Cajun-style Chicken & Rice

The creation of this recipe was one of those "throw-everything-in-the-pot-and-hope-it's-delicious" type of experiences...and I was definitely NOT disappointed! And the best part...it only took 30 minutes to put together! I was in a huge rush on Monday morning to put together a meal that would last me the week for lunches at work. I usually do my meal prep Sundays, but since I had quite a busy weekend (I got engaged woooo!), I had to scrounge something up on Monday morning. I had bought some of my favorite prepared lemon pepper chicken from Trader Joe's, and definitely wanted to use it in a meal that would not only taste great but would make an easy lunch for the week! This recipe was so simple and delicious, I'm excited for you all to try it! Here is my Cajun-style Chicken & Rice Recipe!

Mix the seasonings throughly, and then you are done! The smell of this meal was so amazing!

This recipe provides the perfect mix of nutrients: protein, healthy carbohydrate, veggies, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fat from the olive oil! Check out the nutrition facts below!

1 serving (about 1 cup): 280 calories, 10g fat, 23 g carbs, 26 g protein, 90% daily need for Vitamin C!

I hope you all get to enjoy this dish soon! It was prepped in 30 minutes, has been making the perfect lunches for my week, is healthy, and most importantly, IT IS DELICIOUS! :)

I wish you all a happy Wednesday!!!

Eggplant and Zucchini Marinara

I thought I would share a recipe I whipped up last night. It's a random combination of foods but came out tasting great! I am calling it Eggplant and Zucchini Marinara with Lentils! I had some eggplant and zucchini in the fridge that I didn't want to go back...plus half a jar of marinara sauce. So I got working in my kitchen!

First, I chopped up my eggplant and a bag of mini zucchinis I got from Trader Joe's...if you have normal sized zucchini, you would only need about 3-4! After chopping them up, I steamed them on my stovetop. While the veggies steamed, I boiled 2/3 cup of green lentils in some water for about 25-30 minutes until they softened up!

Once the veggies were done steaming, I poured out all the water from underneath the steamer, then used to same pot (what can I say, I am a minimalist) to put the steamed veggies in. Then I mixed in half the jar of marinara sauce. Once the lentils were done, I drained the water and added them as well!

This dish turned out so warm, delicious, and filling! It's so easy and quick and is perfect to make in bulk to take to school or work with you!

Spanish Rice

My husband is a huge rice lover. I mean he will eat it every day for every meal and not get bored. Spanish Rice, Asian rice, rice pilaf…he doesn’t discriminate. But one of our favorites is definitely Spanish rice. I’ve always been intimidated by it and usually leave it to our favorite Mexican restaurants. BUT, in an effort to eat out less and eat homemade food more, I experimented a bit and finally came up with the perfect recipe! My husband couldn’t get enough of it, so that’s a win in my book! 

We served ours with some tilapia, but I’ve also made it with a side of carne asada or chicken. You could even add black beans on top and turn it into a beans & rice bowl! So versatile! 

Hope y’all enjoy this recipe! Happy Wednesday! 

Macaroni & Cheese Casserole

Last night, I decided to make my fiancé a macaroni and cheese dish we had been brainstorming together. He LOVES anything mushy, warm, cheesy, and, of course, yummy! He is a big fan of comfort food. I wanted to make him a dish he would like, while making it semi-healthier than the typical macaroni and cheese dish. This recipe tasted much lighter than other similar recipes and left us feeling full without feeling gross. I was so happy with the way this dish turned out, and I hope you are too! 

 We let it cool for about 5 minutes, then dug right in. This recipe is supposed to make 8 servings, but we may or may not have eaten 75% of the dish!!! It was that good!

This dish pulled together in about 45 minutes and was super easy to make! I hope you all get to try it out. You can also add any type of veggies you want like kale, spinach, peppers, onions, anything! Get creative! :)

Have a happy Saturday everyone!

Sausage & Veggie Frittata

 am SO happy it's such a short week this week. It's already Wednesday! Since I have a late shift on Wednesdays, I decided to take advantage of my extra time and make a frittata that would last me for the rest of the week for breakfast! This frittata turned out so yummy and had all the usual ingredients most people would typically have in stock at home. It was also ready in under an hour! Here is my recipe for my Sausage and Veggie Frittata!  

 I added half an avocado and some berries and a plum to round out my breakfast. SO GOOD.

I hope you all get to try this quick, easy, and DELICIOUS frittata recipe! Have an awesome Wednesday everyone!

Paleo Banana Bread Bars

This is my first time trying a paleo baking recipe. I've tried making a few grain free ones in the past, but they always included whey, which has been disagreeing with me lately. I decided to try this all paleo (except for a bit of stevia!) and it turned out incredible!!! I can say it's even better than typical baked goods!! I hope you all are able to try my paleo banana bread bars soon!

And there you have it!!! This is suchhhh a delicious recipe, you would never know that there was no wheat in it!! I am definitely going to be experimenting with more paleo baking soon!! :)

Banana Oat Pancakes

I love pancakes, as you can probably tell by the rest of my blog! This morning, I added some oats to my pancakes for a little extra flavor and fiber. They turned out so yummy and very healthy! I love healthy versions of my favorite treats, so I thought I'd share this one with you all today!

Banana Oat Pancakes (makes 1 serving) 

Banana Oatmeal Bake

My dad has been on an oatmeal kick lately. I made him a big, yummy bowl the other morning, but unfortunately don't have time to do that every day! I wish I did...but alas...I am a working girl now. So last night I decided to quickly whip up a baked oatmeal concoction that we could eat for the rest of the week without too much hassle. We tasted a bit of of it last night and it tasted wonderful! Just like warm oatmeal in a gooey baked form with the bananas oozing out. It was absolutely delicious. I definitely want to incorporate more oats into my daily life and figure out new and tasty ways to make baked oats recipes! Here is my very first one! :)

Banana Oatmeal Bake

I absolutely love using Pamela's gluten free baking products!! They are the best mix I have come across and never leave me disappointed with my baking results! I also love the GF oats from Trader Joe's because they come in a huge bag at a great price! 

I cut mine into 9 squares, so for each square the nutrition facts are as follows: 115 calories, 3g fat, 19g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 5g protein. 

You could have these squares anytime of day! I just paired up a square with a hard boiled egg before heading out for my workout! These would also taste great with some peanut butter on top...the possibilities are endless! And it's such an easy recipe to whip up. I hope you all get to try this recipe soon! 

Have a happy and healthy day everyone!

Quinoa Eeech

This recipe is a quick, tasty, and healthy summer dish to have on hand. My family has made eeech as far back as I remember (probably not how it's spelled, but that's how I like to spell it!) Eeech is traditionally made with bulgar, which is a healthy whole grain, but it is also cracked wheat and contains gluten. Since I have been trying to lay of the big G, I usually make this dish with quinoa! It tastes the same, is gluten free, and is a complete protein! I made a quick batch last night, so I thought I would share the recipe!

And here is the finished product! Lovely fluffed quinoa in a yummy tomato sauce!! This is the perfect light dinner and is usually served chilled, which is perfect on a summer night! It can also be paired with some hard boiled eggs for some added protein!! Here are the nutrition facts if anyone is interested: 

Makes 4 servings: 1 serving contains 250 calories, 9g fat, 36g carbs, 4g fiber, 7.5g protein! 

Enjoy this recipe and this beautiful Tuesday everyone!

Cheesy Cauliflower Bars

I have been craving some garlic cheesy bread lately. I don't know what it is, but that gooey warm flavor has been missing from my life. I decided to create a healthy version using a cauliflower crust! Usually, my cauliflower crusts have always fallen apart, but I was so excited when this recipe was not only delicious, but could actually be HELD UP! It was definitely one of the highlights of my day! This recipe is easy, quick, and delicious, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is craving some cheesy garlic bread!

How amazing does that look?! I let it cool for 15 mins before cutting it and hoping it was sturdy enough to hold up. It was a complete success!!