Featured Ingredient: Coconut

Coconut is rich in protein. It’s a favorite among fitness freaks (and CollegeCandy writers) for its ability to promote muscle growth. Coconut is also rich in Calcium, Vitamin A, and (good) fats. Studies show that it also helps maintain proper thyroid and kidney function. That makes it the perfect ingredient for a satisfying, tasty, easy, healthy meal!

You Will Need:

2 TBS coconut or sesame oil (or cooking oil of choice)
¼ cup shredded coconut
1 small onion
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup carrots
1 Package firm tofu
4 TBS peanut butter (or tahini sauce)
1 TBS soy sauce (optional)
Ginger or coriander to taste (optional)

Recipe:

1.     Cut your veggies to size of choice. Cut the tofu in cubes.

2.     In a large bowl, mix your oil, peanut butter (or tahini), and soy sauce. Add in veggies and tofu and mix until all is coated.

3.     Pour mixture into a baking-safe dish and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. At this point, take the dish out and stir up the mixture to keep it from sticking. Add in the coconut. Bake for another ten or fifteen minutes, until the tofu is golden and the veggies are nice and soft.

Pour this over rice, quinoa or even some thai noodles and voila! You have a Thai-inspired dish faster than the delivery guy could bring one!

Need to cut back on the dining out to save some money? Get more awesome and yummy Intro to Cooking right here!

I love peanut butter. As in, please don’t judge me but I could sit in front of the TV with a spoon (or my finger?) and eat it like a bowl of ice cream. Or strawberries. If only peanut butter had the same fat and calories as strawberries. Then I’m certain all of life’s biggest problems would be solved.

If I am going to indulge in my beloved PB I want it to be GOOD. We should all know by now that the stuff we grew up with (read: peanut butter made with hydrogenated oils, unnatural products, etc.) is so bad for us. And in my (not so humble) opinion, why eat a higher calorie food that’s bad for you when you can eat a version that is actually good for your body?

….And, might I add, tastes a hell of a lot better.

If you don’t know it yet, all-natural peanut butter is good for you (in portion control, as I’ve learned the hard way). It’s packed with protein and healthy fats, and it makes for a great snack! I’m a fan. A big fan. Quite possibly a bigger PB fan than a Badgers fan…but don’t tell anyone. I consider myself a Peanut Butter aficionado if you will. A connoisseur. Truth be told, if there was a talk show about Peanut Butter, I would be the Oprah Winfrey. Or at least Ryan Seacrest. And ladies and gentleman, I believe I’ve found the Mona Lisa of the natural peanut butter world:

Parkers Peanut Butter.

You can find this gooey gift from god in the fridge section of Whole Foods or online. On the scale of yummy-ness, creaminess (even their chunky versions have an amazing creamy consistency) and all around kick-ass-ness, Parkers Peanut Butter is the bomb.com

And there are four amazing varieties to choose from: Creamy, Crunchy, Honey Roasted Creamy and Honey Roasted Crunchy. (I haven’t tried the honey crunchy yet but word on the street is it is pretty much like crack in a jar.)

Trust me when I say you need to run, not walk, to Whole Foods for this peanut butter. You will thank me. You may also thank me for telling you to run because a calorie burned is a calorie more of PB that you can put on your spoon. And trust me you will want that extra calorie.

And if eating peanut butter with your finger out of the jar isn’t as much your thing as it is mine, there are a bunch of amazing recipes on Parkers Farm website. Here are two easy breezy ones (no oven required!) that are great to whip up for Super Bowl Sunday or any day, really.

Peanut Butter Dip
1/2 cup Parkers Farm Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Apple wedges & miniature pretzels

In a large mixing bowl, combine Parkers Farm Honey Roasted Peanut Butter, yogurt & cinnamon. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with apples & pretzels.

YIELD: 1 (delicious!) cup

Rolled Oat Clusters (No Bake Cookies)
2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tbs cocoa
2 tbs vanilla
Dash salt
1 cup Parkers Farm Creamy Peanut Butter
3 cup rolled oats (quick or regular)

Combine sugar, milk, butter & salt in a heavy 3 quart pot. Stir. Bring to a full boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla & peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Add rolled oats, cocoa and salt. Mix well. Cool until mixture holds shape, slightly. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper, cool, eat.

YIELD: Approximately 4 dozen clusters

[Check out all the other goodies Jill's been sharing right here.]

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston may be ancient history, but there’s one American super-couple that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon: peanut butter and banana. Today’s recipe takes the classic sandwich and, well, turns it inside out to create a savory snack or a meal on the go.

The Ingredients: Everyone knows bananas are high in potassium, but their high fiber content and the variety of sugars they offer (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) make them ideal sources for extended energy. They are also high in iron. Besides being the one of the tastiest snacks, peanut butter is also one of the healthiest: it’s high in monosaturated (good!) fats that help prevent bad cholesterol from building up. PB also contains nutrients like niacin and calcium.

The Recipe:

3 large, very ripe (read: disgusting and brown) bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter or substitute (my fave for baking is Earth Balance)

1 1/2 TBS sour cream or buttermilk

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

Note: For a real peanutty punch, replace 1/2 cup of flour with peanut flour

Instructions:

1. Place bananas, eggs, butter, sour cream, and lemon juice into a food processor (or mix by hand) until smooth.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

3. Pour your banana mixture over the flour mixture and stir until both are incorporated. Then mix in your peanut butter.

4. Pour your batter into one big loaf pan, two small ones, or into papered cupcake pans for muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes. Your creation should be brown on top, but poke with a fork to make sure the middle is baked, too.

5. Cool in pan for five minutes after baking before removing.

If you want to change up an old favorite, substitute almond butter for the peanut butter and almond flour for the peanut flour. However you prefer to whip this recipe up, your friends and family are bound to go nuts over it!

Since we all snacked so healthily last week, I think we deserve a treat. And there is no better treat than cheesecake. Unless, of course, that cheesecake also involves peanut butter cookie dough. I know, right?

Hello, lover.

This recipe is not only super simple, but it will be the one that will make you famous among your friends. Like, “I want to hug you and buy you presents” famous.

Ladies, I present you with my most coveted recipe: Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars. No, it’s not New Year’s Resolution friendly, but whatever. These things are so good, you won’t even care about the calories.

Ingredients:
1 8-oz package of cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 18-oz package of your favorite store-bought peanut butter cookie dough

Recipe:

1.     Take your cream cheese out of the fridge and let it soften. In the meantime, heat your oven to 350 degrees.

2.      In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Beat until smooth.

3.     Take half of the cookie dough (and try not to eat it all with your hands) and use it to line a medium (8 or 9-inch) square baking pan or dish. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. This is your crust.

4.     Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough.

5.     Take the other half of the cookie dough and crumble it. Sprinkle this over the top of the cream cheese layer in the pan.

6.     Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm. Cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.

After you let this chill, cut it into squares and try your hardest not to eat the entire plate before your friends get a chance.

To the man (actually, I have a feeling it was probably a woman with PMS) who first decided to mix salty and sweet all in the same bite, I tip my fedora to you. Why we don’t have a chapter dedicated to you in our history books (between the first space expedition and the Civil Rights movement), I’ll never know. Because you were a revolutionary. A game changer.

You saw a gap and you filled it with sweet and salty goodness (and if you’ve ever had caramel popcorn or a chocolate covered potato chip then you know JUST what I’m talking about).

You REALLY understood what it means to be a w-o-m-a-n and our inability to make up our minds. First we want salty, then sweet, then a tuna sandwich (or is that just me?), then the whole cycle repeats itself.

But you went ahead and put it all together into one perfect little package and all was good in the world. And in my belly. Thanks to you, these 5 delectable sweet/salty treats were made possible. And thanks to me, everyone can know about and indulge in them.

Food Should Taste Good Chips in “Chocolate”: Not what you think. Not chocolate covered chips, but chips infused with chocolate. It’s completely different and totally unlike anything I’ve ever eaten before. Would you judge me if I admitted that I once ate an entire bag in a day? True story. Totes worth the muffin top. And hey, with all-natural ingredients it can’t be that bad for me, right?!

Pretzel M&Ms: I mean seriously ,does the newest addition to the M&M fam need any explanation (aside from that they’re even better with a little peanut butter on a spoon?!) And at 150 calories a pack, these aren’t TERRIBLE in portion controlled amounts.

Popcorn and Chocolate Chips: Pop a bag of healthy popcorn (like Orville Redenbacher’s 100 calorie packs) and sprinkle a few chocolate chips in there for a little bit of sweet without too much guilt. It’s a snack fit for TV premiere week.

Pretzels and Frosting: Sounds weird, tastes like a total unrealness. We used to gorge on this in high school (which explains the baby fat I sported until college….). Any flavor of frosting will do, but Funfetti is always a good choice.

Lara Bars: Specifically, PB&J and their newest (and most heavenly) addition, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.

Got any other salty/sweet must tries? Share below!

Summer is winding down, school is starting up, alumni are still doing the same-sh*t-different-day dance. In summary, the end of August kind of blows. Which is why this week’s Intro to Cooking is throwing nutrition to the wind (sort of), because it’s time for something indulgent!

The Ingredient: Dark Chocolate

In truth, dark chocolate IS good for you. In small servings, it can lower blood pressure, due to its richness in antioxidants. Why the dark stuff, over its milk- and white-chocolate sisters? Researchers think that the milk found in the latter two varieties may temper with the body’s absorption of the healthful nutrients found in pure chocolate.

Easy recipes (do you really need an excuse?)

* Pair a few pieces with a glass of red wine (more antioxidants!) for a refined evening snack.
* Mix 2 tablespoons agave nectar with 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder for a healthier alternative to chocolate dip, and serve over pieces of apples, raspberries, and bananas.
* Toss some dark chocolate pieces in a baggie with almonds, goji berries, walnuts, and peanuts for an upscale, super-tasty trail mix for those really hectic days.

The Recipe: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Whoever discovered the combination of chocolate and peanut butter should be given the Nobel Prize, for their contribution to countless moments of decadent dessert bliss. So if you want a cupcake that is truly a religious experience (seriously, just look at that photo), pull out this recipe from Food & Wine, and you’ll be praying to the chocolate gods in no time.

Ingredients
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and position 2 racks in the lower and middle third of the oven. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.

2. Put the cocoa powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Whisk in the buttermilk until combined. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 sticks of the butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then beat in the dry ingredients in 2 batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture. Carefully spoon the cupcake batter into the lined muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are springy. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

4. In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter until creamy. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon all but 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter filling into a pastry bag (or a plastic baggie with a small hole cut in the corner). Holding a cupcake in your hand, plunge the tip into the top of the cake, pushing it about 3/4 inch deep. Gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake, withdrawing it slowly as you squeeze; you will feel the cupcake expand slightly as you fill it. Scrape any filling from the top of the cupcake and repeat until all of the cupcakes are filled.

5. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Off the heat, add the semisweet chocolate to the cream and let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk the melted chocolate into the cream until smooth. Let the chocolate icing stand until slightly cooled and thickened, about 15 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the icing, letting the excess drip back into the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to racks and let stand for 5 minutes. Dip the tops of the cupcakes again and transfer them to racks.

But that happy feeling won’t last if you don’t eat a little something after all that exercise. You need something to replenish your body, girlfriend! You want to get stronger, not burn yourself out. Your friends have suggested everything from protein shakes to lemon juice.What should you really eat after you workout? I’ll give you a hint: it’s not lemon juice.

Let’s start out simple. First, drinking water is essential for replacing what you  lost in that intense cardio sesh! Everyone knows you should drink 8 glasses of water a day, but you should increase that to 10-12 on days you’re working out.

Now for food: when it comes to eating after a workout, the key is getting a snack in within 45 minutes of finishing. But that doesn’t mean chowing down on a piece of cake or snacking on a few celery sticks. Post-workout snacks should have both carbs and protein in them. The carbs help replenish glycogen, and the protein helps rebuild and rehydrate muscle tissue, as well as stimulate your immune system to keep you healthy.

So it’s CRUCIAL that you eat after a workout. If you miss that 45-minute time period, you risk slowing “carb replenishment by 50 percent and protein repair by 80 percent.” Not only does that make your workout less effective, but it also leads to that so-sore-I-can’t-cough-without-crying muscle pain that we all know and loathe. Getting that protein keeps your muscles happy so you don’t have to hold your obliques to laugh after a difficult Pilates class.

So what would the ideal carb/protein snack be? Ideally, you need a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, as too much protein right after a workout can slow rehydration and glycogen replenishment. (So no 20-ounce steaks….)

Here are some tasty, easy and healthy carb-protein suggestions:

* Yogurt with fruit (Greek yogurt is best as it has more protein than your usual stuff)
* Peanut butter on whole wheat bread
* A handful of nuts
* Banana protein shake (bananas are an excellent source of potassium, which is great for those muscles)
* Peanut butter and banana on rice cakes
* Hummus and pita
* Turkey, cheese, and apple slices
* Tuna on whole wheat bread
* Pasta w/ chicken and spinach

I know many of us tend to skip out on eating after a workout – why gain back all those calories we just burned off? – but don’t! Eating will keep you healthy, strong, and actually increase those workout results.

Happy snacking!

Yonge & Dundas Intersection in Toronto after Team Canada Win

This week’s Weekly Ten, Why Canada Deserves Silver, stirred up quite the controversy yesterday. Seriously, I didn’t see this much hate on CollegeCandy since one writer expressed her disdain for Taylor Swift. And rightfully so. Yes it was meant to be a joke, but we in Canada aren’t entirely laughing with you.  While we know for a fact CollegeCandy loves their Canadian readers, and even has a few Canadian writers (myself included), this post pissed a lot of people off.

But instead of get angry and insult the intelligence of the writer, editor or Americans in general, I decided to take the high road and just show why Canada deserves more than just a gold medal in Olympic hockey. So here is my condensed version (there are way too many reasons for one post!) of all the reasons Canada rocks that they forgot to teach you in high school.

Education – Education (university included) receives higher subsidies from the government in Canada, meaning it’s cheaper for us to attend post-secondary school.  Also, did you know that Toronto, Canada’s largely city (where I happen to attend school), has more people with university degrees than ANY other large city in the world? Yeah, take that and deep fry it!

Health Care – Okay, so maybe you’ve heard about this recently with Obama pushing for health care reform and all, but it’s true – we have universal health care in Canada, thanks to this pretty awesome guy named Tommy Douglas.  We also have a higher life expectancy rate and lower infant mortality rate than the United States.

Good Music – I agree with you, America: Avril Lavigne isn’t the greatest, but Canada has some other pretty fantastic musicians.  Arcade Fire, Metric, Stars, Feist, and The Weakerthans are just a few of my personal faves.

Tim Hortons – As I write this, I’m rolling up the rim to win on my Tim Horton’s coffee cup.

Inventions - I’m sure you’re enjoying some Canadian inventions as you read these post.  Have a light on? Used the telephone? Wearing jeans (with a zipper… not Pajama Jeans)? Played or watched hockey or basketball? Used your CrackBerry? Taken out the garbage? Eaten peanut butter? Yeah all these things were made possible by Canadians or on Canadian soil.

Multiculturalism – Canada is a mosaic of multiculturalism.  When people come to Canada we don’t expect them to give up their own identity – instead we embrace our differences.  We have two official languages in Canada – French and English – as well as  two national anthems. “Thy history is an epic of the most brilliant exploits” is a snippet of the English translation of the French version. Yeah, we’re pretty epic.

Nationalism – We have a pretty inoffensive nationalism in Canada, except when it comes to hockey.  The street parties that ensued following Sid the Kid’s gold medal winning goal were truly Canadian – according to CTV 16.6 million people saw this goal, making it the most watched broadcast in Canadian history.

Space/Landscape - As Molson Canadian (makers of the fine Canadian beer) puts it, “we have more square feet of awesomness per person than any other nation on Earth.” We have the fourth lowest population density in the world and our country is full of diverse landscapes.  This was captured by the Group of Seven, a group of Canadian painters from the 1920s that developed a new school of truly Canadian art.

Definition of Marriage – Canada was the fourth country in the world, and first in the Americas, to legalize same-sex marriage.  Much like our belief in the mosaic of multiculturalism, this shows our commitment to equality.

[photo courtesy of Max Mertens]

Read on, my friend.

This recipe for pumpkin peanut butter mousse (adapted from The Peanut Butter Boy‘s formula) is about as close to Food Pyramid-certified as you’re going to get. The only fat in this dessert is in the peanut butter (which is loaded with “good” monounsaturated fats, as well as protein), and hey, pumpkin is a fruit!  Best of all, this recipe is multi-functional (see below) and takes less than five minutes to make.

If there were ever a sign that god exists, it is here. And it is tasty.

Ingredients
1 can pumpkin
1 15oz container fat-free Ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon natural almond butter (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch brown sugar
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 pre-made graham-cracker pie crust (optional; may contain fat)

Directions
1. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, ricotta cheese, vanilla, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. Put the peanut butter and almond butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 25 seconds, or until melted. Add to the mixture in the large bowl, stirring until well-mixed.  Garnish with cinnamon.

3. Taste with your finger. OK, take another taste. Stop. No more! Save some for later. Take your fingers away from the bowl, missy, and pour that stuff into the pie crust! (That is, if you choose to use one. If not, at least use a spoon!).

This stuff is really delicious on its own – as you will quickly notice – but it’s also really good as a fruit dip or poured into oatmeal! And the best part – you don’t even have to feel guilty for indulging.

Enjoy!

Mmmm. Caffeine. And wrinkles.

College is stressful. And stress makes us do some pretty crazy things for the sake of a good grade, such as harming our bodies without even knowing it.

Don’t know what I’m talking about?
Let me break it down.

Do you ever finish a decently long paper around 2 a.m. saying, “I am so ready for bed,” then lying there staring at the ceiling for the next three hours wide awake?  Yeah, me too.

You know you should be tired, but somehow your brain just doesn’t want to turn off. Could it be anxiety…or could it be those 2 Red Bulls and venti latte you pounded between the hours of 11 am and 9 pm?

You know you needed them to get through the day, but do you have any idea what all that caffeine is doing to your body? Even more, do you even have any clue how much caffeine you even ingested?

According to the LA Times, most people have no idea how much caffeine we’re really consuming each day.  “Caffeine turns up in expected places, in unexpected amounts. And recent years have seen an explosion in the number of caffeinated products on the market: energy drinks, of course, but also chewing gum, candy bars and (for a brief while) potato chips.” Not only that, but none of these products tell us how much caffeine they contain, so most of us are getting more than we think and way more than we should be.

Now, as a college student like most of you, I don’t really have time to give a flying fudgesicle bar about how much caffeine I’m taking in. If it helps me get through that essay (or perks me up before that big party), I’ll drink it. And then I’ll get a refill. But after doing some research, it seems that maybe I should care. Just look what caffeine does to your body:

* Insulin spikes caused by caffeinated beverages create a blood sugar roller coaster, which leads to a crashing effect. (That can’t be good for marathon study sessions.)
*  Our blood vessels constrict, reducing the flow of oxygen to important areas like your brain (up to 30%) and your extremities.
* Digestion and the immune system are impaired or suppressed.
* The production of DHEA and other anti-aging hormones is decreased.
* Coffee consumption leads to a loss of Calcium and Magnesium

So what does that all mean?

Well, in a chocolate-and-peanut-butter-covered nutshell, it means that we all gotta be more careful. First, you gotta know how much caffeine is recommended per day. Most doctors say people should have a maximum of 300 milligrams. Next, we gotta know how much caffeine is in the things we drink and eat and re-evaluate our caffeine choices. Most products don’t share that information (and that’s the major problemo), but it’s safe to say that starting your morning at Starbucks, taking a Mountain Dew break at lunch and downing a few Jager Bombs post dinner is not going to bode well for your body. Or that soft, ageless skin of yours.

Looks like Starbucks isn’t the answer to all your problems, after all.