After sharing this photo on Instagram and having it blow up, I figured I had to share this super simple, gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy pancake recipe that I discovered it through Blogilates.

These pancakes are light, fluffy and best eaten stacked with some fruit on the side.  You could use syrup but I found the fruit was enough sweetness and I wanted to keep it as guilt-free as possible.

Click through to see how to make them...

Okay you guys, I have the best kept secret when it comes to cleaning my shower and I'm sharing it with you here today.

Here's a little back story: I hate cleaning the shower.  Like, hate, hate, hate.  It is probably my most dreaded house-hold chore and before Marco and I moved in together, I would seriously let it go as long as possible (did I actually just confess that on the Internet?!  Ew).  

When we were looking for a place to live, we immediately fell in love with this place but my second thought after seeing the beautiful glass shower was, 'Omigod, I'm going to have to clean that'.  I was cringing before we moved!

Luckily, a good friend shared this 'recipe' with me and I have been cleaning the shower like clockwork every weekend.  This little concoction has turned the task into something that's not so dreadful, plus it doesn't take much elbow grease, it's super cheap and relatively good for the environment.  Win, win, win!

Let's get started.

More after the jump...

One day, a few months back, a friend and I were emailing and I asked her if she had any suggestions for dinner.  She suggested her signature recipe: Thai chicken lettuce wraps.  

Since then, it's not only become a go-to and something I make quite frequently, but also something I whip out for guests as well--and it's always a hit.  I'd love to share the simple recipe with you...

Click for more (photo overload)...

Do you guys remember those banana-coconut snakaroos I picked up at Marshalls a few weekends ago?  Well, they were amazing, but that small bag was seriously $9, which was a lot crazy, but I was feeling frivolous.

Fast forward two more trips to Marshalls and my mouth was watering for them again but I wouldn't let myself splurge.  Instead, I picked up a few missing ingredients and attempted to make them the other night.  And guess what:  amazeballs.  Yep.  A-maze.  Balls.  Or, bites.  Either way, here's how I did it:

Ingredients:
* 1 banana  preferably super ripe, but mine wasn't
* 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
* 1/3 cup rolled oats
* 4 tbsp coconut oil
* 2 tbsp chia seeds  optional
* 3/4 scoop chocolate protein powder  optional

Make it:
Mash it all together with a fork.  If it's too dry, add some coconut oil.  If it's too wet, add some coconut and/or oats.  

Once you get a sticky, yet thick consistency--I seriously eye balled all the ingredients so my measurements are estimates--use your hands and make bite size balls.

More like two-bite, sized balls.

Eat immediately or refrigerate and share with friends who appreciate healthy snacks that don't taste healthy.

Last night I was on a sewing mission and I knew it was going to take me all night so I needed something quick, easy and healthy for dinner to fuel me in between pinning and stitching.  Enter this amazingly easy and delicious dish that I made up spur of the moment.

Ingredients:
* 1 Chicken breast (or more if you're feeding others);
* Your favourite veggies, sliced; I did mushrooms & zuchinni because I had it on hand.


Directions:
1.  Pre-heat over to 350C
2.  Pour a quarter size amount of coconut oil in your cooking dish
3.  Sprinkle with pepper
4.  Add your veggies around the perimeter
5.  Spread some grainy dijon mustard on your chicken
6.  Place the chicken in the centre
7.  Cook for 30 minutes & devour


As I've gotten older, I've developed a mad love for rice pudding.  I know, kind of weird, but I just love it.  I don't eat it often, maybe a few times a year, but it's at the top of my favourite dessert-like foods.

When Sarah brought a healthier version to work that she made at home, I forced her to share the recipe with me so I could share with you.  Behold, healthier (ish) rice pudding!

Healthier Rice Pudding:
1 C Brown Minute Rice (the parboiled stuff that cooks in 10 mins normally)
½ C skim milk
2/3 C Stivia (or Splenda)
2 T melted butter (or margarine)
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
½ t nutmeg
Cinnamon
1 C raisins

Pre-heat overn to 350 degrees Celcius.

Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart baking dish. Mix well.  Bake in the oven for 1 hour, stirring after 15 minutes and again when pudding is done.



Sarah's notes:
It will seem a bit runny, but the mix thickens as it cools...if you feel it is too "thin", leave in for another 5-10 mins, not longer than that or it starts to separate and doesn't create a pudding (too thick).

Sprinkle with cinnamon or cinnamon sugar when finished or before eating a serving. Enjoy!


These peanut butter cookies have kind of become 'my thing', especially around the office.

Since they are such a fan favourite and so easy (and gluten free!), I thought I would share the recipe (ahem, thank you Kraft).

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix ingredients with mixer. Form into little balls and place on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 8-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Sometimes I get a craving for something sweet, even though I'm not hungry.  

Okay, who am I kidding?  I frequently get sweet cravings.  

Tonight was no different but I knew if I tore open the bag of mini-eggs I have stashed in my purse, imense guilt would set in immediately after especially since I induldged enough this weekend.  So, the alternative?  A make-shift 'healthy' apple crisp.

It's has fruit, that's healthy, right?

It's simple.  Go!


You will need:
* 1 apple
* 1 tsp. butter
* 1 heaping spoon of whole wheat flour
* cinnamon
* vanilla frozen yoghurt (optional and personally, I like the option)

With a fork, mix your melted butter and flour together until it forms a pebble-like consistency.  Peel the apple (remove the skin) and slice into flat-ish pieces into a bowl.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Sprinkle with flour/butter mixture.  Add more apple pieces, repeat & microwave for about four minutes (or until it looks cooked).  Enjoy.



I never had nor heard of onion bahjis until someone introduced us in the fall.  

They are a traditional Indian....meatball?  If I can get a lil' Italian on you.  

They are made up of onion, cilantro, curry and other delicious stuff and were quite simple to make.  As fate would have it, we got to use a deep fryer (versus using a pan with oil) to cook them which is how they are authentically done and they were to. die. for.  Seriously delish.


Pssst, I used whole wheat flour.

I whipped up some Chicken Parmigiana tonight on a whim... 

I've never made the real deal before.  

And by real deal, I mean coating it in an egg & bread crumb mixture, frying it in oil, and then baking it to perfection.  

I always take the half-assed route: put chicken in baking dish, pour tomato sauce over, sprinkle grated cheese & bake.

BOR-ing.

This time was gourmet though.

I coated and fried that chicken up 'till it was nice and golden and fatty, and then I baked.  Big hit.  Biiig hit.




And of course to keep things healthy, I threw in some broccoli on the side (and whole wheat pasta).


It seems lately (or at least when I'm uninspired) my favourite question to my friends is, 'What are you having for dinner?' aka what am I having for dinner.

See how clever that is?

Anywho.  A friend suggested meatloaf tonight and sent me the recipe. 
  
I like easy, healthy stuff, and this fit the bill.

I made it and devoured it at 10pm... because I got home late, then had to make it, then it took an hour to cook... then I ate it.  And I have a (hot) lunch for tomorrow.  Woo.


Meatloaf:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F

* 1 chopped onion
* 4 minced garlic cloves
* 1 pack of lean ground beef
* 1 cup of bread crumbs
* 1/2 cup of milk
* 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix everything together with your hands.  Line a loaf pan with tinfoil and 'fill' with your meatloaf mixture.  Bake for an hour.  Let cool 15 minutes before cutting.


I topped mine with a ketchup based sauce (1/3 cup ketchup, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp dried mustard).


You know when you're eating something really, really yummy and (as I like to say) you don't want it to be over?  That's how I felt while eating this delicious bean salad.  A friend sparked the idea, I came up with the recipe. 

It's easy.  And healthy.  And filling.  And delicious. 


Don't like beans? 

You could use quinoa.


Hate tomatoes?

Avocados can be your friend.


Not a fan of feta?

Look, I'm not going to hold your hand.


See what I just did there?  I gave you options.  And that's what eating is all about.


Black Bean Salad
* 1 can of black beans
* 1/2 onion chopped
* 1/2 pint grape tomatoes
* Crumbled feta (as much as you like)
* Splash of lime juice
* Pepper to taste







Just finished making and eating this.  It was a total improv of a meal and it turned out quite good.  I was looking for something healthy, filling and tasty after my sweat session at the gym tonight and this did the trick.  Here's how it goes:

You need:
* Turkey breast (sliced into strips)
* Broccoli, red pepper & onion (or whatever veggies you like)
* Curry paste 
* Plain Yoghurt
* Quinoa

Saute your onions in a little olive oil, while cooking your turkey in a separate pan.  Add the other veggies to your onions.  Once turkey is cooked, add that to the mix.  Prepare the quinoa.  Mix up two big spoonfuls of curry paste with three big spoonfuls (or more) of the yoghurt.  Poor over turkey/veg mix.  Simmer.  Poor over quinoa & enjoy.

I ate this tonight.  Pulled Chicken Salad.  A off-the-top-of-my-head recipe from an old friend that never fails.  It's clean, healthy, filling and delicious (and quick, easy-peasy).
I was leaving Zumba tonight and hit up the grocery store as I needed two things: (i) groceries, and (ii) dinner.  After picking up various produce and planning my meal for tomorrow night (I'm making a Greek chicken crock pot dish I've never attempted before) I started to feel hungry.  I hit up the magazine/cookbook aisle for inspiration and I didn't even need to open a book!  I saw a magazine entitled, 'Clean Eating' and my mind jumped to this salad and back to the produce aisle I went.  Within 15 minutes of arriving home I was chowing down. 

Ingredients:
* Whole BBQ chicken
* Spinach
* Veggies you like (I like: grape tomatoes, avocados)
* Canned mandarin oranges
* Optional: dried cranberries

Make it:
Pull all the chicken off your BBQ chicken and put in a bowl off to the side.  Put heaping handful of spinach on plate.  Chop veggies & add to the mix.  Throw in whatever else you want (walnuts are awesome. As are hard boiled eggs).  Toss some chicken on top.  Enjoy.

Told ya it was easy.




Sometimes I make my own dressing (not tonight, thanks Kraft) and to do so I squeeze a lime (you could use lemon), chop a couple cloves of garlic, and pour in some olive oil.  Shake it up and pour over your salad.


While leaving the gym a couple weeks ago, a trainer had set up a table by the front doors and was handing out dixie cups filled with a green 'energy' smoothie she made.  I, of course, grabbed one because (a) I just finished a workout and was famished, and (b) I'm always up for trying something new.  

Turns out although it looked nasty, it tasted delicious.  

She had kindly printed out the recipe and had a stack of 'em for people to take home (with, of course, her personal training coordinates).  A few days later I made my own but it didn't turn out green like hers, and I had to improvise a bit because who really keeps almond milk and two kinds of yoghurt in their fridge at the same time?  Not this girl.

Healthy Smoothie:
* Frozen banana
* 1 Cup of Milk
* 1/2 Cup of Yoghurt
* 1 Cup of Frozen Berries (I used strawberries)
* Handful of Spinach*


Blend

Drink

Enjoy.




* I know what you're thinking, 'Spinach?! In a smoothie? Really Amanda? Yuck!' 
but seriously, you don't even taste it. And it's good for you. So do it.  Do it good.

The other (weekend) morning, in a semi-rush to get out the door, but a desire to not spend money on breakfast, I whipped up these breakfast sandwiches.  Easy, healthy, and cheap.  I used what was in the fridge, so feel free to improvise with what you've got.

Ingredients:
* Bread for toasting
* 3 eggs
* Ham
* Spinach
* Red onion

Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet.  Saute your chopped onion.  Crack your eggs and poke the yokes.  Add ham and spinach and let the bottom of your egg mixture cook. 

When the top is fairly firm (not very runny), split your egg mixture into two or four (depending how good your flipping skills are) and flip.  

Toast your bread.

Remove egg mixture (fully cooked now) from skillet, place on toast, add ketchup/mayo/whatever-your-lil'-heart-desires, and top with other piece of toast.

(Wrap in tin-foil if it's to-go &) enjoy.


I made these pumpkin muffins last week and they have been a big hit.  They came out kinda wonky looking because they are 'healthy'* and I guess that means they won't be perfect looking, but nonetheless, they're good.  The flavour isn't bad, but a regular (fatty) muffin has a ton of sugar to make it sweet and flavourful.  You will not get that with this muffin, however, in a rush or pinch, you can down one of these and the guilt doesn't tend to set in like with a normal muffin it would.

Kidding.

Sort of.



* What the heck is 'spelt flour'?  No clue, so I used whole wheat (that might explain the deformation?).  Also, I couldn't find coconut oil so I used olive (meh).




Wow, that was a mouthful.

It was delicious.

I then proceeded to eat it for four days straight.

It was still delicious.

I used ground turkey (duh), for the first time ever, and it was good (but not quite the good stuff kids go for).

Kids would probably go for chocolate and chips...



I've never made cinnamon buns from scratch before this recipe and let. me. tell. you: boy, was it easy.  And delicious.  And quick (maybe, maybe 25 minutes total).  I tweaked it a little and used whole wheat flour (because I'm 'healthy' like that) and then covered them in cream cheese icing (because that's how I roll).  Deeelish.

 


Joy the Baker is my favourite food blog.  Not only does she whip up amazing desserts, dinners, appetizers, cookies, cakes, breakfasts, soups and more, she's hi-larious.  No seriously, she is.  And witty, she's so witty she's makin' all the kids want to be just. like. her.  I have made several of her concoctions before (my fave ginger cookies are courtesy of her) and this time I took on two recipes at once.  At once!  Quinoa Cakes (with some stuff in 'em) and a Vegan Broccoli Soup.  And hot damn they were good.  Seriously, this girl knows what she's talking... er... cookin' about.  Don't take my word for it (or my photos, because not only  is girl a phenom chef, she takes extraordinary photos too), check her out.






* I modified my recipes a tad just because I didn't have a few ingredients.  Here's what I used in lieu:
Sage instead of cumin
Lime juice instead of lemon
No olives
Cilantro instead of parsley
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