Light Broccoli Salad

I have been meaning to post this recipe for over a month now - and in that time, I've probably made this 10 times and I'm not exaggerating. Will requests this for lunch ALL the time. It's an excellent lunch because half of the recipe is 310 calories. So I make one batch, we split it, and we each have a BIG bowl of this stuff for lunch.

1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1/4 c light mayo
1/4 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt/pepper, or to taste
4-5 c chopped broccoli florets
1/4 c slivered almonds
1/4 c dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
2 tbsp real bacon bits

In a large bowl, whisk together light mayo, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt + pepper. Add everything else and toss well. You can eat it immediately or put it in the fridge for later. The longer it sits, the better it is. But we usually eat ours right after I make it and it's delicious regardless!

Broiled Chicken Tenders with Pineapple Relish

This recipe comes to you via Bon Appetit! It reminds me a little of HelloFresh or Blue Apron, because these are things I would never think would go together... but it was amazing! 

Marinade:

1 medium shallot, finely grated
3 tbsp (packed) light brown sugar
1 tbsp all-natural peanut butter
1 tbsp finely grated peeled ginger
1 tbsp minced lemongrass
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 garlic clove, finely grated

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders or chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch strips
1 c minced fresh pineapple (from about ¼ of a cored peeled pineapple) (I used canned)
1 Persian cucumber, minced (about 1 cup) (I used a regular one)
1 jalapeño, seeded, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or mint
2 tbsp (or more) fresh lime juice
salt

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in 1 tbsp peanut oil and chicken. Cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to 6 hours.

Stir pineapple, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and 2 tbsp lime juice in a small bowl to blend; season relish to taste with salt and more lime juice, if desired. Set aside.

Arrange a rack 4" from heat; preheat broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with 1/2 tbsp oil. Remove chicken from marinade and arrange in a single layer, spacing apart, on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and season with salt. Broil until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter and serve with reserved relish.

Original recipe found here.

Lentil Salad with Capers and Balsamic-Dijon Dressing

I could eat this for lunch every day! Will and I split this and each had a good size bowl. Very filling and healthy!

1 c dry brown lentils (I used green... not sure if there's a difference besides color)
5 roma tomatoes
2-3 oz baby spinach
1/4 c chives (or shallot or green onion)
2 tbsp capers

Dressing:
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced


Cook lentils according to package directions, leaving firm, not mushy. While lentils are cooking, make the dressing: in a small bowl combine all ingredients and whisk. Roughly chop the spinach and chives, and dice tomatoes. Place in a large bowl.

When lentils are done cooking, drain, and immediately add to large bowl with spinach and tomatoes. The heat from the lentils will slightly wilt the spinach. Add the dressing and capers and stir to combine.



Original recipe found here.

Edamame Chickpea Feta Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Whoa! WHOA! I was looking for a dish full of protein that we could eat alongside the Weight Watchers Cabbage Soup. Found it! Full of protein and fiber, and it's delicious!

6.5 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1/2 of a 15oz can) (I used the whole can)
1 1/2 c edamame, shelled and cooked
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 english cucumber, seeds removed, chopped (I used a regular cucumber)
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c red-fat crumbled feta cheese

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing:1/3 c tahini1 lemon, juiced1 garlic clove1/4 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp water (more or less depending on the texture of the dressing you want)1 teaspoon olive oil

In a large mixing bowl combine the first 7 ingredients (chickpeas through the feta cheese) and mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a blender blend together the ingredients for the lemon tahini dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine and serve.

Original recipe found here.

Firecracker Chicken Meatballs

These spicy and yummy! The sauce is delicious, in fact, I used a little on my broccoli too.

I halved the recipe posted below.

Meatballs:

1 ¾ – 2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 large eggs
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs*
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder

Firecracker sauce:
½ cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on spice preference)



Position 2 racks near the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 475ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the ingredients of the firecracker sauce over medium high heat, allow to come to a boil, reduce the heat so it simmers. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools so don’t worry if it looks thin.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, garlic, salt pepper, eggs, panko, paprika, and onion powder. Use your hands to mix all the ingredients together. It’s easier to tell when he ingredients are combined when using hands. Do not overmix, it will result in drier meatballs.

Shape the meat mixture into balls, about 3 tablespoons of meat per ball. Place shaped meatballs on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the meatballs are completely cooked.

Using 2 tablespoons, dip each individual meatball into the sauce. Alternately, you can brush each meatball with the sauce. Place back on the baking sheet and bake for an additional 1-2 minutes. Drizzle or brush with additional sauce as desired.

Original recipe found here.

Chickpea Curry & Coconut Rice

Oh. My. Gosh. I have had this pinned on my Meatless Main Dishes Pinterest board forever now. I finally decided to give it a try this week. I knew it would be tasty, but this was AMAZING! I've never made anything like it before. I just can't get over how delicious this is.

Coconut Rice

1 1/2 c jasmine rice (I used basmati)
1 1/2 c light canned coconut milk
1/2 c coconut water salt, to taste

Coconut Curry
1 tbsp coconut oil (I just used olive oil)
2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed + sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
salt & pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger (I use that kind in a tube!)
2 tbsp red curry paste
1/3 c sugar snap peas, cut into thirds
1 (14-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
1 can cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3 tbsp freshly torn cilantro

Coconut Rice
Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and add rice, coconut milk, coconut water and salt. Stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let cook for 15-18 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

Coconut Curry
While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Stir in the leeks, red peppers, salt and pepper and stir to toss. Cover and cook until the vegetables have slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger and curry paste and stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the peas and coconut milk. Increase heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cilantro and cook for 5 minutes more. Serve immediately with the coconut rice!

Original recipe found here.

Fiesta Taco Bubble-Up

First of all, this is a Weight Watcher's recipe - yay! I love these bubble-up dishes made with biscuits. I would make this every week - it's that good. The leftovers were super good too; I had those for lunch today.

Check out these other Bubble-Up dishes I've made:
Bubble-Up Enchiladas (WW recipe)
Chicken & Biscuits Alfredo Bubble-Up (not as healthy, but delicious of course)

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 7.5 oz package refrigerated biscuits, (10 biscuits to the pack) (I had to buy 2 5-packs)
taco seasoning packet
1⅓ c salsa
2 c diced peppers, I used red, orange and yellow
1 c diced onion, I used red onion
1 c light shredded cheese, I used 2% Mexican blend
green onions
fat-free sour cream for topping, optional


Preheat oven to 350F, spray a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.

Brown your ground beef and add taco seasoning. Mix ground beef and salsa together in a bowl. Cut up peppers & onion, and cut your biscuits into 6 pieces each.


Place half of your biscuit pieces in the bottom of your casserole dish, top with half of your meat mixture, half of your peppers and onions and half of your cheese. Repeat layers and finish with your chopped green onion on top.

Loosely cover with foil and bake in oven for 35 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into 6 servings. Top with a spoon of fat free sour cream (optional)



Original recipe found here.

Mushroom Penne with Walnut Pesto

This is my first new post since JANUARY! Needless to say, being pregnant and having a new baby - I wasn't trying many new recipes. I still cooked quite a bit - but it was recipes already posted on my blog.

My mom is here (Will is out of town) and I thought this dish would be perfect. It was so delicious and the homemade pesto was amazing. I love making my own pesto because I don't have to use as much olive oil as the store bought pesto.

Don't miss these other recipes with homemade pesto!
Kale Pesto Stuffed Portobellos with Tomatoes
Spinach & Avocado Stuffed Portobellos
Asparagus-Spinach Pesto Pasta with Blackened Shrimp

For the Pasta
8 oz penne pasta
2 tbsp butter
16 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
¼ c grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, and fresh parsley for topping

For the Walnut Pesto
1 c walnuts
1½ c packed greens (spinach, basil, parsley, anything you like - but keep some basil for a more traditional pesto flavor)
½ to ¾ c shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ c olive oil
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste



Cook the penne pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Toast the walnuts in a small sauté pan over low heat with no butter or oil - stir and shake the pan until the walnuts are fragrant and toasty (about 5 minutes). In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the walnut pesto and pulse until mostly smooth.

Heat the butter over medium heat in a wide skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute for 8-10 minutes, until the mushrooms are a deep golden brown. Add the penne pasta to the pan and stir to combine, adding Parmesan, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley or other herbs to taste.

Divide the pasta between 4-6 bowls and top with a generous spoonful of the walnut pesto OR stir the walnut pesto directly into the pasta.

Original recipe found here.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Shawarma Sandwiches

In Little Rock, Layla's Gyros is one of our favorite places. I always get the chicken shawarna sandwich. These were so yummy! I really think I will end up making these a lot now. Yum!

1 tbsp allspice
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 c plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
Whole wheat pita pockets

For serving: thinly sliced red onion, fresh parsley, diced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, hummus* I threw together some stuff Tzaziki sauce for mine. Follow this recipe here.

In a small bowl, stir together the allspice, oregano, salt, garlic powder, cinnamon, and cayenne. Set aside.

Stir the yogurt and lemon juice together in a bowl. Add half of the spice mixture (reserve the second half) and stir to combine. Pour half the sauce into the slow-cooker. Add the chicken, and cover with the rest of the yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (I did this part the night before, then just moved the slow-cooker pot to the actual slow-cooker in the morning.)

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
With a fork or slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a large bowl (discard the cooking liquid). Shred the chicken with two forks, then sprinkle the remaining spice mixture over the top. Stir to coat with the reserved spices.
Serve the chicken shawarma inside warmed pita bread, sprinkled with any desired toppings.

Original recipe found here.

Asian Zucchini Noodle Stir-Fry

First - this is supposed to be made with shrimp! I made this on a night when Will wasn't going to be home, so I just left the shrimp off and went veggie. But it would be delicious with shrimp, or even chicken too! The sauce is the best.

I'm posting the recipe WITH shrimp. Just skip that step if you keep it veggie.

1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 c hoisin sauce
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 lb jumbo shrimp, shelled and de-veined

1 medium bell pepper, sliced

1/2 c shredded carrots
2/3 c sliced red onions
1 c sugar snap peas
2 medium zucchini, cut into noodles (I used 4 smaller)

Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetable broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and cornstarch. Set the mixture aside.

Place a large sauté pan or wok over medium-low heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and and heat it for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring as needed, until the shrimp are cooked throughout and pink on all sides, about 3 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and then transfer them to a bowl, leaving any liquid in the pan.
Increase the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan, then add the bell pepper, carrots, red onions and snow peas and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are crisp but tender. Add the prepared sauce and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. 

Return the shrimp to the pan, stirring to combine, then add the zucchini noodles and cook, tossing to coat, for 1 minute. Transfer the stir-fry to serving plates, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Original recipe found here.

Sauteed Garlic Broccoli

I have been making broccoli this way for-ev-er. I've just never gotten around to posting the recipe. Finally doing it! It's our favorite way to make broccoli, no doubt.

4 c broccoli florets (1 large bunch)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 c low sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
red pepper flakes


In a bowl, add garlic, soy sauce, broth, and cornstarch. Whisk to combine.
In a large skillet over med-high, add sesame oil, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and heat for a minute.
Carefully add broccoli florets. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Reduce heat to med-low, then and add garlic sauce. Stir well to coat. Cook for about 3 minutes. Sauce will thicken and absorb into the broccoli.

Original recipe found here.

Creamy Chicken and Corn Chowder

I haven't made a new post on this blog since AUGUST 5th, 2015!! Needless to say, this school year has kind of been out-of-control crazy. Between teaching a brand new grade level that is nothing like I'm used to, AND getting knocked up, I haven't had much time to do anything.

But this is SO DELICIOUS, it requires an entry in the blog. This weather is perfect for soup, so make this now!

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded (3 c)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used real bacon bits)
• 1/4 c butter, diced into 1 tbsp pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced (1 1/2 c)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (1 1/4 c)
• 1 - 2 jalapenos, seeded for less heat if desired, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 c all-purpose flour
• 6 c low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced slightly less than 1/2-inch thick (3 c)
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 1/2 c fresh or frozen corn
• 1 1/2 c half and half
• Green onions and seeded, finely chopped jalapenos (optional), for serving

• In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, onions, jalapenos and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. While stirring, slowly add in chicken broth and whisk until well blended.
  
• Add potatoes, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil stirring frequently, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
  
• Add in cooked chicken, corn and half and half and simmer, uncovered 10 - 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Serve warm topped bacon, green onions, and optional jalapeno peppers.
  
  Original recipe found here.
  

Spaghetti Squash with Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

Omg. I love spaghetti squash. I love peanut sauce. Typically, I don't cook with peanut sauce because, well, peanut butter and oil. However, I've found a delicious new way to make it that is so much lower in calories! I love PB2.

Check out the labels and click on "spaghetti squash" for all my spaghetti squash recipes!

1 medium spaghetti squash
salt, pepper, garlic powder
¼ c chopped parsley
2 tbsp crushed peanuts
green onions (I put green onions on everything)

Peanut Sauce:
1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
1/2 c PB2 (don't add the water, just leave it powdered)
¼ c Stevia (or sweetener that measures cup-for-cup like sugar)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp red curry paste


Spaghetti Squash: You can cook your spaghetti squash however you'd like. I always make mine like this: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place whole spaghetti squash on baking sheet and stab it all over with a fork. Bake for 45 min to 1 hr. I like to rotate my spaghetti squash about every 20 min. Let the squash cool, and slice it lengthwise down the middle. Scoop out the middle part with seeds, Use a fork to shred the spaghetti squash.

Peanut Sauce: Place all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then turn down to low and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring almost constantly.
Take off heat to cool sauce.

To serve: I used a fork to pull up the noodles, sprinkled some salt, pepper, and garlic powder on them. Then I poured the sauce in and mixed. I actually ended up with a little extra sauce. Sprinkle parsley and crushed peanuts over the top. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Raw Rainbow Pad Thai Salad

This time of year, every time I make something I think - "Can I do this during the school year?" Answer: YEP! Spiralize everything on Sunday, and make individual containers. This could easily be my lunch every day.

Also - this was my first time to try hemp seeds!

Sweet potato noodles were for Cajun Sweet Potato Noodles!

Salad:
1 medium zucchini, spiralized
2 large carrots, julienned (I spiralized)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 c thinly sliced red cabbage (I also spiralized this!)
1/2 c frozen edamame, thawed
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

Peanut dressing:
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 c PB2 (powdered peanut butter, go ahead and mix it with water)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp water
2.5 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or other sweetener) (I used Stevia)
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp freshly grated ginger



Prep vegetables. Add the zucchini, carrots, pepper, and cabbage into one or two large bowls. Toss with hands to combine.

Prepare the dressing by processing all dressing ingredients in a mini processor (or simply whisk by hand). The dressing may seem a bit thin at first, but it thickens as it sits.

Top bowls with edamame, green onion, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds. Pour on dressing and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Cajun Sweet Potato Noodles

Last weekend I realized - I have TWO weeks of summer left... TWO weeks to try new recipes, and recipes that might be a little more time consuming! So I planned out 3 new veggie noodle dishes for this week... they ALL turned out delicious.

After I prepped for this, I realized it would be super easy to prep veggie noodles (sweet potato, zucchini, etc.) on Sundays. They keep well, so you could just have them on hand for the week. Check out inspiralized.com - it's a whole site devoted to spiralizing... how-to, meal planning, storage, recipes!

THESE WERE SO TASTY. The ENTIRE recipe is about 500 calories... I ate it all by myself since Will was at a work dinner! I'm glad I got it all to myself!

Sweet Potato Noodles:
2-3 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
½ tsp sea salt

Veggie Noodles:
1 large red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, peeled and the ends sliced off
1 large zucchini, about 12 ounces, ends sliced off
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tomatoes, about 12 oz, chopped
Chopped fresh cilantro, about ½ of a small bunch



Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

Start by spiralizing the sweet potatoes, and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Spiralize the red onion and zucchini and set them aside. Clean the spiralizer right away for easy cleanup!

Toss the sweet potato noodles with the olive oil, Cajun seasoning, and sea salt.  Place the sweet potato noodles in the oven to roast, until softened, about 8 minutes.

While the sweet potato noodles are roasting, sauté the prepared bell pepper, mushrooms, onion, zucchini, and garlic in the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil until the veggies are just tender.

Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and add them to the pan with the sautéed veggies. Add chopped fresh tomatoes, and fresh cilantro. Cook just long enough to heat through and serve immediately!

Original recipe found here.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

I made this twice in one week - that's how amazing it is! The combo of pretzels & panko gets super crispy, sticks to the chicken really well, and the sauce.... omg, the sauce. Delicious on its own. This is a must-make dish!

1 c Panko crumbs
1 c pretzel crumbs (I used sourdough pretzels)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ c Dijon mustard
⅓ c honey
¼ c water
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt/black pepper
1 + ½ pounds boneless chicken breasts (I used thin sliced breasts)
½ c flour

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place a baking rack on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil. Spray with olive oil.

In a food processor pulse the pretzels until coarsely ground (small crumbs with some small pretzel pieces) then add them to a medium bowl and mix with the panko crumbs. Wipe the crumbs out of the food processor.

Add the oil, mustard, honey, water and vinegar to the food processor and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the flavor to suit your own tastes by adding more mustard or honey.

Pound the chicken breasts out to an even thickness using a mallet. (I didn't do this because I bought thinly sliced!) Season well with salt and pepper.

Set up a dredging station:

Pour half of the dressing into a large shallow bowl or dish, put the flour on a large plate and add half the pretzel mixture to a large, shallow bowl or dish (add the remaining half pretzel crumbs to the dish as needed).

Working one at a time and using tongs dredge the chicken in the flour then into the dressing allowing excess to drip off then into the pretzel crumbs patting them on if needed. Place on greased cooking rack. Bake 16 - 25 minutes depending on their thickness/size or until cooked through. Mine were perfect at 20 minutes. Let the chicken sit 5 minutes before serving with the remaining honey mustard dressing.

Original recipe found here.

Raspberry Soufflé with Chocolate Center (low calorie!)

First of all, each souffle only has about 75 calories. How is that possible?! Well, I guess it's basically just raspberries, egg whites, and sugar substitute. Oh, and a little bit delicious, melty dark chocolate.

Apparently now that I get and know how to make a soufflé, I'm going to be trying out other low calorie flavors too. If you haven't checked out the the amazing chocolate soufflés, you'll want to do that now probably.

Makes 3 soufflés

1/2 c fresh raspberries
2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar substitute*
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp butter
1/2 oz dark chocolate, chopped


Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the center.

Wash and dry your raspberries - make sure they get pretty dry - you don't need the extra moisture. Puree the raspberries and press through a fine sieve to get all of the seeds out. I have a sieve like this that I use all. the. time. Mostly as a colander. Anyway, just dump the pureed raspberries into the sieve holding it over a bowl. I used a spoon and just kind of pressed it through until I just had seeds left in the sieve. Very easy!

Add 1 tbsp granulated sugar substitute and set aside. Beat egg whites (I use an electric hand mixer whisk) until thickened and start sprinkling the remaining sugar substitute (1.5 tbsp) into them until all of it has been added and you have stiff glossy peaks. If you need to watch a video about what "beating to stiff peaks" means like I did the first time I made souffles, click here.

Grease 3 small ramekins with butter. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the raspberry puree very gently. Once mixed, fold the raspberry puree mixture back into the remaining egg whites and fold again until there are no streaks of pink left. Gently scoop some souffle mixture into the ramekins until half full. Divide the chocolate between the ramekins and then fill to the top with souffle mixture. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet with at least a few inches between them and put on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown and puffed up. Serve immediately and ENJOY!!

Notes
* When the recipe calls for granulated sugar substitute it refers to one that measures cup for cup like sugar. If you are using a more concentrated sweetener, then use my measurement as though it were sugar and use whatever the equivalent is of your brand of sweetener. For example, if you are using Truvia, it would be 1.25 tsp per 1 TBL of sugar - so you would need 6.25 tsp for this recipe. You can find conversion charts for pretty much every sweetener out there online by going to your brand's website.

Original recipe found here.

Roasted Sweet Chili Brussels Sprouts

I could dip almost anything in Thai sweet chili sauce. This is a super simple, but delicious recipe! This was eaten as a side, but I could have just eaten a huge bowl of these...

1 lb Brussels sprouts, stem trimmed and halved
olive oil spray
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

Heat the oven to 400F. On a baking sheet, Spray the Brussels sprouts with olive oil to coat evenly. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, tossing them halfway so they cook evenly. Remove Brussels sprouts from the oven and turn on oven broiler to high, with the oven rack positioned in the top third of the oven.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the Brussels sprouts, tossing to coat evenly. Broil the Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes or until the sugar in the chili sauce is bubbling and caramelizing. Watch them carefully so they don't burn! Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Original recipe found here.

Sweet Corn Cakes with Roasted Vegetable Salsa

This amazing dish is courtesy of SkinnyMs. I halved the recipe below, because Will is out of town and I didn't think I needed to eat 18 corn cakes. It was SO HARD to not eat the entire recipe - these are amazing, y'all. I mean really, really, really tasty. You can have 3 tasty pancakes with 3/4 c veg salsa for only about 350 cal. Yes.

The recipe calls for goat cheese - I didn't have any, so I used a bit of light sour cream. I guess I like to put a little sour cream on all veg cakes, fritters, etc.

The recipe below will make about 18 (3-4 inch) corn cakes.

Roasted Vegetable Salsa:
1 zucchini, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 ttbsp olive oil
1 c halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 c fresh corn kernels
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime

Corn Cakes:
1 1/2 c corn flour (I used this, but you can also grind corn meal into a flour using your blender)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 c low-fat milk
1 tbsp honey
2 eggs
2 c corn kernels
1 tsp olive oil

For serving:
1/2 c crumbled goat cheese (I used a couple tbsp light sour cream instead)




Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Toss the zucchini and onion with the seasonings and olive oil and lay on the sheet pan. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender.

Combine the tomatoes, corn kernels, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice in a large bowl. When the vegetables are done roasting, toss them with the tomato mixture.

To make the corn cakes, combine the corn flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Add the butter, milk, and honey and stir. Beat the eggs until light yellow and add to the mix. Stir and fold in the corn.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Drop the batter onto the pan to form 3-or-4 inch pancakes and cook until bubbly. Flip and cook until browned on both sides.

To serve, top the corn cakes with the salsa and the goat cheese (or sour cream!).

Original recipe found here.

Made them again the next week for Will. :)

Lighter Chocolate Soufflé

Never made souffles before! But these are easy, decadent, delicious, and a little bit lighter than your typical soufflé. A great treat! Apparently only 3 Weight Watchers points... I don't do WW, and I'm not sure of the exact calorie count, but I'll calculate the calories next time. Update - each souffle is only 130 calories!

cooking spray
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
3 tbsp low-fat chocolate milk
1 large egg white
½ tsp powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 6 oz. ramekins with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, whisk together cocoa, flour and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar; set over medium heat. Add milk; cook until smooth, stirring constantly, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk egg white until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add remaining tablespoon of granulated sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Fold cooled chocolate mixture into egg whites, a little at a time, until no white streaks appear.

Pour batter into prepared ramekins; baked until set and tops look dry, about 16 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar; serve warm. 

* Do not open oven until the souffles are done. Cold air can cause them to sink. This recipe can easily be doubled or triples for larger gatherings.

Original recipe found here.