My husband I were recently discussing the fact that food has become boring, that we’re both sick of the same old stuff.

Perfect timing for me to receive a new cookbook.

Now my husband isn’t much for eating healthy, I have to trick him to get him to try new food- the last I tell him is that it’s healthy. But he loves seafood and coconut and wouldn’t you know it The Best of Clean Eating is full of recipes featuring one or the other. I’m not much for fish but I do love shrimp so there’s even recipes that both of us can enjoy. Especially the desserts.

The desserts are something hubby and I can both whole heartedly agree on - like on page 152, you get the healthy sweet snacks Power Yogurt for One and Coconut Balls- both recipes sound delicious. But it’s the real desserts that will make you crave healthy decadence. On page 232 I am seriously drooling over the Molten Lava Cakes made with cocoa powder. On page 230 I see a cake I am going to make for my chocolate and coconut loving husband- Coconut Chai Chocolate Cake. Wow it sounds so yummy my stomach is grumbling in sweet anticipation.

For those of you who love carrot cake you have to check out page 226 the recipe for Slow Cooker Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Honey Drizzle will make non carrot cake lovers drool. Then there’s Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Orange Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake…On page 214 I spy the ultimate apple pie recipe- it’s a pairing of two of my favorite things- vanilla and apples. The Vanilla Bean Spiked Autumn Apple Pie is going on my Thanksgiving menu.

After going through this cookbook you’ll never ever again think that eating healthy is eating bland.

The full color photos are enough to inspire you into exploring new culinary delights then you read through the ingredients and your mouth will start to water.

So far I’ve only spoken of sweet delights but there’s so much more in The Best of Clean Eating, for both die hard foodies and those who simply love food or are looking to try something new.

Throughout the book you’ll find a huge assortment of recipes- gingery roasted squash, roasted cauliflower leek and garlic soup, golden mashed potatoes, apple grilled cheese, yummy hummus, clean eating tortilla chips, sweet potato spread, garlic bruschetta…is your stomach growling yet? Because mine is.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts…you’ll find clean eating recipes for it in this book.

My husband and I are currently marking pages and making a shopping list for all the amazing recipes we are going to try. I can’t wait- I’m actually excited about food again.

©iStockphoto.com - User Unknown

This past Hanukkah, I made the conscious and unpopular decision to veto sugar cookies.  Although my past efforts included a healthier non-hydrogenated margarine, I still felt uneasy giving my kids a cookie with all that concentrated fat and white flour.  The sad, puppy dog countenances along with the heart stabbing comments  such as, “But making Hanukkah cookies is our special tradition,” made me re-think my hasty decision to ban the beloved sugar cookies.  As I reflected on how my son already felt singled out due to his egg and nut allergies, I felt a surprising stab of guilt.  However, as I looked at those sticks of margarine thawing on my counter, I decided that I was going to make sugar cookie history.  Below are my results of a kinder, gentler cookie that not only tastes great, it is actually kid approved.  Enjoy. (continue reading…)

Photo: Janet Harriett

You can make this with fresh or thawed frozen fruits.

3 cups plain, unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup sliced peaches with peels on
2 kiwi, peeled
1 cup blueberries
Whipped cream or vanilla yogurt (optional) (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - Floortje

A small amount of sugar is necessary in quick breads to ensure a moist loaf, but this whole grain quick bread gets most of its sweetness from raisins. For the moistest bread and the richest banana flavor, use bananas that have turned brown.

Make this recipe vegan by increasing the mashed banana to 2 1/4 cups and omitting the egg and yogurt, while using a vegan granulated sweetener like beet sugar, date sugar or maple sugar instead of the raw sugar.

(continue reading…)

ⓒ iStockPhoto - Hatman12

While strawberry season is almost over in California and Florida, most of the country is just getting ready for these delicious signs of sunshine and long-awaited warmer weather. Strawberries have very thin skin, and conventionally grown berries absorb those chemicals when sprayed with pesticides. Always opt for organic berries when possible and try to find a local source for the easily-bruised fruit since they have a short shelf life.

My favorite place to find juicy, ripe berries is at a pick-you-own berry farm. Bring your own containers and pay by the pound for the best sun-ripened strawberries. Fresh berries don’t last long at our house. However, if I have some left I love to make chocolate-covered strawberries. Those expensive ones for sale at high-end chocolate shops are conventional berries ripened with gas, not sunshine, and coated in chocolate mixed with wax! A little time and a piece of waxed paper can give you your own organic gourmet dessert with no added sugar. While I provide temperatures for the process, I have never used a thermometer for this method and it has worked every time.

Don’t be scared by the length of the directions! The process is quite simple, though I explain in detail to avoid problems. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - Zocha_K

Make some memories this Valentine’s Day with a fun and simple chocolate fondue recipe that the whole family can enjoy. Makes about 2 cups fondue.

2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup coconut milk or evaporated milk

1/2 cup demerara (raw) sugar, to taste (see tip below)

Angel food cake pieces, honey marshmallows, dried apricots or seasonal fruit pieces for dipping

Combine chocolate chips and coconut milk in the top of a double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate chips are melted and mixture is hot. Add sugar gradually, stirring to combine after each addition, until the chocolate fondue is as sweet as you like. Transfer the chocolate sauce to a fondue pot or chafing dish. Serve warm with fruits, cake or marshmallows for dipping.

*TIP: Place the demerara sugar in a clean spice mill or coffee grinder and pulse for a few seconds to grind it to a finer powder which dissolves faster into the finished fondue.

ⓒ Janet Harriett

Commercial marshmallows are basically puffs of chemically-stabilized corn syrup wrapped in refined sugar modified corn starch so they don’t stick to one another. A healthy cup of cocoa deserves a healthier marshmallow to go with it, though. Fortunately, marshmallows are quite easy to make at home, though they do make a bit of a mess. This marshmallow recipe makeover keeps that ease of preparation while eliminating some of the unhealthy elements and all of the corn-based ingredients in commercial marshmallows.  The only ingredients this marshmallow recipe makeover has in common with the commercial variety are gelatin and water.

No matter what you do to a marshmallow recipe, marshmallows are still candy and should be enjoyed in moderation. These healthier marshmallows use less sugar, and healthier types of sweeteners. The delicate honey flavor of these, far removed from the bland store-bought puffs, invites savoring, though, and the flavors are chosen to complement a cup of healthy hot cocoa. (continue reading…)