Baked Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a high protein and fiber food that is healthy while also filling at the same time. Great for vegans and vegetarians or just not huge meat eaters like myself. They are easy to incorporate into your meals, like in different salads and casseroles. These baked chickpeas are great just on their own as a snack too.

 

Yesterday I baked some in the oven with paprika, garlic powders and parsley sprinkled on them. Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes. Simple, easy, quick and something different than I normally eat.

 

 

I decided to put them into a whole wheat pita and added some lettuce, tomato and greek yogurt sauce. I had the yogurt sauce leftover from falafel I made a week or so ago. I love using what I have on hand instead of food going to waste, saves money and cleans out the fridge/cabinets at the same time.

 

This really was so simple yet satifiying. I had one for dinner last night with a lettuce wedge salad and brought another one for lunch today to work. A can of chickpeas is really cheap too so a bargain meal as well.

Quinoa Cakes

 

You know me and quinoa, I love it and it's a great source of protein and a healthy food that fills you up. I ate these for dinner last week and really enjoyed them.

 

The recipe calls for:

 

2 cups quinoa, cooked

2/3 cup fontina cheese, grated

3 tbs flour

1 egg

2 tbs olive oil

2-3 chives

salt & pepper to taste

 

-- Add the olive oil to a pan and heat on medium.

-- Mix the remaining ingredients. Form patties, I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup.

-- Add the patties to the heated pan. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes.

 

I made an aioli to dip them in which came out great and paired well with the patties. I used minced garlic, a little mayo (light if you have it), a couple drops of lemon juice and a chipotle spice we had on hand. You can use any spice you prefer and can also substitute a different cheese if you wanted.

 

 

Enjoy!



Flo's Chicken & Spaghetti

This is such a nostalgic dish for me. I haven't eaten this for MANY years and I have never cooked it before myself. It's a meal my grandma would make a lot. I always remember as a child, the chicken and sauce simmering in a pan, it would smell up her house and we would always have this meal with buttered bread. My grandpa loved buttered bread. I would often have dinner there or breakfast before school depending on my parents work schedule. They were such great times and I cherish them.

My mother gave me the most information on the recipe she could remember and it's not many ingredients, but the flavor is there. It's a simple dish, but so good. The chicken cooking in the sauce brings this significant taste I remember from many years ago. The recipe may not be exact but the moment I tasted the sauce on the spoon while cooking, I knew my grandma was there helping me make this meal.

The recipe calls for:

chicken thighs or breasts (I used breasts, but my grandma used thighs)
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
variety spices: garlic powder, oregano, chicken seasoning
salt/pepper
1 tbs olive oil
whole grain spaghetti (My grandma would use regular spaghetti)

-- Heat the olive oil in a large pot/pan. Once heated, add the chicken. Add salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder and chicken seasonings to both sides of the chicken and cook the chicken.
-- Add the tomato sauce and paste to the pot/pan. Let this simmer for an hour.
-- Cook the pasta and add it to the pot/pan once the hour of simmering is finished. Stir and serve.

Enjoy this special recipe!

Balsamic Chicken & Veggies

This came out really good, I was surprised I liked it so much. It had a little kick to it which I liked. You can always make it spicer or leave that out if you don't like spicy food though. These type of veggies paired well with this sauce.

It's quick and easy!



The recipe calls for:

1 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs honey
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup & 2 tbs fat-free italian dressing
2 cups matchstick carrots
1 cup snow peas
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
pepper

-- In a bowl, whisk together the italian dressing, basalamic vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes.
-- Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the chicken. Season with pepper and cook for about 6 minutes, flip chicken after 3 minutes.
-- Add half the dressing mixture to the pan and flip the chicken to fully coat it.
-- Remove the chicken from the pan and put on a plate/serving dish.
-- Add the carrots and snow peas to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes then put the veggies over the chicken. Add the tomoatoes to the plate.
-- Add the remainder of the dressing mixture to the pan and whisk constantly for about a minute until the sauce thickens. Pour the sauce over the chicken and veggies.

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.

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.

Best Part of Warm Weather: Grillin'

Shoprite got their first corn of the season!  They were on the smaller side though.  I should've took a trip to the farm, it would've been local and probably bigger.  Oh well, next time for sure!  The farmers market by me opens on June 23rd so I can also go too.  I can't wait for it to open!  That will be a nice Sunday tradition when I need good produce.

Decided last night was a good day for grilling.  We always grill burgers and that type of stuff, but I wanted to grill some fish this time.  We put a spice of our choice on the flounder, I picked cajun seasoning and grilled them up.  The corn was also cooked on the grill and I made a little salad to top my flounder.The salad just has chopped tomato, garlic and basil and the grilled corn.  I also added a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  I really wanted to add avocado to the salad but unfortunately I couldn't find a ripe one.

Healthy Sun-Day

Weekends make it tough sometimes to stay active and eat healthy especially for me, but since I have started to really make it a part of my lifestyle it's much easier.  I seem to have better control too.  I went grocery shopping last night and got a lot of healthy and clean eating items.  It's weird but I actually crave healthier foods now instead of the fattening foods filled with nothing good for your body.  At Wegman's last night I was surrounded by bagels, donuts and very sugary muffins, but I choose a multi-grain carrot and apple muffin.  Eating that and a cup of skim milk was a great way to start my Sunday.

I also bought some flatbreads at Wegman's which I have never seen before at Shoprite.  The brand is "Flatout".  They are only 90 calories, 5 grain flax, great source of fiber and 53% fewer net carbs.  They are small flatbreads that are a good shape so they can also be folded in half for sandwiches or panini making.  I highly recommend them.

After relaxing at home for a bit I decided to venture out, get some coffee and drive around looking at new hiking places.  I ended up stopping at the local farm to pick up a tomato so I could use it for my lunch.  Local produce is fresher, less likely to be contaminated, tastes better and helps support your local farmers.  Having farms close by is a huge plus, not only because of the fresh food, but also it's a great atmosphere.  I got to get some sun and see some animals that brightened my day...

The duck and roaster were both very vocal and cute.  The roaster was actually waking everybody up in this picture haha.  I also saw lots of goats, bunnies and an adorable pig.

The tomato I got at the farm was perfect for my flatbread pizza I made for lunch.  I put little bit of olive oil on the bread, added slices of fresh tomato instead of tomato sauce and then sprinkled some dried basil and part skim mozzarella cheese.  Delic!  Notice the shape I was talking about...

I headed to Shoprite after the farm because I forgot to get water last night.  I got a mini work out in by carrying the water to the car and up two flights of stairs.  Every little bit counts!  :) 

Have a happy healthy Sunday everyone!

Creamy Avocado Sauce

The recipe calls for:

1 box of whole wheat pasta

1 larger sized avocado

1/2 of a lemon, the juice only

3 tbs olive oil

4 garlic cloves

salt & pepper

-- Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta per the box.  Approximately 8 minutes.

-- In a food processor blend the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic cloves.  I used a chopper because that's all I have.

-- Add the avocado and some salt to the food processor.  Blend until smooth and creamy.

-- Pour on top of the pasta, mix well and top with some pepper.

-- Serve immediately.

Other options for this recipe can be to add 1/4 cup of fresh basil to the food processor.  I love basil, but wanted to leave it out this time because my fiance it's a fan.  Next time I will definitely add the basil and serve this sauce over some healthy spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

Avocado doesn't reheat well so it's best to eat it fresh the day of making the recipe.

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.

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

The recipe calls for:
8 whole wheat lasagna noodles
14 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
3/4 cup park-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg white
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 medium roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup marinara sauce
a dash of pepper

 -- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the lasagna noodles like the package says.  Once they are done, spread the noodles on parchment paper.
-- Whisk together the ricotta cheese and egg white in a large bowl.  Then add 12 oz of mozzarella cheese, the parmesan cheese, the garlic and pepper to the bowl.  Mix well.
-- Add 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture to each lasagna noodle and spread evenly.  Top each noodle with 4 slices of the tomato and then some basil.  Roll each lasagna noodle.
-- Put 1/2 cup of marinara sauce into a 11 by 7 baking dish and spread it on the bottom so it's even.  Place all the lasagna roll ups in the baking dish and top each noodle with a little bit of the remainder of sauce, mozzarella cheese and a little basil.
-- Bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes.  It will smell amazingly yummy! :)



This was honestly the best lasagna I've ever had.  I loved the fresh sliced tomatoes in this recipe as opposed to the ton of red sauce that's in regular lasagna.  I also prefer how this recipe doesn't have any beef or meat at all in it.   It is a great spin off regular lasagna that is healthy and a little different yet still so enjoyable!  To make it a little healthier than the original recipe I used the wheat noodles and to please my taste buds I added the garlic.  TRY IT!  You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Spaghetti (Squash) Arrabbiata

The recipe calls for:
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh basil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups spaghetti squash
1 cup Giada's Spicy Arrabbiata sauce
grated parmesan cheese (optional)

-- Heat the olive oil and chopped garlic cloves in a big pan.  Once the garlic is a little brown add the sauce.  Heat the sauce for awhile then add the fresh basil leaves.  Lastly add the spaghetti squash and mix.

This recipe is abosolutely delicious!  One of my favorite recipes I have created.  It's like you are eating at an italian restaurant when you enjoy this dish, but without all the extra calories and fat, but still with the great taste!  Pasta doesn't have a lot of flavor, neither does spaghetti squash.  It is all about the flavors that you add to them to make the dish special.

Only about 3 Weight Watchers Points for half of this.  The only thing that is points is 2 points for a cup of sauce, the olive oil is a probably a couple and if you add cheese.  The grated cheese I have is 1 point for a tablespoon.

ENJOY!!!

Healthy Baked "Eggplant Parm"

This recipe came from one of Gordon Ramsay's cookbooks.  I changed it a little bit based on preference & a couple healthy alternatives.  No breading or frying in oil required to still keep this classic dish delicious.  It obviously looks like a very different dish then the classic version you see in restaurants.  The taste & texture are also different, but it's just as flavorful.  It's a great unique version of eggplant parmesan.  I think it would make a great side dish as well as a full meal maybe paired with some homemade garlic bread.  I have never eaten eggplant without it being fried or topped with lots of marinara sauce & cheese on it because of course it's so good that way, but this recipe really came out great.  I highly recommend it for vegetarians or lovers of eggplant.

The recipe calls for:

2 medium eggplants

10-12 oz container cherry tomatoes

fresh basil

4 cloves of garlic

spray oil

spray butter

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

-- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
-- Peel then cut the eggplant into thin slices & place them on a baking pan sprayed with oil.  Bake them for 5-8 minutes.
-- Spray a medium sized saute pan with oil.
-- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half & mince the garlic cloves.
-- Add the tomatoes, garlic & butter to the pan.  You can use about a tablespoon of regular butter if preferred, but I used "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray butter. Saute in the pan until the tomatoes start to make some liquid & the garlic brown a little bit.
-- Once this is cooked, rip the fresh basil into pieces & add it to the pan. Mix!
-- Put wax paper into two round 8 inch baking pans & add a layer of baked eggplant until it covers the bottoms.
-- Then add 1/4 of the tomato, basil & garlic mixture onto the top of the baked eggplant in each pan.
-- Sprinkle the layer with some grated parmesan cheese & then continue adding another layer of eggplant & the mixture.
--The last layer should be baked eggplant with some parmesan cheese on top.
-- Bake for another 10 minutes then let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Amazing Spaghetti Squash

This is a Bethenny Frankel healthy recipe with a couple changes to what I preferred.

The recipe calls for:

1 spaghetti squash

3 tbs pesto

1 tbs fresh basil

3 tbs parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Bethenny also added pine nuts, but the pesto I bought had some in it already so extra are not needed.  I used grated cheese because that's what I had, but her recipe called for shredded.  I added salt and pepper before tasting, but I think the pesto has enough taste in it to do without.  The less salt the healthier.  The pesto flavor was a good amount, 1 less tbs I think it would taste just as good if you want to save some calories though.

I didn't prepare it the same way as her.  Here are the easy steps I did...

-- Microwave the squash for a minute, this makes it softer and easier to cut.  Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.  Then place the squash (the inside faced down) in a microwaveable dish with about an inch of water for 10 minutes.  Optional: Put a little extra virgin olive oil on the inside of the squash.

-- Let the squash sit for a few minutes then scrap the spaghetti squash out.

-- Mix the squash, pesto, cheese and salt/pepper in a large bowl.

-- Add the mixed ingredients to a pan, add basil and heat for a few minutes.

-- Serve! Enjoy!

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.

---

Whole Grain Corn Taco Shells - Brand: Ortega

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!

Spring Is Coming!

Today was a very productive full filled day & beautiful in the 70's. I did a lot of spring cleaning including: donating clothes, cleaning the kitchen/living room/bedroom/etc. & lots of laundry. I also went to the dry cleaners, stopped at the Christmas Tree Shop & of course made a trip to Starbucks. I needed to go to the store for a broom & a new springy doormat, success! I also saw a grow your own basil pot so I had to pick that up. It was only $1.99 so who knows if it will even work, but I figured it was worth the money to give it a try. I love me some basil! I am not good at keeping plants or flowers alive so hopefully I have better luck with herbs. If all goes well I will pick up parsley & maybe a vegetable. While I cleaned my dog got her vitamin-d in while sunbathing.

 

My friend Rachel came over & we made s'more fudge. It is SO delicious. 43 calories a piece. It's made with semi sweetened chocolate chips, 2 low fat graham crackers, mini marshmallows, fat free condensed milk & a little vanilla. Super easy to make! Great for kids & adults. If you want the recipe leave a comment.

Have a nice weekend...Go to Rita's for some free italian ice from noon to 9pm on Sunday to start spring off the right way! Italian ice is 300 calories or under & they have sugar free options under 140 calories.