I recently started following an account on Instagram called @things.i.bought.and.liked, which consists of exactly what it sounds like (be forewarned, your Amazon purchases may increase by following!).  So when I thought about new post ideas, I thought that maybe a food version would be interesting–a round-up of things I’ve made in the kitchen and liked. I’m always trying new recipes from food blogs, and I find new favorites all the time. There might be some Broccoli Hut originals mixed in too 🙂

Moderate-Carb Banana Muffins

A few months ago, we ended up with a couple bananas on the verge of being a bit too ripe to eat, so I had the same thought everyone else does when faced with this issue: banana bread! Always in search of ways to reduce the glycemic load of our diet, I decided to look for a lower-sugar recipe. I came across this one and decided to give it a go in the form of banana muffins. The end result was pretty great, and very moderate in carbohydrates (for those who may be counting: 9g total carbs and 3g fiber per muffin). I’ve now made them a few times, making a few tweaks here and there (e.g., using a mix of almond meal/almond flour, substituting some applesauce for bananas, etc.), and they always turn out tasty and hearty. Plus, I’ve somehow convinced Caleb that these count as “dessert.”

Low-Sugar Shamrock Shake

With St. Patrick’s Day last week, I feel like Pinterest was inundated with Shamrock Shake dupes, some healthful and some totally indulgent. I liked the sound of this one from one of my favorite blogs, but I decided to lower the sugar content by switching out the banana for my favorite vanilla protein powder. I was a little heavy-handed with the spinach, so the color turned out a little “electric” green, but it tasted lovely. I love peppermint things, but I never think to add peppermint extract to my smoothies and shakes. Plus, I love the idea of using avocado as a fat source rather than my usual nut butters.

Crispy Salmon Burgers

I recently discovered a YouTube channel called Farmhouse on Boone that shares a lot of content related to cooking from scratch and natural living. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed perusing Lisa’s recipes because they’re simple and based around real food. One recipe in particular caught my eye, the Crispy Salmon Burgers. There are just a handful of ingredients, and the burgers came together quickly. As a bonus, they freeze beautifully. I stored them in individual paper bags within a reusable zip-top bag. I’m never buying salmon burgers again!

Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

This is another recipe that I’ve actually prepared a few times now. My husband is not a huge fan of shrimp in general, but he does love Mexican food in pretty much any form. Accordingly, shrimp fajitas sounded like a good compromise. This recipe is from Eating Bird Food, also one of my very favorite food blogs. I love that this dish comes together so easily and barely dirties any dishes (particularly if you use a silicone baking mat like I did!). We served them with guacamole, salsa, and our latest obsession, whole milk Greek yogurt. Also, this particular salsa from Trader Joe’s is new to us, and we love it–no added sugar!

Meatloaf

I may be in the minority on this, but I freakin’ love meatloaf. Some long-time readers may recall how often I made my vegan version (lentil loaf!) back in my vegetarian days. Since I started eating meat again, I’ve been playing around with different recipes, but they always ended up kind of bland. I finally Googled “meatloaf seasoning” and landed on this recipe. I didn’t exactly measure out the spices in the recommended proportions, but I do think that particular blend of seasonings made the final product pretty delicious. If you’re curious, I use 1 pound ground beef, half an onion, 1 egg, and a quarter-cup of ground flax to make the meatloaf; I add a quarter-cup of ketchup on top too.

What have you been cooking lately?