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• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1 batch Vegan Fudge Sauce or icing of choice

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the applesauce and olive oil until smooth. 
3. Add in the remaining wet ingredients (until vanilla) and mix until combined.
4. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, soda, starch and salt and stir until you get a thick batter.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. My edges cooked quicker so make sure you check the center of the cake!
7. Let the cake cool, remove from the pan and top with Easy Vegan Fudge Sauce.
8. Cut and dig in!

• Almond milk
• 1/2-1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Place a small sauce pan on a burner and turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the bottom of the sauce pan with a thin layer of almond milk. Slowly increase the heat and let the milk heat up until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges. Don’t let it get too hot or the almond milk will start to burn.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into the sauce pan once the milk is warm and use a whisk to stir. The chocolate chips will start to melt and combine with the milk. If there is too much milk, add another 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips until all the milk is absorbed in the chocolate.
3. Add in the vanilla extract and continue to stir until all the chocolate chips have melted. 
4. Serve warm or store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

It only takes three ingredients to make this delicious snack: a plantain, coconut oil and sea salt. You can serves these as a side with dinner or eat them as a snack. The plantains themselves are sweet and then you get little hints of salty with the sea salt. Addicting I tell ya!

• 1 plantain, black 
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• sea salt (optional, but so good!)

Directions:

1. Peel and slice your plantain on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. 
3. Fry the plantains on one side for about 4 minutes until browned. Flip them over and fry about 4 minutes more.
4. Pour them onto a paper towel lined plate to soak up any excess oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

• 1 large butternut squash (about 20 oz.), cut in half and seeded.
• 1 sweet potato
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 5-6 cups water (depending on how thick you like your soups)
• 2-3 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• Pepper to taste
• Optional: pepitas for garnish

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Poke holes in your sweet potato and place it along with the cut and seeded butternut squash on a baking tray. Place them in the oven for about an hour until they are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.
3. While they are roasting, sauté the carrots, onion and garlic in a large sauce pan over medium heat until the onions are soft. 
4. Add in the apple chunks, vegetable broth and water, reduce the heat to low and let it sit until your squash and potato are done roasting.
5. Once the squash and potato are done, remove them from the oven and when they are cool enough to handle peel off the skin of the potato and roughly chop it up. Then scoop out the flesh of the squash and place everything in the pot with the carrots and apple.
6. Bring the soup to a boil and then let everything simmer for about 30 minutes.
7. Using an immersion blender (or by carefully pouring sections into a blender like I did), blend everything until smooth. Let the soup cook until it’s as thick as you like. Add in more water if you want it a little thinner. You can’t go wrong!
8. Now for the salt. I know it sounds like a lot, but it really makes the soup. Start by adding 2 teaspoons and add more if you desire. I used about three teaspoons. Also add in the garam masala and fresh ground pepper to taste. Stir until thoroughly combined.
9. Serve warm with some fresh bread and a salad or just enjoy it solo!

• 6 cups (about 10 slices) Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread (or other brand)
• 1 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

For the Cinnamon Pecans:

• 1/2 cup pecans
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
• 2-3 shakes of cinnamon

• 1 cup chopped rhubarb
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 2 tablespoons agave (or other liquid sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

1. Place all four ingredients in a blender and blend until mostly smooth. You’ll want to be able to see the chia seeds and specks of strawberry.
2. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week.
3. That’s it! Enjoy on toast, in your oatmeal or straight from the jar.

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup almond milk

Directions:

1. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the peanut butter, agave, coconut oil and almond milk. Slowly increase the heat while mixing constantly until the mixture starts to boil.
3. Let the sauce boil for one minute while you continue to stir.
4. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and stir in the rolled oats 1 cup at a time until all the oats are fully covered in the peanut sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and use a spatula to even everything out. Use your hand or the spatula to firmly press the mixture into the pan so that when everything cools, the oats will stick together.
6. Place the baking dish in the refrigerator for about 30 to 1 hour until it has cooled.
7. Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!

• 4 cups flour
• 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon salt*
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon sugar*
• Approximately 3 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)

*Use whatever amount of salt and sugar between 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon that you desire. Just make sure the amount of salt and sugar are equal. For example, I usually use 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and sugar.

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor or mixer with the dough hook attachment.
2. Turn on the appliance and gradually add enough water in a fine stream to make a ball of dough. Make sure to add the water slowly, because you don’t want to put too much water in so the dough gets too wet and sticky. Once the dough forms, stop pouring the water, but let the machine continue to run for a minute or so to knead the dough.
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl or plastic container, cover it loosely with a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
4. For Italian Loaves: After the dough has rested 20 minutes, divide it into two sections. Roll each section into a rectangle and then starting at the long end, roll up the dough into a loaf. Seal the long edge together and pinch together the ends. Place the loaves on greased cookie sheets and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let them rest for 1 hour. Bake the loaves at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn the loaves and bake 10 minutes more or until golden brown.
5. For Pizza Bread: Follow the directions for the italian loaves, but spread pizza sauce, cheese and toppings on the rectangles of dough before you up the dough into loaves. Make sure you leave a couple inches of space around the edges so the sauce doesn’t ooze out when you roll up the dough. Let the dough rise for one hour under plastic wrap and a towel and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, rotating halfway through.
6. For Flatbread: After the dough has rested 20 minutes, divide the dough into 8 equal section and roll the sections into balls. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out each section to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a greased grill or skillet, cook each piece of flatbread separately for a few minutes on each side.

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons earth balance spread, chilled + a little more for brushing
• 3-6 tablespoons ice, cold water

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:

• 2 cups chopped rhubarb (~1/2 lb.)
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar + a little more for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

For the pie crust:

1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add in the chilled, earth balance spread and use a pastry cutter (or your hands) to cut the spread into the flour until course crumbs form. Use an up and down chopping motion. The crumbs should be no larger than pea-sized.
3. Add in 3 tablespoons of ice water and stir with a fork. Draw the flour from the bottom of the bowl to the top and push down any large clumps.
4. Add more water by the tablespoon until you can pinch a marble-sized amount of dough with your fingers and it stays together. Only add as much water as is necessary!
5. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in saran wrap or place it in a plastic bag and chill it in the fridge for 1/2 hour to 2 days.

• 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
• 2 cups (or 1 can) chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Prepare a baking tray with aluminum foil and set aside.
• Place the cauliflower florets and chickpeas in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.
• Shake the curry powder, salt and pepper overtop of the veggies and toss everything together so that the cauliflower and chickpeas get fully coated with the spices.
• Pour the veggies on your prepared baking tray and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until fork tender.

For Kathy’s Sweet Tahini Dressing you’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Juice of one small lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth.

• 4 servings of spinach
• 1 recipe for Curry Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas (see above)
• 1 recipe for Sweet Tahini Dressing (see above)

Directions:

1. Evenly divide the spinach among four bowls and top with the curry roasted veggies and dressing.
2. That’s all there is to it! Enjoy!

 

• 1 cup coffee grounds (choose your favorite brand!)
• 4 cups cold water

Directions:

1. Pour the coffee grounds into a pitcher and then pour the 4 cups of cold water on top.
2. Stir well and place in the fridge overnight.
3. After the coffee has sat overnight, stir the mixture one more time and then pour through your coffee maker with a filter in place, or strain through layers of cheese cloth over a new container.
4. Use equal parts coffee concentrate and water for the perfect cup of iced coffee (or adjust to your own strength preferences.)
5. Enjoy!!

 

 

Look how light and fluffy those lil’ guys look!

• Scant 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup non-dairy, plain yogurt
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water)
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 1/2 whole wheat flour
• 1/2 all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons natural cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon’s worth)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir the lemon juice and milk together and set it aside for a few minutes to curdle.
2. Prepare your flax egg by whisking 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water together. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds and zest.
4. Add in the yogurt, flax egg and applesauce to your milk and lemon mixture and stir until combined.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until mostly lump free.
6. Using a skillet and some cooking spray, cook about 1/4 cups of batter at a time, flipping each pancake when the edges begin to bubble and the bottom is golden brown.
7. Serve warm with earth balance spread and your choice of syrup!

• 2 cups wheat bran, toasted
• 1 1/4 cups raisins, divided
• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup dairy-free, plain yogurt
• Zest of one orange
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease 2 muffin tins and set them aside.
2. Spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes. Stir once to help it toast evenly.
3. While the bran is cooking make your flax egg by whisking the flaxseed and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. In a small sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup of raisins with 1/4 cup of water. Let the raisins simmer until all of the water is absorbed.
5. Puree the raisins in a food processor with the molasses and pumpkin puree until smooth.
6. In a large bowl mix together the toasted wheat bran, plain yogurt and 1/2 cup water.
7. Add in the raisin/pumpkin puree, orange zest and brown sugar and mix.
8. Stir in the applesauce and flax egg.
9. In a separate bowl whisk the flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then pour these dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
10. Fold in the remaining 3/4 cup raisins.
11. Spoon the batter into the greased muffin tins and bake for 22-25 minutes or until the centers have set.
12. Let cool in the pans for a few minutes before removing to a plate or wired rack to cool.
13. Store in a zip-lock bag in the fridge or freeze.

• hemp protein powder
• PB2 powder
• ground flax
• maca powder
• chlorella powder
• spirulina
• cinnamon
• stevia

• 4 grams of fat
• 9 grams of carbs
• 7 grams of fiber
• 11 grams of protein

This bread was delicious right out of the oven (of course I had to try some before I served it to people. Each slice has almost 5 grams of fiber and almost 4 grams of protein! If you like a sweeter bread, up the liquid sweetener to 1/3 cup.

I think this past weekend was one of my favorite weekends that Brett and I have spent together since getting married. And with all the traveling we’ve done, that’s saying a lot. (You can scroll to the bottom for this random chia pudding recipe or keep reading about our weekend.)

Even though I just got back from Africa on Sunday, Brett and I had to leave for Arkansas five days later for work. Brett being the thoughtful husband that he is knew that a restful weekend would be just what the doctor ordered after lots of travel and a month a part. So as a surprise Brett rented out a cute little cabin for us to relax in this weekend before we had to start work. It was the cutest, coziest cabin ever and it was the perfect way to spend some quality time together after being a part for a month.

Here are some pics of the cabin. There was a hot tub and fire pit outside and an electric fire place inside. They even had the fire all set up and all you had to do was light a match! S’mores were eaten for sure.

The cabin we stayed in had a full kitchen too so we bought some groceries in town before heading out into the boonies for the weekend. At one point I wasn’t “feeling” any of the food we had so I got creative and made some chia pudding with chia seeds I brought from home and juice. I’m not usually a big juice fan, but this hit the spot!

 

 

The key is 3 tablespoons of chia seeds to 1 cup of liquid.

 

Combine the seeds and liquid and stir well. Stir again after a minute…and then again after another minute. Then wait about five minutes and stir again before letting the pudding sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. The pudding will thicken and then you can jazz it up with any toppings you want. We had bought some bananas and granola and it made for a good combo.

 

After a month in Africa with less than ideal nutrition and a bad stomach bug that lasted about a week, I’ve been adding chia seeds to everything to get my digestive tract back in working order.

I’m back from Africa after what feels like forever! Overall it was a good trip, but I got really sick on the return journey home. I’ve basically been laying on the couch this week, except for the one day I went into work for a meeting.

For the first few days that I was home, food and I were in a rocky relationship. Right before I left Africa, all I could think about was all the fresh fruits and veggies I’d get to eat when I got back to America, but after getting sick, those were the last things I wanted to eat. The only things that sounded somewhat appealing were almond milk, cereal, chocolate, caramel popcorn, pizza and ketchup. Let’s just say my diet has been less than ideal.

Today was a fresh day though and I woke up feeling great. I got to go on a run for the first time in a month and I even had a big ol’ salad for lunch. Things are looking normal again.

Even though I just got back from being gone for a month, Brett and I are yet again leaving for another trip this afternoon. Since we were only going to be in town a few days, and since I wasn’t feeling 100%, I only cooked one meal this week: black bean burgers and homemade hamburger buns.

Right before I left for Africa I really wanted to make homemade bread but never got around to it, so I took advantage of the one afternoon I was feeling decent and tried out these buns. They turned out wonderfully dense and delicious. It was a nice treat to eat some homemade bread with our burgers and corn on the cob. The buns weren’t hard to make either, but just required some time to rise. Give ‘um a try!

Another beautiful thing about these scones is that you probably have all the ingredients in your house and you can make the entire recipe in one bowl…well except for a small liquid measuring cup:) I hope you try these out! The boys gave a giant stamp of approval. Score!

Merry Christmas!!

To be honest, it’s kind of weird saying that because today doesn’t feel much like Christmas to me. It’s my first time not being with a bunch of family members on Christmas day and it’s my first time being in Florida during Christmas too. The warmer weather and lack of family throws me off and it feels like just another day. There are some wonderful bonuses of being in Florida during December…trail runs!

Brett and I after a four mile trail run at Little Big Econ

 

Even though today doesn’t feel like Christmas, I don’t feel one bit deprived of the holiday festivities. Brett and I just got back last night from Destin, Florida where we celebrated Christmas early with Brett’s family. Even though it wasn’t as warm and sunny as we had hoped, it was still such a great weekend spending quality time with his parents, sister and brother-in-law and our niece and two nephews.

We exchanged gifts the day after we all got there and had a blast watching the kids excitedly open their new toys. The rest of our time was spent playing with the kids, swimming in the indoor pool, walking along the boardwalk, going on a boat ride, playing games, shopping and eating delicious food. There were some good laughs and conversation all throughout.

It was sad to say goodbye, but we are so thankful for the number of times we’ve been able to see our families amidst all the traveling we do.

Speaking of traveling, Brett and I leave again tomorrow for a work trip. I’m so glad Brett and I love to travel!

Now onto the oats. One of the gifts I got in my stocking was peanut flour! I’ve heard a lot about it and always wanted to try it, but never got around to buying it. While I usually like to stay as close to food in it’s natural state as possible, this stuff is pretty amazing. I mixed some up with water everyday and used it as a topping for my morning oats.

Today I thought I’d try it in a baked oatmeal. Usually peanut butter flavored oat meals require a decent amount of peanut butter to get a rich, peanut taste. But by using the peanut flour, I was able to make a delicious breakfast rich in flavor without being rich in calories. You can still make this oatmeal with real peanut butter if you don’t have peanut flour.

 

I experimented with some new recipes this afternoon (cashew cheese and salt rubbed baked potatoes, which Brett and I ate for dinner), but didn’t document any other eats since we were in and out all day enjoying the Florida weather. I did get some Arbonne protein shake mixes in the mail from a college friend of mine though and had the chocolate flavored one with lunch! I haven’t used protein powder since I went vegan and this stuff was amazing. I’ll post my reviews on it soon as well as the cheese and potato recipes.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Linking up with Jenn at Peasandcrayons.

Endurance fuel is next. While I honestly wish I didn’t have to start using these things (it’s a pride thing), I really think they will help me perform better on my long distance runs. I remember when I did my first triathlon (an Olympic distance) my friend had given me some electrolyte powder to put into one of my water bottles. During the bike I could really feel my legs beginning to tire, but as I began refueling with the electrolyte water my energy really increased.

In the same way, on longer runs I always start to tapper around mile 9 or so. This makes sense. I’m burning a lot of energy without consuming any energy. Our bodies need fuel to perform, so whether it’s these hammer gel packets (which I tried out for the first time on my 10-mile run the other day), some Gatorade, or actually eating a small snack on endurance runs, I think I’ll see a lot of improvement in my energy levels and speed.

Welp. It’s currently 3:30 in the morning and I’m awake. I thought for sure I’d sleep like a baby after a long day at work, my four-mile run and a hearty Curry Quinoa Wrap for dinner. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case and waking up in the middle of the night isn’t unusual. Ever since getting married I’ve had a hard time sleeping. I used to be able to conk out as soon as my head hit the pillow and sleep straight through the night. If I sleep through the night now, I seriously squeal “I did it!” when I wake up. I like to believe it will get better, and it has, but I still get these random “wide-awake-at-2-AM-and-I’m-hungry-and-need-a-snack” nights. And since one of my least favorite things is trying to sleep, I’ve decided to just get up when I feel wide awake and not fight it. Usually after an hour or so, and some food, I’m able to fall back asleep.

I hope it gets better soon, because being awake in the middle of the night can really throw off my schedule. Not to mention I’m exhausted at 9 PM and fighting to stay awake. Good news is I don’t have to go into work today and I’m also planning on going to my first ever Yoga class at the gym. I’m excited for some good stretching. Maybe the “Zen” atmosphere will help me sleep through the night tonight.

Enough about my unfortunate sleeping cycle. Let’s talk about this easy curried quinoa.

Brett and I are heading out of town for Christmas on Friday, so as is the usual, we’re trying to finish off the random food in our fridge. I’m also trying to be better at using all the pantry items I buy, instead of just letting things pile up. This quinoa was perfect for both those goals. Whole wheat wraps, hummus and tahini are a few of the things still left in our fridge so I looked up wrap ideas and came across this curried quinoa wrap recipe from Healthy. Happy. Life. I didn’t have all of the ingredients (and obviously didn’t want to buy more stuff right before we leave) so I tweaked a few things and simplified it and it turned out great. It’s made me excited to experiment more with quinoa and spices.

I gotta say I’m pretty excited to write this post, because I get to document a cooking milestone: my very own recipe! One of the main reasons for this blog was to document my experiences in the kitchen as a new vegan cook and hopefully get to the point where I would start creating my own recipes that are edible and maybe even delicious. The other day I finally got brave enough to try one out and I’m happy to report that these Trail Mix Energy Cookies really did turn out well. Husband tested and approved.

After my half-marathon on Saturday, I was unsurprisingly in the mood to bake. There’s something about weekends that just brings out my desire to be in the kitchen experimenting. I’ve been wanting to make hearty “trail-mix” cookies so I started looking on-line for cookies that were chalk full of dried fruit, nuts, grains and healthy fats. I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for so I found a few basic cookie recipes to go off of and invented my own.

These cookies are made with whole wheat flour and oats, chia seeds and hemp hearts, almond butter and coconut oil, walnuts and pecans. Tons of natural energy sweetened with a little sugar and agave nectar. Yum!

You can view these as a hearty dessert or eat them as granola bars. They’re delicious without being too sweet. I baked half of them on a cookie tray and tried the rest in muffin tins. Both versions turned out great. The dough baked in the muffin tins didn’t take as long to cook in the oven and held together slightly better because I was able to firmly push the dough into the bottom of the tins.  I’ll definitely make this recipe again! Next time I’ll even decrease the sugar a little to or use only agave or date paste. But for a first try, I’m quite happy with the result.

I hope you try these out…but beware, the chia seeds will get stuck in your teeth!

 

I love this dish. It’s so simple and filling and makes your kitchen smell incredible while it’s cooking. I decided to make it for my dinner duty tonight for our family’s Thanksgiving week together. My Dad rented a house for our entire family to use in West Virginia. My whole immediate family is here as well as my Grandparents, my Aunt and Uncle and three of my cousins. It’s amazing how much our family has grown in the past few years. All of my siblings and I are now married and two of my siblings have kids! It’s such a joy to have a full week together and to spend some quality time with my nieces and nephew. Since moving to Florida and it’s become harder to see my family, so I’m always incredibly thankful for these family gatherings.

This is also the first holiday I’m spending with my family since going vegan. I wasn’t sure how they’d feel about a Mediterranean meal, but everyone ended up loving it! Along with this couscous recipe I served roasted cauliflower with sweet tahini dressing, a green salad with lots of yummy toppings, pita chips and hummus and baked chicken for all the meat-eaters. For dessert I also made chocolate chip cookie bars which I love. Everyone went back for seconds and kept complimenting me on how good everything was. Success.

I actually got this recipe from my friend who used to write a blog. She’s no longer posting, but I still go to her blog often to try out some of the recipes she has listed there. This recipe caught my eye because of the small list of ingredients and short cooking time. Try this simple recipe out! It’s delicious as a side dish or the main course.