Heart Healthy Cherry Almond Chocolate Scones

February is Heart Health Month AND Valentines Day so I wanted to share a recipe that would be fun to make for Valentines Day that is also Heart Healthy!!

So, first of all, what makes a food heart healthy?

Generally, it has a high amount of fiber and is low on saturated fats. Of course having other cardio-protective nutrients, like anti-oxidants is great too!!

This recipe has all of those qualities!!

• The whole wheat flour and oats add more fiber than if we were to just use only white flour. Remember, whole grains are a great way to get fiber in!!

• The oil used is canola oil. I feel like canola oil gets a bad wrap, but if we look at the types of fats that are in canola oil, it is mainly made up of unsaturated fats (poly and mono) compared to saturated fats… which is a good thing for your heart!!

• Almonds are also high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. These unsaturated fats can help increase your good cholesterol and decrease your bad cholesterol.

• Chocolate and cherries contain antioxidants. Anthocyanins, flavanols and catechins to be exact!! Antioxidants protect our cells which ultimately help keep us healthy!!

So, now for the recipe!!

Heart Healthy Cherry Almond Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white flour

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1 1/4 cup oats

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1 TBSP baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup canola oil

• 1/2 cup mix ins (I used almonds, dried cherries and mini chocolate chips)

How To:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

3. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Mix until just combined.

5. Place spoonfuls of batter on a baking sheet (recipe should make 18-24)

6. Sprinkle to tops with sugar if desired

7. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Do not over bake!

8. Enjoy!

This can be made into a balanced snack by adding some protein!! I ate mine alongside greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter and raspberries!!

Everyday French Toast

French toast is one of those foods that I LOVE but rarely eat. The reason being, when I know if I have a sweet treat for breakfast, I will likely need a nap and be pretty much useless for the day. When I do have it, I make sure I balance it with some eggs, so the sugar doesn’t hit my system so drastically! There is so much to say about a balanced plate!!

So, Kevin came up with this lovely idea for french toast that doesn’t leave me down and out for the rest of day. He was like, what if we use the ingredients we usually use for breakfast and make it into french toast…? Brilliant!!

This french toast is made of our normal whole wheat bread, sweetened with yogurt, berries, banana and peanut butter AND has no added sugars!! If you are looking for a fun a different breakfast to have that keeps you on track with your goals, try this recipe out!!

Everyday French Toast

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread (5 pieces)

• 4 eggs, whisked

• 1/4 cup milk

• a splash of vanilla

• 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon

• Dash of cloves and allspice

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup peanut butter

• 1 cup frozen berries

• 1 banana

How to:

1. Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and cloves in a flat dish.

2. Heat a skillet. Soak 1-2 pieces of bread in the egg mixture. Flip so that the full toast is soggy.

3. Place in the skillet and cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until toasted and egg is cooked.

4. Continue steps 2 and 3 until all the pieces are cooked.

5. Meanwhile, stick the frozen berries in the microwave to 20-30 seconds. Mash with banana. Then mix in yogurt and peanut butter. Mix in more cinnamon if desired!

6. Top french toast with berry mixture and ENJOY!!!

Banana Coffee Oatmeal Bake

I have been trying to expand my breakfast recipe book to provide more options to my clients and this one is a perfect fit!! We had friends visiting and I made this to have available for an easy breakfast. I also hard boiled some eggs for the side. It was so easy and was a hit!!

With anything oatmeal based, I try to add protein where I can to make it a more balanced meal. You’ll see Greek yogurt in this recipe for that reason. Also, like I said, having eggs on the side is a great addition too!

Here is the recipe:

Banana Coffee Oatmeal Bake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dry oats

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 TBSP cinnamon

• 1/2 cup almond butter

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/8 cup applesauce

• 1/8 cup maple syrup

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup coffee

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed

How to:

1.   Preheat oven to 350F

2. Mix oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl

3. In a large bowl, mash bananas and stir in almond butter. Add vanilla, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, yogurt, and coffee. Add oat mixture and mix well.

4. Spread in a 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

5. I separated into 9 servings. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container!