4 recipes I'm loving lately

I wanted to share a few recipes that I have been making a lot of lately. Two of them are Fall staples in our house:) My favorite recipes are ones that don’t take too long to make (especially with two boys wanting me/running around the kitchen), and that are overall healthy.

I’d love to know what you think of these recipes I’ve shared! Enjoy! (all came off of Pinterest)

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients: 2 c rolled oats, 1 c chopped walnuts, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 c diced apples (1 medium apple), 1/2 c applesauce, 1/2 c almond milk (room temperature), 2 eggs room temperature, 1/4 c maple syrup, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp pure almond extract, 1/4 c coconut oil (melted & slightly cooled)

—- Preheat oven to 350 F and spray an 8 by 8 inch glass baking dish.

—- In a large bowl combine oats, walnuts, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. Mix in diced apples, applesauce, milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir in coconut oil until well combined.

—- Spread mixture into prepared baking dish and bake 30 minutes or until set/ light golden brown on top. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or reheat!

Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients: 1 c pumpkin pure, 1 mashed banana, 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 c nonfat milk (I used almond milk), 3 tbs honey, 3 tbs maple syrup, 2 tbs coconut oil (melted), 2 eggs, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1c & 3/4 c whole wheat flour, 1/2 c dark chocolate chips

—-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bread pan (9x5). Stir together the pumpkin, banana, applesauce, milk, honey, maple syrup, oil, and eggs. Once well combined add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Then stir in the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips, save a few to sprinkle on top.

—- Pour into the bread ban and bake for 50-60 min until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients: 3 c rolled oats, 1/2 c almond flour, 1/2 c + 2 tbs pure maple syrup, 3/4 c almond butter ( I do half almond, half smooth peanut butter), 3 tbs melted coconut oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, 3/4 c dark chocolate chips

—- Line an 8 by 8 inch (or a 9 x 13 pan if your doing 1 layer bars) baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon. So this next part I do a little different but its great either way. (At this step I put the whole mixture in to make one bottom layer instead of making 3 layers…both ways are pictured below. If you’re doing it into 3 layer bars follow these next steps…Transfer half the mixture into the baking pan and push down with a spoon/hands to make it flat. Place in fridge and let harden for at least 30 minutes. After the mixture has hardened melt the chocolate chips along with the remaining 1/4 almond butter ( I usually just melt a bit of coconut oil and chocolate chips). Pour the chocolate on the oat layer and refrigerator until hardened, about 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and place the remaining oat mixture on top. Press down on top and place back in fridge to harden (at least 30 minutes). Slice into 9-12 bars. The bars will keep up to 2 weeks in fridge or 6 months in freezer. *** We enjoy them in the freezer, so good!!

Taco Twist Soup

Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef (we use ground bison in this recipe and love it), 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 3/4 c Swanson beef broth or Campbell’s condensed chicken broth, 1 c Pace Picante Sauce (pick what spice you want it—I did hot last time but was way too spicy for my little boys), 1 can diced tomatoes (don’t drain), 1 c uncooked spiral pasta ( I use whole wheat), 1/4 c sour cream (optional—I’ve never added)

—-Cook the ground beef, chili powder, and cumin in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Pour off any fat.

—-Add the broth, picante sauce, and tomatoes. Heat to a boil. Stir in the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes or until done. Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream if you’d like. Dip some chips or Fritos in it, yum! Sort of like chili, but less ingredients + super easy & quick to make.

Hope you enjoy these recipes like our family does:)

xoxo,

MRS T

Recipes- 4

Breakfast—

Egg Sausage & Hashbrown Bake

1 lb sausage (browned), 10 eggs, 3/4 C milk, 5 C frozen hash browns (thawed), 5 green onions (chopped), 1 C shredded cheese, salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and milk.  Add all the remaining ingredients and mix together.  Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the center does not wiggle when you shake the dish.

Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Cups

4 overripe bananas mashed, 2 large eggs, 2 C low fat milk, 1/2 C packed brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp cinnamon, 4 C rolled oats, 1 C dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray or line 2 muffin pans with liners -- I highly recommend using silicone muffin cups as they come out so easily (I got mine off amazon and love them)! In a large bowl, combine bananas, eggs, milk and brown sugar with a whisk until smooth. Add baking powder, vanilla, and cinnamon and whisk until smooth. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups ¾ full (try to make sure you have the same amount of liquid in each) and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve warm (alone or with milk) or cool completely to store: in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 3-6 months.

Sides—

Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 1/2 lbs fresh brussel sprouts, 3 tbsp olive oil, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp honey

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Trim off the outer, dry leaves, cut the bottom off and slice sprouts lengthwise. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to coat thoroughly. Transfer the brussels sprouts to baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Place brussels sprouts back in bowl. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and toss to coat evenly. Taste and season with kosher salt if necessary.

Apps—

Taco Dip

8 oz pkg cream cheese, 8 oz pkg sour cream, 2 tbsp taco seasoning, 1 1/2 C shredded lettuce, 1 1/2 C shredded cheese, 1 1/2 C chopped tomatoes, bag of tortilla.

Mix one 8 oz pkg cream cheese, one 8 oz pkg sour cream and 2 tbsp taco seasoning. This blends much more smoothly if the cream cheese is room temperature. Spread in a 9″ x 13″ dish. Top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and cover with shredded cheese. Refrigerate until ready to be served. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.

Creamy Siracha Dipping Sauce

1 C mayo (I do a little less and add plain greek yogurt)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
4 tbsp sriracha (a little more if you like it spicier)

All you do is mix those ingredients together and enjoy! I love this dip with pretzels, crackers, and most veggies. It doesn’t get much easier than this.

Main Dish—

Baked Dijon Salmon

4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon, 1/4 C butter, 3 TBS dijon mustard, 1 1/2 TBS honey, 1/4 C dry bread crumbs, 1/4 C finely chopped pecans, 4 tsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 lemon for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl stir together butter, mustard, and honey. In another bowl mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley. Brush salmon with honey mustard mixture, and sprinkle the tops with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the oven or until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 1 tbsp honey, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 tsp paprika, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1/2 tbsp oil (or butter),

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an oven-proof dish with the oil or butter and place the chicken in there. Season well with salt, pepper and paprika. In a small bowl, combine the dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard and honey. Pour the mixture over the chicken breasts and bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. You may add 1-2 tablespoons of water in the pan if needed to prevent the edges of the dish from browning. Once the chicken is cooked through, squeeze lemon juice over and serve. Super good with broccoli, rice, mashed potatoes, etc.

Deserts—

Eclaire Cake

1 package graham crackers, 2 packages 3.4 oz instant French Vanilla pudding mix, 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed, 3 C milk, 16 ounces chocolate frosting

In a large bowl, mix together the pudding mix, cool whip, and milk. Beat well. Arrange graham crackers in a single layer on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Pour half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Add another layer of graham crackers and pour remaining pudding on top. Add the final layer of graham crackers and spread with chocolate frosting. You may need to soften the frosting up a bit in the microwave to help it spread easily. Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving.

Snacks—

Easy White Chocolate Party Mix

16 C popped popcorn, 3 C Frosted Cheerios, 1 package (10 ounces) fat-free pretzel sticks, 2 C dark chocolate M&M's, 1-1/2 C pecan halves, 1 package milk chocolate English toffee bits , 2 packages white baking chips ( I use yogurt baking chips), 2 tbsp canola oil

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a microwave, melt baking chips with oil; stir until smooth. Pour over popcorn mixture and toss to coat. Immediately spread onto two baking sheets; let stand until set, about 2 hours. Store in airtight containers. This is a not the healthiest treats but it makes for a great special treat for the kiddos and yourself;)

Spicy Seasoned Pretzels

16 oz (1 lb) bag tiny twist pretzels, 1 C vegetable or canola oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp lemon pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Pour oil and spices into a gallon ziploc bag. Seal and shake to evenly combine oil with spices. Add in pretzels, seal up ziploc bag, and gently shake to combine. Leave them in the ziploc bag and allow pretzels to soak up the seasoned oil for at least 6 hours, or ideally for 24 hours. Turn bag to shake up pretzels every few hours. Pretzels will keep in an airtight container for 3 weeks.

Energy Balls

*This is a double batch! We eat them so fast at our house but it’s such an easy and overall healthy on the go snack. I’ve also posted this recipe before but because so many people ask for it I’m posting it again!

2/3 C honey, 2 C old fashioned oats, 1 C peanut butter (I do half or 1/3 almond butter), 1 scoop of protein (I use Isagenix), 1/2 C flaxseed, 1/2 C chia seeds, 1/2 C shredded coconut, 1/2 C dark chocolate chips

Mix honey, PB, and protein powder together first. Then add all ingredients and stir! I leave the bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then form them into small balls and put them in an airtight container and pop them back in the freezer.

Hope you all try and enjoy some of these recipes:)

xoxo,

MRS T

Recipes-2

So many of you liked my first recipe post and are always asking for recipes from the food I post so I thought I would share some more of my favorites! Many of the recipes I try are off of Pinterest. I like to find ones on there that look good and make them for my fam! I hope you enjoy... and feel free to share with me any of your favorites or any questions you may have:)

Healthy Banana Bread

⅓ C melted coconut oil, ½ C honey or maple syrup, 2 eggs, about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas, ¼ C milk of choice or water, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 ¾ C whole wheat flour, optional: ½ C mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk.

3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.

4. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with a little more cinnamon.

5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Chocolate Banana Bread

• 1 C all-purpose flour ( I used whole wheat and it turned out just fine)!, 1/2 C cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 3 large brown bananas, 1/4 C unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, 1/4 C melted coconut oil, 3/4 C packed light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 C dark chocolate chips (or any other add ins you'd like)

1. Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas. Add the melted butter and oil and stir until combined. Stir in the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don’t overmix. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean. Check at 50 minutes, just to be safe.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm.

Carrot- Banana Muffins - one of my all time favorites:) (recipe passed down from my momma)

2 C almond flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbs ground cinnamon, 1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut, 3 large eggs,  3 bananas mashed, 1/2 C (8 tbs) unsalted butter, cubed and softened, 2 tbs honey, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 1/4 C pitted/ chopped dates, 2 medium carrots shredded (I usually just buy the shredded carrots and do a cup or two), 3/4 C chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin pan or line with paper lines. In large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and coconut. In another bowl, whisk eggs, bananas, butter, honey, and vinegar. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Fold in the dates, carrots, walnuts. Divide batter among tins and bake for 40 min until golden brown or toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan or on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. Yum, enjoy! 

Pecan Crusted Salmon

4 wild salmon fillets, 1/2 C toasted, very finely chopped pecans, 1/2 C panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 C olive oil, 1 tbs finely chopped parsley, 1 tbs butter, 1 large pinch of salt, 

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add pecans, panko, parsley and salt and stir to combine. Set aside. Wash the salmon and remove scales from the skin. Make 3 small cuts across the skin side to prevent the skin from shrinking when it cooks. Dry salmon thoroughly. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Working with the salmon skin side down, mound the pecan mixture evenly across each piece. Drizzle olive oil over the pecan mixture on the salmon and press firmly on the mixture so that it has good contact with the salmon. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the salmon, pecan crust side down. Cook for 2 minutes or until the pecan crust has browned. Flip the salmon over and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it light pink and flakes easily. Be careful not to overcook the salmon or it will become tough and chewy.

Baked Honey Cilantro Lime Salmon in foil

1 large salmon fillet (see note), salt and pepper, to taste, ½ C melted butter, juice of 2 limes (plus one lime, thinly sliced), 4 tbs honey, 3 tsp minced garlic, ⅓ C cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line and grease a large baking sheet with foil. Lay salmon on foil and season with salt and pepper on both sides to taste. Slip lime slices underneath the salmon.

2. Stir together butter, lime juice, honey, and garlic. Pour mixture over salmon. Fold sides of foil up over the salmon (don't worry if it doesn't cover the salmon completely).

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Switch oven to broil and cook another 5 minutes. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.

Sriracha Chicken Quesadillas- ( Such a quick and yummy meal)

2 C shredded rotisserie chicken ( I usually use canned chicken just because it's in my pantry most the time), 1/3 C Sriracha, 2 tbs sour cream ( I do half plain greek yogurt, half sour cream), plus more for dipping, 2 C shredded cheese, 4 tsp canola oil, 4 10-inch flour tortillas ( I use whole wheat), ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves ( if I don't have these I don't use them and they still taste great! 

In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, sriracha, sour cream, and cheese. Heat 1 tsp canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then lay a tortilla down in the skillet. Spoon ¼ of the chicken/cheese mixture on just half of the tortilla in the skillet. Sprinkle a tablespoon of chopped cilantro leaves on top, then fold the tortilla in half. Cook until the underside is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook until both sides are lightly browned and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas. To serve, cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with sour cream/ salsa, for dipping. 

4 Ingredient Chicken Marinade

4/5 chicken breasts. 1 C brown sugar, 1 C oil, ½ C soy sauce, ½ C vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or a ziplock bag. Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts in the marinade. Marinade chicken for at least 1 hour or overnight. Grill or pop in the oven at 425 for 20-23 min.

Taco Twist Soup

1 pound ground beef, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 3/4 C Campbell's® Condensed Chicken Broth, 1 C Pace Picante Sauce, 1 can  (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained, 1 C uncooked rotini (spiral) pasta, 1/4 C sour cream (optional)

Cook the beef, chili powder and cumin in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring often to break up the meat. Pour off any fat. Add the broth, picante sauce and tomatoes. Heat to a boil. Stir in the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Garnish with sour cream (greek yogurt), if desired. I like to add a little shredded cheese to the top too...and I dip chips in it!

Easy oven roasted potatoes

6 small red potatoes, 1/4 C olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp onion powder

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Clean and cut the potatoes into 1/2"-1" cubes. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil and spices. Spray a shallow baking pan with cooking spray and place potatoes in the bottom. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Stir the potatoes after about 15 minutes of baking so they brown on all sides. I sometimes broil them for a minute or two at the end to make them crispier. Serve and enjoy!

Best Brussels Sprouts (I have been making these like crazy lately. They are so yummy and such a perfect side dish for any meal)

1 lb Brussels sprouts, 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey ( I really do just eyeball the amounts of mustard and honey, Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Over medium high heat, melt butter and olive oil in large nonstick pan. Add brussels sprouts, toss to mix and add a sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook and stir until brown and crisp-tender. Stir in mustard and honey until well combined and caramelized, a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Greek yogurt dip

This dip is so simple and I actually got the recipe from my older brother (he's always playing around with different foods). I usually just eyeball this recipe. I mix a spoonful of plain greek yogurt (or more if you have people over for a get together) with a little bit of Franks hot sauce and TA DA! Super simple. I sometimes add a little sprinkle from the Hidden Valley Greek yogurt ranch packet too! It's such a simple dip that tastes amazing with pretzels, veggies, or crackers. 

xoxo,

MRS T