Best recipes

While traditional chicken soup is considered the epitome of comfort food, we’ve made a few changes that, we think, take this above and beyond the classic recipe. As we’ve mentioned before, we don’t really crave soup during the warmer months, but once fall rolls around it’s basically the only thing on our mind. Add to that the fact that everyone’s getting sick and needs a little nourishing comfort food to make them feel better, and you’ll find that a delicious, “flu fighting” soup is in pretty high demand. INGREDIENTS Chicken: 1 pound boneless, thinly sliced skinless chicken breast 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Soup: 2 (32 oz.) boxes low-sodium chicken stock 2 cups noodles 1/2 cup fresh dill 8 cloves garlic, minced 3 stalks celery, diced 2 large carrots, peeled and diced 2 sp...

There’s nothing better than curling up with a comforting bowl of hot soup after a long, frigid, wintry day. The new year is in full swing. Everyone is back to work after the holiday fun, and it’s game time. Since the arctic like conditions have arrived here in Chicago, fully making themselves known, it’s time to take care of our bodies with proper immune-boosting nourishment (unless of course you live in a warm place, then please send us some of your warm air! This oil-free Cleansing Detox Soup is packed with all the good stuff, and by good stuff I mean immune-boosting natural remedies like fresh lemon juice, fresh zingy ginger, bright turmeric, balancing cinnamon, and a touch of spicy cayenne. Detoxifying vegetables and leafy greens like kale, broccoli, celery and carrots will cleanse, nourish and make you feel whole. I carefully chose each ingredient based on it’s healing properties and am sticking to oil free recipes all of January. You especially want to avoid cooking with oil...

Vegetarian spaghetti with mushrooms and spinach makes an easy, healthy one-pot pasta dinner that’s ready in 25 minutes! Some Parmesan cheese isn’t technically considered vegetarian because it’s made using animal rennet during part of the process. However, there are Italian-style hard cheeses and Parmesan-like cheeses made from vegetable rennet that are available in some stores. INGREDIENTS: 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 (8 oz.) package button mushrooms, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 10 oz. thin spaghetti noodles (I use whole wheat) 3 cups fresh spinach or baby spinach 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving For serving: 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil or parsley (optional) INSTRUCTIONS: Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion...

Spaghetti is a staple in our house, and we eat it at least once or twice a month. This recipe is my go to for easy meatless spaghetti sauce. It occurred to me recently that not everyone knows just how easy it is to make spaghetti both meatless and delicious. INGREDIENTS: 16 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms 1 medium onion, diced 1/3 cup minced garlic (around 15 cloves) 8 oz portobello mushrooms, diced 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons oregano 1 tablespoon olive oil 25 oz pasta sauce 1 lb spaghetti DIRECTIONS: Cook spaghetti according to package instructions  Add salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, garlic, onion, and all mushrooms to a large skillet Saute on medium high heat for 15 - 20 minutes, or until mushrooms release and cook off all liquid Add pasta sauce and stir until hot (1 - 2 minutes) Serve over spaghetti Top with optional mozzarella, parmesan, and red pepper flakes Recipe Adapted From: buildyourbite.com source https:/...

This summer, amid a generous share of tacos, draaanks, and ice cream, I’ve picked up a juice habit. One juice, two juice, red juice, blue green juice…I’m into them all. This love for juice spurred from an all too convenient juice place opening near my office, which – let’s be real – is a welcome reprieve from the billion coffee shops nearby (and I do love me some coffee). All this juice is great for sneaking in nutrients and getting a refreshing boost during the day, but it’s not so hot on the wallet. Eeeesh. Even with blending and straining, you can definitely taste the ginger here, which is one of my favorite juice ingredients. I used a full 3-inch knob of fresh ginger, but if you’re not really into tasting ginger at the forefront of your drinks you can add less. Same with the turmeric. I used one teaspoon of ground turmeric and you can definitely taste it. It’s not tremendously overpowering in my opinion, but if you haven’t sorted out if you’re a turmeric fan or not, I’d suggest...

I love this cake, the texture of this cake is ethereal – it’s so moist and buttery with the rich flavor from the almonds and coconut. Its more like the Arabic dessert, Basbousa. All those people who are allergic to gluten (like me), this recipe is for you. This recipe originally belongs to Belinda Jeffery, who blogs at belindajeffery.com. You guys should check out her space, she has got some amazing collection of recipes. I can’t thank her enough for this lovely recipe. I make this cake very often at home, please do try this out. It will be a regular at your place too. INGREDIENTS: 180g almond powder 60g freshly coconut grated or desiccated coconut 1/4 tsp salt 250g caster sugar 4 eggs (each egg 60g) 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 175g unsalted butter, melted and cooled 2 tbsp almond flakes icing sugar (optional)  NOTES: This cake freezes very well. You just have to thaw or microwave it when you need it. It stays in the fridge fresh for a week. You just have to war...

Luckily there are lots of yummy things you can do with overripe bananas.  Banana bread is really the first thing that comes to mind, but sometimes that is a little more trouble than I have the energy or time to tackle. This recipe is so quick and easy, and it is perfect for a special breakfast or even an afternoon snack! INGREDIENTS: 2 bananas Slightly Overripe 2 tablespoons sugar (you can substitute granulated Splenda, if you like) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional) INSTRUCTIONS: Slice the bananas into rounds, approximately 1/3 inch thick. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (if desired). Set aside. Lightly spray a large skillet with nonstick oil spray. Warm over medium heat. Add the banana rounds and sprinkle 1/2 of the cinnamon mixture on top.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip the rounds, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon mixture Cook for 2-3 more minutes until the bananas are soft and warmed through. Recipe...