Chicken Noodle Casserole

I decided to make this for dinner last week because my husband had a cold. You know, the change of weather sniffles, sneezing, sore throat, etc. Don't worry, he's doing better now. Maybe it was this casserole that helped him out!

This was a really comforting meal that tasted like chicken noodle soup in a casserole! It was easy to make with ingredients that you probably have on hand. Although my husband said he couldn't really taste it (poor thing!) he said he liked the texture. But I'll vouch on the taste - it was great!

Ingredients
Source: www.Allrecipes.com

2/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
1/2 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers (I added this)

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. (I cooked the chicken first, then added the onions and garlic). Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.

Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle crushed crackers over entire casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Minestrone Soup

Since the weather started cooling off, I've been in the mood for SOUP. Every lunch and dinner, all I want is soup, soup and more soup.

Minestrone has always been a favorite of mine, but I've never made it! I finally decided it was high time that I did.

So on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I made a batch of this for work day lunches. It is SO delicious and I know that it freezes beautifully. Make a few batches for your fridge, and then put a few more in your freezer. To thaw from your freezer, just put on your countertop overnight. In the morning, just put it in your refrigerator to store until you are ready to heat it up. This soup is hearty, flavorful and just so comforting.

So get yourself a slice of fresh Italian bread and a bowl of this hot soup and watch the bright red-orange leaves float to the ground outside your window.

Ingredients
Adapted from Epicurious.com, originally from Gourmet Magazine, March 1993

1/2 pound (about 1 1/4 cups) dried white beans such as Great Northern, picked over and rinsed 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound pancetta (Italian cured pork belly, available at Italian markets and specialty foods shops) or sliced lean bacon, chopped (I used bacon)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 rib of celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice (I used one very large zucchini)
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound boiling potatoes
4 cups shredded green cabbage (preferably Savoy) (I omitted)
1/2 pound kale, rinsed, drained, stems discarded, and the leaves chopped (about 6 cups)
a 28-ounce can tomatoes, chopped coarse and drained well
4 1/2 cups chicken broth (preferably low-salt)
2-3 springs rosemary, chopped (I added this)
2-3 springs thyme, chopped (I added this)

Directions

In a large bowl let the white beans soak in enough water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak them. Drain the white beans, in a saucepan combine them with enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and simmer them, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep them barely covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender. Add the salt and simmer the white beans for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the white beans stand, uncovered.

In a heavy kettle cook the pancetta in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp and pale golden, add the onion, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the carrots, the celery, and the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, the green beans, and the potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, kale, rosemary and thyme and cook the mixture, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted. Add the tomatoes and the broth and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour.

Drain the white beans, reserving the liquid, in a blender or food processor purée half of them with 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and stir the purée and the remaining white beans into the soup. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 15 minutes, thin it if desired with some of the remaining reserve liquid, and season it with salt and pepper. The soup may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled, or frozen. Reheat the soup, thinning it with water as desired.

Zucchini Stew

In the summer when I have zucchini completely overtaking my garden, this is a recipe I make quite often. It's simple, easy and adaptable. Chances are, you'll have everything you need for it right in your pantry. It's also vegan which I find to be a nice chance of pace during the week. I usually serve it over white rice or pasta.

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 28 oz. can of diced or petit diced tomatoes
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock (optional)
salt
pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for aprox. 30 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. If mixture becomes too thick, add chicken stock (you could even just add water or vegetable stock if you want to keep this completely vegan) and thin the sauce to your preference. Check again for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper if need be.

Once zucchini is tender, serve hot over a bed of pasta or rice. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Also makes great left overs!

Zucchini "Fries"

As soon as I saw these on Two Peas & Their Pod, I decided to make them that night! I had fresh zucchini in my fridge and these looked too great to wait another minute on.

I was NOT disappointed with these! These were amazing - even my husband ate them and said I could make them any time! During the summer I plant zucchini and always have a TON of them on hand from my garden, so I will definitely remember this recipe for the summer!

These are great for a side on many different main courses. Sandwiches, burgers, meat, etc...these fries will go with a lot! I used marinara sauce to dip them in which was great. I absolutely loved these and will absolutely make them again and again!

Ingredients
Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

1 zucchini, cut into sticks
2 eggs
splash of milk (about 2 tbsp)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
marinara sauce for dipping

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and line a large baking dish with foil and spray with non stick spray.

Set up a breading station. On one plate, add flour. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with a fork. On another plate add panko and cheese and mix together. Season zucchini sticks with salt and pepper.

One by one, dredge zucchini sticks in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then press into panko until completely coated. Place on baking sheet side by side, until all zucchini sticks are breaded.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown - flip after 10 minutes and serve hot with marinara sauce.

Zucchini

Creamy White Bean Soup

I absolutely love making soup. Soup recipes tend to make a lot, so not only do I get to enjoy it for dinner, I also get to enjoy it for subsequent lunches at work. This is a healthy soup that is easy to make.

This soup is flavorful, healthy and hearty. The beans create a wonderful creaminess to the soup, especially when blended. The kale adds so much color and flavor, that I seriously load this soup with it! I really love this recipe and will definitely make it again and again.

Ingredients
Adapted from The Daily Green, originally published in Good Housekeeping

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans (15 1/2 to 19 ounces each) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2-3 springs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 cups water
1 head fresh kale
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Optional - aprox. 1 cup cooked small pasta (I used little stars)

Directions
In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add beans, broth, pepper, thyme, and water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim tough stems from kale and discard; thinly slice leaves.

With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups bean and vegetable mixture from soup; set aside. Blend the rest of the soup with an immersion blender and puree until smooth.

Stir in reserved beans, vegetables and pasta (if using). Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in kale and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Serve with Parmesan, if you like.

Shrimp Farfalle

I've been eating a lot of shrimp lately. It's quick, easy and makes for a perfect weeknight protein. I've been eating less meat (especially red meat) so for me, shrimp is a great alternative. I feel like like I'm eating a meat, and shrimp is always such a treat.

This was one of those "clean out your pantry" type of meals. I just mixed up a bunch of things that I had on hand, and it worked out REALLY well! This pasta dinner was so flavorful, light and healthy. I really loved this and will certainly make it again.

Ingredients
1/2 12 oz. box farfalle pasta
1/2 head fresh broccoli, trimmed and chopped into medium pieces
8-10 precooked shrimp, thawed and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
1.5 cups chicken stock
aprox. 2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 fresh tomato, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped
salt
pepper
fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. During the last 3 or 4 minutes of cook time for the pasta, add fresh broccoli to the pasta water (keeping the pasta in the pot). Cook until pasta is done and broccoli is bright green and slightly softened. Be careful not to cook the broccoli too long - 3 minutes is about all you'll need. Drain pasta and broccoli and set aside.

In a large saucepan sprayed with non stick spray over medium-high heat, add shrimp. Cook until seared, about 2-3 minutes then flip shrimp to their other side and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken stock, lemon juice and thyme leaves and whisk in corn starch until well combined. Cook until thickened, and season with salt and pepper. When sauce has thickened sufficiently, add pasta, broccoli and tomato to the saucepan. Toss everything together and serve hot. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Salmon En Papillote

Salmon en Papillote is something that I've been meaning to make for a long time, but just haven't gotten around to. I definitely thought the hardest part about making this was trying to get the parchment paper to stay folded around the salmon! So, it was pretty easy. Perfect for a weeknight.

The result of this recipe was a super flavorful, very moist salmon fillet with a decidedly Mediterranean feel. Also, with the addition of fresh veggies and herbs, you have yourself quite a nice dinner all in one "Papillote."

Ingredients
Adapted from RecipeZaar

1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small carrot, julienned
1/2 lemon
1 tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
5 tablespoons white wine
1-2 (3 1/2 ounce) salmon fillets
light feta cheese
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine the onion, garlic, tomato, carrots and thyme in a bowl with the wine. Lightly squeeze lemon half over the onion mixture and mix together. Slice 2-3 thin pieces of lemon and set aside. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place in a bowl and pour over the marinade. Leave for 5 minutes.

Lay out 1 large sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray and put a piece of salmon in the center. Spoon over the marinade and cover the fish, top with lemon slices and fold the paper to make a packet. Place in a dish and bake for 15 minutes or until fish is opaque in the center and flakes easily. Open the pouch, sprinkle feta cheese over the fish and serve.

Steak & Guinness Pie

I decided to try and make my husband an Irish meal for St. Patrick's Day this year. I'm not Irish at all, but he is. Neither of us like the traditional St. Patrick's day fare of "Corned Beef & Cabbage" so I went on the hunt for a meal with Guinness. He likes Guinness to drink, and I like it to cook with. So when I found Jamie Oliver's recipe I thought it looked like a winner.

Besides the fact that this isn't the prettiest meal I've made, it was certainly delicious. I swapped out the puff pastry for my pie dough because my husband requested it that way (he loves my pie dough) and added a few more carrots and celery then what was called for. But besides that, I followed the recipe as it was. I have to say, when I saw that the recipe called for cheese I was a little hesitant but it added SO much complexity and depth of flavor. I absolutely loved the cheese in it. I got an imported Irish Stout cheese and it was very strong, but lent itself perfectly to this pie. This was a meal my husband and I both loved and I'm pretty sure I'll be making it again next year!
Ingredients
Adapted from: Jamie Oliver

olive oil
3 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
30g butter, plus extra for greasing (This is 2 tablespoons)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped (I used 4 small carrots)
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped (I used 2 sticks)
4 field mushrooms, peeled and sliced (I omitted)
1kg brisket of beef or stewing beef, cut into 2cm cubes (I used venison)
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 x 440ml can of Guinness (no lager, please!)
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
200g freshly grated Cheddar cheese (I used Kerrygold Dubliner with Irish stout cheese)
500g best-quality ready-made all-butter puff pastry (I used 1 recipe Pie Dough)
1 large free-range or organic egg, beaten
Directions

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. In a large ovenproof pan, heat a glug of olive oil on a low heat. Add the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes – try not to colour them too much. Turn the heat up, add the garlic, butter, carrots and celery and scatter in the mushrooms. Mix everything together before stirring in the beef, rosemary, a pinch of salt and a level teaspoon of pepper.

Fry fast for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water (I used about 2.5 cups) to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours. Remove the pan from the oven and give the stew a stir. Put it back into the oven and continue to cook it for another hour, or until the meat is very tender and the stew is rich, dark and thick. A perfect pie filling needs to be robust, so if it’s still quite liquidy, place the pan on the hob and reduce until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese, then season carefully and leave to cool slightly.

Cut about a third of the pastry off the block (or half of the pie dough). Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll both pieces of pastry out evenly with a floured rolling pin to the thickness of a pound coin. Butter a deep pie dish, then line with the larger sheet, leaving the edges dangling over the side. Tip the stew into your lined dish and even it out before sprinkling over the remaining cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little beaten egg.

Cut the other rolled sheet of pastry to fit the top of the pie dish and criss-cross it lightly with a sharp knife. Place it over the top of the pie and fold the overhanging pastry on to the pastry lid to make it look nice and rustic. Brush the top with beaten egg, then bake the pie directly on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, until the pastry is cooked, puffed and golden. Delicious served simply with peas.

Lentil Soup

I've recently become a big fan of lentil soup. It was never anything I ate as a child, but I tried it for something different and was really impressed with it. It's very hearty, filling and good for you. And it tastes just great. So after trying a pre-packaged lentil soup mix which I liked, I made it myself the next time and was thrilled with the results.

This soup was quick to come together and just tasted great. It makes a lot, so be prepared to either freeze some or bring it lunch for a few days after you make it! It's a nice, satisfying soup that will make you feel good about eating it without sacrificing flavor!

Ingredients
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living magazine

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cups water
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 cups dry pasta (I used shells)
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Directions
In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring salted water to a rolling boil. Add shells and cook about 7-8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook carrot, celery, and shallot until tender, about 6 minutes. Add water, chicken stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in cooked pasta and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with vinegar to taste. Drizzle with oil and serve.

Black Bean Burgers

I decided to make these after I baked some kaiser rolls and had leftovers. Because freshly baked bread can go bad pretty quickly, I wanted to use these up. I didn't want to make a traditional burger since I'm trying to eat less meat, nor did I want to just make a sandwich. Then all the stars aligned and Katie posted a black bean burger on her blog, Good Things Catered. Perfect!

It's funny, after being a vegan for 5 years and a vegetarian for another 5 years (betcha' didn't know that about me!), I had never had a black bean burger. I had veggie burgers a lot but a black bean burger was never something I was attracted to. Boy, was I missing out.

These were SO flavorful and had an absolutely perfect texture. And they were so easy and adaptable to just about anything you have on hand in your pantry! Even my hunter meat loving husband was impressed. I adapted the portions and the procedure because I don't have a food processor, and 4 big burgers were too many for us. To say I'll make these again is an understatement since I've already made them again! These are a new staple in our house!

Ingredients
Adapted from Good Things Catered

1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed well
1/4 medium yellow onion, minced well
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, shredded finely
1 egg
1/4 c. herbed bread crumbs
1 sprig thyme, chopped
3 green onions, green parts only, chopped finely
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment. Using a fine meshed sieve over the sink, add shredded carrots and press out all moisture using your fingers. Then in a large bowl combine all ingredients and mash well with a potato masher.

Using hands (if mixture is relatively goopy, don't worry), place bun-sized patties onto baking sheet. Put into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges have crisped up and burgers are cooked through. Remove from oven and serve on a fresh roll with nice thick tomato slices and fresh lettuce.

Chili with Cornbread Dumplings

I've been making this recipe for years now. It's healthy, flavorful, filling and is so easy to put together. The chili itself is on the mild side, so if you like really spicy chili I'd suggest putting more red pepper or chili powder in. But for me, this is perfectly spiced.

The addition of the cornbread dumplings really makes this dish for me. It's unexpected but goes just perfectly with the chili itself. Another great thing about this chili is it makes GREAT leftovers. After I make this chili I put the rest in individual containers and bring them to work over the next week or so.

This can be made vegetarian or non-vegetarian. I've done it both ways and it always comes out great. I'll include the directions for both versions.

This is always a great recipe and something I hope you'll like as much as I do!

Ingredients
Source: "More Healthy Homestyle Cooking" by Evelyn Tribole, page 160-161

Chili
1 lb. ground turkey breast (optional)
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 can chopped tomatoes (28 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
3 cans reduced sodium kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I have also used a mix of beans...black beans and great northern beans also work just fine)
1 can diced green chili peppers (4 oz)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Dumplings
1 1/2 cups reduced fat biscuit mix
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/3 cup fat free milk
1/4 cup corn kernels
Paprika

Directions

Coat a large pot (I use a dutch oven) with non-stick spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add the turkey to the pot and cook, stirring to break up the meat, for 5 minutes or until brown and crumbly (skip this step for a vegetarian version).

If not using meat, add 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil to large pot and warm over medium heat.

For vegetarian or non-vegetarian version, continue with the following steps.

Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the chili powder, cumin and red pepper. Stir in the tomatoes (with juice), beans, tomato sauce, and chili peppers (with juice). Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer.

To make the dumplings, stir together the biscuit mix, cornmeal, cheese, cumin and chili powder in a medium bowl. In another small bowl, mix milk and corn. Add to cornmeal mixture and mix until just moistened.

Drop the dumpling mixture by heaping tablespoons onto the chili, covering the surface but with a little chili showing between dumplings. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean. Spoon into bowls and serve.

Oven Poached Salmon with Lentils

I recently discovered how much I like lentils. Lentil soup, lentil sides. Lentils simply taste great and are good for you. So when I found this recipe I was excited...it combines two of my "new found" favorite health foods...salmon and lentils!

My husband and I both really enjoyed this. The salmon pairs perfectly with the lentils and makes for a hearty, healthy meal. I love oven poaching the salmon...it's so easy and results in a flavorful, tender fish. This entire recipe is also very easy to prepare which makes it great for a weeknight.

Ingredients
Lentils adapted from Simply...Gluten Free
Salmon adapted from Eating Well

1 cup green lentils, rinsed thoroughly
2 cups chicken stock (for lentils)
1 tbsp. chicken stock (for salmon)
5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 small shallot, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced in about ¼ inch dice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
2 – 8 ounce salmon fillets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Put lentils in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock and garlic gloves, season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the lentils are almost tender and the chicken stock has evaporated. Set aside when done.

While the lentils are cooking, place salmon, skin-side (or skinned-side) down, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the salmon with chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, and just a bit of fresh lemon juice. Cover with foil and bake until opaque in the center and starting to flake, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness.

While salmon is baking and after the lentils are cooked, in a medium skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Then add the carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add the shallot and a pinch or two of salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes or until the shallots just start to brown

Fish the garlic cloves out of the lentils and mash with a fork. Add to the skillet with the carrots and shallot and mix well. Add the lentils and cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Add lemon juice and stir.

Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate, top with the cooked salmon and serve with some lemon wedges if desired.

Morning Glory Muffins

I've really been in the mood for a good muffin lately. A super healthy, packed with goodness muffin that I can have for a weekday breakfast on the go without feeling bad about questionable ingredients. So when I found this recipe I was anxious to try it out.

After I made a few modifications to bump up the health factor, I was SO pleased with how this muffin came out. Carrots, apples, golden raisins, and whole wheat flour are only a few of the healthful ingredients in this muffin. I actually feel good about eating it because not only is it just delicious tasting, I know that it's packed with goodness.

The muffin itself is perfectly sweet (using agave nectar, not white sugar) and very moist. The almonds add wonderful texture and the cinnamon is a great addition to the flavor of the muffin.

All in all, I absolutely loved this muffin, as did my co-workers...who could not believe it was actually healthy. Which is fine by me.

Ingredients
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 apple (I used granny smith), peeled, cored and diced
1 cup golden raisins
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 small handfuls of Raw Almonds, chopped finely and divided
about 4+ tbsp. wheat germ, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a muffin tin with nonstick spray, or use paper cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, applesauce, agave nectar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Set bowl aside.

In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat and all purpose flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and about 2 tbsp. wheat germ. Stir in carrots, apples, 1 small handful of chopped almonds and raisins. Then stir in egg mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

In a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, combine the rest of the chopped almonds and 2 tbsp wheat germ. Heat until wheat germ is very lightly toasted, and then top the muffins with the toasted wheat germ and almonds.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

I yielded 24 muffins that were on the smaller side.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

I have to admit, the main reason I decided to try this soup was because I wanted to use my immersion blender. I've had it for over a year now and have never really had the opportunity to use it! So I decided to look for a recipe where I could use my sort of new immersion blender.

When I found this soup, I thought it would be perfect for my immersion blender test run. It looked super healthy and the ingredients were all things that I like. And what really got me was that it looked like a creamy soup (my favorite) without cream! So I was sold on it!

This soup was just great! I turned it into a "one pot" meal which worked perfectly and made for very little clean up. It was easy to make and tasted just great. My husband even liked it...and he was a bit skeptical at first. It tasted just like a cream based soup but happily there was no cream! This is a healthy, satisfying and just plain delicious soup.

Ingredients
Source: My Man's Belly

1 Medium Head Cauliflower (roughly chopped)
2 Leeks, White and Light Green Part Only (cut in half lengthwise) (I used one leek)
6 Cloves Garlic
1/2 onion, diced (I added this)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 14 Ounce Cans Chicken Stock (I used about 1 carton of chicken stock)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a stove/oven safe dutch oven (I used enameled cast iron), put in cauliflower, leeks, garlic and onions. Drizzle olive oil over everything and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss together so the veggies are coated in the olive oil.

Roast uncovered in oven for 40-45 minutes, stirring vegetables after about 20 minutes. After about 45 minutes or so, vegetables should be brown on edges and slightly softened.

Transfer dutch oven to the stovetop and add 2 cans of chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (stick blender), thoroughly puree all contents of the saucepan. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Just be careful putting hot liquids in a blender as they can cause the lid to come flying off sending your yummy soup all over your kitchen. (You can vent the lid a little to help reduce the chance of this happening.)

Add more salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Bell peppers are something I don't eat much of. I don't hate them, but again I don't really love them either. But I always remember my professor in nutrition class telling us how bell peppers have more vitamin C then oranges. They certainly are good for you, especially when you stuff them with more good things.

To try something different from the traditional rice and beef stuffed pepper that my mom used to make, I decided to stuff my peppers with quinoa. I don't think I need to say how great quinoa is for you...it's a great source of protein.

I really enjoyed this recipe. It was certainly different then the stuffed peppers I was used to, and was a great, filling vegetarian meal that is really comforting.

Ingredients
Adapted from The Kitchen Sink

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup low sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock to make it veg.)
1 bell pepper, halved and seeded
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup cannellini beans
1 small shallot, minced
1 tomato, diced
salt
pepper
Aprox. 2 tbsp grated cheese (I used mozzarella)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Split the peppers in half and clean them out; place them in the baking dish. Roast for 20 minutes.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa and reduce heat and cook until the broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally. During the last minute or two of cooking, add green onion, shallot and garlic to the quinoa.

In a medium bowl add tomatoes, beans and cooked quinoa. Mix together gently.

Stuff quinoa mixture into par-roasted peppers. Top with grated cheese and bake for about 15 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Serve hot.

Candied Carrots

I saw Tyler Florence make this on TV recently and knew I really wanted to try it. I love carrots...especially when they have a nice and spicy sweet glaze on them!

My husband and I totally loved this. It's a great vegetable side dish and would work well with many different kinds of food. His comment was, "The only thing I don't like about these is that you haven't been making them for years." So I guess he liked them!

The only thing I would do different next time is reduce the cumin by just a bit. I definitely liked it in there, I just wish it were more subtle. But overall, this recipe is most certainly a keeper!

Ingredients
Source: Tyler Florence

1 bunch young carrots, with tops
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 orange, halved (I didn't have an orange so I used about an 1/8 - 1/4 cup of orange juice) 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut off all but 1-inch of the carrot tops, leaving a little green. Put the carrots in a large shallow pan, add the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Turn to coat the carrots. Stick them in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until the carrots are fork-tender.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan around and cook until the butter begins to become brown and nutty. Squeeze in the juice from the orange halves, add the brown sugar and cumin, and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until syrupy.

Remove the carrots from the oven and arrange them on a platter. Drizzle the orange brown butter over the carrots and serve.

Haricots Verts with Herb Butter

Well it's hard for me to believe that Christmas has come and gone for another year. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday that was filled with family, friends and of course, really good food!

I actually hosted two Christmas dinners this year (one for my parents and one for my in-laws), so in the next few days I will be posting some of the recipes I made.

I for one am VERY happy to not be posting a sweet recipe today. I have really found a love of baking but boy am I getting sick of Christmas Cookies, candies, bars, etc....so I'm glad to say that this recipe for haricots verts was simply wonderful. I trimmed and cleaned the green beans two days before serving, and kept them in a zip top bag with a damp paper towel. I also made the herb butter two days before as well. This worked perfectly, as the beans were fresh and crisp when I served them and the butter of course kept well in the fridge.

Not only did this side dish taste great, it was a lovely accompaniment to my Beef Wellington and really dressed up the plate. This is one that I will most certainly make again.

Ingredients
Source: Epicurious - Orignially from Gourmet, November 2007

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 lb haricots verts or other green beans, trimmed

Directions

Stir together all ingredients except haricots verts with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined well.

Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water), uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes, then drain. Toss with herb butter.

Notes: Herb butter can be made ahead and chilled, covered, 3 days or frozen, rolled into a cylinder in plastic wrap and kept in a sealed bag, 1 week. Haricots verts can be trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed bag lined with paper towel (I did this two days ahead with no problems).

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

As soon as I told my husband we were having "Spaghetti Squash Casserole" for a side dish that night, I instantly knew what he was thinking before he could say a thing.

Spaghetti and squash? in a casserole? Yuck!

I let him stew for a minute to ponder this idea before I told him Spaghetti Squash is a type of squash. I wasn't going to be combining spaghetti and butternut. He instantly looked relieved.

This was my first time using a spaghetti squash and I was definitely impressed. We both liked this casserole as a side dish very much and I loved how easy it was to make. This was a great weeknight side dish that is perfect for this time of year. I'll definitely make this again.

Ingredients
Adapted from All Recipes.com

3 pounds spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms (I omitted as I don't like mushrooms)
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 slices bread, cubed (I used a few handfuls of plain stuffing bread that I had left over)
salt
pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Cook squash on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until tender. Shred with a fork once cooled slightly, then transfer to a lightly oiled casserole dish, discarding shell. Do not turn off the oven.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions, mushrooms, and basil until onions are translucent and tender. Stir onion mixture and sour cream into the squash until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with bread cubes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until warmed through and top is lightly browned and toasted. Enjoy!