Laura Knapp – In Good Taste

Beet, Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

Laura Knapp — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 18:41:47 +0000

To kick off the spring season, my office hosted a potluck “Spring Salad Lunch Party.” I knew I wanted to bring something fun and colorful but I also wanted to surprise people with unusual pairings. So for my creation I decided to combine ruby red grapefruits, red beets, green spinach and light green avocados. Although, I have to admit that I made a crucial mistake with the preparation so I have to share with all of you so that you don’t run into the same problem. Buying avocados is a tricky thing in the first place so here are some quick tips: If you want to eat the avocado within the first 24 hours look for ones that are dark green. Test the ripeness of the avocado by trying to get the little stem bud thing to pop off. If it pops off easily it’s ready to eat that day. If you’re not ready to eat the avocado right away but it is ripe and ready, you can put it in the refrigerator and it will stay the way it is when you put it in the refrigerator. So all of that said, I bought an avocado that wasn’t ripe […]

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Sweet and Savory Apricot Bites

Laura Knapp — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:51:56 +0000

With summer in full swing, I decided to create some simple summery snacks that are a little bit sweet and salty in every bite. Besides their amazing taste, these appetizers are a very colorful addition to a party spread. Another important thing to note is that these apricots can be made ahead of time so if you’re planning to serve them for a party or something you can let them sit for a day in your refrigerator. Nutritional Benefits: Honey: Research shows that honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting the performance of athletes. Honey facilitates in maintaining blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout. Pistachios: Pistachios are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid and an excellent source of antioxidants. These nuts are storehouse of minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Apricots: The nutrients in apricots can help protect the heart and eyes, as well as provide the disease-fighting effects of fiber. The high beta-carotene content of apricots makes them important heart health foods. Beta-carotene helps protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, which may help prevent heart disease. Save Print Sweet & Savory Apricots Prep time: 10 […]

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Three Spectacular Smoothie Recipes

Laura Knapp — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:16:15 +0000

I had been yearning for a blender for quite some time so I was thrilled this past October when my mom surprised me with one for my birthday. And I have been on a homemade smoothie making craze ever since. Event though juicing is all the craze these days, I asked for a blender this year instead of a juicer as I figured there was more I could create with it. I’ve had a lot of fun with it by adding interesting ingredients like spinach, rice protein powder, dates, hemp seed, flax seed and more. Here are three of my favorite concoctions to date, but for more of the smoothies I’ve created check out my “Smoothies I’ve Made” board on Pinterest. Save Print Tropical Smoothie Author: Laura Knapp Recipe type: Things to Drink Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 2 servings Ingredients 1 cup frozen organic strawberries 1 cup frozen organic pineapple Slices from ¼ of a fresh orange Juice of 1 lemon ¼ cup filtered water 4 ounces of cranberry juice (Ocean Spray) Instructions Toss all of the ingredients in the blender and start blending. If you feel like the mixture needs more liquid in order to blend […]

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Sweet Corn Balls

Laura Knapp — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:48 +0000

The holiday season might be behind us for another 11 months but with football games and awards shows cluttering weekend social calendars, appetizer and snack recipes, like these sweet corn balls, are in higher demand than ever. Recently, I was inspired by Healthy Happy Life’s “Amazeballs” recipe but since I’m not a big fan of fried foods, I decided to try the recipe with my own little twist. These are a great guilt-free snack to serve at any party, or just to enjoy by yourself at home. I served these a bit warm on a plate with a side of the Perfect Guacamole. If your guests don’t devour these by the end of party, toss them in a Ziploc bag and store them in the refrigerator… I promise you, they’re good even two days later. The original recipe made about 10 balls, but for the crowd we had over for Christmas I decided to double it and ended up with nearly 30 balls. As you can see, though, I did create two different sized balls and actually, I preferred the smaller ones – better for dipping! To customize the recipe to your own tastes/the ingredients in your pantry, mix it up […]

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Vegan Beet and Walnut Dip

Laura Knapp — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:30:54 +0000

Here’s another crowd-pleasing recipe – I made this beet and walnut dip at home and brought it to a friend’s party a few weeks ago. People were curious to find out what this fuchsia-colored dip was and surprised by how great it tasted. I initially found this recipe on Veggie Belly, a vegetarian food blog, and the moment I saw it, I knew I needed to try it for myself. And once I did, I was amazed by how easy it was to make and by how great it tasted! I deviated a bit from the original recipe a bit so let me know what you think. Just as a side note, if you’re not going to eat all of it at once or right away, put it in a container and keep it in the refrigerator, it should keep for about two or three days. The next day I decided to incorporate the beet dip into a salad. I took about a cup and a half of mixed greens, 2-3 canned artichoke hearts (rinsed and pulled apart) and about a 1/3 of a cup of the beet dip. Nutritional Benefits: Beets contain phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron and folic acid, […]

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