Cassie DeNisco

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My Healthy Dessert Recipe!

This healthy dessert recipe is delicious!! I used to not like dates but making them this way has changed my dessert game forever. I find myself always craving something sweet to finish off the night but I just wanted a healthier alternative.

This recipe uses dates to make a healthy version of a candy similar to a snickers bar. I know you might be thinking dates are kind of weird but they actually give off a caramel vibe paired with this chocolate and peanut butter treat!

Anyone can make this recipe because it is just that simple! Here’s the recipe for my favorite healthy dessert!

healthy dessert recipe

Ingredients

Pitted medjool dates

Peanut butter

Chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Open up the date and put some peanut butter in the middle.
  2. Melt some chocolate and completely cover the date in it.
  3. Let the dates set in fridge for about 30 minutes and enjoy!
healthy dessert recipe

As you can see this recipe is so simple and only had 3 ingredients! I’ve seen some people take some flaky salt and add it to the top for a sweet/salty vibe. I personally am just all for the sweets so I leave it just like that.

I love this healthy dessert recipe because it really is a great alternative dessert. I never am one to deny cravings but I also know that I should sometimes try to swap it out for something healthier. Let me know in the comments below your favorite healthy dessert recipe!

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Healthy Greek Bowl for Dinner!

As soon as I tried this for the first time, I knew I had to share this healthy greek bowl with you. This recipe is delicious and so easy to make. I also love it because it is so fresh and healthy, making it perfect for dinner when you’re trying to get back on your healthy routine.

I love bowls because of how customizable they are. You can add or take out whatever you don’t want, which makes this great to feed your family! This meal is plant based but you can easy make a meat protein for it like grilled chicken if you’re someone who needs that!! Here’s the healthy greek bowl recipe!

healthy greek bowl

Ingredients

  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 red onion
  • 1/2 a cucumber
  • 1 c Bulgur (you can substitute with couscous too!)
  • Hummus
  • Feta Cheese (I use vegan)
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Peper
  • Garlic Powder

Directions

  1. Dice your tomatoes, onion, and cucumber. Add them to a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix and set aside.
  2. Cook your bulgur according to the packaging. You want it to have no water left by the time your are done cooking it.
  3. Once the bulgar is finished, assemble your bowl with the veggies, hummus, bulgar, and feta cheese on top.

I literally told you this was the easiest meal ever. I love this because you can also prep it in the morning or even the day before and it sits really well in the fridge. This is such a fresh recipe and something I crave after the holidays when we’ve had a lot of heavy and dense meals.

You also get in all of your veggies and nutrients here too which is a plus! Like I said before, you can make this a little more filling by maybe adding a piece of grilled chicken on top. For me, the hummus really keeps me full and good to go!

If you loved this recipe and want more like it, click here for another easy bowl recipe! Be sure to subscribe here to the blog so you don’t miss any recipes!

My Vegan Pumpkin Bread Recipe

I love the holidays because of all the pumpkin spice. I wanted to get this post up sooner, but it has really taken me this long to perfect my vegan pumpkin bread recipe. It is finally ready to go out and I am obsessed with it!

This is a really easy recipe and since it’s vegan, it has very minimal ingredients too! I really have tried to move away from white sugar so this also is a little healthier since it uses brown. This recipe is going to be a go to when I want a healthy treat!

Ingredients:

1 c pumpkin puree

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c neutral oil (I used vegetable)

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

1 3/4 c oat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

Sprinkle of salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Prepare a loaf pan with parchment paper and grease it.
  2. Combine pumpkin, brown sugar, oil, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup in a bowl and mix until combined.
  3. Next, add in your flour, baking soda, baking powder, spice, and salt. Mix again until well combined but try not to over mix. You’ll notice it become fluffy and that is the consistency you want.
  4. Pour batter into loaf pan and cook for 45-50 minutes or until you can stick a knife in it and it comes out clean.
  5. Let it set for an hour and enjoy!

I am obsessed with this recipe. The oat flour makes this vegan pumpkin bread dense and so decadent. This is a perfect dessert to bring to a holiday party which will already be filled with all the other typical goodies. This is a really healthy alternative and I hope you’ll try it out!

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PS.. here’s a funny behind the scenes pic of what happens behind most of my food pictures lol!

The Best Chili Recipe

Fall to me is all about a warm dinner. I love to cook in fall because your meals can help to bring all the cozy fall vibes you are looking for. I actually used to not like chili at all but I am obsessed with this best chili recipe. It is super easy to make and the flavors are so good! This is perfect to pair with white rice or just eat it alone in a bowl.

Here’s the best chili recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1lb Ground Turkey
  • yellow onion
  • 1 can of Bush’s Chili Beans
  • 1 can of sweet corn
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 tbsp Paprika
  • 1 tbsp Chili powder
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • salt + pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Dice yellow onion and add to a big pot with ground turkey. Cook until turkey is browned and onions are translucent
  • Using paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt + pepper, season the turkey and onion mixture
  • Slowly mix in 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of corn (without the water), and 1 can of chili beans
  • Let mixture sit on low for 30 minutes and finish off by tasting and making sure it’s seasoned to your liking. Sometimes I add more of a seasoning here if I think it needs it!
best chili recipe

This is the easiest recipe I have found for chili and it is literally so good! Like I said, sometimes I’l serve this on top of white rice if I am looking for a more filling meal. I also like to make corn bread on the side of this too because there’s nothing I love more than chili with cornbread!

Let me know in the comments below your favorite fall meal and check out more of my recipes here!

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A Delicious Korean Turkey Recipe

This Korean turkey recipe is definitely something out of my comfort zone but it’s actually delicious! As many of you know, for the most part I am plant based. Once in awhile I will incorporate meet into my diet and Iove this recipe for that. The protein from the turkey makes this meal filling and somewhat healthy. Keep reading to learn how I make my Korean turkey recipe.

Ingredients:

3 lbs Ground Turkey

4 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 yellow onion

2 tbsp of minced garlic

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground giner

Red chili flakes (add to your liking)

Sesame seeds

3 c cooked rice

korean turkey recipe

Directions:

  1. I like to first dice up my onions and set aside. Next, I will start to cook the ground turkey in a large frying pan until cooked thoroughly.
  2. While the turkey is cooking, I add all the other things together to make my sauce except for the sesame seeds.
  3. Once the sauce is mixed and the turkey is finished, I’ll add the onions and sauce to the frying pan and let both sit covered for about 10 minutes. This step really helps the onions to soften and the sauce and meet to mix.
  4. When that is finished, I plate this with some white rice and top with sesame seeds!

I think you can see why this is one of my favorite recipes. I absolutely love how fast and easy this korean turkey recipe is. This makes for a really great meal prepped dinner or lunch if you want to prep this ahead of time. I prefer turkey over beef but you can obviously swap the turkey for ground beef, chicken, or even a plant based option!

Let me know in the comments below your favorite meal prep dinner! Check out my other recipes here!

My Veggie Couscous Bowl for Back to School

This recipe is seriously one of my favorites to meal prep. My veggie couscous bowl is so easy to make and reheats well so I love to make this at the beginning of the week. Another great part of this recipe is you can really choose any veggies you like. I picked sweet potato, zucchini, and tomato because they’re my favorite but you can use whatever you like. Here’s my veggie couscous bowl recipe!

veggie couscous bowl

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato

2 tomatoes

2 zucchini

1 box of couscous (I like instant)

Olive oil

Thyme

Paprika

veggie couscous bowl

Directions:

  1. First preheat your oven to 425 then I start chopping up all of my veggies. I dice them into about 1 inch pieces so that they don’t cook down to small.
  2. I prepare 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and place the sweet potatoes on one with a sprinkle of paprika. On the other I put my tomatoes and zucchini with a sprinkle of thyme.
  3. Bake the zucchini and tomato tray until soft for about 15 minutes. The sweet potatoes will need to be in longer for about 25 to get soft.
  4. While everything is baking, I follow the directions on the instant couscous box and then let it sit until my veggies are ready.
  5. Once everything is cooked to how I like it, I stir together and I’m all set!

I wasn’t kidding when I said this was such an easy recipe. The instant couscous seriously makes life easier because you don’t even have to do much to it. I like this as back to school or work meal because it’s somewhat healthy and gives you all the nutrients you need to continue on with your day.

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My BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

As we head further into summer, I am all about a light and easy dinner. This BBQ chicken salad recipe is delicious and so easy to recreate. This not only is a great dinner, but it’s also easy to prep for lunches for the week. By spending a little time prepping everything on a Sunday, you can have healthy salads all week long that you can mix and match ingredients. Keep on reading for how to make my favorite BBQ chicken salad recipe.

Ingredients:

bbq chicken salad recipe

1 Red Onion

2 Tomatoes on the Vine

1 Can Corn (I roast mine on top of the stove until blackened)

2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken

2 Hard Boiled Eggs

1 Cucumber

1/2 Cup Shredded carrots

Greens of your choice

Barbecue Sauce

Ranch Dressing (I love this Boathouse Greek Yogurt one!)

Assembly:

I love to grab a big bowl and put my greens down first. I always pick a mixed greens with baby spinach but that is totally up to you. Next, I just throw everything in the bowl and finish off with a drizzle of barbecue sauce and then some ranch dressing. My top trick is to cover your giant bowl and give everything a good shake so it all gets covered.

As you can see, this BBQ chicken salad recipe is so quick and delicious. It makes the perfect summer dinner or lunch recipe and is great for meal prep. Salads aren’t always my top choice but when you have so many yummy toppings, it helps you not even realize you have greens in it!

Let me know your favorite salad combo below!

Click here to check out my other salad recipes.

My Yummy Shrimp Taco Recipe

As many of you know, I’m not the biggest meat or fish eater but I am trying to incorporate more into my diet. I recently was craving a taco and decided to create this yummy shrimp taco recipe that came out so great. It is a great twist on the traditional recipe and has so much flavor!

Ingredients:

shrimp taco recipe

1 lb. of Shrimp

Chile Lime Seasoning from Trader Joes

Tortillas

1 Red Onion

3 Tomatoes

1 Japepeño

1 Lime

Fresh Cilantro

Taco Toppings of your choice ie. sour cream, cheese, hot sauce

  • shrimp taco recipe

Directions:

  1. The first thing I like to do for this recipe is make my fresh topping. I finely dice the onion, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeño. I add them to a container and then squeeze half of the lime in it. Salt & Pepper it and let it sit in the fridge while you prep everything else.
  2. Clean and take off the tails of you shrimp. Sprinkle the chile lime seasoning on it (or seasoning of your choice) and let it marinate for 20 minutes.
  3. Add your shrimp to a pan and cook thoroughly.
  4. While they are cooking, you can warm your tortillas in the oven by broiling for 2 minutes.
  5. Once shrimp are finished, assemble your tacos, top & enjoy!

This yummy shrimp taco recipe is seriously delicious! It was so easy to make and is a great lighter meal option for spring. I love stepping out of my comfort zone with recipes and this one was so easy to make!

Let me know if you try this recipe! I have my latest recipes linked here and make sure you’re following me on Pinterest @cassiedeniscofor more of my favorite recipes!

My Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

Pasta salads are a summer staple in my house but I don’t always want to eat pasta with it. This recipe is a twist on a pasta salad that uses a different kind of grain but is still delicious. I love this combo of flavors and I think you will too. Make sure you’re following me on Pinterest so you don’t miss any of my recipes. My summer pasta salad recipe is refreshing and perfect for a summer day!

summer pasta salad recipe

Ingredients

Salad:

1 1/2 c Pearl Couscous or Farro

2 tomatoes

1 red onion

1/2 of a cucumber

feta cheese

Dressing:

1/2 c Olive oil

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp dried basil

salt

pepper

Directions

  1. First cook the couscous or farro according to the package. Allow plenty of time for it to cool.
  2. Chop the tomatoes, onion, and cucumber into bite size pieces and set aside.
  3. Mix together the dressing and then add to the cooled couscous. Add in the rest of the produce and mix well.
  4. Finish off with adding the feta on top. I like a lot so I would use a whole block or container but add as much or as little as you would like.

This recipe is seriously the best because its a twist on a traditional summer pasta salad recipe. I feel like by the end of summer I am so over real pasta salads that I love switching it up with different grains. I also find this version to be a bit healthier because couscous and farro are so good for you.

Let me know in the comments below your summer pasta salad recipe! You can check out more recipes like this one here.

My Favorite Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

One of my major New Years’ resolutions was to go dairy free. This hasn’t been too hard but I definitely needed to find ways to make my favorite recipes. Mac and cheese has always been one of my favorite comfort foods and this vegan mac and cheese recipe is so good. With only 5 ingredients, this recipe is fast and vegan!

Ingredients

2 tbsp Vegan Butter

2 tbsp flour

Box of shells (or pasta shape of your choice)

1 cup unsweetened dairy free milk

8oz bag of plant based cheese

Directions

  1. Start by adding the butter to the pan to melt. Once melted add in the flour and continue to stir. It will get clumpy so slowly start adding in the milk to break up the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
  2. Once smooth, add the plant based cheese. This will take a bit to melt completely but don’t give up until it’s smooth and creamy.
  3. Cook the pasta based on the instructions on the box and then drain the water.
  4. Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and mix!

I was not kidding when I said this recipe is so easy! I love to top vegan my mac and cheese with bread crumbs and some red pepper flakes for a kick. This recipe would also be good with some buffalo sauce in it.

One thing I’ve learned on my dairy free journey is that you don’t have to give up on your favorite recipes. Get creative and find ways to continue to make them with your own twist.

If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to like this post and check out other recipes from me here!