I am a foodie. There's no denying it.
I love trying new foods, experimenting with flavors, and best of all, I love keeping it simple so I can enjoy home cooking throughout my busy week! I have a long list of food allergies, and what I have found throughout the years of experimentation is that I can tolerate most foods I am allergic to simply by purchasing organic whenever I can. Interesting, isn't it? I'm starting to really believe that I am not allergic to the foods themselves, but to the hormones and processing the foods undergo before hitting my table.
I have a strange (?) habit of taking pictures of my food and posting in on Facebook and Instagram. After many mouth-watering comments and jealous posts, a friend of mine demanded a "new rule" - that recipes be posted with each yummy meal so that others can spoil their tastebuds as well!
Now that I am finally updating my blog, I figured why not add a recipe tab? A one-stop resource for all the food I post so that others can enjoy it too. Here goes!
I probably should add a disclaimer - I don't know the calories and nutritional information for these. I could do the research and post them, but what I know is this: I eat pretty darn healthy and I stay pretty lean. Hope that's enough for you! If not, feel free to look it up. ;0)
ZUPA TOSCANA
With a healthy twist!
My friend Amber posted this one day and I tweaked it since I don't eat pork. It is SO tasty, and hearty for those cold winter months!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground turkey sausage, cooked (I used Italian)
2 cartons reduced sodium chicken broth
4-6 red potatoes, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package cooked turkey bacon, minced
1 cup chopped kale
1-2 cups heavy whipping cream
Shredded mozzarella
Add first 5 ingredients to crockpot and cook for several hours. In the last 1/2 hour of cooking add chopped kale and cream. Serve with shredded mozzarella and bread for dipping.
VEGAN SMOOTHIE
Easy and delish!
4 oz water
4 oz mango juice
4 oz carrot juice
4 oz tomato juice
1/2-1 cup frozen organic berries
2 tbsp flaxseed
1 banana
1 cup fresh organic spinach.
BREAKFAST-DILLAS
VEGGIE PASTA PIE
Okay, Doctor Oz TOTALLY gets the credit for this one but I had to share here because it was amazingly delish and I will be making it again for sure.
For the recipe, go to www.doctoroz.com and search for veggie pasta pie in the search bar. I added broccoli to mine, and this can be quite versatile!
It is a little time consuming so make sure you're feeling creative and have the time to cook!
FRUIT & VEGGIE SMOOTHIE
Short on time? Pack your blender with these delicious ingredients and get a nice power boost!
8 oz water
4 oz tomato juice
4 oz OJ, mango, or other fruit juice
One packet organic oatmeal (plain oats)
2 tbsp flaxseed
One scoop protein powder (OR greek yogurt)
One banana
1/2-1 cup frozen fruit of choice
1-2 cups spinach leaves (organic preferred)
Blend, add ice if needed. Makes about 32 oz so share with a friend or save some for later!
CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TACOS
With a healthy twist!
My friend Amber posted this one day and I tweaked it since I don't eat pork. It is SO tasty, and hearty for those cold winter months!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground turkey sausage, cooked (I used Italian)
2 cartons reduced sodium chicken broth
4-6 red potatoes, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package cooked turkey bacon, minced
1 cup chopped kale
1-2 cups heavy whipping cream
Shredded mozzarella
Add first 5 ingredients to crockpot and cook for several hours. In the last 1/2 hour of cooking add chopped kale and cream. Serve with shredded mozzarella and bread for dipping.
VEGAN SMOOTHIE
Easy and delish!
4 oz water
4 oz mango juice
4 oz carrot juice
4 oz tomato juice
1/2-1 cup frozen organic berries
2 tbsp flaxseed
1 banana
1 cup fresh organic spinach.
BREAKFAST-DILLAS
RECIPE: This makes approx 6 breakfast-dillas :)
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 can black beans
1-2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped (I use a food processor)
1 clove garlic
Southwestern seasoning
Shredded cheese of choice (I used colby jack)
Avocado
Tortillas - I used sun dried tomato for these. Yum!
In large bowl, combine eggs, beans, chopped spinach and pressed garlic, as well as seasoning and cheese. Add just a touch of water to make the eggs fluffy, then whisk until well mixed. In large pan, spray with olive oil spray and pour mixture in over medium heat. Scramble until eggs are cooked to desired temperature. Remove from heat.
Place tortilla in heated pan (now on low-med) and top with shredded cheese. Fold tortilla in half and heat until cheese is melted, flipping one time. Repeat with remaining tortillas until egg mixture is gone. Top with avocado or salsa and enjoy!
These can also be frozen for convenience - my husband didn't let them stay in the freezer long.
VEGGIE PASTA PIE
Okay, Doctor Oz TOTALLY gets the credit for this one but I had to share here because it was amazingly delish and I will be making it again for sure.
For the recipe, go to www.doctoroz.com and search for veggie pasta pie in the search bar. I added broccoli to mine, and this can be quite versatile!
It is a little time consuming so make sure you're feeling creative and have the time to cook!
Short on time? Pack your blender with these delicious ingredients and get a nice power boost!
8 oz water
4 oz tomato juice
4 oz OJ, mango, or other fruit juice
One packet organic oatmeal (plain oats)
2 tbsp flaxseed
One scoop protein powder (OR greek yogurt)
One banana
1/2-1 cup frozen fruit of choice
1-2 cups spinach leaves (organic preferred)
Blend, add ice if needed. Makes about 32 oz so share with a friend or save some for later!
CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TACOS
RECIPE: This feeds one, so adjust accordingly.
2 chicken tenderloins, or frozen cooked chicken.
1/2 green pepper
1 clove garlic
Chipotle seasoning
Jack cheese, shredded - about 1/4 cup (just for topping)
Fresh or prepared guacamole
Salsa
Corn tortillas
Olive oil
Heat approx 1 tbsp olive oil in medium pan over medium heat. Add sliced chicken and chopped green pepper, as well as minced garlic. Saute for a minute or two, then season with chipotle seasoning and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan, and heat corn tortillas in pan until warmed through. Top with all the yummy goodness above and enjoy!
Total time: 15 minutes
2 chicken tenderloins, or frozen cooked chicken.
1/2 green pepper
1 clove garlic
Chipotle seasoning
Jack cheese, shredded - about 1/4 cup (just for topping)
Fresh or prepared guacamole
Salsa
Corn tortillas
Olive oil
Heat approx 1 tbsp olive oil in medium pan over medium heat. Add sliced chicken and chopped green pepper, as well as minced garlic. Saute for a minute or two, then season with chipotle seasoning and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan, and heat corn tortillas in pan until warmed through. Top with all the yummy goodness above and enjoy!
Total time: 15 minutes
FONDUE
RECIPE: My hubby gets credit for this one!
You need:
A fondue pot.
Peanut oil. LOTS of it - buy the big one, trust me.
Steak. We used ribeye I believe. You'll want a flavorful cut with some marbling for best flavor and texture.
Pour the peanut oil in the pot and heat to about 250. You want the oil to be bubbling slightly, but not going crazy, so you may need to adjust your temperature. It takes about 20 mins to heat up.
Slice the steak into bite size pieces and toss with a little soy sauce, garlic, and freshly cracked pepper in a large bowl.
You need:
A fondue pot.
Peanut oil. LOTS of it - buy the big one, trust me.
Steak. We used ribeye I believe. You'll want a flavorful cut with some marbling for best flavor and texture.
Pour the peanut oil in the pot and heat to about 250. You want the oil to be bubbling slightly, but not going crazy, so you may need to adjust your temperature. It takes about 20 mins to heat up.
Slice the steak into bite size pieces and toss with a little soy sauce, garlic, and freshly cracked pepper in a large bowl.
DIPPING SAUCES:
We like options, so in separate bowls, we had:
Creamy horseradish.
Soy sauce.
Creamy dijon mustard. (Stone-ground dijon mixed with equal parts mayo)
Curry dipping sauce.
Add whatever sides you like - we usually do salad and twice baked potatoes, but just about anything goes.
This is a really fun one to do when entertaining. :)
LEMON PEPPER MAHI-MAHI FILLETS
1 lb mahi mahi fillets, fresh or frozen. (I prefer fresh)
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp butter (use REAL butter)
1 lemon
Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, pressed garlic clove, juice of 1/2 lemon and about 10 turns of a pepper grinder (I don't know what this translates to, sorry!) Place mahi mahi fillets in a lightly greased baking pan and spread mixture over both sides of the fish. Reserve a little of the mixture for the veggies and rice. Bake for 20-30 mins until fish is translucent and flakes easily with a fork.
VEGGIES:
I use fresh organic broccoli and baby carrots. If you have a steamer, it's probably best but I use the Pampered Chef microwave pot, or whatever it's called. Place veggies in pot with about 2-3 tbsp of water and microwave on high for 3-4 mins. Remove, add lemon butter mixture and replace the lid to let the veggies steam to desired crispness, or microwave a little longer if you prefer.
For the brown rice, I just buy the frozen steamable rice bags from Smith's. They are super convenient. Add a little of the lemon butter mixture to the rice and you're ready to eat!
Total time, 25-30 mins.
PESTO & PARM SALMON WITH ROASTED VEGGIES
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh salmon fillet ( I try to use fresh seafood wherever possible. It just tastes so much better. Farm-raised is okay - it's about all you can find around here without breaking the bank.)
Pesto sauce. If you don't want to make your own, I like the Private Selection from Smith's.
Low-fat mayo.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350. Place salmon skin-side down on a tin foil lined pan gently greased with olive oil. Mix about 2 spoonfuls of both mayo and pesto together, then spread mixture over the salmon. Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork. In the last 5 mins, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the salmon. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
VEGGIES: You can make these ahead of time and refridgerate to save time if you'd like. They are SO good, and they keep well.
Fresh veggies - anything you like would work well. I used:
Green and yellow zucchini
baby carrots
red peppers
asparagus
Dice veggies into bite size pieces and place into a bowl. Toss mixture with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, basil, and 1 clove freshly pressed garlic. Spread onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 until veggies are tender. Serve immediately or refridgerate for later.
This one probably takes about 45 mins start to finish. It's well worth the time, and if you cook the veggies ahead of time it cuts your time to about 30 mins for baking. :)
1 lb fresh salmon fillet ( I try to use fresh seafood wherever possible. It just tastes so much better. Farm-raised is okay - it's about all you can find around here without breaking the bank.)
Pesto sauce. If you don't want to make your own, I like the Private Selection from Smith's.
Low-fat mayo.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Preheat the oven to 350. Place salmon skin-side down on a tin foil lined pan gently greased with olive oil. Mix about 2 spoonfuls of both mayo and pesto together, then spread mixture over the salmon. Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes until salmon flakes easily with a fork. In the last 5 mins, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the salmon. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.
VEGGIES: You can make these ahead of time and refridgerate to save time if you'd like. They are SO good, and they keep well.
Fresh veggies - anything you like would work well. I used:
Green and yellow zucchini
baby carrots
red peppers
asparagus
Dice veggies into bite size pieces and place into a bowl. Toss mixture with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, basil, and 1 clove freshly pressed garlic. Spread onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 until veggies are tender. Serve immediately or refridgerate for later.
This one probably takes about 45 mins start to finish. It's well worth the time, and if you cook the veggies ahead of time it cuts your time to about 30 mins for baking. :)
OATCAKES
There are a few variations on this one - use the basic recipe and get creative!
RECIPE: 1/2 cup oats, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup fresh fruit.
You can use whatever you prefer, but here I used an organic maple & brown sugar instant oatmeal packet, 2 organic brown eggs, and fresh local raspberries.
Whisk eggs, oats, and fruit together, then pour mixture onto griddle or skillet at medium heat. Flip just like pancakes and cook til they are golden brown. You can use whatever fruit you'd like. If you leave the fruit out of the mixture they are a little bit easier to cook.
You can substitute a fruit compote to put on top instead of fruit in the middle. Just place the fruit in a food processor (if you like it sweet, use some stevia) and top the oatcakes with the compote.
Makes 2 oatcakes. TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes. I make this for breakfast most days. It's a great balance of protein and healthy carbs.
For a super healthy version, use egg whites and plain oats sweetened with stevia. ENJOY!
You can use whatever you prefer, but here I used an organic maple & brown sugar instant oatmeal packet, 2 organic brown eggs, and fresh local raspberries.
Whisk eggs, oats, and fruit together, then pour mixture onto griddle or skillet at medium heat. Flip just like pancakes and cook til they are golden brown. You can use whatever fruit you'd like. If you leave the fruit out of the mixture they are a little bit easier to cook.
You can substitute a fruit compote to put on top instead of fruit in the middle. Just place the fruit in a food processor (if you like it sweet, use some stevia) and top the oatcakes with the compote.
Makes 2 oatcakes. TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes. I make this for breakfast most days. It's a great balance of protein and healthy carbs.
For a super healthy version, use egg whites and plain oats sweetened with stevia. ENJOY!
GREEK CHICKEN SALAD
One of my ALL-TIME faves!!
RECIPE:
Heat a skillet to medium. Dice fresh chicken (for more convenience and quicker cooking time use frozen diced cooked chicken).
Pour a small amount of olive oil into the skillet (I like the extra virgin/canola blend). If you're unsure how much to use, hold it for about 2 seconds while pouring for each pound of meat. Add chicken, and season liberally. I used the Pampered Chef's Greek Rub, but you could easily use a lemon pepper and it would be yummy too. (If you use the lemon pepper though, don't season it too heavily) Cook chicken thoroughly.
Chop fresh greens however you'd like for salad. I used organic romaine lettuce. Spread lettuce on individual plates (if you're in to presentation like I am) and top with the cooked chicken.
Garnish with cucumber slices, or you can julienne some cucumbers for more of an impressive finish. Sprinkle a good amount of feta cheese on top, and garnish with lemon slices to squeeze over the salad before enjoying. I used sun-dried tomato and basil feta cheese. This salad is SO flavorful you don't need any dressing - the lemon juice is plenty combined with the feta cheese and seasoned meat. Yum!
TIME: About 15 minutes to make, start to finish. You could also add some brown rice seasoned with lemon pepper to make this a little heartier if you wish.
Chop fresh greens however you'd like for salad. I used organic romaine lettuce. Spread lettuce on individual plates (if you're in to presentation like I am) and top with the cooked chicken.
Garnish with cucumber slices, or you can julienne some cucumbers for more of an impressive finish. Sprinkle a good amount of feta cheese on top, and garnish with lemon slices to squeeze over the salad before enjoying. I used sun-dried tomato and basil feta cheese. This salad is SO flavorful you don't need any dressing - the lemon juice is plenty combined with the feta cheese and seasoned meat. Yum!
TIME: About 15 minutes to make, start to finish. You could also add some brown rice seasoned with lemon pepper to make this a little heartier if you wish.
BREAKFAST TIME!!
Scrambled eggs with sauteed green peppers and freshly grated mozzarella, topped with salsa and avocado.
For ONE serving, you need: 2 eggs, 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, a little less than 1/4 cup diced green peppers, one avocado and a few spoonfuls of salsa. I used 100% organic ingredients for this one, and the flavor really comes through!
Heat a small skillet to medium, add a very small amount of olive oil/canola blend, and sautee diced green peppers until tender.
Slice or shred mozzarella cheese into very small pieces and whisk together with eggs. I added a little southwestern seasoning to my eggs for this dish as well.
Add egg mixture to green peppers and scramble to desired doneness. Top eggs with salsa and sliced avocado as a garnish.
Total time: about 15 mins.
BAKED SALMON, ROASTED ASPARAGUS & ZUCCHINI
RECIPE:
1 lb fresh salmon fillet. To feed more than 3 you'll probably want more. :)
1 green and 1 yellow zucchini.
1 bunch of asparagus.
1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Olive oil.
Preheat oven to 350. Rinse salmon, pat dry, and season with lemon pepper seasoning, 1 clove freshly pressed garlic, and dill. I go heavy on seasoning - if you are nervous keep it light. Place skin side down in lightly greased baking sheet and cook for 20-30 mins until flaky or internal temp reaches 155 or more.
Wash asparagus, cut bottoms and place in foil lined baking sheet. Wash and slice zucchini into long strips, then place in baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 15 mins or until tender.
Total time: Approx 30 mins.
1 lb fresh salmon fillet. To feed more than 3 you'll probably want more. :)
1 green and 1 yellow zucchini.
1 bunch of asparagus.
1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Olive oil.
Preheat oven to 350. Rinse salmon, pat dry, and season with lemon pepper seasoning, 1 clove freshly pressed garlic, and dill. I go heavy on seasoning - if you are nervous keep it light. Place skin side down in lightly greased baking sheet and cook for 20-30 mins until flaky or internal temp reaches 155 or more.
Wash asparagus, cut bottoms and place in foil lined baking sheet. Wash and slice zucchini into long strips, then place in baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 15 mins or until tender.
Total time: Approx 30 mins.
SIMPLY SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH FRESH GUACAMOLE
RECIPE: For ONE serving, you need:
2 organic brown eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella
2 avocados
1 small tomato
1 small red onion
1 lime
Salt & Pepper
Whisk eggs and mozzarella cheese together in small mixing bowl. For more flavor, add some southwestern seasoning mix. Scramble over medium heat to desired temperature.
For guacamole, slice avocado and place in small bowl. Chop tomato and about 1/8 cup (or however much you'd like) red onion and add to avocado. Juice the lime and add about 1/2 tbsp to mixture, then salt and pepper to taste. Makes 3-4 small servings.
Top eggs with guacamole and garnish with fresh fruit.
SUMMER REFRESHMENT AND HYDRATION!!
The more active we are, the more careful we need to be about replenishing lost electrolytes. I hate all the sugar that is added to sport drinks, so I came up with this homemade electrolyte drink with a little help from Runner's World or Yoga Journal - I can't remember which! I have tweaked it to make it my own, and it's quite delicious!
RECIPE:
1 lemon
1 lime
Honey
Salt
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, either on the stove or using a teapot. Pour water into pitcher and squeeze the juice of an entire lemon into water. Repeat with half of the lime. Add about 1-2 tsp of salt (I never measure, I just pour - so you can gauge it based on taste) and 1-2 tbsp of honey. Mix together and let the flavors infuse in the hot water.
Refrigerate and serve.
You could add some fresh berries to it to give it a little more flavor - if you're not used to drinking low-sugar drinks, it may be helpful.
You could also add some Stevia if needed, but I think the honey is plenty sweet. This was the only drink my husband could keep down after getting very dehydrated while running his first marathon, and we both like it post-run, post-hike, or on a really hot day.
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