The Southern Magnolia

Low Carb Spaghetti

January 11, 2017 No Comments

Low Carb Spaghetti

We rarely eat any type of Italian dish in our household. Most Italian dishes tend to be loaded with carbs. They are either comprised of some type of pasta, a creamy sauce or loaded with cheese so we just tend to avoid them. Every once in a while I will get a craving for some type of Italian dish whether that be a pasta type dish or pizza and when this happens I try to create a healthier version for us to enjoy. I’m all about finding ways to recreate my favorite dishes to make them healthy but still tasty. As I was doing my grocery shopping this past week I passed the spaghetti squash and got a sudden craving for spaghetti. I quickly snatched up a medium sized spaghetti squashed and headed over to the ground beef. I grabbed a pound of the leanest ground beef I could find, 96% fat free. Next was to try to find a spaghetti sauce that wasn’t loaded with sodium, fat, and carbs. After about ten minutes of reading the nutrition labels on all of the pasta sauce jars I stumbled upon Patsy’s tomato basil sauce. It was by far the healthiest option on the shelf, lower in fat, carbs, and sodium. With all of the healthy and delicious ingredients needed for my low carb spaghetti in my cart, I headed to the checkout. Below I will share how easy it is to recreate a healthier but still delicious version of the traditional spaghetti.

Begin by cutting the spaghetti squash in half length wise. I always have trouble cutting larger squash, as they tend to be tough, so I will usually pop the squash into the microwave for just a couple of minutes to help soften it up and make it easier to cut. Once you squash is cut in half, drizzle a little olive oil over each half and sprinkle some black pepper as well. Place both halves on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes (time may vary slightly depending on the s Low Carb Spaghetti ize of your squash).

While the spaghetti squash is cooking we will begin cooking the ground beef (you could also use a lean ground turkey as well). Completely cook the ground beef before adding the pasta sauce.

Low Carb Spaghetti

Once the ground beef is completely cooked, pour in 1 cup of the pasta sauce and let simmer for a few more minutes.

Low Carb Spaghetti

After the spaghetti squash is completely cooked, remove it from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Once cooled, use a fork to tear the squash into strands or “noodles”. Scoop a little meat and pasta sauce on top of your “noodles” and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and you can enjoy your spaghetti without the guilt that comes with all those carbs.

Low Carb Spaghetti

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
pasta sauce
1 lb lean ground beaf
black pepper for seasoning
drizzle of olive oil
parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Cut the spaghetti squash in half length wise.
Drizzle a little olive oil over each half and sprinkle some black pepper as well.
Place both halves on a baking sheet and put into a preheated oven for about 40 minutes
While the spaghetti squash is cooking, begin cooking the ground beef. Completely cook the ground beef before adding the pasta sauce.
Once the ground beef is completely cooked, pour in 1 cup of the pasta sauce and let simmer for a few more minutes.
Remove the cooked spaghetti squash from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Once cooled, use a fork to tear the squash into strands or "noodles".
Scoop a little meat and pasta sauce on top of your "noodles" and sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/low-carb-spaghetti/

If you like this low carb spaghetti recipe, make sure to check out my spaghetti squash, turkey and asparagus recipe here. What are some of your favorite ways to cook with spaghetti squash?

Uncategorized

Setting Goals for the New Year

January 9, 2017 No Comments

Setting Goals for the New Year

I’ve never been big on New Year’s Resolutions. Mostly because so many people make resolutions at the beginning of the year only to break those resolutions in a few weeks or sometimes months. I am, however, a big proponent of setting goals. I always feel like having a goal to work towards forces me to work harder and gives me the motivation to do so. Knowing what my end goal is helps me to determine what steps I need to take in order to get there. I will be sharing a few of my goals for 2017 as a way to hold me accountable (if its written for all of you to read then I have to follow through, right?).

One of my goals is to grow this blog. I have only been blogging for a few months and not always so consistently (evident by the fact that I’m getting my New Year’s post up on January 9th), so that is definitely one of the things I want to work on in order to help grow my readership. I want to improve upon both my content and photography as I feel that is hugely important when trying to grow a blog. I also need to start focusing on my social media presence (Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest) as it plays such a big role in driving traffic to the blog. Sometimes it seems like there is an endless amount of learning when it comes to blogging. I researched tons of tips on starting a blog prior to writing my first post and still continue to research different aspects of blogging so that I can incorporate it into my blog to try to improve it. While it sounds like a lot of work, I truly do enjoy creating different content to share.
My second goal for 2017 is to unplug more. I feel like today it has almost become the norm to be glued to our cell phones. Between all the different forms of social media to having access to internet at all times, its almost hard not to get sucked in. I know I’m guilty of looking at social media and before I know it I have wasted 15-20 minutes. I also tend to get distracted when I am trying to get things on my to-do list done but instead get caught up on checking emails or something else on my phone. I want to be more intentional about spending that time that I typically waste on social media/internet doing things that don’t involve my phone or computer. I also think its incredibly important to be present in our everyday lives and by spending time with our loved ones instead of having our faces glued to our phones.
Thirdly, I want to try to stress less. About 7 months out of the year, my husband and I spend more time on the road and out of town then we do at home. Between all the traveling and trying to run my handmade jewelry business and now writing a blog, I sometimes get overwhelmed and feel that I don’t have time for everything. I want to try not to get stressed out if I’m not able to get a blog post up as often as I would like, or if I’m not able to get some of the things accomplished for my jewelry business that I would like. At the end of the day, it isn’t that big of a deal and I can always get it accomplished on another day.
Another goal I have for 2017 is being more consistent with my quiet times. I go through phases where I will stick with my quiet time on a daily basis for a while then I let our ever changing schedule throw me off and it takes me a while to get back on track. I want to start making my quiet time a priority and sticking to it. I feel I am a much better wife and over all person when I spend time daily reading the Bible. Do you have any bible studies that you would recommend? I would love to hear your suggestions.
My last goal for 2017 is to grow my jewelry business, Immeasurably More. I launched my jewelry website in June of 2015 and really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I have continued to research and try to implement everything I have learned into my business but still have more to learn. I want to invest more time and effort into growing my sales as well as my social media channels.

What are some of the goals you have set for yourself for 2017? I think it is neat to look back on my goals throughout the year to see what progress I have made and what I still need to work on.

Food

Cauliflower Dressing

December 28, 2016 No Comments

Cauliflower Dressing

Over the holidays, especially Thanksgiving, it seems everyone serves a version of turkey and dressing. I have never been very fond of dressing but my husband loves it. Since dressing isn’t something that fits into our healthy eating lifestyle but is something that he would like to have at times other than just Thanksgiving, I decided to try to make a healthier version of dressing for us to enjoy. That is what inspired this cauliflower dressing recipe. While I have never been a huge fan of the traditional dressing, I devoured this cauliflower dressing.

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To create this mouth watering cauliflower dressing, start by breaking down a head of cauliflower in a food processor. When finished, the cauliflower should have a rice-like texture. Next, chop 1 yellow onion, 2 stalks of celery, and 2 carrots. Add some oil to a skillet and toss in the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes until the vegetables become tender.

Cauliflower Dressing

Next, add the riced cauliflower to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes. Next chop 2 tbsp. of parsley, 2 tbsp. of rosemary, and 1 tbsp. of chopped sage. Add the chopped herbs along with 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the skillet. Thoroughly stir the mixture and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and cover tightly. Let the cauliflower dressing sit for about 10 minutes so that remaining liquid is absorbed. It is now ready to be served!

Cauliflower Dressing

Do you have some Thansgiving or Holiday dishes that you recreate to make healthier? I would love to hear and try other options as well. Leave your recipes below in the comment section.

Cauliflower Dressing

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower
1 yellow onion
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. of fresh rosemary
1 tbsp. of fresh chopped sage
1/2 cup of vegetable broth

Instructions

Start by breaking down a head of cauliflower in a food processor. When finished the cauliflower should have a rice-like texture.
Chop 1 yellow onion, 2 stalks of celery, and 2 carrots.
Add some oil to a skillet and toss in the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Cook the vegetables for about 5 minutes until the vegetables become tender.
Add the riced cauliflower to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Chop 2 tbsp. of parsley, 2 tbsp. of rosemary, and 1 tbsp. of chopped sage.
Add the chopped herbs along with 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the skillet. Thoroughly stir the mixture and cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and cover tightly.
Let the cauliflower dressing sit for about 10 minutes so that remaining liquid is absorbed.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/cauliflower-dressing/

Food

Chicken Tikka Masala

December 21, 2016 No Comments

Chicken Tikka Masala

My husband and I’s recent trip to Nashville inspired today’s recipe. While in Nashville we went to the circus at the Bridgestone Arena, saw Vince Gill perform at the Grand Ole Opry, did plenty of shopping, and ate lots of amazing food. We started to get hungry while shopping and began trying to look around the shopping center we were at for something semi-healthy to eat. We saw several people carrying food trays out of Whole Foods and everything smelled delicious. We are not lucky enough to have a Whole Foods near us so we were unaware of the amazing food they offer. We decided to stop in and check it out and boy am I glad that we did. They had an amazing breakfast selection as well as tons of other lunch options. We both zeroed in on the chicken tikka masala as it looked amazing and smelled divine. It was a definitely a good choice. We both devoured it quickly and already began discussing how we couldn’t wait to try to recreate the chicken tikka masala once we got home.

This recipe is a little time consuming but I assure you that it is well worth it. Start be combining 3 tbsp. of turmeric, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, 2 tsp of cumin, 2 tsp of grated ginger, 4 minced cloves of garlic, 2 tsp of ground coriander into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of whole milk yogurt with 1/2 tbsp. of salt and half of the spice mixture that we just made. I used two chicken breast but recommend using 4 chicken breast and slicing then in half length-wise. Coat the chicken in the yogurt/spice mixture and allow the chicken to marinate in the mixture for 4 hours. Set the remaining spices aside to use later.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Dice one onion and add to a large pot with 1 tbsp. of olive oil on medium heat. I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for this. I have both the large and the small size and use the small one for this recipe. Add 1/4 cup of tomato paste, 1/4 tsp of crushed cardamom, and 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes to the pot and stir for 5-7 minutes. Next, pour the rest of the spice mixture that we set aside earlier to the pot and stir. Cook mixture for another 5 minutes.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Add a can of whole peeled tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Smash the tomatoes as you stir. Once mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro to the pot. Allow sauce to simmer for 30minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Now we will start on the chicken. Preheat the broiler and add a wire rack to an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Place the chicken on the wire rack and place into the oven. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes until chicken begins to blacken. Remove from the oven and slice the chicken. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for another 10 minutes.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Now the recipe may seem a bit extensive but this chicken tikka masala is so delicious that it completely makes up for how time consuming the preparation is. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts below in the comment section!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

3 tbsp. of turmeric
2 tsp of garam masala
2 tsp of cumin
2 tsp of grated ginger
4 minced cloves of garlic
2 tsp of ground coriander
1 cup of whole milk yogurt
1/2 tbsp. of salt
4 chicken breast
1 yellow onion
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1/4 tsp of crushed cardamom pods
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 cup of heay whipping cream
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

Instructions

Start be combining 3 tbsp. of turmeric, 2 teaspoons of garam masala, 2 tsp of cumin, 2 tsp of grated ginger, 4 minced cloves of garlic, 2 tsp of ground coriander into a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of whole milk yogurt with 1/2 tbsp. of salt and half of the spice mixture that we just made.
Slice 4 chicken breast in half length-wise.
Coat the chicken in the yogurt/spice mixture and allow the chicken to marinate in the mixture for 4 hours. Set the remaining spices aside to use later.
Dice one onion and add to a large pot with 1 tbsp. of olive oil on medium heat.
Add 1/4 cup of tomato paste, 1/4 tsp of crushed cardamom, and 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes to the pot and stir for 5-7 minutes.
Pour the rest of the spice mixture that we set aside earlier to the pot and stir.
Cook mixture for another 5 minutes.
Add a can of whole peeled tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Smash the tomatoes as you stir. Once mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour in 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro to the pot. Allow sauce to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the broiler and add a wire rack to an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Place the chicken on the wire rack and place into the oven.
Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes until chicken begins to blacken. Remove from the oven and slice the chicken.
Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for another 10 minutes.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

Food

Cauliflower Fried Rice

December 14, 2016 No Comments

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Today I will be sharing a recipe for cauliflower fried rice with orange chicken. Its a healthier and lower carb option to the fried rice you typically get at an Asian restaurant. The recipe below contains several options that you can substitute into the traditional fried rice to make it a healthier and more nutritious meal.

You can put whatever meat you prefer with your cauliflower fried rice, but I chose to marinate some chicken and throw it into the crockpot. I started by placing 2 chicken breast into the crockpot. I mixed 1/2 cup of bbq sauce ( I prefer weber’s bbq sauce as it tends to be lower in sugar and sodium), 1 1/2 tbsp. of low sodium soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of Palmer’s sugar free orange preserves. I poured this mixture over the chicken and turned the crock pot to cook for 6 hours.

Orange Chicken

To start the cauliflower rice you will need one head of cauliflower and a food processor. I have a 7 cup food processor similar to this but a larger one like this would make it easier as the whole cauliflower will not fit in mine. Break down the cauliflower into florets and process in the food processor until the cauliflower has a rice-like texture.

Cauliflower Fried RIce

Next, you will want to sauté the vegetables that will be going into the fried rice. I chose to use snap peas, onions, and carrots as those are two of my favorites but you can use whichever you prefer. I used 1/3 cup of shredded carrots, 1/2 cup of snap peas, 1/2 diced onion, and a 1/4 cup of chopped scallions. I sautéed the vegetables with 1/2 tbsp. of sesame oil. While the vegetables were cooking, I started on the eggs. I used 1 egg and 2 egg whites and beat them in a mixing bowl before pouring into a greased pan. I scrambled the eggs/egg whites until fully cooked and then set aside.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Once the vegetables were cooked, I added in the cauli-rice along with 3 tbsp. of low sodium soy sauce and the cooked eggs. Cook the mixture for 7-10 minutes longer. Now the cauliflower fried rice is finished and you can add your chicken or whichever meat you chose to use.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
1 egg
2egg whites
3 tbsp. of low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup snap peas
1/3 cup shredded carrots
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Instructions

Break down the cauliflower into florets and process in the food processor until the cauliflower has a rice-like texture.
Sauté 1/3 cup of shredded carrots, 1/2 cup of snap peas, 1/2 diced onion, and a 1/4 cup of chopped scallions with 1/2 tbsp. of sesame oil.
While the vegetables are cooking, beat 1 egg and 2 egg whites in a mixing bowl before pouring into a greased pan. Scramble the eggs/egg whites until fully cooked and then set aside.
Once the vegetables are cooked, add in the cauli-rice along with 3 tbsp. of low sodium soy sauce and the cooked eggs.
Cook the mixture for 7-10 minutes longer.
Now the cauliflower fried rice is finished and you can add your chicken or whichever meat you chose to use.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/cauliflower-fried-rice/

Cauliflower Fried Rice

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Food

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 8, 2016 No Comments

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve shared an almond flour chocolate chip cookie recipe and an almond flour peanut butter cookie recipe on the blog but my recipe for these double chocolate chip cookies is by far the most decadent. These ultra rich cookies are definitely my favorite. It was really hard to hold off eating all of them so that I could get some good pictures for this blog post. Enough of me rambling on about how good these cookies are, you are really just here to get the details on how I did these cookies anyhow.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Go ahead and preheat the oven to350 degrees F. Next, grab a mixing bowl and combine 1 cup of almond flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill almond flour), 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup of granulated Splenda. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly before adding in the wet ingredients. Now add in 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. of unsalted butter, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Completely mix ingredients until batter resembles texture of brownie batter. Take 1/3 cup of dark chocolate morsels with 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil and melt in microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Once the chocolate morsels are completely melted, pour into the batter mix and stir. Finally, fold in another 1/3 cup of unmelted dark chocolate morsels to the batter.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Next prepare a baking sheet with wax paper or a silpat baking mat (I use a silpat mat and LOVE it). Scoop a tablespoon of the batter onto the lined baking sheet leaving 1/2 inch in between each cookie. Once all of the dough has been placed on the baking sheet, place into oven for 8-10 minutes. Your double chocolate chip cookies are now ready to enjoy and enjoy you will (I promise)!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 10 cookies
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milkd
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
2/3 cup of dark chocolate morsels

Instructions

Preheat the oven to350 degrees F.
Combine 1 cup of almond flour (I prefer Bob's Red Mill almond flour), 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup of granulated Splenda into a mixing bowl. Mix dry ingredients thoroughly before adding in the wet ingredients.
Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. of unsalted butter, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract to mixture. Completely mix ingredients until batter resembles texture of brownie batter. Take 1/3 cup of dark chocolate morsels with 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil and melt in microwave in a microwave safe bowl.
Once the chocolate morsels are completely melted pour into the batter mix and stir.
Finally fold in another 1/3 cup of unmelted dark chocolate morsels to the batter.
Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper or a silpat baking mat.
Scoop a tablespoon of the batter onto the lined baking sheet leaving 1/2 inch in between each cookie. Once all of the dough has been placed on the baking sheet, place into oven for 8-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-7 minutes

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/double-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Food

Gift Guide for Those Who Love to Cook

December 5, 2016 No Comments

Gift Guide for Those who Love to Cook

Still looking for the perfect gift for a certain person on your list? Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with the perfect gift for someone. Today I will be sharing my gift guide for those who love to cook. Hopefully some of these ideas will help you out in your Christmas shopping. You can shop directly from this post by clicking the product images below. All of the items I will be discussing today are items that I use regularly and love.

The first item I will be discussing today is the silpat baking mat. I started using one of these mats several months ago and have not looked back. It makes clean up easy and I have not had any trouble with food sticking to the mat. It is especially useful when making my almond flour chocolate chip cookies.

2.The second gift idea I will be sharing is the perfect gift for the chefs with a sweet tooth. A plastic peanut butter cup mold. It makes creating sweet treats extra easy with minimal clean up. You can see how I used my molds to create some almond butter cups here.

Gift guide for those who love to cook

3. Donut molds are also an excellent gift idea for the baker with a sweet tooth. I have both the mini donut mold and the larger donut mold. Creating your own donuts at home can be fun. Try out my Chocolate Protein Donut recipe here.

Gift guide for those who love to cook

4. You have probably seen people creating noodles out of vegetables, like zucchini, and it can look quite complicated. A spiralizer is the tool you can use to achieve these low carb noodles. It is very user friendly and pretty fool-proof. You can even use it to recreate my zucchini noodle stir fry here.

Gift guide for those who love to cook

5. Another great gift idea is an apron. Nothing is worse than fixing a meal and having half of it ending up on your outfit. There are so many different aprons available and you could even customize one further by having it monogrammed as well.

Gift guide for those who love to cook

6. A food processor is another kitchen tool that I use all the time. It makes breaking down food quick and simple. You could use it to create your own nut butters or to make my cauliflower cornbread like I did here.

Gift guide for those who love to cook

7. And last but definitely not least is the kitchen aid mixer. This is definitely on the more expensive end but is something that everyone needs in their kitchen. You can buy a multitude of different attachments from a spiralizer to an ice cream maker. The mixers come in a variety of colors as well which allow them to double as décor if you wanted.

Well if you were still searching for a gift idea for someone I hope that you found this gift guide for those who love to cook helpful. I would love to hear about some of your favorite kitchen products that you would recommend as great gift ideas.

Food

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

November 30, 2016 No Comments

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

You may have read my post on roasted acorn squash in which I expressed my love for acorn squash. Recently, I had bought some acorn squash but didn’t have the ingredients to make my roasted acorn squash and decided to try crusting it in quinoa instead. The end result turned out pretty tasty. I recently shared a post on quinoa crusted tilapia. I decided to use that same recipe to create a quinoa crusted acorn squash. In case you missed that post, I will recap how to make the crust below.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F. Cook 3/4 cup of quinoa on the stove top. After the quinoa is completely cooked, set it aside to cool. Next spread the cooled quinoa on an aluminum lined baking sheet and place it into the oven for 8-10minutes. The quinoa should now have a crunchy consistency. Set the quinoa aside again to cool.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

In a mixing bowl, combine 2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tsp of paprika. Then, add in the cooked quinoa and mix thoroughly. Next fill a bowl with 1/2 a cup of almond flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour) and in another bowl add 1 beaten egg.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Next, cut the acorn squash into 1/2 inch thick slices. Dredge each piece of acorn squash through the almond flour and then into the egg before coating in the quinoa mixture. Place the coated acorn squash onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Continue for the remaining pieces of the acorn squash. Place the baking sheet into the oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Now the quinoa crusted acorn squash is ready to be enjoyed!

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 acorn squash
3/4 cup of quinoa
2/3 cup of parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 egg
1/2 cup of almond flour

Instructions

Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F.
Cook 3/4 cup of quinoa on the stove top.
After the quinoa is completely cooked, set it aside to cool.
Next spread the cooled quinoa on an aluminum lined baking sheet and place it into the oven for 8-10minutes. The quinoa should now have a crunchy consistency. Set the quinoa aside again to cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine 2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tsp of paprika. Then, add in the cooked quinoa and mix thoroughly.
Next fill a bowl with 1/2 a cup of almond flour (I prefer Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour) and in another bowl add 1 beaten egg.
Cut the squash in half and scoop the seeds out.
Next, cut the acorn squash into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Dredge each piece of acorn squash through the almond flour and then into the egg before coating in the quinoa mixture.
Place the coated acorn squash onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
Continue for the remaining pieces of the acorn squash.
Place the baking sheet into the oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/quinoa-crusted-acorn-squash/

What are some of your favorite ways to cook acorn squash? I would love to hear your favorite acorn squash recipes!

Food

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

November 28, 2016 1 Comment

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I took a little time away from the blog last week to spend as much time as possible with family. After a week of indulging in all the Thanksgiving foods I think its time to share a healthy recipe to help get me back on track. Today I will be sharing my recipe for a turmeric and garlic spiced tilapia.

Turmeric is a spice that is supposed to have lots of health benefits. Turmeric (mainly curcumin- an active ingredient in turmeric) is said to have anti-inflammatory effects as well as being a strong antioxidant. I had never tried cooking with turmeric but due to the possible health benefits decided to try to find a way to incorporate it into some of my dishes. Below I will share how I created this turmeric and garlic spiced tilapia.

I started by trying to come up with a way to season the tilapia that we eat on a regular basis (Check out this quinoa crusted tilapia recipe) . Since we eat a lot of tilapia I constantly try to find ways to keep it from getting boring.

Turmeric and garlic spiced tilapia

Begin by adding 1 tbsp. of turmeric, 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp. of olive oil to a mixing bowl. Next press each filet into the mixture to completely coat. Then place tilapia into a lightly oiled pan. Continue for the remaining two filets.

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

I liked to lightly sear each side of the filet for a few minutes before placing into the oven to bake at 375 degrees F. I usually only leave in the oven for 5-7 minutes depending on the size of the fish. Once fish is thoroughly cooked, remove from the oven and enjoy!

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

Ingredients

3 tilapia filets
3 minced cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Mix 1 tbsp. of turmeric, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice, and 1 tbsp. of olive oil into a bowl.
Next coat each filet of the tilapia in the mixture.
Place each coated filet into a lightly oiled pan.
Lightly cook each side of the filet and then place into a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 5-7 minutes to finish cooking the fish.
Remove from the oven when completely cooked and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/turmeric-garlic-spiced-tilapia/

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

Food

Chocolate Protein Donuts

November 16, 2016 No Comments

Chocolate Protein Donuts

Donuts are one of those treats that I can just never say no to. I believe driving by a Krispy Kreme when the HOT sign is on is just a crime. A chocolate glazed Krispy Kreme donut can not be beat. I don’t live near a Krispy Kreme so fresh hot donuts are not something I get to divulge in regularly. I wanted to come up with a donut recipe that I could make at home that would be healthier than the tasty Krispy Kreme donuts but still taste good. That is what inspired the chocolate protein donut recipe below.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Next combine 1 egg, 1 egg white, 1/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of almond flour, 1 scoop Quest chocolate protein powder, 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2tbsp coconut oil, 1 1/2 tbsp. of almond butter, and 2 tbsp. of vitafiber into a mixing bowl. Mix ingredients until fully combined.

Chocolate Protein Donuts

For my donuts I used both a small donut pan and a silicone large donut mold. Spray your donut mold with a nonstick spray. The easiest way to get the dough into the molds is by putting the dough into a Ziploc bag and cutting off the corner. This allows you to easily pipe the dough into the molds. Fill each mold only half way with the dough as they will rise. Once you have filled your molds, place the pan into the preheated oven.

Chocolate Protein Donuts

Cook the doughnuts for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the donuts to cool for 5 -10 minutes before enjoying or adding your favorite icing to your delicious chocolate protein donuts.

chocolate protein donuts

Chocolate Protein Donuts

Ingredients

1 egg, 1 egg white
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup almond flour
1 scoop Quest chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp. almond butter
2 tbsp. vitafiber (or sweetener of your choice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine egg, egg white, almond milk,almond flour, chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, coconut oil, almond butter and vitafiber into a mixing bowl.
Thoroughly mix until ingredients completely combined.
Spray donut mold pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Scoop dough into a Ziploc bag and trim corner off of bag. Pipe the dough into the donut mold pans. Fill the molds half way as the dough will rise.
Place pans into oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before enjoying or adding icing/glaze

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/chocolate-protein-donuts/

chocolate protein donuts

I created an icing for my chocolate protein donuts but felt that they also tasted really good without it as well. For those that want to attempt an icing I will share my recipe. Combine 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp. of almond butter, 1/4 cup of coconut flour, 1/4 cup of truvia and 1/2 scoop of Quest chocolate protein powder. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. To ice the donuts, use the same method you used to pipe the donut dough into the molds.

chocolate protein donuts

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