Jalapeño Cheddar Latkes

Serving: 4 -6

Ingredients

1.    4 Russet potatoes

2.    1 cup of canola oil

3.    2 Jalapeños shredded

4.    2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

5.    1 egg

6.    2 tablespoons of plain breadcrumbs or matzo meal

7.   1 large yellow onion 

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Wash the potatoes well - do not peel the outer layer. 

2. Grate the potatoes, onion and jalapeños with a food processor or hand grater. (Remove the seeds from the jalapeños for a milder taste)

3. Squeeze out all of the liquid from the potatoes, onions and jalapeños with a thin cloth.

4. In a large bowl, add the grated potatoes, onion, jalapeños, cheddar cheese, egg and breadcrumbs. Mix well and add some salt and pepper to taste. 

5. Start shaping your latkes by taking about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture, rolling into a ball and flattening into a patty form. 

**An easy hack for the perfect latke size is scooping the potato mixture with an ice cream scooper!

6. Heat your canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. 

7. Add your latkes into the frying pan and cook until each side browns and turns crispy. 

8. Set aside a plate with a paper towel. When your latkes are finished cooking, place them on the paper towel to drain. 

Pesto Beef Skewers

Servings: 5

Ingredients

1.    1 pack (1.25 - 1.5 lb) of beef stew meat cut into bite-size pieces

2.    1/2 cup of barbecue sauce (I used Jack Daniel's Honey flavored) 

3.    1/4 cup of pesto sauce

Directions

1. Marinate your meat in barbecue sauce for 30 minutes. 

2. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F

3. Take 8 to 10 skewers and add your beef cubes (about 3 to 4 pieces per skewer)

4. Place in the oven for 15 minutes

5. Flip the skewers and spread the pesto on top of the beef

6. Place back in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked to your liking

Smoked Salmon Arugula Salad

Serving: 4

Ingredients

1.    8 oz package of smoked salmon cut into strips

2.    1 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in halves

3.    5 oz package of arugula

4.    2 avocados sliced

5.    4 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced

6.    Cilantro Lime dressing to taste
(I personally use Briannas Creamy Cilantro Dressing - It's my favorite!!)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into a salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss until fully mixed. 

Vegetable Flatbread

Serving: 4

Ingredients

1.    2 - 16oz package of ready made dough or 1 24 oz package. 

You can get this at most supermarkets. 

I used Trader Joe's "Ready to Bake Pizza Dough" 

2.    10 oz package of baby bella Mushrooms 

3.     2 medium sized brown onions - halved and thinly slice

4.     3 Garlic heads

5.     2 cups of cherry tomatoes slice in fourths

6.      1 cup of Olive Oil

7.      Balsamic Glaze to taste - Sold at most supermarkets

~Salt & Pepper to taste~

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F

2. Remove the outer paper layers of the garlic. Slice 1/4 inch of the top of the cloves. 

3. Place your garlic in tin foil and pour about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. 

4. Cover your garlic with the tin foil and place in the oven for 40 minutes. 

5.  Heat a large skillet and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 

6. Add your onions and sauté for about 15 minutes on a medium heat. Continuously mix them so that they don't burn.

7. Once your onions are browning, add the mushrooms.  When your mixture looks sautéed to your liking add the cherry tomatoes. Keep on a medium heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil if needed. Sauté until your tomatoes begin to soften.

When the garlic is roasted...Time to make the Flatbread!

1. Combine both packages of dough. 

2. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray. I used a 24" x 16" pan

3. Evenly lay out your dough. Spread a light layer of olive oil.  Sprinkle all vegetables over the dough. 

4. Place in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes depending on how long it takes for the crust to golden. 

5. When your flatbread is done, drizzle some balsamic glaze!

Oreo Brownies

Serving: 20

Ingredients:

1. 1 Duncan Hines Fudge Brownie Mix or a brownie mix of your liking. 

2. 1 1/2 cups Oreo Cereal

3. 3 large eggs

4. 3/4 cup vegetable oil

5. 12 Oreos

Directions:

1.   Spray a 9"x 9" pan with cooking spray.

2.   Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

3. Follow the Duncan Hines baking instructions. Before placing in the oven, break the Oreo pieces into fourths and place into the brownie mixture. Press them down so they are almost fully covered in the mixture. It's okay if they stick out a little! 

4.   Top the brownie mixture with Oreo Cereal. Sprinkle evenly. 

5.   Bake for 30 minutes or until desired consistency. Ovens will vary baking time. 

Winter Couscous

Serving: 3

Ingredients:

1.    1 (6 oz) box of couscous (I used Near East Pearled Couscous - Original Plain)

2.    2 garlic heads

3.    1/2 cup of olive oil

4.    1/4 cup of chopped parsley

5.    2 sweet potatoes

6.    2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth (or however much liquid is needed to cook your couscous)

6.   Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Roasted Garlic:

1.  Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F

2.  Remove the paper layers of the garlic of the garlic head. Slice the top of the cloves. 

3.  Place the garlic in tin foil and drizzle 2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil over it. Seal the garlic in the tin foil. 

4.  Cook the garlic for 40 minutes or until the garlic has browned and softened.

Sweet Potato:

1.  Slice your sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. 

2.  Place in a small bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

4. Spray your baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly spread the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet. 

5. Bake the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes. 

Couscous:

1. While the garlic and sweet potatoes are cooking, cook the couscous in vegetable broth.

2. Once the garlic and sweet potatoes are finished cooking add into the couscous along with the parsley.

3. Add some salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Apple Pie Puff Pastry

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1. 5 medium sized apples - about 3 to 3 1/2 cups of diced apples (I used Honey Crisp)

2. 1 teaspoon lemon juice

3. 2 tablespoons brown sugar

4. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

5. 3 tablespoons flour

6. 1 puff pastry sheet (I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry)

7. 1 Egg

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place your pastry sheet flat down and let defrost. 

3. Peel and cut the apples into 1/2 inch pieces.

4. Place your diced apples in a bowl with the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Mix well!

5. Evenly spread your apple mixture on the puff pastry. 

6. Tightly roll your pastry mixture. 

7. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and brush on top of the puff pastry. This will give your pastry a beautiful golden-brown color.

8. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until your pastry begins to brown. 

*Note: If you have powdered sugar, feel free to sprinkle some on top of your pastry to give a nice coloring. 

Lemon Za'atar Chicken

Serving: 6

Ingredients:

1. 1 pack 8-piece chicken

2. 1/4 cup za'atar seasoning

3. 1/3 cup olive oil

4. 1 large lemon

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix za'atar and olive oil.

3. Brush the za'atar mixture on all sides of your chicken - under the skin too!

4. Place in a baking pan and slice lemons around the chicken.

5. Cook the chicken for 30 minutes.

6. Take the chicken out and squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken.

*Note: The lemons are very hot - to avoid burning your fingers, take tongs to squeeze the lemons

7. Place the chicken back in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour longer.

*Note: I usually leave my dark meat in longer than my white meat to avoid drying it out. 

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Serving: 3

Ingredients:

1.    2 frozen bananas

2.    1.5 cups of almond milk 

*I use Vanilla Almond Milk unsweetened to give it a little more flavor

3.    2 tablespoons of peanut butter

4.   1 teaspoon of chia seeds

5. Around 3-5 ice cubes - depending on how thick you'd like your smoothie to be

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a blender. 

2. Blend for approximately 1 minute - or until desired consistency

Spicy Garlic Edamame

Serving: 4

Ingredients

1.     1 (16 oz bag) of lightly salted Edamame

2.     2 tablespoons of Garlic Chili Sauce (Huey Fong is the best!)

3.     2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil

Directions

1. Microwave or steam edamame

2. Mix the garlic chili sauce and toasted sesame oil

3. Add your sauce mixture and edamame into a frying pan

4. Sauté your edamame until the skin darkens

**Note: Depending on your tolerance for spice, the amount of chili garlic sauce can be altered to your liking. 

Gluten Free Meatballs

Serving: 4

Ingredients

1.     1 lb of ground beef 

2.      2/3 cup of Almond Crumbs or Almond Meal 

(I used Cooper's Crumbs Savory Italian Blend)

3.     1/2 an onion finely chopped

4.    1 tablespoon of crushed garlic

5.    1 egg

6.     3 tablespoons of olive oil

7.    1 jar of your favorite Marinara Sauce

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F

2. Mix the ground beef, almond crumbs, onion, crushed garlic and egg. 

3. Roll the meat into balls (1 inch)

4. Lightly coat a skillet with olive. Once heated, add your meatballs and cook on all sides until your meatballs develop a crust. 

5. In a 9x11 pan add half a jar of marinara sauce. Place the meatballs into the pan and coat the top with the rest of the marinara sauce. 

6. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. 

I partnered with Cooper's Crumbs to make this dish. Using these crumbs gave the meatballs more texture. This is a great alternative to using breadcrumbs if you're avoiding gluten. Click here to learn more about Cooper's Crumbs: https://cooperscrumbs.com/

All Green Salad

Serving: 4

Ingredients

1.    1 (18 oz) bag of romaine lettuce shredded

2.    4 Persian cucumbers thinly sliced

3.   1 (10 oz) bag of english peas

4. 1 bunch of scallions thinly sliced with the ends trimmed

5.    1/2 cup of sliced almonds

6.    1 avocado sliced

7.    1/4 cup of Nish Nosh dressing (Link here: Salad Mate - Nish Nosh)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a bowl, add Nish Nosh Dressing and mix! 

This is one of my favorite store bought dressings. It's low in calories and super flavorful. The only way to describe it is ranch dressing meets honey mustard. The sweetness and creamy (non-dairy) texture to this dressing is the perfect addition to this all green salad. 

Salmon Spread

Serving: 4

Ingredients

1.   3 (5oz) cans of salmon

2.   1/4 cup of light mayo

3.    2 tablespoons of dijon mustard

4.    1/4 cup of diced celery

5.   Black pepper to taste

6. Crackers for dipping 

(I used Crunchmaster Crackers - Original Multi-Seed)

Directions

1.   Place salmon, mayo and dijon mustard in a bowl. Mix well until you have a smooth consistency. 

2. Add your celery and pepper to taste. Mix well!

3. Enjoy with some crackers! I happen to love Crunchmaster crackers because they're super healthy and great to snack on throughout the day!

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Serving: 5 - 6

Ingredients

1. 2 lbs of Salmon (I used 2 packs of the Trader Joe's Fresh Atlantic Salmon)

2. 1/2 cup of pistachios 

3. 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

4. 2 tablespoons of finely chopped dill

5. 2 tablespoons of olive oil

6. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

7. 1 teaspoon of honey 

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F

2. Lightly rinse your salmon and pat dry. 

3. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil. Place your salmon skin side down. 

*I personally remove the skin prior to laying it on the baking sheet.

4. In a small bowl mix the dijon mustard, dill, olive oil, lemon juice and honey.

5. Place your pistachios in a plastic bag. Use the bottom of a cup or jar to crush your pistachios until its a bread-like crumb mixture. You can continue crushing them until you get the texture that you would like. 

6. Lightly coat your salmon with the mustard mixture. 

7. Evenly spread the pistachios on top of the salmon. 

8. *Optional: Add salt and pepper to taste 

9. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Za'atar Roasted Chickpeas

Serving: 3 - 4

Ingredients

1.  2 tablespoons of za'atar

2.  1 teaspoon of paprika

3.  3 tablespoons of olive oil

4. 2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F

2. Dry chickpeas very well and place in a mixing bowl.

3. Add za'atar, paprika and olive oil. Mix well!

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Take out after 15 minutes to shake them on your pan so that they get evenly crispy.

5. If wanted, add salt and pepper to taste

Dill Fennel Salad

Serving: 2

Ingredients

1.  1 stalk of fennel

2. 3  persian cucumbers

3.  2 tablespoons of chopped dill

4.  5 radishes

5.  2 tablespoons of lemon juice

6.  1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Thinly slice the fennel bulb, cucumbers and radishes and place in a salad bowl

2. In a small bowl, mix the dill, lemon juice and olive oil.

3. Add your dressing to the vegetables

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well!

Healthy Buffalo Cauliflower

Serving: 3

Ingredients

1.  2 packs of cauliflower (12 oz) or 1 head

2.  3 tablespoons of olive oil

3.  4 tablespoons of buffalo sauce

4.  1 teaspoon of crushed garlic

5.  2 tablespoons of lemon juice

6.  Salt to taste

7.  Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F

2. Place your cauliflower - cut into bite size pieces into a mixing bowl

3. In a small bowl mix your olive oil, buffalo sauce, crushed garlic and lemon juice. 

4. Pour onto your cauliflower and mix well. 

5. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Place the cauliflower on the pan. 

6. Add some salt and pepper to taste on top. 

7. Place in the oven for 20 minutes.

8. Take out the cauliflower and flip over. Place back in the oven for another 5 to 8 minutes. 

Every oven is different, so make sure to check on it so that your cauliflower doesn't burn.

Green Smoothie

Ingredients

1. 1 Frozen Banana (cut into bite size pieces)

2. 1 teaspoon of Chia Seeds

3. 1 cup of Frozen Spinach

4. 1/2 cup of Almond Milk (unsweetened)

5. 1/2 cup of Grapes

6. 1/2 of a green apple

7. 5 ice cubes

Directions

1. Add all ingredients listed above into a blender.

2. Blend until a smooth and creamy texture. If it's still chunky, add more almond milk. 

Serve immediately

Babaganoush

Ingredients:

1. 1 Eggplant

2. 1 1/2 tablespoons tehina

3. 1 teaspoon crushed garlic

4. 1 tablespoon lemon juice

5. Olive oil spray / olive oil to taste

6. Parsley for garnish

7. Paprika for garnish

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Slice your eggplant in half and cut 3 slits on the skin. 

3. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and place your eggplants with the skin facing upwards.

4. Spray the top of the skin with olive oil.

5. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and spray with olive oil, place back in the oven for 10 minutes.

6. Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant and transfer to a blender or food processor.

7. Add the tehina, crushed garlic and lemon juice, blend together.

8. Transfer to a plate and add some paprika, parsley, and olive oil for garnish. 

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

Serving Time: 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

16 oz Ground Turkey

1 teaspoon of crushed Garlic

1/4 cup of diced Scallions

1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

1 Egg

2 tablespoons of Teriyaki Sauce ( I used Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce)

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Place in a bowl your ground turkey, crushed garlic, scallions, bread crumbs and egg. Mix well.

3. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

4. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. 

5. Place in the oven for 16 to 20 minutes 

**(Ovens cook food at different times - Make sure to check on them after 16 minutes to see if they're cooked in order to not overcook them.  

6. While your turkey meatballs are cooking boil your teriyaki sauce in a sauce pan. 

7. Once your turkey meatballs are done, let them cool off for a few minutes and place in a mixing bowl. 

8. Add your teriyaki sauce and mix well. 

9. Sprinkle some sesame seeds for garnish!