Back to Basics 25 - Meatloaf

This is my go-to recipe for meatloaf. It makes A LOT of meatloaf, it's tasty and it has so much nutrition! The bulgur and mushrooms allow you to decrease the amount of fatty ground beef, while not taking away any of the flavor. In fact, it adds to it! This recipe does have a few steps so let's get right to it!

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!!

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

I love love loooovveee this pancake recipe. It's just so dang good with the fluffy pancakes, the sweet and crunchy apples and the warm and comforting cinnamon. There are no words. It's seriously scrumptious.

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!

Spaghetti with Broccoli and Tomato Sauce

This recipe comes from EatingWell on a Budget cookbook. It's a great pantry recipe! Which just means that most, and in this case all the ingredients can be kept in the pantry or freezer. It was also very quick to make, and is obviously delicious. This is really one of those recipes you want to have in you back pocket for busy weeknights.
We use anchovy paste here but don't be scared, trust me, you can't even taste it in the recipe. We use only a small amount to give it a briny and salty taste. I'm not into fish that much and was skeptical about using it but seriously, you can't taste it. Enough babbling.

Coconut-Almond-Cranberry-Chocolate Granola Bars

This is a recipe tweaked from Joy Wilson's cookbook. I got her book and was obsessed with it because of the beautiful pictures and the sweets. But once I saw this granola bar I realized how well-rounded it was. Not only does it have DELICIOUS deserts (that maybe aren't so low in calories) she also has some very California-ish healthy meals.

The Perfect Quick Breakfast!

Whole wheat English muffin with almond butter and banana slices.

So, why is this the perfect breakfast? Let me break it down for you.

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.