Chocolate Olive Oil Brownies with Cashew Butter-cream Spread

 

As some of you may know, my husband got me a Vitamix for our 3 year anniversary. Isn't he the greatest?? Anywho, I have been experimenting with various nut butters since I got it, and my most recent one is cashew butter. I have had it at the store before, but I don't like that it usually has added safflower oil, salt, and whatever else they put in there. I love making my own nut butters because there is always just one ingredient....nuts! And you may be surprised, but they are super creamy just like store bought ones. Not as sweet, but you could always add a little sweetener if you like.

My husband has been asking me for brownies over the past several days, so I decided to combine my love for nut butter, cashew in particular, with his love for brownies. I must say, they turned out to be delicious! I decided to use almond flour instead of coconut flour, and olive oil instead of my usual coconut oil for the base, and it actually worked out nicely. The brownies are pretty fluffy, but they are a little dry. However, the cashew cream adds a nice moistness and compliments the brownies very well. And best of all, these brownies are gluten-free,dairy-free, and made from natural ingredients, so you don't have to feel so guilty about eating them. :)

Lemon Parsley Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Artichokes

Trying to eat healthy can be a hassle when you work until 6 every day (sometimes 7...) So when I get home I try to cook meals that can be done in 30-45 minutes whenever possible. I'm usually lucky if I can get a nice meal on the table by 8!

I have a feeling this dish is going to become a regular go-to meal on my work-night menu. It is one of those simple dishes that I can throw together pretty quickly and still feel healthy about it. I did use canned artichokes and roasted red peppers from a jar to make things go faster, but if you have the time I'm sure this dish would be even better with home-made roasted peppers and steamed artichoke hearts instead.

The lemon compliments the buttery flavor of the artichoke hearts really well, and the red peppers add a slight smokiness and beautiful color. Then there's the garlic and parsley, which give it a slight Italian feel. The chicken of course makes the bulk of the dish and absorbs all these wonderful flavors. I was surprised at how well this dish turned out because I don't cook with artichokes very often, but I must admit I rather enjoyed it. The husband even liked it...actually he said it was really good! :)

Greek Cauliflower Salad

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Both of my sisters are due in April, as well as my sister-in-law, so I have been super busy shopping and planning baby showers. I just haven't found the time for blogging. That doesn't mean I haven't been cooking though!

The idea for this dish actually came from my sister's shower planning. She had requested that we try to bring lots of healthy foods, preferably gluten-free. When trying to come up with ideas I decided to create a gluten-free version of a Greek pasta salad that was always served at family events when I was a kid. It must have turned out well because I got several compliments at the shower. In fact, I'm making it again for my other sister's shower tomorrow! I hope they like it too. :)

The cauliflower texture in this dish is a mix between couscous and rice. I think it really goes great with the strong flavors of the capers, olives, and Feta cheese. Then you have the juicy grape tomatoes to mellow out all those salty flavors. Best of all, it is great cold so you can prepare it ahead of time if you need to. This does makes several servings, so if you are making it at home for 2-4 people you may want to halve the recipe.

Quinoa with Spicy Chicken Marinara

So I have a new found love for quinoa these days. It's light fluffy texture is similar to rice, but contains less carbohydrates, more protein, more iron, more fiber, and just a slew of vitamins and minerals. Is it something I should eat every day? No, probably not due to the carbohydrate content (about 29g in 1 cup when cooked) but I feel much healthier eating quinoa than something like rice or pasta. It tastes great too!

I decided to turn it into a mock-pasta Italian sort of dish tonight using chicken, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic (of course!), and jalapenos to really give it a kick. I used a whole jalapeno and it was SUPER spicy, so you may want to tone it down to 1/2 jalapeno if you can't handle the heat. ;)

All in all, I'd say it was a success. My hubby ate his whole serving, even though he was complaining about it being too spicy throughout the meal. :-p

Almond Flour Mushrooms with Chunky Marinara

I have always been a huge fan of Italian food, specifically pizza and pasta. I remember as a child spaghetti and meatballs was always my favorite dish (and still to this day is one of the best)!

But lately my husband and I have been trying to stay away from having too much gluten products, so spaghetti was a no-no. However, there's no gluten in the sauce! I've come to realize that most of my favorite Italian foods are based around the marinara anyway. I never did like Alfredo sauce, and I can't say I know a whole lot about the rest of the Italian cuisine...

So the question was, what could I serve with marinara?

Mushrooms of course! They are low fat, low in carbohydrates, high in vitamins B and D, and just so delicious and juicy when baked. Not to mention me and my husband are both big mushroom fans. They are just so versatile, and seem to go good with almost any dish.