~ The Crystal Dish ~

I've been waiting all week to try this recipe. My kids were such great helpers making the meatballs. Nicholas loved mashing the beans and Brooklyn was my little meatball helper. She loves trying to roll into meatballs. I was a little nervous about making this because I've personally never even tried red pepper soup so I wasn't sure what to expect. I've also tried several meatless meatballs and patties and only a handful of them were amazing, but these are my new favorite. I think next time I'm going to sauté the shallots before putting them into the mixture, or maybe even some caramelized onions!  I was surprised my kids ate the soup, but theirs had shredded cheese on theirs! Mine was healthier and rather than sour cream, I put a little fagé yogurt in. This was so yummy! It's definitely a must try! Ingredients: For the soup: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons white wine 1 16-ounce jar roasted red pep...

For those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Seafood! Whenever I find new recipe, I always want to try it. This recipe was AMAZING!!!! I decided to just eat over brown rice with a side of broccoli, but I bet it would be amazing on  flour tortillas with a fresh cabbage slaw!  CILANTRO LIME SHRIMP AND ROASTED POBLANO SAUCE INGREDIENTS 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and de-veined marinade juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons) 2 teaspoons garlic, minced ⅓ cup cilantro leaves, finely shopped   ½ teaspoon  chili powder ½ teaspoon cumin poblano sauce 3 poblanos ½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped 2 teaspoons garlic, minced ½ teaspoon salt juice of ½ of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon) 4 tablespoons greek yogurt (I used fagé) INSTRUCTIONS Whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Pour the marinade into a large zip lock bag and add the shrimp. Seal the bag and toss to coat the shrimp. Place in the fridge and mari...

I've always loved trying new mash combinations to replace mashed potatoes, so last night was a new adventure with food for me. I first had turnips about 2 years ago when our friends Brandon & Danielle came to visit us right after I had Brooklyn.  I was completely hooked after they made us mashed turnips. They were so freaking good!!!  I found a recipe for mashed white beans with truffle oil, so I went to safeway, but they didn't have truffle oil so I decided to try something else. I instantly remembered that love of turnips I had, so I grabbed some.... Parsnips were right next to them and they looked so good I grabbed some of those too. Some of my best recipes are the ones I throw together on a whim.  This was a huge success. The kids loved them too!!! Ingredients: 16oz of baby bella mushrooms, you can use whatever mix or variety you prefer, thickly sliced, cut in half, or quartered, so they are all about the same size. 2 - 15oz can of cannellini ...

Tonight was a fun creation for dinner. I needed to whip something together really quick to bring to Jack's moms for dinner for myself since unfortunately I was unable to indulge in her dinner due to the meat. I am a lover of different asian foods so I love creating new dishes. This was was a success and now I have 4 days of meal prep done for the week. Ingredients: 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided  6 large egg whites, beaten  2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, diced  8 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced  1 orange bell pepper, diced 1 zucchini, chopped  2 carrots, peeled and grated  3 cups cooked quinoa  1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger  3 tablespoons liquid aminos 2 green onions, sliced (optional) Sriracha, for serving (optional) Directions: Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil i n a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook, stirring often, until onions have become tra...

I'm always trying to find healthy recipes and ways to sneak in more veggies into my kids meals.  My daughter is like a human garbage disposal and will eat just about anything. My son on the other hand I constantly battle with him eating.  I let the kids help with making these wonderful muffins and they both enjoyed them so much. And I know Nicholas is getting in some veggies with these!  These are definitely a must try whether or not you're trying to sneak in some veggies to your kids meals! Ingredients 1 1/2 cup white rice flour 1 1/2 cup finely ground almond 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon poppy seeds zest of 1 large lemon 2 cups peeled and finely grated zucchini 3 large eggs 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk 3/4 cup sugar (I used raw sugar cane) 2 teaspoons lemon extract   Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees line muffin tray with paper liners combine dry ingredients and set aside combine lemon zest and zucchini beat eggs...

When I auditioned for Masterchef 2015 in September, I spent about a month trying to decide what to make. Originally this dish was just topped with scallions, but one day I wanted to kick it up and I just happened to have cilantro and feta in the fridge and I fell in love with this!  This was the dish I made that got me to the second round!!! It's so easy, yummy and just the perfect amount of spice and sweetness.... Ingredients : 1 cup quinoa 1 8oz pkg firm tofu, cubed 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 cup onion, minced. 8 oz shitake mushrooms, chopped 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 Tablespoons sesame oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you like it) salt and pepper 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup cilantro Directions : Cook quinoa in a pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. While quinoa is cooking, add heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown tofu with 1 tablespoon ...

One of my hubby's favorite dishes is chicken pot pies! I wanted to try something new to make a healthier version of the pot pie. This was a huge success. The kids loved helping with this and eating as well. It was so easy to make as well. Since I don't eat chicken, I did a vegetarian version for myself and did mushrooms instead of chicken. I recommend doing a mixture of mushrooms. I used baby Bella and shitake mushrooms.  These little pot pies were so good, I may need to add this to our shopping list every week!! Ingredients: 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup) 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 cup frozen peas and carrots 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese  1/2 cup Original Bisquick™ mix (I used gluten free mix) 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk) 2 eggs Directions Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. In 10...

Since my Masterchef Audition last weekend, I've been trying new things with my cooking. Tonight I was making a tri-tip for Jack and the kids, but being vegetarian, I needed to make something different for myself. I've seen recipes for just slicing tofu and seasoning with what you would season steak with, so I decided to kick it up a notch and do a balsamic reduction and top with a sautéed Brussel sprout slaw.  This was absolutely amazing! I am definitely going to add this to my weekly menu to enjoy once a week. Tofu Steaks: 1 lb extra firm tofu, cut into 1 1/2inch thick slices ½ cup Soy sauce 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. Garlic powder ½ tsp. Onion powder Mushroom Balsamic Reduction: 1 large shallot, minced 12 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced 1 tbs. Coconut Oil 1/8 cup red wine 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tbs fresh honey  Salt and pepper to taste Brussel Sprout Slaw: 1 lb Brussel sprouts, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, finely minced Cooking spray Salt as...

Sometimes I get craving for potatoes, but when I don't want the carbs that come along with that, I find alternatives that are just as good and healthy. This dish was amazing and my kiddos loved it as well!  Paleo Zucchini Fritters: 5 medium zucchini, shredded (about 4 cups) 2 teaspoons sea salt 1/4 cup coconut flour 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional Coconut oil or ghee for cooking   Directions for Paleo Zucchini Fritters : Shred the zucchini using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding blade. Put the shredded zucchini in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and toss well. Walk away for 10 minutes. Now it’s time to squeeze all the moisture out of the zucchini (nobody likes soggy fritters). Note: if you’re really salt sensitive, you may want to rinse the zucchini with water, then squeeze it out. Scoop up a generous handful of the zucchini and squeeze the living daylights out of them into a sink or bowl. You want them dr...

In fall I go through a nesting period! No I'm not pregnant, but I bake like I am during this nesting time.... It hit me a little early so I decided to make a healthier version of a brownie for my kiddos today.  Brooklyn and Nicholas of course wanted to dig into the batter before I had cooked it... These were not too shabby and the kids are in love!!! Ingredients : 1/2 cup coconut flour  1/2 cup raw cacao powder  1/2 cup raw honey  1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)  5 Eggs 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Instructions: 1. Combine all dry ingredients in a dish and mix well. 2. Combine all wet ingredients in separate dish, mix well. 3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, while stirring. 4. Grease a 8×8 baking pan or place parchment paper on the bottom of the dish. 5. Pour batter into baking pan and smooth out the batter with a knife. 6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

As a treat to my babies this am, I decided to make them some fun muffins for breakfast!  These are not on my nutrition plan, but I was strong and fought the temptation of this sweet treat! The kiddos loved these! Nicholas ate 3 mini muffins!!!  Muffins are easy and a great way to get kids to eat their breakfast because kids think they're getting cake for breakfast!  Ingredients: 1/3 c. butter, melted 1/2 c. sugar 1 egg (preferably room temperature) 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 c. milk Topping 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. butter, melted 1 tsp. cinnamon Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium-large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir just until combined, but still a bit lumpy. Do NOT overmix; overmixing will ruin the texture of the finished muffins. Also? Don’t overmix the batter. Finally, don’t overmix. Scoop batter into muffin tins that...

As some of you know, I've been fighting this cold bug all week. Tonight I decided to make my family's 'get better' soup in hopes to make this nasty cold to go away.  Being a stay-at-home mom, I cannot really afford to be sick chasing after two toddlers, so instead of letting this cold take over me, I'm kicking this cold in the butt!  This soup will definitely make you sweat out your cold with the yumminess of roasted garlic and fresh ginger. Oh, and by the way, this is pretty much the easiest soup to cook! Ingredients: 12 oz can chicken broth 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbs. fresh grated ginger 4 oz cooked shredded chicken (I omitted chicken since I'm vegetarian) 1 bunch bean thread noodles 1 tbs. Olive oil Directions: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm oil and sauté garlic until golden brown. Make sure you do not burn the garlic in this step. Once garlic has browned, add chicken broth, chicken, and ginger. Bring to boil. Add bean thread noodles and reduc...

I have always loved stroganoff, but never quite knew how I could make it vegan and get my protein intake as well...  I found this recipe from Forks Over Knives and it was absolutely amazing! I had leftovers for the next three days for my meal prepped meals so I'm one happy camper!  INGREDIENTS : 2 large shallots, peeled and minced 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 2 teaspoons minced thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 teaspoon minced rosemary 1 pound portobello mushrooms, stemmed and cut into large pieces 1 ounce porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes ½ cup dry white wine 1 cup  Tofu Sour Cream 1 pkg no yolk egg noodles, cooked according to package instructions Chopped parsley For the tofu sour cream: 1 package extra firm lite silken tofu, drained 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy.   Chill until ready to serve.   S...

Throughout the year my mom use to always make banana but bread for our family. Not to mention my mom hates bananas, however somehow she managed to make "THE BEST" banana bread!!! Since the better homes recipe is not as healthy as I would like it to be, I decided to make a healthier version for my babies. The kids absolutely love it! They think it's cake! I cannot complain if they want to eat it either because it's healthy and sugar free!!! If my picky son will eat it, it's definitely a winner!!! Ingredients: 4-5 bananas, ripe and mashed 1 cup coconut flour  6 eggs  6 tablespoons  coconut oil or coconut butter , melted 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (I used fagé) 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract dash of sea  salt Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ºF. Grease a 1 pound loaf pan. Combine all ingredients for bread and blend until thoroughly mixed. Continue blending on medium speed for 1 minute to allow ...

My hubby has been in heaven lately with all this Mexican food I've been cooking. Mexican food is his favorite and we've eaten it about 4 times in the last week.  Even though I've been using vegan meat, he's been very pleased.  I was a little nervous about these because there is no cheese in these, but they didn't even need cheese. They came out great and the entire family loved them. I topped mine with a sour cream I made with fagé yogurt and garlic powder.  I was surprised the kids ate them, but the kids love beans so they were happy campers. This was probably the easiest version of enchiladas I've ever made, and the healthiest.... Ingredients: 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce 3 cups water 4 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons chili powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon garlic powder salt to taste Casserole Ingredients: 1 can black beans 1 lbs meatless ground beef 2 tbs chili powder 1 tbs cumin 10 whole wheat or 16 corn tortillas Optional Ingredients: guacamole...