White Bean, Sausage, & Sweet Potato Cassoulet

This recipe came from a Prep Dish menu and I really enjoyed it. Every time I make it, I have to search back through my Prep Dish menus, so I'm finally putting it here for easy access. :)









Ingredients:
Approx 2 medium sweet potatoes
1-2 cans cannellini beans (rinsed & drained)
Beef or Chicken sausage (2-4 links) sliced
1/2 C Bread Crumbs (panko or GF, etc)
Diced onion
Minced garlic
Parmesan cheese
s&p
poultry seasoning

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Peel & microwave sweet potatoes to soften them a little. Allow to cool then dice into chunks.
3. Saute diced onions & garlic in a little oil until soft. Throw sliced sausage into skillet and heat through for approx 5 minutes.
4. In a medium casserole dish combine the diced sweet potatoes, onion/garlic & sausage mixture. Add in the cannellini beans (1-2 cans according to your liking). Season everything with s&p and a little poultry seasoning. Mix gently to combine.
5. In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, approx 2 TBS parmesan cheese, and 1/2 T olive oil. Sprinkle evenly over cassoulet. Cover & bake for 30-40 minutes until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
6. Remove cover and add a little more parmesan cheese if needed, bake for an additional 10 minutes until the topping is browned.
7. Pairs well with sauteed spinach as a side and/or garlic toast. Enjoy!

MFP Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

I still use this blog! It's an easy way for me to find old favorites and share recipes. :) So I'm adding this one bc I make it all the time and wanted it to be typed up in neater fashion than my current chicken scratch paper! lol! Hope some of you can enjoy this recipe too! xoxo, B


Ingredients:

• 2 sweet medium potatoes
• 2 cans black beans (drain & rinse)
• fresh spinach, chopped up
• salsa (optional)
• 1-2 cans mild red enchilada sauce
• shredded cheddar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Peel & dice sweet potato (I microwave mine after I peel it to soften it up too)
• Mix the diced sweet potato, chopped spinach & black beans all together. 
• Season the mixture with cumin, garlic powder, s&p to your liking (add in the salsa if using)
• Divide mixture evenly between tortillas & add a little shredded cheese (half corn/ half flour kind work well)
• Place roll ups seam down, in a pan and pour enchilada sauce over them. Top with more shredded cheese.
• Bake until heated through and cheese is melted about 20 min.

Enjoy! These enchiladas are also in My Fitness Pal for easy tracking (if you're into that kinda thing ;))!

Crunchy Romaine Salad (with Grilled Chicken)

My mom got me hooked on this salad. She said she got hooked on it from a church fellowship. The original recipe is entitled "Mary Lou's Romaine Salad" so I guess we all have Mary Lou to thank for this! :)


Ingredients:
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 head broccoli, divided into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 pkg Ramen noodles, crushed
1/4 C pecans, chopped
Grilled chicken optional (see notes below for marinade)

3 T butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, mix chopped romaine lettuce, broccoli and green onions.  For crunchies, slightly brown Ramen noodles & pecans in butter, yum!
I used a large glass measuring cup for the salad dressing: whisk together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar & soy sauce. 

I marinated and grilled chicken to toss on top of the salad. I put 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag & drizzled them with olive oil. I seasoned them with garlic powder, garlic salt, pepper, a little lemon juice, dijon mustard & soy sauce. Let them marinate for at least 30 minutes. Grill the chicken and cut into chunks. Toss onto the salad and then pour the salad dressing recipe above over it all.  It's divine! Thanks Mary Lou! :)

Salad with fruit & feta

I had this salad with a friend the other day...I mean this picture is of the actual salad I got!! I had to take a picture it was so beautiful! I have re-created it at home several times since then, so I needed to post and save the ingredients list. My whole family loves it.

Ingredients: (All ingredients should be fresh!)

Fresh Spinach (add other salad kinds if you like but have to have spinach in there somewhere! ;)
Purple grapes
Pineapple (chunked)
Avocado
Kiwi (sliced)
Pecans
Blackberries
Strawberries (sliced)
Feta Cheese (or some other crumbly kind, I think originally mine was made with goat cheese, but at home I used Feta)

Instructions:
Wash & prep all your fresh fruit, then toss together in a bowl on top of your salad and mix it all up.
I used a Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing...so healthy, fresh & yummy! Perfect for summer or anytime! Could also add chicken, but great without any meat too.

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Got these off Pinterest. They have become a staple in our home! So easy, yummy, & healthyish!;)

Ingredients:
2 C black beans (I just use one can, drained. Would use 2 cans if wanting to make more...one can makes about a dozen)
1/2 C red onion, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp garlic powder
shredded cheese (Monterey jack or whatever you prefer)
chopped cilantro (eyeball it to your preference)
olive oil
corn tortillas
toppings (sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc.)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro & spices. Lightly mash all ingredients together (sometimes I forget to mash & it works fine anyway)
2. In a large non-stick skillet, add a few TBS of oil & heat on med-high heat.
3. Add one corn tortilla at a time & let it get hot in the oil (I flip tortilla over a couple of times to oil it up on both sides)
4. Spoon your bean mixture to one half of the tortilla & top with shredded cheese.
5. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.
6. As the first tortilla cooks, slide it to the side & do a second one (I can usually do about 3 at a time...if you had a griddle you could do even more at once).
7.  Cook each taco for several minutes on each side until they are nicely browned and crispy.
8. I place a paper towel over a plate & as I finish a batch, I set them on the paper towel to the side until all are cooked.

Serve with your favorite toppings & sides!
Enjoy!

Spicy Fish Taco Bowls

Got this recipe off Pinterest, I tweaked it slightly. The original recipe called for the addition of chili powder & cayenne pepper (probably why it was titled "spicy" :} but I chose to leave those out so my kiddos could eat it) I have made it several times & everyone likes it--definitely a keeper! I also really recommend making this spanish rice to serve with this dish!


Ingredients:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic pwd
1 tsp salt
3-4 tilapia filets
1-2 minced garlic cloves
1 C corn kernels (fresh is probably best, but I only had frozen)
1 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
cooked rice (use brown or spanish rice recipe link above)
cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, etc. for topping

Directions:
1. Make your rice.
2. Mix the spices together in a bowl & sprinkle evenly over both sides of fish--I like to season my fish a lot, but just sprinkle on however much looks good to you--add s&p to taste.
3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, drizzle a little olive oil, add garlic & saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the fish to the pan, cook on each side for several minutes--checking the middle for doneness (fish should be completely white & flake apart easily). Remove fish & set aside.
4. Add corn, red peppers, & onion to the pan & heat on med/high heat for several minutes--stir and cook until peppers & onions are cooked to your liking. Add the black beans & heat through.
5. Layer the rice, corn/onion/pepper/bean mixture together with the fish in a bowl. Top with any of the toppings listed above, etc.!

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia w/Avocado Cream Dipping Sauce

Another great recipe from Clean and Delicious website! The avocado sauce was the key!! Soo yummy! Also the directions said to make avocado cream first so you're ready to eat when fish is done!



Ingredients:
1lb tilapia (4-6 filets)
2 eggwhites
1 C ground cornmeal
1 TBS paprika*
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper* (I used McCormick's Southwest Sweet n' Smoky spice instead of these 2)
S&P to taste

Avocado Cream:
2-3 small avocados
2 TBS plain Greek yogurt
juice from a lime (or lemon juice...I used a bit of both)
pinch of salt (I also added garlic salt)

Directions:
Avocado Cream:  Peel & pit avocados & cut into chunky pieces. Place in a mini food processor (I used a blender) along with all other ingredients. Blend everything together until you have a nice creamy sauce--play with texture by adding more or less yogurt and/or a bit of milk or water. Set aside until ready to serve.

Tilapia:
1. Combine cornmeal & spices in a wide dish--place egg white in another.
2. Season tilapia filets with s&p, dip them in the egg whites, then dredge in cornmeal mixture.
3. When fish is seasoned & coated, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat.
4. Right before placing fish into hot pan, lightly mist each one with cooking spray (this will ensure even browning w/o having to add too much oil in the pan) place in pan "sprayed side" down.
5. Mist the opposite side of fillets while they're cooking--after a few minutes, flip the fish & cook for another few minutes or so. You're looking for the fish to cook through while having a nice crispy, browned exterior.

Serve with avocado cream! I also served with a yummy Sweet Kale salad I got at Costco.

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

I made this tonight using spaghetti squash as the pasta (follow this link to see exactly how to make spaghetti squash). This recipe uses greek yogurt to make the creamy sauce. This is now on my make frequently list!!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked (you can grill these or bake them in the oven, that's how I cooked mine-seasoning with sea salt, garlic & drizzled in a little olive oil)
2 C broccoli florets (you can roast these in advance, I chose to steam mine, then sautéed them in a little butter seasoning with s&p, garlic, etc)
Spaghetti Squash (or any pasta you prefer)
Olive oil
Minced garlic
2 TBS flour
1 C chicken broth
1/4 C milk
1/4 C plain Greek yogurt
3/4 C parmesan cheese
s&p

Directions:

1. Make sure that you've cooked your chicken & broccoli to your liking before tossing this all together
2. Cook up your pasta and set it aside (I highly recommend the spaghetti squash!! Tonight was the first time I've tried making it, and I will definitely be making it again, soo easy & super healthy)
3. In a skillet add a little olive oil & garlic sauteeing over medium heat--then whisk in the flour, and then gradually the chicken broth. Add in the greek yogurt, milk, a little s&p.
4. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer, stirring gently until the mixture thickens. Stir in the 3/4C parmesan cheese.
5. Toss your chicken & broccoli into the sauce mixture and serve it over your pasta. Top with more parmesan if desired.
Delish!!

P.S.  I am creating a Paleo label...I'm trying to find more recipes that fit this bill! I would classify this Paleo for sure if you make it with spaghetti squash...the only "cheat" would be the small amount of dairy product used! :}

No Bake Energy Bites

These are a tasty little healthy snack with no baking involved!

Ingredients:
1/2 C Peanut Butter
2/3 C shredded coconut
1/2C chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 C oatmeal
1/2C milled flaxseed
1/3C honey

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl--roll together into a small little ball. Roll in a little extra coconut to coat the outside.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours! Done!

Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

Found this recipe on Taste of Home website (via Pinterest :) I tweaked original recipe slightly). Made it tonight and wished I had doubled it! This was healthy, easy & we loved it--I will definitely make it again!

Ingredients:
1 C shredded zucchini
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp olive oil
minced garlic
3/4C frozen corn
3/4C black beans (rinsed & drained)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cumin
3/4C salsa
fresh chopped cilantro
corn tortillas
shredded cheddar
sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, saute zucchini, bell pepper, & onion until soft. Add garlic & seasonings (use more or less of those seasonings to your liking). Add corn, beans, salsa, cilantro & mix together.
2. Place corn tortillas on the bottom of your baking dish (coated with cooking spray). Spread 2/3C vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese, repeat layers twice.
3. Bake, uncovered @ 350degrees for 20-25minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Let stand for 10minutes before serving.

Broiled Salmon with Rosemary & Spinach/Garlic Couscous

Got this recipe off SkinnyTaste website, but I tweaked it some. It has now become one of my favorite salmon recipes. I like salmon, but I have a hard time preparing it that it doesn't always end up tasting the same! I thought the Rosemary in this added a great flavor & pairing it with the garlic couscous made it really great. Super healthy and easy meal--definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:
3-4 pieces of salmon
olive oil spray
2 TBS melted butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh, chopped rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced (I also added a little extra garlic powder to final mixture)
S&P to taste

Directions:
1.Combine melted butter with lemon juice, rosemary, s&p, garlic and/or a little extra garlic powder or garlic salt to taste.
2. Brush mixture onto fish
3. Broil for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.
May test halfway through cooking & gently turn fish over. Continue cooking until no longer pink inside.

Side dish: I found Roasted Garlic&Olive Oil Couscous in a box (the 5 minute prep kind). I prepared that. I also sautéed some fresh spinach in a skillet in a little olive oil with some garlic & adding a little garlic salt on top. When the spinach was wilted down & the couscous was done, I tossed them together. My kids even loved it!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

This reminded me of California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ pizza, but we liked it better because the flat bread kept it from being so filling (we like thin pizza crust anyway)! This is definitely now on the top of our make-again list!

Wanted to have a visual on the exact ingredients I used!

Ingredients:

whole wheat tortillas (or flat bread)
cooked, chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 1 pkg of boneless, skinless ckn tenders)
BBQ sauce
Shredded cheese (the original recipe called for Gouda, but I used the kind in picture above)
red onion, thinly sliced & cut in slivers
fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. I seasoned my chicken tenders w/ s&p, garlic salt and brushed them w/BBQ sauce, baked them for 20 minutes & shredded them beforehand
3. Place tortillas on pan (I used my pampered chef bar pan, but you could use a cookie sheet...may need to spray it first?)
4. Spread a little BBQ sauce all over the tortillas (use this instead of pizza sauce)
5. Toss shredded chicken with a little more BBQ sauce; divide chicken among tortillas and sprinkle each with cheese & onions.
6. Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts & tortillas are lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven & sprinkle with the cilantro.

Baja Taco Blitz

This is a Weight Watchers recipe so it's healthy and yummy! I tweaked the recipe slightly (mainly I seasoned the chicken with the same ingredients from the Pioneer Women's Chicken Tortilla soup recipe) it makes the chicken taste divine! This is a great keeper! I served pinto beans as a side.

Ingredients:

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic pwd
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili pwd
olive oil
boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
corn tortillas
sliced onion
sliced bell pepper

optional toppings:
sliced avocado
fat free sour cream
shredded lettuce
shredded fat free cheddar cheese
salsa
fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In a small bowl mix the first 4 ingredients/seasonings. Place chicken on a bar pan or some other type pan that has a ridge (so chicken grease won't drip off). Drizzle the chicken tenders with olive oil then sprinkle the entire bowl of seasonings over the chicken--tossing to ensure they're fully coated.
Bake the tenders for about 15-20 minutes until no longer pink.

3.  While chicken is baking saute the bell pepper & onion; place to the side after cooking.

4.  Remove chicken from oven, allow to cool & then shred/cut into bite size pieces.

5. In the same skillet used for onion & bell pepper--add a little olive oil and heat on low heat.
Place a corn tortilla in skillet and cook, flipping gently, occasionally until tortilla is soft. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

6.  Fill each tortilla with the chicken, onions/bell pepper & toppings of your choice.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

Got this recipe out of the August issue of Eating Well magazine. This was easy & good!

1 8oz can tom sauce
1 4oz can green chiles, drained
3 TBS cider vinegar
2 TBS honey
1 TBS sweet or smoked paprika*
1 TBS tom paste
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp ground chipotle*
1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
1 sm onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

(*side note on these ingredients: I found a McCormick spice called "Perfect Pinch" Southwest Sweet 'n Smoky. This one ingredient had both the paprika & chipotle in it & worked great)

1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika/chipotle, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chipotle seasoning and salt in a slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion & garlic; stir to combine.
2. Put the lid on; cook on Low until chicken can be pulled apart, about 5hrs.
3. Transfer the chicken to cutting board & shred with fork. Return to sauce, stir well & serve.

I served this on those whole wheat sandwich thins with a little shredded cheddar to help tone down spiciness, but my girls were able to eat it, so it wasn't too spicy.

Baked Dijon Salmon

Found this on All recipes website--this is my new favorite way to fix salmon!

Ingredients:

1/4C butter, melted

3 TBS dijon mustard

1 1/2 TBS honey

1/4 C bread crumbs

1/4 C finely chopped pecans

4 tsp chopped fresh parsely

4 (4oz) salmon fillets

s&p to taste

lemon for garnish

(*next time I will add in a little brown sugar to the coating mix just to make it a little sweeter)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a small bowl stir together butter, mustard & honey. Set aside. In another bowl mix together bread crumbs, pecans & parsley *(add in a little brown sugar-optional)

3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.

4. Bake salmon approximately 15 minutes (more or less depending on thickness) until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with s&p, garnish with lemon wedge.

I served this with fresh green beans & white rice that I had seasoned with butter, garlic salt & lemon juice. Yummy!

Breakfast Cookies

These are not gluten-free ;) but they are made with whole wheat flour and natural ingredients (plus they don't contain sugar) so I think they count as healthy!
Chantelle gave me this recipe and we make them regularly now--they're great especially when you get tired of the same ol' granola bars for breakfast on the go!

P.S. I halved this recipe today & they still worked great!

Ingredients:
1 C butter melted
3/4 C honey (might use 1 C if you want them sweeter)
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C buttermilk

2C whole wheat flour
2C whole rolled oats
1 C raisins (I used craisins)
1C chocolate chips


Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Mix the first 8 ingredients and then stir in the flour, oats, raisins & chocolate chips (you can adjust the amount of raisins & chocolate chips to your liking--I think the original recipe might have been 1/2C of each?? may have to just play with the amount)
*Mix all ingredients together & drop onto a cookie sheet
*Bake for about 15 minutes

These make a very soft & chewy cookie!

Whole wheat chicken salad wrap

Got the recipe for this chicken salad off allrecipes.com and put it inside these awesome whole wheat wraps I've been buying at Walmart; they're called "Extreme Wellness Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap" and they are soo good!

I didn't follow the measurements exactly on the ingredients below--I kind of eyeballed it and adjusted to the amount of chicken I had and according to our taste, but it's an easy recipe to throw together.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C diced cooked chicken (I used white meat canned chicken)

4 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled

1/2 C thinly sliced celery

1 C halved green grapes (I used red)

3/4 C mayo or salad dressing

1 TBS dried parsley flakes

2 tsp finely minced onion (I used red onion)

1 tsp lemon juice

1 dash of Worcestershire sauce

S&P to taste

I also added in some chopped pecans

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl--mix it up & serve it inside the whole wheat wraps. Slice diagonally in half & serve; goes well with string cheese & grapes.

Jalapeno Steak Salad

I got the idea for this dish from a place I recently discovered in SoLake called "My Fit Foods." I had their chicken wrap for lunch the other day (it was great) and I picked up one of their menus to look over. Everything on their menu sounds good and gave me lots of new cooking ideas! Anyway, they had a steak salad entree listed and I decided to try and recreate it. We had it tonight and thought it was superb--so I wanted to post how I made it.

Ingredients:

Prime tenderloin (or any kind of steak that will easily cut into strips)

salad mixture-whatever kind you prefer

4-5 jalapenos

red onion

avocado

roasted corn

roma tomato

Newman's Own Light Lime salad dressing

cilantro

Directions:

• Marinate & grill a steak, then cut it into strips, cover & set aside. You can throw the corn on the grill with the steak, inside the husk & cook it at the same time.
• De-seed the jalapenos and cut them into very thin strips (I always wear gloves when doing this & am very cautious with disposing of seeds). Dice up half of a red onion & saute it along with the jalapeno strips in a little bit of olive oil on medium-high heat until they are softened.
• Put salad mixture in the bowl (I used romaine, spinach & a little iceberg)
• Toss all ingredients (the steak, sliced tomatoes, avocados & sauted jalapeno/onions...you can slice the corn off the cob & toss it in too--we were lazy & just ate the corn on the cob) in with the salad and top with the dressing*.

*the menu said they used a cilantro lime dressing--I could not find this exact dressing in the store, but I did find Paul Newman's Light Lime Dressing, so I poured that in a bowl & added diced cilantro to it--it was soo yummy.

This salad had such a great combination of flavors and was really healthy; I'll definitely make it again!

Veggie Delight

Again, this is probably a no brainer, but sometimes it's just the idea or being able to actually remember what I did that helps me! :)

A friend of mine got me hooked on the Veggie Delight sandwich at Subway--I never thought I'd like it, but now that's about all I order.

To make my own at home I now use those whole wheat sandwich thins (those things are awesome)! On my sandwich I like to put: spinach leaves, sliced bell pepper, alfalfa sprouts, avocado & pepperocini's. I have also discovered this wonderful dressing, (I went and looked at the bottle so when I run out I can reference it here) it's called Creamy Vidalia Onion Vinegarette and it actually seems quasi healthy. Anyway, it tastes great and I always put a little of this dressing on my sandwich.

I vary up my sandwich by what veggies I have at home of course. Sometimes I add cucumber, sometimes I add black olives. But overall you would be amazed how great a total vegetable sandwich can taste!

O.k. enough of that. I think I'll go have another bite of Reese Cup Candy now. ;)

Sweet Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad

I found this chicken marinade recipe on recipezaar and I thought it went well with this easy waldorf type salad. The flavor combination was really good; I wanted to post so I could recreate it. It's a keeper!

Chicken Marinade (this makes a sweet flavorful chicken)

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

3 TBS ground mustard

3 cloves minced garlic

1 lime, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 C brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt)

6 TBS olive oil

ground black pepper

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1. In a large bowl whisk together ingredients beginning w/ cider vinegar through salt.

2. Then whisk in olive oil & pepper.

3. Place chicken in the mixture--cover & marinate in fridge for a few hours

4. Remove chicken from marinade & grill it up--while it cools, make your salad & then chop up chicken to add to salad.

Waldorf Salad

bag of salad, whatever kind you prefer

2-3 apples cored & cut into bite size chunks

chopped pecans

craisins or mixed dried fruit

crumbled Feta cheese

Raspberry Vinaigrette (Kraft makes one that is Light and really good!)

For the salad, just toss all of the ingredients together in the bowl adjusting amounts to your preference. I like lots of pecans & dried fruit in mine. This is a great summer salad; it's really sweet but the feta cheese helps balance that and also the lemons & limes you use in the chicken marinade.

Enjoy!