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 :)

Golden Beet and Kale Salad

This golden beet salad was made after a golden beet salad I had at a local restaurant near where I live outside of Boston. I love golden beet salads. Whenever I see a golden beet salad on a menu when eating out, I just have to get it. And for some reason I tend to like golden beets more than red beets. I don't really think they taste different...I guess it may just be a color preference? I don't know...but they're awesome nonetheless. This beet salad is relatively quick...once you have the beets cooked. The beets take about an hour to cook so therefore I usually cook them ahead of time. Here is my recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium sized golden beets
• 1 cup Kale
• 1 Tablespoon Basil or Kale pesto
• 1 Tablespoon Goat cheese crumbles
• A small handful of Pistachios

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Wrap each beet in aluminum foil
• Place the wrapped beets directly in the oven
• Bake for about 1 hour
• When cooled, remove the skin with a paper towel (it should come off very easily)
• Slice the beets into wedges (however big you want)
• Place the kale in a bowl or a plate and top with the goat cheese crumbles and pistachios
• Place the cooked beets on top of the kale salad
• Drizzle pesto on top for dressing

My salad above in the picture is arranged differently than I said in the directions. It is only arranged like that in the picture above for a prettier display. When I ate the salad, I mixed all the ingredients together and began munching away. Arrange it in whatever way you prefer. The ingredients all together are super delicious. I especially love the pesto with the goat cheese and the beets, it's so yummy! Enjoy this healthy salad :)

Portobello Mushroom Pizza

I loveeeee stuffed mushroom caps! This portobello mushroom pizza is so delicious and easy to make. It takes a total of 30 minutes and it's in the oven for 20-25 so you can be doing other things while letting it bake. It is also a good way to eat a pizza with minimal carbs! And of course, it's gluten free! I found the recipe on Pinterest. Here is the recipe:

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 large Portobello Mushroom Caps
• 1-2 Tablespoons of Pizza Sauce
• Cheese to top
• Veggies to top
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Pull the stems off of the mushroom cap
• Rinse the mushroom caps under water
• Brush 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil on the whole mushroom cap
• If you need to make more room for toppings, spoon out some of the gills before adding the pizza sauce on top
• Spoon in the pizza sauce on top of the gills in the middle of the mushroom cap. Sprinkle some cheese and veggies/meat on top.
• Place in a baking dish, sprayed with non-stick spray
• Bake for 20-25 minutes

When you take them out of the oven, the cheese should be melted and the mushroom cap should be soft enough to cut a knife through it. Let them cool for a few minutes before eating. Then, munch and enjoy :)