Coconut Lentil Curry

This meat-free lentil curry recipe is such a tasty main dish that pairs beautifully with white rice, cauliflower rice or naan.

It has a delicious complexity of flavor, the lentils make it a nutritious choice, and the coconut milk adds some body to make it more substantial.

It makes an excellent vegan dinner and any extra that's left is perfect for lunch the next day (you can even freeze it).

If you haven't yet had lentils this is a great place to start. With the rising prices of meat these days it's a great recipe to add into the dinner rotation since lentils are a much cheaper alternative to meat.

And by using a the homemade spice blend here (which is basically a curry spice blend) you can control the amount of heat that goes into the dish making it as mild or spicy as you prefer.

Easy French Bread Pizza Recipe

All be honest, going into this with recipe testing I was thinking it would more so be a recipe the kids would love - but it turns out that equally as well adults will absolutely love this French bread pizza too!

But of course that only makes sense because it's layered with so much goodness and it's extra cheesy!

It has incredible flavor, perfect texture (crisp exterior, soft interior) and it's so easy to customize (see below for ideas, or just think of your favorite creative pizza and make that here!).

Not only is it a great after school snack, but it is definitely something I would proudly serve to guests on the weekend (just pair it with a simple salad topped with Spaghetti Factory copycat creamy pesto dressing).

It's just so tasty! Especially if you go the easy homemade pizza sauce route.

Who doesn't love a recipe that's this simple, that can taste this good??

And I should mention it makes great leftovers too (and I'm a leftover snob). That is if you're lucky enough to have any left for lunch the following day.

Spread it over homemade pizza dough for the ultimate pizza or use it as a dip for breadsticks!

Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe

A DIY recipe that's perfect for busy days! This quick and easy pizza sauce from scratch is made of basic ingredients, most all of which you likely already have on hand.

And no waiting hours for a sauce to simmer here. Instead we add tomato paste to thicken it up.

The best kind of recipe right? I'm all about simplifying things when possible for easy weeknight dinners.

This sauce is naturally vegan, has has intense tomato flavor, it's deliciously seasoned with fresh garlic, and it has the best Italian herb taste.

It also has a great consistency because to me that is key to a perfect pizza sauce. I want the sauce to still exist once the pizza is done baking rather than all of it being absorbed into the crust.

What's not to love here? It's a delicious recipe you'll have on repeat!

Looking for more healthy soup recipes? Try my classic Vegetable Soup, Cabbage Soup and Lentil Soup.

So this is me, I eat pretty healthy most of the time so I can make room for dessert all the time. I'm kidding (sort of). But really, I think balance is important, which doesn't really mean dessert every day but sometimes I think it's necessary.

I've said it before, all the healthy food is definitely good for your physical health but I say the sweet stuff is good for my emotional health because how could I survive without sugar (especially chocolate)? Addicted? Maybe. Content with that, definitely.

This soup has got to be one of the healthiest I've ever made though. It is packed with so many fresh, healthy ingredients and it really does taste amazingly delicious!

I've learned that light and healthy recipes don't need to be boring, they just need to have the right blend of flavors and good seasoning and it makes such a big difference.

You’ll love how this soup is very filling without all lots of added fats or empty carbs. Plus it makes a big pot-full so you can have some for lunch for the next few days.

And yes, this minestrone soup recipe does call for quite a few ingredients but don't shy away from this recipe because of that. It's worth it!

Photography credit: Jess Larson

Chicken Tikka Masala the Quick and Easy Version

Who knew you could get a perfectly delicious Tikka Masala ready in 30 minutes? Yes, start to finish in 30 minutes!

This is a classic Indian dish that is super popular here in the U.S. and one of my favorite Indian recipes.

It's a healthy chicken recipe is totally worthy of being added to your dinner rotation. It is brimming with delicious spices and rich flavors and it's a dinner the whole family will love!

In fact this has already become a regular dinner at my house. We love it served with basmati rice and naan too! 

Caprese flavors in Lasagna Form!

Aww, just look at all the gooey, soon to be stretched and strung (upon my no longer empty fork) cheese and dream of what could be yours! Italian comfort food at its finest.

The saying third times a charm, it's true. Yes this is my third attempt at creating what I'd envisioned, and at last a beautifully delicious success.
The first time I tried Chicken Caprese lasagna roll ups - strange texture and not my favorite flavor, the second time around I omitted the chicken and made them using fresh Mozzarella - far to soupy and (I was expecting some liquid but I'm telling you half the baking dish was filled with the liquid from the fresh Mozza).

The texture of the fresh Mozzarella seemed a little gummy when it melted too. So, the third time I went with a more traditional cheese filling with the average low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese and lots of it, a bit of Parmesan for flavor and a little Ricotta to help bring it together.

The egg white also helps glue and bind the mixture together, I decided to omit the yolk because I wanted to keep my cheese filling nice and white so it has that Caprese-y look.

Besides, omitting the egg yolk is my attempt at making them healthier. That's laughable I know. I say cheese = calcium, so this is somehow good for me.

This dish has everything you find in the traditional Caprese flavors and many of the traditional lasagna flavors. Really this is lasagna simplified both in flavor and preparation. With that I don't mean to say their flavor is bland and boring, they are just simple yet incredible flavors.

How to Make Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

To create the Caprese style filling, you begin with a cheese filling that's mostly Mozzarella, then it's layered with fresh Roma tomato slices and sprinkled with fresh basil.

Then you roll it up and top it with a simple marinara sauce made from crushed Roma tomatoes, and you sprinkle over more Mozzarella cheese, bake it and then garnish it with fresh basil ribbons.

So, they are Caprese inside and out. I love the fresh flavors of this entree and all that heavenly cheese of course! Who knew vegetarian could be so good? Enjoy!

This is how the layering should look, this was attempt 2 with fresh Mozzarella (which I highly don't recommend). I just didn't want to take a third round of pictures of the prep, so the only difference when you make them will be the use of shredded mozzarella rather than the fresh Mozzarella in the bottom layer.

The top picture was end result of recipe listed.

In my opinion I think there are a few key steps in creating that authentic, thick, richly flavored, meaty sauce. I've learned a few things trying to imitate that amazingly delicious pasta sauce that I get at a few of my favorite Italian restaurants. One of them being, you need to cook the sauce low and slow, 5 hours minimum.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

If you want great sauce you're going to have to have a little patience. This is one of those made with love recipes. I think Roma tomatoes are best. A few weeks ago I made a similar sauce, entirely from scratch. I'm talking fresh Roma tomatoes, boiled, peeled, seeded and crushed them. It took far too much time and effort only to realize the next time around canned Roma tomatoes were better. They don't seem as acidic.

The flavors of the fresh basil and parsley in this recipe lend it fresh from the garden flavor. I didn't want to use fresh herbs for the entire recipe (that would be pretty pricey if you don't have an herb garden) so I chose fresh basil and parsley because they are my favorites in this recipe.

Be sure to brown the meat and veggies (brown, not burn), that browned flavor is an important part of the sauces rich, robust flavor. The carrot may seem like a random ingredient but I've heard that it adds a bit of sweetness to the sauce therefor you won't have to add any sugar. It also lends a good color. I know I packed a lot of herbs into this recipe, but it will help you use up those spices sitting in your spice cupboard before they lose their freshness.

I hope you love these pasta sauce. I would highly recommend serving it up alongside a loaf of fresh Crusty Rustic Bread (it takes about 3 minutes to prepare the no knead dough) spread with whipped garlic butter, and possibly a simple side salad with a copycat recipe of Spaghetti Factory's Pesto Salad Dressing.  I love Italian food! Enjoy!