Recent recipes I've tried and loved

I am most definitely not creative when it comes to cooking. I very much prefer to have a recipe to work from, especially when I'm trying something new. When I get comfortable with a particular dish, I don't rely much on the measurements and kind of make it my own, but until I've made something several times, the perfectionist in me continually refers to the recipe for guidance.

Thankfully, there are lots of resources out there to help me with my meal planning, from cookbooks to websites and blogs. One of my favorites is the Skinnytaste website. Her recipes are all healthy and flavorful. She also has two cookbooks (which I don't have...yet. Asking for cookbooks for my birthday/Christmas), one of which is coming out in October, and it's full of new recipes that aren't on her website. I can't wait to add them to my cookbook collection!

This week, I tried her baked zucchini sticks and her Southwestern black bean salad. Both were excellent and come highly recommended by moi. Victor and I are trying to go more vegetarian for a majority of the week, so we're incorporating a lot more veggies and legumes into our meals. These two recipes fit the bill perfectly.

via

I followed the recipe exactly for the zucchini sticks and loved how they turned out. I tried to pass them off as French fries to Max but he called my bluff. Better luck next time! I'm a huge fan of her zucchini tots and have been making them for years, and these have a very similar flavor but are much less work. However, if I'm being completely honest, I still prefer the tots!

via

I decided to make the Southwestern Black Bean Salad as a main dish for dinner last night even though Gina recommends it as a starter or a side. I made a couple of changes to the recipe, though. I omitted the cilantro (not a fan) and substituted yellow onion for red onion (also not fond of red onion). I also added some chopped green pepper. This thing was delicious!!! We had a French baguette that I heated in the oven for this dinner, and I topped a few pieces topped with some mashed avocado and a spoonful of this salad and it was heavenly. Definitely make this before summer is over!

I've also been chomping at the bit to make some roasted chickpeas for a while, and I finally made these Roasted Honey-Cinnamon Chickpeas on Monday night. I was surprised by how much I loved them. It's like you're guiltless-ly indulging a fiber-and-protein-packed dessert. I would go so far as to say that I would be happy noshing on these while watching a movie in our theater room instead of popcorn. They're THAT good. It's best to eat these when they're still warm from the oven, though. I had some left over and saved them in a glass tupperware overnight. They definitely lost their crunch but were still pretty tasty.

And lastly, an oldie but a goodie, Spinach Lasagna Rolls are on the menu for Sunday night this week. I've made them a bajillion times. They're so good.

Some recipes that I haven't tried yet but can't wait to whip up are: 

Cream of Zucchini Soup from Skinnytaste

Herbed Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Burgers from Minimalist Baker (also want her cookbook)

Also, I'm not being paid to say or share any of this. I just love sharing what I love with you all! Let me know if you try any of these recipes! Which sounds best to you?