hummus & sun-dried tomato crostini

Ingredients:

• 10 1/4-inch-thick slices of seeded or plain baguette
• About 1/2 cup hummus
• About 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and thinly sliced
• Pea shoots/arugula, for garnish
• Flaky sea salt, for garnish
• Extra-virgin olive oil (optional), for garnish

tabbouleh salad

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup medium bulgur, dry
• 2 cups finely chopped ripe tomatoes (1 pound)
• 3 cups finely chopped curly parsley
• 1/2 cup finely chopped mint
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 large scallion, thinly sliced

curried chicken tea sandwiches

I am making this recipe for a 1920′s themed book club…

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 12 (1/2-inch-thick) pumpernickel, or wheat bread slices
• 3 tablespoons diced green onions

low fat banana nut bread

Ingredients:

• 7 ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 2-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 oz (3/4 cup) chopped walnuts
• baking spray

artichoke flatbread

Ingredients:

• whole wheat flat bread – or for low carb – use Trader Joe’s low-carb tortillas
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 6 ounces garlic and herb flavored goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 6 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

hummus “cheesesteak” hoagies

This recipe is for my fiancé Greg, a Philadelphia native.

Ingredients:

• 4 (3-ounce) hoagie rolls, split
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup vertically sliced yellow onion
• 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced poblano chile
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) container plain hummus
• 4 (1/2-ounce) slices provolone cheese
• Napa Cabbage Slaw

low-carb breakfast burrito

Ingredients:

• 1 low-carb tortilla (I used Trader Joe’s Sonoma Carb Cutting Tortillas – only 60 calories)
• 1 egg, scrambled (with a pinch of salt & pepper)
• 1/2 avocado
• Goat cheese
• 2 slices tomato

mini spinach puffs

I’m having a Christmas party this month, which is why I’m posting so many appetizers! I just made these spinach puffs tonight.

Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed, rolled out to a 12-inch square, kept chilled
• 1 stand 6-cup muffin tin

cranberry pomegranate goat cheese poppers

Ingredients:

• ½ Cup Chèvre Goat Cheese (crumbled, not firmly packed)
• ¼ Cup Dried Cranberries
• ¼ Cup Pomegranate Arils
• ¼ tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
• 1 Puff Pastry sheet cut into 12 squares
• Brown Sugar
• Sea Salt
• Olive Oil

crispy quinoa sliders

 

My sister Michelle sent me this recipe she found on How Sweet Eats. Excited to try these.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup freshly grated provolone cheese
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg + 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 whole wheat English muffins
• 2 avocados, sliced for topping
• 1/2 cup chipotle mayo, for topping

mini crab cakes

I made mini crab cakes this weekend for a party we held at our house. These crab cakes were delicious, and a great light, easy appetizer.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 6 teaspoons chopped fresh chives, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• Large pinch of cayenne pepper
• 10-12 ounces fresh lump crabmeat, picked over, patted dry, coarsely shredded
• 1 and a half cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Fresh chives, cut into pieces

arepa pizza

I found this amazing recipe on the blog Spoon Fork Bacon. For full recipe click HERE. I am going to make this next week. I love the ingredients: spicy shredded chicken, honey, avocados, tomatoes, all topped with light cilantro yogurt sauce.

 

spiced black bean, grilled avocado & goat cheese tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
• pinch dried pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup black beans, with liquids
• 1 avocado
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• juice and zest from 1/2 lime
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 4 corn or flour tortillas

sweet potato veggie burgers

Last night Greg made sweet potato veggie burgers. This is one of my favorite recipes. Instead of eating as a burger, I ate cut my sweet potato veggie patty up and added to an arugula salad with chopped pear and goat cheese.

Full recipe HERE.

the big stack burger

 

While I was in NYC last week, I picked up the August/September issue of the magazine Clean Eating. I was drawn in by the cover photo: an amazing turkey/quinoa burger.  We cooked these burgers tonight, and they were AMAZING!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 medium red onions, trimmed and peeled, divided
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 18 oz extra lean turkey meat
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tsp smoked sweet paprika, divided
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 medium dill pickle, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 medium whole-grain buns
• 2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced