Daphne Oz is a healthy lifestyle expert, entrepreneur, New York Times Bestselling cookbook author, chef, Emmy award-winning TV host and mother of two (with another one on the way!). If anyone has effectively mastered the art of multi-tasking with style, it’s Daphne Oz.

In this episode, Daphne discusses the importance of investing in yourself and reveals one thing everyone can do each day to feel more confident. Monica and Daphne also discuss “being real” on social media, why you shouldn’t compare yourself to others and how you can use the “picture perfect but totally staged'”images from your favorite bloggers as inspiration.

She also fills us in on how she manages to make healthy meals for the kids while working full-time. Her third cookbook, The Happy Cook, is all about balancing healthy foods with all the comforting meals you and your family actually want to eat. Read on for two of our favorite (and kid approved) recipes from the book (and do yourself a favor and get a copy!).

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“Everyone has this moment in their life where the thing that they thought was holding them back, is actually a huge asset.” - Daphne Oz

Show Notes:

• How to plan your week of meals when working full-time
• How to get your kids to try new (healthy!) foods
• Favorite recipes from her new cookbook, The Happy Chef
• Why “healthy” isn’t black and white
• Why Daphne decided to “be real” on social media
• Why you should make every meal feel like a celebration
• Why it’s important to invest in yourself and in those around you
• The importance of taking care of yourself as a mom

“The way we see and treat ourselves, is the way our world sees and treats us as well.” - Daphne Oz

Links Mentioned:

• Get a copy of Daphne's new book The Happy Cook: 125 Recipes for Eating Every Day Like It’s the Weekend
• Check out The Dorm Room Diet
• Connect with Daphne:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Daphne's Website

“Every time you sit down to a meal, it should feel like a celebration whether it’s a rainy Tuesday morning or Saturday night.” - Daphne Oz

Chewy Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 2 Dozen Cookies

Baking is the best babysitter. I can’t tell you the number of times Philo has been on the verge of an epic meltdown and getting her into the kitchen to crack eggs, mix, measure, and mess around has been the only—and perfect—antidote.
For these ultra-chewy and tender cookies, I started with the traditional chocolate chip cookie, took out some sugar and half the butter (but left enough to keep it delicious!), swapped the flours, and added oats and shredded coconut, which toast and caramelize to give the cookies an extra chewy texture.
The most important step in the whole process is one I learned from a friend of my grandmother’s named Mona Lisa—her smile is great, but her cookie trick is a national treasure that will guarantee you cookies with perfectly crisp edges and soft, chewy centers. Here’s what you need to do: take the baking sheet out of the oven halfway through baking and bang it hard on the open oven door before rotating the pan and returning it to finish baking.
The other trick is to let the dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or (preferably) overnight, which allows for more even cooking (the ingredients will all be the same temperature), and a rested dough will give you richer, more intensely delicious flavors.

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature, plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, coconut, baking soda, and salt.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed fluffy and yellow.
Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition for 30 seconds.

Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture in three parts, beating for about 10 seconds after each addition. Add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop out portions of dough the size of golf balls, roll them between your palms loosely, and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet (you’ll need to bake the cookies in several batches). Bake for 14 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edges. Halfway through baking, remove the pan from the oven and drop it onto a heat-safe flat surface, such as the open oven door (this deflates the cookies, creating a deliciously chewy center and crisp edges—in other words . . . perfect!). Immediately return the cookies to the oven, rotating the pan 180 degrees, and complete baking, until the center resists light pressure but is still somewhat soft.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to make the rest of the cookies.

TIP: When you’re measuring flour, don’t scoop it from the bag or jar with your measuring cup, as this can pack the flour and overfill, meaning your cookies will be too dry. Instead, spoon flour into your measuring cup until it’s mounded, then use the flat side of a knife to scrape off the excess and make level.

TIP: To store extra dough and make future cookie baking a breeze, roll out balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet. Once they’re set, transfer them to a resealable freezer bag or airtight container and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Let the dough balls sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking as usual.

TIP: Make these into ice cream sandwiches! Let your favorite ice cream soften for 10 to 15 minutes, then scoop a dollop onto an upside-down cookie. Top with another cookie and press down to seal, then freeze for 20 minutes before serving.

From THE HAPPY COOK by Daphne Oz. Copyright © 2016 by Daphne Oz. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Shredded Root Vegetable Pancakes

Makes 8 Pancakes (4 Servings)

Fried potato in all its forms is endlessly comforting. French fries, obviously delicious. Potato chips, my guiltiest of pleasures (but I actually feel very little guilt because I enjoy them so much). Combine potatoes with some shredded onion, a few seasonings, and some binders, and you have delicious potato pancakes. The only problem is that potatoes, though a vegetable, aren’t that good for you. Especially when fried. They’re pretty high on the glycemic index, meaning they create a sugar spike (and resulting crash) in your body, much the same way other white foods do (white rice, white bread, white sugar, etc.).
In the hope of having my (pan)cake and eating it too, I’ve subbed in some veggies with less of that sugar hit—rutabagas and parsnips—that offer a similar texture and slightly lighter flavor. These root vegetable pancakes are a gift to eggs everywhere for brunch, served under a little crème fraîche and smoked salmon for a party app, or simply paired with sour cream and applesauce for an ideal sweet-savory combo anytime.

2 cups of shredded rutabaga, parsnips, or sweet potato (from about 2 medium vegetables), shredded on the medium holes of a box grater
1 medium yellow onion, grated on the medium holes of a box grater
3 large egg whites, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more if needed so mixture just holds together
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup coconut or grapeseed oil
Flaky sea salt
1/4 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
2 scallions, finely chopped

Place the grated root veggies and onion in a large kitchen towel and wring out any liquid, then add them to a medium bowl.

Stir in the egg whites. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Use a scant 1/4 cup measure to scoop pancakes into the skillet, using the bottom of the measuring cup to spread the mixture into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Cook until the first side is deeply golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes, then turn the pancakes over and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a wire rack to cool slightly. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Serve the pancakes topped with a few pinches of flaky sea salt, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of scallions.

VARIATION: If you want these guys a little spicy, mince 1/2 a jalapeño or Fresno chile and add it to the mixture before frying.

From THE HAPPY COOK by Daphne Oz. Copyright © 2016 by Daphne Oz. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.