Chicken Enchiladas (with lentils) These chicken enchiladas (with lentils)! are an easy and delicious dinner.  These enchiladas can be made ahead of time, and will store up to 3 days before baking. Why Lentils? Lentils are a fantastic addition to many dishes due to their versatility and health benefits. They are: Nutrient-Rich: Packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Affordable: One of the most cost-effective sources of plant-based protein. No Need to Cook: Simply buy canned lentils found in the vegetable aisle of most grocery stores. Bulking Up Your Enchiladas Chicken enchilad ..read more

Mini Blueberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe Mini Blueberry Rhubarb Pie #swoon Making tiny food is one of my obsessions.  My late husband used to get so upset when I made mini of anything – he’d ask “why can’t you just make a big one?”  ??? My simple pie crust recipe was written in 2016.  It’s great not only for sweet treats like these mini pies, but also as the base for quiche.   Most pie crust recipes use upwards of a stick of butter or more.  Mine has only one tablespoon but you’ll still get the buttery, flakey notes in every bite.... The post Mini Blueberry Rhubarb Pie a ..read more

Eggplant Rollatini Who knew that I liked eggplant?  I’ve given it the stink eye for so long, but this eggplant rollatini is delicious. This is not a new dish.  I simply swapped cottage cheese for the ricotta because that’s what I had on hand.  Feel free to substitute ricotta if you like! Do you have to peel the skin on eggplants before cooking? Yes and no!  Small eggplants typically don’t have a bitter skin, however, larger eggplants tend to have a bitters skin that will mar the final dish.  It’s super easy to peel with a regular vegetable peeler. Ingredients... The po ..read more

Is this a chickpea salad?  Or is it a chickpea spread?  Whatever you call it, it’s delicious! Eating veggies has always been my downfall.  Not going to lie, but I think because my parents overcooked veggies growing up (my mom still loves her fresh green beans boiled for 45 minutes) I never ate them growing up.  In fact, the only vegetables I ate were raw cucumbers and carrots.   It wasn’t until my late husband took me to a steakhouse that I had fresh steamed asparagus for the first time (in my early 30s!) and discovered how delicious it was.  My... The post C ..read more

What to cook for dinner when it’s out outside?  This creamy shrimp pasta is the perfect dish because it’s ready in about 10 minutes, and tastes so light. The reason this takes hardly any time at all is using fresh pasta.  Fresh pasta typically cooks in about 3-4 minutes and is such a time saver.  If you live in the NW suburbs of Chicago, look for The Pasta Bar at your local farmers markets.  You can check out their website to see times and locations.  My friend Mario owns the company.  He and I used to work together at The... The post Creamy Shrimp Pasta appeared ..read more

Growing up, I don’t have any recollection of my Mom making a breakfast casserole, so I am not sure where I got my love affair from.  This summer breakfast casserole is perfect for meal prep and a great way to use up farmers market zucchini. Ingredients for Summer Breakfast Casserole whipped cream cheese – for some reason whipped cream cheese is less WW points than regular cream cheese turkey sausage – I use Banquet brand found in the freezer section of most grocery stores leftover bread – I used leftover Jimmy John’s bread eggs milk – I used skim, but... The post Summer Breakfast Casserol ..read more

One of the things I love about skinny pizza dough is that it is so versatile.  These skinny pizza dough blueberry danishes are the perfect sweet treat for breakfast. In case you are new here, I do have two cookbooks!  The first one is Skinny Pizza Dough – a collection of recipes using the dough for all sorts of things, such as bao buns, sopes and more.  You can check out that cookbook here. My second cookbook is called Cooking for One.  That doesn’t mean that you have to live alone to enjoy this book.  While I am a widow... The post Skinny Pizza Dough Blueberry Danish ..read more

Have you ever watched an Instagram or YouTube video recipe and immediately want to make it?  That’s what happened when I saw these lentil smash burger tacos from Tapped In Wellness on IG. While you know I love my beef, these lentil smash burger tacos will be on heavy rotation this summer.  Quick, easy, and if you have a blackstone these would be great to serve a crowd! Ingredients needed for lentil smash burger tacos cooked lentils – did you know that you can buy lentils in a can?  One can drained is perfect for this recipe.  You can also... The post Lentil Smash Burger Tac ..read more

Tomato soup is hands down my favorite soup.   My late husband however, couldn’t stand it.  It was probably because he told me he had a date that told him she was preparing him an Italian dinner. My husband walked into the kitchen, and was horrified when he saw her warm up a can of Campbell’s tomato soup and used that as the pasta sauce. He was forever turned off from tomato soup after that moment! By microwaving the carrots for 3 minutes, this soup is literally ready in 5 minutes.  Winning!  If you are a soup lover like me, check... The post Blender Tomato Soup appeare ..read more

With Mother’s Day being yesterday, I had every intention of making this spinach and goat cheese quiche for my Mom to take home to enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sadly, her refrigerator died. She did enjoy a slice while she was here and the first thing she said after she finished eating was “I want that recipe!”   Ingredients Needed to Make Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche canned potatoes – yes, I know it’s weird, but they are fully cooked and delicious and substitute the typical pie crust baby spinach (feel free to add more veggies!) eggs milk (I... The post Spinach and Goat Cheese Q ..read more