{Dinner: Stuffed Shells with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Pepper and Spinach}

A decedent pasta always makes a week night meal seem special.  Make that said decedent pasta a little healthier and you can enjoy it every single night of the week if you truly wanted!

And that is exactly what I did with these stuffed shells, they went through a healthy makeover!
I loaded the cheesy filling with good for you veggies, tossed in some sun-dried tomatoes for a flavor punch, lightened up the cheese and voila a delicious main course!  Serve these lovely stuffed shells with a simple green salad and you have a complete meal!  Oh, and don't forgot the toasty bread with olive oil!

What I love most about this recipe and well stuffed shells in general is that they are pretty much fool proof!  You can sub in almost any vegetable and are way easier then making lasagna, at least in my opinion!  I am not hating on lasagna, I love a good lasagna, but I find that my lasagna always turns out soupy.  With stuffed shells there is no soupiness and you still get that delicious lasagna flavor you are craving!

Make these for someone special or make them just because, either way you won't be sorry!


Stuffed Shells with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Red Pepper and Spinach 
Brunch and Cupcakes

Ingredients: 

1 Box of jumbo shells - you will only use about 20

1/4 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes Roughly Chopped 

2 Cups Chopped Spinach 

1/2 Medium Onion Chopped 

2 Garlic Gloves Minced

1 Shallot Chopped 

1/2 Cup Red Pepper Chopped 

1 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese 

15 Oz. Part Skim Ricotta Cheese 

1 24 Oz. Jar of your Favorite Tomato Sauce 

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil 

2 Egg Whites 

2 Teaspoons Pepper

2 Teaspoons Basil 

Directions:

•Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

• Cook shells according to package direction and set aside. 

Filling - 

• In a large skillet heat olive oil, add onion, red pepper and shallot and cook until tender.  Next add in your garlic, cook 2 minutes.  Add chopped spinach to your skillet a handful at a time.  Cook vegetable mixture until spinach is wilted, set aside. 

•In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, and egg whites, stir until combined.  Add 1 cup of of mozzarella cheese, basil and pepper to your ricotta cheese and egg mixture.  Stir until mozzarella and ricotta cheese are well incorporated.  

•To finish the shell filling add your vegetables to your ricotta cheese mixture and stir until vegetables are covered with the cheese mixture. 

Assembling your shells- 

•Pour 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish and evenly distribute. 

•Stuff each shell with cheese mixture and set in pan open side up.  Spread remaining sauce over shells and top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.  

•Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Cheese should be melted and bubbly when shells are done. 

Enjoy! 

{White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies}

Yes, I believe I have lost my mind because this is the second cookie recipe I have created in less then a month (Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Cookie Recipe Here).  And even though I have stated countless times on the blog that I am not a baker at heart, I just cannot seem to get rid of this itch to bake!  These peanut butter cookies are decedent, delicious and studded with white and milk chocolate chips.  They are the perfect little after dinner treat and satisfy the cookie monster feeling that can sometimes come over me!  

These delicious chocolate studded cookies feature one of my absolute favorite peanut butters, White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter from the Peanut Butter & Co. in NY City.   

I know I have raved about this peanut butter countless times on the blog, but the thought of using my favorite peanut butter in a cookie had never crossed my mind before... Remember, I never really used to bake! 

Anyways, I reached out to the lovely people at The Peanut Butter & Co. about my cookie recipe and they were kind enough to send me a few jars of their delicious peanut butter just for this recipe! These cookies got rave reviews from my coworkers, family and even Derek the master cookie baker! 

Are you ready for me to just share the recipe with you already?  Well alright, here it is! 

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with White and Milk Chocolate Chips 

Recipe- Brunch and Cupcakes 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Oats 

1 Cup Flour 

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 

1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips 

1/2 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter (or Peanut Butter of Choice)

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Butter 

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

Directions:

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2- In a large  bowl combine brown sugar, peanut butter and butter.  Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and well combined.   Add your egg and beat again with a hand held mixer, set aside 

3- In another bowl combine your dry ingredients; Oats, flour, and baking soda.  Stir until combined. 

4- Slowly add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients.  Use your hand mixer and mix until wet and dry ingredients are combined.  Set hand mixer aside and stir in chocolate chips.  

5- Role dough into 1" balls and place on an un-greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and smash cookies with the bottom of a glass.  Remember to press just enough to flatten the cookies, be careful.  Return cookies to oven and bake for another 6 minutes.   Allow cookies to cool on pan before removing.  Repeat with the remaining dough. 

**Note, store cookies in and air tight container.  

{Long Weekend Recap - Lutsen}

This past weekend, I took a break.  

I stopped to enjoy the company of the people I was with, I tried some new things and took in the beauty of one of my favorite spots in Minnesota, Lutsen and the North Shore of Lake Superior.    

More then once on the drive up to Lutsen, Derek and I turned to each other saying, "Wow, it is beautiful up here."

I had grown up going to the North Shore with my family on countless family vacations, and am always taken back on what a wonderful place Northern Minnesota is.  

We spent four days celebrating Derek graduating and being done with his second degree (Congrats Honey), relaxing, skiing, playing board games and eating some fabulous food.  

Unfortunately for us, the weather got brutally cold so we were unable to do our guided snow shoe tour, but we did get to experience dog sledding before the weather got to brutal! 

And let me tell you that dog sledding was one of the neatest things I have done!  Our guide or musher was friendly and incredibly talkative.  It was so interesting to hear about her experiences as a musher  and to learn about her dogs and life in Northern Minnesota! 

I feel recharged after spending the weekend in a beautiful place with wonderful people!  

Happy Wednesday 

{Words...}

Happy Friday All! 

Just a few thoughtful words as I leave you for the week! 

-Camille Pissarro

I will be taking a few days off for a little R&R, but when I get back next Wednesday get ready for a cookie recipe, and an lovely weekend recap! 

{Snack Attack - Clean Eating}

There is no doubt about it,  I am one of those people that gets "hangry"  (this Huffington Post article is hilarious)!  You know what I am talking about, the sudden feeling of if you don't eat something the world might end, you may even get panicky or moody!  Sound familiar?  Are you a "hangry" person too? I am sure some of you have been there... maybe you didn't eat enough breakfast or your lunch was to small, and suddenly all you can think about is food, and when your going to be able to eat next!  

 Are you wondering what hangry symptom have to do with clean eating?  Well, absolutely nothing!   I only bring up the "hangry" symptom because usually for me I get "hangry" in the late afternoon around snack time, and today's post is all about my go to clean eating snacks!  

I will admit that when I decided that eating clean one day a week was going to be part of my smaller new years resolutions I didn't panic about what I would eat during snack time!  Usually for me the simpler the snack the better, and most days my snack is just a plain old apple!  But below I have rounded up a few of my go to "clean" snacks along with a few delicious clean snack recipes from a few of my favorite blogs!  Enjoy, and don't get hangry!! 

Go to Clean Eating Snacks! 

Apple/Banana and Peanut Butter:

You cannot go wrong with fresh fruit and peanut butter.  Not only will you get a daily serving of fruit from your apple or banana with this snack, but the peanut butter will give you a protein boost and the mono saturated fat will keep you feeling full and satisfied longer! 

**Note - Make sure your peanut butter contains only peanuts, a little salt is ok but nothing else!  And stick to 1-2 tablespoons! 

Greek Yogurt with Honey, Berries and Chia Seeds

 I mentioned in my clean eating breakfast post that Greek yogurt is one of my go to clean breakfast staples!  Well guess what, Greek yogurt can also make a delicious afternoon snack.  Craving something sweet mid afternoon?  The fresh berries combined with the creamy yogurt and honey make for a delicious treat, just imagine you are eating delicious frozen yogurt!  Stick to the plain Greek yogurt and sweeten with natural honey! Top with chia seeds a nutritional punch! 

Veggies and Dip 

Fresh veggies or crudites make a great afternoon snack!  They are easy to pack, are loaded with good for you nutrients and the dipping possibilities are endless!  Not to mention eating veggies as a snack is a great way to up your veggie servings in a day!  My go to veggies dips are homemade salsa or homemade guacamole!  Find the recipe below! 

Homemade Clean Salsa

3 Tomatoes Diced 

1/4 Cup Onion Minced

1 Garlic Clove Minced

1 Jalapeno chopped with seeds removed

2 Teaspoons Olive Oil 

Salt and Pepper to Taste 

Juice from one Lime 

1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro Chopped 

Homemade Guacamole

1 Avocado Mashed

1/4 Cup Onion Finely Chopped 

1 Garlic Clove Minced

Salt and Pepper to Taste 

Juice from one Lime 

1/4 Cup Cilantro 

1 Small tomato seeded and finely chopped 

Check out these other delicious clean eating snack ides from around the web! 

Clean Chocolate Chop Protein Bars - The Gracious Pantry 

Clean Coconut Chocolate Balls - Clean Eating Machines

Clean Eating Trail Mix - The Gracious Pantry 

Happy Snacking! 

{Delicious: Chocolate Almond Cookies with Heath Pieces}

I have said many times on the blog that I am not a baker.  And I know I have said more then once that I do not like making cookies.  So, the fact that I have two cookie recipes to share with you is odd for me! 

This cookie recipe came to mind after a co-worker suggested I bake something without peanut butter.   And I am happy for her suggestion, because these cookies are out of this world!  My sister helped me test the recipe this past weekend and we both stood in my tiny kitchen speechless at how delicious these cookies turned out.  We said words like, oh my goodness these cookies are AMAZING, delicious and out of this world!  Yea, we thought they were pretty good!

These little cookies are melt in your mouth delicious with a hint of coconut and chocolate.  The Heath pieces give the cookie a nice crunch while the oatmeal adds great texture!  One of my lovely taste testers commented that they reminded her of an Almond Joy candy bar, and I couldn't agree more!  I will warn you that it is hard to eat just one of these cookies!  Bake at your own risk, but enjoy! 

Chocolate Almond Cookies with Heath Pieces

Author - Brunch and Cupcakes 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Oats 

1 Cup Flour 

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 

1/2 Cup Heath Pieces

1/2 Cup Chocolate Spread such as Trader Joe's Cocoa Almond Spread or Nutella

1 Egg

 1 Teaspoon Cocoa Powder

2 Tablespoons Butter 

6 Tablespoons Coconut Oil 

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

Directions:

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2- In a large  bowl combine brown sugar, chocolate spread, coconut oil and butter.  Beat with a hand mixer until smooth and well combined.   Add your egg and beat again with a hand held mixer until well combined.  Set aside 

3- In another bowl combine your dry ingredients; Oats, flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.  Stir until well combined. 

4- Slowly add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients.  Use your hand mixer and mix until wet and dry ingredients are well combined.  Set hand mixer aside and stir in Heath pieces. 

5- Role dough into 1" balls and place on an un-greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 16 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool on pan before removing.  Repeat with the remaining dough. 

**Note:  Cookies should be stored in an air tight container.  They will become crunchy so store with a piece of bread to ensure the cookies stay soft. 

Enjoy! 

{Sweet Soy Sesame Chicken}

My dad is an amazing cook, he is the type of cook that knows what flavors taste well together, and he can come up with some of the most amazing meals without the help of a recipe.  My dad is the cook who taught me to love flavors and who taught me to never be scared of experimenting in the kitchen. 

One of my fondest memories growing up was the "secret" ingredient guessing game that took place during countless family dinners.  My dad would place dinner on the table and once my mom, sister and I all took our first bight he would say, "So, can you guess the secret ingredient."  The guessing game was always fun as the three of us tried to figure out what the "secret" ingredient was in his stir fry sauce or what different ingredient he used in the marinade for his grilled chicken.  The answers usually surprised us but we couldn't complain my dads dinners were always down right delicious! 

In a way this chicken, specifically the marinade reminds me of something my dad would have come up with.  This chicken is flavorful, down right easy to prepare and reminds me a lot of the countless meals I was fortunate enough to enjoy with my family growing up.  Gather with family, friends and loved ones, make memories and enjoy! 

Sweet Soy Sesame Chicken

Recipe Source: Brunch and Cupcakes 

Serves 2 -4

Ingredients:

For Chicken: 

2 Large Chicken Breasts

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil 

Salt and Garlic - To sprinkle on chicken 

For Marinade:

1 1/2 Tablespoons Honey 

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce 

1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil 

Sesame Seeds and Cilantro for Garnish

**Note - I served this chicken with roasted brussel sprouts and a wheat berry/quinoa blend.  To roast brussel sprouts toss 1 lb brussel sprouts with 1-2 teaspoons olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.  Roast for 30 minutes or until brussel sprouts are tender and crispy in a 375 degree oven. 

Directions:

1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Then, Combine marinade ingredients, whisk till combined and set aside.

2- Poke holes in chicken breast and rub both sides of each chicken breast with olive oil.  Then sprinkle each chicken breast with a little salt and garlic. 

3- Heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in skillet and swirl to coat.  Add chicken breast to skillet.  Cook chicken in pan for 5 minutes, flip chicken and cook another 5 minutes. 

4- Whisk marinade together again to ensure it is combined and pour over chicken in skillet.  Let chicken cook on stove top for 2 minutes. 

5- Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake the chicken until cooked through.  10-15 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.  

Check out these other fabulous chicken recipes from around the web! 

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken - The Girl Who Ate Everything

Coconut Chicken with Apricot Sauce - Seeded at the Table  

Grilled Chicken with Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce - Cooking Light ** The BBQ Sauce is Amazing!!

Enjoy!