Apple and Brie Sammies

If you're anything like me, sometimes your brain confuses boredom with hunger, which can lead to mindless eating. Sometimes you pick up a bag of chips, sit down on the couch in front of the TV, and before you know it the bag is empty, leaving you wondering how you ate so much without even realizing, and leaving you feeling guilty. And then you think to yourself, maybe I should have picked a healthier snack. So here is a healthy and tasty snack idea for you all, inspired by a recipe that I found on (yes, you guessed it) Pinterest- which can be viewed here.

Brie is not only one of my favourite cheeses, but it is also so versatile! It seems to complement so many other foods and can be deliciously incorporated into so many different dishes. And these little bite-sized sammies are no exception! Eat as a snack or serve as an appetizer! They consist of...
- an apple (I find it tastes best with granny smiths)
- brie cheese
- pecans
- honey

How to make it:
1. Slice up your apple, and then cut each slice in half so that you have 2 (almost) symmetrical pieces.
2. Cut up some tiny brie slices, and sandwich them between 2 halves of the apple slices- I like to put the brie in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds, just to get it warm and a little melty to make the sammies stick together better.
3. Top each sammie with a pecan, and a little drizzle of honey.

A Variation:
Try using peanut butter instead of brie for more protein!

Spicy Quinoa Stuffed Avocados

Here we have yet another recipe that I have modified from one I found on Pinterest (if you would like to see the original, it can be found here). This one was a great find, it really impressed me- it is one of the easiest, healthiest and tastiest dishes that I have made in quite some time. It's even gluten-free!

Have as a nice and healthy lunch, lighter dinner (I actually just had it for dinner and found it quite filling!) or even serve as an appetizer or side-dish. These consist of...

- avocado
- quinoa
- corn
- red pepper
- red onion
- chopped fresh cilantro
- seasoning salt
- chili flakes
- Tabasco sauce
- lime juice
- sour cream

How to make this:
1. Cook your quinoa- in a small pot combine 1/4 cup of quinoa with 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil then cover and let simmer until all the water is absorbed.
2. While your quinoa is cooking, chop up your red pepper, red onion, and cilantro. Combine in a bowl with corn, and add seasoning salt, chili flakes, and a dash of Tabasco sauce until you are satisfied with the flavour of your mixture. Add your quinoa to the mixture when it is ready.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice and cilantro.
4. Cut your avocado in half lengthwise, remove the skin and pit, and scoop out some of the center to turn your avocado-halves into small bowls. Add what you've scooped out of the avocados to your quinoa mixture.
5. Spoon your quinoa mixture into the avocado-halves, top with cilantro-lime sour cream and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Asparagus Fries

Another collaborative experiment with Ellie that really paid off! And don't let the name fool you- these are actually baked, not fried!

A healthier and crunchier take on the original, these asparagus fries make a great appetizer, side, or snack! Very simple to prepare and make, all you will need are...
- asparagus spears
- flour
- egg
- panko bread crumbs
- salt
- veggie spray

How to make it:
1. Chop the icky ends off the asparagus and rinse them with water.
2. Roll your asparagus spears in flour.
3. Beat an egg into a shallow bowl, then egg wash your asparagus.
4. Coat your asparagus in panko bread crumbs, covering as much of the asparagus as possible.
5. Sprinkle with salt and spray with veggie spray.
6. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Suggestions to make this even healthier: Try skipping the salt to reduce the sodium!

And for a little extra flavour, try dipping your asparagus fries in lemon or chipotle aioli, or just some good old ketchup!