The Sunny Side Up Recipes

Fresh. Clean. Radiant. Living life on the sunny side.

Protein Cookie Dough

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I love the taste of cookie dough (better than cookies if you ask me!) but it’s so unhealthy – and we all know raw egg can give you salmonella. This protein cookie dough offers the same TASTE of normal cookie dough but it’s packed with protein and fiber to make it guilt free.

This recipe is great because it only requires a few ingredients and it’s “no bake” so you can have a sweet treat within minutes. The secret? Chickpeas! Also called garbanzo beans, it’s something most of us have in our pantry but we’d never think of using them in a sweet dish. 

To make this recipe, drain and rinse one 15 ounce can of chickpeas and add them to my Nutribullet (any blender would work) with vanilla, peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt. Blend everything together until it has a smooth, thick consistency, stir in chocolate chips, and you’ve got yourself a treat! So easy and it’s such a delicious snack when you’re on the go or just craving something sweet. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Protein Cookie Dough

Serving Size:
4
Time:
5 min
Difficulty:
Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 2 tbs maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients EXCEPT for chocolate chips into a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth.
  2. Stir in chocolate chips and refrigerate until consumption.

15 Minute Lemon, White Wine & Herb Sautéed Shrimp with Quinoa

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Would you believe me if I said you could put this beautiful dish together in under 15 minutes? This recipe has everything you could want from a light summer meal–vibrant color, robust flavor, and, best of all, it requires minimal cooking time. The garlic and herbs pack in lots of flavor to season the shrimp, while the white wine helps to draw out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and creates a beautiful sauce that you can pour over the dish at the end. Quick, simple, and delicious, this is sure to be a new favorite summer go-to.

First, rinse one pound of peeled,  deveined, medium shrimp  (tail on) in cold water, and separately, rinse cherry tomatoes and quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer or sieve. Rinsing removes quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter and gives it a nuttier flavor.  Although most quinoa sold in the grocery store is often pre-rinsed, it doesn’t hurt to give the seeds an extra rinse before cooking it.

Now, time for cooking! Add hot water to a medium-sized pot and add in quinoa once it hits its boiling point. Then, reduce to a simmer. Always make sure that you have a 2 to 1 ratio of water to quinoa– you’ll know that it’s done when the seeds have opened fully and the quinoa can be fluffed.

While the quinoa is cooking, sauté garlic, onions, butter, and olive oil at medium heat in a large saucepan. Once tender or golden (approximately 1-2 minutes), add white wine and tomatoes and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add in shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly reduced, and top with fresh parsley. Pour over quinoa, finishing off with the remaining white wine sauce.


Lemon, White Wine & Herb Sautéed Shrimp with Quinoa
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, rinsed, peeled, and de-veined
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ cup dry white wine (I recommend Chardonnay)
  • ¼ cup tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
  1. Rinse shrimp in cold water and, separately tomatoes and quinoa. Set aside.
  2. In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add in rinsed quinoa and bring down to a low simmer for 10 minutes until seeds begin to open.
  3. In a large saucepan, sautee onion and garlic in butter and olive oil on medium-high heat until fragrant and golden, approximately 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add rinsed shrimp and cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have reduced. Garnish with parsley and serve over quinoa.

 

 

Raw Chocolate Ganache Torte

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Since I have such a big sweet tooth it’s always a win to find sweets that are delicious but also healthy. This chocolate ganache torte from Deliciously Ella is just that. It’s made from simple, whole ingredients and even has a few mystery superfoods–like avocado and chia seeds–snuck into the recipe. Best of all, it only takes a few steps to make and is perfectly shareable for your next dinner with friends and family. For affect, add a sprig of mint and some fresh berries, but it would also be wonderful with some ice cream, whipped coconut cream (if vegan), or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

30 Minute Garlic Herb Butter Salmon

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In graduate school it’s always been helpful to have some quick, healthy dinner options to make during the week. I love this quick salmon recipe because it’s packed with flavor and nutrients but it’s also so easy to set up!

To make this recipe, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place one pound of salmon and a bunch of asparagus onto a large baking sheet, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cut one lemon into thin slices and set aside. Then in a small bowl, make a simple herb butter by mixing together 1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (chopped finely), and 2 cloves of garlic. Spread thinly over salmon and asparagus, and layer with lemon slices. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

If you have a grill, you can also grill at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. For a fun family meal, try cutting the salmon into 6-ounce fillets and making “packets” with aluminum foil and vegetables. If you don’t like asparagus or want more color, zucchini, peppers, and yellow squash are also excellent options!

Carrot Ginger Soup

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As the weather is starting to get cooler on the East Coast I’ve started making more homemade soups and comforting dishes. This carrot ginger soup isn’t my own recipe, but rather is based off of a mix I buy at Whole Foods (which makes it even easier to make!). To make it, simply add carrots, broth, brown sugar, and coconut milk.

This soup is wonderfully creamy, but also incredibly flavorful with the addition of Thai and Indian spices. I also love that it uses red lentils, which make it a little bit heartier so you can have it as a light meal or with some fresh bread and salad.  It truly is the perfect way to wind down on a chilly fall day. Keep it in fridge to have throughout the week, or freeze it for another time. Enjoy!

Carrot Ginger Soup
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 Pacific Rim Gingered Carrot Soup Mix
  • 2 lb. whole carrots, scrubbed, not peeled
  • 4 cups broth, vegetable or chicken
  • 1T. brown sugar
  • 1 14oz. can coconut milk
Instructions
  1. Wash thoroughly and cut carrots into 1-inch chunks. Remove ends. In a 3 or 4 quart pot, bring broth and carrots to a simmer. Stir in contents of Pacific Rim Gingered Carrot Soup Mix and brown sugar. Raise heat to bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  2. Using a hand immersion blender in the soup pot, or in batches in a food processor, puree soup, leaving some little pieces for texture. Return soup to pot, add coconut milk, cook on low 5 minutes and serve.

 

Mixed Berry Crisp

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As the temperatures slowly go down and we transition from summer to fall, I love squeezing in the very last of berry season to make mixed berry crisps! Crisps are one of the easiest desserts you can make–especially compared to pies–and provide such wonderful texture. This one is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, the best way to savor one last bit of summer before we fully transition into fall! Use fresh or frozen berries, and substitute with other fruit likes apples and pears in colder seasons.

Summer Berry Crisp
 
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Ingredients
  • Filling:
  • 3 cups blueberries
  • 2 cups blackberries
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Topping:
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, packed tightly
  • ½ cup butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9X9 inch pan by lining it fully with parchment paper (this makes clean up much easier!).
  2. In a medium sized bowl, combine berries, sugar, flour, and orange zest. The flour will help to thicken the sauce for your filling. Pour into pyrex dish and distribute evenly.
  3. In a large bowl, prepare the topping by mixing together flour, remaining sugar, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the berries.
  4. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly. When finished, set to cool on a cooking rack for at least 15 minutes. Serve warn with ice cream or topping of your choice!

 

Refreshing Mango Lassi

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Summer is finally here! Today I’m sharing a recipe for my favorite refreshing summer drink, mango lassi. Lassi is a popular drink in India when it’s hot out-essentially a rich, yogurt-based smoothie-and they come in all different sweet and savory varieties, although mango is by far the most popular.

Traditionally, lassi is usually made with buttermilk, but I’ve lightened it up using Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla almond milk. It’s cold, refreshing, and sweet, and even though it has all healthy ingredients, I actually think that it tastes even better than ice cream. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Mango Lassi
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup frozen (or fresh) mango, cubed
  • 1 cup 2% Greek Yogurt
  • 2 tbs honey
  • ¼ vanilla almond milk
  • ¼ tsp cardammom
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and puree until totally smooth. Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

 

 

 

Chia Seed Pudding

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I’ve always been hesitant to try out chia pudding and had so many questions–Is it even filling? Does it taste good? Isn’t it just a bunch of seeds…?

However, after trying it and experimenting to get the perfect level of sweetness I think I have a recipe that is just right. While light, chia pudding is actually quite filling, and is packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants. With some berries, cinnamon, vanilla, and  toppings like coconut, it makes a great breakfast on the go or the perfect mid-afternoon treat on a hot day.

Chia Seed Pudding
 
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Ingredients
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • 1.5 cups unsweetened almond or coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons raw, unsweetened coconut
Instructions
  1. Mix together all ingredients (except for berries and coconut in a jar or bowl and stir). Let sit overnight or for at least 6 hours, until liquid is absorbed. Add toppings of your choice and enjoy!

 

French Apple Tart

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I might be biased because I have a huge sweet tooth, but this rustic French apple tart is wonderful. It’s not my own recipe, so I can’t take credit for it myself (thanks, Williams Sonoma), but it’s so good that I literally have to make multiple tarts every time I make it (mostly for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas) because it’s  just so incredible.

While I’m always one for an apple dessert, what makes this tart so amazing is its flakey, buttery crust, which is lined with a thin layer of frangipane, a sweet almond paste (think a sweeter version of marzipan). A few tips–make sure that you layer your apple slices as thinly as possible so that you can layer more in. The more, the better!

For the crust, I recommend investing in some higher quality butter (French or Irish is my favorite) and to take their recommendation to use parchment paper and pie weights,  which ensure that the crust bakes evenly across. From someone who made the mistake of not using anything the first time and ended up with a burnt crust, I can assure you it makes a huge difference!

Commentary aside, this dessert is absolutely phenomenal. Make some for your friends or family for the next major holiday or event –or, just because– but make sure to make an extra, just in case. You won’t be sorry!

Chimichurri Verde & Garlic Shrimp

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Whenever I want to make a dish a bit more interesting I love using a homemade chimichurri sauce! Chimichurri is a sauce from Argentina that is packed with lots of fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil, so it’s full of flavor and works well both as a side or as a marinade.  While it’s traditionally served in Argentina with grilled beef or steak, I love that it’s so versatile and can also be served with shrimp, or even with chicken, vegetables, or a light white fish.

To prepare the shrimp, I recommend using my 15-minute shrimp recipe with white wine and garlic, available here, and serving the sauce on the side. If you have less time, or if you want to make skewers to serve the shrimp as a make-ahead appetizer (soo good), I recommend using Barefoot Contessa’s recipe here and roasting them quickly in the oven (also under 15 minutes)!

Chimichurri Verde
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ cup good olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 1 cup fresh flat-leafed parsley
  • ¼ - ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Add garlic and red onion to a food processor and pulse just a few time until fine. Add in parsley, oregano, and cilantro and pulse a few more times until mixture is fully incorporated. You'll want to make sure that the herbs are not completely pureed, just finely chopped.
  2. Transfer to a small bowl and add in olive oil and vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve instantly or keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.