Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza

I adore pizza, always have. However, I was skeptical of the cauliflower crust pizza recipes cycling around on the internet these days. I only decided to actually try this when a co-worker of mine mentioned this to me and said it was good. Since I am gluten intolerant and am often missing pizza, I had to give this a try and put my own spin on this. This is especially for those who are gluten intolerant, are watching their carbs, or have celiac. This can also be a tasty way to sneak in more veggies and fiber into your day. I attempted my own version of this roughly based on the recipe here: http://gapsdietjourney.com/2012/04/recipe-review-cauliflower-pizza-crust-dairy-free-and-gaps-legal/. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza - Serves 1-2 people

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 3 1/2 cups of fresh cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 1 whole egg or egg beater equivalent
• 1 TBSP of Parmesan Romano Cheese (grated kind from pasta aisle is fine)
• 1/8 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp of italian seasoning
• Wax or parchment paper
• Cooking spray, olive oil, or butter for greasing the pan

Toppings:

• 1/3 cup of pizza sauce or tomato sauce of your choice
• 1/2 cup of shredded part skim mozzarella
• 1/2 cup of veggies of your choice (I used broccoli)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place cauliflower in your food processor. Pulse until cauliflower is about the size of rice grains.
3. Steam cauliflower in the microwave on high for 5-6 minutes.
4. Drain cauliflower in strainer and then place cauliflower into a dish towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.
5. Place cauliflower into a small bowl and mix in eggs, parmesan romano cheese, garlic powder, basil, and oregano.
6. Put cauliflower mixture onto small cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper and spray liberally with cooking spray.
7. Shape "dough" into circle and make sure dough is on the thinner side. This will help the crust to crisp up.
8. Place crust into the oven for 30-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned on the edges.
9. Remove Parchment paper, spray pan liberally, and place crust directly on the cookie sheet.
10. Put sauce, cheese, and toppings on the crust.
11. Place pizza back in the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
12. Remove from oven, slice and enjoy!

* My verdict is that this was good and I would make it again, but would not replace pizza for me all the time. Another words, this is good in its own right and does taste like a pizza, but it is not identical to a "real" pizza.

Cheesy Baked Ziti

I have been in the process of adjusting to living gluten free for the past few weeks for health reasons. As a result of this dietary change, I have been missing things like pasta, bread, and baked goods. One of the first things I tested out was making baked ziti using corn pasta. That worked very well and it tasted almost exactly like regular pasta and the texture was good. While the majority of my starches now I eat brown rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes now, I do eat gluten free swaps like corn pasta about once a week to fulfill my pasta cravings. As many in my life know, I am a big fan of Italian food and I spent many of my childhood years in an Italian neighborhood. For me, Italian food is one of the things I consider to be special and many dishes like the one I am going to share with you today brings me back memories. This is also one of my husband's favorite meals that I make. Here is the recipe:

Cheesy Baked Ziti -  Serves 8

Ingredients:

* 1 box of any ziti or penne pasta of your choice
* 1 jar of pasta sauce
* 1 8oz bag or 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (I used reduced fat mozzarella)
* 1/2 of a 15 oz container of part skim ricotta cheese
* 1 TBSP of Parmesan Romano Cheese (The kind from the pasta aisle is fine)
* 1 TBSP of basil
* Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Cook pasta to al dente according to instructions on the box in a large pot of water.
3. Heat and mix pasta sauce, ricotta cheese, 1/2 TBSP of Parmesan Romano Cheese, and 1/2 TBSP of basil together in a large saucepan over low heat.
4. Once the pasta is done cooking, strain pasta and mix pasta into the sauce in the large saucepan.
5. Turn off the stove and add 1 cup of shredded mozzarella in with the pasta mixture and stir until pasta is coated with sauce and cheese.
6. Spray 13 x 9 with cooking spray and dump pasta into the pan. Make sure the pasta is an even layer in the pan.
7. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, 1/2 TBSP of Parmesan Romano Cheese, and 1/2 TBSP of basil on top of the pasta.
8. Bake the ziti in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
9. Remove from the oven, leave ziti to cook for 5 minutes, and serve with a spatula. Enjoy!

Blog announcement/Updates

I have currently dealing with a new allergy challenge. I am currently going through the process of adjusting to eating a gluten free diet. This was due to stomach/digestive issues I have been having for the past few months as well as rashes I have been getting around and on my neck. My doctor wanted me to see if gluten intolerance was causing my issues lately. Now I have been eating gluten free for just over a week and am feeling better than I have in a long time.I did have one accidental slip up with asian salad dressing that had soy sauce in it a few days in and had a skin rash and stomachache reaction. That is proof enough for me that my body isn't tolerating gluten so well anymore, which makes me sad. That being said it's getting easier each day and the benefits are outweighing the drawbacks. I will likely be gluten free for the rest of my life based on the results so far in eating gluten free.

As a result, the majority, if not all of recipes moving on forward will be naturally gluten free using items easily found in the supermarket and with 10 items or less. Going to need to do that since I would not be able to test the recipe myself otherwise.

More recipes will be coming shortly, including a gluten free asian dressing recipe that I am working on perfecting that will be easily made at home.

Deviled Egg Salad

I really enjoy eggs, they are one of my favorite breakfast foods that I eat on the weekends and some weekdays. Nothing like over easy eggs or a omelet served with hashbrowns, maybe some breakfast meat like bacon or turkey sausage, and wheat toast for a big breakfast. On the go I also enjoy a good breakfast sandwich either homemade or from somewhere good.

I also enjoy this egg salad recipe I made up and am going to share with you all. I have been making my own egg salad using dijon or spicy mustard for years in place of the mayonaise since I do not like mayonaise at all. To me it tastes good and I even had my mom try some that I made once and she enjoyed it as well. I considered that a compliment since she likes mayonaise. This is a variation of my normal egg salad I came up with recently that incorporates black pepper and paprika like you see in deviled eggs. Came out great and similar to eating deviled eggs.  Here is the recipe:

Deviled Egg Salad - Serves 4 smaller portions or 2 large portions

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs, hard boiled
* 1 TBSP of dijon mustard
* 1/8 tsp of paprika
* 1/8 tsp of black pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium sized bowl, mash eggs with a fork.
2. Add mustard, paprika, and black pepper.
3. Throughly Mix eggs, mustard and spices together until everything is mixed together.
4. Serve as a sandwich using your favorite bread, in a wrap, stuffed into pita bread, or on a bed of lettuce. and enjoy.

Buffalo Style Grilled Chicken

One of my husband's favorite appetizers when we go out to eat is buffalo wings. While buffalo wings are usually greasy and unhealthy, this chicken is not. I made a homemade marinade that is similar to the one usually used on buffalo wings, except I tweaked it a bit to have less butter and still have a good balanced, hot wing flavor. I also switched out the wings for boneless, skinless chicken.This recipe will give you a mild to medium spicy buffalo chicken, which is what I prefer and most people I know like. If you use the optional cayenne pepper on the chicken, it will be on the hot side, but not "suicide" hot. Here is the recipe:

Buffalo Style Grilled Chicken - Serves 4

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
* 1 cup of hot sauce
* 2 TBSP of butter or margarine, melted
* 1 TBSP of white vinegar
* 1/4 tsp black pepper
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* Cooking Spray
* a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix hot sauce, melted butter, vinegar, black pepper, and garlic powder together to make your buffalo sauce marinade.
2. Put chicken in a large container or bowl and pour marinade over the chicken.

3. Cover chicken and marinade chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

4. Spray the pan with cooking spray and put chicken in a large pan over low to medium heat. Lightly sprinkle chicken with cayenne pepper if you want your buffalo chicken on the spicier side.

5. Cook 7-8 minutes and then flip each piece of chicken.  Lightly sprinkle chicken again with cayenne pepper if you want your buffalo chicken to be hot and spicy.

6. Cook another 7-8 minutes or until juices run clear.

7. Serve on its own with your favorite side dishes, with ranch or blue cheese dressing on side, or on a bun with ranch or blue cheese dressing as a sandwich.

Veggie Fajita Black Bean Chili

With the weather turning cold and life getting busy again, I took out the slow cooker to do some easy, healthy cooking. I thought about foods I like and haven't had in awhile and realized that chili was one of them. While this recipe would also be good with ground chicken or beef added in, the veggies and black beans make this a hearty, vegetarian meal.

Veggie Fajita Black Bean Chili - Serves 4

Ingredients:

* 2 14oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
* 2 14oz cans of tomatoes with green chilis or jalapenos ( use regular tomatoes if you like your chili less spicy)
* 3 bell peppers cut into strips
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 cups of sliced mushrooms
* 2 tsp of cumin
* 1 TBSP of chili powder
* 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper or to taste
* 1/4 tsp of garlic powder

Directions:

1. Dump all ingredients into the slow cooker and mix them together.
2. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Serve topped with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and/or sour cream. Also great served over brown rice, whole grain pasta, or a baked potato for a more filling meal. Enjoy!

Sugar N Spice Baked Apples

I am a person who has a sweet tooth and often likes to have something sweet at the end of the day. Generally I try to serve myself lower calorie, healthier options for my dessert the majority of the time. While cookies, cake, pie, and other sweets have their place, they are not things I want to be eating large amounts of for the sake of my health. I tend to save those for the weekends, holidays, and other special times with friends and family. On those "regular" nights I go for healthier desserts or snacks. Here is one I have been enjoying for years, ever since my days of doing Weight Watchers in my early 20's.

Sugar N Spice Baked Apples - Serves 2

Ingredients:

* 2 apples (I used gala apples today, but most kinds of apples work for this)
* 1 TBSP of dark brown sugar, packed
* 1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
* Cooking spray or about 1 TBSP of melted butter/margarine

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash and dry apples. Cut the apples in half and remove the core but leave any stems intact.
3. Place apples on a small, non-stick cookie sheet with the cut, flat side facing up.
4. Mix brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
5. Spray the top of each apple with cooking spray or brush each top with melted butter.
6. Coat each apple half with sugar and spice mixture.
6. Bake apples for 25-30 minutes or until apples are fork tender and soft.

These can be eaten on their own or served with the following for a tasty treat: Vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt (greek or regular), or whipped cream. Enjoy this healthy, but still sweet dessert.

200 Likes on Facebook Page Giveaway

The facebook page for this blog is now at over 200 likes. We are at 204 likes and as a result are having a giveaway. If you like a post on Facebook, you get an entry. Becoming a follower of the blog is another entry. Commenting on a Facebook post or on a recipe entry and/or blog entry here gets you two entries. The giveaway starts tonight and will end on 1/19/13, 11:59 PM EST.

The winner will receive the cookbook of their choice via mail from amazon.com.

Spicy Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burritos

I love breakfast, it's one of my favorite meal of the day. Especially on the weekends when I get to make breakfast at home and don't have to prep breakfast ahead like I usually do on weekdays. Here is an easy to put together breakfast that you can easily enjoy with some hashbrowns on the side or some fresh fruit.

Spicy Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burritos - Serves 2

Ingredients:

* 2 medium sized tortillas (I used a medium sized, store brand high fiber tortilla that is 70 calories each.)
* 2 eggs
* 2 TBSP of sour cream (I used light sour cream)
* 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar or pepperjack cheese (I used reduced fat sharp cheddar)
* 1/8 tsp of black pepper
* 1/8 tsp of salt
* a few dashes of hot sauce, depending on how spicy you like things (jalapeno tabasco hot sauce is great here, but regular will work as well)
* a few sprigs of fresh cilantro (optional)
* 1/2 cup of black beans from a 15oz can, drained and rinsed
* Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Turn on stove and heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray.
2. Crack eggs into a small bowl and add salt and pepper.
3. Whisk eggs with fork, reduce pan to low heat, and pour eggs to the pan.
4. Scramble eggs in pan and when eggs are halfway done, add black beans, hot sauce, and shredded cheese.
5. warm torillas in a large pan or microwave each tortilla for 10-15 seconds.
6. Grab two plates and smear 1 TBSP of sour cream onto each tortilla.
7. Put 1/2 of the egg mixture into each tortilla and add cilantro on top if desired.
8  Roll up tortillas and enjoy! Serve with hash browns and/or fresh fruit for a great, filling breakfast.

Other variations include salsa in place of hot sauce, cream cheese in place of sour cream, and sliced avocado to garnish burritos. I have made this quite a bit and enjoy various variations of this now and then for breakfast.

Meatloaf Burger Patties

Think about a burger and then think about meatloaf. This recipe brings the two together and makes meatloaf something you can make for a quick weeknight dinner. I kept it burger consistency while added meatloaf components to make this have the "meatloaf" taste. Also becomes the perfect shape for meatloaf sandwiches.

Meatloaf Burger Patties - Serves 4

Ingredients:

* 1lb of lean ground meat (can use any kind you like, but I used 93% lean ground beef)
* 1 TBSP of worchester sauce (if you are allergic to fish and/or seafood like my husband you can use Annies organic worchester sauce, its vegan)
* 1/4 tsp black pepper
* 1/4 tsp sea salt
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp onion powder
* Cooking spray or oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Defrost ground meat before starting your recipe.
2. Mix worchester sauce in with ground meat in a mixing bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients to ground meat and throughly mix everything together.
4. Form meat into 4 burger patties.
5. Cook in a large pan or skillet on medium-high heat for about 12-15 minutes, flipping patties halfway through. They will be ready when they are lightly browned and the juices run brown and clearish. (If using ground turkey or extra lean meats, lightly coat the pan with oil or cooking spray, not needed for lean beef though).
6. Serve on a bun or 2 slices of bread with ketchup or on your plate as you would traditional meatloaf. I ate mine with a baked sweet potato and veggies as you can see below:

 

Enjoy and feel free to grill or oven bake these if you choose, I bet they would also be great cooked using these methods. Let me know if you try this recipe.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Bake

With Thanksgiving coming very soon, stuffing is one of the things I have been wanting lately. Here is a one-dish meal that is easy to put together and enjoy for dinner or double the recipe and take it to a potluck:

Thanksgiving Stuffing Bake - Serves 4

Ingredients:


* 3 chicken breasts of thighs (I used chicken thighs)
* Cooking Spray (I used canola oil cooking spray)
* 1 box of stuffing mix (I used a box of whole wheat chicken stove top).
* 1 1/3 cups of water
* 1 TBSP of butter or margarine (I used unsalted butter)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Boil 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 TBSP of butter in a medium saucepan.
3. Add stuffing mix and stir.
4. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Spray 8x8 square pan with cooking spray.
6. Add chicken to the bottom of the pan in a relatively even layer.
7. Add stuffing on top of chicken, making sure the layer is even.
8. Place pan in oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
9. Slice and serve with your favorite gravy and veggies, enjoy!

Mushroom, Pea, and Onion Rice Pilaf

I came up with this using the idea of peas and onions, a common vegetable combo. I added mushrooms in since I am a big fan of them and enjoy them sometimes with peas and onions. Add in some rice and seasonings and you have a heartier side dish that can also be a light meal.

Mushroom, Pea, and Onion Rice Pilaf - Serves 2 as a light meal, serves 3-4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

* 2 cups of cooked rice (I used boil in the bag brown rice)
* 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth (I used vegetable broth)
* 1 1/3 cups of green peas (I used frozen peas)
* 1/2 of a medium onion, diced
* 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
* 1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil
* 1 TBSP of grated Parmesan cheese (The kind from the pasta aisle is fine)
* 1/8 tsp of black pepper
* 1/8 tsp of oregano
* 1/8 tsp of garlic powder

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to directions for the brand you use and make 2 cups of cooked rice.
2. Add extra virgin olive oil to a large pan and add remaining ingredients to the pan.
3. Cook vegetables on medium for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are fully cooked and are starting to brown.
4. Add rice to the pan and mix everything together. Serve and enjoy!

* This dish would be great served with additional vegetables and chicken or steak. Also can become a main dish with one of more of the following: diced chicken, cheese, crumbled bacon, etc.

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal Bars

The inspiration for this came from making baked oatmeal for the first time from this recipe using pumpkin puree in place of the applesauce:

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/09/cinnamon-roll-baked-oatmeal/

Was so good, that I knew I had to make more baked oatmeal for the upcoming week. I often make weekday breakfasts for at least the first 2-3 days of the week on Sundays as well as some lunches. Gets me set to start the week on the right foot, especially since I am not much of a morning person and have a very busy schedule between work, school, and other activities throughout the week. I also had a few bananas that were very spotty and needed to be used. Hence the inspiration for a banana bread baked oatmeal. Here is the recipe:

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal Bars - Makes 12 medium sized bars

Ingredients:

* 3 very ripe medium sized bananas, mashed or pureed (a fork, immersion blender, or food processor will work)
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup of milk (any kind of milk that you like should work)
* 3 cups of old fashioned rolled oats (do not use instant or steel cut oats)
* 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar, not packed (may need more sugar if bananas are not as ripe)
* 1/4 tsp of salt
* 1 tsp of baking powder
* 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
* 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
* Cooking spray (I used canola oil cooking spray)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients together (oatmeal, cinnamon, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt).
3. In a smaller bowl mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed banana together.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients together and mix well.

5. Spray 13 X 9 inch pan with cooking spray
6. Pour mixture into the pan and place the pan in the oven.
7. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.

8. Let oatmeal cool for 5-10 minutes.

9. Slice and serve hot or cold with milk or on its own. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Makes a great breakfast or healthy dessert. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Pudding

Fall is here and the leaves are starting to change. The pumpkin obsession I have this time of year along with many others around me is back. Finding healthier ways to enjoy this tasty squash/flavoring is not always easy, but this quick and easy pudding is low in calories, high in fiber, and filling. This treat makes a great dessert to have on a warm, breezy fall day.

Pumpkin Spice Pudding - Serves 4 (about 3/4 cup per serving)

Ingredients:

* 1 1.5 oz box of vanilla instant pudding (I used sugar free, fat free mix)
* 1 15 oz can of pumpkin (not the sweetened, pumpkin pie kind)
* 1 1/2 Cups of milk (I recommend only using dairy milk, pudding may not set with non-dairy milk)
* 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (can be found in the baking aisle)
* 1/4 tsp of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Add pudding mix and spices to a large bowl and mix dry ingredients together.
2. Add milk and canned pumpkin into the bowl and mix everything together with a hand mixer or immersion blender.
3. Cover the bowl and place pudding in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
4. Serve in smaller bowls. Enjoy on its own or with a small amount of whipped cream on top and/or graham crackers.

Honey Mustard Chicken

I came up with this recipe tonight after a long, hard workout today. I have been battling a cold all week and today was the first day that I felt like my normal self. I am dedicating this one to one of my oldest and best friends Susan who loves honey mustard, which I also happen to like a lot. I am not a fan of mayo and have always enjoyed mustard on my sandwiches, especially spicy and honey mustard.

Ingredients:

* 4 chicken breasts, thawed
* 4 TBSP of honey mustard dressing (I used Ken's Lite Honey Mustard)
* 1/8 tsp of black pepper
* Canola oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. Put honey mustard, spicy mustard, and black pepper in a small bowl and mix both of them together.

2. Coat chicken with honey mustard mixture one at a time. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover chicken and marinade chicken in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

3. Spray the pan with cooking spray and put chicken in a large pan over low to medium heat.

4. Cook 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear, flipping chicken halfway through.

5. Serve on its own with favorite side dishes or use chicken in a salad, sandwich, or wrap with additional dressing. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

Fall has arrived and today where I am it even feels like fall! I love the fall's cool temperatures, Halloween, and the many delicious seasonal foods fall has to offer. One of my favorites is butternut squash. Here is a very simple recipe for a homemade butternut squash soup that pairs well with a salad and some crackers or bread for a nice, leisurely lunch or with a sandwich. Very healthy, yet rich in flavor along with a hint of spice as butternut squash soup should be. Here is the recipe:

Butternut Squash Soup - Makes 2 bigger bowls or 4 cup sized bowls

* 1 12oz box of frozen butternut squash or 2.75 cups of pureed, cooked squash (I used a box of frozen, you can get store brand of this at some supermarkets such as mine and bird's eye also has this in their veggie line)
* 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth (I used chicken)
* 1/3 cup of milk (I used organic 2% milk, but most types of milk should work)
* 1/2 TBSP of butter or margarine
* 1/2 tsp of black pepper (use 1/4 tsp if you do not want your soup to have a spicy kick)
* 1/4 tsp of ground ginger (not fresh)
* 1/4 tsp of onion powder
* 1/8 tsp of garlic powder

Directions:

1. Defrost frozen squash or prep fresh squash to become puree.
2. Add pureed squash along with broth and milk into a medium sized saucepan.
3. Mix liquids and add black pepper, ground ginger, onion powder, and garlic powder.
4. Mix everything together and cook soup on a medium-high heat until the soup starts to boil.
5. Add butter or margarine and simmer soup on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring soup every 1-2 minutes.
6. Take soup off the stove and serve. Here is my lame attempt at doing a fancy food picture using a fresh basil leaf in the middle of the bowl:

* Please note that the soup will need to cook off for a few minutes before eating the soup. Here is a picture of the ready to eat soup, yum!

Sparkling Peach Sorbet

I have been enjoying the fresh peaches and am starting to get sad about them disappearing soon. While I love some of the fall produce like winter squashes and apples, summer fruits like peaches are wonderful. Here is an easy sorbet you can make in a minute or two without an ice cream maker that is slightly sophisticated and refreshing on a summer evening.

Sparkling Peach Sorbet - Makes 1 bigger serving or 2 smaller servings

Ingredients:

* 2 large sliced and peeled peaches, frozen or 3 cups of frozen peach slices
* 1/4 cup (2oz) of your favorite sparkling white wine (can use regular white wine also) or sparkling apple cider (I used verdi spumante)
* Sweetener of your choice if peaches aren't completely ripe (about 1/2-1 tsp or to taste)

Directions:

1. Freeze sliced peaches for at least 3-4 hours if using non-frozen ones.
2. Add peaches and sparking wine to food processor.
3. Blend ingredients together into everything is fully blended.
4. Taste and add sweetener if needed, then blend sweetener with peaches and sparkling wine.
5. Serve in bowl and enjoy!

 
Sorry for the less than perfect picture, the sorbet was not easy to get to look pretty. This is a nice alternative to water ice or a packaged sorbet or sherbet , which usually has a lot more sugar that this sorbet.

Tuna Burgers

This will be the first fish/seafood recipe on this blog. Also the first burger recipe in general. This is a cross between a crab cake and a salmon burger. These can be eaten like a crab cake with aioli or tartar sauce or like a burger using tuna melt fixings like cheese and tomato. I don't cook a lot of seafood or fish at home since my husband is very allergic to all fish and seafood. However, every now and then I make these and a few other seafood/fish dishes when he is not home. I do enjoy seafood and fish, but don't eat either of these more than a few times a month due to my husband's allergies and the fact that most seafood and fish is expensive. These are budget friendly for a fish dish though and are easy to make, enjoy!

Tuna Burgers - Makes 2 large burgers or 4 smaller burgers

Ingredients:

* 5 oz can of tuna in water
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup of italian seasoned bread crumbs
* 1/4 tsp of garlic powder or to taste
* 1/4 tsp of black pepper or to taste
* 1/4 tsp of onion powder or to taste
* Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. Open can and drain tuna.
2. Add  tuna and eggs into a medium sized bowl and mix them together.
3. Add bread crumbs, garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder and mix everything together.
4. Form patties and spray a large pan so they don't stick.
5. Cook burger in pan on medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown.
6. Serve on a bun or on your plate with fixings of your choice.

Leftover burgers can be refrigerated or frozen for later use. Enjoy!

Southwestern Veggie Pizza

I like spicy food and southwestern/Mexican type food is a kind of cuisine I enjoy from time to time. So much flavor and so good! Never had much of this growing up other than Taco Bell and the occasional taco night at home, but as an adult I have tried and now really enjoy items such as enchiladas, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, rice and beans. guacamole, and much more. This pizza is a quesadilla basically served open face in pizza form topped with lots of veggies. I believe this recipe can also be a springboard for other variations of southwestern pizza using beans, chicken, steak, adding other veggies, etc. This is relatively basic and quick while being low in calories. Here is the recipe:

Southwestern Veggie Pizza - Serves 1


* 1 tortilla of choice
* Canola oil cooking spray
* 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese
* 1/2 tsp of taco seasoning
* 1/2 cup of bell pepper, sliced into strips
* 1/2 cup of Sliced Mushrooms
* 1/4 cup of frozen sweet corn kernels
* 1/4 cup of diced onion
* 4 TBSP of salsa
* 1/8 tsp of black pepper

Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray tortilla with cooking spray on one side and place tortilla in a round pan or on a cookie sheet with the sprayed side of the tortilla touching the pan.
3. Top tortilla with salsa, cheese, taco seasoning, peppers, mushrooms, onions, and corn.
4. Sprinkle black pepper across the top.
5. Put pan in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the tortilla start to lightly brown. Watch carefully since this can burn if left too long.
6. Remove pan from oven, leave cool for 2-3 minutes and carefully place tortilla on a plate.
7. Slice into fourths or eighths; you will need napkins or a fork. Enjoy! Can be served with sour cream and/or guacamole if you like. I ate mine as is and enjoyed this :)

Strawberry Sugar Cookies

I love dessert in general as my friends and family will tell you, I have a major sweet tooth. While I don't eat sweets as often as I used to for health reasons, I still enjoy smaller amounts of sweets a few times a week and them in smaller portions or in lower calorie ways that I like. I believe in practicing moderation with food in general. Eating healthy is easier for me when I eat foods I like, eat a wide variety of foods, and can still have treats and indulgences. Here is a recipe for cookies I made today using fresh strawberries and a lower fat sugar cookie dough. Not super healthy, but not as bad as some other cookie recipes out there. They taste a lot like homemade strawberry shortcake, but in cookie form.

Strawberry Sugar Cookies - makes about 12 larger cookies

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, unpacked
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 strawberries sliced into halves, lengthwise
• 1 1/2 TBSP of sugar to sprinkle on cookies (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Then add egg and vanilla into the bowl, mixing well.
3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir flour mixture into the mixing bowl until dough forms.
4. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and form 12 cookie balls on the cookie sheet. Each cookie ball should be about 2 TBSP of cookie dough.
5. Press a slice into each cookie, this will flatten the cookie into a flatter, round shape.
6. Sprinkle each cookie with 1/8 tsp of sugar. Cookies should look like this before heading to the oven:

7. Cook in oven for about 8-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
8. Remove cookies from pan onto a cooling rack or a large plate. Should be ready to eat once they cool for at least 15-30 minutes. Enjoy!