Chocolate Mug Cake

Super Rich Chocolate Mug Cake. Not the best picture in the world but hey, it's hard to make these things look pretty. You put them in the microwave and they turn out like this, with chocolate on the inner sides of the cup from the batter rising a little bit, but it's okay. Here is what my mug cake looked like taken straight from the microwave and topped with some shreds of coconut and some goji berries.

This chocolate mug cake was my first mug cake ever. I had heard about the new phenomenon of making these healthy cakes in a mug but never tried it. I finally did and it was awesome. But soo soo rich, at least this recipe was...It was literally like i was eating a molten chocolate cake. So for you chocolate lovers, this is a really good healthy, easy, and fast recipe for you.

Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe Banana
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Almond Butter
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder (for a richer taste and a superfood boost use Cacao- but if using cacao add a little sweetener of your choice because cacao is more bitter-I used a drop/2 drops of stevia)

Directions:

• Mix together in a coffee mug
• Microwave for 2 minutes of medium high until the center is set
• Add topping of your choice (I added goji berries and coconut flakes)
• Grab a spoon and enjoy (and maybe some water too because it sure is chocolatey)

#mugcake #firsttime #almondbutter #banana #glutenfree #healthy #cleaneats #chocolate #rich #yum #cake #delicious #dessert #healthydessert #leanandgreen

Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potato Halves

Hello everyone, sorry I was MIA. I finished up my classes studying abroad in Spain. The program was only six weeks so it was a lot of class, a lot of traveling, and a lot of fun. I definitely know a lot more español from living there for six weeks. So now I have time to FINALLY get around to updating my blog. Especially because I was living in a host family and haven't had time to cook all that much so this is just an update of what I've cooked in the past.

This is Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potato. It consists of one sweet potato stuffed with cheese and black bean corn salsa topped with avocado yogurt sauce. I made it in May (yeah I'm super behind...) for celebrating Cinco de Mayo, the healthy way :)

This recipe is super easy, and super healthy, and you get your protein and carbs in one dish which is nice. I just added a side of vegetables and it was a full meal! The recipe is from Averie Cooks. Here's how you do it:

Sweet Potato and Filling Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium/large Sweet Potato
• 1/2 cup Corn and Black Bean Salsa (you can find this in most grocery stores, otherwise find a chunkier salsa to use or fill it with a mix of corn, black beans, and salsa in 1/2 cup)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Heaping 1/4 cup shredded cheese (of your preference, for this dish I used Mexican Blend)

Directions:

• Prick Sweet Potato with a fork all over
• Place in a microwaveable dish for about 7-10 minutes on high power to cook
• Cook until tender when pierced with a fork
• While potato is in the microwave, preheat oven to Broil setting
• Remove potato from microwave and slice in half lengthwise
• Scoop out and hollow out a column in the center of the sweet potato with a spoon so that there is enough space to put your filling
• Place the halves on a greased baking sheet
• Evenly divide the corn and black bean salsa in each half and add salt and pepper to taste
• Evenly top each half with the shredded cheese
• Broil for about 3 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and is bubbly. Because you're broiling, keep a close eye on them because it is very easy to burn since it is such a high temperature setting!
• Remove and let cool. Then eat with the avocado yogurt sauce.

Avocado Yogurt Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

• An avocado
• Greek Yogurt
• Lime Juice
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

• Mix to taste.
• I didn't measure anything out when I made it but I used the whole avocado, I added greek yogurt to taste (start with a little and add more if you want more) depending on how creamy you want it to be, then add a little splash of lime juice (or a lot if you want it to taste more citrusy) 
• Mash all together
• Spread over the sweet potato and enjoy :)

Enjoy :)

#sweetpotato #southwestern #avocado #blackbean #corn #salsa #healthy #dinner #cleaneats #glutenfree #vegetarian #yum #delicious #leanandgreen

Peanut Butter-Banana-Dilla

Whoever discovered the combination of peanut butter and banana is just plain genius. It is great in this recipe, in oatmeal, in a quinoa bowl, in a sandwich, or just plain good on its own. I personally love making it in a quesadilla style because it is a little crispy on the outside and the peanut butter is nice and gooey on the inside! Yummmmmm! Such a good idea for breakfast!

Here's how you do it. It's super simple, super fast, and is a complete healthy breakfast with carbs, protein, and fruit!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• One tortilla (preferably whole wheat or gluten-free)
• Peanut butter (as much as you'd like in it)-- I used PB2 the powdered peanut butter that you mix with water
• 1 ripe banana

Directions:

• Place some oil (I prefer coconut oil for a sweeter taste over olive oil but any oil works) in a medium-large frying pan on medium to medium-high heat (depending on how crispy or soft you want it)
• While it is getting hot, spread some peanut butter onto just one half of your tortilla
• Slice the banana into small thin slices and place as many as you'd like on top of the peanut butter
• Fold the tortilla in half so it makes a half circle shape with your peanut butter and banana inside
• Place tortilla on the frying pan
• Press down with a spatula on the top of the quesadilla and allow to cook for a few minutes, keeping an eye on it so it does not get burned
• Flip your tortilla when it is crispy
• Cook the other side of the tortilla until crispy to your liking

Enjoy :)

#peanutbutter #banana #tortilla #healthy #cleaneats #vegan #glutenfree #yum #breakfast #delicious #leanandgreen

Lemon Pepper Tilapia

I made this fish dinner for a "fish friday" dinner date with my boyfriend a little while back. It was delicious, although I wouldn't say it is my most "lean and green" recipe because it does require a lot of butter...but we substituted regular butter for vegan Earth Balance butter.

We made tilapia because I wanted to start eating a lot more fish and tilapia is a very good cheap option. It turned out to be super delicious! I got the recipe from Love That Food. Here is the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 tablespoons butter (I used vegan Earth Balance butter)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, sliced

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Grease a shallow baking dish and set aside
• Whisk together the chopped parsley, paprika, and red pepper and set aside
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat
• Add the garlic and olive oil and then immediately remove from heat
• Place filets in the baking dish and lightly season with salt and pepper
• Baste the filets with half of the butter, oil, and garlic mixture
• Then sprinkle half of the parsley, paprika, and red pepper mixture over the filets
• Bake for 8 minutes
• Remove from oven and pour the rest of the butter, oil, and garlic mixture over the filets
• Sprinkle the rest of the parsley, paprika, and red pepper mixture over the filets
• Bake for another 6-8 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork
• Squeeze lemon juice on top and serve

Enjoy :)

Greek Yogurt "Cookie Dough"

I am so excited there are so many ways to make healthy things taste like chocolate chip cookie dough or cookies. It is definitely one of the greatest inventions ever. This is basically yogurt with some nut butter and flavoring, so it is super healthy and basically a protein snack that tastes like cookie dough. It is ideal for a healthy dessert. I found the recipe from Family Fresh Meals but modified it a little bit to what I had in the cabinet, here is what I did:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 serving plain greek yogurt (1 6 oz pack)
• 1 tablespoon chocolate chips (mini is better in my opinion, though either could work)
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 2-3 drops of Stevia extract or 1 tablespoon of honey (I used stevia)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Mix together and enjoy!

Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings" and Healthy Blue Cheese Dip

Why didn't I make these for the superbowl???? No idea...but I am definitely going to make them for the superbowl for next year...or I guess the next "wing" occasion. These were flat out delicious. Except, I used extra spicy buffalo sauce thinking I could handle it...well I fooled myself with that one! I couldn't continuously eat them...but I loved eating them in doses haha.

These cauliflower wings taste like buffalo wings but obviously have the texture of fried cauliflower (but it is not fried, it is baked). So a.k.a. delicious. I got the recipe off of pinterest, but it was a pin so I do not have a direct source...but here is the recipe so you all can enjoy a healthier alternative to wings at home!

Recipe for the "Wings":

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup flour (any kind--I used gluten-free)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into pieces (however big you want your "wings")
• 1 cup buffalo or hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
• Combine the water or almond milk, flour, and garlic powder in a bowl. Stir until combined. 
• Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture and place in a shallow baking dish
• Bake for 18 minutes
• While cauliflower is baking, combine your hot sauce and olive oil in a small bowl
• Pour hot sauce mixture over cauliflower when its done and bake for another 5-8 minutes
• Serve with the blue cheese dip

Recipe for the Blue Cheese Dip:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (plain)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons blue cheese
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together
• Add more blue cheese on top to garnish

Enjoy :)

#cauliflower #buffalo #buffalowings #notreallybuttheytastelikeit #bluecheese #healthydip #dip #yum #superbowlfood #superbowl #cleaneats #healthy #glutenfree #vegetarian #leanandgreen

Peanut Sauce Soba Noodles

Yummmm. I've always wanted to make peanut sauce noodles! I finally did and it is so easy! It contains things that I almost always have stocked in my kitchen at any time. And it is vegan! So if I need a break from the normal marinara sauce, I will definitely make this for a quick and easy healthy meal. Here is the recipe for the peanut sauce:

Recipe for Peanut Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of PB2 or 1 tablespoon of regular peanut butter 
• 2 tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

• Mix together in a bowl all the ingredients until well blended
• Mix in with cooked soba noodles and whatever vegetables you prefer (I used bok choy and cucumber)
• Eat cold or hot, whichever you prefer (I prefer cold)

Enjoy :))

Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Sooo now that I finally have some free time I have started updating my blog again. It was a hectic last few weeks with my final exams, my boyfriends graduation, and my getting ready to come to Madrid to study abroad for 6 weeks and do some traveling afterwards. Now I am in Spain and life is pretty good so far. I am living with a host mother, which is good for my spanish speaking skills but bad for my cooking healthy food and my own recipes. I eat what she gives me. But, I am grateful because unlike some other people in Spain she eats lots of healthy meals full of fruits and vegetables, which makes me confident I can remain healthy while living over here and not eating my normal types of food...For example, it is completely impossible to be vegetarian and gluten-free because they eat lots of bread and croissants and pastries and lots of ham and cheese, etc. Anyways, I am just getting around to updating my blog fully.

These chickpea chocolate chip cookie dough bites are called cookie "dough" bites even though they are cooked because even when cooked, they are still super soft and gooey, like cookie dough. These are absolutely delicious and I think they are the best gluten-free chocolate chip cookie I have ever made..maybe because I love "half-baked" or super soft gooey cookies. If you're looking for a healthy way to eat the most delicious cookie dough ever, this recipe is for you. I got the recipe from Texanerin Baking. Here is the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups Canned Chickpeas, well rinsed and patted dry
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Almond butter (at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips (or more if you so desire)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Combine all ingredients, except for chocolate chips, in a food processor and blend until smooth
• Pour in the chocolate chips and mix around
• With wet hands (so it won't stick to your hands) form 1 1/2 inch balls
• Place onto parchment paper or a greased baking pan
• Bake for about 10 minutes
• When you take out they will still be very soft and do not set like normal cookies, hence cookie "dough" bites

Enjoy :)

Zucchini Spears

These are like a healthier version of those breadsticks you could get at pizza hut. These are basically zucchini spears topped with parmesan cheese and baked in the oven. It's a good appetizer or party food. I definitely like the zucchini fries better than these though because these are a lot thicker and don't get as crispy, they are more squash textured instead of fries. So do not think of these as crispy like fries, unless you bake them long enough. These are more like cooked zucchini and topped with some parmesan. I think next time I will try and cut them a little thinner so they get a little more crispy. Anyways, they're good if you like zucchini and parmesan, need something quick, and they are most certainly good for you. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Zucchini (as many as you want)
• Parmesan cheese (as much as you want)
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
• Wash zucchini and cut them in quarters- cut them in half lengthwise and cut the newly cut pieces in half lengthwise to make quarters
• Place on a greased baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on top
• Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top of the olive oil coated zucchini spears
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes
• Broil them for the last two minutes until the cheese is golden
• Take out and let cool before eating

And there you have it, parmesan zucchini spears!

Garlic Parmesan Avocado Cauliflower Mash

Yummmm this was delicious. It is kind of like a healthier and, well I think, tastier, mashed potatoes. I made this with my boyfriend one night and I got full quickly, in which we had lots of leftovers. Luckily, my boyfriend and his friends took care of that and devoured the rest of the mash. It was just that good. I am definitely going to make this in the future instead of a side of mashed potatoes. Maybe even instead of mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving?...or is that too far...haha I guess we shall see in November.

Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 3 tablespoons of Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Avocado, diced
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• Garlic, salt, and pepper to taste (we made ours pretty garlicky, almost too much, but it was delicious anyways!)

Directions:

• Cut the florets of the whole cauliflower into small pieces
• Steam the florets by using a steam bag or a colander on the stove top
• Once you can pierce through a floret with a fork easily, drain the florets from the water and place them in a medium sized mixing bowl
• Add the greek yogurt, avocado, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper into the mixing bowl as well
• Mash all the ingredients together with a fork

And voilaaaaa you have your delicious cauliflower mash, it's as easy as that. Enjoy :)

Banana Pancake

These pancakes are delicious and gluten-free! It is so easy and makes just enough to fill you up. And these pancakes only require two ingredients! Can it get easier than that?...Nope. I don't think I will ever go back to making normal pancakes again. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-large Banana
• 1 egg

Directions:

• Mash banana in a bowl with a fork
• Crack an egg and beat it in a separate bowl
• Add the egg into the bowl with the mashed banana
• Mix together
• Heat a greased frying pan on medium heat (I used coconut oil because banana and coconut oil taste so good together!)
• Cook until for a few minutes and flip and cook the other side
• Cook until golden brown

I topped mine with some raspberries, coconut flakes, and a little bit of coconut oil. They tasted like paradise, I recommend it! Top them with anything of your choice. Eat and enjoy :)

Baked Fries

No joke, these tasted just like the greasiest unhealthy fries you can get at burger restaurants. But, they aren't like those fries, although they may taste just as good. They are healthy! They are not fried, they are baked. They use only a few ingredients and are super easy to make. All you have to do is throw them in the oven. Here's the recipe from Self:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 large Russet Potatoes
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees F
• Cut potatoes in half horizonally
• Then cut each half into 1/3 inch sticks
• Place in a bowl of cold water
• Remove from water and dry thoroughly
• Toss in a bowl with olive oil and salt
• Place fries on a baking sheet
• Bake for around 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked completely through

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

We all have those days where we crave chocolate. This is a way to satisfy your chocolate craving without ingesting the calories. This is a healthy dark chocolate cherry shake. It was quite delicious and absolutely satisfied my chocolate craving. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 1 cup Almond milk (may need to add more for desired thickness)
• 1.5 tablespoons Cacao powder
• 2 Medjool Dates, pitted and diced

Directions:

• Toss all the ingredients into a blender
• Blend until smooth
• Add more almond milk or water if it is too thick and unable to blend
• Once smooth, pour into a cup and enjoy!

Eggplant Pizza's

I loveeee making things into pizza's. I love pizza in general! But ever since I went gluten-free, I had to get creative in the crust. So far I have made mushroom pizza's, zucchini crust pizza, and now this eggplant pizza. So far, the eggplant pizza is my favorite. Maybe it reminds me of eggplant parmesan and that is why I like it so much, I don't know. But it sureeee was delicious and super easy and quick. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized eggplant
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese (or vegan cheese if you want to make it vegan)
• Any additional toppings you would like for your pizza (such as basil, veggies, pepperoni, etc)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
• Slice the eggplant into about 1/2 inch thick slices
• Coat each slice with olive oil, on both sides
• Place on greased baking tray and cook for 10 minutes
• Take them out and put on desired amount of pizza sauce, cheese, and any other pizza toppings
• Bake for another 5-10 minutes
• Take them out and let them cool before eating

Enjoy :)

Stewed Okra and Tomatoes

This is one of my favorite Greek dishes. When I went to Greece a few summers ago, I completely fell in love with their cuisine. Everything there is so delicious and so healthy. I try and eat Greek food whenever I have the chance, it's just too damn good. Anyways, this was one of my favorite things to eat when I was in Greece. It is so delicious. Whenever I find an authentic Greek restaurant in the U.S., I order this. 

So one day I was craving this. I looked up a recipe and found one that was simple enough online at Choosy Beggars. I made it and it was delicious. Ate the entire recipe in one day...2 pounds of okra haha. I am certainly looking forward to making this again soon. Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. fresh Okra
• 1 Lemon
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1 medium Yellow Onion
• 1 can whole or diced tomatoes (I used diced)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 Red chili pepper flakes
• Salt to taste
• Fresh parsley to top (optional, I didn't have any but would have used some had I had some)

Directions:

• Trim the stem off of all the okra
• Place okra in a bowl 
• Squeeze full lemon over all of the okra and sprinkle some salt on top
• Set aside while you prepare the rest
• In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat
• Dice the onion and cook with the olive oil until golden (approximately 6-8 minutes)
• When onions are golden, add the tomatoes into the pot
• Sprinkle in the sugar and red chili flakes
• Stir it and then cover the pot and let it simmer over medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes
• Toss okra into the pot
• Simmer for another 15-20 minutes, until okra is tender

Let it cool and serve :)

Spicy Chili Garlic Shrimp

Oh man, oh man was this delicious. But, my boyfriend and I added double the chili pepper thinking we could handle it. Because of this, I think I drank at least 5 glasses of water and had teary eyes the whole dinner. But oddly enough, my boyfriend and I both love the burn of spicy food so we were completely satisfied.

This shrimp recipe is very easy, especially if you have thawed shrimp ready to go. And it only requires a few ingredients that many people have in their kitchen already. I got this recipe from Skinny Taste. It came out soo good. Thank goodness we made enough for leftovers; I had it for lunch the next day. Anyways, here is the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds peeled (and thawed) Shrimp
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 Dried Chilies (not 6, unless you like crying and downing water every 2 seconds)
• 5 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• Juice of 1 Lemon (or more to taste)
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley

Directions:

• Season shrimp with salt and pepper to taste
• Heat a fairly large pan on medium heat
• Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and half of the chopped chilies to the pan
• Cook for 1-2 minutes
• Increase heat to medium-high
• Add half the shrimp
• Cook undisturbed for around 1 1/2 minutes
• Flip shrimp over and cook for around 1 minute more, until opaque throughout
• Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate
• Repeat the steps above for the other half of the olive oil, chilies, and shrimp. Adding olive oil and chilies to cook first and then adding the rest of the shrimp to cook.
• Place the rest of the shrimp with the already cooked shrimp in a large bowl
• Squeeze lemon juice over the shrimp and toss with the parsley
• Eat and enjoy :)

Greek Yogurt Filled Sweet Potato

I tried this idea for breakfast a few weeks ago. It was really easy and super quick. Of course, it is also super healthy! According to Men's Fitness, some nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes are:

• They contain a lot of Carotenoids- help with cell damage 
• A good source of Vitamin E- also protects against cell damage, environmental factors, and heart disease
• Contains Potassium- helps with bone health, nerve transmission, water balance, and sustaining a normal blood pressure
• A good source of Copper- helps with the production of collagen, which helps keep muscles healthy and skin tight (sooo helps with wrinkles, great!)
• Contains Quercetin- which apparently helps reduce allergies, hay fever, asthma by allowing you to breathe easier

Anyways, so I've been trying to incorporate these healthy nutrient packed potatoes into my diet more often. The easiest way I have discovered is by eating it filled with greek yogurt for breakfast. And it is so quick, so it is very easy to do on busy mornings! Here's the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Walnuts, chopped

Directions:

• Scrub the potato clean 
• Prick the potato with a fork all over the front and back
• Place potato on microwaveable safe plate 
• Microwave for 3-5 minutes until the potato is soft
• Cut down the middle of the potato, but not all the way, just enough to make a slit in it
• Spoon in some greek yogurt and top with cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and a little bit of nutmeg to taste!

Enjoy :)

Cauliflower "Alfredo" Sauce

I used to eat fettucini alfredo all the time...back when I did not realize how fattening it was or the effects of eating it on my body. Now, I discovered after looking online, a much healthier alfredo sauce made from CAULIFLOWER! So not only was it healthier because it involved no cream but also it is made from a vegetable!

So I had to immediately put it to the test. I found the recipe from the Unlost Blog. I poured the sauce over a serving of spaghetti squash, topped it with some green onions and sprinkled some additional parmesan cheese. It was delicious! I don't think I'll go back to the original alfredo sauce now that I have a way healthier alternative...except maybe when I go out to eat in the North End or Little Italy ha. Here is the recipe:

Recipe:
Makes an entire blender full

Ingredients:

• Six cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp of butter, softened (I used vegan butter)
• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 generous pinch of pepper
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Olive oil to taste

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, boil the cauliflower florets until tender and can easily prick with a fork, approximately 10 minutes
• While cauliflower is boiling, heat butter in a small saucepan and add the garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until garlic is golden but not brown
• Remove garlic and butter from heat and set aside
• Place boiled cauliflower in a blender
• Add the butter, garlic, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and milk
• Blend the ingredients and continue to add lemon and parmesan every so often to taste
• If sauce is too thick, add milk. If sauce is too dry, add oil. Blend again until smooth and "saucy"
• Enjoy :)

Healthy Chocolate Shake

Yum, this was sooo delicious. It is such a great healthy dessert to have when craving that chocolate! Completely guilt free because it's actually good for you! Have it when you want some quick, easy, tasty healthy dessert on hot summer day or in the dead of winter!...Here's my recipe!!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 medjool dates, chopped (shouldn't need sweetener because these add enough sweetness)
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (or more if you want it more chocolatey tasting)
• 1 cup almond milk (I used plain unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
• Some shredded coconut flakes to taste (optional)
• 1/2 cup ice

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a blender
• Blend til smooth 

Enjoy this healthy, chocolatey goodness :))

Sesame Ginger Salmon

My boyfriend and I started doing "Fish Fridays," in which we make fish for dinner every Friday. Well at least we've attempted to. Obviously schedules can get in the way, so I guess it's safe to say we try and make fish at least once a week, not necessarily on Friday's. We made this last Sunday. It was delicious. A nice Asian twist to our usual baked salmon. It's not exactly a quick meal, so give yourself some time to cook it. This involves marinating the salmon, baking it, and making a glaze to go on top. I found this recipe from Damn Delicious. Here is the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients for the Salmon Marinade:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 4 salmon filets

Ingredients for the Honey Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
• To make the glaze, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, ginger and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Leave aside until the fish is fully cooked.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and green onions.
• In a large bowl, combine ginger marinade and salmon filets
• Marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight (I only did 30 minutes and that was fine!)
• Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Place salmon filets along with the marinade onto prepared baking dish and bake until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.
• Serve salmon immediately with honey ginger glaze. Enjoy :)