Eat Comfy, Go Lightly

So, I'm moving to New York this week, and I'm just really not anywhere near ready.  I've been making lists of things that I need to pack or do, but as of yet, I haven't actually packed or done anything.  I think I'm in some sort of denial.  So, instead of doing any of the things I actually needed to do tonight, I ended up baking a denial cake.  

This is totally coincidental, but my denial cake ended up being vegan.  I really wasn't trying to imply anything there! Just trying to use up leftover pantry items, which didn't include any eggs or other dairy.  My cake ended… continue reading denial cake. | 3 Comments

Doughnuts are one of my biggest weaknesses.  They're one of those foods that I hardly ever eat because I know that if I do eat them even occasionally, I'll remember how much I love them, and will crave them even more.  I've heard of baked doughnuts before, but have never really thought much about them since honestly, the part of doughnuts that makes them irresistible to me  is the fact that they're fried and crisp on the outside but light on the inside.  Nonetheless, given my attempt to make healthier Chanukah foods (and yes, jelly doughnuts are a Chanukah food), I decided to give it a try.

I opted… continue reading baked ricotta doughnuts...or something like that. | 2 Comments

A galette (or crostata, in Italian) is a rustic tart.  I love it when foods are described by the word "rustic," because that basically means that they don't need to look perfect, but somehow, they still come out looking elegant and incredibly appealing.  A galette looks so pretty, but because it's a rustic tart, it can be put together quickly and easily.  I think that makes it perfect for entertaining, when there's a ton going on in the kitchen.

The nice thing about this galette recipe (besides the fact that it's partially whole-wheat, contains no butter, and very little sugar...) is that it's so versatile.  While I made a… continue reading planning a thin thanksgiving: healthy pear galette. | 8 Comments

I have a small obsession with olive oil and rosemary desserts.  I always love how moist olive oil cakes are, and I love the subtle savory flavor that rosemary gives a dessert.  So, when I was making dessert this week (my mom was in town, so it had to be a good one!) I thought of making a healthy olive oil and rosemary cake.

My favorite olive oil cake recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis, so I was a bit scared to mess with it.  But I did.  A whole lot.  I used half whole wheat flour, substituted in egg whites, added rosemary, took out the whole milk… continue reading rosemary olive oil cake. | 8 Comments

I love love love pumpkin pie, but since it isn't thanksgiving yet, I thought that a pumpkin swirl cheesecake would be more appropriate.  It's so easy to make thanks to the prepared graham cracker crust I used (I keep finding great ones - only 100 calories per serving in this one and no bizarre artificial ingredients) - using a prepared crust saves so much time!   This is much lighter than regular cheesecake, and you get protein from the tofu and vitamin A from the pumpkin.  Also, don't tell anyone that there's tofu in this - you really won't taste it!  I think this is my favorite dessert I've made in a long time - it's sweet and yummy but… continue reading pumpkin swirl cheesecake. | 9 Comments

Growing up my mom used to make me this amazingly easy dessert that takes about 30 seconds to make and is very very healthy for you. The main ingredient in the dessert is pomegranate seeds which everyone knows is a super food these days.  Pomegranates are very high in anti-oxidants, fiber and Vitamin C and also contain calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin B. All these benefits combined make it a very healthy food to eat. The way I have seen pomegranates most often are as a juice or as a salad topper so I thought this refreshing, simple dessert would be something new some of you might enjoy. Pomegranate Dessert 2 cups pomegranate seeds 1 cup… continue reading Pomegranate dessert in 30 seconds | 6 Comments

So the other day I was craving something really yummy for dessert. I really really wanted a cupcake but did not want all the calories that come with a yummy cupcake. So as Tali had mentioned, with it being fall, I decided to make a lowfat pumpkin muffincake with cream cheese frosting. The reason I am calling them muffincakes rather than a cupcake or muffin is because they are a cross of both of them. The consistency of the muffincakes are a cross between a muffin and cupcake and they have a yummy frosting that goes on top so I decided to call them muffincakes. The actual muffincake has no butter or oil and are very easy… continue reading lose the muffin top, eat a muffin cake. | 4 Comments

It's definitely fall - even in LA.  And even though I don't really see the leaves changing colors here, I still decorate with pumpkins and eat foods that make me feel warm and cozy.

Fall is also apple picking season, and the apples look and taste amazing right now!Which is why I decided to bake an apple pie.  This apple pie has a healthy whole-wheat crust (if an entirely whole wheat crust seems a bit too heavy for you, I'd suggest using half whole wheat and half all-purpose white flour) that I love.  The secret in the crust is the walnuts.  I use a half cup of very finely… continue reading healthy as pie. | 1 Comment

I have no idea when/why I became so ambitious, but I suddenly decided I was going to try to make a healthy version of a semifreddo. For those who have never tried it (or who don't watch Giada on the Food Network as much as I do), a semifreddo is an Italian dessert that's basically a frozen custard (it tastes sort of like ice cream cake).  This was a pretty ambitious project for me because a) I've never made any semifreddo before, let alone a healthy version, and b) your typical semifreddo involves around 6-8 egg yolks and a cup or two of heavy cream. The great thing about a semifreddo is that it's made in advance.  It needs to set in… continue reading project semifreddo. | 2 Comments

We all know everyone gets a sweet tooth craving from time to time. What do you do when a piece of fruit or a fudgsicle won't satisfy? Well I worked endlessly trying to come up with a good for you bread pudding and  I finally think I have one. It's a whole wheat banana's foster bread pudding with caramel sauce that really hits the spot when you are craving a real dessert! Bread Pudding 8 cups whole wheat French bread ½ cup egg substitute 4 cups vanilla soy milk ¼ cup dark rum 2 ts vanilla 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar 2 cups