gluten free Archives

Pesto Parmesan Green Eggs & Ham

June 24, 2015 · by Ari · 2 Comments

Hearty and full of flavor, pesto parmesan green eggs & ham are the perfect healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner!

I went to college in a verrrry small town in Idaho with approximately 2 breakfast options: The Bagel Shop, which was awesome, but more for for those 2am after the bar kinda nights, and The Breakfast Club, which was packed every single weekend morning with all the college kids making their visiting parents take them out for breakfast. Myself included.

I would always either get pancakes (with bacon and eggs and maple syrup on top, of course) or their almost-famous green eggs and ham with pesto and parmesan cheese. It was the bomb. I know nobody says the bomb anymore, but I am stuck in 1997. Don’t judge me. Anyway, I’ve been meaning to recreate this dish for a good long time, and after 20 hours of travel and a crap ton of jet lag, this super easy dish was the absolute perfect dinner.

Lately I’ve been eating a lot of eggs and I’ve been using Eggland’s Best eggs. Compared to regular eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs have 25% less saturated fat, 1o x more vitamin E, 4 x more vitamin D and 3 x more vitamin B12. If you’d like more information on their nutrition benefits, you can check out their nutrition info. They worked out great in this dish with the creamy pesto, and simple balance of flavors.

Pesto Parmesan Green Eggs & Ham

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 2-4

Hearty and full of flavor, pesto parmesan green eggs & ham are the perfect healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Ingredients

4 eggs (I used Eggland's Best)
4 egg whites
small pinch salt
generous pinch pepper
2 tablespoons pesto sauce
large handful baby spinach
3 ounces chopped Canadian bacon
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese (+ more for topping)
fresh basil for topping

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and egg whites until well combined. Heat a medium-low nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray (or olive oil or butter). Add eggs and season with salt and pepper.
Cook about ¾ of the way (about 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of your pan), stirring often using a spatula or wooden spoon. Add pesto, spinach, Canadian bacon and parmesan cheese, and cook until eggs are fully cooked and spinach has wilted.
Serve immediately topped with more parmesan cheese (if desired) and chopped fresh basil.

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Eggland’s Best.

Honey Goat Cheese Spread

May 21, 2015 · by Ari · 7 Comments

Smooth, creamy, sweet and tangy honey goat cheese spread is perfect for entertaining, or even just a delicious snack to keep on hand.

It’s been a while since we discussed my love of goat cheese. It’s like in my top 5 favorite foods along with sweet potatoes, fro yo, dark chocolate and cilantro. I love the soft, creamy texture and bold taste. People who don’t like goat cheese? I will never understand you.

I was super stoked when Breton sent me their gluten-free crackers to sample. I love crackers, but I haven’t found too many gluten-free options that do the trick. These, though? OMG so much herb and garlic flavor! No weird textures!are certified gluten free by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness Gluten Free Certification Program, and I promise they will please all of your gluten-loving friends and family as well! I tried the herb & garlic flavor first, and it was so good on its own that I had a hard time figuring out a pairing that would stand up, but not overwhelm. I wanted to taste this cracker, not hide it.

I wandered around TJ’s looking for inspiration when I saw this perfect little package of honey goat cheese. So simple, but the perfect flavor combination. So I bought some regular goat cheese and added some local Arizona spring honey (if you still buy “honey” in a bear, you are doing it SO wrong!). You don’t need much–just a little touch of sweetness. Finish it off with a pinch of salt and pepper, and that’s it. It is seriously the easiest spread ever, but it tastes incredible!

I love entertaining, but I don’t love stressing out and cooking for 17 days ahead of time to get everything together. This spread is so simple you could make it 5 minutes before your guests arrive and they’ll never know. 😉

5.0 from 1 reviews

Honey Goat Cheese Spread

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Appetizer

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 4

Smooth, creamy, sweet and tangy honey goat cheese spread is perfect for entertaining, or even just a delicious snack to keep on hand.

Ingredients

4 ounces goat cheese (in a log, not crumbled)
1 tablespoon honey
pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

Place honey and goat cheese in your food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste (I used a small pinch of each). Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

If you don't have a food processor, feel free to use a mixer to beat ingredients together.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Truffle Turkey Club {with a fried egg}

May 7, 2015 · by Ari · 1 Comment

This truffle turkey club with a fried egg has roasted turkey, truffle mayo, crispy bacon, tomato, arugula and a perfect, drippy fried egg for the perfect combination of flavors and textures.

If you put an egg on a sandwich does that make it a breakfast sandwich? Or does the turkey make it lunch/dinner? I’m pretty sure it just makes it a sandwich for all meals, and that a drippy egg on just about anything makes it instantly 10x better. I know some people are freaked out by egg yolk, but I just think they’re missing out on one of the most delicious things life has to offer.

Okay, so you know those people that get their sandwich with just meat and cheese? I don’t understand that. I loooove sandwiches, but they have to be crazy, unique and have lots of different flavors. A delicious spread is mandatory, and bacon is always a plus. Add a drippy egg and you’ve made sandwich perfection.

For my sandwich I used Eggland’s Best eggs. Compared to regular eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs have 25% less saturated fat, 1o x more vitamin E, 4 x more vitamin D and 3 x more vitamin B12. Whoa! For more information on their nutrition, check out their nutrition info. I also use center cut bacon which is healthier than turkey bacon and about 20x better if you ask me. It all comes together to create the perfect, memorable sandwich.

Truffle Turkey Club {with a fried egg}

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 2 sandwiches

This truffle turkey club with a fried egg has roasted turkey, truffle mayo, crispy bacon, tomato, arugula and a perfect, drippy fried egg for the perfect combination of flavors and textures.

Ingredients

For the truffle mayo:

2 tablespoons light olive oil mayo
2 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
½ teaspoon truffle oil
pinch sea salt

For the sandwich:

4 slices whole grain bread (I used gluten-free), toasted
truffle mayo
handful arugula
3-4 ounces sliced turkey
1 roma tomato, sliced
2 eggs, pan fried with a pinch each of salt and pepper
4 slices cooked center cut bacon

Instructions

To make the truffle mayo, whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Taste and add more truffle oil and/or salt if desired. Assemble sandwich and serve immediately.

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Eggland’s Best.

Banana Bread Smoothie

April 26, 2015 · by Ari · 9 Comments

This thick and creamy banana bread smoothie tastes like a milkshake, but it’s naturally light, vegan and gluten-free.

Summer is coming. I know those of you that don’t live in Arizona are super excited that it’s finally Spring but, here in Phoenix, it’s been Spring since about November and the summer temps are taunting us. In fact, next week it’s already supposed to hit 100 degrees. Wahhhhh.

This will be the first summer in a long time that I’m not training for a marathon (I trained for the New York marathon 3 years in a row and finally crossed the finish line last year!), but it will also be the first summer in an even longer time that I am staying in Phoenix almost the entire summer. I’m kind of terrified. And even though I’m not training for a marathon, I do have to keep training for the Bourbon Chase which means 90 degree runs at 4am and plenty of ice cold smoothies immediately to follow.

I have a confession: I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m not into protein powder. I know most of the healthy living community likes to put protein powder in their smoothies, but I just prefer to get my protein from foods that already contain it. The cup of Silk soy milk I used in this recipe has 8 grams of plant based protein, and often times I’ll beef that up with some nonfat plain Greek yogurt, but this recipe is so smooth and creamy without it, plus I wanted to keep it vegan and dairy free.

You can get an extra protein boost from lots of soy products–tofu, edamame and more will bulk up the protein in your diet. And this smoothie? You will fall in love with how creamy, dreamy and delicious it is. The oats and frozen banana give it the flavor of freshly baked banana bread, and the dates add a little extra sweetness naturally.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Banana Bread Smoothie

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

This thick and creamy banana bread smoothie tastes like a milkshake, but it's naturally light, vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 cup Silk soy milk (I used light vanilla)
2 dates, pitted
1 banana, peeled and frozen
¼ cup oats (use certified gluten-free if necessary)
1 cup ice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Soak dates in soy milk covered in your refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Blend all ingredients in a high quality blender until smooth. If smoothie is too thick, add a little more soy milk. Drink immediately.

Make sure to check out Silk’s website to get a coupon and fall back in love with soy yourself!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

April 16, 2015 · by Ari · 6 Comments

Fast, easy and cheesy chicken enchilada casserole has all your favorite flavors, but no rolling and stuffing–just stack and bake. It doesn’t get much simpler or much more delicious!

I never realized my Mexican food obsession was even a thing for most of my life. I live in Arizona. Mexican food is basically just food. Not to mention that most Mexican dishes include my favorite food group: CHEESE!

Did I ever tell you about in my “before” days I would go out to eat and then when I’d get full, I would pick all of the cheese off of my dish and leave the rest? I’m pretty sure it was something like #20 in this article. PS: I laughed out loud for so long. Maybe my favorite BuzzFeed article ever?

Anyway, I love enchiladas, but every time I make them, the rolling takes me forevvveeerrrrr, and then they never stay, and I just end up eating a mess of enchilada filling rather than actual enchiladas. So this time I took a different approach and stacked it all up. It stayed together perfectly. I don’t know if I will ever make regular enchiladas again.

This is like you ordered enchiladas, then mixed your whole plate of enchiladas and beans together making it even more awesome, and with practically no work!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 9-12

Ingredients

1½ pounds chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2½ cups enchilada sauce (I used this one, but green or red will work)
6 small corn tortillas
1 (14.5 ounce) can fat free re-fried beans, heated
½ cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever you like)
fresh cilantro, optional
thinly sliced green onions, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9" square pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine shredded chicken with 2 cups enchilada sauce. Line the bottom of prepared 9" pan with 3 tortillas, then add half the beans and half the chicken and enchilada sauce mixture. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beans and chicken. Add remaining ½ cup enchilada sauce on top, then top with shredded cheese.
Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro and green onions if desired. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

March 22, 2015 · by Ari · 2 Comments

Ultra soft and tender carrot cake cupcakes with light and fluffy cream cheese frosting are the perfect spring dessert. So delicious no one will know they’re lightened up and gluten-free!

Can we just live in a world where anything that has a vegetable is automatically healthy? Like, can these be the side veggie side dish for my grilled chicken? Or zucchini bread. Or I’d even settle for throwing some spinach in my milkshake. That constitutes a green smoothie, right??

Okay, so maybe these aren’t quite as healthy as snacking on baby carrots, but sometimes you just need your veggies in the form of a giant, ridiculously good cupcake. And today is one of those days. I’ve been working an absolutely insane amount (which is so worth it because it’s leading to GREAT things that I can’t wait to share!) and pretty much living off canned soup and cheese toast. I am the model of healthy living over here. I miss vegetables, and at the same time I have the overwhelming urge to stress eat about a dozen cupcakes, so I’m pretty sure carrot cake is the perfect solution.

I’ve always been a huge fan of carrot cake (except when it has nuts–no thank you), and I’ve tried a couple of times to make carrot cake cupcakes, but they always ended up as a bust. Especially the time I tried to stuff them with whipped coconut cream and they ended up a soggy mess. That was fun. Finally, I decided to stick to a more traditional version, and they ended up being everything I wanted and more! So flavorful, so tender, and better than any carrot cake I have ever tasted. I seriously couldn’t get enough of them, and they are hands down one of my all time favorite desserts.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 1 dozen

Ultra soft and tender carrot cake cupcakes with light and fluffy cream cheese frosting are the perfect spring dessert. So delicious no one will know they're lightened up and gluten-free!

Ingredients

1½ cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ pound carrots, grated

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

½ cup butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, egg and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in grated carrot.
Fill muffin tins ¾ full with batter. Bake until edges lightly brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.
To make frosting, beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Add vanilla and continue to beat until everything is smooth and incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Frost completely cooled cupcakes. Serve immediately or store refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

March 16, 2015 · by Ari · 4 Comments

Whether it’s breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast, these perfectly roasted breakfast stuffed sweet potatoes filled with drippy eggs, crispy bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup are sure to impress!

Okay so don’t think I’m weird because I love maple syrup on my bacon and eggs. My favorite thing is a stack of fluffy pancakes with drippy eggs, crispy bacon and real maple syrup. The sweet and salty together…sooo good.

My other favorite thing? Stuffed sweet potatoes. Obviously. And what better to stuff them with when ya want something a little different than some protein-packed eggs? I love eggs. They are pretty much the cheapest and easiest way to instantly bulk up the protein in any dish.

For this dish, I used more of my Eggland’s Best eggs. I’m super into them. Compared to regular eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs have 25% less saturated fat, 1o x more vitamin E, 4 x more vitamin D and 3 x more vitamin B12. Whoa! For more information on their nutrition, check out their nutrition info. I’m sold!

I usually eat this as breakfast for dinner, but it totally works as a super filling breakfast–especially if you roast the sweet potatoes and cook your bacon ahead of time. With just a handful of ingredients, it’s naturally paleo, gluten-free and dairy-free. And the perfect bite of sweet and salty deliciousness.

Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 2

Whether it's breakfast for dinner or dinner for breakfast, these perfectly roasted breakfast stuffed sweet potatoes filled with drippy eggs, crispy bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup are sure to impress!

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse sea salt
3 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 eggs, cooked to your liking (I did over medium)
pure maple syrup for drizzling, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Use a fork to poke several holes into sweet potatoes. Brush each sweet potato with approx ½ tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle to coat lightly with sea salt. Roast until fork tender (meaning a fork easily slides right into the sweet potato), about 45-60 minutes depending on size of your potatoes.
Once your potatoes have cooked, cook up your eggs. Slice cooked sweet potatoes down the middle leaving about an inch uncut. Stuff each potato with 2 eggs and a generous pinch of crumbled bacon. Drizzle with maple syrup of desired (you only need a small amount) and serve immediately

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Eggland’s Best.

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

March 4, 2015 · by Ari · 2 Comments

Ultra soft cinnamon streusel muffins are packed with cinnamon and brown sugar flavor with the perfect, tender crumb and delicious cinnamon oat streusel topping. Vegan & gluten-free.

These little gems. Aren’t they adorable? Little 2-3 bite cinnamon goodness that I am totally, ridiculously obsessed with. So obsessed that I moved them to the front of the line, past all of the recipes I made before them because I just couldn’t wait to share them with you.

I’ve had my mind on these babies for a long time. Cinnamon sugar muffins with coconut oil. So simple. So necessary.

Most cinnamon sugar muffins are coated with butter then dipped in cinnamon sugar after baking, but I went with this streusel because that seemed like more fun. And I’m sure it probably isn’t, but it just seemed healthier than dipping them in butter. Let’s forget about the 3 tablespoons of oil in the streusel topping…

In the batter I used half coconut oil and half applesauce to keep them ultra soft, but still cut down a little on calories. I used almond milk and a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar to be my make-shift buttermilk. I looooove buttermilk muffins, but I rarely keep it on hand, so this is the perfect option, plus it keeps it vegan/dairy-free, if that’s important to you. If not, you can totally use buttermilk, or do the same trick with whatever milk you have on hand.

These little guys are so ridiculously tender with a perfectly soft crumb, I promise you will never have a clue they are lightened up. In fact, I brought them to a party over the weekend, and as I was leaving, my running coach told me that she was giving everyone else the food they brought to take the leftovers home, but only 4 muffins were left and she was keeping them! I also had someone ask me for the recipe before I even left. They are pretty special. 🙂

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 30 mini muffins

Ultra soft cinnamon streusel muffins are packed with cinnamon and brown sugar flavor with the perfect, tender crumb and delicious cinnamon oat streusel topping. Vegan & gluten-free.

Ingredients

1½ cups gluten free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash salt
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar

For the cinnamon streusel:

3 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ cup brown sugar
heaping ⅓ cup quick cook oats (used certified GF if necessary)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray or line with paper liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. Measure out almond milk and add apple cider vinegar. Gently stir together. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together melted applesauce, coconut oil and sugars until well combined. Stir in half of the flour mixture, followed by almond milk mixture, then remaining flour mixture, stirring until just combined.
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until they are fully combined and have a slightly crumbly texture. If mixture is too wet, add more oats.
Fill muffin tins ⅔ full with batter--you should get about 30 mini muffins, or a dozen full size. Evenly divide streusel topping over batter, about a generous pinch per mini muffin. Bake until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs, about 10 minutes.
Cool completely before removing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Crockpot Raspberry Chipotle Chicken

March 2, 2015 · by Ari · 5 Comments

Crockpot raspberry chipotle chicken is the perfect juicy, tender shredded chicken that’s lightly sweet with a spicy kick! Just 3 ingredients and no prep time make it so fast and easy! Great for salads, sandwiches, or a fork.

One of my favorite meal prep options is crockpot shredded chicken. Almost every week I make some variety of chicken in the crockpot to bring for lunches, and somehow I’m still not sick of it. Probably because I’m always changing it up and trying new things, but I have to tell you this was one of my favorites.

One of my favorite lunch spots is Costa Vita because they have this amaaaaazing raspberry chipotle chicken salad. I love the sweet and spicy combination and raspberry and chipotle just go together like pb&j.

This is a great meal prep option because you can use it so many different ways–you don’t just eat the same thing day after day. I suggest making sandwiches, a taco-type salad, and maybe even stuffing a spaghetti squash! Although, I have to admit, I ate the majority with just a fork. 😉

Crockpot Raspberry Chipotle Chicken

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 hours

Total time: 5 hours 5 mins

Serves: 10-12

Crockpot raspberry chipotle chicken is the perfect juicy, tender shredded chicken that's lightly sweet with a spicy kick! Great for salads, sandwiches, or a fork!

Ingredients

4 large chicken breasts
1 x 7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup raspberry jam

Instructions

Layer chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Cover with chipotle peppers (and sauce) and raspberry jam. Cook on low for 5 hours. Shred chicken and stir into sauce. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

Egg Salad with Bacon

February 18, 2015 · by Ari · Leave a Comment

Lightened up, protein packed egg salad with bacon is a delicious and easy recipe for a make ahead lunch, or a quick and simple dinner. Just a handful of ingredients and tons of flavor–you will never want to go back to regular egg salad again!

Okay, so I am a huge egg fan. Pretty much any way you can prepare them, and for any meal of the day, I’m game. They are such a great, inexpensive and healthy way to get protein, so when I got the opportunity to work with Eggland’s Best, I was immediately on board!

Compared to regular eggs, Eggland’s Best eggs have 25% less saturated fat, 1o x more vitamin E, 4 x more vitamin D and 3 x more vitamin B12. Whoa! For more information on their nutrition, check out their nutrition info.

I was super excited to find out they sell hardboiled eggs cooked and peeled. It made making this egg salad so easy. I often hard boil several eggs at once to keep them on hand, but when I’m in a time crunch, it’s great to have the option of having all of that done for me. Plus, boiling eggs is one of those simple things that I always manage to mess up.

To add even more protein to this egg salad (and cut some of the fat), I swapped most of the mayo with nonfat plain Greek yogurt. You can always use all Greek yogurt, but I find that the tiny bit of light mayo really does add to the flavor and makes it taste more like traditional egg salad.

A few weeks ago, I happened to have some left over cooked bacon lying around so I threw some on my egg salad sandwich. It.Was.Awesome. Like, I never want to eat my egg salad without it again. It’s one of those amazing secrets I almost wish I didn’t know, but now I know and there is no going back.

I also add a little Spike seasoning. My mom always put it in our egg salad growing up, and it’s an other one of those things that I just can’t do without. I literally use it on everything, but it is mandatory in my egg salad. Of course, you can replace it with whatever spices you like to keep on hand, but I recommend going with the Spike–you will thank me for sure! 🙂

Egg Salad with Bacon

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Entree

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 3

Lightened up, protein packed egg salad with bacon is a delicious and easy recipe for a make ahead lunch, or a quick and simple dinner. Just a handful of ingredients and tons of flavor--you will never want to go back to regular egg salad again!

Ingredients

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped (I used Eggland's Best)
¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon light mayo
light pinch salt
generous pinch pepper
generous pinch Spike seasoning (optional, but recommended)
4 slices center cut bacon, cooked and chopped

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Serve immediately on sandwiches/lettuce/etc., or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Eggland’s Best.

Browned Butter Funfetti Cookies

February 6, 2015 · by Ari · 5 Comments

Rich, nutty, bakery-style browned butter funfetti cookies are everything you could dream of in a cookie–crunchy outside with a soft and chewy inside.

Guessssss what??? IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! And a big one. The big 3-0 or, as I like to call it, 20-10. And we’re celebrating with my favorite cookies. Yes. My very favorite cookies I have ever made, tasted, smelled, etc. They are absolute heaven, and I knew I had to save them for a special occasion to share with you because they are totally, unapologetically indulgent.

After I got home from New York in November, I wanted to make myself a special marathon treat, and I had been craving a perfect funfetti cookie since trying the one from Schmackary’s. Word has it, Obama sends his secret service men to Schmakary’s to get him cookies when he’s in the city. Fancy.

Well, I have a confession. I promise, as much as I love attention, I really do hate to toot my own horn. I actually consider myself a fairly modest person, and I always have a hard time telling you how delicious my recipes are because I feel kind of like a tool–like when you talk about how good the food you made was during dinner? It’s, like, the most uncomfortable thing. But THESE COOKIES. I will shout it from the rooftops. I liked them better thank Schmakary’s. I’m sorry. No, I’m not. Those are great, but this is better.

Apparently birthday week means browned butter week? These were my first time baking (or even tasting!) browned butter, but like I said about the browned butter spaghetti squash–it was sooooo worth the hype! That rich, nutty flavor is uncanny and canNOT be recreated with any substitutes. Every once in a while, it’s just worth having a real, full fat, indulgent cookie. And this was one of those times.

They came out just like I imagined them–perfectly crunchy outsides with ultra soft, chewy insides. Steve even agreed that he’s rather have mine than the one from Schmakary’s and this one is gluten-free, although you’d never know it. Of course, if you eat gluten, feel free to use white whole wheat flour, or even (gasp) all purpose. I haven’t bought that stuff in years, but these babies are meant for full enjoyment, so have at it! And if you’re so inclined, top ’em off with some light and fluffy cream cheese frosting. It’s also worth it.

Browned Butter Funfetti Cookies

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: about 3 dozen

Rich, nutty, bakery-style browned butter funfetti cookies are everything you could dream of in a cookie--crunchy outside with a soft and chewy inside.

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free baking blend (or white whole wheat flour, or all purpose)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, browned and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅔ cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles

For the cream cheese frosting:

½ cup butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
extra sprinkles for topping

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together baking blend, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat together browned butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in sprinkles. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Line a large baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Roll dough in approximately 1½" balls and drop onto prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden and just set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
To make frosting, beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat in powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Add vanilla and continue to beat until everything is smooth and incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Frost completely cooled cookies and top with extra sprinkles if desired. Frosting and cookies are best stored separately, then frost before serving. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Parmesan Garlic Brown Butter Spaghetti Squash

February 2, 2015 · by Ari · 1 Comment

Bold, rich, nutty parmesan garlic brown butter spaghetti squash is the perfect comforting side dish. Tons of nutty, garlic-y flavor, low carb, gluten-free, and just 4 ingredients (+ salt and pepper)!

Welcome to the last week of my twenties. So I’m totally that person that is obsessed with my birthday. Like, on my whiteboard at school, there has been a countdown for about two weeks. I love to be celebrated, and I shamelessly love to be the center of attention. I feel like as long as I don’t become one of those people that needs any kind of attention (you know, the poor me, I’ll act crazy so people notice me types?), I refuse to become someone who feels ashamed of loving attention. Why do you think I majored in musical theatre? 😉

But have I mentioned how I’m spending the day of the big 3-0? Oh, you know, waking up at 3:30 am to leave on a 4am bus to a musical theatre competition in California with my students. I know. Luckily I love them, and I know it will be a fun trip, but I’d rather be drinking multiple old fashioneds with Steve and having a super sentimental birthday dinner at my favorite restaurant.

Ooooh, orrrrrr eating a big steak (Steve is the grill master) and a huge pile of this spaghetti squash at home. Because this dish is so freaking good, it is definitely birthday dinner worthy. In fact, it was totally fight over the leftovers worthy, and goes down in history as a tie for my favorite thing I have ever made with spaghetti squash.

I know, I know, with butter in the title and shots of literally pouring butter onto the food, this hardly seems like a healthy recipe, but honestly for the amount of butter per serving, it’s really not too shabby, and it is so, so, so worth it. The flavor of browned butter is so bold that a little bit goes a long way. It doesn’t hurt that the garlic is cooked in the browned butter. I diiiiie.

This was my first time using browned butter in a savory recipe. Actually, I just used it for the first time, like at all, a couple of months ago and, well, now I get it. As a recovering butter hater, let me just say: It’s totally worth it.

So dive in. Embrace the browned butter. It comes with a vegetable. 😉

Parmesan Garlic Brown Butter Spaghetti Squash

Author: Ari Ziskin

Recipe type: Appetizer

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

Bold, rich, nutty parmesan garlic brown butter spaghetti squash is the perfect comforting side dish. Tons of nutty, garlic-y flavor, low carb, gluten-free, and just 4 ingredients (+ salt and pepper)!

Ingredients

1 extra large (or 2 small) spaghetti squash, halved, seeded and scraped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Rub spaghetti squash with olive oil and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until fork tender--the spaghetti squash should easily come out when scraped with a fork, about 40-60 minutes, depending on size.
To brown the butter melt in a medium pan over medium heat. Once butter is melted add garlic. Whisk constantly. The butter will start to foam first, then develop golden brown specs. Once you see the brown specs, turn off the heat and continue to whisk for an other 30 seconds, until butter is a nice amber color. Place on a cool surface to avoid continuing to cook and burning. The butter can burn very easily.
Once spaghetti squash has finished cooking, remove the inner flesh (the spaghetti-like part) and place in a large bowl. Toss with browned butter (I recommend not adding it all at once--you may not need it all), and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.

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