Ari's Menu

Little changes making a big difference.


Spinach Artichoke Mac & Cheese

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Honestly, is it ever too early to start carb-o loading?

I think not. I really can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. There aren’t many things I love more than mac & cheese and spinach artichoke dip. Or just anything including cheese 😉

In fact, when I was younger and I started to get full, I would just pick any remaining cheese out of whatever dish I was eating. Hey, I never said there wasn’t a reason  I was 80 lbs overweight. Clearly, I cannot give up cheese forever. I tried once, and I think I lasted 36 hours. Therefore, it is clearly necessary for me to create creamy, cheesey dishes like this baby.

This mac & cheese is creamy, filling and full of flavor, but doesn’t leave you feeling heavy and overly full at the end. Instead of tons of pasta, it’s packed with veggies!

Also, start to finish is about 15 minutes. Yes please.

 

Spinach Artichoke Mac & Cheese

yield 6-8 servings

  • 8 oz dry whole grain pasta of choice
  • 1/2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 oz herbed goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp lemon pepper
  • salt to taste
  • 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed (you could easily use fresh as well)
  • 2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped

Directions:

  1. Place butter and garlic in a large, high rimmed pan over medium heat. Cook until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes).
  2. Add cheeses, milk, salt and pepper and whisk together until everything melts together in a creamy sauce. When sauce has come together, stir in spinach and artichoke hearts.
  3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. When fully cooked, drain and transfer into sauce.
  4. Toss pasta and sauce until fully combined, and serve.

 

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

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So the thing is, we are definitely not perfect, but Steve and I have learned a bit about photography (him), food presentation (me), and composition (both of us) since starting this little blog. Whenever I go through my old recipe posts, I cringe and hope the people visiting my blog don’t look at them and run away forever. I keep them because the recipes are good, but I have this grand plan to recreate everything I love and get some good quality pictures so that everything on here looks cohesive. And not like a 5 year old made it. The problem is, I get excited and creative and want to make new recipes! However, these I love. Like a to the depths of my heart kind of love.

They were actually pretty popular around the internet too. I mean seriously, peanut butter, chocolate, and pretzels. It’s kind of a sure thing.

My favorite thing about these cookies is all of the contrasting flavors and textures.

Sweet & salty.

Crunchy & soft.

Perfect balance.

I may not always achieve perfect balance with my personal, professional, and health goals, but the most important thing is that I can accomplish it in a cookie, right?

Okay, good. As long as we’re all on the same page. Since we’re going with balance, I even made these slightly healthier this time around, and you know what? They were equally delicious. So to balance out the healthy, I ate about 7 of them in one day. It was awesome.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies

yield approx 2 dozen

  • 1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 5 tbs packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (preferably PB & Co White Chocolate Wonderful)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
  • approx 24 pretzels (one per cookie)

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat apple butter, sugars, and peanut butter until smooth.
  3. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
  4. Slowly stir the dry ingredients.
  5. Fold in chips. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Roll dough into small 1″ balls, or use a cookie scoop and drop on prepared cookie sheet.
  8. Bake for 7 minutes, then press a pretzel into each cookie. Cook for an additional 7 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.

Skinnified Sunday: “Fettuccine” Alfredo

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My family loves Italian food. In fact, our birthday celebration of choice happens every year at Avanti–the best Italian restaurant in Phoenix, in my humble opinion. They have a 3 way pasta combination that is ridiculous. There is always a set 3 things on it, but they always let us modify it and order it however we want. My pasta plate of choice: gnocchi cardinale, angel hair fried diablo, and of course fettuccine alfredo. Their alfredo sauce is thick, creamy and buttery. It sticks to the fettuccine perfectly so in every bite you get maximum sauce, and a little bit of heaven.

There are some things I just don’t eat these days, regardless of the occasion. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t. I’m just saying, for me, it doesn’t seem worth it. But you know what does seem worth it? Recreating my own that is just as delicious (seriously!) with a fraction of the calories.

Okay, seriously. I did not expect my first go at this to be a success. I kept tasting the sauce as I was cooking and shouting to Steve “Oh my gosh!!! It tastes like alfredo sauce!!!!!”

“Isn’t that the point?” He didn’t seem to get my amazement that it actually worked. I made legit tasting fettuccine alfredo. My days of drooling over creamy alfredo sauce are back my friends and they don’t leave me feeling the gross heaviness in my stomach!

Also, did I mention it’s gluten free? Carolyn, wanna come over for dinner?

 

Skinnified “Fettuccine” Alfredo’

yield 4 servings

  • 1 large spaghetti squash, split lengthwise and seeded
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3-4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2-1 tbs light whipped butter
  • 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/3 cup white wine (optional, otherwise sub more almond milk)
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle the center of each half of split and seeded spaghetti squash with 1 tsp olive oil. Using your fingers, rub oil evenly into squash. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Place spaghetti squash in a large baking dish center down, and bake for 1 hour.
  3. About 40 minutes into baking, begin your sauce. Place minced garlic and butter in a large pan with fairly high edges over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add cream cheese, milk, wine, and parmesan cheese. Using a whisk, stir constantly. Add salt and pepper.
  4. When spaghetti squash is finished (center should be tender and come apart when scraped lightly with a fork), use a fork to scrape out the insides. They will come out looking just like spaghetti.
  5. Make sure all sauce ingredients are thoroughly combined, and transfer the squash “noodles” to your sauce. Use cooking tongs to toss and coat squash thoroughly.
  6. When thoroughly combined, serve and top with fresh parsley.

White Chocolate Cake Batter Cups

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I’m sorry for this.

You see the thing is, you will have to make these. They are ridiculous.

I will never buy a Reese’s peanut butter cup again. I mean, these aren’t peanut butter, but in case you didn’t notice, I’m on a bit of a kick here with the home made candy cup business.

The cake batter dip in the center is the perfect soft and silky consistency covered in the delicious white chocolate shell.

I made these as a going away gift for my wonderful, amazing friend Kara. You know my very favorite running and spinning buddy? Yeah, life as I know it is over, and no I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to drown my sorrow in white chocolate and cake batter. IS THAT SO WRONG????

I know, you’re probably devastated as well. Care to join me in this sorrow drowning?

It may not be healthy, but I will say, it’s far less unhealthy than it sounds…

White Chocolate Cake Batter Cups

yield 26-30 cups

  • 2 10 oz bags white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tbs coconut oil
  • approx 1/2 cup cake batter dip (I used Cinnamon Spice, but you could also use the original)

Directions:

  1. Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, melt white chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
  3. Spoon enough white chocolate to cover the bottom of each baking cup.
  4. Add 1-2 tsp Cake Batter Dip.
  5. Fill with chocolate until Cookie Butter is completely covered and top is smooth.
  6. Freeze to set. Keep in freezer or fridge.

Buffalo Deviled Eggs

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You know what food I really missed when I stopped eating deep fried food? Buffalo wings. Those things are freaking delicious! But really, it is not the breaded deep fried chicken that has anything to do with this deliciousness. The chicken is purely the vehicle to get to the delicious, bold, spicy, flavorful buffalo sauce.

And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love deviled eggs??? Crazies. Weird people. Humans with defective taste buds.

Wanna know something strange about me? I don’t love mayonnaise. In fact, if I am going to eat it, I’m one of those freaks that only really likes the light Miracle Whip with a million fake ingredients. It’s strange, but I’ll own up to it. I mean, if you put some creamy potato salad in my face, I will eat it, don’t get me wrong. But like when I see people slather it on a sandwich, I just kind of don’t get it. Good thing there are much healthier and tastier solutions to getting that mayo consistency, like Greek yogurt!

I know many of you are skeptical. “What can someone who doesn’t like mayo know about finding a suitable replacement?!?!” Well, I may not love mayo, but I do love food, and trust me, you won’t be missing anything!

These, along with the super popular cake batter dip, were also made last weekend for Deann’s bridal shower. I think I made close to 20 eggs, and not a single one was left over.

On a random note, I apparently need to work on my drizzling height because the red sauce coming from seemingly no where freaks me out a little bit in this next picture. I promise, these are deviled eggs, not scenes out of a vampire movie.

Because, honestly, who doesn’t want their eggs to be spicier?

 

Buffalo Deviled Eggs

inspired by Baked By Rachel

yield 1 dozen

  • 6 hard boiled eggs, shelled
  • 3 tbs nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbs light miracle whip (or light mayo, or whatever you like)
  • 1/2 avocado
  • garlic pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot (or buffalo sauce of choice, but we all know Frank’s is the best)
  • 1-2 stalks celery, minced
  • paprika for dusting
  • extra buffalo sauce for drizzling (optional)
  • crumbled bleu cheese for topping (optional–I LOVE it with bleu cheese, but not everyone shares my sentiment)

Directions:

  1. Slice eggs length wise. Scoop out yolks into a medium mixing bowl and set whites aside.
  2. Add yogurt, mayo, avocado, pepper and buffalo sauce to the yolks and mix well. Then use an immersion blender to smooth completely.
  3. Transfer yolk mixture to a piping bag or plastic bag with the tip cut off and divide evenly between the egg whites (I used the star tip because I thought it made them pretty 😉 ).
  4. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, then top with celery.
  5. Add any desired optional ingredients, and serve immediately.

 

 

Cinnamon Chip Granola Cookies

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I love chips. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, kale chips, you name it. It’s kind of like my love affair with all things named ______ butter (peanut, cookie, fig, apple…). Cinnamon chips are hard to find, so if you happen to catch them, I suggest stocking up, because they are ridiculously delicious. Way back around Christmastime, Nicole made some pretty awesome cinnamon chip cookies, and ever since I’ve been thinking about my own cinnamon chips burning a hole in my pantry.

Cinnamon chips and granola. Does that make you as excited as it makes me???

It kind of made me skip around the kitchen, patting myself on the back, declaring myself a genius, and certain I need to start getting patents for all my great ideas. Don’t burst my bubble, okay? It’s my blog, so let’s just all agree to pretend I’m brilliant. I don’t take rejection well. It’s bad for my self esteem.

Thanks for sticking with me through that. You guys are awesome.

That’s why I made you this present.

From me to you.

Except I may have eaten them all.

At least I wrapped them up first, right?

I couldn’t help it. They outsides were crunchy, and so was the granola, and the insides were gooey with melty cinnamon chips. Can you blame me for eating an entire batch of cookies??? Okay, this guy helped. You have to feed your photographer right? Anyway, you should make some. You don’t have to tie your own cookies in a bow, and you can eat them all yourself and refuse to feel guilty about it, just like me.

Cinnamon Chip Granola Cookies

yield 15 cookies

  • 1/4 cup apple butter
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • dash salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • pinch cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup granola of choice (I used this one, and it is ridiculously good)
  • 1/4 cup cinnamon chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray, and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat apple butter, brown sugar and Splenda together until combined. Beat in egg substitute, vanilla and almond.
  3. Add cinnamon, baking soda and salt, and beat until combined. Beat in flour.
  4. Fold in oats, followed by cinnamon chips and granola.
  5. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out tablespoon sized cookie dough balls on prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with greased parchment paper.
  6. Bake for 9-11 minutes, turning half way through to ensure even cooking.
  7. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

**Note: I made the glaze for fun. The cookies are equally delicious without it, but if you’re sitting there thinking “I WANT THAT GLAZE ON MY COOKIES!!!” I took about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tbs hot water and a dash of almond extract and just mixed it together 😉

 

 

Cake Batter Dip

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Rich, creamy cake batter dip is so easy to make and a lot healthier than you’d expect!

I’ve seen this versions of delicious dip all over the internet and I knew I wanted to try it out myself.

I knew that my future sister in law’s bridal shower was the perfect opportunity! This stuff was the hit of the shower, let me tell you!

So simple, so easy, so delicious, and so not as unhealthy as it sounds! Some of the guests thought it tasted like frosting. I thought it tasted like after you put your batter in the baking pan and you stick your whole face in your mixing bowl and lick it clean. You do that too, right??? Or now you think I’m a freak and you promptly clicked the little x on this tab and made a mental note to never return. That’s okay, if you don’t lick the bowl, I’m not sure we can be friends.

This dip requires three ingredients, and about as many minutes. It’s crazy that something so delicious can be so easy! My favorite moment of the day was when my five year old niece took a bite and happily exclaimed “Yummy yummy in my tummy!!” So my friends, make this for every party you throw. Seriously.

Cake Batter Dip

  • 1 box funfetti cake mix (or if you want to make the dip in different flavors, you can use any cake mix–carrot cake batter dip anyone??)
  • 1 lb nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 8 oz container light Cool Whip
  • extra sprinkles for topping (optional, but honestly, who doesn’t opt to use extra sprinkles)
  • pretzels, animal crackers, fruit, or several spoons for dipping

Directions:

  1. Using a hand mixer, beat cake mix, yogurt and Cool Whip together in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Transfer to serving bowl, and top with extra sprinkles if desired.

TAAAADDDDAAAAA!!!!

Black & White Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

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In case you missed it, which would be super sad for you, Monday was my BBFF Nicole’s birthday! To celebrate, I made her brownies!

Now, I’ll be honest. I don’t usually make brownies from scratch. I usually let TJ’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix do the work for me, because they are both delicious and easy. However, there was no way I was going to use a box mix for Nicole’s birthday. Have you read her blog??? She’s like a real chef. In fact every single time I cook for her, or she eats something I make, I get suuuuuuper nervous.

Luckily, these turned out much better than the gnocchi incident of 2012. In fact, they came out ridiculously good.

And now I have a huge problem on my hands…

All I can think about is brownies!!

Brownies, brownies, brownies, brownies, bbbrrrooowwwwnnniiieeesss!!!

Rich, sweet, gooey and chocolatey with peanut butter chips perfectly complementing the white and dark chocolate.

Or in other words YUM!

Black & White Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

yield 36 brownies

For the white layer:

  • 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 5.5 ounces Sunspire white chocolate chips
  • 2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 6 tbs nonfat vanilla yogurt
  • 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbs egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Sunspire peanut butter chips

For the black layer:

  • 2/3 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 5.5 ounces Sunspire grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 6 tbs nonfat vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbs egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Sunspire peanut butter chips

For the White Chocolate Glaze:

  • 10 oz bag Sunspire white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 3 tbs unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • sprinkles for topping (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13 glass baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.
  2. Start with the white layer.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt together.
  4. Put the white chocolate and butter in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (or a double broiler), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add sugars, Splenda and yogurt. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan.
  5. Add eggs substitute and vanilla to the white chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Do not over mix.
  6. Gently fold in flour mixture followed by peanut butter chips. Batter will not be completely smooth. Tiny flour clumps will bake out.
  7. Pour into prepared baking pan.
  8. Repeat steps 3-6 with black layer.
  9. Pour black layer on top of white. Use a butter knife to gently swirl.
  10. Bake for 40-50 minutes, turning once in between to ensure even cooking.
  11. Let stand for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (this is where the parchment paper comes in handy!)
  12. Make glaze by microwaving white chocolate and butter together in a medium bowl on 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
  13. Add vanilla and milk and stir until combined.
  14. Spread over completely cooled brownies, top with sprinkles if desired and allow to cool for approx 1 hour.

Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cup Cupcakes

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I have a serious problem.

How do you live with a fridge full of this and not eat every last one?? Seriously.

Well, I guess the fact that they were made for someone else is pretty good for the whole self control thing. I canNOT make cupcakes like this that are just for me. I will eat a dozen in about 2 days hours minutes.

Remember when I made these and said they part one of a special baking project?? Well, I made vanilla bean cupcake batter, swirled in some cookie butter, then pressed one into the center before baking.

I thought they would bake much faster than normal cupcakes, or that the cookie butter cup would just melt right into the cupcake, but they baked for a normal amount of time (18 minutes) and came out looking perfect!

Then I made a Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and things got REAL over here.

Because what good is a cupcake picture if you don’t cut it in half and show off all the gooey insides?!

Also can we check out all those vanilla bean specs?! In the cupcake and the frosting. Can’t. Get. Enough.

These weren’t completely cooled, so everything just came right out. I love that. If you don’t, just make sure you cool them in the fridge first. But seriously, if you don’t like warm, oozey chocolate, who are you and why are you even reading this blog?!

Just kidding, please keep reading. I can overlook your weird textural preferences. Maybe…

Drrrrooooool.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!!! I couldn’t have picked a better occasion to make probably the best cupcake I have ever created. Obviously, you inspire me 🙂

Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cup Cupcakes

yield 15

  • 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
  • 1/2 tbs baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or butter)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk
  • 1/2 tbs vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tbs TJ’s Cookie Butter (or Biscoff spread), melted
  • 15 Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups, frozen

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Spray lightly with nonstick spray, then set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand one), add applesauce and sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and beat on medium speed.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time.
  5. In a glass measuring cup (or separate bowl) combine buttermilk and vanilla extract.
  6. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and buttermilk mixtures, starting and ending with dry ingredients.
  7. Beat until just incorporated, scraping down sides of the bowl when necessary.
  8. Fill 15 cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. I used a medium sized cookie scoop and it took 1 1/2 scoops per cupcake.
  9. Drizzle in a small amount of cookie butter into each cupcake, and swirl lightly with a toothpick.
  10. Press one Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cup into each cupcake.
  11. Bake for 17-19 minutes. (I always turn mine around halfway through to keep even cooking)
  12. Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  13. Top with Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

yield enough for 20 cupcakes

  • 16 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup TJ’s Cookie Butter
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

  1. Place cream cheese and cookie butter in a large bowl. Scrape in vanilla bean seeds and beat together for 1 minute.
  2. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, scraping down sides of bowl when necessary.
  3. Frost immediately, or chill in refrigerator.

 

Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups

· by ·

Honestly, does it really get any better than chocolate and cookie butter?

The answer you’re looking for is “No. It does not.”

Well unless you add Fleur De Sel. Then it absolutely does.

Freaking yum.

What do you even say about something that is basically a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but made with TJ’s Cookie Butter and sprinkled with Fleur De Sel?

You say “Yes, please” and don’t ask any questions.

These are actually part one of a baking project that will continue tomorrow for a very special person’s birthday. A person so special, that he gets homemade candy inside his birthday cupcakes. He’s a lucky guy, I tell ya.

One of the best things about this recipe is that there are endless combinations. White chocolate, milk chocolate, any type of nut butter that exists, you name it. Trust me, I have about a million variations floating around in my head right now. Just think of it as a ‘coming soon’….

Until then, please join me in drooling over these bad boys and wishing they were magically calorie free. In a perfect world, right? Oh and did I mention they only have 4 ingredients? Almost perfect world…

Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups

yield 24

lightly adapted from Ashley‘s Chocolate Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter Cups

  • 20 oz dark chocolate (chips, or good quality chocolate chopped)
  • approx 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter
  • 1 scant tbsp coconut oil
  • Fleur De Sel for sprinkling

Directions:

  1. Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, melt chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
  3. Spoon enough chocolate to cover the bottom of each baking cup.
  4. Add 1-2 tsp Cookie Butter.
  5. Fill with chocolate until Cookie Butter is completely covered and top is smooth.
  6. Sprinkle with a nice pinch of Fleur De Sel.
  7. Freeze to set. Keep in freezer or fridge.

Buttermilk Cornbread Crusted Chicken Tenders

· by ·

Friends, here is the deal–I have eaten my fair share of fried chicken in my day. I used to be on a diet of fast food, chicken nuggets and french fries. With tons of ranch. It was delicious. So yeah, I’ve had enough fried foods to last a life time, so unless it’s a sweet potato fry, I really try my best to steer clear these days. At least I lived it up in my teenage years, right?

Well one thing I love about fried chicken is that it’s super easy to recreate in a healthy way. I feel you can make almost any food healthy, but some are definitely more challenging, and not the same as the original when it comes down to it. Has anyone mastered creme brulee? If so, we should become BFFs because I’d like to eat healthy creme brulee for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of my life. With calorie free ice cream for dessert. Let’s get to work on this people! Until then, I will get excited about other foods that usually cause heart attacks, but don’t when I make them. Like Buttermilk Cornbread Crusted Chicken Tenders.

Holy crispy chicken goodness! And you know what’s a million times better for you, and even better tasting than globs of ranch dressing? This maple mustard dipping sauce. I’ve started using this stuff on eeeevvvveerryything…salad, chicken, my spoon…

All served up with some delicious crispy kale chips. This dinner was a total hit! Last night was actually the second time I made it. I did a lot of really good cooking while Steve was away (guess I was trying to keep myself busy?) so now I’m trying to recreate it, so I can make him spend many laborious hours photographing it he can taste it too.

Buttermilk Cornbread Crusted Chicken Tenders

yield 10 servings

  • 1 1/2 cups cornbread mix (use gluten-free is applicable)
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk
  • 3 lbs chicken breast
  • garlic pepper to taste

Yes. That’s seriously all you need. I love recipes like that!

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Place a cooling rack inside a large baking sheet, then cover with aluminum foil (optional), and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Measure cornbread mix into a large bowl for coating.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites and buttermilk together. Add garlic pepper.
  3. Slice chicken into strips.
  4. Dip chicken into egg white/buttermilk mixture, then coat with cornbread mix and lay onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all chicken tenders.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, flip and bake for an addition 15. Then broil for an additional 2 minutes to get a little extra crispiness.
  6. Let stand for 2 minutes then serve with Maple Mustard Sauce.

Maple Mustard Sauce

yield approx 10 servings

  • 1 1/2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbs spicy brown mustard
  • 1/2 tbs yellow mustard
  • 3 tbs sugar free maple syrup
  • garlic pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together, then serve as a dipping sauce or dressing!

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