Pizzettes

These little guys unfolded from the "I really need to go to the grocery store but feel too lazy" kinda night.  What I could make with the few contents in my fridge...

Ingredients:
1 Pita bread, sliced in half
2 Tablespoons Pesto
Asparagus, cut in bite size pieces
Sliced onion
2 cups fresh spinach
Goat cheese
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
Salt+pepper+flakes
Balsamic vinegar

Toast the pita under the broiler for a couple minutes on each side. In a pan saute 2 cups of spinach until it is wilted down. Add the oil, garlic, asparagus, onion, salt, pepper and flakes to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Spread the pesto on the pita and top with the veggies mixture. Top with goat cheese,  lemon juice and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Asparagus-Bacon-Chicken Rigatoni

One of my favorite pasta dishes that I make often so I figured why not throw it on the old blog!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound rigatoni (or any noodle of your choosing)
Asparagus, cut in thirds
4 Slices cooked bacon
Chicken breasts
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of italian seasonings
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Cook the pasta as directed on the box. While the pasta is cooking season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, italian seasoning and pepper flakes. I used the Griddler (or George Forman) but you could use a frying pan on stove if you don't have one.  Cook chicken through, about 4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.

To make the asparagus I just popped them in a bowl in the microwave with a few tablespoons of water for about 1 minute. Just enough to take the "raw" taste out.

Coat the bottom of a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil and saute garlic over low heat. Add the noodles, asparagus and bacon. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Slice the chicken and either mix it in or lay it over the top.

Bacon wrapped dates + meatballs

It all started on date night at Avec (hands down best food I've had a looong time).  We had the "chorizo-stuffed medjool dates with smoked bacon and piquillo pepper-tomato sauce" and never wanted them to end.  Recreating them was definitely a no brainer.  These are not nearly as delish as the ones at Avec, but they are still pretty damn good!

Ingredients:
6 Medjool Dates, halved
6 slices of bacon
1/2 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/4 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of dried basil
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes




I cooked the bacon half way on a baking sheet in the oven (about 10 minutes). After the bacon has cooled cut each one in half. Wrap the bacon around the date and place it seam side down in a frying pan. Cook them until they are crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan and let them cool. 


Next, prepare the meat. Mix in a couple tablespoons of the tomato paste, a sprinkle of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Once the bacon wrapped dates have cooled, form a meatball around the date.  Add the meatball to the same pan you cooked the bacon in and cook the meatballs until they are browned on each side and cooked through.

To make the sauce, saute the chopped onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and remaining tomato paste. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, basil and crushed red 
pepper flakes.  Stir well until the paste has blended into the sauce.

Add the meatball to the sauce and they are ready to eat!

Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is here...Which means squash is everywhere! I have never made butternut squash soup before so I started with a teeny squash to make a little batch. BIG mistake, this soup is amazing. I will certainly be making another batch soon. Inspired from Food Network, but without all the butter and cream!

Ingredients:
1 Butternut squash (mine was 1.25 pounds)
1 carrot, grated
1/4 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 tablespoon honey
1 table spoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 pinch cinnamon
1/2 pinch basil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1.5 cups chicken broth

Cut the squash lengthwise, sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place on a baking sheet facedown. Bake the squash at 350 for 30 minutes. Let it cool then scrape out the inside and throw away the skin. In a medium pan over LOW heat, cook the carrot, onion and garlic until they are soft. 

Add the squash, honey, vinegar, brown sugar, cinnamon, basil and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook for 30 minutes at a simmer.  Let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. (Tip: to avoid explosion do not put on the top of the blender - cover the top with a towel instead).

Return to the sauce pan and re-heat. Yummm, this soup makes me ready for winter!

Breakfast Tacos

Breakfast tacos for two hungover boys....

Scambled eggs, black beans, hot sauce, green onion, tomato and cilantro stuffed into corn tortillas

(Arranged in a pretty dish for ease of eating on the couch)

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Chili

My obsession with buffalo chicken continues....

Ingredients:

1-2 pound Whole chicken (or substitute chicken breasts)

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon oregano

1 Tablespoon coriander

1 Tablespoon pepper

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1.5 cup Frank's Red Hot

2.5 Cups Chicken broth

1 piece of celery, chopped

1/4 medium onion, chopped

4 Cloves of garlic, chopped

1 Can kidney beans

1 Can white beans

Cilantro

Blue cheese

Combine all the spices (chili powder, oregano, coriander, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper flakes) in a small bowl.  Sprinkle over the entire chicken.  Place the chicken in the crock pot with the onion, celery, garlic, and chicken broth. Add 1 cup of Frank's red hot to the crock pot and save the other 1/2 cup for later.  Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Now comes the tricky part...removing all those pesky bones...which is why next time I may sacrifice some flavor and use boneless chicken breasts! I scooped out the whole chicken and put it in a big bowl. From there I removed the meat and put it back in the crock pot. (I also gave a warning to everyone before eating about looking out for bones, yikes!).  Next I poured the contents of the crock pot into a big pot. I skimmed off some of the fat that covered the top layer. Add the two cans of beans and the 1/2 Frank's.  Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, just long enough to heat through the beans.  Top your bowl with some cilantro and blue cheese. But of course you cant have chili without cornbread ~ So I whipped up Trader Joe's cornbread mix because it is the most delicious cornbread mix I've found!

Smoked Gouda Stuffed Peppers

This recipe was inspired by the stuffed peppers that Ben's mom made (thanks Kathy!). Cheesy potatoes, but in a pepper to keep it healthy.

Ingredients:
4 medium Red skin potatoes chopped into bite size pieces
1 Broccoli Crown chopped into tiny pieces
I zucchini, diced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
3 gloves garlic, chopped
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of red pepper flakes
4 bell peppers (any color)
1 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese (MUST be smoked, it makes all the difference)

Start by cutting around the top of the pepper and removing the stem, seeds and rind. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let them cool. Combine the potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder and crushed red peppers in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Remove the tin foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Next, fill your peppers! I put a spoonful of the veggies, then a sprinkle of cheese, then a spoonful of veggies and a sprinkle of cheese...until the peppers are full.  Put the stuffed peppers back in the oven for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Bowl

My S.O. has been raving about this "buffalo chicken bowl" from the Protein Bar.  I love everything with the word "buffalo" in it so I decided to make my own out of jealousy.  It satisfied by chicken wing craving while still being healthy!

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast chopped into bite size pieces

1 cup Franks Red Hot
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
Sprinkle of Blue cheese
Sour cream (or I used greek yogurt)

Combine the chicken pieces, Frank's, garlic, pepper, and crushed red pepper in a sauce pan. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes (or until chicken is cooked through). Prepare quinoa as directed on the box.  Top the quinoa with chicken, celery, green onions, blue cheese and sour cream.  Drizzle a couple tablespoons of Frank's over the top.  Sooo easy yet so delicious!

Roasted Veggie-Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I went a little crazy at the fruit market and ended up with 3 bags of vegetables.  Since I had made stir fry vegetables just about every other night for the past week, I decided to go the sandwich route.

Ingredients:
1/2 of an Eggplant
1/2 of a Squash
Handful of Mushrooms
1/4 Onion
1 Bell pepper (any color)
6 Garlic cloves
1 Chicken sausage
Extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup white wine
1 roll
1 slice mozzarella cheese
Feta cheese

Start by chopping all your vegetables and chicken sausage into bite size pieces. Chop two of the garlic cloves and leave the other 4 whole.  Spread the vegetables and sausage out on a baking sheet.  Toss the vegetables with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil and white wine.  Season the vegetables with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and oregano.

Roast vegetables for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, tossing at the 10 minute mark.  For the sandwich I used a whole wheat focaccia mini loaf. I put a layer of feta cheese on the bottom, then stacked the veggies and sausage, then topped it with mozzarella cheese. Put it on a panini press for 5-10 minutes - just long enough to melt the cheese. 

With the leftovers I made a salad for lunch :)

Chimichurri and Adobo steak

    Steak TWO ways!

               

        In Chimichurri:                                             In Adobo sauce:

       Ingredients:                                                      Ingredients:

                     1 handful of parsley                                      1 can Chipotle peppers in adobo

    2 cloves of garlic                                                      2 Tbsp Honey

1/2 tsp dried oregano                                                      2 tsp Cumin

           2 tbsp cider vinegar                                                 Few slices white onion

     1 tbsp lemon juice                                                          Pinch of Sale

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes                                    Pinch of Pepper

                               3 Tbsp olive oil                                            

I bought a huge flank steak at the store so I decided to make two different sauces. First, season the Flank steak with salt and pepper on both sides. 

For the chimichurri sauce, combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Coat the steak with the mixture and marinade for at least 1 hour. 

For the Adobo sauce, combine the adobo sauce, honey and cumin in a small bowl. The chipotle peppers are HOT HOT HOT. I chopped one and added it to the mixture - it turned out fiery!.  If you can't tolerate the heat use 1/2 pepper or none at all.  Coat the steak with the mixture and marinade at at least 1 hour. Top the steak with the sliced onions. 

After the steak has marinated, pop it under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes on each side. My flank steak was about 1 inch thick. You may need to adjust cook time depending on the thickness and how well you like it cooked.  After you remove the steak from the oven let it sit for about 5 minutes before cutting so the juices don't all run out!

***Leftovers make great steak sandwiches!

Pesto Quinoa with Portobellos

Ingredients:
3 tbsp Pesto (either homemade or store bought)
1/4 cup Quinoa
1 portobello mushroom cap
1/4 cup artichokes
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Prepare quinoa as listed on the box. After it has cooked stir in the pesto, artichokes and pepper flakes. Saute the portobello mushroom in 1 tbsp olive oil until it is soft. Top the the mushroom with the mozzarella cheese and put it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes (until cheese is melted). Top the mushroom cap with quinoa-artichoke mixture.

Granola

Protein Granola

I absolutely love granola, but the kind you buy at the store is loaded with butter and sugar. So I decided to make my own! Its packed with protein and minimal sugar. 

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

1/2 cup almonds

1/4 cup almond butter

1/2 cup almond milk

2 scoops protein powder

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup agave nectar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. 

Add the oats to a frying pan and toast for about 10 minutes. Remove the oats from the pan. Combine the almond milk and protein powder until dissolved. Add the protein powder/milk to the pan with the almond butter. Heat and stir until the the almond butter is smooth. Stir in the cinnamon, vanilla, agave nectar and maple syrup.  Mix in the oat and almonds.

Spread the mixture on the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to stir the pieces around every five minutes. Watch it closely to make sure it doesn't burn - otherwise it will taste like burnt popcorn! Let it cool completely. The pieces will harden as they cool. 

Sesame Salad

Sesame Salad

This is a super easy and quick salad to make. It was especially easy with my handy dandy chopper that my grandma gave me. Thanks Nana! 

Ingredients:

1 Red bell pepper

1/2 Red cabbage

2 cups Sugar Snap peas

2 Green onions

1 Mango

Dressing:

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp sesame seed oil

1/4 rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Chop the red pepper, cabbage, green onions, and mango. Combine in a bowl with sugar snap peas. In a small bowl whisk sugar, sesame seed oil, vinegar, ginger, salt and pepper together.  Pour dressing over vegetables and toss. I have found that its best to let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before eating so that all the dressing is absorbed!

Tempe Wraps

Tempe Wraps

I make these "collard green wraps" most days for lunch. Anything you would put on bread for a sandwich you can put on a green for a wrap. So far I've make wraps with turkey, egg salad, tuna salad, etc. I got the idea from The Tone it Up girls. Collard greens are tougher than iceberg lettuce so they hold up better.  I'm gonna guess that they are more nutritious too.

Ingredients:
Collard greens
4 oz Tempe (or any substitution: tofu, chicken, shrimp, steak, etc)
1/2 Bell pepper
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1/4 cup Soy sauce
2 Tbsp Lime juice
2 Tbsp Honey
1 clove Garlic
1 Green onion
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Crushed red pepper
1/4 Avocado

**I don't measure ingredients so measurements are estimates. Taste as you go and adjust ingredients!

Start by cutting the tempe and pepper into strips. Add olive oil to a pan and saute tempe and bell pepper. For the sauce combine soy sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic, green onions, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Add the mixture to the pan.

To make the leaf more pliable, I hold it over the heat for a few seconds on each side. This makes it easier to roll. Top the leaf with the tempe/pepper mixture, slices of avocado and green onions.  Roll it like a burrito and eat!