Tag: healthy snacks

#3/52 Italian Stuffed Peppers

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This recipe from well plated was okay. We opted for ground turkey, and I’m pretty sure my husband didn’t notice it wasn’t beef. In my opinion, turkey doesn’t have much flavor, so I did HEAPING teaspoons of Italian seasoning, doubled the red pepper flakes (would do more next time), and added extra mozarella by accident.

Our peppers were on the thicker side, and I wish I would have cooked them for closer to 50 minutes instead of 35. All in all, these stuffed peppers are on my “OK” list. I think the next time I try stuffed peppers; we might check out a different recipe. Do you like stuffed peppers? What are your favorite ingredients to stuff them with?

Ingredients  

  • 4 large red bell peppers
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or up to ½ teaspoon if you like more spicy
  • 1 can no salt added diced tomatoes with juices, 15 ounces
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice farro, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or orzo (if using orzo, undercook it slightly)
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella provolone (or a mix)
  • ½ cup Parmesan divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the seeds and membranes then arrange cut side up in the prepared baking dish.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, then pour in the can of diced tomatoes and their juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the rice (or farro) and ½ cup of the Mozzarella and ¼ cup of the parmesan. Mound the filling inside of the peppers, then top with the remaining cheeses.
  4. Pour a bit of water into the pan with the peppers—just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil. Serve hot.

New Idea for 2021!

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Last year I made a new year’s resolution to lose weight by eating healthier, and so inspired one healthy snack a week. Check out my 52 different recipes in previous blog posts!

For 2021, I decided to slowly attack another one of my household problems, leftovers. How many of you save left overs just to toss them in the garbage a few days later? or are just plain sick of that same casserole for the 4th day?

I noticed when I was single, I would eat out more often because it seemed more expensive and wasteful to cook a meal for myself, even being married with a 1 year old we still aren’t finishing a 9 by 13 casserole in a timely fashion.

So 2021 will be about sharing recipes that make enough for 2 meals (maybe 3 depending on your appetite) so you don’t have to worry about eating the same meal for the next week or tossing out any uneaten food at the end of the week.

To reach this goal I usually split my meat purchases in half, in those scenarios (and probably most others) my recipes will come in pairs to utilize all the ingredients we’ve acquired.

Hope you enjoy this year’s idea 💡 what are your nutrition goals for 2021?

Week 52

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Wow. We made it y’all. The last week of 2020! I’m sure no one remembers, but I actually started doing a healthy snack a week as a New Years Resolution in hopes to lose the baby weight I still hadn’t managed to shed.

At the beginning of 2020, I was still 170 lbs, 4 months post-partum. A combination of eating healthier and hiking with my little one enabled me to hit my pre-pregnancy weight of 140 by mid-summer, even getting down to 135, because hiking with a baby is hardwork, haha!

I’m also going to add that this is the first time in my 32 years of living that I have actually kept a new years resolution all the way to the end of the year! And I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to check out my lovely creations each week. If it wasn’t for the random “I love your videos” private messages from a lot of you, I may have given up. So thank you!

I would love to hear what you are writing on your resolutions list for 2021! I think as a whole we will all be looking forward to it for many reasons 🙃

So for week 52, the last and final week of healthy snacks of 2020 I give you Mediterranean Bites and Parfait Bites. I devoured all 15 I made while I was editing the video….They’re even better than I thought they would be!

Mediterranean Bites

  • 30 Athens mini fillo shells 2 boxes, defrosted
  • 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons hummus
  • 1/2 cup diced English cucumber
  • 1 roasted red pepper 2 halves, diced
  • 1 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup hempseed
  • 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  • Fill each mini fillo shell with 1 ½ teaspoon hummus.
  • Divide the cucumber, roasted red pepper, feta cheese, hempseed, and parsley evenly between the fillo shells. Serve.

Parfait Bites

  • 30 Athens mini fillo shells 2 boxes, defrosted
  • 3/4 cup + 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1/4 cup hempseed
  • 1/4 cup toasted coconut

Instructions

  • Fill each mini fillo shell with 1 ½ teaspoon greek yogurt.
  • Divide the blueberry, strawberry, hempseed, and toasted coconut evenly between the fillo shells. Serve.

And for those reading this blog, if you want to see any of the food videos they are on my Instagram at @indigocrystal11 🙃 not every week has one, but a majority of them do because they’re fun!

Week 48

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I don’t think I got enough apple pie all of last weekend, yet I have no more to eat. Extreme dilemma…..So breakfast today was an Apple Pie Smoothie, which is healthier than it sounds!

  • 1 frozen apple
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. flaxseed
  • 1 Tbsp. chia seed
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup almond milk (or any milk)
  • 5 pitted dates

Blend!

If you want to omit dates, try some honey or pure maple syrup to sweeten it up!

A little post Thanksgiving treat you won’t regret 🙃

Week 45

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Wrapping up the end of the 45th week with a gluten and dairy free nibble, Brazilian Bliss Bites. Yum. We decided to enjoy them with a cup of tea and a game of chess on a snowy afternoon.

Dates contain more than double the amount of potassium than a similar amount of bananas. Cacao is high in Magnesium; Magnesium is important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA. Brazil nuts are high in Selenium; Selenium is important for reproduction, thyroid gland function, DNA production, and protecting the body from damage caused by free radicals and from infection.

Brazilian Bliss Bites

  • 2 cups organic walnuts
  • 1 cup raw cacao powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 16-20 soft Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chia seed

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a food processor, add in the walnuts and process until a crumbly texture is formed (about 15-20 seconds).
  2. Add in cacao powder and sea salt and pulse to combine.
  3. With the machine running, slowly add in the dates, a few at a time, through the feed tube, so they can fully incorporate into the mixture. Make sure that the dates are blended into the mixture before you add more. Process until all of the dates are incorporated into the mixture.
  4. The cacao mixture should resemble brownie crumbs at this point. You can test the mixture by pressing it in-between your fingers. It should easily stick together and you should be able to easily mold it into a ball, if not, then add more dates, but if you use 16-18 dates, your mixture should be perfect!
  5. Transfer the cacao batter to a medium-sized bowl and add in shredded coconut, chopped brazil nuts and chia seeds.
  6. Take the mixture and press it down into a parchment lined 13 x 9 pan.
  7. Cover and place the cacao mixture in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours, (or freezer to have them cool faster) as the bites taste better when cooled and are easier to cut.
  8. Once cooled, lift the parchment paper and cacao mixture out of the pan, and cut it into bite sized bars or squares.
  9. Storage: Wrap the cacao bites up tightly in the parchment paper and then with a layer of tin foil, or store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. Bars will keep fresh for up to one week, but they probably won’t last that long.

Week 44

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Hope you enjoyed your weekend! Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos give us plenty to celebrate. Since we touched on Halloween last week, I wanted to share a healthy snack we made for Dia de Los Muertos.

I turned to Chris, while sipping our morning coffee, and asked him what he wanted to add to the celebration alter for Sunday. A soft smile came across his face as he told me about his dear friend, Mathew Kennen, and how much he liked the Buffalo Cauliflower at Zokas, one of the best restaurants ever in Pine, CO. So week 44, in remembrance of our dear friend Mat, is Buffalo Cauliflower ❤ NFA

Buffalo Cauliflower

  • 1 to 1.5 head cauliflower, cut into florets (you’ll need about 4 to 5 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

Instructions 

  1. Place cauliflower florets in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Melt butter; stir in olive oil and hot sauce until thoroughly combined.
  3. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower; mix around until all cauliflower florets are coated.
  4. In a separate bowl whisk together almond flour, dried parsley, garlic powder, and seasoning salt.
  5. Sprinkle about a handful at a time of almond flour mixture over the cauliflower; gently mix until everything is coated.
  6. Transfer half of the prepared cauliflower to the air fryer.
  7. Air fry at 350˚F for 14 minutes, shaking a couple times during the cooking process. Cauliflower is done when the florets are a bit browned, but not mushy.
  8. Remove cauliflower from the Air Fryer; set aside and keep covered.
  9. Repeat the same process with the remaining cauliflower florets.
  10. Serve with celery or carrot sticks and your favorite ranch dressing.

Dia de Los Muertos is an ancient tradition celebrated in Mexico and other places around the world. During this holiday, people take time to remember and celebrate family and friends who have passed away. Although it’s called “day of the dead”, the celebration lasts for several days! Dia de Los Muertos is for celebrating the beauty of life and death rather than mourn it, it reminds us to enjoy life all year round and to honor our loved ones, this way they stay in our hearts forever.

Popcorn for my Grandma, buffalo cauliflower plus dip for Mat, breakfast essentials for my ride or die Sean, string cheese (and the peacock cloth) for my dear friend Jamie, a Cigar for Chris’s Papi, and dog treats for our furry family. We love you 🖤

We also made Atole to continue our celebration this morning. Atole (ah-toe-lay) is a drink made with masa, finely ground corn flour. When chocolate is added, it becomes champurrado (cham-poor-ah-doe). The word “atole” is derived from Nahuatl, the still-living language of the Aztecs, who were defeated by Hernan Cortez in 1521 in what is now Mexico City. Atole was popular long before Cortez surprised Montezuma with a visit, so the people of Mexico have been drinking atole for many centuries, probably millennia. That’s really no surprise as atole is, in fact, probably the easiest way imaginable to consume corn, a crop first cultivated in the Americas. Just add water to ground corn, and voila: atole.

Atole is like very thin porridge. Served warm, it’s an excellent way to take the chill off a cold morning. Relatively quick and easy to prepare, atole is frequently consumed at breakfast or after dinner, but can be enjoyed any time of day.

ATOLE

  • 3 cups water
  • 9 Tbsp. Turbinado sugar or brown sugar cane
  • 1 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 10 Tbsp. corn flour
  • A pinch of salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add water, brown sugar cane and cinnamon sticks to large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Bring water to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
  2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl using whisk, whisk together masarica, salt and milk until completely smooth. Pour masarica mixture into pot with sugar mixture and bring liquid to boil, whisking occasionally; reduce heat to low. Stir in vanilla extract and continue cooking, whisking occasionally, until mixture is smooth and thick, about 10 minutes more. The atole is ready when the drink coats the back of wooden spoon.
  3. Remove pot from heat. Divide atole evenly among serving mugs. Sprinkle with nutmeg if that sounds nice.. Serve warm.

Week 43

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Halloween is in 5 days! Which means… festivities? Things look a lot different this year with COVID. I am anti-social myself, however, if you’re into holiday parties, this weeks snack is one of those delights you don’t have to feel bad about snacking on!

Bat Bites!

  • 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • black seeds or black sesame seeds for a more mild flavor
  • blue corn tortilla chips
  • black olives
  • pimentos
  1. Place the goat cheese, cottage cheese, salt and pepper in your food processor and pulse 6-8 times until combined.
  2. Scoop out the cheese and form into golf ball sized balls (about 1 1/2 and 2 ounces or 3 balls).
  3. Roll the balls in black seeds until they are completely covered.
  4. Slice some olives for the eyes and place on the cheese balls, insert pieces of pimentos in the center of the eyes. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight to firm up.
  5. Before serving, insert 2 tortilla chips on each side for bat wings.

I opted for some garlic and herb goat cheese, and I do not regret that decision. Goat’s milk has more medium-chain fatty acids than cow’s milk; these types of fat are rapidly absorbed in your body and less likely to be stored as fat. It may be easier for some people to digest than cheese made from cow’s milk, this may be because goat’s milk is lower in lactose and contains different proteins. In particular, goat cheese contains A2 casein, which may be less inflammatory and less likely to cause digestive discomfort than the A1 casein found in cow’s milk.

Cottage cheese is much higher in protein than other cheeses. Several studies indicate that eating high-protein foods like cottage cheese can increase feelings of fullness and help decrease overall calorie intake, which in turn may lead to weight loss

Black seeds, also known as black cumin, nigella or by its scientific name Nigella sativa. It grows up to 12 inches tall and produces a fruit with seeds that are used as a flavorful spice in many cuisines. In addition to its culinary use, it has been used for headache, toothache, nasal congestion, asthma, arthritis, and intestinal worms. It has also been used for pink eye, pockets of infection, and parasites. Today, black seed is most commonly used for asthma, diabetes, hypertension, weight loss, and  digestive tract conditions.

The black seeds taste like a combination of onions, black pepper, and oregano. They have a pungent, bitter taste and smell. They were incredibly more flavorful than I expected them to be, so I would probably use less seeds than pictured or make them bigger in size to sweeten the ratios, I prepared six balls from the recipe originally. There is some scientific evidence to suggest that black seed might help boost the immune system, fight cancer, reduce swelling, and lessen allergic reactions by acting as an antihistamine.

Week 41

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I took a stroll through my garden this morning to see how everything was doing, as we near fall and cooler temperatures approach. To my delightful surprise, I discovered quite a few strawberries in my little patch! I also found a lot of Cayenne peppers if anyone has some good ideas for those. My garden inspired this week’s healthy snack, Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. YUM!

For the Strawberry Bars:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil – melted
  • 2 cups small-diced strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon  freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon-ish of honey

For the Vanilla Glaze (optional, but huge yes)

  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar – sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tablespoon milk – any kind you like
  1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Pour in the melted coconut oil and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.
  3. Scatter half of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the lime juice and drizzle honey. Scatter on the remaining berries, then drizzle more honey. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through.
  4. Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely (you can speed this process along in the refrigerator).
  5. While the bars cool, prepare the glaze: In a small bowl, briskly whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Feel free to add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Lift the bars from the pan. Drizzle with glaze, slice, and serve.

Week 40

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Can you believe today is the last day of the 40th week of 2020? 12 weeks left of healthy snacks… what would you like to see for 2021? 😀

So you know that awkward time in the afternoon when you’re hungry but don’t want to ruin your appetite for dinner? It hit us today. Trying to find the delicate balance between satiation and overindulgence. I think I nailed it! These really hit the spot. They are packed full of flavor with the smoked salmon and hint of lemon. My favorite were the ones with both olives and sweet cherry peppers on top!

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites

  • 4 ounces smoked salmon
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 5-ounce container of unsweetened Greek or Icelandic yogurt (i used lemon noosa)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • Sweet cherry peppers, olives, and/or capers
  • optional – fresh herbs (dill, basil, cilantro)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Slice the cucumber into 1/4-inch slices.
  2. Optional: Place the yogurt in a coffee filter over a small jar for one hour to allow the liquid to drain. (I only had patience for however long it took me to cut up my vegetables haha)
  3. Mix 1 teaspoon of lemon zest into the yogurt (you can also use crème fraiche)
  4. Top each appetizer with a small dollop of the yogurt, smoked salmon, and your choice of sweet cherry peppers, olives, capers, and herbs.
  5. Best assembled within a few hours of serving. Store in the refrigerator until 10 minutes before serving.