Authors: Giada De Laurentiis

Giada's Feel Good Food (6 page)

BOOK: Giada's Feel Good Food

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I'm a big lover of oatmeal in the morning, so I have a few ways to vary it so I don't get bored. I make this recipe with almond milk, which has a nutty flavor that pairs so well with oatmeal and adds protein to your bowl. It also lends a slight creaminess without the need for cream or other dairy.
serves 4

Â½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons sugar

3Â½ cups unsweetened almond milk or water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

â teaspoon fine sea salt

2 cups old-fashioned rolledÂ oats

Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.

In a medium saucepan, bring the almond milk, vanilla, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Add the oats and cook, stirring frequently, until creamy, 6 to 7 minutes (for a thicker consistency, cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer).

Spoon the oatmeal into 4 bowls, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, and serve.

per serving:
Calories 195; Protein 6g; Carbohydrates 31g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Sugar 3g; Total Fat 6g; Saturated Fat 0g; Sodium 232mg

Baked Fruit with Ricotta

baked fruit with ricotta

This recipe was inspired by my parents, who used to bake fruit all the time. When we had too much fruit and it was about to go bad before we could eat it all, they'd cut it up, bake it, and then put it in the freezer. My brothers, sister, and I ate it like ice cream. Now I like it warm for breakfast with a dollop of creamy, cold ricotta on top.
serves 6

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into Â¾-inch chunks

2 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored, and cut into Â¾-inch chunks

1 pound pineapple pieces

1 pound peach wedges

Â½ cup unsweetened apple juice

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Â¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Â¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat ricotta

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ÂºF.

Spray a 9 Ã 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Add the apples, pears, pineapple, and peaches to the dish. Pour the apple juice and maple syrup over the fruit and sprinkle the cinnamon and allspice evenly over the top. Toss to coat.

Bake for 25 minutes. Stir the fruit and continue to bake until it is soft, about 25 minutes more. Let cool at least slightly before scooping the fruit into bowls and topping each bowl with 3 tablespoons of the ricotta.

per serving:
Calories 211; Protein 6g; Carbohydrates 40g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugar 30g; Total Fat 4g; Saturated Fat 2g; Sodium 59mg

At the start of every day, no matter where I am in the world, I make sure I do the same four things:

1
I drink two glasses of warm water with lemon first thing in the morning. You get dehydrated as you sleep and need to help your body rehydrate when you get up. I find warm water less of a shock to my system when I've just woken up.

2
Then I do my yoga. I like to get in thirty minutes to an hour, but if I don't have time for that, I do a bare minimum of three stretch sun salutesâeven if I am in a hotel room. Yoga helps me get ready for a new day. It opens up my lungs and gets my blood moving.

3
After yoga I fill the sink with ice water and dunk my face right in. Not only is this incredibly refreshing, but it also works wonders for waking up puffy, sleepy eyes.

4
Finally, I never skip breakfast. Even on the road, in an airport, in a foreign time zone, at the very least I'll eat fruitâpreferably a banana, which is filling and doesn't need to be washedâand a hard-boiled egg for protein.

Strawberry-Mint Omelet

strawberry
-mint omelet

While adults appreciate this slightly sweet twist on an otherwise savory omelet, this was actually one of the first ways I got Jade to eat eggs for breakfast. She's a strawberry girl and will try anything that features her favorite fruit! I like to make a couple of pans of this omelet and serve it for brunch when we are having friends over because it is absolutely beautiful.
serves 2 or 3

7 to 8 medium strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

Â½ teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1Â½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, toss together the strawberries and vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes. Strain before using.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, and salt until smooth. Stir in the mint.

In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the egg mixture and cook until almost set, about 4Â minutes. Spoon the strawberries in a line across the center of the omelet. Fold the edges of the omelet up over the strawberries. Cook until the egg mixture has set, 3 to 4 minutes.

Cut the omelet into servings and transfer, seam side down, to plates.

per serving:
Calories 343; Protein 14g; Carbohydrates 22g; Dietary Fiber 3g; Sugar 17g; Total Fat 22g; Saturated Fat 9g; Sodium 425mg