Chick Pea Curry

I found this recipe on Cooking Light. I was a little skeptical of it because I've never really loved chick peas and I had never cooked anything with garam masala. But this recipe turned out to be delicious, healthy, easy and cheap to make. I didn't even need to measure anything as I cooked. I've started the Tone It Up frisky fall challenge. Its a fun and challenging workout plan that's free if you sign up. It's 8 weeks long and you run 100 miles by Halloween, the trainers give you a different work out each day. Here's the site if you're curious, http://toneitup.com

Besides the workouts I've made a few goals for myself to get back into pre pregnancy weight. One is meatless Mondays. This is my first Monday doing this, hopefully I'll have more yummy recipes to share for you guys. 

This serves about 4 and is 305 calories per serving.

Ingredients:

1 can of chick peas, drained

1 can of crushed tomatoes or petite diced 

1/2 diced sweet onion

1 T olive oil

2 handfuls of sprinach 

1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Salt to taste

1/4 chopped cilantro 

Brown rice 

Cook the rice directed as on the box

In a large pot heat up olive oil and sauté onions for 5 minutes

Add garam masala 

Stir in chick peas, tomatoes, spinach and salt. Occasionally stir for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add yogurt and salt. 

Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro. 

Lemon Chicken Pasta

At first when I saw a recipe with lemon juice in the pasta sauce I thought it sounded strange and I was a little hesitant to try. But now I LOVE it and I even add extra. It's so delicious! So here is an easy pasta dish for you to try. And kids will love it too. 

Ingredients:

Penne pasta 

3 lemons

4 chicken breasts 

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup half & half 

3/4 cup whipping cream 

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

Lemon pepper

S&P

Basil

Cherry tomatos 

Cook pasta as directed on box 

Grill, bake or George Forman your chicken. Sprinkled with lemon pepper and lemon juice

Melt butter in sauce pan on medium heat.

Squeeze in lemon juice from 3 halves of lemons.

Whisk in half & half and whipping cream. 

Dice basil and sprinkle some into the sauce, leave some to sprinkle on top of pasta. 

Let sauce simmer about 8 minutes, whisk every 30 seconds or so. 

Remove from heat and sprinkle in cheese.

Serve pasta with halved cherry tomatoes, chicken, basil, S&P and a healing scoop of lemon sauce. 

I hope you like it! 

This recipe is for 4 servings. 

Spicy Skirt Steak with Jalapeño Relish

I got this Recipe out of a new cookbook I just bought. Great Food Fast from the kitchen of Martha Stewart Living. I bought this book because I pretty much love all Martha Stewart recipes. And every recipe has a pretty picture. Anyway let's get to the food. This is a quick meal to prepare. I was surprised by how fast I was able to whip it up. The best part about it is the sauce. So don't skip that part! I make mine with more red wine vinegar than Martha. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lbs skirt steak 

5 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 

Olive oil to drizzle 

Green sauce: 

1 T jalapeño relish 

3 T olive oil

3 T red wine vinegar

1/2 cup diced cilantro 

Salt

Mix the steak seasoning in a bowl and rub onto steak 

drizzle with the olive oil

On medium heat on the grill cook for 6 minutes for medium-rare

Flip over once 

Whisk together green sauce ingredients and pour over steak. 

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I had never ate an amazing pulled pork sandwich until I moved to South Carolina. I had no clue what I was missing out on. They make them spicy and with a vinegar base instead of BBQ. It's WAY better this way!  I've made about 4-5 different recipes and none were worth posting about until this one. It's a bit on the spicy side, so next time I'm going to leave out the cayenne pepper, but over all it was the perfect savory, tangy flavor. 

Ingredients:

1 lb pork loin

2 sweet onions quartered 

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar 

4 teaspoon Worcestershire 

1 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/2 teaspoon ground dried mustard 

1 stevia packet or 1 teaspoon sugar 

1 tablespoon paprika 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper 

Throw quartered onions into crock pot

Mix brown sugar, paprika and s&p.

Rub mix on pork and place in pot with onions

Whisk together cider, Worcestershire, red pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic salt and dried mustard

Pour over pork

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours

Shred pork and place back in juices and onions. 

Then make a sandwich! 

Note: 

I made a side of sauce to drizzle on to make it extra tangy. 

This here is a 1/2 batch, but a full batch is...

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup apple cider vinegar 

6 T Dijon mustard

2 T maple syrup

4 teaspoons Worcestershire 

S&P 

Shake in a jar and its ready! 

Greek Turkey Meatballs & Greek Pasta Salad

What a delicious combo of food. Greek food is one of my favorites. What's not to love about tzakziki sauce and tangy vinaigrette?! Here is a super healthy meatball recipe with a Greek yogurt dipping sauce and a side salad. This pasta salad is also a great one to bring to a pot luck or BBQ. 

Meatball Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or ground chicken 

1 egg

1/4 cup bread crumbs 

1/3 diced onion

2 T minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried mint 

1/2 teaspoon of salt 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all the ingredients with hands in a bowl

Scoop balls and place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray

Bake 18 minutes 

Greek Yogurt Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 a squeezed lemon juice

1 T minced fresh dill

S&P to taste

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Greek Pasta Salad Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta

20 halved cherry tomatoes

1/3 diced red onion

1 chopped green bell pepper

1 chopped cucumber 

3/4 diced black olives

1 cup feta

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 a juiced lemon

2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 stevia packet 

1/2 cup olive oil 

1 1/2 minced garlic 

Cook pasta according to box

Place all veggies and feta in a bowl

Add cooked pasta

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and pour over salad

Mix all together and refrigerate till ready to serve 

Penne with Broccoli & Ricotta

Have you ever considered using something other than pasta sauce for your pasta dish? Try this ricotta-tomato version. This meal has all you need in a main dish, vegetables, protein and carbs. If you don't like spicy just leave out the red pepper flakes and buy a mild sausage.  

Ingredients:

3 Italian chicken sausages

1 box of penne

2-3 broccoli bundles

1/2 cup diced red onion

1 T minced garlic

3 T olive oil 

3 T tomato paste

Dash of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil broccoli in salt water for 5 minutes

In a large sauté pan cook garlic, onion and sausage in olive oil

Add tomato paste

Boil penne pasta according to box

Add broccoli and sausage mixture

Lately stir in ricotta and Parmesan 

Cookie Cake

Seriously! A cookie cake! Could it get any better? Actually... Yes, by adding Reese's peanut butter chips and Mini Reese's on top. :) I found this original recipe on Sally's baking addiction's blog. She gave some really great tips on how to create a cookie into a cake just by a few simple tweaks. By using only brown sugar and adding cornstarch it makes the cookie softer and fluffier. Also by using an extra egg yolk, you get a chewier cookie. This cookie cake is great for any type of party. Add some ice cream and its like a pizookie. I hope you guys love this, it's a very easy alternative to any kind of cake. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter at room temp (1 1/2 sticks) 

1 cup brown sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 egg + 1 egg yolk 

2 cups flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1-1/2 cups chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350

Spray either a 9" pie or cake pan 

Cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. 

In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) Then slowly add in into the butter mixture. 

Lastly add the chocolate chips. It should be very thick. 

Scoop into pan and using your hands pat down and spread evenly. 

Bake 20-25 minutes until golden. 

Let cool on cooling rack (about 15 minutes) 

Lactation Cookies - oatmeal chocolate chips

Since becoming a mom 11 days ago I have been researching and finding ways to increase my milk production. I've been drinking lots of water, eating leafy greens, oatmeal, black licorice, almonds and taking fenugreek supplements. But this cookie recipe is by far the most delicious way to help your milk. It tastes just like a regular oatmeal chocolate chip cookie but it has flaxseed meal and brewers yeast in it. And the best part is you can eat 4-5 a day because you need the extra calories. I hope all you new moms enjoy these cookies and that you find them helpful too! 

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter or coconut oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3 T flaxseed meal soaked and mixed in 4 1/2 T water

2 cups flour 

2 T brewers yeast 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

3 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips 

Some of the ingredients

Preheat oven to 350

Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs

Then add flaxseed meal

In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients EXCEPT oats and chocolate 

Mix in dry ingredients slowly

Lastly add oats and chocolate 

Bake batches for 10-12 minutes 

Note:

I found the brewers yeast at a grocery store that sells items in bulk. I suggest going to Whole Foods for this ingredient to save yourself some time. 

Salad Jars

This idea is all over Pinterest right now. It's so useful for a quick healthy lunch. It's simple and there is no right or wrong recipe. Ive provided the two I made, but you can make a southwestern salad, cobb salad, chop salad, ect. The only key thing to remember is to layer the hat correctly. At the bottom you pour in the dressing. This way the ingredients won't get soggy. Then you put the heaviest, softest ingredients next. Lastly stuff the jar full with leafy green. When you are ready to eat one just grab, shake and dump out onto a plate. Voila! 

Chinese Chicken salad:

In order of placement

Mandarin oranges

Green onions

Rotisserie chicken 

Carrots 

Diced almonds 

Leafy greens 

Asian Sesame Ginger dressing from Trader Joes (a little goes a long way) 

Strawberry Bacon Feta Salad:

In order of placement

Strawberries

Feta crumbles

Candied pecans 

Diced bacon 

Leafy greens 

Poppy seed Dressing 

NOTE:

If you are not planning on taking your salad to school or work, but you plan on eating them at home. Do not add the dressing until you are going to eat it. Pour a little on top and shake. 

Spicy Black Bean Burrito

I don't even need to say anything about this post. And I'm not going to give directions either because I think we all know how to make a burrito. This post is purely just to help give you the idea for lunch or dinner. :) you're welcome!