Pinterest Recipes

Yep, I'm one of those... I'm a "Pinner" and I just love "Pinning!" I create my own projects, copy others projects, pin things like home decor, cute animals, gorgeous shoes, summer fashion, gluten-free meals, funny quotes, things that are PiNK and the list continues.... I've made several recipes that I have recently come across on Pinterest and wanted to share my thoughts.

First up: Quinoa Pizza Bites

These were AWESOME! Like so Yummy! I used mini turkey pepperoni, and the funny thing is that I really don't like pepperoni at all. These were like awesomeness in your mouth, tummy and all the way down :)

Makes ~40 bites

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup chopped pepperoni slices (~1/2 of a 7 oz bag) 
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried crushed oregano
• pizza sauce for dipping

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.

3.  Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact. 

4.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Nutritional Information for 5 bites per My Fitness Pal: Calories - 175, Fat - 10g, Protein - 9g, Fiber - 2g, Calcium - 10mg, Carbs - 12g

 Next- Spinach, Mushroom & Feta Crustless Quiche

Photo Credit

I did this differently from the recipe. First off I used goat cheese instead of feta (because that's what I had on hand), and it was AMAZING!!! Actually I'm confident in saying that this is 100 times better with goat cheese. I also used fresh spinach and pre-sliced mushrooms. I did not cook this like a quiche, but instead I cooked it like a frittata. I let it cook on the stove for a bit, and then put the pan in the oven on broil until it was cooked through. This is much faster than cooking for an hour.

INGREDIENTS		COST
8 oz.	fresh mushrooms	$1.99
1/2 tsp	minced garlic	$0.06
as needed	non-stick spray	$0.02
1 (10 oz.) box	frozen spinach	$1.09
4 large	eggs	$0.83
1 cup	milk	$0.39
2 oz.	feta cheese	$0.87
1/4 cup	grated parmesan	$0.39
1/2 cup	shredded mozzarella	$0.50
to taste	salt & pepper	$0.05
TOTAL		$6.19

STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave. Empty the box into a colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.

STEP 2: Quickly rinse the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray, add the minced garlic, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet (5-7 minutes).

STEP 3: Spray a pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms and crumbled feta.

STEP 4: In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, parmesan, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. (This step can be completed while the mushrooms are cooking) Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, and feta.

STEP 5: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until it is golden brown on top and the center is solid. Every oven is different but this should take between 45 minutes and an hour. Slice and serve!

 Then I made- Mexican Lasagna

Photo Credit

This was pretty good, but nothing extraordinary. I loved that it's gluten-free with corn tortillas rather than lasagna noodles! I just felt that it needed a bit more flavor, like a spicier salsa or something. It needed a kick.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 large onion, halved and cut into thin wedges

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

2 cups (16 oz) fat-free ricotta cheese

1 cup (8 oz) reduced-fat sour cream

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 cups Muir Glen® organic salsa, any flavor

8 corn tortillas (6-inch diameter), cut in half

1 1/4 cups shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese (5 oz)

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.

• 2 Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove to a medium bowl. Wipe skillet with paper towel. Spray with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to chicken in the bowl.

• 3 In another medium bowl, stir together ricotta, sour cream, green chilies, cilantro, cumin and salt.

• 4 Spread 1 cup of the salsa across bottom of prepared baking dish. Arrange half of the tortillas evenly over salsa. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over tortillas. Top with half of the chicken mixture. Top with 1 cup of the remaining salsa and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering with remaining tortillas, ricotta mixture and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup salsa and 3/4 cup cheese.

• 5 Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Loosely cover with foil if the cheese browns too quickly.

  This is not a Pinterest recipe, but it was REALLY good! - Honey Coconut Salmon
  
  
  
  
  
  This is an Allrecipes.com recipe. I used probably 1/4th of the sauce/marinade that the recipe called for. Coconut Oil can be substituted for butter and agave nectar for brown sugar. This was really tasty! I paired this with a salad consisting of spinach, mango, red onion, unsweetened shredded coconut, red wine vinegar and agave nectar. Loved this dinner!

  1 1/2 cups butter
  3/4 cup honey
  1/4 cup brown sugar
  3/4 cup flaked coconut
  4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
  
  Directions
  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, and mix in the honey, brown, sugar, and coconut. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Cool slightly, and transfer to a large bowl. Place the salmon in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  Spread enough of the marinade mixture in a baking dish to coat the bottom. Arrange the salmon in the dish, and pour some of the marinade over the top, being sure to get some of the coconut on the top.
  Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade, until the salmon is flaked easily with a fork. Discard any leftover marinade, or bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, and spoon over salmon.

  
  
  Have you tried any Pinterest recipes? 
  What are your favorites?