Marinated Chickpea Pita

March 14, 2023 Amanda Plott

It’s Spring break week here and we’re sticking pretty close to home which I’m totally fine with. Spring time is one my more favorite times of year. I don’t care for the allergies that come along with it, but I do enjoy the brighter lighting of the sun, the blooming trees and flowers, and also the berries that start to pop up. With Spring rolling in, I always like to lighten and brighten things up myself, and that’s where this Marinated Chickpea Pita comes in.

This Marinated Chickpea Pita is light, and bright, and full of flavor. Being as this is made with mostly whole ingredients and seasonings, there isn’t much to do here to make it much better-for-you. Though I did go with a wheat pita in place of a regular one…

Skinny Antipasto Pasta Salad

March 5, 2023 Amanda Plott

I've been making Antipasto Pasta Salad for almost my entire adult life. It's one of those things that is readily asked for in the Spring and Summer in my house and everyone can find something about it at that they love!

The original idea for this pasta salad came some years ago back when I was in high school. There was a great italian restaurant that we used to go to on occasion that served something similar as an appetizer and we were all hooked on it…

Apricot Chickpea Salad

February 8, 2023 Amanda Plott

So, I’ll be honest here in saying that I never really buy or use apricots a whole lot, and I’m not entirely sure why either. They taste good, fresh or dried so it’s not that I don’t like them. I just never really think to use them. But, this salad dressing just sounded really good to me for son reason or another. It’s sweet, but tangy, and yet has just a little bit of a kick from the ginger in there. It’s really one of my new favorite things on the planet.

This salad is a really good mix of textures and tastes. You really won’t miss meat here. And you won’t miss the dairy either. Somehow everything else going on really keeps you from focusing on what’s not there so that you instead focus on what is there. And that’s a lot of goodness!…

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese

December 1, 2022 Amanda Plott

After the rush that was last week, I've kept it pretty simple this week. And nothing is more simple than a grilled cheese. This Air Fryer Grilled Cheese takes it a step further, leaving you making the famous American sandwich hands free in the air fryer. The best part is that you get a perfectly crisp toast on the outside and an ooey-gooey melted cheese on the inside. You truly can’t go wrong here.

There isn’t a whole lot here to healthify or make better-for-you while also keeping with the classic. I started this sandwich off with Texas toast, because there’s no other way to have the sandwich if you’re aiming for traditional. But, you could definitely swap the bread out for something whole wheat or sprouted grain. Today though? I want CLASSIC…

Cheeseburger Salad Jar

September 25, 2022 Amanda Plott

It’s the weekend so why not do a little bit of meal prep work ahead of the work week? These Cheeseburger Salad Jar are super easy to make and are the equivalent of a cheeseburger turned into a salad and then shoved into a jar for ease of grab-and-go lunch on the run. It’s got everything in there that you know and love about a traditional cheeseburger.

Ground beef, lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheese, and of course special sauce for dressing! It doesn’t have to stop there either. I also drizzled a little bit of ketchup and mustard over mine because it gave it even more of that cheeseburger feel!…

Butternut Squash Salad + Maple Vinaigrette

September 13, 2022 Amanda Plott

Yes, another salad! This Butternut Squash Salad is a little different though since it’s got a lot of fun Fall flavors packed into it and it’s super easy to make. The homemade maple vinaigrette has to be one of my all time favorites, and it’s easy to see why. This salad starts off with a base of greens. I went with a mixture of baby spinach and a spring blend, but arugula would be a good option too!

After that it’s loaded up with oven roasted butternut squash, cranberries, feta cheese, and YES even bacon! The homemade maple vinaigrette might sound strange, but trust me, you’re going to love it. I used a bourbon aged maple syrup, but you can use any kind you want so long as it’s actual factual maple syrup, and not just flavored like maple syrup. Trust me, there IS a difference…