Lisa Muccio

I just have to share this recipe. It’s about as healthy as you can get and it is SO good. No added sugars, whole wheat couscous, plus dried fruit and nuts. It makes a great breakfast, but you can eat it anytime and probably even use it as a side dish in a meal. I enjoy it because it’s kind of like an alternative to oatmeal, but BETTER! (mostly because the cous cous is like chewy little pasta balls 🙂 Yum!

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat couscous
• Dried apricots (unsulfured)
• Almonds (or any nuts you prefer)

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions. I make 1 cup which equals 2 to 2.5 cups when cooked and can be used for a couple days.

Toast the almonds. You can do this in a dry skillet on the stove, but I do it in a toaster oven for about 7 minutes. You’ll know they’re toasted when you can smell them. (I also toast a bunch at one time and store them in a container)

Chop the dried apricots and almonds and mix into the couscous.

For one serving of couscous I use 2-3 apricots and 4-6 almonds. I just keep the prepared couscous in the fridge so I don’t have to make it on the stove each morning. Then I mix in the fruit and nuts each morning so I can change it daily! You can eat this at any temperature, but I like it best when it’s hot.

Enjoy! 


Other variations to try:
dried cranberries and walnuts
cashews and dried strawberries
fresh fruit
try incorporating 2 or 3 kinds of fruit with 2 or 3 kinds of nuts

lovelisa

I tested out some different ideas for chocolate croissants a few weeks back. I used chocolate chips in some and nutella in others… Nutella definitely wins!

This is so super simple and it is so yummy. It’s like eating at a coffee shop but you get 8 croissants for the price of one!

Here’s my super simple recipe:

1 can of reduced fat pillsbury crescent rolls
1 jar of nutella

*note: you will not use the whole jar of nutella… Unless of course you scarf it down while you wait on the croissants to bake.

**note: I used reduced fat crescent rolls because you ate all that nutella!

Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate the triangles. I use a small spatula and spread nutella on one whole side of a triangle. Spread extra nutella on the wide end and loosely roll up from that side. Place on a baking sheet and bake according to the directions on the crescent roll package. How easy is that?! I watch the cute lil things until they’re golden on top but still pale yellow in places. That’s when they’re fluffy and moist inside (but not doughy!) And you don’t want to over cook them because they will be dried out. Just sprinkle with powdered sugar to make them extra cute and wallah! You’re finished!

Paired with a cup of coffee, this is delicious! Coffee and chocolate croissants are a brilliant food combination!

lovelisa