As much as I love trying interesting recipes with new-to-me ingredients, I also love the basics – as you can probably tell from the recipes I share here. I love trying new things, but there’s something about classic food that will always appeal to me. A lot of my favourite comfort foods are also extremely calorie-laden, and while I definitely indulge quite a bit, I also enjoy finding lightened-up alternatives. Like these chocolate chip cookies! These babies are less than 100 calories per cookie.

 Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg white
2 tbsp apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to blend. In another bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, apple sauce and vanilla together until light and fluffy.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. If the batter looks more crumbly than smooth, add just a drop of water at a time (only if needed) until it smooths out. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by level spoonfuls about one inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let them stand five minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.

Makes two dozen cookies.

Source: Gina’s Skinny Recipes

Kale, mushrooms, cheese & pasta. This recipe didn’t have to try very hard to make its way onto my dinner plate, and I’m so happy it did. It instantly became a favourite of both mine and J.’s and I suspect anyone else who tries it will experience the same thing. I absolutely love that these are made in rolls instead of as a full lasagna – it allows for easy portion control and one roll with a salad made a perfect lunch the next day! This would be an ideal dish to serve guests or at a potluck, too. Enjoy!

Ingredients

10 (9 oz dry) lasagna noodles, cooked
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
5 cups kale, stems removed, chopped fine
8 oz mushrooms, chopped fine
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, whisked
salt and fresh pepper
3 oz (10 tbsp) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Ladle about one cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish. Place kale in a food processor and pulse a few times until chopped, or chop by hand into fine pieces. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, about a minute. Add kale, salt and pepper and sauté about five minutes. Add mushrooms to the pan, cook until soft, an additional five-six minutes.

Combine cooked kale, mushrooms, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out cooked lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of mushroom kale mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle one cup of sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with one tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, until cheese melts.

Makes 10 rolls. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

 Source: Gina’s Skinny Recipes

I can truly attest to being obsessed with this dish for about two weeks straight this fall. Peanut sauce and I … let’s just say we tight. This recipe was adapted from an Oh She Glows recipe for summer rolls with spicy peanut lime sauce. I wanted to make her rolls, but couldn’t find wrappers in my grocery store. I bought rice noodles instead & adapted from there. The sauce is all hers :)

Ingredients

1 block firm or extra-firm tofu
1/2 English cucumber
1 red bell pepper
Rice noodles (I followed the package instructions to make two servings)

For the sauce: 

1-2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2-1 tbsp peeled & roughly chopped fresh ginger
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp low sodium tamari
2 tsp sugar
1-3 tsp water, to thin out as needed

Press the tofu while you prepare the vegetables, noodles and sauce. Slice the vegetables into long, thin strips. (You can also use carrot, green onion, lettuce, cilantro – whatever suits your tastes!) Cook noodles according to package instructions, and set aside. I serve the noodles cold with this dish.

For the sauce, process all ingredients in a processor until smooth, or mince and whisk by hand. Adjust to taste.

Slice pressed tofu into long thin strips, and add to bowl with vegetables and noodles. Cover with as much peanut sauce as you like & enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Oh She Glows

One of my favourite things about living here in Toronto has been getting to know my neighbourhood. I’m told it’s an up-and-coming area, and so far, it seems perfect for me. It’s small enough to feel very familiar already, but also big enough that it has every type of restaurant imaginable, cute boutiques, at least a dozen coffee shops and – one of my favourites – an organic grocery store! I’ve been loving the freedom of picking up fresh produce any time of day, and it’s exactly where I picked up the ingredients for this hearty salad after seeing it on denj’s blog. It’s delicious and makes the perfect lunch!

Ingredients

2 cups fresh chopped kale
1.5 cup cooked quinoa
2 oranges
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, mix and serve!

Source: denj (She also included a 1/2 pint blueberries in her recipe – yum!)

While I do a lot of experimenting in the kitchen, I do not share even half of the recipes I attempt on my blog. This is because I only want to post items I absolutely love and feel everyone should try. This recipe had me torn – I thought it was good, but not great. That said, I know this dish has many ingredients most of my pals cook with a lot, so I wanted to share it. You may make one adaptation to this recipe and love it. Or you may love as is!  I found this casserole a little dry, and the recipe called for far too many breadcrumbs. I am going to post my own adjusted recipe below, along with the link to the original. Happy cooking! XO

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dry quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup kale, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cups grated mozzerella cheese
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. In a large saucepot over medium high heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the chopped bell pepper, green onions and kale and saute for about four minutes, just until bell pepper has started to soften. Add the garlic and continue to saute for another 30 seconds. Add quinoa to the pot, followed by the chicken broth, dry mustard and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all liquid has been absorbed. Stir well.

Add the grated cheddar cheese and milk. Stir to combine then pour into a greased 9 x 13″ casserole dish. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the mozzerella cheese. Sprinkle on top of casserole and bake for about 30 minutes until golden. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from eat, live, run