I’m forever trying to find great smoothie and juice recipes in an attempt to eat a little better and rectify my snacking ways. I even got a juicer last December and still have not used it. I’m almost intimidated by it, I don’t know why. It makes no sense because they really are the easiest things you can put together in the kitchen, but I haven’t gotten around to experimenting yet. I’m currently visiting my brother and his family in Michigan, and the other night, he made the most delicious smoothie for me. It reminded me a lot of the smoothies you can get at Blue Dog (one of my favorite healthy joints in the city). He told me he actually stole the recipe from our cousin, Sabeen…so we can all thank her for this tasty and nutritious treat . My brother made it again for me so I can share it with you all here:

BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups green grapes (note: make sure you get green grapes — you can use red grapes too, but it will taste a little more tart)
1/2 orange
1 banana
1 slice Pineapple
1 handful fresh spinach
5-6 mint leaves
1 cup ice
Run on High for 35-40 seconds

Total side note, but my family is completely obsessed with the Vitamix blender. It’s a little pricey, but so worth it. I’ll write about it again in my Mother’s Day Gift Guide .

Try it and let me know what you think . Do any of you have any other tips/recipes for healthy smoothies or juices? Share in the comments! I’m always looking for more!

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A while back, I was collecting recipes from winning teams of an Iron Chef competition I helped judge where the secret ingredient all the teams had to use was kiwi. Here’s another recipe of a dish I loved: Seafood Ceviche with Kiwifruit, with sides of spiced plantain chips, chili popcorn, and corn on the cob with Kiwifruit-Jalapeno relish. Following is a little more about the delicious dish from the team:

Ceviche is a common seafood dish that is native to many south and Central American countries. Seafood is marinated in a tangy citrusy juice, and the seafood cooks in the acidity of the juice. The kiwi was integrated in the citrus juice mix and also diced in as a component in the ceviche for a unique crunch.

Seafood Ceviche with Kiwifruit (Recipe courtesy of Maryum Khwaja, Muhammad Umer Alam, and Mahjabeen Raza)
Preparation time: 1 hour to prepare, with 5-6 hours to refrigerate and let sit seafood.
Expertise required: This is an easy recipe, no stove required.
Served: About 50 people had a cup each.

INGREDIENTS:
• 3 pounds of fresh, deboned, thinly sliced firm fish. We used Flounder, but traditionally red snapper is used for Spanish Ceviche. Flounder worked really well. Cut into 1 inch cubes, or ask the fishmonger and he/she will dice it to perfection.
• 3 pounds of fresh, cleaned (with tails on) medium sized shrimp. We chose to keep the shrimp whole, but shredded or chopped shrimp is fine too.
• 8 cups of fresh orange juice (with pulp)
• 3 cups of fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups of fresh lime juice
• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 5 pounds of Kiwifruit 4 lbs- peeled and diced , 1 lb mashed (for citrus juice)
• 2-3 Kiwifruit – peeled and sliced, for garnishing on top of the Ceviche
• 4 medium onions – diced
• 4 medium tomatoes – diced
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro – finely chopped
• 1 medium bottle of Aji-Amarillo pepper paste
• 1 can of Aji-Amarillo peppers – diced
• Kosher salt – to taste

DIRECTIONS:

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Our family get-togethers are like a Very Brady movie with a lot more food and an army of kids running around. The night ends up getting divided into a few parts: early dinner, real dinner, post-Taboo-playing snacking, and the after midnight meal. Something like that. But as you can imagine, with that many people who come with big appetites, we’re pretty good at making sure there’s no shortage on the food front. For our holiday potluck dinner, Heba (our resident fashionista/stylist/PR maven), said these Sugar-Dusted Macaroon Trees were the only dessert she was set on making from the beginning. Not only are they are delicious, she said they were extremely easy to make. And they make a festive presentation for a holiday party, so I had to share!

SUGAR-DUSTED MACAROON TREES
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living
Prep Time 15 minutes; Total Time; 40 minutes; Makes 18


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly combine coconut, granulated sugar, egg whites, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl using your hands or a wooden spoon. Form 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time into 2-inch-tall trees with your hands, using your fingertips to make pointed tops. Transfer each tree to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.

2) Bake until edges are golden and trees are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack at least 15 minutes. Cookies can be made up to 1 day ahead; dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

All photos courtesy of the Hebs.

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A couple weeks ago, I was invited to join a panel of judges for a community Iron Chef competition. It was truly one of the most fun, and inspiring events I was asked to be a part of. I lucked out by having the easy (and fun!) job of taste-testing appetizers, entrees, and desserts, all creatively using the secret ingredient: kiwi. That included dishes of tilapia, sea bass, roasted chicken, even lamb chops! But more than that, I was completely blown away by all the talent in one room. There were over 20 dishes to judge, and every single team used the ingredient in such complicated, interesting ways.

There was definitely some stiff competition, but in the end, a few teams came up on top (and I’m hoping to share all their recipes here soon!). This dessert, Cheesecake topped with a Kiwi-Berry Chantilly Cream, won the People’s Choice award that evening. Every layer of it, from the roasted-almond crust, to the kiwi-berry chantilly cream, and the cheesecake itself, was like a symphony in my mouth. Try it yourself at home!

Team 19 – Participants:
Noosheen Chaudhry
Hussam Ghazzi
Khurram Ali Khan

CHEESECAKE TOPPED WITH KIWI-BERRY CHANTILLY CREAM
Roasted Almond Crust
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 cup of butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup almonds
A few tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

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Eat good, feel good. Clairol spokeswoman, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis invited us to an intimate cooking demo at The Kitchen NYC in midtown where she shared how to make some truly delicious (and healthy!) holiday nibbles: salmon cakes, arugula pesto pizza, Thai turkey lettuce wraps, and chocolate avocado mousse. If avocado and chocolate sound questionable together, rest assured it ends up working: The avocado keeps the texture thick but still dairy-free, and all you taste is the chocolate-y goodness. The trick: don’t tell them their dessert has avocado!

After the demo, De Laurentiis stuck around to talk to me about how she gets through the holidays and keeps her hair looking fab:

Beauty and the Feast: How do you keep yourself from over-indulging at all holiday parties?
Giada De Laurentiis: The worst thing is to be on a diet during the holidays! I don’t overdo it, I just eat beforehand. I’ve been loving quinoa lately. I do a little stir fry with a little chicken or fish, and throw some greens in it spinach or arugula. Mix it all together and get a nice meal with carbohydrates, protein, and greens. When I get to the party, I just nibble, and have a nice glass of champagne and I’m good to go. That way, I don’t look like a party pooper. If you don’t drink alcohol, I always say to ask for sparkling water and add some berries or lime so it looks festive and bubbly. You got to try to assimilate and work yourself in a party.

BATF: What’s your go-to hair style for the holiday?
De Laurentiis: Lately, I like to put my hair up in a bun. I got these sparkly rubber bands to pull my hair up with and then I just pull out my bangs. It’s just fuss-free and don’t have to curl my hair all day. My daughter loves the sparkle and we wear our hair the same way!

BATF: What about your makeup?
De Laurentiis: I go for lots of shimmer eyeshadow, and I love my CoverGirl mascara. I say to women if you can’t do anything else, just apply some mascara and a nice lipgloss and go out the door, and you’ll be fine. That’s the bare minimum. When I have a party at my house, I have a little drawer in my kitchen where I keep a little mascara, a little powder, and lipgloss in case I need a touch up so I don’t have to keep running up and downstairs.


BATF: What makes you and Clairol a good fit?
De Laurentiis: What I love about partnering up with Clairol and Natural Instincts is that we both have the same philosophy in our brand. Natural Instincts wants to empower women through their hair color, and I want to empower women through the kitchen. I want women to feel good about themselves and I think women are really in tune with their hair. If you’re having a bad hair, you’re pretty much having a bad day. We’re very attached to our hair. As a women gets older, we get a few of our gray friends and they come to visit more often as we get older. I get highlights done in salon a few times a year but in between appointments, I use the box. It’s just 10 minutes, and it covers the grays and brings out the highlights even more.


BATF: What color is your hair this time? I noticed it’s a little darker than before.
De Laurentiis: This time, I colored my hair with Navajo Bronze which is a little more red than normal. Last time, I did Toasted Almond. But I think it’s kinda nice to go a little darker in the winter. But I think my absolute favorite thing about Natural Instincts is the ColorSeal Conditioner that it comes with. I’ve bought the box JUST for the conditioner. My hair goes through a lot when I’m working, a lot of blow outs and heat styling that really dries my hair out. I use this conditioner once a week, and it keeps the shine and bounce in my hair.


BATF: What are some foods that are good for your hair?
De Laurentiis: Avocado, lots of greens and water, almonds, and plenty of olive oil. I have a lot of olive oil in my life! It’s a really great fat. As you get older, our skin dries out, so it really keeps your skin bright. I have oatmeal in the morning with olive oil and salt.

BATF: With New Years around the corner, do you have any resolutions?
De Laurentiis: This year, it would be fun to take more vacation. I’m dying to go to South America! I’ve never been. It’s so funny because I go to Europe a lot, and I just came back from Thailand and Hong Kong. But I’ve never been down south! That’s my next exploration. That, and to go on a safari this year!

Below are Giada’s holiday recipes!

CHOCOLATE-AVOCADO MOUSSE
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Yield: 4 (3/4-cup) servings or 6 (1/2-cup servings)
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 3 minutes, Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli
4 very ripe (8-ounce) avocados, peeled and pitted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Fresh raspberries, for garnish

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How to make a video featuring award-winning chef Emeril Lagasse’s cooking line at JCPenney when you’re not Emeril Lagasse? I tried practicing my “BAM!”, but seeing I wasn’t quite as convincing I’ve resorted to making a musical cooking video .

So using Emeril Lagasse’s amazing 15-piece stamped cutlery block set and 12″ non-stick skillet (provided by JCP), I made chicken fajitas.

COOKWARE DETAILS:
Emeril Hard-Enamel 12″ Skillet ($40): The Emeril hard-enamel 12″ fry pan uses a high performance nonstick interior and a durable scratch-resistant surface to create successful meals with easy cleanup. (click here to purchase)
-Great for scrambling eggs or a quick chicken sauté
-Comfortable, stay-cool silicone grip handle
-Oven-safe to 350°F
-Dishwasher-safe.

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