Raspberry Walnut Spinach Salad with a sweet honey vinaigrette

Simple. Healthy. Refreshing. Best of all, I utilized the AMAZING raspberries I got today. The little touch that I thought was fun about this salad was stuffing the raspberries with Feta for a little extra flavor and color.

Ingredients:

For the salad

4 cups (170g) spinach

1/4 cup raspberries

1 oz fetta

1/4 cup (1 oz) walnuts

black pepper

For the Dressing:

2 tsp olive oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 tsp sweet and spicy mustard (or your mustard of choice)

Instructions:

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Stuff each raspberry with feta and set aside. Toss the spinach (I used my hands) in with the dressing. Distribute evenly onto two plates. Top with the walnuts and stuffed raspberries. Grind black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Serves 2

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Graham Cookies

I just ate one. They are seriously delicious. They are soft, fluffy and accented with the crunch of the crumbled grahams and chocolate chips. The peanut butter flavor was perfect. Next time I might cook them a few minutes less though, they were a little on the dry side and I like a chewy cookie. Other than that delicious!

Ingredients:

1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (128g) creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (96g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (20g) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats
1 cup (142g) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup (20g) chocolate-covered or plain graham crackers, roughly crushed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and graham cracker pieces.

Scoop a heaping tablespoon (35grams) and roll into a uniform ball. To get great bakery style crackle top hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are lightly golden (for me that was 18 minutes). Cool completely on the baking sheet.

Makes 20 cookies (35 grams each and 181 calories)

Source: Baker Girl

Feta Fritters

Fritter. Fritter. Fritter. I just love saying fritter, and I love these fritters. I have been looking for recipes that are friendly for my 1 year old to feed himself, hence the Quinoa Patties earlier this week. These are really simple to make and quite flavorful. They are a bit fragile but work great for a side. I made them with my Classic Meat Loaf to complete the our all American meal.

Ingredients:

10 oz organic red potatoes

1 egg yolk

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small green onion, chopped

1 oz feta

1/8 tsp salt

small pinch cayenne pepper

2 tsp grape seed oil

Instructions:

Put potatoes (with skins on)in a steamer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to a bowl and roughly mash them with a fork. Don’t try to make them too smooth.
Add the egg yolk, garlic, green onion, and feta. Season with salt and red pepper. Shape into patties shaped and sized as you like (I made mine 25 grams each). Place patties in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to so that they would hold their shape better while frying. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the patties over medium heat, until browned on both sides.

Makes 12 small fritters

Serves 2-3

Rotelle Pasta with Roasted Zucchini and Balsamic Butter

This turned out to be a really easy and delicious dinner. For my own little twist on this recipe I reduced the balsamic with 2 cloves of minced garlic, speaking of which you better like garlic if you want to enjoy this dish! My other addition was tossing fresh oregano and basil. I didn't have asparagus on hand (which is what the original recipe called for) but I had loads of zucchini so I subbed that in instead. This dish has a lot of flavor without a lot of work. Below is how the roasted zucchini should look.

Just for fun I served it in a bowl with the zucchini lining the perimeter. The picture didn't turn out super well but I threw it in just for kicks.

Ingredients:

4 oz whole wheat Rotelle pasta

2 large zucchini (550g)
2 tsp grape seed oil
1/8 teaspoons salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced
small pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp (14g) butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup (28g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 tbsp fresh chopped basil

2 tsp fresh chopped oregano

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 400°.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then lightly coat with oil. Cut the zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place the zucchini on a baking sheet and use a misto to lightly coat the rounds with oil (if you don't have a misto lightly drizzle oil). Evenly distribute the salt, black pepper and dried thyme over the zucchini. Lightly grate Parmesan over the top. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.
 

Meanwhile, put the vinegar and garlic in a small saucepan. Simmer until thickened and about 2 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the cayenne pepper (go really easy on the cayenne, it's hot!). Remove from the heat.

Cook the Rotelle in a medium pot of boiling water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, zucchini, Parmesan, oregano, basil and salt and black pepper to taste if desired. Top with additional Parmesan. 

Serves 2

Adapted from Food and Wine

Quinoa Patties

Incredible. Incredible. Incredible. I have been looking for ways to use some extra quinoa I had and I also have been on the hunt for recipes with whole grains that would be easy for my one year old to feed himself. I served them with grilled zucchini rounds but I also think they would taste great on the side of an omelet or for a simple snack. The only changes I made to the original recipe is I used pearl onions instead of white, and I sauted them before adding them to the quinoa mixture, and also used half the salt. I also used sprouted whole grain bread to make my bread crumbs for added nutritional value. I made 24 patties instead of 12 and it is the perfect snack size. My 1 year old fed himself three of these patties yesterday and LOVED them!

Ingredients
2 1/2 ( 340 g) cooked quinoa, at room temperature
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
1/3 cup (15 g) finely chopped fresh chives
1white onion, finely chopped (I used pearl onions)
1/3 cup (15 g) freshly grated Parmesan
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup (100 g) whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed (I used sprouted bread)
Water, if needed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes sot that the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form in to twelve 1-inch thick patties (1 made 24 1/2 inch thick patties). I err on the very moist side because it makes for a  not-overly-dry patty, but you can add a mroe bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-pow heat, add 6 patties, if they'll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties.

Alternatively, the quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days; you can cook the patties to order, if you prefer.

Makes 24 little patties (50 calories each)

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day

Zucchini, Red Bell Pepper, Shallot, and Goat Cheese Quiche

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups (1/8-inch-thick) slices zucchini

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper 

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1 ounce sharp cheddar, finely grated

1 pre-prepared pie dough, (I used Trader Joes - or you can make your own) 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Fit dough into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray.  Fold edges under, and flute. Pierce bottom and sides of dough with fork. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°. To prepare the filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add shallots and saute 5 minutes. Add jalapeno, and saute another 2 min. Add zucchini, red pepper, and garlic then saute another 5 minutes or until squash and red peppers are tender, stirring frequently. Add salt and incorporate thoroughly. Cool the squash mixture slightly.

Combine eggs, 1 cup reduced-fat milk, cottage cheese, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Arrange squash mixture evenly over crust, and sprinkle with all goat cheese. Pour the egg mixture over cheese. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until filling is set. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.

Serves 6

 

Chicken Pineapple Curry with Coconut Lime Brown Rice

Ingredients:
8 oz chicken, cooked and cubed
170 grams (1 cup) pineapple, cubed
1/2 cup Trader Joes Thai Yellow Curry sauce
1/3 cup light coconut milk

Cilantro
2 Masala Tandori Naan, warmed in a 300 F oven for 10 min
1 Recipe Coconut Lime Brown Rice

Instructions:
Begin by making the rice. Combine the chicken, pineapple, curry sauce, and coconut milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour. Use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop the rice onto a plate, spoon the curry onto the same plate, then slice and arrange the Naan. Top curry with fresh cilantro.

Coconut Lime Brown Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water (or chicken stock)
2/3 cup light coconut milk
1 tsp garlic powder
Juice and zest of 1 lime

Instructions:
Boil water in a small saucepan. Add brown rice and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add coconut milk, lime juice and zest, and garlic powder, stir and cook another 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Baked Zucchini Fries with Marinara

It's a beautiful Saturday and my hubby is going to grill burgers for lunch and I thought it would be fun to give Baked Zucchini Fries a try as a fun and healthy side. I saw a picture of these on Friday on Une-deux senses and since then have been itching to make them. If you are expecting french fries go bark up another tree, but if you are looking for a fun new way to make zucchini this is your chance! I also made my own breadcrumbs using sprouted bread. It adds more texture, not to mention it's a lot healthier AND I am always looking for a way to use the end pieces of my bread. Just dip these sweet little things in a bit of warmed marinara and you are good to go!

Ingredients:
2 Medium zucchini, sliced into sticks
1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned whole wheat (I used sprouted grain) bread crumbs
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
cooking spray (I use a misto to spray grape seed oil)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt
fresh pepper
1/2 cup marinara sauce, warmed

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place the breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese; shake well. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg and then place into the bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with some marinara sauce for dipping.

Serves 2-3

Avocado and Pear Spinach Salad

Green, green and more green! Simple but tasty. Sweet from the pear, creamy from the avo and crunchy from the roasted sunflower seeds. I tossed it in my favorite homemade dressing of olive oil, balsamic, honey and sweet and spicy mustard.

Ingredients:
2 cups baby spinach, washed
1 oz avocado, cubed
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1/2 medium Bartlett pear, cubed
2 tbsp chopped green onion
1.5 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp sweet and spicy mustard

Instructions:
Whisk last four ingredients together in a large bowl. Add spinach and toss to coat leaves. Top with pear, avocado, green onion, and sunflower seeds.

Serves 1-2

BBQ Garlic Chicken Pineapple Pizza (no cheese)

Because it's Friday. Because I LOVE garlic. Because I had these ingredients in my refrig. Because I don't feel like just eating a salad right now....I took the classic BBQ chicken pizza, added some pineapple for a bit of sweet, cilantro and green onion for some flavor. I didn't intend to eat my pizza without cheese but tomorrow is shopping day and I'm out - and I was pleasantly surprised. I served the pizza (to myself) with a large spinach salad topped with pear, avocado, and sunflower seeds. There you have it, my lunch start to finish in 15 min.

Ingredients:

1 par baked individual size pizza crust (to par bake simply make your dough as usual and cook it at 450 F for 3 min on a pizza stone. Let it cool completely and store in a Ziploc in the freezer).
3 Tbsp BBQ sauce, divided
2 oz cooked and cubed chicken
6 cloves roasted garlic
1 oz pineapple, cubed
1 green onion, sliced into rounds using all parts
Cilantro to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F with pizza stone in oven. Take par baked crust and spread half of the BBQ sauce, then top with chicken, pineapple, garlic, green onion, then drizzle remeaining BBQ sauce on top. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the crust is light brown on the bottom and slightly crispy. Remove from oven and let sit on stone for 2-3 minutes. Top with cilantro, cut and serve.

Serves 1

The Ultimate Vegetable Burgers

Once again I am looking for healthy snacks that my little 1 year old can feed himself. This is packed with protein and fiber and my little guy gobbled a whole patty right up! This recipe came directly from Heidi Swanson's 101 cookbook, I cannot take any credit for any portion of this recipe. I followed it exactly. I just adjusted the recipe to accommodate 1 can of garbanzo beans because that's all I had and ok, I did make one change, I only used half of the salt. I loved the lemon flavor from the zest. These also freeze really well in ziplock bags and can be popped out just an hour or so before consumption. Garbanzo beans have never tasted so good!

Instructions: 

1 3/4 cups sprouted garbanzo beans OR 1 15 oz can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (I used 1/4 tsp)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped ( I used 150g)
Grated zest of one large lemon
1 cup micro sprouts, chopped (try brocolli, onion, or alfalfa sprouts - optional)
3/4 cup toasted (whole-grain) bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or clarified butter)

If you are using sprouted garbanzos, steam them until just tender, about 10 minutes. Most of you will be using canned beans, so jump right in and combine the garbanzos, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick, slightly chunky hummus. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, zest, and sprouts. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a moist mixture that you can easily form into 10 1 1/2-inch-thick patties (50grams each). I err on the moist side here, because it makes for a nicely textured burger. You can always add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the dough if need be. Conversely, a bit of water or more egg can be used to moisten the batter.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium low, add 4 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook the second side for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Carefully cut each patty in half, insert your favorite fillings, and enjoy immediately.

Makes 10 patties

Source 101 Cookbooks

Classic Guacamole

I love this guacamole as an appetizer and instead of using fried tortilla chips to scoop up this healthy deliciousness I use Multi-seed Flatbread crackers. It's flavorful, with lime juice to brighten the avocado, minced jalapeno for a subtle spice, and heirloom tomatoes for color. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 hass avocado, mashed
Juice of 1/2 of a lime
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 jalapeno, minced
2 tbsp red onion
6 mini heirloom tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp cilantro, stems removed and torn
6 Multiseed Flatbread crackers or chips

Instructions:
Add the lime juice, garlic, jalapeno and cumin to the avocado and stir well. Add the red onion, cilantro, and tomatoes (reserving a pinch of each for garnish) and fold in gently. Transfer to a small bowl and top with the reserved onion, tomato and cilantro.

Serves 4

Garlic Naan Pizzas with Roasted Garlic, Red Onion and Sweet Italian Sausage

This is a really quick and easy meal that I can pop in the oven when I have a pizza craving but don't have the time to deal with waiting for dough to rise, rolling and a mess. The KEY for incredible flavor is to roast a head of garlic ahead of time. You do this by cutting the top 1/2 inch of the entire clove, drizzling it with oil salt and pepper then completely wrap the clove with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375 F. It sounds like a lot of garlic but when it's roasted it has a much more subtle and sweet flavor. I could (and do) just pop cloves in my mouth. Yummmmmmm.

I served with a large spinach salad topped with pear, avocado, red onion and feta.

Ingredients:
2 Garlic Naan Flatbreads
2 tsp oil (I used grape seed)
1 precooked Sweet Chicken Italian Sausage, cut into half rounds
1/4 red onion, cut into thin rounds
8 cloves garlic, roasted
1 oz parmesan
1 oz mozzarella
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking dish with foil. Place Garlic Naans on the pan and top each with 1 tsp oil. Next layer the pizzas with mozzarella, sausage, red onion, garlic and top with parmesan, and dried oregano. Bake for 15 minutes on the upper middle rack of the oven.

Serves 2

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

These are ridiculously good. They have all of my favorites combined into one happy little bar - graham crackers, cream cheese and chocolate chip cookie dough. The recipe makes a nice thick crust, filled with a thin layer of cream cheese, and generous topping of chocolate chip cookie dough. I used the recipe from mybakingaddiction.com and the only modifications I made was I baked it for 47 minutes instead of 30min and sliced them into 20 bars instead of 12.

Yield: 12 bars (I did 20 bars)

Ingredients

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.

3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes (I did 47min) , until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am in a hurry but I wanted to post this quick, light lunch option because I like it so much. Yummy. Flavorful. Not too spicy. No salt added other than the salt in the chicken broth (you can add some salt to taste if you like but I thought it was great without). No fried chips or tortillas on top. Instead, I Multi seed Corn Tortilla Flatbread crackers (Trader Joes) broken into pieces. It added that nice crunch without the heaviness of a fried topping. I would also add cubed avocado on top mine just weren't ripe yet.

Ingredients:
6 oz chicken, cooked and shredded
3 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp oil, I used grape seed
1 red onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp lime zest
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 oz can diced green chiles
1/2 cup corn

Garnish Options:
2 tbsp Cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 Avocado, cubed
4 Multi-Seed Corn Tortilla Flatbread Crackers, broken into large pieces
4 Lime wedges


Instructions
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add oil and saute onions until translucent and slightly browned - 10 min. Add garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and chili powder and continually stir for 30 seconds. Add lime zest, give the pot a quick stir then immediately add chicken stock, green chiles, tomatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add chicken and simmer for 15 min. Serve topped with cilantro, flatbread crackers, cubed avocado and lime wedges.

Serves 2-3

Banana Coconut Bran Muffins

I have been tinkering with my bran muffin recipe for at least a year (probably made it like 15-20 times) and think I have settled on my recipe! I have reduced sugar, added banana for flavor and sweetness, used whole wheat flour and oats instead of white flour and how can you go wrong with coconut!?

Most muffin recipes might as well be called cupcakes because that's pretty much what they are, with a few nuts or dried fruit thrown in. These are not close to tasting like a cupcake, they are far better, and better for you. They are denser yet moist and full of flavor. Not to mention they are full of fiber! These are my staple muffin for my husband's lunches. I make a dozen and freeze them in a gallon size ziplock bag. You might think YUCK, frozen baked goods! But seriously you would never taste the difference. The key is unthawing them at room temp for a couple of hours (just in time for a mid-morning snack). One other note, I have tried meticulously mixing the dry and wet separately, making a well in the dry, then pouring the wet in and incorporating the two. Well, one day I was in a hurry and just tossed in and mixed the ingredients in the order listed and they turned out just as well! With other muffins the method really does matter, but with these guys, enjoy the simplicity of the"toss and mix."

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup wheat bran
1 cup 2 % milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 large ripe bananas (300g), mashed thoroughly
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup shredded dried coconut

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line muffin pan (12 medium) with liners. Add milk to wheat bran and mix. Add each ingredient in the order listed mixing as you go. Evenly distribute into the muffin pan. Top each with a pinch of rolled oats and a pinch of coconut. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Makes 12

Gelato filled Triple Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

When I saw the recipe for Triple Threat Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies on howsweeteats.com I had to make them! How can you go wrong with cocoa powder, melted chocolate, chocolate chips and peanut butter?! We had them last night and I have to say they were delicious but they left me wanting a scoop of cold, creamy ice cream. So while I was at the store today I picked up a pint of Talenti Double Chocolate Gelato and decided to turn the cookies into gelato sandwiches. If you're in the mood for chocolate this will do the trick...

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 Pint Talenti Double Chocolate Gelato

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. Add in melted semi-sweet chocolate and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 4-6 hours. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop 1 heaping tsp of dough and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. After cookies have cooled completely scoop a spoonful (20 grams) of gelato onto a cookie then press another on top. Store in the freezer.

Makes 48 cookies
(24 sandwiches)

Baked Rigatoni Pasta

Ok, so I have to be honest. This recipe was borne out of my desire to use up ingredients I have on hand. With that said, it turned out incredibly well. My experiment adding a little bit of milk to my marinara was a hit! It had that nice flavor and color of a tomato cream sauce.

Ingredients:
4 oz rigatoni pasta, boiled in water for 11 min
1/2 cup Organic Tomato Basil Marinara (I used Trader Joes)
2 oz 2 % milk
1 oz part skim ricotta
2 precooked Turkey Meatballs (Trader Joes), cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp oregano
fresh grated parmesan to taste

Instructions:
After pasta has cooked drain water and return to pot. Add marinara stir, then add milk and mix. Pour into a pre-oiled baking dish and evenly distribute meat on top. Take a teaspoon and place small scoops of ricotta over the pasta. Grate Parmesan over the top then oregano. Bake covered at 350 F for 25 minutes.

Serves 2

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Cauliflower

It's a cold, rainy day and I wanted something nice and warm to go with my Chicken Lunch Wrap. I happen to have a lot of cauliflower at the moment so I decided to roast it with garlic and thyme. This was incredibly easy and SO yummy! It would be a great side for a dinner as well.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tsp oil (I used grape seed)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine cauliflower and oil in a large bowl then toss with garlic and thyme. Pour onto baking dish and roast on the upper middle rack for 20 min. Serve immediately.

Orecchiette Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Feta

I am flying solo for dinner tonight and I just feel like something comforting and cheesy but not super heavy. I prepared it ahead of time, put it in a small baking dish, popped it in the oven as I was putting my little guy to bed, and it was like magic, dinner was waiting for me right when my sweetie fell asleep! I am not going to claim this is a healthy meal, but I did make my bechamel with lowfat milk instead of cream so it didn't feel like it sat in my stomach all night. Major kudos to Trader Joes too for the delicious sun dried tomatoes that were only $1.99 a bag.

Ingredients:

2 oz orecchiette pasta, cooked in boiling water for 9 min
1/4 cup 2 % milk
1 1/2 tsp butter
1 1/2 tsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 oz sun dried tomato
1/2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 oz parmesan
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Instructions:
While pasta is cooking, heat butter over a medium heat in a small sauce pan. Once melted add flour and whisk together for 30 seconds. Add milk and cook for another 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens, while using the whisk to stir frequently. Add black pepper, sea salt and nutmeg and remove from heat. Add cooked pasta to the sauce then stir in the parmesan, feta, and sun dried tomato. Pour into a small pre-oiled baking dish. Top with dried oregano. Cover with foil and bake for 20 min at 375 F.

Serves 1

Mexican Meal to go

One of my best friends is in labor with her first child today and I wanted to make a dinner tonight that I would travel well so I can bring her food tomorrow evening. Even though I made enchiladas recently I thought they would enjoy a classic Mexican meal of enchiladas, Mexican Rice and beans (I used vegetarian re-fried pinto beans from Trader Joes). I assembled it in disposable aluminum baking dish and it turned out like this...

Ingredients:
10 oz chicken, cooked and shredded
2 whole wheat tortillas
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup corn
3 tbsp sour cream
6 oz salsa verde (1/2 of a Trader Joes Jar)
2 oz grated extra sharp cheddar
2 Tbsp red onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
Cilantro, to taste

Instructions:
In a bowl mix the chicken with the spices then add the sour cream, half the salsa verde, black beans (reserve a spoonful for garnish), and corn (reserve a spoonful for garnish). Pour a thin layer of salsa verde into the left half of the aluminum baking dish. Assemble enchiladas by distributing the chicken mixture evenly then fold and place in baking dish. Top with remainder of salsa verde, cheddar, black beans, corn, tomato, red onion and cilantro. Place 1 cup of the cooked Mexican Rice in the upper right corner and 1/2 cup of the refried beans in the lower right corner. Cover with foil then write heating instruction on top of foil - heat at 375 F covered for 25 minutes.

Serves 2

Mexican Rice

I am actually not the biggest rice fan. I would kind of put it in the "blah" category. The kind of rice that tastes good is the kind that comes with a sodium laden seasoning packet and I refuse to put that on my family's plate. This recipe is hands down an exception! Do not even think about substituting the tomato sauce with anything else though because that is the secret to this rice. I have tried with diced tomatoes, I have also tried this with tomato paste and it was a flop. I made this recipe for a family party where we did a taco bar and it was a huge hit! It all got gobbled up with none to spare.

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Instructions:
Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, once butter is melted add brown rice, cumin and garlic powder. Stir continually while "puffing" brown rice (you will see the rice begin to grow larger and pop) for approximately 10 minutes. Stir in onions and cook until tender - approximately 5 min. Add tomato sauce and chicken stock. Adjust heat to medium/low, cover with a lid and simmer for 35 minutes or until all liquids are absorbed. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Serves 4

Baked Penne with butternut squash and Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, roasted and mashed
2 Spicy Italian Chicken sausage links (Trader Joes)
1 small red onion, diced
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp chicken stock
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp Parmesan, plus extra to garnish
2 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, oregano and thyme
2 oz whole wheat penne

Instructions:
Cook penne following packaging instructions then place in a large mixing bowl with mashed squash. Saute sausage in the butter over a medium heat in a small pan until browned (approximately 5 min), remove then immediately add onion to the same pan and cook for 10 minutes adding the chicken stock to pick up the browned bits. Saute in the thyme and garlic powder. Add onion mixture to the large bowl with the penne and squash. Add alfredo sauce and parmesan. Mix then scoop into a medium, pre-oiled, baking dish. Top with Panko mixture. Cover with foil and bake at 375 F for 30 minutes. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Serves 2

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Sandwhich Cookies

These little delights are irresistible. I love chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter, but putting chocolate chips into a peanut butter cookie doesn't quite do the trick for me. The classic chocolate chip cookie filled with the creamy peanut butter filling...now that is dangerous! I also love these because they freeze so well. Actually they taste pretty darn delicious right out of the freezer. The only downside to these is it is super hard to eat just one!

Cookie Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp, packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cup (210g) flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
7 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
Line a large baking sheet with wax paper and preheat oven to 375 F. Cream together butter, white and brown sugar, vanilla and egg. In a separate bowl mix flour and baking soda. Pour dry ingredients into the wet and mix with a rubber spatula until incorporated. Do not over mix. Add chocolate chips. Spoon batter by heaping teaspoonful onto baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes on the upper middle rack of the oven.

Makes 40 cookies

Peanut Butter Filling:
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients with a whisk or fork. Spoon a rounded teaspoon onto a completely cooled cookie then top with another cookie. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container of freezer bag for up to 1 month. Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

My hubby is doing projects around the house, my boy is napping, and this chilly Saturday calls for a warm soup! I adapted this from Mom's Minestrone on justcookalready.com. I loved that she used orecchiette pasta and tomato sauce for a thicker broth and sweet flavor. However, I can rarely follow a recipe without my own additions and deletions. I have some aromatic fresh herbs from my garden that I wanted to add, baby spinach to get some beautiful greens into the meal (next time I will use some rainbow chard), and Cannellini beans which are both higher in fiber than the traditional kidney, and in my opinion, much more elegant (if a bean can be elegant!). I served this with warmed and sliced baguette with Trader Joes Carmelized onion dip as a spread. Hit the spot!

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped tomatoes (1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes if they are not in season)

4 low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

8 oz. tomato sauce

4 ribs celery, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

1 packed Tbsp each of chopped fresh basil, thyme and oregano

4 lg cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp raw sugar

1 can cannellini beans

3 oz (3/4 cup) orecchette pasta
2 Trader Joes turkey meatballs, chopped into small pieces (optional)
Parmesan to taste

Instructions:

Throw everything except the pasta into a large soup pot over medium heat and allow to simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. In the last ten minutes, add the pasta. Garnish with freshly shaved Parmesan and a Thyme sprig.

Serves 4-6

Chicken Lunch Wraps

Ok, I know it's only 10:45am and dreaming about lunch already but hey, I've been up since 5:15am and I'm HUNGRY! With that said, I wanted to make something quick and enjoy before my little baby wakes up from his morning nap. I have a new found love on my sandwiches and wraps and that is olive oil, balsamic, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. It's a small touch but it intensifies the flavor ten fold. It took less than five minutes to assemble and simply melted in my mouth. The combination of creamy cream cheese and avo, tender chicken, sweet cherry tomatoes, the crunch of the sprouts and red onion, and my new oil and vinegar addiction, completely satisfied my hunger! Oh, let's not forget my other new favorite condiment...Sweet and Spicy Mustard from Trader Joes. This ingredient gets added to a lot of my cooking these days, including a honey mustard vinagrette. Anyways, assemble and enjoy this fresh, sweet and simple lunch with a glass of fresh iced tea.

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat tortilla
1 oz cream cheese
1 tsp sweet and spicy mustard
1 oz avocado
3 oz precooked chicken, cubed
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
red onion, thinly sliced (however much you like)
1/2 cup sprouts
1 tsp oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 turns of sea salt mill
3 turns of pepper mill

Instructions:

Spread cream cheese and mustard then layer avocado, chicken, tomato, onion, sprouts, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Serves 1

Chicken Honey Lime Enchiladas

These enchiladas are amazing! They were inspired by a recipe for Honey Lime Enchiladas in justcookalready.com. I simply made my enchilada recipe but added the honey and lime mixture to marinate and it was completely worth the simple extra step! The honey added a subtle sweet flavor and the lime brightened the entire dish. The only addition I would make would be to garnish with fresh cilantro.

Ingredients:
10 oz chicken, cooked and shredded
2 whole wheat tortillas
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp Honey
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup black or pinto beans
6 oz salsa verde (1/2 of a Trader Joes Jar)
2 oz grated extra sharp cheddar
3 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup corn

Instructions:
In a small bowl mix the lime juice with the honey and spices using a fork or whisk. Pour over cooked chicken and mix well. Next add sour cream and salsa verde, mix and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 F. Pour a thin layer of salsa verde into a baking dish. Assemble enchiladas by distributing the chicken mixture and beans evenly then fold and place in baking dish. Top with remainder of salsa verde, cheddar and corn.

Serves 2

Eggplant Lasagna

This lasagna might seem like it's missing some essentials like egg to bind the ricotta and mozzarella. It's not, it's absolutely delicious. The cream cheese gives it a rich and creamy texture, and there is so much flavor with the herbs, eggplant, marinara and meat that you would never miss the extra cheese. I do like to add a generous portion of Parmesan on my slice when I serve it, but that's just me. The other thing that might seem unusual are the turkey meatballs. They are amazing! You have to try them. They are precooked, pre-seasoned little wonders and great when you are in a hurry. I love this meal because I can assemble it while my 1 year old is napping then bake it for dinner while I am chasing him around the house. He loved it by the way (the two or three bites I let him have). Next time I am going to use whole wheat pasta to make it just a bit healthier. I served it with a spinach salad tossed with heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, and a pinch of fetta. I used Goddess dressing from Trader Joes (another of my favorites) but any balsamic vinaigrette would go great with it.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 tsp each of dried oregano, garlic powder, and thyme
4 oz part skim ricotta
1 oz cream cheese
2 cups Trader Joes Organic Tomato Basil marinara
6 Trader Joes Turkey Meatballs
4 oz no boil lasagna noodles ( 4 sheets)
Freshly grated Parmesan to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place eggplant rounds on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and coat with oil. Use a misto to spray rounds with a light coat of oil (or simply drizzle it on top) then sprinkle 1/2 tsp each of the dried spices . Bake for 20 min. While eggplant is baking mix the ricotta, cream cheese, and remainder of the spices. Slice each of the precooked turkey meatballs into rounds. Lightly oil a baking dish then pour 1/2 cup marinara on bottom. Next place a pasta sheet, then all ricotta mixture, then the turkey meatballs (reserve 1 to crumble on top). Once eggplant has finished roasting, add another pasta sheet. Add another 1/2 cup marinara then eggplant, followed by another sheet, marinara and eggplant. Place the last pasta sheet down, coat with marinara, layer the last of the eggplant. Crumble the last turkey meatball on top then the remainder of the marinara. Throw a few pinches of oregano on top. Cover snugly with foil to avoid crisp pasta. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes, remove foil and cook another 15. Remove from oven, cover again with foil and let stand for 10 min before serving. Grate Parmesan to taste.

Serves 2-3

Classic Meat Loaf

I don't know why, I just have a major craving for meatloaf. I was on the hunt for a good recipe and after looking through about twenty I decided to try this one. It turned out flavorful but not overpowering and tender but not mushy. The key to making this taste so good was finely chopping the vegetables so it didn't turn out chunky. I loved the glaze too!

Ingredients:

1 tsp grape seed oil

1 onion (150g), finely diced

1 stalk celery (40g), finely diced

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium carrot (30g),grated

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (I used sprouted whole grain bread to make the crumbs)

1/4 cup 2% milk

1 egg

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

6 tbsp (102g) ketchup, divided

1 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. cider vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet heat oil. Add onions and celery. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook 3 minutes, being careful not to brown.

Sprinkle thyme over onion mixture. Rub garlic into paste then add to pan. Cook and stir until onions are tender and translucent. Stir in grated carrot and remove from heat. Cool completely. Meanwhile, soak bread in milk. Lightly beat the egg.

In large mixing bowl combine ground meat, cooled vegetables, bread crumb mixture, 2 tbsp ketchup and egg. Using hands (I used food grade gloves because I don't like touching raw meat), mix until well blended.

Turn mixture into rectangular baking dish. Using hands, shape into a  loaf. 

Ketchup Topping: Combine remaining ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Spoon over top of meat loaf. Bake on middle rack for 50 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. 

Serves 4

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens