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.

 

 

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!

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.

 

 

 

10 Minute Butternut Squash Ravioli

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This is such an easy and simple dinner recipe! While most of the recipes I post are all completely homemade, I’ve started making a few more semi-homemade dishes now that I’m balancing blogging with graduate school, and couldn’t wait to share this one with you all! It’s super simple and usually takes me about 10 minutes to make. And it’s especially wonderful when I’m looking for some comfort food after a long day of classes or when I want to cozy up on a snow day during the winter months.

For the base of the dish, I use the Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Triangoli  below, which is available in the freezer section of any of their stores. After my ravioli is done cooking (it typically only needs about 5 minutes in boiling water), I drain the pasta water right away, and while still hot I cut in 2 tablespoons of butter. Then, I add 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, and about 4 tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts, and serve it immediately.

While it’s a bit unconventional to put cinnamon on pasta, I find that it adds a wonderful contrast with the savory, salty taste of the parmesan, while the walnut adds just enough crunch to keep things interesting. If I have more time, I also add roasted, caramelized butternut squash (usually whatever I have leftover from earlier in the week!) and/or spinach or kale to make it a bit more balanced. Enjoy!

 

Homemade Chocolate Bark

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This homemade chocolate bark is beautiful, and is such a decadent treat during the holiday season, but it’s also a great item to make as a gift for the holidays and customize it to the taste of your recipient. Dark chocolate–what I use here–is high in antioxidants and I find that even a small piece of good quality, dark chocolate usually satisfies my sweet tooth right away.

To “decorate” my chocolate, I use hazelnuts, walnuts, and the dried rose petals (available here and in most Japanese grocery stores or tea stores), although you can use whatever toppings you like once you get the method down!  Here are a few of my other favorite pairings:

  1. Dried apricot, coconut chips, and cranberries
  2. Milk chocolate with hazelnuts and orange zest
  3. Dark chocolate with roasted almonds, raspberry powder, and sea salt

Homemade Chocolate Bark
 
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Ingredients
  • 10 oz good quality dark chocolate (for more depth of flavor, you can mix bittersweet and semisweet chocolate here)
  • 1 handful pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 1 handful walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 handful dried rose petal leaves
  • 1 pinch of flaked sea salt
Instructions
  1. Finely chop chocolate bars and place in double broiler with heat on medium, and add coconut oil. Gently stir until chocolate is liquified. Remove from heat. Stir until smooth and glossy.
  2. Pour the melted chocolate onto a parchment paper sheet on top of a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the top evenly with toppings, and refrigerate for an hour until solid. Cut into pieces and serve.

 


 

15 Minute Dinner: Lemon Herb Chicken and Asparagus Risotto

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During finals week at school, it seems like there’s never enough time to get everything done, especially when it comes to cooking healthy meals. This dinner only takes 15 minutes minutes and is a delicious, healthy meal that better yet, always yields lots of leftovers for lunch the next day!

First, I found the asparagus risotto in the frozen section at Trader Joe’s. It’s one of my absolute favorite sides when I’m craving something really hearty and satisfying, and at only $2.99 it tastes so decadent. On average, one bag will yield about three servings (you don’t need much because it’s so rich!), and takes about 10 minutes to cook on your stovetop.

While the risotto is heating up, I throw one package of boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders into a sautee pan with two tablespoons of olive oil and two garlic cloves, finely chopping. As the chicken is cooking, I add about 1-2 tablespoons of oregano and the juice of two lemons, leaving about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to add to the risotto (I love a lot of lemon, but feel free to use just one instead!).

Plate and serve with a simple salad and a lemon wedge for garnish, and you have a quick, delicious meal ready in a snap!

 

Tips for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Meal

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thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is hands down one of the best foodie holidays all year, but it can also turn into one of the most stressful ones! Here are my tips on making the holiday as simple and stress-free as possible–and a few of my favorite recipes to add to your Thanksgiving menu! 

  1. Plan ahead:  Creating a timeline with a game plan of how and when you’ll cook each dish is the most surefire way to eliminate day-of stress.Williams Sonoma puts out a great expert Thanksgiving timeline every year!
  2. Order a cooked turkey: Since roasting a turkey is often the hardest part (There are so many questions! How long do you defrost it for? How do you season it? How do you slice it?!), don’t be afraid to order a pre-cooked bird from a local restaurant or supermarket, or for a smaller crowd buy pre-sliced turkey from a high quality store. Your guest won’t know the difference, I promise!
  3. Clean as you go: My mom taught me this one and I’ll never forget it. Wiping down counters, putting away ingredients, and keeping the trash and recycling empty as you cook makes clean up so much more manageable. Thanks, Mom! 
  4. Make a double recipe of stuffing: It’s so popular that it’s always the first to go at our house! Be sure to use plenty of moisture so it keeps for those wonderful after-Thanksgiving leftovers.
  5. Know your audience: It’s always the worst when you make your favorite family recipe only to find out that your guest is allergic to gluten and everything else under the sun. Politely ask guests a week before if they have any allergies, or better yet, add a line to your e-invites to make sure you have your bases covered. 

  6. Chop in advance: If you really want to get ahead of the game, chop up veggies (hello, onions), herbs, and garnishes one day in advance. Herbs can be placed in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel. 

  7. Add some blooms: Take a bloom from the centerpiece and put it in a bud vase in the guest bathroom. Want to make a big impact? A little filler, like eucalyptus, can help to give your arrangements an extra wow factor. 
  8. Prep snacks: I don’t know about you, but cooking always makes me so hungry!  like to prep some healthy snacks, like apple slices or chopped veggies, to stay satisfied while cooking all day so I don’t eat as much when the big meal is finally ready. 
  9. Start a day early: Our family usually also makes a couple sides–like stuffing or yams–a day early, so that on Thanksgiving Day we only have to cook the turkey and a few of the lighter sides and can spend more time actually enjoying the day. The same goes for setting your table place settings.
  10. Include everyone: In my experience, everyone likes playing a small part if you ask them to. Set aside a few jobs, like chopping or opening the wine, for anyone who wants to help out. 

Not sure how much food to make? Food 52 created this great go-to guide to help you determine how much you’ll need of each dish for the average guest. For drinks, most people recommend about 8 bottles of wine for 12 people.

Want some fresh recipe ideas? I ‘ve got you covered! Here are a few of my faves: 

Arugula Salad with Pomegranate and Apple 

Lemon and Parmesan Kale Salad 

Cheddar Chive Biscuits

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip 

Header Image from The Everygirl: http://theeverygirl.com/7-delicious-recipes-to-wow-everyone-at-friendsgiving

 

Cure-All Chicken Soup

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Whenever I was sick growing up, my mom would make us this homemade soup from scratch (just like my grandparents did for her) and fill dozens of tupperware containers with the leftovers so we could take it out the next time someone was sick. Even now as an adult, I find myself making it whenever I have a bad cold because it’s so much more flavorful and nutritious than your normal canned chicken noodle  soup–plus, it has that special “mom” touch to it, and I love knowing that it’s a recipe that has been passed down through the generations.

The next time you’re stuck inside on a chilly fall afternoon, make a big batch and save the rest for a rainy day when you need it most–you won’t be sorry. Thanks, Mom!

 

 

Mom's Homemade Chicken Soup
 
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Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 chicken breasts (with bone and skin)
  • 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup celery, finely diced
  • 1 lb carrots, diagonally sliced
  • 3 heads of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 lb yukon gold potatoes
  • 3. cups spinach
  • 4 tbs oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Finely chop onion, garlic, and celery in a large pot. Sautee in olive oil and dry herbs until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add chicken, potato, carrots, celery, and 5 cups of water. Once it hits a boiling point, turn down to a low simmer for 40 minutes.
  3. Add broccoli and spinach. Let simmer for 20 more minutes. Remove chicken and shred it, removing skin and bone. Add chicken back to the pot and cook until the potatoes are cooked through.

 

 

 

 

Carmelitas

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Midterms are in full force, which means more baking than usual because it’s the perfect excuse for a study break! This week I made one of my favorite recipes, carmelitas. If you haven’t heard of them before, they’re the most delicious cookie bars with a chewy, chocolate and caramel center and an oatmeal brown sugar crust. They’re quick and easy to make but are always a crowd pleaser–and make great study fuel. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!