All tagged Red Pepper Flakes

Sweet Potato Nests

Sweet Potato Nests

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Sweet Potato Nests are one of the easiest breakfasts, and you only need a few ingredients to bring this veggie-packed meal together!  Protein and fiber keep you feeling energized and satisfied.  These Sweet Potato Nests would make a great dinner if short on time.

Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 small sweet potato

1 egg

1 teaspoon olive oil

Pinch of: salt, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

How (your directions):

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.  Once water is boiling, add egg and set timer for 6.5-7 minutes.  Tip: Soft-boiled eggs last 2 days in the refrigerator, so make a few extra eggs and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water and ice, then set aside.

Meanwhile, using a food processor, grate the small sweet potato.

Heat frying pan over medium-high heat with the teaspoon of olive oil.  Add grated sweet potato (about 2 cups) to the oil, along with a pinch of salt, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

Stir grated sweet potato consistently for about 5 minutes.  Tip: If any grated sweet potato sticks to the pan, add a few tablespoons of water.

Once the egg has finished cooking, add immediately to ice water and allow to cool.  Peel the cooled egg.

To serve, add spinach to a plate and top with grated sweet potato.  Place peel egg in the center of the sweet potato “nest.”  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.

Enjoy immediately!

Why (the science):  Most of a potato’s fiber is found in the skin!  Keep the skin on the sweet potato when grating to keep you fuller, longer.

Caprese Breakfast Porridge

Caprese Breakfast Porridge

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

Serves: 1

Prep time: 2 minutes (30 minutes soaking cashews)

Cooking time: 2 minutes

What (your ingredients):

3 tablespoons malt-o-meal

Pinch each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup water

8 cherry tomatoes

½ small avocado or ¼ large avocado, diced

4-6 basil leaves

How (your directions):

Add malt-o-meal, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, mozzarella cheese, and water into bowl. 

Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Add cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, and basil leaves.

Enjoy hot!

Why (the science):  Tomatoes are 95% water and are contain potassium, an electrolyte which helps lower blood pressure.

 

 

Cauliflower Alfredo with Peas

Cauliflower Alfredo with Peas

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

I served this “alfredo” to my husband without revealing the true ingredients of the sauce and he believed it was real (parmesan and cream laden) alfredo!  No sir, just a humble cauliflower cooked until tender and blended with garlic and onion powder 😊  Husbands and kids will be tricked alike with this wonderfully easy alfredo pasta!  A drizzle of good olive oil gilds the lily.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

What (your ingredients):

I head cauliflower, roughly chopped

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 oz. capellini pasta

¾ cup frozen peas

How (your directions):

Place cauliflower pieces into a large saucepan or pot and cover with water.  Bring to boil and cook for about 12 minutes, until the cauliflower is fork tender.  Tip: the cauliflower must be fork tender instead of al dente, so that it turns into a creamy sauce.

Meanwhile, boil salted water for pasta.

Ladle tender cauliflower into a high-speed mixer with about ¾ cup- 1 cup of cooking water.  Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and red pepper flakes.  Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Add cauliflower alfredo to dried pan and heat on low.

Cook capellini in boiling salted water for 3 minutes.  Strain cooked pasta and add to cauliflower alfredo.  Mix to evenly distribute sauce.

Add frozen peas to pasta, cover with lid, and heat on low for 10-12 minutes.

Serve immediately with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.

Enjoy!

Why (the science):  Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, which means it provides powerful anticarcinogenic nutrients for our bodies.  What an incredibly versatile veggie, that it can pass as rice, pizza crust, and now alfredo sauce 😊

 

Easy Spaghetti Squash with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil | + Video |

Easy Spaghetti Squash with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil | + Video |

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

It is so fun to twirl your fork through the long ribbons of a spaghetti squash.  This spaghetti squash recipe comes together quickly and requires only 5 ingredients!  Easy Spaghetti Squash with Garlic-Infused Olive Oil will become your favorite recipe for Italian Night at your home 😊

Serves: 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 spaghetti squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic

Pinch red pepper flakes

Pinch dried oregano

Salt to taste

How (your directions):

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out seeds and stringy center.  Tip: Don’t toss the seeds!  Watch this video to see how I easily separate the seeds from the flesh and roast them to perfection.

Place spaghetti squash cut side up on a baking sheet, then roast in oven for 40 minutes.

When squash is tender and a fork can easily pierce through the center, remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes.

During that time, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.  Thinly slice garlic clove and add to hot oil.  Allow to cook 1-2 minutes until garlic slices are slightly softened.

After the squash has cooled, use a fork to separate strands into spaghetti-like ribbons.

Spoon over the garlic and olive oil, then top with red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt.

Enjoy!

Why (the science):  Spaghetti squash, unlike pasta spaghetti, contain lutein and zeaxanthin which can help protect your eyesight as you age!

Eggplant and Mushroom Bolognese

Eggplant and Mushroom Bolognese

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

This bolognese recipe is my new favorite pasta creation, because it really has the flavor and texture of a classic Italian meat sauce.  Mushrooms and eggplant are often used to replace meat, so when they are diced finely and sautéed with Italian seasoning, the result is a phenomenal sauce that you’ll love more than the meat version!  Don’t leave out the tomato paste, as it creates a richness in flavor that can’t be missed!

Serving Size: 4 portions

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

What (your ingredients):

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ large yellow onion, finely diced

Dash of salt

1 eggplant

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 8.oz package baby bella mushrooms

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Cracked black pepper to taste

1 jar favorite tomato sauce

4 oz. spaghetti

How (your directions):

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously (pasta water should taste like the saltiness of the ocean).

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large fry pan over medium heat and sauté onions with a pinch of salt until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.

Cut eggplant into a small dice and add to onions.  Push onions and eggplant to one side of the fry pan.  Add the tomato paste directly to the heat and allow to cook for one minute.  Then, stir all ingredients together and continue to sauté.

Add spaghetti to boiling, salted water and cook to al dente or 1 minute shorter than package instructions (about 7 minutes).

Finely dice the mushrooms and add to vegetable mixture.  Add Italian seasoning, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.

When mushrooms have browned, add jar of your favorite tomato sauce and reduce heat to low.

Add 1 ladle of pasta water to sauce before draining water (the starch of pasta water thickens the sauce).

Serve the eggplant and mushroom Bolognese over spaghetti with a drizzle of olive oil and a few basil leaves.

Bon appétit!

Why (the science):  Did you know that eggplant can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol!?

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Chelsea Gloeckner
Blog

I grew up eating my Mom’s homemade mac and cheese, which had all the flavors and fat that comfort food typically has and is one of my favorite recipes (hello butter and cheddar!).  On a whim, I decided to make vegan mac and cheese inspired by fellow healthy food bloggers, and it knocked my socks off!  I tweaked a few recipes to make this stellar version-all the flavor of traditional mac and cheese, but without the saturated fat and dairy.  The “cheese” is gooey, creamy, and honestly tastes like cheddar cheese.  Skeptical?  Try it and taste for yourself

Why (the science):  Nutritional yeast is the key component to making vegan food brilliantly taste cheesy and is packed with vitamin B12, a vitamin found mostly in animal food.  B12 is required for metabolism and DNA synthesis, so nutritional yeast is a powerful food that all vegans should have in their back pocket 

Mexican Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Mexican Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Team Compass
Blog

I regret not getting on the cauliflower rice bandwagon sooner, because it really is so easy and so delicious! The great thing about cauliflower rice is that it acts as a base for any flavor profiles you want to add. My cauliflower rice dish is a play on a burrito bowl, using lots of smoky cumin with refreshing lime zest and juice. Top it with avocado slices, salsa, and sriracha hummus, or perhaps grilled chicken or fish! Serves 2 generously