Delish Sweet Potato/veggie burritos! YUMMMMMMMMM

During a road trip to Illinois for double bridal showers for Corynn and Jessi (my future sister-in-law),  Jessi was talking about her passion for cooking healthy, interesting food.  She definitely inspired me when she mentioned a sweet potato burrito recipe she had posted on pinterest.  That very night, I tried it.  YUM!  I used fresh cilantro from my garden, too... The lime/cilantro/avacado/salsa verde sauce was creamy and sooooo delicious!

Recipe Description

A healthy and flavorful “Mexican” treat… Smoky and sweet roasted vegetables tucked into a whole wheat tortilla along with black beans and cilantro
.

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, toss your raw veggies in olive oil and season with spices. Place in a large baking dish and roast in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, tossing around halfway through.

Let cool. Add your roasted veggies to a can of rinsed black beans. Add cilantro and squirt of lime juice. Combine gently. At this point, mixture can be stored for later use.

Warm your wheat tortillas or wraps in microwave according to directions on package. Spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray or olive oil spray.

Add two heaping tablespoons of vegetable and bean mixture to center of wrap. Top with shredded cheese. Fold over, fold in sides, place in pan and continue to roll the others. Place into your baking dish, seam side down so that they stay together.

Bake in 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Baking this way will make the tortilla wrap crisp. For a softer burrito, spray burrito with nonstick spray, then wrap in aluminum foil and bake for same amount of time.

Sauce: combine avacado, fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, and one cup (ish) of salsa verde. Blend with immersion blender and top burritos with this mixture.

Makes about 6 burritos.

Tip: Premake your burritos and wrap them in aluminum foil. Keep in refrigerator for 3-4 days for a quick lunch or dinner!

Taken from Tasty Kitchen: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/special-dietary-needs/vegetarian/roasted-veggie-and-black-bean-burritos/

Ingredients

• 2 whole Sweet Potatoes, Peeled And Cubed Small
• 2 whole Jalapenos Diced
• 1 whole Red Pepper, Diced Small
• 1 whole Red Onion, Diced Small
• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper
• 1 can Black Beans, Rinsed And Drained (15 Ounce Can)
• ½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 cups Shredded Cheddar
• 1 package Burrito-Sized Wheat Tortillas Or Wraps (6-10 Count)
• 1 cup of salsa verde (homemade or not)

DELI

Caprese bites - an old classic

Pastry dough

Pesto

Grape Tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese

Cut pastry dough into little squares and push into a mini cupcake pan.  Rub pesto in the pastry, add a grape tomato in each, (poke a hole in the tomatoes so that juice doesn't squirt out while you're biting it), and sprinkle cheese on top.  Put in the oven at 375 until pastry is golden.  Perfect party app!  This is another one I served at Corynn's bridal shower.

Caprese Pizza Dip

Caprese Pizza Dip with Cream Cheese, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Tomatoes, and Garlic..

serves about 6-8

1 pint grape tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 (12 ounces) blocks cream cheese, softened

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

8 ounces provolone cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves

crackers, bread or chips for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then roast for 20-25 minutes, until bursting. Set aside.

While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with about 7 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella, then and parmesan. Stir in fresh herbs, garlic and roasted tomatoes, mixing well to combine. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe baking dish (mine was 6 x 4 round). Sprinkle with remaining provolone and mozzarella. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers, chip or toasted bread.

Read more http://www.pincookie.com/caprese-pizza-dip-with-cream-cheese-mozzarella-parmesan-tomatoes-and-garlic/

Baked Brie Bites

Pinterest Recipe: AWESOME

This is an app I made for Corynn's shower on May 18th.  These were so delicious.  I substituted pastry dough for phyllo dough since I had phyllo dough on hand.  I will definitely make these again!

Baked Brie Bites

mini phyllo tarts

Ile de France brie, cubed

brown sugar

chopped pecans

honey

Preheat oven to 350.

Place a cube of brie in each phyllo tart.  Sprinkle each tart with approximately 1/2 tsp brown sugar.  Top with approximately 1/2 tsp chopped pecans and a dollop of honey.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until brie is melted. (use more or less of each ingredient according to your preference)

Fresh Salsa

It's finally warm........time to make fresh salsa!!!

Recipe from Whole Foods (I add some other things too)

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes (or a combination of tomatoes and fresh peaches, nectarines, mangoes or grapes)
• 1/3 cup chopped yellow or white onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro- or a lot more, since I love cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 jalapeño or serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Chopped red, yellow, and orange peppers
• 1 can of drained corn
• 1 can of black beans (rinsed)
• 1 avacado, cut into little pieces
• 3 tablespoons of garlic
• Cayenne pepper (sprinkle)
• 
  
• Method: 
  Put all ingredients into a bowl, toss well and serve chilled or at room temperature. Tastes better once everything has been sitting for awhile.

Happy Cinco de Mayo... Grilled Pork Tacos!

Chris made this, but I want to remember it so he'll make it again.  I wanted to be really 'festive' for Cinco de Mayo, so we had grilled pork tacos with fresh guac and margaritas. Yum!!!

Homemade Taco Seasoning:
4 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Use the above as a marinade for the pork.

Taco salsa:
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves fresh garlic
4 jalapenos, diced
2 diced tomatoes
lime juice to taste
cilantro
squirt of siracha and soy sauce
(Mix together and put in tacos)

Top with guacamole, cheese, lettuce, etc.

SO GOOD!  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Ancho Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Cream

It's a cold, wintery April 22nd.  To chase the blues, I wanted to make a fresh, exotic sounding meal.  It definitely worked! Yum!

Photo from today

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Cooking spray
• 1/8 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
• 1/4 cup light sour cream

• 2 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 ripe peeled avocado, diced
• 2 cups packaged angel hair slaw
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Preparation

1. 1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with chile powder, garlic salt, and cumin. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove chicken from pan.
2. 2. Combine rind, 1 tablespoon juice, and next 3 ingredients (through avocado) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
3. 3. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon juice, slaw, onions, cilantro, oil, and salt, tossing to coat.
4. 4. Heat tortillas according to directions. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top each tortilla with about 1 tablespoon avocado mixture and 1/4 cup slaw mixture.
   

Good meatloaf

2 lbs. ground turkey
8 oz can of tomato sauce (I omitted this since I didn't have any)
3 T soy sauce 
1 T onion powder
1 T dried parsley (I just put in other random spices since I didn't have this- some red pepper flakes, Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute, and a spicy pepper mix)
ground black pepper to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 whole eggs (you could use Egg Beaters if you want... I used free range eggs)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese (you want the powdery kind, like Kraft in a can, not shreds. This is the binder).
1 piece of raw bacon (trust me. I used Hormel frozen bacon, 40 calories in 1 slice) cut up as fine as you can
I also put in some ketchup and yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix everything together in a bowl. I use my hands. Mix, but not too much, because I've read that over mixing makes it not stay together well, which is what happened to me last time.

Put the mixture into a meatloaf dish. Smooth the top a bit. Bake uncovered for 1 hour 10 minutes. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes, then serve. Yummy! (p.s... it does NOT taste like soy sauce. At all. So don't worry about that). Hope you enjoy it!

cauliflower mashed "potatoes"

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

I HATE CAULIFLOWER.  Ever since I was in elementary school, and there was cheesy sauce with globs that I thought were broccoli.  I bit into it expecting cheesy wonderful broccoli, and was shocked to find that it was gross cauliflower.  Also, I LOVE mashed potatoes.  I tried this recipe because my twinnie Corynn made it for her low-carb eating fiance and couldn't believe that it was actually good.  IT WAS.  I made it for my suspicious boyfriend, and he loved it too!  He wanted seconds, and wanted to save some for lunch the next day!  I loved it, too.  Success!  This is a good, healthier alternative to regular mashed potatoes.  I added cheese and garlic for extra measure.

Top with chives (or whatever you normally like on your mashed potatoes) and you’ve got one heck of a side dish.

cauliflower mashed "potatoes" recipe

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 8 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower3 tablespoons milk1 tablespoon butter2 tablespoons light sour cream1/4 teaspoon garlic saltfreshly ground black peppersnipped chives

directions:

1. Separate the cauliflower into florets and chop the core finely.

2. Bring about 1 cup of water to a simmer in a pot, then add the cauliflower. Cover and turn the heat to medium. Cook the cauliflower for 12-15 minutes or until very tender.

3. Drain and discard all of the water (the drier the cauliflower is, the better) and add the milk, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash with a masher until it looks like "mashed potatoes." Top with chives.

http://www.steamykitchen.com/20966-cauliflower-mashed-potatoes-recipe.html 

Pan Fried Whitefish with Avocado/Corn/Chile Pepper salsa

1. I am shamelessly copying this from my bff Kyna William's blog.  However, this is SO GOOD, I want to make it again.  So i'm putting it on here. IT IS SOOOOOO GOOD. AND SO EASY. SO GOOD. SO EASY. SO GOOOOOD. 
2. 
   
3. 1 large poblano chile pepper, cut into thin strips
4. 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
5. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
6. 1 ear of corn, kernels cut off
7. 1 garlic clove, minced
8. 1/2 large Hass avocado, diced
9. Juice of 1/2 lemon
10. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
11. Salt and freshly ground pepper
12. Four 6-ounce flounder fillets
13. All-purpose flour, for dredging

1. In a large nonstick skillet, spread the poblano strips in an even layer and cook over high heat, without stirring, until lightly charred, 3 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and the onion and cook over moderate heat until the onion is lightly browned, 3 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the relish to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Gently fold in the avocado, lemon juice and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
2. Season the flounder with salt and pepper. Dredge the flounder in the flour, shaking off the excess. In each of 2 large, nonstick skillets, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add 2 fillets to each skillet and cook over moderately high heat until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook just until the fillets are white throughout, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the flounder to plates and top with the poblano relish.

Stuffed Pepper Enchiladas Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 small zucchini, cut into small pieces
• 1 28oz can enchilada sauce
• 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, shredded
• 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Juice from 1 lime

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut bell peppers in half, remove seeds, and microwave them for about 2-3 minutes in a microwave safe bowl or dish with about ½” water in the bowl. This will help soften the peppers.
3. Meanwhile, prepare quinoa according to package directions.
4. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, zucchini, beans, cilantro, onion, lime juice, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and salt & pepper together.
5. Place peppers in a large baking dish, cut side up, and fill each pepper evenly with the quinoa mixture.
6. Pour can of enchilada sauce over all the peppers and then top evenly with the shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil, but make sure the foil is not touching the cheese.
7. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes.

Healthy Turkey Meatloaf

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. of lean ground turkey, uncooked
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 egg
1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs

I added ketchup and mustard and zucchini to the mixture

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the uncooked ground turkey with the peppers and egg. Mix together until egg yolk has spread to all areas of the mixture (works best if you mix with your hands). Add the breadcrumbs and lightly mix around with hands (do not over touch the mixture). Put into a greased loaf pan in the oven for 40 minutes at 350°F or until center of loaf reads 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.This is such a healthy and easy recipe that tastes so good, especially as left overs for sandwiches the next day. Tastes great by itself or with some ketchup!

Turkey Veggie Quinoa

Creative title, yes?  I like to make this for lunches at work.  Easy to make, easy to warm up, and healthy.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
2 things of garlic
1 onion
3 stocks of celery
1 zucchini
1 tomato, chopped
1 can corn
1/2 cup quinoa (or more if you want)
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
chicken stock for quinoa
salt and pepper
(use any veggies you have on hand and any beans if you'd like also)

Cook quinoa according to directions with chicken stock. Saute onion and garlic, and cook turkey.  Add veggies and corn, and cook until tender.  Add spices, and add quinoa once done cooking.

This dish is so good, and perfect for easy lunches!

Cilantro Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken

My gym was handing out recipes and gave us stickers if we sent them pictures of us making their recipes.  This was one of them, and I LOVED IT!  It's so easy and DELICIOUS!  This was a grill recipe, but we used this panini press/griddler since there was 3 feet of snow outside.  We cut up some baby peppers and mixed those in the sauce as well, and it was soooo good.

Website description: An easy and versatile Mexican chicken. Great for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or all by its lonesome with some rice and beans! Recipefound at PrudencePennywise.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chickens
1/3 cup lime juice plus 1 teaspoon lime zest
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 chopped jalapeno or serrano pepper, optional
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems

Directions

Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, zest, olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, salt and pepper and honey. Set aside two tablespoons of mixture. Pour remaining mixture into zip lock bag. Add chicken and cilantro and squish bag to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Grill (or broil) chicken over medium high heat, about four minutes per side. Let rest for five minutes. Drizzle with reserved marinade and serve.

Number of Servings: 4

Quinoa, Zucchini and Corn in Lemon Butter

This recipe is so good!  I made it as a side to go with the Salmon and Chickpeas/tomatoes.  The description to the recipe said:

A delicious quinoa recipe that is savory and satisfying! The lemon, butter and honey add a wonderful and unique flavor to this salad, while the vegetables give it some added bulk, fiber and crunch. It makes a lovely side to a wide variety of meals.  High in fiber, and bulked up with fresh vegetables, this low calorie dish really helps to fill you up. Make it as a side for sandwiches or soup, or even serve it alone, on top of some fresh greens – it would make the perfect vegetarian lunch! Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 4 scallions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup corn, canned or frozen (defrosted if using frozen, drained if using canned)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp light butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Once quinoa has been cooked, place in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Place a medium sized skillet over medium high heat, melt butter in it, and then add in zucchini and garlic Cook until zucchini is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Then add in corn and honey cook until heated through.
3. Now add the corn/zucchini to the quinoa, along with the scallions and lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 4 scallions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup corn, canned or frozen (defrosted if using frozen, drained if using canned)
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp light butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Once quinoa has been cooked, place in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Place a medium sized skillet over medium high heat, melt butter in it, and then add in zucchini and garlic Cook until zucchini is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Then add in corn and honey cook until heated through.
3. Now add the corn/zucchini to the quinoa, along with the scallions and lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Sauteed Salmon with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

I wanted to find a salmon recipe that was a little 'different' and decided to try this.  It was delish!  You can still taste the salmon-y taste, but the tomatoes and chickpeas make it taste different, and more interesting.  I'm no Andrew Zimmerman, and don't have 100 descriptive words for tastes.  This one is also cheap since I had everything on hand.

INGREDIENTS:
2 salmon filets
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Directions:
1.Rub salmon with salt, pepper and paprika and set aside.
2.Spray a large, nonstick skillet with non fat cooking spray (since you can't use this spray on Calphalon, I used olive oil and it worked fine.)
3.Saute garlic until softened, 2-3 minutes.
4.Add salmon, top with remaining ingredients.
5. Cover and simmer on med-low heat for 15-20 mins or until salmon is cooked.

Prep time: 5 mins  Cooking time: 20 mins

Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

Chris and I made plans to go to Dirty P's (Don Pablo's) for ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-ENCHILADAS Tuesday.  However, we later found out that WED was enchilada night and TUES was ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT-FAJITAS.  We love fajitas, but were craving enchiladas by that point, so I decided to make them homemade.  I've made enchiladas before, and although the recipes that call for creamed chicken taste good, it freaks me out that it's basically like a can of salt and fat.  So I searched for a healthier but still yummy recipe.  This one has a homemade sauce recipe, and it was so easy!   It's also cheap, since I had almost all of the ingredients on hand.

SAUCE:
4 medium tomatoes, cut into pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled (I just used the pre diced garlic)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

'CHILADAS:
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (12 oz.)
4 small whole wheat tortillas (I used regular since I had them on hand)
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced green chilis

Directions:

1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil spray. (Make sure it has edges since the veggies will created yummy juices).  Place tomatoes, onion and garlic on sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until onion and garlic are golden. Remove vegetables, cool, and transfer to a blender. Add chili pepper, cumin, salt and pepper, and puree until smooth. Set a aside.
2
Prepare enchiladas: Combine paprika, cumin, and chili powder, in small bowl. Mix in oil and just enough water to form a paste. Rube paste on chicke. Set chicken aside for 15-30 minutes. Grill or broil chicken 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until juice runs clear when pricked with a fork. Cool. Cut into thin strips.
3
Lay tortillas on a work surface. Cover each with 1/4 of the chicken, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 2 tablespoons green chile. Roll up and place in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan, seam-side down. Cover with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees 17-22 minutes or until sauce bubbles.
4
Enjoy :].