BRUSSELS SPROUT CHIPS - VEGAN, VEGETARIAN

Looking for a great low calorie snack? I got you covered! Brussels sprouts are a great vegetable to turn into "chips" Not only are they delicious and crunchy when baked but they are full of vitamin K and vitamin C! This super easy recipe is great for kids and will have them eating their veggies like its popcorn!

INGREDIENTS:

1 LBS of Brussels Sprouts
2 TBSP of Olive Oil
2-3 TSP of Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and clean your brussels sprouts removing the stem and the outer layers. Cut cleaned brussels sprouts in half and place in a bowl.

Add your olive oil and salt to the bowl and mix well so everything is evenly coated.

Place brussels sprouts facing up on a baking pan lines with aluminum foil and bake for 25-35 minutes depending on how crispy you want them. Happy eating!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can!  Bon Appetite!!!

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH - VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN OPTIONS

I have tried many different squash recipes, but this has to be one of my favorites. My girlfriend Lili made it for me the other day when I went to her house for dinner and it was not only healthy, but really tasty so of course I had to share the recipe with you guys. You can add any veggies that you like and can even switch up the pesto for tomato sauce if you want. Be creative but most of all have fun!

INGREDIENTS:

1 - 2 Acorn Squash
3/4 Cup of Uncooked Quinoa
1-2 TBSP of Olive Oil
1/2 Medium Spanish Onion (chopped)
2 Celery Stock (chopped)
2 Clove of Garlic (minced)
1/2 Cup of Carrots (chopped)
1/2 Cup of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
Pesto Sauce
2-3 TBSP of Goat Cheese, Feta Cheese, Halloumi (whichever you prefer/optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While oven is warming up go ahead and cut a small portion of the top and bottom of your acorn squash off to help it sit up straight. Next cut the squash in half, width-wise, and remove the seeds from the inside.

Place the squash on a baking tray that is lined with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

In the meantime make your quinoa.

While you are waiting for your quinoa to cook you can add the olive oil to a pan and throw in your chopped onions, celery, carrots, garlic and black beans. Sauté until the onions become translucent. I also like to salt and pepper my veggies as they are cooking

Once the quinoa is ready transfer to a bowl, add in your pesto and sauteed vegetables. Mix together. At this point you can add in your cheese if you want. Save a little for garnish!!

Once the squash has been in the oven for 30 minutes remove and stuff with the quinoa mixture. Garnish with cheese and pop back in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.

Once ready remove from oven and serve warm. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can!  Bon Appetite!!!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH PESTO

Spaghetti squash is actually super easy to make it just takes more time then wheat based pasta. If time is not a factor it is a great way to have a gluten free meal that taste great. This recipe is for a spaghetti squash pesto pasta but you can technically make the sauce whatever you want using the same principles. If you want to simplify the recipe even more you can buy a pre-made pesto sauce. If you are cooking for a group of more then two people this can be a very economical healthy meal to make as the ingredients wont cost you very much. 

INGREDIENTS

1 Spaghetti Squash around 3lbs
1 Small Jar of Pre-made Pesto
1 Block of Parmesan Cheese

If you want fresh pesto here are ingredients you will need

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
3 Cups of Basil
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts
3/4 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Throw in the spaghetti squash whole for about 60 minutes.

Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven and cut in half and take out the seeds.

If the spaghetti squash is not cooked/stringy enough place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

While the squash is in the oven you can either start to make your pesto or use a pre-made pesto. Warm up the pre-made pesto in a skillet or place the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped before adding in the olive oil continuing until fully incorporated. Next move to a bowl and add in the Parmesan and salt and pepper - Mix them in.

Finally once the squash is ready remove from the oven and start to shred the inside of the squash with a fork and place it in the skillet or bowl with the pesto. Mix the two together to the pesto and squash is evenly distributed.  Serve.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

DELICIOUS CREPES

'Crepe' in French mean pancake and are often used for both breakfast and dessert. For example in the evenings you can serve them with Nutella and Strawberries for dessert after dinner or in the mornings as a savory low carb breakfast option with egg and vegetables. Try it for yourself using this recipe below. ENJOY

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Cup of Water
1/2 Cup of Milk
1 Cup of all Purpose Flour
1 TSP of Vanilla Extract
2 TSP of Sugar
2 Eggs
Butter

Suggested Fillings:

Savory -
Egg (cooked separately)
Smoke Salmon
Red Onion
Cream Cheese

Sweet -
Peanut Butter
Honey
Berries or Banana
Nutella

DIRECTION:

Add water, milk, flour, sugar and vanilla extract to a blender. In a small separate bowl crack the eggs and make sure there are no shells before adding it also to the blender.

Blend on low until nicely mixed together.

Heat a skillet on low-medium heat and add in butter. Once ready add blended batter to the skillet and move around so that it spreads out evenly.

The crepe will start to cook immediately. After about a minute when the bottom side is golden flip the crepe - use a spatula to aid you.

Once flipped add your contents to the crepe. Once crepe is finished cooking on the side facing down fold the crepe over itself, capturing the contents inside. Serve Hot.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP

Beef and Barley soup is the quintessential fall/winter hearty soup. There are so many nutrients and vegetables in this soup that will pick you up if you are felling sick.  The beef and broth will also warm you right up on a cold day and give you the energy to continue on. My mom always made this soup when I was sick because she knows it was my favorite and I guess its only right to pay that forward. When I asked me mom to send me the recipe I was not really surprised to see it was a Barefoot Contessa recipe. Of course it is, she is queen - all hail the Contessa! Ill post the original link below. ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

1 TBSP of Olive Oil
2 Lbs of Stewing Beef
2TSP of Salt (divided into 1 TSP portions)
2 TSP Pepper (divided into 1 TSP portions)
2 Cups of Leek (clean and chopped white bit - green bit is no good)
2 Cups of Carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 Large Spanish or Yellow Onion (chopped)
1 Cup of Celery (copped)
3 Bay Leaves
2 Stings of Thyme
8 Cups of Beef Broth
1 Cup of Uncooked Barley (rinsed)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot heat up your oil on medium heat. Once ready throw in your stewing beef. Add 1 TSP of salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes stirring periodically. You want the beef to be browned on all sides and to let out the fat and juices.

Once the beef is browned remove the beef and set aside but leave the juices!! We are going to use the juice to cook the vegetables so once the beef is out throw in the leeks, carrots, celery, and onion! Let that cook releasing the water from the vegetables and cooking them down for 10 minutes. They will also absorb some of the oils/fats left behind from the meat - YUM!

Once the vegetables are cooked down you can add your meat back in as well as your 2 springs of thyme, bay leaves, and beef broth. You can also add in your remaining salt and pepper at this time. Bring to a boil before lowering to a simmer and covering. You will need to let the soup continue to cook on a simmer for an hour.

In the meantime, we are going to cook the barley so bring four cups of water in a separate pot to a boil and throw in your barley and reduce to a simmer. Let the barley simmer UNCOVERED for 30 minutes before you drain and set it aside.

When the 60 minutes are up for the soup throw in the barley and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes. Depending on how you like your soup you may want to add some salt and pepper before serving. Also, I like to remove the thyme and bay leaves so that they don’t get in people’s bowls.

Original Recipe -> http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rich-beef-barley-soup-recipe.html

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!