AND WE'RE BACK!!! (Yes, that is a Wayne's World reference!)
So the past few weeks have been pretty hectic. Between packing, moving, unpacking, and working, I have had little time to make interesting recipes! I have still been cooking, but I haven't been experimenting quite as much as I would like to be. That is, until this past week!
I've been in Oregon over the past week visiting my parents and that always means tons of baking! Between brownies, cinnamon rolls, and cheesecake, there have been plenty of desserts to go around. However, none of these were vegan-friendly! So what delicious vegan treat was made today? Cookie Butter Bars! Not very pretty, but they're pretty delicious! ;)
If you haven't already noticed, I just love hearty and filling food. There's nothing worse than already being hungry an hour after eating a meal. Food should be something you can eat and enjoy, and then forget about until the next meal comes around. These bars definitely help accomplish that!
Not the greatest picture. This recipe was actually an experiment. And then I ate them too fast to remember to take another picture! I guess that's how you know they were pretty darn good!
Pumpkin-everything continues! Most pumpkin recipes I see are for sweet treats like cookies, quick bread, and pie. Oh, and lattes (duh). However, those aren't the only ways to use pumpkin!
How about something savory? A classic comfort food reinvented? Sure, we can do that. Macaroni and cheese! But isn't that unhealthy? Nope.
What's one of my most favorite things about fall? Winter squash is in season! I love all the different varieties, whether it's butternut or acorn or even delicata. The heartiness of winter squashes is perfect for the cold weather (assuming you do not live in Arizona...).
Believe it or not, I had never had kabocha squash until I this fall. Boy, have I been missing out! I must say that kabocha squash is now my FAVORITE winter squash. It has the heartiness of butternut squash but is a bit less starchy. Therefore meaning that kabocha squash is a great choice if you are watching your carbs or overall calories.
This recipe could also be called "The Easiest Scone Recipe You'll Ever Make." Seriously.
I don't know about you, but what I dislike most about making traditional scones is needing to cut in butter. Sure you can use a food processor, but I still think it's annoying.
From a health standpoint, traditional scones definitely aren't far up there on the "good for me" list. They tend to be full of butter (saturated fat) and bleached white flour (hello, blood sugar spike!). One cinnamon chip scone from Panera has 530 calories and 27 grams of fat - geez! I certainly wouldn't recommend them. So does that mean scones are forever off the menu? Certainly not! Well, with these scones at least!
Happy first of October! I for one absolutely love the month of October. The temperature starts to go down (even though its still 90 degrees today here in AZ) and it officially feels like it's truly fall. No more sweating just walking to the car! Yay!
Oh, and Halloween is in October. Duh. The only holiday in which it's mildly appropriate to stuff your face with candy...which I should probably be against, but hey, its one day right? ;)
Seriously, is it possible to not like pizza? Whether its the cheese, toppings, sauce, or crust, there is something to love. Personally, the crust is one of my favorites.
But when you are trying to eat healthier, do you need to cut out the pizza? Not a chance! Improve your pizza and eat up!
Spring rolls are really just a fancy way of eating salad if you really think about it. That doesn't make me love them any less! Hence eating them nearly every day as part of lunch during my dietetic internship.
One of the great things about spring rolls, is there are infinite number of ways to fill them. You can add various veggies, different proteins, grains, healthy fats, and even fruit to them! I have yet to eat a bad spring roll.
Challenge accepted! My good friend challenged me to come up with a healthier dessert recipe that involved curry. After thinking up some ideas, I figured you can never go wrong with cookies...especially when chocolate is involved!
Since it's September (almost fall!!!), of course I had to use pumpkin. I am one of those people who gets so excited for the season of "pumpkin-everything." And I must say, the pumpkin paired with the curry spice was perfect!
Oh, quinoa, how I love you so. As a source of complete protein, it is used as a staple in many vegetarian/vegan diets. Quinoa is quick and easy to cook, and it's incredibly versatile.
This recipe was inspired by...leftovers. I had some leftover ingredients in the fridge that I desperately needed to use up. I am not one for wasting food, especially healthy food!
What do you imagine when you think of enchiladas? Assuming you imagine red sauce and cheese, you might picture something that looks like this:
Enchiladas are typically filled with cheese and/or some sort of meat. That does not sound like a very nutritious meal to me. How about we mix this up a bit?
Raw, vegan, no-added sugar, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free. No, I'm not talking about water. But rather I'm talking about these amazing peanut butter "cookies"!
They actually taste similar to peanut butter cookies, too. If you have ever had the Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar, these are very similar.
With kids going back to school, parents are stocking up on snacks and goodies to pack in their children's lunchboxes. I remember snacking on granola bars nearly every day - and they are still one of my favorite snacks!
Warning: this cake is addictive. Chocolate. Beer. Cake. What's not to love?
So I wouldn't necessarily classify this as a "healthy" recipe by any means. But every now then a decadent treat is perfectly acceptable! On a side note, keep in mind that "vegan" does not always equal healthy. Oreos are vegan! Not what I'd call a health food.
Nothing beats a good, hearty grain side dish. I love grains, especially when they offer a hefty dose of fiber!
Wheat berries has a chewy texture and tastes similar to barley. I used red wheat berries in this recipe, but barley works just as well. For a gluten-free option, try using short-grain brown rice.
"Quality over quantity." This phrase says that it is better to eat small amounts of good quality (aka delicious) food rather than large quantities of less-than-great food. Why not have both? With this recipe, you totally can.
There is a spaghetti squash under there somewhere...
If you haven't seen the news the past few months, cereal has been center-stage. Commercial breakfast cereals are being bashed for being incredibly high in sugar and low in the important stuff - natural fiber and protein. One serving of Honey Smacks cereal has 15 grams of sugar - that's over 3 teaspoons of sugar for breakfast! And we all know that most people aren't eating just one serving of cereal...Not the best way to start the day.
Instead, how about of some homemade cereal that's free of preservatives and wasn't made in a factory? I promise, this recipe is a cinch to make! This recipe can easily by made vegan and/or gluten-free.
These squares are hearty, filling, and utterly delicious. This cereal can be eaten as is, with milk, or my favorite - sprinkled on top of yogurt.
So by now you see that I REALLY like muffins. Well, healthy ones at least. I don't feel it's right to spend hundreds of calories on a muffin, no matter how good it is.
Why blueberry muffins? They're classic, rich in antioxidants, and .... there was a sale on blueberries at Sprouts. Had to find some use for all the berries I bought! And what a great use it was.
These muffins are a little on the breadier side and not super sweet - because they aren't filled with tons of sugar. However, that doesn't mean they aren't still delicious!
My fiancé and I love going to this Indian restaurant in Tempe called The Dhaba. Next door they have this really cool Indian market that is my dream land - bags upon bags of different types of flour and spices! Last time we were there I bought a bag of chickpea flour, and I wasn't too sure what I was going to do with it. After looking for some recipes, I came across a recipe from Fitness Magazine that used chickpea flour as a pizza crust. So I set to work and even got to use my new cast iron skillet.
I was a bit nervous at how it would turn out, but it was delicious - and fiancé approved! That means it must have been a pretty good recipe. It's an easy recipe, and you can add as many veggie toppings as you'd like (I'd recommend adding some spinach or kale!) Try it out, let me know what you think!
Muffins are one of my all-time favorite baked goods. As long as you have a good base recipes, you can add whatever you like to them and they'll almost always turn out delicious and beautiful. Some people say muffins are just ugly cupcakes, and sometimes they can end up that way. This recipe has all the yumminess of one of those "cupcake-muffins" without the guilt. Low-fat, whole-grain, and fiber-rich - what's not to love?
My name is Nicole and I am a Registered Dietitian (RD). After the past couple years of people asking for me to share my recipes, I'm finally starting a blog. Although I've never thought of myself as much of a writer, I'm hoping to use this space to document my beloved playtime in the kitchen. I will be posting weekly recipes (and sometimes more!) that are all RD-approved. I firmly believe that healthy eating should be fun and exciting. Hopefully, I can encourage at least one reader to take those small steps towards adopting a healthier lifestyle by enjoying one of my recipes!
