The year is coming to a close, and you know what that means: It’s resolution time! Whether you resolve to reach a specific goal or just eat better overall, I have a delicious recipe that will help you kick-start 2011: Banana bread! This high-protein, low-fat version is one of my favorite go-to snacks or quick breakfasts.
Herb's Christmas Roast Pork
Christmas is one holiday where different traditions are handed down in each culture. I am Latino, and still have cravings for my mother’s traditional holiday Le Chon Asado, which means special roasted pork. It’s to die for! Normally this is made with pork butt or an actual whole roasted pig. As the Energy Chef, I’m going to show you how to get the same full satisfaction, but with less fat thanks to leaner, tender pork tenderloin.
Herb's Guava-Cheese Empanada Cookies
Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas! Nothing is more fun during the Christmas holiday than making cookies with my girls. Cookies aren’t exactly healthy, but since they’re automatically portion-controlled by their size, it’s a great way to indulge sensibly.
Along with more classic cookie recipes, I also make this Herb Mesa Original: Guava and Cheese Empanada Cookies. Latins eat a pastry made with guava and cheese in a puff pastry this time of year, but using empanada skins keeps them smaller and lower-cal. Your friends and family will love this twist on tradition!
Herb's Coquito
We’re serving up fresh healthy gift ideas every day from now until December 12. Catch up on the previous gifts here.
We all know that eggnog is creamy goodness in a cup. And if you add bourbon, it’s creamy bliss in a cup! But that’s also a creamy 9 grams of fat … in just one glass.
Puerto Ricans have our own version of eggnog: coquito. My mother would always make this icy coconut-based drink for the holidays — a mouthwatering tradition. But it can still be high in fat, so these days, I make it lighter with a few easy tweaks. Here’s how to make this classic holiday drink, plus how to package it up for a unique, delicious homemade gift.
Herb's Thanksgiving Soup
Happy post-Thanksgiving! Yesterday was all about bounty, with lots of food and family, but today is about one thing, at least food-wise: leftovers. Sure, I love a good turkey sandwich, but my favorite way to use up all my Thanksgiving goodies is to make my Thanksgiving Day Soup. It’s hearty, bone-warming and incorporates all the flavors from the day before.
Herb's Sweet Potato Mash
Gobble, gobble! That’s exactly what my family is going to do this Thanksgiving, and it’s less than a week away. For my Turkey Day celebration, I like to take traditional holiday dishes, like sweet potatoes, and find a way to add my own touch of personality. Move over, marshmallows, ’cause my sweet potato dish has a meaner sidekick: spicy sriracha chili sauce. Try this mash on your holiday table: It’s sweet, it’s spicy and it might just give your guests a new reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving.
Herb's Parmesan Crisps With Seared Tuna
Thanksgiving is around the corner and holiday parties will be in full swing before you know it. Whether you’re hosting a Thanksgiving feast or a casual dinner party, these easy, elegant Parmesan crisps will be the star of your bash. They’re sweet, spicy, salty and tart all at once, and each one has just 70 calories!
Herb's Chicken Fricassee
Brrr! As we drift towards winter, cooler weather makes me crave homey comfort food. For me, what comes to mind is dish my mother made every winter: chicken fricassee. I love this meal because it’s an all-in-one dish that warms you up from the inside out.
Fall weather is here, and nothing makes me happier on a cold day (or any day, for that matter) than a bowl of soup. Soup can be the perfect healthy cool-weather meal: it’s low-maintenance, chock-full of vegetables and can be low-calorie if you limit fatty ingredients and garnishes.
In Latin culture, soup is a staple, like my flavorful version of caldo callego made with kale, chorizo and white beans. We like to serve our soup with a lime wedge and a little hot sauce — believe me, it makes the flavors pop!
Wake up! This week I’m talking about breakfast. As the old saying goes, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” I know you’ve heard all this before, and I also know many of you skip breakfast. But eating breakfast starts you off in the right way. I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it myself; in fact, let me show you what makes me “The Energy Chef.”
See Herb’s favorite breakfasts »
Glance back at previous posts from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog.
