Deceptively Healthy

Veggie Cream Cheese

2014-09-15T16:23:00.001-04:00

I have a really easy recipe for you. But, I mean what else is new? I always give you guys easy recipes. That's because I care about you, k? Cool, let's do this!

We're making vegetable cream cheese. Remember when I showed you how to make your own cream cheese? Remember how easy and tasty it was? Well, this takes that up a notch. All you do is chop up your favorite vegetables and herbs, and you're done! You can use it on bagels or as a dip with some crackers. Here's how I made mine:

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Homemade Ricotta

2014-08-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

Today we're going to make ricotta. Yep, it's a weekend and you got nothin' else to do, am I right? Set aside a few hours and soon you'll have fresh homemade ricotta. A big plus: it's eaaaasy!

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Strawberry Sauce

2014-08-05T08:48:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from Ellie Krieger, she's a nutritionist and cook. I found out about her from watching Food Network and Cooking Channel, she has some amazing recipes. This is definitely one of them. This strawberry sauce is so versatile and delicious. My favorite way to eat it is with some fluffy buttermilk pancakes. You can use fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries so this can be used all year-round. It's also very fast!

Back to Basics 29 - Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

2014-08-03T10:43:00.001-04:00

These pancakes have become my new favorite. They are fluffy, sweet and filling. They're also a great blank canvas so you can add anything inside or on top of them.

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Back to Basics 28 - Herbed Veggies

2014-07-29T15:19:00.001-04:00

This is a great vegetable side to make when you're in a hurry or too lazy to cook. All you need to have on hand is some frozen vegetables and herbs, ANY herbs!

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Cream Cheese

2014-07-24T14:42:00.002-04:00

Homemade cream cheese is pretty amazing. It doesn't taste like store-bought at all. It's a little tangier which might take you a while to get used to, but I love it! It's also creamy and fresh-tasting. You can make cream cheese at home. I KNOW you can! It's a lot easier than it sounds, you just need a few key things for it to turn out perfect. I got this recipe from an awesome book called Make the Bread, Buy the Butter.

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Hamburger Bun

2014-07-22T09:54:00.001-04:00

I know a few people who have been waiting for this recipe. I recently made these and brought them to a cookout and they were a hit! The buns are soft, egg-y, a little sweet and DELICIOUS! This is also one of the easiest dough recipes I've ever made. Honestly, try them out!

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BBQ Sauce

2014-07-20T19:07:00.000-04:00

I got this great BBQ sauce recipe from Skinny Taste, it's an awesome blog! This sauce is thick, sweet and a little spicy. Perfect for pulled pork. Then, while you're at it why not make some coleslaw too? You can also put it on pizza dough and make BBQ chicken pizza. I just want you to eat really really well ok? That's what friends do. This sauce is really easy to make, let me show you.

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Back to Basics 27 - Coleslaw

2014-07-17T14:05:00.001-04:00

I'm kind of picky about coleslaw. I don't like coleslaw that's swimming in mayo and the veggies are limp and lifeless, I also don't like coleslaw that barely has anything and it just tastes like cabbage salad. The worst though, is watery coleslaw. UGH. This recipe is perfect. The cabbage is crispy, there is enough mayo to coat all the veggies and it's also gorgeous! This goes great alongside some pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce.

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Homemade Mayonnaise

2014-07-14T09:35:00.000-04:00

Making mayo at home is not as crazy as it sounds. I feel like that's a pattern on this blog. Many things sound super complicated but when you actually found out how to make them, they're super easy. I decided to make my own because of the same reason I make everything else, I wanted real food. It's also really cool to see how it's made and it's a lot fresher. The taste of fresh mayo does not even compare to store-bought. This recipe is from Alton Brown, who is a culinary genius! If you cross Mythbusters with Food network, you get Alton. You don't need any unusual equipment to make mayo, all you need is a whisk and a bowl.

The only thing I will say about the homemade mayonnaise is, there is no way to make this "low-fat". Once you see what ingredients go in mayo, you will question just how they can sell it in a store and call it low- fat or even fat-free. There's gotta be some crazy science behind making mayo only 10 calories per tablespoon. So, I would suggest using the real thing, but just use less of it.

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Back to Basics 26 - Spicy Broccoli

2014-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm always looking for sides recipes. I can make grilled chicken breast and I know right away what grains I want to make with it (Quinoa with pine nuts, brown rice, farro with pistachios). Same goes for steak, fish or meatloaf. But I'm at a loss for the veggie side. Well, this recipe has saved many dinners! It's quick, nutritious, delicious and easy. I always have everything in my pantry, including the broccoli which I keep in my freezer. You don't even need to defrost it, just pull out the amount you need and add it to the skillet. Just omit the chicken stock or add a tiny bit.

Back to Basics 25 - Meatloaf

2014-07-09T09:35:00.000-04:00

This is my go-to recipe for meatloaf. It makes A LOT of meatloaf, it's tasty and it has so much nutrition! The bulgur and mushrooms allow you to decrease the amount of fatty ground beef, while not taking away any of the flavor. In fact, it adds to it! This recipe does have a few steps so let's get right to it!

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Back to Basics 24 - How to Cook Chickpeas

2014-07-07T14:41:00.002-04:00

"Why would you cook chickpeas when you can buy canned?"-you ask
Well, #1 it's fresher. Who knows how long those chickpeas have been in that can? Plus the can might contain BPA which we don't like.
#2 it's cheaper! You can buy organic chickpeas, or any bean for that matter, and it will be cheaper than the organic canned beans or maybe even the conventional ones!
#3 you get to choose the consistency you want for your beans. You can cook them for longer, or add different spices and herbs to flavor them.

Plus it's really not that hard! You barely do any work. I'll show you.

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Better Onion Bagels

2014-07-01T11:45:00.001-04:00

Soooooo I've given you guys a recipe for onion bagels in the past (click here). This one is infinitely better. It's softer and chewier and it has the perfect amount of onions. It was taken from this awesome book called "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter", it teaches you how to make all this great stuff at home and answers the questions: is it worth it? Is it cheaper? So, give this a try! It's really not that hard to make!

Yellow Mustard

2014-06-25T13:43:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe is a good one. It takes you about 10 minutes to do and everybody will think you're a chef when they learn you made this. The humble yellow mustard!

Whole Wheat English Muffins

2014-06-17T13:34:00.001-04:00

I was looking online for a recipe for whole wheat English muffins that were mostly whole wheat flour without being too dense, and I'm pretty sure I found the perfect one. It uses 5 cups of whole wheat flour and only 1 of white all purpose flour. If you find that it's still too dense for you, you can always substitute all purpose for the whole wheat until you reach the perfect density. English muffins are surprisingly easy to make. Give'em a try!!

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Greek Pasta

2014-06-16T09:59:00.001-04:00

This pasta recipe is pretty interesting. Instead of using the typical tomato to make a sauce, we use jarred roasted red peppers; instead of Parmesan, we use feta. It's an especially perfect recipe for Meatless Mondays because it's so quick! First of all, you don't miss the meat. Second: Mondays are hard! Nobody wants to spend hours in the kitchen after coming home from work and you can work on cooking the pasta while the sauce is being made. You also proooobably have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now. That being said, if you do want to add some meat, chicken, tuna or shrimp would be a great addition.

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Miso Soup

2014-06-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

I came across this delightful recipe when I was searching for miso soup with a bit more substance. I had a cold and wanted to get better VERY soon and this did the trick. It has garlic and ginger which are great for you when you have a cold (and also great for your taste buds). We add mushrooms and bok choy which give you lots of vitamins. Lastly, it has some very flavorful and not-at-all-dry chicken thighs. So, let's get this going!!

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Back to Basics 23 - How to Pick the Perfect Canned Tuna

2014-05-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

Canned tuna can be very easy and quick to use. You can mix it into salads, pasta dishes or sandwiches. But there can be a danger in buying canned tuna: BPA lining in the cans, mercury and it can also not be so great for the environment. So here are a few tips to keep in mind when shopping for canned tuna.

Look for cans that say "Pole and Line Caught" or "Troll Caught". This means that the fishermen will catch each fish individually. If you can't find that, try looking for the blue MSC label, it means the product you're buying is certified sustainable and it's given by the Marine Stewardship Council.
BPA (Bisphenol-A) is a chemical used in the lining of most cans. The reason we don't want BPA in the cans is because it has been linked to the development of precancerous lesions and abnormal development of reproductive systems in animals. It's especially important when the product inside the cans is acidic, like tomatoes. But it's also important when shopping for tuna. You can find tuna in pouches that don't have BPA but it's difficult to find pouched tuna that is environmentally safe.
I also look for tuna that will have less mercury in it. The tuna that has less mercury is one labeled "light" and comes from skipjack.
The last thing I look for is the word unsalted or no salt added. I always look for unsalted everything when it comes to canned food. Beans, tomato products, seafood, vegetables, etc. You can control the amount of salt that goes into your food so it won't raise your blood pressure and it's also better for the overall flavor of the dish. Nobody likes oversalted food.

I do have to say that tuna with these labels will not be the cheapest. In my supermarket they are usually about $1 more than the well-known brands. But it's ONLY $1 more. To me, it's worth it.

I found this tuna at Whole Foods this past weekend and it's the most perfectly labeled can. It says pole and line caught, has the MSC label, is BPA-free, it's light skipjack tuna, and it is also unsalted.

Back to Basics 22 - Stuffed Shells

2014-05-17T11:44:00.000-04:00

So here's a cool thing I did recently... I MADE CHEESE!

Guys, I'm a cheesemaker now. Sort of. I made cream cheese and ricotta which are 2 of the easiest to make but still, I made it happen.
It's a really cool feeling to know that you are able to make something with your hands in your own kitchen. It's so rewarding to watch something as ordinary as milk transform into this thick, creamy and rich deliciousness. I highly recommend it. Especially if you are slathering the thick creamy cream cheese deliciousness on your own hot homemade onion bagels.

It's definitely something to write about in your diary: "Dear diary, I'm a badass. That is all."

Anyway, I made ricotta so I could stuff it into some pasta shells with spinach and homemade tomato sauce. This recipe does not disappoint. Trust me.

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Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

2014-03-31T13:18:00.000-04:00

I love love loooovveee this pancake recipe. It's just so dang good with the fluffy pancakes, the sweet and crunchy apples and the warm and comforting cinnamon. There are no words. It's seriously scrumptious.

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Winter Roast Chicken

2014-03-16T11:01:00.001-04:00

I love roasting chicken. First, it's simpler to make than you would think but looks pretty impressive to guests. Second you get a ton of leftover chicken so it's great to make it on a Sunday, and use those leftovers for meals for that week. You could even roast 2 at the same time without double the effort. It's also so versatile! You can season the chicken itself with so many different spices and herbs, you can roast it along with different vegetables and make it a seasonal meal. And c'mon... chicken is so good!
I made this chicken following the same recipe I usually follow, all I did to make it a "winter" meal is put some different herbs in the chicken, and the vegetables were mostly root veggies and I even added an apple. So I guess it's a sort of fall/winter thang. Whatever you wanna call it, just know it's delicious. Let me show you how simple it is.

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Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2014-03-12T12:16:00.000-04:00

This recipe is my go-to for easy pancakes. I always have bananas in the fruit bowl and chocolate chips in the cupboard so I know I can whip these up in no time at all. They're easy, fast, delicious and sweet enough so you don't have to add any maple syrup on top.

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Onion Mushroom Mac & Cheese

2014-03-05T09:48:00.000-05:00

Mac and cheese will get me every time. It doesn't matter how it's made or what goes into it, I wanna eat it. This mac and cheese recipe happens to be the best I have ever eaten. The pasta is ooey and gooey, the middle layer is sweet and savory, and the top is crusty and golden. I have a very similar recipe on the blog, the only difference is that the middle layer is spinach. I made this as a side dish to go with some grass-fed filet mignon for my Valentine's Day dinner with my boyfriend. It was heavenly.

Back To Basics 21 - Spaghetti & Meatballs

2014-02-24T09:10:00.000-05:00

I'm about to make you guys real happy...

Giant meaty, cheesy meatballs. Saucy pasta. That is all.

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