ALDI’s Top 25 January Finds to Prep You for Winter

ALDI, the beloved affordable grocery chain, is back with an onslaught of deals to help best prepare you for the cold winter days ahead. The German retailer is here with plenty of snacks and kitchenware geared toward cooking up cold-weather stews and soups. It even gives a peek into February with a number of Valentine’s Day-themed items. Keep reading for the best items to grab from ALDI in January.   

Related Reading: The Best Bone Broths for Easy & Warm Nutrition This Winter 

ALDI Finds: January 1

Simply Nature Coconut Water with Aloe Vera Juice

ALDI

Get in on the coconut water trend with this bottle infused with aloe vera juice. Sip as is, or add to your favorite smoothies and cocktails. 

Kirkwood Whole Grain or Blazin’ Hot Chicken Fries

ALDI

Snack on these chicken fries—a mash-up that resembles a mix of mozzarella sticks, french fries, and chicken fingers—which are either simply enrobed with bread crumbs or dusted with spices. 

Simply Nature Butternut Squash Sea Salt or Brown Sugar Crackers

ALDI

Get in the snacking mood with these crackers made from butternut squash—which arguably means they’re way healthier than the traditional variety. These come decked out in sea salt or brushed with sweet brown sugar. 

Simply Nature Organic Coconut Bars

ALDI

Whether you need an on-the-go breakfast or something to bite into in the afternoon, these organic coconut bars will do the trick. Choose from flavors like almond cranberry, original coconut, and chocolate cherry.

Crofton Meal Prep Containers

ALDI

Start January off on a healthy foot by getting into the business of meal prepping. This 20-piece set arrives with containers divided into sections, allowing you to fill it with a handful of dishes and snacks. 

Ambiano Electric Spiralizer

ALDI

Spiralized vegetables are the new pasta. A much healthier alternative to grains, zoodles can make a tasty and filling side to a wealth of dishes, and this spiralizer is about a third of the price of the popular KitchenAid attachment.  

ALDI Finds: January 8

Nature’s Nectar Grapefruit Juice

ALDI

Sweet, punchy, and tangy, grapefruit juice serves as an excellent morning beverage, blitzed into smoothies, or swirled into cocktails. 

Mama Cozzi’s Roasted Vegetable Cauliflower Crust Pizza

ALDI

Searching for a quick, weeknight meal? Look no further than this cauliflower crust pizza, loaded with roasted vegetables. 

Earthgrown Meatless Breakfast Patties or Links

ALDI

Please the vegetarians in your life with these breakfast patties and links.

Priano Ancient Grain Pasta

ALDI

These dried pastas are made from heartier whole wheat grains and come in a bevy of shapes, like fat rigatoni and crimped rustichine. 

Tuscan Garden Greek Yogurt Dressing

ALDI

Toss salads with these Greek yogurt-based dressings, in ranch and cucumber dill flavors. 

ALDI Finds: January 15

Emporium Selection Spicy Cheddar Assorted Varieties

ALDI

Spicy lovers will adore this trio of cheddars spiked with red Thai curry, sriracha, and habanero peppers. 

Fusia Kung Pao Chicken or Veggie Mini Egg Rolls

ALDI

Heat up these crispy egg rolls, jammed with chicken and vegetables, for a filling appetizer. 

Priano Beef Ravioli or Cheese Tortellini

ALDI

Warm up with a comforting meal of beef ravioli or cheese tortellini, easily dressed up with tomato sauce or pesto. 

Crofton Stir Fry Wok Pan

ALDI

Take stir fry dinners to the next level with these deep wok pans, which allow you to toss, sear, and simmer everything together without fear of undercooking or losing pieces to the floor. 

Ambiano 6 Cup Rice Cooker & Steamer

ALDI

The joy of a rice cooker is a perfect bowl of rice every time you cook. 

ALDI Finds: January 22

Park Street Deli Assorted Fresh Dips

ALDI

Whip out these assorted dips at your next gathering: chipotle black bean, bruschetta, and black bean and corn salsa.

Mama Cozzi’s Garlic Bread Pizza Supreme or Pepperoni

ALDI

What better combination is there than the mash-up of garlic bread and pizza? Choose from pepperoni or supreme, loaded with sausage, pepperoni, peppers, black olives, and onions. 

Roseland Original or Honey Garlic BBQ Baby Back Ribs

ALDI

Here’s a reason to get the grill going in January: baby back ribs. These ribs are pre-seasoned and prepped to hit the grill. 

Clancy’s Original or Hot Onion Snack Rings

ALDI

These crispy, crunchy onion rings will hit the spot for a salty, savory craving.

Crofton Lightweight Cast Iron 6-Quart Dutch Oven

ALDI

The winter is here, and that means plenty of soups, stews, and casseroles—all which can be made in this cast iron Dutch oven.

Ambiano Air Fryer

ALDI

Didn’t get an air fryer for the holidays? No matter. Grab this 5-quart version and get ready to air fry everything from potatoes to chicken wings. 

ALDI Finds: January 29

Choceur Assorted Chocolates Heart Box

ALDI

Get into the Valentine’s Day spirit with this box of chocolate shaped like a heart. 

Benton’s Shortbread Hearts Cherry or Strawberry

ALDI

Savor the sweetness of these jam-infused shortbread cookies, filled with cherry or strawberry jam. 

Mama Cozzi’s Mega Pizza Snacks Pepperoni or Combination

ALDI

There’s nothing quite like sitting down to a platter of pizza snacks and immediately burning the roof of your mouth. But that’s part of the fun. These rounds brim with the likes of pepperoni, sausage, cheese, and tomato sauce.     

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/39rsziK
via IFTTT

A Shiny 6-Quart Digital Crock-Pot Is Half Off Right Now

You don’t have to look much further than “The Tortoise and the Hare” to know that slow and steady wins the race. The same is true of easy, tasty cooking, which is why we all love slow cookers, especially this 6-quart digital Crock-Pot slow cooker currently half off at Best Buy as its Deal of the Day.

There’s a bevy of features to love about this particular model including a large 6-quart cooking capacity, big enough for just about any recipe or group, large and small. A smart, removable cooking pot means you can bring your soup, stew, meatballs or Sunday roast straight to the table in the same built-in serving dish it was cooked it in, saving yourself an extra dish to wash. Plus, the modern stainless steel design looks great with any kitchen aesthetic and makes for easy one-wipe cleaning. 

Related Reading: 9 Slow Cooker Cookbooks You Need | The Best Coffee Subscriptions

Now that the Crock-Pot has dinner covered, what about your morning cup of joe? Keep it simple with this Insignia 10-cup stainless steel coffee maker also on sale, currently down to less than $30 for today only. This compact unit is incredibly easy to use, featuring no-fuss analog controls for a perfect brew every time, and a brew-pause function allows you to stop for a cup mid-brew for those “special” mornings. 

Both the 6-quart Crock-Pot and Insignia 10-cup coffee maker are on special discount for today only and can be ordered online and picked up (for free) at your local Best Buy or shipped straight to your door. 

Crock-Pot 6-Quart Slow Cooker, $44.95 (originally $90) at Best Buy

Best Buy

With a smart slow cooker with easy cook settings and removable cooking pot, dinner is handled. Buy Now

Insignia 10-Cup Coffee Maker, $29.95 (originally $80) on Best Buy

Best Buy

Start your day with a great deal on this Insignia coffee maker down to just 29.95 at Best Buy.Buy Now

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/2QEsr6T
via IFTTT

Boost Boring Keto Dining with a Banger Recipe for Zoodles and Spicy Meatballs

There’s something exceptionally frustrating when you’ve finally found the perfect recipe to make for dinner that fits the keto diet, only to discover that the entire recipe is made to serve eight people. This is especially exacerbated when you’ve got a household of three or fewer and you’re trying to minimize food waste.  

Related Reading: Keto Cookbooks You Need in Your Kitchen

But Lindsay Boyers has a solution for that in her new cookbook, “The Keto for Two Cookbook.”  Lindsay is a nutrition consultant who boasts a background in dietary therapies and the book is filled with low-carb keto recipes designed to help you lose weight, with a focus on looking at portion sizes. For the uninitiated, the beloved keto diet is a high fat, low carb diet which pressures the body to burn fat rather than merely carbs, meaning dieters are allowed to chow down on everything from salmon and eggs to bacon and butter. 

The Keto for Two Cookbook, $11.99 on Amazon

Buy Now

In the cookbook, although recipes are geared toward two people, it’s perfectly suitable for one—leaving you with two meals from one recipe. The recipes are split into a number of sections: breakfast, soups and salads, appetizers and snacks, side dishes, chicken main dishes, pork main dishes, beef main dishes, seafood and fish main dishes, vegetarian main dishes, and desserts. You’ll discover an elegant chef’s salad, tossed with chunks of ham, turkey, cheese, and hard-boiled eggs; garlicky green beans scattered with toasted pine nuts; and keto meatloaf, peppered with lean ground beef, bacon, and a slew of dried spices.

Many of these recipes are particularly geared toward easy weeknight cooking, like zucchini noodles with spicy meatballs. Using a spiralizer, you’ll craft your own “noodles” out of zucchini—a hearty and healthy replacement for pasta—then crown the sautéed noodles with cheese- and garlic-studded meatballs and sugar-free tomato sauce. It’s filling, prepped and ready to go for two people.

KitchenAid Spiralizer Attachment, $74.96 on Amazon

Buy Now

Excerpted from “The Keto for Two Cookbook” by Lindsay Boyers. Copyright © 2019 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Photographs by Audrey Roberts. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

“Spaghetti” and Spicy Meatballs 

When you taste this recipe, you won’t even miss regular pasta noodles. The zucchini noodles have a mild flavor that serves as the perfect vehicle for the sauce and meatballs, which is the most important part of any “pasta” dish anyway, right?

“Spaghetti” and Spicy Meatballs

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup chopped white onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1⁄8 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄4 pound 85/15 ground beef
• 1⁄4 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon grass-fed salted butter
• 1 cup no-sugar-added marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cut zucchini into long strips using a vegetable slicer or a spiralizer. Set aside onto a paper towel and allow to sweat.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and sauté until transparent, 3–4 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
4. In a large mixing bowl, put egg, cheese, salt, pepper, beef, and pork. Add onion and garlic mixture and mix until evenly incorporated.
5. Shape meat mixture into six meatballs. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
6. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter. Add zucchini noodles and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened but still firm, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Divide zucchini up into two servings. Top each serving with three meatballs and 1⁄2 cup marinara sauce.

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/36imdR1
via IFTTT

10 Healthy Smoothie Ingredients for a Morning Boost

We all know we should be eating more fruits and vegetables, and also eating a healthy breakfast every day—but most of us are lucky if we have enough time to make toast in the morning. Luckily, smoothies are pretty easy. Here are 10 healthy ingredients you can add to your smoothies to give your body an almost effortless boost at breakfast time.

Oster Pro 1200 Blender with Glass Jar, Smoothie Cup, and Food Processor Attachment, $78.99 on Amazon

Smoothies are ready in a flash with the right blender—and this one includes a portable cup so you can take yours straight out the door.

Buy Now

1. Flax Seeds

Try Them In This: Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie

High in omega-3 fatty acids, they’re great for heart health. They are also easily ground—adding a teaspoon to, say, Taste Love & Nourish’s Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie recipe won’t affect flavor or texture.

Related Reading: The Best Eco-Friendly Reusable Straws

2. Greek Yogurt

Try It In This: Cherry Bakewell Protein Smoothie

Not only filled with good bacteria for your gut but also chock-full of protein, so it’ll help keep you satisfied all morning long. Try it in The Road to Less Cake’s Cherry Bakewell Protein Smoothie recipe.

3. Berries

Try Them In This: Metabolism Boosting Berry Smoothie

Adding a punch of antioxidants and vitamin C from fresh berries to your breakfast smoothie is sure to give your immune system a boost. Start your day right with Kenko Kitchen’s Metabolism Boosting Berry Smoothie recipe.

4. Bananas

Try Them In This: “Stress Buster” Orange Smoothie

The flavor of a banana can mask the non-breakfast-y flavor of grassy or vegetal smoothie additives like spinach and avocado, and banana carbs can yield a filling liquid meal. Check it out in Simple Healthy Kitchen’s “Stress Buster” Orange Smoothie recipe.

Chowhound

5. Honey

Try It In This: Raspberry Orange Smoothie

Sweeten naturally with honey instead of refined sugar—it’s better for you and you won’t feel that sugar crash halfway through the morning. Peanut Butter & Peppers’ Raspberry Orange Smoothie recipe is a great four-ingredient breakfast that highlights this natural sweetener.

6. Ginger

Try It In These: Tropical Groove

Adding a thumbnail-size piece of fresh ginger is the perfect immune booster when you feel a cold coming on. Try it in My New Roots’ Tropical Groove Smoothies recipe.

7. Avocado

Try It In This: Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie

Full of healthy, heart-promoting omega-3 fatty acids, avocado blends perfectly into the Mint Chocolate Green Smoothie recipe from Food Faith Fitness.

View this post on Instagram

Fun Fact: I drink a green smoothie every day! 💚💕 Today I’m *finally* sharing a comprehensive post on how to make the BEST green smoothie recipe and how to meal prep smoothies – something I’ve wanted to do since I started my blog!! I’ve partnered with my friends at @Vitamix to bring you all my tips and tricks and a simple green smoothie for beginners that is healthy, tastes amazing, and it’s made with 4 ingredients in less than 5 minutes! Click on the link in my bio to check it out, and to watch the video (which includes some cute little helpers)! 💚#vitamixpartner #vitamix . . . #joyfoodsunshine #smoothie #greensmoothie #greensmoothies #smoothierecipe #glutenfree #smoothietime #dairyfree #vegan #todaybreakfast #feedfeed #buzzfeast #foodandwine #huffposttaste #makesmewhole #yahoofood #bhgfood #goodeats #foodblogfeed @foodblogfeed @food_glooby #cratestyle #eeeeeats #f52grams #realsimple #eatclean #kitchn #utahblogger #foodblogeats

A post shared by Laura (@joyfoodsunshine) on Jul 28, 2019 at 5:59am PDT

8. Leafy Greens

Try Them In This: The Green Drink

Try adding a handful of spinach or kale to a smoothie for a boost of iron. Fresh fruit can mask the flavor, and you’ll reap the benefits of vegetables without having to face a plateful. The Green Drink recipe from The First Mess is a good place to start.

9. Apple

Try It In This: Holiday Detox Green Apple Smoothie

There’s a reason the adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” has stuck around for so long. Apples have been linked to prevention against numerous diseases. Try one in Pinch of Yum’s Holiday Detox Green Apple Smoothie recipe.

10. Chia Seeds

Try Them In This: Strawberry Banana Chia Seed Smoothie

They’re for more than making a childhood pet grow! Chia seeds are packed with fiber and protein so they help you feel full. Load up in Jar of Lemons’ Strawberry Banana Chia Seed Smoothie recipe.

For more tips, tricks, and healthy recipes, check out our healthy living page.

Shelly Westerhausen is the founder of Vegetarian Ventures, a food blog that focuses on planet-based recipes and healthy eating habits. In her free time, you can find her rocking a wolf T-shirt, sipping on hibiscus tea, and working on her magazine, Driftless.

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/35jby7h
via IFTTT

13 Ingredient Swaps for Healthier Cooking

If you’re not used to it, eating healthy often seems like a chore, but it doesn’t have to be. Even just tweaking little things here and there—like adopting meatless Mondays, weaning yourself off soda, or picking less-processed food—can add up to big benefits, whether you’re looking to lose weight, have more energy, or just feel better about your food choices. One of the easiest methods is to start making small substitutions instead of totally overhauling your diet all at once.

If you don’t want to try the Whole30 challenge or go completely vegan or gluten-free—let alone commit to restrictive paleo or keto diets—you don’t have to! You don’t even have to swap out burgers for kale salads, or skip dessert. Just start making minor changes like the ones we recommend below.

We promise they’re all doable, and even if you only do them some of the time, they’ll have an impact. Incorporate a few into your weekly routine and before you know it, you’ll notice that eating healthy is actually pretty easy—and enjoyable, too.

1. Substitute Healthier Ingredients in Your Baking Recipes

View this post on Instagram

Lazy weekend treat: FUDGY Black Bean TURTLE Brownies with date caramel, pecans + coconut! Made entirely in a food processor, and refined sugar-free! (Link in bio until new post or find the recipe at MinimalistBaker.com) #glutenfree #dessert #minimalistbaker

A post shared by MINIMALIST BAKER (@minimalistbaker) on Jan 27, 2018 at 1:08pm PST

Baked goods don’t have to be unhealthy—even if you struggle with the whole “in moderation” part—if you experiment with swapping out some of the usual ingredients, like refined white sugar and flour, for other things. Our guide to making healthy dessert lays out lots of ways you can substitute common ingredients with things like applesauce and aquafaba.

But here’s one of the suggestions that may sound harder to swallow: swapping black beans in for flour, at least in chocolate desserts. As the Minimalist Baker’s vegan and gluten-free brownies (pictured above) prove, you’ll hardly notice the difference. And as a bonus, these are loaded with fiber and healthy omega-3s. Get the Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies recipe.

2. Boost Your Smoothie Blends

Chowhound

The easiest way to add some extra health into your life? Drink it up! Smoothies are a favorite (and less austere than detox juices), but they’re only as healthy as the things you put in them—so consider choosing non-dairy milks instead of moo juice, harnessing the probiotic power of yogurt (bonus: protein boost), using frozen fruit instead of ice to pack in extra fiber and nutrients, and sprinkling in some superfoods. You can even sneak in spinach without it tasting like a salad; try our Healthy Blueberry Smoothie recipe and see for yourself.

Oster Pro 1200 Blender with Glass Jar, Smoothie Cup, and Food Processor Attachment, $81.99 on Amazon

This blender is a smooth move, and includes a travel cup so you can take your morning fuel from kitchen to commute.

Buy Now

3. Lay Off the Lays and Make Your Own Veggie Chips

Chowhound

As a general healthy living tip, pretty much everything in the vending machine should be off limits. But if you are jonesing for some potato chip crunch, veggie chips can be a great option without the guilt (i.e. tons of oil, salt, additives, and preservatives). And you can make them from pretty much any vegetable you like, from sweet potatoes and carrots to kale. See our guide to making homemade veggie chips (no dehydrator required). But remember: These are still intended as a treat, not your daily serving of veggies; try to work in simple steamed, roasted, and raw vegetables as often as you can.

NESCO Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, $60.46 on Amazon

If you're a gadget junkie, though, these are handy for homemade fruit chips and jerky too!

Buy Now

4. Snack Smarter with Plant-Based Junk Food

No Whey Foods/Amazon

Conversely, when you don’t have time for DIY treats—or if you’re caught out away from home and must give in to a snack attack—just make relatively better choices. Look for vegan and gluten-free versions of your favorite chips and candy. They may not qualify as health food, per se, but they’re often significantly healthier than their conventional alternatives, and taste just as great. Baby steps are still steps, after all. (You can also try making healthier snacks at home, like naturally sweetened fruit leather, for instance.)

Related Reading: These Keto Chicken Chips Will Make You Forget About Lay’s

5. Get Keen on Quinoa

Chowhound

Whole grains are great, and always nutritionally preferable to more processed forms, but almighty quinoa may be even better. It’s a literal superfood, it’s gluten-free, it contains all nine essential amino acids the human body needs—and it can stand in for lots of other ingredients, like rice, oats, and even wheat.

It’s technically a seed, but it works like a grain; you can use it as the base for salads and soups, serve it with curries, and even bake with it. While the majority of quinoa recipes are savory, they can be sweet too, like our Healthy Quinoa Breakfast Porridge with Figs recipe.

6. Substitute Spinach for Some of Your Meat (or Dairy)

Chowhound

If you’re not a big vegetable person, sneaking veggies into food is a time-honored trick that works with kids and picky eaters alike (and even lets you force yourself to get more roughage in your diet). You don’t have to stick to spinach, but it’s especially easy to incorporate into all sorts of dishes, from lasagna to dips and even pesto (and smoothies, of course, as mentioned above). Try our “hidden” spinach recipes for starters.

7. Cut Back on Booze by Making Mocktails

Chowhound

Whether you’re doing “Dry January” as your health challenge du jour or just trying to cut back a bit (or, um, a lot), it’s possible to make mocktails that are just as complex and delicious as actual craft cocktails. The key is building layers of flavor with ingredients like fruit juices (though beware, they can be high in sugar), infused simple syrups, flavored bitters, and even herbs. We bellied up to 10 bartenders and got enough non-alcoholic cocktail recipes to see us through several weekends.

Nick and Nora Coupe Cocktail Glasses, $42 on Amazon

Buy Now

Related Reading: Tips for Staying Sober

8. Join the Cult of Cauliflower Rice

Chowhound

Even if you don’t think carbs are the devil, it never hurts to work more veggies into your life, and cauliflower rice is a really easy way to do it. It’s versatile, healthy, and can be served in place of nutritionally-weak white rice in any dish, from burritos to stir-fries and beyond. Get the Cauliflower Rice recipe. And note that Cauliflower Pizza Crust is also pretty great; ditto Buffalo Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Dressing (you seriously will not even miss the chicken).

Related Reading: All the Ways to Use Cauliflower for Healthier Meals

9. Substitute Greek Yogurt for Other Fats

Shutterstock

Greek yogurt is pretty great on its own, especially if you go with the non- or low-fat versions. You can swap in plain Greek yogurt in place of many other fats like mayo, sour cream, butter, and oil in a whole host of recipes. Try it in healthy mac and cheese, a garlicky sandwich spread, a delectable yet healthy dip, homemade frozen yogurt, and as the creamy element in both chicken salad and slaw.

10. Cut Back on Cheese

View this post on Instagram

Happy Fridayyyy 🙌🏼 We’re craving with THIS Roasted Jalapeño Cashew Queso🌶️🧀! A 7-ingredient, CREAMY, smoky, CHEESY sauce that’s perfect for chips🌽, tacos🌮, burritos🌯, nachos, + more! (LINK in Bio!) #plantbased #glutenfree #queso

A post shared by MINIMALIST BAKER (@minimalistbaker) on Jun 14, 2019 at 6:13pm PDT

Vegans have known for a while now that nutritional yeast is a great (and healthy) substitute for regular cheese—it’s nutty, slightly salty, and…well…cheesy, even while being free of dairy. Sprinkled on its own over pasta or salad, it can stand in for parmesan, but it’s also great when used to deepen the flavor of cheese sauces and queso dip. Just look at the Minimalist Baker Roasted Jalapeño Vegan Queso recipe above and tell us you wouldn’t think that was made with some sharp cheddar! (In fact, it’s cashews and nutritional yeast instead.)

11. Try Lettuce Wraps In Place of Tortillas

Chowhound

If you’ve ever tried to eat healthier at fast food joints, you may have asked to hold the bun, or even substituted lettuce for the bread. It works, but infinitely more enjoyable is making the same swap for tortillas, which are similarly thin and foldy. (If you can’t do it, at least opt for corn tortillas instead of flour, since they’re healthier.) Use the lettuce, though, and you can justify adding a little bit more sour cream and cheese. Try this Taco Lettuce Wraps recipe, or our Breakfast Burrito Bowls recipe.

Related Reading: The Best Keto Fast Food Options | The Best Paleo Fast Food Options | The Best Vegan Fast Food Options

12. Embrace the Zoodle

View this post on Instagram

Friday dinner cravings: Oodles of dairy-free creamy pesto zoodles with #lowcarb sesame salmon 🍽🍋🥒. . .Happy Happy Friday friends, hope it’s an awesome one!! 💛 ON THIS PLATE 👇: . .Seared Salmon + sea salt + @nomnompaleo magic mushroom powder + coconut aminos + toasted sesame oil – preheat pan on high heat with @chosenfoods avo oil – place salmon skin side down & sear for 3 minutes + flip + 4 minutes + sprinkle with sesame seeds . . Sautéed zoodles in @chosenfoods avo oil + vegan kale basil pesto @traderjoes + s&p for 2 minutes . .#feedfeedglutenfree #lowcarb #myallrecipes #food52 #feedfeed #whatsonmyplate #healthydinner #f52comfortingveggies #bhgfood #f52grams #f52 #dairyfree #tastemade #buzzfeedfood #paleo #ketogenic #lowcarbfood #ketofood #huffposttaste #keto #zoodles #zucchininoodles #paleo #salmon #ketorecipes #whole30 #foodblogfeed #whole30 #glutenfree #mypinterest #mywilliamsonoma

A post shared by Kelly Kwok – GF Recipes (@lifemadesweeter) on Feb 15, 2019 at 3:30pm PST

Have a saucy dinner planned? Swap out noodles, even the healthier kinds, with zoodles. In case you’ve been living under a rock, those are noodles made out of spiralized zucchini. Once you get the hang of making them, they are a great healthy alternative to regular or wheat pasta—and you can also shave them into thin sheets as an alternative to traditional lasagna (see our Noodleless Zucchini Lasagna recipe). But branch out even further and try zoodles in soups too (like pho), and stir fries such as this Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai.

13. Swap Milk Chocolate for Dark

Pixabay

Whether you’re just grabbing a bite of something sweet or getting ready to bake a more virtuous batch of brownies, the mere act of choosing a darker chocolate (that is, one with a higher cacao percentage) can count as a healthy move. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, after all, and has much less added sugar—and most of it is vegan too. See our picks for the best dark chocolate bars to munch on.

Note: This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated with new text, links, and images.

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/2QDiA1b
via IFTTT

Drink Low-Alcohol Cocktails Instead of Going Full Dry January

If you’re like the rest of us who ate and drank our faces off last month, perhaps in these first weeks of 2019, you’re thinking about committing to Dry January. Question is, what is the end game here? If it’s to drink less in general throughout the year, which seems like a reasonable goal that will restore balance in your life without making you feel deprived and craving wine, that’s a good thing. But maybe going totally dry in January (which may only result in you reaching for a stemless wine glass every night in February) isn’t the answer. Instead, maybe it’s time to consider swapping out your Friday Manhattan(s) for a low-alcohol cocktail.

Zero-Proof Options10 Non-Alcoholic Cocktails for Dry January“At first, folks didn’t take low-alcohol cocktails seriously outside of cities like New York and San Francisco,” says Matt Tocco, a beverage director who oversees the bar programs at some of Nashville’s choicest spots, including The Patterson House, Pinewood, and Le Sel. “But they’re beginning to now and for a few pretty good reasons.”

For starters, after we and our livers graduate from college, drinking for long stretches becomes, well, harder. “For events, even to-dos like stag or bachelorette parties, it’s smart to tell yourself that you’re running a marathon, not a sprint,” Tocca says. Also, if you’re trying to stick to a healthier eating plan that borders on the cleansing side in the New Year, know that going out to dinner does not have to mean getting bombed. “I’m thirty-four and have a child,” he says, laughing. “I just can’t hang anymore. I don’t want to be constantly buzzed. And from what I see, given the popular concern for wellbeing, people want to be able to shift gears in their lifestyle. But you can still quench the thirst.”

Godinger Cut Crystal Collins Glasses, 4 for $22.95 on Amazon

Sip anything in style with these sparkling glasses.

Buy Now

Bartenders across the country are serving up elevated and flavorful drinks that happen to be low-proof: bitter aperitifs, fortified wines like port or Madeira, batches of sangria heavy on the fruit, Aquavit spritzers, bellinis. Tocca himself is a Campari and soda guy. “I don’t know who’s doing the marketing for Aperol in the United States but they’ve done a bang-up job,” says Tocca. “For the past year, you can get an Aperol Spritz almost anywhere.”

With its myriad of flavors, Lacroix has emerged as a mixing staple for low-alcohol cocktails, too. “On the Fourth of July this year, my friends and I were drinking a lot of dry white wine with Lacroix because it tastes really good and we wanted to feel like respectable humans beings the next day,” he says. “No regrets!

How To Go Low-Alcohol At Home

Below, Tocco shares a few low-alcohol cocktail recipes that will get you through January, the Fourth of July, and the year ahead.

Italian Coke

“It’s fun to experiment with different fortified wines and potable bitters, and this is a simple variation on the classic Americano cocktail,” Tocco explains. Pinewood had it on the brunch menu for a spell—and people still ask for it.

1.5 ounces Ramazzotti Amaro

1.5 ounces Carpano Antica

Build in Collins glass with ice and top with soda water. Stir briefly to incorporate. Zest a lemon peel over top.

Aperitif #2

“I did this one at the little bar at Bastion when we opened. We didn’t even name the cocktails!”

1.5 ounces Bonal

1.5 ounces Suze

.50 ounce elderflower liqueur

Build over ice in a Collins glass and top with soda water. Squeeze a lemon wedge into drink and stir briefly to incorporate.

Sunrise/Sunset

“And here’s one with less esoteric ingredients.”

1.5 ounces Aperol

1.5 ounces Dolin Blanc

Build in Collins glass. Top with grapefruit La Croix and briefly stir to incorporate. Zest a grapefruit over the top.

See our Low-Alcohol Bar Cart Guide for more.

Related Video: How to Use Egg Whites in Cocktails

from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/36igWbP
via IFTTT