Uncovering Uthappam: Celebrating Cultural Classics

Uthappams with Onion, Tomato, and Coriander

When I was younger, I was a very picky eater. My parents were not okay with this. They wanted to expose me to a variety of foods and to try everything. I remember a couple of nights where my dad would tell me that I could just go hungry if I didn't want to eat what was for dinner. I probably threw a temper tantrum but would inevitably eat dinner because I was hungry.

My parents were right. I might not have liked everything I was fed but it expanded my palate and taught me to try everything at least once. When I found out on Friday that Uncovering Food had made it to round two of Project Food Blog (Thank you to those who voted!), I was excited to find out what the challenge was:

"Ready to tackle a classic dish from another culture? Pick an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with. You should include how you arrived at this decision in your post. Do your research then try to pull off successfully creating this challenge. Try to keep the dish as authentic as the real deal, and document your experience through a compelling post."

I am always ready to learn about new cuisines! This was right up my alley! At first I thought I would learn how to make a traditional Hungarian dish since my dad's family is from Hungary and I have never learned how to make any of the dishes he made me. This would be out of my comfort zone but there were three other challenges I faced when selecting my dish. One, I am familiar with Hungarian food. In my mind this challenge was asking me to find a classic dish from a culture that I don't know very well. The second constraint was that I am partaking in the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 21-day vegan challenge which means the dish I would be making would need to be vegan. The third constraint was that I would be at a debate tournament all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so I would have limited prep and shopping time late in the evenings and early in the mornings.

A number of students I work with are from southern states in India and I knew a couple of them were vegan, so I asked for a restaurant recommendation for lunch on Friday to explore the cuisines of this part of India. My assistant debate coach and I ended up at Madura, a vegetarian restaurant with a number of vegan options. We ordered a variety of items on the menu to try and when I broke out my camera, that's when the education started.

Madura Dishes (clockwise from left): Medhu Vada & Rava Kichadi; Pea, Onion, and Mushroom Uthappam; Spring Dosa

The owner of the restaurant asked what I was taking pictures for and I explained the Project Food Blog challenge. He was especially nice to us upon learning this and explained to me how each dish was prepared and what ingredients were in every dish. I will definitely be going back to Madura to enjoy more of the dishes that were lighter than Indian dishes I was more familiar with from other regions of the country. Every dish I tried was full of flavor and would have been fun to make, but keeping in mind that Uncovering Food is about exploring healthier options, I opted to make Uthappam, a pancake that is eaten for breakfasts and lunches and is embedded with a variety of vegetables and spices.

What I failed to learn at the restaurant was how much time goes into preparing the batter. The first step takes 6 to 12 hours, then after a few prep steps you have another 12-48 hours of fermentation before the cooking of the batter. Which meant I would need to buy ingredients on Friday night after the tournament and cook the Uthappam on Sunday morning before leaving for the 8 a.m. tournament.

I also hadn't anticipated that one of the primary ingredients would be difficult to find at a traditional American grocery store. When I was told the dish contained lentils, I wrongly assumed they were the ones I was familiar with. However, Uthappam utilizes Urad Dal which is much smaller than lentils most Americans are familiar with.

This is a real penny. Split Urad Dal is very small! 
Be careful to not confuse it with larger lentil varieties.

Luckily, after a harrowing search by fellow coaches and students I found a kit for another Indian dish at Whole Foods that had a bag of plain urad dal in it, so I was saved with only seven minutes before the store closed. I took my ingredients back to the tournament, which hadn't ended, and anxiously waited for the rounds to finish.

The recipe I ended up making came about from both my conversations at Madura but also with parents at the debate tournament. I learned that many people now buy the flour pre-made for Uthappam but the best are always made from scratch. It reminded me of the difference between Bisquick and homemade hot cakes. However, I never got exact measurements and after doing some online research, I realized there is no exact formula. The ratios of rice to urad dal are between 2:1 and 3:1 and sometimes have the addition of cooked rice and/or flattened rice in the batter. While I would have probably soaked my rice and urad dal a bit longer because it supposedly heightens the flavor of the Uthappam, this recipe got rave reviews from the students and coaches who tried it on National Pancake Day (how appropriate to prepare these Indian pancakes on a day that celebrates it's American cousin!).

Uthappam is a thick hearty pancake that can be topped with a variety of vegetables, fresh herbs, and spices.

Tomato-Onion-Coriander Uthappam

2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
1 cup split urad dal, uncooked
1 tsp sea salt
1 vine-ripened tomato, sliced thin
1 small purple onion, sliced thin
fresh coriander, minced
canola oil, as needed

Rinse rice and urad dal in separate containers and soak for eight to twelve hours.

Drain and grind rice while reserving the liquid. Drain and grind urad dal while reserving the liquid. Mix rice powder, urad dal powder, and salt together. Add small amounts of each liquid until you reach a thick but spreadable consistency. This will vary depending on how long you soaked the rice and urad dal, but I added about a half cup of liquid. You will want the batter to look almost like a thick pancake batter that can be poured but is thick enough for the toppings to stick to. Cover the batter and let sit in a warm place to ferment for 12 to 48 hours.

Warm a large frying pan or griddle to a medium-high heat. I found in my research that the Uthappam is often cooked on a Tawa or Tava which can reduce the amount of oil needed because of the concave shape of the pan/griddle.

Pour the desired amount of batter on the griddle and spread to a thickness of about a quarter to half inch. Sprinkle tomato, onion, and coriander on the uncooked side. You can choose to drizzle oil over the top of the Uthappam or around the edges. Once the bottom is browned, flip over and let the toppings-side cook for about ten seconds. You want the batter to brown lightly to secure the toppings without burning the toppings.

Remove from pan and serve with a tomato chutney or Sambar, a lentil soup that usually contains tamarind, toor dal (yellow lentils), and a blend of spices commonly known as sambar curry powder.

Recipe makes 8 Uthappam approximately six-inches in diameter. Nutritional information does not include the optional oil.

One tomato-onion-coriander Uthappam has 258 calories, .69 grams of fat, 9.14 grams of fiber, 8.68 grams of protein.

Uncovering Pistachios: Heart-Health and Happy Eats

Memories of my childhood include my father sitting on the patio, cracking open pistachios while telling political and historical stories that were more intriguing than anything I could read in a history book or watch on the news. I remember getting to crack open my own pistachios, the salty hard outer shell with the green and white seeds inside taunting me with their rich nutty goodness.

Recently I began seeing a nutritionist (Hi Lauren!) to ensuring my version of "healthy eating" was on par with what I really should be eating in order to not only lose weight but improve my overall well-being. One of the things I realized while keeping my food journal is how I eat a relatively low-fat diet. But the fats I was consuming were often not the healthy ones (yum bacon!) so when I hit the road this past weekend for a debate tournament in North Carolina, I needed to find a way to increase healthy fats without just doing shots of olive oil in my hotel room (that could be an interesting drinking game on a random Friday night though...).

I looked through the list of healthier options and that is when I saw a flash from the past. Pistachios! Not only are they delicious, they are also relatively good for you (in moderation of course). So I made it a point to buy a bag, portion them out, and carry them in my camera bag/purse for the tournament. Eating a half cup of pistachios kept me entertained for a reasonable amount of time and when I finished them, I was full! Which is when I realized that while many of us enjoy these little green morsels, how many of us know all of their health benefits?

Apparently there is a Web site (or course there is) dedicated to the health benefits of pistachios. Actually there were hundreds. But rather than just trust sites that are probably funded in part by the industry (not that they are wrong, but more for the academic "evaluate sources" teacher in me), I decided to hit the academic research on the nut.

Researchers at Penn State in an article in the Journal of Nutrition in June 2010 conducted research that "suggests that a heart-healthy diet including pistachios contributes to the decrease in the serum oxidized-LDL concentration through cholesterol-lowering and may provide an added benefit as a result of the antioxidants the pistachios contain."

According to the USDA Nutrition Laboratory, one ounce of dry-roasted salted pistachios (in shell) has 161 calories, 2.9 grams of fiber, 13 grams of fat, 6 grams of protein, and a number of minerals and vitamins including 137mg phosphorus (RDA 700mg).

Ultimately, I like pistachios because of their creamy nutty flavor, plus they are fun to eat! But it is also good to know that I am doing something good for my body in the process. I eat them by themselves but would love to know how you enjoy your pistachios!

Shiitake and Cherry Tomato Couscous

This is an easy dish to throw together on a hot day. I served it as an entree with Greek yogurt and strawberries for dessert. This recipe makes one entree serving, or two sides.

1/4 cup couscous, dry
1 cup organic mixed medley cherry tomatoes
1/6 oz fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp Garlic Gold olive oil
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
hot water, 1/4 to 1/3 cup

Heat oil in saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Toss cherry tomatoes in warmed oil. Just before tomatoes begin to wilt, add mushrooms. When tomatoes begin to wilt, add 1/4 cup of hot water. Add couscous and stir. You may need to add slightly more water. Add seasoning to taste. While stirring in seasoning, pop a few of the tomatoes and mix into the couscous. Enjoy!

For complete recipe: 237 calories/2.7 grams of fat/5 grams of fiber/7.4 grams of protein

Get Mixed Up on this Trail: You Trail Mix

The fabulous folks at You Bar began production today on a new line of customizable trail mix. If you have been following Uncovering Food, you will remember my fascination with this company that creates bars and smoothie mixes to fit your personal palate. You Trail Mix, the newest member of the You family, began taking orders today with a fabulous array of options to include.

I recently had the opportunity to test out the three Popular Mixes before they are shipped out to the general public. The Best Trail Mix (pictured above), Mix Up Your Day, and Chocolate Trails are all sold in 13-bag cases and are perfect to toss in your purse or your kid's lunch box for an afternoon snack.

As a nut lover, the Best Trail Mix satisfied my cravings with a combination of Almonds, Organic Cashews, Walnuts, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Dried Sweetened Blueberries, Sweetened Cranberries, and Sun Drops Original Chocolate Candies. If I were to personalize this however, I would probably change up the dried fruits with pineapple and apricots -- two of the options in the Mix-A-Trail menu. A 45g bag is 234 calories/16 grams of fat/4 grams of fiber/5 grams of protein. Considering the high nut content, this is a perfect portion of healthy oils and filling foods.


The Mix Up Your Day was my favorite of the three popular flavors. This mix included huge chunks of coconut that was full of flavor and contrasted nicely with the goji berries, pineapple and cashews. Oat Bran Sesame Sticks and Almonds round out this mix for a salty, smooth and sweet combination. At 229 calories/15 grams of fat/3 grams of fiber/5 grams of protein, this is another combination that will keep you full for a while. And for those of you with peanut free campuses, this combo is sans peanuts.


For the chocolate loving readers, You Trail Mix did not forget about you! Chocolate Trails is a mix created just for the healthy chocolate lover. Pecans, Dried Cherries, Peanuts, Milk Chocolate Raisins, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Mini Pretzels are all served up together in this sweet nutty blend. Since I am not a fan of milk chocolate, this wasn't my favorite. If I were to mix up my own blend, I would opt for the dark chocolate covered espresso beans and dark chocolate covered raisins. The options are endless! I also probably wouldn't include the pretzels because the residual moisture from the dried fruit decreased the crispness of the pretzels. This mix tallies up at 220 calories/13 grams of fat/4 grams of fiber/4 grams of protein.


While the premixed bags ring in at $1.49 a bag, you can personalize three different sizes from $1.89 to $2.19 a bag depending on the size. There is no specific charge for ingredients, so even opting for more expensive ingredients won't affect the overall cost!

Why pay so much for small bags of trail mix when you could just make your own at home? If you are like me, portion control is awesome, and these bags keep the individual portions fresh. You are also paying for the convenience of not having to buy large bags of everything and mix the exact portions yourself and calculating the nutritional information. Finally, how cool is it for you (or your kid) to have snacks with your own name on it?!?

All in all, I believe the You Bar folks have found another niche in the customizable foods market, which they are filling with 10 different nuts, 11 different fruits, 5 different seeds, 4 different crunchy grains, and 12 other tasty additions. Try mixing up your own trail mix and let us know what you come up with!

April Mystery Box: Rosemary-Garlic-Beer Focaccia with Smoked Gouda and Ham

This month, the Mystery Ingredient Challenge box included beer, rosemary and ham. I wanted to make a pizza but in the end I settled on a simple rosemary-garlic-beer Focaccia topped with smoked Gouda and ham. The serving size for this recipe is decent sized appetizers and pairs great with a cold Newcastle.

1.25 cups bread flour
1.25 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp garlic olive oil (I use Garlic Gold, more on this fabulous company in the coming week... consider this a preview)
1 tbsp Garlic Gold Italian Herb Nuggets
1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
6 oz beer (I used Newcastle because I LOVE it's flavor!)
2.5 oz diced smoked Gouda
3 oz diced ham

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first four ingredients together until blended, then add remaining ingredients through the beer. Once dough is blended, place on greased baking pans (or pizza stone) and press out with your fingers until desired thickness. Bake for 5-10 minutes until crust starts to set. Remove from oven and sprinkle gouda and ham over top. Bake for another 8-15 minutes until cheese starts to brown. Slice into small triangles with pizza cutter and enjoy!

Nutritional Information: 212 calories/6 grams of fat/2 grams of fiber/10 grams of protein

There is still a couple days to get your entry in for a chance to win!
Click on the icon above to learn more!

The Veggie Vixens review Holey Donuts

For the past four years I have had the honor of being friends with a fabulous group of women from throughout the country. We met through the Weight Watchers boards when we all joined a group challenge, and we have been emailing each other almost daily since. Our group was dubbed the Veggie Vixens, and the name has stuck with us through all of these years.

While our group members live in every time zone, I am lucky to have a number of them in my region. Which meant when I got an opportunity to review Holey Donuts, I had to invite some of my favorite girls together to taste and dish about these reduced calorie sweets.

Meet the girls!

Jasmine, mother of an infant and a toddler; Erika, mother of infant twins; Zara, mother of four school age boys; and me, high school debate coach and companion to two cats :-)

We made up a variety plate that included all but one donut which I had forgotten at home. I will review that one at the end since it was my favorite! But first, here is beautiful Zara modeling out sample tray. Zara is not only a mom but also a runner and business owner. Seriously she amazes me!


Holey Donuts, a small family owned company, makes each of these donuts by hand. You can learn more about their story here. Right now the donuts can only be ordered online, however there are rumors that Holey Donut stores may be opening in the future. Upon receiving the donuts, they are stored in the freezer and heated up individually as the consumer wishes to enjoy them.

The donuts our group sampled, from the top of the plate in the first picture and working clockwise: Low Fat Cinnamon Glazed Donut Holes, Low Fat Chocolate Crumb, Low Fat Vanilla Crumb, Raspberry Graham Cracker, Low Fat Caramel Crumb, Banana Creme Oreo Cookie, and a Jumbo Reduced Fat Cinnamon Roll (center).

We began with the Low Fat Crumb donuts. These were a bit too dense for most of us but Zara said "The glaze was just the right amount of sweet to balance the breadiness of the donut. The chocolate and caramel flavors didn't really come through enough for me, though. Perhaps cocoa in the chocolate donut dough would help? The reduced fat chocolate, vanilla, and caramel-glazed donuts were a decent substitute for sugary sprinkle-topped donuts I would get at my local donut shop. They were also denser and more chewy than traditional donuts. I would compare them more to a "cake donut" versus a glazed donut."

Unfortunately, baking the donuts leaves them less fluffy which is fine if you don't expect your donuts to have the texture of, well, donuts! Jasmine put it best when she said "I thought they were a little too dense and bread-y in texture for donuts. The texture was perfect for the cinnamon roll, but I like my donuts fluffier and lighter. Taste wise they were pretty good. They certainly didn't taste like low fat/low cal donuts. I thought some were too sweet, but normally I eat my donuts with a big glass of milk to cut the sweetness which I didn't have for this tasting." While Erika felt they were all plain and tasted generally the same, Jasmine and Zara both voted vanilla as their favorite of the bunch. I am a caramel fanatic and enjoyed the sweet glaze of this one. These donuts have 148/9 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber and 4 grams of protein in every donut.


Next we moved into the cinnamon donut holes. These were one of Erika's top picks. In my opinion, the small bits of baked dough were sweet and lighter than the other donuts. You get four in one serving which makes the enjoyment last longer. Zara felt they were "a bit doughy, not as light and fluffy as regular donut holes. That's ok with me, though.. They were just the right amount of sweet, too. Being a carb/sweet addict, these really appealed to me and I could see myself easily overdoing it on them." However, Jasmine felt that the topping was almost too sweet and the texture was too heavy. Four donut holes are 148 calories, 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber and 3.5 grams of protein.


The Raspberry Graham Cracker resembles a jelly filled donut. This was one of my two favorites because the texture of the actual donut was less dense then some of the others. I agree with Zara who said she would enjoy this as a dessert rather than a breakfast item. However I tend to enjoy sweets as dessert because a high sugar start to the morning can set me up for healthy eating failure, no matter how many calories the breakfast is. Both Jasmine and Zara said that jelly donuts usually gross them out, but the filling on this one was less sweet. Zara also said that "the filling seemed fresher than traditional jelly donut filling, which has always seemed fake and over-processed. This filling seemed to actually contain a good amount of real berries." This donut is larger than the Low Fat Crumb donuts, and contains 217 calories, 3.9 grams of fat, 1 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.


The Banana Cream Oreo Cookie is another filled donut that is filled with a banana cream and topped with frosting and oreo cookie crumbs. This was Zara's favorite because "the banana and chocolate flavors were in just the right balance and made a good contrast to the dough-y donut. This donut was a bit messy, too, so I'd probably use a fork and knife to eat this one, as well. This would also go well with coffee." Jasmine also enjoyed this donut saying is "was pretty good. The banana filling wasn't too sweet and made a nice contrast to the cookie crumbs on top. Since it was mostly the creme/custard filling, I didn't notice the texture of the actual donut." These creamy chocolaty delights are 222 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber and 5 grams of protein each.


The cinnamon roll was a favorite of Jasmine, Erika and Zara. It is large and would make a great dessert! Zara isn't sure she would spend that many points on the cinnamon roll for breakfast but said "The cinnamon roll was delicious. It was a reasonable substitute for a Cinnabon. Just the right amount of stickiness and icing! I would definitely warm this up and eat it with a fork and a knife." Jasmine, a fellow cinnamon roll lover felt that the roll "was really good. Perfect texture and flavor. Couldn't tell the difference between this and a regular cinnamon bun" These are 340 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein each but are rather large and could easily be shared!


I felt bad leaving this last one at home, but the Coconut Creme Pie was my favorite of the Holey Donut line. It has a sweet creme in the middle that balances out the chewy donut of the actual donut. The topping is sweet and the coconut on top is generous and adds another dimension to the overall texture of the treat. The Coconut Creme Pie donuts are 209 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of fiber, and 5 grams of protein each.

Overall, Holey Donuts have given calorie conscious individuals an opportunity for a lower calorie version of a favorite sweet treat. The texture is not the same as a higher calorie fried donut but most of the donuts are still tasty and delicious. As you can see, through the eyes of many tasters, that the worthiness of the donut differs from taste bud to taste bud. However, if you are a sweets lover and looking for something to fill that craving, I would recommend ordering a couple of mixed boxes to find your favorites.

An Amazing Value: One Organic Food Bars

Very rarely do I find a bar that I have to buy more of immeadiately after sampling. One that I email and Twitter about after the third bite. One that I want to savor bite by bite, every chew, until I am sad that it is gone but so fully satisfied that I am happy at the same time.

More specifically, when I do find such a bar, very rarely is the bar sold at an affordable cost. Made with organic ingredients. Free of trans fats, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrupand preservatives. And prepared fresh daily through cold processing!

When I first communicated with Organic Food Bar, I was interested in learning more about the Active Greens and Omega-3 Flax bars. The names just seemed so.... healthy? But Eric over at Organic Food Bar was convinced my readers and I would fall in love with the One line, a low cost and all organic line of bars. Eric was right about one thing... a girl has to watch her wallet these days. These bars are only 86 cents when you buy a box of twelve (and only $1.19 if you buy them individually) online. When he told me they were gluten free, soy free, dairy free and peanut free... I KNEW I had to try them. I have friends with a number of allergies and if these were as amazing as they sounded, I would have to tell the world!

Lucky for me, the happy taste tester, and all of my amazing readers, the One Organic Food Bars are worthy of gracing the screen of Uncovering Food. Although don't create too big a demand, because this girl still wants to be able to get her hands on some of them!

Raspberry Muffin Crunch

Okay so while the first picture on the blog is one I took, I loved how the graphics on the company web site included the ingredients that go into the bar! The Raspberry Muffin Crunch was my favorite all around bar. It was sweet without being too sweet. The raspberry pieces just popped in my mouth and combined with the organic non-glutton cereals and granola, it was the perfect texture. The bar consistency was firm but soft, creating a satisfying mini meal and a perfect pre-workout snack. Did I mention it has 500mg of Omega Threes and is Vegan? When reviewing my notes, the first thing written in caps across the top of the page was: YUM!!!

Ingredients: Certified Organic Ingredients: Organic Raspberry Granola (Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Raisins, Organic Raspberries, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Crispy Brown Rice) Organic Rice Syrup, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Millet, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Flax, Organic Acacia Fiber and Organic Freeze Dried Raspberry Juice.

Nutritional Information: 180 calories/4.5 grams fat/3 grams fiber/5 grams protein

Chocolate Macaroon Crunch

Coconut lovers beware! The Chocolate Macaroon Crunch Bar is full of this fabulous ingredient! Complete with more probiotics than a serving of yogurt, this bar was my second favorite of the line. Every mouthful was chocolate and coconut. I felt like I was being so bad! It was definitely more cookie like, which was good when I was looking for something to enjoy with a good cup of Teavana Earl Grey Creme tea for afternoon tea time. It is also very filling for a bar. After enjoying it with my tea, I wasn't hungry for hours!

Ingredients: Certified Organic Ingredients: Organic Rice Syrup, Organic Coconut, Organic Coconut Almond Granola (Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Barley Flakes, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Raisins, Organic Almonds, Organic Coconut, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Sunflower Seeds) Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Millet, Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter), Organic Acacia Fiber and Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086.

Nutritional Information: 210 calories/10 grams fat/6 grams fiber/2 grams protein

Blueberry Muffin Crunch

Another quality bar in the line, the Blueberry Muffin Crunch Bar also boasts heart healthy Omega 3s. This was my least favorite in the line, as it was definitely sweeter than the raspberry bar with less pop from the fruit. The bar does have a nuttier texture though which I enjoyed and savored. When I say it was least favorite, let me be clear that I would still buy and eat these Vegan babies. The texture is a bit chewier (although I did get a couple larger chunks of almonds - yum!) and the bar was a bit darker in color from the blueberries. However it also left me satiated and with a fresh burst of energy!

Ingredients: Certified Organic Ingredients: Organic Blueberry Almond Granola (Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Organic Raisins, Organic Apples, Organic Almonds, Organic Oat Bran, Organic Blueberries, Organic Sunflower Seeds) Organic Rice Syrup, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Millet, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Bio Sprouts^TM - Flax, Organic Acacia Fiber and Organic Freeze Dried Blueberry Juice.

Nutritional Information: 180 calories/4.5 grams fat/6 grams fiber/3 grams protein

Chocolove Drizzled Popchips

What happens when you want something salty, crunchy, sweet and full of chocolate all at once? You break out a bar of Chocolove 70% Strong Dark Belgian Chocolate and a bag of Original Popchips and get cooking!

This is an easy, healthy treat perfect for enjoying alone or with friends.

You will want to break out the double boiler (okay... I don't have one. I put a metal mixing bowl over a pot of water) and toss in 1/2 of the 1.3oz bar (break it up first to melt faster). Stir frequently.

Lay your popchips out on wax paper or foil to aide in quick clean up. You will want to put th paper/foil on a pan since you will be placing this in the freezer.

Taking a fork or small teaspoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the popchips. Set in freezer for 15-20 minutes until hardened. Enjoy! I kept the leftovers in a ziploc bag with the air squeezed out in the freezer and will enjoy them when I get home from traveling this week.

The chocolate is smooth and mildly sweet, but still retains the complexity and depth of a darker chocolate. I really enjoy the Chocolove bars not only for the poems that are inside every wrapper, or because the way the company got started is so cool, but because the flavor is so intense, I don't need a lot to be satisfied. I am willing to spend a bit more for a higher quality chocolate because it is so much more fulfilling!

Combined with the crunchy potato goodness of popchips, and you have yourself a winning combination. I think I have mentioned before that popchips are all natural and are much healthier than regular potato chips. Their depth of texture also makes them a great vehicle for the chocolate drizzled goodness. I know this will be a go-to when I want something sweet and salty!.

Chocolove 70% Dark Chocolate Bar

Ingredients: Cocoa Liquor, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin

Nutritional Information (for the whole bar, remember you only need half for the recipe!): 190 calories / 15 grams of fat / 5 grams of fiber / 3 grams of protein

Popchips Original Potato Chip

Ingredients: Natural Potato Ingredients (Potato Flour, Potato Starch), Safflower Oil and/or Sunflower Oil, Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Soy Lecithin

Nutritional Information (for one 23gram bag/approx 18 chips): 100 calories / 3 grams of fat / 1 gram of fiber / 1 gram of protein

Vanilla You Shake Review and the You Bar Giveaway Winners

I am a breakfast person. I used to skip this morning meal in order to trade off with sleep, until I realized I just needed meals that were quick and easy to make. They would need carbs and protein in order to keep me going, but couldn't be so high in processed sugars that I crashed by second period.

In graduate school I was mesmerized by the Magic Bullet infomercials. I could do EVERYTHING with this gadget! So I ordered one. And while I can't make fresh salsa (it turns into a soupy mess), I can make fabulous and quick breakfast smoothies. And so for 6 years, the breakfast smoothie has become a staple in my morning routine. I even purchased my own bulk cups, lids and straws so I felt like I was getting something from a fancy smoothie shop at a fraction of the price!

In playing around with smoothies over the years, one of the biggest tests of a smoothie has been the base that I use. I recently had the opportunity to try out You Shake protein shake mix. These customizable protein shakes come in convenient individual packages that are easy to store but also easy to travel with (it you bring your own blender!). You can choose your own proteins, flavor bases, fruits, sweeteners, and even extra nutritional add-ins!

This morning I made a Vanilla Cherry Dream Shake.

1 package Vanilla Dream You Shake mix
1 cup frozen unsweetened cherries
12 oz unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

The flavor of this smoothie was sweet with strong hints of vanilla and cherry. I used the frozen cherries instead of ice, but I think that this base needs the extra ice to thicken the beverage. The drink was a bit powdery, which could be my short blending time, or it may need more liquid in it. There was more powder in this package than most single serving smoothie mixes I have tried. With no directions on the individual package, I may need to add more liquid to counter the excess powder.

Aside from the minor powder and thickness issues, the flavor of this smoothie was excellent. I enjoyed it with some whole grain toast on my drive to work. I could imagine using this base with coffee and ice for a morning blended coffee beverage! I can't wait to try out the Breakfast Shake and Blended Bliss!

Nutritional Information for Vanilla Dream: 110 calories / .5 grams of fat / 1 gram of fiber / 16 grams of protein

Note that this is tagged for both the points for the smoothie mix but also for the Vanilla Cherry Dream Smoothie.

Ingredients: soy protein, organic cane sugar, organic vanilla powder (organic sucrose, organic vanilla bean extractives)

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To celebrate my newfound love of You Bar and You Shake products, I recently offered readers an opportunity to win a You Bar to try. Using Random.org's number generator, the following readers will get a chance to try out the fabulousness that is You Bar!

I asked readers to tell me what they would want in a You Bar and here is what the winners said:

Trying Rachel's Chocolate Fix is Mo Diva! She said:

"Duuuude! Chocolate! yum! I just posted a recipe with tuna fish...i follow you already and um i am linking you now!"

Getting a chance to sample the Sweet Sarah bar is Lisa D.! She said:

"definitely with cashews and soy protein and almonds and flax and dried apricots. mmmmm! great giveaway!"

Congratulations to both winners and look for another healthy food giveaway this week! Plus, don't forget your chance to win a $10 Starbucks gift card in the Mystery Ingredient Challenge. It ends March 31 at midnight!

Vegetarian Chorizo and Egg Tartlet

1 package of refrigerator crescent rolls (I used store brand)
2 links LightLife Vegetarian Chorizo Links, diced
2 organic large eggs
2 tbsp picante sauce or smooth salsa (I use fresh salsa from my favorite local place)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray inside of muffin tins with cooking spray. Place one crescent roll inside of each muffin tin. I put the wider corner into the bottom of the tin and used the thinner corners to wrap around the inside of the tin to almost create a bowl. Don't waste time ensuring all of the inside of the tin is covered, it will cover when baking.

Bake rolls for 3-5 minutes until they firm up a bit. Meanwhile, mix sausage, eggs and salsa together. Remove rolls from oven and fill centers with mixture. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until egg is set.

Based on my ingredients, the nutritional information was 153.5 calories, 9.25 grams of fat, .25 grams of fiber and 8.5 grams of protein per roll. You can lighten the recipe by using reduced fat rolls and egg substitutes.

Power Trail Mix

You will want to check the nutritional information on each of the first four ingredients. The amounts I used were equal to one point per ingredient based on my specific brands.

3 cups of air-popped popcorn

1 oz dried Goji berries

3 TBSP nutritional yeast

2 TBSP no sugar added Carob chips

Olive Oil spray

Spray popcorn with olive oil spray and toss with nutritional yeast. You may also want to add salt to the mix. Once popcorn is cool, add Goji berries and Carob chips.

Carol's Crockpot Chili

Carol's Crockpot Chili ... Add a lil spice in your life!

1 pound 75% lean/25% fat raw ground beef
2 small onion(s)
2 small jalapeño pepper(s)
1 item bell pepper(s)
1 medium zucchini
30 oz Red Kidney Beans
15 oz fat-free chicken broth

Brown onions and peppers. Add beef and brown.
Toss chopped zucchini and beans into crock pot. Add your favorite seasonings (I used Mrs. Dash Southwest). Pour pepper/onion/beef mixture over the top. Add broth and cook on low for 8 hours.

Makes 12 1/2 cup servings. You can clearly lower the points by using a lighter ground meat, I just happen to be trying to use things in my freezer.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Burrito

Make 7 Burritos

Each burrito has 216 calories, 7.3 grams fat, 14.4 grams fiber, 31.5 grams total carbs, 10.5 grams protein if you use the same ingredients that I did.

Ingredients (I have included total cal/fat/fiber/carb/protein for comparison of ingredients)

1 cup chopped pumpkin (49/0/3/12/2) roasted in

1 tbsp olive oil (119/14/0/0/0) and some garlic and rosemary

1 can of kidney beans, rinsed (350/1.75/21/80.5/24.5)

1/2 cup Sargento Shredded Mexican Cheese Medley (220/18/0/2/12)

Tobasco sauce, to taste

Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning, to taste

Ancho Chili Powder, to taste

Garlic Salt, to taste

Seasoning Salt, to taste

7 Misson Carb Balance Soft Taco Tortillas (110/2.5/11/18/5 EACH TORTILLA)

Steps:

1. Mash roasted pumpkin and beans with seasonings to taste.

2. Gently heat tortillas in microwave for 10seconds or so until pliable.

3. Fill each tortilla with mashed filling and a sprinkle of cheese.

4. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and place burritos with fold side down. Spray the top of the burritos and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

I baked them about 10 minutes until lightly crunchy and then wrapped them and froze most of them for later. These aren't huge burritos but they are filling, especially with a side of fruit or veggies. Perfect post-workout mini meal!