November 2016 - The Southern Magnolia

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

November 30, 2016 No Comments

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

You may have read my post on roasted acorn squash in which I expressed my love for acorn squash. Recently, I had bought some acorn squash but didn’t have the ingredients to make my roasted acorn squash and decided to try crusting it in quinoa instead. The end result turned out pretty tasty. I recently shared a post on quinoa crusted tilapia. I decided to use that same recipe to create a quinoa crusted acorn squash. In case you missed that post, I will recap how to make the crust below.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F. Cook 3/4 cup of quinoa on the stove top. After the quinoa is completely cooked, set it aside to cool. Next spread the cooled quinoa on an aluminum lined baking sheet and place it into the oven for 8-10minutes. The quinoa should now have a crunchy consistency. Set the quinoa aside again to cool.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

In a mixing bowl, combine 2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tsp of paprika. Then, add in the cooked quinoa and mix thoroughly. Next fill a bowl with 1/2 a cup of almond flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour) and in another bowl add 1 beaten egg.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Next, cut the acorn squash into 1/2 inch thick slices. Dredge each piece of acorn squash through the almond flour and then into the egg before coating in the quinoa mixture. Place the coated acorn squash onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Continue for the remaining pieces of the acorn squash. Place the baking sheet into the oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Now the quinoa crusted acorn squash is ready to be enjoyed!

Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

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Quinoa Crusted Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 acorn squash
3/4 cup of quinoa
2/3 cup of parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 egg
1/2 cup of almond flour

Instructions

Begin by preheating the oven to 450 degrees F.
Cook 3/4 cup of quinoa on the stove top.
After the quinoa is completely cooked, set it aside to cool.
Next spread the cooled quinoa on an aluminum lined baking sheet and place it into the oven for 8-10minutes. The quinoa should now have a crunchy consistency. Set the quinoa aside again to cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine 2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tsp of paprika. Then, add in the cooked quinoa and mix thoroughly.
Next fill a bowl with 1/2 a cup of almond flour (I prefer Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour) and in another bowl add 1 beaten egg.
Cut the squash in half and scoop the seeds out.
Next, cut the acorn squash into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Dredge each piece of acorn squash through the almond flour and then into the egg before coating in the quinoa mixture.
Place the coated acorn squash onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
Continue for the remaining pieces of the acorn squash.
Place the baking sheet into the oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/quinoa-crusted-acorn-squash/

What are some of your favorite ways to cook acorn squash? I would love to hear your favorite acorn squash recipes!

Food

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

November 28, 2016 1 Comment

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I took a little time away from the blog last week to spend as much time as possible with family. After a week of indulging in all the Thanksgiving foods I think its time to share a healthy recipe to help get me back on track. Today I will be sharing my recipe for a turmeric and garlic spiced tilapia.

Turmeric is a spice that is supposed to have lots of health benefits. Turmeric (mainly curcumin- an active ingredient in turmeric) is said to have anti-inflammatory effects as well as being a strong antioxidant. I had never tried cooking with turmeric but due to the possible health benefits decided to try to find a way to incorporate it into some of my dishes. Below I will share how I created this turmeric and garlic spiced tilapia.

I started by trying to come up with a way to season the tilapia that we eat on a regular basis (Check out this quinoa crusted tilapia recipe) . Since we eat a lot of tilapia I constantly try to find ways to keep it from getting boring.

Turmeric and garlic spiced tilapia

Begin by adding 1 tbsp. of turmeric, 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp. of olive oil to a mixing bowl. Next press each filet into the mixture to completely coat. Then place tilapia into a lightly oiled pan. Continue for the remaining two filets.

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

I liked to lightly sear each side of the filet for a few minutes before placing into the oven to bake at 375 degrees F. I usually only leave in the oven for 5-7 minutes depending on the size of the fish. Once fish is thoroughly cooked, remove from the oven and enjoy!

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

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Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

Ingredients

3 tilapia filets
3 minced cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Mix 1 tbsp. of turmeric, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice, and 1 tbsp. of olive oil into a bowl.
Next coat each filet of the tilapia in the mixture.
Place each coated filet into a lightly oiled pan.
Lightly cook each side of the filet and then place into a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 5-7 minutes to finish cooking the fish.
Remove from the oven when completely cooked and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/turmeric-garlic-spiced-tilapia/

Turmeric and Garlic Spiced Tilapia

Food

Chocolate Protein Donuts

November 16, 2016 No Comments

Chocolate Protein Donuts

Donuts are one of those treats that I can just never say no to. I believe driving by a Krispy Kreme when the HOT sign is on is just a crime. A chocolate glazed Krispy Kreme donut can not be beat. I don’t live near a Krispy Kreme so fresh hot donuts are not something I get to divulge in regularly. I wanted to come up with a donut recipe that I could make at home that would be healthier than the tasty Krispy Kreme donuts but still taste good. That is what inspired the chocolate protein donut recipe below.

The Southern Magnolia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Next combine 1 egg, 1 egg white, 1/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of almond flour, 1 scoop Quest chocolate protein powder, 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2tbsp coconut oil, 1 1/2 tbsp. of almond butter, and 2 tbsp. of vitafiber into a mixing bowl. Mix ingredients until fully combined.

Chocolate Protein Donuts

For my donuts I used both a small donut pan and a silicone large donut mold. Spray your donut mold with a nonstick spray. The easiest way to get the dough into the molds is by putting the dough into a Ziploc bag and cutting off the corner. This allows you to easily pipe the dough into the molds. Fill each mold only half way with the dough as they will rise. Once you have filled your molds, place the pan into the preheated oven.

Chocolate Protein Donuts

Cook the doughnuts for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the donuts to cool for 5 -10 minutes before enjoying or adding your favorite icing to your delicious chocolate protein donuts.

chocolate protein donuts

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Chocolate Protein Donuts

Ingredients

1 egg, 1 egg white
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup almond flour
1 scoop Quest chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp. almond butter
2 tbsp. vitafiber (or sweetener of your choice)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine egg, egg white, almond milk,almond flour, chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, coconut oil, almond butter and vitafiber into a mixing bowl.
Thoroughly mix until ingredients completely combined.
Spray donut mold pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Scoop dough into a Ziploc bag and trim corner off of bag. Pipe the dough into the donut mold pans. Fill the molds half way as the dough will rise.
Place pans into oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before enjoying or adding icing/glaze

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/chocolate-protein-donuts/

chocolate protein donuts

I created an icing for my chocolate protein donuts but felt that they also tasted really good without it as well. For those that want to attempt an icing I will share my recipe. Combine 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp. of almond butter, 1/4 cup of coconut flour, 1/4 cup of truvia and 1/2 scoop of Quest chocolate protein powder. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. To ice the donuts, use the same method you used to pipe the donut dough into the molds.

chocolate protein donuts

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Food

Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

November 14, 2016 1 Comment

Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

The Southern Magnolia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

After having some success with the almond flour chocolate chip cookies, the next logical step is to make other variations of almond flour cookies, right? My second favorite cookie would have to be a peanut butter cookie so I decided to try making an almond flour version. You can use traditional peanut butter (creamy or chunky) or whatever nut butter you prefer. I decided to go with a creamy peanut butter this time but plan to try different types of almond butter in the future.

To make these delicious almond flour peanut butter cookies, start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Next, combine 1/2 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour, 1/3 cup of granulated Truvia (you can use whichever sweetener you like), 1/3 cup of peanut butter, 1 egg, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a mixing bowl. Mix ingredients thoroughly.

peanutbuttercookies2 peanutbuttercookies3

Next line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. ( I have just recently started using a silicone baking mat and LOVE it).Form balls from the dough that are about 1 inch each and place onto the baking sheet. Continue until all of the dough is used up. Next, use a fork to make the traditional crisscross pattern on top of each piece of dough.

almond flour peanut butter cookies

Put baking sheet into the oven and allow to cook for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should be a nice golden brown. Remove the cookies and allow to cool 5-8 minutes. Now its time to enjoy those mouth watering almond flour peanut butter cookies!

Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

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Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour
1/3 cup of granulated Truvia (you can use whichever sweetener you like)
1/3 cup of peanut butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a mixing bowl.

Instructions

Preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine 1/2 cup of Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour, 1/3 cup of granulated Truvia (you can use whichever sweetener you like), 1/3 cup of peanut butter, 1 egg, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract into a mixing bowl.
Mix ingredients thoroughly.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. ( I have just recently started using a silicone baking mat and LOVE it).
Form balls from the dough that are about 1 inch each and place onto the baking sheet. Continue until all of the dough is used up.
Use a fork to make the traditional crisscross pattern on top of each piece of dough.
Put baking sheet into the oven and allow to cook for 10-12 minutes. The cookies should be a nice golden brown.
Remove the cookies and allow to cool 5-8 minutes.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/almond-flour-peanut-butter-cookies/

Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies

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Food

Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

November 9, 2016 No Comments

Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

The Southern Magnolia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I have always been a huge fan of Reese Peanut Butter Cups (especially the Reese’s eggs they release around Easter, can you say YUM). I have recently seen a lot of homemade chocolate peanut butter cups on both Instagram and Pinterest and decided to give them a try. There are a number of different combinations you can try whether it be milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate. You can also try an endless amount of different things in place of the peanut butter if you prefer. I opted for dark chocolate and made some candies with almond butter and the others with Buff Bake’s Birthday Cake Protein Butter. I will explain how I made these delicious dark chocolate nut butter cups below.

Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

I stumbled upon a plastic candy mold at my local Hobby Lobby that is very similar to this one. I had no trouble with the plastic one but there are silicone ones available as well. I started by melting 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips with 1/2 tbsp. of coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. It can be easy to overcook the chocolate so I typically only heat the chocolate for 20 seconds at a time and will stir the chocolate and heat it another 15-20 seconds. Once the chocolate is completely melted, I spoon a small amount of chocolate into the bottom of the candy mold. I spoon just enough chocolate into the mold to cover the bottom. Once I have finished coating the bottom of the molds in chocolate, I place the molds in the freezer for about 5 minutes to let the chocolate harden.

Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

After the chocolate has hardened, I remove the molds from the freezer and get ready to put the nut butter into the molds. Make sure the nut butter or whatever filling you are using is not too oily or it will not harden properly. I used Justin’s Almond Butter for about half of the molds and Buff Bake’s Birthday Cake Protein Butter for the other half. I spoon a small amount of the nut butter into the molds onto the hardened chocolate.

Depending on how much melted chocolate you have left over you may have to melt some more to have enough to top off the molds or you may have to reheat the leftover chocolate from earlier. Spoon some melted chocolate over the top of the nut butter until the nut butter is covered and the chocolate reaches the top of the mold. Place the molds back into the freezer for another 5 minutes or until the nut butter cups have completely hardened. To pop the nut butter cups out of the mold I simply pressed on the bottom of the mold and the candy easily popped out.

Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

My favorite candy between the two was definitely the nut butter cups filled with the Buff Bake Birthday Cake Protein Butter. I am looking forward to experimenting with other combinations. What are your favorite combinations?

Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Cups

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Food

Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

November 7, 2016 No Comments

Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

We eat a lot of fish and chicken in our house and sometimes I find myself getting burnt out on both of them. I am constantly looking for new ways to prepare both fish and chicken to try to keep them interesting so that I don’t dread eating my dinner every night. Tilapia is probably one of my favorite fish to cook because it is so simple and quick. I try to find low carb ways to bread both my fish and chicken to switch it up every once in a while. I have used almond flour and several different types of nuts to crust my fish in the past but this was my first attempt at crusting with quinoa. This quinoa crusted tilapia is packed full of flavor and I don’t see myself getting tired of it anytime soon.

Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

To achieve this golden flavor-packed tilapia, you will need to start by cooking 3/4 a cup of quinoa on the stove top. Once the quinoa is completely cooked, set aside and let cool. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Once quinoa is cooled, spread it out on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and place it in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes. The goal is to try to dry out the quinoa to make it crunchy. Remove the quinoa from the oven and set it aside to cool once again.

Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

While the quinoa cools, we can begin to make the rest of the crust. In a mixing bowl, combine 2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tsp of paprika. Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the mixing bowl and stir all the ingredients together.

Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

Lay out 3 separate plates and pour the quinoa mixture out onto one of them. On the second plate, pour half a cup of almond flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour), and on the third, pour 1 beaten egg. Dredge the tilapia through the almond flour and then place into the egg before finally coating in the quinoa mixture. Continue this process for the next two pieces of fish as well. Place the fish into a pan with a small amount of olive oil and lightly cook on each side before placing into the oven at 375 degrees F to finish cooking the fish. Once the tilapia is completely cooked, remove from the oven and enjoy!

Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

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Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

Ingredients

3/4 cup of quinoa
2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 egg
1/2 cup of almond flour

Instructions

Start by cooking 3/4 a cup of quinoa on the stove top.
Once the quinoa is completely cooked, set aside and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Once quinoa is cooled, spread it out on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and place it in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes. The goal is to try to dry out the quinoa to make it crunchy.
Remove the quinoa from the oven and set it aside to cool once again.
In a mixing bowl, combine 2/3 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 3/4 tsp of garlic powder, and 1 tsp of paprika.
Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to the mixing bowl and stir all the ingredients together.
Lay out 3 separate plates and pour the quinoa mixture out onto one of them.
On the second plate, pour half a cup of almond flour.
On the third, pour 1 beaten egg.
Dredge the tilapia through the almond flour and then place into the egg before finally coating in the quinoa mixture. Continue this process for the next two pieces of fish as well.
Place the fish into a pan with a small amount of olive oil and lightly cook on each side before placing into the oven at 375 degrees F to finish cooking the fish.
Once the tilapia is completely cooked, remove from the oven and enjoy!

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/quinoa-crusted-tilapia/

Quinoa Crusted Tilapia

The Southern Magnolia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Food

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

November 2, 2016 No Comments

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

The Southern Magnolia is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Growing up I never really liked meatloaf. It wasn’t because I had ever tried it and disliked the taste but more because of the way it looked and the name. Something about the name “meat loaf” was off putting to me so whenever it was an option I simply steered clear. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I tried a meat loaf for the first time and surprisingly enough I actually really liked it. Now the traditional meat loaf isn’t exactly the healthiest thing so that is what inspired me to come up with this skinny turkey meatloaf recipe.

There are so many different options of ingredients that you can use in a meatloaf so don’t be afraid to get creative. In order to cut down on the fat content that is in a traditional meatloaf, I chose to use lean ground turkey. I usually opt for the 98% fat free ground turkey.

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Next we will dice an onion and cook on the stove top in a small amount of olive oil until onions become translucent.

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked onions with 2 lbs of lean ground turkey, 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1 egg and 1 egg white, and 1/3 cup of ketchup. Ketchup is one of those condiments that is loaded with sugar and sodium. I use a ketchup with 50% less sugar, 50% less sodium and no high fructose corn syrup. For the breadcrumbs, I prefer to use Ian’s Panko breadcrumbs which is perfect for those that require a gluten free option. Stir all of the ingredients until they are completely mixed.

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf Next we will prepare the sauce for our meatloaf. In a separate mixing bowl combine 3 tablespoons of ketchup and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Stir mixture and set aside.

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

Spray a loaf pan with a nonstick spray and add the turkey mixture to the pan. Spoon the sauce of the top of the turkey mixture and place into the preheated oven. Cook the meatloaf for 50 mins to 1 hour.

turkeymeatloaf10

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Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 lbs of lean ground turkey
1 egg and 1 egg white
1 medium onion
1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup and 3 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Dice and oil and sauté in a small amount of oil until onion becomes translucent.
Combine 2 lbs of ground turkey, cooked onion, 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs, 1 egg and 1 egg white and 1/3 cup of ketchup into a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
In a separate bowl combine 3 tablespoons of ketchup and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and stir.
Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and add in the ground turkey mixture.
Spoon the sauce over top and place into the preheated oven.
Cook the meatloaf 50 minutes to 1 hour.

https://www.thesouthernmagnolia.com/skinny-turkey-meatloaf/

Skinny Turkey Meatloaf

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