Quinoa Pizza Crust...Genius!

I was skeptical and worried about this recipe. I thought the crust would be soft and not crisp up, but I was wrong. This recipe is pretty much genius. It is such a good source of protein without having to add meat and you save so many calories than if you ordered pizza or even got a premade crust at the grocery store.  The crust had flavor and was crispy, especially along the edges. It definitely satisfied my craving and in a healthy way. The prep didn't take long at all, very easy.

This recipe was a huge success and one I will be using over and over! :)

The recipe calls for:
1/2 cup quinoa (I used rainbow)
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
dried basil, few dashes
dried oregano, few dashes
garlic powder, few dashes
1 egg, beaten
spray oil

-- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-- In a pan, bring the water and quinoa to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
-- Add the basil, oregano, garlic powder and mozzarella cheese. Mix it all together then add the egg and mix again.
-- Put foil on a baking pan and spray with oil.
-- Create a ball with the quinoa mixture and place on the foil. Spread out the "dough" so it is even.
-- Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let it cool for a minute.
-- Add any toppings of your choice! I used a little pizza sauce we had on hand, some dabbles of part skim ricotta cheese and sliced black olives.
-- Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

The original recipe used shredded parmesan cheese and italian seasoning, any cheese or herbs you like would work though.

I could not be more excited about this recipe and I think you would be too. Try it out!

 

Making homemade pizza is all about fun and can be a great way to cook together as a family, kids and all. My son can't help just yet but babywearing helped keep him involved. He was very interested in everything I was doing. Kids would love adding the toppings and they can make it their own. You could easily make this into two separate crusts too so their creativity can come out. This is a good way to make healthy eating fun for them.

Simple Salad

Thanks to Shoprite and their awesome coupons I got free romaine lettuce this weekend.  I usually always get iceberg lettuce, but who can say no to free food?  Not me!  This salad was easy and delicious.  I used some left over tomato, left over gorgonzala cheese, romaine lettuce and avocado slices.

Top it with your favorite dressing and enjoy!

Tip: I saved the other half of the avocado by keeping the pit in it and sprinkling some lemon juice on it. I sealed it in a plastic container and stored it in the fridge.

Cupcake Lasagna's

Great snack to make the kids instead of the processed frozen food like pizza bagels.  Pop them in the oven when they get home from school.  This is also a great party appetizer.

 

I kept the recipe simple because my husband doesn't like a lot of things, but it would be great with added ingredients.  Ground turkey meat to add some protein is a good option, then it's an easy dinner.  Also you could add chopped basil to the ricotta cheese mixture or your favorite spice/herb.

 

 

The recipe calls for:

wonton wrappers

marinara sauce

part skim ricotta cheese

part skim mozzarella cheese

garlic powder

 

-- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

-- Spray two cupcake pans with cooking oil.

-- Place two wonton wrappers in each cupcake hole, opposite of each other.

-- In a bowl, mix garlic powder and the ricotta cheese.

-- Add a little marinara sauce, a dabble of ricotta cheese, a little more sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

-- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the wrappers become crispy.



Sushi Facts

Sushi used to scare me and I never wanted to try it.  Once I tried it though I have become addicted! I eat sushi at least once a week. It's fun trying different kinds and testing out all the restaurants.

There are many health benefits of sushi. Some are that it is low in fat and high in protein. To me sushi is very filling so you don't need a lot of it for your meal. I usually get two rolls for dinner and one roll for lunch with maybe a small salad.

I always forget about the brown rice option! There is always a dollar or two extra charge, but even if you don't get it with brown rice sushi is still healthier then a million other things you could be eating especially while eating out. Another tip is to always ask for the low sodium soy sauce. It tastes the same as the regular and it's better for you.

This was taken from www.sushiencyclopedia.com and is very interesting:

"It consists of mostly protein, a little less than half the amount of carbohydrates (compared to protein in grams), and beneficial fat to lower your cholesterol. This is a golden ratio of food components when dieting. Bodybuilders use similar ratios of each of these components to drop their body fat. (Yes, they take unsaturated fat pills to melt away fat in difficult areas) Weight gain can result from an imbalance of carbohydrate, protein and unhealthy fat. In many cases, people eat foods that contain too many carbohydrates, and saturated fat compared to protein."

Since I have started to become obsessed with sushi it has helped me with my dieting. It is so tasty yet beneficial to my body so it's a win win! I am eating sushi as we speak...

Stuffed Tomato

The recipe calls for:

8 plump tomatoes

2 eggs

1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tbs + 4 tsp grated parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup corn

1 cup zucchini, diced + 24 thin slices

-- Preheat over to 350 degrees.

-- Cut the tops off the tomatoes, scoop pulp out of the centers, set aside. Discard half of the pulp and remove seeds from the remaining, finely chop.

-- Whisk the eggs and ricotta cheese in a bowl. Stir in onion, basil, 2 tbs parmesan and garlic. Add the corn, diced zucchini and chopped tomato pulp. Stir well.

-- Fill the tomatoes with the mixture to the top of the tomato. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top of the mixture, add zucchini slices and then the tomato top.

-- Bake for 45 minutes. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.

My Very First Homemade Hummus

And it surely won't be my last!

Quick, easy, delicious homemade Buffalo Hummus.

I am never buying hummus again!  I will forever make it from now on.  Making hummus homemade helps you skip from consuming all the added preservatives that is in store bought.  It's fresh and you know what your eating without any questions.  All homemade hummus will have one main ingredient, CHICKPEAS!  Chickpeas are high in protein, fiber and other good nutrients.

This recipe was just a few ingredients.  It is made up of 1 can of chickpeas, about 3 tablespoons of buffalo hot sauce, 3 garlic cloves, a few dashes of cumin, some garlic powder, a couple splashes of olive oil and a little bit of water.  Blend them all together in a food processor and you have hummus!

Hummus is something you can easily make in a lot of different flavors.  Always use a can of chickpeas, some sort of liquid and whatever else you like!  You can make it your own and it tastes much better than store bought.

Easter Deviled Egg Dip

Wondering what to do with all those colored hard boiled eggs the kids made?  Try this recipe out!

This isn't the healthiest recipe, but it's nice for a treat.  Sometimes you need to slurge a little and what better time then on a holiday, Easter being a perfect one since it's an egg dish.  I served it with mult-grain pita chips.

The recipe calls for:
1 dozen eggs
1 cup light mayo
1 tbs yellow mustard
2 tbs white vinegar
salt & pepper
paprika

--  Fill a pot with water so that the eggs are covered about an inch.  Add the vinegar.  Once the water is brought to a boil remove the pot from heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.  Run the eggs under cold water for awhile and then peel them.
-- Cut the eggs in half.  Put all but one half of each egg white into a food processor.  The other egg white half place into a bowl.
-- In the food processor blend the eggs, mayo and mustard.  Add salt and pepper.  Blend again and put the dip into a bowl.
-- Chop up the bowl of egg whites.  Add them to the dip and mix.
-- Top the dip with a sprinkle of paprika.

My Basil Obsession Continues

You can go to an italian restaurant without the guilt!  I am a tomato fan, a mozzarella cheese fan and a huge basil fan.  I eat these thing sometimes at home separately and together, but never thought to order something like this when I am out to eat.  Usually when I am out to eat I don't think about calories and I just like to enjoy myself on a cheat day, but instead of getting a plain garden salad all the time that is high in bad fat because of all the ranch dressing I switched it up.  At the Macaroni Grill I saw a caprese salad on the pantry section of their menu.  It cost more then your normal side salad, but I just had to have it.

It was amazing!  So many good flavors, a lot of healthy vegetables and surprisingly filling.  Caprese salads are definitely something I will keep in mind when I am out at restaurants deciding what to eat.  This salad didn't just have your typical tomato, mozzarella cheese and basil, but it also had onions and a vegetable that I am not sure what it was.  It might've been a turnips or something along those lines, whatever it was it was delicious!

That inspired THIS...

Caprese Salad Pizza

The recipe calls for:
whole wheat pie crust
2/3 cup fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 cups fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

-- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
-- Blanch the basil leaves for 10 seconds in hot water and then immediately cool in an ice bath.  Squeeze out all the water and put the leave into a blender.
-- Add the oil, salt, pepper and garlic to the blender and blend until smooth.
-- Brush the basil oil on the pie crust, top with the slices of cheese and tomato.
-- Bake for about 10 minutes.

Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken Tenders

These chicken tenders are so delicious and healthy!  Four of them is only about 350 calories.  To make them a little bit lighter you could also use fat free pretzels, I just used what we had.

They are a must try, great for everyone!

The recipe calls for:
10 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
20 regular sized pretzels
1/4 cup & 2 tbs honey mustard
1/4 cup egg beaters
1 tbs stevia
salt & pepper
cooking spray

-- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
-- Cut the chicken breasts in half and season with salt/pepper.
-- Combine the honey mustard and egg beats, whisk well.  Put all the chicken stripes in the mixture and marinate it for about 20 minutes.
-- Finely crush the pretzels, add the stevia and mix them together.  Put the mixture on a large plate and spread it evenly.
-- Put foil on a baking pan and spray it with cooking oil.
-- Transfer the chicken stripes into the pretzel mixture, flip and coat both side evenly.  Place them on the baking pan and spray the tops of the stripes with cooking oil.
-- Bake the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes, flip them after 10 minutes.

Baked Chickpeas

The recipe calls for:

2 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

2-3 tbs cooking oil

1 tbs cayenne pepper

1 tbs chili powder

a pinch of salt & pepper

-- Preheat oven to 400.
-- Whisk together the cooking oil, cayenne pepper, chili powder & salt/pepper in a bowl. Add the chickpeas & toss until they are all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet.
-- Bake in oven until the chickpeas are slightly browned & crispy, about 30 mins.

A Tasty Snack Idea

Here's an idea for a healthy, easy and flavorful snack!  In the picture are some garlic water crackers and a Light Laughing Cow cheese triangle.  There are many flavors to choose from.  Some types are blue cheese, swiss, garlic & herb, the one pictured and a few others.  The mozzarella sundried tomato and basil is only 35 calories a triangle.  You can't beat that!  You could also use whole grain pita chips (I recommend Stacy's Pita Chips) or any other cracker type that you like.  It's a great little treat or even a healthier version of cheese and crackers to put out when you have people over.  It would pair great with a nice glass of wine. :)

Jeff & Jenn's Famous Meatballs

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I don't usually cook anything for this holiday, but I figured it would be fun. I made my own version of salsa. Not all the ingredients I added are normal for salsa, but they were things I really enjoy & I thought went well with all the flavors together. I just eye balled the measurements.

The recipe calls for:

tomatoes

yellow onion

green onion (chives)

green pepper

cilantro

a little salt & pepper

I'm going to make fish tacos tonight for dinner, two different versions of it with tilapia. The hard taco shells I use are so good, only 55 calories & high in fiber. They are so tasty you can just break them up & eat them as chips, put in a salad or something else to add some crunch/texture.

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Whole Grain Corn Taco Shells - Brand: Ortega

Crab Deviled Eggs For Easter

The recipe calls for:

4 oz lump crab meat

6 hard boiled eggs

1/2 stick chopped celery

2 tbs mascarpone cheese

1 tbs mayo

1 tbs sour cream

1 tbs dijon mustard

1 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs chopped fresh chives

salt & pepper

-- Add & mix the crab meat, celery, cheese, mayo, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice & chives together in a medium mixing bowl. Add some salt & pepper to your likely.

-- Cut the hard boiled eggs into halves. Remove the yolk & discard.

-- Spoon the crab mixture into the egg halves & serve.

Never made deviled eggs before so when I was looking at recipes I came across this one with crab & had to make it. I like the traditional deviled eggs so I made some of those too for tomorrow, but these are much tastier! I suggest maybe using only 1 tbs of the cheese if you want it less calories. The good thing about this recipe is the yolk (the "bad" part of the egg) is not added to the mixture so it cuts out some fat.

Apparently I Am Obsessed With Basil

SO DELICIOUS!

The recipe calls for:

olive oil

your favorite bread

tomato

basil

part skim mozzarella cheese

store bought or homemade pesto (optional)

-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-- Cut up the bread, tomato & cheese into slices.

-- Place the bread on a non-stick baking pan.

-- Spread a little pesto onto each slice of bread. (optional) Another option, sprinkle some olive oil on the bread.

-- Add the cheese, basil & tomato onto the bread in whatever order you prefer. Sprinkle some olive oil on top of it all.

-- Place the baking pan in the oven until bread is crispy & the cheese is slightly melted.

This is a very easy recipe & can be made for an appetizer, brunch side dish or for lunch. It was my lunch today. :)

MAKE IT! EAT IT! ENJOY IT!

Easter Recipe

Easter is coming up & I want to make something to bring.  I am not sure what to cook. Decisions, decisions. I haven't cooked for awhile actually. I want to get back into it.

Should I make an appetizer, side dish or dessert? I am leaning towards a side dish or dessert.

My Valentine's Day appetizer was a hit & festive with hearts. First time I've made it. It was time consuming so I want to do something a little easier to put together for Easter. I want to make something cold or room temperature. I don't want to be dealing with an oven because hopefully it will be warmer weather by then! If I make a dessert I want it to be cute & festive like for the v-day party. Either that or a salad of some sort maybe.

Fried eggplant with some cheese & fresh basil.

By the way, my $1.99 basil pot I purchased is actually working! Nothing edible yet, but it's growing. Hopefully it keeps growing & I didn't just jinx it. Not a lot of sun for it lately though. Wish me luck!