Roasted Brussels Sprouts

  True Life: I'm addicted to brussels sprouts.

I'm not kidding.


They are tender yet crunchy when roasted, and so delicious. They're like cute little bite sized baby cabbages and I could literally eat them every day, which is a miraculous thing because until I was about 14 years old I hated all foods that grew naturally besides potatoes and watermelon. I used to be a verrrrrry picky eater. (Thank god that stage is long gone!)

Anyways, this is beyond easy so it's a great side dish for dinner. It's a staple in my weekly recipes, and I sometimes even cook them for lunch or an afternoon snack. If you haven't cooked them before, this is a great first recipe to try out because it's basically fool proof and really highlights their yummy flavor.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 lb brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Cut brussels sprouts in half (if they're really big ones you might want to half them again)
- Toss to coat with olive oil in bowl or plastic bag and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder
- Spread out on cookie sheet and roast in oven for about 30 minutes, depending on their size. They should be browned and crispy for the most part on the outside and tender in the middle.

Busy Weeknight Tilapia

     Lately I've been getting big bags of frozen tilapia filets for easy and cheap weeknight meals. It's great for single serving because I will just defrost one, season it to my liking and dinner is served! One of my favorite ways to do it is to season it with some of my favorite smoky spices and pan fry it in olive oil.

   
       This fish goes really well with basically any side dish. Above I have a sweet potato and roast brussels sprouts (which I am posting a recipe for soon because I literally am in love with them), but I also have eaten this with steamed frozen vegetables, quinoa, a salad, etc, etc, etc.

       It's a great gluten free meal because the seasoning acts as a little bit of a crust as it crisps up when cooked, so you won't miss having any breadcrumbs (which is what I'm used to from growing up with plenty of baked haddock).


The recipe below doesn't have exact measurements because to be honest I've never actually measured it. You just shake on the seasoning basically to coat the fish. It's as simple as that! If you're looking for more of a blackened style, then really load on the seasonings, almost as if you're coating it in breadcrumbs, and rub into the fish.




Busy Weeknight Tilapia

Ingredients:
Tilapia filet(s)
A moderate dusting of each of the following:
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Cumin
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
- Season both sides of tilapia filets with moderate amount of seasonings and cook in heated pan on each side for about 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
(A lil squeeze of lemon at the end tastes great!)

Gluten Free Cookie Dough Balls

       I try my best to eat healthy, but I'm only human and I'm also an American so I crave sweets. Buttery cakes, sugary cookies and fudgy brownies - the world is a cruel and unfair place making these delicious treats so damn bad for you.

       Eating gluten free has pushed me to be more creative in finding ways to get my sugar fix when necessary, and find healthier ways to do it. It's taught me that black bean brownies are a million times more delicious than they sound, a chocolate rice cake is actually quite satisfying, almond meal kicks flours butt in making banana bread, and just recently, chickpeas make great cookie dough (call me crazy!)

       I wouldn't have believed it myself a few months ago if someone told me that canned chickpeas pulsed to mush and mixed into peanut butter would make a delicious cookie dough, and shame on me for that because it's delicious!

       Chickpeas are fibrous and protein packed, so it's a huge bonus being able to incorporate them into a sweet treat. Plus it's mixed with a nut butter which provides even more protein and nutritional value, and great flavor, of course!

       Now I'm not saying these are healthy for you, per say. They have plenty of nutritional value unlike the majority of other desserts, but they also have high fat content (good for you in moderation unsaturated fats, though!) and some sugar from the honey and chocolate chips.

Just don't get too excited about their subtly sweet deliciousness and eat an entire batch, but definitely indulge and snack guilt-free!

Original recipe found at www.texanerin.com

Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad

     This quinoa salad is super simple, delicious and healthy (A great alternative for pasta salad!). I love that it is served cold, making it an easy grab and go lunch, snack or side dish to dinner that can be stored in the fridge. It tastes so fresh, and it's something you can really feel good about eating.

And it's full of pretty colors which I loooooove!

           It reminds me of a summer dish which is exactly what I need right now. I don't know how many more <20 degree days I can handle!! (But seriously, a big bowl of this as a side for some grilled food and a day at the lake?! Come on!) It has similar flavors to the Mexican Bean Salad recipe I have on the blog, so try them both :)


          It's seasoned with cumin which is probably the most favored spice in the Sedler household, so you know we all loved it. Zest from the lime and the fresh crunch of veggies really made it delicious.... It's totally a winner.


I recommend serving it with a few slices of avocado!

        What's great about a recipe like this is that it inspires me to try all sorts of new variations. I love the way the quinoa is the base to a world of new potential additives and flavors, and you can basically incorporate anything you have and making something new!


Don't be surprised if you see a new variation of the recipe on the blog sometime soon ;)

Nut Butter Banana Smoothie

       This smoothie tastes just like a banana shake, and you'd have no idea how healthy it is for you. My roommate and I are both addicted and have been putting our blender to work multiple times a day for these things.

       I love the unsweetened almond/coconut milk blend so much that I've basically stopped drinking milk. It has less calories than skim milk, plus 50% more calcium and a good amount of vitamins D and E. It tastes really great in cereal too!

      I crave these when I wake up in the morning for breakfast, after a long day of classes or a post gym snack, and for satisfying a sweet tooth. Maybe I'm just obsessed, but really it's good at any time of day!

       Sometimes I'll get creative and throw some fruit in there (mainly strawberries), so it's kind of like a PB&J with banana, and that's really good too! I don't have a lot of extra money to spend on fruit though, and bananas are so cheap so they're my go-to fruit for smoothies.

(Note the bananas are a tiny bit green - they aren't the ones I used in the actual smoothie, they're a new batch. Using brown speckled bananas is good in these smoothies because they are sweeter the more they ripen! The green ones aren't quite ready!)

        If you really have a sweet craving you gotta curb, try one of these with a little squeeze of honey and cocoa powder or chocolate syrup. That's really a treat :)

         When I make these smoothies I use whatever type of butter I have on hand. Recently I've had peanut butter with flaxseed, almond butter and sunflower seed butter (Is that ridiculous?), so I like to alternate. My favorite is the almond butter, but it is just so much more expensive than peanut butter, so I buy it only on occasion to spoil myself :) It's necessary sometimes!

        You could also use any type of milk - regular skim, coconut, almond, soy, chocolate soy, vanilla soy, etc etc. It's really flexible and you can change up the recipe to your preference. I bet you'll end up addicted, too!!

Kale and Mushroom Pizza

      More kale! I bought a 1 lb pre-cut bag, so I'm forcing myself to incorporate it into my cooking, and it turns out that it's a great addition to pizza. I used my trusted brand Portland Pie for the crust because they have a gluten free dough, which I was really pumped about, of course!
       It's a little different consistency than the regular dough. You roll it out instead of stretching and tossing it, and the texture is a little different upon being cooked as well but I thought it was really good. Especially with all the yummy, healthy toppings :)

       I had needed a substantial dinner that day because I had the beer olympics that night, which you know we take very seriously. I figured a good pizza would do the trick holding me down and keeping me in the games! Here's the winning team:

(though technically the games never got finished for obvious reasons, but we'll still take the win! And I won't disclose what country we are because I don't want to offend anyone....Though it might be obvious from the photos on our chest...)


       Whether the pizza did it for me or not, who knows. But I do know that having a piece for lunch the day after the olympics was a life saver.

 It's not the shapeliest thing in the world but you'll get over that once you take a bite...

     I love using fresh mozzarella on a pizza. It could just be because I love eating it while I'm cutting it up, or because the way it stretches so long when you take a bite of the pizza. Either way, in my opinion it's the way to go!

       As always, the recipe is just a guideline. Switch up the ingredients based on whatever you got! I don't use real measurements in the recipe because you really don't need them for a pizza. It's all eye balling and just throwing on your desired amount!


Remember to look for that Portland Pie dough in your grocery store! It really makes a difference.

Chicken Sausage and Broccoli "Alfredo"

      It's been well over a month since I've eaten any form of pasta. Either I had forgotten completely what it tastes like, or the brown rice pasta I cooked in this recipe tasted pretty much identical. Either way, it works for me! I got my pasta fix, smothered in a yummy, easy to make cheese sauce, and found something to do with the chicken sausages I had in the fridge. It was a success!

       It's a really simple recipe, and you could substitute chicken or a different meat for the sausage. Johnsonville Apple chicken sausages just happened to be what I had on hand and the sweetness of them balanced out the spice of the cayenne pepper really nicely.

(The cayenne pepper is optional, but I've been wanting everything with a kick recently so I definitely had to put it in there.)

        Also, in my opinion, the more broccoli the better. There isn't too much that's better than cheesy broccoli. I think it could be a satisfying meal in itself!

         This is a great dish if you're looking for a really simple cheese sauce, similar to alfredo but not 100% the same. It uses waaaay less butter than traditional alfredo does, and the cream cheese does give it a different flavor, but it is very delicious. You could easily mix in cheddar or another cheese to the sauce when it's on the stove if you want to make it more mac-n-cheesy-extra-cheesy, but that's all up to you! Recipes are meant to be altered to your preference :)

Kale, Quinoa and Veggie Soup

      This meal is so cheap. It is so easy. It's delicious, healthy, gluten free and vegetarian. It is many many many things.....  It better have healing qualities too because I've been sick for days (hence I got the desperate idea to make a healthy, heartwarming soup!).

      Here's hoping this soup will cure all your winter ailments, as well. With all the nutrients packed in there I think it could work wonders, but if not, at least it's super colorful and nice to look at!

         I've been needing a good recipe with kale. I'm guilty of neglecting it and all its nutritional powers, but I've made it my goal to eat more of it. This was a wonderful start, especially because I made a HUGE pot of it so I'll be eating it for days! I'll be a healthy girl :)

        I basically threw in anything that I had that I felt would be good, and it ended up working in my favor. That's the magic of soups! It's fun to mix in whatever you have and make it delicious. I was really happy with the quinoa in there, as I have never tried it in a soup before. It added a different texture component than what I was accustomed to, and I really liked it. Of course the kale added a great crunch, with the rest of the tender vegetables.

        I ate my serving with a slice of gluten free bread. And for the record, whoever says it tastes like cardboard has never had Three Bakers 7 Ancient Grains sliced bread. It is nutty and flavorful and so so sooo good. I think I like it better than basically any store bought sliced bread I've had in the past, regardless of the amount of gluten it's got! This brand tastes great toasted with peanut butter or jam, used for a sandwich, or in this case, dunked in the broth of a soup.

(Image taken from imaceliac.com)
The one I use is on the left. The only downfall is the small size of the slices, but hey, we could all use a little portion control ;)


       This recipe is definitely a keeper because it's tasty, and you can feel good about yourself even after eating a ginormous bowl of it. Being healthy feels great!

Balsamic Chicken W/ Spinach and Mushrooms

         Another yummy meal to post about! I was beyond satisfied with this one, as it was both healthy and delicious. I haven't been cooking with enough spinach lately, and as weird as it may seem to say I was craving spinach......I was.

         Spinach is low in calories, very low on the glycemic index and it's PACKED with nutritional components that function as anti inflammatory and anti cancer agents. Not to mention it has more than 6x the necessary daily value of vitamin K and A, and plenty of antioxidants.

         I probably had 3 servings of spinach after eating this dish, and it was easy to do so because the spinach absorbed the yummy sauce so well. Plus the mushrooms add all sorts of nutritional benefits as well. I decided to balance out all this wonderfully healthy food with a little handful of cheddar cheese to be melted on top of the balsamic chicken, which added another flavor element and boyyyyyyy was it good!
        And of course I served it with quinoa because I do have a slight obsession. I've been looking forward to eating the leftovers for dinner all day!

Gluten free is easy!!

           I sprinkled a little bit of red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese on it to serve and it was amazing!