Cassie DeNisco

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My Go to Healthy Salmon Recipe

Recently, I have been experimenting with proteins and found that I love salmon. I use to stray away from meat and fish but salmon has instantly become my favorite. I love using my go to healthy salmon recipe because it’s sweet and spicy. The recipe is so easy and doesn’t take more than 20 minutes, which is always a plus. Here’s how to make my honey Sriracha healthy salmon recipe!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of Salmon

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp fresh Garlic

4 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Rice Vinegar

1.5 tbsp Sriracha (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)

3 tbsp Honey

2 tsp Sesame Oil

Parchment Paper

Baking Sheet

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place your salmon on top of it. Then place another piece of parchment on top of the salmon and lightly press down. Bake for 10 minutes.
  3. While the salmon is baking, prepare the glaze in a sauce pan.
  4. Start with warming the olive oil and garlic, and cook until fragrant.
  5. Add the rest of the ingredients except the sesame oil. Cook until the mixture is darker in color and slightly thicker.
  6. Remove from heat and add the sesame oil.
  7. At this point, the salmon should have baked for 10 minutes so pull it out and brush the glaze on it.
  8. Put it back in the oven for 12 minutes and you are all set!

This healthy salmon recipe is so yummy and literally only takes like 22 minutes. I love to serve it with white rice and broccoli. Occasionally, I’ll add sesame seeds on top or even red pepper flakes for an extra kick.

Cooking has instantly became a favorite hobby of mine since the pandemic. I love trying out new recipes so I hope you love this one! If you make it at home tag me on Instagram @cassiedenisco and use the #cookwithcass!

You can see more of my favorite recipes here.

Plant Base Meat that I Love

I definitely don’t like food labels however I generally live by a plant based diet. With that being said. I enjoy not eating too much dairy or animal products but I like to have plant base meats to supplement that. I have been eating this way for awhile now with my mom so we both have brands and plant base meat products that we love. This guide I hope is interesting and helpful to share with you so let’s dive in!

Morning Star Farms Veggie Hot Dogs
plant base meat

These are so yummy and I love them so much! They definitely taste similar to a hot dog and are a great option to have. Regular hot dogs somewhat gross me out in reading all of the ingredients but these are so good and a much healthier option. I like these with a bun and a little ketchup and you are good to do.

Morning Star Chicken Patties

I love having these patties with a little vegan mayo, vegan cheese, and a hamburger bun. It is like a fast food sandwich but so much healthier. These do not really remind me of breaded chicken but to be honest, they have a better flavor. I know Morning Star also makes veggie chicken nuggets which have a similar texture and are also great!

Gardein Veggie Burgers

So this is one of my newer favorites. I used to love the Morning Start Farms veggie burgers but I realized the patties were just so thin. These patties are thick and seriously give off a beef burger vibe. I love these veggie burgers so much. They remind me of an Impossible burger but to be honest, might even taste better!

Gardein Veggie Meatballs

I can’t say enough about these Meatballs!! They have so much more flavor than a regular meatball could ever have and my boyfriend most of the time can’t even tell the difference. These are great in red sauce with pasta for dinner or even a roll for a sandwich. Highly, highly recommend these meatballs!

Boca Meatless Ground Beef

This is seriously game changing. I had never realized you can get meatless ground beef and now my chili is seriously elevated. It’s awesome way to sneak in even more veggies to your chili because you really can’t tell the difference once everything is seasoned. This is a really great meat alternative product.

If you notice there’s on thing I didn’t add to my list and that is the Impossible brand. I think their burgers are great when I go out to eat but I haven’t been able to cook them successfully for myself at home. Let me know if you have any tips because I definitely want to like them, but they just fall apart when I cook.

I hope this list of my favorite plant base meat products is helpful whether you are plant base or just looking to supplement in some healthier alternatives to meat in your diet. I plan to do some recipes with these products so that you can see how I cook with them so be on the lookout for that.

Be sure to check out my last blog post here and follow me on Instagram!

My Healthier Chipotle Bowl Recipe

One of my favorite fast food restaurants is Chipotle because I love their bowls. After eating them for so long, I realized I could probably make my own version that is a much healthier Chipotle bowl. Not to mention, I wouldn’t be eating out so much or even spending money. My healthier Chipotle bowl is so easy and great to make for a family. Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

1 can of black beans

1 can of corn

1 tomato

1 yellow onion

1 jalapeño

1 avocado

1 cup rice

1 lb chicken

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 tablespoon cumin

Directions
  1. Rinse and drain the can of corn and can of black beans, then mix to combine and place in a container together. Start cooking the rice however you normally would.
  2. Cut up the tomato, yellow onion, jalapeño and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for a few hours so that the flavors all get to mix together.
  3. Season the chicken with the paprika and cumin and then grill it until cooked. Let cool and then cube it.
  4. Once the tomato mixture has sat and is fragrant, you’re ready to eat so start with the rice in your bowl. Then add chicken, tomato mixture and corn and beans. Top with sliced avocado or sour cream and cheese and you are good to go!

This seriously is such a healthier Chipotle bowl recipe. I love to prep this the morning of so that it’s ready to go whenever we want to eat. The recipe is simple enough that anyone can make it but also great because you can really mix and match. Meals like this are great for families because there’s something for everyone!

Let me know below if you have an Chipotle hacks and be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more recipes @cassiedenisco. Check out my last post here!

Breakfast Recipes for Back to School

I cannot believe the time has come to go back to school. I have put together some breakfast recipes for back to school whether you are going virtually or in person. These recipes are so delicious and easy to make as breakfast recipes.

Check out my latest post here!

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My Favorite Summer Salad Recipe

There is no better feeling than eating a salad made entirely from your own garden. I’ve been really obsessed with knowing exactly where my ingredients are coming from lately so this salad recipe is a culmination of that. There’s a secret ingredient to this summer salad ingredient and it’s a chopper. Getting salads into bite size pieces not only makes it easier to eat but I swear it makes it taste that much better.

The salad chopper I have is from Amazon and you can find it here. I absolutely love it because you literally throw everything into a bowl and then just take the chopper and go to town. Chopped salads are so good and a great way to get all of your nutrients in without feeling like you’re eating too much. Here’s the recipe!\

summer salad recipe
Ingredients:

Greens of your Choice (I love spring mixes with spinach)

Hard boiled egg

Tomatoes

Avocado

Red Onion

Cucumber

Protein (sometimes I add chicken, or bacon, or chickpeas)

Pepita Seeds

*fun add in is cheese (I like a cheddar)

Dressing of your choice

Directions:

I started off chopping salads by just trying to chop everything whole however it is good to cut everything up a little. This really helps to even out everything and make it all the same size. I also was a huge over-chopper. I would just keep going until it was small pieces but everything lost its integrity. Make sure to use a big bowl so there’s room and just put everything in and chop. Add in your dressing last, mix and enjoy!

I love making chopped salads like this one. It’s a great salad recipe if you have produce that’s starting to look iffy so you’re not wasteful. Another awesome thing about salad in general is you can really customize it so that everyone in your house can make their own! The more toppings the better for a salad in my opinion so happy chopping!

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Find more summer recipes from me here!

My 2- Ingredient Banana Pancakes

One of my favorite things about summer is that I have so much time in the mornings. I love waking up a little later, getting a workout in, and actually making breakfast. One of my recent favorites has been banana pancakes that are literally only two ingredients. These banana pancakes not only are healthy but they also are so yummy and will keep you fueled for your summer adventures.

Ingredients:

1 Banana

2 Eggs

Directions:

  1. Turn your griddle or stove on medium heat and be sure to grease it.
  2. Peel your banana and mash it really well in a bowl with a fork.
  3. Crack two eggs and whisk with the banana until completely combined.
  4. Pour about 3 tablespoons of your mixture into the pan and wait until the edges start to thicken. Once they’re thick and the underside is golden brown, flip.
  5. Top with peanut butter, syrup, or berries and enjoy!

Guys I am not kidding when I tell you how easy and yummy these banana pancakes are. The key is to make sure your pan or griddle are hot before you put the mix on it so that they form evenly and don’t stick. Even my cousins like these, and they’re super picky eaters! You can even bulk these pancakes up with plain oats or protein powder.

If you’re looking for more breakfast recipes, check this post out!

Let me know if you have any minimal ingredient recipes below or what your favorite summer breakfast is!

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