Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

Looking for a healthy dessert or treat for the holidays? I was and so I took to Pinterest where I found this recipe from Shugary Sweets and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

What you will need:
for the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt 
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini

for the frosting:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325F and spray a bundt cake pan with cooking spray and set aside
2. In a mixing bowl, add in the sugar, eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest and mix to combine
3. Fold in the shredded zucchini and combine into the liquid mixture
4. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and mix together.
5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes. 
6. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
7. Allow the cake to cool on a cooling rack.
8. Prepare the frosting ingredients and set aside
9. Frost the cake and sprinkle with lemon zest if desired

Chili Mac

So last night was one of those nights when I needed an unplanned simple dinner. This chili mac used some of what was in the house with limited other spending which makes it a win. It is the perfect meal for those on a budget, like myself! As a college student I am big on healthy and filling meals that won’t break the bank and I don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen.

What you will need:
1 1/2 cups cooked macaroni noodles
1 lb of ground beef or turkey (I used turkey)
1/2 can of corn
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1/2 jalapeño, chopped and seeded
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp coconut oil OR olive oil
1 tsp chili powder, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper, cumin
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Colby and Monterey Jack)

In a pan add the coconut or olive oil and allow the pot to heat up
Add in the minced garlic, onion, bell pepper and sauté till soft and translucent
Add in your meat and cook. Make sure to stir occasionally so that the veggies don’t stick.
While the meat is browning you can go ahead and make your noodles. Cook according to the package. I recommend cooking till al-dente as they will cook in the pot as well.
Drain the pasta, add to the pot with the tomatoes, spices, corn (if desired), jalapeño
Stir everything together and allow it to come to a boil, reduce heat to low; add in the cheese and give it a stir.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes to thicken. Serve & enjoy!

Turkey Breast Stuffed w/ Sausage, Garlic & Spinach

So, a friend of mine found this recipe in our local newspaper and it sounded really good. We are going to be giving this a try this Christmas. I cant wait to try it out!

However, I will be making some alterations to this recipe. I will be using a turkey tendeloin instead of a turkey breast. I will be replacing the sausage with turkey sausage and everything else will stay the same.

• 1 pound of Italian sausage, removed from the casing OR turkey sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (10 0z.) box of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2-1 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 egg
• 1 turkey tenderloin OR 2 (2 lbs) boneless turkey breast halves 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• olive oil

1. With a thin sharp knife cut a pocket into the turkey breast or turkey tenderloin.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F
3. In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic, until the sausage is no longer pink, approximately 10 minutes. Toss with the bread cubes, spinach, broth, and egg, mixing well. Allow it to cool. 
4. Spoon in half the spinach mixture and press down gently, wrap with kitchen twine and brush with olive oil.Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. If you have remaining spinach mixture place it in a baking dish and allow it to bake on its own for a side dish. 
5. Bake the turkey and stuffing mixtures for approximately 35-45 minutes or until a thermometer registers the temperature to 160F. After removing from the oven, allow the meat to stand for 10 minutes. 
6. Cut the twine, slice the turkey and serve either while it is hot or at room temperature.

Greek Style Chicken

Need a simple dinner? You have got to try out this recipe. The chicken is flavorful and tender I highly recommend this recipe. I paired it with baked asparagus and mushrooms that I topped with Italian cheese. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my friends and I did.

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs
• 5.3 oz. container, plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• OPTIONAL: pinch of red pepper flakes and parsley
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. In a medium bowl mix yogurt, garlic, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. While mixing, stir in the olive oil until creamy and blended.
3. Place chicken thighs in a large seal-able storage bag or you can dip the chicken thighs into the yogurt mixture. You can also spoon the mixture over the chicken.
4. Marinate the chicken for an hour to two hours
5. Place the chicken in the pan  and lightly dust with paprika
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165F
7. If desired, season chicken with paprika, and parsley

If you would like to make the asparagus side, you will need:

• 1 bundle of fresh asparagus
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
• Italian shredded cheese

1. Spray a oven safe skillet with cooking spray. 
2. Clean the asparagus and cut the ends off. Add the asparagus to the pan.
3. Cut the mushrooms and add them to the asparagus
4. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or to your desired texture.
5. Sprinkle with the Italian shredded cheese and allow the cheese to melt.

🍔National Fast Food Day🌮

This recipe is posted later than originally planned as I have been recovering from an upper respiratory infection. I am catching up with my blog posts and this is one post that I had so much fun making in the kitchen. I made these the day after national fast food day. My friends really enjoyed these recipes. We had the Mexican pizza for lunch and the cheeseburger meatloaf for dinner and they were both AMAZING. I prefer the new version of the Mexican pizza to Taco Bell and surprisingly so did my friend because it was easier to chew and cut up. A total WIN!

I am whipping up some of my favorite recipes that I enjoy out.  Before I tell you what I am whipping up in the kitchen what are some of your favorite fast foods? I would have to go with cheeseburgers 🍔, and tacos 🌮

Being from California I really love ❤️ my Mexican cuisine. So, you guessed it one of my fast food dishes to create at home is a Mexican pizza 😋 my inspiration Taco Bell 🛎 with a little bit of a twist. Check out the blog post by clicking HERE
If you like guacamole, try out this recipe by clicking HERE

Secondly, cheeseburgers 🍔 are another favorite so when browsing Pinterest I found this low carb idea 💡 and it is baking in the oven right now. I can’t wait to try this out with my friends. The recipe can be found by clicking HERE.

The best part these recipes didn’t break the bank account either which is a win for my college budget. Eating healthy and having fun in the kitchen doesn’t have to break the bank 🏦 💵 all you have to do is price around and shop on deals.

Mexican Pizza

For this recipe I went with a low carb option, instead of using meat I used a black bean dip. One of my favorite fast food foods is the Mexican pizza from Taco Bell. This recipe turned out to be a great replacement and it was enjoyed by my friends too. This makes it a HUGE WIN!

Black Bean Dip
Corn tortillas
mild salasa
Kraft Mexican shredded cheese
2 roma tomatoes

1. Spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Add the tortilla to the pie dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees. The amount of time to cook the tortilla depends on if you like yours soft or a little crunchy. So keep an eye on it. I baked mine for about 3-5 minutes and flipped it over for another minute.
2. While the tortillas are baking this is when you want to make the black bean dip.
3. Remove the tortillas from the oven and top with the black bean dip, top with shredded cheese. Top with another tortilla. Layer with more black bean dip and cheese. Place in the oven till the cheese has melted. Top with tomatoes, avocado, sour cream and eat & enjoy! 

Crustless Ham & Cheese Quiche

Okay, honest moment 🙀 it’s Friday and I have REALLY splurged with carbs this week 🙊 Am I worried 😧 not really, why? Because it’s everything in moderation and sometimes you just have to give the body what it wants every once in a while. Tomorrow, however, is a different story as I am going to work on getting those carbs under control.

 

While typing homework tonight I went ahead and prepped this quiche recipe that I cannot wait to try out. Quiches are so simple to make and healthy too. So if you need a low carb solution check out this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Hot sauce OR 1/2 cup salsa
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper
• All purpose seasoning, garlic powder, turmeric, parsley, Italian seasoning
• 2 cups Cheese, shredded or sliced ( I used both: colby jack shredded cheese and Munster sliced cheese)
• 1 cup of chopped ham or turkey ham

This is the quiche topped with salsa and paired with a halo and spinach

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Spray a pie plate or a casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1 cup of cheese
3. top with 1/4 cup salsa or you can drizzle with hot sauce. 
4. Cover the salsa with another cup of cheese
5. Spread remaining salsa over the top of the cheese.
6. Beat the eggs, milk, and any spices you use until well combined
7. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and salsa layers
8. Top with the ham and place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes on 350F
9. Let it set for an additional 10-15 minutes, before serving.

The quiche rises perfectly and smells AMAZING 😉 can’t wait to try it out! If it’s good it might have to be my new quiche go to recipe.