Today's Healthy Snack: peanuts & fresh figs

Hello, and welcome to this week's healthy snack suggestion. It's been a while since I posted about healthy snacks but, truth be told, summer is the best time of the year for this kind of meals. First, you have a huge array of fresh fruits available. And second, the heat and the fact that we are mostly busy outdoors make healthy snacks that you can take with you anywhere a must.

This post is part of The Year of "Healthy series (read about it here) and today I'm sharing one of my favorite summer snacks: peanuts and fresh figs.

Of course this snack only works if you're not allergic to peanuts (fortunately no one in our family is). If you are, replace the peanuts for any other nuts that you are ok with, or use some sort of dried fruit instead.

The purpose of the The Year of Healthy Series is to share healthy snack suggestions, recipes and other tips that will contribute to make 2017 the year of #healthy. 

I've created a specific page for the series, which  includes links to all the related posts shared here on the blog, for easier access to the content. 

Sources of nutrition facts: SelfNutritionData (http://nutritiondata.self.com)

Simple and easy pear pie

This year we had an overload of pears in our house, both from my grandfather's garden and my in-laws' pear tree, so I had to come up with strategies to use all those fruits.

This pear pie has got to be one of the easiest pies ever. It comes together in next to nothing, it's dairy free and there is no added sugar either.

Here are some of the pears we brought home a couple of weeks ago:

And here's the how to for the pear pie:

Tuna Mini Pies

Hello, and welcome. Today I'm bringing you a very easy recipe - easy but full of possibilities: tuna mini pies.

 

These mini pies come together really quick and work well as either as appetizer or as a side dish. And if you're looking for a healthy meal, combine a couple of mini pies with a salad and you're good to go (I've also been know to take one of these to the office with me for a mid-morning snack...).

 

8 amazing summer salads

Summer is the perfect time for salads - they are fresh, healthy and tasty. Not to mention they are usually easy to make and require little or no cooking. With so many alternatives available, there's really no excuse not to use your favorite ingredients and create a great summer salad. 

Here are eight amazing suggestions for you to try out:

Tuna Breakfast Rolls

These tuna rolls are very quick and easy to make and are delicious as part of your breakfast, as a mid-morning snack or as a starter. Add a salad and you also have a healthy summer meal.

Here's the how to:

Ingredients (for four rolls)

• four squares of puff pastry (mine are usually about 15x15 cm but size will depend on how big or how small you want the finished rolls to be)
• 1 large onion
• 2 cans of tuna
• 1 red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions:

• Mince the onion and the red pepper and mix them together

• Mix in the tuna and spread over each square of puff pastry

• Sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and fold over the puff pastry to create the rolls. Place them in a slightly greased oven tray and sprinkle a bit more olive oil on top
 

• Bake for about 20 minutes until the puff pastry turns a nice golden color

• Serve the rolls hot or cold, and enjoy!

Here's the printable version of the recipe:

Author: Teresa @ Keeping it Real

Tuna Breakfast Rolls

prep time: 10 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 30 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• four squares of puff pastry (mine are usually about 15x15 cm but size will depend on how big or how small you want the finished rolls to be)
• 1 large onion
• 2 cans of tuna
• 1 red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mince the onion and the red pepper and mix them together
2. Mix in the tuna and spread over each square of puff pastry
3. Sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and fold over the puff pastry to create the rolls
4. Place rolls in a slightly greased oven tray and sprinkle a bit more olive oil on top
5. Bake for about 20 minutes until the puff pastry turns a nice golden color
6. Serve the rolls hot or cold, and enjoy!

http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com.es/2017/07/tuna-breakfast-rolls-recipe.html

Keeping it Real 2017

Created using The Recipes Generator

This post is part of The Year of Healthy Series. The purpose of this series is to share healthy snack suggestions, recipes and other tips that will contribute to make 2017 the year of #healthy. I've created a specific page for the series, which  includes links to all the related posts shared here on the blog, for easier access to the content.

Happy Tuesday,

On the go apple pie

This is the apple pie you bake when you don't have time for...well, an apple pie. 

Besides, it comes in individual portions, so that you can take it with you. It's great for picnics or other summer outings and it's so quick and easy to make that there's really no excuse not to bake it. And there's a lot of fruit in it, and no added sugar, so it counts as healthy too!

Here's the how to:

Ingredients

• a sheet of puff pastry, cut into small squares or circles for individual portions
• thinly sliced apples - the number of apples you need will depend on how many individual portions you're baking, but usually each individual pie takes about one and a half apples
• powdered cinnamon

Instructions:

• Place the cut portions of puff pastry in a slightly greased oven tray and distribute the sliced apples on top.

• Sprinkle with powdered cinnamon

• Bake for about 15 minutes until the apples turn a nice golden color and the puff pastry is cooked
 

Could it be any easier?

Here's the printable version of the recipe:

Author: Teresa @ Keeping it Real

On the Go Apple Pie

prep time: 5 MINScook time: 15 MINStotal time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• a sheet of puff pastry, cut into small squares or circles for individual portions
• thinly sliced apples - the number of apples you need will depend on how many individual portions you're baking, but usually each individual pie takes about one and a half apples
• powdered cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place the cut portions of puff pastry in a slightly greased oven tray and distribute the sliced apples on top
2. Sprinkle with powdered cinnamon
3. Bake for about 15 minutes until the apples turn a nice golden color and the puff pastry is cooked
4. Enjoy!

http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com.es/2017/07/on-the-go-apple-pie.html

Keeping it Real 2017

Created using The Recipes Generator

This post is part of The Year of Healthy Series. The purpose of this series is to share healthy snack suggestions, recipes and other tips that will contribute to make 2017 the year of #healthy. I've created a specific page for the series, which  includes links to all the related posts shared here on the blog, for easier access to the content.

Enjoy,

Scrambled eggs with asparagus and smoked sausage

I usually cook this recipe with "farinheira", which is a traditional Portuguese smoked sausage made with flour, pork fat and seasonings, but the farinheira can easily be replaced with ground regular smoked sausage or chorizo.

The scrambled eggs are very tasty made like this and in my opinion the best way to eat them is to spread them over a piece of rustic bread toast. Or you can just use them as a starter or a side dish.

Here's the how to:

Ingredients (makes six portions)

• 6 fresh asparagus spears, cut into thin slices
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 farinheira, ground (replace with any other smoked sausage or chorizo)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Mix the ground farinheira and the asparagus in a pan with the olive oil and let them boil for a couple of minutes

• Add the scrambled eggs and let the mixture cook, stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper

• Remove from the heat and serve
 

Spread over a toast and you'll be amazed how good it tastes.

Or just serve it as is, together with a salad or over some pasta, and it is great too.

Here's the printable version:

Author: Teresa

Scrambled eggs with asparagus and smoked sausage

prep time: 10 MINScook time: 15 MINStotal time: 25 mins

INGREDIENTS:

(makes six portions)

• 6 fresh asparagus spears, cut into thin slices
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 farinheira, ground (replace with any other smoked sausage or chorizo)
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the ground farinheira and the asparagus in a pan with the olive oil and let them boil for a couple of minutes
2. Add the scrambled eggs and let the mixture cook, stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper
3. Remove from the heat and serve

http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com.es/2017/07/scrambled-eggs-with-asparagus-and-smoked-sausage-recipe.html

keepingitrreal.blogpot.com

Created using The Recipes Generator

Enjoy,

Easy cinnamon pancakes

My son loves pancakes (and I do too...), so every weekend I know I have to make at least a batch. And while there are many pancake recipes out there, these cinnamon pancakes are our favorite.

Here's the how to:

Ingredients (makes 10 to 12 pancakes): 

• 250 grams of flour
• 2 large eggs
• 70 grams of melted butter
• 300 milliliters of milk
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of powdered cinnamon

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients together

• Heat a non-stick skillet and once hot pour one scoop of the mix. When little holes start showing up on the top of the pancake, turn it over and let it cook on the other side.

• Repeat until you've used all the mix

•  Enjoy!

Serve with jam, more cinnamon and sugar, or just eat them plain. We love them each and every way!

Happy Tuesday,

Simple Rice Cake

Both my son and my husband love rice cakes. When I started making them I used cupcake molds but lately I've just been baking one single large cake. I had to adjust the recipe a bit, but it works and they love it just the same.

Rice cake is very simple to make and mixes well with just about any filling or frosting you want to add. It's also light and fully, and perfect for summer together with some cool lemonade or a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Here's my recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 100 grams of rice flour
• 100 grams of wheat flour 
• 180 grams of sugar 
• 4 eggs
• 150g of butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder

Instructions:

• Mix sugar eggs and butter.
• Add the baking powder and then the flour
• And finally add the flour
• Pour the batter on a greased cake mold and place in the oven at about 180º C for about 25 minutes until baked

Happy Tuesday,

One Pan Salmon & Vegetables

This one pan salmon is probably the easiest of dinners we make at our home. It comes together in next nothing and it's healthy too. 

While we love oven bake salmon (see my recipe for baked salmon with lemon and fine herbs here) this alternative is faster and the fish ends up a lot softer and with much more sauce.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 1 tranche of salmon, cut into large cubes
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• additional vegetables of your choice (optional - my favorite to add here are broccoli and cauliflower)
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste for seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon of fine herbs (optional)

Instructions:

• Put the onions on a pan with the olive oil and brown them slightly for a couple of minutes
• Add the rest of the vegetables and the salmon

 

• Add the seasoning (garlic powder, salt, pepper, herbs...) and pour the white wine over everything.

• Cover the pan and let it cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add a bit of water if the sauce evaporates too quickly.  

And... you're done. Serve with white rice and a salad and you have one quick, healthy meal ready!

Happy Tuesday,