My Dashing Dish Experiment

If you've been reading here very long at all, you know I am a HUGE fan of The Dashing Dish website. I discovered it via Pinterest back when I was still working in radio, and Lynne and I even interviewed Katie Farrell, the genius behind the site, a couple of times!


When I saw that Katie was going to start publishing her own personal menu plans each week, I got really excited, because I had sort of hit a slump in my own meal planning. Katie's household is much like ours: two adults. (She just had a baby, but she's not old enough to eat solids yet.) I decided to follow the first week's meal plan and see how it went! Thought I would report in today on all the recipes I tried. This list is long, because it includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks! (Don't worry! I'm not going to do this every week. I just thought it might show you how great her work is!)

(Note: The Dashing Dish site has some recipes that are open to anyone and some that are open to members only. Membership is extremely affordable, and I find it 100% worth the monthly fee. I think we've been members about three or four years. Hopefully you can see from the list below that there were MANY keepers!)


1. Moist Pumpkin Protein Blender Muffins - This member-only recipe makes 12 servings, which is the perfect amount to eat and freeze for later. Because I thought they looked a little plain, I chopped a few pecans for the top of each one.  Verdict: These are not super sweet, but they are extremely flavorful with fall spices. They are definitely moist, and are delicious when eaten warm! Though this wasn't my favorite pumpkin recipe of the week, Ryan and I both called this one pretty good!

2. Clean Eating Frosty - This open recipe makes one serving and would have come together very quickly, except I made a rookie mistake and froze the banana IN THE PEEL, so it took a while to chip that bad boy out of there. (I actually hate bananas, so I never eat them and therefore didn't think of simple things like taking it out of the peel before putting it in the freezer.) Verdict: I am a huge Frosty fan and have long been skeptical of these clean eating versions I see on Pinterest that use a banana. I could taste the banana (some), but I have to confess, this really did taste more like a true Frosty than I would have imagined. Ryan didn't try this, but I called it pretty good!

3. Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies - This member-only recipe was very quick to assemble. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to dip the dough, and if I heaped it, that gave me exactly 8 servings. I used mini chocolate chips to spread the love farther than regular sized chips. I also used crunchy peanut butter, because it's what I had in the cabinet. (I liked the extra crunch.) Verdict: I was nervous about this one because I don't like bananas, but I could barely taste them. It was more like a soft, giant peanut butter/oatmeal cookie. We ate these warmed up sometimes and on the run sometimes, and we both called it a definite, definite keeper.

4. Grilled Mediterranean Chopped Salad - This member-only recipe took a little planning ahead, because the meat needed to marinate. The veggies for the salad were easy to chop and toss while the meat grilled, and I used our little indoor grill for that. Ryan and I had never eaten chickpeas before, and while we agreed we were unlikely to pop open a can and munch, we didn't mind them buried in the salad. (This makes 4 servings, so we had lunch + leftovers! YAY!) Verdict: This was SO FLAVORFUL, and Ryan said he especially loved the dressing. He said it was better than Ranch! We both called it a a definite, definite keeper.

5. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Muffins - This member-only recipe was not pretty when I made it, but it sure was delicious! My cream cheese mixture was runny, so my swirling looked more like frosting, but it didn't negatively impact the taste! I did have about a quarter cup too much cream cheese per 12-muffin ratio, but I decided to put it in a cup and save it, in case the non-calorie-counting Ryan wanted a little extra "icing" on his muffins. We ate some and froze some for later. Verdict: These are especially delicious warm out of the oven. They taste like a pumpkin roll with icing. Ryan agrees with me: a definite, definite keeper.

6. No Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Protein Balls - This member-only recipe provided my first time to cook with coconut flour! I put in a little less water than the recipe called for, because Katie said to only add water until the dough held together. Because the dough was still sticky, I used my small cookie dough ball maker (with a spring in the handle) and it made 10 perfectly even servings. Verdict: These really did taste like peanut butter cookie dough with a slight coconut taste. My only complaint (texture issue girl) was that it didn't have anything to give it crunch, so it was very smooth. Still, Ryan and I both called it pretty good.

7. Clean Eating Zucchini Enchiladas - This member-only recipe was an utter presentation fail for me. I was supposed to thinly slice the zucchini in strips, but I don't own a vegetable peeler (who knew??) and I couldn't cut it appropriately with a knife. Therefore, the strips wouldn't roll up like an enchilada. So mine turned out to be enchilada lasagna - layered instead of rolled. The taste was the same, though! Verdict: We both liked the flavor, and if I could make my lasagna version again, I would probably make this again. The whole rolling thing will probably always be too much of a hassle for my attention span and skills. Flavorful, but probably my least favorite of the week.

8. Pumpkin Spice Protein Pancakes - This open recipe surprised me by cooking up nice and fluffy and not tasting like a "diet" food. It had nice spice flavor to it, and the only odd thing was that each serving was supposed to include 4 pancakes, and there were supposed to be 3 servings from this recipe. I used a quarter cup of batter for each one, just like she said, and I only got 2 servings of 3 pancakes each. (According to the comments, this is a common issue.) Verdict: We both thought they were very, very tasty! A definite, definite keeper.

9. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake - This open recipe didn't have quite as strong of a peanut butter flavor to it as I thought it might, but I did use PB2 flour rather than actual peanut butter, so that might have been why. The chocolate/peanut butter flavor was still there, though, and it was a great morning snack. Ryan didn't have this single serving sample, but I called it a keeper.

10. Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash - This member-only recipe was on the meal plan list as a snack, which was interesting, because it didn't strike me as a snack food. But it was delicious and filling! This was my first time to cook with spaghetti squash, and while I had been skeptical, it turned out tasty and not weird in texture. One squash makes two servings (each half is a serving) and as a meal, I think I could have eaten the half. As a snack, though, half-of-a-half filled me up. It really did taste like a nice cheesy pasta dish! Ryan agreed, and we named it a keeper.

11. 20 Minute Chicken Fajita Cauliflower Rice Bowls - This member only recipe was so pretty! I chose to use red, yellow, and orange peppers, and when combined with the chicken and the cauliflower, it was so pretty! It didn't take terribly long to make, and I purchased the frozen riced cauliflower, so I didn't have to mess with prepping that. (SO WORTH IT for me.) Her recipe calls for four bags of the cauliflower - one per serving. I only used two (because of $$) and split them. Servings were still PLENTY big. Ryan and I called this a definite, definite keeper.

12. Pumpkin Protein Waffles - This member-only recipe was a double experiment for me, because not only was it new, but so was my waffle maker! That put a bit of a learning curve on it! I loved mixing up the ingredients in the blender (so fast!) and although my first waffles were a bit shriveled, the next ones were much better. Her recipe says it makes two waffles, and a serving is one waffle. My maker creates four smaller rectangle waffles and I got five out of this recipe. So I ate two and kept the other three for leftovers a couple of days later! They're not crispy, but they are flavorful and filling! I called it a a definite, definite keeper. 

13. Clean Eating Spaghetti Squash Lasagna  - This member-only recipe was very intriguing to me. I loved it because you don't have to make multiple layers, which is my LEAST favorite part of making lasagna. The spaghetti squash serves as the pasta "crust," with a meat sauce layer in the middle and some cheese goodness on top. I assembled it on a Saturday night and baked it after we got home from church on Sunday. While spaghetti squash doesn't have the same texture as pasta, I still thought this was really good and filling. This actually makes a 9x13 so it has plenty for company and leftovers! (This was the only dish we got tired of eating because there was SO MUCH!) We both called it a keeper!

14. Cookie Dough Freezer Bites -  This member-only recipe was quick to make, but mine looked NOTHING like hers. Hers look like actual cookie dough and mine looked more like blondie no-bakes. They are definitely super sticky to work with, but it's fun to have a snack in the freezer to grab on the go. Neither of us thought my version tasted like cookie dough, but that didn't stop us from enjoying them! It hasn't been my favorite snack I've ever made, but it's worth making again, so it'll go as a pretty good.

15. French Toast Protein Shake - This open recipe was the only recipe off the first week's list that I had actually made before! I have to say it really does taste like French Toast in drink form. It's impressive! As a girl who generally thrives on chocolate in a shake, this is a bit of a deviation for me, but I do like it. (Is there such a thing as CHOCOLATE French Toast? Maybe I should try that...) I would make this again! It's a keeper. 

16. Grilled Balsamic Chicken and Vegetable Foil Packet - This member-only recipe nearly undid the Shaffer household. LOL!! I like balsamic and often use it as a salad dressing, but Ryan isn't as big of a fan. I thought using it as a cooked marinade would be less obvious, so I made it and eagerly served it. He took one sniff and said, "Does this have vinegar in it?" Womp, womp. I may or may not have cried. So it's not a win for him, but I thought it was good. I loved throwing all the veggies and the chicken in a foil packet to cook them. (I cooked mine in the oven, not on the grill.) It cooked perfectly! It made four servings, and Ryan couldn't eat more than the one he tried to be nice, so I had to finish the others. We called this a no-keep, but it's a good recipe. 

17. Bell Pepper Nachos - This redeemed my cooking fiasco of #16! The member-only recipe uses mini bell peppers as chips for nachos! I was skeptical, because I'm one of those girls who says, "Don't give me a vegetable and pretend it's a chip!" And it's not! But it was tasty, and truthfully, I didn't miss the chips. This was my first time to use the little mini-peppers, and I liked them! They weren't as bitter as regular peppers can be, and that helped! Ryan really liked this one. (It made four servings and he ate three of them.) This would be a great football or party food for those trying to watch the old health-factor! It's a definite, definite keeper! 

18. S'mores Mug Cake - I confess, I did not have high hopes AT ALL for this member-only recipe. I've tried mug cake recipes before and they always taste like bland, soggy messes to me. But I was determined to try EVERY RECIPE on this list, so I made it. I used the almond flour version instead of the oat flour version, and I used Greek yogurt instead of applesauce. I think those two choices ended up making this a success. I was amazed. It actually had the consistency of a cake and was flavorful! I've never seen anything like it. Ryan wasn't home when I made this, and it's just a serving for one, but I was one happy girl! A definite, definite keeper! 

19. Fresh, Sugar Free Strawberry Jam - Confession (again): I have never made jam or jelly of any kind before. My mom always made delicious jelly, but I know such things are full of sugar! I was excited to try this open  recipe. The hardest part was finding the pectin in the store (never bought it before) but assembling this was SO easy. This was not actually a recipe that was listed as part of the week's plan, but the next recipe (English muffins) needed an accessory so I made this. A definite, definite keeper.

20. 2 Minute Microwave English Muffins - This open recipe made me a little nervous (like the mug cake)! I don't really eat a lot of English muffins, and I wasn't sure about this. I cooked mine spread out on a dinner plate and it spread pretty thin, so next time I would use a smaller dish with sides to make the muffin thicker. Toasting definitely made this recipe great. We don't keep bread on hand anymore, and sometimes I miss toast! This is a great toast alternative! I say keeper! 

Overall Thoughts:

* Loved having my meal planning done for me! That saved time! 

* To eat with healthy intentions takes a little additional preparation. I had to look ahead and see what needed to be marinated, chopped, etc. 

* I am proud of myself for trying new ingredients: chickpeas, spaghetti squash, coconut flour, etc.

* This experiment forced me to try making dishes I might not have otherwise tried, and it resulted in several new favorites for both of us!