Baked Potato Soup

This is a wonderful soup that will leave all your guest, family and friends full and happy. It's really easy and perfect dish to serve if you want to keep it simple.

Baked Potato Soup
6 white potatoes - peeled and cubed
28 oz. vegetable broth
1 tsp. of onion powder
1 celery stalk
splash of milk
bacon bits
cheddar cheese
monterary jack cheese
green scallions
cooked broccoli florets


1. peel the potatoes and cut into chunks
2. wash and chop celery
3. put celery, potatoes and onion powder and veg. broth into pot
4. bring to boil - lower flame and simmer for 25 minutes
5. puree it. pour back into bowl and splash of milk
6. serve in bowl with a choice of the toppings!

You can allow your guests to choose what they want on top of their soup and what they don't want. It's almost like making an omelet but with soup! Choose your fillings or choose your toppings!

Delicious!

The "Healthy" and "Unhealthy" Watermelon Popsicle

So I saw these on pinterest and I just had to make them! They look like so much fun. There are two ways to have watermelon popsicles at your next summer BBQ. Here are both recipes. One is SUPER easy and one is pretty complicated but totally well worth it!

Easy and Healthy Watermelon Popsicles

Cut watermelon into triangles aka pizza slice looking pieces. Stick a Popsicle stick into the bottom. All done!

Hard and Unhealthy Watermelon Popsicles

1 small watermelon cubed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
handful of crushed ice
1 tsp. white sugar

12 kiwis - peeled and cubed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
handful of crushed ice
1 tsp. white sugar

coconut milk

12 popsicle sticks

1. in a blender blend the watermelon, lemon, ice and sugar together then pour into a popsicles dish and stick popsicle stick inside.throw some raisins inside. put in in the freezer for 4-8 hours
2. then pour a little coconut milk on top of watermelon and place back in freezer for 1-2 hours
3. in a blender blend kiwis, lemon, ice and sugar and then pour in top of the coconut milk. place back in freezer for 1 hour.

Remove and Serve!

Breakfast Casserole for Champions

In April is when a lot of 5Ks and half marathons kick off. It seems like almost every Sunday starting in mid April there is some 5K or half marathon benefiting some worthwhile cause. I am an avid runner - running between 45-65 miles a week, I therefore can appreciate any good run. Before a run you want to have something light - small bowl of oatmeal and some fruit. When you run you don't want anything too heavy in your stomach. However after the race - depending on far you've run you will want to replenish your stomach with something tasty and healthy. This is my Breakfast Casserole for Champions. It's a breakfast dish that is perfect for runners. It will leave you feeling satisfied but not too satisfied where you feel like you just undid your whole run and all the calories and fat you burned.

Breakfast Casserole for Champions - Serve 6
6 Eggs
2 cups of cooked broccoli
1/2 cup of chopped red onions
1 clove of fresh garlic - crushed
1 large tomato chopped
1/4 cup of bacon bits - found in salad dressing aisle
1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese
challah bread - cubed

Preheat oven to 375
1. beat the eggs
2. add in the cooked broccoli, chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic, bacon bits and shredded Swiss.
3. pour into a pan and smooth it out so all the ingredients are spread out evenly
4. bake in oven for 30 minutes - remove
5. place cubed bread
6. bake for another 30 minutes

All Done! Yummy! Serve!

Nutella Smores

Nutella Smores
Nutella
Large Marshmallows
Cinnamon Graham Crackers

Just like regular old time smores - this recipe is the same! First you spread the nutella on the graham crackers, then you melt roast the marshmallows and then you stick it on the graham crackers.

Simple and Delicious!

                                                

Fish Tacos

This recipe may seem daunting and hard but I promise you that if you just take a deep breath and relax and focus on the task at hand you will find that it is actually very, very easy.

Fish Tacos
1 package of frozen fish fillets (I recommend tilapia) - defrost
flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tbps. of melted butter
whole wheat bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese, chili powder, paprika and onion powder
lettuce
slices of tomatoes cut into fourths
slices of purple onion
shredded cheddar and mozzarella mixture (Mexican Blend)

Melt butter on frying pan
1. Pat the fish in the flour well.
2. then dip each piece of fish into the egg and make sure the whole piece is covered in egg
3. coat it with the bread crumb and spice mixture
4. place fish into pan and fry each side for 3-4 minutes

Repeat until all fish is done.

Place the fish on a paper towel.

Place your hard tacos on a plate. Then put the fish, about 5 of the fourths in each taco, a few slices of lettuce, purple onion and about palm size of cheese. Then put a dollop of any condiment you'd like.
(Ranch, Thousand Island, French, Sour Cream, Mayo)

Serve!

Yummy!!!!!!!!

Candy Blondies

Sometimes you just can't eat healthy and need to have a little something sweet. So here it is!

Candy Blondies
1 stick on unsalted butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup of 100% natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup of 100% whole wheat white flour
1 1/2 cups of your favorite crushed candy (M&M's, Butterfinger, Crunch, Heath, Kit Kat, Hershey's)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking dish  with parchment paper. Lightly grease.
2. In a large bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Mix well and then add egg and vanilla
3. Mix the peanut butter and make sure all wet ingredients are mixed well.
4. Add salt and flour and 1 cup of your candies
5. Spread brownie batter in a the dish evenly and then sprinkle with remaining candies
6. bake for 25-35 minutes- test with tooth pick.

YUMMY!

Butterfinger Blondie 

M&M Blondie 

Candy Corn Blondie 

Sweet Potato French Fries

Let's face it everyone loves french fries! If you tell me you don't then you are lying. The best kind I think we can all agree is the golden arches famous fries AKA McDonald's. Ray Crock the founder of McDonald's was famous for his fries back in the day and even today all fast food restaurant chains are compared to greasy, crispy, thin, melt in your mouth, mouth watering high calorie but delicious beyond delicious french fries. This recipe I have created is almost as good as McDonald's. I say almost because even I know that nothing will ever compare to their's LOL

Sweet Potato French Fries
6 large sweet potatoes (I normally say that 1 potato feeds 2 people).
olive oil
cinnamon
salt
pepper
paprika
cumin
onion powder

1. Slice of the potatoes into thin - 2 inch - strips
2. pour oil over it
3. mix all spices together then pour fries in a bag and spices in as well.
4. mix it well. allow it to marinate it the oil and spices for a few hours mixing and rubbing every 30 minutes
5. pour olive oil into a pot and heat it up. place one fry in at  a time. THIS IS ESSENTIAL or it will clamp together. Remove once the fries turn golden brown. Pat hard with a towel removing all excess grease and unwanted fat and calories.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Eating outside is fun and this a fun dish you can easily make outside as well as eat outside with your family. It is super healthy and super tasty. I promise you that everyone in the family will devour it!

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
2 - 4 large boneless chicken breast
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. dried ginger

1 pineapple cut up
2 green peppers
1 large red onion

1. In a bowl marinate the chicken in soy sauce, oil, ginger and garlic for 2 hours or overnight. The longer the better
2. preheat the grill and then put the chicken on the grill - for about 7 or 8 minutes on each side
3. the cut the pepper, pineapple and onions and throw in on the grill for about 5 minutes - or until lightly browned.
4. allow all food to cool long enough for you to be able to touch it.
5. then place then on the skewers alternating between each food.


Preheat oven to 350

place skewers in oven for 5 minutes to reheat. The serve! Delicious! 

Easter Dessert: Cookies

Easter Cookies

1 stick of butter

3/4 Cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1 Egg(s)

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

dash of salt

3 cups of quick oats - dry

1 cup of Easter M and Ms

Heat oven to 375°F.

1. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. 

2. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

3.  Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt mix well. Add oats; mix well. 

4. add in M and Ms;

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. 

5. Bake 18 minutes. Let cool

Easter Dessert - Cupcakes

Easter Carrot Cupcakes
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup of coconut oil1/2 cup of vegetable oil1/2 tsp. sea salt2 tsp. of ground cinnamon (excellent for burning fat)2 tsp. of baking soda 1 tsp. of vanilla4 organic cage free eggs2 4oz. jars of carrot baby food - 100% natural1/2 cup of grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350*
1. mix all dry ingredients together (flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking soda)2. then mix the oils, eggs and vanilla3. mix the wet with the dry and then add in the baby food and carrots4. mix well and pour batter into your lightly greased and floured (whole wheat) pans5. bake in oven at 350* for 30-40 minutes (use tooth pick to test if it is done)6. let cool for 30 minutes before frosting it

Decorating
Put green icing in a large plastic bag. Cut a hole in the bag. Then squeeze the frosting on the cupcake. Take some Easter Candy and decorate the top however you'd like.
I like to put candy eggs and bunnies on mine.

Easter Dessert- Pretzel Rods

Happy Spring! So I don't celebrate Easter but that doesn't mean that I can enjoy some Easter desserts. Easter is a fun holiday for those who celebrate it. It's about their savior, G-d, spring time, egg hunts, chocolate and family time. Here is a good Easter recipe that you are sure to love.

Easter Pretzel Rods
12 salted pretzel rods
1 cup semi sweet
chips
1 tbsp. shortening
yellow sprinkles
light blue sprinkles
baby pink sprinkles
purple sprinkles
light green sprinkles

Mix all sprinkles together and lay out on parchment paper

1. Melt the semi sweet chocolate in microwave for 30 seconds in shortening
2. dip the pretzel rod sticks in the chocolate and then roll the pretzels on the sprinkle mixture
3. place it down on another set of parchment paper
4. place in fridge overnight

Take out a few hours before serving. Done!

Artichoke and Pasta Bake

Artichoke and Pasta Bake
1 pound of penne whole wheat pasta
1 jar of artichokes
1 onion
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 cup of crushed fetta
Basil - optional

1. boil the water and then cook pasta for 6 minutes

Mean while, diced to onion and saute it in the olive oil
Preheat oven to 350

2. once the pasta is done drain and add the onions to the pasta and stir well.
3. add in the artichokes - slice them
4. add in the fetta and basil
5. pour into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes

Serve and Enjoy!

Kids Only: Candy Apples

So I am marketing this as a Kids' Only Dessert, but of course adults can eat and enjoy it too! It's super fun for all ages!


Candy Apples
6 apples
11 oz. caramels
2 tbsp. water

Microwave caramels and water for 2 1/2 minutes on High

Honey Roasted Peanuts
Dark Chocolate Chips
Raisins

Once you the caramels are melted role the apples in the caramel and then role them in the mixture of nuts, chips and raisins.

It's a healthier version to Candy Apples! I call it Trail Mix Candy Apples!

Potato Vegetable Soup

Most potato soups have cheese in them which can add an easy extra 400 calories per serving. By eliminating the cheese in the super healthy recipe - you will be getting many nutrients and save loads of unwanted calories and fat.
 

Potato Vegetable Soup

14 oz. Veg broth

4 white Idaho potatoes

4 celery stalks

10 oz. can of corn

3 carrots

1 cup of cooked peas

¼ tsp. onion

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1. cut the potatoes and celery into chunks and simmer them in broth for 20 minutes

2. puree it

3. diced the carrots and then microwave them for 3 minutes with 3 tbsp. of water in the bowl

4. add the cooked peas, carrots and corn to the soup

5. then add in the spices

Reheat and Serve!! 

Tomato Salmon

This recipe is delicious. If you love salmon then you will LOVE this. If you love tomatoes then you will LOVE this. If you don't like tomatoes or salmon you will LOVE this. Basically, no matter what you will LOVE this recipe.

2 pieces of salmon
1 large tomato - diced
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 clove of garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 onion - chopped
1/2 pound of Penne (half a box)
marinara sauce
Parmesan cheese
lemon juice
olive oil

1. punch the salmon with a fork and pour a little bit of olive oil and lemon juice and some salt on top of the salmon. Bake for 25 minutes

Meanwhile - boil water and pour in pasta. allow it to cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile - dice the onions and tomatoes and crush the garlic. Pour the garlic, tomatoes and onions into a pan and cook in olive oil until its translucent.

Once the pasta is done mix in some marinara sauce and Parmesan.

Place the pasta in a bowl place the salmon on top and then pour your tomato, onion and garlic mixture on top. Sprinkle with oregano.

Serve! Yum!

Healthy Style Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter can either be a super healthy snack or a super unhealthy snack. It all depends on what brand and type of peanut butter you buy. Stay away from any peanut butter that has more than 2 ingredients. The only ingredients that should be in your peanut butter is PEANUTS and SALT. If there is ANYTHING else - STAY AWAY! I am sadly allergic to peanuts but I wasn't always. I developed is annoying allergy when I was in my early 20's. Yet, I can still say these peanut butter cookies are the best in the world...and very healthy!!

Healthy Style Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup of softened butter
1 cup of 100% All Natural Peanut Butter
1 cup of All Natural Apple Sauce
1 cup of brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well with an electric mixture (or by hand).

Grease a pan. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop out the dough and place down on greased pan. Then use a fork to push down on the scoops of dough.

Bake in oven at 400 for 15 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

Baked (Fake) Shrimp with a Vodka Cream Sauce

So one thing about me is I hate "extra stuff" in the house. I always feel the need to purge the kitchen of everything, which may sound strange to a foodie like myself. So I was looking in the cabinet and feeling bad that I had requested my parents buy vodka for my Penne Al A Vodka and I didn't use the whole bottle - my, my! LOL So, I therefore decided to create a new vodka recipe. Luckily, we also had some lonely sour cream in the house which I had used for Baked Salmon w. Cream Sauce recipe. So here is my elegant and delicious shrimp recipe.

Baked (Fake) Shrimp with Vodka Cream Sauce

1 package of Dyna-Sea shrimp - defrosted
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 gloves of garlic
1/2 onion
1/2 cup of vodka
olive oil
1 medium tomato

Place shrimp in baking dish and preheat oven to 375
1. crush the garlic and dice the onion and saute it in the olive oil
2. then add in the cream and vodka and stir over medium flame until you feel it is mixed in well
3. pour over the shrimp and bake for 10 minutes
4. dice the tomatoes - after 10 minutes add the tomatoes and then place back in oven for another 5-10 minutes

Serve Immediately! 

Pastrami Stuffed Chicken Breast

So this is what I call my "Wedding Recipe" because I picture it being served at a wedding. It's a fairly simple recipe, although it does take prepping time and marination time. If you're hosting a dinner party or a wedding I highly recommending serving it.

Pastrami Stuffed Chicken Breast
6 slices of chicken breast - you'll want to pound and pat it to make sure it's flat and thin
12 slices of pastrami from the deli
Zesty Italian Dressing
seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs (what I normally do is get whole wheat crumbs and then add spices myself- onion powder, dried parsley, paprika, garlic salt, pepper, cumin etc.)



1. marinate the chicken breast in salad dressing over night
Preheat oven to 350
2. lay out each chicken breast flat and then top each one with 2 slices of pastrami
3. roll it tight and then roll the chicken/pastrami roll in your bread crumbs. The crumbs will stick because of the wet dressing - it replaces the egg.
4. place down on a baking sheet or pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes

That's it! I suggest serving it with marinated sweetened sweet potatoes or rice. For rice - just cook according to directions on box. For sweet potatoes, wash the potatoes, dice them and coat them in brown sugar, canola oil and cinnamon for a couple hours. Then spread evenly on baking sheet and pour marination over it. Bake at 450 for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally
.

Creamy Spinach Soup

So I was thinking for weeks about a new possible soup recipe. As many of you know I pride myself on creating unique and delicious soups. I get inspired from posts I see on other blogs, pinterest and cook books to make my own. This one was a long time coming. I thought, I searched, I pinned and finally I came up with the most amazing spinach soup recipe. I promise you will love it and feel so good after eating it.

Creamy Spinach Soup

4 small white potatoes
3 celery stalks
1 tsp. olive oil
Vegetable Broth
handful of fresh spinach chopped
1 clove of garlic or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
dash of pepper/salt
splash of milk
handful of shredded cheese

1. cut the celery and potatoes and brown it in oil for 3 minutes
2. add in broth to just cover the potatoes and simmer for 20-30 minutes
3. add in handful of chopped spinach
4. puree it
5. add in milk, spices and cheese - stir

That's it! Enjoy! Yummy!

Best served with crackers, rice cakes or bread.

Delicious Chocolaty Brownies

I have to say I make the BEST brownies known to man. I have been complimented many, many times on my brownies. I make them moist and chewy. While they may not be the healthiest food, I substitute and alter some of the ingredients to make it a bit healthier.

Delicious Chocolaty Brownies

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup melted butter 

1/2 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1-1/3 cups whole wheat flour flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan or two 8-inch square baking pans.

1.  Mix together cocoa and baking soda in large bowl

2. Add in 1/3 cup butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens.

3. Add in sugar, eggs and remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir until smooth.

4. Add flour, salt

5. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan

Cool completely

Frosting

Mix together coco powder and hot water a vanilla

Serve!