Watermelon Cake

This cake is, well, ...it's watermelon. So, right off the bat it's a bit more nutritious for you than regular cake. It helps that it's super yummy too! Perfect for an end of summer bash before everyone goes back to school.

I should have taken more time icing the cake. I was a bit rushed though so I apologize for the uh lack of skill in decorating in the pictures. You have to lay on the yogurt icing really thick, otherwise it just slides off the watermelon. I was surprised though of how well it stayed once I got the hang of how much icing to slap on at once. 

Watermelon Cake

1 seedless watermelon

1 6oz container of Greek yogurt, Chobani or Fage. I prefer Fage for this

1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix

2 tsp vanilla

any kind of fruit you want to decorate with

Cut the top and bottom off of your watermelon. Now, it depends on your watermelon what shape your cake will be in. I wanted a circle but mine was destined to be rectangular. Save the pieces you are cutting off. You can use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and decorate the cake with. The yogurt must be Greek yogurt as plain yogurt will be too runny and will slide right off your cake. Mix the Greek yogurt, pudding mix, and vanilla till combined. Now, slap it onto the watermelon. Remember to put a lot on there or it wont stay on the cake. Now decorate however you like :) 

Grilled Chicken and Veggies

As i continue on m 30 day challenge of making healthy lunches I'm constantly trying to find something to 'make' but when it comes to healthy food that isn't always the case. Nature has come up with the best recipes by far and it's time to really start enjoying them.

So for today's lunch I went very simple and easy but with enough variety to keep it interesting, nutritious, and most importantly, yummy!

Grilled Chicken and Veggies

1/2 grilled chicken breast

baby carrots

black beans, low sodium

steamed broccoli

1/2 avocado slices

2 campari tomatoes

Put everything on a plate and be dazzled by the simple but amazing lunch you just made! I had mine with cucumber and mint water. Very refreshing!

Tacos!

Is there anything better than a good taco? I mean, they are so easy to make and you can make so many different kinds of tacos. Savory tacos. Sweet tacos. Spicy tacos. Crunchy tacos...and I'll stop there before I start sound like Buba from Forrest Gump.

I prepared the taco meat the same way I did for the taco salad , but I added onions, and I used the leftover yogurt dressing from it to top one of the tacos with. So there's our savory with a slight kick taco. The other taco I topped with glazed pineapple and mint. Sweet with a zing taco.

Tacos!

1 lb ground beef

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp creole

1/2 tsp salt

2 limes

1/2 white onion, diced

1 cup pineapple, cubed

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 sprigs mint leaves

1/4 cup jicama, chopped

12 whole wheat tortillas

left over yogurt sauce recipe

Brown the ground beef with creole, salt, cumin until done. Drain grease and saute the onions for a minute and then put meat back into the pan. Squeeze the juice of one lime and combine. Cover pan and turn off heat. Heat a  small skillet and toss in the pineapple and brown sugar. Cook each side of the pineapple for about a minute each. Make sure both sides have brown sugar on them. Once done, take off heat and put on a plate. 

To assemble your savory tacos. Load your tortilla with the meat and onion mixture. Add some jicama and desired amount of yogurt sauce. Serve with a lime wedge and devour. 

To assemble the sweet tacos, load your tortillas with the meat and onion mixture and add some jicama. top with glazed pineapple and a few mint leaves. 

Roasted Red Pepper and Squash Grilled Cheese with Peppered Avocado

An adult grilled cheese that is full of flavor. As comforting as the kid version of white bread and cheese is this is just as comforting with a kick for discerning palates. Read: not living off of bland chicken nuggets and chocolate milk.

I think this sandwich is perfect for the weather right now. It tastes like summer with the squash and zucchini but at the same time fall with the melted cheese and roasted peppers. Don't ask me why roasted peppers make me think of fall, they just do. The fresh avocado slices give this sandwich just enough moisture so you don't have a dry sandwich but with health benefits beyond mayonnaise.


Roasted Red Pepper and Squash Grilled Cheese with Peppered Avocado

2 multi grain bread slices

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

olive oil

1 squash

1 zucchini

2 slices sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 avocado, sliced

pepper

preheat oven to 400 F

Using a vegetable peeler or a knife for thicker slices, slice the squash and zucchini. Using as much olive oil as you need bush both sides of the squash, zucchini, and red pepper and arrange on cooking sheet. Cook for five minutes or until tender. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and cook in a small skillet. Or if you are in a hurry you could put them in a toaster. Once the bread and squash are done assemble you sandwich. Cheese on bottom with squash, zucchini, and red pepper on top. Leave top slice of bread off. Heat in a skillet until cheese is melted. Put your avocado slices on the other piece of bread and add pepper to taste. Now, go enjoy this delicious sandwich!

Crunchy Tuna Salad

I have nightmares of this tuna salad from Subway that they scooped out with an ice cream scoop and plopped on some white bread. It stayed in that perfect little round shape. This squishy, bland, disgusting half sphere of disgusting-ness.....that is not what I made.

No, nonono. This tuna salad is full of crunch and flavor. From delicious red onion, to crunchy celery, to sweet, crisp grapes. This is a tuna salad that I will go back for seconds for.

Crunchy Tuna Salad

2 cans of tuna in water

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup red grapes, halved

1/2 red onion, diced

3 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise

2 sweet dill pickles, sliced

1 romaine lettuce leaf, one for each serving

 1 cup mixed greens


Drain your tuna and in a medium bowl mix celery, grapes, onion, mayo, and pickles together. Wash and dry your lettuce and greens and make a bed of mixed greens on top of the romaine lettuce. Dish some of the tuna salad on top and wrap and enjoy! I also used extra celery slices to eat the tuna. It was amazing :)

Open Faced Chicken Unwhich

Unwich because it's not a sandwich. Get it? I'm clever like that. Not really...totally stole it from Jimmy Jons.
Trademark aside, these are scrumptious.

When I was thinking of what to make for lunch I really wanted some teriyaki  chicken. That did not happen sadly but these came out of that misfortune so I'm over the fact there is no teriyaki  sauce in this kitchen....sort of.

Open Faced Chicken Unwhich

1 chicken breast, I used an already grilled piece but if yours isn't cook it up however you want.

worcestershire sauce

dash of salt

munster cheese, grate how ever much you want on your sandwich

1 small zucchini

1 small carrot, or a couple baby carrots

2 leaves romaine lettuce



Chop the chicken breast into small pieces. Put the chicken in a small skillet on medium heat and give a few good shakes of  worcestershire  sauce. You want each piece to be brown and soak up some of that flavor. Heat through for about 5-7 minutes. Turn heat to low and add your cheese while stirring. Take off heat and set aside. Using a potato peeler shred some of you carrot and zucchini. Place your chicken mixture on the lettuce leaves and add your shredded veggies and now you have a filling and tasty lunch that wont weigh you down.

In the picture those are Apple Cider Vinegar Cucumber Chips which I'll be posting the recipe for soon.

Taco Salad

I'm in love with this taco salad. It turned out so much better than I thought it would. (yes, I'm admitting I have no idea what I'm doing and just making things up as I go along.)I went for healthy version of taco salad , meaning no fried tortillas, but with a kick. The yogurt dressing was the perfect punch for this salad.

I was told by my niece when I asked her if she would eat taco salad that she 'can only eat it if I make it good.' Touche child, touche. Well, she ate it so I'll let that speak for itself. I do suggest not adding the yogurt sauce to a child's plate until they try it though. Some kids can't handle the awesome deliciousness.


Taco Salad

Servings: Enough for 4 people

1 pound hamburger meat

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp creole

1/2 tsp salt

1 can black beans, drained

3 slices jicama, chopped

1 cup cabbage, chopped

2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 limes

Yogurt dressing

3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp creole

2 good shakes of hot sauce

Brown the hamburger meat with creole, salt, cumin until done. Drain grease and put meat back into the pan. Squeeze the juice of one lime and stir. Toss your cabbage, lettuce, beans, jicama, tomatoes, and meat together. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with creole, hot sauce, and paprika. Add about two tablespoons to each plate and mix or to taste. Grab a fork and dig in!