Applesauce wheat muffins

Ingredients: 1 ½ cup flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder (low sodium), 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup wheat germ, 2 medium eggs, 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened, ½ cup low-fat milk, ¼ cup oil, 1 tablespoon olive oil


These applesauce muffins are very dear to my wife's heart. Her mom made them for her growing up and they are just as delicious as they are nutritious. What I love most about these muffins is their versatility. They can be eaten for breakfast or served with a light coat of frosting as cupcakes. Try them out and see for yourself!

Preheat oven at 350°F. Lightly coat a muffin pan with olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and wheat germ). In a separate medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients (eggs, applesauce, milk and oil) until the mixture is blended smoothly.

Mix the wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the ingredients. Pour the mixture into the muffin pan and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the muffins have cooked through.

Makes 12 servings (1 muffin each), each serving contains approximately:

150 calories, 50 calories from fat, 5 g fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 1.5 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 5 g protein

Compare with a serving (1 muffin) of apple bran muffin from Starbucks:

350 calories, 9 g fat, 64 g carbohydrate, 7 g fiber, 6 g protein

Data obtained from www.starbucks.com on December 12, 2011. 

Thin-crust caprese pizza

Ingredients: 1 pound pizza dough, 2 Roma tomatoes (thinly sliced), 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, 8 ounces fresh low-fat mozzarella cheese (sliced), 1 cup prepared low-fat marinara sauce (low-fat), ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar (optional)

Today's pizza recipe is a fantastic option for Valentine's Day with your loved one because it is easy to execute and it looks impressive. Trust me, you don't need a fancy brick oven to make delicious pizza. I usually save myself some time and hassle by purchasing pizza dough from a local pizza joint. If you're not someone who is comfortable soliciting local businesses for dough (pun intended) then I suggest the pizza dough at Trader Joe's for just over a buck. If the dough was previously refrigerated then it is important to allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to make the pizza-rolling process easier. The recipe that follows makes four personal-sized thin crust pizzas so invite another couple over this Valentine's Day or save the extras for lunch the next day. This recipe is also great for family dinners, especially if there are kids in the family. Pizzas are a fun way for the family to get creative. Explore new combinations of fresh toppings and sauces.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Lightly coat two baking pans with olive oil.

Cut the dough into 4 equal parts. On a clean counter space, sprinkle some flour and roll the dough out as thin as you can.

Place the rolled-out dough onto the pans (two pizzas per pan). Ladle about ¼ cup of marinara sauce onto each pizza. Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and distribute evenly amongst the pizzas. Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and distribute evenly. Place the pans into the oven one at a time for 8-10 minutes per pan or until the cheese starts to bubble and the crust is golden. It's important to only have one pan in the oven at a time to keep the temperature of the oven as high as possible. Remove the pan from the oven and place some chopped basil over the pizzas. Feel free to drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the pizzas for some extra tang. Even better, reduce 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar in a pot over medium heat until the reduction starts to get thick. Then drizzle the balsamic reduction over the pizzas. But that's just my version of this classic Italian dish, now go explore yours. 

Makes 4 servings (one personal pizza each), each serving contains approximately:

340 calories, 25 calories from fat, 8 g fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 700 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 11 g protein

Compare with a personal-sized cheese pizza from Peter Piper Pizza:

462 calories, 104 calories from fat, 11.5 g fat, 33 mg cholesterol, 759 mg sodium, 70 g carbohydrate, 3.4 g fiber, 3.3 g sugar, 21.1 g protein

Data obtained from www.peterpiperpizza.com on November 23, 2011. 

Salmon burger

Ingredients: 1 lb fresh salmon, 1/2 yellow onion (minced), 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 tablespoon ginger (minced), 1 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce, 1 egg, 1/2 cup 0% fat yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 2 green onions (finely chopped), 4 pita pockets, spinach and bell peppers.

I absolutely love, love, LOVE seafood. One of my favorite catches is salmon. It's loaded with DHA (food for the brain) and omega-3 fatty acids (food for the rest of the body). In my opinion the best way to eat salmon is raw, on a bed of rice and garnished with soy sauce and wasabi. Unfortunately, I live in a desert that happens to be landlocked so the availability of sashimi-grade salmon is scarce at best. As a result of my limited selection, I have been more creative with my approach towards seafood. Turning fresh salmon into burgers is a great way to enjoy the wonderful health benefits of the sea. This is also a good recipe if you have kids who are picky with their food. Kids eat with their eyes even more so than adults. Parents might find more luck in getting their kids to try healthy foods deemed unappetizing by kids (ie. fish) by converting them into something they are more accustomed to like burgers.

Tzatziki sauce: 1 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt (strained to remove excess liquid), juice of 1 lemon, fresh dill, 2 cloves garlic (finely minced), 1 cucumber (de-seeded , sprinkle a pinch of salt over the cucumber to draw out extra moisture, wipe off extra moisture with a paper towel and finely chop) and salt & pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Allow the ingredients of the sauce to get to know each other and have a party in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours prior to serving.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 1 egg with 1/2 cup of 0% yogurt until smooth. Cut the salmon into 1/2 inch cubes and add to bowl. Add the minced onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, dill, bread crumbs, lemon zest and green onions. Allow the mixture to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Lightly coat a large pan with olive oil and put over medium-high heat. Divide the salmon mixture into four equal portions. Form each portion into a ball and place in the heated pan. Use a spatula to push down on the ball-shaped salmon mixture to form patties. Allow the salmon patties to cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Careful not to break apart the patties while flipping. Once they are on the pan, just let them cook without messing with it until they are ready to be flipped. When they are done cooking, remove them from the pan and let them rest on a plate with a paper towel on top to soak up the extra grease. The salmon burgers can also be cooked on a grill.

Lastly, assemble the salmon burger! For the burger shown in the picture I sauteed roughly chopped mini-bell peppers in olive oil with some garlic and salt & pepper to taste. I also topped the burger with some spinach to pack some iron to this loaded masterpiece.

Health tip #2 : Mortar & pestle

This one goes out to my pharmacist friends who have long kept the mortar & pestle a secret to themselves. Not only is it good for compounding medications, the mortar & pestle is a MUST HAVE kitchen utensil. I use it to make salsas for game days and grind spices for finger-lickin' rubs. But most importantly, grinding up fresh ingredients in a mortar & pestle is a healthy and flavorful way to marinade meats before tossing them on the grill. This Super Bowl Sunday, show your friends and family who the master of the grill really is with this simple marinade.

Rosemary Garlic Marinade:
In a mortar & pestle, grind up 4 cloves of garlic and leaves from two sprigs of rosemary. Adding a touch of salt & pepper may help break down the garlic and help with the process. Add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (feel free to add more if you're a caspasin junkie). Add 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil to the mix and allow the flavors to break the ice with each other for 30 minutes or so before adding the marinade to the meat (this recipe works great with poultry, pork and beef). This recipe should make enough marinade for 1-2 pounds of meat.

Take this health tip and recipe and go make it your own! For some Asian flare, add some soy sauce and ginger. Nix the rosemary and add some cumin, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice and you're on your way to making some killer carne asada. It's really that simple!

Now go and get your mortar & pestles! I was able to find the Hard Marble Mortar & Pestle shown in the pic at Ikea for $9.99. For an upgrade, go with the white Marble Mortar & Pestle from Crate&Barrel for $34.95. Whichever one you choose, your investment is sure to pay dividends.