Skinny Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

October 4, 2019 Amanda Plott

Oh, my goodness. Oh. My. Goodness.

The first time I intended to make this soup, I had it planned for a while , and oddly enough a similar butternut squash soup was served to me at The King's Feast of The Texas Renaissance Festival. I had never had butternut squash soup before then, but I immediately fell in love. It was thick and rich and served with some sort of toasted seed and herb topping.

It was such a good soup that I thought I would have dreams about it that night.

I was a bit curious when I got home if the recipe that I had come up with would be anything similar to the amazing one that I had at the feast. Needless to say I was somewhat skeptical that so few of ingredients would actually come together to make such an amazing soup…

Soba Noodle Lunch Box

September 3, 2019 Amanda Plott

I’ve found lately that meal prepping my lunches has been my saving grace. If it wasn’t for preparing my lunches for a few days in advance, well… I’d be making some rather poor choices when it came time to eat. Getting back into the rhythm of ‘back-to-school’ has been a tougher transition this year than I had imagined.

This Soba Noodle Lunch Box is asian inspired with soba noodles, spiraled veggies, and of course a homemade Thai peanut dressing that is finger-licking good. Not only can you make this lunch box up ahead of time, you can also rest easy knowing the entire lunch is only 250 calories and vegetarian!…

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pizza (Sponsored)

June 21, 2019 Amanda Plott

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MarinadesWithMazola #MakeItWithHeart #CollectiveBias

It’s pretty much officially grilling season and I am all for it. Why? It means that I can pretty easily refuse to use my stove and oven and instead let the cooking happen outdoors. I say that now, but watch me change my tune in a couple of months when it’s 100+ degrees out! Either way. Summer is the best time for certain fruits and vegetables. A few of my favorites? Zucchini and summer squash!

While we’re using the grill, I thought now is the perfect time to make some quick, easy, and delicious grilled pizzas. Not just any pizzas, though. I wanted them to be summer-inspired and better-for-you. I’ve made a few easy-peasy swaps that will leave everyone satisfied. The first swap I made was to use Mazola® Corn Oil in a quick and easy marinade for the veggies. If you haven’t yet heard, a clinical study showed Mazola Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil. To learn more about this claim, see Mazola.com…

Instant Pot Chicken Caldo

December 1, 2018 Amanda Plott

Well, it’s still barely winter here in Texas. Though it is about as winter as it’s likely to get here outside of a couple more cold fronts and a freeze or two. Even so! We’re in the throes of soup season and I wanted to make some more soup, DANG IT.

Caldo is one of the most simple soups out there. It’s a Mexican style soup that’s very brothy and full of several different kinds of vegetables. You will probably find it on any good Mexican restaurant’s menu, whether it’s beef or chicken. The way that I know that? My little brother used to order it all the time when we were younger. It was always one of his MOST favorite things…

Summer Squash & Ricotta Pasta

July 6, 2018 Amanda Plott

Oyi, oyi, oyi! We are in the THICK of summer right now. It is H. O. T. - HOT! But, one thing I'm not mad about is the plethora of summer veggies and fruits that comes along with the heat. The summer squash and tomatoes are in season here right now and I am eating it up. Pun totally intended.

Summer squash is one of my favorite veggies, that's because they are so versatile. And while there's a lot of things that you can do with them, I've been craving pasta - so that's where they went today. Not just any pasta though. Whole wheat pasta that's kept light and yet creamy still with some ricotta cheese…

Butternut Squash Alfredo

January 30, 2018 Amanda Plott

I love pasta every bit as the next girl. But, there's always something about it that leaves me feeling a wee bit guilty. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that most pasta dishes are loaded with carbs and not usually the most veggie-forward meal option.

Now, I've made a skinny alfredo before that was loaded up with hidden veggies but I got my hands on a local butternut squash that needed some attention. That's when I decided to go ahead and make another version of 'alfredo' using my winter squash. And let's be honest. Today I'm using the term 'aflredo' pretty lightly...