Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Oh hey there super delicious dip that I will never stop eating.

Seriously.

I cannot believe how amazing this recipe turned out, and I was skeptical at first, considering some of the ingredients I didn't have, haha. But Chocolate Covered Katie has helped me out quite a bit. I love love love her recipes. She hadn't posted this one with pumpkin, but I thought I'd give it a try. This is also the recipe from my pumpkin chocolate chip cookie pie.

Ingredients:
1 can chick peas (also called garbanzos) drained and rinsed off
1/2 c quick oats
2 tbsp canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c chocolate chips (to make super healthy, use my sugar-free recipe)

Directions:
1. Blend everything except chocolate chips in a food processor (not a blender, it's super hard).
2. Mix in chocolate chips.
3. Enjoy by the spoonful or with a dippable utensil (i.e. graham crackers or animal crackers)

Honey Cinnamon Cornbread

It's almost time for New Years! You know what that means, right? Yup. Time for your healthy lucky serving of black-eyed peas and cornbread. But this year, whip up something that you don't even need to add butter or honey to. Sounds perfect, right? It is.

Another great thing about this recipe is that you don't need a cast-iron skillet! If you have one, though, that's great. If you don't, you need a metal baking dish.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 c flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c low-fat milk
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c oil
2 tbsp honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the butter in a metal baking dish (or cast iron skillet) and heat in the oven while making the batter.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Pour the oil and honey into a small bowl and mix together. Add the milk and beaten egg to the oil mixture. Pour the oil mixture into the dry mixture and mix until just combined.

4. Bake for 20 minutes, the edges will be a golden brown.

Lime Chicken Fajitas

No preservatives.
No salt.
No tricks.

Look at that dish full of delish.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, thawed
2 tsp. Ground red pepper
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Cilantro
2 tsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. Onion powder
1 lime, cut in half
1 bell pepper
1/3 white onion
1 can fat-free re-fried beans
Any taco topping of your choice, I had cheese and fat-free sour cream)
Tortillas (optional)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix the spices together.
2. Place your chicken breasts on a plate and rub in the seasoning on both sides. Let the chicken sit while chopping vegetables.
3. Cut up your veggies into strips to fit into your tacos, I prefer mine long and skinny so they fit quite nicely inside my flour tortillas.
4. In a skillet on medium heat, cook your chicken. When almost fully cooked, take half the lime and squeeze over the chicken. Let finish cooking, and take off the heat.
5. In a pot, heat up your re-fried beans.
6. Using the same heated skillet for the chicken, saute the veggies using a scant bit of olive oil. After they soften, squeeze the other half of the lime over the veggies. Let cook for a minute more, then take off the heat.
7. Put together your fajitas in any way you'd like, and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

You can never go wrong trying out a new chocolate chip cookie recipe. This past week, I did just that.

These cookies were to die for, and I will definitely make them again.

Ingredients: 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 
1 cup packed brown sugar 
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups (1 package) semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. 

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. 

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. 

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Gingerbread Trifle

-->

You guys. I am by no means a fan of ginger. But I must say, this recipe was a success. Everyone who tried it loved it, and I did, too!

Ingredients:

1 box spice cake mix

3 eggs

½ C vegetable oil

3 ½ C milk

6 -1 oz. squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate

2 boxes chocolate instant pudding

32 oz Cool Whip topping (4 containers)

½ - 1 C crushed ginger snap cookies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix together cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil. Place in a greased 9 x 13 in pan and back for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

3. Meanwhile, microwave 2 cups milk and 4 chocolate squares in a large microwaveable bowl for 4 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and will blended. Add remaining milk and dry pudding mixes. Stir 2 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled; approximately 3 hours.

4. One the cake is cooled; cut into cubes. Place half into a large bowl. Cover with half the pudding mixture, then half the Cool whip. Repeat the process. Refrigerate until chilled.

5. When trifle is completely chilled, top with crushed ginger snap cookies and chocolate curls from the two remaining squares of chocolate.