Protein Chocolate Chunk Cookies

The story of these cookies begins with a challenge thrown at me by a friend who follows a strict gluten-free diet.
He asked if I could bake him a batch of gluten-free, high-protein cookies. No wheat flour allowed - of course - but also no flour subs allowed (such as rice flour, quinoa flour, or similar). As he didn’t care for them either (I know, picky friend...)
“Just don’t use flour, or any flour sub please. Try to be innovative!” he told me. However, I could use oats, he said that oats are gluten-free.
“Really? I didn’t knew oats were gluten-free. Interesting. Are you sure?”
I was not 100% sold on this, and some research was definitely necessary.
I then discovered that what he said was not entirely correct. According to the scientific literature available, most of the people suffering from celiac disease can tolerate small amounts of pure oats, provided that they have not been contaminated with other cereals.
The official guidelines for celiacs, however, discourage the consumption of oats, because the contamination risk is almost always present (just really small amounts are permitted).
Notwithstanding that, I decided to use oats anyway in these cookies (he’s not celiac, so there’s no risk). Still I didn’t want to label them as “gluten-free”. When I’m not sure about something, I prefer not to make a statement. I believe that this is more cautious way to proceed.
Enough digressing on oats; let’s start baking...

New Study Reveals That Every Single Junk Food Meal Damages Your Arteries

If you believe that hitting a fast-food from time to time, binging with a junk food meal is an ok to do, you might want to think again. A newly published study suggests that even one single junk food meal is detrimental to the health of your arteries.

Lemony Curried Chickpeas

If you live in LA (or have been in LA) chances are you've already eaten at Joan's on Third. A great store/restaurant located between the Beverly Center and the Grove, with a refreshing yet comfortable atmosphere and a great menu selection.
They have amazing food there; the lobster rolls, the chinese chicken salad and the carrot cake are among my fave dishes. But my #1 choice is the curried chickpeas, a simple salad full of flavor and depth.
I'm so obsessed with that salad that every time I go there (not often enough as I live on the other side of the country, sigh!) I order it as part of the salad trio (a selection of three salads from their daily specials on the menu). Except that I don't pick any other salad, just three portions of the curried chickpeas. Because they're all I ever want to eat when I go there.
The mixture of spices is superb. The touch of lemon sublime. The combination of flavors unique...OK, I might be exaggerating a tad, but it's really yummy.
So when I found the recipe on the LATimes, I couldn't believe my eyes. I could finally make the curried chickpeas at home: SCORE!

This Is Not Just Another Post On The Health Benefits Of Kale...

I love kale. I munch it, juice it, bake it, shred it, etc. It’s one of the staple foods of my diet. Yet, I haven’t wrote a single post about it.
I really don’t know why. Probably because there is already so much literature on kale (and its health benefits) that I reckoned another post would just be redundant.
Just take a look around on the web: there are entire websites and blogs completely dedicated to kale. Chefs have created entire meals with kale: from the appetizer to the dessert.
Women around the web that have sworn love to kale forever, promising that they will never ever leave it.
With all this fuzz around, what could I possibly bring more to the kale’s table?
Probably nothing, but I’m still going to write a post about kale.
The Romans said back in the days: “Repetita iuvant” (i.e., repeating does good), and I’m gonna honor that saying today by talking about kale. Hearing about the amazing properties of this veggie one more time can do only good.

Exercise Is Smart For Your Heart, and Makes You Smarter

A study conducted at the Montreal Heart Institute, and presented yesterday at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2012, shows that high-intensity training can make you fitter than ever: Mentally fit!

Omega-3 Intake Improves Memory

It’s well known that Omega-3 are necessary for proper body function, but their effects on the working memory was not completely known, until recently.
A team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have determined that healthy young adults can greatly improve their working memory by increasing substantially their Omega-3 fatty acid intake.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Gnocchi

Is there a point when you had too much pumpkin? Probably yes, but as far as I’m concerned I have’t hit it yet. It’s very unlikely that this will happen, I just love it too much.
Lately, I found myself buying one whole pumpkin a day. If for some unfortunate reasons I can’t cook for a couple of days, the apartment slowly starts to resemble more to a pumpkin storage unit than a place where a person lives.
Yesterday, for instance, I found one “sitting” on my triathlon bike (the most sacred place in the world). In that precise moment I knew that I needed to take action. I’m no good at carving pumpkin, but I know pretty well how to cook them, and to turn them into tasty meals.
That’s why I found myself making whole wheat pumpkin gnocchi. An amazing dish, if you want my humble opinion.

The Holiday Feast Survival Guide

Holiday dinners are filled with comforting, and delicious foods. Most of the times these meals leave us feeling stuffed and with some remorse to have consumed much more calories that we should have.
What we can do about it? Two registered dietitians have drawn up a survival guide that we can implement this coming holidays.
Patricia Nicholas, a registered dietitian at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, suggests to add "new favorites" to the traditional dishes. "Healthy meals can be festive as well and hopefully, you have been making healthy changes to your diet all year."
Michelle Morgan, a registered dietitian at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, further adds "Stay in tune with your hunger during holiday meals. If you feel satiated and comfortable – stop eating!"

Kale & Sweet Potato Pie With Caramelized Onions

What happens when you pair together two of the most healthy vegetables around? Magic, just pure and simple magic.
That’s what this pie is really about: magic.
Kale (the healthiest green veggie) and sweet potato (the healthiest orange veggie) complement each other on all levels to make this pie a magic wonder.

Suggested Reading: Born To Run

If you love to run you have to read this book. You might lose a couple of good nights of sleep, but it’s totally worth it.
It’s interesting, compelling and, most of all, fun to read. Even if you’re not a runner, give it a go, you’ll learn some valuable lessons from it.
Personally, I have not been entertained by a story such as this one in a long time, and I'm pretty sure you'll be as well!