Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets

This is a perfect main for any weekday night. Its easy and takes no time to make. I found this recipe from one of my favourite healthy food websites called skinny taste.

Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Orange Buttercream

Tip: Don't make your cookies as big as mine, they grow like crazy while baking!

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 medium egg
¼ cup molasses

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
pinch salt
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

Orange Buttercream
½ cup butter, softened
2½ – 3 cups powdered sugar
zest of 1 orange
2-3 Tbsp orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Set aside.

In a bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add egg and mix again. Add molasses and mix until well combined. Slowly add flour mixture until combined.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough for 10-15 minutes.

Scoop rounded balls of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Press down slightly with your finger to flatten. 

Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare buttercream by creaming butter and zest, then adding in powdered sugar in ½ cup measurements. Thin out to desired consistency with orange juice. Mix until well combined and fluffy, scraping down sides as needed.

Once cookies are cooled, place a generous amount of buttercream on the bottom of half the cookies and top with the other half. Store in an airtight container for up to a few days.

Cookies n Cream Cheesecake

Very light and fluffy cake filled with cream cheese, whip cream and crushed oreos. yumyumm

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup oreo wafer crumbs

1/3 cup melted butter

2 ¼ cups heavy cream
2 packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cups Oreo Cookies, crushed

Combine wafer crumbs and melted butter until all crumbs are moist. Press into 8 inch springform pan.

Set aside.

Beat heavy cream until medium peaks form. Set aside.

Add cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon juice to a bowl and beat with a paddle attachment until smooth, about 3 - 5 minutes.

Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and fold until combined. Fold in Oreo cookies.

Fill pan, with more accumulated in the centre. The cake will level out while being refrigerated.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set or overnight for best results.

Remove from refrigerator and smooth out sides and top if desired. Serve with whipping cream and garnish with mini Oreos.

Creamy Basil Pesto Fettuccine Alfredo

Pesto... Cream... Fettuccine... do I need to say more? 

Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
300ml heavy cream
2 tbs pre-made basil pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
375g/ one package fettuccine
Finely grated parmesan cheese to garnish

in a large pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds.

Add cream and basil pesto and cook until the sauce is bubbling. Season with salt and pepper. 

Cook the fettuccine according to the packet instructions. Drained and add to the cream sauce. Toss until well combined.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

Leek and Brussels Sprout Fritters

A delicious spin on zucchini fritters but made with brussels sprouts and leaks. Super yummy but without all the calories. Just the way I like it :)

Recipe

Lemon Sprinkle Sandies

These cookies are not only delicious but are beautiful to look at. A soft lemon cookie on the inside and sweet colorful sprinkles on the outside. A perfect gift to impress anyone with.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1 lemon
Multicolor nonpareils (at least a 3.75 oz. jar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and lemon zest.

Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and beat again until combined. Beat in vanilla and lemon extracts. Beat in the flour mixture. The dough should not be sticky and should hold together when a small amount is squeezed in the palm of your hand.

Shape mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, Roll dough balls in nonpareils. If the nonpareils don't stick, roll ball into water then nonpareils. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes.Transfer to wire racks and let cool.

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

This soup is perfect for the cold winter months. It smooth and creamy but without any butter or cream!

Ingredients: 

1 head of cauliflower
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated. 

Place on a large baking sheet, in a single layer. Roast the cauliflower until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. 

Chop up the roasted garlic. Add the garlic, roasted cauliflower, vegetable broth, thyme, and rosemary and bring to a boil. 

Reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Using a blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted.

Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. 

Serve warm.

Oatmeal Raisinet Cookies

Super heathy oatmeal raison cookies but with a twist! This recipe is from one of my favourite sweets blog. Definitely check it out!