Category: recipe

Recipe: Loaded Salad

Loaded salads are baaack!

I remember planning for a vegan pregnancy. 2 months into the pregnancy and I craved a hamburger. I still ate a lot of #veggies and fruit, but meat was back on the menu. Salads weren’t satisfying anymore, which totally bummed me out. Any of you who’ve dealt with pregnancy cravings KNOWS what I’m talking about when I say, “What baby wants, baby gets!” Now I’m past breastfeeding and starting to feel more in control of my eating. Enter stage left, the grand and ggloriousLOADED SALAD!! This salad tastes great and fills my belly.
Ingredients per salad:
5 oz lettuce
1 roma tomato, diced
3 sweet mini bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup hummus
3 tablespoons spicy nut mixture
1/4 cup salsa for salad dressing
5-6 kalamata olives, pitted

Directions:
🍅Using large bowl, layer in this order
🍅Lettuce
🍅Salsa sprinkled on lettuce
🍅Hummus in corner with kalamatas on top
🍅 Tomatoes in 2nd corner
🍅Bell peppers in 3rd corner
🍅Peanut mixture in 4th corner

Optional toppings:
Radishes
Avocado
Celery
Carrots
Seeds – chia, sunflower, and/or #pumpkin

Fill your belly and feel great! I’ll see you at the table!

Recipe: New Green Smoothie

new green smothieStart your week off with a nutrient packed green smoothie… You’ll feel awesome!

Today’s green smoothie recipe:
3 kale leaves
1 banana
10 baby carrots
1 apple
1 cup pineapple orange juice
1 cup water
2 cup ice

Blend in your Blendtec until smooth and enjoy a healthy way to start your week!

Refried Beans Enchilada Casserole

​Refried Beans Enchilada Casserole with pico de gallo salsa… Yummy dinner and leftovers.

Ingredients:

2-14oz cans of your favorite enchilada sauce

8 Large flour tortillas, cut in half

2-14oz cans of your favorite refried beans

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large white onion, diced

1 cup black olives, sliced

1-14oz can corn, drained

1-14oz can diced tomatoes, or 3 fresh roma tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons cumin

1/4 teaspoon chile powder

Your favorite pico or other chunky salsa

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pour one can of enchilada sauce bottom of 9×13 glass baking dish.

3. On medium heat in pot, water saute onion, bell pepper, garlic for 5 minutes, then add refriedbeans, cumin, corn, tomatoes, chile powder and heat through- about 5 minutes

4. Place 4 tortilla halves with flat edge against sides of dish. Ladle 2 cups of bean mixture and spread over tortillas. 

5. Repeat 3 times.

Note: For vegetarian option, sprinkle 1 cup Mexican cheese blend on top of bean mixture at each layer.

6. Add last layer of tortillas, then pour other can of enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle #olives. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Serve with heaping scoop of pico de gallo salsa or other garnish. Pairs well with greensalad and vinaigrette salad dressing. Makes great left overs too! 

Optional garnishes:

  • Sourcream
  • Cilantro
  • Guacamole
  • Avocado slices

I’ll see you at the table!

Recipe: Stuffed Bell Pepper and Steamed Asparagus

17438080_494117124045466_2501886692655366144_nHealthy veggie based meal: stuffed bell pepper and steamed asparagus.
Ingredients:
4 yellow bell peppers, tops cut out and seeds rinsed out
1 package of saffron rice, prepared per package directions
1 roma tomato, small dice
1 zucchini, small dice
1 small yellow onion, small dice
3 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook saffron rice per package directions
3. On medium heat, saute onion and zucchini in olive oil or water for 5 minutes, then add tomato and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add cooked rice, parsley to zucchini mixture and stir to combine. Using a tablespoon, scoop rice mixture into bell peppers.

Note: You can use other bell peppers, but I prefer the mild, sweeter flavor of yellow.
5. Place 4 stuffed bell peppers into 8×8 glass baking dish. Add water around the outside of peppers, 1/3 the way up the pepper.
Note: If you’re preparing ahead of time, store in refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered in plastic wrap. Add water when ready to bake.

6. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until the skin of peppers begins to wrinkle. If your peppers are really thick, you may need 5-10 more minutes. Better to over bake than under bake.
7. Serve with steamed asparagus.

For a more robust meal, serve with crusty bread and large green salad.
I’ll see you at the table!

Asapargus

17332737_1265365500208322_2353166337565523968_nIt’s that lovely time of year when asparagus is in season! Delicate but bursting with flavor, add asparagus to your menu. My local grocer (Winco) has it on sale for $0.98/pound!
Some asparagus dish ideas:
🍴Cream of asparagus soup
🍴Roasted asparagus with balsamic dressing for dipping
🍴Two-inch size pieces added to rice
🍴Steamed and added to veggie tortilla wrap

However you use it, indulge in this spring time delicious vegetable!

Recipe: Smoothie in my Blendtec

16463945_1850975268517089_2843770955614912512_nBlendtec and blender bottle… Thank you for being in my life and helping me to be healthy!

Today’s recipe:
1 banana
1 cup frozen peach slices
1/2 cup blueberries
2 kale stalks
1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
1 cup ice

Blend until smooth… Then start your day off right!

Dirty Rice with Kielbasa and Broccoli

What would life be without rice?! It comes in many different varieties and goes with just about everything.

I usually prefer to cook basmati rice as a side dish, but having a box of ready to cook mix is really helpful for weekday meals. When I purchase these boxed rices, I often get the bigger size so that we have left overs for lunch. Here’s a quick weeknight meal suggestion.

Ingredients:

  • Kielbasa (I usually get the low sodium), cut into 1/4″ inch rounds
  • 1 box Zatarain’s Dirty Rice
  • 1 head of broccoli, small pieces
  • Olive oil

Directions:

1. Large skillet heated on medium, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat the kielbasa for about 5 minutes to get some nice color and crispiness. Set aside cooked kielbasa.

2. Using same pan, cook Dirty Rice based on instructions.

3. During the last 5 minutes of cooking rice, add in the broccoli and kielbasa. Stir to mix together, replace lid and finish cooking last few minutes. Add about 1/4 cup water if needed, but there should be enough steam in the dish to cook the broccoli.

Veggie Notes:

  • You can omit the kielbasa all together, or add in veggie sausage.
  • In addition to broccoli, I like other veggies in this dish like diced bell peppers, white or yellow onion. Best to sauté first so the onion loses it’s bitterness. In my book, the more veggies the better!

Dish goes great with a leafy green salad too. Enjoy!

I’ll see you at the table!