Boy oh boy has life gotten busy since August! Don't think I forgot to blog, it's just gotten pushed to the back burner. I hope to blog more in the near future!
I recently made this recipe and it turned out so good! I even ate it for breakfast a few times because it was a good, warming, comforting dish on a cold fall morning. I served it with brown rice but bread would've been good too.
I was a little worried it'd be too spicy (we don't handle spice well AT ALL in this household!) but the way I made it was just right--flavorful, but not overwhelming. Even the kids ate this (and the leftovers!)
Ingredients:
1 cup dry lentils (I used red)
1 large onion, chopped
garlic powder
ground ginger
1 splash reduced sodium soy sauce
3 cups broth (I used chicken bouillon)
1/2 can coconut milk (use the rest of the can in your coffee or morning oatmeal! It's delicious)
cumin
turmeric
1 can of carrots (I would've used fresh but we got a bunch of cans from Ruby's so I have to use what I have)
red pepper flakes
chili powder
I never measure my seasonings but I seasoned what I believed to be heavily and the flavor just peeked through. I have a habit of underseasoning things but you can taste it and adjust to your needs (or follow the original recipe).
Because I was using the canned carrots, they were already soft. I added them when I added the coconut milk (at the end).
If I were to change anything, I would add more vegetables. The carrots really seemed to stand out but the onion was hidden with the lentils. I think peas or green beans could be good with this.
This meal was really filling and perfect for the fall or winter. I would definitely make it again!
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2018
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Zucchini "Apple" Crisp
Did you know that you can use zucchini the same way you can bake with apples?! You can do zucchini pie, zucchini crisps and cobblers, zucchini bread (the non-traditional way with cinnamon and chunked zucchini, not shredded), and the list goes on!
I recently made a zucchini crisp. It did taste a lot like apples, and I recommend serving it warm, but it was an older, bigger zucchini so if you use those, I recommend peeling it first. It made for an odd texture in the crisp. I think with a smaller zucchini, the peeling isn't necessary.
This is the recipe I used. I left out the nutmeg and I cut down a little on the sugar (because there is a LOT of sugar in this but it tastes SO good!)
It is fairly simple prep and pops in the oven for about 45 minutes. Definitely eat it warm. The leftovers are great too but heat them up before you eat it (30 seconds in the microwave will do the trick!).
I also found that you can make a very similar recipe in the microwave for individual portions but I just eyeball that, using a small zucchini as my start. I could eat this every day!
I recently made a zucchini crisp. It did taste a lot like apples, and I recommend serving it warm, but it was an older, bigger zucchini so if you use those, I recommend peeling it first. It made for an odd texture in the crisp. I think with a smaller zucchini, the peeling isn't necessary.
This is the recipe I used. I left out the nutmeg and I cut down a little on the sugar (because there is a LOT of sugar in this but it tastes SO good!)
It is fairly simple prep and pops in the oven for about 45 minutes. Definitely eat it warm. The leftovers are great too but heat them up before you eat it (30 seconds in the microwave will do the trick!).
I also found that you can make a very similar recipe in the microwave for individual portions but I just eyeball that, using a small zucchini as my start. I could eat this every day!
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Italian Zucchini Beef Skillet
I was going to make something a little more complicated than normal, a layered lasagna with zucchini layers instead of noodles. But it was almost 90 here today and I did not want the oven on that long. So I did what I do best: I improvised.
First cook up a pound of ground beef. Drain and add seasoning (I did onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. You could also add onions and peppers while browning the ground beef).
Next, I added chopped tomatoes (fresh from the garden!) with the middles removed.
Then, I added a medium zucchini, shredded. I stirred it all up (over medium high heat) and drained again for the zucchini juices.
Lastly, I added a heap of mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup- 1 1/2 cups). I stirred it in until it melted and then I served!
My kids ate it! They thought the zucchini was cheese so no issue there and they love ground beef. My husband was also pretty impressed and I liked how quick it all came together (while using things from my garden!).
I will definitely make this again. I think it's also pretty versatile. You could add taco seasoning to your beef with salsa and corn and top with shredded cheese for a Mexican version. You could zoodle your zucchini and make the tomatoes into more of a sauce.
First cook up a pound of ground beef. Drain and add seasoning (I did onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. You could also add onions and peppers while browning the ground beef).
Next, I added chopped tomatoes (fresh from the garden!) with the middles removed.
Then, I added a medium zucchini, shredded. I stirred it all up (over medium high heat) and drained again for the zucchini juices.
Lastly, I added a heap of mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup- 1 1/2 cups). I stirred it in until it melted and then I served!
My kids ate it! They thought the zucchini was cheese so no issue there and they love ground beef. My husband was also pretty impressed and I liked how quick it all came together (while using things from my garden!).
I will definitely make this again. I think it's also pretty versatile. You could add taco seasoning to your beef with salsa and corn and top with shredded cheese for a Mexican version. You could zoodle your zucchini and make the tomatoes into more of a sauce.
Friday, August 3, 2018
Homemade Pasta Sauce
My garden has been SO good to me this year! We only have 3 producing tomato plants but regardless, I still have a lot of cherry tomatoes! Nothing beats a tomato fresh from the garden. They are just superior to any other tomato I've ever had.
I've been eating most of them raw but it was time to catch up. I looked up ways to freeze them for later use but they didn't really appeal to me. So I decided to make spaghetti sauce.
1. Wash and cut the stems off your tomatoes (I think I used about 20 but you can do however many you have). Slice in half.
2. Spray a baking sheet with oil and lay your tomatoes on it, sliced side up (this helps them not stick so much).
3. Add your seasoning. I used garden fresh basil and garlic but you can use dried too.
4. Roast in the oven 20-30 minutes at 400, or until soft.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool for a bit. In a blender or food processor, blend the tomatoes with a splash of balsamic vinegar, a little salt, and other seasoning you desire.
6. You're done!
My kids, who won't even touch a tomato, actually ate this! I served it over noodles and they gobbled it up! I'm so excited I found a way for them to enjoy tomatoes too :)
I've been eating most of them raw but it was time to catch up. I looked up ways to freeze them for later use but they didn't really appeal to me. So I decided to make spaghetti sauce.
1. Wash and cut the stems off your tomatoes (I think I used about 20 but you can do however many you have). Slice in half.
2. Spray a baking sheet with oil and lay your tomatoes on it, sliced side up (this helps them not stick so much).
3. Add your seasoning. I used garden fresh basil and garlic but you can use dried too.
4. Roast in the oven 20-30 minutes at 400, or until soft.
5. Remove from the oven and let cool for a bit. In a blender or food processor, blend the tomatoes with a splash of balsamic vinegar, a little salt, and other seasoning you desire.
6. You're done!
My kids, who won't even touch a tomato, actually ate this! I served it over noodles and they gobbled it up! I'm so excited I found a way for them to enjoy tomatoes too :)
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Crab Salad
Yesterday, it was too hot to cook (we don't have a/c) and I needed to prep something fast because my husband and his dad were working on our house (so I didn't have any one to help watch the kids while I made dinner. Yes, I know I'm spoiled most days).
So I made crab salad. I used imitation crab, cut into small pieces. Then I chopped raw cauliflower, about the same size (I was worried the crunch of the raw would be weird but it was perfect!). I also added some chopped pickles, halved cherry tomatoes, peas, garlic powder, onion powder (I would've added some red onion if I had one), and a squirt of mayo.
Mix it all up and you got yourself a crab salad! Because the salad contained the protein and the vegetables, with the wrap or bread providing your carbs, I served it with fresh strawberries. I considered doing a whole fruit salad but that seemed like too many salads for one dinner.
I never thought to use cauliflower in it before but I'm glad I was brave enough to try it! I think you could add basically any veggies and it would still be good (corn--I know it isn't a veggie but you could still add it!, cucumbers, peppers, onion, broccoli)...it's very versatile!
So I made crab salad. I used imitation crab, cut into small pieces. Then I chopped raw cauliflower, about the same size (I was worried the crunch of the raw would be weird but it was perfect!). I also added some chopped pickles, halved cherry tomatoes, peas, garlic powder, onion powder (I would've added some red onion if I had one), and a squirt of mayo.
Mix it all up and you got yourself a crab salad! Because the salad contained the protein and the vegetables, with the wrap or bread providing your carbs, I served it with fresh strawberries. I considered doing a whole fruit salad but that seemed like too many salads for one dinner.
I never thought to use cauliflower in it before but I'm glad I was brave enough to try it! I think you could add basically any veggies and it would still be good (corn--I know it isn't a veggie but you could still add it!, cucumbers, peppers, onion, broccoli)...it's very versatile!
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Spinach Brownies
Don't let the title of this post scare you! These taste just like brownies and you can't even tell the spinach is in there!
My husband helped me make these and he was very weary of "putting green things in my brownies" but he tasted them and said he honestly couldn't even taste them, even when he was trying to!
This recipe is really simple too but I haven't quite figured out yet how you could modify it if you were doing brownies from scratch, instead of a box. Give my brain a minute. Maybe that'll be my next recipe!
Dump your brownie mix (the entire package) in a large bowl. In a high quality blender (I like using my Ninja), blend the ingredients from the back of the box (so mine was a Ghirardelli mix and wanted 1/3 water, 1/3 oil, and an egg) with 1-2 handfuls of spinach. I didn't even take the stems off.
Add the blended ingredients to your bowl of brownie mix. Stir to combine and follow the cooking instructions on the back of your brownie box. Voila! It's that simple.
Now you can pretend you have healthy brownies!
My husband helped me make these and he was very weary of "putting green things in my brownies" but he tasted them and said he honestly couldn't even taste them, even when he was trying to!
This recipe is really simple too but I haven't quite figured out yet how you could modify it if you were doing brownies from scratch, instead of a box. Give my brain a minute. Maybe that'll be my next recipe!
Dump your brownie mix (the entire package) in a large bowl. In a high quality blender (I like using my Ninja), blend the ingredients from the back of the box (so mine was a Ghirardelli mix and wanted 1/3 water, 1/3 oil, and an egg) with 1-2 handfuls of spinach. I didn't even take the stems off.
Add the blended ingredients to your bowl of brownie mix. Stir to combine and follow the cooking instructions on the back of your brownie box. Voila! It's that simple.
Now you can pretend you have healthy brownies!
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Skillet "Cheeseburger" With Cauliflower
My whole family is sick with a cold so I will have to make this recipe again when we feel better to see if it still tastes good! Ha!
This is my last week of fresh CSA veggies (but I have plenty frozen!). So this recipe was just about using up the fridge. I also had thawed a pound of ground beef for a different recipe, but with being sick I didn't want to go into all the effort of that one.
So here's what I did. I had 2 small heads of cauliflower that I chopped (pretty small, like kid bite size) and put in a bowl with a splash of water. I microwaved them for 10 minutes. While that cooked, I chopped an onion, the other half of a red pepper, and some baby bella mushrooms.
Because I can't use my electric skillet and my microwave at the same time, I had to wait til my microwave was done before I could start browning the beef. I threw in the onions at the same time too. Next, you should drain it. I ALWAYS forget this step and my gut pays for it later.
When the meat is mostly browned, add in your cauliflower. After that seems to be cooked up, add in your peppers and mushrooms. As those start to cook, season with garlic. I also added salt in at this point, not remembering I had planned to add a little salsa later.
So now everything is just about done. Add in a splash of salsa (third of a cup maybe? half a cup?) and stir to combine. I also added in some cheddar cheese (1/3 of a block but more definitely wouldn't be bad!). When the cheese is melted, it's ready!
My kids even ate this! They have been picking things out of my dinners for weeks now and this one was just gobbled up. They didn't even seem to notice the mushrooms or the cauliflower. The one thing my daughter did notice was the peppers, but not the ones I had added in, the ones from the salsa! How funny is that? Ha!
Ingredient list for ease of future use:
ground beef
onion
bell pepper
mushrooms
cauliflower
salsa
garlic powder
cheddar cheese
You could very easily omit the salsa and add in whatever seasoning you want. Even the veggies could probably be swapped out. I would leave the cauliflower though, because it's kind of like rice (although my pieces weren't that fine) but your choice! I love use-up-the-fridge recipes!
This is my last week of fresh CSA veggies (but I have plenty frozen!). So this recipe was just about using up the fridge. I also had thawed a pound of ground beef for a different recipe, but with being sick I didn't want to go into all the effort of that one.
So here's what I did. I had 2 small heads of cauliflower that I chopped (pretty small, like kid bite size) and put in a bowl with a splash of water. I microwaved them for 10 minutes. While that cooked, I chopped an onion, the other half of a red pepper, and some baby bella mushrooms.
Because I can't use my electric skillet and my microwave at the same time, I had to wait til my microwave was done before I could start browning the beef. I threw in the onions at the same time too. Next, you should drain it. I ALWAYS forget this step and my gut pays for it later.
When the meat is mostly browned, add in your cauliflower. After that seems to be cooked up, add in your peppers and mushrooms. As those start to cook, season with garlic. I also added salt in at this point, not remembering I had planned to add a little salsa later.
So now everything is just about done. Add in a splash of salsa (third of a cup maybe? half a cup?) and stir to combine. I also added in some cheddar cheese (1/3 of a block but more definitely wouldn't be bad!). When the cheese is melted, it's ready!
My kids even ate this! They have been picking things out of my dinners for weeks now and this one was just gobbled up. They didn't even seem to notice the mushrooms or the cauliflower. The one thing my daughter did notice was the peppers, but not the ones I had added in, the ones from the salsa! How funny is that? Ha!
Ingredient list for ease of future use:
ground beef
onion
bell pepper
mushrooms
cauliflower
salsa
garlic powder
cheddar cheese
You could very easily omit the salsa and add in whatever seasoning you want. Even the veggies could probably be swapped out. I would leave the cauliflower though, because it's kind of like rice (although my pieces weren't that fine) but your choice! I love use-up-the-fridge recipes!
Friday, September 29, 2017
Using Up CSA Veggies
I am going to preface this with an apology. My computer keyboard is acting up and it randomly doubles or even triples letters and spaces. It has done this before but I don't remember how to fix it. I will try to catch all the typos but it is a pain. Please bear with me.
I almost always add veggies to sloppy joes, usually peppers and sometimes carrots. I've added corn before too but that was a little strange. This week, I had a lot of miscellaneous CSA veggies to use up so I just chopped them up and added them to the ground turkey. I used red onion (that was a great choice! Red onion is one of my favorites), turnips, spinach, carrots, and bell peppers. It was surprisingly really good. I don't know why I'm always surprised when something with so many veggies tastes good.
I will also mention that I used canned sloppy joe sauce that was bold. I think the bold really makes a difference. Some day, I will make my own sauce but right now I don't have enough burners.
Another good thing to add veggies to is tuna salad. Celery is a good addition but I didn't have any this time. So for crunch, I added raw red bell pepper. I also added lots of red onion, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. In the past, I have also added white beans to it without much taste difference.
In both recipes (sloppy joes and tuna), my kids gobbled them up and couldn't get enough! Sometimes I try to hide the veggies from the kids but I am also a huge advocate of having them try everything too.
By posting this, I hope it will encourage you to add more veggies to recipes you already love. Plus, I have had some requests for what veggies I add to some kid favorites. Basically, since belonging to the CSA, I have added veggies to everything--whatever I have on hand.
I almost always add veggies to sloppy joes, usually peppers and sometimes carrots. I've added corn before too but that was a little strange. This week, I had a lot of miscellaneous CSA veggies to use up so I just chopped them up and added them to the ground turkey. I used red onion (that was a great choice! Red onion is one of my favorites), turnips, spinach, carrots, and bell peppers. It was surprisingly really good. I don't know why I'm always surprised when something with so many veggies tastes good.
I will also mention that I used canned sloppy joe sauce that was bold. I think the bold really makes a difference. Some day, I will make my own sauce but right now I don't have enough burners.
Another good thing to add veggies to is tuna salad. Celery is a good addition but I didn't have any this time. So for crunch, I added raw red bell pepper. I also added lots of red onion, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. In the past, I have also added white beans to it without much taste difference.
In both recipes (sloppy joes and tuna), my kids gobbled them up and couldn't get enough! Sometimes I try to hide the veggies from the kids but I am also a huge advocate of having them try everything too.
By posting this, I hope it will encourage you to add more veggies to recipes you already love. Plus, I have had some requests for what veggies I add to some kid favorites. Basically, since belonging to the CSA, I have added veggies to everything--whatever I have on hand.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Hidden Kraut Spinach Burgers and Roasted Veggies
Tonight I made hidden spinach and kraut burgers that were awesome! The blogger talks about paleo and AIP but I don't follow that. I don't even know what AIP is. So I did change a couple of the ingredients. I also didn't serve them on those butternut squash roll things but they do look good!
This is what I made:
2 pounds ground beef
2 handfuls spinach
~2 cups sauerkraut
3/4 cup milk
~1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I would've used a little more too but I ran out. Next time, I might just do oats)
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
parsley
Then I followed the instructions (blend spinach, sauerkraut, milk in blender til smooth. Dump in bowl, add spices. Mix. Add meat and breadcrumbs. Mix. Make patties and bake at 400 for 25 minutes).
The original poster got 5-6 patties out of this but those must've been HUGE because I made what I thought were huge and I still got 9.
I will also mention that the end result is not green! There are tiny flecks of green (that could be the parsley) and it leaks out a little green but if you don't tell anyone, there is no way they could guess that there is spinach and sauerkraut in there! I was truly amazed!!
I served this with roasted radishes and brussels sprouts. These turned out great too. I tossed with oil, seasoned with a little salt and thyme and then baked at 400 (because the burgers were 400) for 20ish minutes. I don't even normally like radishes but roasting them makes them so much better (and not spicy!).
The meal tonight was fantastic! I will definitely be making both of these dishes again and again!!
This is what I made:
2 pounds ground beef
2 handfuls spinach
~2 cups sauerkraut
3/4 cup milk
~1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I would've used a little more too but I ran out. Next time, I might just do oats)
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
parsley
Then I followed the instructions (blend spinach, sauerkraut, milk in blender til smooth. Dump in bowl, add spices. Mix. Add meat and breadcrumbs. Mix. Make patties and bake at 400 for 25 minutes).
The original poster got 5-6 patties out of this but those must've been HUGE because I made what I thought were huge and I still got 9.
I will also mention that the end result is not green! There are tiny flecks of green (that could be the parsley) and it leaks out a little green but if you don't tell anyone, there is no way they could guess that there is spinach and sauerkraut in there! I was truly amazed!!
I served this with roasted radishes and brussels sprouts. These turned out great too. I tossed with oil, seasoned with a little salt and thyme and then baked at 400 (because the burgers were 400) for 20ish minutes. I don't even normally like radishes but roasting them makes them so much better (and not spicy!).
The meal tonight was fantastic! I will definitely be making both of these dishes again and again!!
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Carrot Cheese Crackers
Oh my goodness has it been a long time since I blogged! My computer was having some crazy issues and then I just got more and more behind. I am missing so many recipes I have made in the past few months and sadly, I will not be able to blog about them. When I don't blog a recipe shortly after making it, I forget all my specifications and notes to myself. How sad!
Well, today I made some crackers. They're supposed to be comparable to Cheez-Its and I think they are close enough. My husband said they taste like "under-cooked noodles, but that's a good thing! I liked them!" so...who knows.
I found the recipe here but I didn't exactly follow it.
For the carrots, a long time ago I had tried to make a carrot puree for my toddlers to enjoy in a pouch that was much too watery and chunky to be considered a puree. I froze it all in ice cube trays anyway and have been using it up slowly in sauces, burgers, casseroles, etc. I thawed about 15 ice cubes worth for the carrot part of these crackers.
So I put my carrot stuff in a bowl, added 2 eggs, and a big handful of cheese (and then my toddler added a handful of cheese--just for good measure!) and stirred it all up. I didn't use a mixer or food processor at all. I added the flour (I used white, not whole wheat) 1/4 cup at a time. The last 1/4 cup I should've added the whole thing but for some reason I thought my dough was thick enough. It was so sticky though so I had a really hard time getting cracker shapes out of a lot of it. So I made about 40 crackers and then a big pile of mush.
I would definitely make these again. Both of my toddlers loved them (even after knowing there were carrots in there!). Next time, I'll try not to forget to sprinkle on salt before they go in the oven but it actually wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it was going to be. Now I have a better use for my weird carrot ice cubes!
Well, today I made some crackers. They're supposed to be comparable to Cheez-Its and I think they are close enough. My husband said they taste like "under-cooked noodles, but that's a good thing! I liked them!" so...who knows.
I found the recipe here but I didn't exactly follow it.
For the carrots, a long time ago I had tried to make a carrot puree for my toddlers to enjoy in a pouch that was much too watery and chunky to be considered a puree. I froze it all in ice cube trays anyway and have been using it up slowly in sauces, burgers, casseroles, etc. I thawed about 15 ice cubes worth for the carrot part of these crackers.
So I put my carrot stuff in a bowl, added 2 eggs, and a big handful of cheese (and then my toddler added a handful of cheese--just for good measure!) and stirred it all up. I didn't use a mixer or food processor at all. I added the flour (I used white, not whole wheat) 1/4 cup at a time. The last 1/4 cup I should've added the whole thing but for some reason I thought my dough was thick enough. It was so sticky though so I had a really hard time getting cracker shapes out of a lot of it. So I made about 40 crackers and then a big pile of mush.
I would definitely make these again. Both of my toddlers loved them (even after knowing there were carrots in there!). Next time, I'll try not to forget to sprinkle on salt before they go in the oven but it actually wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it was going to be. Now I have a better use for my weird carrot ice cubes!
Monday, July 4, 2016
Sweet Potato BBQ Chicken Pizza
I'm behind in my blogging (again) so I actually made this pizza a few weeks ago. We were nervous how it would turn out because it sounded healthy (ha!) and nobody but me really likes sweet potatoes.
I did take the crust out of the oven a couple minutes early because it was browning and I didn't want it to burn.
I also cooked the spinach (when I cooked the onions) because it had previously been frozen and I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I don't know that it matters if it's cooked or uncooked, regardless of being frozen. I will also mention that I didn't measure the sauces. I simply each one out separately on the crust until it looked good. This could've been close to a half cup but it did leave a lot of tomato sauce in the jar so be ready to have spaghetti the next night!
This pizza turned out great! Being cheeseless, I'm not sure I would eat it because I was craving pizza and trying to be healthier but I would eat it again. It's just not a good replacement for the real thing. Even David liked it. My toddler hates sweet potatoes too so she wasn't impressed, but she did like the toppings. My mom was in town and thought it was really good also!
I would definitely make it again!
I did take the crust out of the oven a couple minutes early because it was browning and I didn't want it to burn.
I also cooked the spinach (when I cooked the onions) because it had previously been frozen and I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I don't know that it matters if it's cooked or uncooked, regardless of being frozen. I will also mention that I didn't measure the sauces. I simply each one out separately on the crust until it looked good. This could've been close to a half cup but it did leave a lot of tomato sauce in the jar so be ready to have spaghetti the next night!
This pizza turned out great! Being cheeseless, I'm not sure I would eat it because I was craving pizza and trying to be healthier but I would eat it again. It's just not a good replacement for the real thing. Even David liked it. My toddler hates sweet potatoes too so she wasn't impressed, but she did like the toppings. My mom was in town and thought it was really good also!
I would definitely make it again!
Friday, April 22, 2016
Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies
My grocery store frequently has deals on produce like "buy 2, get 3 free". If you see a sign like that, you gotta buy it! That's better than 50% off! One of the items this past time was avocados. I do not like avocados but I want to like avocados. Actually, nobody in my family likes them. They're just an odd texture, odd flavor, odd appearance. I bought them anyway. We'd have to eat them if I buy them, right?
So we decide to cut one up to see if my toddler or 8 month old like them. My 2 year old said no without even trying it. Then she tried it but still didn't like it (but points for trying it!). My 8 month old made a face. Now, he makes faces at lots of things but then will gesture that he wants more. Not this time. We tried to give him more and he definitely said no. We left it on his tray (it was a slice) and he didn't touch it. My husband choked down a slice and said no more so that left me. I ate the rest of it mixed with our dinner. It was tolerable.
Then I pinterested about it (because really, where else do I look for recipes?) and I found something amazing. Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies. They say that you can't taste the avocado in them at all! I decided to make them. Then, life got in the way so I actually convinced my husband to make them for me. He did things a little differently than the recipe so I'll write it out.
So we decide to cut one up to see if my toddler or 8 month old like them. My 2 year old said no without even trying it. Then she tried it but still didn't like it (but points for trying it!). My 8 month old made a face. Now, he makes faces at lots of things but then will gesture that he wants more. Not this time. We tried to give him more and he definitely said no. We left it on his tray (it was a slice) and he didn't touch it. My husband choked down a slice and said no more so that left me. I ate the rest of it mixed with our dinner. It was tolerable.
Then I pinterested about it (because really, where else do I look for recipes?) and I found something amazing. Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies. They say that you can't taste the avocado in them at all! I decided to make them. Then, life got in the way so I actually convinced my husband to make them for me. He did things a little differently than the recipe so I'll write it out.
- 2 avocados
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg (the only non-vegan ingredient in these and easily replaceable!)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (he used as much whole wheat flour we had but it was almost gone so he substituted the rest for regular flour)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 T coconut oil
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with silicone mat (or parchment paper). Scoop out your avocados and place into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add coconut oil and sugar and mix for about 5 minutes, or until avocados have broken down (chunks are okay.) Add the egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips. Spoon out dough into cookie-sized balls and put onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes and remove from oven. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet and then move to cooling rack.
And it turned out true! You get the health benefits of the avocado WITHOUT tasting them at all!! I was amazed. My toddler loved these cookies, as well as my husband and I. We stored them in the fridge because avocados go bad so quickly. This made them taste even better. There is nothing better than cold chocolate chip cookies. I would say eat them up in a few days before they can go bad but you probably don't have to try very hard because they're so delicious! I rate this a 10/10.
I will add that they do turn out green. This can be a little off-putting if you are trying to hide the veggies in there but I liked the original poster's suggestion of making them at Christmas time and everyone assumes it's food dye!
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Spinach and Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers
We all know that turkey is healthier for us than ground beef. However, due to its lower fat content, it can be harder to make taste good because it has a tendency to come out dry. This is when you have to get creative. Luckily for me, someone else did all the work with coming up with this recipe for turkey burgers.
The recipe is really simple. Mix 1 1/2 cups of sweet potato puree with 1 pound ground turkey. Add in a handful of spinach (no need to precook, unless it already is precooked), garlic, and onion powder. Form patties and cook on medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side.
Mine came out a little crumbly and after the fact, I noticed in the comments that some people did have this problem. The solution is to either add an egg or chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes before cooking. They still tasted good crumbled. We ate them in tortilla shells instead of a bun then. I also served these with chips and salsa and I'm not entirely sure what a better side would have been. Maybe fries or potatoes of some sort? Or you could chop them up (or eat them crumbled) on top of a salad for extra veggies!
You can barely taste the sweet potato or spinach so this recipe is perfect for people who don't really like veggies. I actually used a blend of spinach, kale, and swiss chard and I don't think it altered the flavor too much (especially since you can barely taste it anyway!). I could also see adding cheese, chopped bell peppers, carrots, or seasonings (other than garlic and onion) and having them still turn out good. They seem very versatile and are easy. They're also quick! I will definitely make these again and I rate them an 8/10!
The recipe is really simple. Mix 1 1/2 cups of sweet potato puree with 1 pound ground turkey. Add in a handful of spinach (no need to precook, unless it already is precooked), garlic, and onion powder. Form patties and cook on medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side.
Mine came out a little crumbly and after the fact, I noticed in the comments that some people did have this problem. The solution is to either add an egg or chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes before cooking. They still tasted good crumbled. We ate them in tortilla shells instead of a bun then. I also served these with chips and salsa and I'm not entirely sure what a better side would have been. Maybe fries or potatoes of some sort? Or you could chop them up (or eat them crumbled) on top of a salad for extra veggies!
You can barely taste the sweet potato or spinach so this recipe is perfect for people who don't really like veggies. I actually used a blend of spinach, kale, and swiss chard and I don't think it altered the flavor too much (especially since you can barely taste it anyway!). I could also see adding cheese, chopped bell peppers, carrots, or seasonings (other than garlic and onion) and having them still turn out good. They seem very versatile and are easy. They're also quick! I will definitely make these again and I rate them an 8/10!
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Mushroom Spinach Meatloaf
When I am at the grocery store, I always have good intentions of eating healthy for that upcoming week. I buy lots of fresh produce and not much meat or processed foods. Then I get home and realize that I'm not that healthy and I have to scramble to figure out how to use up all those vegetables!
My latest buy was a lot of baby bella mushrooms and some spinach. I came across this recipe and knew it would be good! I love using mushrooms, especially portobella ones to make meat stretch a little farther. Most of the time, you don't even notice the difference.
As always, I made a few modifications to the original recipe so here is what I did.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 8oz package of baby bella mushrooms
1 cup spinach
1 egg
handful of breadcrumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
Directions:
In a small skillet, cook up spinach. Meanwhile, in a food chopper, finely chop up the mushrooms. When spinach is done, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Then put in a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
This recipe is so simple and quick to prep. It is also DELICIOUS! I do admit the spinach is a little odd in there but maybe if you chop it first it would blend in better. I would also think shredded or grated carrots could be good in it but I haven't tried it. As with any meatloaf recipe, I topped this one with extra ketchup. I don't think I would ever add ketchup to spinach or mushrooms but with the ground beef, it doesn't seem to be as weird as it sounds.
I will definitely make this again but probably without the spinach (or smaller spinach pieces).
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
I have previously made a summer squash mac and cheese (that I don't know if I posted about it because we didn't really like it). The squash didn't blend well and it was just...stringy. I suppose I should've known but I had heard good things about mixing squash with the mac and cheese to get more veggie content in a meal. I had given up on the idea until I saw this recipe on Pinterest. It sounded promising!
So that afternoon, I roasted my squash (poke holes in squash, put in pan (foil lined for easiser clean up if you wish), and put in the oven for 90 minutes at 400). Then I scooped out all the good parts (not the seeds or little stringy parts) and mashed them in a bowl. I put it in the fridge until I was ready to make dinner.
Then I followed the recipe (for the most part). I will say that you definitely need more noodles than what was called for. There's no way you can make that much sauce for only 8oz of noodles! I used a whole 16oz box. I also have to say that the squash sauce looked heavenly! I could've just had noodles stirred into that without the cheese! I'm not necessarily a big fan of baking mac and cheese or with the bread crumbs on top but this did turn out really good.
With the squash and the breadcrumbs, David and I thought it tasted a little bit like Wheat Thin crackers. My toddler tried it and liked it too but she'll like anything if it's a noodle. I think I would rate this a 7/10. The leftovers are just as good as the first time too. And good thing for that because this makes about 6 servings (and that's generous servings).
I think I would make it again. It's fairly simple but not too quick, especially if you have to puree your squash first.
So that afternoon, I roasted my squash (poke holes in squash, put in pan (foil lined for easiser clean up if you wish), and put in the oven for 90 minutes at 400). Then I scooped out all the good parts (not the seeds or little stringy parts) and mashed them in a bowl. I put it in the fridge until I was ready to make dinner.
Then I followed the recipe (for the most part). I will say that you definitely need more noodles than what was called for. There's no way you can make that much sauce for only 8oz of noodles! I used a whole 16oz box. I also have to say that the squash sauce looked heavenly! I could've just had noodles stirred into that without the cheese! I'm not necessarily a big fan of baking mac and cheese or with the bread crumbs on top but this did turn out really good.
With the squash and the breadcrumbs, David and I thought it tasted a little bit like Wheat Thin crackers. My toddler tried it and liked it too but she'll like anything if it's a noodle. I think I would rate this a 7/10. The leftovers are just as good as the first time too. And good thing for that because this makes about 6 servings (and that's generous servings).
I think I would make it again. It's fairly simple but not too quick, especially if you have to puree your squash first.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Roasted Cauliflower and Raspberry Pork Chops
For dinner tonight, I wanted to try something different. I found a pork chop recipe and modified it a little. I basically cooked the pork chops until cooked and then I added the ingredients I had mixed in a bowl to the pork chop pan. I cooked this for a few more minutes to incorporate the flavors and then served. The ingredients in the bowl were (no measuring) raspberry vinaigrette (from Ruby's!), brown sugar (about a spoonful), liquid smoke, onion powder, rosemary, and paprika.
This was a very simple recipe that took about 35 minutes. The cooking of the pork chops took much longer than expected because they were so quick. I didn't finish them off with fresh raspberries, simply because I didn't have any.
It turned out quite good and was a different recipe for pork chops than I usually make. I would definitely make this again but I might finish it off in the oven, if I use the thicker pork chops again, to make the cook time faster and more predictable. I did spend a lot of time in front of my stove top wondering why they weren't cooking as fast as the recipe said they should. It actually ended with my husband finishing the cooking process (he has more experience cooking meat than me) while I watched the kids (instead of the other way around). So if you keep in mind that the cook time is a more than it sounds like in the original recipe, this recipe is so basic and easy.
I served this with roasted cauliflower. I come across recipes all the time for roasting vegetables but they always start with raw vegetables. I'm never sure how to modify them for frozen vegetables. That's what makes this recipe unique: it uses frozen cauliflower! This recipe is also quite easy and simple. I used shredded Parmesan because that's what I had. I don't think it coated the cauliflower as well but the flavor was still there. I also left out the pepper. In other words: I coated my pan with non-stick spray, sprinkled my partially thawed cauliflower with garlic powder, salt, and shredded cheese and then threw them in the oven.
I could not believe how delicious this was! It smelled good before I even put them in the oven and when I pulled them out, they smelled even better. I'm not sure of pairing them with the raspberry pork chops but they were still good. I will definitely make this again and again and I look forward to trying it with other frozen vegetables too.
This was a very simple recipe that took about 35 minutes. The cooking of the pork chops took much longer than expected because they were so quick. I didn't finish them off with fresh raspberries, simply because I didn't have any.
It turned out quite good and was a different recipe for pork chops than I usually make. I would definitely make this again but I might finish it off in the oven, if I use the thicker pork chops again, to make the cook time faster and more predictable. I did spend a lot of time in front of my stove top wondering why they weren't cooking as fast as the recipe said they should. It actually ended with my husband finishing the cooking process (he has more experience cooking meat than me) while I watched the kids (instead of the other way around). So if you keep in mind that the cook time is a more than it sounds like in the original recipe, this recipe is so basic and easy.
I served this with roasted cauliflower. I come across recipes all the time for roasting vegetables but they always start with raw vegetables. I'm never sure how to modify them for frozen vegetables. That's what makes this recipe unique: it uses frozen cauliflower! This recipe is also quite easy and simple. I used shredded Parmesan because that's what I had. I don't think it coated the cauliflower as well but the flavor was still there. I also left out the pepper. In other words: I coated my pan with non-stick spray, sprinkled my partially thawed cauliflower with garlic powder, salt, and shredded cheese and then threw them in the oven.
I could not believe how delicious this was! It smelled good before I even put them in the oven and when I pulled them out, they smelled even better. I'm not sure of pairing them with the raspberry pork chops but they were still good. I will definitely make this again and again and I look forward to trying it with other frozen vegetables too.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Broccoli Grilled Cheese
I needed a quick and easy dinner idea because I was exhausted and not looking for anything where I would have to follow more than say, 2 steps. We had some tomato soup (from Ruby's!) to use up so I decided on grilled cheese, tomato soup, and fries. Non of this sounded very healthy. I don't think tomato soup can count as a vegetable unless you make it from scratch. I needed a vegetable. I'm not a big fan of just eating a little pile of peas on my plate (but I do it sometimes and I do it for my toddler regularly) but I also try to incorporate a vegetable into the dinner somehow.
I considered adding something to the soup but I didn't want it too chunky since my husband likes to dip his sandwich into the soup. After hopping on Pinterest, I found this idea: adding broccoli to the sandwich! It's so simple yet brilliant. Broccoli and cheese are always a good combination. How did I not come up with this on my own?? I have added tomato slices to grilled cheese before but tomatoes are kind of juicier than I'd like and I can totally taste the tomato. With this broccoli recipe, you can barely taste the broccoli at all!
Basically, all you do is cook up some broccoli, chop it small, and add it to the grilled cheese.Do be sure to drain it well after cooking because any leftover water will make for a juicy sandwich. For the adult sandwiches, I use two slices of cheese so I put the broccoli in between the two slices so the melted cheese can hold it in while I flip it. For my toddler, I only use one slice of cheese so the flipping was a bit trickier but it still worked out (Not to toot my own horn but I should also mention I'm a pro at making grilled cheese. Everyone who has tried mine agrees that I make the best ones).
When giving the sandwich to a toddler, I cut it in half and then I cut those halves in thirds (like strips) so they can easily pick them up and eat them. However, be sure to wait a minute or two after cooking it before you cut it up so the cheese doesn't just ooze out everywhere.
Surprisingly, after watching us dip our stuff in our soup, my toddler also wanted to! She is behind in the whole toddlers-love-to-dip thing even when we have done it in front of her before. We didn't give her her own cup of soup though because that's just asking for a mess so we dipped hers in ours and she loved it! Definitely making this again!
I considered adding something to the soup but I didn't want it too chunky since my husband likes to dip his sandwich into the soup. After hopping on Pinterest, I found this idea: adding broccoli to the sandwich! It's so simple yet brilliant. Broccoli and cheese are always a good combination. How did I not come up with this on my own?? I have added tomato slices to grilled cheese before but tomatoes are kind of juicier than I'd like and I can totally taste the tomato. With this broccoli recipe, you can barely taste the broccoli at all!
Basically, all you do is cook up some broccoli, chop it small, and add it to the grilled cheese.Do be sure to drain it well after cooking because any leftover water will make for a juicy sandwich. For the adult sandwiches, I use two slices of cheese so I put the broccoli in between the two slices so the melted cheese can hold it in while I flip it. For my toddler, I only use one slice of cheese so the flipping was a bit trickier but it still worked out (Not to toot my own horn but I should also mention I'm a pro at making grilled cheese. Everyone who has tried mine agrees that I make the best ones).
When giving the sandwich to a toddler, I cut it in half and then I cut those halves in thirds (like strips) so they can easily pick them up and eat them. However, be sure to wait a minute or two after cooking it before you cut it up so the cheese doesn't just ooze out everywhere.
Surprisingly, after watching us dip our stuff in our soup, my toddler also wanted to! She is behind in the whole toddlers-love-to-dip thing even when we have done it in front of her before. We didn't give her her own cup of soup though because that's just asking for a mess so we dipped hers in ours and she loved it! Definitely making this again!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
We love pot pies in this house but the recipes I have used in the past are really time consuming, especially if you make your own crust. It just doesn't seem worth it to me to spend 3 hours (literally) making dinner when it takes 5 minutes to wolf down. So I found a new recipe to make chicken pot pie.
I adapted it from a couple different recipes but a big difference with my end result is that it uses refrigerator biscuits, rather than a crust. I suppose you could use a refrigerator pie crust instead but I like the idea of the biscuits.
This is the recipe I came up with, taking mostly from here :
I adapted it from a couple different recipes but a big difference with my end result is that it uses refrigerator biscuits, rather than a crust. I suppose you could use a refrigerator pie crust instead but I like the idea of the biscuits.
This is the recipe I came up with, taking mostly from here :
- 1/3 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (about 2 -2.5 cups)
- 1 tube of 10 count biscuits (the little ones)
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I made this the night before to make the pot pie faster)
- dash of garlic powder
- dash of onion powder
- 1 can of cream of chicken soup (I used reduced sodium but it doesn't matter)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- salt and pepper to taste (but I didn't use any of either. I think the broth and cream of chicken soup are salty enough, even when they are reduced sodium)
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cook all your vegetables according to package instructions (a few minutes in the microwave). They don't have to be hot. Basically, you just need them thawed. Set aside.
3. Melt your butter over medium heat. When melted, add in flour and stir constantly. Then whisk in your milk, broth, and soup. Let come to a slight boil and cook for one minute (to thicken).
4. Take pot off heat and add in your vegetables, chicken, and seasonings. Stir until well combined.
5. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 18 minutes.
6. Take out of oven and top with your (raw) biscuits. Cook for an additional 10 minutes (or until your biscuits are cooked).
This came out delicious! The first day, my sauce was a little thin but it was much better the second day. I think I enjoyed it even more as leftovers! I will definitely be making this recipe again.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Eggplant Patties
When I'm at the farmer's market or grocery store, I'm really good about buying fruits and vegetables. However, when I get home, I usually realize that I don't have a plan to use them up and then I have to go dig up recipes before the produce goes bad. This week's victim was eggplant. In the past, I have made eggplant meatballs that were a big hit (especially with my toddler!) but I wasn't feeling that this time. On pinterest, I found a recipe for eggplant patties. I have made something similar with spinach before that turned out well so I thought this would be like that.
They took longer to prepare than I thought they would and I did have a little trouble with the eggplant sticking to the pan while I was cooking it up ahead of time but in general, this is a very easy recipe. These weren't fantastic but they did turn out well!
We used two eggplants, vegetable oil, scallions, garlic powder, dried parsley, Colby Jack cheese, regular salt, and plain breadcrumbs. As you can see from the original list, this is very similar but as always, feel free to make your own changes to suit your family or what you have on hand (I always do!). I ended up using about 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs instead of the whole cup to make the consistency right. I also skipped the refrigeration step due to lack of time.
I will also mention that when eggplant cooks up, it resembles mushrooms. It turns brown and mushy like mushrooms. My mom even thought that there were mushrooms in the burgers! I also couldn't believe that my non-veggie loving dad enjoyed these. So, like I said, not out of those world but probably a 7/10. I would make these again if I find eggplant in my crisper. I served them with french fries. I might've served them on buns too but I didn't have these so we ate them with forks.
After having done this with both eggplant and spinach now, I feel confident making this with just about any vegetable. I imagine they are very versatile!
Friday, July 31, 2015
Zucchini Crust Pizza
When we were at the farmer's market last weekend, we bought a HUGE zucchini for 75 cents. I'm sure there have been bigger zucchini's in record books but this thing was fatter and longer than my forearm! Luckily, I had been stockpiling zucchini recipes for a day like this.
The first one we made was zucchini crust pizza. Most people have probably heard of cauliflower crust pizza with the new gluten free everything but I have heard mixed reviews from people that don't need a gluten free diet. I decided the zucchini might be better but since I had never tried the cauliflower one either, I had nothing to lose.
The recipe I used also had a recipe for topping it but we did it our own way. We only used the link for the crust. Our crust came out a little soggy in the middle and I think this might've been because I was getting impatient for the zucchini to cool so I didn't wring it out as much as I should have.
We also made a few other changes. We left out the Parmesan (because we didn't have any), used all-purpose flour instead of almond meal, and added an extra tablespoon of flour to try to combat some of the liquid left in the zucchini. I don't know if the oregano I used was Greek or Turkish or something completely different but it still tasted fine. Aside from the egg and the flour, I also didn't measure anything.
Instead of making this into two smaller pizzas, we made it into one bigger one on a cookie sheet (in the oven). I would be interested in grilling it too.
Then we topped it with pasta sauce (cheaper than store-bought pizza sauce and practically the same thing. I have considered making my own sauce and have in the past but it's not worth it to me), lots of mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. I noticed a difference in flavor and texture than our regular crust pizza but it still tasted great! We usually give our 18 month old the crust from our pizza and with this one, she was eating it faster than I could cool it off! Yay for giving her veggies! (We have tried in the past to give her everything, not just the crust, but she doesn't seem to like it).
I would definitely make this again but it does come out a little time consuming. However, it's all easy so it's well worth it!
The first one we made was zucchini crust pizza. Most people have probably heard of cauliflower crust pizza with the new gluten free everything but I have heard mixed reviews from people that don't need a gluten free diet. I decided the zucchini might be better but since I had never tried the cauliflower one either, I had nothing to lose.
The recipe I used also had a recipe for topping it but we did it our own way. We only used the link for the crust. Our crust came out a little soggy in the middle and I think this might've been because I was getting impatient for the zucchini to cool so I didn't wring it out as much as I should have.
We also made a few other changes. We left out the Parmesan (because we didn't have any), used all-purpose flour instead of almond meal, and added an extra tablespoon of flour to try to combat some of the liquid left in the zucchini. I don't know if the oregano I used was Greek or Turkish or something completely different but it still tasted fine. Aside from the egg and the flour, I also didn't measure anything.
Instead of making this into two smaller pizzas, we made it into one bigger one on a cookie sheet (in the oven). I would be interested in grilling it too.
Then we topped it with pasta sauce (cheaper than store-bought pizza sauce and practically the same thing. I have considered making my own sauce and have in the past but it's not worth it to me), lots of mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. I noticed a difference in flavor and texture than our regular crust pizza but it still tasted great! We usually give our 18 month old the crust from our pizza and with this one, she was eating it faster than I could cool it off! Yay for giving her veggies! (We have tried in the past to give her everything, not just the crust, but she doesn't seem to like it).
I would definitely make this again but it does come out a little time consuming. However, it's all easy so it's well worth it!
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