Creamy Tomato Soup

I have been trying to eat healthy again lately. Someone I know (not well) asked me if I was pregnant a few weeks ago, so I decided I needed to start making some changes again to my diet. She obviously has no filter and I probably wasn't wearing the most flattering outfit, but I really did gain at least 5 pounds over the winter holiday. I have been using a few recipes from the The Oh She Glows vegan cookbook, and I am loving them. This vegan creamy tomato soup recipe is one of the recipes I have tried and loved.  I added feta cheese as a garnish (you can find vegan feta cheese if you want to try it) along with some kalamata olives. You can also leave the feta out and use croutons as a garnish. Greg and I both think that this soup is comfort food. The other day he was eating a bowl of it, and he said "this soup is off the hook!" I don't think I have ever heard Greg describe anything as being "off the hook."

Serve it with toasted and buttered/olive oil brushed french bread. It's delicious! Enjoy.

Recipe for Creamy Tomato Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for two hours
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
A pinch or two of sugar (optional - if you choose to caramelize the onions)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 can of San Marzano peeled Italian plum tomatoes (28 - 32 ounces)
1 can of tomato paste (3 - 4 Tbsp.)
6 Tbsp. of sundried tomatoes in oil (with oil drained off)
1/2 tsp. of dried thyme leaves

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 to 3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
a pinch or two of cayenne pepper
chopped kalamata Olives
Feta (optional - for garnish- you can find vegan feta)
Crushed red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:
Drain the water out of the cashews. Place the cashews in a food processor or blender with the vegetable broth and puree until smooth. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and cook for 7 - 8 minutes, then add in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. *If desired, add a pinch of sugar in with the olive oil and onions and then cook for 15 minutes to lightly caramelize before adding in the garlic and cooking for one minute. Allow onion and garlic mixture to cool slightly. Add the plum tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes, and slightly cooled onion mixture to the blender or food processor. Mix until smooth. Pour mixture into the pot that you cooked the onions and garlic in. Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir in the oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and thyme. Continue to simmer over medium heat for 20 - 25 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with a tablespoon of feta cheese (vegan or regular), sliced kalamata olives, crushed red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
This soup gets more flavorful and taste even better leftover the next day! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Makes approximately 6 servings.

Recipe Adapted from: The Oh She Glows Cookbook

Veggie and Cheese Omelet Muffins

Some days, it is really difficult to find things that my 18-month old daughter will eat. She will change her mind on what she likes from day to day, and sometimes she has a great appetite and other times I am lucky if she eats anything at all. I can pretty much count on her always eating eggs, though. She loves eggs, especially when they are scrambled up with lots of cheese. Making eggs every day though takes time, and it dirties up quite a few dishes. I came across a recipe for mini omelets on Skinny Taste, and I decided to give it a try. I am sure glad I did! The first time I made them, I used broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I chose to leave out the broccoli the last time I made them and just did the cauliflower and carrot. You can really use any veggies that you want to in the omelets. I also added more cheese than the original recipe called for, because you can never go wrong with too much cheese. I used paper liners in the muffin tins to avoid having to scrub the pan afterwards! What I love about this recipe is that it combines a good amount of veggies with protein, and it is easy to make. I stored the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and then I just zap them in the microwave for about 45 seconds before serving. Not only does Wendy love eating these veggie and cheese omelet muffins, but I love them too.  Enjoy!

Recipe for Veggie and Cheese Omelet Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of cauliflower florets (I used Trader Joe's cleaned and cut cauliflower florets)
1 cup matchstick carrots
Salt and pepper
6 large eggs
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. of half and half
2 Tbsp. of 2% or whole milk
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup of colby jack or medium cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice), divided
A dash or two of hot sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)
1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add in the cauliflower and the carrots, a sprinkle of salt, and boil for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and allow to cool for a few minutes.

While the veggies are cooling, crack the 6 eggs and 4 egg whites into a large bowl and stir. Add in the half and half, milk, Parmesan cheese, and 2/3 cup of the cheddar cheese. Add in a pinch or two of salt and some black pepper. Add in the hot sauce, if using. Set aside.

Chop up the cauliflower. Remove the stems and chop the rest into very small pieces. Put the cauliflower into a medium bowl and add in the carrots. Toss with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in the microwave in a small bowl. Once melted, let it cool for several seconds. Then dip your finger in the butter and then brush the bottom and sides of each liner with the melted butter. Add the remaining butter to the egg mixture and stir. Drop about 1 - 2 Tablespoons of the vegetable mixture into the bottom of each liner. Then pour the egg mixture in, filling each liner almost full (before doing this, I poured the egg mixture into a large liquid measuring cup to make it easier to pour into the liners). Once all the liners are filled, top each one evenly with the remaining cheddar cheese. Place into the oven and cook for 20 - 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove each one from the pan, peel off the liner, and serve. If you are not serving right away, remove each paper liner (they should peel away pretty easily, but make sure to get all the paper off), and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

If storing in the fridge, you can reheat before serving easily! Just put on a plate, and zap on high in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute. I like to eat mine with a little Tabasco sauce on top. Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from: Skinny Taste

Carrot Burgers or Patties - A Meal the Kids will Like!

These days I feel like I am constantly trying to please my 15-month old. I am always trying to entertain her and figure out what she wants in order to be happy. I feel like the more she communicates, the more frustrated she gets, because what she thinks makes sense doesn't always make sense to me and Greg. Meal time has become a bit of an ordeal. There are things that she used to like that she now refuses by throwing it down on the floor in protest. She used to love bananas, but now she only wants them in the form of a cookie. I have had to experiment a lot to figure out what foods she will eat well at meal time. I have found that she seems to really like food in the form of a patty. She loves salmon burgers, cauliflower burgers, and these carrot burgers. I also absolutely love these carrot burgers, and so does Greg. I made them for the first time when my friend came over with her daughter who is just about Wendy's age, and it was a big hit with all of us. I ended up making them again to serve for dinner the next evening, and I've made them a couple times since then. I made the mistake one night of serving the carrot burgers with ketchup, and during dinner all Wendy wanted to eat was the ketchup and no carrot burger. She kept begging for ketchup and made a nice big mess with it. I was worried that she was over the carrot burgers, but I served them again the next night without the ketchup, and she gobbled them down (Greg had to top his with ketchup before coming to the table, to prevent her from seeing it)! Greg likes the carrot burgers on a bun with lots of ketchup, and I enjoy them dipped in a mixture of sour cream with a little bit of maple syrup. I think they would also taste good on a toasted bun spread with a little butter, and topped with some mozzarella cheese. I really had no idea how these would turn out, and they totally exceeded my expectations. They are great because each burger has about 1/2 cup of carrots, so you can easily get your kids to eat a serving of veggies. If you're looking for an easy vegetarian meal that will please even the pickiest eaters in your family, I suggest you try out these delicious carrot burgers!

Recipe for Carrot Burgers or Patties -A Meal the Kids will Like!

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups of shredded carrots (make it easier like I do by buying packaged shredded carrots)!
1/4 cup of finely chopped yellow onion

Look at all those carrots! Each one has about 1/2 cup of carrots.

1/2 cup of whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
1/4 cup of yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp. of dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. of baking powder
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
3/4 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of sugar or pure maple syrup (optional)
4 Tbsp. of half and half
2 eggs, lightly beaten
*2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
*2 - 3 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS:
Put all of the ingredients (except olive oil and butter) into a large bowl and mix well. Cover the
 bowl and set in fridge for at least one hour and up to 12.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of butter in an electric frying pan or in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter has melted and is sizzling, turn the heat down to medium. Use a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop up the mixture and turn it onto the pan or skillet. Use a spatula to flatten into a patty. Cook as many as your pan or skillet allow at one time. Cook on one side for about 6 minutes, then use a spatula to carefully flip and cook for another 6 minutes on the other side. Remove patties with the spatula and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet. You may want to place them in an oven preheated at 300 degrees to keep them warm if you have another batch to cook. *Add more butter and olive oil as you see needed during the cooking process.

Salt the burgers as desired. Serve on a bun with ketchup and baby spinach leaves, or serve as a patty. I liked mine dipped in a tablespoon of sour cream mixed with about 1/2 tsp. of pure maple syrup!

Recipe makes about 8 carrot burgers.

Recipe Source: Food.com 

Delicious Cauliflower Burgers (that don't taste like cauliflower)!

Cauliflower burgers - you never knew that cauliflower could taste SO good! 

Yeah, so I know what you are thinking. Cauliflower...in a burger? Yes, it's a thing and it's a totally awesome thing. I came across the recipe for cauliflower fritters on the vegetarian food blog Oh My Veggies. This recipe is an adaptation of those fritters. I was a little skeptical of it but I thought it was worth a shot after reading all of the glowing comments from readers who had already tried the recipe. I am so happy I tried them!  I've made them twice in the past couple weeks and bought another head of cauliflower the other day so I can make them again this weekend. Greg was definitely skeptical too when I told him that there was cauliflower in the burgers I was making. He has never liked cauliflower before, and after eating a couple of the burgers, he said that he never knew that cauliflower could taste so good! I agree. I have never been a huge fan of cauliflower either and I am now looking forward to trying more fun recipes with cauliflower!  These burgers are easy to make and take about 1 hour or less from start to finish. They are a great vegetarian meal where nobody will miss the meat. Don't forget to add the spicy mayo! Enjoy.

Recipe for Delicious Cauliflower Burgers
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of baby carrots, chopped into matchstick sized pieces
2 cups of cauliflower florets
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. of kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. of Panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. of finely grated Asiago, Parmesan, or Romano cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup of Italian parsley leaves, stems removed and torn
Olive oil or olive- canola oil blend, for frying

Fixings: 
Spicy Mayo: In a small bowl, mix together 4 Tbsp. of mayonnaise, freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 tsp. of garlic powder, and a couple pinches of cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
6 Lightly Toasted Buns
Baby Spinach Leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot with 4 cups of water to a boil and add in the chopped carrots and cauliflower. Cook for 4 minutes. Drain well. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and chop more finely (it doesn't have to be perfect, you can have some bigger pieces and some smaller pieces)! Gather vegetables in paper towel and press down try to get out as much excess water as possible. Transfer to a large bowl. Add in the flour and stir well to coat. Add in the garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, Panko bread crumbs, grated cheese, egg, and parsley leaves and gently mix until ingredients are well incorporated.

Heat 1 - 2 Tbsp. of oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop up mixture and then tap it onto the saute pan. Press down with a spatula to shape into a patty. Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Carefully flip and cook the other side until it is browned. Transfer to a plate. Continue this process until there is no more batter left. Then sprinkle each one with salt and pepper. If desired, place patties on a baking pan and heat in the oven at 225 degrees for a couple minutes while the buns are toasting, just to warm them back up a little.

Toast the buns lightly in a toaster oven. Put mayo on each side of the bun, add on the patty and a few spinach leaves. Serve with your favorite sides. We served them with baked beans and potato chips!

Recipe Adapted from: Oh My Veggies

Recipe makes 6 burgers (unless you nibble a bunch on the burgers while making them...)

Mediterranean-Style Orzo Salad with Avocado and Arugula

I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious this orzo salad was! It was the first meal I made since before I had the baby (unless you count cheese quesadillas as a meal..). For the first couple weeks after having Wendy all I wanted to do was eat something super quick and easy, such as frozen pizza. Well, that got old fast. I decided I was ready to start cooking again and that I wanted to eat healthier. I went out to the grocery store with a list of healthy ingredients in hand. It felt good to get out of the house all by myself (yes, I'll admit it) and I'll even admit that I took my time at the store! I had this salad in mind when I did my shopping, but the cauliflower didn't look too hot and I couldn't find farro, so I decided I'd just go with a a different type of salad. Greg was amazed with how good the salad was. I think he commented like five times while he was eating it on how much he loved it. And usually I have to ask him f he likes something I made or not! This salad is super easy to make and it's incredibly healthy. It reminded me a little of this awesome salad I made a couple summers ago, that has quinoa and asparagus. Make the orzo salad vegan by leaving out the feta! Enjoy.

Recipe for Mediterranean-Style Orzo Salad with Avocado and Arugula

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of dried orzo

1 1/2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1/8 tsp. of kosher salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. of oil from sun dried tomato jar
12 - 16 sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
16 - 20 kalamata olives, chopped
Desired amount of feta cheese (I like a lot), crumbled
Desired amount of baby arugula (I recommend a couple handfuls a serving)
2 avocados, sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced thin

DIRECTIONS:
Cook the orzo according to package directions. While the orzo is cooking, make the dressing. Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, lemon juice, and sun dried tomato oil in a small bowl and whisk well. Once orzo is finished cooking, drain it of any excess water and then immediately transfer to a large bowl. Allow it to cool slightly while you chop the sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives.

Then toss the orzo with the dressing and add in the sun dried tomatoes and olives. Toss again. Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Just before taking it out of the fridge, slice the avocados and cucumbers.

Put the arugula leaves, cucumber slices, and avocado slices on a plate(s). Drizzle on a little bit of olive oil and a couple squeezes of lemon juice (just a tiny amount). Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on top. Top with a generous amount of the orzo. Add the crumbled feta on top. Serve with your favorite bread.

Recipe makes about 4 - 6 servings. 

Recipe Adapted from: Cookie and Kate 

Cheesy Spinach Soup with Potato (a fun soup for St. Patrick's Day)!

I was actually surprised at how tasty this soup was. I mean, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised, because it came from a food blog that I love. But how could something so healthy and green be so yummy? Well, it's probably the cheese!

I think this soup is a fun and festive meal or side for St. Patrick's Day. You can call it Luck of the Irish Soup! It also is a good idea for Halloween, when it can be Witches Brew Soup or Spooky Green Soup. But, you don't have to eat this soup only two times out of the year, you can eat it any time. It's super healthy, easy to make, and delicious. Serve the cheesy spinach soup with some grilled cheese sandwiches, if you want to make it a heartier meal. I used the leftover swiss cheese for the grilled cheese sandwiches and they tasted great. I also included a recipe below for grilled cheese because I seriously had to look up on the Internet how to make grilled cheese sandwiches. So, if you are like me, you might benefit from having the recipe!

Enjoy & have a happy (and safe) St. Patrick's Day. Here in Annapolis we are getting ready for a shamrock snowstorm, even though it's 60 degrees today. I am hoping that Spring will come soon and stick around for good!

Recipe for Cheesy Spinach Soup with Potato (a fun soup for St. Patrick's Day)!

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped coarsely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely
A dash or two of salt
Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper
A pinch or two of ground nutmeg
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into about 1 inch cubes
4 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if you want to make it vegetarian)
9 ounces of baby spinach leaves (I used the the pre-rinsed/packaged kind)
1/4 cup of fresh parsley leaves
4 ounces of Swiss cheese, grated
1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
Sour cream or greek yogurt, for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Put the butter into a large pot and melt over medium heat. Add in the onions and cook until they are tender, about 4 - 5 minutes. Add in the chopped garlic, potato, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken broth and bring the broth to a boil. Then adjust heat to medium low so the soup simmers, and cover the pot. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when poked with a fork.

Pour in the baby spinach leaves and parsley. Stir so the spinach leaves are covered by the broth. Cover the pot and cook until the spinach leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Then turn off the heat and remove pot from heat. Carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender until the soup is smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the stovetop and put the heat on low. Stir in the Swiss cheese and stir until the cheese is fully melted. Stir in the heavy cream. Taste soup, add extra salt, pepper, and/or nutmeg if desired. Serve soup and garnish each bowl with sour cream or greek yogurt and parsley leaves, if using.

Recipe Makes 4 - 6 servings.
Recipe Adapted from: Annie's Eats

I know this might seem silly, but I actually had to Google how to make grilled cheese sandwiches! I mean, I knew the basic concept, but I still needed that extra support. So here is a recipe for grilled cheese sandwiches that you can eat with the soup, and you can use the leftover Swiss cheese for the sandwiches.

Recipe for Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwiches (makes one sandwich)

INGREDIENTS:
2 pieces of white sandwich bread
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, slightly softened so it spreads well
Slices of Swiss cheese
A very small pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Put a large saute pan on the stovetop and turn heat on medium high. While pan is heating, butter both sides of the two pieces of bread (making sure to leave 1/2 Tbsp. leftover for the pan). Once pan is hot, add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of butter to the pan. Once butter it is melted and slightly sizzling, put one piece of bread in the pan and top with slices of cheese. Sprinkle on the nutmeg if using.  Put the other piece of bread on top. Cook for a couple minutes and then flip (the bottom side should be light brown and toasty). Cook for about another minute and then transfer to a plate. Eat it while it's hot!
*If you make additional sandwiches, make sure to put additional butter in the pan before you make each one. 

Lentil and Potato Tacos

I've missed you, tacos! For so long I have been wanting to make my sweet potato tacos or chorizo tacos, but something kept getting in the way. I'm not sure what it was...but I was prevented from making those tacos! Maybe it was because I was supposed to make these lentil and potato tacos instead. I was going through recipes for inspiration the other day because I have kind of found myself in a cooking block and I came across some good looking recipes. I found these lentil tacos with homemade taco seasoning and wanted to give them a try. I added the potatoes for some extra filling, and because I just love potatoes in tacos. I had never had lentils in tacos before, and they worked well. They are kind of crunchy and the seasoning on them was perfect. I topped my tacos with sour cream, salsa, and avocado - but you can do your fave toppings! Leave out the sour cream to make them vegan. Enjoy!

Recipe for Lentil and Potato Tacos

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds of red potatoes, cut in 1/4 - 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup of finely diced red onion
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 cup of dried lentils
2 cups water (for cooking the lentils)
1 Tbsp. of chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. of ground cumin
1/2 tsp. of paprika
1/2 tsp. of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder
1/4 tsp. of dried onion flakes
1/4 tsp. of dried oregano
1/8 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
2 1/2 Tbsp. of ketchup (I used a black pepper ketchup - if you can find this, it has a great flavor)
10 six-inch soft flour tortillas
Sour cream (leave out to make this meal vegan)
Your favorite salsa (I used Costco's Kirkland organic medium salsa)
Chopped avocados

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the cubed potatoes, red onion, and garlic into a bowl and toss to coat well with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture in a single layer onto a baking pan and place in the oven. Cook for 30 - 35 minutes or until potatoes are crisped but not burnt, tossing every 5 minutes or so with a spatula so the mixture doesn't stick to the pan and cooks evenly.

While the potatoes are cooking, place the water into a pot and add in some salt. Bring to a boil. Add in the lentils, stir, and then lower the heat to medium low. Cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Then take lentils off heat and stir in the chili powder, cumin, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried onion flakes, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and ketchup. Mix well.

Zap the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds so they are warmed and easy to fold. Assemble the tacos. Scoop the potato mixture down the middle, top with the lentils, and then add on the sour cream, salsa, and avocado. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

*Recipe makes about 10 tacos. 

Recipe adapted from: A Couple Cooks 

Super Easy Pad Thai

I had never attempted to make pad thai until just recently. It always seemed way too hard to me - I'm not sure why, it just did! Since I have been craving Thai food recently, I thought I'd try to make it since going out for Thai every week has started to get expensive. A friend of mine had said she pinned a recipe to her Pinterest board for vegetarian pad thai, and she told me she had made it and it was ready in less than 15 minutes. I checked out her Pinterest board, read the recipe, and thought - hey, I can make this! It is super easy to make and it is delicious. Greg and I have had pad thai three times in the past three weeks. Since there is no meat in this pad thai recipe, it is very simple. It is also a fairly cheap meal, which is always a good thing. If you love pad thai, you should try this recipe. Enjoy!

Recipe for Super Easy Pad Thai

INGREDIENTS:
One 8-ounce package of pad thai noodles or wide flat rice noodles

3 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed lime juice
3 Tbsp. of soy sauce
2 - 3 Tbsp. of dark brown sugar
Sriracha sauce
1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil or canola oil

3 chives, chopped (white and green parts)

2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Honey-roasted peanuts
Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the pad thai noodles according to package directions. While noodles are soaking, make the sauce. Put the soy sauce, lime juice, a dash or two of the sriracha sauce and brown sugar into a bowl and mix well. Then chop the chives and the garlic, and crack and beat the eggs. Put the oil into a large skillet. Once the noodles are finished soaking, drain well in a colander. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the white part of the chives and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring gently until they are almost set - about 45 seconds. Transfer the eggs to a plate. Add in the rest of the chives, sauce, and the noodles to the skillet. Stir and toss the noodles with the sauce. After about a minute, add the eggs to the skillet. Cook for another minute, breaking up the egg gently and evenly throughout the noodles. Plate up the noodles. Top each serving with honey roasted peanuts. Add a wedge of lime, if desired.

Recipe Adapted from: Brownies for Dinner

Thai Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet & Salty Pumpkin Seeds

I've been wanting to post this recipe for a few weeks now. I absolutely love Thai foods and flavors, and I'm always trying to make Thai-inspired foods in my kitchen. However, I don't find myself having much success with it. If I were to say I am having any pregnancy cravings, it would definitely be for Thai foods! When I saw the recipe for this soup, I knew I wanted to try it. It has a good spice and kick to it and it has a nice Thai flavor. This soup is really healthy - you probably get your Vitamin A intake for several days in just one serving! The sweet & salty (and a little spicy) pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch and they are totally worth the extra 5 minutes or so of time and effort. Enjoy!

Recipe for Thai Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet & Salty Pumpkin Seeds

INGREDIENTS:

For the sweet & salty pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. of coarse sea salt

A pinch or two of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 Tbsp. of canola oil

1 cup of pumpkin seeds

For the soup
48 ounces of precut butternut squash pieces
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. of butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 one-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled & diced
1 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
3 cups of water
1 13.5 ounce can of full-fat coconut milk
1 - 2 Tbsp. of red curry paste
1/2 tsp. of salt
Cream, for drizzling (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

For the pumpkin seeds:

Use the cayenne pepper only if you want a little kick to the seeds - if you just want sweet and salty, leave it out!

Put the sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using) into a medium sized bowl. Put canola oil into a skillet and set over high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until the seeds begin to brown and they pop quickly, about three minutes. Remove from heat. Carefully transfer the cooked seeds to the bowl with the sugar. Use a spoon to coat the seeds in the sugar mixture. Place the coated seeds on a foil lined baking sheet and allow to cool. Use about a tablespoon of seeds per serving of soup. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container - and they are great for snacking!

For the soup:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the butternut squash pieces on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Place in oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until you can insert a fork all the way into the squash. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Melt the butter in a large pot set over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add in the chopped onions and the ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until onions are softened. Add in the garlic powder, stir, and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour in the water and coconut milk. Stir in the curry paste and salt. Let the mixture come to a boil, then add in the cooked butternut squash pieces. Return to a boil, then lower heat to medium low and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Then remove pot from heat. Allow it to cool just slightly. Then use an immersion blender or regular blender (an immersion blender is much easier, if you don't have one, I suggest buying one) to puree the soup until it is smooth. Return the soup to the heat and cook on low for a couple minutes until heated through. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a drizzle of cream and about a tablespoon of sweet and salty pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Soup Recipe Adapted from: Alexandra's Kitchen 
Pumpkin Seed Recipe Source: Alexandra's Kitchen 

*Does the sweet and salty pumpkin seed recipe look familiar? That's because I topped the pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting with them! These cupcakes are the BEST.*

Paladar's Sweet Potato Tacos

Please visit my new blog, Make It and Bake It with Beth, for the sweet potato tacos recipe.