Healthy March Madness Party Snacks

I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say I had split personalities in High School. Like hii I’m super innocent elizabeth in my catholic school uniform freaking out if I got a 98% on a test. And then BAMM. Put me on the basketball court and I was kiiiind of a bully. I seriously did a complete 180.

Basically, basketball is my jam. Take me to a football game and sure, I’ll keep up and get somewhat excited. But take me to a basketball game and I’m on a wholeeeee other level. We’re talking full on yelling at the ref. I love how fast-paced it is and how much energy is in the room.

But basketball, just like any sporting event, you gotta pair it with f o o d.

Delicious. Crunchy. Savory. Salty. Greasy. Food. Errrr, maybe not greasy? Yet people tend to think that. Hence the #dadbod. How about #no.These deeeelicous HEALTHY snacks/dishes/dips/apps/heaven are perfect for your March Madness party { or to make all to yourself. } I won’t tell if you don’t. ;)

So enjoy these noms. And try not to lose your voice over the final games. *Cough, Michael, cough.*

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Skinny French Onion Dip + Homemade Veggie Chips || Via Yours Truly

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Buffalo Chickpea Dip || Via Fooduzzi

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BBQ Chicken Pizza ||  Via Yours Truly

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Spicy Spiralized Sweet Potato Fries || Via Strength + Sunshine

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Roasted Chickpeas || Via Yours Truly

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Individual Seven-Layer Dip || Via Made to Glow

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Baked BBQ Wings || Via My Healthyish Life

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Three Ingredient Mac & Cheese || Via Yours Truly

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Loaded Veggie Nachos  || Via The Refreshanista

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Mexican Stuffed Avocado with Buffalo Tahini Sauce || Via Emilie Eats

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Toasted Rosemary Walnuts || Via The Clean Eating Couple

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Swiss + Pepperjack Avocado Grilled Cheese || Via The Kitchen Of Danielle

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Paleo Chili Cheese Dip || Via Little Bits Of

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What are your favorite tailgate snacks + dishes!? I’m ALWAYS looking for more :)

x, elizabeth

No Bake Haystack Cookies – { Easter Edition }

If I’m being 100% honest, I’m not actually into BIGGG social gatherings. I like to stay in my bubble, and if the crowd gets too large I have a mini { massive } panic attack. However, one way I can be bribed into big parties is… FOOD. Typical.

Themed parties are the best kind of parties and these cute Bird’s Nest “Cookies” are perfect for any Spring/Easter parties you may have coming up.Why? Well,

one: they are super cute.

two: they take like zero time and only 4 ingredients.

& three: they’re bite-sized! (Maybe 2 bites hehe)Maybe it’s just me, but I love tiny foods. I like to graze and pick at foods when I’m at a potluck or tailgate… or anywhere I can get away with it.

I’m the weirdo reaching for the broken chunk of brownie or the reason there’s a random 1/3 of a cookie gone. I even go as far as making my boyfriend make me a “baby” pancake every time we make pancakes. Sorryyy but I just want to try it all! SO, back to the “cookies” — If you’re into butterscotch or have a thing for peanut butter you will adore these little guys!

P.S. – Not a butterscotch gal? Sub white chocolate or peanut butter chips and get the same haystack effect. (The peanut butter turns the white chocolate a pale brown) YUMM.

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Festive + Delicious Bird’s Nest Cookies

• 11 oz. butterscotch chips
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 12 oz. chow mein noodles
• Cadbury Mini Eggs

1. Stir the butterscotch chips in a large saucepan over low heat until melted.
2. Add a little bit of the peanut butter to the chips to keep the texture smooth and from burning. (Especially if you have white chocolate which burns easily!!)
3. Remove from heat, stir in the rest of the peanut butter until smooth.
4. Add chow mein noodles and stir until evenly coated.
5. Drop spoonfuls onto wax paper & shape into nests. Let cool until set.
6. Top nests with mini eggs.

(Makes approximately two dozen cookies – amount will vary depending on the size you make them)

Happy Spring :)

x, elizabeth

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Cauliflower Crust BBQ Chicken Pizza

I’m not sure if it’s the way I was made or if living in the south has done this to me, but either way I am a BBQ sauce JUNKIE. I put it on pretty much anything and everything. Potatoes, sandwiches, salads, etc. It adds so much wonderful flavor to whatever it touches! I’m not a hugeeeee pizza gal, but when I do crave pizza, 99% of the time I’m reaching for a BBQ chicken pizza. THAT is my pizza weakness. Throw a little pineapple on it and I’m in heaven. Like I mentioned in my { last post } I got a ninja for my birthday and I’ve been playing with it at every opportunity. Yes — it’s seen as a toy for me and not an appliance. #FOODIE.

Last week it was extremely rainy and cold. I was sitting in my office and knew there was no way my butt was getting to the gym. Instead, I was daydreaming about pizza. Quite the opposite of working out but hey whatever. Since I wasn’t working out I wanted to make a healthier version.. you know, so I wouldn’t feel like a COMPLETE bum.. andddd then this lovely recipe was born..

Cauliflower crust BBQ Chicken Pizza { with Mushrooms } UMMMM Yes please! It was so insanely good and I have been waiting to share it with y’all!

Oh and did I mention it’s all under 500 calories!? HOLLAAA. And this is a BIG OLE personal pan pizza. 

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INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 Medium Head of Cauliflower
• 2 Egg whites
• Italian Seasonings
• Garlic Salt
• ¼ Cup Mozzarella Cheese – 2% Milk

TOPPINGS:

• ¼ Cup BBQ Sauce (mine was vinegar based)
• ¼ Cup Pasta Sauce
• ¼ Cup Mozzarella Cheese – 2% Milk
• ½ Can Mushrooms
• 3oz Baked Chicken Breast

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Place the cauliflower florets in your food processor – not the stems – and blend it up until it’s a snow-like consistency/size. (I used the grating blade on my ninja)
3. Put the blended cauliflower into a bowl and microwave for 4 minutes.
4. Once its cool enough to handle, put the cauliflower into a towel and wring out all the excess water that’s stored up. The more you get out the better! You don’t want a flimsy pizza crust. Gross.
5. In a bowl combine the cauliflower with all the other ingredients (cheese, seasonings and eggs) and mash it together until it forms a dough ball. I put my ingredients back in the blender to do this. (without a blade if you’re using a ninja)
6. Lay out the dough on PARCHMENT paper and place on a cookie sheet. The dough should be about 1/3 inch thick.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on the dough and touch the center to make sure it’s done.
8. Take the pizza out and top with mixed BBQ Sauce + Marina Sauce.
9. Place mushrooms first, then cheese, then chicken. (Personal preference)
10. Put the oven on broil and broil the pizza for about 10 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly and brown.

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What’s your favorite kind of pizza!? I’d love to use this crust and make some more!

xx, elizabeth    

 

Healthy 2 Ingredient Pancakes with Apple Cinnamon Syrup

You need to stop whatever you’re doing right now and RUN to make these pancakes. These things are no joke. Seriously.Healthy pancakes? Who knew there could ever be such a thing? Well, except Pinterest. I had been seeing this recipe alllll over pinterest for about, eh, I don’t know… maybe A YEAR before ever trying them out. Partially because I just didn’t believe they’d be good and partially because I never had proper equipment around. But now I have a ninja (!!!!) and I’m constantly looking for recipes so I can use that bad boy.OKKK so what is the recipe you ask? One banana and two eggs. Yup, that’s all! It sounded so bizarre to me. How on earth could pancakes come from that? But I’m starting to realize that when in doubt, use a banana. Does anyone else get that from pinterest? Bananas seem to be the superhero in every recipe. So here’s the baking process: put two eggs and a banana in a blender/food processor/ninja and blend that baby up! Some recipes say you can just mash it together with a fork but I just don’t trust my mashing ability to make them the right consistency. PLUS whipping them in a blender or food processor incorporates air into the batter and makes them niiiiice and fluffy. Now, since I have to make my pancakes stand out from the rest… here is what makes mine different: the syrup. I love pancakes but face it… they’re just not healthy for you in any way. And then dumping buckets of sugar on top just doesn’t scream nutritious. But hey, to each his own! I opted for healthier “syrup” using applesauce, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla. IT WAS SO GOOD. These pancakes already have a lot of moisture in them so you really don’t need much syrup anyways. I also put a little dollop of peanut butter on mine cuz I’m a PB addict. And peanut butter and bananas are the dream team. So there you have it! Healthy pancakes for just 250 calories!…(not including syrup)… The batter made me 5 large pancakes. Add a little apple cinnamon syrup and peanut butter and you’re set!

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{ APPLE CINNAMON SYRUP }

• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 – 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Cinnamon (to your liking!)
• Honey

Mix applesauce, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl. Warm up on your skillet. (I used the same skillet that made my pancakes). Pour over pancakes and drizzle honey on top. DELISHH.

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What are your favorite pancake toppings!?

Chat soon, xx

elizabeth

Low-cal/Low-fat Cheesy Chicken Bowl

That whole Winter Storm Jonas thing really got me craving warm, cheesy comfort foods — which is kinda weird considering I don’t really eat cheese? I’m particular about what cheese i’ll eat. Cottage cheese is a favorite along with kraft cheesy shells from the box HA. So basically super healthy and super unhealthy cheese from a bag. But whatever.

If you know me you know my love for red sauce. And that it’s literally ALWAYS in my pantry/fridge. This week I have been living off of this cheesy, chicken, spinach rice bowl concoction. As usual, the recipe was a product of my laziness and my avoidance of the grocery store. Basically I already had all these things in my kitchen so hopefully you will, too:)I love the consistency of cream sauces, but it’s not worth all the calories and fat to me. Last summer I discovered the beauty of adding cottage cheese to my red sauce. My mom makes lasagna with cottage cheese so I figured why not try it? And oh myyyyy goodness it’s wonderful. And healthy ;) It creates a protein based sauce for those days I wanna go meatless or just don’t have any handy.This recipe takes a total of about ten minutes to make. I used minute rice, so I suppose yours could take longer. Either way it’s not a big time commitment. It’s also designed to serve one, so if you have guests just multiply everything by the number of people.

keep warm xx elizabeth

+ Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Rice (Dry)
• 1/4 Cup Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Pasta Sauce
• 2 Cups Spinach
• 4 oz. Shredded Chicken
• 1/8 Cup Kidney or Black Beans
• Red Pepper Flakes (as preferred)
• Dash of Salt

— Calorie Count: Approximately 380 Calories.

+ Directions

1. Boil rice as directed on box.
2. In a sautee pan, cook spinach in red sauce and red pepper flakes for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add cottage cheese and cook until melted into red sauce.
4. Add beans, chicken and rice to sauté pan.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Chess Pie

I’d like to preface this post by saying if you are one of the many people who made a resolution to eat clean for the new year, this post is not designed for you. BUT if you’re a chocolate lover and willing to bend the rules,  I invite you to keep reading.

Life is about balance anyways, right? So eat a salad, take a walk, and indulge in some pie —  balance. HA.I was introduced to this  delicacy at Michael’s house. It’s his grandma’s recipe so you already know it’s gotta be good. Mom’s and Grandma’s just know all the right moves when it comes to baking. AKA pounds of cream, butter, and sugar.  Chocolate (or should i say “Choclate”.. anyone else notice Grams cute misspelling?) Chess Pie is super great because it requires limited prep time AND you get to put it in a blender. Which is just fun. Because why put kale in a blender when you could put chocolate pie in a blender? I actually tried making it with a hand mixer at first andddddd when that failed I realized it literally got blended..in a blender.

Chocolate Chess Pie bakes at two different temperature to create a crisp, flaky texture on top. To me, the contrast in textures creates a make-shift pie crust on top. The fudgey inside and flaky top is straight up heaven. And you save calories without having a pie crust on top, too. So to all you new-years resolution readers… it could be worse?Side Note: If you’re a local to Birmingham I HIGHLY recommend you visit Penzeys Spices^^ Penzeys is the CUTEST gem of a spice shop in Alabama. You immediately become a gourmet chef just by walking in. Plus, I feel like I gain major cool points when I’m browsing their spices. I could just be weird, but if you’re a foodie you know what I’m talking about. 

Good luck resisting this baby, and thank michael’s grandma when you make the right decision to cave ;) Enjoy!

+ Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Cocoa
• 1 Cup Carnation Milk (Light)
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• Dash of salt
• Pie Crust

+ Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Place pie crust into pan
3. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Pour into pie crust
5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350, then bake 20-30 more mins at 300.

xx elizabeth FAIL^^

Brussels Brussels Brussels

too late for a thanksgiving post? nah. i mean, people start listening to christmas music in october so clearly switching the holidays around is not too frowned upon.

i had three friendsgivings this year… THREE. basically that is to say I had some serious food comas but also some serious foodie moments like oh i need to post this {!!!}is it odd that one of my favorite dishes was the brussels sprouts prepared by my dear friend, kelly? creamy casseroles and sweet potato pies will always be thanksgiving classics/favorites, but it was refreshing to spot a healthy dish to add to my plate. after all.. i had to celebrate this holiday four times (once with the fam), so.. not tryna gain ten pounds here.i am a self proclaimed connoisseur of brussels sprouts. or maybe i’m just picky.. but these were the bomb. and SO easy to make. when it comes to healthy/clean recipes i’m all about quick and easy.

ever been all excited to make the “best skinny chocolate cake” recipe you find on pinterest and they ask you to casually toss in some xanthan gum? i’m sure xanthan gum tastes great but what? no. none of that in my cabinet. i’m 100% about convenient cooking. brussels sprouts also offer some great health benefits you can check out {here} i hope you enjoy these babies as much as i did!

x elizabeth

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2. 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3. 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
4. 1/8 teaspoon salt
5. 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. sauté brussel sprouts for 4 minutes. add garlic, and saute for 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently.
2. add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
3. cook for 2 minutes or until most of the broth evaporates and the sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 

 

Skinny French Onion Dip With Veggie Chips

Fall has officially begun so cue me eating everything in sight. Kidding. Kinda? What is it about cold weather that makes us crave fatty, comfort foods? Fall weather also makes me crave my bed, a massive blanket and an overwhelming amount of tea/coffee. Really the only thing that can force me to be social during these chilly months is a football game paired with good food and better company. If we are being completely honest here, about 10% of girls genuinely enjoy watching the football game and the remaining 90% of us are there for the food. Tailgates have THE best food selection hands down. Mini sandwiches, casseroles, wings, cheese platters, and of course chips and dip. I mean that covers all the major food groups, right?

The biggest challenge when creating a healthy recipe alternative is tricking the guys into not noticing. Boys can always tell if any sort of fat or calories have been removed. They have a radar I promise.While peanut butter and chocolate may be my number one food pair, chips and dip have to be my second. I don’t know why us girls have such a thing for chips and pretty much any sort of dip but I think it’s programmed since birth. Spinach and artichoke dip, salsa, queso, hummus, you name it. But today is all about skinny french onion dip. Oh yes.

This french onion dip has been skinnified with chobani greek yogurt because everything tastes better when it’s #madewithchobani :)I paired my delicious french onion dip with homemade sweet potato chips and zucchini chips to keep the healthy theme going. If your fellow tailgating friends aren’t ready to take that big of a leap you can use pretzels, pita chips or tortilla chips instead.

I let my boyfriend and family sample the dip when it was complete and let me tell ya, it was a huge hit. No one even noticed it was healthy because it tastes like an exact replica of a full-fat dip. The only fat in this recipe comes from a small amount of olive oil (monounsaturated fat) which is the kind of fat your body needs. I hope you all will bring this dip to your next tailgate (or party) and tell me the reactions you get! Also, be sure to check out Chobani’s  recipe section for more skinny recipes like mine :)

Ingredients For Dip

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz package of chopped onion
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 cups fat free Chobani plain greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1. Sauté the onions in olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Once they begin caramelizing, reduce the heat and let them simmer. Stir every few minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
3. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes.
4. Remove from the stove and place mixture in a mixing bowl to be refrigerated for 10-15 minutes. Set aside a couple tablespoons of the mixture to top the dip when it’s complete.
5. Add the yogurt, Worchestershire sauce and garlic salt to the mixing bowl with the caramelized onions.
6. Stir until the mixture is evenly combined.  Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper or extra worcestershire if needed.
7. Top with remaining caramelized onions and serve immediately.

Ingredients For Chips:

• Sweet potatoes (as needed)
• Zucchini (as needed)
• Olive oil spray
• Salt

Directions:

Thinly slice sweet potatoes and zucchinis. Place on cookie sheet. Spray with olive oil and dust with salt. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Frequently check on the chips so they don’t burn. Cooking time depends on thickness of chips.

 

 

 

 

Roasted Chickpeas

Football season is in full-force which means beer, cheese dip, and calories on top of calories. Now I’m not saying I won’t dive head first into the rotel dip when I show up at a tailgate, but having healthier options makes me feel less guilty when I realize I single-handedly finished the entire bowl.

When I heard nuts.com was looking to share healthy tailgating options I was pretty darn excited. I wanted to think outside of the box and somehow that landed me at creating two recipes for roasted chickpeas. Before you exit out of this post like “LOL chickpeas at a tailgate??” hear me out…

This weekend I took my dad to the Titans game for his birthday and all around me I saw hotdogs, pizza, and nachos. Oh and of course beer, beer, and more beer.  The most popular “side” however, was a good ole classic bag of peanuts! I add peanuts, almonds and cashews to just about everything so I was totally on board with this peanut/football trend. But what about all the poor souls with peanut allergies? Let’s just take a moment of silence for them because peanut butter is a glimpse of heaven. You think I’m kidding. No, I’m not. These unfortunate souls were my inspiration for both spicy chickpeas and garlic chickpeas! I love having a crunchy, salty snack to munch on mindlessly while I anticipate what is going to happen next in the game. (I’m a nervous eater) I’m also a grazer so roasted chickpeas are a great option for me when I’m not hungry enough for more buffalo wings, or really hungry at all, but still find myself patrolling the table of food. While most tailgate snacks will counteract all the hard work you put in at the gym during the week, these little gems will not!Chickpeas are a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They also contain no saturated fat but are oh so satisfying. So,  at your next tailgate I highly recommend placing out a bowl of these flavorful roasted chickpeas alongside your bowl of peanuts or trail mix.

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas
• Olive oil cooking spray

Garlic Seasonings:

• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper

Spicy Seasoning:

• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse your chickpeas in the sink. Remove any loose skins off of the beans, but don’t worry about taking them all off.
2. Evenly spread your beans out on a paper towel and pat them dry. (Some websites say you need to dry them for 30 mins or so, I popped mine right in the oven and they were super crunchy.)
3. Preheat oven to 415 F.
4. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
5. Evenly spread your towel-dried beans on the cookie sheet
6. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring them around every 10-15 mins.
7. After baking, quickly transfer to a bowl and spray with olive oil cooking spray.
8. Toss the chickpeas in the seasonings and coat well.

Did I win you over or do you still think I’m crazy?

Happy tailgating!

elizabeth, x

Cod Creole

While I’m at school, my diet is mostly comprised of grilled chicken or deli sandwiches. Rarely do I get the luxury of any type of seafood, which is very unfortunate because shrimp miiiiiight be my favorite protein. (if you don’t like seafood you’re wrong)

My mom makes a quick and easy Cod Creole and it’s one of my favorite dishes when i’m home. We buy the vegetables already chopped, too, which makes for an even easier prep and clean up! I love meals that look impressive but are actually super simple. Can anyone say date night?    Like I said, we bought the assorted bell peppers already chopped up and the onion already diced as well. Some might call this cheating, I just think it’s smart. They might be a little more expensive, though, so you should probably check that out if you’re on a tight budget! (chough, me, cough.) I LOVE peppers so I would probably buy them whole to have extra to snack on anyways :) Peppers and hummus, peppers and guacamole or sauté them up for fajita tacos! You can’t go wrong. I love that you still get the crunch without all the fat and calories from tortilla chips or pita chips. If you haven’t tried cod before I HIGHLY recommend it. It’s an excellent low-calorie source of protein (4 oz has 21 g what!) and just like most fish, it contains a good amount of omega-3s to improve heart health and reduce cardiovascular disease. OH and it tastes great, too. ( The most important factor ) Its a pretty mild flavor with a delicate/mild flaky texture.

Okay so now for the recipe…

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 cup peppers
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1.5 1bs cod
• spray butter
• salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. While the oven is preheating, chop the onion and peppers.
3. Spray a baking pan with Pam or Olive Oil and place the cod in the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Bake the cod for 30 minutes.
5. While the cod is in the oven, sauté the onion, peppers, and tomatoes on the stove until tender.
6. Once the cod has been baking for 25 minutes, pour the mixture onto the fish and bake for the remaining five minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to cook fish? Submit your recipes in the comment section below!

– elizabeth