Ari, Author at Ari's Menu

Tart Cherry Margaritas

April 30, 2015 · by Ari ·

Tons of fresh flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness, tart cherry margaritas will disappear in minutes at any gathering.

Maaaar-gaaaaa-riiiiiitas! Only, like, the very best margaritas I have ever had in my entire life. And I do not use the words “very best” lightly I have had, and made, some bomb margaritas (does anyone still say bomb anymore?), but these babies take the cake.

I made an entire pitcher–like HUGE pitcher–for friends and family and literally the entire thing was gone in approximately 90 minutes. Even my friends who rarely drink kept going back for more, and I had to cut Steve off so there would be enough left for our guests. Not that I blame him though…I was equally obsessed.

I like a margarita where I can taste my tequila. I love a hint of sweetness, but I hate those margs that taste like pure sweet and sour mix. Ummm…gross. These are sweetened by with a little simple syrup. I use sugar, but you could always use agave to keep it naturally sweetened. The tart cherry juice and sour lime give it a little bite that you’d expect from a great margarita.

With just 5 ingredients and a big, bold taste, these will quickly become your favorite margarita, just like it has for me!

Tart Cherry Margaritas

Recipe Type: Drinks

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 12

Tons of fresh flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness, tart cherry margaritas will disappear in minutes at any gathering.

Ingredients

For the simple syrup:
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
For the margaritas:
3 cups 100% tart cherry juice
2 cups fresh lime juice (I used about 15 limes)
2 1/2 cups tequila
1/2 cup triple sec
simple syrup

Instructions

To make the simple syrup, heat water and sugar in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
To make the margaritas, gently stir all ingredients together in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Banana Bread Smoothie

April 26, 2015 · by Ari ·

This thick and creamy banana bread smoothie tastes like a milkshake, but it’s naturally light, vegan and gluten-free.

Summer is coming. I know those of you that don’t live in Arizona are super excited that it’s finally Spring but, here in Phoenix, it’s been Spring since about November and the summer temps are taunting us. In fact, next week it’s already supposed to hit 100 degrees. Wahhhhh.

This will be the first summer in a long time that I’m not training for a marathon (I trained for the New York marathon 3 years in a row and finally crossed the finish line last year!), but it will also be the first summer in an even longer time that I am staying in Phoenix almost the entire summer. I’m kind of terrified. And even though I’m not training for a marathon, I do have to keep training for the Bourbon Chase which means 90 degree runs at 4am and plenty of ice cold smoothies immediately to follow.

I have a confession: I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m not into protein powder. I know most of the healthy living community likes to put protein powder in their smoothies, but I just prefer to get my protein from foods that already contain it. The cup of Silk soy milk I used in this recipe has 8 grams of plant based protein, and often times I’ll beef that up with some nonfat plain Greek yogurt, but this recipe is so smooth and creamy without it, plus I wanted to keep it vegan and dairy free.

You can get an extra protein boost from lots of soy products–tofu, edamame and more will bulk up the protein in your diet. And this smoothie? You will fall in love with how creamy, dreamy and delicious it is. The oats and frozen banana give it the flavor of freshly baked banana bread, and the dates add a little extra sweetness naturally.

Banana Bread Smoothie

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

This thick and creamy banana bread smoothie tastes like a milkshake, but it’s naturally light, vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 cup Silk soy milk (I used light vanilla)
2 dates, pitted
1 banana, peeled and frozen
1/4 cup oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
1 cup ice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Soak dates in soy milk covered in your refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Blend all ingredients in a high quality blender until smooth. If smoothie is too thick, add a little more soy milk. Drink immediately.

Make sure to check out Silk’s website to get a coupon and fall back in love with soy yourself!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

April 16, 2015 · by Ari ·

Fast, easy and cheesy chicken enchilada casserole has all your favorite flavors, but no rolling and stuffing–just stack and bake. It doesn’t get much simpler or much more delicious!

I never realized my Mexican food obsession was even a thing for most of my life. I live in Arizona. Mexican food is basically just food. Not to mention that most Mexican dishes include my favorite food group: CHEESE!

Did I ever tell you about in my “before” days I would go out to eat and then when I’d get full, I would pick all of the cheese off of my dish and leave the rest? I’m pretty sure it was something like #20 in this article. PS: I laughed out loud for so long. Maybe my favorite BuzzFeed article ever?

Anyway, I love enchiladas, but every time I make them, the rolling takes me forevvveeerrrrr, and then they never stay, and I just end up eating a mess of enchilada filling rather than actual enchiladas. So this time I took a different approach and stacked it all up. It stayed together perfectly. I don’t know if I will ever make regular enchiladas again.

This is like you ordered enchiladas, then mixed your whole plate of enchiladas and beans together making it even more awesome, and with practically no work!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Recipe Type: Entree

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 9-12

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (I used [url href=”http://arismenu.com/green-chile-enchilada-sauce/” target=”_blank”]this one[/url], but green or red will work)
6 small corn tortillas
1 (14.5 ounce) can fat free re-fried beans, heated
1/2 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever you like)
fresh cilantro, optional
thinly sliced green onions, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9″ square pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine shredded chicken with 2 cups enchilada sauce. Line the bottom of prepared 9″ pan with 3 tortillas, then add half the beans and half the chicken and enchilada sauce mixture. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beans and chicken. Add remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on top, then top with shredded cheese.
Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro and green onions if desired. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

March 22, 2015 · by Ari ·

Ultra soft and tender carrot cake cupcakes with light and fluffy cream cheese frosting are the perfect spring dessert. So delicious no one will know they’re lightened up and gluten-free!

Can we just live in a world where anything that has a vegetable is automatically healthy? Like, can these be the side veggie side dish for my grilled chicken? Or zucchini bread. Or I’d even settle for throwing some spinach in my milkshake. That constitutes a green smoothie, right??

Okay, so maybe these aren’t quite as healthy as snacking on baby carrots, but sometimes you just need your veggies in the form of a giant, ridiculously good cupcake. And today is one of those days. I’ve been working an absolutely insane amount (which is so worth it because it’s leading to GREAT things that I can’t wait to share!) and pretty much living off canned soup and cheese toast. I am the model of healthy living over here. I miss vegetables, and at the same time I have the overwhelming urge to stress eat about a dozen cupcakes, so I’m pretty sure carrot cake is the perfect solution.

I’ve always been a huge fan of carrot cake (except when it has nuts–no thank you), and I’ve tried a couple of times to make carrot cake cupcakes, but they always ended up as a bust. Especially the time I tried to stuff them with whipped coconut cream and they ended up a soggy mess. That was fun. Finally, I decided to stick to a more traditional version, and they ended up being everything I wanted and more! So flavorful, so tender, and better than any carrot cake I have ever tasted. I seriously couldn’t get enough of them, and they are hands down one of my all time favorite desserts.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 1 dozen

Ultra soft and tender carrot cake cupcakes with light and fluffy cream cheese frosting are the perfect spring dessert. So delicious no one will know they’re lightened up and gluten-free!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups [url href=”http://arismenu.com/gluten-free-baking-blend” target=”_blank”]gluten-free baking blend[/url] (or white whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 pound carrots, grated
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
½ cup butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, egg and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in grated carrot.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full with batter. Bake until edges lightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.
To make frosting, beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Add vanilla and continue to beat until everything is smooth and incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Frost completely cooled cupcakes. Serve immediately or store refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

March 16, 2015 · by Ari ·

Whether it’s breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast, these perfectly roasted breakfast stuffed sweet potatoes filled with drippy eggs, crispy bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup are sure to impress!

Okay so don’t think I’m weird because I love maple syrup on my bacon and eggs. My favorite thing is a stack of fluffy pancakes with drippy eggs, crispy bacon and real maple syrup. The sweet and salty together…sooo good.

My other favorite thing? Stuffed sweet potatoes. Obviously. And what better to stuff them with when ya want something a little different than some protein-packed eggs? I love eggs. They are pretty much the cheapest and easiest way to instantly bulk up the protein in any dish.

For this dish, I used more of my Eggland’s Best eggs. I’m super into them. Compared to regular eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs have 25% less saturated fat, 1o x more vitamin E, 4 x more vitamin D and 3 x more vitamin B12. Whoa! For more information on their nutrition, check out their nutrition info. I’m sold!

I usually eat this as breakfast for dinner, but it totally works as a super filling breakfast–especially if you roast the sweet potatoes and cook your bacon ahead of time. With just a handful of ingredients, it’s naturally paleo, gluten-free and dairy-free. And the perfect bite of sweet and salty deliciousness.

Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Recipe Type: Entree

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse sea salt
3 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 eggs, cooked to your liking (I did over medium)
pure maple syrup for drizzling, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Use a fork to poke several holes into sweet potatoes. Brush each sweet potato with approx 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle to coat lightly with sea salt. Roast until fork tender (meaning a fork easily slides right into the sweet potato), about 45-60 minutes depending on size of your potatoes.
Once your potatoes have cooked, cook up your eggs. Slice cooked sweet potatoes down the middle leaving about an inch uncut. Stuff each potato with 2 eggs and a generous pinch of crumbled bacon. Drizzle with maple syrup of desired (you only need a small amount) and serve immediately

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Eggland’s Best.

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

March 4, 2015 · by Ari ·

Ultra soft cinnamon streusel muffins are packed with cinnamon and brown sugar flavor with the perfect, tender crumb and delicious cinnamon oat streusel topping. Vegan & gluten-free.

These little gems. Aren’t they adorable? Little 2-3 bite cinnamon goodness that I am totally, ridiculously obsessed with. So obsessed that I moved them to the front of the line, past all of the recipes I made before them because I just couldn’t wait to share them with you.

I’ve had my mind on these babies for a long time. Cinnamon sugar muffins with coconut oil. So simple. So necessary.

Most cinnamon sugar muffins are coated with butter then dipped in cinnamon sugar after baking, but I went with this streusel because that seemed like more fun. And I’m sure it probably isn’t, but it just seemed healthier than dipping them in butter. Let’s forget about the 3 tablespoons of oil in the streusel topping…

In the batter I used half coconut oil and half applesauce to keep them ultra soft, but still cut down a little on calories. I used almond milk and a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar to be my make-shift buttermilk. I looooove buttermilk muffins, but I rarely keep it on hand, so this is the perfect option, plus it keeps it vegan/dairy-free, if that’s important to you. If not, you can totally use buttermilk, or do the same trick with whatever milk you have on hand.

These little guys are so ridiculously tender with a perfectly soft crumb, I promise you will never have a clue they are lightened up. In fact, I brought them to a party over the weekend, and as I was leaving, my running coach told me that she was giving everyone else the food they brought to take the leftovers home, but only 4 muffins were left and she was keeping them! I also had someone ask me for the recipe before I even left. They are pretty special. 🙂

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Recipe Type: Breakfast

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 30 mini muffins

Ultra soft cinnamon streusel muffins are packed with cinnamon and brown sugar flavor with the perfect, tender crumb and delicious cinnamon oat streusel topping. Vegan & gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups [url href=”http://arismenu.com/gluten-free-baking-blend”]gluten free baking blend[/url] (or white whole wheat flour)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the cinnamon streusel:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
heaping 1/3 cup quick cook oats (used certified GF if necessary)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray or line with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Measure out almond milk and add apple cider vinegar. Gently stir together. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together melted applesauce, coconut oil and sugars until well combined. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by almond milk mixture, then remaining flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until they are fully combined and have a slightly crumbly texture. If mixture is too wet, add more oats.
Fill muffin tins 2/3 full with batter–you should get about 30 mini muffins, or a dozen full size. Evenly divide streusel topping over batter, about a generous pinch per mini muffin. Bake until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 10 minutes.
Cool completely before removing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Crockpot Raspberry Chipotle Chicken

March 2, 2015 · by Ari ·

Crockpot raspberry chipotle chicken is the perfect juicy, tender shredded chicken that’s lightly sweet with a spicy kick! Just 3 ingredients and no prep time make it so fast and easy! Great for salads, sandwiches, or a fork.

One of my favorite meal prep options is crockpot shredded chicken. Almost every week I make some variety of chicken in the crockpot to bring for lunches, and somehow I’m still not sick of it. Probably because I’m always changing it up and trying new things, but I have to tell you this was one of my favorites.

One of my favorite lunch spots is Costa Vita because they have this amaaaaazing raspberry chipotle chicken salad. I love the sweet and spicy combination and raspberry and chipotle just go together like pb&j.

This is a great meal prep option because you can use it so many different ways–you don’t just eat the same thing day after day. I suggest making sandwiches, a taco-type salad, and maybe even stuffing a spaghetti squash! Although, I have to admit, I ate the majority with just a fork. 😉

Crockpot Raspberry Chipotle Chicken

Recipe Type: Entree

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 hours

Total time: 5 hours 5 mins

Serves: 10-12

Crockpot raspberry chipotle chicken is the perfect juicy, tender shredded chicken that’s lightly sweet with a spicy kick! Great for salads, sandwiches, or a fork!

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts
1 x 7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup raspberry jam

Instructions

Layer chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Cover with chipotle peppers (and sauce) and raspberry jam. Cook on low for 5 hours. Shred chicken and stir into sauce. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Paleo Banana Bread

February 25, 2015 · by Ari ·

Perfectly soft and tender paleo banana bread sweetened with maple syrup and made with wholesome ingredients, but it tastes just like the classic treat!

How do you like your bananas? I used to love mine when they got the perfectly speckled with little brown dots–you know soft and sweet, but not mushy? Not a hint of green on them. Then when I started eating them before running, something changed and as soon as they got the slightest bit of brown I was done for, and I had to wait for them to get even more ripe and make them into banana bread. That’s when I started making a lot of banana bread.

And somehow I still always end up with unused bananas, so like once a week I end up telling myself I’m going to make banana bread. Usually I forget until the bananas are too far gone, but this batch was so freaking easy to whip up, and it might be the softest banana bread, like, ever.

My friend Lisa was coming over for dinner, and she told me she was eating paleo, so when she arrived I told her I made her a paleo dessert, which I don’t think she even knew could exist because she was like “HOW????” I am pretty set against following specific diets for myself, but I love experimenting with all sorts, and I really do believe that no matter how you’re eating, you can still enjoy delicious treats. Although I have to admit I did get real tired of ricotta cheese with splenda during those awful South Beach days…

Anyway, this banana bread is nothing like that. It is sweetened with maple syrup (which makes everything better, IMO), and it’s made with almond meal. If you haven’t used almond meal for baking yet, you haaaaave to try it. Everything turns out so soft and tender–it’s AWESOME! Between the bananas and the almond meal, it doesn’t need a drop of oil or butter. Just a handful of ingredients you probably already have on hand and you’re good to go!

Paleo Banana Bread

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 12

Perfectly soft and tender paleo banana bread sweetened with maple syrup and made with wholesome ingredients, but it tastes just like the classic treat!

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas
2 cups almond meal
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl mash bananas. Stir in all remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth and combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake until edges are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 30-40 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.

Gluten-Free Pizza at Pizza Hut!

February 23, 2015 · by Ari ·

You guys, I am so excited!!!! As much as I am passionate about healthy living and making the most of my own food, I think we can all agree that sometimes you just need a night at home with sweat pants, Netflix, and pizza. Ever since I started eating gluten-free, pizza has been one of the only things I have truly missed. In fact, Steve and I have been on the hunt for good gluten-free pizza for a good year now. Luckily, we do have a great food scene in Phoenix and we’ve found some great places, but delivery pizza has still been the one thing I felt like I couldn’t do and, let me tell ya, when you work with kids, you end up out of luck a lot if you don’t eat pizza. It’s the easy thing to do when you’re in a group, and everyone loves pizza! I was super stoked when I found out that Pizza Hut® is now offering a “Gluten-Free Pizza” option, and I was even more excited when I found out they had partnered with Udi’s® certified gluten-free crust! Udi’s is definitely my go-to for the best gluten-free products, and I knew the pizza would not disappoint! They offer a cheese-only and pepperoni option, or you can choose the “create your own” option, which is what I did. I added chicken and swapped the traditional marinara sauce for buffalo to replicate a buffalo chicken pizza and it was delicious! Just a side note — the buffalo sauce is not stored in the designated gluten-free container and is not typically allowed on the gluten-free crust for this reason. Pizza Hut has even partnered with the Gluten Intolerance Group to work on the process of preparing the pizza. Only the cheese-only and pepperoni are GIG certified, so be sure to notify them when you order if you have an intolerance so they can take all the proper precautions. Pizzas start at just $9.99 and you can find a list of locations carrying the gluten-free crust here. Aaaaaand SheKnows is offering a $100 gift card to one lucky reader! Just leave a comment below telling me what your favorite kind of pizza is to be entered for a chance to win!

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German Chocolate Cheesecake

February 22, 2015 · by Ari ·

Rich, velvety German chocolate cheesecake with toasted coconut and a crumbly chocolate cookie crust drizzled with even more chocolate. A chocolate and coconut lover’s dream.

Okay, so I’ve kinda been holding out on you. I’ve been needing to share this cheesecake with you for literally months. The first time I made it was for my brother’s birthday last year, and it was such a hit that I made it again for Father’s Day just a month and a half later. I bake so much that my family has never asked for a repeat so quickly, and they are still talking about it.

Once I sliced it up over at my mom’s house, I was totally kicking myself for not getting a photo of it that way. Each slice was picture perfect, but it wasn’t for me, so I left the whole thing in tact. First world food blogger problems.

When I saw that this month’s theme for The Recipe ReDux was chocolate pairings, I had the harrrrrdesttt time choosing what I wanted to do. My brain was like “DUHHH! PEANUT BUTTER”, but then it was like… “Uggghhhh everyone does chocolate and peanut butter. Chocolate and peppermint! Noooo, that’s for Christmas time. CHOCOLATE AND SALT!!!” But then all I wanted to do was take a photo of my favorite salted dark chocolate bar (which was probably gone by then anyway…let’s be honest), so I went with the long forgotten middle child–COCONUT!

Why does coconut always get forgotten? Mounds? Almond Joy? Does anyone else love them as much as I do??? And these coconut mocha brownies? Ridiculous. But I have to admit, I think this cheesecake is even better.

It all starts with a crumbly oreo cookie crust, then creamy German chocolate cheesecake, topped with the creamiest coconut topping, more chocolate and extra toasted coconut for good measure. You can add nuts to the topping if you’d like, but I don’t dig nuts in my desserts. Just chocolate and coconut for me, thanks!

German Chocolate Cheesecake

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 12

Rich, velvety German chocolate cheesecake with toasted coconut and a crumbly chocolate cookie crust drizzled with even more chocolate. A chocolate and coconut lover’s dream.

Ingredients

For the crust:
12 ounces chocolate sandwich cookies (I used gluten-free)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
For the cheesecake:
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces fat free cream cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces dark chocolate (+ extra for drizzling later), melted and cooled (or milk chocolate or Baker’s German chocolate if you can find it!)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
For the coconut topping:
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon bourbon, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 10″ springform pan with nonstick spray. Wrap a layer of tinfoil tightly around the outside of the pan. Set aside.
To make the crust, pulse chocolate sandwich cookies in your food processor until they become fine crumbs. Stream in coconut oil. Press crust into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Bake until just set, about 7-10 minutes. Let cool.
To make the cheesecake beat cream cheese, melted chocolate and brown sugar together in a large bowl until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until just combined. Add vanilla and almond extracts and continue beating until no lumps remain, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
Pour cheesecake batter over crust. Place in a water bath (in a larger pan filled with 1-2″ water) and bake until fully set, 50-55 minutes. Cool for 30-60 minutes before adding topping.
To make coconut topping, combine shredded coconut, brown sugar, coconut oil and coconut milk in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Pour onto cooled cheesecake. Drizzle with extra melted chocolate and top with toasted coconut, if desired. Cover and chill in the refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Egg Salad with Bacon

February 18, 2015 · by Ari ·

Lightened up, protein packed egg salad with bacon is a delicious and easy recipe for a make ahead lunch, or a quick and simple dinner. Just a handful of ingredients and tons of flavor–you will never want to go back to regular egg salad again!

Okay, so I am a huge egg fan. Pretty much any way you can prepare them, and for any meal of the day, I’m game. They are such a great, inexpensive and healthy way to get protein, so when I got the opportunity to work with Eggland’s Best, I was immediately on board!

Compared to regular eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs have 25% less saturated fat, 1o x more vitamin E, 4 x more vitamin D and 3 x more vitamin B12. Whoa! For more information on their nutrition, check out their nutrition info.

I was super excited to find out they sell hardboiled eggs cooked and peeled. It made making this egg salad so easy. I often hard boil several eggs at once to keep them on hand, but when I’m in a time crunch, it’s great to have the option of having all of that done for me. Plus, boiling eggs is one of those simple things that I always manage to mess up.

To add even more protein to this egg salad (and cut some of the fat), I swapped most of the mayo with nonfat plain Greek yogurt. You can always use all Greek yogurt, but I find that the tiny bit of light mayo really does add to the flavor and makes it taste more like traditional egg salad.

A few weeks ago, I happened to have some left over cooked bacon lying around so I threw some on my egg salad sandwich. It.Was.Awesome. Like, I never want to eat my egg salad without it again. It’s one of those amazing secrets I almost wish I didn’t know, but now I know and there is no going back.

I also add a little Spike seasoning. My mom always put it in our egg salad growing up, and it’s an other one of those things that I just can’t do without. I literally use it on everything, but it is mandatory in my egg salad. Of course, you can replace it with whatever spices you like to keep on hand, but I recommend going with the Spike–you will thank me for sure! 🙂

Egg Salad with Bacon

Recipe Type: Entree

Author: Ari Ziskin

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 3

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped (I used [url href=”http://goo.gl/UxzOBz” target=”_blank”]Eggland’s Best[/url])
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon light mayo
light pinch salt
generous pinch pepper
generous pinch Spike seasoning (optional, but recommended)
4 slices center cut bacon, cooked and chopped

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Serve immediately on sandwiches/lettuce/etc., or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Eggland’s Best.

Boozy Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

February 9, 2015 · by Ari ·

Rich, creamy and boozy red velvet hot chocolate made with cream cheese and almond milk for an ultra creamy texture combined with white and dark chocolate chips and cake flavored vodka.

You guys, you guys, you guys, youuuu guuuuyyyysss! I am so excited I’m about to burst! Today we’re throwing a virtual baby shower for my BBFF (best blog friend forever…yup, we’re nerdy) Nicole from The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie. I cannot believe that within the next month Nicole will have a tiny human, and I will have to stop referring to him/her as White Baby. I’m a little sad about that.

Surrrrprise Nicole! It’s your party! Whenever I think of Nicole’s blog and her favorite foods, I think about pizza, brownies and drinks. So today all of the recipes will be just that–pizza, brownies and booze! I had grand plans for this super amazing infusion I wanted to create, but I couldn’t find all the ingredients I needed, so I went with plan B, and I can’t say I’m disappointed. 😉

This hot chocolate is totally over the top rich and creamy thanks to the cream cheese. I used a combination of white and dark chocolate chips to get the traditional vanilla and chocolate flavor of red velvet. If you have any buttermilk on hand, you can also add a tablespoon or two, but I didn’t and I didn’t want to get a whole container just for a few tablespoons, ya know?

So make sure as you sip on your boozy red velvet hot chocolate, that you head over and give Nicole some love and congratulations for growing a whole human! Also, I put together a little list of my 5 favorite recipes that I’ve tasted from her. It was so freaking hard because I seriously love everything she makes, but I’d start with her Bacon Infused Bourbon, DIY Pumpkin Pie Vodka, Mexican Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Ultimate Candy Bar Brownies, and Red Velvet Ice Cream.

Boozy Red Velvet Hot Chocolate

Recipe Type: Drinks

Author: Ari Ziskin

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 3

Rich, creamy and boozy red velvet hot chocolate made with cream cheese and almond milk for an ultra creamy texture combined with white and dark chocolate chips and cake flavored vodka.

Ingredients

3 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
3-4 shots cake flavored vodka (depending how strong you want it)
whipped cream for topping

Instructions

Heat almond milk, cream cheese, and white and dark chocolate chips in a medium sauce pan over medium heat whisking constantly until all ingredients are melted and mostly combined. The cream cheese may separate a little bit–the next step will fix this.
Transfer liquid to a blender and blend until frothy and combined. Pour back into sauce pan and over low heat, whisk in vanilla, food coloring and vodka. Serve immediately topped with whipped cream.

Notes

*If you’d like, add 1-2 tablespoons buttermilk. This will give you even more of the red velvet flavor, but it is not required if you don’t have it on hand.[br]**A cake vodka whipped cream or a cream cheese whipped cream take this to the next level!

Make sure to check out the rest of the links from this virtual shower!

Boozy Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from Ari’s Menu
Boozy Iced Coffee from The Wanderlust Kitchen
Coconut Oil Brownies from Handle the Heat
Raspberry Lemonade Champagne Punch from Eat. Drink. Love.
Chocolate Cherry Brownies from Savvy Eats
Four Cheese Pizza with Sausage and Peppers from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Crab Rangoon Pizza from Mollie’s Sprinkles of Life
Grapefruit Chia Seed Cocktail from Peace Love and Oats
White Pizza with Bacon, Basil & Tomatoes from Eating Bender

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