Alina's Rosemary Lemon Peel Quinoa Stuffed Chicken

After a brief hiatus, I'm back with a savory lemony dish, and I'm hoping to begin posting at least monthly from here on out.

This recipe was the result of playing in the kitchen, and so it's fitting that it tastes so fun! I stuffed this quinoa in chicken breast, but you could easily stuff it in a variety of other bases, such as a bell pepper.

Homemade Nicaraguan Tortillas

My best friend Cassidy just got back from a service trip in Nicaragua, and while she was there some of her friends taught her to make Nicaraguan tortillas. Being a great friend, she taught me how to make Nicaraguan tortillas as soon as she got back to the States. Each country has their own tortilla style, so this is the distinctly Nicaraguan way to make them.
The recipe is simple: mesa (corn flour) and water. I served these as a side with yummy buffalo chili, but you can serve them in any way your taste buds desire.

Super Bowl XLVII - Cauliflower "Wings"

When you think of the Super Bowl what crosses your mind? Friends? Football? Commercials? Food? ...Delicious chicken wings?

Adam and I love hot wings. My Mom grew up in Buffalo, so she has instilled in me the value of quality buffalo wings. Most people who knows wings agree that it's all about the sauce. Great sauce = great wings. The chicken is important, but it comes secondary. So if you're in the mood to make your wings a little healthier, the chicken is the thing to skimp on, not the sauce.

In this recipe you replace chicken with cauliflower. It makes for a slightly different buffalo wing (it throws off a boneless wing vibe), and since the sauce can be whatever you want it to be, the recipe remains delicious. I followed a recipe from PETA.

A's Sausage, Pesto, and Pepper Pizza

I like LOVE cheese, so the fact that a cheese-free pizza gets me so excited is a miracle! This recipe originates from the June 2012 issue of Every Day with Rachel Ray and was applauded by all who devoured it. I made some slight updates based on the ingredients I had on hand and to make it a little healthier, but I stayed pretty close to the recipe. It requires relatively little active cooking time (20-30 minutes), which is great for those of us who are super busy. And perhaps more importantly, the result is divine.

If you're not into meat, don't dismay. This recipe could easily be turned vegetarian/vegan by substituting well-seasoned tempeh or any other suitable substitute for the sausage.

A's Squash Laden Mac n' Cheese

What makes yummy mac and cheese so unhealthy? Unfortunately it's the mac AND it's the cheese.

In this version of the classic I eliminated the mac by substituting spaghetti squash and toned down the cheese by cutting it with healthy portions of butternut squash. The result? This dish cuts down on carbs big time (hello skinny human) making for a healthier but still yummy version of the ultimate comfort food.

I started with a recipe from the October 2012 Better Homes and Gardens magazine titled Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese (thanks for the magazine, Ro!) and then tweaked it to put a healthier spin on the classic dish.

A's Easy Mashed Cauliflower

Potatoes are deceiving. You buy them in the produce section, so you feel like you're eating something healthy. I have news for you though... potatoes are a starch bomb making a beeline straight to your bloodstream in the form of simple sugar. Bad, bad news.
"But I looooove potato dishes like mashed potatoes," you say.

Who doesn't? They're delicious. I believe that mashed potatoes are too iconic of a food to mess up with a so-so substitution. That's why I like making cauliflower mashed potatoes. They are so much healthier (low fat, low carb, high fiber) and you can barely tell the difference! This recipe is husband approved too, because Adam really likes these.

A's Herbed Tofu with Mushroom Marsala

This delicious recipe comes from The Farm restaurant in Portland, Oregon. I knew when I saw this that I had to try it. After all, there's a video that explains how to make it, which is fun. Plus, it has that hearty fall flavor that I crave this time of year. Plus, it stars fried tofu, which I heart.

This recipe seems complicated, but it's really not too hard to make. And it's delicious. Really, really delicious.

I mounded my tofu and mushroom marsala on a pile of cauliflower mashed "potatoes." They were super yummy. I'll post that recipe later this week, so keep your eyes peeled.