Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes

I've seen several recipes for these LITTLE "cakes" on Pinterest, so I finally broke down and tried my own version. They were so EASY to put together, and the kiddos thought they were pretty TASTY too. I was happy because combined with veggies on the side, they made a really yummy and HEALTHY meal!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Cakes
1/3 large sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon thyme (fresh or dried!)
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups cooked quinoa
Butter

In a frying pan, sauté the onions in the olive oil until tender and slightly browned. Stir in the garlic and thyme when the onions are almost done.

In a bowl, combine the onions, sweet potatoes, and quinoa. Form into small patties and then cook in frying pan with a touch of butter until browned on both sides. Serve warm.

TIP: I topped mine with a dollop of sour cream and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, but they were wonderful without as well!

Roasted Lemon Brussels Sprouts

I'm always looking for new ways to prepare VEGGIES, and this one turned out pretty tasty! They were very SIMPLE, and super REFRESHING. I will definitely make this again. And again. And again. :)

Roasted Lemon Brussels Sprouts
Olive oil
Brussels Sprouts (as many as you need!)
1 lemon
Kosher salt and pepper


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with olive oil; set aside.

Prepare Brussels sprouts by removing and discarding the stems. If they are large, halve or quarter them. Spread Brussels sprouts in prepared pan and then zest and juice the lemon over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat in pan. Drizzle with a touch more olive oil if desired or needed. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached—like when you can pierce one easily with a fork. (I however like nice and brown edges!)

TIP: Another great addition to this recipe would be garlic!

Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I typically use a jar of spaghetti SAUCE when we have spaghetti for dinner. I know, silly, but if I make my own, it defeats the purpose of one of my easy, go-to QUICK dinners. However, this sauce is so easy and so UNBELIEVABLY delicious, that I may not buy "those" jars anymore! And you can make it so MANY different ways, it's crazy!

Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 small sweet onion, minced
1/3 red bell pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small zucchini, minced
Olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
Fresh chopped basil, oregano, and thyme (you can use dried in place of fresh)
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
Garlic salt and pepper, to taste

Saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and zucchini in oil until tender and lightly browned. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

TIP: You can mince up just about any veggie to make this your own. Or leave the bell pepper and zucchini out if you prefer. It's tasty no matter what!

Baked Green Bean Fries

Green beans are always so REFRESHING, but sometimes its hard to get the kiddos to eat them. I decided to make them into FRIES just to see if that would make a difference. The baked green beans turned out FAB, though I can't say that all the kids were interested in them. I guess they don't think fries should be GREEN!

Baked Green Bean Fries

Fresh green beans, trimmed (I just had a few BIG handfuls)

Olive oil

Cornstarch

Italian Bread crumbs

Garlic salt and pepper

Place the trimmed beans in a large gallon-size plastic bag. Drizzle with a little olive oil and then toss with a tablespoon or so of cornstarch. Drizzle in a little more oil and then toss with a few tablespoons breadcrumbs and the seasonings to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned. 

TIP: You can turn the beans halfway through cooking time for more even "crunchiness." :)

Light(er) Chocolate Mug Cake

Sometimes I just want a seriously YUMMY treat, but I don't want something huge that will last for days. Well, this is the PERFECT solution. A single serving of CAKE, and it only takes a minute to bake!

Light(er) Chocolate Mug Cake
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cocoa
3 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 very heaping tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons applesauce
3 tablespoons milk (I used skim)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon mini semisweet chocolate chips

Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients together—no lumps! Add the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Put in microwave for 40 seconds, and check to see if done. If it still looks too wet, microwave for another 10 to 20 seconds. (I did mine for 60 seconds total and it was perfect, but every microwave varies.)

TIP: I know it's supposed to be a lighter version, but I added caramel AND chocolate sauce to the top of mine in the picture above. Seriously good. Seriously. :)

Sweet Potato Tostadas

I recently saw a picture of some amazing-looking VEGGIE tostadas, so I made a version of my own. I think they turned out pretty TASTY, and they aren't too bad for you either! I had some leftover homemade baked sweet POTATO fries that worked really well for this, but you can always just ROAST some cubes in a touch of olive oil with some salt and pepper. It'll be just as good!

Sweet Potato Tostadas
6 to 8 corn tortillas
About 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Salt and pepper
Guacamole (Try my favorite recipe here)
Sweet potato fries or roasted sweet potatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese
6 to 8 large eggs

Turn the burner on your gas stove and cook each tortilla over the flame, flipping every so often until it becomes crunchy. (If you don't have gas, brush with butter, season, and then put under the broiler until crisp.) Brush with a little butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread a nice layer guacamole over top as well as a good layer of cooked sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and top with a fried egg, yolk just slightly runny. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper if desired.

TIP: Would be yummy with some chopped cilantro and maybe a spoonful of salsa!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares

I found this recipe through Pinterest, and my FAMILY loves it! It is the perfect breakfast bar, and it comes together really FAST, so that is a winner in my book. We sometimes are known to SPREAD a little extra PEANUT BUTTER on top, or even some Nutella. Mmmmm!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares (from tastebook.com)
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 large ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Pour into a greased 8 x 8-inch baking pan and then bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Eat warm and enjoy!

TIP: Some chocolate chips would be a FAB addition!

Chopped Mango Chicken Salad

About a month ago, my husband and I went to TRADER JOE'S and I discovered something amazing—Roasted COCONUT Chips! The moment I opened the bag and sampled the "chips" I starting DREAMING of this salad. It is refreshing and light and absolutely DELISH!

Chopped Mango Chicken Salad
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Chopped cooked chicken (I cooked mine with olive oil and Montreal Chicken Seasoning)
Red bell pepper, chopped
Red onion, chopped
Fresh ripe mango, chopped
Extra sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into little pieces
Avocado, chopped
Trader Joe's Roasted Coconut Chips
Wonton strips (I buy these on the "salad" aisle at Target, or you could just make some!)
Kraft's Mango Chipotle salad dressing

Build your salads on individual plates starting with a handful or two of lettuce, then top with the chicken, bell pepper, onion, cheese, mango, avocado, wonton strips, and the coconut chips. Drizzle dressing over top.

TIP: Mix and match your salad toppings! I think chopped macadamia nuts would be fantastic in place of the wonton strips, and gorgonzola cheese might be fun instead of the extra sharp white. :)

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

If you want pasta that tastes LIGHT and REFRESHING and is just like SPRINGTIME, this is it! Such a simple recipe shouldn't taste this good, but it really, really does.  It is also PERFECT for those nights that you just need something QUICK.

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic

8 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

1 lemon
Basil and thyme (I used dried because that's all I had, but fresh would be AMAZING!)
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Fresh black pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Make sure to salt it when you add the pasta!

In a large frying pan, heat the olive and then add the garlic. Cook the garlic until it just starts to brown and then remove from the heat.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water and then drain. Toss pasta in the warm garlic oil in the frying pan. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over top and sprinkle with the herbs, cheese, and pepper. Toss until everything is coated. (If it seems dry, just add a little more olive oil to moisten.) Garnish with more cheese to serve.

TIP: Tarragon would also be great on it's own as the main herb of the dish. Some grilled fish or chicken would also be yummy if you wanted something a little more hearty.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

So, there are nights when I PANIC because I have no idea what to make for dinner. That is when I'm thankful for canned CHICKEN. Yes, you heard me right. Canned chicken, folks! But, not just any canned chicken. It has to be the Costco Kirkland brand. It is moist, TENDER, and does not taste like tuna fish! Anyway, this SUPER easy dinner features that chicken. And you would NEVER know it unless I told you!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
Broccoli florets
1 cup or so thinly sliced carrots
1 can Kirkland brand chicken, drained
1/3 cup slivered almonds
About 1/2 to 3/4 cup sweet and sour sauce (I use about 1/2 jar of the Kikkoman brand)
Warm cooked rice

In a large frying pan, saute the vegetables in a little bit of olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes. If the veggies are still too crisp, put a lid on the pan for a few minutes and steam. Stir in the chicken, almonds, and sweet and sour sauce. It will be a pretty thick mixture, so I typically thin it out with some water to reach my desired sauce consistency. Add a little black pepper and let bubble for a few minutes over the heat. Serve over warm rice. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

TIP: Use your favorite veggies! And, I was going to add some chopped pineapple but totally forgot!

White Chocolate Raspberry Greek Yogurt Cookies

I wanted a COOKIE, but I didn't want to OVER do it. So I found a recipe using Greek YOGURT instead of any oil, butter, or shortening. I tweaked it. And now, I LOVE it! The cookies turned out YUMMY, and I don't feel quite so guilty eating one. Or two.

White Chocolate Raspberry Greek Yogurt Cookies

(adapted from La Fuji Mama's Blueberry Yogurt Cookies)

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 heaping cup quartered fresh raspberries
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a bowl, mix together the sugar, yogurt, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Gently fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips. Spoon a tablespoon or so onto the prepared baking sheets and then bake for about 10 minutes or just until they start to brown around on the edges. Let cool for a minute on the baking sheet and then completely on a wire rack.

TIP: La Fuji Mama topped her cookies a Lemon Cream Cheese frosting, but I don't think these need it. I did make a little glaze using a couple tablespoons powdered sugar, a splash of milk, and a couple drops of coconut extract. It was yummy on the cookies too, but like I said—plain is just fine. And better for you!

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon

We L-O-V-E salmon at our house. Seriously, even all the kiddos. We typically just GRILL it with a little extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper and it's always DELISH. However, this time I decided to try something different and it was . . . AMAZING! I may try to mix things up a little more often now . . .

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon
(Adapted from www.chow.com)

1/3 cup real maple syrup
3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salmon fillets
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place the first 6 ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 2 or 3 minutes; set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Pat the salmon dry and then brush both sides with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put salmon on the grill pan and cook for until you can visibly see the salmon is cooked through at least halfway up the fillet, about 5 to 7 minutes. Flip over and then brush the top with the glaze. Finish cooking, flip again, and brush glaze on top. Flip back over to slightly "crisp" the glaze.

TIP: Serve with a nice light side dish like quinoa or rice. Makes a tasty meal!

Easy Frittata

Sometimes for dinner you just need something QUICK. We always have lots of eggs, so often they end up DINNER in some form or another. Frittatas are a great way to use up some of the LITTLE bits of produce in your fridge too. Not to mention, they happen to be super TASTY as well.

Easy Frittata
2 large eggs
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Salt and pepper
Toppings (chopped): ham, cooked bacon, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, cilantro, tomatoes, etc.
Shredded cheese of your choice

Beat the eggs together with the milk and some salt and pepper. Pour into a heated 8-inch frying pan with a touch of oil or nonstick spray. Let cook over medium-low about 30 seconds to 1 minute and then sprinkle as many of your favorite toppings that you want over top. Swirl the pan occasionally to let the uncooked egg move to the outer edges for quicker cooking. Let cook over low to medium-low heat until done. Sprinkle cheese over top and let melt. Then it is ready to eat!

TIP: Just make sure to watch the heat and check the bottom of the frittata frequently so you don't burn it!

Chicken Cacciatore

This is another HEALTHY yet scrumptious meal that we've been enjoying the last few CHILLY weeks. It warms you up and just smells so YUMMY while it slowly cooks in your crockpot all day. When it's this cold outside, what could be better?

Chicken Cacciatore
8 or so chicken tenderloins
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped or sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped or sliced
1/2 onion, chopped or sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (I use flavored kinds, like sweet onion, italian, etc.)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup spaghetti sauce
Dried basil

Put the chicken and vegetables in a crockpot that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Pour the sauce over top and sprinkle with desired amount of dried basil. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours. Toss with cooked spaghetti and serve. Or just spoon over individual servings of spaghetti. Whatever you prefer! Oh, and we like a healthy sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese over top too. :)

TIP: This recipe changes a little each time I make it. I kind of use what I have, ya know? Sometimes I do more sauce or more vegetables or more chicken. The good thing is that it always turns out yummy!

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Sauce

This is a very REFRESHING dinner that I like to throw together during my healthy eating times. I love the FLAVORS of cilantro and lime—so tangy and powerful, and the PERFECT sauce for these excellent tacos.

Fish Tacos with Lime Cilantro Sauce

Lime Cilantro Sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup light or fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup light or fat-free sour cream

2 teaspoons lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Fish Tacos

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds any white fish (halibut, mahi-mahi, tilapia, etc.)

Small flour tortillas (or corn tortillas if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients and then refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the tacos, combine all the seasonings and then coat your choice of fish. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until done (the fish will flake easily with a fork). When fish is done, break into pieces with a fork and then scoop in the center of your tortillas. Drizzle the sauce over top and serve. Makes about 4-6 servings.

TIP: To add some extra nutrients, top the fish with shredded cabbage or some romaine or spring mix lettuces and then drizzle with the sauce. You can also serve with lime wedges on the side so people can squeeze on extra juice.

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

You all know I love cheese, and I really LOVE Parmesan! When I found this super SIMPLE recipe by Rachel Ray, I knew it would be YUMMY. The fish is moist and FLAVORFUL—a great combination! Thanks Rach!

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (I used dried)
4 tilapia filets
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the cheese, paprika, and parsley and then season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and then dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

TIP: I felt like the paprika was a tad heavy, so you may want to start with 1 teaspoon instead of 2. I also think a few sprinkles of garlic powder is a great addition.

Chopped Mango Salad

As many of you know, I LOVE salads! Obviously, since I have a couple cookbooks that focus only on SALADS. Anyway, this yummy mango salad is a gem! I found a new dressing that sounded pretty SCRUMPTIOUS, so I needed a tasty and REFRESHING salad to go with it. Here it is!

Chopped Mango Salad 
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 cup frozen super sweet white corn, thawed
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
6 to 8 ounces extra sharp white cheddar cheese, cubed into small pieces
1/2 cup craisins (I used cherry-flavored)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 (8-ounce) bottle Kraft's Chipotle Mango Salad dressing

In a pretty large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss with the dressing to coat. Serve immediately. Makes a ton, roughly 18 to 20 servings.

TIP: I think that chopped salads should be full of crunchy things! Feel free to add or take away anything you want to make it your own. I think cashews would be yummy in place of the sunflower seeds, or even some fried wontons broken into pieces. A bit of diced up pineapple would also be super YUM!

Blackened Salmon Salad

OK, so I'm slightly obsessed with blackened SALMON, especially when combined with my FAVORITE basil dressing. (Just check out previous posts!) Sooooo, simply put, this SALAD is to die for. And that's ALL I'm sayin'!

Blackened Salmon Salad
Blackened Salmon (just follow salmon prep)
Leafy green lettuce, chopped
Iceberg lettuce, chopped
Cucumber, quartered and sliced
Red bell pepper, chopped
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Sunflower seeds
Green onions, sliced

Creamy Basil Dressing
1/2 cup light mayo or nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar with the Greek yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh basil
Dash of dried oregano, parsley, and garlic powder

Prepare the salmon as directed; break into small pieces. Layer all salad ingredients on a plate and top with the dressing. Enjoy!

TIP: The bell pepper could be replaced with tomato if you prefer! I love sunflower seeds on a salad, but some chopped cashews or chopped dry roasted almonds would also be nice. And, I prefer the dressing with the yogurt—it definitely cuts calories that way and I can hardly tell the difference!

Coconut Zucchini Pancakes

These SWEET pancakes are the perfect way to start your day. Not only are they delicious, but they have VEGGIES in them too! PinchofYum.com had a YUMMY sounding recipe for Sweet Zucchini Pancakes that I used as the base of the recipe, but I made a few little changes. I think they turned out FAB for sure!

Coconut Zucchini Pancakes

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup greek yogurt

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup grated unpeeled zucchini

2 to 3 tablespoons coconut

2 to 3 tablespoons mini semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat a nonstick skillet to medium or medium-high heat.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl first, then stir in the wet ingredients. Fold in the zucchini, coconut, and mini chips.

Scoop some batter onto the heated pan and gently spread if necessary.  When you see bubbles rising around the edges, flip the pancakes. These pancakes may cook a little longer than other pancakes, so just watch them and don’t let them burn! Top with butter and maple syrup.

TIP: The consistency of these pancakes is just a little different than other pancakes. Again, just make sure to watch them while they are cooking. I'm sure these would be fantastic with coconut syrup or even a little chocolate syrup drizzled over top with some whipped cream!

Blackened Salmon Sandwiches with Creamy Basil Sauce

I think I've mentioned before that my husband WANTS to gain weight. He is required to eat a lot of HEALTHY protein, so we've been having salmon once or twice a week. Our whole family LOVES fish, even the 1-year-old twins! Anyway, this SIMPLE dinner was fantastic and full of flavor thanks to the cajun seasoning and SECRET sauce.

Blackened Salmon Sandwiches with Creamy Basil Sauce

Salmon, cut into portions that will fit on bun

Olive oil

Cajun seasoning (I buy this in the spice aisle)

Creamy Basil Dressing

Hamburger Buns

Lettuce

Lightly pat all sides of the salmon portions with olive oil. Sprinkle a good amount of the Cajun seasoning over both sides and then cook in a grill pan (or bbq) until done. Spread a spoonful of dressing on both sides of the buns then put salmon on top. Finish off with another drizzle of the dressing and top with the lettuce. Enjoy!

TIP: The dressing is from one of my favorite salads EVER! I've been making it with Greek yogurt instead of mayo and it is still delicious. Also, if you don't have the oil marinade from a container of those fresh mozzarella balls when you make the dressing, just use olive oil instead. I usually throw in a couple dashes of garlic powder and oregano and parsley when I don't have the marinated mozzarella that I can steal oil from.