Category Archives: Dinner

SC’s Easter Extravaganza: Favorite Easter Treats

Holidays mean one thing and one thing only in the Smart Cookie Household: food! On the menu for this fabulous Spring Sunday is Brussel Sprout Gratin, Scalloped Potatoes w/ Cheddar & Gruyere, Garlic Knots w/ a twist, and more. Did I mention there’s my Babci’s Famous Carrot Cake for dessert? Never fear, my little cookies. These recipes will be coming your way soon next week!

In the mean time, here are my favorite delectable Easter eats on the site:

  1. Chocolate Bunny Cake
    This cake looks exactly like the classic chocolate bunny you receive in your Easter basket, but when you cut it open, you’ll find a special surprise: moist chocolate cake & fluffy chocolate buttercream! It’s chocolate heaven, almost too cute to eat but too delicious not to.
  2. Bunny Butt Trifle
    What’s cuter than a bunny’s butt? This dessert is surprisingly simple to make, and yet it looks so darn impressive. The Easter Bunny himself is diving headfirst into layers of dark devil’s food cake, rich chocolate mousse, and chunks of Milky Ways. Now that’s a Happy Easter!
  3. Party Bread
    There is no better way to please Easter dinner guests than with this incredible, mouth-watering bread. Tender sourdough bread is drenched in butter & poppy seeds then stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and topped with fresh scallions. The whole thing is baked until it reaches the point of melty, ooey gooey, golden brown perfection. Plus, its checkerboard pattern makes it fun to pull apart and easy to share.
  4. 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese
    What could be more welcome at Easter dinner than a pan of baked 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese? With Cheddar, Gruyere, Fontina, and Parmesan, this pasta is overflowing with creamy, cheesiness. Finish it with a crunchy breadcrumb topping, and you’ve got yourself the perfect side dish!
  5. Peanut Butter Eggs
    Skip the store this Easter and make your own Peanut Butter Eggs! These babies are packed with peanut butter and covered in smooth, creamy chocolate. They’re so easy to make, yet so delicious!
  6. Spinach-Nut Pesto w/ Roasted Tomatoes and Rotini
    This is the ultimate Spring pasta. It’s light, flavorful, and colorful. The fresh spinach in the pesto makes it as good for you as it is delicious. Sweet, juicy roasted tomatoes are the perfect finishing touch.

Now, this ain’t the only stuff I’d like to stuff my face with on Easter. In fact, I’m hoping the Bunny is going to bring me a few of my Easter Basket Favorites:

  1. Cadbury Creme Eggs
    These are a “you love ‘em or you hate ‘em” kind of treat. I definitely understand why people don’t like them. They’re very sweet, which can be a little much for some people. I, on the other hand, cannot get enough sweets. Therefore, these delectable little eggs are right up my alley. I’ve gotten them in my basket every year for as long as I can remember, and they still taste just as good as they did when I was a kid. A thick milk chocolate “egg” shell filled with a sweet, creamy, gooey filling? Yes please!
  2. Milky Way Simply Caramel Bunnies
    Milky Ways are my favorite candy bar, so obviously putting them in bunny form will be a major win. I actually think these taste even better than the bars since they’re more caramel-y.
  3. Peeps (sort of)
    I say “sort of” because Peeps are the cutest edible anything on the planet. Food does not get any more adorable than Peeps. They’re pretty darn tasty too, but I usually get bored after the first 2 or 3. However, it is fun to jazz them up with chocolate or sandwich them in a s’more!
  4. Hershey’s Cookies and Cream Eggs
    One delicious bar turned into miniature eggs…yum!

Let’s chat! What are you favorite Easter treats? What are you having for Easter dinner/dessert?

English Muffin Pizza: Less Than 200 Calories

Sometimes, fierce pizza cravings consume me with the force of one-thousand ruthless armies. When this happens I have two options: eat pizza or suffer through slow, painful, all-consuming withdrawal (the brunt of which is inflicted upon my mother as she receives my endless whining about how bad I want pizza). Now, I typically set aside one night a week for pizza (Pizza Friday, to be exact), but sometimes, I get struck with a craving mid-week on a day when I’m trying to eat healthy. Then what is there to do?

On one of those treacherous days, I found myself staring into the depths of my fridge, pondering what on Earth I could have for dinner besides pizza that was healthy and also somehow equivalent to the deliciousness of pizza. I was just about ready to wave my white flag, when at last I spotted a package of Multigrain English Muffins. Almost instinctively, my eyes then traveled to the jar of light marinara sauce.

In that moment, this recipe hit me like a ton of bricks.

I whipped up a hot and cheesy English Muffin Pizza for 195 calories, and quite frankly, I stuffed my face. It was the perfect weapon to combat my pizza craving while simultaneously eating healthy. This cute little pizza is low in calories, low in fat, and high in protein. But let’s remember what’s really important: it is completely delectable.

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Spinach-Nut Pesto w/ Roasted Tomatoes & Rotini

Is beautiful food overrated?

Sometimes people argue that it doesn’t matter what the food looks like as long as it tastes good. I must disagree. It is possible for unattractive food to be delicious, but if said food is made attractive, it will always taste better. This is psychologically proven. We like pretty things. Pretty things taste good. Now, of course there are exceptions here as well, but 99% of the time, visual appeal is directly correlated to how food tastes.

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Skillet Eggs w/ Squash & Sweet Potatoes

Some recipes look daunting and complex.

Most of them are.

Other times, however, you come across a recipe that appears intimidating, sinister even, but is actually mind-blowingly simple. Let these Skillet Eggs with Squash and Sweet Potatoes be a prime example of that. This dish taught me not to judge a recipe by its photo.

When I saw this recipe on Foodnetwork.com, I was intrigued by its pretty presentation. With the perfect sunny side-up eggs nestles in a bed of sauteed squash, it was too picturesque to pass up. Plus, the recipe was refreshingly unique and boasting some seriously nutritious ingredients. My only concern was recreating Food Network’s finished product with its perfectly placed eggs. I’ve never cooked eggs anywhere but in a pan on the stove, and I was worried I would wind up with a mess. It was possible I chose a more ambitious task than I was willing to tackle on a weeknight.

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Mac & Cheese Pizza

Mac and Cheese Pizza is a thing of pure beauty. You take one look at its golden, bubbling, cheese-smothered surface, and you are engulfed in awe. Could such a wonder really exist?  Or is it merely a mirage created from your most spectacular fantasy?

Pinch yourself, and pick your jaw up off the floor. This pizza is more than mere fantasy; it’s 4-cheese reality. That’s right: two super foods have united in this force of starchy, cheesy goodness. I don’t know about you, but in my mind, there are no foods greater than pizza and mac and cheese. What could possibly be better than enjoying them together in the most harmonious hybrid ever created?

If you love comfort foods (who doesn’t?), this is the king of them all. It’s creamy mac and cheese, baked until bubbly perfection, all atop a convenient, crispy crust. Let’s be honest: when there’s a delicious-looking pot of mac and cheese sitting in front of you, do you want to pick up a fork and eat civilly, or do you want to dig in with nothing but your bare hands? Okay…maybe it’s just me, but I prefer the latter.

Let’s talk about the mac. We ain’t putting no boxed, store-bought, mactrosity* on top of a pizza crust. We’re making a darn good, homemade mac with fresh cheese and fragrant garlic (it is a pizza, after all). The sauce is creamy, rich, and plentiful. You can’t skimp on the sauce here since one: we’re making a pizza (which has sauce), and two: you’ve got to balance out the starch. Moreover, this mac has tons of flavor from the garlic, onion, and a secret dash of hot sauce. You’ll be tempted to eat it straight out of the pot, sans crust. But then you’ll bake it atop the fluffy crust with an additional sprinkle of gooey cheese, and you’ll be glad you waited.

This ain’t your ordinary pizza. It’s a fun spin that kids and adults alike will love. With a sea of creamy sauce, four kinds of gooey cheese, tender pasta, and a crisp yet fluffy crust, this is what dreams are made of. So grab a little slice of heaven and indulge.

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Heatlhy Cookie: Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Bake

Have you ever made spaghetti squash? How weird is it when you cut it open, start scooping out its innards, and find that the rumors are true; that it really looks like spaghetti?

Spaghetti Squash is one of the many wonders of food that has always baffled me. How does that little yellow guy naturally shape his squashy interior to resemble pasta? Why isn’t spaghetti squash just one big block o’ squash like other squashes are? Whatever the reason, you’ve got to admit, it’s pretty awesome. Mother nature has a few tricks up her sleeve, no doubt.

Spaghetti squash, like most other squashes, is a nutritious blank canvas just begging to be transformed into something extra special. Lately, on Pinterest, I’ve been seeing folks do just that: they take spaghetti squash and make it into decadent cheese-filled casseroles. We’re talking seriously drool-inducing recipes. The only problem is how fattening and calorie-cramming those dishes are. Isn’t there a way to make a tasty, cheese-tastic squash bake without all that bad-for-you stuff?

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Harvest Blush Bow Ties

Sometimes, I have crazy ideas.

Sometimes, those ideas don’t work out (shocker).

Sometimes, however, they do.

For months, there has been a lone can of Campbell’s Harvest Orange Tomato Soup sulking in my pantry. It was crying out to be eaten, but I just couldn’t conjure up a use for it. It was an impulse buy; I was lured in simply by the fact that it wasn’t the plain old boring tomato soup. It was Harvest Orange Tomato. That sounded so enticing that I neglected to consider what the heck I would do with it once I bought it.

I reached the point where I could no longer stand to stare at that solitary can of soup. I know what you’re thinking: why didn’t you just eat it for lunch one day or something? Because it’s not that simple when you’re a foodie. A can of soup isn’t just a can of soup; it’s a blank canvas waiting to be turned into something special. So I couldn’t just heat it up and spoon it down my gullet; I had to jazz it up.

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Healthy Cookie: Sauteed Cannellini Beans and Kale

I know; I’ve been going kale crazy lately. But can you blame me? It’s so good!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: kale is the king of greens. It is chock full of nutrients and plain old delicious. It’s the tastiest of all greens in my humble opinion. With all that good stuff in such a natural, untouched form, kale is truly a bundle of benefits given as a gracious gift from Nature itself. In today’s day and age (especially as Americans), we’ve been trained to love foods that are processed, chemically enhanced, and filled with preservatives. Because of this, foods like kale can be confounding. Kale is untouched, a product of Mother Nature only. And yet, it is so delicious and nutritious.

Okay, so nature is pretty awesome sometimes.

Now, there is but one flaw when it comes to kale: it doesn’t have a significant amount of protein. So how do you balance out the meal? With beans, of course!

I love me some beans. Protein-packed, hearty, and plain old delicious, beans are a super food (much like kale). Therefore, they’re the perfect addition to a kale dish. Put beans and kale together, and what to you get? Sauteed Cannellini Beans and Kale.

This dish hits all the right marks:

Delicious? Check.
Nutritious? Check.
Protein-packed? Check.
Flavorful? Double check!

Talk about well-rounded!

Fresh kale and tender, creamy cannellini beans get sauteed with veggie stock, garlic, onions, and of course some spicy red pepper flakes to create a sizzling dish with a myriad of textures and flavors. The whole thing is topped off with reduced-fat mozzarella cheese for that little touch of indulgence that even a nutritious meal needs.

The best part is that this delicious meal is crazy low-cal, so you can stuff your face without having to stuff your bulging belly into jeans that no longer fit tomorrow morning. That’s the best kind of meal!

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

  1. Not a fan of cannellini beans? Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) would be a delicious substitute.
  2. Craving meat? Add some strips of white meat chicken to the mix.
  3. This meal is super fast, perfect for a weeknight dinner.
  4. This would be delicious with some whole wheat pasta!

Sauteed Cannellini Beans and Kale
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup vegetable stock
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 2 generous cups roughly chopped fresh kale
  • 1/2 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • salt, to taste
  • red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1 reduced-fat or light mozzarella string cheese stick (like Sargento)

Directions:

  1. Bring a medium skillet filled with 1/4 cup of veggie stock to medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Saute until aromatic and translucent, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the kale and cover. Let simmer for 5 minutes or until kale begins to wilt.
  3. Meanwhile, pull the cheese stick into strings then roughly chop. Set aside.
  4. Once the kale begins to wilt, add the beans, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir. Add up to another 1/4 cup of veggie stock if the kale is too dry for your like. Continue to cook uncovered until beans are hot.
  5. Turn off the heat, but keep the pan over the burner. Immediately sprinkle the cheese over the top then cover until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Grab yourself a bowl and enjoy!

Ultimate Vegetarian Tacos

A lot of people ask me questions like, “What was the hardest thing to give up when you went vegetarian?” or “Do you ever just crave meat?” The answer to the latter is, yes, I do. The answer to the former is the cause of said cravings: tacos.

I was never too crazy about meat to begin with, so going vegetarian wasn’t that radical of an adjustment for me. I did, however, have a passionate, burning love for tacos. Taco nights at my house were like Christmas to me. I specifically recall riding home from Girl Scouts one night and practically jumping out of the car with excitement because I knew there would be tacos waiting for me when I got home. I can’t say what exactly made me so enamored with them; I wasn’t big on ground beef, and there were no potatoes involved (which I was OBSESSED with). So what’s so great about a taco anyway?

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Healthy Cookie: Kale and Bean Soup

Let’s be honest: we all get bored with our food sometimes. If we could eat whatever we wanted without gaining a single pound, seeing a spike in our cholesterol level, or having to actually make the food ourselves, then that would be a different story. But that’s not the case. We’re limited by time, money, and the number of notches in our belts.

Eating healthy can seem repetitive at times. Eating vegetarian and healthy can be even worse. I get into these periodic ruts where I eat the same three or four meals for a couple of weeks until, eventually, I cannot take anymore. It comes down to two options: think of something new and delicious to make, or die.

Alright, that’s a little extreme, but isn’t that what it feels like sometimes? Luckily, I was able to brush some dust off the ol’ idea light bulb and come up with something good: Kale and Bean Soup.

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