Nacho Pizza

Hello and Happy Sunday to you!  I hope everyone has had a fantastic weekend and are ready for the long weekend ahead.  I know I've been slacking on posting lately but life has been a bit hectic lately, well actually, quite hectic!!!

As you know Krishma got married and went on a fabulous honeymoon - she went to Thailand, and I can't wait for her to share her experiences over the course of the next few months.  As for me, I have started an exciting new phase in my life as well, which has been taking up quite a bit of my time.  I can't remember if I ever mentioned it before but I absolutely love yoga and have been an avid practitioner for a few years.  One day, earlier this year, I got a wild hair and decided that I would really like to take my own practice to the next level and maybe teach yoga because I enjoy it so much.  And so the search for the "perfect program for me" began.  To make a long story short, over the course of the past few months, I've been taking classes in order to get my 200 hour certification so that I can teach yoga and share my passion with others.  So, needless to say, life has been hectic!  And since life has been hectic, I am all about "quick and easy recipes" these days.  With that said, this recipe has been one of my favorite quick and easy go to's for a few years.  It is based on a recipe I saw on Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals.  Try it the next time you need to make dinner in about 35 minutes or less and I promise it will be love at first bite!!!

Ingredients:
1 loaf baguette or french bread
1 cup very versatile black beans (click here for recipe)
1 cup salsa, prepared ahead of time or from a bottle
1.5 - 2 cups shredded cheese (I use Mexican blend)
1 heart romaine lettuce
1/2 cup olives
2 roma tomatoes, diced and seeded

Directions:
1. Split bread lengthwise.  Pull out the bread portion from the baguette so that you're left with boats.  Cut in to roughly 4-6 boats.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3.  Brush olive oil around the edges of the bread and spread the black beans evenly across the hollow portion of the bread.
4.  Top with salsa and sprinkle cheese on top, covering the bread to the edges.  The boats will be half-full.
5.  Melt cheese in the oven until it bubbles and begins to brown.
6.  Top the nacho pizza with lettuce, olives, tomatoes, and serve.
7.  Enjoy with your hands over a plate!

This is what your "bread boats" will look like

Yummy Nacho Pizza 

  

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Happy Monday guys! Hope everyone had an amazing weekend! I can't believe we are in November already, time is flying! This weeks recipe is super simple and easy and can be eaten with any meal. I actually make this as a side for Thanksgiving dinner or it can even be eaten with breakfast or a healthy snack. It doesn't matter what herbs you have on hand, it always turns out great. I've tried it with cilantro, rosemary & thyme, parsley...the possibilities are endless! Try this out at your next brunch or dinner and it won't disappoint!

Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1-1/2 TBSP freshly chopped herbs (whatever you have on hand)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a medium bowl, coat cherry tomatoes with olive oil and mix in herbs until evenly distributed.
- Place cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkly generously with salt and freshly ground black    pepper. Roast for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool completely before serving.

Serving size- 4-6 servings

Very Versatile Black Beans

Hello friends and Happy Sunday to you! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are enjoying the beautiful fall weather as much as I have.  Today's post is for a recipe that seems to have become a staple in my home as of late. It's based on an episode of 30 Minute Meals by Rachael Ray that I saw almost 10 years ago, which makes me think, geez, time flies by! Anyway, it's pretty tasty, healthy, quick, and easy to make, which is why I love it so much.  Without further adieu, here's the recipe for Spicy Black Beans.

Ingredients:
1 jalapeño, seeded & chopped or 1 pickled hot pepper of any kind
1 can (15 oz) black beans
2 tsp hot sauce
1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Heat a small skillet over medium heat.
2.  Add EVOO, turn the pan quickly to spread the EVOO, & chopped jalapeño.
3.  After washing and draining the black beans,  add half of them to the pan, & mash with a fork or masher.
4.  Add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, salt & pepper to the beans and mix.
5.  Add the remaining beans to the mashed bean mixture and stir.  Stir in a bit of water if the mixture is too thick.
6.  Enjoy in tacos, Mexican pizza, nachos, or whatever your heart desires. =)

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Hello friends & Happy Tuesday to you! This past weekend was a very special one for us.  For those of you who may not know, Krishma, my other partner in crime, GOT MARRIED - whoo hooo! She made a lovely bride and the festivities lasted over 3 days with friends and family showering the beautiful bride with love & affection.  A special congrats to Krishma & Amrish, her hubby on their nuptials!!!

One of the highlights from this weekend, other than the wedding of course, was the weather.  I am simply LOVING the cooler temps we've been having around here.  Which leads to me to this week's recipe, which is perfect for the upcoming months...Pumpkin Spice Pancakes.  I make these all winter long and let me tell you, there has yet to be leftovers.  Make 'em at home soon and I promise, you will love them.

Ingredients:
2 cups heart healthy Bisquick
1 cup skim milk
1/4-1/2 cup quick cooking oats (depending on how much you want in there)
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 - 1 tsp pumpkin spice powder (taste batter to see if you like the amount of pumpkin in there)

Directions:
1.  Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until everything is combined really well.
2.  Add additional milk until the batter is at desired consistency.
3.  Heat a skillet or griddle on medium to low heat & spray with a little pam or butter.
4.  Pour batter and cook until edges start to bubble.
5.  Flip pancake and cook on the other side for about 2-3 minutes.
6.  You will know pancakes are done when both sides are golden brown.
7.  Enjoy with pure Maple Syrup.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Y'all know one of my favorite things to do is baking and one of my go to recipes is old fashioned chocolate cake! This is a great base recipe for cake, cupcakes and even layered desserts. I use buttermilk to keep the cake moist and ground flax seed meal as a binding agent. Try this recipe at your next dinner or get together and it will definitely be a hit!

Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 TBSP vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup ground flax meal mixed with 3 TBSP hot water
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 TSP baking powder
- 1 TSP baking soda

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Mix liquid ingredients in a bowl with flax seed mixture, white and brown sugar. Mix until sugar is almost dissolved.
- Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl and slowly combine liquid mixture. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth mixture forms.
- Pour cake batter into cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Frost with butter cream or fudge frosting.

Island Inspired Coffee

Happy Tuesday friends! I hope y'all are enjoying this switch over to the fall-ish weather as much as I am on this first day of autumn.  It's so nice not to hit 100 degrees but let's be honest, it is Texas so you know, it still gets pretty warm during the day; which is why today's recipe is perfect & hits the spot during the afternoon hours.

My husband and I recently went on a vacation to Hawaii & I have been feeling very island-y since.  Hawaii is known for various things but one of the things it is renowned for is Kona Coffee.  During our stay on the island of Oahu, my husband and I found this lovely coffee shop called Island Vintage Coffee, where I had THE best coconut & coffee blended drink. EVER.  Needless to say, because I didn't want my vacation to end, I decided to bring back as much of the islands as I could & purchased a Kona Coffee mix from there in an effort to recreate this heavenly drink.  Below is my rendition of this island treasure.  I hope you do try it at home and enjoy it as much as my husband (who is not a fan of coffee btw but requests this drink daily) and I do.  It is a MUST try at home & trust me, you will be glad you did!

Ingredients:
5 TBSP Kona Mocha Mix* (found here)
5 oz coconut milk
12 oz crushed ice
1-2 pumps coconut syrup (optional)
whipped cream (optional)
toasted coconut flakes (optional for garnish)

Directions:
1.  In a blender, place crushed ice, coconut milk, & Kona mix
2.  Blend on medium to high speed until everything has been thoroughly mixed and blended.
3.  Enjoy!

*Directions on the Kona coffee mix state to use 8 TBSP of powder, which you can, but you will quickly discover that the mix will disappear a lot sooner if you do.  I played around with the recipe and found that adding 5 TBSP of the mix in place of the 8 is equally as good.  You can also use a combination of an instant coffee/sugar mixture if you don't want to purchase the Mocha Mix.

Peanut Butter Energy Bites!

Things have been so hectic lately, and when that happens these little energy bites are the perfect snack to take with you! They are full of yummy goodness: peanut butter, cranberries, oats and walnuts! The protein keeps you full and gives you a boost of energy, the oats and walnuts give it a really nice texture also! Feel free to add or take out your favorite nuts or dried fruit and even add a handful of dark chocolate chips. If you have time you can shape them into balls or even just set them in a non stick tray and cut out small bars, whatever works for you!

Ingredients
1.25 cups oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup finely chopped or ground walnuts 
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup craisins
2/3 cup shredded coconut - unsweetened 

Directions
- Mix together well. 5 minutes with the paddle attachment in the kitchenaid makes it easy
- Refrigerate 15 minutes
- The using a small cookie scooper scoop out, squeeze/condense in your hand and the roll into balls. This is the most time consuming step. Next time I may press the mix into a container it pan - chill and then cut little pieces or shape into 1" balls.
- Refrigerate

Serving size 3-4 bites (makes approximately 30 bites)

Thick & Chunky Marinara Sauce

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope every is having a fantastic week.  Today's recipe is one that I recently made on a whim to go along with some home made cheese sticks and let me just say, it ended up being a hit - yeay! This recipe is great with cheese bread, pizza, pasta, cheese sticks, and the list goes on and on.  Do try it at home and I hope it is enjoyed at your home as much as it is at mine.

Ingredients:
3-4 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 stalk celery
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP dried basil (or 2 TBSP fresh basil)
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1 (28 oz) can whole roma tomatoes, undrained
2 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt (or more depending on taste)
fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1.  In a heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven, heat EVOO over medium to low heat.
2.  Add celery, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes.  Tip: when working with dried herbs, be sure to rub them in the palm of your hands before adding them to anything as it releases the flavors.
3.  Add in tomato paste and stir for about 3 minutes.
4.  Add in the roma tomatoes with the juice; and using an emerson blender, push down on tomatoes so that they are broken in chunks but not completely smooth.  If you don't have an emerson blender, you can use a fork to break up the tomatoes into big chunks.
5.  Add balsamic vinegar and simmer the sauce uncovered over low heat for 1-2 hours.
6.  Season with salt, pepper, and add sugar.
7.  Enjoy!

This sauce is best made a day ahead of time so that the flavors have a chance to really meld.

Mango Milkshake

Hope everyone had a great weekend! It's been really hot here in Texas, and one of my favorite drinks on a hot day is a mango milkshake! I used fresh mangos and blended them, which adds a ton of fiber! You can use the canned mango pulp, but it usually has a lot of extra sugar so fresh is always better! The shake keeps you full and is definitely satisfying in this heat, try it out and let us know what you think!

Ingredients
- 2-3 fresh mangos peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups ice
- 4 scoops vanilla ice-cream

Directions
- Blend mango pieces on high until a smooth puree forms, (if the mango is very fibrous, you can run it through a sieve if you want).
- Add milk, ice and ice cream until smooth and thick.
- Pour into glasses and serve immediately

Indian Style Bean Soup

Hello and Happy Sunday friends! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and is looking forward to the week ahead.  My apologies for not posting last week but I was out of town and had one heck of a week after I got back.  However, I will be posting this week and next to make up for it. :)  Today's recipe is a staple in my house because it is so delicious and oh so good for you.  It doesn't take long but requires just a bit a prep work - and by a bit I mean soaking beans for a couple of hours and that's it.  It's so easy that I am sure it will become a staple in your house too.  Enjoy!  

Ingredients:
1 cup dry moog beans
2 cups water
1 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1-2 tsp grated/crushed ginger root
1-2 tsp crushed serrano peppers
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric
1-1.2 TBSP cumin & coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
3-4 curry leaves
1 roma tomato, diced (optional)
Colored bell peppers (optional)
Cilantro to garnish
Fresh yogurt (optional)

Directions:
1.  Soak the moog beans in 2 cups of warm water for a couple of hours prior to cooking.
2.  In a pressure cooker, heat EVOO on medium to low heat, add cumin seeds, and wait for the seeds to start roasting (you will smell it and the seeds will turn a darker shade of brown).
3.  Remove from heat and add curry leaves, ginger, serrano, tomato, & bell pepper and sauté for a couple of minutes.
4.  Add the soaked moog beans with the water and the remaining ingredients.
5.  Cook for roughly 20 -30 minutes in a pressure cooker (3-4 whistles if you're using an Indian style pressure cooker).
6.  Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice, tortillas, or enjoy it by itself.

Italian Stuffed Shells

My sister was home for about a month from law school, so it's been so great having her around and getting her to help me with wedding planning! So for her birthday I made one of her favorite dishes- Italian stuffed shells. Usually these shells are stuffed with different cheeses (mainly ricotta) and spinach but that usually gets way too heavy so my secret ingredient is tofu. I add some in for extra protein, and you can not tell the difference! I also load it up with loads of veggies- mushrooms, peppers, spinach, olives, tomatoes and zucchini. You can use your favorite pasta sauce and top with your favorite blend of cheeses, this is a great dish to make ahead of time and pop in the oven 30-45 minutes before dinner. Hope you will enjoy it as much as my family did!

Ingredients
- 1 box jumbo shells
- 8 oz Part skim ricotta cheese
- 12oz firm tofu crumbled
- 1 frozen box chopped spinach thawed
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms sautéed
- 1/2 cup zucchini diced and sautéed
- 1/4 cup olives
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 TSP oregano
- 1 TSP crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheese

Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the jumbo shells with a large pinch of salt, shells with cook in 9-11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine ricotta and crumbled tofu and mix thoroughly until everything is well combined. Add basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste, mushrooms, thawed spinach, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes and zucchini and mix together.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Take cooked shells and stuff them with a heaping TBSP of ricotta mixture (do not over stuff).
- In a large lasagna pan pour 1/2 cup pasta sauce at the bottom, add shells and pour remaining pasta sauce over shells (pour less if you like it a little dry). Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is light golden and bubbly.
- Serve immediately!

Roasted Pepper Vinaigrette

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope your week is off to a great start.  First off, I would like to apologize for posting so late...I actually was under the weather a bit and wasn't quite feeling like me all weekend.  None the less, that's should not be an excuse but I hope you understand.  Anyway, on to today's recipe...this is a great recipe that takes your salad to the next level; it's sweet & tangy and can be whipped up in a snap.  Now what could be better than that?!

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, roasted (directions to follow)

1/4 cup of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) 

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

Roughly 1/4 tsp of salt

Roughly 1/4 tsp pepper 

2 TSP honey 

1 tsp of basil (or any fresh herb of your choice)

Directions:

1.  To roast bell pepper, place over an open flame and grill until it's charcoaled all the way around.

2.  Once the pepper is charcoaled all over, place in a ziplock bag, zip, & let stand for about 5 minutes.

3.  After 5 minutes, remove the pepper from the ziplock & place in a plate.  Using a cloth dish cloth or towel, gently scrub until skin comes off (the pepper will smell very sweet as you're doing this).  Cut in big strips and scoop out all the seeds & veins from the inside of the pepper.  

4.  In a blender or food processor, place chopped peppers, basil, EVOO, vinegar, & remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

5.  Chill for at least an hour before serving but it is best made a day ahead of time so that the flavors really have a chance to meld.

6.  Enjoy with your favorite salad! 

  

 

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

I love baking! This is one of my favorite cake recipes to make, it looks really impressive but it's so easy to put together! What sets this cake apart from other chocolate cakes is the raspberry preserves in the cake batter and onto of the cake. It is so good! If you are not a huge raspberry fan, no worries you can substitute it with strawberry or any mixed berry preserves. I also made milk chocolate and white chocolate curls to garnish the cake at the end, but you can use mini chocolate chips instead. Hope you enjoy this cake as much as my family did!

Ingredients

- 1 box of Betty Crocker milk chocolate cake mix

- 1 container of vanilla greek yogurt

- 3 TBSP vegetable oil

- 3/4 cup water

- 2 TBSP + 3 TBSP raspberry preserves

- 2 cups cool whip or fresh whipped cream

- 1 pint of raspberries

- 2 oz of white chocolate

- 2 oz of milk chocolate

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350.

- In a medium bowl mix water, yogurt, vegetable oil and 2 TBSP raspberry preserves until well combined.

- in a large mixing bowl, empty contents of cake mix and add liquid mixture and mix.

- Pour batter in a round 9 inch cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely 

- Spread remaining 3 TBSP of preserves on top of the cake, then add cool whip and spread all over top of the cake. 

- Garnish with fresh raspberries.

- For chocolate curls make sure chocolate is at room temperature, peel curls of chocolate using a vegetable peeler (try not to touch the curls as they will melt!)

Savory SKM Lasagna

Happy Sunday! Hope y'all had as great of a weekend as I did.  My weekend was filled with some much needed R&R, followed watching the world cup, followed by some good food & hanging out with my family (and spoiled rotten dog).  Now I don't know about you, but I can't imagine a more perfect weekend than that.  I call today's recipe SKM because it's packed with Spinach,  Kale, & Mushrooms...3 of my all time favorite ingredients.  This recipe is pretty healthy (well as healthy as lasagna can be) and delicious.  I hope you try it at home and enjoy it with your family as much as I enjoyed it with mine!

Ingredients:
1/2 box of lasagna noodles, cooked
3-4 cups sauce (click here for a similar recipe)
1 cup spinach
1 cup kale
1 regular size package of baby bella mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
crushed red pepper flakes
black pepper
dash of Italian Seasoning
8 oz of fat free ricotta cheese
1.5 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1.  Cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package.  Rinse with cold water and let them dry for a while (I actually left mine in a strainer and covered with a dish for about an hour).
2.  In the meantime, heat EVOO, add spinach, kale, pepper flakes, Italian seasoning & sauté for roughy 2 minutes or so unit it starts to wilt.  Remove from heat & mix in a bowl with ricotta cheese.
3.  In a separate pan, sauté mushrooms using just a bit of EVOO until they are thoroughly cooked and all the water has burned off.  Remove from heat and mix in a bowl with the diced bell peppers.
4.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Directions to ensemble the lasagna:
1.  In a baking dish, first place a spoon full of sauce and a drizzle of EVOO.
2.  Place a cooked noodle on top.
3.  Spread a good amount of the kale, spinach, and ricotta mixture on top.
4.  Place another cooked noodle on top.
5.  Place a spoonful of the mushroom and bell pepper mixture on top and spread it.
6.  Place another noodle on top & continue to layer following the steps above in order.
7.  On the very top layer, add sauce on top of the noodle, and sprinkle with mozzarella.
8.  Place foil on top and bake for roughly 20 minutes.
9.  Remove the foil after 20 minutes and cook for another 15.
10. Broil for  another 5 until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown on top.
11. Cut the lasagna once it has cooled & enjoy!!!

Sweet and Spicy Asian Noodles

This is one of my favorite Asian inspired recipes, it is packed with flavor and because I use a pre-made sweet and sour sauce it is super quick! I used the veggies I had on hand, but feel free to use your favorite veggies or whatever is in your fridge. On a spicy scale of 1-5 I made the dish a 4 so if you like it less spicy do not add as much chili paste. I also used rice noodles, which are fairly simple to cook and use. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients
- 1 lb rice noodles (cooked and drained)
- 12oz extra firm tofu cut into 1" cubes
- 3 TBSP vegetable oil
- 3 cups veggies cut into 1" pieces (I used red bell pepper, mushroom, zucchini, broccoli, carrots)
- 1/4 cup La Choy Sweet and Sour Duck Sauce
- 2 TBSP fresh grated ginger
- 2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
- 2 TBSP Sambalal chili paste
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup salted peanuts

Directions

- In a small bowl combine, fresh ginger, duck sauce, soy sauce, chili paste and fresh cilantro.

- Heat 2 TBSP oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook until water is drained and tofu in browned on all sides about 7-9 minutes. Place cooked tofu in a small bowl to the side.
- Add additional TBSP oil and add veggies and peanuts and sautee until slightly tender but still crisp about 3-4 minutes, add cooked tofu to the veggies and turn the heat to high. Add duck sauce mixture to the veggies, bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes (Sauce should thicken slightly).
- Place noodles in a large bowl and add the veggie and duck sauce mixture and mix until noodles are coated with sauce and veggies are distributed evenly. Garnish with extra cilantro.
- Serve hot!

Serving size
- Serves 4-6

Very Berry Smoothie

Lately, I have become a smoothie addict.  So naturally, I have been playing around with tons of recipes.  Smoothies are not only a delicious treat but they are also very healthy & packed with nutrients.  This particular smoothie is packed with anti-oxdients, iron, vitamin K, & great for cardiovascular support...the list goes on and on.  Without further adieu,  here is today's recipe. 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup frozen organic mixed berries

4 oz tangerine juice

4 oz carrot juice

4 oz coconut water

1 TSBP almond butter

1 cup kale

1 cup spinach

2-3 cubes of ice

Optional - add protein powder, barley grass powder, chobani yogurt, etc.

Directions:

1.  In a blender, place berries, juices, & coconut water and blend on high speed for a couple of minutes.

2.  Add spinach, kale, almond butter, optional powders, & ice. 

3.  Blend until all ingredients are smooth and mixed well.     

Tom Kha Soup

I love Thai food! I've been trying out new and fun recipes native to the country, and one of the recipes I've come across that serves as an appetizer or can even be a complete meal is Tom Kha soup. It is a really flavorful dish that traditionally uses coconut milk, lemongrass, mushrooms, cilantro and I like to add tofu to make it more filling. The key for this soup is to let it simmer and really let the ingredients marry together for a good balance of flavors. I used fresh chili peppers for a little extra punch, but use as much or as little as you like. To really make this a complete meal add 1/4-1/3 cup of your favorite noodles!

Ingredients
- 2 TBSP grated ginger
- 3 stalks of fresh lemongrass or 1-1/2 TBSP lemongrass puree
- 8 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 TBSP lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 TBSP soy sauce
- 2-3 fresh chili's finely sliced
- 1 lb.'s fresh sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups extra firm tofu cubed.
- 1 cup sliced red bell pepper
- 1- 13oz can coconut milk
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro- chopped
- 1 TBSP sugar
- 2 TSP crushed red pepper or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
- Cut lemongrass in half lengthways and chop into 1 inch pieces.
- In a large pot add vegetable broth, soy sauce, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest and lime juice and boil on medium high then bring down to a slow simmer for about 15 minutes
- Strain soup base and discard lemongrass pieces.
- Add fresh sliced chili's, cilantro, mushrooms, red bell pepper and tofu and continue to simmer for additional 20 minutes. Add coconut milk, 1 TBSP sugar, crushed pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
- Let simmer for additional 10 minutes and serve hot with extra cilantro and lime wedges!

Serving suggestions
- Add noodles to make it a full meal.
- Make ahead of time and let sit overnight or 24 hours in the fridge, and the flavors will really pack a punch!

Casserole de Mexico

Hello friends & Happy Sunday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Today's recipe is one that I got from my hubby's cousin, who is a great baker and cook herself.  Casserole de Mexico, or Mexican Casserole, is not only quick and easy but it is also super healthy because it's packed with tons of veggies.  This is also a perfect weeknight dinner because we were able to cook, eat, and clean up in an hour!  Now that is what I call a successful weeknight dinner.  Don't forget to tell us how it turned out once you make it at home.

Ingredients:
1-2 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 cups spinach
2 cups baby kale
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 - 1.5 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 orange or red bell pepper, diced
1 can of Hot Rotel (liquid drained)
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
12 small corn tortillas (I used Marcela Valladolid Street Taco tortillas)
Pam or olive oil
pinch Mexican oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 - 1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese
fresh or pickled jalapeños (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375(F) degrees.
2.  Heat EVOO in a non stick skillet over medium to low heat & add Mexican oregano and pepper.
3.  Add frozen corn, then mushrooms, let some water release from the mushrooms.
4.  Add finely diced bell pepper, followed by spinach and kale.  Remove from heat as soon as the spinach and kale starts to wilt. 
5.  In a separate bowl, mix rotel, 1/2 cup cheese, beans, & sautéed veggies.  
6.  Add cumin, cilantro, and mix well. 
7.  In the same skillet used to sautee veggies, spray corn tortillas with Pam on both sides and heat until warm. 
8.  In a baking dish, spread a light layer of veggies at the bottom of the pan (this will be the only layer with a light amount of veggies).
9.  Place a layer of corn tortillas on top of veggies followed by a heavy layer of veggies.  
10.  Continue to layer in this same way until all of the tortillas are used up & the top layer is a heavy layer of veggies.  
11. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and jalapenos at the very end.
12. Cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on the very top has melted and most of the liquids from the veggies has evaporated. 
13.  Serve with your favorite hot sauce, avocados, chips or whatever your heart desires. 

On a side note, I know it may seem like this casserole may be dry because there is no sauce but the veggies do release a lot of water.  The casserole holds up really well and tastes great the next day so be sure to save it, that is if you have any left. :)      

Baked Casserole

     

Kale Chips

So this recipe may not be for everybody, but don't knock it until you try it! I'll admit I was pretty skeptical too, but I actually liked it! Kale is an awesome veggie, it's packing with vitamins, high in fiber, can help lower cholesterol levels, it's great for detoxing and the list goes on! The first time I tried it, I sprayed it with a little cooking spray and while some of the Kale became nice and crisp, the other leaves stayed a little chewy. The trick is to drizzle a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Whenever you see kale next at the grocery store (especially if it's on sale!) pick up a bunch and try this out!

Ingredients
- 5-6 cups washed and trimmed kale leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crushed pepper/chili powder (optional)

Directions
- Heat oven to 350.
- Spread trimmed kale leaves on a large baking sheet and make sure they are not overlapping each other. Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of olive oil all over the kale and toss with your hands lightly to coat leaves.
- Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and pepper, and some chili pepper (optional) if you like.
- Bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.
- Cool completely and enjoy!

Protein Packed PB Smoothie

If you've ever been to Jamba Juice, you may have heard of their Peanut Butter Moo'd Smoothie that is packed with protein.  It is by far and away, the only smoothie I drink from there...mainly because I usually tend to go there when I'm fasting and need something to fill me up and keep me going for a while.  Unfortunately, the smoothie is one of the pricier one's on their menu so I try not to go too often.  A few weeks back, I was browsing the net and ran into a recipe that replicated it and thought, that sounds delicious, I should def make that at home.  After trying it out, let me tell you, it was absolutely heavenly! The smoothie tasted exactly like that I get from Jamba and at a fraction of the cost, it was even sweeter.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 large ripe banana, peeled, cut, & frozen

2-3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

6 oz (roughly 3/4 cup) of non fat Greek Yogurt 

3/4 cup milk (I used Almond milk)      

1 TBSP agave, maple syrup, honey (optional - I did not add any additional sweetener)

1 TBSP peanut butter (I used the natural kind)

Drizzle of chocolate syrup (optional)

Directions:

1.  Place all of the ingredients in a blender, in the order listed, & blend on high until thick and smooth.  

2.  You may want to start out by using 2 TBSP of cocoa powder and then add on additional if needed.  

3.  Swirl chocolate syrup in a glass and pour smoothie on top if you opt to do so. 

4.  Add or remove ingredients according to your fancy and enjoy! 

P.S. This smoothie contains 23 grams of protein without the gross chalky after taste. 

Zucchini Bread

This recipe is from my sister-in-law- Priya, she loves to cook and bake just as much as I do, and she always finds these awesome recipes, and I can't thank her enough! So this weekend she made this yummy Zucchini bread and forwarded the recipe to me along with a sample and it was really yum! It is moist, sweet-but not too sweet, a little spicy and it's got zucchini in it! Try it out and let us know what you think!

Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini shredded
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1.5 TSP baking powder
-1 pinch of salt
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1 TSP ground cardamon (optional)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar-packed
- 1 cup oil
- 3 TBSP sour cream
- 1 TSP vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup greek vanilla yogurt.
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Whisk sugar, oil, sour cream, vanilla extract and yogurt in a bowl until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients in thirds and mix together. Add shredded zucchini and walnuts (optional) and mix until shreds and nuts are distributed evenly through out  batter.
- Pour batter evenly into two lightly greased loaf pans.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.

Smart Street Tacos

A while ago, I posted a picture on Instagram of some street tacos that my hubby whipped up one night for dinner and quite a few people asked for the recipe because they are roughly 38-46 calories each (depending on if you put cheese on top).  This has quickly become a "go to" meal in my house because it can be whipped up in 15 minutes total and I don't feel so bad for eating so many. ;)  Here's how we make our tacos at home.

Ingredients (for 1 taco):
3 TBSP cooked black beans
1 Marcela Valladolid brand Street Taco Corn Tortilla (found at Safeway or Tom Thumb grocery stores)
Handful of spinach (shredded)
Handful of tomatoes (diced)
1 tsp Mexican blend cheese
Fresh lime
Cilantro
Sliced avocado or guacamole (optional)
Hot sauce or salsa (optional)

Directions:
1.  Heat tortilla on a warm skillet for a minute or so (until it feels like a soft taco in consistency)
2.  Once tortillas are warmed up, spread guacamole on the tortilla, and add beans on half of it.
3.  Fold tortilla and add spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro. Squeeze lime on top and add hot sauce or any other condiments.
4.  Enjoy!

Here's a calorie breakdown per taco:
1 Street Taco corn tortilla - 25 calories
3 TBSP black beans - roughly 14 calories
1 tsp Mexican blend cheese - roughly 7 calories
Total calories = 46 if you use cheese...now that's something to scream about!!!

Street Taco Tortillas