Clementine Cuties Cranberry Sauce

This sauce is an easy and flavorful alternative to the canned variety. Clementines add a sweet note to the dish that I love! I have made several variations of this dish including the original below. One option is to toss clementine segments into the mix. You will want to increase the juice by one additional clementine, and add an additional tablespoon of syrup and water. This will bulk up your sauce and turn it into more of a compote. I have also added chopped, toasted walnuts to the mix. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb organic fresh cranberries

Juice of three clementines

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 cup water

Wash berries in a colander under running water. Combine cranberries with clementine juice, syrup and water in a large pot. Turn stove to medium-high heat and bring contents to a boil, stirring often. After the cranberries begin to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to stir occasionally for approximately ten minutes or until berries have started popping.

Remove from heat and store in heat-proof container. Refrigerate until cool (at least an hour) before serving.

Total for entire dish: 520 calories, 1 gram of fat, 143 grams of carbohydrates, 23 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein. It made eight generous servings for my family at 65 calories, 18 grams of carbs, and 2.9 grams of fiber.

I have entered this dish in a contest for Cuties Clementines.

Aji Cereza Chili Pumpkin Soup with Red Quinoa and De Arbol Chili-Spiced Pepitas

While driving home from the airport last week and trying to not lose my mind in the Bay Area traffic, a commercial encouraging listeners to "Spice up the holidays!" caught my attention. I had received a sample of dried peppers from Marx Foods this month to use in their "A Spoon & A Chili" recipe contest and I was still pondering what to make. At the same time, I was yearning to make a vegan pumpkin dish that wasn't a pie, for the holidays. As the traffic started moving again and the music began to flow over the airwaves, an idea had formed. Why not combine the flavors of the sweet woodsy pumpkin with the spicy earthy peppers for a dish sure to warm anyone up on a cold winter day?

Now to fit that warmth on a spoon...

This dish is a complete meal in a bowl, bringing the nutty flavors of red quinoa together with the sweet pumpkin and spicy Aji Cereza peppers. The Aji Cereza is a Peruvian pepper that's only slightly less spicy than an Habanero pepper measuring in at 75,000 Scoville units (the index used to measure the heat of a pepper). Marx Foods sells an organic version of this pepper which is pictured above (it's the cute little one that looks like a cherry!). I also played with the milder De Arbol chili (the long skinny chilies above) to make a salt which was used in roasting the pepitas. You can make this dish without the seeds, and I almost did (because I almost ate them all prior to serving... they were just that good!) but they add another flavor and texture to the dish which I enjoyed.

I chose to roast my own sugar pumpkin, but you could also used canned pumpkin. If you are roasting your own, just cut it in half, seed it, and bake it at 375 degrees for 60-90 minutes. You can also opt to use different milk substitutes but recognize this may affect the nutritional information. This soup freezes well, although the quinoa did not fare as well being reheated, so I would recommend making a smaller batch of quinoa fresh for each serving rather than freezing a larger batch.

Aji Cereza Pumpkin Soup with Red Quinoa & De Arbol Pepitas

Serves Six

Aji Cereza Pumpkin Soup
1 tbsp organic canola oil
5 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
1 tbsp organic onion granules
2 organic Aji Cereza chili peppers (soaked, deseeded, diced)
2.5 cups mashed pumpkin (approximate yield from one medium sized sugar pumpkin)
1 tsp salt
.25 tsp black pepper
8 oz. vegetable broth
12 oz. light soy milk

Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and chili peppers. Cook for one to two minutes until garlic begins to brown. Add pumpkin, salt, and pepper. Cook for another three to five minutes until pumpkin begins to bubble. Add broth and soy milk and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes. Use an immersion blender or blend soup in small batches and continue to simmer for another ten minutes. Pour around cooked quinoa in bowl.

Red Quinoa
1.5 cups red quinoa
3 cups water

Combine red quinoa and water in saucepan. Bring to boil and then cover and reduce heat to simmer for ten to fifteen minutes (until quinoa has absorbed the water).

Spiced Pepitas
Pumpkin seeds from one pumpkin
2 De Arbol chili peppers
1 tbsp pink Himalayan sea salt

Blend chili peppers and  sea salt together. This will make more powder than you need so store the rest in an airtight container for future use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a baking pan with your preferred method (I brush canola oil lightly on the pan). Layer seeds in a single layer on pan. Sprinkle with seasoning salt and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring the pan once during the baking time. Store extra seeds in airtight container and enjoy as a snack.

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Nutritional Information for 1/6th of soup -- 70 calories; 3 grams of fat; 10 grams of carbs; 3 grams of fiber; 2 grams of protein

Nutritional Information for 1/6th of quinoa -- 156 calories; 2.6 grams of fat; 27 grams of carbs; 3 grams of fiber; 6 grams of protein

Nutritional Information for 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds -- 18 calories; .8 grams of fat; 2.1 grams of carbs; .7 grams of protein

Reflecting on 21 Days of Vegan Eating and a Giveaway!

Before I start, I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for voting for Uncovering Food to advance to round three of Project Food Blog. You voted for a dinner party and I hope I delivered! Voting is now open for this round and I hope you will give me a chance to show you the sweeter side of Uncovering Food in round four! Voting is open until Thursday at 6pm PST.

If you have been reading Uncovering Food over the last three weeks you probably noticed references to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and their 21-day vegan kickstart. I picked up Dr. Neal Barnard's book in early September because the title caught my eye. Who doesn't want to read about food seduction? The book addressed how different foods interact with the chemicals in our bodies, including our brains. I hate to spoil the ending, but the recommendation was for readers to try an animal-product free diet for 21 days (I bet you didn't see that one coming!).

I have read a lot of health books over my life time and rarely feel compelled to act on their suggestions, but this book was well written and the research convinced me to try it out. Especially the chapter about how the chemical properties of cheese interact with some people. So I took on the challenge! Today is day 21 and after the questions friends and readers have asked about changing my diet, I thought a reflection was in order and so I will answer some questions I have been asked over the last 21 days. Please remember that I am not an expert, I am merely reflecting on what I have done and read over the last 21 days.

Was it hard to switch? I could never give up X.

I won't lie, it wasn't as easy as the book might have you believe. For example, I came home to the boyfriend cooking bacon cheese burgers and almost caved in to the smells that filled the house. Instead I explained that while I didn't mind him eating his own food, I just needed to hang out in the other room so I wasn't tempted. Two weeks later, the same smell wasn't tempting anymore though because I am feeling so good that I don't want to break the diet. I also went through a nasty weekend where I dreamed about cheese. Don't ask. In short, I definitely felt a physical and mental pull to these foods that I had to consciously work to break. However, once they were broken, I am not feeling the same draw.


What do you eat? How do you get in protein and vitamins?

I eat lots of things! In October I have taken the Unprocessed pledge, so the last couple days have been a little different and I will be posting soon about eating unprocessed, but over the last 21 days I have enjoyed pizza (Domino's thin crust without cheese and loaded with veggies makes a great substitute when hanging out with friends!), I have also rediscovered a lot foods like bbq tempeh and seitan. I made veggie-friendly pockets which I froze for quick to-go meals and have been snacking on kale chips like it's my job. I use lots of nutritional yeast because it has B vitamins, but I also take a multivitamin (which I was doing before this challenge). My nutritionist warned me to avoid overindulging in soy proteins because she was reading research that too much soy could be harmful but that just meant getting a little more creative. I still had my iced soy lattes at Starbucks, but the rest of my daily proteins would come from beans, nuts, and grains. I did notice that my protein intake has not been as high as it was before, but some of the studies I have been reading suggest that plant based proteins are easier for the body to digest so it all works itself out in the end. In either case, my nutritionist just told me to stay aware of my body and if I felt like I had low energy levels, I should reevaluate my diet. However, I actually felt the opposite (except when I didn't sleep much during debate tournaments!). I feel like I have more energy than I did in August!


Do you plan to continue this diet?

This is a hard question for me to answer. I really like how I feel, but I worry about being too restrictive on myself. I am a fan of moderation although I am not always able to moderate myself. I love cheese. I could eat cheese for every meal. Do I miss cheese? Yes. Do I think I can moderate my cheese intake? Nope. This challenge helped me realize that I was having control issues with some foods. Dr. Barnard suggests in the book that for some people, diets that limit these foods to small portions only set a person who has an addictive chemical reaction up for failure. That the small dose triggers a call for more of the food. I said "prove it" because I just couldn't imagine giving it up completely could be a better option. But for me personally, it might be what I need to take control of my health. I do care about ethical treatment of animals, but this isn't why I took on the challenge, nor does Dr. Barnard address these concerns in the book. I did it for my health. I haven't been able to exercise because of a back injury but in the last 21 days my home scale says I lost 13 pounds. I didn't count calories. I didn't limit my food (but I did pay attention to getting in proteins and not solely eating processed carbs). I just cut out animal products. And by doing that I cut out trigger foods like cheese. I also found I could control my nut butter portions where several years ago I didn't trust myself with a jar of nut butter. And I don't think the diet taught me that but I think the awareness about what I was putting in my body did. So I realize I haven't answered the question, but I think it's because I still don't know. This week I will test my body. I will listen to it if I choose to eat something with dairy, egg or meat in it. And then next week I plan on reevaluating my choices. I think I will live a primarily plant based diet, but I am still exploring and figuring out what works for me.

However, this book definitely sold me on the challenge and I would love to give a reader a chance to check it out as well. I will personally buy one reader a copy of Breaking the Food Seduction to read and evaluate for themselves. You are not committing to the 21-day challenge, just winning a copy of a book that changed the way I think about food. Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. You can get four extra entries as well for a total of five:

Required Entry: Leave a comment on this post
Extra Entry: Become a blogger follower & let me know(or tell me you are already a follower)
Extra Entry: Become a fan of Uncovering Food on Facebook and let me know
Extra Entry: Share this contest with friends (either post a link on your blog or cc debatespeak at gmail on your email)
Extra Entry: Tweet about the giveaway with a link to the contest and include @UncoveringFood so I can add it to the entries

I will randomly draw an entry (numbers assigned via excel) on Monday, October 11 at 10pm PST and will announce the winner here on October 12. Good luck!

Uncovering Food: An Introspection

Bloggers are like eggs in a carton just trying to stand out. All different but in many ways all the same...

Blogging is a profession for some and for others it's a past time. Some people define themselves as bloggers while others may never tell anyone they have a blog. In order to enter a contest sponsored by Foodbuzz called Project Food Blog, I was asked "to create a blog post that defines you as a food blogger and makes it clear why you think you have what it takes to be the next food blog star. Consider what makes your blog unique and sets you apart from other food blog brands: is it your foolproof recipes, your mouthwatering photos, or your perspective on family meals? Write a post that comes from the heart and is true to you and your blog." However, in order to answer this prompt, I feel like I needed to explore the essence of Uncovering Food and my relationship with blogging.

I started Uncovering Food after deciding to shut-down my Myspace account, where I had been blogging all of the fun food concoctions I had been making. This blog was my place just to take notes and store my recipes. In the first week I transferred over the sixteen best including Pumpkin and Black Bean Burritos, Turkey and Cranberry Salad, Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls, and an Apple-Beet Sauce that had a little heat!

There were no photographs in those days. It was just a quick teaser with serving suggestions and maybe a flavor profile, some ingredients, instructions, and if you were lucky, the nutritional information.

Then people started reading my blog. It amazed me that there were other people out there who wanted to take time to read what I was creating in a kitchen no bigger than a broom closet!

It took almost a year before Uncovering Food had it's first photograph, and a product review to boot! I was raving about this fermented Korean tea I had just tried and a friend said I should talk about it in my blog. It is only fitting that I picked up three more jars of the Puripan Tea in a Jar yesterday to enjoy while writing today's blog post.

My first recipe with a photograph was an attempt in food styling that, upon reflection, was not as awesome as I thought it was. But the recipe for Baked Buffalo Bites is still delicious which I guess brings me to my perspective on blogging:

Blogging to me is not a definition of who I am. It isn't the black marker that draws the outline of my being and it isn't the canvas on which that outline is drawn. Blogging will show up in that illustration as a part of the mosaic that is my life. It is a chance for a woman who spends more time in hotel rooms than in my own kitchen to celebrate food. It is an opportunity for a high school teacher who spends more time with my students then my own family to share food finds and kitchen creations, however sporadically they may come, with the friends I make around the country.

Students all grabbing for a chocolate pumpkin cheesecake bite!

Attending a blogger conference this summer, I learned that everyone blogs for different reasons. Some bloggers have created brands and can sum up what's in their blog in two sentences or less while some have no idea what their blog is about. Some bloggers are looking to be published while others are looking for an outlet. Some are looking to be the most popular blog on the Web and have nicknames for their followers and some strive to be like other blogs while some of us are just trying to avoid the popularity traps.

I struggled entering this "Project Food Blog" contest for Foodbuzz because I know my blog isn't the most popular. I don't strive for SEO but I love knowing people read my blog, so I have a monthly contest that celebrates those readers. I am not the most active poster, because spending almost every weekend at debate tournaments around the country means sometimes I have to choose between sleep and blogging (and after a day of debates, at 1am, sleep wins). If someone looked inside of my closet of unfinished blog ideas, they would be buried, but if I pushed myself to publish them all, blogging would be a job, no longer my escape but instead a part of what I have to be.

If this is a popularity contest, then count me out now. I work with high school students, I am not striving to become one again. However, if this contest is truly about having a passion for food and sharing it with others, then I think I stand a chance. Is there another blogger out there who has students sign up for tournaments so they can experience the best cupcakes in the region they are traveling to? Who spends hours researching the best local cuisine so that high school kids can experience local flavor at it's finest instead of hitting up the easy national chains? Who loves to peruse Farmers Markets just to talk to farmers for hours? Who turns the shoebox of a kitchen into a place that produces healthy eats that her family and high school students enjoy?

Cupcakes at a Baseball Game?

I think that I could be the next food blog star because I have tenacity and a love to share food. Whether it is finding a food product that ends up becoming a big blogland hit or searching for healthy eats in baseball parks. Uncovering Food is not my whole life, but it is a part of me and an outlet for me to share myself and my love of food with you.

Sweet Treats and Safeway $$$ Giveaway!

With the insanity of the post-season debate preparation, cooking has unfortunately been on the back burner. But trying to control my portion sizes and reducing how often I eat out has also been important to me, so when MyBlogSpark, Safeway, and Betty Crocker gave me the opportunity to try out Betty Crocker's Warm Delights Minis, I jumped at the opportunity. Like my disclaimer at the bottom of my blog says, I am always willing to try things, but I am not always willing to share them with my Uncovering Food readers. In this case, the ease of preparation and the individual portion sizes along with the great taste were selling points so I had to tell you about it!

Seriously, look at this baby! Check out that chocolate goodness!

And at only 150 calories for a bowl, it killed my chocolate cake craving with out killing my caloric budget for the day! It comes with a cake mix and dark chocolate fudge pouch. You mix the cake in the provided plastic bowl and microwave for only 30 seconds! It fit in my suitcase and was easy to prep in my hotel!


Check it out! This whole thing for 140 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. My only concern is the half gram of trans-fats. However, I am realistic. When I am traveling and craving a giant gooey piece of cake while I am out with the students, I can either give in and eat the cake or tide myself over knowing I can have a portioned cake in my room. If I am not going to forgo the cake and it is a once-in-awhile treat, a half gram of trans-fat is a small price to pay. This may be a deal breaker for some folks, but since my life is super hectic and I try to minimize processed foods, it is something I have to compromise on.

So I found these babies at my local Safeway, and MyBlogSpark tells me that Safeway and their sister stores are offering some sweet deals on Betty Crocker products. I hear that Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cake and Traditional Brownie Mixes at the special price of $0.69 although it ends pretty soon!

In addition to giving me a chance to try out these delicious treats, I was also given an opportunity to share a prize pack with you! While you won't get the Warm Delights Minis, one winner of Uncovering Food will get the chance to win everything else pictured below! A stainless steel mixing bowl, mixing spoon, silicon baking pan, oven mitt, and a $25 Safeway gift card!!!


Read below on how to enter. The contest will end on Monday, April 12 at midnight PST. Good luck!

1. Leave a comment about what your favorite Spring snack is. This is required before you can gain additional entries.

2. Link back to this contest on your blog and share the link below in an additional comment.

3. Become a fan of Uncovering Food on Facebook. Share that you've joined the crew (or are already a fan) in an additional comment below.

4. Follow Uncovering Food using the Follower box on Blogger. Let me know in an additional comment when you start following (or if you are a follower). This also gives you entry into my monthly follower contests!

5. Follow @UncoveringFood on Twitter and tweet the following: "I want to win grocery money and baking goodies @UncoveringFood http://www.uncoveringfood.com/2010/04/sweet-treats-and-safeway-giveaway.html"

Good luck!

Reviewing and Giving

Wow, I must have drawn the lucky straw because I am being given the opportunity to try something pretty awesome from an e-commerce site started by two Cornell graduates in 2002. CSN was kind enough to contact me and give me an opportunity to try out a product that is sure to make healthy cooking even easier! So grab a bar stool and sit tight. This review will be coming just as soon as it can.


Happy Birthday to me... oh wait, that was LAST Saturday! So, it's time to let random.org draw a number. My math geek friends in college always made fun of me because I was a firm believer that I should never enter a raffle or giveaway as #1 because I wouldn't get picked. They said it was just as likely #1 would be drawn as #13. I guess they were right because the winner of the Larabar giveaway was #1, Heather from A Healthier Me! Heather, email me at debatespeak at gmail to claim your prize!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I love Larabars and I love the readers of Uncovering Food. So I want to share some of my Larabar love with you! No one paid me or gave them to me... I just love the nut and fruit goodness of these delicious treats and so I am going to grab five bars at random out of my Larabar stash and mail them to one Uncovering Food reader. Why? Because 29 is going to be the best year ever and so why not start it off by sharing the love?!?!?

Entries?

1. Leave a comment sharing one fabulous thing I should do before I turn 30!

2. Follow Uncovering Food :o)

3. Share the love on twitter or your blog so more people can join the party!

While the love won't end, the contest must! Entries will close on my SISTER'S birthday (March 17) at midnight PST. So you have from my birthday (today!) to her birthday (Wednesday) to get in on the Larabar love!

SOUPer Winner!

The winner was drawn from random.org:

True Random Number Generator Result: 11

Congratulations to Mandala and I hope the soup helps you on your path to good health!

Fave Five and a Progresso Soup Giveaway

About a month ago I received an opportunity to try 15 different Progresso soups courtesy of Progresso and MyBlogSpark. Much like any other product I have investigated, I needed to ensure that this baby lived up to my standards by trying all of the different soups out. A couple of versions have been travel staples of mine for years (who doesn't love a giant pop-top can of soup for under 150 calories after a long day of work?), but there were new flavors to explore as well!

Before I give you my five favorites, I wanted to let you know that Progresso is currently giving away a makeover trip for two to New York. Just click here and you can enter to win until March 15. There are also printable coupons that you should definitely check out (I know I have).

While every soup I tried was pretty tasty for canned soups, I will confess to doctoring a couple by adding extra veggies. Bulking up canned soups is an easy way to up the fullness factor and sneak in some extra goodness. Whether it's adding a can of no-salt-added green beans, pouring in some frozen mixed veggies, or tossing in some fresh spinach... I love to sneak in the vegetables.

My five favorites, in no particular order: Traditional Chicken Barley, Light Zesty Southwestern-Style Vegetable, Light Chicken Noodle, Light Italian-Style Vegetable, and Light Chicken and Dumplings. I am a sucker for the light soups... and who can blame me? If you are counting Weight Watcher points, you are looking at a zero point snack for a cup of warm goodness. A whole can is less than 200 calories!

All of the soups were full of flavor, unlike some other light soups I have tried. Depending on the soup, many are MSG free. Some don't have soy and some are vegetarian. I'll give the calories/fat/fiber/protein for my five favorites, but I would encourage readers to check out labels before purchasing soups to consume.

The two vegetable soups both made great sides to grilled cheese sandwiches. The Italian-Style has pasta while the Southwestern-Style has beans. Both had lots of vegetables and flavorful broths. The Chicken Noodle and Chicken Barley were filling with big chunks of chicken and chunky vegetables. I enjoyed the mini dumplings in the Chicken and Dumpling soup, it took me back to my grandmother's Hungarian dumplings. I only with they were bigger and there were more of them. However, I guess that would defeat the purpose of it being a light soup?

MyBlogSpark and Progresso were kind enough to offer one Uncovering Food reader an opportunity to try out a couple of soups for free! One reader will receive a gift box containing two Progresso soups, a super sweet Progresso mug (that holds the whole can of soup... love it!), and a jump rope that measures the number of jumps you do (can't wait for the knee to heal to try this bad boy out). In other words, see that picture above this post? That's the promo picture I was sent of the giveaway!

So how can you be the lucky winner?

1. Post a comment saying one SOUPer thing about yourself. I think it is important that we take pride in ourselves so I want to know why you think you are amazing.

2. Follow Uncovering Food and let me know you are on the list *wink*

3. Share the giveaway with your friends! Link back or cc me in an email if you don't have a blog. You can also tweet about the giveaway for extra chances (no more than once a day!) and make sure you include @UncoveringFood in the tweet!

The contest will end on March 7th at 11:59pm PST. I should be all done with the massive debate tournament I am hosting and life should begin to normalize again. Luckily, I used the Progresso coupon to stock up on some soups so I will not starve this week :o)

Nutritional Stats for my Fave Five (all stats are for the full can... because let's not kids ourselves, one serving is not enough! if you want the stats for a one cup serving, just divide these in half):

Traditional Chicken Barley: 160 calories/2g fat/4g fiber/14g protein

Light Zesty Southwestern-Style Vegetable: 120 calories/1g fat/8g fiber/6g protein

Light Chicken Noodle: 140 calories/3g fat/4g fiber/10g protein

Light Chicken & Dumpling: 160 calories/3g fat/4g fiber/12g protein

Light Italian-Style Vegetable: 120 calories/0g fat/8g fiber/4g protein

Oikos Spa Bag Giveaway!

When I get stressed out and overworked, I know that it can be hard to make sure I am still taking time for myself to eat right and relax. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can cause weight gain. Which for some of us can only lead to more stress! As I head off to work with my students for one of the largest competitions of the year, I wanted to leave you with a opportunity to destress.

The fabulous folks at Oikos recognize that this is a stressful time of year and have offered one lucky Uncovering Food reader a chance to take a moment for themselves. This spa-themed giveaway will help you relax and renew at home and includes coupons for 4 free containers of Oikos organic Greek yogurt, a reusable Oikos tote bag, and the "Take- 5" Anti-Stress spa kit, from Earth Therapeutics, which includes a loofah massage sponge, Anti-Stress massage soap, a body brush, Anti-Stress massage lotion and a soothing gel eye mask.


To enter, please leave a comment about why you need to destress and say Ohm. This initial entry is required.

For additional entries you can:
1) become a follower of Uncovering Food (leave a comment!)
2) blog about this contest (link the URL in the comments!)
3) tweet about this contest (mention @UncoveringFood and @Stonyfield)
4) become a fan of Oikos and/or Uncovering Food on Facebook (leave a comment for each page you become a fan of)

The contest closes on November 25 @ midnight PST and a winner will be drawn randomly on Thanksgiving. Good luck!

Oikos Miniature Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake

When my students performed well at a local debate tournament, I wanted to celebrate their success. However, I wanted to keep that celebration healthy and include my students with gluten and nut allergies.

As a health conscious individual who has a fetish for Greek yogurt, I was excited to hear about Stonyfield's Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt recipe contest. Combining Greek yogurt with some seasonal flavors, I came up with a celebratory treat that had my whole debate team cheering. These mini cheesecakes weren't just tasty and allergy-conscious, but the high protein and lack of fat in the Oikos yogurt made it a low-calorie treat for me as well!

Oikos Miniature Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Chocolate Drizzle

Crust:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
2 tbsp flax meal
1/6 cup tapioca starch
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of water

Filling:
5.3 oz container Oikos Fat Free Organic Plain Greek Yogurt
3/4 cup reduced fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup egg whites
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Topping (Instead of including the chocolate in the cheesecake, I turned it into a drizzle so that I could leave it off a couple of servings for students who couldn't have chocolate.):
Chocolate (I use a gluten free, nut free, semi sweet chocolate)

Preheat over to 300 degrees. Coat a mini muffin tin with your choice of oil/spray (count additional calories accordingly). Mix crust ingredients together. Press crust into the bottom of each tin. Blend the cottage cheese, yogurt and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients. Spoon the filling into the tins. Do not overfill. Remember it will bake up slightly.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheesecakes are firm to a gentle touch. Turn off the oven and let the cakes sit in the oven for an additional ten minutes. Remove and refrigerate in the tin overnight before loosening and removing.

The final optional touch is drizzling melted chocolate or dipping the cheesecakes into the chocolate to form a candy crust. I melt a measure amount of chocolate in the microwave (heat for 10 seconds, remove and stir and repeat until desired consistency).


My students LOVED the cheesecake bites and didn't realize how healthy they were until I told them after! The cheesecakes disappeared so quickly the other teachers in my department never got to try them. So it looks like I will be hitting the store for more Oikos yogurt to whip up another batch.

Each miniature cheesecake sans chocolate: 62 calories, 1.7 grams fat, .6 grams fiber, 2.8 grams protein

Do you want a chance to try your hand at crafting an amazing recipe that feature Oikos Greek yogurt? Are you a fan of Greek yogurt and just want to share your love with other fans? How about scoring some free coupons for this fabulous yogurt (that has amazing calorie stats... only 80 calories in a single serving cup!)? Become a fan of Stonyfield Farm Organic Oikos Greek Yorgut on Facebook today!

I am also excited to announce that Oikos is sponsoring a fabulous relaxation giveaway that starts tomorrow on Uncovering Food. I hope that tomorrow you will grab a cup of yogurt goodness, open your laptop, and visit us tomorrow to check out this spa themed giveaway :o)

Winner(S!) of the Boundless Nutrition Giveaway!

I am happy to announce that instead of just one... we have TWO winners of the Boundless Nutrition giveaway!

Caroline and Allison, congratulations! Please email me your mailing address so I can get those bars out to you. If I don't hear back within the week, we will choose new winners from those currently entered.

Uncovering Food will resume posting on a 4 day a week schedule starting again Monday. My apologies for the lapses this summer.

July Mystery Challenge Awards!

Here's my attempt to meet the challenge. I have no idea how to make it look pretty but gee golly it was tasty. It is just eggs scrambled with milk and cook with chopped roma tomatoes. Top the scramble with blue cheese and toss it in a tortilla!

That said... I was clearly outdone by some FABULOUS reader entries! Check out this deliciousness. Click on the picture and it will take you to their blog entries. YUM!

Tara over at Cooking from Scratch wins top honors with her Gorgonzola and Sun Dried Tomato Crackers. This actually sound like they are pretty easy to make, and they look awfully tasty!


While she claims to have missed the deadline, I still wanted to recognize Melody over at Trap Door and send her an Honorable Mention prize because her Tomato Tart is drool worthy!


Check out both of these fabulous blogs as they are full of even more deliciousness. The August challenge will be posted tomorrow. Look out... it is going to get hot up in here...

Boundless Health with Oatmega 3 Bars

Between teaching and hitting the gym, I have been on the hunt for healthy food bars that pack a nutritional punch. With so many bars on the market, it has been a tasty search for a caloric reasonable bar that contains fiber, protein and other health benefits to make eating a bar worth the money and meal substitution.

Available in Texas stores but also online, Boundless Nutrition has answered the call with their 190 calorie Oatmega 3 Wellness Bar. The bar contains 5 grams of fiber and 14 grams of what they call "time release" protein. I am not sure how long that time release is supposed to last, but couple this bar with a glass of water and I was full for hours!

The bar also contains 300mg of ocean-sourced Omega-3s, 150mg of Green Tea antioxidants, 25% of your RDA of calcium, prebiotic inulin, and contains 100% natural non-GMO products (44% organic). It is cold-processed is low on the glycemic index. It really packs a nutritional punch, doesn't it?

This small family owned company

And how does it taste? The texture is like cookie dough, with a little crunch from the nuts that are used. There are three flavors: Dark Chocolate Mint, Mocha, and Dark Chocolate Peanut. The Dark Chocolate Mint brought back memories of Thin Mint cookies, only more flavorful (and healthy). The chocolate is rich with light hints of mint throughout the bar. The Mocha could easily be my afternoon workout snack, and pick-me up. The rich coffee hints filled my mouth even after the bar was consumed. Finally, the Chocolate Peanut was like a healthy candy bar. I would have liked more peanut (says the nut addict) but it was delicious and killed my candy craving.

If you are interested in purchasing Oatmega 3 bars, check out where you can pick some up. Or win them here at Uncovering Food!

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One winner will get to sample all three Oatmega 3 bars, courtesy of Boundless Nutrition.

To enter, comment on this post with why you would like to try Oatmega 3 bars. This is mandatory to gain additional entries.

For an extra entries:
1. Link back to your blog! Post that link here!
2. Become a follower of Uncovering Food! Comment here to earn the entry.
3. Post Uncovering Food's badge on your web site for TWO additional entries. Comment here twice with the link to your blog.
4. Final entry? Tweet about this giveaway! Link @UncoveringFood to your tweet for credit! You can do this once a day until the contest ends.

Contest ends Sunday, August 9 at 11:59pm PST. Good luck!

Contests! Contests! Contests!

My apologies for not posting the winners of the Popchips giveaway!

After assigning all of the entries their own numbrs in an Excel file, I used Random.org to select the two winners. Congratulations to blackdove5 and Just Me. Please email me your addresses so I can send those coupons out!


There are only a couple days left to enter the July Mystery Box Challenge! The ingredients are red, white and blue. Tomatoes, Milk and Blue Cheese. Will you be the winner this month? Click on the icon above to get more information.

Poppin' Mac and Cheese plus free Popchips!

This recipe is super easy and super cheesey. I love a little crunch on my mac and cheese, so when I got some free bags of the new Popchips flavors, I knew I had to try this. You can make your own version of mac and cheese instead of using the Fiber Gourmet. However, I will say that folks who tried my Fiber Gourmet version couldn't tell the difference between it and the higher calorie stuff. I personally felt it was a little less cheesey, which is why the Cheddar Popchips were a perfect addition!

1 eight ounce bag of NEW Cheddar Popchips
1 box of Fiber Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese
1/2 cup fat free milk

Make macaroni and cheese according to package instructions (mine called for the milk). Pour into casserole dish and top with crumbled Cheddar Popchips. Bake for a couple minutes at 350 (or broil depending on your patience) until chips start to brown. Remove from oven and serve!

Makes six servings at 112 calories, 1.2 grams of fat, 9 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein

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I have two coupons for a free bag of Popchips up for grabs for two lucky readers!

To enter, comment on this post with what you would say if you won the free bag of Popchips.

For an extra entry, link back to your blog! Post that link here!

And for one more entry, become a follower! Comment here to let me know you follow Uncovering Food!

Final entry? Tweet about this giveaway! Link @UncoveringFood to your tweet for credit!

Contest ends Sunday, July 18 at 11:59pm PST. Good luck!

Time Running Out on the June Mystery Box Challenge!

With a fabulous prize on the line, only one entry has been submitted for this month's Mystery Ingredient Challenge!

Don't miss out on getting your entry in. All entries must be linked to this post by 11:59pm PST on June 30.

The ingredients this month are Filet Mignon (or tempeh), Strawberries, and Egg Noodles.

May Mystery Box Results & June's Ingredients!

This month must have been crazy for everyone! When my students picked out cheese, chocolate and chilies as the three ingredients, I had dozens of ideas flash through my mind. When it came down to crunch time, I ended up making a delicious (and super easy) popcorn snack! I will get to it in one moment, but first to announce the only entry (I know she scared everyone off with her fabulousness!).

Lauren over at Healthy Delicious made Mexican Cannolis with Homemade Ricotta! Her recipe included some tequila to boot! I am dying to try them :-)

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Spicy, Sweet, and Salty Popcorn

Make some air popped popcorn (or your favorite method), and drizzle unfiltered olive oil. Grate your favorite chocolate and hard cheese. Sprinkle chili powder and sea salt. Enjoy! (I told you it was easy!)

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For June, I hit up my friends! For those of you who had random g-chat messages asking for your favorite fruit in season, the first protein you could think of, or a specific carb... if you didn't respond fast enough, sorry!

The ingredients this month (courtesy of Pam, Erica and Emily): Strawberries, Filet Mignon, Egg Noodles

Yes they are an unusual combination. But for those of you who follow Chopped, what did you expect? For those who want to participate but do not eat filet mignon, tempeh will be the accepted substitute.

I invite you all to join me on this monthly adventure. Each month I will post the mystery box of ingredients. Your job is to create a dish that utilizes all of these ingredients and document the preparation and final product as well as a review of how it turned out. Post a link to your documentation in the comment section of the mystery box post. At the end of the month, all eligible entries will be entered to win a fabulous prize! The contest closes the last day of the month at midnight. While you can use other ingredients from your pantry, the dish must include the mystery ingredients.

The random winner for June will receive a travel snack pack with healthy nutrition bars, homemade blended teas, and an on-the-go beverage container.

Reminders:

1. All of the mystery ingredients must be used in one dish.

2. You may use other ingredients to complete the dish.

3. Post the link to your blog in the comments section of THIS post in order to be counted for the contest by June 30th at midnight.

4. Your entry should have the Mystery Box logo and a link back to this post in order to be eligible.

Good luck and get cooking!!!!

Last Weekend for the May Mystery Box!

The challenge closes tomorrow night at midnight!
Get those entries in!

Garlic Gold: Contest Winner and Coupon Code!!!

After assigning each entry a number and using Random.org to select a number, the winner of the Garlic Gold gift basket and Garlic Gold Nuggets is:

Rachel over at Rachel vs. "The Kitchen"

Rachel, email me your address and I will make sure the fine folks at Garlic Gold get it! I look forward to seeing the recipes you get to explore with these fabulous products!

Didn't win the main price? The folks over at Seven Oaks Ranch are so amazing, they are offering all of the readers at Uncovering Food a chance to score your own garlic goodies even if you can't find them at a local shop! We are all winners with this offer!

Visit the Garlic Gold online store now until May 31 and use the coupon code "uncoverfood" for 20% off your order! While I recommend the Garlic Gold nuggets and oil, they also have some fabulous gift baskets. These would be perfect to take as a hostess gift for a Memorial Day BBQ or to give to Dad for Father's Day... ahhhh now I know what I am getting my father!