Lifestyle

What to Cook This Week: Healthy Recipes I've Tested (July 12)

Here is this week's batch of healthy and delicious recipes that I've tested to determine if they're worth you trying!

Here is this week's batch of healthy and delicious recipes that I've tested to determine if they're worth you trying! I'll go through how hard they were to make, how long they took, and how they tasted!

Apple Pie Cheesecake

Time to prepare: Maybe 4o minutes, plus tons of bake time and cooling time

Difficulty: medium-high

Rating: 8/10

This recipe is kind of a beast. It takes a long time, it's kind of hard work, and the dessert is colossal by the end. It also just asks you to have 'two pie crusts' but by that, it means two pies worth of uncooked pie dough, not an actual crust.

This recipe is super delicious though. Is it more than the sum of its parts? I don't know. But people sure do love the idea of two desserts stacked on top of each other. So if you have a lot of time on your hands and a lot of people to feed, this dessert is a crowd-pleaser!

Apple Cheddar Savory Muffins

Time to prepare: 30 minutes

Difficulty: low

Rating: 5/10

I won't lie to you, I was kind of confused by the finished product here. These muffins are very very subtle and complex, so if you have a refined palate they will probably be for you! For me, I don't feel like they were cheesy enough, or apple-y enough. I think they just came out as a slightly sour, questionably savory muffin.

I will say that they are really easy to prepare, and texturally I think they are a great muffin! They are fluffy but also dense, and my husband loved them so there is something to say for that. But as for apple and cheese recipes, I think the one before this takes the cake (pun intended).

Carrot Gnocchi

Time to prepare: 2.5 hours (way more active time than the recipe says, unless you're a wizard)

Difficulty: medium

Rating: 9/10

Yes, I know my version looks like a bowl of chicken. I could not figure out how to make this look pretty. I also used feta and cashews instead of parmesan and pistachios, because I was making this for the gnocchi, not the sauce.

But this gnocchi is SO GOOD. It's a lot of effort, but the dough is quite fun to work with, and the end product is chewy and delicious, and satisfying. It is worth noting that serving dense gnocchi with cheese and nuts makes for an insanely filling meal, so don't grab a huge portion of this unless you want a stomach cramp.

I will absolutely be making this again.

Crispy Baked Coconut Shrimp

Time to prepare: 3o minutes (this recipe says 5 minutes of active time but I have no clue how they are dredging and crumbing their shrimp so quickly)

Difficulty: medium

Rating: 7/10

This recipe is pretty quick and easy, and a great alternative to deep frying, which uses so much oil and is so much effort. The result tasted great and I would make it again! I served them with rice and peach, mango, and pineapple salsa, and it was a really easy and delicious dinner.

It is a little hard to get the coconut and bread crumbs to stick to the shrimp, but that is a problem you will find with any kind of coconut shrimp. It's a tricky process no matter what, especially if you are trying to make minimal mess!

Beef and Broccoli

Time to prepare: 20 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Rating: 7/10

This recipe comes together pretty well and tastes just like takeout Chinese food. I don't really understand coating the beef in the cornstarch slurry didn't make it come out any crispier and stopped some browning on the beef, but otherwise, I would say this recipe is a great replacement for takeout.

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About the Author

Hi! I'm Alexandra, and I've been cooking and baking for about 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and your heart happy, without putting any food off limits, or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.

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By Alexandra Massengale