Enjoy.

Chocolate Espresso Fondue

Yield: 3 cups

Speed: Variable 1-10, High

Time: 4 to 5 minutes

•  ½ cup water
• 1 to 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee
• 3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

Select Variable 1. Turn on machine and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High, using tamper as needed to keep the mixture flowing. Blend for 3 to 4 minutes or until melted and smooth. Pour into fondue pot and serve.

For Dippers: Get creative! Some ideas – Pretzel sticks, strawberries, ladyfingers, fresh pineapple chunks, cubes of pound cake, cubes of angel food cake, marshmallows

(source)

Now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be trying to locate a straw. Who needs dippers, anyway?

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Have you entered to win the $100 Shopbop gift card yet?!

It’s true though, many people simply don’t like the IDEA of fish — so they go through life floundering (ha!) about with never even knowing that they are missing out on one of the most delicious (and healthy!) forms of protein out there.

For those of you who claim that you don’t like fish, but haven’t tried it recently (taste buds are always changing!) You have got to give this dish a try. It’s mild, light and full of buttery goodness. How could you go wrong with butter, anyway? For those of you who like fish, this is a great recipe to add to your weekly rotation — it’s easy enough (only 4 ingredients!) not to stress you out, but fancy enough to serve for a special occasion, guests or just ‘cuz

I serve this recipe along oven-roasted asparagus, which I cook along with the fish.

You’ll need (serves 2):

• Two fillets of a mild, white fish
• 2 tablespoons of butter (I used Smart Balance)
• The juice of one lemon
• I glove of garlic (minced) OR 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• Olive oil

First, melt the butter on the stove top.

Side note: Don’t be afraid of butter, people — a few tablespoons isn’t going to kill you and it makes an enormous difference with flavor. Amen. Say it with me.

Next, add the minced garlic, cook until browned. Add the juice of one lemon and set aside. Pre-heat the broiler. Coat the fish fillets with a bit of olive oil. Rinse and trim asparagus and coat with olive oil (season with salt and black pepper, if you’d like). Arrange both the asparagus and fish together on a cookie sheet (I line mine with non-stick foil for easy clean-up).

Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until the fish flakes with a fork and the asparagus is browned. Plate and top with lemon/butter mixture.

Enjoy!

Are you a seafood lover or hater? When is the last time you gave it a try?

Then you are ready for my taco turkey burgers! If your answer was no, whip some more up!

You’ll need (serves two):

• ground turkey (I used 1/2 lb for two servings)
• leftover corn, tomato and black bean salsa
• taco seasoning
• buns of choice
• cheese of choice

Take 1/4 lb of meat and add taco seasoning and as much or as little of the salsa. Form into a patty. Repeat for as many patties you need.

Pan-fry for about 3 minutes on each side. Choose your favorite bun and top with cheese.

Chow down.

Now who said leftovers weren’t fun?

I don’t know about you, but after the long holiday weekend last week, I’m definitely having a case of the “Mondays” this morning. But for those of you who are suffering from similar bran haziness, I’m here to make your life easier for dinner tonight!

Did any of you make the Weekend Roast Chicken? If so, your hard work is over! If not, get cookin in the kitchen tonight and make this recipe tomorrow.

You’ll need:

• About 1 1/2 cups leftover roast chicken — dark meat works best 
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 1/2 chopped vidalia onion
• 1 1/2 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts (drained and chopped)
• 2 tablespoons chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• small pinch ground black pepper
• 2 scallions, slices
• 4 Bibb lettuce leaves

First, heat the oil in a saute pan on medium/low heat. Add onion and saute about 3 minutes, Reduce heat to low. Next, add ginger and garlic and saute 1 minute. Add water-chestnuts and cook 1 more minute.

Add chicken, broth, soy sauce, vinegar and pepper and stir well. Remove from heat and stir in the shopped scallions.

Almost done!

Divide chicken mixture into lettuce cups (or on top of a bed of lettuce if you “cups” fall apart, like mine did!

Make these soon. They are delicious (the Mister has already requested this dish again), oh-so-easy (less than 15 minutes!) and really help out in the “domestic goddess” department.

Stay tuned for this week’s meal plan. Also in the works — how to travel with a baby — any specific questions you’d like me to address?

In 2011, I have resolved to place more green things into my diet, and what better way of doing that than with some healthy green salads? The problem, of course, is that salads get pretty boring without some yummy mix-ins to liven things up! Tomatoes, mushrooms, croutons, parmesean cheese….all are pretty standard, but the one item that I really enjoy when I get a salad out is those delicious candied nuts that some of my favorite places sprinkle onto their salads. Determined to save some money, I decided to figure out how I could incorporate them into my salads that I make at home. I promise, it’s very easy.

You will need:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Nutmeg (optional)
• Cayenne pepper (optional)

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While it’s heating, combine a cup of unsalted walnuts (I buy mine in the bulk containers at the supermarket) with 1 tbsp of maple syrup in a small bowl, mixing until the nuts are evenly coated with the syrup.

Next, lightly spray a cookie sheet with olive oil, or spread out a silicone baking sheet (my new favorite kitchen gadget! No oil!) on top of your cookie sheet.

Distribute the nuts onto the cookie sheet, then sprinkle on some cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Sprinkle on a tiny bit of cayenne, if you want to try the spicy, sweet candied nuts!

Pop them in the heated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the syrup has hardened.

Remove them from the oven, and allow to cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

This recipe can be used with other nuts as well. My favorite is pecans! Enjoy on your salad, or serve them as a snack on their own, or use them atop a yummy cake!

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some apple butter, but I didn’t want to just spread it on some bread and call it a day. No sirree. I was determined to create something brilliant.

Let’s just say that if you see me on a regular basis and I never make this cake for you, I do not like you.

Lucky for all of you, I pretty much love you to pieces and am going to share the recipe so you can make it yourself.

This cake is simple, nutritious and you’ll SWEAR you are eating something incredibly bad for you. It’s perfect with a cold glass of milk or hot cup of coffee/tea.

Apple Butter Crumb Cake (inspired by Oh She Glows Pumpkin Oat Squares)

You’ll need:

For the cake

• 1.5 cups oats
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup egg substitute (or real egg, if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup butter (I used Smart Balance to save some calories and fat)
• 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp skim milk

For the topping

• 1.5 cups apple butter (I used Musselman, but in the future, I’ll probably use “no sugar added” pumpkin butter from my local orchard.
• Walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients for the cake. In a separate bowl, stir the melted earth balance, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and egg substitute.

Set aside about 1/2 cup of the dry mixture.

Now combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix well, using a fork to incorporate and “mash” together.

Pour the mixture into a square pan and evenly disperse.

Bake the cake at 350F for approximately 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and pour apple butter and smooth out with spatula. Sprinkle the set-aside oat mixture on top of the apple butter and garnish to your little hearts content with walnuts.

Return to oven and bake at 350F for about 8-10 minutes. When finished, let the pan fully cool on counter for about 20 minutes. Then place in the freezer for about 40-50 minutes (this allows the apple butter to set and not “run” everywhere when cutting).

Store in the fridge and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy and consider yourself loved

But some recipes welcome additions, substitutions and customization. In fact, by making tweaks to an existing recipe, you could be creating what will become a family, “do-not-touch-this-recipe-or-else” tradition.

This past week I took the plunge and created, what I think, is a pretty genius upgrade.

And it’s so, so simple.

First, take your favorite meatball recipe (I prefer turkey). In this case, I used Jenna’s turkey meatball recipe (but added some extra oregano).

The meatballs are quite delish on their own, but last I checked, a little cheese never hurt anyone

What I’m about to tell you only requires one extra ingredient and is sure to add indulgent (but healthy) deliciousness!

The secret ingredient? STRING CHEESE.

Cut string cheese into 1 inch sections (you’ll need about 2-3 sticks, depending on the size of your meatballs). Now, before forming your meat mixture into meatballs, roll the meat around the section of the cheese stick and then form a ball. Bake according to the recipe and you’ll have Stuffed Turkey Meatballs.

It’s definitely one of those “why didn’t I think of that sooner” moments

Let’s just say that while this dish was incredibly delicious, it didn’t look the prettiest on my camera — but here’s an incredibly unhealthy version from Applebee’s to give you the idea

Unlike the Applebee’s calorie and fat bomb, my meatballs are very healthy and provide a great source of protien. Adding reduced fat string cheese to the mix simply adds some creamy indulgence, without sabatoging the health-factor of the dish.

ENJOY!

What was your last “genius moment” in the kitchen? How do you put your own stamp on classic recipes?

Really? Do I have to?

If nothing else, I’m always up for trying something new, so I put on my thinking cap.

Where to begin?, I thought. Italian? Nah. it’s certainly delicious, but too easy to be called a true “challenge.” I wanted to actually step outside my comfort zone and create a dish I’d never tried before.

I began thinking of things I looks for in some of my favorite foods: fresh veggies, lean meat, interesting flavor combos and sexiness.

You read that correctly — sexiness.

Because anyone who’s enjoyed tiramisu, creme brulee, chocolate covered strawberries, fillet mignon, buttered lobster tails or five layer chocolate cake knows that food can be sexy.

It’s one thing to say you want to create a sexy dish and it’s another thing to actually follow-through. Never being one to give up, I was determined to wrangle my inner sex kitten and create something spectacular.

Let’s just say that cat was let out of the bag many moons ago. For those of you who know me, I am more dork than suave, more klutz than glam and never, ever sexy.

So I turned to the pros for help:

Ah yes, Brazilian models. Have you ever met a Brazilian that isn’t sexy? I didn’t think so.

After scouring the intertubes and reading up on their cuisine, I found what I thought would be a perfect match –Moqueca.

Imagining me purring that to you in a sexy Brazilian accent, are you? Too bad my face contorts in pain as I try to hide my girl-next-door midwestern tongue. But just because I’m not seductive and don’t have an alluring accent doesn’t mean I can’t make sexy food, right? Don’t answer that…

According to Wikipedia: Moqueca (or Muqueca, Portuguese pronunciation: [moˈkɛkɐ]) is a traditional Brazilian seafood stew. Brazilians have been making Moquecas for 300 years. It basically consists of fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and additional ingredients. It is cooked slowly, with no water added.

I was originally drawn to Moqueca for the same reasons that I love any fish stew — seafood, veggies and more seafood.

I set to work compiling recipes and reading up on this dish and made a few minor variations of my own.

Brazilian Sex-Pot Stew (Moqueca)

You’ll need:

• 1 lb. of fish filets, cut in large portions (select any white fish that speaks to you that day) – on second thought, if a fish is speaking to you, return to your medication and stay away from the stove.
• 1 lb. shrimp (I took a shortcut and bought pre-cooked shrimp)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp of peanut oil***
• juice of one lime
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 Tbsp of green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbps of parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

***Most traditional dishes call for palm oil. After doing much research on this ingredient, I learned that peanut oil creates the same taste, but with less than half of the saturated fat! At The Daily Balance, we’re always looking for ways to make things healthier — without sacrificing taste or quality — this swap fit the bill.

First, marinade the fish filets and shrimp with salt, pepper and lime juice for at least 1/2 hour.

In the meantime, sauté garlic, onion, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, parsley and cilantro in peanut oil for about two minutes. Then add fish and coconut milk. Cook for about 15 minutes on low or until fish is cooked.

Take a moment to admire the rich, creamy (and dare I say, SEXY) goodness.

Serve alongside fried plantains.

Well I’m not sure if my bottom has started lifting, but I know eating this certainly made me feel sexy. The richness of the coconut milk added a luscious creaminess, while adding exotic flavor — really rounded out the dish!

So dim those lights, ignite the candles and have a sexy evening with Moqueca.

If I can do it, I promise you can too.

This is so incredibly easy, sincerely delicious and would make a great dish to enjoy during the football games this weekend.

Here’s what you’ll need (serves 2, just multiply accordingly to serve more):

• 1 cup of your favorite tortilla chips – this is important, don’t be stingy!
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• Taco seasoning
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 cup salsa
• Healthy serving of cheddar cheese

First, treat yourself to a few tortilla chips — you deserve them.

Alright, now spray a skillet with non-stick spray and cook your turkey on medium heat until the pink color takes on a nice, brown tan (about 7-8 minutes). Drain the meat (if needed) and add the appropriate amount of taco seasoning and water (look on the taco seasoning package to get the correct ratio). Return to heat and simmer on low the water is evaporated (stir occasionally).

Now you are ready to layer!

Take a small pie pan or casserole dish and line the bottom with 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips – I always add a bit more than this, because hey, I like chips.

Next, layer the turkey mixture on top, covering all of the chips.

Now let’s make that turkey dance! Spread your salsa on top — feel free to add a little extra if it needs it.

Now it’s time to add my favorite part – AVOCADO! Chop the ‘cado and layer on top.

Let’s add our second layer of crunch – one more 1/2 cup of crushed chipies. Then top it all of with shredded chedda.

Place into the broiler (about 4 inches from the heat) for roughly 4-5 minutes. Keep on eye on it – you don’t want the cheese to burn. You’ll know it’s done once the cheese starts bubbling.

Allow to cool. I repeat: allow to cool. No one likes burned tongues — especially if you plan on having a make-out session later. And we should always be ready for that! Just be sure to have gum or a mint after eating this spicy dish

Now serve yourself up a plate of deliciousness. Don’t worry about keeping things pretty, this is all about flavor, people, and sometimes it’s 100% necessary to forgo presentation. This is one of those times. Dig in, swoon and remind yourself that you really could make this every day if you wanted to

Because sometimes the messy, ugly dishes are the most delicious

It’s time to deliver.

You’ll need:

• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 cup (heaping) Plain, nonfat Yogurt
• 1 cup Sugar (or Splenda if you want to lighten things up)
• 3/4 cups egg-substitute (I used EggBeaters)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 whole Zest Of Lemon
• ½ cups Canola Oil

Glaze

• 1/4 cups nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cups prepared marmalade (I used apricot, but I’m sure anything would be delish!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and canola oil until just combined. In a larger bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the wet ingredients and mix until combined (don’t overbeat).

Coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and pour batter into pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Allow cake to cool slightly and remove from pan. Meanwhile, add marmalade to a saucepan on low heat and stir until melted. Next add the 1/4 cups yogurt and remove from heat. Stir to combine and pour on top of the cake, allowing the gooey goodness to pool along the sides. Serve warm.

Grab a cup of milk and eat to your heart’s content.