i'm back with black bean hummus!

It's been awhile, but I'm back!  Over the last few months, I've been a little overwhelmed.  However, I can officially say that I'm leaving the high school I've been at for the last three years.  It is definitely bittersweet, but I'm moving onto middle school--eighth grade to be exact!

 

David graduated law school in May.  He was the student speaker at graduation, and did an amazing job!  In other exciting news, David and I are moving to Atlanta towards the end of the summer!  So many big changes, but we are very excited!

As you can see, we have had a lot going on!

With so much going on lately, we've been sticking to the regular rotation of our staple dinners and snacks.  But now that summer is here, I have a little bit more free time to work in the kitchen!  Recently, I had some Eat Well Embrace Life Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Hummus.  I loved it! 

So I set out to make my own version.  I love homemade hummus so much more than store bought.  It turned out to be great!  Typically, hummus recipes call for tahini (roasted sesame seed paste).  I am not a fan of the taste, so I leave it out, and I don't miss it!

Black Bean Hummus

1 (15oz) can black beans, drained

1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained

2 cloves minced garlic

1 lime, squeezed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Add a diced jalapeno.

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and puree.

Slowly add additional chili powder for more heat if desired.

ENJOY :)

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (no cream/dairy-free)

It is extremely cold outside, so in my world, that calls for soup.  While I love a good can of soup, I have grown to love making it.  My mama was telling me about an amazing tomato soup she had eaten several nights before, and once she said it, I had to have it.  I wanted to make sure it was truly healthy, meaning no cream!  I also wanted it to be dairy-free.  I came across several different recipes and put something really good together! It tastes even better without the cream!

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Makes 8 servings

4 cups roasted cherry tomatoes

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp fresh basil

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

2 cans low sodium diced tomatoes

6 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons garlic salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 sweet onion, diced

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Pepper

Parmesan to top soup

Cover the cherry tomatoes lightly in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast them at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot.  Once warm, add diced onion and garlic to pot and sauté for 3-4 minutes.  Add in the roasted tomatoes and stir.  Now, add chicken broth, garlic salt, garlic powder, basil, canned tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.  Stir and bring to a boil. 

Once boiling, bring back down to a simmer and cover for 25 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, purée the soup to the consistency of your liking and enjoy!

spinach-cauliflower pizza crust

When David and I starting dating I was convinced he wouldn't like dating me. I didn't like going to the same kind of restaurants he did. David has a much greater appreciation for food than me.  In that time of my life my food groups consisted of chicken nuggets/tenders, mac and cheese, and Lean Cuisines.  Obviously, I was really sophisticated.  Since we've been together, he has convinced me to broadened my horizons.  I have even tried fish and liked it!  

That's why I think he's shocked when I tell him what's for dinner sometimes.  I think he's wondering what happened to his chicken nugget eater.  After we ate spaghetti the other night, I had plenty of leftover marinara.  I thought it would taste so good on pizza.  Once I thought about pizza, I had to have it.  I had seen a very popular pin on Pinterest for mini cauliflower pizzas.  Of course, it called for bread crumbs.  So I decided to get inventive.  And I came up with spinach-cauliflower mini pizzas.

I was facetiming with a friend when my test crust came out.  I showed it to her, and even I was skeptical.  I mean, it didn't really look like typical pizza crust.  But when I tasted it, the flavor and consistency was perfect for pizza!

So without further ado...

Spinach-Cauliflower Mini Pizzas

1 bag frozen cauliflower

1 package frozen chopped spinach

1/2 ground flax seed meal

1 tbsp and 1 tsp chia seeds (optional)

1/4 cup skim milk mozzarella 

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg and 1 egg white

Toppings

Marinara

Pesto

Chicken

Turkey pepperoni

Tomato

Basil

Roast cauliflower at 350 for 20-25 minutes, and cook spinach.  Once the spinach is cooked, press the excess water out and set aside.

After the cauliflower is roasted, turn the oven up to 425. In a large bowl, rice the cauliflower and mix in the spinach.  Coat mixture in beaten eggs and then add the rest of the ingredients evenly.  Using either a slipmat or parchment paper, make small balls out of the mixture and flatten them out. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until edges are browned.

Once your crusts have cooked, add your toppings and broil them for about five minutes!  

We tried pesto pizzas with tomato, mozzarella, basil, and chicken.  And also, traditional pepperoni pizzas with marinara and mozzarella!

skinny frozen hot chocolate

I have mentioned here that David is in the midst of studying for finals.  During this time, I try to make it my goal to make him a healthy treat every now and again.  I'll never forget the year my dad gave my mama frozen hot chocolate packets from Serendipity 3 for Christmas.  We all enjoyed her present!  Last week, I researched the "healthiest" hot chocolate mix.  I came up with Swiss Miss Diet.  It has 4 carbs and 2 grams of sugar.  

Husband loved his study treat!  It had the perfect amount of sweetness and chocolate.

This wintery treat has less than 4 net carbs and 4 grams of sugar per serving.

Skinny Frozen Hot Chocolate

Serves 2-4

2 packets of Swiss Miss Diet Hot Chocolate

3/4 cup skim milk

2 tbsp Breyers CarbSmart Chocolate icecream

1 cup ice

Mix milk and hot chocolate mix together well.  Add everything to blender and pulse until smooth.

Optional: Marshmallow topping!  I zapped some marshmallows in the microwave and topped David's drink with them and shaved chocolate for the full hot chocolate effect!

cheesy spaghetti squash and spinach

I am very fortunate to have a husband that will try anything once.  Often times, when I tell him about what I'm going to invent in the kitchen, I immediately follow it with, "we can always go out to eat if it is a total fail!"  Well tonight, we got to stay home, because my invention turned out so good!  I absolutely love spaghetti squash and finding new ways to use it.  

David is in the midst of studying for finals, so our dinners are quick.  Since dinner is his only break at night, we usually watch tv.   It's the perfect mindless and hilarious way to get him through the rest of the night.

 Cheesy Spaghetti Squash and Spinach

Serves 6-8

1 spaghetti squash

1 package frozen spinach

1 tsp minced garlic (divided)

1/3 cup light/fat free whipped cream cheese

1/3 cup shredded cheese (colby jack or mild cheddar)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese + some to sprinkle on top

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic salt

Preheat to 375.  Cut spaghetti squash in half and place face down on a rimmed baking sheet.  Add 1/4 inch water to baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes.  When done, cut oven temperature down to 350.

While it is baking, cook spinach.  Once it is halfway cooked, add 1/2 tsp garlic to spinach.  When it is done, press water out.  In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together with spinach.  Once spaghetti squash is done, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix together well.  Add contents to baking dish.  Cover the top in shredded parmesan cheese.  

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Broil for last 3-4 minutes to create a "crust" on top.

ENJOY!

thankful thursday

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you are having a wonderful holiday!  We definitely are!  The dogs are playing, and we are relaxing.  They are sweet together.  Hazel loves her cousin-dog!

What I've really come to talk to you about today is food.  Holidays are the hardest when you are trying to stay healthy.  However, it is doable!  I remember growing up.  We would go to my gramma's house, and there would be a giant spread of sweets.  They weren't there just after dinner, they were there all day/night long!  And they were delicious!  I knew this year, beyond having some sides that would be healthy, I wanted to make a dessert that I could safely indulge in.

I mentioned to my dad that I saw a crustless pumpkin pie on Instagram that looked good.  He did a little research and found me the perfect recipe, for mini crustless pumpkin pies!  They turned out wonderfully!  They are gluten-free, flour-free, and packed with protein.  The perfect treat!

I did not vary from Taralynn's recipe at all, here it is! 

Mini Crustless Pumpkin Pies

For pies:

1 (15oz) can of pumpkin puree 

1 egg white

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder

1 tsp baking soda

1tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

For frosting:

10 tbsp vanilla greek yogurt

1 tsp honey

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat to 350.  Mix pumpkin puree and egg white together.  Next, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Fill muffin cups in pan a little over half way each.

Bake 20-24 minutes.

While they are baking, mix together the frosting ingredients.  Refrigerate until use.

And that's it!  Enjoy!

skinny croutons

I got you at skinny right?  Well I wouldn't call them healthy, but I would call them much healthier than the normal crouton.  And tastier!

I usually buy a loaf of bread every few weeks for David to make sandwiches.  He really likes some store brand, in-house made breads.  As I was perusing the breads that Kroger makes, I came across their Private Selection line.  They make a Sugar Free 100% Whole Wheat bread.   Amazing!  I have been buying it for David, and he loves it.  It tastes like normal bread!  The only downside is that it is  100 calories per slice.

When I got on my salad kick last week, I thought it would be fun to experiment with croutons.  It was so easy!  David loved them and has even requested more since.  Using roughly six of these croutons only adds about 25 or 30 calories to your salad!  I used both end and middle slices with success.  I promise it will be the perfect extra crunch to jazz up your salad.

Skinny Croutons

Makes 8 servings

Olive Oil

Garlic Salt

Rosemary (dried)

Preheat to 300.  Cut each slice of bread into five rows and then each row into 5 pieces.  

For me, each piece of bread made about 20-25 croutons. I put all of the pieces of bread in a bowl, drizzled olive oil on, sprinkled them with garlic salt and a couple pinches of rosemary.  Toss it all together.  Be sure not to use too much olive oil.  Just a very light coating.

Spread the pieces out on a baking sheet so they are not touching.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Then toss them on your salad!

honey-dijon fall berry salad

This salad recipe is literally the best salad I've ever tasted.  Unfortunately, it didn't have a great start.  It seems as though I have an ongoing battle with knifes in the kitchen on this blog.

Originally, I was going to put homemade apple chips on top of the salad.  I pulled out the mandolin for the first time.  I was really excited about making the apple chips because it seemed so easy.  Without a second thought, I began sliding the apple up and down the mandolin.  I realized I was good at slicing so picked up the pace.  The upbeat tempo cause a downhill, painful slice.

My pinky got caught in the blade.  I won't go into details, but it was not pretty.  The husband came flying out of his office and immediately helped fix the situation.  I was in a bad way.  This was also when I learned that mandolins have safety guards (you can only imagine my fury.)  I laid down for a bit, and he finished cutting the apple.  When the ibuprofen kicked in, I got back to work on my salad.  Note: You will notice that the apple chips did not make the recipe...they did not turn out. So my pain was for no gain :(

Above you will see a picture perfect salad.  I learned from the best (my mom), how to make salads look pretty before you toss it all together to serve.  The flavors just magically came together.  It was beautiful.  So beautiful, that we have eaten it three nights this week.

Honey-Dijon Fall Berry Salad

For dressing:

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup EVOO

Salt

Pepper

For salad:

1 bag of romaine lettuce

Walnuts/Pecans (Cinnamon, Splenda, and butter)

Gorgonzola cheese

Dried berries (Aldi has a great triple berry!)

For dressing: Whisk all ingredients throughly.  Refrigerate until use.  Shake or whisk before pouring over salad.

For salad: Melt 1 tbsp of butter and pour over nuts.  Stir in equal parts cinnamon and Splenda (or sugar if you prefer).  Heat nut mixture in a skillet over medium heat, continually stirring for about 5-7 minutes.  If they start to blacken, they are burning.  Set aside to dry.

Add crumbled gorgonzola and dried berries to the lettuce.  Once the nuts dry, add them as well.  Toss salad in dressing and serve!

parmesan-peppercorn wedge salad

I guess you could say I'm officially on a salad kick!  Currently, we have two heads of lettuce, and two different bags of lettuce in our refrigerator.  David doesn't seem to mind all of the greenery on his plate, especially because I have been making my own dressings!  I'm sure most people would agree with me, homemade dressing always tastes better!  Plus you have the added benefit of knowing exactly what is in it!  At the end of the week, I will have made four homemade dressings to share with you, and I'm really excited about it!  Anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm really picky about salad and generally have to be in the mood to eat it.  However, I have recently come to love it.  

Last week, I bought pecans, walnuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, feta, gorgonzola, and dried berries.  I also got a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette--just incase I didn't have any homemade on hand.  We already had a few other salad toppings in the refrigerator.  I thought it would be easier to eat salad if they tasted GOOD.  So to motivate myself, I invested in an assortment of salad toppings.  So far, we've had a few greek salads and salads with gorgonzola and bacon vinaigrette.  But last night we added to our salad rotation--and it's a definite keeper!

I knew I wanted to make a wedge salad to go with some leftover cauliflower soup.  I found an article by Bon Appetit magazine that really helped me decide what to do.  I found myself googling peppercorn salad dressings, because I really love peppercorn flavored foods and came across one I really liked.  I had to make some adjustments, for my personal tastes.  But, a huge thank you to Simply Scratch for introducing me to this dressing!

Parmesan-Peppercorn Wedge Salad

For Dressing:

2 minced garlic cloves

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

3 tbsp parmesan cheese

6 tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream (I used a olive oil based mayo)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 + 1/8 tsp ground peppercorn

For Salad:

1 head of lettuce

Crumbled bacon

Chopped tomato

Croutons

For the dressing: Mix the dry ingredients together first, then whisk in the vinegar and mayo.  Refrigerate before topping your salad.

For the salad: Slice the stem off your head of lettuce and divide it into 4 parts.  Drizzle dressing on and add additional toppings.

gorgonzola, candied pecan, and bacon vinaigrette salad

A couple days ago during my government class, I reminded the students it was election day.  Then the following conversation occurred.  This is real life, all statements are true.

Me: Does anyone remember what type of elections are taking place in the state of Georgia today?

(Several hands go up, but I called on an extremely excited girl bouncing out of chair with hand in air.)

Student: The presidential election!  We get a new president!

(Class bursts into laughter and tears.)

Student: Oh wait, that's not right.  I think I'm confused, who is the president again?

In this little girl's defense, she has probably only been in my class a total of eight days all year.  She is frequently absent.  But still, really?

I've been scouring the internet the past few days for a fall salad.  I had a few flavors in mind and I searched for a recipe that would bring them all together.  Unfortunately, that was hard to come by.  So instead, I ended up piecing together the different flavors I wanted in my salad by pulling together different recipes I found.

The end result was amazing.  During dinner, David said he could eat it every day.  It definitely made me feel good about how this salad turned out!  We both devoured our dinners.

Gorgonzola, Candied Pecan, and Bacon Vinaigrette Salad
Serves 4

1 bag of hearts of romaine lettuce
5 oz gorgonzola cheese
1/4 cup pecans
1 tsp Splenda
3 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp bacon (we used turkey bacon)
1/2 tsp minced onion
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Splenda brown sugar (or regular)
Salt
Pepper
Optional: Cranberries, blackberries, or baked chicken strips

Heat up a skillet with a little butter in it.  Add the pecans and stir around.  Next add the Splenda and stir continuously for several minutes so that the sugar does not burn.  Once the pecans are a nice brown color, put them on a paper plate or towel and let them dry.

Put the lettuce in a bowl.  In a jar mix the remaining ingredients (EVOO, vinegar, bacon, onion, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper) together with a whisk or put on a lid and shake.  Once blended, pour over lettuce and stir.  Cover the lettuce well.  Then add pecans and gorgonzola cheese.  Toss the salad more and enjoy!

butternut squash noodles with spinach, ricotta, and toasted pecans

I've made a lot of zoodles (zucchini noodles) recently.  With pasta being my first love--sorry David, I am always looking for ways to make similar dishes no carb!  I absolutely love my Paderno Spiral Veggie Slicer.  I mean seriously!  And they are on sale right now, so it is the perfect time to get yourself one if veggie noodles interest you!  

I got the idea to spiral a butternut squash the other day.  I've been wanting to try something other than zucchini for awhile... and I'm REALLY glad I did!  I was trying to think of fall flavors to incorporate in my dish.  I have never made up a dish before, so I was really nervous.  I even had a back up dinner ready to go if it failed miserably!

Fortunately, that back up dinner did not get made.  The butternut squash noodles turned out to be amazing.  All of my flavors came together so well.  It felt like fall melting in my mouth!

This is a easy to make recipe that I know you will love.  I get hungry all over again thinking about it!  It would also be good with regular pasta!

Butternut Squash Noodles with Spinach, Ricotta, and Toasted Pecans

Serves 4

1 large butternut squash

1 package of frozen leaf spinach

1 2.25 oz package of pecans

4 tbsp low fat ricotta cheese

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

2 large chicken breasts

2 tsp minced garlic

Olive oil

Garlic salt

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

Spiral butternut squash.

Toss pecans on greased sheet pan and toast them for 5 minutes.  Then, set aside.

Season chicken breasts with garlic salt and pepper.  Cook in skillet for 10 minutes, or until done.

Cook spinach as package instructs.  

While chicken and spinach cook, heat up olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in large skillet until fragrant.  About 2-3 minutes.  Be careful not to let the garlic burn.  Then toss in the butternut squash noodles.  Cook until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked spinach, squash noodles, and toasted pecans.  Lastly, stir in ricotta and parmesan cheese.  Once everything has melted, serve it up with sliced chicken on top!  

And enjoy!

If you try it, let me know what you think!

After dinner we finally got around to carving our pumpkin.  Isn't he a cutie?

strong women and onions

Grandmas are awesome right?

I've been very fortunate to have two awesome grandmothers in my life.  Both demonstrated what strong women do when faced with tough times.  I've watched both of them live without the loves of their lives at different points, and both of them handled it with much grace.  And in my eyes, they both "can do" anything.  Seriously, anything.  Especially cook!  Maybe that's where I got my love for it?  

Now my mama's mother is the only grandparent I still have living.  Since my grandfather passed away in February 2011, I have gotten to know a whole new side of her.  Living without my grandfather has been hard, and its created challenges for her.  But she has handled it far better than anyone could have imagined.  

My Grandma and I on my wedding day!

Every time I'm with her, I learn something new.  One day, I learned that she was the first baton twirler Arizona State University, and another day, how to sew a button on.  I enjoyed my summer vacations, because I get to spend more time with her.  During the school year I live an hour and a half away from her, so we have to settle for phone calls.  She always makes a point to call and tell me when watermelons are on sale, because she knows David loves them.  She loves her family well.

This past summer, she taught me to make a few simple recipes.  We went through a cookbook that came with her first microwave oven!  One night, she took my mama and I to a huge dinner.  When we got back to her place, she said she wanted to show me how to cook an onion.  We were stuffed but also intrigued.

She took a small dish and put a whole sweet onion in it.  She sliced it down all of the sides like a blooming onion.  Then, smeared butter over it and covered it in lemon pepper.  Lastly, she covered it in saran wrap and stuck in the microwave for 5 minutes.

When it came out, I couldn't believe my eyes!  It smelled amazing.  It just fell apart!  The butter had soaked in and the onion was so tender!  When mama and I tasted it, we were impressed.  The lemon pepper flavor was not strong.  It was just perfect--melt in your mouth perfect.

Since then I have made David a couple of what we call fake "blooming onions."  And each one takes me back to that night, sitting in her kitchen.

Fake Blooming Onion

Serving 2

1 sweet onion

1 tbsp butter (or spray it down with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!)

Lemon pepper

Place onion in small microwave safe dish.  Make slices down the sides of the onion to create a petal effect.  Smear butter all over the onion.  Cover in lemon pepper (to your liking).

Microwave for 5 minutes or until onion is fall apart tender.

ENJOY the sweet goodness!

Hazel has two places she loves to lay while I'm in the kitchen.  I couldn't help but capture her latest spot on camera!