My Favorite Sauteed Veggies

Recently, I've really been enjoying sauteed veggies. I'm sure most people know how to saute vegetables, but here is one of my favorite combinations.

• Butter (if you are dairy free, you can use coconut oil)
• Onion
• Garlic
• Bell Pepper
• Summer Squash (and/or zucchini)
• Mushrooms
• Salt and pepper

Melt some butter in a skillet and add in all the vegetables. I often let the onions and garlic cook for a minute or two before adding everything else. Usually, I'm in a hurry when I make these, so I just chop as I go. If this is the case, and you aren't adding everything at the same time, I would add them in this order: onions, garlic, bell pepper, squash, and, lastly, mushrooms. Add salt and pepper, if needed. Let the veggies cook until tender. Serve and enjoy!!!

THM Chocolate Lasagna - S

Recently, I saw a very yummy looking recipe for Chocolate Lasagna. I decided to make a THM version and share it with you! It takes quite awhile to make, but it's worth it!

To begin this recipe you need to make a double batch of THM oreos. I used this recipe, but there may be other ones out there. Basically, you need around 36 oreos. You may have a few extras, which you can always eat. ;)  I found that these oreos worked better for the Chocolate Lasagna if you make them a day or two in advance and put them in the refrigerator. They do work the same day though.

The next step is to make the pudding. I used the Choco Pudding recipe from the Trim Healthy Mama book and then added some chocolate syrup to it. Don't use the whole recipe for this part, just add some to taste. It makes the pudding a little more chocolatey than the original recipe.

While your pudding is in the refrigerator, you need to make the cool-whip. I made a double batch for this recipe. Put this in the refrigerator, while you continue on to the next step. (Like I said, this takes awhile to make, but it's totally worth it!)

Okay, it's FINALLY time to assemble your Chocolate Lasagna. Get out your oreos and crush them. I find that it works best to do this in the food processor, but you can put them in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Add a little melted butter to the oreo crumbs and pour them in a 9"x13" casserole dish. Put the pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes, while you mix up the next layer. Cream one package of cream cheese and mix in 2 heaping cups of cool-whip. Spread this on top of the oreo layer in your casserole dish.

Pour the chocolate pudding over the cool-whip and put pan back in the refrigerator.(You're almost done!)

Leave it in refrigerator for about 10 minutes and then spread the rest of the cool-whip on the top. Drizzle some chocolate syrup over the top. Place the pan in the freezer for a few hours and then move to the refrigerator, if desired. If you would like it to be a frozen dessert, you can just leave it in the freezer until you are ready to eat it. I personally prefer it partially frozen, but either way is tasty!!

One final step - find yourself a bowl and dish up a piece. Enjoy!!

Dairy-free Basil Pesto

Here's a very tasty recipe for dairy-free basil pesto!! 

Dairy-free Basil Pesto

• 6 cups fresh basil leaves
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 5 grinds of black pepper
• crushed red pepper, if desired
• Salt

Combine basil, nuts, garlic, salt and pepper in food processor and process while adding the olive oil in a steady stream. Stop the processor and scrape the sides if you need to. Process until everything is well combined and smooth.

Stir in the lemon juice and crushed red pepper.

Store in a clean container for a few days in the refrigerator. Freeze the extra for later use.

A Few of My Favorite Satisfying (S) Trim Healthy Mama Recipes

Here are some links to some of my favorite Satisfying (S) THM recipes. For lots more recipes visit the Trim Healthy Mama Pinterest board. 

• Healthy Almond Joy Shake from Blissfully Blessed 
• Cupcakes from Happy Red Kitchen
• Bacon Cheeseburger Salad from New Lighter Life
• Almond Joy Bites from The Blue House Blog
• Low Carb Cookie Dough Dip from Gwen's Nest

Do you have any favorite THM recipes? If so, please share in the comments below!!

Hard Boiled Eggs and Bacon

Last week one of my brothers made this for breakfast and it was so good!! This makes a very easy (and healthy) breakfast!!

Hard Boiled Eggs and Bacon

• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 2 pieces of bacon

 Boils eggs until done. Cook bacon. Peel your eggs and cut them up into medium sized chunks. Crumble your bacon and mix the two ingredients together in a small bowl. Find yourself a fork and enjoy!!!

Chocolate Raspberry Ricotta Creme

I found the recipe for Ricotta Creme in the Trim Healthy Mama book. They give an option for adding chocolate to it, but they don't actually have a recipe for that version. Here is my version of Ricotta Creme.

Chocolate Raspberry Ricotta Creme

• 1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• Stevia powder (to taste)
• Vanilla Extract
• Raspberries

Measure out Ricotta into a bowl and add a splash or two of vanilla.

Add stevia and cocoa powder.

Stir to combine ingredients.

Top with some raspberries and enjoy!!

Homemade Chicken Stock

Homemade chicken stock not only saves money, but is extremely nutritious. If you want to learn more about making the health benefits of homemade chicken stock, visit The Nourishing Gourmet. Here's how I make mine!

Homemade Chicken Broth

• Whole chicken or chicken carcass 
• Onions (1 or 2, quartered)
• Carrots (2 or 3, halved)
• Garlic (a few cloves)
• Celery (2 or 3 stalks, halved)
• Spices: onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, black pepper corns, salt (a few shakes of each)
• Kombu (1 piece)
• Water
• Apple Cider Vinegar

Place your chicken, vegetables and kombu into a crockpot. Add  in your spices and a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar. Fill the crockpot up most of the way to the top. Turn on low and cook overnight. If your chicken is frozen, cook on high.

When your chicken is cooked, strain your broth. After you have used the meat on the chicken, you can re-use the chicken carcass. Just put it back in the crockpot with more chicken stock ingredients. This broth will be a little weaker than your first batch, but still delicious!!

Oopsie Chocolate Eclair Cake

If you've read Trim Healthy Mama by Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison, you may have heard of Oopsie Chocolate Eclairs. This recipe is for Oopsie Chocolate Eclairs in cake form... yum! It's so good and I just had to share it! Several months ago I found a picture of a cake like this on Pinterest, but there was no recipe. I decided I had to figure it out. Here's the recipe:

Oopsie Chocolate Eclair Cake

Oopsie Cake

Basically this is a double recipe of the Oopsie Rolls on page 268 in Trim Healthy Mama. 

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
• 2 Tablespoons golden flax meal 
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1 teaspoon Truvia
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Directions:

1. Place a metal bowl and the whisk attachment for you hand mixer into the freezer for a few minutes. This will help the egg whites become very stiff.
2. While the bowl is getting cold, get out another bowl and put in the cream cheese. 
3. Add flax meal, salt, and Truvia and mix together
4. Remove bowl and metal beaters from the freezer. Separate 6 eggs. The whites go into the cold bowl and the yolks go in the bowl with the cream cheese. 
5. Add xanthan gum to the whites and beat whites until you can turn the bowl over and the whites don't move. They need to be really stiff.
6.  Beat contents of the other bowl until combined. Spoonful by spoonful, add the yolk/cream cheese mixture to the whites. Fold gently, trying not to plop the mix all on top of the whites. Stir it from the sides. Don't worry if the end result is a little streaky; it's okay.
7. Pour batter into a greased spring-form pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven!!

 

Topping
The topping for this cake has two parts: a chocolate sauce and whipped cream.

Chocolate Sauce

• 4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
• 8 teaspoons Truvia
• 2 splashes of vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream. 

 Melt unsweetened baking chocolate on the stove top. While it is melting, powder Truvia in a coffee grinder. Remove melted chocolate from the heat and add powdered Truvia and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add cream and stir until smooth. Taste chocolate sauce and make sure the sweetener is right... if more is needed, just add more!

When the cake comes out of the oven and has been removed from the spring-form pan, pour on top and put into the refrigerator.

Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• Splash of vanilla extract

With a hand mixer, beat heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until the consistency of whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to top cake. 

Once the chocolate has hardened a little bit, you are ready to spread the whipped cream on the cake. Top with raspberries or chocolate curls, if desired. Enjoy!!

 This post is linked up to Trim Healthy Tuesday on Gwen's Nest! Check out her website for more great THM recipes!!

Ranch Dressing

This is my favorite ranch dressing recipe. I don't just use it on salads either. This afternoon I put it on a Buffalo Chicken Taco for lunch! Yum!!

Ranch Dressing

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk or kefir
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

 Mix all ingredients together in a glass jar. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy!!


For those on the Trim Healthy Mama Plan this is an S - Satisfying.

Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake

Hello everyone and welcome to Madeline's Recipe Box! I hope to post lots of tasty recipes here for you all to enjoy!

This Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake is so delicious!! It is one of my favorite afternoon snacks and it's healthy too! If you are on the Trim Healthy Mama  plan, this is an S - Satisfying!

Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese (I use 1%)
• A handful (or two) of ice
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 tablespoon Truvia or shakes of stevia powder to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon Gluccomannan or xanthan gum
• 1/2 ounce 85% dark chocolate bar, chopped

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until combined and smooth. Pour into a tall glass and top with whipped cream if desired. Enjoy!!