A delicious and nutritious Roasted Vegetable Barley Bowl filled with barley, arugula, hummus, a variety of veggies including asparagus and blistered tomatoes, all topped with a sprinkle of chili flakes for just a little heat. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal. Continue reading “Roasted Vegetables Barley Bowl”→
These healthy almond butter muffins are the perfect tasty treat. They are perfect to add in the lunchbox for a snack or dessert, or even to eat for breakfast. Continue reading “Almond Butter Muffins”→
These tandoori cauliflower tacos are marinated in a vibrant tandoori yogurt sauce and burst with flavor in each bite. Perfect for lunch or dinner, these meatless tacos are easy to make and filling. Continue reading “Tandoori Cauliflower Tacos”→
This Dragon fruit Smoothie Bowl is a beautiful, quick, and easy tropical breakfast recipe! Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is nutrient dense food packed with antioxidants, low calories making it a great option for vegan and paleo diets. Made with just 3 ingredients, dragon fruit, mango, and coconut water, add your favorite toppings and enjoy! Continue reading “Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl”→
This Cranberry Curd Tart is a beautiful show stopping dessert that has a velvety sweet and tart curd filling inside a macadamia nut and graham cracker crust. Continue reading “Cranberry Curd Tart”→
A perfect combination of fall flavors, this salad is perfect for lunch or as a side for dinner. Roasted beets and butternut squash are served over peppery arugula, tangy feta cheese, earthy walnuts, sweet pomegranate arils. Tossed in a maple dressing that is easy to make and shake, this beautiful salad is gluten free and nutrient dense! Continue reading “Beet and Butternut Squash Salad”→
This Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad is filled with bursts of sweetness, texture, and nutrients. The quinoa soaks up a delicious Maple Dressing and the arugula gives just a hint of a peppery note. What’s best is it’s great to eat for lunch, or have as a side dish. Continue reading “Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad”→
Creamy and nourishing, this delicious Autumn Squash Soup is just perfect for a cozy dinner at home during these cold days. This soup is a spin off of Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup without the extra calories. But don’t worry! It still tastes amazing and just like Panera’s. The best part is that whilst you make this delicious soup, your home is going to smell like fall. Can it get any better? Continue reading “Autumn Squash Soup”→
Fresh fruit, caramelized onions, bright flavors, and an abundance of crostini. That is what I call the perfect crostini board. Simple ingredients that require more assembly than cooking is a delicious way to start your party! Continue reading “Crostini 3 Ways”→
**Original post published Nov. 2020. Updated Aug. 2021**
A couple of months ago, I won our local Farmer’s Market cooking competition and part of my prize was a big box of fresh goodies from the market. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so excited to get fresh veggies and fruits! I honestly felt like a contestant on Chopped from The Food Network in that I wanted to use all of my produce and come up with a delicious dish.
Well, considering there were so much produce, I’m not sure I would be able to eat more than 3 bites of any dish made from all of the veggies and fruits! One of my favorites in that box was the beet greens with their beautiful red stems. I’ve had quite a few people ask me what I use them for and what they can cook out of them. A definite go to are to cook them down like collard greens but I wanted to do something more creative and decided to add the beet greens to a hash and topping it with an egg made it the perfect breakfast for a busy day or a big, healthy lunch bowl.
The vibrant orange and red colors of the root veggies as they are being cooked, the bold green of the beets…..eeek! I’m salivating just thinking about this recipe. The best part is all the nutrition you get in this sustainable hash:
high in dietary fiber
high in folate
good source of potassium
good source of non-dairy calcium (the beet greens are)
great source of B-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin (these flavonoids have strong anti-cancer and antioxidant properties)
Topping this hash with a fried or hard boiled egg adds a little extra protein though to keep it vegetarian/vegan, you can always replace the egg with a grilled tofu steak.
From my kitchen to yours, enjoy this delicious and healthy Sweet Potato and Beet Hash!
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet on medium high flame.
Add in the beets, sweet potato, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and cook about 10-15 minutes until browned and crispy. If it is still mostly raw at the 10 minute mark, cover and let it cook in the steam for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil and let it heat up.
Add in the onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add in the beet greens and stems and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until it is just starting to wilt. Add in the veggies, and mix well.
Let the hash crisp up then remove from pan and divide between 4 plates. Top with your choice of egg and serve hot!
This eggplant sandwich has it all. Earthy spices rubbed onto grilled veggies that have just a hint of a smoky flavor, fresh mozzarella melted just enough from the heat of the veggies. Oh, you can’t forget the rustic basil pistachio pesto that brightens up the whole sandwich in each bite. Continue reading “Grilled Eggplant Sandwich with a Basil Pistachio Pesto”→
This chickpea salad is a refreshing summer salad filled with fresh produce. It tastes great served as a side salad or your main lunch meal. Best of all, you don’t need to make a special dressing for this salad. Continue reading “Chickpea Avocado Salad”→
My oldest is going off to 1st Grade on Tuesday. I still can’t get over the fact that she is in grade school. When did she grow up? The school season starting also means sports, after school activities, homework, loads of laundry, and the list goes on. As much as I love cooking, on many of these nights, I’ll be looking for a nutritious but quick meal. And definitely meals that the kiddos are going to eat. I’ve compiled below some of our favorite family approved recipes. The best is that most of these take about 30 minutes to prepare so you can focus on homework, preparing lunch for the next day or spending time with your family.
Click on the recipe title below each image to get the recipes!
Summer is practically over in less than a week for us. I’m going to miss the lazy mornings, the relaxed schedules, and eating pancakes and french toast for breakfast. I’m looking forward to having a regular schedule in the mornings but planning them out will take some effort.
If you are looking for easy and healthy breakfasts then you’re in the right place! I’ve compiled some of our favorite breakfast recipes below. There are several chia pudding recipes as that has become a family favorite lately. Others, like the Apple Pie Oatmeal takes 3 minutes in the Instant Pot. I also like to make Almond Butter Breakfast Bars and Breakfast Oat Muffins over the weekend for on the go days.
If you want to see certain recipes on the blog, leave a comment below. I would love to create recipes for you!
Last year, I had this beautiful plan of meal planning and prepping during the school week. The goal – to provide as many nutritious and yummy meals as I possibly could for the family. By May, I gave in to grilled cheese and mac and cheese being on the weekly rotation too often. I did have a great run of healthy meals most of the year though which empowers me to write another Back to School blog post. Continue reading “Back to School Lunch Ideas”→
It doesn’t get any tastier (or easier) than this delicious Citrus Herb Salmon topped with a sweet and spicy Mango Pico on a bed of Cilantro Lime Brown Rice. Ready in 30 minutes (yep, even the brown rice), this is the perfect healthy meal to serve your family. Continue reading “Citrus Herb Salmon with a Mango Pico and Cilantro Lime Rice”→
It’s BBQ season and though I love grilling the traditional burgers and hot dogs, I wanted to get away from the usual and do something different. These Blackened Fish Tacos are perfect with a Garlic Sriracha Aioli. A flavorful rub, crunchy carrot and cabbage slaw, the aioli to cool things down a bit and the jalapeños to add just a kick at the end of each bite is the perfect summer combination for me.
These fish tacos are a great example of a healthy-ish meal. I’ve made them so many times before and they are such a hit that by the time the fish is grilled and chopped, the tacos are made and I don’t have anything left to take pictures because it’s all eaten! I finally made some for a BBQ with my friend Michelle and her family but told them they had to wait after I made them so I could take pictures – seriously she is such an awesome friend to put up with me making her stare at her food while I’m clicking away!
WHAT FISH DO I USE?
I like to use white fish, usually tilapia or cod. When you are at your grocery store, just ask your fishmonger for their best wild caught (and sustainable is available) white fish. I’ve used both tilapia and cod for this recipe and both turn out delicious for the end result.
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?
I keep the slaw simple to let the flavors of the rub on the fish and the aioli shine. All I did for the slaw is shred some carrots and mix it in with finely chopped purple cabbage, a little salt, pepper, some honey, and a squeeze or two of lime juice. So simple right?!
For the Aioli, I spent a little more time developing the flavors. I roasted garlic, used yogurt instead of sour cream to make it healthy-ish, mix in some lite mayo (this is the “ish” addition to the healthy part), add in a bit of sriracha, and again a squeeze of lime juice to pull it together.
For toppings, again, keep it simple with a garnish of chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeños.
So, don’t wait! For your next BBQ night, dinner party, or Taco Tuesday, try out these delicious Blackened Fish Tacos with a Garlic Sriracha Aioli.
**Preheat oven or grill to 400 degrees F. (*See Note 1*)
Slice off the top of the garlic bulb and place in a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle olive oil over it and wrap tightly into a ball.
Place in oven or on grill (keep lid covered) for 40-50 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
While the garlic bulb cools, in a medium sized bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayo, lime juice, and sriracha. squeeze in the melted garlic and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Cabbage Slaw:
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients together and toss well. Set aside until ready to use.
For the Blackened Fish:
In a small bowl, combine all of the spices together and mix well. Right before grilling, rub the fish on both sides with the spice mix.
**Drizzle both sides with olive oil then place on grill. Cover and cook for 3 minutes on one side, then flip and grill another 3 minutes covered. (*See Note 2*)
Remove from grill and let rest for a couple of minutes before chopping.
To assemble:
Grill the tortillas to warm then fill with slaw, chopped fish, and drizzle some of the aioli on top. Garnish with cilantro and sliced jalapenos.
Notes
**Note 1: If you are not able to roast a fresh garlic bulb, replace with 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
**Note 2: To cook on the skillet, heat pan on med high heat and add 1 Tbsp Olive Oil. Place fish in skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Rest and follow the remaining instructions.
One of my favorite times of the year is the spring when the Farmer’s Market starts to get bigger with more and more farmers who start to bring a larger variety of produce and goodies. I’ve mentioned in the past that I like to make a menu for the week (more so my kids don’t complain they want something else than what is served), but what I haven’t mentioned is how I love going to the Farmer’s Market to do my weekly produce shopping. Sometimes, I will even tailor some of my dishes to include produce I find at the Market.
Recently, I partnered with our local Farmer’s Market (Danville Farmer’s Market) and I will be creating recipes for them a few times a month in the hopes that I can bring awareness to locally farmed produce at all of our farmer’s market. Having fresh, organic produce and supporting the local farms is a win-win.
This Spring Crudites Platter is so beautiful, we all had a bit of hard time digging in. No one wanted to mess it up. Ah well, our stomachs won that round. The beauty of this platter is that you are not restricted to the same produce I picked up. Pick up what your farmer’s market has, just make it colorful.
Here is what I used:
Purple Cauliflower (chop these into big chunks)
Rainbow Baby Carrots (trim the stems off and save to make pesto – be sustainable!)
Radishes
Watermelon Radishes (slice these a little thick into rounds to give a beautiful effect)
Snap Peas
Cucumbers (I sliced these on the diagonal for aesthetics. Feel free to slice into rounds or sticks to make them easier to serve)
Cherry Tomatoes
As for the hummus, I chose purple sweet potato and red beets to be the base of each hummus. For the Red Beets, I roasted it with garlic, then pulsed it with a little tahini and a few other ingredients. This is by far one of my favorite variations on hummus. Paired with all that beautiful produce, it’s perfect!
For the Purple Sweet Potato, I baked it in the oven then pulsed it with tahini as well. Though the idea behind both hummus’ are the same, the flavor profile differ vastly. Yet both are addicting.
I hope you have a chance to make a beautiful Spring Crudites Platter like this for your next gathering. I promise you will love it.
Try it out and let me know what you think!
Place sweet potatoes, beets, and garlic in individual foil sheets. Drizzle beets and garlic with olive oil. Wrap each food tightly into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove and let cool before opening the foil wraps.
For the Sweet Potato Hummus:
Remove foil wrap and peel skin. Chop into rough chunks and add to food processor. Add roasted garlic cloves and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth (about 2-3 minutes).
Transfer to a bowl and garnish with parsley, a drizzle of oil, and/or roasted chickpeas.
For the Roasted Beet and Garlic Hummus:
Remove beets from foil and chop into rought chunks.
Add into food processor with roasted garlic and the remaining ingredients.
Blend until smooth (about 2-3 minutes)
Transfer to a bowl and garnish with roasted chickpeas, toasted sesame seeds, and/or a drizzle of olive oil.
To Assemble the Crudites platter:
Place the bowls of the hummus in the center of the platter. Add the larger veggies first, i.e. cauliflower and carrots.
Fill in with medium sized veggies, i.e. cucumbers and snap peas.
Add the smaller veggies, i.e. radishes and cherry tomatoes.
Finally garnish with watermelon radish slices and edible flowers if you have any.
Enjoy!
Notes
**Note: I used a whole bulb of garlic and divided between the two hummus dips as I knew I was making them at the same time (and a little extra garlic is always appreciated). If you are making only one hummus dip, follow the instructions of roasting cloves instead of the whole bulb.
Crisp, cold watermelon tossed with tangy feta and fresh mint is the perfect summertime salad to have on a hot day. This refreshing salad is a great side to have with grilled chicken, steak, and even hamburgers! Continue reading “Summertime Watermelon Salad”→
If I had to choose any other fruit besides mango, figs would definitely take second place. The soft exterior, the honey sweet flesh, and the crunch of the seeds as you eat each one is just heaven. Pair it with chia pudding topped with fresh baked granola and garnished with a sprig of mint, well, you just won’t want anything else for breakfast! Continue reading “Fig and Chia Pudding Parfait”→
Vibrant, fresh, mildly spicy, and packed with flavor, this Cilantro Chutney is a necessity in Indian cuisine. This particular chutney is made using fresh cilantro, mint, curry leaves, green chilies, cashews and spices. Continue reading “Cilantro Chutney”→
Crunchy, creamy, spicy, tangy, with just a hint of sweet, these Guacamole Chaat Tostadas are the perfect marriage between Indian and Mexican cuisine! Continue reading “Guacamole Chaat Tostadas”→
This one pan salmon is perfect for a busy weeknight meal. Ready in 15 minutes, it’s a nutritious meal the whole family will enjoy!
I love the idea of using just one pot or a pan. Not only is cleanup easy but you don’t spend forever in the kitchen cooking after a long hard day of work. Don’t get me wrong, the kitchen is my happy place. But weeknights are crazy when the kids are hungry and don’t have the patience to wait for me to cook an elaborate dinner.
My favorite part is that the girls eat the rainbow veggies I add on the side. The colors look so pretty and the girls love their rainbows as much as I do. Chopping the veggies and seasoning them doesn’t take very long and adding that glaze on the salmon with a little honey and mustard mix is perfect to brighten up the salmon.
I kept the seasoning for the veggies pretty simple – salt, pepper, and a little dried oregano. Why? Because I want the salmon to shine too. The veggies have their color that attracts you to them so the salmon should have something too, right? The glaze is very easy to make. Just mix a little dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and of course fresh squeezed lemon juice. Brush it on to the salmon and voila! All that is left to do is bake!
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious One Pan Salmon with Rainbow Veggies!
Line up all the veggies on a sheet pan as well as the salmon filets.
Drizzle the oil over all of the veggies, and then season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Gently mix to make sure the seasonings have evenly coated the veggies.
In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the glaze and whisk well to emulsify.
Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze onto the salmon (if you are using skinless salmon, make sure to brush both sides of the salmon).
Bake for 13-15 minutes in the oven then remove.
Let cool for 1-2 minutes before serving.
Notes
Notes: *I prefer to use fresh salmon for this recipe, however, if you are using frozen salmon, make sure to thaw it at room temperature to allow for even cooking time. *If you would like a crispy crust, stop baking 1-2 minutes early, change oven setting to broil and keep in oven for another 2-3 minutes after the baking time is over. Watch carefully so as not to burn.