My cooking philosophy has always been about minimizing waste in the kitchen. I assume it comes from my grandmother and mother’s frugal ways in the kitchen and I appreciate that their practices made an impact on me. Whether it’s using all of the vegetables (stems and leaves), saving peels for stock, or repurposing leftovers, I…
Category: Desserts
Pina Colada “Light” Cream
How frozen bananas transform into creamy, luscious, “ice cream” is simply magical! Use them to create your favorite ice cream flavors such as my favorite, Pina Colada. Whirl together canned pineapple, coconut, and frozen bananas for a deliciously creamy but much lighter version of ice cream. Don’t throw away those overripe bananas. Peel them and…
Chocolate Date-Caramel Cups for Your Special Valentine
Happy Valentine’s Day! I want to bring these little treats back for another round! Instead of a box of chocolates, make these sweet bites for your special Valentine. They remind me of Turtles, that chocolate, caramel, pecan candy, and my husband thinks they taste like they are laced with bourbon (unfortunately they are not). This…
Light and Lemony Cupcakes
Lemon and olive oil is a match made in heaven and these light, lemony cupcakes do not disappoint. Thank you to Elena Paravantes, RDN for her cookbook, The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook which features this delicious recipe as well as many others!
Pumpkin Mousse Cashew Cheesecake (Vegan)
I find cheesecakes to be too rich and too heavy. That’s why I like this lighter version from the blog, May I Have That Recipe, which uses cashews as a replacement for cream cheese. This dessert is deliciously creamy, light, and airy with a 2 tone layer of pumpkin mousse and creamy filling sitting on…
Flourless Walnut Cake with Orange Zest
A very traditional Mediterranean flavor combination with walnuts and orange. This naturally gluten-free, flourless cake is just walnuts, sugar, eggs, and orange zest. It’s very chewy on the inside with a crisp top that gets dusted with powdered sugar. It’s a thin cake that is more like a chewy walnut brownie than a cake and…
Yogurt “Cheese” Cake with a Hint of Lemon
I’m just not a fan of cheesecake. It’s too thick and too rich and always feels so heavy. Not exactly what I want to eat at the end of a meal. But Then I discovered this Turkish yogurt cake that is so light and airy, so fresh and lemony, the perfect bite of sweetness. The…
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chickpea Energy Bites
These no-bake energy bites are a satisfying between-meal snack or can even fill in for a quick, on-the-go breakfast. All the ingredients are blended in a food processor, then rolled into bite size balls. Store them in the fridge or freezer.
Chocolate Cherry Haystacks
Craving something sweet and chocolatey with a healthy twist? Look no further! These chocolate cherry haystacks from registered dietitian, Ellie Krieger, require just 3-ingredients and only 20 minutes to make. It’s hard to believe these delicious, yummy morsels are filled with healthy ingredients. Fiber-rich shredded wheat and two anti-inflammatory powerhouses, dried cherries and dark chocolate…
Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding
Even though I would love to hold on to summer fruits and veggies, my local market is telling me it’s time to make a seasonal switch. The nectarine and peach bins are now filled with apples and pumpkins! I do love fall produce so I guess it’s okay to say goodbye to my summer favorites….
Whole Wheat Fig Bars
If you’re a fan of the traditional Fig Newton cookie, you will LOVE these bars! They are soft, not too sweet, with a jammy fig filling made from either fresh or dried figs. For this recipe, I used fresh figs because our fig trees were full of figs this year. Whenever I can, I like…
Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
If you are looking for a Mediterranean-inspired dessert, here you go! I was pleasantly surprised how well the flavors of rosemary and lemon compliment each other in a dessert. This cake is light and not too sweet so it’s a wonderful choice for an afternoon treat or a light, after dinner dessert. The heart-healthy olive…
Judy Matusky, RDN, LDN 