Miso Soup

I came across this delightful recipe when I was searching for miso soup with a bit more substance. I had a cold and wanted to get better VERY soon and this did the trick. It has garlic and ginger which are great for you when you have a cold (and also great for your taste buds). We add mushrooms and bok choy which give you lots of vitamins. Lastly, it has some very flavorful and not-at-all-dry chicken thighs. So, let's get this going!!

Onion Mushroom Mac & Cheese

Mac and cheese will get me every time. It doesn't matter how it's made or what goes into it, I wanna eat it. This mac and cheese recipe happens to be the best I have ever eaten. The pasta is ooey and gooey, the middle layer is sweet and savory, and the top is crusty and golden. I have a very similar recipe on the blog, the only difference is that the middle layer is spinach. I made this as a side dish to go with some grass-fed filet mignon for my Valentine's Day dinner with my boyfriend. It was heavenly.

Back to Basics 18 - Beef Goulash

Goulash is a soup or stew of meat, veggies and pasta, it's usually seasoned with paprika and some other spices. Depending on where you are in the world, people use different spices, different cuts/types of meat and different starches to go alongside it. This recipe is a lighter version but it's still pretty indulgent-tasting and will give you that nice, warm, cozy feeling you need on a winter's day.

Lighter Hummus

I love hummus. SO MUCH. It's good with pretty much anything. It makes vegetables taste better and crackers seem healthier. You can add it to a sandwich or eat it straight up. It's pretty magical.
I have another hummus recipe on the blog that is a sort of basic recipe that you can go to when you want hummus. This is exactly the same but made a little lighter. We use a little bit more olive oil so we get the health benefits from that but less tahini and we skip the liquid from the can, which has a little bit of sodium in it.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

Fettucine alfredo is one of the most popular Italian dishes in America. It's such good comfort food, you feel like you're in heaven while you're eating it. Once you're done though, that feeling turns to shame and regret, or is that just me...? It's so good but it's also so evil! It has an insane amount of calories.
If you are looking for something to hit the same notes as Alfredo sauce does but without all the calories, this dish is for you. It's not a traditional Alfredo because it doesn't use butter or cream but it's just as good! Let me show you how to make it.

Back to Basics 17 - Stuffed Peppers

There are a ton of stuffed pepper recipes out there, and that's the beauty of stuffing peppers, mushrooms or tomatoes. You can stuff them with anything you want. This is a pretty basic one using just a few ingredients and a very secret one. Keep reading and you'll see!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

If you're bored of all the meals you've been making, try these lettuce wraps. Seriously, the flavors are unlike anything I've ever eaten. We use a blend of five spices along with some Asian sauce to take these from plain turkey lettuce wraps into a mini vacation for your mouth. They're that good. Let me show you how I make them.

Back to Basics 14 - Spinach Mac & Cheese

Hey guys! Wow, it's been a while huh?? It's been a little hectic. I got a new job in the field I went to school for (YAY!) and I started working more hours in the other job I had so by the time I got home, I didn't really feel like pulling out my camera and taking pictures for every single step while making dinner. But now my routine is a little less crazy so I have more time to devote to the blog.

I came back with a really really great recipe for you guys. I mean, who doesn't love mac & cheese? And one you can feel good about eating? Well, that's even better!! I got this from, where else, EATINGWELL! Let's just get right into it.

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal

This is a recipe adapted from Hungry Girl. She uses an extra cup of water to make the oatmeal grow. I like to add some flaxseed meal or chia seeds to make it even healthier. At one time I was so obsessed with this oatmeal that I had it for breakfast and dinner a week straight. That's love.

And today, I won't have any pictures because this is actually the first time I've made a video for you! It's kinda ridiculous and terrible quality, I was using my iPhone to film so please ignore all that and just focus on the deliciousness that is this oatmeal.

Also, let me know either on the blog or the video if you'd like to see more videos or any suggestions for me.

Here's the video:

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

If you love buffalo sauce but are understandably afraid of eating it because of the calories, this is the meal for you!
This casserole is amaaaazing. You won't believe it's healthy. Seriously. Pasta, chicken, creamy buffalo sauce with blue cheese?! Doesn't sound diet to me..
But, it is.
This is adapted from EatingWell. I do pretty much everything the same, except I like to add 2 little blocks of Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese. I also switch up the pasta shape every now and then.

Farro with Pistachios

I love farro! I discovered it fairly recently and I'm just in love. It's chewy, nutty and so versatile. It's also really good for you. You can add it in place of rice, quinoa, oats and even pasta. Seriously, it's so good. You can find farro almost anywhere nowadays. I've gotten mine before at Shaw's or Stop & Shop. The first time I made this dish, I did a happy food dance. I have made that dance every other time I've eaten this dish. It's that good.

Butternut Squash Risotto

This is a picture from the Eating Well website, where I got the recipe

I love cooking seasonally. Not only do you get food that's fresher and cheaper, but it also gets you in that holiday mood. It makes me feel more involved. Like I'm participating in a nationwide party. Or something....?

Anyway, the word "risotto" might make you feel like you want to skip this and go on to a different recipe because it's going to take you forever. You might think I'm culinarily gifted because I can make RISOTTO. That's what I thought whenever I heard the word risotto. But trust me, there's nothing to it. All you need is patience and a LITTLE time, and by the end of one hour you will have rich, creamy, delicious, hot risotto.

Back to Basics 3 - Classic Hummus

I used to HAATTEEE hummus when I was younger. My dad loves it, and I just did not see what all the fuss was about. But as I started eating healthy, getting older and developing a more complex palette, I started to become pretty obsessed with it. I'm also very into making my own..everything! Started with cookies, moving to almond butter, bread, pizza, etc. So I had to make my own hummus, but I thought it was the hardest thing on Earth to do. That is, until I googled it. SUPER easy, you only need a few ingredients and a food processor. Or a blender.