Sea Salt & Dark Chocolate Goji Berry Bites

Folks, it's been a while. My two-(err three?)-month hiatus from the blog has been in part due to a rather major change in my life: On Jan. 19, 2015, I had my second-ever first day of work. Getting to that point, though, took a great deal of time and energy. The job search being kick-started by the threat of looming unemployment made the process just that much more emotionally exhausting. I had to recharge my batteries and focus on the basics for a while there.

I didn't come here to talk about life's trials and tribulations, though. I came to talk about delicious, wholesome treats! These babies are dipped in mood-lifting, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and filled with protein, fiber and healthy fats. Slightly bigger than a cookie, they are the perfect size to satisfy a grumbling tummy and sweet tooth between meals. I'm really enjoying having them after my smoothie in the mornings with a cup of coffee or tea.

The whole idea for these came from a delicious energy bar I discovered when I was in the States visiting family over Christmas. They were made almost entirely of almonds, dark chocolate and sea salt. I bought a 30-pack to take back with me. Needless to say my supply is dwindling and I had to find a replacement STAT.

After playing around in the kitchen, I came up with these beauties. Besides being delicious, they also do a few other fantastic things for you. They...

• Improve digestion and lower cholesterol: The fiber from the wheat bran, oats and nuts slow down digestion and act like scrubbing bubbles for your insides. Soluble fiber binds to the bile acid your body produces to aid digestion. To make more bile acid, the body pull cholesterol from the blood stream. 
• Kill hunger pangs & sugar cravings: Aside from just staying in your tummy longer, fiber also helps regulate the release of sugar into the blood stream. No blood sugar peaks and crashes followed by intense sugar cravings. The same goes for protein and fat. They take a while to digest, which means that 15 minutes later you will not be wanting to eat everything in sight.
• Load you up with antioxidants: So goji berries, dark chocolate and nuts are high in this fantastic thing called antioxidants. Antioxidants do exactly what their name says: prevent oxidation aka damage. The various antioxidants prevent free radicals in the body from causing cell damage, which can result in cell aging, inflammation, cancer and a long list of other diseases.
• Relieve stress: I don't think this comes as a surprise to chocolate-lovers, but dark chocolate is a proven stress reliever. Consuming dark chocolate can lower levels of two stress hormones, cortisol (also responsible for fat storage) and epinephrine.
• Contain more than 20 key trace minerals: Gogi berries are considered a superfood for a reason. They contain a long list of important minerals, including iron, zinc, cooper, selenium and calcium. 
• Feed your brain: Walnuts not only look like mini brains, they are brain food. They are filled with omega-three fatty acids that our bodies cannot produce and NEED to help maintain brain and nerve function.

Sesame Carrot-Cabbage Pancake

 The recipe is loosely based on a savory Japanese pancake called Okonomiyaki, but I've added a lot of the same flavors that go into phad thai. It's almost like a frittata, but less eggy.The result is a delicious and surprisingly complex combination of flavors! I serve it either with pan-fried shrimp or alone as a light lunch, side or snack. 

It's a fantastic to-go recipe for those nights when you want to put as little thought and energy into cooking as possible. It comes together in less than 20 minutes and you probably already have everything you need for it. I can't be the only one who almost always has a head of cabbage and some carrots hanging out in my fridge. I buy them once and a month later they are still there, waiting to be used. Plus it's one of those recipes that you can dress up or down. There are tons of extras you can add to make it fancy (sesame seeds, peanuts, cilantro, etc.), but its just as good when you keep things simple.

All you have to do is sautee the veggies with some soy sauce, chili flakes and garlic. When I want to go all out, I toss in a little fish sauce, dried shrimp and picked ginger for an added kick. Then pour whisked eggs into the pan, quickly stir to combine and cook it like a frittata! It's fast as could be!

 Added bonus: You can feel good about eating this! Cabbage is a low-fat, low-calorie, fiber-rich food, which contains calcium (bone health), magnesium and potassium (prevent muscle cramping/maintain excitability of nerves and muscles), vitamin C (boost immune system/growth and repair of cells) as well as the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin (eye health). But what cabbage is really known for in the nutrition world is its cancer-fighting properties. The phytochemicals called indoles in cabbage influence estrogen metabolism in a way that helps reduce the risk of cancer. They also contains lots of dithiolethiones, isothiocynates and sulforaphane that help disarm free-radicals and fight cancer.

 

The carrots are pulling their weight too. Like cabbage, they are excellent for your eyes thanks to the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and a few others you might have heard of like beta-carotene and alphacarotene. High intake of the carotenoids are associated with a decrease of up to 50 percent in a number of different cancers. Read more here.

 

Hearty Omelet Muffins

These little muffins pack a punch. For something so tiny, they really keep you going for a long time. I loaded them up with cooked chicken, spinach, red pepper and onions and jalapeno. They are the perfect go-to breakfast for people who have to rush out the door in the morning. Just make a batch on Sunday and enjoy fast, healthy breakfasts for a whole week. The best part is you can adapt them to your taste. Not a fan of red onion? Leave it out and add some sun dried tomatoes, broccoli or feta. This recipe is just a starting point!

Between the eggs and chicken, each muffin has around 8 grams of protein. This will help keep you full, give you energy and is a building block for body tissue. Red pepper, spinach, and onion are all loaded with vitamins and minerals. They provide lots of vitamin C and A (immune system, cell repair, eye health) along with iron (transporting oxygen to nervous system) and calcium (strong bones). Because of the vitamin C, your body can do an even better job of absorbing this iron. Since I didn't add cheese, this recipe is also relatively low in fat and cholesterol.

Don't skip the egg yolks! They contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a perfect protein, and are loaded with nutrients for your eyes (lutein), brain (choline) and heart(choline). The choline in egg yolks is an essential part on a phospholipid that is needed to ensure fat and cholesterol don't accumulate in your liver. For a more in depth look at why egg yolks are in fact healthy, check out what Clinical Nutritionist Dr. Jonny Bowden has to say about them here.
 

Lemon-Basil Egg Salad Dip

This super-simple creamy lemon-basil dip is fresh and light, but surprisingly filling! The secret is throwing in some fiber-filled green beans and protein-packed hard boiled eggs. They give the dip a beautiful green color and thick, creamy texture. Plus, it's a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your diet or to trick a picky eater. The green beans add extra vitamins and minerals (click here for nutrition data) that you won't find in your typical onion dip.

It makes for a great snack and starter alongside some veggies, crackers or toasted bread, but you can also spread it on sandwiches and wraps for a little extra flavor!