Courgette Frittata

The last time I made a frittata, it tasted wonderful but it was a textural disaster. (Read all about it here: ginger and shiitake omelette.) This courgette (zucchini) and ricotta frittata was on the roster for our Wednesday with Donna Hay blogging grou…
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Pepper Jack Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Black beans and pepper jack cheese make a hearty, delicious filling for these stuffed poblano peppers. And if you have leftovers, well that’s perfect, because they’re even better the second time around!
http://www.thinpedia.com/pepper-jack-stuffed-poblano-peppers.html

Flourless Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Blender Muffins

It’s been over 6 months since I made some of my favorite muffins ever. But I couldn’t just leave well enough alone. I had to ‘improve’ them. By making a chocolate version, of course. The muffins are ridiculously soft, moist, rich, decadent, but only about 100 calories each. That’s a good thing because like all […]
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Vegan Parmesan

Why has it taken me so long to make my own vegan parmesan style cheese? This stuff has transformed our lives, well, our culinary lives anyway! I actually made this ages ago and I’ve been using it in EVERYTHING – so much so that I feel like I should go back and update a lot of my recipes! I furthermore have so many recipes to blog that call for some of this stuff that I had to hurry up and blog this one so I can clear the backlog, haha! So yes, expect this to feature in a LOT of upcoming blog posts

Now there are a lot of recipes out there for vegan parmesan cheese and they are all pretty much based on the same formula – nutritional yeast, nuts and or seeds and salt/seasoning. I didn’t follow any other recipe here, I just kept experimenting with different ratios until I was happy with the outcome. In the end I found simple was best – just 3 ingredients with a nice balance of flavour. 

I absolutely LOVE the taste of this and while I am not going to say it tastes “just like parmesan” (because it doesn’t, although close!) I will say that it works as a perfect replacement for parmesan in pretty much any recipe. You know all those risotto recipes that call for “1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese”? Yup, just use this instead – it’s perfect for risotto, sprinkled over pizza, pasta (of course!) but we even love it stirred into baked beans to make them cheesier and creamy. Loads of possibilities here! 
The other great things about this recipe? Only 3 ingredients and no food processor or blender needed! Simple.

Vegan Parmesan:
2 Tbsp ground almonds
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp salt
Grind up the nutritional yeast flakes in a mortar and pestle until they are a fine powder. If you don’t have one you can easily just powder the flakes by hand or by placing in a zip-lock bag and running a rolling pin over. Add the ground almonds and salt and mix. That’s it!

Notes:  Recipe makes just 1/4 cup of parmesan which I find is the perfect amount for meals that serve 2-3 people. If I am making say, just a pasta for myself I will make up half this recipe to throw in. If you want a large jar of this then simply double, triple, quadruple or more! Personally, I tend to just make this up as I need it as it’s so easy to do

….and for another variation – Smoked Vegan Parmesan! This stuff is gorgeous thrown into anything you want to add a cheesy, smoky, almost dare I say, “bacon-y” flavour to?

Smoked Vegan Parmesan:

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, ground
2 Tbsp ground almonds
1/2 tsp smoked sea salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprikaMake as instructed above.….there will be a dedicated pasta blog post coming up featuring some of my favourite simple recipes using the parmesan!
♥

Nutritional Information: full recipe

Calories: 102
Protein: 6.0g
Fat: 7.2g
Sat Fat: 0.5g
Fibre: 3.0g
Carbs: 5.5g
Sugar: 0.5g
Sodium: 586.4mg

http://www.thinpedia.com/vegan-parmesan.html

Lately: Intermission

I’ve really been on a roll with the healthy eating and weight loss. I stepped on the scale and had lost 2.5 pounds! Karen just had a minor surgery to repair a hernia and she spent a few days recovering at our house. Although we cooked healthy Cook Smarts dinners, there was still a feeling […]
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Shredded Egg Salad

I bought some special eggs the other day. I mean, there are special eggs, and there are special eggs. I’m talking about the kind of eggs some people might feel compelled to roll their eyes at. But I had to buy them. Try them. Bring them home with me….
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Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

I’m not labeling this cake paleo or primal, because well, it is not. But it is gluten-free, grain-free, and hopefully it is less inflammation-inducing than your typical carrot cake. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.Carrot CakeIngredients:1 cup raisins1 15-ounce can crushed pineapple (the whole can, juice included)1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded1/2 cup tapioca flour1/2 cup coconut flour1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup butter, melted4 eggs1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda3/4 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/2 teaspoon allspice(add nuts if desired)Directions:Preheat oven to 350º.In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together well.Pour batter into a greased 9×13 pan or two 8×8 pans.Bake for 35-45 minutes.Cool completely, and then frost with cream cheese frosting.Cream Cheese FrostingIngredients:16 oz. cream cheese (2 blocks), softened4 oz. butter, softened1/2 cup powdered sugar1 t. vanilla extractpinch saltDirections:With a stand mixer, beat ingredients together until fluffy.Spread over cake.Eat and enjoy!

http://www.thinpedia.com/carrot-cake-cream-cheese-frosting.html

5 Killer Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipes

Ah…macaroni and cheese. A comforting, one-pot meal that’s probably on many kids’ repertoire of favorite foods. Try these delicious, vegan versions of a classic.
http://www.thinpedia.com/5-killer-vegan-mac-and-cheese-recipes.html

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken cutlets stuffed with spinach, feta and ricotta, then breaded and baked to perfection!
I love making stuffed chicken breast as many as you probably figured out by now. You can stuff chicken with just about anything, and leftovers can be frozen and reheated for your very own homemade frozen meals which are so much better than store bought.

I first experimented with this spinach-feta version back in 2010, and we loved it. My photos were pretty awful back then, so today I decided to make them over! I also changed the recipe slightly to make them easier. Anyone can make these, there are no toothpicks required and the prep time is fairly quick. I served this with a great big salad on the side, but you can also serve it with couscous, rice or quinoa.

You may also like some of my other stuffed chicken breast recipes, Buffalo Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Roasted Red Pepper and Prosciutto, Zucchini and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Prosciutto and Cheese, and my husband’s favorite, Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana.
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/spinach-and-feta-stuffed-chicken-breasts.html

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Strips

Quick and easy – these buffalo chicken tenderloins are spicy and delicious! I like to serve them with my homemade skinny blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side for a hot and spicy appetizer.

But gosh, you can eat this so many ways! Serve it with baked fries, or make it a wrap. I think this would be an amazing side for my Sweet Potato Irish Nachos!

However you decide to eat them, I am leaving it up to you! But this I promise, they are good, and it takes just 10 minutes to make!

And, if you love everything spicy buffalo as much as I do, then you’ll also love some of my other skinny dishes! Try: Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, Buffalo Turkey Burgers, Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins, Crock Pot Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Buffalo Shrimp Dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip, and my favorite, Buffalo Stuffed Chicken Breasts Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/skinny-buffalo-chicken-strips.html