Creamy Chicken Zoodles

Ingredients:
-2 large zucchini spiralized
-4 cloves of garlic minced
-1 small yellow onion diced
-2 chicken breasts pounded thin and cut into small pieces
-1 cup greek yogurt
-1 ripe avocado
-1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes diced
-1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese
-EVOO
-house seasoning

First take a food processor and add the greek yogurt and avocado with a teaspoon of house seasoning and blend until smooth and creamy. You can add a squeeze of lemon to this as well if you like to brighten up the mixture. This will be the base of your sauce.

Next use a large frying pan and coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer of EVOO. Place on a med-high stove top. Once the pan is hot add your chicken and sprinkle a little less then a teaspoon of house seasoning on top. Cook chicken until it just starts to turn brown all over, be sure to stir every minute or two so it doesn't stick, this should take 5 - 6 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and add your diced onion, turn your heat down to medium. Continue to cook the onion until it starts to become soft but not brown. Then add the sun dried tomatoes and return the chicken to the pan. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the sauce from earlier. You can leave this on low while you prepare the zoodles.

Now take another large frying pan or pot if you prefer and add about 1/4 cup of EVOO place on medium high temperature. Once the pan is nice and hot add the garlic, cook the garlic only for about a minute, you dont want it to turn brown. Then add the zoodles, toss in the pan to be sure everything is coated with the garlic and oil. Only cook for a couple of minutes, just until they start to become soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

Now is the fun part, plating everything together and eating it! You can toss the zoodles in the sauce or just put the sauce right on top like we did. Finish everything off with some Parmesan cheese and you're good to go. Enjoy!

xoxo,
gim

Turmeric Blueberry Muffins

OMGeeeeee..... is all I have to say about these muffins. Seeing as how I am not a baker at all (clearly this is Gigi typing)  I was very impressed with myself when these came out on my first go round. 

They are incredibly healthy, dense, sweet (although there is no sugar of any kind) and just really the perfect muffin. I found a recipe online but, like always, I did my own thing with it. 

Dry Ingredients: 

1 cup walnuts
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp turmeric powder
a pinch of black pepper
a pinch of sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup EVOO
3 ripe bananas mashed
3 large eggs

A handful of blueberries

Granola for topping

Preheat oven to 400°F Line a muffin pan with paper liners or grease the pan with oil or butter. 

Add walnuts and rolled oats to a food processor or blender and mix quickly into a coarse flour. Transfer to a large mixing bowl together with the rest of the dry ingredients. Add almond milk, oil, and bananas and mix until smooth, then transfer to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and beat for about a minute before adding them as well. 

Use a spatula to carefully fold everything until combined. Divide the batter into the muffin tins, drop a bunch of blueberries on top of each muffin and gently push them down a bit. Sprinkle the granola on top of the muffins. 

Bake for about 18-20 minutes. Best enjoyed still warm from the oven however, still amazing the next day... and the day after that!

To learn more about the health benefits of turmeric... head over to my health coaching website and watch my video... 5 Foods That Fight Chronic Inflammation. 

xoxo,
g

Grapefruit, Apple, Raspberry Juice

"Hey sis... If I buy all the ingredients will you make me my favorite juice?"

This is a regular question around our house as Gimmi loves this juice but hates using the juicer. So I juice it for her. She deserves it though, she's a pretty awesome sister and roommate!

While this juice is super yummy it is also filled with super healthy health benefits.

Grapefruit:
The powerful nutrient combination of fiber, potassium, lycopene, vitamin C and choline in grapefruit all help to maintain a health heart.

Raspberries:
Raspberries contain strong antioxidants such as Vitamin C, quercentin and gallic acid that fights against cancer, heart and circulatory disease and age-related decline.

Red Apples:
Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavonoids, and dietary fiber. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

So as you can see, this juice is a power house of health! All you need to do is wash your raspberries, slice up your apples, and peel your grapefruit. Then juice away! This is a juice the kids will love too!

Happy Juicing!

xoxo,
g

Here is one of my favorite juices too! 

Creamy Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup (vegan)

Creamy Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup (vegan)

This is a great winter soup! Some of us are vegans and others have vegan friends, sometimes it can be hard accommodating their particular diet when they come over to dinner. If you make this, I guarantee that they will absolutely love it and they will love you for making it!

Ingredients:
-2 large sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
-10 carrots peeled and chopped
-1can coconut milk
-1 box vegetable stock
-1yellow onion finely minced
-4 cloves garlic finely minced
-House seasoning
-chopped green onions for garnish
-2 tbl spoons EVOO

In a large pot saute onions, garlic, and EVOO on a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to become translucent. Then add carrots and sweet potatoes. Season with house seasoning to taste, I used about a teaspoon. Mix to coat with onion mixture and seasoning. Then add the veggie stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to medium/low and cover. Cook until all veggies are very tender, almost mushy, you don't want the vegetables to have any texture. Turn off heat. Use an emulsion blender to puree soup. Once you have an even texture (almost what you would imagine baby food to be like) add 1 can of coconut milk and use a spoon to stir it in until even incorporated. Garnish with green onions and enjoy.

xoxo,
gim

PB&J Pie

This recipe takes every kids favorite sandwich and turns it into an adult dessert!

Ingredients:
-1 store bought gram cracker pie crust
-1 pkg cream cheese left out to soften
-1 cup creamy peanut butter
-1 jar mixed berry jam
-1/2 cup sugar
-home made or store bought whipped cream
-2 eggs
-1teaspoon flour

Pre heat oven to 375. Mix softened cream cheese and peanut butter together using a mixer. Then and sugar and flour, continue to mix. Add eggs one at a time and continue to mix until everything is smooth and creamy. Take your jam and spread evenly on the bottom of your pie crust. Then pour peanut butter mixture on top of that. Bake for 30 minutes or until center is firm. Set out to cool completely. Then top with whipped cream and place in fridge for 2 hours to chill. Slice, serve and devour.

xoxo,
gim

Garlic Dill Pickles

Who loves a good and crunchy dill pickle? Well... the only thing better is a good and crunchy homemade garlic dill pickle. These babies are for sure a crowd pleaser. I brought a jar to work and they didn't last but an hour or two. 

If you love a good pickle. I highly recommend making your own. You won't regret it!

Ingredients:

2 quarts of water

1 cup white vinegar

½ cup sea salt

About 3 to 4 pounds of cucumbers - small pickling cukes are best

8 large heads of dill, or more if they are smaller

8 medium garlic cloves

about 20 black peppercorns

Instructions:

Bring your water, vinegar, and sea salt to a boil

While you wait, slice cucumbers into quarters long ways

Take the slices plus the dill, garlic, and peppercorns and place them into the jars

Once the liquid has come to a boil, poor it into the jars filling to the top (be careful as this is very hot)!

Seal the jars and leave on the counter for two days. The lids will seal as the temperature drops.

After the second day place in the refrigerator for two more days and then you are ready to enjoy your homemade pickles. 

They will keep for several months. 

xoxo,

g

Southern Chili

Happy Monday! Well, it has actually been a little cold in our neck of the woods the last few weeks. So we decided to cook up a big pot of chili to enjoy and boy did we enjoy it. I think this is the best chili I have ever made. I hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients
-2yellow onion
-2 tbsp EVOO
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1lb ground turkey
-1lb ground beef
-1 green bell pepper
-4 roma tomatoes
-2 jalapeños
-2 cans red kidney beans (rinsed)
-2 cans corn
-3 cups chicken stock
-2 cans tomato sauce
-2 tbsp Chili powder
-1 tbsp Garlic Salt
-Pepper to taste

Directions
Dice onion and garlic, sauté in a large soup pot until translucent
Increase heat to medium high and add in ground meats, cook until browned
Add diced jalapeno, green onion, and jalapeños, sauté for 1 minute
Add chicken stock and tomato sauce
Add in remaining ingredients and stir
Simmer over medium heat for 40 min, the chili will thicken
Turn heat off and let rest for 5 minutes
Top with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green pepper :: Other amazing toppings are green onion and avocado.

xoxo,
g

ps... How cute is Gimmi in that picture? I honestly have the best sister.

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad

So beets are kinda my jam... I juice them regularly and order them out all the time but I have always been a little intimidated to roast them myself... Clearly this is Gigi talking as Gimmi roasts them all the time because she is quite the more experienced chef than I!

Anywho, I felt like living life on the edge the other day and wrapped these bad boys up in foil and put them in the oven for an hour and guess what? I had roasted beets! It was actually super simple and I found myself feeling kinda silly for not doing it sooner.

I grabbed what I had in the kitchen and whipped up this healthy and super yummy salad. It was much more than I could eat so I brought the left overs to work and my co-workers were just as happy as I was with the results.

I hope you too live life on the edge and roast up some beets to make this or anything really. They are so so yummy!

Salad Ingredients:

3 medium to large beets
Bundle of fresh greens
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbled

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup EVOO
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Cut beets from beet greens and wash them. Wrap them in foil and place in the oven on 400 degrees for an hour to an hour and half. Open the foil and let cool. Remove skins with a paper towel. Dice and place on top of greens. Garish with cheese and nuts. Add dressing as desired. ENJOY!

Xoxo,
G

Spicy Avocado Salsa on Black Beans & Rice

 Spicy Avocado Salsa Ingredients:

• 1 bunch cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 2 medium jalapeños diced
• 1/2 large red onion diced
• Handful of cilantro diced 
• 1 1/2 hash avocado's cubed 
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• Garlic salt to taste
• 1 limes juice

Mix all of these lovely ingredients together and you should have some delicious salsa that looks like this... 

Now for the Black Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
1 small yellow onion
1 can black beans (good for up to 3 servings)
1 tablespoon EVOO
Salt to taste

Follow the directions on the bag of rice. I used white which calls for 2 cups water to 1 cup rice. Let it cook over low/medium for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile...

Dice 1 small yellow onion and sauté in a medium sized pot with the EVOO.  Once the onion is translucent add 1 can of black beans. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then immediately bring temperature down to low.

When rice is ready, serve on the bottom with beans on top, finishing with the Spicy Avocado Salsa.
This can be served by itself or as a side dish as seen below.

Xoxo,
G

Mixed Berry Pie

Talk about easy! This is a dessert anyone can make and it will turn out delicious! Even those of you who don't bake, this is almost impossible to mess up.

What you'll need:

-1 pkg store bought pie crust. (We like the Pillsbury one that comes in the red box.)
-1 glass pie dish
-1 pastry brush
-6oz blueberries
-6oz rasberry
-12oz blackberries
-4 tbsp melted butter
-1/2 raw sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 egg white

Preheat oven to 400. Leave first pie crust out for 15 mins, then place it in the pie dish. Poke holes in the bottom with a fork and bake for 10 mins. While its baking take out the other pie crust. In a large bowl mix berries, sugar, vanilla and butter. Once the pie crust is finished baking, remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Add berry mixture to pie crust and top with other crust. Now for the edges you can either pinch them together with your fingers for a more rustic look or use a fork and press the edges together. Use a very sharp knife to cut 4 slits in the middle of the pie. Mix egg white with a fork and then use a pastry brush to brush the egg white on top of the pie, then sprinkle the top with a pinch of sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until crust is nice and golden brown. If the edges of the pie start to get too brown cut a whole in a piece of foil and place on top of the pie until it finishes baking. Let the pie cool and then go to town! It's even better if you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Xoxo,
Gim

Sweet and Spicy Pork Ribs

Ribs are always a big crowd pleaser,  especially at BBQ's. This is a great recipe because it doesn't involve using a grill. While I love to cook, I am not really a grilling kind of girl so I find ways around using the grill. If you like to grill and are comfortable with it you can adjust this recipe a little bit. At the end instead of using the oven go ahead an throw these bad boys on the grill! This recipe is also great because you can cook these ribs in advance, even the day before, just don't put them under the broiler until you are ready to serve them.

Ingredients:
-1 slab of pork ribs  (baby back or spare)
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-2 tbsp salt
-2 tbsp onion powder
-2 tbsp garlic powder
-1 tbsp black pepper
-1 tbsp smoked paprika 
-1 tbsp red pepper
-1 ts white pepper
-1/2 cup beef broth
-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
-1/4 cup honey
-1 tbsp sriracha

Preheat over to 250. Rinse off pork ribs and pat dry with paper towel. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and use a fork to mix well. Coat ribs with dry rub making sure to get both sides. Add beef broth and vinegar to the bottom of a oven safe pan then place ribs in the pan. Wrap entire pan in foil making sure you have a tight seal. Place in oven and cook for 4 hours. When done take out of oven, unwrap and pour off excess juice. Turn oven to broil. Mix honey and sriracha together and pour over ribs. Then place the ribs back in the oven for just a few minutes until the top starts to bubble and turn brown. Make sure to keep your eye on them. When they're done pull them out of the oven and let them cool for about 5-10 minutes, devour!

Xoxo,
Gim

Shepherds Pie

Hey guys... what did y'all do over the weekend? We did this and it was amazing. Shepherds Pie is such a classic comfort food and it makes me happy. While it isn't the "healthiest" per say it is delicious and, when eaten in moderation, it is perfectly fine. 

Gimmi did a 'golden potato - sweet potato' mixture that was to die for on top. Yum Yum! 

Happy Monday friends... go get in the kitchen and treat yourself!

Xoxo,

G

Shepherds Pie

Preheat over to 400 degrees

Ingredients:

1 glass casserole dish

1 medium yellow onion

6 cloves of garlic

1 pack ground beef

10 baby carrots

1 cup green peas

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes

1 medium sweet potato

1 package of sliced baby bell mushrooms

1 cup shredded cheddar

11/4 cup beef broth

2 tbsp of cornstarch

1 tsp house seasoning

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp red pepper

3 tbsp butter

¼ cup milk

Beef Layer:

Chop onion and garlic, sauté in pan with olive oil over medium heat until translucent

Turn heat up to medium high and add ground beef and brown

Season with 1 tsp house seasoning, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp red pepper

Add mushrooms and reduce heat to medium

Stir until mushrooms and cook for five minutes

Add 2 tsp cornstarch and mix well

Add 1 cup beef broth and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until broth begins to thicken

Poor contence of pan into a glass casserole dish

Peas & Carrots Layer:

Cut baby carrots into slices

Add them to a small sautee pan with a cup of frozen peas, a ¼ cup of the beef broth and a 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Simmer until carrots are just tender

Remove from heat

Add to casserole dish as the second layer

Potato Layer:

Peel rinse and dice potatoes

Boil until fork tender

Remove from heat and strain

Add back to pot with 3 tbsp butter, ¼ cup milk, and a ½ tsp house seasoning and whip

Spread potatoes evenly over peas and carrots as third layer

Top with shredded cheddar

Bake for 15 -20 minutes or brown and bubby on top.

Enjoy!

Peach Old Fashion

Peach Old Fashion

10 ripe peaches, peeled cored and sliced

1.75 liters of Bourbon

Peach Bitters

Organic Sugar in the Raw

Branch Water

In a large sterile glass jar combine bourbon and peaches and seal with an air tight lid,

let infuse for four days.

After four days strain bourbon through a fine mesh and funnel bourbon back into original bottle

The Cocktail:

In a rocks glass add a tsp sugar

1 slice fresh peach

10 shakes peach bitters

Muddle ingredients

Add 2 oz bourbon

Stir until sugar starts to dissolve

Fill with ice – large cups work best

Top with 1 oz branch water and enjoy!

This cocktail is a fun twist on the classic and using peaches makes it a great summer time cocktail and a big crowd pleaser!

We hope you enjoy!

Xoxo,
Gim&G

House Seasoning

Alright friends... 

Here is our house seasoning. 

You will find this as an ingredient in almost all of our recipes. 

It is:

Two parts garlic powder & onion powder

to

One part salt & pepper

Blend well and go season to your hearts content. 

*Shhhh don't tell its a family secret!

xoxo,

Gim&G

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

This dish is an Italian game changer. It will have all your friends begging for more. We prepared it for our parents when they were in town visiting and our mother -who hates pasta/Italian food- declared her love for this dish and stated it is a menu must every time she comes down. Oh mom, we love you!

What you'll need:
~1 box gluten free angel hair pasta. (or pasta of your choice)
~2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes roasted in the oven at 450 until just brown and skins are popping    open
~fresh basil
~8 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
~1 medium sized yellow onion, minced
~EVOO
~1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
~2 cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions. I always add a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil to my pasta water.
In a large saute pan add 1/4 EVOO and turn heat to medium/high. Once pan is hot add onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 6 or 7 minutes. If they start to brown turn down heat.
Once pasta is cooked remove from pasta water with tongs and place directly in the saute pan. You want the pasta wet because the pasta water will help with your sauce. Turn off heat and drizzle more EVOO on the pasta. Add the roasted cherry tomatoes add all the liquid that released while cooking to the pan as well as the chicken and Parmesan cheese. Now this part is up to you, you can add a lot or a little basil to the dish depending on how much you like basil. Finally toss everything together and salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction if you like.
 
Xoxo,
Gim & G

Spicy Coconut Thai Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pkg. gluten free angel hair pasta cooked al dente
• sriracha
• 1 pkg. mushrooms sliced
• 2 shallots minced
• 4 cloves garlic diced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 carrots peels and sliced
• 1 head broccoli tops cut into small pieces
• 2 chicken breast pounded thin and cubed
• 20 green beans sliced in half
• 1 avocado
• a handful of basil cut into ribbons
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 3/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon house season
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• corn starch

Take chicken that has been pounded thin and cubed and coat it in 1/2 teaspoon house season and dust with corn starch. In a large saute pan over a medium/high heat add 1/4 cup of EVOO, once it is hot add chicken and brown. Set chicken aside. In the same pan cook shallots, garlic and ginger until they start to become tender. Add mushrooms, green beans, broccoli and carrots to the same pan and cook them until they are just barely tender (you may need to add more EVOO at this time). Sprinkle with coconut flour and stir well. Add the rest of the house seasoning, cayenne pepper, sriracha and chicken stock. Reduce heat to low and stir well. Once sauce starts to thicken turn off the heat a toss with the cooked noodles and basil. Top with cubed avocado.

This dish has the perfect amount of bit to get your taste buds singing but it isn't too hot that you can't enjoy it. It has become a staple dinner item around our house. We love dishes that are easy, don't take up too much time, and taste delicious. Which... pretty much sums up this dish!

Let us know if you try it and make sure to take a photo and tag us on instagram @savvy_sisters, we love seeing your creations!

Xoxo,
Gim&G
 

Cookies and Cream Cheese Sandwiches

Want to talk about a party in your mouth that everyone is invited too.... Cause that about sums up these bad boys! 

After Gimmi spent a few days working on her Simple Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, we had all these cookies laying around, along with left over cream cheese icing from my Carrot Cake adventure. So we decided what better thing to do then combine the two together and make yet another mouth watering dessert. 

Here you go... these babies are easy to throw together and are bound to be the talk of the town. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
2 (8 oz.) bricks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
8 cups powdered sugar

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp good vanilla
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips (We prefer enjoy life vegan chocolate chips)

HOW TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Using an electric mixer, mix together cream cheese and butter on medium speed for 1 minute or until smooth with no lumps remaining. Add in vanilla extract and continue mixing until combined. Lower speed to medium-low and gradually add in powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until combined.
If frosting is too thick, you can add in a teaspoon or two of water. If it is too thin, you can add in more powdered sugar.

HOW TO MAKE THE COOKIES
Cream (mix) butter, vanilla and sugar together, and add eggs one at a time. Then slow add dry ingredients. Once mixture is smooth stir in chocolate chips.
Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, over nigth works best - but I can never wait this long.
Preheat oven to 375
Taking heaping table spoons of dough and roll into balls
Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 9 minutes
Cool and then ... make into delicious little sammies!!!

Xoxo,
G