Summer recipes with a healthy twist

What if you could enjoy your favorite summer entertaining recipes - without all the guilt? The Balanced Babe Sarah Baker visited WCL with recipes for burgers, baked beans, blueberry pie and more that are healthy as well as tasty.

FOR MORE ABOUT SARAH BAKER, VISIT: http://balancedbabe.com/about-balanced-babe/

SARAH'S HEALTHIER SUMMER ENTERTAINING RECIPES

LIGHTENED UP BURGERS

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground turkey

1 cup of kale

12 cup of carrots

1 cup of quinoa (cooked)

12 cup onion

Garlic powder

14 cup Coconut amino acids

Directions:

1. Chop the kale and carrots into thinly diced pieces.

2. Chop the onion into thinly diced pieces.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the turkey, kale, quinoa and carrots until well blended. Do this with your hands.

4. Add the onion, garlic powder, and coconut amino acids to the bowl and mix together again.

5. Heat a skillet with coconut oil.

6. Shape each patty with your hands into a fist size portion and place 2 or 3 of them in the skillet.

7. Cook on each side for about 5 or 6 minutes (or until well cooked through).

8. Serve on a whole wheat or gluten free bun, or on lettuce wraps. Top with dijon mustard, coleslaw, or BBQ sauce for taste!

HEALTHIER CROCK POT BAKED BEANS

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 white onion chopped

2-3 garlic cloves to taste

1 can pinto beans

1 can butter beans

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

liquid aminos to taste

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

Himalayan salt to taste

4 tsp liquid smoke

1 can (15oz) no salt added tomato sauce

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

1: Throw all ingredients into a crock pot, cook on high for 7 hours, then let sit for an hour. Serve and enjoy!

HEALTHIER CORNBREAD

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup cornmeal

1 cup nondairy milk

1 cup whole wheat flour or oat flour

1 tbsp honey

3 tbsp vegan butter, melted

1 tbsp baking powder

2 tbsp coconut oil

Pinch of Himalayan salt

Directions:

1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8 pan.

2: Mix all ingredients together until well blended

3: Spread evenly on the baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let sit for 15 minutes.

HEALTHIER PASTA SALAD

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole wheat or lentil fusilli or similar pasta

1 small red pepper cored and diced

1 cup broccoli

1/2 red onion

1/2 cup feta cheese

1 can sliced black olives

1/4 cup sliced pepperoni (optional - if you decide to look for organic / nitrate free)

Dressing: you can find low sodium low sugar italian oil and vinegar seasoning otherwise you can make your own with..

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp of: basil, oregano, parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1: Cook pasta according to package instructions.

2: Drain, place in large mixing bowl and let cool.

3: Add the remaining ingredients (besides the dressing) and toss together well. Then add dressing (add dressing ingredients in smaller mixing bowl first if making your own dressing).

SLIMMED DOWN BLUEBERRY PIE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups frozen blueberries

1 cup non dairy butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1 gluten free or whole wheat pre-made pie crust in a tin pie sheet

Directions:

1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2: In a large mixing bowl, combine all filling ingredients together and mix well, fill the pie crust/tin pie sheet and bake for around 40 minutes or until the sides of the crust are crispy. Set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.