Tag: recipes

Healthy Mini Pepper Nachos

Healthy Mini Pepper Nachos

Health Mini Sweet Pepper Nachos

Anyone else buy a lot of fruits of veggies with great ambitions of eating super healthy? But then you fast forward a week and you’ve got a fridge full of food that’s about to turn. Ya, me too. Well thanks to my mother I have a really hard time throwing food away so I try to be creative with what is left in my fridge at the end of the week.

I originally created this dish as a way to use of a bag of mini peppers I found hiding in the back of my veggie crisper one Friday evening. Whoops, forgot about you little fellas. I don’t know about ya’ll, but at the end of a long week I am not craving a bunch of sweet peppers as my Friday night dinner. Blahh. Fridays are for pizza, nachos, burgers, and beer. Duh. So with a pound of ground beef, a bag of quickly aging mini peppers, and a strong craving for a “snacky-type” food these mini pepper nachos were born.

Making Mini Pepper Nachos

Simply start with browning your ground beef with diced onion and garlic in a large pan. Drain excess fat and add taco seasoning. Simmer the meat according to the taco seasoning package directions.

mini pepper nachos

Meanwhile slice your peppers. I won’t lie to you, slicing and de-seeding the mini peppers is fairly tedious. But pour yourself a glass of wine, turn on some good tunes and it becomes somewhat therapeutic to de-seed 20 mini peppers. And trust me it’s worth it. I mean look how pretty they are.

Bell Pepper Nachos

Once your mini peppers are cut and laid out nicely on a sheet pan you can spread on your refried beans.

healthy nachos

Next add the taco meat mixture.

Healthy mini pepper nachos

Top with 2/3rds of the cheese.

Pop it into the oven at 425 degrees and cook about 15 minutes, give or take. You want your peppers to be slightly softened and your cheese a little browned.

nachos

Removed the peppers from the oven and top with remaining cheese, tomatoes, green onion, jalapenos, Greek yogurt, and avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice as desired.

Mini Bell Pepper Nachos

These mini nacho peppers are delicious. They are cooked just long enough that the peppers become slightly soft but still have a little snap when you give ’em a bite. Not to mention they are the perfect guilt free vehicle to bring cheesy, taco meat goodness into your mouth.

I like to cook up a whole pan that my husband and I can munch on while catching up on our trashy Netflix shows. These mini pepper nachos would also make a great appetizer for any get together. Plus if you use gluten free taco seasoning this dish is easily gluten free. Omit the cheese and Greek yogurt and boom…it’s dairy free. And I know there are many meat substitutes out there these days so I’m guessing it would be fairly simple to make this vegetarian as well. And I think that covers most of the common dietary restrictions, yay.

If you make this dish I would love to see it.

Be sure to tag @movinglikeamother!

healthy sweet pepper nachos

Check out more of my favorite weeknight meals below:

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Healthy Stuffed Acorn Squash

Healthy(ish) Homemade Pizza

–Monica

Print Recipe
 Healthy Mini Pepper Nachos
These nachos are made with mini sweet peppers, black refried beans, ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, and Greek yogurt as a sour cream substitute. This dish makes a perfect healthy alternative to traditional nachos. Snack on this delicious pan of veggies and taco meat completely guilt free. Make a whole pan for a fun and healthy dinner or appetizer.
Health Mini Sweet Pepper Nachos
Course Apps/ Snacks
Cuisine Homemade
Servings
Ingredients
Optional Toppings
Course Apps/ Snacks
Cuisine Homemade
Servings
Ingredients
Optional Toppings
Health Mini Sweet Pepper Nachos
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
  2. Add diced onion and ground beef to a large pan. Cook over medium heat. Brown meat until no longer pink. Add garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes or until fragrant. Drain the fat. Return meat mixture to pan and add taco seasoning packet and required amount of water and simmer accordioning to packet directions.
  3. Meanwhile cut mini peppers length wise and remove seeds. Line sheet pan with halved peppers. Spread or drop a dollop of refried black beans on the inside of most peppers. Spread cooked taco meat mixture over peppers. Sprinkle on 2/3rds of the cheese. Put into oven for 15-20 minutes or until peppers have softened and cheese is lightly browned.
  4. Remove peppers from oven. Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Top with diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, green onions, Greek yogurt, cilantro (as desired) and squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy!
Share this Recipe
Healthy Zucchini, Corn, & Chicken Chowder

Healthy Zucchini, Corn, & Chicken Chowder

As much as I can NOT believe it…we are almost through August. What?! And September basically means we have entered fall in my book. So while I am not ready for summer to end I do love some of the things fall time brings. Fall equals cooler evenings, the smell of leaves, and a nice big pot of soup you can eat for dinner a couple nights out of the week. What better way to transition from late summer into the early fall than with a hearty bowl of soup that will help get you excited for pumpkins and cozy flannels. This healthy zucchini, corn, and chicken chowder is full of delicious, nutrient rich, in-season veggies and lean protein that will ease your end of summer blues, and warms your soul as the cooler fall air sneaks into the Midwest.

This zucchini, corn, and chicken chowder is the first soup I’ve made since March and let me tell you I’ve missed soups. Soups have the potential to be super filling but healthy and guilt free. Plus you can usually whip them up in one pot. And less dishes equals happiness in my house. Plus soups are a meal prep dream. Just make a large batch on Sunday night and enjoy all week long. This soup checks all the boxes.

I made this soup with so many veggies I can chow it down without an ounce of guilt. It’s naturally gluten free and could be made dairy free if you substitute almond milk for half and half. And if you wanted to make it vegetarian you could omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

I’d love to know if you gave the recipe a try! If you whip it up share your soup pic on Instagram and tag @movinglikeamother

Happy almost fall ya’ll!

Print Recipe
 Late Summer Zucchini, Corn, & Chicken Chowder
A deliciously healthy chowder with loads of veggies including cauliflower, sweet potato, corn, zucchini, carrots, and celery. Comforting, filling, & packed with lean protein and nutrient rich veggies. Perfect for those late summer evenings as we transition into fall. Easy to make and perfect for make ahead meal prep. Recipe is gluten free. Sub almond milk for half and half for a dairy free option.
Healthy Corn, Zucchini, and Chicken Soup
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Soup
Keyword Healthy Soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Soup
Keyword Healthy Soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Healthy Corn, Zucchini, and Chicken Soup
Instructions
  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables just start to soften, approximately 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add chopped potato, chopped cauliflower, chicken broth and bay leaf. Stir and raise heat back to medium high heat. Bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes and cauliflower are soft and cooked through.
  3. Add zucchini and corn and stir. Cover and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are fully cooked.
  4. Remove the bay leaf from the pot and carefully transfer 4 cups of chowder to a food processor or blender; process until pureed. Carefully stir cooked chicken and pureed chowder back into the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Gently stir in half and half (or almond milk if dairy free) into the pot and cook until just heated through. Add any additional salt and pepper necessary.
  6. Enjoy with a little sriracha sauce for extra flavor and heat.
Share this Recipe
Healthy(ish) homemade pizza

Healthy(ish) homemade pizza

Friday is my favorite day of the week. After work I have all the wonderful thoughts about what fun shenanigans me and my fam will get up to that weekend. I especially love Friday nights because it usually means I get to spend time with my husband and kids without rushing around getting everything ready for work and daycare the next day. Instead I can kick back with a brewski or two…or three and also because it’s Pizza Friday. What is Pizza Friday? It’s exactly what it sounds like. Me and Kyle eating homemade healthy(ish) pizza…on Friday.

I really love making my own pizza. When I’m in charge of the recipe I can usually sneak in a couple extra servings of veggies, which is great for Kyle…he would live off Jack’s Pizza if I let him. Also, I think my homemade pizza just tastes sooooo much better. The ingredients are fresh and tasty and it is so good coming hot out of the oven. I like my food super hot and it just wouldn’t be Pizza Friday without burning the roof of my mouth.

So below is my homemade healthy (ish) pizza recipe. I broke the recipe down into each of it components. It seems like a lot of work but I promise it’s not. And you can always make each element in bulk and freeze the pizza dough or the sauce. But to be honest I can’t vouch for the taste or texture after freezing, because truly it’s all so easy I just do it all at once when it’s pizza night. The only planning ahead piece is the dough needs about 10-12 hours to rise so just whip that up either the night before or first thing in A.M.

Kale and sausage is one of my go-to pizza toppings because I usually have some kale left at the end of the week that is on the brink of going bad. But you can feel free to add whatever toppings float your boat. Maybe you’re a pepperoni fan. Sausage, green peppers and onions would also be great. Or maybe you’re a plain Jane cheese kinda gal…nothing wrong with that. Whatever’s your flavor you can rest easy knowing exactly what all went into your healthy (ish) pizza. Enjoy and bon appétit!

–Monica

Print Recipe
 Homemade Sausage Kale Pizza with Spinach Sauce
Easy recipe for homemade pizza with hidden extra veggies. Recipe includes homemade dough, spinach sauce, and my go-to toppings. You can customize your toppings to whatever your family prefers. So good you'll burn the roof of your mouth eating it fresh out of the oven!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 40 min
Cook Time 40 min
Passive Time 10 hours
Servings
Giant pizza
Ingredients
Homemade Sausage Kale Pizza with Spinach Sauce
Pizza Dough
Spinach Pizza Sauce
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 40 min
Cook Time 40 min
Passive Time 10 hours
Servings
Giant pizza
Ingredients
Homemade Sausage Kale Pizza with Spinach Sauce
Pizza Dough
Spinach Pizza Sauce
Instructions
Pizza Dough
  1. In a large bowl mix flour, yeast, and salt. Stir in water.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 10-12 hours until it has doubled in size.
Pizza Sauce
  1. Combine the olive oil, garlic, oregano, minced basil, tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add in 1 bunch of spinach.
  3. Return the sauce to the pan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper to taste.
Make the Pizza
  1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. If using a pizza stone place stone on bottom rack during preheating. If using a sheet pan line sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Turn risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. (Divide in 2 if using pizza stones). Roll out into circle for pizza stone or roll out into one large rectangle if using a sheet pan. If using sheet pan transfer dough to sheet pan and gentle press dough up on all sides.
  3. Spread spinach sauce over the top of dough. Top with Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, and kale (don't worry the kale will cook down a lot) Sprinkle parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper over the top.
  4. Put into oven. Begin checking for done-ness at 12 minutes. Remove from oven when cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
  5. Add a squeeze of lemon over the top. Let cool slightly, slice into 8 equal pieces and enjoy
    Sausage Kale Pizza
Share this Recipe
Better 4 U Banana Nut Bars

Better 4 U Banana Nut Bars

Posted on by Monica

There just ain’t enough time in the day. Amiright? So being able to whip up a healthy snack you can munch on all week long is fab. And these dairy free, gluten free banana nut bars really fit the bill. 

So, I don’t know about y’all but every morning I wake up with 57 things in my head that I want to try and get done that day. I’m lucky if I get to a handful of them.

And those beautiful little babies of mine are giant time suckers. I joke that two-thirds of my day is spent making them food, feeding them food, or cleaning up their food. Honestly, that might not be a joke but in fact pretty accurate. 

Thank goddddd for nap time. For the mamas that have littles that refuse a nap my heart goes out to you. I like to play a little game of “how much can I get done during nap time”. It’s fun. Depending on the day it’s usually a little exercise, maybe a little cleaning, and a lot of meal prep. 

And I work 10 hour shifts Tuesday through Thursday so on Sundays and Mondays I really try and get most of my cooking done for the week. I chop up veggies for dinner, wash all my fruit, prep smoothie bags, make 3 of the same exact salads for my lunches, and often make some sort of snack to eat all week long.

So as I have mentioned in an earlier post I like to make a lot of my own food. A perfect example of this is granola bars. Store bought granola bars can have a lot of extra crap; sugar, preservatives, etc. And when you make your own you can customize them to be what you want. Maybe you are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, nut free, whatever free, these Banana Nut Bars can be customized to fit your diet. These banana nut bars are delicious, healthy, easy, and best of all can be eaten with one hand. 

Because that’s how most your meals are eaten when you’re a busy Mom.

 

Better 4 U Banana Nut Bars:

Ingredients: 

  • 2 ripe bananas mashed
  • 1 cup rolled oats (gluten free for GF)
  • ½ cup pre rinsed quinoa 
  • ⅓ cup raisins (or any dried fruit)
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • ¼ cup almonds
  • ¼ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup nut butter 
  • 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper and cooking spray. 

Mix together mashed bananas, oats, quinoa, raisins, chia seeds, almonds, pecans, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. 

In a microwave safe dish add nut butter (I use peanut butter) and microwave 20-30 seconds until runny. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla. Add peanut butter mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined. 

Press mixture into the baking dish. I like to press a couple raisins, almonds, and pecans onto the top (because it looks pretty).

Bake for 25 minutes until edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool in the pan. Remove and cut into 9 squares. These can keep covered on the counter for a few days but I like to wrap tightly and store in the fridge. Enjoy throughout the week!

Substitutions:

  • GF: Use gluten free oats
  • DF: There’s no dairy in recipe! 
  • Nut Free: Sub peanut butter for sunflower seed butter; omit nuts 
  • Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey

Hope you enjoy!

-Monica