wine vinegar

6 TBSP rice vinegar

2 apples

Zest of orange

I chopped the shallots and marinated in a bowl with the rice and red wine vinegar.

I boiled the fresh beets until just tender, the peeling was messy and difficult, but boiling them any longer would have made them mushy.

In my Cuisinart, with the grate blade, I sliced the beets with two pared, unpeeled apples, and half a head of red cabbage.

Poured the beet, cabbage, and apple mixture into a bowl. Added the marinated shallots and zest of one orange.

Incredibly tasty, sweet and tart, definitely a must have at your next BBQ!!!!

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Ease of recipe 3, it was time consuming, messy and does require a Cuisinart or equivalent.

Taste of recipe 5, the tangy, sweet was very well received by our guests. I also used the leftovers to top sandwiches, a great little extra zing to Monday’s lunch!

Presentation of recipe 5, looks pretty in the bowl, could be dressed up even more with a few sprigs of fresh parsley and a couple of slices of orange.

Broccoli pesto dip

I do love a dip!!! For a simple appetizer it is great. Kept our guests munching while the main course was cooking, and there are so many directions that you can go with it!!

Super simple broccoli pesto dip

From: A Healthy Life For Me.

Ingredients:

2 Broccoli crowns

3 TBSP minced garlic

2/3 Cup sliced almonds

1/3 Cup parmesan

¼ Cup olive oil

½ Cup ricotta cheese

2 TBSP lemon juice

I steamed the broccoli until tender. This is a great way to use broccoli that is yellowing in the refrigerator. What I used was getting a few days from unusable and it worked fine in this recipe. We all know the “crisper” in our refrigerators frequently needs to be renamed the “rotter”. It happens, so a recipe that can use up those “on the edge” veggies is always a good thing!!

I drained and cooled the broccoli. Combined the broccoli and all the other ingredients, minus the ricotta cheese, in my Ninja blender, on medium speed. Once I felt the broccoli was sufficiently pureed I added the ricotta and just pulsed until I could no longer see any large portions of unmixed ricotta.

The recipe doesn’t yield a tremendous amount of dip, so I went through the procedure a second time to have an adequate bowl full.

Delicious with cut vegetables, pita or sweet potato chips!!!

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Ease of recipe 5, does require a Ninja or equivalent for the blending.

Taste of recipe 3, I felt like it needed a little bit of something, maybe a pinch of kosher salt, a little more garlic or a pinch of my “go to” spice tarragon.

Presentation of recipe 4, not super pretty, but could be dressed up on a platter with colorful cut veggies and a few sprigs of parsley or mint.

All and all the recipes made a very attractive and HEALTHY BBQ plate!

Happy BBQ’s and Happy Birthday MOM!!!!! We love you!!!!!

Next time, maybe we just need to try to satisfy that sweet tooth, we know we all have, with some healthy sweets…

Happy June!!!

Aunnie H

18 May 2015

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living cape cod cooking, side dishes, summer bbq

Summer Cooking on Cape Cod

Summer on Cape Cod…hurray, it is finally here!! Next week is Memorial Day weekend, the official kick off to summer 2015!

Summer means to me:

Lazy days with family by my Gram’s pool.

Pop up Pilates (courtesy of Get Lively) with my sisters and nephews on the beach.

My youngest child home from college (as any parent of a college age student knows…re-entry can be hard but we always look forward to them coming home!)

Relaxing on my deck and……

A BBQ every weekend!!!!!

The Cape Cod BBQ is the subject of this blog, and as much as I love the burgers, kabobs and linguica, I love the side dishes even more, so here goes….

Side dishes could populate my blog all summer long, so many to choose from, but today I pick:

Mussels with Tomatoes and Spinach (Aunnie H original recipe)

Kale, Lemon and Parmesan Salad (from: Layers of Happiness)

Let’s start with the mussels. For it to be a true Cape Cod BBQ, and I am a born and breed native, it just HAS to include local seafood!

Ingredients:

– Olive oil

– Minced garlic

– White cooking wine

– Butter

– Canned tomatoes with olive oil and garlic

– Baby spinach

– Fresh mussels

This is a very simple recipe, with huge rewards. I use a large stock pan, what us Cape Codder’s call a “Lobsta” pot!

Add 3 TBSP of olive oil, 1 cup of cooking wine, ½ stick of butter, 1 can undrained tomatoes, 2 TBSP minced garlic and simmer until the butter is melted. Add 3 cups baby spinach and 3 lbs fresh mussels. Cover and simmer over medium heat until mussels are all open. If the mixture gets dry or starts to burn on the bottom add another ½ cup cooking wine or ½ cup water.

Serve in a large bowl with a ladle so all your guests can scoop bowls full that include the broth.

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Ease of recipe: 5

One pan, minimum clean up, this recipe is delicious and could not be easier.

Taste: have to give it a 6 on a scale of 1 to 5!!!

Made this for a lovely Mother’s Day BBQ I had at my home last week and everyone was in awe, the taste cannot even be described, you just need to try it for yourself.

Presentation: 5

The picture tells it all!

Cape Cod Mussels, Spinach, and Tomato Dish.

Kale Lemon and Parmesan Salad

This is a huge hit and so healthy! I have made this recipe three times for events I have attended or hosted, and everyone asks for the recipe. The link to the original recipe is above, but each time I have made it, I have tried a few little tweaks.

Ingredients:

– Fresh kale

– Fresh green cabbage (I have made it with the romaine, but the salad pictured is made with green cabbage)

– Shallots

– Olive oil

– Dijon mustard

– Basil

– Lemon juice

– Golden raisins

– Raisins (have not tried making it with the currants listed on the recipe, but the raisins seem an adequate substitute and think Cran-raisins could be used as well)

– Minced garlic

– Cashews (prefer cashews to almonds)

– Parmesan cheese

I begin by shredding the cabbage (used the outer dark green layers) and the fresh kale in my Cuisinart. I used about 6 large cabbage leaves and a strainer full of washed kale. After the greens are shredded and in a large bowl, I use my mini Cuisinart to chop 1 ½ cups of raw unsalted cashews (just a personal preference over almonds), add cashews to the green mixture and then add ½ cup raisins and 1 cup golden raisins.

Set the mixture aside and then using the cup attachment to my Ninja blender, I combine ¼ cup olive oil, ½ cup lemon juice, 2 TBSP basil, 2 TBSP Dijon mustard, 3 TBSP minced garlic, ¼ cup parmesan, and 2 shallots chopped.

Just on a side note about the shallots…I was very curious today when buying my shallots. I use the self scanner, which is a very useful tool when you are trying to keep your grocery bill under control, no sticker shock at the register! When trying to print my label for the shallots, I could not find shallots under the onion tab?? In my frustration I clicked on garlic, and low and behold there is the shallot!! A quick Wikipedia search tells the tale of the shallot, it appears it REALLY is an onion, but in the past had been identified as a separate species. It is however, part of the genus Allium, which includes onions and garlic, so it seems the classification at the Stop and Shop scales are not too far off!

Not to digress, too much!

I blend the mixture on puree and pour over the prepared greens in the bowl, mix and have a tasty, healthy side dish.

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Ease: 3

It does require adequate kitchen tools and a bit of time, but well worth the effort.

Taste: 5

Incredibly delicious, it has the combination of all the different tastes blended to perfection.

Presentation: 4

Looks very nice in the bowl, easy to serve with a slotted spoon or pasta claw.

As next weekend brings Memorial Day on Cape Cod, it will surely be all about grilling and seafood!

Enjoy and Happy Summer!

Aunnie H

5 May 2015

Heather Eating Well, Healthy Living healthier options, healthy eating, recipes, spaghetti squash

Ode to the Spaghetti Squash

Ahhh, the spaghetti squash!! A quick Google search proves it to be a very mysterious food! Wikipedia labels it a fruit, other websites compare it to a watermelon, and it’s origin is a mystery as well; some say North America, some say Central America, and some say the Far East. Whatever it is, or wherever it comes from, it is a great starter for many delicious recipes.

It would seem, I never used it when my children lived at home. My oldest son, on a recent trip home to Cape Cod, asked, “Mom, why did you never tell me about spaghetti squash??” It is a staple in my home now. Sorry Brendon, visit me often and I will make sure you get your fill!!!!

My recipes this week are “Aunnie H” originals….

Healthier Shrimp Scampi and Spaghetti Squash Chicken Fajita

Let’s start with the “Healthier Shrimp Scampi”

Ingredients:

Spaghetti squash

Olive oil

Butter

Minced garlic

Tarragon

Fresh ground pepper

Sweet Vidalia onions

Large shrimp

Part skim mozzarella shredded

I begin by steaming a large spaghetti squash until the flesh is tender, cool, remove the seeds, and set aside.

In a large skillet I combine:

2-3 TBSP olive oil

½ Cup white cooking wine

1 stick of butter

2 TBSP minced garlic

2 TBSP tarragon

Several sprinkles of fresh ground tri-color pepper (black, white, and red peppercorns)

2 sweet Vidalia onions minced

Simmer until onions are tender

Add 1 – 8 oz package of baby bella mushrooms chopped roughly

Simmer until the mushrooms are tender

Add 2 lbs large raw shelled and veined shrimp

Cook until shrimp is pink

In the meantime, deseed cooled spaghetti squash and scrape flesh into a large bowl, top with one cup part skim mozzarella cheese.

Add shrimp mixture, top with additional cup of mozzarella, toss and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

All measurements for any original recipes are approximate. I am a “pinch of this,” maybe a “pinch more of that” kind of cook. So please, when trying to duplicate, feel free to take artistic license!

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I give this recipe a 5 for ease, only 2 pans required so minimal clean up.

It gets a 5 for taste, buttery and garlicky, decadent without being terribly detrimental to your waist line!

And finally, 4 for presentation, looks pretty on the plate, great for an intimate dinner for 2 or a small dinner party.

“Spaghetti Squash Chicken Fajita”

Ingredients:

Chicken tenders or thin sliced chicken breasts

Olive oil

Cumin

Paprika

Chili powder

Cayenne pepper

Minced garlic

Sweet vidalia onions

Cooking white wine

Orange, red, and yellow sweet peppers

Canned tomatoes with zesty green peppers

Black olives

Cheddar or taco blend cheese shredded

I begin by steaming a large spaghetti squash until the flesh is tender, cool, remove the seeds, and set aside.

In a large skillet I combine:

2-3 TBSP olive oil

Minced garlic

Chicken tenders chopped to bite size

2 Tbsp cumin

2 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tsp cayenne

The chicken needs to have a coating of the spices, if above measurements are not sufficient, slowly add more until the chicken is coated.

Simmer until chicken is browned, add ¼ cup cooking wine, add sweet vidalias and sweet peppers chopped in half spirals.

Simmer until onions and peppers are tender.

Add one can undrained tomatoes with zesty green peppers, and add one can drained sliced or whole black olives, simmer.

In the meantime, drain, deseed and scoop the flesh of the spaghetti squash into a large bowl, keeping the spaghetti squash shell in tact.

Add chicken fajita mixture to the bowl of spaghetti squash and mix thoroughly.

Scoop chicken fajita, spaghetti squash mixture into saved spaghetti squash shells, top with cheddar or taco blend cheese and cook at 350 until the cheese is melted.

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I give the ease of this recipe a 4. It too, has only a 2 pan clean up, but does require quite a bit of chopping and attention.

Taste is a 5, spicy and a little cheesy, what more could you want!

Please submit your recipes for next week’s blog…..healthier side dishes for the season’s first BBQ!!!!!

Enjoy!

Aunnie H

28 Apr 2015

Heather Eating Well cooking, healthy eating, recipes

Introducing: Heather’s Recipe Dressing Room

Welcome to the inaugural post of my new blog:

“Heather’s Recipe Dressing Room”

I love planning a party! Love trying new recipes, and love a mouthwatering presentation!!!

Here are 3 recipes I tried at a recent gathering at my home:

Main course:

From Julia’s album Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

A+ recipe for sure, and it was highly received by all of my guests. The recipe has several steps and requires adequate kitchen tools, but is well worth the effort.

I chose to use fresh butternut squash, and utilized my Ninja blender to create the milk, pepper, squash, ricotta, and nutmeg puree. Changed the recipe up a bit and made a second puree of ricotta, fresh uncooked spinach, mozzarella, minced garlic, and pepper. Layered the purees in between whole wheat pasta, topped with mozzarella, parmesan, sliced black olives and oregano.

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On a scale of 1 to 5, with five as the most difficult of recipes, I would give it a 3, just due to the number of steps, time involved, and how messy the kitchen was post recipe (always a factor!)

On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the tastiest recipe I would rate it a 5. Very tasty, the purees were creamy, the ricotta gave the vegetables a savory taste, and the touch of garlic, olives and oregano gave it a pleasant kick.

And presentation gets a 5, especially when you slice into the layers and see all the colors.

All around excellent recipe that I highly recommend!!

Beverage:

Detox water punch

So easy, so tasty, and so pretty! This is a drink I make for myself at the beginning of every week in a large jug that I keep in the refrigerator .

Very simple recipe: filtered water, sliced fresh lemons, sliced cucumbers, sliced strawberries, chopped fresh mint and chopped fresh ginger. If you are making it for a party, I would recommend making it in a jug the day before and refrigerating it overnight. This will allow all of the flavors to seep into the water.

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Ease of recipe 5, only involves peeling and chopping.

Taste of recipe 5, very tasty, hydrating, and refreshing.

Highly recommend for a daily beverage, and presents beautifully (a 5!) in a punch bowl for a gathering!

Dessert:

From Food Network Naked Chocolate Cake

Another A+ recipe with beyond presentation appeal for a gathering!!

Made some really “accidental” tweaks to the recipe, forgot to add the chocolate chips into the batter before putting it into the oven, so instead sprinkled chocolate chips on each layer. Grapes were not on sale at the store, so went with fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries, frozen blueberries and the prettiest fresh blackberries I have ever seen!!! Made a fresh whipped cream from heavy whipping cream, confectionary sugar and almond abstract(was out of vanilla) and drizzled each layer with store bought chocolate sauce.

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Ease of recipe 3-4, several steps and really does require a kitchen aide or equivalent for the batter and fresh whipped cream.

Taste of recipe 5. Incredible in taste and presentation, also a 5. It's a must try!

Happy party planning and stay tuned for a few original recipes to be presented next week.

Please submit recipes and ideas to be tried and rated!

I’m here to help you “try them on!”

~ Aunnie H (What my nephews, and now my sisters call me…)

About Heather

Posts by Heather Lee Fair:

Recipe re-run

Let’s start with the “Healthier Shrimp Scampi”

“Spaghetti Squash Chicken Fajita”

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