Today - I'm feeling BLESSED. I consider myself one lucky girl to have this group of friends who were willing to drive more than 2 hours just to have dinner with me on my birthday. ❤️ Spending a weekend with friends in the cutest, most quaint little North Georgia town nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains was exactly what this tired girl needed to restore her soul. We visited a winery that sits in a tiny Italian style village that you would swear was transported here right from the heart of Tuscany. 🇮🇹 Complete with ivy covered villas, rolling hills planted in grapevines and lots of great food and wine, it was the perfect place to kick off this new decade of life. 🍷 If you know me, you know that I'm somewhat of a fitness fanatic, so it was probably no surprise to anyone when I announced that I wanted to incorporate some exercise into my birthday celebration. And what better way to burn some birthday calories than hiking through the winery grounds? 🥾I mean, how often do you get served samples of local wine at the end of a hike? Spending the day in this Italian style village was awesome and it has inspired me to try making fresh, new Mediterranean style food this week. Tonight - I tried my hand at a Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables. I've got to say - even though I was missing the Tuscan atmosphere - it was still a delicious Mediterranean style dinner. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed 1 small eggplant (about ¾ pound), diced 1 small zucchini, sliced 1 small yellow squash, sliced 2 Tablespoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Tablespoon lemon zest 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced ½ cup halved grape tomatoes (quarter any larger tomatoes) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves 2 tablespoons walnuts nuts, toasted For garnish: crumbled goat cheese
Add tomatoes to quinoa. Garnish with goat cheese and walnuts. Hey feta fans - If you want to make this quinoa bowl even more Mediterranean - substitute feta for the goat cheese. Also, I had plans to grill an eggplant to add to this salad as well but there were none to be found at the grocery store. So if you've got one handy - by all means - toss it in. 🍆
Also, out of curiosity - after looking at these pictures, does it look like I'm shrinking to anyone else? 😅 Ciao!
0 Comments
I'm a planner. Some (most) would say that I'm an "overplanner." 😅 Planning, organizing, list making - I live for that. 📝 I even make lists of the lists that I have to make. 🤦🏻♀️ I don't know how I would get through my day without my lists because I certainly can't rely on my memory anymore. #welcometofifty 😄 I really do enjoy the planning process. I like to plan parties. 🎉I like to plan vacations. 🏝I even like to plan dinners. 🍽 For unexplainable reasons, the one thing that I don't like to plan is what I'm going to eat for lunch. 🤷🏻♀️ It seems strange for a girl who operates with a detailed plan every single day to "wing it" when it comes to the midday meal - but, believe it or not, that's usually the case. For that reason, lunch tends to be my unhealthiest meal of the day. #coldpizzalover 🍕 This week, I'm changing my routine and actually doing some meal prepping for lunches. 😬I prefer the words "intentional" and "planned" instead of "leftovers" when it comes to lunches. When I purposefully prepare extra food for dinner, it somehow becomes much more appealing to me than when I accidentally end up with leftovers. Honestly, opening the refrigerator at noon on a busy afternoon and seeing a Tupperware loaded with delicious and healthy Quinoa Burrito Bowl was like a little gift. 🎁 This was a super easy lunch to prepare in advance too. I made 4 servings of these tasty bowls - we had 2 for dinner and I put the other two in containers for lunch. It was perfect. I took off the lid, popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds, added some fresh avocado and tomatoes and then dove right in. DELICIOUS! Quinoa Burrito Bowls 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup onion, minced 1 clove garlic, grated 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup shredded lettuce 1 chicken breast Additional toppings avocado Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded Pico de gallo Sour cream or crema corn fresh cilantro, chopped
Add any additional toppings that you like. Slice grilled chicken and add to the top. My goal when I look for a new recipes is to find that elusive intersection between healthy, delicious, and doable. It’s easy to find recipes with one or two of the three. But coming up with a recipe that falls into all three categories feels downright impossible sometimes. We've all tried "healthy" recipes that tasted terrible and delicious recipes that were ridiculously complicated. 🍱 Quinoa Burrito Bowls meets all the criteria for a good recipe. It's super healthy. It's amazingly delicious AND it's totally doable. The trifecta!
Ciao! A family that does lipid panels together - is bonded forever. 🤷🏻♀️(What?) I'm pretty sure that's not a thing but we actually did take family cholesterol tests over the weekend. Isn't that what every family does for fun on a Sunday afternoon? 😅❤️ I don't want to throw anyone under the bus so without using any names, I will tell you that while three of us fell well within the "normal" ranges, one of us had what I would describe as exceptional cholesterol levels and one of us had borderline high numbers. 😬 So fam --- be prepared to see even more plants on our kitchen table. 🥦 I believe that with some simple changes to our diet, we can get ALL of our cholesterol levels into the normal range. More vegetables, less dairy and less fats. 🥬 We can do this. Anyone opposed to eating "tofurkey" for Easter dinner? 😂 The plan is to feed my family even more fish and lean protein and less red meat. 🍗 Considering that we're entering into a season of weekly holidays, birthdays and family celebrations - this is going to be a challenge. 🍰 I don't want to feed everyone fried chicken, but I also don't wan't to eat a plate full of celery while feeling deprived of tasty food. #lowcholesteroldiet Hello, Baked Red Snapper! 🐟 Delicious - but still healthy. This particular batch of red snapper was caught off the Florida coast and gifted to us by this fine fisherman. We don't live near the ocean and we don't get fresh snapper very often so this was a real treat. 🎣 This was by far the best red snapper that I've ever tasted. (And not JUST because it was caught by my son.) 😅And even though I brushed a seasoned butter sauce over the fish, it was still considerably lower in saturated fats than a ribeye. 🥩 If you want to make it even lower in fat, eliminate the butter altogether and just add the seasoned bread crumbs to the fish. Either way, this fish is super flaky, tender and delicious. Baked Red Snapper 2 (6- to 8-ounce) red snapper fillets 4 tablespoons butter 1 medium clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon dried chives 3 to 4 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Bake in a 400 oven for about 12 minutes. Red snapper, steamed broccoli, couscous and ciabatta bread - who says eating healthy can't be delicious? Who else has prepared a low fat meal that their family has loved? If you've got a great recipe - send it my way. TIA
Ciao! Who couldn't use a little more energy to get through their day? 🙋🏻♀️ For the past 8 weeks, I have been participating in a test group for a new Open Fit workout program. It's really exciting to be a part of the beginning stages of a new workout program and participating this group has been a great form of exercise accountability. Let's just say, there's nothing that motivates me to stick to a workout routine more than having to submit weekly selfies and measurements. 😬 Five days a week, the Open Fit trainers are introducing me to new moves and workouts that are kicking my butt. I've got sore muscles in places that I didn't even know I had muscles. 💪🏻🤣 I'm doing my best to keep my nutrition on track while I'm in the test group so that I can get the most out of the program. Somedays it's a struggle - but, like I said - I'm doing my best. 💁🏻♀️ The biggest obstacle for me isn't eating healthy meals - it's snacking. I'm trying to train myself to incorporate more healthy snacks like fresh fruits and lean protein into my day instead of reaching for a handful of chocolate chips. 🥕 To help myself avoid unhealthy snacks - I've started stocking my frig with these super delicious s'mores energy bites. They're filled with all the good stuff that I need to keep up my energy levels and a little bit of the sweet stuff too. Just one is enough to fill me up and satisfy my undeniable sweet tooth. I've made several different versions of these little peanut butter balls but I think this one might just be my new favorite. Check out these amazing ingredients. I mean, how could these NOT turn out to be the most beautiful and amazing little snack bites ever? S'mores Energy Bites 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 1/3 cup finely crushed graham crackers 2 tablespoons chia seeds A pinch of sea salt 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips 1/4 cup marshmallow bits
Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Making s'mores over the campfire is already on my bucket list for summer 2021. While I wait for the ice to melt and the temperatures to rise, I'll have to make my own (indoor) chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallow creations. I imagine that these energy bites are just about as close as you can get to actual s'mores - minus the campfire.
Ciao! It's Superbowl Sunday so obviously, I made Broccoli Chick Pea Salad. 😂 Who needs chicken wings and nachos when you've got a giant bowl of dark, green vegetables and legumes??? (So who wants invitation to my next Superbowl party?) 🥦🏈 The thing is - broccoli tops the very short list of vegetables that my family actually enjoys. I make it in as many different ways as I possibly can because the alternative is to eat steamed broccoli three nights a week. 😬 Some of my favorite ways to prepare this most requested vegetable are broccoli fritters, grilled broccoli, roasted broccoli, broccoli casserole and broccoli salads. Broccoli salad has been one of my standby side dishes for summer picnics for a long time. I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to make broccoli salad which is why I decided to give this new take on a traditional broccoli salad a whirl. Warm broccoli and crunchy chick peas tossed in a light, lemon, parmesan, oil based dressing - this little gem is a keeper. Broccoli Chick Pea Salad 1/2 cup parmesan 1/2 cup olive oil 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 15 ounce can chick peas 1/2 red onion, sliced thin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
Transfer broccoli to chick pea bowl and toss to combine. Serve warm.
I hesitate to even categorize this Broccoli and Chick Pea creation as a "salad." It's best enjoyed warm which makes it seem more like a side dish and less like a salad. Whatever you choose to call it - I think you'll agree that it's delicious. Ciao! |
Like my page on facebook.
Follow me on Instagram
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|