Baked Squasherole

The following recipe came from an indecisive night fighting between craving spaghetti squash and some sort of lasagna/pizza. By baking the squash, the cheese melts, and something feels a little devilish layering the cheese (it totally reminds me of Outback's cheese fries- hello most caloric meal in America!)

Presenting, (drumroll, please) the magnificent squasherole, aka baked spaghetti squash casserole:

To make this casserole pasta swapsta, you will need:
1 spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded (instructions here)
1/2 cup marinara sauce (recipe here if you want to make your own)
4oz shredded mozzarella cheese

To prepare, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine squash and sauce, and mix until evenly combined. Then, in an oven safe baking dish, arrange half your spaghetti squash/sauce mixture in the pan. Cover with cheese, add the rest of the squash, and then the rest of the cheese. Bake just until the cheese is melted and the squash is hot (10 minutes, max). Optionally, you can then put it in the broiler for about 15-30 seconds to brown the cheese. Pin It

Yummus Olive Hummus

A few weeks ago, Tiny Tummy took a trip to Ithaca to visit a special someone. While there, we brunched at an adorable cafe where I got a delicious sandwich-turned salad (yes, I asked them to make a sandwich into a salad) with grilled vegetables and an olive hummus as dressing. The hummus was far and away the best part of the meal, so naturally, I had to try to replicate it because driving 5 hours for hummus is a little less than ideal. I'll admit, this recipe yields a LOT (I made it to serve 2 separate dinner parties and there was still a container leftover), so if you don't want hummus for days, I highly suggest cutting the recipe in half or by 4.

To make this olive hummus, you will need:

64 oz of chickpeas, (drained and rinsed if using canned)
1 can of olives (just the olives, not the juice)
3 T tahini
2 T good quality olive oil (I used lemon-infused olive oil which is GREAT if you can find it)
6 cloves garlic, roasted (if you only have raw garlic, simply pop the cloves into the toaster or oven for 10-20 minutes before blending. Using raw garlic will be WAY too strong)
4 T lemon juice
a pinch of sea salt

To prepare, simply toss everything into a food processor and blend. My hummus came out very creamy, but if yours is too thick to your liking, you can either add a little olive oil to thin it or even some water for a healthier option. Daddy Tiny Tummy generally likes what I make, but it's rare to get a LOVE IT from him, and not only did I get a 'LOVE IT,' but I also got an 'OH YEAH!' so I take it this is a real winner. Not to mention, that giant bowl of hummus was almost gone at the end of the 'cocktail hour' of our dinner party (and there were only 6 of us!)

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Butter Those Cashews!

Ever since I learned to make my own peanut butter in my Vitamix, I couldn't help but want to experiment with other nuts and nut butters. Mommy Tiny Tummy's friend recently sent her on an anti-peanut frenzy, so she insisted on replacing her usual banana and peanut butter with a different nut butter, and since Daddy Tiny Tummy isn't a fan of almond butter, cashews were next on the list. The nice thing about making your own nut butter is it requires minimal work on your part. Check it out below.

To make a very simple, but very delicious cashew butter, you will need, all you need is at least 2 cups of cashews (roasted or raw-- they say raw is healthier... I personally don't see the issue with roasted). If you want to make a larger batch, simply use more cashews. I suggest at least 2 cups because it is hard for the nuts to blend into a butter with any less than that. If you're a salted nut butter person, feel free to add some sea salt as well.

To prepare, simply toss your nuts into a food processor, Vitamix, or magic bullet and blend away until the nuts become a butter. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times. Note: peanuts turn to butter WAY faster than cashews do, so be patient. I apologize for the yucky photo. I should have taken one before putting it into a container, and I was lazy about replating it for photographical purposes- I promise, though. It tastes better than that photo makes it look! Pin It

Chica-Chica Curry

Anyone who has read other posts on this blog likely knows I am no stranger to Indian cooking. As a child, my family ate Indian food regularly, so I guess it's only natural that I have grown to love cooking it. This recipe, that I am going to share with you, is about as basic as it gets for Americanized Indian food. Mommy Tiny Tummy used to make it all the time growing up (and Mommy Tiny Tummy doesn't really cook), so for those of you looking to cook to impress with minimal culinary experience, here's your ticket.

To make this Chicken Curry for beginners, you will need:

2 pounds of chicken (your choice- breast, legs, thighs-- breasts are healthiest)
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
24 oz greek yogurt (I use fat-free)
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
2-5 tablespoons of curry powder (depending upon how strong you like it. You can find some version of a curry powder at most grocery stores, though if you want a really good one, I suggest scoping out an Indian grocer)
4-5 carrots, chopped and par-cooked until slightly softened
1/2 cup peas
optional: any other vegetables of your choice

To prepare, start by pre-cooking your chicken however you prefer it (I prefer some version of boiling or some way of retaining as much moisture as possible). You could also buy pre-cooked chicken. In a large pot over a low heat, sautee your onions and mushrooms until translucent. Then, add your chicken, yogurt, broth, and curry powder and mix well. Allow those flavors to marry for a few minutes before adding your carrots, peas and any other vegetables. Cook just until all of your veggies are cooked through.




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5 Minute Gazpacho

I have to admit something here. Prior to making this recipe, I had never had gazpacho before. And I still wouldn't have if a friend hadn't requested it when visiting me (I can't say no to a food request!) I don't know why I had never considered making it. It's all veggies, pretty low in calories, and everyone knows soup fills you up. So I got to work reading up on what goes into gazpacho (or at least what could go into gazpacho- talk about 28563275 types of the same thing!!) and decided to craft my own version. I was going for what seemed to be the most basic, yet delicious gazpacho that I could make with ingredients I had on hand, and I was pleasantly surprised with my outcome.

To make this gazpacho, you will need:

2 cups of pure tomato juice (aka as close as you can find to a tomato juice where the only ingredient is tomatoes)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup coconut vinegar
1.5 pounds of tomatoes, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
dash of salt
optional (but highly recommended): a pinch of cayenne and a squirt of Sriracha

To prepare, toss the tomato juice, garlic, and vinegar in a Vitamix or food processor and blend until entirely mixed (if you're spicing up your gazpacho, now would be the time to add the cayenne and Sriracha). Then, add the remaining ingredients and blend until desired consistency is achieved. I decided to make mine a little chunky, so I didn't blend all the way, but if you prefer a completely smooth result, then blend and grind away! Pop it in the freezer to chill and enjoy for days (this makes a fairly large amount).

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Appy Happy

For Yom Kippur this past year, I ventured back to the home of Mommy and Daddy Tiny Tummy for to break the fast (for the non-Jews out there, Yom Kippur is a day where Jews repent their sins by fasting, among other things, so the meal that occurs post-sundown is often fairly extravagant). Usually, we spend the evening with the extended family in New Jersey, but since Mommy Tiny Tummy didn't want to be around the unhealthy food that my extended family traditionally breaks the fast with, I agreed to cater a healthier, more Tiny-Tummy-friendly meal, complete with the following, simple appetizer which is bound to be a crowd pleaser. Note: the photo does not include the balsamic vinegar because one of our guests doesn't eat vinegar.

To make this simple Tomato-Mozzarella Salad, you will need,

One giant hunk of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced as thin as possible
3-4 tomatoes, sliced to match the size of your slices of mozzarella
a healthy drizzle of balsamic vinegar and optional olive oil for a richer indulgence
optional: fresh basil (I had some from the herb/vegetable garden we grow in our backyard- the tomatoes too!)

To prepare, simply layer and arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella evenly on a platter. Place the basil throughout, and drizzle your vinegar (and optional oil) generously across the platter. If you're feelin' frisky, you could make a real vinaigrette to drizzle instead of just plain ole O&V. I have a pretty great, really simple vinaigrette recipe I will have to share the next time I make it, so I can include a photograph. Pin It

Balls of Energy- Vegan Style

Hey Tiny Tummy-ers. I figured you all deserved an explanation as to my prolonged absence these last few months before I share my newest recipes, findings, and foodie news. I recently accepted a job (yes, on top of my multiple other internships, college courses, and attempt at a social life) working for a restaurant management company as the head of marketing research and development. On top of that, I was just offered a promotion to take over the social media department of the company as well. Since the job market is a pretty scary place right now, I'm incredibly grateful to have the position, so I've been dedicating a lot of my time to the job. Therefore, not only is my blogging suffering, but my cooking is too. I've been doing a lot of plain ole salmon and steamed veggies, take-out meals, etc... doesn't exactly make for the most exciting posts, but after receiving enough "where'd you go?!" messages, I decided to try my best to get as many new posts up as possible.

So, to kick things off, I thought I'd start with a very simple recipe for a dessert I recently made for a dinner party I cooked for Mommy Tiny Tummy, Daddy Tiny Tummy, and some of the Tiny Tummys' friends. One of Mommy Tiny Tummys' friends is gluten-free, doesn't eat fruit, and tries to eat very healthy, so dessert posed a minor obstacle. The week prior, one of my friend's and I went to a health food store and picked up a vegan date-nut-oat ball for dessert. Since it was DELICIOUS (and a little expensive), I decided to try to replicate it for our dinner party (or at least a version of it), so here is the recipe.

To make these Vegan Energy Balls, you will need:

15-20 dates, pits removed
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
8-10 oz almonds
pinch of sea salt
optional: 1/4 cup of oats (could use gluten-free oats); pinch of cinnamon

To prepare, simply throw all the ingredients into a food processor, and blend until an even consistency is achieved. Then, roll the mixture into balls (any size of your choice), and store in the refrigerator. Easy as pie (though much healthier!) Pin It

Catchy Ketchup (High Fructose Corn Syrup and Added Sugar-Free!)

Growing up, I was always more of the mustard over ketchup fan, but sometimes, a good squirt of the red stuff is necessary. As a kid, I had no idea just how bad ketchup was for you though (umm... high fructose corn syrup, anyone?! GROSS!) The other night, when making sweet potato fries, I realized that sweet potatoes+ mustard sounded a little gross, and what I really wanted was the dirty K word, so I set out to make my own HFCS-free ketchup, and while it doesn't have that Heinz taste, it certainly did the trick, and I'd take an earthier tomato taste over the unneeded corn syrup any day!

To make Tiny Tummy's Catchy Ketchup, you will need:
1 6oz can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder
pinch of salt, stevia, and cinnamon (to taste)
water

To prepare, mix the spices into your tomato paste and mix. Slowly add water until the desired consistency is achieved. If you prefer a runnier ketchup, add lots of water. For a thicker ketchup, less! With a recipe this simple, there's really no reason to buy the bottle gook. If you serve this to your kids from the start, they'll never know the difference! Pin It

Fake Frappuccino

Starbucks is notorious for their fatty frappuccinos, which I have to admit, are pretty darn delicious, but it's not just thanks to all of the fattening and sugary ingredients in it. Half the fun of a frapp, in my opinion, is all that yummy foamy frothy stuff at the top, and believe it or not, you can actually make your coffee frothy without all that sugary, caloric junk that they use- in fact, I don't even use milk. It's all thanks to something called a frother.

I apologize for any of you coffee connoisseurs out there who already obviously know what a frother is, but for anyone who doesn't, it's a tool that spins your coffee until it gets frothy! Now, most people froth the milk and add it to the coffee to make a cappuccino, but I bet you never thought to make the coffee, itself, frothy! This way, you're saving tons of calories, and still getting your frothy fix- it's basically win-win! And if you're all about the frothy milk, then feel free to froth up some flax or almond milk- either way you're saving TONS of fat and calories by skipping the frapp! Oh, and your wallet won't hurt a bit- you can get the one pictured from Ikea for $3.00! It basically pays for itself in 1 frappuccino! Pin It

Kan I replicate a Kani Salad? (Homemade Japanese style Kani Salad)

Confession: I am a sucker for a good kani salad at a Japanese restaurant; however, I am fully aware that  they are often prepared with full-fat spicy mayo (so I usually ask for the sauce on the side and apply my own!) But kani salads are so simple- just shredded crab, matchsticks or julienned cucumber, and the occasional sesame seed garnish, so I got to thinking, why not recreate it myself? And I set out to do just that!

To make your very own Kani Salad, you will need:

Equal parts julienned or matchsticks of cucumber and shredded crabmeat (real or imitation)

Tiny Tummy's Spicy Mayo: 

2T Walden Farms Miracle Mayo 

1t Sriracha Hot Sauce

(for your Kani salad, use this ratio to make as much as you find satisfactory to coat your salad)

optional: sesame seeds for garnish

Mix everything up in a bowl and serve it on up! I love bringing the Japanese restaurant into my home kitchen!

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Grill Me A Pizza

I recently read an article that said you aren't a true grill master until you've mastered the grilled pizza. I don't know who made that rule, but Tiny Tummy refuses no challenge, so I figured I'd give it a try, but of course, with a healthier version. So, low and behold, the grilled pizza.

To make this grilled pizza, you will need:
1 whole wheat tortilla (I used La Tortilla Factory)
2 T tomato sauce (I used my homemade sauce)
1-2oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese (shredded)
(optional: garlic powder, red pepper flakes, additional pizza toppings)

To prepare, simply grill one side of your tortilla for about a minute (until it browns), then flip it, add your toppings, and continue to cook until the cheese melts. This is a perfect recipe for a hot summer day when you don't want to turn your oven on and heat up your home more than it already is. Pin It

Tomango Salad

With summer heat here in full swing, the last thing I want to be doing is cooking on the stove top or in the oven and making my apartment hotter than it already is. I'll admit, I've been on a bit of a salad kick lately, but my usual salads were starting to get boring, so I decided to make an old fav, and I thought I'd share the recipe.

To make this Tomato Mango Onion Salad, you will need:
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup white balsamic (or regular balsamic) vinegar

To prepare, simple combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, ans mix well. It is best if you allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours. Pin It

Thai Peanut Dressing Meets Its Skinny Sister

Growing up, Thai food was one of my favorites. I don't eat it very often now because I know the dishes I loved weren't exactly the healthiest, but I haven't given it up completely. I've already found ways to make over some of my favorites (Pad Thai, Massaman Curry), but one thing I hadn't done yet was makeover that delicious dressing they put on their salads and give as a sauce alongside the chicken satay (another fave). So for Father's Day, I decided to go to work and recreate this dressing fave, and it actually came out quite good.

To make this Skinny Thai Peanut Dressing, you will need:
4 T PB2 (reconstituted) or natural peanut butter
1 T light soy sauce
1.5 T coconut or rice or plum vinegar
1/2 t chili powder
optional but highly recommended: Sriracha to spice it up

To prepare, simply mix all of the ingredients together and serve over mixed greens or alongside chicken satay. How's that for a lightened up heavy fave? Pin It

"I Can't Cook" Vegetarian Chili

If you're one of those people who "can't cook to save their life," you may want to read this recipe and reconsider. Chili is one of those dishes where you can literally just throw everything into a pot, let it cook for as long as you want (okay... I wouldn't suggest a week-long cookout here, but you get where I'm going), and come back to it when you're ready to eat it. This recipe is about as easy as it gets when it comes to "cooking," and is great for those who have no time to cook but want to have healthy meals on hand (OAMC anyone?!) If you're a meat lover, feel free to add some ground meat (lean turkey, chicken, beef, whatever)-- though that requires a little real cooking! :P

Anyway, to make this "I Can't Cook" Chili, you will need:
1-2 onions, chopped
3 16oz cans of beans (I used 1 pinto, 1 black, 1 kidney)
1 16oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups corn (frozen or canned is fine)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups water
optional: red pepper flakes and cayenne for some heat

To prepare, start by browning your onions in a large pot (coat the pot with non-stick spray or oil first). While they brown, rinse and drain all your beans using a colander. (If you're adding ground meat, add it here and let it brown with the onions). Once the onions have browned dump all (yes, all) the remaining ingredients into your pot, stir, and cover. Cook for minimally 15-20 minutes to let everything heat up and allow the flavors to marry, but I like to cook mine for more like 45 minutes to an hour to let the chili thicken a bit more. Pin It

The Cheese You've Probably Never Heard Of

When it comes to dairy for breakfast, we all know Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk for your cereal, maybe some cheddar or mozzarella in your omelette, but have you ever heard of farmer's cheese? I don't know if it's what they eat on the farm right before going out for the big harvest, but it's sort of like a thicker cottage cheese. To be honest, I tend to shy away from anything white and thick, so I turned my nose up at this chunky hunk-o cheese at first, but when Mommy Tiny Tummy disguised it by adding blueberries to it and pureeing it, I was intrigued, and I have to admit, after tasting it, I really liked it. For anyone who "doesn't have time for breakfast" this is one of those no-brainers. Spread it on toast or eat it by the spoonful for some protein and get your sweet fix in the morning without turning to refined sugar-enhanced breakfast cereals or 'fruit on the bottom' (it's not fruit, folks!) yogurts.

To make this Blueberry Farmer's Cheese, you will need:
1 package of farmer's cheese
1 6oz container of blueberries

To prepare, throw the cheese and blueberries into a food processor (or Vitamix) and puree until combined. Talk about easy peasy! Pin It

Veggie Burger Barely BowloYum

Before I left for London, I had a serious barley-kick, where I was eating a side of barley with my meal almost every night. One night, I decided to make a giant mashup of everything I was eating, and it actually turned out to be quite a delicious dish. Call me weird, but don't knock this dish til you try it!

To make this Veggie Burger Barley Bowl of Deliciousness, you will need:
1/4 cup cooked barley
1 veggie burger, cooked and cut into pieces (I used Morningstar Farm's California Turk'y Burger)
assorted veggies of your choice-whatever you have leftover will do (I used red peppers, corn, broccoli, and carrots)
1 tablespoon black bean dip (I used Oasis)
1 tablespoon salsa
optional: a splash of hot sauce (you know I went there!)

To prepare, toss the barley, veggie burger, and veggies in a bowl and microwave until warmed. Then, add black bean dip and salsa (and hot sauce) and mix until distributed throughout. Now dig in, and tell me that's not a total winner!

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Seared Scallopetti

Everyone knows shrimp, salmon, tilapia, tuna, etc. as the kings and queens of the sea. Easy to prepare, full of flavor, and a great source of protein, but one of the forgotten gems of the sea is the scallop. Scallops, if cooked correctly, are delicate and delicious and make a great addition to any seafood dish or as their own entree. Preparing scallops is easy enough, so I thought I'd share a recipe for a simple, garlic and lemon seared scallop. I served them over spaghetti squash, hence seared "scalopetti".

To make these Simple Seared Scallops, you will need:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lemon
spices of choice (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, red pepper flakes
4 oz of scallops

To prepare, spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and adding your garlic to the pan on the stove top on medium high heat, just until it becomes fragrant. Squeeze the lemon over your scallops and add whatever spices you want to each side of the scallop before adding it to the pan with the garlic. Allow the scallops to cook on each side for about 2 minutes, flipping only ONCE to ensure browning. If you flip prematurely, you can flip once more to make sure the scallops cook all the way through, but if you flip and flip and flip and flip, you won't have any browning!

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The Worst Dish in America Made Over

Full discloser here, folks. One of my all time favorite things to eat growing up is one of the worst dishes in America: Outback's cheese fries. I ate those suckers at least once a month- sauce and all, and I often got the cheese layered. Talk about a diet disaster. Cheese fries, in general, are known as a diet-don't but I have a way that you can enjoy them in a much lighter way.

To make these Less-guilt Cheese Fries, you will need:

1 batch of Tiny Tummy's Turnip Fries

reduced fat cheese of choice

optional: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, etc.

To prepare, whip up a batch of the turnip fries (slice a turnip into fry like shapes and bake on 350 for about 40 minutes) and sprinkle cheese over the top. put into the broiler until the cheese melts and eat up!

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Must-Have Mussels

I always say this, but one of my favorite parts about visiting my parents is getting to use their kitchen and cook for them. The most exciting thing for me is when I get to make something I generally wouldn't make at home, and the last time I visited, I got to make just that. When I was younger, I used to love getting mussels in a white wine sauce when we went out to eat, though I know that the mussels were likely prepared in a less-than-healthy broth of butter, wine, and who knows what else. When I saw that our local fish market had a giant two pound bag of mussels for a reasonable price, I decided to get to work recreating an ole fave, and they were flavorful and delicious.

To make these lightened up mussels, you will need:
2 pounds of mussels **The shells should all be CLOSED-- if there are any that aren't, toss them!
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 shallots or 1 white onion, chopped
a splash of white wine
water

To prepare, start by cleaning your mussels if they aren't already, making sure that the mussels are all closed. (If any are open, give them a little tap to see if they shut. If they don't, they are dead and should be tossed). Then, brown your garlic and onions in the bottom of a large pot. Once they have browned, add the wine to deglaze the pan, followed by enough water to allow the broth to steam while the mussels cook. Then, add a steamer basked to your pot followed by the mussels and put a top on the pot, allowing the mussels to steam for about 10 minutes, or until the shells open. You can either serve the mussels with the broth poured over it or just eat the mussels on their own-- either way, they are yummy.

Another note: once the mussels cook, don't eat any that haven't opened. AKA don't pry them open! Pin It

How To Steep Tea

We all know that Tiny Tummy and tea are two peas in a pod, but I realize that although preparing loose leaf tea is second nature to me, it may be a daunting task for some, so I decided to lay it out for you step by step so you're not stuck relying on those pre-bagged sachets because fresh tea is so worth the extra effort.

To make your very own cup of loose leaf tea, you will need:

1 tea ball or empty bag of tea

2 teaspoons fresh, looseleaf tea

1 mug of boiling water 

To prepare, start by putting the tea into the tea bag or ball and securing it shut. They, add the tea to the boiling water and let it steep. For how long, you might be asking? That depends. If you like really strong tea, you're going to want to steep it for longer, whereas if you like just a touch of flavor, you're going to want to leave it in the water for a shorter period of time. The best way to determine your sweet spot is honestly to taste as you go. For weaker tea I would suggest anywhere from 2-4 minutes. For stronger tea, 4 minutes and beyond. I like really strong tea, so I often leave my tea ball in for at least 8 minutes (call me a rebel) and sometimes up to 15 minutes (but I usually sip as I go.

With simplicity like that, it sure makes commercial tea bags look silly, no? The single extra step of putting your own tea in the bag/ball makes a world of difference. If you're an environmentally conscientious person, the tea ball is a great way to save those tea bags (and save yourself money over time!) And if you hate doing dishes, then the bags are the way to go (but you're already washing the mug anyway, right?) The bags are really best if you want to bring your own tea to a restaurant so you can drink something other than water when everyone else is drinking soda (again, save yourself some money too!) We could learn a little something from the tea fanatics in London. If water is not your speed, try tea!

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