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Showing posts from May, 2019

31 Healthy Pasta Recipes

If you are anything like me, then you entirely are a fanatic of healthy pasta recipes. Pasta is such a delicious comfort food that you can prepare several different ways. I love it all, whether it is rich and creamy, tomato based, made with store-bought noodles or homemade noodles. Besides my appreciation for pasta, I love that my kids and family also enjoy it. I have compiled several recipes for you to look over so you can find some new meal ideas. Each one is tasty, full of flavor and cooked to perfection. You will be thrilled with the taste as well as how easy each of them is to whip up. With as busy as the world is, we all need some easy meal ideas to make life a little less hectic. Happy cooking! Creamy Healthy Pasta Recipes One Pot Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta  tastes like a million bucks with its creamy sauce and tender chicken. The presentation of this dish is stunning too! Pair this with some garlic breadsticks. Creamy Chicken and Broccoli  has juicy plump chicken,

Balsamic Grilled Mushrooms (How to Grill Mushroom)

Your guide for how to grill mushrooms and the best easy balsamic grilled mushroom recipe. Believe me, if you aren't grilling your vegetables yet, it's time to start. You also need to try this  Grilled Cauliflower  and Garlic Grilled Zucchini . Once it gets warm out, I want to make all my meals on the grill and that means side dishes too. There is nothing I hate more than having to run between the grill, oven, and stove to get one meal on the table. That means, whenever possible, everything is going on the grill. Vegetables are no exceptions and in fact, we like them even better on the grill. And grilled mushrooms, they are one of our all time favorites. Grilling mushrooms does something pretty magical to this humble plant. The outside gets browned and caramelized with hints of smoke and char from the grill. The inside gets tender and meaty. They are delicious. Trust me. They also do a great job of absorbing flavors. Whether you are making grilled portobello mushrooms for sa

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

These Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with a creamy blue cheese sauce are easy to make and full of flavor. Serve them with some Grilled Red Potatoes or a healthy colelsaw for the perfect meal. Whenever I see a buffalo chicken sandwich on a menu, I have a really hard time not ordering it. Unfortunately, like most things I love at restaurants, they, too, are usually fried, covered in butter, and come with a ton of melted cheese. Not that that doesn't taste amazing, but it definitely doesn't fit in with my healthy eating goals. So instead of ordering these when I am out, I have started making a healthier version at home. What I do is easy — start with (of course) a boneless, skinless chicken breast. Quickly grill it then toss in a simple some buffalo sauce that contains just a hint of butter for richness. Then, the chicken is topped with a simple yogurt and blue cheese sauce. From there, it's all about adding on any veggies you like to round out your sandwich. I'll

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Avocado Slaw

These easy Shrimp Tacos are the ultimate warm weather meal packed with spicy shrimp, crunchy lime slaw, and creamy avocado all wrapped in a warm corn tortilla. Yum. Taco lovers should also try these Grilled Chicken Tacos and Steak Tacos . Have I told you before about my deep love of shrimp tacos? There is just nothing better than sweet shrimp tossed in smoky chipotle chili powder and packed into warm corn tortillas with crunchy cabbage slaw and avocado. And the fact that I can make everything in under 20 minutes makes me love this meal even more. Especially as it gets warmer every night, I pretty much only want dinners like this. Something cool and crunchy and refreshing is the perfect remedy for a hot night. Depending on what you are in the mood for, this recipe can be made with almost any fish or scallops as well. You can also blend the avocado, cilantro, and cumin with a touch of yogurt or sour cream if you prefer a creamy dressing for the slaw. Think about this recipe as your b

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Avocado Slaw

These easy Shrimp Tacos are the ultimate warm weather meal packed with spicy shrimp, crunchy lime slaw, and creamy avocado all wrapped in a warm corn tortilla. Yum. Taco lovers should also try these Grilled Chicken Tacos and Steak Tacos . Have I told you before about my deep love of shrimp tacos? There is just nothing better than sweet shrimp tossed in smoky chipotle chili powder and packed into warm corn tortillas with crunchy cabbage slaw and avocado. And the fact that I can make everything in under 20 minutes makes me love this meal even more. Especially as it gets warmer every night, I pretty much only want dinners like this. Something cool and crunchy and refreshing is the perfect remedy for a hot night. Depending on what you are in the mood for, this recipe can be made with almost any fish or scallops as well. You can also blend the avocado, cilantro, and cumin with a touch of yogurt or sour cream if you prefer a creamy dressing for the slaw. Think about this recipe as your b

Cowboy Turkey Burger

Cowboy Turkey Burgers are seriously the most delicious and juicy turkey burgers. Stuffed with cheese, jalapenos, onions, and with a simple spice blend - these are delish. We also love these  Fish Burgers , Shrimp Burgers , and Jalapeno Burgers  for quick and easy dinners. I almost never eat turkey burgers. That probably sounds strange coming from me, as I do enjoy all other things made with turkey . But when I think "burger" and crave burgers I usually want the real thing, medium rare, in all of its glory. For me, turkey burgers just don’t compare most of the time to beef burgers and tend to be drier and just have less flavor overall, so I just never really gave them a second thought. Then came along a day when I was shopping at Whole Foods. They had their samples out, and so I decided to give their Cowboy Turkey Burger a go. You know what? It was surprisingly delicious and full of flavor! I was shocked! I had to double check that this was really a turkey burger. The woman

Healthy Meal Plans: Week 22

How is it Memorial Day weekend already? This time of year can get incredibly busy and I can't tell you how much it helps to have a meal plan. Knowing what's for dinner will save you from calling for takeout or grabbing convenience food at the last minute. Now on to this week's meal plan! The week kicks off out with Sweet Potato and Spinach Egg Muffins, Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas, and Slow Cooker Carnitas. Monday brings Baked Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash and Tuesday is a healthy Shortcut Shepard's Pie. Wednesday is Rosemary Pork Chops and Thursday is a Sheet Pan Thai Chicken and Veggies. To end the week, meals include "Fried Fish" and Healthy Ranch Turkey Burgers. And here's a preview of some of this week's delicious meals! Healthy Ranch Turkey Burgers: This easy, three ingredient recipe is a family favorite and one that my kids ask for all the time. Super easy and perfect for the warm weather. Sheet Pan Thai Chicken and Veggies:

Eggplant Rollatini

This Stuffed Eggplant Rollatini is a vegetarian dish that's packed with flavor and so comforting. It's one of our favorite ways to enjoy eggplant along with this   Healthy Eggplant Parmesan  and these  Baked Eggplant Cutlets When you've had a long day, sometimes all you want at the end of that day is comfort food. When I think of comfort food, I think of carbs, wine, and cheese, in no particular order. I think a lot of people would pick the same foods, at least the cheese and carbs part. Okay and probably also chocolate. A It turns out though, that there is a reason for this carb attraction and it's that carbs make us feel good. No, really! They help our brains release serotonin, which makes us well all warm and snuggled and hugged and loved. The same can be said for cravings for fattening foods like cheese and chocolate. Even though my brain might be saying, "Find the carbs, Kristen, and devour them NOW!" I can't just give in and wreck all my healthy

Cowboy Turkey Burger

Cowboy Turkey Burgers are seriously the most delicious and juicy turkey burgers. Stuffed with cheese, jalapenos, onions, and with a simple spice blend - these are delish. We also love these  Fish Burgers , Shrimp Burgers , and Jalapeno Burgers  for quick and easy dinners. I almost never eat turkey burgers. That probably sounds strange coming from me, as I do enjoy all other things made with turkey . But when I think "burger" and crave burgers I usually want the real thing, medium rare, in all of its glory. For me, turkey burgers just don’t compare most of the time to beef burgers and tend to be drier and just have less flavor overall, so I just never really gave them a second thought. Then came along a day when I was shopping at Whole Foods. They had their samples out, and so I decided to give their Cowboy Turkey Burger a go. You know what? It was surprisingly delicious and full of flavor! I was shocked! I had to double check that this was really a turkey burger. The woman

Healthy Meal Plans: Week 22

How is it Memorial Day weekend already? This time of year can get incredibly busy and I can't tell you how much it helps to have a meal plan. Knowing what's for dinner will save you from calling for takeout or grabbing convenience food at the last minute. Now on to this week's meal plan! The week kicks off out with Sweet Potato and Spinach Egg Muffins, Spinach and Artichoke Quesadillas, and Slow Cooker Carnitas. Monday brings Baked Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash and Tuesday is a healthy Shortcut Shepard's Pie. Wednesday is Rosemary Pork Chops and Thursday is a Sheet Pan Thai Chicken and Veggies. To end the week, meals include "Fried Fish" and Healthy Ranch Turkey Burgers. And here's a preview of some of this week's delicious meals! Healthy Ranch Turkey Burgers: This easy, three ingredient recipe is a family favorite and one that my kids ask for all the time. Super easy and perfect for the warm weather. Sheet Pan Thai Chicken and Veggies:

Eggplant Rollatini

This Stuffed Eggplant Rollatini is a vegetarian dish that's packed with flavor and so comforting. It's one of our favorite ways to enjoy eggplant along with this   Healthy Eggplant Parmesan  and these  Baked Eggplant Cutlets When you've had a long day, sometimes all you want at the end of that day is comfort food. When I think of comfort food, I think of carbs, wine, and cheese, in no particular order. I think a lot of people would pick the same foods, at least the cheese and carbs part. Okay and probably also chocolate. A It turns out though, that there is a reason for this carb attraction and it's that carbs make us feel good. No, really! They help our brains release serotonin, which makes us well all warm and snuggled and hugged and loved. The same can be said for cravings for fattening foods like cheese and chocolate. Even though my brain might be saying, "Find the carbs, Kristen, and devour them NOW!" I can't just give in and wreck all my healthy

15 Vegan Weight Watchers Recipes

Being a vegan and on Weight Watchers can be hard without lots of good recipes at your disposal. Try these tasty recipes to keep you full and on track. I have gathered the best vegan recipes that are all Weight Watchers approved. If you are new to the Weight Watchers plan or a vet looking for new recipes, these recipes will knock your socks off on flavor. Sometimes it is hard to find vegan friendly meals that follow the Weight Watchers plan. I share how many Freestyle Points per serving, to make it easy on you. From dips, sides, and main dishes, you will find new recipes for any time of the day. All of these dishes are super simple to make and will keep you right on track with your diet. Grab those pots and pans and let’s get to work on cooking up some satisfying meals the whole family will enjoy. Weight Watchers Vegan Snacks and Dips Vegan Simple Vegan Artichoke Dip is only 1 Freestyle SmartPoints and is made with using five ingredients and can be thrown together in around ten

15 Vegan Weight Watchers Recipes

Being a vegan and on Weight Watchers can be hard without lots of good recipes at your disposal. Try these tasty recipes to keep you full and on track. I have gathered the best vegan recipes that are all Weight Watchers approved. If you are new to the Weight Watchers plan or a vet looking for new recipes, these recipes will knock your socks off on flavor. Sometimes it is hard to find vegan friendly meals that follow the Weight Watchers plan. I share how many Freestyle Points per serving, to make it easy on you. From dips, sides, and main dishes, you will find new recipes for any time of the day. All of these dishes are super simple to make and will keep you right on track with your diet. Grab those pots and pans and let’s get to work on cooking up some satisfying meals the whole family will enjoy. Weight Watchers Vegan Snacks and Dips Vegan Simple Vegan Artichoke Dip is only 1 Freestyle SmartPoints and is made with using five ingredients and can be thrown together in around ten

Garlic Grilled Zucchini (How to Grill Zucchini)

Learn how to grill zucchini for the best summer side dish. Grilled zucchini is one of those dishes that once you start making, you won't stop. It can be seasoned in so many different ways and is loved by the whole family. We also love making this  Garlic Grilled Broccoli and Grilled Cauliflower . Once the warm weather hits, I am all about cooking vegetables on the grill and one of our favorites is zucchini. This healthy green veggie tastes extra special with the addition of some smoke and flavor from the grill, plus you can use it in so many different ways. This garlic version is the one we make the most often, but there are so many different ways that you can season up zucchini for the grill. Use this as your base recipe and then get creative and start to experiment with different options. What's the best way to cut zucchini for grilling? There really isn't a wrong way to cut zucchini for grilling, but the way you cut it will affect how to grill the zucchini and how