Healthy Habits: The Perfect Parfait

Let me tell you a story. About 7 years ago, while on vacation in the fabulous town of Las Vegas, I ordered something called a "Breakfast Parfait" for breakfast one morning. Being the then-unadventurous eater that I was, my breakfast options had previously been limited to Honey Nut Cheerios and Eggo Waffles. Thus, this "breakfast parfait" was a major departure from my habitual morning meal. When it arrived, I was delighted by the eye-catching layers of yogurt, granola, and fruit. I liked it so much, I ordered it again the next morning. I completely forgot about that divine breakfast treat until many years later, when I had been bitten by the cooking bug. Inspired to assemble something more elaborate than toast or cereal, I determined to re-create that breakfast treat. Little did I know that I would soon develop a new culinary obsession.

Breakfast parfaits have it all: they're versatile, nutritious, and beautiful:
-You can adapt any parfait to suit your taste preferences; there are no real rules about what must go into a breakfast parfait.
-If you choose relatively healthful components (i.e., low-fat or non-fat yogurt, plenty of fruit, and whole grains), then a breakfast parfait is a healthy addition to any diet.
-Be sure to choose a pretty glass in which to place your ingredients. Half the fun of eating a parfait is the presentation!

I've had much practice in making parfaits over the years (almost as much expertise as I have in smoothie making), so here are a few guidelines I've created to ensure a maximally enjoyable parfait experience:
*Choose a grain component. I like whole grain cereals such as Fiber One, raisin bran, and Kashi GoLean. Other grain options include VitaTops, homemade whole grain muffins (crumbled), or other baked goods.
*Choose a fruit. There are no real limits here. Go with your favorite...or even a combination of several.
*Choose a wet ingredient. Mine is almost always yogurt, but I have been known to include applesauce or pumpkin as well. Most often I use plain yogurt, but feel free to include flavored yogurts as well--just keep an eye on that sugar count.
*You may like to sprinkle an optional topping as a final flourish. I typically place a dollop of nut butter, a few chopped nuts, wheat germ, or granola for texture and taste.
*Pay attention to the order in which you layer your ingredients. I happen to enjoy soggy textures, so I like to layer in the following order: grain, yogurt, fruit--repeat! That way the muffins or cereal soak up the flavor of the yogurt, creating a texture not unlike a trifle. Feel free to change up the sequence as you please.

I have made MANY breakfast parfaits on this blog, but here is a mere sampling:

For a complete list of all my parfait posts, click here. If you have any questions about any of the ingredients in any of my creations, just shoot me an email!

Happy parfait-making!

Hot 'N Cold

Aside from my recent obsession with Katy Perry (and the super sexy man in the "Hot 'N Cold" video), today's post title was inspired by our wacky Alabama weather. When I went for my run this morning, it was a balmy 63*--yes, I was wearing shorts on December 19th. The cold weather arrives on Monday though, just in time for Christmas:)

In addition to our unseasonably warm temperatures, we've also been having LOTS of rain. My mom and I were greeted by a dark house when we arrived home last night.Ugh. Power outages are such a pain. Not only does it put my precious freezer goodies in danger of spoilage, but it also makes ordinary activities difficult. Have you ever taken a shower in the dark? It's quite a creepy experience.

Alright, that's enough whining from Caroline. Here's what I've been chomping on since Wednesday:

Wednesday
Just before the Duke game on Wednesday evening, I made homemade waffles--for the first time ever! I used a basic recipe that I found here, and let's just say that you may be seeing a lot more waffles at The Broccoli Hut in the future. I can't wait to play with the ingredients (pumpkin? chocolate chips? blueberries? The possibilities are endless...). I think the waffle maker may soon become my new favorite toy. I drizzled these tasty squares with maple syrup and dunked them in a plain yogurt-blueberry combo. Delish.
The shake of the evening featured strawberries and bananas again--but this time with chocolate! I added a chocolate Spirutein packet and soymilk for this creamy nighttime snack. Thursday
When I was reading my Clean Eating magazine on the airplane last week, I came across a tiny sidebar for "English Toffee Oatmeal" which suggested cooking your oats in English Toffee tea. Cooking oats in tea?! Genius! I cooked my oats in gingerbread tea, then added nutmeg, stevia, and cinnamon. After cooking, I added almond butter and dried cranberries.
Amidst more holiday shopping, my mom and I stopped by the house to grab lunch. I made some tofu lettuce wraps with broccoli slaw, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, tofu, and cashews. I had some clemenetines and a handful of garlic herb crackers on the side. By the time our power came back on, I was too hungry to think of anything elaborate for dinner. Hence, I present you with my hummus-salsa baked potato. I had a simple salad with Woodstock dressing and peaches with wheat germ on the side. Yawn.
The smoothie last night was pretty awesome. It's to be expected, considering it featured by favorite flavor combo, mango and vanilla. I used frozen mango cubes, soymilk, vanilla Spirutein, and PB granola. So good.
Friday
I realized today that it has been far too long since I've enjoyed pumpkin, so I made a pumpkin parfait for breakfast. I sweetened up the pumpkin with maple syrup and a few spices, then layered it with plain yogurt, oatmeal flakes cereal, and chopped almonds.
Lunch was pretty simple today: just a veggie wrap, along with a salad and an apple with cashew butter. I sauteed the zucchini and red bell peppers in balsamic vinegar then rolled it up in a wheat tortilla. That's smoked Tofurky on the salad.

My parents and I just arrived at the lake house a few hours ago; we're just here for the night to check on things (and maybe bake some Christmas cookies...). The food situation is pretty limited at the moment, so my dinner was a tad strange: mock tuna melts with veggies and a salad with sunflower seeds. I made the mock tuna the simple way, with just some vegan mayo, mustard, chickpeas, and lemon juice. That's a mozzarella string cheese on top. What do you like to prepare when fresh ingredients are limited?
We finally got around to decorating our Christmas tree this week. Here's a look at the finished product: Now I am off to watch a Christmas movie and perhaps have some fun in the kitchen.

Healthy Habits: The Wonders of Wheat Germ

I know, I know. I realize that I seem like the quintessential health nut, extolling the virtues of wheat germ. However, that is not going to stop me from devoting a feature post to one of my most favorite ingredients. Read on to find out its myriad benefits.

A two tablespoon serving of wheat germ provides 50 kcalories, 1 gram of fat, and 4 grams of protein. In addition, you'll get hefty doses of vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant), folic acid (necessary for preventing birth defects), zinc (crucial to a healthy immune system), plus magnesium, thiamin, and phosphorous. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

Kretschmer is my brand of choice, the one that comes in a glass jar with a red label. The company also produces a honey-toasted variety, which is equally delectable, although not as versatile in recipes. The nutritional stats are very similar. Something to note if/when you buy this miracle food: store it in the refrigerator. The germ of the wheat plant contains essential oils that may go rancid if kept at room temperature for too long. Play it safe and stash it in the fridge.

I use wheat germ in multiple ways (as evidenced by its large number of tags in the right-hand column of this page); some are sweet, while others are savory. Most often, I use wheat germ as a healthier and less sugared alternative to granola; it provides a similar crunch and texture element. Try it mixed into yogurt (especially with pumpkin!--see below), sprinkled atop an evening smoothie, or poured over fresh or frozen fruit. Also, wheat germ makes a lovely complement to chopped nuts in any of the aforementioned snacks, so get chompin'.
In addition to snacking, wheat germ can play a starring role in your breakfast routine. It makes the perfect addition to hot oats, cold cereal, or overnight oatmeal. Consider pairing it with ground flax for a nutritional superstar duo.
I've experimented with wheat germ in baked goods as well. (Yes, I realize that these bran muffin tops look like hamburger patties).
If you're looking for a more savory way to enjoy wheat germ, try using it as a breading. One of my favorite it methods is to dredge pieces of tofu in a wheat germ-spiced mixture. Make sure the tofu is wet when you do this, otherwise consider using dijon mustard as a "sticking" agent. Bake them in the oven until slightly browned, and you've got a toasty batch of "tofu sticks" or "tofu fingers." For mock-fish sticks, include some kelp granules in the spice mixture; for mock-chicken fingers, use the dijon mustard method mentioned above. These sticks/fingers clearly are meant to be dipped, so feel free to use your favorite sauce as an accompaniment. My personal favorite is the Peanut Passion Sauce from ED&BV.
A final random (although tasty!) way to incorporate wheat germ into your diet is to use it as a salad topper. As a lover of all things crunchy, I like to add a little texture to my salads with the addition of nuts, soynuts, ...or wheat germ! I recommend pairing it with a sweet dressing, such as a berry-based concoction.
The possibilities for wheat germ dishes are limitless. For more ideas, check out Kretschmer's website.