Pretzel Snack Recipe

I have a new show obsession, THE KITCHEN on the Food Network. I love the cast, the recipes, the vibe of the set, the DIY stuff, etc. Cooking shows aren't something I normally watch, but I DVR this one it's THAT good. The cast is funny, clever and smart. The recipes are all delicious with healthy options and products that are a little out of the ordinary which is cool. The DIY projects are usually always recycling something and having a new use for it which I absolutely LOVE. I have made DIY cleaner made from fruit that I use for our kitchen counters and just this last episode they did some very interesting things with old cans that I have to try.

 

Also on the most recent episode they made two versions of pretzels snacks, one sweet and one savory. After seeing how good they looked I had to try them so I whipped them up quickly yesterday.

 

The jar on the left is chocolate syrup (I use the 5 simple ingredients one made by Hershey's since it doesn't have all the additives in it and preservatives) and blended unsalted peanuts. I realized after blending I could've just used my PB2 and the other option is instead of blending to just smash some up so it's more chunky. You simply coat the the pretzels with the syrup and then coat that with the nuts.

 

The jar on the right is a balsamic glaze coating the pretzels with parmesan cheese, italian spices and garlic powder.

 

Both are really good! Next time I think I would coat them both more and add more toppings.

 



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!

Honey Garlic Shrimp

 

The recipe calls for:

 

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tbs garlic, minced

1 lb shrimp, uncooked, peeled & deveined

2 tsp olive oil

red pepper flakes

 

 

-- Combine the honey, soy sauce and garlic in a large baggie. Add the shrimp and mix it up so it is covered with the marinade. Let sit for however long you want/can. For me, I whipped this up quickly without much prep so it didn't marinate long, but you can marinate it during the day before dinner so more flavor is absorbed.

-- Heat olive oil in a pan on medium. Once heated, add the shrimp. Heat the shrimp until they are fully cooked through, make sure to mix it a little or flip the shrimp. Sprinkle some red pepper flakes on the shrimp while it's cooking.

 

I didn't get to go grocery shopping this weekend because I was away but next time I would add some sort of veggies. I think broccoli or edamame would go great with this. This time I just cooked a little quinoa and poured the shrimp over it.  7 pieces of shrimp was only 80 calories so I had 14 pieces.

 

This recipe takes only 10 minutes for prep and cooking. Can't beat that!

 

Enjoy!

Salsa Chicken Quinoa Casserole

I am starting to finally use my crock pot more. My goal is once a week. It really makes for an easy after work meal with no stress and rushing around. I walk in the house after getting my son at school and it smells amazing, all my worries about what's for dinner are gone and I can concentrate on quality family time. 

This healthy recipe didn't disappoint. I look forward to eating leftovers for lunch today. :)

The recipe calls for:

3 chicken breasts

8 oz quinoa

2 cups salsa

1 can black beans

1 can corn

2 cups water

8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 can green chiles

5 ounces queso fresco

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Optional toppings:

avocado, tomatoes, greek yogurt, olives, extra salsa or cheese

In my opinion next time I think I will skip the queso inside the crockpot and only have my husband use it as a topping. There's so many other flavors that to me it was just added calories to the mixture. 

-- Put the chicken in the crock pot. I used frozen chicken because it was easier but you can use thawed.

-- Rinse and drain the beans and drain the corn. Keep the liquid from the green chiles. 

-- Add all ingredients to the crock pot except water and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Once all other ingredients are added, top the mixture with the water and remainder of the cheese. You can also use chicke broth instead of water. 

-- Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

-- Serve with toppings of your choice. 

Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Lasagna with no pasta, super low carb! It's a simple recipe and delicious. The peppers bring a great taste to the dish. I will definitely be making this again. 

The recipe calls for:

4 large peppers (we used red)

2 1/2 cups marinara sauce

ground meat

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 cup part skin mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup parmasean cheese

italian seasoning 

-- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put foil on a baking pan. 

-- Slice the peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds, etc. Place them on the baking dish and cook for 20 minutes. 

-- Cook and brown up the meat in a pan. We used lean ground turkey. Add the sauce to the pan once the meat is fully cooked. 

-- Layer the peppers with the meat/sauce mixture, then ricotta, more meat sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. 

-- Bake on the middle rack for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and top with parmasean cheese and italian seasoning. 

-- Bake for 5 more minutes on the top rack. 

Pancake Muffins

I posted a picture of the pancake muffins I made on the Passion N Beauty Facebook page and someone wanted the recipe so I thought I would share.

The recipe calls for:

pancake mix (I used Kodiak Cakes which is an all natural brand that has different kinds. This one was whole wheat, oat and honey)

water, amount as directed on pancake mix 

1 egg

vanilla

cinnamon

mini dark chocolate chips (optional)

-- Mix all the ingredients and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Simple! Delicious! And most importantly for me toddler approved! :) This is perfect for moms on the go, quick to make and great to have a snack on the go. 

Good vibes,

Jenn

Energy Bites!

Super easy recipe!

- 2 cups oats

- 1/4 cup honey

- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter

- 2 ripes bananas

- mini dark chocolate chips 

- cinnamon

I just winged it with the chocolate chips and cinnamon, amount wise. 

Mix all together, roll into balls and refrigerate for 2 hours. Although I tasted it right out of the bowl and it was amazing!

Frozen Greek Yogurt

Three things!

1.) I LOVE ice cream. It's one food I could eat daily if it wasn't a million calories in each pint.

2.) I HATE wasting food. It's like throwing money in the garbage. And I am a penny pincher! 

3.) It's getting warmer out!!! 

Those three things inspired THIS:

Last night my son had a greek yogurt with his dinner. He liked it but ate all his pasta first so he was full and didn't finish the yogurt. I didn't want to throw out the rest and covering it with foil is pointless because it usually just ends up in the trash anyways. I've wanted to freeze greek yogurt for awhile now to enjoy like I would ice cream so what better time. 

I put the rest in two cupcake liners, topped with some dark chocolate chips because my "ice cream" flavors always need some sort of chocolate in them and put them in a baggie in the freezer. 

When we got home from school/work I took them out and they looked great! The liners came off fine and they smelled amazing, I used coconut yogurt. I let them sit in a bowl for a little so they weren't as hard. 

Perfect snack for me and my son. They are toddler approved! Can't wait to make different kinds as the weather gets warmer and warmer. My new ice cream substitute! Yum. 

I think I will get small containers for the freezer and make this in bigger batches. :)

21 Day Fix Approved Buffalo Pizza

The recipe calls for:

whole wheat pizza dough

2 chicken breasts

1 cup hot sauce 

chili powder

garlic powder 

oregano

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese

-- Heat oven to 400 degrees.

-- Season chicken with garlic powder  and chili powder. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

-- While the chicken is cooking, season the dough with some garlic powder and oregano. Add the sauce. 

-- When the chicken is done, cut into pieces and mix in hot sauce. Add the chicken to the pizza and top with cheese. 

-- Cook in the oven for about 8-10 more minutes. 

Feel free to add other toppings too like spinach or onion. The original recipe called for those two toppings but I didn't use them. 

Enjoy!

Why do we only eat pumpkin in the fall?

I get why pumpkin is huge in the fall, makes sense. But when baking canned pumpkin is usually always used and that may not be in your front display now but it's still sold in the baking aisle.

I LOVE pumpkin and decided I couldn't wait until fall. I found this recipe and it sure was a delicious breakfast. 

The recipe calls for:

1 cup pumpkin purée

2 1/4 cup oatmeal or steal cut oats***

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

4 tbsp coconut butter

1/2 cups + 2 tbs organic maple syrup

1 tbsp pure vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 

-- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-- Line or spray the muffin pan with baking oil. 

-- Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor or blender.

-- Fold in the chocolate chips or use them to top each muffin.

-- Fill the muffin tin 3/4 of the way.

-- Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes and let cool.

*** So I didn't use oatmeal because the recipe I found said "rolled oats" which I now know just means oatmeal. Instead I bought steel cut oats which I've never had before but knew they were very healthy for you. Because of this I'm sure my muffins are a different texture then the recipe I saw but I like it. Makes the muffins hearty and fills you. 

One batch I only topped the muffins with some chocolate chips and the second batch I mixed them in the batter. 

ENJOY!

Protein Coffee

I am in HEAVEN! 

The recipe calls for:

ground coffee

chocolate protein powder

water

coconut milk or milk/cream of your choice

-- This is so simple! Add coffee to the filter in your coffee pot like every morning and add one tablespoon of protein powder per two tablespoons of coffee. 

-- BREW and await the deliciousness!

-- Pour in your favorite mug, add milk/cream of your choice and ENJOY!

Each sip keeps getting better and better...CHEERS! ☕️

Who loves pizza night?

Wow! Brown rice pizza crust, who would've thought to do this? I just saw the recipe on the box of brown rice and had to try it! Perfect for our pizza night! This officially has beaten my quinoa pizza crust. I'm in foodie love! This is going to be my go to pizza crust from now on. Can't wait to use different toppings next time and maybe even add some more spices to the crust!

The recipe calls for:

1 bag of brown rice (boil in a bag, 10 minute kind or approximately 2 cups)

1 cup mix of shredded part skim mozzarella cheese/parmasean cheese 

oregano

2 eggs, beaten

-- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking pan. 

-- Mix all ingredients above in a bowl and spread onto the baking pan. 

-- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. I just used a chunky mariana sauce, some shredded cheese and sprinkled some dry basil. 

-- Bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!!! Seriously so good!

Quinoa Caprese Casserole

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe before. It's my absolute favorite quinoa recipe and I've made it many times or a family member has made it and we've split the recipe. Have you ever done that before? It is really helpful with food prep and keeps your meals more diverse. 

The recipe calls for:

olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 onion, chopped

red pepper flakes

8 oz frozen spinach

garlic, minced (I use quite a bit)

4 tomatoes, sliced

1/4 white wine

2 cups cooked quinoa

a bunch of fresh basil

fresh mozzarella, sliced or cubed

parmesan cheese

A substitute for the white wine could be chicken broth, you can also use the broth when cooking the quinoa instead of water for more flavor.

Another option is ground chicken or lean ground beef if you prefer.

-- Preheat over to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish or one a similar size with coconut oil.

-- Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add the ground meat, red pepper flakes and onion. Cook fully.

-- Add the garlic, white wine or broth and spinach (cooked/defrosted). Cook for a minute then add the cooked quinoa. Mix it all up.

-- Pour the mixture into your baking dish. Top with sliced tomatoes, slice mozzarella cheese and pieces of basil. Sprinkle some olive oil and parmesan cheese on top.

-- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

I like to freeze leftovers into small containers and it's a convinent easy lunch to bring during the week.

Enjoy!

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.

Clean Eating Baked Ziti

 

This dinner was a hit with this kid. :)  It's a 21 day fix approved recipe, Baked Ziti with ground turkey. YUM!

The recipe calls for:
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
1 medium size part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 cups organic/natural pasta sauce
1 tbs honey
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
1tbs of each of these spices: garlic powder, italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, basil, black pepper

-- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-- Cook the pasta al-dente.  While cooking, brown up the ground turkey in a pan. Drain any fat from the pan.
-- Mix in a large bowl all ingredients except the pasta and mozzarella cheese.  Combine the mixture with the pasta and put in a baking dish.
-- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, a little more italian seasoning and parsley on top of the ziti.
-- Bake for 20 minutes.

Black Bean Hummus Wrap

 

HUMMUS

 

The recipe calls for:

2 cans of black beans, rinsed

2 garlic cloves or a spoonful of already minced garlic

2 jalapenos

1 tbs honey

salt & pepper to taste

 

-- Put all the ingredients into a food processor and you have hummus! Super easy! :)

 

I actually didn't add salt to mine, but the recipe says to and also I used the seeds to the jalapenos so it was extra spicy. I love spicy food, plus it helps me drink more water.

 

I am using the hummus for wraps this week for my lunches. The wrap is only 100 calories, it has flax seed in it. I just cooked up some zucchini and red peppers in a pan. I am going to switch it up each day, one day all veggies, one day maybe add cheese or just some lunch meat and hummus.

 

My brother has made this a few times as a dip with healthy dipping options. So delicious!

Healthy Chocolate Cake, Is There Such A Thing?

There sure is!

 

My mom's birthday was last month and my whole family is really trying to be healthy, but I still wanted to make something special for her. There is even a 90 day challenge going on with myself, my husband and brother to prep for our vacation in June. Even though we are trying to have a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean we can't have dessert. I wanted to make a cake for my mom because what is a birthday without a birthday cake. I was browsing online and found one that looked awesome. I had a few of the ingredients so I decided to try it out.

 

The recipe calls for:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of sea salt

 

-- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees.

-- Combine all the dry ingredients. (cocoa, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder and sea salt) Mix together.

-- Add the eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla. Mix together.

-- Pour mixture into a greased round regular cake pan. I just sprayed the pan with some coconut oil.

-- Bake for 25 minutes.

-- Top with shredded coconut. You could also make an icing as well or some powdered sugar. I went the healthiest route I could think of and it paired well with the coconut flour in the cake.

 

 

 

This cake was delicious and very moist! It's definitely worth trying out. I am now obsessed with coconut flour. It smells so good and is a great substitute for regular white flour. We have since made pancakes with the coconut flour.

 

ENJOY & HOPE YOUR BIRTHDAY WAS A GREAT ONE MOM!

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.

Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Pasta

This was the first time I have ever cooked shrimp and it was a huge success. So delicous and low in carbs/calories. A good source of protein and a great vegetable to go along with it. This is such a different recipe than I normally make, but it is one I will for sure be making again. The shrimp was on sale so I splurged a little. It was also my first time using the Veggetti that I received as a Christmas gift from my brother this year. So easy to use!

 

 

The recipe calls for:

frozen, peeled, de-tailed shrimp (20)

2 medium-large zucchini

1/4 cup white wine

4 garlic cloves, minced

crushed red pepper

2 tbs olive oil

parmesan cheese

 

-- Use a veggie pasta maker and turn the whole zucchini into pasta. Pat with a paper towel to get rid of some of the excess water.

-- In a large pan heat the olive oil for about a minute then add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Heat this for about 2 minutes while constantly stirring so the ingredients don't burn.

-- Add the frozen shrimp to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp is fully pink.

-- Remove the shrimp, add the white wine and cook for about a minute then add the zucchini. Cook a little while then add the shrimp in again. Cook for a minute or so while mixing the ingredients. I drained some of the liquid out of the pan to save some on some calories.

-- Serve with a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top and a glass of white wine. (optional)