Strawberry Summer Salad

Hello everyone! 

It is officially summer if you couldn't tell by the DISGUSTING heat outside.  It seems that all I want to do these days is put on shorts and a baggy T-shirt, grab a popsicle, and watch Boy Meets World re-runs on my DVR.  I have so many things I want to do this summer (cook great meals, workout, shop, swim, etc) but the heat is seriously stunting my ambitions :)

My awesome sister Kelli and her husband Payne had us over for dinner a few weeks ago and I must share with you the salad recipe she made

Summer Salad with Strawberries and Feta

Recipe by Our Best Bites

–Salad greens (I just used chopped Romaine lettuce and Spinach)

–Crumbled feta cheese (This could be omitted if you're not a fan, I used the smallest amount)

–Thinly sliced red onions (Didn't have this in my fridge but will add it next time!)
 
–Sliced strawberries

–Candied pecans or walnuts (I used Candied Pecans I found at TJ's)

–Crumbled Turkey Bacon

–Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette to taste

Combine Ingredients in a large serving bowl and drizzle vinaigrette dressing on top. 

Serve immediately.

Spinach Salad with Sweet Onion Vinaigrette

I got this salad recipe from

www.bake-aholic.com

I absolutely love spinach salads but most require a lot of ingredients I don't normally have lying around my house.  I also LOVE a sweet vinaigrette but unfortunately most of them are loaded with SUGAR.

I love this dressing recipe because the red onion gives a subtle sweetness to it and it makes it an awesome pink color!
I made this salad a few weeks ago for dinner and paired it with a Turkey Bacon Avocado Panini.

Spinach Salad:

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. spinach
• 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup toasted almonds (350 degrees for 8 minutes)
• 1/2 lb crisp bacon (I prefer turkey bacon)
• red onion slices (optional)

Sweet Onion Vinaigrette:

•  1/8 of a red onion
• 1/3 cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) 
• 3 T. sugar (I use xylitol)
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

Puree dressing ingredients in a blender.  Toss salad.

Kim's Notes:

Buy organic spinach at Costco or Trader Joes since SPINACH is #5 on the DIRTY DOZEN list of pesticide residue. 

Using XYLITOL instead of regular TABLE SUGAR is a GREAT idea for many reason: It is JUST AS sweet as sugar, it has a glycemic index of 10 instead of 90, it's actually GOOD for your teeth instead of BAD, and it has 40% fewer calories and 75% fewer carbohydrates! It is also one of the FEW sugar substitutes that isn't HARMFUL to your health.  You can buy this at Sprouts or online.

Crash Hot Potatoes

In my opinion, a GOOD potato recipe is actually one you do not have to smother in butter, cream, and cheese to make it taste delicious.  My FAVORITE potato recipes are the ones that are roasted in the oven. You may remember THIS RECIPE which used to be my go-to potato recipe.

But then I found this recipe! And you MUST USE KOSHER SALT!!!! It makes all the difference.

Crash Hot Potatoes

via

Ingredients:

• 10 - 12 Red Potatoes (or any other small, thin skinned potato)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I use grapeseed oil because it is more stable under high heat)
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (I use dried parsley!!!!) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender. (approx. 18-25 min.)

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

I recently made these as a side dish with pan seared tilapia with fresh lemon!

 I used trader joes gold potatoes.

And yesterday I made them as the main meal with steamed broccoli and squash on the side!

And P.S. these are divine topped with ketchup... but we all know that ;)



Enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli

TRY.... THIS.... NOW

 Recipe & photo from "Can You Stay For Dinner"

Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 2 heads broccoli, chopped into florets
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, or any oil you like
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lay the florets in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2. Pour oil into small bowl and dip a pastry brush into the oil and then onto each floret to coat lightly.
3. Sprinkle evenly with salt.
4. Roast for 15-18 minutes, or until broccoli tips have begun to blacken and they can be easily pierced with a fork.

serves 2

Roasted Red Potatoes and Carrots

This recipe is amazing for so many reasons. Use it as a side dish to grilled meat and salad or be extra clean and make it your main entree! I love this recipe because it requires NO butter, milk, or cheese to make the potatoes delicious. Have not found another potato recipe that does that yet! MAKE THIS tonight and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Also experiment with other vegetables you enjoy.

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

* 2 c. baby carrots

* 2-3 T. Olive Oil

* 1 clove garlic (minced)

* Salt & Pepper, to taste

* 1 T. dried parsley flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large ziploc bag, combine cubed potatoes, baby carrots, olive oil, and minced garlic. Shake bag to coat the vegetables thoroughly.

3. Spray a large baking sheet with a small amount of non-stick spray, and remove the vegetables from the bag. Spread out onto the sheet in a single layer.

4. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley and stir the vegetables to evenly coat. 

5. Cook for 30 minutes, then turn the oven to 400 degrees and finish cooking for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are crisp on the edges.

**Tips**

1. before turning to 400 degrees, stir the vegetables to prevent sticking and to get an even crisp on both sides.

2. turning to 400 degrees for the last 20 minutes brings out the sweetness in the carrots and creates an amazing flavor!!!

 

Spanish Rice

 

When Jess and I went vegan for 2 weeks, this recipe saved my life! Even if you aren't a vegan, having one vegan meal a week is a great change that always leaves me feeling healthier. When you take out meat and dairy... it's almost impossible to eat unhealthy! Rice doesn't always have to be a side dish, make this your main meal with some Clean Eating Guacamole  and Reduced Guilt tortilla Chips from Trader Joes on the side!

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:

* 1 T. Olive Oil

* 1 c. uncooked white rice

* 1 onion, chopped

* 1 clove garlic (minced)

* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

* 2 c. chicken broth

* 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

* 2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste

* 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and bell pepper until onions are tender.

2. Add the uncooked rice and let it brown for a few minutes.

3. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Season with chili powder and salt. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. 

4. After 30 minutes, remove skillet from burner and let sit for 5 minutes BEFORE taking off the lid. 

5. Remove lid, fluff rice, ENJOY! 

5 Layer Mexican Dip

This recipe comes from Ellie Krieger who has a cooking show on Food Network called "Healthy Appetite"

She is a registered dietitian and she tells you all the health benefits of the ingredients she cooks with!

This recipe is so delicious and tastes so fresh

Don't be put off by the long ingredient list, 5 layers of goodness requires lots of yummy ingredients!

Total Time: 23 min     Prep: 15 min       Cook: 8 min

Yield: 12 servings, serving size 1/2 cup

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo (I never use this)
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 1 tablespoon finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
• 3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.

Put half of the onion mixture into a food processor with the black beans, chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, cumin, water and salt. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
Add the corn to the skillet with the remaining onion mixture and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro leaves.
In a small bowl mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice. In a medium bowl toss together the tomatoes, scallion and jalapeno, if using. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread the black bean dip into the bottom of an 8 by 8 glass baking or serving dish. Top with the corn mixture, spreading it out to form a single layer over the beans, repeat with the avocado, then the tomatoes. Top with cheese. Serve with baked chips.
Per Serving:
Calories 140; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 0.7 g) ; Protein 5g; Carb 16 g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 245 mg

Clean Eating Guacamole

This is my go-to recipe for guacamole. Instead of being loaded with fatty mayonnaise or sour cream, this recipe includes a few low fat changes to create a healthy, delicious garnish!

Ingredients:

- 3 ripe avocados

- Juice of 1/2 fresh lime

- 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

- 1/2 red or purple onion, minced well

- 1 clove garlic passed through a garlic press

- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut avocados in half.  Discard pit and scoop flesh into bowl. Place all ingredients in medium bowl and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. Enjoy with Trader Joe's reduced guilt tortilla chips or as a garnish on Chili Lime Chicken Tacos!