vegan chocolate cake

so i was searching for a chocolate cake recipe that used applesauce instead of oil. i've heard about doing this but never tried it myself, so i was looking forward to it. it's actually harder than you'd think to search for this! i accidentally ran across a vegan recipe, which ended up being a lifesaver because i didn't realize we were out of eggs. you can find the recipe for it here, i won't reinvent the wheel. you can check out the details there, and trust me-- you'll want to. it's the best chocolate cake i've ever had. it's dense, but not heavy. it's sweet but not overbearing. and so moist (even two days later!) that it doesn't need icing.

not that i didn't add something. i made a chocolate glaze for it (found here), topped with some strawberries that had soaked in some sugar (for strawberry shortcake from a family dinner), and added a little bit of redi whip. yum yum.

what's that label? healthy? that's right. under 250 calories for this here amazing dessert. and worth double that in taste. for reals.

stuffed poblano peppers

i'm here, i'm alive, and i'm doing well!

i've been so busy lately, i haven't had a chance to upload and edit photos that were on my camera. but it's too hot out to do anything else, so i thought i'd go for it today! i have been cooking, i promise.

i was lucky enough to get a lot of garden veggies from my uncle when he visited-- things like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions. he's got a great garden. so i chose to make stuffed poblanos since i love to have fresh foods! here's what you'll need for this meal:

1/2 diced onion

2 cloves diced garlic

1 bell pepper

1zucchini

1 can of black beans

1 cup of corn

4+ peppers

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. cook the diced onion and garlic just until the garlic starts to turn a little brown.

add the green pepper and zucchini.

add the beans and (not pictured) corn.

stuff the peppers as best as you can. if you use young peppers, it's hard to do this so that they look beautiful. it's okay. keep them together as best as you can, and stuff them as full as you can.

cook for 20 minutes, then add feta and cook for another 10 or 15 minutes.

if you only have four peppers, like i did, and they're tiny, like mine were, then you'll have leftovers. us them in burritos!

this whole thing was vegetarian and amazing. the beans make it so filling, and husband didn't even realize that it was vegetarian because it was rich and filling. it's great. make it!

meal plan, week of june 27

i have been so busy cooking and baking lately, but i bet none of you believe me, because i haven't posted ANY of it! well, it's coming. honest. i can't wait to get some of these ready to post. and there's a few that i can't wait to make again (already!)

here's the meal plan for this week*:

monday: beef kabobs
tuesday: ham pasta primavera
wednesday: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, veggie side
thursday: erica's chicken paprikash
friday: steak salad
saturday: dinner out with friends!
sunday: figure something out. maybe homemade pizzas?

*all menu items are subject to change without warning, based on acquisition of money, lack of time, longer-than-expected work hours, or differing tastes.

tilapia foil packets

wow, did i make a great dinner tonight!



know what i love? when meals are healthy and easy and delicious. this one was all three! so, all you do is spray a piece of tin foil with non-stick spray and put a piece of tilapia (or your whitefish of choice) on it. season as you wish- i used basil and italian seasoning. then top with your vegetables of choice.

did i mention it's a flexible menu? cause it is.



i topped it with carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper, tomato, and green beans. then i topped with additional seasonings, along with salt, pepper, and garlic.


cook in a 425 oven for about 20 or 25 minutes. delicious! we served it with brown rice, but i bet couscous would be great also. yum!

peanut chicken and pasta

i made a really really delicious pseudo-thai meal recently. and it's easy. and like all my meals recently, not too bad for you.

cook some chicken up. it's usually faster if you cut it into bite-sized pieced ahead of time. for the last minute or two, add large-chopped red (and/or green) peppers.

meanwhile, cook an entire box of spaghetti noodles. linguini would probably be good also, but I wouldn't use something thin like angel hair pasta. reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce.

in the same pan that you cooked the chicken, put about 1/2 cup of peanut butter (i used creamy, but chunky would be awesome) and 5 tablespoons or so of soy sauce. i also sprinkled some dried onion, garlic powder (NOT garlic salt, the soy sauce is salty enough!), and ginger.



don't trust this picture. It's after everything above is added, and before this next step. add at least a cup of the pasta water to the sauce mixture, more if it needs to be thinned. as with most of my recipes, i didn't actually measure any of those things. i just wrote down approximately what i used.

after the sauce is warmed, mix the pasta, chicken and peppers, and sauce together and you have a delicious meal!



tip: it's even better the next day. i really think that when I make this again, i'll make it the day before and just heat up the "leftovers" for dinner!

healthy pizzas

i made two AWESOME pizzas last night.

and they're pretty healthy, too!

pizza #1:



whole wheat crust (boboli, not homemade)
light alfredo sauce
sliced zucchini
fresh mushrooms
roasted chicken
small amounts of mozzarella, romano cheeses
sprinkle bacon crumbles

pizza #2:



crust brushed with garlic olive oil
medium-rare steak
red and green peppers
fresh tomatoes
feta cheese


the hardest part of the night? picking a favorite! i thought the steak would be my fave, but they were both so amazing.

Skirt steak salad

how's this for a recipe:

1) make a salad
2) add steak strips, cooked to your liking
3) eat and enjoy

but really. i made an awesome salad tonight, with romaine, cucumbers, green and red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, medium-rare steak, and feta cheese. topped it with balsamic vinaigrette, and it was a great dinner!




healthy, delicious, and filling.

menu plan, week of june 6

i planned my whole month's menu again. but to avoid seeming as prepared as i am, i'm just going to post one week at a time. if it's a novel recipe, i'll post about it this week also.

all of my meals are SUPER easy, and i'll be making the "healthy" versions if the actual meal itself isn't really healthy. for example, for the weekday enchiladas, i'll be using fat-free sour cream, and less than the recipe calls for. for the pizza? we'll use lots of leftover veggies from the enchiladas and the salad, and less cheese in both the enchiladas and on the pizzas.

sounds good!

monday: weekday enchiladas
tuesday: skirt steak salad
wednesday: homemade pizza with leftover veggies from monday and tuesday
thursday: leftovers
friday: peanut chicken with pasta and green peppers
saturday: posole
sunday: leftovers