Roasted Summer Squash

Now that it is getting much warmer, fresh produce is in abundance! I went to the farmer's market and got some lovely local summer squash, super inexpensive. My favorite way to eat my veggies is roasted - a little seasoning and let them come to life on their own. I love to taste my food, not mask it. It is a very simple recipe with ingredients most people have on hand. 

Roasted Summer Squash

Cook Time: <30 mins @ 425F
Prep Time: <10 mins
Serves: 4


Ingredients:

• 3-4 large summer squash, sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl toss the squash with the rest of the ingredients. Coat well with the oil and spices. Place in the oven for about 25-30 mins. Stir the squash half way through the cooking process. Try not to over cook, as it can dry out. Serve immediately.

Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato & Feta Stuffed Chicken

With a little bit of assembly, you can transform bland chicken breasts into a main dish that is elegant and simple to make. I love the combination of spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and feta! They work so well together. Especially when warmed. If you have picky eaters in your house, this is a great way to sneak in a little green in without it being overwhelming.

I don't usually add salt to this recipe because of the Parmigiano and the Feta, which are both salty, but if you enjoy it saltier, then add some to taste. Same goes for the cayenne. I enjoy my food with a little kick, but it can easily be omitted.

As for dietary restrictions, you can omit the cheese in this recipe and substitute the feta for a tsp or so of vegenaise or mayonnaise to give it a little creaminess. Also subbing the bread crumbs for gluten-free bread crumbs is doable as well. You can make your own by putting 2 stale slices of gluten free bread in a food processor and process until you've got bread crumbs. If you make your own bread crumbs, make sure the bread it stale or slightly toasted because the moisture will make it difficult to achieve crumb consistency. 

Spinach, Sun-dried Tomato and Feta Stuffed Chicken

Cook Time: 40 minutes @ 350 degrees

Prep Time: <15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded out to about 1/4 in thickness
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (gluten-free breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 tsp of pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• cayenne pepper to taste(optional)
• salt to taste (optional)
• 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (hydrated or jarred)
• Oil Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a large rimmed cookie sheet or oven safe baking dish with olive oil or oil spray of choice. Set aside.

Prep a flat surface with either parchment paper or use a cutting board (this is where you will construct the stuffed chicken). Place one thinly pounded chicken breast on the surface (salt and pepper the chicken, if you'd like). Place about 6-8 leaves of spinach on one side of the chicken breast and 1-2 pieces of sun-dried tomato. Then sprinkle about 2 Tbsp of feta cheese on top. Grab the side that you have the filling on and start to roll towards the other side. You should be able to complete one whole roll. Keep seam side down (secure with toothpick if you'd like). Repeat these steps with the remaining chicken breast.

In a shallow bowl, beat the egg whites until well combined and slightly frothy.

In another shallow bowl combine bread crumbs, pepper, parsley, Parmigiano, cayenne and salt.

Now let's bread the chicken! Take the whole roll and dip into the egg white mixture. Let the excess liquid drip off, then place in the breading mixture bowl and coat the entire outside with the bread crumbs. Place the breaded chicken breast on the cookie sheet and repeat these steps with the other stuffed chicken breasts.

Next, spray the tops of the breaded chicken breasts with a little oil spray and place in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the until temperature reads 165 degrees. Serve and enjoy!

Chocolaty Avocado Brownies

So I found this recipe on Pinterest and had to try it out! I modified a few things to my liking and found them to be pretty good. Not too sweet, dense and very chocolaty. They are super moist as well. Who would have thought to use avocados in a brownie recipe? I sure was surprised and not a lot of things surprise me in food world. I will be making these again but I think next time I'm going to make them into cupcakes...


These brownies are practically guilt free! Avocados are an amazing fruit that we all could benefit from. A healthy fat. And yes, fat is good! Fat is very good. It is essential. Avocados provide a great source of vitamin B, folic acid, fiber and vitamin E - all of which, every pregnant woman (and every person) should be getting plenty of. 


I used Frontier organic cocoa powder and whole wheat pastry flour, which is much lighter then whole wheat flour. I used an 8 x 8 pan because I couldn't find my loaf pan, but the original recipe uses a loaf pan and bakes longer.  I have featured my picture as well as the original recipe's picture. Man I got to work on better food pics! 

Chocolaty Avocado Brownies

Cook Time: 20-25 mins @ 350F
Prep Time: < 10 mins
Serves: 12


Ingredients:

• 3 ripe small avocados
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp freshly brewed espresso, room temp
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish with a little coconut oil. In a large bowl, mash the avocados until smooth. Add the sugar and by hand, mix to incorporate. Add eggs, vanilla extract & coffee. Gently mix everything. In a separate medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients: cocoa powder, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, salt & baking powder. Add dry ingredient into wet ingredients. Gently stir just till it combines. Do not over-mix (as it can make the brownies tough). This batter will be thick! Transfer batter into baking dish.  Spread batter evenly toward the edges of pan. Bake for 20-25 mins or until the middle is set. Once cooled, cut into desired sized squares. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from Kiran Tarun (and picture #2)