Roasted romaine salad

My new obsession is roasting greens for a new and interesting approach to the salad. This is a little creation that made a wonderful lunch for me, but you could certainly add a little more flair and make it into a wonderful dinner salad! Light and healthy, but hearty and warm, this salad has it all!

Roasted Romaine Salad:

1 boiled egg white. (I actually hate egg yolks, but if you like them, you can keep it!)

1 small head of romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise, rinsed and dried

6 seedless grapes, cut in half

6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 corn tortilla, cut into strips, salted, and baked at 450 until crunchy

1 oz feta cheese (sub goat cheese if you like)

salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the two halves of romaine with salt, pepper, and olive oil and put it cut side down onto a greased (with olive oil, of course!) baking sheet. Cut the grapes and tomatoes and arrange them around the lettuce. Salt and pepper everything and put it in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until slightly browned and roasted looking. Once done, chop the romaine, and layer it in a bowl and top with cheese and the crunchy tortilla! You can sub toasted nuts for the tortilla if you like. It would be equally delicious and delightful! You will be amazed at the flavors that develop in the roasted romaine! I'm a serious foodie, and I know that this certainly wouldn't make it to my blog unless it were flavorful, healthy, and hearty!

Banana-berry cocoa ice cream

Ok, so it's not reallyice cream.. but it's a delicious, fruity, low calorie treat that will happily replace your occasional (or daily) bowl of ice cream! Feel free to get fun and funky with it. May I suggest a tsp of peanut butter in place of the strawberries for a fat burning alternative? How about blueberries? Sprinkle chopped almonds on top for a deliciously crunchy addition! The possibilities are endless! The only thing you can't skip is the banana, as it is what gives this ice cream its creamy and decadent texture! Otherwise you'll end up with a sorbet type dish, and if that's your thing, go for it. Personally I like it creamy!

Banana-berry cocoa ice cream:

1 ripe banana (go organic.. the taste difference is worth it!)

1-3 tbsp cocoa powder ( I say the darker the better!)

3-4 medium strawberries


In a smoothie maker/small blender, add the strawberries and the banana and pulse until smooth. You might want to chop up the banana first to make it easier to blend. Once it's smooth, add the cocoa powder and blend again until it's combined. Pour it into a small ziplock bag and put it in the freezer. If you want to eat the ice cream that day, you can make the process easier by squishing the bag every few hours to make sure it doesn't freeze up all the way. If you're eating it sometime in the future, just make sure you take the bag out of the freezer a bit before you plan on eating it, let it thaw just a bit, and then pulse it in the blender again until the texture is smooth and creamy! It will get there, trust me!

Smoky roasted chickpeas

Stand-by. This is your new go-to snack. Forget the potato chips because these crunchy little wonders will steal your heart and taste buds. You can soak and cook your own chickpeas for a more economical treat, or you can go easy and quick with canned ones! Just make sure you rinse all that extra salt off before you bake them! Enjoy!

Smoky roasted chickpeas:

15 oz can of garbanzo beans/ chickpeas

1/2 tsp smoked chipotle seasoning

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp olive oil or olive oil cooking spray

sprinkle of salt


Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. In the meantime, drain and rinse the chickpeas very well. Allow to dry or pat dry with a paper towel. Spray your baking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil, and lay out the chickpeas in a single layer. Sprinkle with seasonings and a bit more olive oil to coat well and toss with hands until well distributed. Bake at 450 for 40 minutes, making sure to check and shake the pan after 30 minutes to make sure they don't burn. Remove from oven and enjoy! They are crunchy and delicious! Not to mention healthy! Ditch the chip habit!