dinner Archives - Page 3 of 5

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

May 19, 2013 · by Ari ·

My mind has officially checked out into summer vacation land. Technically, I have 2 more days of classes before it becomes official, but mentally I am….so….there. And let’s face it, I’ve been there for a couple of weeks now.

There is something about summer when you work on the school calendar. I still work hard over the summer, but it all seems like so much FUN. Maybe it’s knowing it’s all only temporary, and eventually you will all go back to “real life”, but I just love it. Despite the hear here in Phoenix, it’s probably my favorite time of year.

It seems like no matter what I have on my meal plan these days, nothing sounds better than grilling up some burgers and eating dinner by the pool. It just makes my heart happy. Not to mention the flavor combinations for burgers are pretty much endless, leaving you with burger after burger recipe. Sorry I’m not sorry.

I do have a pretty sweet side dish coming your way later this week that you can eat along side these burgers during your Memorial Day festivities.

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 burgers

Serving Size: 1 burger

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

Simple and easy spicy chipotle cheeseburgers are a perfect way to kick up your summer grilling!

Ingredients

For the burgers:

1 lb 96% lean ground beef (or lean ground turkey)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
pinch salt

For the creamy chipotle spread:

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

Toppings/to put together the burger:

Whole grain buns (whole wheat, brown rice, etc.)
Sliced roma tomato
Lettuce
Extra sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

To make the burgers, combine beef, chopped chipotle pepper and salt in a large bowl. Create 4 evenly sized patties. Gently press each patty down in the center with your thumb to create an indent--this promotes even cooking. Grill to desired doneness, about 4-5 minutes per side.
To make the sauce, blend Greek yogurt and chipotle pepper in a food processor or blender until well combined.
To assemble burgers, spread sauce onto the top side of the bun. Top bottom half with lettuce, burger, cheese and tomato slices (or whatever you'd like--it's your burger!) and finish off with the top half of the bun. Serve immediately. Leftover meat patties can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

https://arismenu.com/spicy-chipotle-cheeseburgers/

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

May 1, 2013 · by Ari ·

Healthy, vegan, gluten-free and full of flavor, these sun-dried tomato & basil white bean burgers taste like pizza in a burger! So delicious even meat eaters will crave them.

You guys, it is suddenly HOT here in Phoenix. Like, over 100* and I’m wondering what the H happened to spring, and I want a do-over kind of hot. Gross.

Somehow I have all these fond memories of last summer feeling all “I love summer! Summer is awesome!” mixed in with “Why did I ever make the CHOICE to run when it is 100* at 5am?!?! *&$#*&!!!”

Oh yeah, it’s because summer means swimming and barbecuing and an excuse to eat burgers every single night while you lounge by the pool with a margarita in hand. Now that sounds like something I remember loving.

Well it’s only the beginning of May, and since the temps began to sore, I have made an embarrassing amount of burgers. Like, you will probably get tired of my 9 billion burger recipes by mid June, but I just can’t stop.

I end up making a lot of meat for dinner because, well, I live with a boy, and most boys love meat. Most boys probably also don’t prefer being called “boys” when they over over 30 years old, but that’s neither here nor there… Anyway, my husband is so lucky because I make him lots of meat, but every now and then I fool him by saying I’m making “burgers” and then I serve him something like this. And he can’t lie about how much he loves it because his plate is clean in about 4 seconds.

I actually made these for 3 of my favorite meat lovin’ boys to rave reviews! It almost tastes like pizza in a burger. The unmistakable sun-dried tomatoes give tons of flavor to the beans, and the basil adds a perfectly light freshness. I actually thought these were going to be a disaster. I kept staring at them thinking “They look soooo dry! What did I do wrong???” But looks can be deceiving because the texture was spot on–slightly crispy on the outside, and perfectly tender and that word that I hate (you know the one) on the inside.

I topped mine with fresh greens, sliced tomatoes, pesto and a little fresh mozzarella cheese. Obviously if you’re vegan, you’ll want to leave off the pesto and cheese, or find a vegan variety. I could have lived without the cheese, but the pesto definitely adds a special something, so I highly recommend finding one within your eating preferences.

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 burgers

Serving Size: 1 burger

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers

Healthy, vegan, gluten-free and full of flavor, these sun-dried tomato & basil white bean burgers taste like pizza in a burger! So delicious even meat eaters will crave them.

Ingredients

2 cans white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (from a bottle packed in olive oil), patted dry
4-5 medium basil leaves
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/3 cup almond meal
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Place about 3/4 of the beans (eyeball it), onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper in your food processor. Blend for 30-45 seconds until combined. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir in almond meal and remaining beans.
Heat olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Form mixture into 6 patties and carefully transfer to the skillet. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the bottom is browned and set. Very carefully flip and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes until the opposite side is browned and set as well. Serve immediately, or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/sun-dried-tomato-basil-white-bean-burgers-vegan-gluten-free/

“Spaghetti” & Meatballs {gluten-free}

April 29, 2013 · by Ari ·

So, we all know by now that I have a slight obsession with spaghetti squash. The truth is, I probably won’t give it up until I have created every noodle-y dish known to man using this fabulous vegetable. And even then, I will probably go back to the beginning and make them all again, because it just never.gets.old.

I was raised on Italian food. My dad doesn’t cook and he loves pasta, so it was normal for us to go out to fancy Italian dinners multiple nights per week. Sure, there are some healthy options when you go to an Italian restaurant, but let’s be honest–we really want pasta. All of the pasta. And then more pasta.

Well, you guys know I AM ALL ABOUT THE SAUCE. Pasta is a vehicle. A mostly tasteless way to get to some alfredo sauce or spicy marinara. Or pesto. Or…MEATBALLS.

Honestly, when you have huge delicious meatballs, do you even need spaghetti??? Well, I like a side of spaghetti with my meatballs. A nice side of spaghetti squash to hold onto some sauce, give me some texture, and fill out the rest of my bowl because, let’s be honest, I am always looking for the maximum amount of food possible, and veggies are the way to get there. Bonus points for them being better than “real” pasta.

OMG and can we talk about these meatballs???? They are ridiculous. I’d actually never made meatballs before, but I went with a combination of spicy turkey sausage and lean ground turkey. I added some chopped garlic, some onions to keep them juicy, and some oats to help keep them together. Fun fact–did you know you can sub oats for breadcrumbs in recipes like meatballs and meatloaf? I always do, and it always comes out great!

Sometimes using lean turkey can cause dishes to come out dry, but between the turkey sausage and the onions (my friend Kristi gave me the onion tip!), these meatballs were perfectly juicy and tender.

“Spaghetti” & Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

The classic comfort of spaghetti and meatballs with a lightened up, gluten-free and grain-free twist. Served with spicy Italian meatballs and spicy marinara sauce.

Ingredients

For the spaghetti squash:

1 large spaghetti squash, halved
2 tsp olive oil
pinch each salt and pepper

For the meatballs:

1 lb lean ground turkey (93% or higher)
1 lb spicy turkey sausage
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg. lightly beaten
1/2 cup oats (use gluten-free if that's important to you)
1 tsp Italian seasonings (preferably homemade)
small pinch cayenne pepper

For the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
2 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less depending on desired spiciness)
pinch each salt and pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions

To make the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 400. Scrape the seeds and stringy center from the spaghetti squash. Drizzle each half with 1 tsp olive oil. Use your fingers to rub oil into squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lay each half face down in a large baking dish and cook until tender, about an hour.
To make the meatballs, place a wire rack inside a large cookie sheet. Spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, gently combine all your meatball ingredients.. Do not over mix, just combine. Roll into approx 2" balls (or however large or small you like them). Transfer to prepared wire baking sheet. Bake at 400 (you can throw them in at the same time as your squash!) until cooked throughout, about 25 minutes.
To make the sauce sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbs olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add crushed tomato and remaining spices. When sauce starts to bubble, reduce heat to a simmer until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
To plate, scrape the insides of the spaghetti squash. The squash when fully cooked will come out easily in spaghetti-like noodles. Top with sauce and add meatballs. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

https://arismenu.com/spaghetti-meatballs-gluten-free/

Looking for more spaghetti squash recipes?

“Spaghetti” & Spicy Meat Sauce

Spaghetti Squash Boats

Skinnified “Fettucine” Alfredo

Noodleless Chicken “Pad” Thai

10 Minute Taco Salad

April 24, 2013 · by Ari ·

You know that go-to outfit that you can always count on when you don’t know what to wear? The one that always looks cute, is super comfortable, and always makes you feel like a million bucks? This salad is like that. Except, I wouldn’t wear it. That would be such a waste of so much deliciousness.

It doesn’t require much explanation. What I can tell you is I have made this more often than any other meal. Ever. I never thought to photograph and post it because it seems so simple and straight forward, but it’s easy to forget that it is those easy and straight forward recipes that I didn’t have back in the day, and those exact recipes that helped me finally be able to lose weight and kick my Taco Bell habit for good.

You can add/subtract whatever you want really. You can use a store bought taco seasoning or make your own, and you can include whichever fresh veggies make your heart happy. I always use romain hearts as the base for crunch, and add cucumber and tomatoes. A lot of times I add chopped carrots, and tons of extra cilantro. Some avocado pieces never hurt, either. Really, there’s no wrong way to make this salad.

Okay, there is ONE wrong way–inside a greasy, deep-fried taco shell. I mean, what is even the point of that thing??? Oh, and also, don’t omit the cinnamon. I know it sounds crazy, but it will take the flavor of your taco salad to the next level. It will become your taco salad secret weapon. Like a ninja. Okay, I’m done.

10 Minute Taco Salad

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

10 Minute Taco Salad

Ridiculously easy, healthy and delicious taco salad. My go-to meal that I continue to make over and over again.

Ingredients

1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
20 oz ground turkey breast (or 93% lean ground turkey, or 96% lean ground beef)
3 tbsp taco seasoning (preferably homemade, or at least reduced sodium variety)
pinch cinnamon
1/2-3/4 cup water
16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 romain hearts, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large or 2 persian cucumbers, sliced

Optional Toppings:

Reduced fat cheddar cheese
Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Fresh cilantro
Sliced avocado
Salsa

Instructions

Heat onion, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until turkey is fully browned. Add taco seasoning and cinnamon. Slowly add water until the meat has reached your desired level of liquid (some will cook out, so add a little more than you'd think). Increase heat to bring liquid to a light boil, then reduce to simmer.
Meanwhile, heat beans in a small sauce pan over medium heat until fully warmed.
Place chopped romain in large serving bowls. Layer with cooked meat, beans and fresh veggies. Add any desired toppings.

https://arismenu.com/10-minute-taco-salad/

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

April 18, 2013 · by Ari ·

Today I am going to tell you something so embarrassing. Like, I can’t even believe I’m going to tell you, but it’s just so embarrassingly funny that it would be wrong to not give you the opportunity to laugh at me.

Okay, first let me tell you that on Sunday morning I woke up and stretched in bed. All of the sudden my neck snapped, and the pain was immediate. I have barely been able to move my head since. I even called in sick to one of my jobs on Monday and I never call in sick. Anyway, I’ve been glued to the couch after making my way through every episode of How I Met Your Mother that Netflix has to offer, I found myself needing something to watch to ease the pain.

This is where things get ugly. You see, when I’m sick, I love mindless TV. I love that it keeps going and going. I love that I only have to tune in every now and then to understand what’s going on. And I love that I don’t have to use my brain. So this morning when I was deciding what was next while I waited for my stupid neck to heal (I’ve been blogging from the couch laying on my back with my laptop on me knees when I don’t absolutely have to be at work), I may have chosen the most embarrassing TV show ever.

Like, ever. So when Steve came home this afternoon from Landis (he just hangs out at the bike shop for no reason….), I quickly tried to turn off the TV so he wouldn’t see just how low I’d stooped. Then I tried to distract him by pretending to be interested in his trip to the bike shop, but it was no use.

Steve: Are you watching Dawson’s Creek???

Me: I don’t wanna talk about it….

Steve: Babe, I know you’ve been having a hard time (as he struggles to speek through his eruptive laughter)…. Well It would be worse if you were watching it on Hulu or something.

Me: I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!!!

Steve: Really?? REALLY?????

(He then gets out his laptop and attempts to post on facebook about me. I plead with him not to embarrass me on the internet–clearly, I’m fully capable of doing that myself…)

Me: (finally) I thought I should start at the beginning.

And that my friends is how ridiculously embarrassing I am. That pretty much sums up my life.

But you know what? Even when I can’t move, I can still make this ridiculously easy chicken salad. It was the first thing I made in days, and I was so thrilled to actually do something productive. I MADE FOOD!! For, like, the entire week! I don’t suck at life!!

One of my best healthy habits (when I actually do it) is making a bulk healthy meal on Sundays that I use for lunch for the entire week. The thing is–you actually have to make it, and you have to REALLY like it if you’re going to eat it all week long (I usually take myself out to Chipotle one of the days, because, I mean, COME ON!). This is what we call lazy woman’s “food prep”.

This chicken salad is so simple with only a handful of ingredients, and it comes together in minutes giving you an entire week’s worth of lunch in less time than it takes me to make breakfast in the morning. And, umm, I would TOTALLY eat this every day for the next 10 weeks. It is bold and flavorful with the curry seasoning, and has a spicy kick with sweet grapes and crunchy almonds and celery–it is perfection. You can eat it on lettuce, with a fork, on rice cakes, in a sandwich, in a Dr. Seuss book… It doesn’t matter how you eat it because, trust me, you will love it!

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

Healthy, bold, flavorful and protein-packed curried chicken salad in minutes with no mayo.

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tbsp curry seasoning
pinch garlic salt
pinch cayenne pepper
10-12 ounces cooked chicken, shredded (I use the meat from a whole rotisserie)
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
3/4 cup grapes, halved
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Instructions

To make the dressing, whisk together Greek yogurt, mustard and seasonings in a large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients and toss until combined. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/curried-chicken-salad/

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

April 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

Did I ever tell you about the time I gave up red meat? I was actually super strict about it for a couple of years. When I first started losing weight, it was one of those easy swaps that was easy to make, and for the most part, I still stick to lean poultry and fish, but I’m not so sure red meat deserves the bad rep it seems to get.

I had never even eaten skirt steak (to my knowledge), but we went out a couple of weeks ago for my step-dad’s birthday, and I ordered this salad with skirt steak and avocado. It had other things, but I can’t even tell you what they were. For me, it was all about the skirt steak and avocado.

It was so bold and flavorful that I immediately became obsessed with the idea of recreating my own at home. I’d also been dying to try a fruit salsa. A lot of people make them with strawberries, but I hate strawberries almost as much as I hate pineapple. I know, I’m so weird about the fruits I hate.

Anyway, I have a pretty serious blackberry obsession. Specifically blackberry jam on wheat toast with an egg white omelet whenever I go out to breakfast. Something about that perfect combination…I crave it. As soon as I sit down, I check to see if blackberry is in that little stack of jams. I’ve also recently put it in pancakes, muffins, and now….salsa. Weird, right?

If by weird you mean DELICIOUS, then yes. It’s totally weird. This is one of those instances where the flavors just magically work together. You can’t really explain it, it just works.

It was really easy to make. The longest part is marinating the steaks, but you just need to do it. You can totally do it in the morning before work, or even begin the night before, but the steak and the marinade need to become BFFs for at least an hour, preferably more. Give them time to fall deeply in love, which if you saw Les Mis, you will know it can happen unconvincingly after about 90 minutes of far more interesting exposition.

So, moral of the story: marinate your meat. Longer is better. In the end, the star is going to be the blackberry avocado salsa anyway. It’s sweet, citrusy, spicy and creamy from the avocado. It’s pretty much the thing dreams are made of.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: 6

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

Bold marinated and grilled skirt steaks topped with a sweet and spicy blackberry avocado salsa.

Ingredients

For the steak:

1 1/2 lbs skirt steak, fat trimmed as much as possible
1 cup red wine
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
heavy pinch each of salt and pepper

For the Blackberry Avocado Salsa:

12 oz blackberries, chopped
1 medium avocado, cubed
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 lime, zest and juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Instructions

Begin by making the steak marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together wine, garlic, worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Transfer with steaks to an airtight container. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover your steaks. If not, add extra red wine. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight.
To make the salsa, gently toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Do not over mix or you will lose the chunks of avocado. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Grill meat until desired doneness. I like mine medium and it took about 4 minutes per side. Serve topped with blackberry avocado salsa.

Notes

You may use any cut of steak (or any meat, or non meat) you like. The salsa would be great with a filet, or sea bass, or even over some cooked quinoa if you want to keep it vegetarian!

https://arismenu.com/grilled-skirt-steak-with-blackberry-avocado-salsa/

Chipotle Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

March 27, 2013 · by Ari ·

Sometimes I just really don’t want to make what I planned for dinner. Steve and I have been pretty good about meal planning. It gets me excited to cook dinner, keeps me from eating Chipotle for dinner every night of the week, and it’s a great opportunity to work through my recipe to do list, but sometimes I just really, really don’t want to make what I’m supposed to.

I usually use this as an excuse to go out to dinner. Steve is realllllly good about letting me. It goes something like this:

Me: Uggghhhh, I don’t want to cook. Can we just get sandwiches from Whole Foods? Or Chipotle? Again?

Steve: Sure. Put the dogs outside.

He is so agreeable that one. Sometimes I wish he’d be more of a jerk, and say something like “No B. Get in the kitchen and make my dinner!” Okay, actually I don’t wish he would say that. I wouldn’t mind being held a liiiiiittle more accountable though.

So this particular night, I was supposed to make lettuce wraps. It sounded good when I wrote it on the list. I took chicken out of the freezer to thaw for it, but the night came, and I was tired, and I just didn’t feel like going to the trouble of chopping things. I really wanted to go out instead, but I gave myself a little pep talk, and before I knew what I was actually making, I was butterflying some chicken and throwing things inside.

Excluding salt and pepper (which I don’t count as ingredients, because I think that’s silly), this recipe has a total of 3 ingredients, and an equal amount of steps to prepare it. I know a lot of people struggle with making healthy eating, especially weeknight dinners, easy and accessible.

In fact, my friend Meryl even asked me to create a space for simpler recipes on the blog where they’d be easier to find (I plan to).

I wasn’t sure how this chicken would turn out since, as I said, I didn’t actually plan any of it out. I happened to have some leftover chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from this recipe, and in my house, goat cheese goes makes everything better, so I stuck them inside the chicken and crossed my fingers.

If you want to make your life easier, browning the chicken is not mandatory, but I would highly recommend it. By giving the meat a quick sear to get it browned then transferring to the oven to cook all the way through, you get the best of both worlds–perfectly browned outside with the softest, juiciest, most tender chicken breast you will ever taste underneath.

The biggest complaints people have about chicken breast are that it’s boring and dry. This meal is neither of those things! The chipotle peppers give it a bold, spiciness, while the goat cheese adds a comforting creaminess, and the sear-then-bake method makes for anything but dry chicken!

Chipotle Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

yield 2 servings

2 medium chicken breasts
salt and pepper (a good pinch of each)
2-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (I used 4, and it was SPICY. Use less for a more mild taste.)
1 oz goat cheese, crumbled**

**If you’re looking for a dairy free option, try using half an avocado instead!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside. Season both sides of chicken with a hefty pinch each of salt and pepper. Butterfly each chicken breast and top with peppers and goat cheese. Fold chicken back over on top of fillings.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and coat with nonstick spray (or olive oil if you prefer). Once pan is hot, carefully add chicken and sear until browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip chicken to brown the other side, about an other 5 minutes.
Transfer chicken to prepared baking dish. Use a couple of toothpicks to secure the opening and keep the fillings inside. Bake in preheated oven until cooked throughout and juices run clear, about 15-20 minutes. Drizzle with extra adobo sauce if desired, and serve immediately.

Healthy Crockpot Orange Chicken

March 18, 2013 · by Ari ·

I thought I hated Chinese food. Like, the other night we had to go out for Chinese food for my brother’s birthday, and I was all bent out of shape about it. I told Steve that I hate Chinese food, and I was going to eat at home first. I’m a really pleasant human sometimes.

I guess it’s kinda like how I thought I hated Thai food. And vegetables. And tomatoes. I just decide I have an opinion about something, and I get all kinds of grumpy about it. In fact, sometimes I get worried that I am well on my way to becoming one of those grumpy old people.

As if aging isn’t bad enough, does grumpiness, and that whole being set in your ways business really have to come with it??? And while we’re on the subject, does anyone else absolutely freak out over the fact that the older we get, the closer we are to our lives ending without having the chance to do all the cool things we want to do?????

I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me. Too much real world. I need to go back to vacation. Sigh… Anyway, let’s stop talking about things that are depressing, and instead focus on my favorite subject. No, not me. Okay, my second favorite. 😉

I knew I was going somewhere with the whole Chinese food business. Turns out it’s delicious. I mean, orange chicken is about as Americanized as you get. It’s almost like calling Domino’s pizza Italian, but whatever. It’s delicious. And usually deep fried, and overly sticky sweet. I don’t like that kind of orange chicken. The kind you get at Panda Express? Ew, gross. I used to, but not the grease and stickiness make my mouth feel funny.

This orange chicken is sweetened with real orange juice and honey for a true orange flavor. It’s coated in flour, then browned on the stove top so that it can hold on to all of the delicious juice, then transfered to the crockpot where it cooks the rest of the way while you go about your day.

The flavors are bold and satisfying. It’s what you would imagine orange chicken to taste like if you had never tried the sticky fried version. So if you’re a lover of the Panda Express kind, it won’t be an exact match, but I promise you will still love it!

Healthy Crockpot Orange Chicken

adapted from Team T Adventures via Six Sisters Stuff

yield approx 6 servings

1-2 tsp coconut oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 tbsp whole grain flour of choice (whole wheat, brown rice, etc.)
4 large oranges
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp low sugar ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp sriracha (optional, but recommended)
brown rice and steamed broccoli for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Place flour in a large shallow bowl. Dredge cubed chicken in flour to coat then transfer to cooking pan. Brown chicken, then remove from heat. Don’t worry about fully cooking chicken–it will finish in the crock post. You want it just browned.
In a medium bowl, zest 2 oranges, then juice all 4. Add vinegar, ketchup, honey, and sriracha. Whisk together to combine.
Transfer cooked chicken and sauce to crockpot, and cook on low for 4:30-5 hours.
To serve, place cooked chicken on top of brown rice (or just on your plate), then spoon over an extra 1/4 cup or so of sauce–trust me, you’ll want extra! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

March 14, 2013 · by Ari ·

These healthy, vegan and gluten-free chipotle black bean burgers are so full of flavor they will knock the socks off any meat burger!

Do you guys have those foods that you ALWAYS order if they are on the menu? I sit down at a restaurant, scan the menu for goat cheese and sweet potatoes, and then if it’s a burger type place, I always look for a black bean burger.

I also spend lots of money on those frozen black bean burgers. I eat them as a burger, I crumble them up and put them on a salad. They are versatile, and delicious, but I much prefer to create my own food, and not spend tons of money of frozen goods.

I’ve been wanting to create my own black bean burgers for, well, ever. In fact, I honestly can’t believe I didn’t make them sooner. They were super simple, and the whole process only took about 30 minutes. Not to mention the batch makes several, so I was able to have them in salads and in my scrambled eggs (it was delicious) for almost a week.

The only tricky part is the flipping. Black bean burgers are very delicate, and if you flip too soon, or aren’t careful, you will end up with a big mess on your hands. I also had a lot of black bean mush left over. It took me a few times to get it right. I’m not the most patient person, and I didn’t even think to handle them with extra care. Once I did, they came out perfectly!

The secret ingredient (or not so secret since it’s in the title…) in these babies are the chipotles in adobo sauce. Would you believe I’ve never bought them/eaten them before? I see them in all sorts of recipes, and people are always raving about them, but for some reason, I had never used them. They added so much spice and flavor! I can’t wait to use them in 5 billion more recipes!

I topped mine with roasted red pepper (check out those char marks!! mmmmm) and fresh avocado slices. I love them with goat cheese too, but of course that makes it no longer vegan. The pan frying provides the perfect crispy outside, and soft, but not mushy inside. They are spicy and bold, and will easily become one of your go-to meals!

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

Yield: 6-8 burgers

Serving Size: 1 burger

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

These healthy, vegan and gluten-free chipotle black bean burgers are so full of flavor they will knock the socks off any meat burger!

Ingredients

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 teaspoons cumin
pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
handful fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/2 cup rolled oats (use gluten-free if that's important to you)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Place half the black beans, onion and garlic in your food processor. Blend for 20-30 seconds until combined. Add chipotle, cumin, salt, cornstarch, cilantro, and sriracha. Blend for an other 10-20 seconds. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir in oats and remaining black beans.
Heat olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Form mixture into patties and carefully transfer to the skillet. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until the bottom is browned and set. Very carefully flip and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes until the opposite side is browned and set as well. Serve immediately, or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/chipotle-black-bean-burgers-vegan-gluten-free/

Crispy Ranch Chicken Strips

March 8, 2013 · by Ari ·

I’m so excited to share this with you today. You see, I’ve been making this chicken for almost 4 years. It was one of the first healthy recipes I ever cooked!

I started making this chicken when no one else in my life was quite used to my new healthier habits. I had gone away to college weighing 23o lbs, eating fast food for every meal, and calling a pint of ice cream one night’s dessert. Of course everyone was happy for me, but it also takes some getting used to when someone comes back with such drastically altered priorities.

I made this recipe for Steve and some of our best friends before I even knew how to cook, but it was so easy and fool-proof that everyone loved it!

Ever since, it’s been Steve’s #1 favorite dish. He always requests it, and I continue to surprise him with it on special occasions. It’s always the simplest things that people seem to love the most. I love to over complicate things, but when it comes down to it, 90% of the time, simple ends up being the way to go.

I love this dish because anyone can make it. It doesn’t require a lot of prep work, or a long list of ingredients. It’s approachable, and it tastes like indulgent comfort food–crispy baked chicken, zesty ranch seasonings browned to perfection. It is one of those healthy meals that makes you love eating healthy, and shows just how easy it can be. If you can boil spaghetti, you can make this chicken. 😉

Crispy Ranch Chicken Strips

barely adapted from Spark People

yield 6 servings

1 and 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 egg whites, beaten
1 oz ranch seasoning (store bought or homemade)
2 cups crispy brown rice cereal
1/4 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Place a cooling rack inside of a large baking sheet. Line with tinfoil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Place beaten egg whites in a shallow bowl. In a large separate shallow bowl, combine ranch seasoning, cereal and cheese.
Dip each chicken strip in egg whites, then fully coat in cereal mixture. Place on the lined cooling rack. Repeat with remaining chicken slices.
Bake until golden brown and chicken is cooked throughout, about 30 minutes (depending on how thick you slice the chicken). Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Caprese Pasta

February 25, 2013 · by Ari ·

I find that people have strong opinions on tomatoes. Either you’re ordering them on all your salads and sandwiches, or you absolutely hate them.

I used to be a total hater. I always loved salsa, and I liked tomato sauce as long as it wasn’t chunky, and I liked ketchup, although I’ve never been one of those people who goes crazy over ketchup. There are so many awesome condiments out there with so much more flavor! I’ve never understood the people that put ketchup on everything.

Like my husband. He puts ketchup on macaroni and cheese. WHAT IS THAT??? I will season the crap out of some meat, and we will sit down to dinner, and he grabs the ketchup bottle. What a jerk.

Anyway, I never used to be a tomato fan. My dad would order a caprese salad, and I would just eat the cheese. Not that this was abnormal behavior for me with any dish. All my friends still make fun of me about the way I used to eat. I would order food, eat until I started to get full, then proceed to pick all the cheese out. What can I say? I’ve always loved my cheese. 😉

Somewhere along my healthy living journey, I turned the page on tomatoes. Now, I eat the whole caprese salad (or pasta), but the best part is still the mozzarella cheese. 😉

In this pasta, the cheese gets just warm enough to get a little soft, melty, and gooey. I could have picked it out all night long, and lived on the cheese alone, but it was even better paired with the fresh basil, and juicy tomatoes.

This pasta takes everything I love about a caprese salad, and translates it to a full, protein packed, delicious dinner. It was so easy–ready in about 20 minutes, and my whole family loved it!

Caprese Pasta

yield 8 servings

13 oz box whole grain penne (brown rice, whole wheat, quinoa, whatever you like)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper
3 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
8 oz part skim mozzarella, cubes
2 big handfuls baby spinach, stems removed
10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil until fragrant. Add cooked and drained pasta, and toss with remaining oil, vinegar and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
Add chicken, cheese and spinach, and gently toss until spinach slightly wilts, and cheese softens. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Taco Mac & Cheese {like DIY Hamburger Helper}

February 20, 2013 · by Ari ·

Have we ever talked about how I went from a fast food diet to Ari’s Menu? I could hardly boil water. My dad can’t even make spaghetti or boxes of Kraft mac & cheese. I grew up constantly eating out, and spent the first few years of college making grilled cheese sandwiches, heating up ramen noodles, and in the Jack in the Box drive through.

When I moved home from Idaho, I had sparked an interest in cooking. I graduated to Hamburger Helper. It’s funny now, but I loved the stuff. I would swap out my ground turkey, and for me, that was “healthy cooking”. I guess I’ve come a long way in the last few years. 🙂 Just ask my mother in law about the time I tried to make gravy….

When the thought occurred to make taco mac & cheese, I didn’t realize that it was so similar to the Hamburger Helper I started out on, but it is similar–just a whole lot better. Real foods, tons of lean protein, and whole grains. Plus, it’s so simple that there is really no reason to cook from a box ever again!

I made this for Steve and Jason to rave reviews. I’m pretty sure Jason ate 3 bowls. Then I gave Steve’s mom the leftovers when she came over for lunch, and she’s been asking when I’m going to post the recipe ever since. 🙂

All of the flavors of macaroni and cheese mixed with bold spicy taco seasonings topped with creamy avocado for the perfect final touch. I loved this dinner so much I made it again not even a week later! That is unheard of for me.

My favorite thing about this dish is it really represents everything I feel like this blog stands for–simple comfort food made healthy. That’s the whole reason I started cooking–I didn’t want to give up foods like tacos and mac & cheese. 🙂

Taco Mac & Cheese

yield 6-8 servings

1-2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb lean ground turkey or beef (I used 99% ground turkey breast)
salt and pepper
8 oz whole grain macaroni (whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa….whatever works for you)
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp taco seasoning
1 tbsp lime juice
couple dashes hot sauce
2/3 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
sliced avocado and chopped cilantro for serving

Directions:

In a large pan over medium heat, saute onion, bell peppers, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Add turkey and season with salt and pepper (about a pinch of each). Cook until turkey is browned, then remove from heat.
In a medium pot, cook macaroni according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, whisk together cream cheese and almond milk over medium-low heat until combined. Whisk in greek yogurt, taco seasoning, lime juice, and hot sauce. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted and combined.
Stir turkey and veggies into sauce, then stir in cooked and drained pasta.
Top with sliced avocado and fresh chopped cilantro.

« Previous Page

Spicy Chipotle Cheeseburgers

Sun-dried Tomato & Basil White Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

“Spaghetti” & Meatballs {gluten-free}

10 Minute Taco Salad

Curried Chicken Salad {without mayo}

Grilled Skirt Steak with Blackberry Avocado Salsa

Chipotle Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Healthy Crockpot Orange Chicken

Chipotle Black Bean Burgers {vegan + gluten-free}

Crispy Ranch Chicken Strips

Caprese Pasta

Taco Mac & Cheese {like DIY Hamburger Helper}

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