recipes

I'm such a foodie, you guys. Seriously. BUT- I know a big issue with me is what and how much I eat. Knowing this (and trust me, it took me awhile to learn this about myself), situations that involve food instantly become a struggle. This includes, but is not limited to:

- Birthdays,
- Sporting events,
- Holidays,
- Office parties,
- Happy hours,
- Girls nights,
- Date nights,
- Church functions,
- Family get-togethers
- Staff meetings

So basically my whole life. I mean, obviously we all need food to live. But the food CAN be healthy AND delicious.
       This will be my healthy (mostly clean) eating section where I will only give you recipes that I have actually eaten and/or made myself. Remember, it's just my husband and me in our house so we often have leftovers or I adapt the meal to fit what we've got goin' on. This little section is dedicated to me, to YOU, and to our health. CHEERS!

March 9, 2015
Shakeology protein snacks

3/4 c. Oatmeal
1/2 c. Chocolate chips
1/2 c. Peanut butter 1/2 c. Ground flaxseed
1/3 c. Honey
1 tsp. Vanilla

I also throw in some chia seeds!






April 20, 2015
Fruit and Granola Salad
- Fruit (anything you want!) I used cantaloupe, apples, strawberries, grapes and bananas, all sliced.
- Large container of cottage cheese (I used small curd)
- 1 bag of granola (I used Bear Naked Vanilla Almond)
- Sliced almonds
- Small can of sweetened condensed milk

This salad is so stinkin' easy! First, chop up your fruit. Use any fruit you want, but I'd stay away from citrus fruits and watermelon. Too watery. Mix the fruit together and add to your container(s). Next, layer on the cottage cheese. If you are putting this whole salad in one bowl, use the whole container. If in separate containers, portion out accordingly. On top of the cottage cheese, add the granola. Again, the whole bag if it's all in the same dish, portioned out if separate. Top that off with sliced almonds. The granola I bought already had almonds in it, so the sliced almonds were just a bonus! Finally, drizzle the sweetened condensed milk on the top. Use the whole container! Portion out if using separate containers, obviously! Then refrigerate until ready to eat. 

April 7,2015
Crock Pot Greek Pitas (found here)

- 1/2 medium onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins (my package weighed 1.15 lbs.)
- 1 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1 (5.3 oz.) container of plain Greek yogurt
- package of pita pocket breads, any variety
- 1 tomato, diced into chunks

- 1/2 cup cucumber, diced into chunks
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1/2 c. water or chicken broth

Slice up your onion and mince your garlic. In your crock pot, put your chicken breasts tenderloins in. Then add the sliced onion and minced garlic. Finally, add all of your spices (lemon pepper, oregano and allspice). Note: You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cook the same way. Mix everything together, making sure to coat the chicken with the seasoning. Add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth (I used water). Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. (I cooked the full six hours). Before it is almost done cooking, dice up the tomato and cucumber into chunks and thinly slice the red bell pepper. When the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the crock pot and shred it. Stir the container of yogurt into the onion/garlic mixture that is inside of the crock pot. Mix well so that all of the yogurt is incorporated. Heat pita bread in your microwave for about 20-25 seconds for each 1/2. Spoon the shredded chicken into the warm pita bread. With a spoon, spread some of the onion/garlic mixture onto the chicken. Top with the tomato and cucumber chunks, along with the red bell pepper strips.

February 16. 2015
Rustic Strawberry Peach Tart (found here)

Ingredients:

Filling

• 2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, sliced (not frozen)
• 2 cups (about 300 grams) sliced fresh strawberries (not frozen)
• 2 Tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust

• 1 and 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)
• 3 Tablespoons (45 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed*
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water, plus more as needed
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
• additional sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the filling: Mix the peaches and strawberries together in a medium bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla, tossing well to coat the fruit. Set aside and allow the mixture to soak as you prepare the crust.
2. For the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter (or your hands), cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Add 1/4 cup of ice water, stirring with a fork until the flour is moistened. Add up to 2 more Tablespoons of ice water if the dough seems dry. Gently knead the dough a few times in the bowl until it all comes together. Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it into a thick disk, as pictured above. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Trim the rim of the circle to make a clean cut if desired. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet.
5. Spoon the fruit (not the juices) into the center of the dough, leaving a 2-3 inch border all around, as pictured above. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, overlapping the dough as necessary. Press gently to seal the edges. Pour most of the reserved juices over the fruit, leaving about 1-2 Tablespoons behind. Too much juice and the dough will become soggy.
6. Brush the crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown, Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool before serving.
7. If you wish to drizzle with vanilla glaze, use the glaze recipe from here. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Make sure your butter is very cold. I like to chill it in the freezer for about 15 minutes ahead of time.

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February 10. 2015
 Black Bean & Quinoa Veggie Burgers (Found here)
Patties:
½ cup dry quinoa
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Kosher salt, divided
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 large egg
2/3 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup oat flour

Yogurt Sauce:
½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions:
Place the quinoa in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and cook 10-15 minutes until the water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Remove from heat. Note: this step can be done ahead of time.
Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until onions are softened, 5-6 minutes. Place the mixture into a large bowl. Add black beans to the bowl and using a potato masher or fork, mash together until a pasty mixture forms.Stir in the tomato paste, egg, corn, cilantro, chipotles, cumin and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in the cooked quinoa, oats, and oat flour until well mixed. Form the mixture into 6 equal patties, compacting them well with your hands as you form them. Place the patties on a baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight.
To make the yogurt sauce, stir the yogurt, honey and mustard together in a small bowl.
When ready to eat, preheat the oven to 400 F or heat a griddle to medium-high heat. If baking, spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the patties on the sheet cook 10-12 minutes until the patties are golden brown and crispy. Carefully flip the over and cook another 10 minutes. If using a griddle, heat 4-6 minutes per side or until slightly golden. Serve patties with the yogurt sauce.

Notes: I added mashed avocado on top for more flavor. Also, it wasn't until I was halfway finished with my meal that I realized these would ROCK as lettuce wraps.

Yield: 6 burgers with 1 1/2 tablespoons yogurt sauce (nutrition information excludes bun)
Nutrition Information (per burger): 236 calories; 4.3 g. fat; 31 mg. cholesterol; 418 mg. sodium; 38.7 g. carbohydrate; 7.2 g. fiber; 11.3 g. protein
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August 1, 2014

Sesame Ginger Sweet Teriyaki Salmon with Garlic Quinoa Stir-Fry

I found this one on my Pinterest page

Serves 4

For the Salmon & marinade:

1 cup teriyaki sauce

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound salmon

For Quinoa Stir-fry:

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas

Extras

salt and black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if desired

extra soy or teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients: teriyaki sauce, olive oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and honey. Place salmon in large ziploc bag and add marinade. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. (I marinated my salmon in a baking pan because I ran out of ziploc bags.)
2. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Spray baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Remove salmon from ziploc bag and place skin side down. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until salmon easily flakes with fork. I found that 18 minutes was absolutely perfect. **See notes for additional information on cooking times.
3. While salmon is cooking, prepare quinoa stir-fry. Bring 1 1/2 cups of water with garlic salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, add quinoa and cover; simmering until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand another 5-10 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside. While quinoa is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, ginger, and sliced bell peppers; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and cook for 2 minutes more. Add quinoa to vegetables, then add salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes if desired.
4. Spoon quinoa stir-fry evenly into 4 bowls or plates. Immediately place salmon on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Glaze with extra teriyaki sauce. DIG IN!

Notes

• Inspired by How Sweet Eat’s Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon
• Salmon is very sensitive and can dry out easily if overcooked, so make sure you watch your fish! For every inch of thickness of the salmon, generally it takes about 10 minutes to cook. Usually salmon fillets are about 1 1/2 inches thick.
• Preparing quinoa ahead of time makes this dish even easier; simply reheat quinoa and add to stir fried veggies

August 1, 2014
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My dinner tonight is COMFORT FOOD that will leave you full and satisfied, but certainly NOT regretful. Stuffed green peppers are a huge favorite of mine! The ingredients I grew up eating in them was ground beef, Campbell's tomato soup and white rice... along with spices and deliciousness! So, I wanted a little healthier version. Pinterest has TONS of ideas, but I sorta just... made mine up. My mother told me, when BAKING, you follow the recipe. When COOKING, you follow your taste buds. So here it is!

Laura's green peppers

Makes about 6
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
6 bell peppers (I use green but you can use whatever color, or mix it up!) **
1 pound of Ground Turkey
1 bag of boil-in-the-bag Whole Grain Brown Rice

I small can of Tomato sauce.
1 Zucchini
1 Roma Tomato
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Oregano, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Brown the turkey in a large skillet. At the same time, boil the rice according to the instructions. Once the turkey is browned, drain and rinse it. Once rice is cooked, add it to the skillet with the turkey. Slice the zucchini and cut the slices into fourths and add that to the skillet. Dice the roma tomato and add that to the mix. Add about 3/4 of the can of tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to the mix. Let simmer (while the zucchini softens) stirring occasionally. For the peppers, cut off the tops, remove the seeds from the insides and rinse out with water. Fill each green pepper "cup" with the mixture. Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce on the top of each pepper. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

**Since it's just the fella and me, I only make a few peppers at once. BUT I make the WHOLE mixture and freeze it to use later. Easy dinners for rushed nights! Delish!

August 2, 2014
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This first dish is a fresh bruschetta that I found....somewhere. I can't remember! It's AMAZING with toasted baguette bread and fresh mozarella. You won't be sorry!

Laura's Fresh and Easy Bruschetta

 1 loaf of baguette bread, sliced and toasted
2 tsps. minced garlic (I used fresh)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C. Grated parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups minced roma tomatoes
1/3 c. thinly slived basil leaf (again, fresh.)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper

Mix together and let sit at least 15 minutes at room temperature to let flavors blend. Serve with toasted baguette bread and fresh mozarella!



The second side is one I pinned to my Pinterest page... check it out here:


Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip

1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Pita chips, tortilla chips, cut up veggies-for serving

1. Place the yogurt, avocados, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and cumin in a blender or food processor. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Scrape dip into a serving bowl and serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, or cut up veggies.

August 19. 2014
Crock Pot Tacos

2 - 3 chicken breasts
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of corn, drained
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 - 1/2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 green pepper, sliced.

Put uncooked rice on the bottom of the crock pot, followed by chicken and seasoning. Then layer in beans, corn, pepper and cilantro. Finish by dumping chicken broth on top of everything. Cook in crock pot on low for 6 hours. Chicken should pull apart with forks when done. If it looks dry, add a little more chicken broth as necessary and stir. When ready, serve with fresh ingredients such as tomatoes and avocado. *Instead of sour cream, make the Creamy Avocado Yogurt Dip (listed above). It tastes amazing!