Did I ever mention that I’m a snacker? Alright, a huge snacker! I like to think it’s because I exercise a lot and work up an appetite, but no, I really just love to eat. Since I am constantly snacking on something I need to make sure it is healthy, and these quinoa pizza bites do the trick. You can add any of your favorite pizza toppings, which makes these a great appetizer for parties.
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, save extra for topping handful fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
Cook quinoa according to package directions, let cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.
Scoop into muffin pan and press until flat on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until nice and brown. Take out of oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the muffin pan, otherwise they will fall apart.
Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese and serve with side of warm marinara sauce.
Pizza time! I just love to make my own pizzas. It’s a great way to use up my leftover veggies and it tastes so much better than the frozen stuff. I usually cheat and buy the dough, so it only takes me a few minutes to assemble and bake. This is a perfect quick week night dinner, or a weekend lunch that can be nibbled on throughout the day. So get creative and add whatever you like!
Ahhh! The first day of Spring, although it does not feel like it Pennsylvania today, but at least the sun is shining. Which has me thinking swim suit season is right around the corner. Time to step up my fitness and be mindful of what I am eating.
First step, healthy snacks, especially since I am a big snacker during the day. Well these kale chips are delish and have you going back for more. Good thing they are a good for you and a guilt free snack!
Did you know that Kale’s considered a superfood? According to a May 2010 article published in “Diabetes Forecast,” it provides high levels of a number of essential nutrients and may help to lower your blood pressure. Click here to find out more about why this vegetable is considered a super food.
Ingredients
1 bunch fresh kale, thick stems removed and chopped into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon olive oil
Couple of dashes of soy sauce, or tamari for gluten free
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl to coat kale.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your oven. I noticed the chips closer to the edge of the pan crisped first, so I removed those and cooked the rest a few minutes longer.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Nothing says Irish more than a Guinness, so why not add it to one of my favorite soups. French onion soup is easy to make, but it does take some time to caramelize the onions to perfection. But it is so worth it! Usually at a restaurant, french onion soup is loaded with cheese. Don’t get me wrong I love cheese, but I am trying to avoid extra calories. You control the calories by the amount of cheese you use for the topping.
To caramelize the onions, they must cook for about 40 minutes. Stirring about every 10 minutes to help them turn a golden brown. If the onions start to stick to the pan, simply add some Guinness to deglaze the pan.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions sliced thinly, about 8 cups (this looks like a lot, but they will cook down)
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon of butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1 can of Guinness
4 cups of beef or vegetable broth (used organic beef, but vegetable would work for vegetarians)
splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
French baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch slices, brush lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven
shredded cheddar or swiss
Directions
Add olive oil to a heated large pot or sauce pan of over medium heat. Add the sliced onions to caramelize. To caramelize the onions, see tips.
Add the brown sugar, garlic, thyme, and butter cook for a few minutes.
Meanwhile whisk the flour and water until smooth. Add to pan and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the Guinness and increase the heat to get it nice and bubbly. Reduce the Guinness by half.
Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls. Top with toasted baguette and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Going green for tonight’s St. Patty’s festivities! That’s right, we’re finally going out for St. Patrick’s day. We have an overnight sitter and we’re ready to party! Back to the broccoli bites. We’re having some friends over before our big night on the town, and I needed a quick and easy snack. These are not only festive, but really good. They’re full of veggies and make a great healthy snack. I think I may just need to make some extras for a snack later this week.
Did you know broccoli contains high levels of both calcium and vitamin K, both of which are important for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis. This is great news if you’re not a fan of milk. Click here for more great health benefits from broccoli.
Ingredients
1 medium head of broccoli, cut into very small pieces
1 small carrot , peeled and shredded
1 garlic clove, pressed
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup of panko or bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Steam broccoli pieces for a few minutes, until they turn a nice bright green. Let cool.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.
Shape into bite size broccoli balls.
Bake on parchment paper for about 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Another crazy busy week night and I’m starving. Luckily, I had taken some sun dried tomato chicken sausage (free range chicken of course) out of the freezer recently. Now what to do with it?
I found some whole wheat bow tie pasta in the pantry and diced tomatoes. That’s a start! Of course I never made it to the store this weekend for fresh veggies. I’m really missing the local produce stands to quick stop at on my way home from work.
While digging through the fridge I found a jar of leftover sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and capers. I know, who keeps that stuff laying around in the fridge? I like to buy that stuff in bulk so I always have a meal to throw together. Of course fresh veggies would work wonderfully in this dish. Fresh peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, just about anything! Oh well, next time.
Considering the circumstances, the dish came out great!
Sun dried tomatoes contain many antioxidants that help fight many types of cancers and also help boost immunity. Just one cup contains 9 percent of the daily value for vitamin A and 35 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. Click here to learn more about the benefits of sun dried tomatoes.
Ingredients
1 package Italian chicken or turkey sausage (or no meat at all!) This recipe would also work with ground meat or shrimp.
1/2 to 3/4 pound of pasta, cooked (I used bow tie)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced1 large roasted red pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced into thin strips
1/4 cup capers
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 jar pasta sauce
parmesan or mozzarella cheese
Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook sausage in a pan with a little bit of water until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain water and saute until nice and brown. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet (or a skillet you can put in the oven) over medium high heat. If you do not have one, cook in a regular skillet and transfer to a baking dish.
Saute onion for a few minutes. Add roasted red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and garlic. Saute for a few minutes until garlic is cooked.
Lower skillet heat to medium low. Add can of diced tomatoes and pasta sauce. Cook until nice and bubbly.
Add cooked pasta and sausage and stir.
Top with cheese and put the skillet right into the oven, or transfer to baking dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes.
For me, Sunday night is tv night. And who doesn’t love eating popcorn when you’re watching your favorite show. Growing up my mom always made popcorn on the stove top. Now most make popcorn in the microwave. These microwave bags of popcorn are loaded with harmful chemicals. Making popcorn on the stove is easy, inexpensive, and much better for you since you control the ingredients.
Microwave popcorn contains a chemical called diacetyl. This chemical is added to give the popcorn it’s golden color and distinctive microwave popcorn smell. Microwave popcorn also contains a coating, which breaks down when heated called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). It has been identified as a “likely carcinogen” by the Environmental Protection Agency. I don’t know what this stuff is, but I definitely know I don’t want to eat it!
Directions
Heat a large pot with 3 tablespoons of oil (olive oil, coconut, grape seed, your choice) over medium heat.
Add 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels and cover with lid. Popcorn will begin to pop in a few minutes.
Cook until kernels slowly stop popping. About 4-6 minutes.
Top with your favorite ingredients. I like parmesan cheese and sea salt.
So you’re probably thinking…Peanut butter and pasta, really? Don’t be fooled, it really is a great combination! In fact, this is one of the most requested meals by my husband. It’s not very spicy and the peanut butter sauce adds a nice sweetness to the dish so if you’ve never had Thai food before, this is a great recipe to start with.
Ginger root is typically large and most recipes call for only a few teaspoons. Don’t let that ginger go to waste. Freeze it. When you need to use it again no need to defrost, it actually is easier to grate while frozen. Just simply peel away the skin and grate. Ginger root will last about 6 months in the freezer. Click here for more information about ginger root.
Ingredients
2 carrots, peeled
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided (you can use olive oil if you don’t have sesame)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup of peanut butter (creamy or chunky, whatever you have)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (white vinegar will also work)
1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce or sriracha (you can find this in the Asian section of the grocery store)
1 cup canned lite coconut milk (found in the baking isle or Asian section)
1 lb chicken breasts cut into strips
1 large red pepper cut into thin strips
1 pound green beans or snow peas
1 box of whole wheat spaghetti or linguine, cooked
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup peanuts for topping (optional)
Directions
Shave carrots with a vegetable peeler and set aside in a bowl.
Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add ginger and garlic, saute for about 30 seconds. Add broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and chili sauce. Stir together until peanut butter is smooth. About 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and stir until heated. Remove sauce from heat and keep warm with a lid on top of pan.
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add peppers and green beans or snow peas, saute for about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add chicken strips. Cook chicken strips until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
Add the carrots, sauted vegetables, pasta, and peanut sauce to the cooked chicken in the skillet. Toss well so everything is covered with the sauce. I found that using tongs worked best.
This has got to be one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve ever made. All I can say is WOW!
I made this sandwich in my cast iron skillet, which is my absolute favorite pan to cook with. They’re very inexpensive and cook your food to perfection. I could talk about this pan all day. Right…back to the grilled cheese sandwich. From the crispy bread and gooey cheese, to the fresh avocado, I can’t decide which part I like best.
Did you know avocados can help fight both oral and breast cancer? Research has shown that certain compounds in avocados are able to seek out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells. And it’s high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies. Click here to learn more.
2 slices of your favorite bread, I used a marble rye fresh from the bakery
Little bit of coconut or olive oil to spread onto bread
1 teaspoon pesto sauce
Fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 of a ripe avocado, sliced
2 slices of cheese, I used pepper jack, but I think fresh mozzarella or cheddar would also taste great
Instructions
Heat skillet on medium heat.
Spread a thin layer of oil over one side of each slice of bread. Flip over and spread the pesto sauce onto each slice of bread.
Add slices of cheese to each slice of bread. Top with spinach and avocado.
Fold together to create a sandwich.
Place in heated skillet and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. I like to put another heavy pan on top of the sandwich to make it a pressed sandwich.
Between work, the gym, and dance classes for my daughter, it’s tough to find time during the week to make dinner. So on Sundays I like to make a few meals to prepare for the busy week. I try to keep them simple and healthy. You may want to double this one though, since most of it was gone by lunch.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped or shredded
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup of water
2/3 cup of milk (I used almond coconut)
2 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1 cup of cheddar cheese
Directions
In a large pot heat olive oil and add onion, carrots, and celery. For easy prep I used the food processer attachment from my immersion blender to chop this veggies quickly. Saute veggies for a few minutes and add pressed garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper.
Add vegetable or chicken broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender.
In a small bowl mix water and flour and add to soup. Bring to a slight boil and heat for a few minutes until thickened.
Add milk and broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender about 5 minutes.
Add cheese and stir until melted. I used my immersion blender to make the soup a little smoother, but this step is not needed.
