The Ultimate Healthy Cooking Playlist

When it comes time to rustle up a meal, you might prefer soothing jazz or even classical music in your kitchen. Or maybe you get down to 1970s-era Elton John, just like Alton Brown. Unless you prefer serene silence, it can be helpful to have a backbeat energizing your latest cooking venture. Here’s a playlist to inspire some healthy creations at home.

“A Taste of Honey” — Herb Alpert (pictured at top)
Prepare these versatile, lightly sweetened biscuits for a comforting brunch, or serve them alongside the main course at dinnertime. Given that there’s only three tablespoons of honey per 12 biscuits, you really are getting just a taste.

“Tangerine” — Led Zeppelin
If you take a page out of Led Zeppelin’s book, you might find yourself “measuring a summer’s day” by the quality of the produce you prepare at home. Tangerine and rosemary make a tart and earthy dressing for fresh spinach and tender cubes of butternut squash.

“Apples and Oranges” — Pink Floyd
They say you can’t compare apples and oranges, but we can certainly talk about their tart, semi-sweet flavor in this light dessert salad recipe. Orange marmalade, almond extract and dried cherries make a perfumed and slightly sweet dressing for crisp apple slices.

“Pork and Beans” — Weezer
Unlike Weezer, I wouldn’t recommend eating candy with this dish of pork and beans, but a red-onion-and-bell-pepper salad makes a colorful side for few extra calories. These sauteed peppers and onions are just sweet enough to stand up to the peppery flavor of the cumin-roasted pork.

“Vegetables” — The Beach Boys
When The Beach Boys sang, “I’m gonna chow down my vegetables/I love you most of all,” they weren’t referring to salad. But this bountiful dish of eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper would appease even the most-lovesick songsters. A light dressing of oil, vinegar and oregano ties together this medley of fresh summer produce. For a Mediterranean touch, stir in some mint, halved grape tomatoes and crumbled feta just before serving.

“American Pie” — Don McLean
It doesn’t get more American than apple pie. Unwind to this classic summer anthem while preparing Ellie Krieger’s irresistible from-scratch recipe. The rustic galette-style crust houses buttery Golden Delicious apples and tart cherries. Guests will hardly believe there are just 230 calories per serving.

“Peaches” — The Presidents of the United States of America
Despite what The Presidents of the United States of America said, you don’t really need to move to the country to eat a lot of peaches. Chances are, you’ll find all the fresh stone fruit you’ll need to create this crowd-pleasing Healthy Peach Betty at your local farmers’ market this summer. Just make sure your peaches are ripe — it makes a huge difference in the finished dish.

“Real Girls Eat Cake” — The Janoskians
Who ever said they don’t? You’ll be hard-pressed to find an audience that’s not head-over-heels in love with this moist cinnamon cake. Coconut oil and applesauce help create the dense, springy texture. It’s just an added perk that the cake happens to be gluten-free, thanks to the garbanzo-fava bean flour blend.

from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog http://ift.tt/1F5aTVx