Best Smoothie Ever

Yes, you can make them yourself! The easiest breakfast ever. The blender, that dear soul, does all the work for you! How nice!!

Cheaper and more healthful than that $5 latte. I promise. No caffeine, (though tea would be a great addition) but let's start waking up on nutrients!! YAY.

Change the recipe to include your favorite things. I picked all of mine, you should too.

Best Smoothie Ever

1 1/2 cups water (or brewed tea)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 banana, broken into a few pieces
sprinkle of turmeric
sprinkle of cinnamon
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup frozen mango hunks

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
Oh yeah baby! Its really that easy. I topped mine with a bit of granola because I can.

GO FORTH AND MAKE GOOD SMOOTHIES!

xoxo Sam

Stuffed Shell Casserole

I think that this is my favorite casserole!

(Actually, I say that about every casserole, but I REALLY do love this one.)

You can make it with ANY kind of pasta. Not just medium-sized shells.

I made it with spaghetti squash (pictured below) and it was just as amazing.

The weather hasn't been very Christmassy, but if you'd like some delish comfort food, you really need to get cozy with this casserole!

Stuffed Shell Casserole

1 lb pasta (usually medium-sized shells or 1 spaghetti squash)
15 oz ricotta cheese
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups frozen spinach (from a bag, not box), broken up
1 egg
salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Italian cheese (like mozzarella), divided
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350.
Bring water in your favorite stock pot to a boil and cook pasta until al dente (or bake your spaghetti squash like a butternut squash here until tender).
Meanwhile, mix ricotta, garlic, spinach, egg, salt & pepper, and 1/2 cup cheese in a large bowl.
Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour half the jar of sauce in the dish, spread to cover the entire bottom.
When the pasta (or squash) is cooked, add to the ricotta mixture and stir. Pour all of the ricotta/ pasta mixture on top of the sauce. Top the casserole with the remaining sauce and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes until the center is hot and the cheese is bubbly.
ENJOY!

I hope that you enjoy this SUPER EASY DELISH casserole as much as I do!! Its perfect for unexpected dinners with the family this holiday season.

xoxo Sam

ChickpeaTuna Salad

This dish is fish free, so don't be scared!!

Have you ever been out of meat-variety proteins for your sandwich and felt up-a-creek?

Well, guess what? If you have listened to me at all, you have beans in your cupboard or in your pantry, just waiting for you to use them, pay attention to them, and to love them.

Don't play games with your beans. Be nice to our plant-based protein friends, please.

Make them into the star of your lunch time. You'll be happy you did it. And they'll be happy too. Yay for lunch friends!

ChickpeaTuna Salad

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 celery sticks
7 baby carrots
1/8th small onion (use as much as you'd like)
4 pickle spears (or 2 tbsp pickle relish)
1-2 tbsp mayo
2 tsp hot sauce (if you wish)
salt & pepper to taste

Use the food processor to pulse the chickpeas into a very chunky tuna-like consistency (or smash with a fork, potato masher, fist, you know- whatever works). Pour into a mixing bowl.
Add the celery sticks, carrots, onion, and pickles into the food processor. Pulse until the consistency of relish. Add to the chickpeas.
Add the mayo, hot sauce, salt & pepper. Mix until combined! Serve with crackers, in a pita, on top of a green salad, or in between two pieces of naan bread! YUM!
You should use veggies that you love in your ChickpeaTuna! Adding red peppers is another favorite!

I added spinach, cucumbers, and more hot sauce to my sandwich!!

xoxo Sam

Acorn Squash Boats

Its autumn, friends!

So I've already started hiding in my blankets and snuggling with the television.

All of that nesting can make a girl hungry, so I decided to use the two little acorn squashes that have been cuddling on my food shelf for the past month to make a delish dish!

Acorn Squash Boats

2 small acorn squashes
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups kale, ribbed
1 minced garlic clove
1/3 onion, diced
1/2 tsp seasoned salt

a sprinkle of garlic salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup pistachios
1/3 log goat cheese (I had tomato basil flavored goat cheese)
2-3 tbsp shredded Italian cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cut acorn squashes in half, remove the seeds, and poke a few holes in the halves. Place upside down (skin side up) on a cookie sheet, lined with foil, and drizzled with water. Bake for 30 minutes until tender.
In your favorite skillet, sauté the onions, garlic, broccoli, and kale with some olive oil. Season with seasoned salt. Add pistachios at the end to heat through. Sprinkle a bit of garlic salt.
Once the squash are tender, flip them over so they become 'boats'. Spray a baking dish. Place them in the dish and sprinkle goat cheese inside each boat. Fill/ top each boat with the broccoli mixture, Italian cheese, and a bit more goat cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes until they are melty. Broil the cheese for a minute. Serve warm! Yay for deliciousness!

xoxo Sam

Greek Buffalo-toes

The weather has been lovely and all I want to eat are appetizers and watch football games!

I was hungry for a gyro... and I was hungry for buffalo wings.

I can always eat some nachos.

So I created....

Greek Buffalo-toes

2-3 small-medium potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 pinch black pepper
1/4 onion sliced thin
1 chicken breast, chicken patty, or veggie burger patty, cut into slices
1/3 cup shredded cheese, whatever you have- feta, cheddar

Veggie toppings of your choice: diced tomatoes and spinach

Buffalo sauce: 

2 tbsp cayenne pepper sauce
2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil

Tzatziki sauce: 

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 English cucumber shredded
1 garlic clove minced
pepper
seasoned salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425. Toss potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Lay out the slices on a parchment lined sheet in a single layer. Bake 10 minutes, flip and bake 10 more minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté the sliced onions and sliced veggie burger patty until warm and slightly browned.
Place the cooked potatoes on an oven safe platter, top with onions, burger patty slices, and cheese.
In the same pan you cooked the onions, add the pepper sauce, oil, and butter and warm until saucy. Pour over burger patty strips and potatoes. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
Mix the Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, pepper, seasoned salt, and lemon juice in a bowl.
When the cheese is melty, top the platter with your favorite veggie toppings. I topped mine with spinach, tomato chunks, and the tzatziki sauce. YUM!

To get the original version, check out Half Baked Harvest! Happy football munching!!

xoxo Sam

Hug Me Soup

This soup is great for snuggling.

The way the weather has been here, I'm seriously taking applications for warm humans to be near.

When my fingers and toes start to feel more like icicles than body parts, it is time to make all of the soups. All of them. Here is one of my FAVORITES. It will be one of yours, too.

Hug Me Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1/2 bunch of kale, sliced thinly
1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
1 box (quart) veggie broth
2 cups water
1 tsp Italian herb blend
salt & pepper to taste
top with grated cheese

In your favorite soup pot, warm the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and squash. Cook until the squash is more tender. Add the kale and cover with a lid to wilt it down. Add the beans, veggie broth, water, Italian herb blend, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Top with a bit of grated cheese. Its all ready to warm those icy fingers!!

Yay for soup and being warm! All you need is a blanket and a movie, and you are ready for this chilly weather. Isn't it supposed to be autumn??

xoxo Sam

Peas and Trees Pasta

Yes, it has a little kid name. Embrace your inner child with this yummy pasta, my friend.

This recipe is my number one, go-to for pretty much any type of eating occasion.

When I need a quick dinner, it is so easy to throw together! It can be served as a pasta salad for a picnic or as a vegetarian main dish for a dinner party. Basically, you can share it with everybody! Whee!

Peas and Trees Pasta

1 lb. box pasta (my favorite is bow-ties, but I've used so many shapes!)
2-3 heads of broccoli, cut into florets (trees)
1/2 bag frozen peas
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Italian herb blend
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Italian cheese
salt & pepper to taste

In your favorite soup pot, bring salted water to a boil. Follow package directions to cook pasta to al dente.
Meanwhile, in your favorite sauce pan, add the olive oil and start heating the oil on medium low. Once the oil is warm, add the garlic. The goal is to just infuse the oil, not really to brown (and definitely not burn) the garlic. After a few minutes, add the Italian herb blend, salt, and pepper. Let that infuse for another minute. Stir in the broccoli, then cover with a lid to steam. Once the broccoli is the texture you like (not too hard, but not too soft) stir in the peas. Cover again for another minute or two until the peas have warmed through.
Return the cooked pasta to the pot. Add the broccoli/ peas mixture. Add the cheese. You may need to drizzle a little extra olive oil. Top with an extra bit of grated cheese. YUM!

I've also added small cheese lumps, fresh spinach, and red pepper flakes to this recipe. All additions are fantastic. Go make some now!! Share it with the people you love!!

xoxo Sam