Healthy Tasty Chowcleaner recipes, reviews and food chatter

This year, I’ve been really into lemon anything.  Unfortunately, the majority of the lemon cookie recipes I’ve found aren’t too healthy or they’re full of oats and I didn’t want that.  So, I decided to make up my own healthy version with yogurt!  It worked out well because Stonyfield Farm is hosting this GIVEAWAY for their Greek yogurt line Oikos- 1 free 16oz coupon and 3 free 5.3oz coupons!    More details below.  I made this cookie two ways, with and without coconut.  The coconut flavor is already present and mild from the coconut oil (if you don’t like coconut, use all butter instead or use some organic shortening which doesn’t have the negative qualities of the non-organic kinds).  The coconut made these cookies slightly more moist and thicker.  I think these cookies taste best cooled, and they’re delicious either way.  I decided to use spelt flour for the added fiber and rich color, but if you need gluten-free, I think they’d probably work well with gluten-free oat flour.  They should also work if all you have is white or wheat flour.  The consistency if this cookie is a little crunchy on the outside and softer on the inside with a tiny bit of a crumble (due to the coconut oil).  An easy and fairly fast lemon poppy seed cookie that’s healthy.  Yes!!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 lemons (juice of two lemons and zest of two lemons)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar (if you don’t have this, use honey)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 5.3oz container vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farm Oikos)  …or you can use a scant 1/2 cup of your preferred Greek yogurt
• 1 3/4 cups spelt flour (or whatever flour you prefer)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tb poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Over a low boil, heat the lemon juice, zest and agave nectar stirring constantly with a whisk until half the liquid remains (a little less than half a cup) liquid will thicken to the consistency of the agave.  Let cool, mixture thickens to more of a thick honey consistency
• In a large mixing bowl blend the butter, sugar and coconut oil.  Add the yogurt and lemon juice mixture
• In a smaller bowl, blend the flour with the salt and poppy seeds with a fork
• Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet.  Add shredded coconut and blend well.
• Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet and bake about 8-9 minutes, the bottom of the cookie will brown

To win the Oikos giveaway, all you have to do is comment below.  I don’t care what you say, just make your presence known!  I’ll pick the winner at random via random.com by assigning each post a number.  Easy.  No pressure!  I’ll pick the winner June 21st, Father’s Day!  If you don’t win, you can still get a discount with these coupons.  If you’re looking for something else to make with your Greek yogurt, you can try out my most recent Sonoma Chicken Salad recipe, where I discuss in detail on some of the health benefits.  Also, you parents stay tuned, because soon we’ll be doing a YoBaby giveaway!

Oh, and I feel that I should mention, if you’re looking for a good lemon cookie recipe that is not healthy in the least bit, I highly recommend this.  They’re very time consuming and tricky, but when done right, delicious.

Just for kids!  I would not make these for myself, but of course, since they’re around, I eat them.  These bars are full of banana flavor with the additional nutritional bonus of sweet potatoes!  These are based off of Missy Chase Lapine’s book, The Sneaky Chef.  I love her book but my problem with it is, I don’t want to make a puree of something and keep it in the fridge, and then have leftovers if I don’t use it all and toss it out.  It’s all too much possible waste for me to handle so I never really attempted making her recipes.  Then I decided, that’s dumb.  Like usual, why not just throw in what I feel like putting in if it’s close and it’ll probably work.  It usually does!  I’m actually really excited to try her PB&J muffins my way. 

Ingredients:

• 5TB butter (I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 jar stage 2 organic sweet potatoes (I used Earth’s Best)…Stage 2 is closer to the amount you want, 1 is too small, if you have stage 1, just use 1 1/2 or 2 jars
• 2 large mashed bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/3-1/2 cup oat flour or oats…I used oat flour this time because I ran out of oats
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 and spray 8″ square pan or 11×7 pan
• Melt butter & coconut oil if you are using it over medium heat along with agave nectar and stir with whisk.  Remove from heat and let cool while doing the next step
• In a large bowl, mash bananas, add the beaten eggs, baby food, and vanilla.  Add the slightly cooled butter and agave nectar mixture
• Add oats/oat flour and spelt flour and salt.  For less moist bars, add more oats.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes until they don’t jiggle in the middle anymore and turn slightly brown around the edges
• Allow to cool and then melt chocolate chips and spread on top.  You may also drizzle but to be honest, I think spreading is much easier.  I always make my drizzle chunk or somehow lose control of my hand and make a gorgeous splot on top of whatever it is that I’m making.  I prefer not drizzling but wish I had the skill.  Drizzles are pretty.

My toddler loves them!

I found this delicious recipe on Gwyneth Paltrow’s blog: goop.com.  I enjoy reading the food section of her blog because she always has one healthy meal and a dessert/sweet option.  (I know, I tend to stick to the sweets but they’re more fun to talk about)  She has access to anything and since she cares about her health she seems to find those health-conscious talented foodies and I’m so happy that she shares her findings!  I tweaked it a little since I’m a much lazier cook… I hate sifting (however, if you’re not sifting, you may be using too much flour…or basically, a different recipe alltogether) and making wells and using multiple bowls and stuff so here’s my version:

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1/2 c maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup (just use honey or agave nectar if you don’t have it)
• 5 Tablespoons grapeseed oil (or canola or sunflower)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup whole spelt flour  (you can also use just plain wheat flour)
• 1/2 cup barley flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts, roasted then chopped (tip: roast more in case you burn a few it seems to always happen in my hot oven and then if none burn, you have extras to put in the muffins or a tasty treat to snack on while baking)
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350 and roast the walnuts for around 7 minutes, then chop
2. Mash bananas and then mix in the other liquid ingredients.
3. Mix flours, baking soda and salt and add to liquid ingredients (I usually put the liquid ingredients in a big bowl, and mix the dry on top of the liquid in the same bowl, I hate doing dishes, it works every time though!!!) 
4. Fold in walnuts and raisins.  Don’t over-mix or it’ll be tough.  I used a spatula for mixing everything.
5. Spray the muffin tin with oil or line with cups.  Use an ice cream scoop to distribute evenly - I do this with every muffin/cupcake that I make.  It’s so much easier!
6. Bake about 25 minutes, cool for a few minutes, and then transfer to a cooking rack.

These made a dense yet fluffy moist batch of muffins with a rich banana flavor.  Enjoy!

I made this cookie recipe because I really wanted to use coconut oil in cookies for the heavier consistency factor - like back when our moms used to throw butter flavored Crisco in cookies and they always tasted the best with the chewy heartier texture?  With what I know now, I would never buy shortening to use in my foods and feed to my family.  We are coconut lovers and the added coconut flavor from the coconut oil is a welcome change.  If you don’t like coconut or if you have coconut allergies - you can just buy some organic shortening which is made of palm oil and is trans-fat free.  These cookies are flourless!  By using coconut oil, spelt flour, ground flaxseed, and oats, you’re getting a much healthier version and a  tasty treat.  If you really wanted a cleaner eating version of the cookie, you can always substitute agave nectar for the sugar.  If you wanted a lighter version, you could also substitute applesauce for the butter.  However, I like using at least a few traditional ingredients in baking because it usually lends to a better flavor!

• 1/4 cup organic butter, softened
• 1/8 cup extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup spelt flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat butter and coconut oil together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and beat well. Add egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, combine spelt flour, flaxseed, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop a heaping teaspoon of dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

This makes a small batch of around 35 little cookies.  I prefer these cookies cooled because the coconut flavor comes out!  Also, these are toddler and husband approved!  My husband is fairly picky on healthy versions of cookies but lately I’ve gotten much better at it that he doesn’t know he’s eating a healthy version… except he knows I made them so he does know deep down:)