Birthday Boy!

My little brother Dallin is not so little. He's quite tall in fact, and he just turned 21! For his birthday, he requested that I make him a New York style cheesecake. Whenever I have a project that I have not yet mastered (i.e a crack free top to a cheesecake) I turn to a cookbook, and the expertise of someone that HAS perfected it. Enter Our Best Bites. These two ladies have it going on in the kitchen! I made their Lime Coconut Cheesecake for Dallin, and EVERYONE big and small loves it!



look at that deliciously creamy, oh so delectable cake....so good!



Happy Birthday Dallin!

Put the Lime in the Coconut!

Oh me oh my! Between October 2009 and June 2010 I was spoiled rotten lucky to be able  to enjoy three tropical vacations. No joke! I went to Jamaica with my Dad and two of my sisters [your wedding was in the PERFECT location Val!] to the Bahamas with my little sister for her high school graduation trip [T you're a great traveling companion!] and then to Cancun, Mexico with my awesome hubby for our fifth anniversary [would you believe this one was my favorite of the three?] During my travels to all these amazing locations, my deep love of all things coconut grew into an obsession, and it became apparent that variations are endless.

Enter last night: I read a couple of blogs referring to coconut and pineapple in breads and muffins. Yum! But, seeing as I didn't have any pineapple on hand [I ate the last few pieces Monday night, so I really can't blame anyone but myself for the predicament] I decided to branch out, get creative, and look to my favorite mocktails for inspiration. In the case of lime and coconut, I can only say that they are meant for one another. This recipe has a hint of sweetness, loads of flavor, and surprise, surprise, it's chockfull of goodness for your body to enjoy too! These beautiful muffins have loads of protein, are gluten, lactose, and sugar free [coconut sugar is simply coconut]. Enjoy!

My Favorite Mocktail Muffins
by me!

Makes 1 dozen muffins

1/3 cup coconut flour

2/3 cup soy flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup toasted shredded unsweetened coconut

3 egg whites

2/3 cup + 1 tsp Greek yogurt

1 tbsp lime zest (about two limes)

1 tbsp fruit of lime (about ¾ of a lime)

Juice of ½ a lime

¼ cup almond milk

1 tsp coconut extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line with muffin paper liners.

When oven is preheated, put the 1/3 cup of shredded coconut in a rimmed baking pan, and pop into the oven on the top rack for about three minutes. Don't forget about the coconut! It is perfect when toasted, but not so tasty when burnt!

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, the sugar, and the toasted coconut. In another bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, egg whites, vanilla extract, coconut extract,lime zest, lime juice, lime fruit, and almond milk together until smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined, do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle raw shredded coconut over the muffin batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Summer Salad

Despite my Dad's healthy lifestyle, he recently was diagnosed with high (I mean REALLY high) cholesterol. So, when I was assigned the salad for our recent get together, I scoured the Internet for a recipe that would not only be really tasty, but would make strides towards lowering his cholesterol (and my siblings and my cholesterol since this is a hereditary concern). Enter the Summer Salad. With black beans (fiber is great for lowering cholesterol), quinoa (a whole grain and complete protein), red and orange bell peppers (high in Vitamin C) and many other yummy nutritious ingredients. The version I found had hot peppers, and a heavier dressing than the one I used. My lighter version is delicious, and was such a hit that I'm sharing it with you! Enjoy.





Summer Salad (adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen)

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 bell peppers (I used red and orange), diced

2 1/2 vine ripped tomatoes, diced

1 c. green onions, diced

1/2 c. cilantro chopped

1 c. cooked qunioa

Mix the following dressing in a separate bowl before adding to the salad mix:

1/4 - 1/3c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 -2/3 c. lime juice

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cumin

Let this salad rest in the fridge, covered with saran wrap, to allow the flavors to meld. Even my cilantro knocking hot husband loved this one - so try it out on your tough critics, for a potluck, picnic, or any  occasion really.

What are your favorite summer salads?