Recipes!

I have made a lot of new recipes in the past two months, but I haven't been able to post them because Dave and I don't currently have the internet.  I always have to go to my mom's house to use their internet.  Well, I am just going to write one blog post dedicated to all these recipes I have tried.

First, I tried a new way of using zucchini.  My mom always has so many zucchini's that I get to reap some benefits.  I found this recipe on pinterest (of course) and it was a big hit!  It includes potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, yellow squash, and zucchini.  It was the perfect summer side dish!  Here is the recipe:

Summer Vegetables

1 Tbspolive oil

1 medium yellow onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1 medium zucchini

1 mediumyellow squash

1 mediumpotato

1 mediumtomato

1 tspdried thyme

to taste salt & pepper

1 cup shredded Italian cheese

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Saute both in a skillet with olive oil until softened (about five minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are sauteing, thinly slice the rest of the vegetables.

STEP 3: Spray the inside of an 8x8 square or round baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the baking dish vertically, in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.

STEP 4: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

The second recipe I made was a cajun chicken pasta.  It was a great healthy pasta dish.  I learned from this recipe that the best way to lighten up your pasta dishes is to add lots of veggies to it. If you like pasta and you like veggies, this recipe is for you!  Below is the list of ingredients, but if you would like step-by-step directions go to this link:

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used whole wheat penne)
• 1 pound chicken breast strips
• 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• Olive Oil cooking spray

The the third recipe I made was these amazingly moist and delicious healthy pumpkin muffins. Dave and Madison eat these for a snack everyday.  These are perfect for a snack on the go or just at home. We LOVE these muffins I found on family.com.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin tin, or line with paper.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, oil , eggs and sugar until well blended.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Add to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few more chips on top of the muffins.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack.

The last recipe I made recently was these baked oatmeal bars.  I thought they were great, but Dave didn't love them.  I plan to try and tweak these so they become a family favorite.  I love the idea of baked oatmeal so I plan to find a recipe that we all love.  Here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares

Ingredients (9 squares)

• 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 large mashed banana
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions

• Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.
• Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.
• Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.
• Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Cut into squares and enjoy!

I found all these recipes on pinterest.  If you don't have a pinterest account, it is a great way to find healthy recipes.  I hope everyone is doing great; I have felt very motivated by this competition.  The more healthy things I am doing the more I have the desire to be even more healthy. Thanks Aunt Sharon for keeping me accountable!  Go Taylor's!