healthy

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

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peanut butter dipHappy (almost) Easter! Easter is a time often filled with wonderful things including celebrating with families and friends. And with family and friend celebrations come many dinners and get-togethers. Maybe someday I will be good enough to make a fancy lamb shaped cake or egg-shaped mashed potato balls (I’m pretty sure that’s not a thing. Love mashed potatoes…so maybe it should be a thing.). Nonetheless, with work and travel and general life craziness comes little time to put something spectacular together for now. If that’s the case for you as well, you probably have the 3 minutes to pull this together for a party and quite possibly the ingredients to do so without a run to the store. Win. Win. Win.

peanut butter dipThis super simple peanut butter yogurt dip is a quick, delicious solution to hunger. And with my growing body (thanks to baby), you can be assured I am *always* hungry. Always. No joke. It’s real. With just 4 ingredients, and a generally healthy mix of ingredients at that, this is a perfect snack, appetizer, or even dessert. It’s slightly sweet, slightly salty, and 100% amazing. The possibilities are STUPENDOUS! 

peanut butter dipPeanut butter yogurt dip is perfect with apples and bananas. And I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas. Come on, you know the song. If not, I’m not sure what you learned in elementary school. It’s also a perfect pairing with graham crackers. As much as I loved the apples and bananas with this dip, I have to say my favorite was the graham crackers. I’m a carb-aholic though so that comes as no surprise!

peanut butter dipIf you come up with another perfect pairing, leave a comment and let me know what you enjoyed this dip with!

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip
Slightly sweet, slightly salty peanut butter yogurt dip that's healthy and delicious!
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Prep Time
3 min
Total Time
3 min
Prep Time
3 min
Total Time
3 min
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup peanut butter
  2. 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (or about a 5.3 ounce container)
  3. 3 tablespoons honey
  4. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl with a spoon.
  2. Serve with fruit or graham crackers.
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Breakfast Burrito and Happy News

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Breakfast BurritoI have left you without a new recipe for so long and for that I am sorry. I’m sure it will make you feel better to know there was a good reason behind this deprivation. At least my husband and I think it’s a good reason…We’re expecting! We’ve had a crazy month of traveling to see family and friends and sharing the wonderful news. We’ve gotten a lot of stories about past pregnancies and babies, dirty diapers, and late nights. Some of it sounds awesome and other parts I’m just pretending I didn’t hear. Ignorance is bliss in some cases. I’m not sure anything will prepare us for what’s to come but we have amazing support from our loved ones and that sure that helps!

So on top of all that exciting craziness along with the normal day to day craziness of work, I have been lacking in the new recipe department. I have to say my mind is elsewhere. There’s really no other excuse. So I’m going to try to focus back in and share a scrumptious recipe with you all! Okay, go…

Breakfast BurritoI got this idea from my sister-in-law when we went to go visit her over the holidays. She had breakfast burritos all ready and frozen in the freezer so that when we all decided we were hungry she would be able to feed us something delicious fairly quickly. Really smart, right? It’s so hard to have guests over and this is a simple way to be prepared before anyone even steps foot in the door.

Breakfast BurritoIt’s really a rather simple recipe that uses fresh veggies and yummy ingredients. You can of course put whatever floats your boat into this instead of the veggies and ingredients I used. You can easily use ground sausage instead of turkey and skip some of the dried herbs. I wanted make my own flavor mix so I stuck with the ground turkey. I thought about putting beans in this recipe, but with everything else it was already about packed. You could also easily replace the turkey with beans to make it vegetarian.

Breakfast BurritoJust thinking about all these ideas makes me want to make another variation of these breakfast treats! There are just so many options…it blows my mind. If you come up with your own delicious variation, comment below with what you used!

Breakfast Burrito
Yields 8
Delicious turkey, egg, and veggie breakfast burrito. Easy to put together and easy to prepare when you're on the go!
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 pound ground turkey, uncooked
  2. 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  3. 1 bell pepper, chopped
  4. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  5. 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  6. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  7. 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  8. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  9. salt and pepper, to taste
  10. 12 eggs
  11. 1/4 cup water
  12. 3 cups spinach leaves, roughly chopped
  13. 8-10 whole wheat burrito wraps
  14. 1-1.5 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
  1. Brown ground turkey in a large saute pan over medium heat. Drain the excess fat and remove ground turkey from pan. Set aside.
  2. In the same pan, saute the onion, bell pepper, and herbs (thyme, sage, red pepper flakes, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper) over medium heat until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
  3. Whisk together eggs, water, and salt and pepper (to taste). Add to pan with onion and bell pepper mixture. Stir while cooking over low heat until mostly cooked through. The eggs should look mostly cooked but still moist.
  4. Add the spinach leaves and cook over low until wilted. Stir in turkey to mixture until combined. Remove from heat.
  5. Place burrito wrap on square of aluminum foil just larger than the burrito. Fill burrito with 1/8 or 1/10 of the mixture (depending on how many wraps you have). Top with cheese.
  6. Roll as you would a burrito and wrap with the foil.
  7. If you want to eat immediately, place in an oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is warm.
  8. If you decide to freeze the burritos, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
Notes
  1. Don't try to overfill the burritos because they will break if you put too much goodness into them!
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Green Lentil Dal

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Lentil DalWhen I made naan recently, I told you all that I ate it with some green lentil dal. That probably didn’t mean much to some of you. If I were reading this about a month ago I would be just as lost as you most likely are. Here’s just a little background I learned through some major internet researching (Google, anyone?). “Dal” can actually mean a split lentil, pea, or bean. You might be thinking that I’m talking in circles because now all you know is that I made green lentil…split lentils. So helpful for you all. You’re welcome!

Lentil DalTo be fair, “dal” can also mean a stew-like dish prepared with, well, dal. So turns out I’m not completely losing it! This means that in the simplest terms, this dish is a green lentil stew. Often served with rice and bread (hence, the naan), this dish is oh-so-much-more than just a stew. It’s full of flavor and spices that will make your mouth wonder why it has never tasted something so delicious before. Want. more. now!

*Side note: I’m not a pro at Indian cuisine, or any cuisine for that matter. This is seriously delicious stuff but don’t look at me for the traditional recipe that your great aunt twice removed from India used to make. I probably don’t have it here.

Lentil DalThis is a vegetarian dish, which is cool. I’m not vegetarian and my husband is most definitely not a vegetarian. Every so often I try some tasty vegetarian dishes but if Travis had it his way we would probably be eating steak and chicken every day. Mostly steak. BUT, I must say that it’s big news that Travis actually told me this dish is a keeper and not a bit of meat was to be found. Must mean it’s pretty darn good without it. Just saying.

If you love this recipe, check out my Spinach Dal! YUM YUM!

**Update: After some feedback about this recipe, I made the 2 cups of water optional. If you add the water, you end up with more of a soup than a stew. Without the water, you end up with something like the pictures show. Both delicious!

Green Lentil Dal
Serves 4
A delicious, vegetarian Indian green lentil stew served with rice and naan.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
55 min
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
55 min
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups dried green lentils
  2. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  3. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  4. 1 small onion, finely chopped
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  6. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  7. 2 teaspoons chili powder
  8. 1 teaspoon turmeric
  9. 1 teaspoon cumin
  10. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  11. 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid (14.5 ounce can)
  12. 4 cups vegetable stock
  13. 2 cups water, optional
  14. small jalapeño, finely chopped
  15. cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
  1. Place lentils in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water. Let drain.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add cinnamon, onion, ginger, and garlic. Saute approximately 5 minutes, or until onions start to become translucent.
  3. Add in lentils, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, salt, and tomatoes. Stir and bring to simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes.
  4. Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil, and reduce heat. If you would like to end up with more of a soup than a stew, add up to 2 cups of water along with the vegetable stock (optional). Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
  5. Garnish with jalapeño and cilantro.
  6. Serve with rice and naan.
Notes
  1. While you are rinsing your lentils, just sift through them to make sure there are no bad ones or even little rocks/pebbles. I've never had it happen, but better safe than sorry!
Adapted from Neil's Healthy Meals
Adapted from Neil's Healthy Meals
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

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butternut squash mac & cheeseI’M BACK! *Finally*, after lots of holiday traveling (and fun!), website rearrangement/launching, and the craziness of going back to work after a couple weeks off, I am back and ready to keep on cooking and sharing more delicious recipes! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. We certainly did here!

Back to the serious business at hand…cooking! I made this butternut squash mac & cheese with a little caution. Yes, I was confident that I could make something edible, but I wasn’t looking for edible. I was looking for DELICIOUS! Luckily, with a little finagling this dish DID turn out delicious!

butternut squash mac & cheese
If you’ve ever worked with butternut squash, you know that it’s not necessarily scary or even hard to work with but that it takes a little bit of effort to peel and cut into pieces. You can always use pre-cut cubes that are often sold in the store, but where’s the fun in that?? Plus, you pay way more for the pre-cut stuff so I tend to take on the challenge of an extra few steps instead of forking out the money. Take a look at the notes in the recipe to learn how to cube a squash!

butternut squash mac & cheese
This mac and cheese ends up ooey and gooey just like any mac and cheese. The butternut squash just adds a fresh and unique flavor to an ordinary dish. Plus, for those of you with kids, the butternut squash is basically the same color as typical mac and cheese so it’s easy to slip it in there for some extra nutrition without anyone noticing. I wouldn’t call that sneaky, just…creative. Yeah, we’ll go with creative.

butternut squash mac & cheese
So if you’re ready for a different take on mac and cheese that will make you feel not-as-guilty about that New Year’s resolution that has been broken way too many times for the 2nd week of the year, this is the dish for you! I’m not saying that this dish is the most figure friendly dish out there, but it sure beats some other mac and cheese dishes!

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Serves 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
50 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
50 min
Ingredients for the pasta
  1. 5 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 squash)
  2. 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
  3. 1 1/2 cups milk
  4. 2 cloves garlic
  5. 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  6. 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (about 1, 5.3 oz containter)
  7. 2.5 cups shredded Gouda
  8. 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  9. 1 pound rotini, cooked
  10. salt & pepper, to taste
Ingredients for the topping
  1. 1 tablespoon butter
  2. 1 cup breadcrumbs
  3. salt & pepper, to taste
  4. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Directions for the pasta
  1. In a medium to large sauce pan, add cubed squash, chicken stock, milk, garlic and nutmeg. Heat over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender.
  2. Add Greek yogurt, salt and pepper to pan. Use immersion (hand) blender to bend until smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer the squash mixture to a blender, add the Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper and blend until smooth.
  3. Fold in Gouda cheese and Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
  4. Pour squash and cheese mixture into a large bowl or pot with the cooked pasta. Stir to blend.
Directions for the breadcrumb topping
  1. Melt butter in a small sauté pan.
  2. Add breadcrumbs and stir until breadcrumbs are crispy.
  3. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and parsley over mac and cheese to garnish.
Notes
  1. To cut the butternut squash into cubes, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Cut a small piece off the side to help stabilize the squash when turned on its side. Place the squash on the flat surface you just cut and cut the squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the stringy flesh and seeds. Finally, cut into strips then cubes.
  2. You can make the sauce beforehand then heat it up when you are ready to serve!
  3. You can use any kind of melting cheese in place of the Gouda. Simple cheddar would be delicious as well!
Adapted from The Chew
Adapted from The Chew
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/

Asian Marinated Salmon

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Asian SalmonI’ve been on an Asian and Mexican food kick lately and this salmon recipe certainly does the trick. The strong flavors of the marinade help to make the salmon taste less salmon-y. Since I’m not a huge fan of fish just yet I love the fact that the flavors all blend to make something delicious! And yes, salmon-y is now a word if you were still stuck on that.

Asian SalmonMy sister, Liz, originally made this for my family awhile back when I was even less of a fish fan. I’ve been meaning to make it ever since (which has been a LONG time) because it was *delicious* the first time. Way to go, sister, for making me like things I didn’t think I liked!

Asian SalmonI served mine up with some rice and vegetables. YUM! There are certainly other ways to serve it up as well but the rice is nice because it soaks up all the marinade. Then you have delicious fish on top of delicious rice. That’s pretty awesome, right? The answer to my rhetorical question is YES! It it is very awesome.

Asian Salmon

Asian Marinated Salmon
Serves 6
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Prep Time
1 hr 10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 30 min
Prep Time
1 hr 10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
  1. 2.5 to 3 pounds fresh salmon fillets, cleaned
  2. 1/2 cup soy sauce
  3. 2 tablespoons Sriracha (chili sauce)
  4. 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
  5. 4 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1/2 lime, zested and juiced
  7. 2 tablespoons honey
  8. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  9. 3 green onions, finely chopped
  10. sesame seeds and chopped green onions to garnish, optional
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, Sriracha, ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice, honey, red pepper flakes, and 3 green onions.
  2. Cover bottom of glass baking pan with parchment paper and place the salmon fillets in the pan, skin side down. Pour the marinade on top of fillets and lift the salmon slightly to make sure the marinade reaches all sides of the salmon. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 1 hour to marinade.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the plastic wrap from the salmon and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish turns opaque and flaky.
  4. Serve with sesame seeds and green onions to garnish, optional.
Adapted from A Chookie Chookie
Adapted from A Chookie Chookie
Flavor From Scratch https://www.flavorfromscratch.com/
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