I’m all about comfort food this winter, and this healthy Oven-Fried Chicken Sandwich with Chard & Beet Slaw and Garlic Buttermilk is no exception.

Today is the superbowl, and while I am saddened that my beloved Packers will not be there, I am still excited for the game. I love the superbowl – the commercials, food, and beverages served – it’s an amazing feast. Fried chicken is one of my favorite, go-to recipes for game day. My husband and I usually splurge a little on football Sundays and rightfully so; however, a little health thrown into the mix doesn’t hurt anyone 🙂

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Celebrate with your loved ones by making this Vanilla Buttercream Layer Cake with Strawberry-Rose Preserves!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love cake. I could eat cake every day; that wouldn’t be good for my health, but it’s incredibly tempting. Especially when you’re in the grocery store and you pass the bakery section. I have to move at a swift pace past that bakery case that contains all those goodies.

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I am obsessed with these Roasted Root Chips with Spicy Tahini-Yogurt Dip. They are just as addicting as a bag of potato chips, but a whole lot healthier!

I remember when I was in high school my mom would occasionally by terra chips, a potato and vegetable chip product. They mainly consisted of sweet potatoes, beets, taro, yuca, and turnip chips. I remember eating those constantly and loving them. I knew I needed to make them on my own, homemade!

My roasted root chips consist of sliced sweet potoates, red beets, and turnips. They are incredibly simple to make and very good for you. The spicy tahini-yogurt dip acts as an incredibly addicting compliment to these root chips.

These gluten free goodies can be enjoyed as a side to sandwiches, an appetizer, or packed in weekday lunches!

Ingredients

• 1cup red beetsskin removed, sliced thinly
• 1cup turnipsskin removed, sliced thinly
• 1cup sweet potatosliced thinly
• 1/4cup olive oil
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/2teaspoon pepper
• spicy yogurt-tahini dip
• 1/2cup greek yogurtpreferably whole milk
• 1/4cup tahini
• 2tablespoons chili-garlic sauce

Instructions

• Preheat convection oven to 425
• In a ziplock bag, add beets, turnips, sweet potato, olive oil, salt and pepper. Close bag and mix until oil is evenly distributed.
• Transfer to a greased baking sheet, making sure each chip is not overlapping.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until visibly browned.
• To make tahini-yogurt dip, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• EAT

This Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachio Pesto is an amazing side dish, appetizer, or snack that is healthy, flavorful, and easy to make.

I used to hate cauliflower. I wasn’t a picky eater as a child by any means, but there were certain foods that I would shy away from. A few years ago, I decided to give it another go. I roasted the vegetable in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Oh. My. God. I fell in love.

Over the last few years, everyone is on a big cauliflower kick, using it for gluten free purposes. I haven’t yet tried it in a pizza crust, but I think I need to give that one a shot; I’ve heard great things.

I also love pesto, and I love switching up the flavors in my homemade pesto. This one is a traditional pesto; however, I replaced the pine nuts with pistachios.

This recipe is incredibly simple and a great way to introduce vegetables to those picky eaters! Simply roasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and paired with a delicious and easy to make pistachio pesto, this is a great side dish or appetizer the whole family can enjoy!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflowercut into florets
• 1/4cup olive oil
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon pepper

Pistachio Pesto

• 1cup basil leaves
• 1/4cup pistachiosshelled
• 2tabelspoons parmesangrated
• 1/3cup olive oil
• 1/8teaspoon salt
• 1/8teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425
• In a bowl add cauliflower, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix with hands until oil is covering cauliflower and transfer to a greased baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes until visibly browned.
• In a food processor, add all ingredients for pesto except olive oil. Pulse until mixed, then with the food processor running, stream in the olive oil. Pulse until completely incorporated.
• Toss pistachio pesto with roasted cauliflower
• EAT

I love chocolate chip cookies, but sometimes it’s fun to throw in some delicious and complementary add-ins. These Coconut, Minneola, and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies are an incredibly delicious and easy dessert!

Minneolas are a variety of tangelos, a cross-breed of a tangerine and grapefruit; a deliciously sweet and bitter citrus that I love to snack on. They were on sale at my local co-op and I couldn’t resist. They are in season in the winter- time.

If minneola tangelos are not at your local grocer, you can substitute with a tangeine, grapefruit, or orange. While I didn’t add any juice to this batch, in addition to the zest you can add a teaspoon of juice to the cookie mix for a little extra pop. Personally, I love orange rinds and chocolate (chocolate-covered orange peels are one of my favorite desserts) therefore, the zest alone is a great compliment to the chocolate and coconut in this cookie.

This chocolate chip cookie recipe is incredibly easy to make and a great spin on a classic.

This recipe is slightly adapted from the NYtimes Quintessential Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

If you love orange and chocolate, you’ll love this easy dessert!

Servings: 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2cup salted butter
• 1/2cup cane sugar
• 1/2cup brown sugarpacked
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 1cup dark chocolateroughly chopped
• 1/2cup coconutunsweetened
• 1tablespoon minneola zestcan substitute tangerine or orange zest

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350
• In a stand mixer, mix butter and both sugars until smooth and creamy. Add egg and mix until smooth. Add flour and baking soda, mix until fully incorporated. Mix in coconut, dark chocolate, and minneola zest by hand.
• Drop tablespoon spoonfuls of dough onto a greased baking sheet, flatten by hand, and place about one inch apart.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove and cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.