Cassie DeNisco

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My Sweet Potato Quesadilla Recipe!

This new year we are prioritizing eating our veggies! I love this recipe because it sneaks in veggies in a really yummy and delicious way! I’ve now been plant based for over a year and a half and I love recipes like this sweet potato quesadilla!

Quesadillas used to be one of my go to recipes to make a quick lunch or order out but it’s hard to do when you’re dairy free! I found this recipe actual from a Hello Fresh Box but have made it my own as the years have gone on. If Hello Fresh is reading this, offer dairy free alternatives so I can still enjoy your stuff!!

This recipe is so quick and easy, as well as perfect to rotate into your New Year’s meals!

Ingredients

Your favorite Tortillas (I love almond flour but my grocery store didn’t have so I did whole wheat)

Cheese (Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese is the best to melt with)

1 poblano pepper

Grape tomatoes

1 yellow onion

Salt

Pepper

1 tsp cayenne

1 jalapeño pepper

Avocados

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 then peel and dice your sweet potatoes. Spray them with a little oil and bake for 25 minutes or until soft.
  2. Dice your poblano and yellow onion. Sauté your poblano and half of the yellow onion in a pan with cayenne, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. Create a little salsa with your diced jalapeño, other half of the yellow onion, and tomatoes!
  4. Once everything is cooked, assemble your quesadillas without the salsa and bake in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp.
  5. Serve with salsa on top and sliced avocado & enjoy!!

I love this recipe because it’s truly a twist on a classic. This helps you sneak in your veggies while having something good. If I’m looking for something more nutrient dense, I’ll even throw in some black beans! Let me know if you have tried this sweet potato quesadilla recipe or if you have a non-traditional quesadilla recipe!

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My Bruschetta Recipe!!

I am kicking off my November cooking series TODAY!! I’ll be sharing some great recipes for your to have on your Thanksgiving table and we’re starting with appetizers today! My Bruschetta recipe is so easy to make and will seriously make people think you spent forever on it!

I made this for the first time over the summer with my fresh garden tomatoes and have been craving it ever since! This seriously tastes delicious and has become one of my favorite appetizers. This is perfect for your Thanksgiving feast!

my bruschetta recipe

Ingredients:

3 Cups diced grape tomatoes

6 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsmic vinegar

1/2 fresh basil leaves

3 tablespoons butter

1 French baguette

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 and thinly slice your French Baguette. Melt 3 tablespoons butter and mix with 3 tablespoons minced garlic. Evenly coat both sides of baguette then bake for 20 minutes or until super crisp.
  2. Sauté 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the remaining 3 tablespoons of minced garlic. Cook until fragrant then set aside.
  3. Dice your grape tomatoes and combine balsamic, basil, salt and pepper together. Mix in your oil olive and garlic mixture.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for it to marinate but the longer the better!

This bruschetta recipe is perfect year round! I actually never really liked it in the jars because it always was way too salty! It’s so easy to make so you might as well try it out and flavor it your way! If you loved this recipe you can view more here and be sure to follow me on Pinterest as I’ve been posting lots of video content there!!

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!

Check out more recipes here! Be sure to subscribe to my mailing list here to never miss a post!

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!

How to Meal Plan Each Week

If the pandemic taught me anything, it was how to meal plan your dinners for the week. This not only makes life easier but it saves you money because you only have to go shopping like once a week. I usually will grocery shop on a Friday so I sit down on a Thursday and plan out what I want for dinner. By planning it out, I know what I’m making and I’m not tempted to order out.

The key to my meal planning is this little notepad. It has space to plan out literally your whole week and even your grocery list. I will usually just fill out the dinner side but I like that if I want to plan lunches or snacks I have enough space to. You can shop this notepad from Amazon here!

how to meal plan

One of the major tips I have for meal planning is actually creating an outline. I will usually have the same type of meals each week but change up the recipes. This makes planning easy because I know I’ll have a pasta night or a chicken night.

Sample Meal Schedule

  • Monday- Pasta
  • Tuesday- Salads
  • Wednesday- Fish
  • Thursday- Sandwiches
  • Friday- Turkey
  • Saturday- Beef
  • Sunday- Chicken

As you can see, each day of the week had the same things but I switched up the recipes. This is seriously such an easy way to plan because you don’t just have to think of an idea, you have the base. Also, I’m not super strict with my meal planning. If I’m not feeling a certain meal or want to order out one night, I’ll do watever feels best.

Most of my meals actually come from Pinterest so make sure you’re following me so you’re not missing out on the recipes I’m sharing. With my meal schedule, I just have to type in the keyword and then from there like millions of recipes pop up making life so much easier.

Once I have all of my meals, I’ll see what I have here versus what I need to get. I also always have a few things like almond milk or bread that we need every week so I’ll add those too.

I will do anything to make my life easier so I really hope this was helpful! Not only will my how to meal plan post save you time but it will save you money so you’re not buying random things at the store. Let me know in the comments below if you have any how to meal plan tips!

You can see more recipes here!

My Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

As summer begins to wind down, I thought sharing my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe is fitting. I love the chillier weather that comes with fall and my go to dinner is usually a soup. I am obsessed with this chicken noodle soup recipe because it’s delicious and filling! Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked rotisserie chicken

1 can of sliced carrots

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 white onion chopped

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of garlic (i love more garlic)

8 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 package of egg noodles

Directions

  1. I start by heating a large pot with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I then place the onions in and sauté until cooked down then add the garlic and carrots and cook until fragrant.
  2. Add the 8 cups of broth, cooked chicken, potatoes and spices to pot and cook for 30 minutes on a simmer covered.
  3. After 30 minutes, I remove the lid and cook uncovered for 10 more minutes with the uncooked noodles. You really just have to make sure the potatoes are soft enough for you and that you boil the noodles to your liking.

This is literally one of my favorite chicken noodle soup recipes because I cheat and use rotisserie chicken. It makes life so easy and the soup I swear tastes better. Rotisserie chicken is a serious life hack because you can get it and use it so many different ways throughout the week!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious chicken noodle soup recipe. Weather you’re trying it out this summer or holding off until the fall, let me know how you liked it! Soup is always a favorite meal of mine because of just how easy it is to make and how yummy it tastes every time!

You can see more recipes of mine here!

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 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 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.

My Simple Pizza Recipe

If you’re anything like me, pizza is one of your favorite meals. I swear I could eat pizza for almost any meal and this makes it so easy. I was in search of a pizza recipe a little less carb heavy and I stumbled on the pita in my fridge. Using these as a crust leaves the pizza almost like a flatbread. The size of the pita also makes it perfect for personal pizzas or to mix and match the toppings. In this post, I’m sharing my go to pita pizza recipe.

Ingredients:

Pita Bread

Olive Oil

Tomato

Fresh Mozzarella

Basil

Balsamic glaze

Directions:

  1. Start by putting the 1 teaspoon of olive oil all over your pita
  2. Thinly slice your tomatoes and layer them around your pizza
  3. Add your fresh mozzarella & basil to the top
  4. Bake at 350 for about 8-9 minutes or until cheese is melted
  5. Once out and cooled sprinkle balsamic glaze over

This pizza recipe is seriously so good. I love how healthy it makes pizza night and makes it quick and easy to make. Some other toppings that I love to use are ricotta cheese, zucchini and even red onions and barbecue sauce. Pizza night is awesome with pita because you can make everyone their own flavor and don’t have to worry about trying to find one everyone loves.

Another really yummy way to make pizza is with flatbreads. I buy mine at my local stores and its similar to the pita. Of course it has more carbs but sometimes you just really want that great slice of pizza.

What are some of your favorite pizza toppings?

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my others here! Follow me on Pinterest for more recipes!

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