Two Healthy Meals vs. Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

Two healthy meals to help balance out these ridiculously amazing cinnamon roll pancakes.

Baked Blackened Tilapia:
Serves 2

2 pieces fresh tilapia
1 1/2 tablespoon blackening seasoning

You can pick up blackening seasoning at the store or make your own:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

Mix all ingredients together. Multiply the recipe to make a large batch to keep on hand. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your own tastes, adding more or less pepper.

Heat oven to 400 degrees & place a skillet or stoneware piece to cook the fish in the oven to heat, as well.

Pat the fish dry and season generously with blackening seasoning on both sides. Spray the baking pan with just a touch of canola or olive oil & lay the fish on the pan.

Bake until just cooked through, about 13-15 minutes.

Serve with beans & rice.

Blackened fish is typically sauteed in butter, but this lighter version offers all of the same flavor with out the extra calories.

Creamy Lemon-Chicken Pasta:
Serves 2

2 chicken breast cutlets
1 small yellow onion
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, washed
1 cup whole wheat penne
1 teaspoon garlic
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup plain yogurt
salt & pepper

Brown chicken in saute pan over medium heat with a spray oil, season with salt & pepper. Cook about 5 minutes each side, set aside & cover.

Add a touch more oil to pan if necessary & cook the onions & asparagus until just softened, about 4-5 minutes. Give the veggies just a pinch of salt. Add pasta & garlic & cook 1-2 minutes. Add water & cover, cooking 6-8 minutes longer until the pasta is tender.

Meanwhile, slice chicken into strips or shred, depending on your preference.

When the pasta is done, add chicken, squeeze lemon juice over pan & remove from heat. Add yogurt & stir to mix thoroughly.

Enjoy!


Ahhh yes. Now for the gooood part.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:
I cannot claim any genius, this recipe came from Recipe Girl & you can find her recipe here. Yes, there are even such things as Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

If you would like to ease up on the white flour & add some whole wheat to your pancakes, try the batter recipe available here. You can omit the pumpkin spice if you'd like.

Instead of using a cream cheese drizzle, I opted for creamy plain yogurt. These pancakes are certainly sweet enough on their own & don't require much syrup. The taste of the cool yogurt is great with these delectable pancakes.

Extra Good Tip:
There's also a lot of yogurt talk goin' around. Greek yogurt, incredibly creamy & delicious, can be expensive. My momma found a great way to get a thick yogurt from a tub plain non-fat yogurt.

Layer a couple of coffee filters in fine mesh sieve and set in a bowl. Scoop out all of the yogurt into the sieve, cover, & let set in your fridge over night. The extra liquid will drain out & you are left with a thickened yogurt. Just clean out your tub & scoop the yogurt back in. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins & More

Without any further ado, Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins. 

Yes, they are just as delicious as they look. Martha comes through again -- the recipe is available here. This recipe came in an Every Day Food mag last fall & it is just incredible. They will go fast!

More fun with food this week, Grillin' Cupcakes:

Our friend Brooke always makes the most wonderful birthday treats for her husband & this year it was Grillin' Cupcakes. I had the best time helping her create these fun cupcakes! A few double cheeseburgers & skewers full of veggies!

This week has also been full of fun knitting projects! I enjoyed seeing sweet Lily this week & she is the first little one to have a Breezy Baby headband.

Lily was also kind enough to model a project for another little one on its way. Babies & owls are just too cute.

These Breezy Baby headbands were up for auction today at Rock the Runway, a benefit for the Kyrie Foundation at Firefly Yoga. Little ones can flaunt their flowers for a great cause.

Taco Tuesday & More

Taco Tuesday
Wacky Wednesday
Fajita Friday

Any other suggestions?

Taco Tuesday:
Less about tacos, more about taco seasoning. My dear friend Liz shared this recipe for taco seasoning that I love! Make up a large batch & keep on hand for every Taco Tuesday.

1 T chile powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t. oregano
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 T salt
1 T black pepper

Add more or less red pepper flakes depending on your tastes. Season up some ground turkey for some great tacos!



Fajita Seasoning:
Can't go wrong with fajitas. This recipe calls for more cumin for added smokey flavor. Try adding some fresh corn to your usual fajita mix.

3/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. ground red pepper 

1/2 t. oregano

1/2 t. paprika

1 t. cumin

1 t. salt

Fajita Soup: 

Serves 4

This isn't quite a taco or tortilla soup, but equally delicious. The cooler weather today had me dreaming of soup & here we are. 

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a stockpot. Add 2 chicken breast pieces, cut into cutlets. Season with salt & pepper & cook until browned & cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. 

Remove the chicken, set aside on a plate & cover. In the same stockpot, add 1 medium onion, chopped & add a pinch of salt.

Cook until the onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add 1 can black beans, rinse & drained, & two ears worth of fresh corn (or about 1 cup frozen). Cook 2-3 minutes, until the pan begins to get hot again. 

Add a good teaspoon of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin & 1 tablespoon cilantro. Slice or shred the chicken & add back to pan with about 3 cups of water. 

Let the soup come to a rolling boil, drop the heat to a medium-low & simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in a handful or two of reduced-fat cheddar-jack cheese & put the lid on. Give the cheese just a few minutes to melt. Serve immediately & enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

What wonderful weather we've been having! To celebrate the beginning of the fall season, we had pumpkin spice pancakes for breakfast this weekend. How delicious! This recipe was too good to hold onto any longer.

Serves 2 -- you can easily double the recipe to feed more

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats, ground -- use your coffee mill to grind into a flour or use whole oats

1/4 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice

2/3 c. milk

1 egg

1 T. vegetable oil

Heat a skillet or griddle to medium. Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk egg into milk & vegetable oil & stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Let the batter rest for a few minutes until your skillet is toasty. The batter can easily be adjusted for thicker or thinner pancakes. Just stir in a tablespoon at a time of milk or wheat flour. 

Cook up your delicious pancakes. Enjoy with maple sausage!