Author: Ashley

Dark Chocolate Insanity Poke Cake

Dark Chocolate Insanity Poke Cake

Some days you really need chocolate in your life.  This cake is filled to the brink with dark chocolate goodness: dark chocolate cake, dark chocolate pudding, dark chocolate hot fudge, and a crumbled dark chocolate candy bar to top it all off.  Ingredients: Chocolate Cake- 

Roasted Figs with Honey and Ricotta

Roasted Figs with Honey and Ricotta

I saw fresh figs at the produce stand, so of course I had to get some so I could try out some new recipes.  This is another simple and relatively healthy dessert so enjoy it without feeling guilty. I’ll admit I was a little unsure 

BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza

BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza

We make pizzas at home all the time.  I decided to mix things up and make my kids a BBQ chicken pizza instead of their usual pepperoni or meat lovers pizza.  I followed a recipe from Food Network to make the sauce, but you could use any BBQ sauce you like to save time.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

Pizza-

1 refrigerated pizza dough crust (Pillsbury thin crust)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Olive oil spray

1 bag precooked chicken strips

½ package precooked bacon diced

1 bag shredded cheese

Grated parmesan cheese to taste

Sauce-

¼ onion diced

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup ketchup

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup yellow mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a medium baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray with olive oil spray. 
  2. Add onion, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes stirring often.
  3. Add garlic, paprika, oregano, and thyme stirring often.
  4. Add ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and vinegar. Reduce heat to low.  Mix well.
  5. Add chicken to sauce and simmer to coat chicken.  Remove from heat.
  6. Roll out the dough according to package directions and spread on baking sheet. 
  7. Spray dough with olive oil spray.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  8. Bake 9 minutes.
  9. Remove crust from the oven.  Spread BBQ sauce over the crust to the edges. Try to evenly distribute the chicken.
  10. Add diced bacon.
  11. Top with shredded cheese.
  12. Bake 9-11 minutes until cheese melts. 
  13. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

I bought a large eggplant for a recipe and still had half left in 3 lengthwise 1 inch slices.  I decided to make an eggplant lasagna using fresh ingredients and some cheeses I had in the refrigerator. Ingredients: ½ a large eggplant sliced in long 

Lemon Glazed Zucchini and Carrot Muffins

Lemon Glazed Zucchini and Carrot Muffins

Lemon is a perfect summer flavor! These healthy muffins are packed with veggies and filled with sweetness as well as a lovely lemon flavor. Ingredients: Muffins- 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup almond flour 1 zucchini grated 1 large carrot grated 1 scoop vanilla 

Air Fried Cinnamon Peaches and Apples with Greek Yogurt

Air Fried Cinnamon Peaches and Apples with Greek Yogurt

I’ll admit it.  I get hungry in the evenings and most of the time I give in and eat a dessert of some kind.  This light dessert is simple to make and is healthy in terms of desserts.

Ingredients:

1 peach halved

1 apple sliced

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup

½ cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt

Directions:

  1. Place peach and apple slices on a sheet of aluminum foil. 
  2. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey.
  3. Gently cover the fruit with the aluminum foil.
  4. Air fry at 350 for 8 minutes.
  5. Remove fruit from foil and transfer to a bowl.
  6. Top with Greek yogurt.
  7. Enjoy without the guilt.
Orange Currant Energy Balls

Orange Currant Energy Balls

I was in the mood for something different to start my mornings off with.  After looking around my kitchen and pantry I concocted the recipe for these tasty orange currant energy balls. Ingredients: Zest of 1 orange 1 cup old fashioned oats 2 scoops vanilla 

Butternut Squash Hummus

Butternut Squash Hummus

In the summer I try to get as much of my produce as I can from local produce stands (and my garden when it cooperates).  I saw butternut squashes this week so of course I bought 2 and went straight home to start looking for 

Curried Jicama and Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Curried Jicama and Tofu Lettuce Wraps

I was craving curry and I was feeling creative.  I had a block of extra firm tofu I needed to use and I had ½ of a jicama in the fridge.  Instead of using apple and chicken like I had used before to make a curry salad I decided to use air-fried tofu and jicama.  The spice is just right and this tastes delicious.  You could eat this on lettuce wraps, tortillas, buns, or straight from the bowl.

Ingredients:

Curried Tofu-

1 block extra firm tofu dried and sliced into long slices ½ inch thick

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon yellow curry paste

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lime juice

Dressing-

2 tablespoons lime juice and zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon yellow curry paste

1/3 cup fruit chutney

½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salad-

½ jicama cubed

1 lime zested and juiced

1 teaspoon curry powder

¼ cup golden raisins

3 scallions diced

¾ cup fresh mint leaves

1 cup garbanzo beans (chip peas)

Directions:

Curried Tofu-

  1. Marinade- Mix olive oil, curry paste, honey, and lime juice in a small bowl.
  2. Lay the tofu down in a dish. Spread the marinade over the tofu.  Allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Air fry tofu at 370 for 20 minutes flipping halfway.
  4. Let tofu cool.  The slice into cubes. Set aside.
curried air fried tofu

Salad-

  1. Add jicama to a large bowl. Drizzle lime juice over jicama.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon curry powder.  Let this sit while you make the dressing.  Mix often.
  2. Add mint, scallion, raisins, garbanzo beans, and dressing.  Mix to combine.
  3. Gently add in the tofu and mix to distribute.
curried jicama and tofu salad

Dressing-

  1. Add yogurt, honey, olive oil, chutney, lime juice, and curry paste to a medium bowl.  Mix to combine.

To serve dollop scoops of the curried tofu and jicama salad over bibb lettuce, large tortillas, buns, or eat straight from the bowl. 

Spiced Apple Waffles

Spiced Apple Waffles

My mother in-law brought back a bushel of apples from the apple tree in her yard in North Carolina and I can’t stand to see fruit go to waste, so I decided to make spiced apple waffles with a warm cinnamon apple topping.  I also