5 Ingredient Asian Noodles

Here's a QUICK and simple meal where all the ingredients come from one store...Trader Joe's! There is no chopping of veggies involved, so everything comes together very fast with little mess and no clean-up.  I'm going to compare it to as close as you can get to chow mein without adding powdered mixes or making your own sauce with lots of weird things like fish sauce/oyster sauce.  My kids love eating at fast-food Chinese places solely for this dish, and it drives me crazy to see how enthusiastically they dig into those heavy and unhealthy noodles. This pacifies their craving and they call it "fake chow mein". The irony that it's more "real" food than the fast-food version is lost on them, but oh well.  The crunch of the brocolli slaw and carrots is just like what you'd get from the restaurant version, and leaving the veggies mainly raw retains their nutrients and saves preparation time.

I've had a hard time finding teriyaki sauce that does not include alcohol, so I was thrilled when I read the list of ingredients on the Trader Joe's version of teriyaki, called "Soyaki". I ALWAYS have a jar of this ready to be used, and I've tried it in many recipes with great success. Here is my children's favorite way to enjoy it, with plain noodles. I'm going to be honest with you, the kids like this dish prepared simply as only noodles and sauce, without the veggies. But being who I am, I'm always shoving healthy stuff wherever I can so when I've got the broccoli slaw, it goes in. And when I don't...well, the kids don't complain ;)

The exact moment I knew I needed to make my own noodles
 (these are from a local Chinese restaurant)

Tips for success:
Feel free to leave out the veggies for a 3 ingredient dish, or add your favorite protein to the noodles. Chicken and shrimp are my favorites but tofu and steak would also work great. I also frequently use whole wheat spaghetti with great results. Hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes really elevate the flavor!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
-------------
-1 pound spaghetti noodles (cooked al dente according to package instructions).
-2 tablespoons sesame oil
-12 ounce package Trader Joe's broccoli slaw
-10 ounce bag of shredded carrots
-1 1/2 cups Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce (3/4 of the jar)

To make
-----------
-Boil a pot of salted water. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, al dente  (usually around 9-11 minutes on my stove). The pasta will cook for an additional few minutes later on when you add the sauce.
-Once the pasta has cooked, drain in a strainer. Do not rinse.
-In the same pot you boiled the pasta, heat the sesame oil and add the broccoli slaw, carrots, boiled spaghetti and Soyaki sauce. Cook the mixture for about 3-5 minutes, until the noodles have absorbed the sauce.
-Remove from heat and serve.
-Enjoy!

 I'd love to connect with you! Like SavvyChef on facebook and follow Savvy_Chef on instagram. Tag Savvychef in your creations and pin the recipes on pintrest :)

Cookies n' Cream Oreo Bars

I've got a good one for you today. 5 ingredients (I'm even generously counting the salt and vanilla in this number!) + 10 minutes = HAPPY HAPPY eaters!

There's no baking required, and no special tools! I love these bars for so many reasons. Here are a few:

1) They're made with Oreo cookies. Enough said.
2) They have marshmallows, which makes them a fancy version of a Rice Krispy Treat.
3) There are no complicated ingredients required, meaning you can throw them together in the spur of the moment.
4) They travel very well. No refrigeration or special care is needed. Take them with you anywhere!
5) Probably my favorite reason to love them...kids can make these and get their hands dirty in the process! Anything that gets the kids in the kitchen gets a thumbs up in my book!
6) It should go without saying that these TASTE INCREDIBLE! ;)

My sister, the same one behind these addictive cookies, made these one day into a bark-like form. I was skeptical because they were very thin, but the flavor was REALLY yummy, so I begrudgingly ate more but complained about how they looked. Then my other sister re-made them, but about 1000000% thicker, and they were just as good but now way too rich and heavy. This is where I came in and evened them out into what we all consider the perfect ratio of thickness, sweetness and indulgence.

Feel free to add mini-marshmallows when you add the Oreo cookies for extra texture in your bars. I've also made these with flavored Oreo cookies (the most recent trial was mint Oreo) and they're all good!

Makes about 16 bars

Ingredients
----------------
-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-14 ounces marshmallow cream
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-26 Oreo cookies (2 sleeves from large package)

To make
------------
-Line a 7x11 inch pan (or 8x8) with parchment paper and butter the pan and paper, making sure to butter the sides of your pan.
-Heat a pot on the stove and add butter. Once butter is melted add the marshmallow fluff, vanilla and salt. Stir until everything is mixed together. (I use a silicon spatula so the mixture doesn't stick to my spoon).
-Remove the pot from the heat. Roughly crush Oreo cookies with your hand and put them into the pot. Stir them into the marshmallow mixture until all the cookies are well coated with the marshmallow.
-Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth out the top to make sure it is even.
-Allow the cookie bars to cool, then cut into desired sizes and serve. Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature.
-Enjoy!

 I'd love to connect with you! Like SavvyChef on facebook and follow Savvy_Chef on instagram. Tag Savvychef in your creations and pin the recipes on pintrest :)

Reader favorites! Try some other bar recipes:

Smore's Bars

Chocolate Date Bars

7 layer cookie dough bars

Cookie Butter Rice Krispies

Biscoff Cookie Butter Rice Krispies

My favorite kind of baking/cooking revolves around throwing things together with no regard to recipes or measurements...kind of hard to cook like that when you've got a food blog and success depends on proper recipes and measurements...but every once in a while I abandon reason and go with the flow of my energy. The problem is when the creation is so yummy it must be shared and I haven't got a clue how to recreate it! Usually in baking, measurements are really a must, but these cookie butter bars are a lot more forgiving. Recreating them was easy because there is no risk of underbaking, overbaking, etc.

I LOVE these bars because at heart they're just a rice krispy treat...except so much more sophisticated. The addition of cookie butter alters the whole texture into something soft and chewy, with proper structure and shape. They last a while and even taste better a few days after being made, which makes them an ideal candidate for a prep ahead dessert. Another bonus? These ingredients can easily be pantry staples since nothing is refrigerated, which means you pull out
the ingredients and work with what you have.

 Little kids can even make these on their own by microwaving the ingredients instead of melting them over stove top. Recently my 10 year old has been asserting her independence by looking up her own recipes online and refusing any assistance in the kitchen, and I've noticed a lot of her search terms start with "kid-friendly/one bowl/easy" and its gotten me thinking of ways to simplify my *easy* recipes.

If you love marshmallows, these are for you! If you love cookie butter, these are really for you!

Yields between 24-48 squares, depending on how you cut them up

Ingredients
---------------
-1/4 cup butter
-14 ounces marshmallow fluff
-1 cup creamy cookie butter or biscoff spread
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-7 cups rice krispy cereal
-1/3 cup salted caramel chocolate chips + 1/2 teaspoon oil (OR use extra white chocolate chips)
-1/3 cup white chocolate chips + 1/2 teaspoon oil
-1/4 cup crushed Biscoff or Speculous cookies (about 2 cookies)

To make
-----------
-Line a 9x13 (for thick rice krispies) or 11x15 rectangle pan with parchment paper and butter/spray parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. You can use whatever size you have or split the mixture into 2 pans if you don't have anything big enough.
-Heat a large non-stick pot over medium heat and add butter. When the butter is melted, stir in marshmallow fluff, cookie butter/biscoff spread, salt and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy.
-Remove the pot from the stove and stir in rice cereal. Mix until all the cereal is well coated with the marshmallow mixture.
-Being careful not to burn  your hands, pour the rice krispies into the buttered pan and press down firmly until you have packed the mixture down into an even layer. I spray a silicon spatula with non-stick spray to help out during this step. The proper texture to these bars depends on packing the mixture down tightly, so work those biceps!
-In a a small bowl, mix the salted caramel chips and oil in 20 second increments and stirring between until smooth and melted. Using a fork or a ziplock bag with the bottom edge snipped slightly, drizzle the mixture on the rice krispies.
-Repeat the step above for the white chocolate chips.
-Crush the cookies and sprinkle them all over the rice krispies. Wait for your chocolate to harden and slice and serve!
-Enjoy!

*I enjoy these when I make them a day ahead because the mixture softens into a delicious bar. I keep them out for about 4 days (tightly sealed) then transfer them to the fridge. They still taste AMAZING a week later!

Try these other popular no-bake bars! I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do!

Smore's Bars! 

I'd love to connect with you! Like SavvyChef on facebook and follow Savvy_Chef on instagram. Tag Savvychef in your creations and pin the recipes on pintrest :)

Ultimate Chewy Fudge Chocolate Brownies

SO much better than boxed brownies! I'm not above reaching for the boxed stuff when in a rush, but these are on a whole other level. They have a depth of flavor that you just can't get from a mix, and come together very quickly. The tops are crackly and the insides are soft...they are usually devoured by the next day but I hid a piece to see how long they would stay fresh and 5 days later it was still soft and delicious. Depending on the chocolate you use, you can alter the cocoa flavor from milk to dark or anything in between. I usually stick to milk chocolate because that's what most people like. Personally, my favorite addition is adding some salted caramel chips to the batter, but just like with a lot of my other recipes, you can customize to your liking.

Those orange specs of salted caramel are pure heaven

If you look at the ingredients you'll notice that this batter is made with mostly chocolate with just a little bit of flour to provide a soft crumb. I use melted chocolate in addition to cocoa powder to provide a moist base for the brownies. These are not dry (unless you over bake them) and they are definitely NOT cakey. Butter adds delicious flavor and oil keeps the batter dense and fudgy. There is no baking soda or baking powder to preserve the integrity of the bar and to avoid rising into a cake like texture.  Since there is so much chocolate in the batter, the quality you use will affect how good your brownies taste...so get the good stuff! I either use Trader Joe's milk chocolate from the 1 pound size bar or Guittard milk chocolate chips (my absolute FAVORITE milk chocolate chip). No Hershey's chocolate in this batter ;)

This is a great project to get your kids in the kitchen for, especially if you go crazy with the fun mix-ins!  I find myself turning to these brownies when a I need a quick last minute dessert as kids and adults gravitate to them equally. Grab a glass of cold milk and enjoy these bites of chocolate-y bliss!

Makes 24 small squares

*Read the paragraphs above to understand why each ingredient is used before you try substituting*

Ingredients
---------------
-8 ounces chocolate (I like to use a combination of milk and dark, use the best quality you can)
-5 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons oil
-3 eggs
-1 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/2 cup flour
-3 tablespoons cocoa powder
-1 cup milk chocolate chips

Optional Mix-Ins
----------------------
Up to 1 cup of:
-walnuts, hazelnuts
-salted caramel chips
-peanut butter chips
-broken up candy pieces: oreos, m&m's, snickers, reeses, etc.
-swirled marshmallow cream

Instructions
--------------
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 7x11 inch pan (or 9x9) with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
-In a microwave safe bowl, melt 8 ounces chopped chocolate with butter in 30 second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds. Allow the mixture to cool before you add it to the wet ingredients.
-In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla until well combined. Slowly stir in cooled chocolate/butter mixture.
-In a third bowl, mix together the salt, flour and cocoa powder then slowly add it to the wet ingredients. Mix JUST until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
-Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake in your preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes (I don't recommend exceeding 35 minutes because brownies should be fudgy). The brownies are baked when the edges are dry and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs attached.
-Allow to cool then cut into bars and serve.
-Enjoy!

I'd love to connect with you! Like SavvyChef on facebook and follow Savvy_Chef on instagram. Tag Savvychef in your creations and pin the recipes on pintrest :)


Looking for more decadence? You can't go wrong with these other delicious desserts!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Tarts

Peanut Butter Oreo Truffles

Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars

Golden Graham Smore's Bars 

Layered Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars

Nut and Seed Granola Bars

 I like to call these my energy power bars. They are LOADED with (healthy) fat so I treat them as a meal or substantial snack...in other words, I don't just munch on these. When I have a bar I'm full for hours, making them an ideal on-the-go meal for a busy day.

In an effort to be awake as little as possible during suhoor this Ramadan, I've prepared these for our early morning meal. I love that they're nutritious, filling, extremely satisfying and will not make us thirsty throughout the day!

I wanted to stay true to the essence of these nut bars and chose to omit any dried fruit, but you can easily customize these to your taste. Some delicious add-ins include: shredded coconut, dried fruit (chopped apricots, figs, cranberries, cherries, raisins...), and a dash of cinnamon would make these super yummy.  Try your favorite combination of nuts, anything should taste great! Of course it should go without saying that the addition of chocolate chips would be divine ;)

I made my own almond butter, but if you prefer you can use 1/2 cup of ANY nut butter in place of the 1 cup whole almonds I used below to make my nut butter.

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients
--------------
-1 cup old fashioned oats
-1/2 cup honey roasted slivered almonds (Trader Joe's)
-1/2 cup whole almonds
-1/2 cup pepita seeds
-1/2 cup sesame seed cashews (Trader Joe's)
-4 tablespoons chia seeds
-2 tablespoons flax seeds

-1 cup whole almonds
-1/2 cup maple syrup (sub honey)
-1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional, will make the bars more moist)
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1/4 teaspoon salt

To make
-----------
-Turn oven on to broil setting. In a large roasting pan, combine oats, slivered almonds, whole almonds, pepita seeds, cashews, chia seeds and flax seeds. Roast on LOWER RACK of oven (to prevent burning) in 5 minute intervals, checking and tossing the mixture around to get an even roast. I roast mine for about 10-15 minutes.
-Meanwhile, combine whole almonds, maple syrup, optional coconut oil, vanilla and salt in a powerful blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
-Line a 7x11 inch pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray with non-stick spray. Add the creamy almond butter to the roasting pan with the nuts and use your hands to mix together well. The mixture will be sticky, but keep combining until everything is well coated with the almond butter. Taste your mixture and adjust maple syrup content, adding more if you feel it isn't sweet enough.
-Press the mixture tightly into the prepared parchment lined pan until you have an even layer. Cut into bars and enjoy. I keep this out of the refrigerator for about 3 days then transfer to the fridge. It will keep for weeks when refrigerated.

I'd love to connect with you! Like SavvyChef on facebook and follow Savvy_Chef on instagram. Tag Savvychef in your creations and pin the recipes on pintrest :)

Carrot Cake Muffins + Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

I realize things have been getting a little dessert-heavy around here....I'm not sure if I should apologize or accept your thanks?? As far as I'm concerned, if it's sweet, tastes good and IS good for you, then I've done the world a favor with each additional recipe! I'm often part of discussions about whether it is more satisfying to indulge in a few bites of something decadent or enjoy a whole slice of a wholesome treat that may be compromised on flavor. Here's my take: I'd rather eat a cookie and feel like I ate dessert for breakfast than a lumpy bowl of oatmeal. If I've already made the treat, they'll last a couple days and that means less prep time. When I'm in a rush I can eat a muffin on the go, as its a little hard to drive and eat a bowl of oatmeal.  So the reality is that I'm treating these sweet delites as breakfast, not dessert, and in which case its a win-win.  Want the decadent stuff? One of my fav's are these red velvet cheesecake brownies!

My new secret ingredient in baking is molasses. It adds such a depth of flavor, color and moisture to these muffins. I've been throwing it into my banana bread and muffins too and I'm really in love!

Another trick up my sleeve in this recipe is homemade buttermilk. I love what it does for baked goods but I feel pressured to keep baking whenever I have an opened carton in my fridge. Turns out this little homemade version is even better because I can control how much lemon to add and determine how thick my buttermilk gets. I've found 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per 1/2 cup milk to give me the nice thick consistency I like.  It's VERY simple to prepare: the first thing you do when you start baking is mix your milk and lemon juice in a cup and leave it aside for at least 5 minutes. Go about your business preheating the oven and mixing the other ingredients and when you're ready for the buttermilk, give it a quick stir and use it. That's all.

A third bonus I have for you today is if you're out of applesauce, all you need to do is finely shred an apple! You don't even need to peel it first (but I hope it goes without saying that the apple needs to be washed...). Using shredded apple (aka quick applesauce) helps add moisture to the muffins and allows us to remove fat. It doesn't do much for flavor, so don't worry, this is a carrot muffin through and through.

I like to keep my muffins on the counter and the glaze in the refrigerator and frost my muffins right before serving. That way my muffins stay extra moist on the countertop and the glaze stays fresh in the fridge :)

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
---------------
-1/2 cup milk
-1 tablespoon lemon juice
-1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
-1 medium apple, finely shredded (1/2 cup)
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon vanilla
-1 teaspoon molasses
-2 tablespoons coconut oil
-3/4 cup brown sugar

-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-1/4 teaspoon cloves
-1/2 cup raisins
-1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Optional:
-----------
-1/2 cup chopped nuts (I love using pecans)
-2 tablespoons flax seeds

To make
-----------
-Mix milk and lemon juice and set aside.
-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with 12 liners. I also coat my cups with non-stick cooking spray, just in case.
-Mix together the shredded carrots, shredded apple, egg, vanilla, molasses, melted coconut oil, and brown sugar until well incorporated.
-In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
-Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring only until they are mixed together. Do not over beat your mixture or your muffins will be dry.
-Stir in raisins and shredded coconut. Add optional nuts or flax seeds.
-Scoop 1/3 cup of muffin batter into lined cupcake pan and bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
-Store muffins tightly covered for up to 1 week. Move the the refrigerator after 3 days.



Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze
----------------------------------------------------

Ingredients
-------------
-8 ounces softened cream cheese
-1/2 cup white sugar
-3/4-1 cup brown sugar
-1 teaspoon cinnamon powder (use up to 1 tablespoon)
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To make
-----------
-Mix the ingredients in a bowl until smooth and creamy. I usually do this by hand but you can also whip them with a stand mixer. Taste and adjust cinnamon content and brown sugar to desired sweetness.
-Store extra glaze in the refrigerator.


I'd love to connect with you! Like SavvyChef on facebook and follow Savvy_Chef on instagram. Tag Savvychef in your creations and pin the recipes on pintrest :)

Strawberries n' Cream Trifle

Everything in trifle form is better, especially when the cream layer is this tasty. Think cheesecake meets shortcake with a generous dose of strawberries and you'll understand how amazing this strawberries n' cream trifle is.

This is a great dessert when entertaining because it tastes BEST when its eaten about 2 days after making...overnight refrigeration is a minimum for great flavor. If you try to serve this right after assembling each of the layers will stand on their own, but if you let it set overnight then the cream softens the cake and the strawberries sweeten the whole trifle up...my  mouth is watering as I type this!

I've been making trifles ever since I first started baking and have been through many, MANY versions...at this point I try my best to keep the ingredients as natural as possible. Pudding mixes taste great and are easy to use, but they're not that healthy and are used to mimic the flavors of the real thing...so go ahead and use the real stuff to make your dessert wholesome and delicious without the extra use of preservatives, I promise, it doesn't take much more time and you'll feel better about what you're putting in your body!

Serves about 12

Ingredients
---------------
-8 ounces softened cream cheese
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-8 ounces cool whip (or make your own by whipping 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla)
-24 ounces of pound cake (typically 1.5 loaves)
-2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed, stemmed and cut into slices (about 4 cups)

*OPTIONAL: sometimes I like to alternate a layer of butter cookies instead of the pound cake. In this case you will only need 16 ounce loaf of pound cake and 1/2 pound butter cookies. It really emphasizes the shortbread flavor in the trifle and the texture of the cookies after being refrigerated is soft yet dense and incredibly satisfying.

To make
------------
-Using an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese (to soften quickly microwave in a bowl for 15 seconds), then add sweetened condensed milk and blend until well mixed and there are no lumps of cream cheese. Add the cool whip (or whipped cream) and mix together.
-Slice the pound cake into 16-20 thin slices.
-Wash, remove the stems and slice the strawberries into slices (about 4 slices per strawberry).
-In a trifle bowl (or another deep bowl) place a layer of pound cake slices to cover the bottom. You may need to break some of the slices up to make them fit.
-Spread about 1-1 1/2 cups of the cream topping and then add a layer of strawberries.
-Repeat this process until you have used up all of your pound cake, ending with a layer of strawberries. I usually end up with 4 layers.
-If you have any extra cake (or butter cookies) crumble it on top of the top layer before adding the strawberries.
Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.
-Serve and enjoy!

I'd love to connect with you! Like SavvyChef on facebook and follow Savvy_Chef on instagram. Tag Savvychef in your creations and pin the recipes on pintrest :)

Looking for more trifle inspiration? Try my decadent and heavenly chocolate trifle heath bar cake...it ranks as one of my favorite indulgences!

Chocolate Trifle Heath Bar Cake