Mac and Cheese vs. Red Pepper Mostaccioli

Quick and Easy Mac and Cheese

1 box Farfalle Pasta

1/2 stick butter

1/2 chopped Onion

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups cheese (Mozzarella & Parmesan)

Ground Mustard, Parsley, Salt, Pepper

Red Pepper (Optional)

-Recipe-

Boil pasta until Tender

Saute Onions in Olive Oil while pasta boils in Pan

Drain Pasta when tender

Melt butter in pot and add onions

Add pasta and mix

Add milk and cheese (stir to combine)

Add seasonings and mix

Serve

*Carbohydrates, Vegetables, Calcium*

Healthy Alterations:

• An easy way to make the dish healthier is to switch to whole brain pasta to ensure your body with the nutrients that come from wheat
• White flour/bread/pasta has nutrients removed through the milling process
• Don't be afraid to add more vegetables/fruit in a way to add more vitamins and diversity the dish.
• Some Chives, Tomatoes, Red Pepper would all be good ways to add more vegetables and fruit
• Use a block of cheese and shred it yourself instead of using a pre-shredded cheese which contains preservatives

Red Pepper Mostaccioli

1 box whole grain Mostaccioli Pasta

1 lb Turkey Italian Sausage

1 garlic clove, Basil, Oregano, Majoram

1 Red Pepper

1 large tomato
Sauce Recipe

Asiago and Mozzarella Cheese

-Recipe-

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Boil pasta until Tender

Sauce Recipe

Add Chopped Red Peppers,

 when cooking vegetables for the sauce

Brown Italian Sausage with garlic and seasonings

Layer sauce and pasta in a casserole pan

Add vegetables and meat, then mix

Top with shredded cheese

*Carbohydrates, Protein, Fruit, Vegetables, Calcium*

3 Good Choices:

• Whole grain Pasta ensures your body is receiving the nutrients you need from the grain group of the food pyramid. 
• The turkey Italian Sausage is a lean meat, and not a red meat, which is a way to cut fat in your diet. Not to mention the stories on the news lately about red meat possibly being linked to cancer. It's an easy switch that might make a world of difference.
• The added tomatoes and red peppers add a lot of fruit that most dinner plates are missing. It is important to expose your body to all food groups in order to receive all the vitamins your body needs. Fruits contains natural sugar for your body which are far healthier than loading your body with unhealthy artificial sugar.
  

The Mac and Cheese meal is a quick and easy recipe that takes me just as long as a box of name brand powdered cheese in a box! If it's a busy day and I'm low on a time, I know this recipe is something that will satisfy my younger sister. Especially a night when her friends are over, it is nice to whip up a tasty recipe that seems difficult, but took about fifteen minutes. All of her friends love it and claim it's their favorite mac and cheese, and then they still have time to enjoy a home cooked meal and make it to the football game on time! As for the Red Pepper Mostaccioli, Mostaccioli is a favorite food of my little sister ever since she was a kid. She's a soccer player so carbs play a major part of her diet, but I wanted to make it a bit healthier. I ended up taking my own advice from previous posts and making easy switches just like that at the grocery store. To give her energy, I added the whole grain pasta and fruit to give her natural energy and sugar that worked great for her state cup tournaments. I was also scared about the red meat epidemic brought up on the news, and I look forward to eating more white meat in my diet.

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share!

#recipiespree #fixthedish

Baked Ziti vs. Angel Hair Pasta

Baked Ziti

Ziti or Mafalda Pasta

Ricotta Cheese

Sauce Recipe

Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Garlic

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

-Recipe-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Boil water and add pasta, cook till tender

Sauce Recipe

Drain pasta and throw into Casserole oven pan

Add 1/2 cup of Ricotta Cheese on top of the pasta

Mix thoroughly

Pour sauce on top of pasta

Mix thoroughly

Add any sautéed vegetables or cooked meat

Top with cheese and seasonings

*Carbohydrates, Fruit, Calcium*

Healthy Alterations: #fixthedish

• Use whole grain pasta or brown rice pasta
•  Fuels your body with whole grains
• Use low fat or skim milk ricotta cheese to skip out on calories
• Add vegetables such as onions and spinach to your dish
•  Adds even more vitamins and nurtients
• Shred your own cheese block instead of pre-shredded cheese to avoid preservatives

Angel Hair Pasta

Whole Grain Angel Hair Pasta

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lb Ground Turkey

2 large tomatoes

1 red onion

5 garlic cloves

Basil, Oregano, Thyme

5 oz spinach

-Recipe-

Boil water and add pasta

In a medium sauté  pan, brown ground turkey

Add a few tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan

Dice Onion, mince garlic cloves, and dice tomatoes

Add Onions and garlic to pan and cook for at least 5 minutes

Stir vegetables frequently

Add spinach and stir until spinach shrinks

Add tomatoes and seasonings to vegetables and stir

Add olive oil, meat and pasta all in the large vegetable pan

Toss with tongs, then serve

*Fruit, Vegetables, Carbohydrates, Protein*

3 Good Choices:

• Turkey Meat is a good source of protein because it is much leaner than red meat and contains less fat and cholesterol. 
• The abundance of fruit and vegetables in this particular pasta will add a large variety of different vitamins and nutrients to the overall dish. 
• The Olive Oil sauce is a sauce made out of unsaturated fat, which are good fats for your body instead of a cheesy fattening sauce.

I prefer to use a Mafalda pasta for the first recipe because it has a shape almost like a tiny microscopic lasagna noodle! It is quite a fun pasta and I love how quick and easy it is to mimic a lasagna taste with the first recipe. Its the same taste and texture, but without the hassle of  Lasagna, and I've spent hours of my life making Lasagna that I would really like to get back to be honest! So after I created my own version of the baked ziti, my entire family was happy to enjoy a quick and easy classic recipe! I actually tried the angel hair pasta for the first time just last night! I was so surprised how good it turned out, I wanted to try it because it is a recipe that I order normally at a restaurant. I loved the juiciness of the vegetables and the tomatoes that carried the seasonings so well!

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share! And vote which of the two you would prefer near the top right of our page!

#recipiespree #fixthedish

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies vs. Black Bean Brownies

Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies

                                                                  Stick of Butter

2 cups of Flour

4 Eggs

1 1/2 cups of Sugar

Chopped Chocolate

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 1/2 cups of Pumpkin Puree 

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

Vanilla Extract 

Baking Powder

~ Recipe ~

Preheat oven

Butter 9x9 baking pan

Melt chocolate and butter on stove

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in mixer

In separate bowl, whisk in eggs, sugar and vanilla

Continue until well combined and fluffy

Split each mixture in half

Add one flour to the egg and sugar mixture, repeat

Stir chocolate into one bowl, pumpkin into other
Layer your pan chocolate, pumpkin, chocolate, pumkpin

Bake for 40 minutes

Healthy Alterations: #fixthedish

• Use whole wheat pastry flour
• Use dark chocolate
• Dark chocolate has less sugar than milk chocolate
• Natural Pumpkin Puree
• Watch out for added sugars in preservatives when buying pumpkin puree!

Black Bean Brownies

Can of black beans

Dark Chocolate Chips

3 tbs. Coconut Oil

3 Eggs

1/2 Unsweetened Cocoa

Vanilla Extract

2/3 Brown Sugar

Baking Powder

Dash of Salt

~ Recipe ~

Preheat overn to 350 Degrees

Rinse the can of beans 

Put beans, chocolate chips and oil in a food processor

Once blended, add eggs, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and baking powder

Process until smooth 

Place in 9x9 baking pan

Bake for 20-25 minutes

3 Good Choices:

• Make your own brown sugar!
• Brown sugar is simple to make, try it yourself! It is much more fresh and better than packaged brown sugar 
• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Oil is a healthier alteration to other types of oils you could use
• Flour less Brownies
• These brownies are gluten free! With a can of black beans, you get a lot of protein as well

With the upcoming fall, I know that lots of people are interested in fall themed recipes! I personally am not the biggest fan of pumpkin spiced anything, but the chocolate in the brownies really complements the pumpkin well. My mother actually has a gluten intolerance, and it is nice to make her brownies that she can enjoy without getting sick. I am aware that a lot of our viewers are also gluten free, and if you're interested we have a Gluten Free Pancake Recipe as well. And I actually like the taste of the gluten free pancakes better than my classic buttermilk recipe. Either way, there are times where it is okay to indulge in comfort foods, but I am trying to make the right choices at my grocery store so that my food is something that fuels my body instead of weighing me down! You are what you eat, people!

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share! And vote which of the two you would prefer near the top right of our page!

#recipiespree #fixthedish

Cone Cakes vs. Pumpkin Muffins

Cone Cakes

1 stick unsalted butter
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 large eggs
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
5 tbsp sprinkles
Turkey Tins
Ice Cream Cones

-Recipe-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine dry ingredients and mix

Whisk wet ingredients thoroughly

Beat dry ingredients with wet ingredients

Add sprinkles and mix

Cut circular holes in turkey tins (smaller than cones)

Place cones bottom first in holes

And make sure they do not fall through

Add batter to fill the cones 2/3 of the way up

Bake cones for half an hour

Let cones cool before frosting

Top with Sprinkles

*Carbohydrates, Calcium, Protein*

Healthy Alterations: #fixthedish

• Use whole grain flour to fuel your body with the vitamins and nutrients that are in whole grains
• Use organic sugar, which is a more natural for your body.
• Organic sugar is the most natural way for your body to process sugar other than the sugar in fruit
• Use almond milk, or skim milk to cut calories
• Use eggs whites to cut calories, but add a few more egg whites to the recipe

Pumpkin Muffins

 2 cups All Purpose Flour

 3/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Pumpkin Puree

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

 2 Eggs

3/4 cup Butter

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract 

Pumpkin Spice Seasoning 

- Recipe -

Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl

Add in eggs, pumpkin puree and mix

Melt coconut oil and butter and add when cooled

Add vanilla extract

Line muffin tray with filters

Add batter (makes about 12 muffins)

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes

*Vegetable Vitamins*

3 Good Choices:

• Coconut oil
• Instead of a processed oil, like canola oil, or heavy oil like extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil is very light and tasty!
• Natural Pumpkin Puree
• Be careful when buying pumpkin puree; check the ingredient label for added in sugars and preservatives! 
• Salt and Cream Butter
• Use a natural salt and cream butter over a standard margarine. Salt and cream butter has less saturated fats, and more healthy fats  

Baking is one of my favorite things to do, and making healthy and tasty desserts makes it even better! As fall is in full swing, pumpkin muffins are perfect for a tasty snack or breakfast accompaniment! And the colorful cone cakes are great treats any kid would love. We also have more muffin recipes here that are nutritious and family favorites. And kids of all ages love ice cream and cupcakes so why not try this creative way to bring those two worlds together. I made the cones with one of my best friend on the weekend just for fun! And we loved expressing out creativity, it was like an art! We went around and gave them to friends to make their day into something special, and we were happy to share. Adults loved them, teenagers and kids did too! I can't wait to try them for my sister's next birthday or something!

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share! And vote which of the two you would prefer near the top right of our page!

#recipiespree #fixthedish

Chicken Rice Casserole vs. Tilapia Risotto

Chicken Rice Casserole

Lemon Chicken

2 cups rice

1/2 chopped red onion

3 cups chicken broth

Olive Oil

2 cups diced tomatoes

2 stalks of celery

2 cups peas

3 garlic cloves minced

Marjoram, Thyme, Oregano

Salt, Pepper, Coriander

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

a few tbsp Flour

- Recipe -

Saute Lemon Chicken

Wash, chop, and peel all of the vegetables

In a large frying pan, saute onions with olive oil

Add in minced garlic

After a few minutes, add celery and and peas

Cook until all vegetables are soft, then add tomatoes

Add the chicken broth and rice, and bring to a boil

Once the mixture is boiling, bring heat to low

Add in seasonings and cheese

Mix to combine and add flour until the mixture has thickened

Cook for a few more minutes

*Vegetables, Fruit, Carbohydrates, Protein, Calcium*

Healthy Alterations: #fixthedish

• Use vegetables broth instead of a meat broth
• Vegetables broth contains less calories and is an unsaturated fat
• Use whole grain rice/brown rice to ensure your body with the vitamins it needs from whole grains
• Shred your own block of cheese form the deli instead of using pre-shredded to avoid potentially harmful preservatives
• Throw in even more vegetables to make it even healthier if you'd like!

 Tilapia Risotto

On the lighter side:

3 Tilapia fillets

2 cups whole grain rice

1 1/2 cups fish broth

1 1/2 cups almond milk

At least 10 oz spinach leaves

Parsley, Sage, Red Pepper

Salt, Nutmeg, Paprika

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

a few tbsp of flour

- Recipe -

Saute fish with olive oil

Chop fish finely intro shreds

In a large frying pan, bring milk and broth to a boil

Add in rice and bring down to a simmer

Cook until rice is tender

Add in spinach and tilapia pieces

Add in seasonings and cheese

Stir to combine

Add flour in increments until risotto is thickened

Cook for a few more minutes

*Carbohydrates, Vegetables, Calcium, Protein*

Served with a Caesar Salad

3 Good Choices:

• Fish as the protein here is an amazing choice. This will provide your body with unsaturated fats such as Omega 3! And I love the lightness and texture of fish as well.
• The almond milk is also a good choice because it is low in calories as well. It has a nice creamy consistency to it that allows me to substitute it with fattening whipping cream.
• The fish broth is very low in calories and is a broth that is made out of unsaturated fats. Always a good choice for any low fat or nutritional diet.

I've very much gotten into casseroles and risottos recently. I feel it is a good way to challenge my cooking skills. I don't know about you, but I've gotten tired of plain chicken for dinner and whatnot, which is the reason for all of these mixed up kind of recipes. I have only been cooking for about a year, after all I'm 17. Now, I'm starting to learn more about food and I think anyone can create anything they want. After all I just threw these casseroles together without even using a recipe! But now I've made my own, just like that, and I think that is quite amazing. I want to share my new creations and recipes with you, and I would actually love it if any of you guys would share some of your recipes with me too.

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share! And vote which of the two you would prefer near the top right of our page!
#recipiespree #fixthedish

For more Casserole Recipes, check out these links
Chicken Potato Casserole

For more creative Chicken Recipes, check out these links
Chicken Tenders vs. Lemon Chicken
Chicken Enchiladas vs. Chicken Wrap
Chicken Soy Stir Fry
BBQ Chicken Salad
Chicken Casserole vs. Grilled Chicken
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Fried Chicken vs. Creamy Chicken
Chicken Rice Casserole

Peanut Butter Chocolate Shake vs Blueberry Green Smoothie

Peanut Butter Chocolate Shake

Peanut Butter

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk 

Cocoa Powder

Honey 

Ice 

- Instructions -

Measure out each ingredient and add to the blender

Blend until all ingredients are blended together

Blend until a thick consistency

*Protein, Calcium*

Healthy Alterations #fixthedish

• Almond milk is a great and tasty replacement for milk; it has less calories and more calcium!
• Honey as a sweetener instead of sugar 
• Natural Peanut Butter
• Many peanut butters have unnecessary sugars and preservatives added, sing natural peanut butter eliminates that! 

Blueberry Green Smoothie

Frozen Blueberries

Oatmeal

Baby Spinach

Honey

Yogurt 

Water

Ice

(add in Chia Seeds or Flax Seed for extra fiber!)

- Instructions -

Measure out and add each ingredient

Add to the blender

Blend until desired consistency

*Fruit, Vegetables, Carbohydrate, Fiber*

3 Good Choices:

• Natural, vanilla yogurt
• Organic frozen blueberries
• Search for them in your grocery store!
• Organic baby spinach
• This ensures that you have no pesticides in your smoothies 

Smoothies are one of my favorite snacks to enjoy, and if you use the right ingredients; they're healthy too! Add in your own favorite ingredients and blend for a delicious cold drink.  I personally don't like spinach. To get my full serving of vegetables, I toss them in my smoothies! I can't even taste the vegetables, but they're there...a quick trick to get your kids their daily serving of vegetables as well.  
The peanut butter chocolate shake is one of my favorite tasty treats that I can make right in the blender! It is much healthier than a shake you could buy in a store or from a restaurant because honey is a replacement for sugar, and it has no high fructose corn syrups or bad preservatives.

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share! And vote which of the two you would prefer near the top right of our page!

#recipiespree #fixthedish  

For more healthy Breakfast Recipes, check out these links

Buttermilk Pancakes vs. Gluten Free Pancakes

Blueberry Banana Muffins

Cheddar Veggie Soup vs. Italian Sausage Tomato Soup

Cheddar Veggie Soup

4 tbsp butter, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots

1/2 chopped onion, parsley, basil

2 potatoes, flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup chopped broccoli, cheese, 1 cup milk

-Recipe-

Saute carrots, celery, onion, parsley and basil in butter until soft

Add chicken broth, broccoli and potatoes and bring to a boil

Turn to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender

While potatoes are cooking,  melt butter over medium heat

Add flour and stir continuously for about 1 minute

Add milk and bring to boil

Turn heat down to medium and cook for about 5 minutes until it thickens

Add cheese and stir until it melts

Add cheese sauce to vegetables and broth

Stir to combine

*Calcium, Vegetables, Carbohydrates*

Healthy Alterations: #fixthedish

• Use unsalted cream butter to cut back on sodium and use a natural cream instead of eating "fake" butter which is made in a laboratory out of chemicals.
• Use vegetables broth because it is very low in calories and cholesterol
• Use a creamy almond/cashew milk or skim milk to cut down on calories but maintain a creamy texture
• Use organic or natural vegetables oven canned vegetables because they contain more nutrients

Italian Sausage Tomato Soup

On the lighter side:

1 pound ground Italian Sausage

4 cups petite diced tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth

8 tbsp tomato paste

1 chopped red onion

4 garlic cloves minced

6 shredded basil leaves

Red Pepper flakes, black pepper, seasoning salt

Cilantro, Oregano, Sweet Basil

- Recipe -

Wash and chop all the vegetables

In a large pot, saute Italian Sausage with chopped onions

After meat is cooked, add garlic and basil leaves

Add broth and tomatoes

Bring soup to a boil

Add tomato paste to soup, mix thoroughly

Add all seasonings except for cilantro

Lower heat, and bring to a low simmer for half an hour

Serve soup and top with cheese and cilantro

*Protein, fruit, vegetables*

3 Good Choices:

• Loading a dish with a tons of tomatoes is a good option because it contains servings of fruit, which a lot of people are lacking in their meals today. It is important to expose yourself to all the food groups because they each contain different sources of nutrients and vitamins.
•  I enjoy all of the spices used in this dish that contain flavor because it allows me to avoid unhealthy toppings like bacon and cheese. I actually didn't add any cheese to my serving and it tasted so flavorful, I was quite proud of the dish.
• Even though the Italian sausage is beef, I decided to use a chicken broth due to the small amount of calories that it contains and the fact that it is a mostly unsaturated fat, where as beef broth contains 1/2 saturated fat. Just a simple switch as easy as that makes the dish so much healthier.

Now that fall is in season, I was excited to embrace this year's upcoming cold chilly nights with a few warm soup recipes. Next time my little sister is sick, I know I will have some good soup recipes up my sleeve to soothe her throat. Last night, I served my family the Italian Sausage Tomato soup and I was quite proud of it actually. Everyone in my family was joyed to eat a classic comfort dish, but with the fun twist of the sausage and blend of spices I added. I made a recipe of my own, and I want to share it with all of you, so that you can share them with your family and enjoy this year's fall season. 

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share! And vote which of the two you would prefer near the top right of our page!

#recipiespree #fixthedish

For more Soup Recipes, check out these links
Potato Soup vs. French Onion Soup

 For more Italian Sausage Recipes, check out these links
Italian Sausage Pizzas
Lasagna Roll-ups
Italian Sausage Pasta Bake