Sweet Potato Fries

I was really craving a burger and fries one night and didn't want all the fat. I decided to make black bean burgers with sweet potato fries, and it turned out delicious! It's the perfect healthier version to a good old burger and Fries.

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut into wedges about 3/4 inch wide. Combine olive oil, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add in sweet potatoes and toss until entirely covered.

Set the potato wedges on a baking sheet in a single layer so they don't touch. Bake for 20-30 until they are brown, flipping them once. 

Serves 4. Calories Per Serving 90. Fiber 2g. Fat 3.5g. Protein 1g.

Cook at 500ºF

Make with Blackbean Burgers.

Multigrain Waffles

I am a salty breakfast food person. I pretty much stick to healthy cereals, and if I am eating a big breakfast I eat eggs and toast. Waffles, Pancakes, and French Toast are too sugary in the morning and I like them more as a dessert. If I do make waffles, this is my go too recipe. It's a healthier waffle recipe, and one of the lighter feeling multigrain waffle recipes I've found. I feel much better about eating it than regular waffle recipes, and it's still really delicious.

INGREDIENTS

(Healthier Option)

2 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 cups skim milk

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup canola oil (applesauce)

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat)

4 tsp baking powder

1 TBL sugar (splenda+1 tsp brown sugar)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Calories: 238 (193 w/substitutes)

DIRECTIONS

In large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, applesauce, oil, vanilla. Beat in whole wheat pastry flour, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until smooth.

Cook in waffle iron, eat and enjoy!

Add Strawberry's and Banana's to the top to make extra delicious!

Mothers Lasagna

My Mother's lasagna has always been one of my favorite meals, and definitely my favorite lasagna.

The first step is to make the sauce. I use her spaghetti sauce recipe for it. 

The ingredients needed for her sauce are:

1 pound extra lean hamburger meat
2 cans tomato paste
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans stewed tomato's (Chopped)
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of basil
Garlic Salt to taste

The only change that I make to her pasta sauce is I don't add water to the recipe in order to make it thicker. Otherwise lasagna will be to runny. You can also add extra tomato paste if you don't think it looks thick enough.

Ingredients for lasagna

1 package lasagna noodles
1 package cottage cheese
1 package mozzarella cheese
basil
Parmesan cheese
Spinach (optional)

All you do now is mix together the cottage cheese and mozzarella so that there is an even amount of each. Add Basil to taste, About 2 Tablespoons.

Then layer the lasagna.

One layer noodles across bottom of pan, followed by layer of cheese, and then layer of sauce. Layers should be about 1/4-1/8 inch thick. Making about 4 layers of each item overall. The last layer of cheese and sauce make much thinner and then sprinkle parmesan cheese across the top. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until noodles are softened.  

Traci's Rolo Cookies

This is Kevin's favorite cookie for me to make him. The majority of the time I ask him what treat he wants, he asks me to make these. Thank one of my best friends Traci for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup coco
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour

1 bag of Rolo's or treat of your choice

Mix the ingredients together.

Roll dough into little balls, and stuff the Rolo in the center of the cookie. Roll again. Roll the finished ball in white sugar.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

I often use Reeses in the middle as well. I use the mini cups, but you can use Peanut Butter M&M's. I've also used mint M&M's, which is one of my favorite's because I love anything mint chocolate.

Chili

I love my chili recipe. It is easy, it can last a few meals, and it is healthy. I leave my boyfriend with this as leftovers almost every time I leave his home after the week. It really is delicious. I use a little bit of hamburger meat for flavor but it could easily be a vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients

1 can of each of the following

Black Beans

Chili Beans

Refried Beans

Kidney Beans

(I usually use all Bush's Beans)

Stewed Tomatoes

(Tomato paste if you need to thicken your chili)

1/3-1/2 pound of Hamburger Meat

Garlic Salt

Chili Powder

Tabasco

1 onion

1 Red Pepper

I poor all 5 cans of chili into a large pot and let them simmer on low while I'm cooking everything else. I also chop up the stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces. Also, poor out some of the juice in the kidney bean and refried bean cans to make the chili less runny.

I then cook the hamburger in a separate pan adding a little chili powder. Once it is cooked I add it to the pot of chili simmering. 

I then dice up half of an onion and a small red pepper. I then grill them with olive oil in the same pan as I cooked the meat in; adding, chili powder, pepper, and garlic salt. After grilling it for a few minutes I add that to the entire pot. Add more chili powder and garlic salt to taste. I then add a lot of tabasco for a little kick. 

Lastly let it simmer for a little longer to allow it to thicken up a little. 

This amount allows for about 4-5 bowls. It is perfect for the two of us to have leftovers. I double the recipe or just add a few extra cans of beans if others are joining us.

Energy Balls

This is my favorite quick healthy and super easy dessert. I make these when ever I want a treat, but I still am being somewhat health conscious. They are delicious and taste like cookie dough, yet are much better for you than cookie dough. My boyfriend has me make them for him every time I'm staying at his house.

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

You through these in a bowl. Mix them up. Roll them into balls and then through them into the freezer to make them extra good. 

Almost anything can be substituted and you can add anything you like. I like them with a little less honey and peanut butter. It makes them a lot harder to roll up but they taste pretty similar and are much healthier that way. You can also add flaxseed, bran, or anything else to it.

These are the best because you can always have the ingredients on hand, as well as they last a really long time in the freezer.

ENJOY!

Carrot Cake

This is one of the best carrot cakes I've had. My sister made it for me for my birthday. It was delicious and super moist. It is impossible to stop eating once you start.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• unsalted butter and all-purpose flour for the pans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups freshly shredded carrots
• one 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juice, well-drained

For the Frosting

• 16 ounce cream cheese
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 cups toasted, cooled, and chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, butter the paper and lightly sprinkle with flour. Tap out the excess flour and set pans aside. In a bowl, sift together (a fine mesh strainer is fine) the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs and the sugars and beat on medium-high until slightly thick and pale in color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the oil in a thin stream and mix until combined. With the mixer still on low, add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the carrots and pineapple and mix until just combined.
2. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake until the tops are golden and a cake tester comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes before turning out onto the racks to cool completely.
3. Make the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, occasionally scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla and salt. With the mixer on medium, gradually add in the confectioner’s sugar and mix until frosting is smooth.
4. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread a thick layer of the frosting evenly over the cake. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the sides and top of the cake. Sprinkle the walnuts over the top of the cake.