Month: August 2021

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 

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 protein powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

8 packets Stevia

3 tablespoons lemon juice, zest of ½ lemon

1 egg

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze-

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Zest of ½ lemon

½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin tins with baking spray.
  2. Grate zucchini and carrot.  Add to a large bowl. 
  3. Add flours, protein powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest, stevia, egg, applesauce.  Mix to combine.  Use a spatula to scrape the bowl to fully incorporate the dry ingredients.
  4. Use a large cookie scooper to fill muffin tins.
  5. Bake 25 minutes.
  6. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
  7. Let cool on a wire rack.
  8. Mix lemon juice, zest, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.  Use a spoon to drizzle over the muffins.
  9. Store in an air-tight container.  I usually refrigerate muffins to keep them fresh. 
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 

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 recipes and ideas.  I love hummus, so it made perfect sense to make a butternut squash hummus.  This is really good.  Honestly, I was eating spoonful’s of it as I was transferring it to a Tupperware to put in the fridge to use with veggies this week.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Olive oil spray

1 can cannellini beans

¼ cup tahini

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon siracha

½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Lay the squash in a single layer.  Spray with olive oil spray.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  3. Roast squash for 25 minutes.  Let cool.
  4. Add cooled squash, beans, tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, and siracha to food processor.  Pulse to mix.
  5. Serve with fresh veggies, on wraps, eat by the spoonful, or on pita bread.
  6. Transfer to an air-tight container to store extra hummus.
roasted cinnamon butternut squash
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 

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 

Cashew Coconut Curry Cod Spinach Salad with a Light Peanut Dressing

Cashew Coconut Curry Cod Spinach Salad with a Light Peanut Dressing

Curry is one of my favorite flavors.  Coconut and curry with the crunch of cashews taste phenomenal over baked cod.  I made a spinach salad with a light peanut dressing too to really help the flavors pop.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

Cod-

6-7 cod filets (2 pounds)

Olive oil spray

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon curry powder

Lime wedges for serving

Cashew Coconut Curry Topping-

¾ cup roasted cashews

¾ cup unsweetened coconut

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon curry powder

Zest from 1 lime

1 teaspoon fresh cilantro

Peanut Dressing-

2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter

¼ cup peanut butter (I used BetterNButter)

2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon siracha

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons water

Salad-

4 cups spinach

1 bell pepper diced

½ cup cherry tomatoes halved

1 cucumber sliced

Top with extra cashew coconut curry topping

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  2. Add coconut, curry powder, cashews, and olive oil to a food processor.  Pulse quickly to chop the cashews.
  3. Spread the topping on the baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Add lime zest and cilantro.  Set aside.
  4. Spray cod filets with olive oil spray.  Sprinkle with curry and coriander.
  5. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Set a wire cooling rack on the baking sheet.  Place the fish on the wire rack. 
  6. Bake for 13-15 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle topping under and over fish to serve.  Drizzle with lime juice from lime wedges.
  8. Peanut Dressing- Add all ingredients to a food processor or medium bowl.  Whisk or pulse to combine.  Drizzle dressing over spinach salad or cod.
  9. Salad-Lay a bed of spinach on the plate.  Top with peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers.  Sprinkle extra cashew coconut curry topping to add some crunch.
Cashew Coconut Curry Topping
Roasted curry cod
Peanut dressing
Spinach salad with peanut dressing and cashew coconut curry crunch
Light and Spicy Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

Light and Spicy Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

Zucchini is a popular summer vegetable.  This simple and light casserole is bursting with flavor and is a fantastic side dish. Recipe adapted from Food Network Ingredients: 2 zucchini sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch slices 1 teaspoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon chili