Pear and Spinach Salad with Lemon-Shallot Dressing and Roasted Sausages

Simple, flavor-packed... No reason to not make it! I found the original recipe in Everyday Food and modified it a little to fit our diet. It has become one of our favorite post-workout meals because it's so quick.

Serves: 3-4

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pear (I like using Red Anjous - the contrast is pretty!) cut lengthwise into 1/4" slices

1 heaping tablespoon minced shallot

3 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and pepper

5 ounces of baby spinach (or your favorite leafy greens - I used a combination since our gardens have finally started producing!)

4-6 sweet turkey sausages

1) In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, shallot, and oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

2) Heat oven broiler to high and make sure the rack is about 4" below the heat. Pierce sausages all over with a fork and place on a rimmed baking sheet under the broiler. Cook 8 minutes, turning once. (I always cut into one just to ensure that it's really done before I take them out!)

3) In a medium bowl toss together pears and greens. Divide among dinner plates, and drizzle with dressing. Dinner is served!

"Good Fer Yer Eyes" Salad

When I was growing up, my mom was deathly afraid that all of her many (7!) kids would follow in her and my dad's genetic footsteps and grow up to be blind. Well, not truly blind - my dad is legally blind, and she wears glasses, so I think she was mainly trying to avoid the glasses for all of us. The easiest and cheapest way to do this was to include carrots in each and every one of our lunches. I hate eating carrots now. I really do. But I have to say, this salad has really made them quite palatable, if  not just downright delicious. Make it, eat it, discover a love of carrots previously unrecognized...

Total time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

6 carrots, cut into long, thin strips with a vegetable peeler
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper

1) In a medium bowl, toss together all ingredients to coat evenly.

2) Serve!

Cold Cucumber-Avocado Soup

So earlier this week, I was pretty convinced that summer was officially here. And while the weather today completely disproves that idea, I did stumble across this amazingly simple little soup recipe that is perfect for a warm spring evening! Yes, as my man pointed out, it is basically a smoothie with no ice in it, but something about eating a fresh and tasty cold soup for dinner feels so... grownup. Love it!

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber, peeled, diced, and 1/4 cup reserved for garnish
1 avocado, diced, removed from skin, and 1/4 reserved for garnish
1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest, plus all the juice from the lemon
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus a tablespoon reserved for garnish
1 scallion, white and light green parts only
1 jalapeño (I left the seeds in mine, but if you prefer a milder flavor make sure you remove the seeds!)
1 small container of plain Greek yogurt
1 cup cold water
Coarsely ground salt and pepper

1) Puree ingredients in blender until smooth and slightly frothy. Pour into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1+ hour before serving. Garnish with leftover avocado, cilantro, and cucumber.

Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

I'm falling down on this blog thing! Yesterday, Aric actually gave the link to a friend, prompting the realization that I hadn't posted in almost a month. Yikes! So here we go...

Don't let the oh-so-bland name of this dish fool you - it's really too good to be true. We had it for dinner last week, and when we invited my dad over for dinner tonight Aric begged for it again!

(Note: You will need a grill for this! I guess you might be able to pull off a decent rendition of it with a broiler, but I'm not certain...)

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
1 large zucchini, cute lengthwise into 1/4 slices
1 lb. chicken tenders
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Course ground salt and pepper
Coconut oil for grilling

1) Heat the grill to a medium heat. Place the bell peppers over the flame and roast for 16 minutes, turning every few minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cover tightly, allowing the peppers to steam. Set aside.

2) While the peppers are steaming, brush the sliced zucchini with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 4 minutes, turning once.

3) Season chicken with salt and pepper, and grill until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. While it is grilling, remove peppers from bowl (they will be hot!) and run under cool water. Gently rub them with your fingers to remove the burnt, loosened outer skin. Once they are cleaned, discard stem and seeds, and slice into 1/2 slices.

4) Whisk together olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl, and add parsley, cranberries, and artichoke. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Layer the zucchini, chicken, and bell peppers on each plate, and top with dressing mixture. Enjoy... then double all the ingredients next week and invite your friends (or parents) over to enjoy it again!

Carrot Juice Morning!

Last weekend was my birthday, and we went to an Asian-style spa for the day. It was a great experience, one I had missed since returning from Japan! In the cafeteria they served lots of traditional food, and some delicious cleansing, refreshing juice combinations. The carrot juice was so good I decided to try to make it at home this morning. It's has an interesting flavor, and is packed with awesome nutrients like vitamins B and E, and tons of beta carotene (which turns to Vitamin A in the body) and helps to eliminate cancer-causing free radicals... Worth a try for sure!

Serves: 1

Total time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

4 carrots
1 apple
1.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1) Put carrots and apple the blender and blend on high until they liquefy. At first I repeatedly had to push them down since they kept creeping away from the blades, but eventually the mixture settled in the bottom and blended thoroughly.

2) Place a strainer over a bowl and pour juice mixture into strainer. (It will be quite thick and creamy!) Gently shake strainer so that juice continues to flow into the bowl. I strained mine twice to make it extra smooth, and saved the thick residue for smoothies later this week.

3) Pour the juice over ice and stir in the vinegar. I know the vinegar seems like an unlikely addition, but it's actually really tasty! Enjoy!

Sausage with Kale and Cannellini Beans

Continuing with the one-bowl theme... I nabbed this from Everyday Food, and we enjoy it on pretty much a bi-weekly basis. Super meaty and filling, this one is a keeper. (Pardon the photo - this is such a great dish that I couldn't let my terrible color photo do it injustice!)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large bunch kale
3 cloves garlic
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1.5 lb sweet turkey sausage
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

1) Remove thick stems from kale, wash, pat dry, and coarsely chop. Peel and thinly slice garlic.

2) Heat oven broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. With a fork, pierce sausages all over; place on a broiler-proof, rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

3) While sausage is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add kale, garlic, and half a cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Cover skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until kale is wilted and tender, 10-12 minutes. Add beans to skillet with vinegar. Cook, uncovered, tossing gently, until beans are heated through, 1-2 minutes.

Good Morning Friends!

Happy Weekend!

Baja Fish One Bowl Fix

Sometimes, (and especially after a late workout), I dread cooking dinner. Like, I would pay someone to cook for me. But since we can't go out to eat every time I feel this way, recipes like this are a life-saver! Simple and quick, this one bowl meal is packed with taste and nutrition that is perfect post-workout.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 lb white fish (I used Swai tonight, but I've used both Tilapia and Cod with great results in the past.)
2 avocados, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can RoTel tomatoes
1/2 head of either red or green cabbage
Salt and pepper
4 teaspoons butter, separated
Lots of fresh cilantro

1) In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of butter over medium-high. Add cabbage and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

2) Return skillet to heat, and heat remaining butter until melted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay fish on top of mixture. Cook until cooked through, flipping once, about 8 minutes.

3) Using a wooden spoon, flake fish apart into bite sized pieces.

4) Add RoTel, avocado, and cabbage to skillet and stir together.

5) Garnish with plenty of cilantro, and throw yourself onto the nearest couch with a glass of wine, and enjoy!

Fresh Vegetable Soup

EAT THIS! Really. You will not regret it. There are definitely some things that I've regretted putting in my mouth over the years, but this is not one of those things. Amazingly packed with flavor, you really should try this. Now.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts separated, sliced lengthwise, and chopped into 1/4 inch slices
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cans chicken broth (4 cups total)
1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 bunch of parsley

1) In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high, and sauté leeks for 4 minutes, until tender and fragrant. Add potatoes, broth, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

2) Add green beans to pot, and simmer for 6 minutes, until beans are bright green and tender.

3) While beans are simmering, add parsley and remaining tablespoon of oil to blender or food processor, to create a pesto.

4) Remove pot from heat, stir parsley into soup, and serve. This soup is great either hot, or at room temp, depending on the weather outside!

Spring Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Chicken

After quite the opposite of a sabbatical, I'm back. A whirlwind week with the four kids knocked me off our healthy eating streak, as it becomes proportionally difficult to suite everyone's wants with the addition of each kid. We did fairly well, but I'm not gonna lie, there were a couple days when fish sticks and pizza both made an appearance.

With them safely back home, I'm looking forward to trying out some new recipes, starting with this one. I nabbed it from the now defunct Everyday Food publication, and made a couple modifications.

Spring Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Chicken

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:


3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 scallions, white and green parts separated, and thinly sliced crosswise
2 wide strips lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup quinoa
Leg and thigh meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


(Note: I already had chicken in the fridge so I just poached a couple of breasts and shredded those. Also, the prep time accounts for cook time for the quinoa, just follow the instructions on the bag!)


1) In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add scallion whites and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes. 

2) Add lemon zest and 1/2 cup water and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and bring liquid to a boil, then add asparagus and peas. Return to a boil and stir in cooked quinoa. 

3)Add chicken and remove pan from heat; cover and let sit 7 minutes. Add lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Fluff quinoa with a fork and serve.

Happy Weekend!

White Wine and Garlic Chicken with Roasted Cabbage

I learned something new about marinades yesterday - apparently if you freeze the meat in the marinade, it actually forces the marinade into the meat, resulting in a much more flavorful dinner! I put this chicken recipe together in the morning, stuck it in the freezer for a few hours, and then thawed it right before cooking. It tasted like it had been marinating for days. Who knew? (In case you are short on time, if you have even an hour to marinate the meat, it will still be tasty.)

White Wine and Garlic Chicken

Serves: 3-4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes + marinating and thawing

Ingredients:

8-10 chicken cutlets

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup white cooking wine 

3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons of fresh thyme (plus extra if you want to garnish!)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1) Melt butter and stir in wine, garlic, and thyme. Layer chicken cutlets two deep in a ziplock bag. Pour marinade in bag and freeze. 

2) Thaw chicken, and heat coconut oil over medium high in a large skillet. Shake excess marinade from chicken, and cook for 5 minutes total, flipping once. 

3) I love the flavor of thyme, so I put a little extra on top when serving. Plus it's pretty...

Oven Roasted Cabbage Slices

Serves: As many as you have slices for

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage

Coconut oil

Salt and pepper

Caraway seed (or fennel, or fresh thyme)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off base of cabbage, and then cut as many 1" thick slices as you need. (1-2 per person)

2) Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, and spread about 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil on each slice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle each round with caraway seed.

3) Roast in oven for approx. 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender and the edges are beginning to brown. 

Sweet Potato Banana Latkes

Good morning! I don't know if you've been swept up in the current of two- and three-ingredient recipes lately, but I'm pretty intrigued at the moment. They tend to be delicious and easy, and the surprise of getting something so tasty with so little effort is awesome! Last week I tried out these banana pancakes, and fell in love. However, this morning I discovered that I only had a half of a banana left: time to improvise. 

The recipe I came up with is seriously easy, and Aric and I both loved the taste!

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1/2 banana
1 egg
1 cup grated sweet potato
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Butter or coconut oil to keep from sticking to skillet

1) Throw the banana, egg, and cinnamon in a blender and pulse until smooth. (You could probably also mash with a fork if you don't feel like cleaning a blender after breakfast...)

2) Mix together sweet potato and banana blend in a small bowl.

3) Heat butter or oil a small skillet over medium, and spoon in half the mixture. Spread into the bottom of the skillet to form a pancake, and cook for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through (pancake will become firm and bubbly on the top when its time to flip).

4) Eat!

Ginger-Pineapple Smoothie

This smoothie is AMAZING. No seriously. I have not gone to bed looking forward to eating something the next morning, maybe ever, but after tasting it once I have been obsessing over the flavors of this drink. (Plus, ginger is high in antioxidants and has also been studied for its anti-inflammatory properties... Healthy!)

Serves: 2

1 cup frozen pineapple
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
2/3 cup juice (I used strawberry banana V8, but I'm sure you could use orange, pineapple, etc.)

1) Blend until smooth.

2) Pour and enjoy

3) Try to not get addicted!

(Edit - the added egg is optional. I normally toss 1-3 in my smoothies because they seem to turn out smoother, and it's an added kick of protein in the mornings. Don't put it in if you don't want to!)

Thai Skirt Steak with Carrot Salad

Hi all! After a little prodding from friends and family, I'm starting a food blog! I'm definitely enjoying trying out new recipes, and I think sharing them is going to be a lot of fun. Since our diet around here is almost completely gluten and sugar-free, many of the recipes are modified from the original, but don't worry - I won't post unless it's delicious...

So, on to the first recipe! This one takes a little prep time - I nearly forgot to plan for it this morning, but remembered just before I ran out the door (read: fast and easy!).

(Side note: If possible, I don't cook with olive oil if it requires heating: I use coconut oil instead. You don't have to, but from what I've read it seems to be healthier. If you don't have it on hand, olive oil works just as well.)

Serves: 3-4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 min + marinating 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon lime zest, plus the juice from the lime
1 pound skirt steak, trimmed and cut into four pieces
1 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coconut oil, divided
6 carrots, trimmed and shaved with a peeler
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large ziplock bag mix together curry paste, lime zest, and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil. Add steak and knead/shake to coat. Refrigerate at least one hour (or up to overnight).

1) Heat remaining coconut oil a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak, and cook 7 minutes, turning once, for medium rare. Remove from heat and let it rest on a plate, covered with foil, for 10 minutes. 

2) While the meat is resting, shave the carrots into a medium bowl. Add lime juice, cilantro and olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. 

You're done! Slice the steak thin against the grain, and garnish with extra cilantro.