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.

A's Easy Tofu Potpie

Potpie is one of Adam's favorite meals. Luckily, it can be stinking easy to throw together.
And while some versions can be quite loaded with sodium and super high in calories, with a little tweaking potpie can be quite healthy. This veggie and tofu version is made simple because it uses Pillsbury pizza crust as the topping. It's delicious (and also vegan). Potpie is amazing because it is an entire meal in a single dish, so if it's also healthy, delicious, and easy to make what's not to love?
Feel free to switch up the ingredients as you see fit. Don't like celery? Omit it. Want to throw in some broccoli? Go for it. This is a really flexible and fool-proof recipe. If you don't want tofu, swap in some chicken, tempeh or beef instead. Or go 100% veggie. The world is your playground with this simple recipe.

I drew inspiration from a variety of potpie recipes, including theKitchn's tofu potpie, Meet the Shannons vegan chicken potpie, and the Curvy Carrot's vegetarian potpie.

A's Steak and Mushroom Fajitas

You know what they say: Everything is okay in moderation.

I love steak. Man, oh man, do I ever love steak. So this week I decided to make delicious fajitas and throw in my favorite: steak.

Of course, this is a healthy cooking blog, so I recommend going easy on the steak (that makes it better... right?). We're really not talking about a lot of steak here. I cut the steak into tiny strips and put 3 small strip pieces on each fajita, which I found to be sufficient to give me my steak fix without making the dish overly unhealthy. If you're not into steak you could easily replace the steak with a more lean option like chicken or even tofu. As for me... this week I'm eating steak.

This recipe comes from myrecipes, so pop over to myrecipes for the deets. I followed it exactly, except I used multi-grain tortillas instead of corn tortillas and I topped my tacos with cheddar cheese. 

A's Lima Bean Soup

 

 

I'm sending another slow cooker recipe your way this week. I've been too busy to cook, so I've been throwing ingredients together at night and letting them slow-cook while we're sleeping. Isn't it amazing? The crockpot is doing the work for me while I sleep. So this recipe goes out to all of the stressed people in the world. :)

 

  Most kids hate lima beans (and many adults too). I love them. Always have. Always will. This recipe brings lima beans front and center. They're cooked to a buttery-soft consistency and intermingled with all kinds of other good-for-you veggies.