Avocado, Mango & Strawberry Lentil Salad

Internet, it's been a long time! The huz and I took three weeks off, traveled to five European countries, ate a lot of delicious food and had a fabulous time. We are trying our best to fight jet leg and adjust to reality again! I'll share some images from our trip and the incredible food we ate in some future posts.

In the meantime, Vancouver is being good to us and the sun is shining. I love this time of the year!

This salad was so easy to make and is perfect for a warm summer night. I had purchased some precooked lentils (from Trader Joe's) that I put into a salad bowl and added chopped avocado, mango and strawberries. I drizzled a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar on the salad and tossed it lightly until everything was nicely coated.

I highly recommend this salad after you get your fix of daily vitamin D! I hope you've been having a great summer!

Chickpea Salad with Feta and Heirloom Tomatoes

Husband informed me it had been 14 days since I last made him a meal with nutritional value.

So what if I happen to think that peanut butter cookies contain your daily amount of protein and that frozen spinach pizzas offer a variety of nutrients? Apparently, it wasn't going to cut it.

So, I decided to be gourmet and go all Martha on him. I made him this salad. It was so easy. (Like, embarrassingly so). And it was colorful, flavorful and nutritious.

I made husband eat lots so that he would get his veggie fix and forget about all of the cookies I fed him (and called dinner). I am now the trophy wife... that cooks.


Chickpea Salad with Feta and Heirloom Tomatoes
Adapted from: Angie's Recipes

Ingredients

1 tin Chickpeas
2 cups of heirloom tomatoes
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
2 tbsp Fresh chives, chopped
2 tbsp Lemon juice
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Tip the chickpeas into a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Drain and place them in a large bowl.
Add the tomatoes, together with crumbled feta and mix into the bowl of chickpeas. Drizzle in the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Gently toss to combine.

Tortellini Spinach & Veggie Soup

Yes, I get that this doesn't look like soup and I blame that on that fact that I was sick and probably consumed most of the chicken broth for dinner. So bare with me.

This is soup. I promise.

This was so easy to make, is chalk full of delicious veggies and is a substantial main course with the help of the cheese filled tortellini.

My husband informed me that it was so good that if I would just make this soup and this he could easily live off of that.

Righhhht.... ;)

Top this soup off with some grated cheese and enjoy!


Tortellini Spinach & Veggie Soup
Adapted from: Apple Crumbles

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 carrot, peeled and chopped small
2 ribs of celery, chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
14 oz can diced No Salt Added tomatoes
32 oz Vegetable Stock
6 oz baby spinach, chopped
9 oz pkg Whole Wheat tortellini with 4 cheeses
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and let cook another minute.

Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms, oregano, thyme, pepper flakes and cook about 6 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to simmer for 10 –12 minutes.  Add the spinach and tortellini and cook for 6 minutes.

Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili

As we've previously established, pumpkin is one of the best things about fall.

Exhibit A: This chili (... and these and these).

And, this is another recipe made it the slow cooker; my new best friend.

The pumpkin in the recipe makes the consistency thick and creamy. The pumpkin flavor is quite subtle but gives the entire dish a subtle sweetness that's incredibly tasty.

This is delicious, healthy* and perfect for warming up on these brisk fall days we are enjoying right now!


Black Bean 'n' Pumpkin Chili {Slow Cooker}
Adapted from: Taste Of Home

Ingredients

2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package of ground turkey
1 can solid-pack pumpkin
1 can diced tomatoes, un-drained
3 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large skillet, saute the onion, yellow pepper in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.

*1 cup equals 192 calories, 5 g of fat, 7 g of fiber and 16 g of protein.

Add sour cream, avocado or shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Chicken {Slow Cooker}

I love my slow cooker.

Like, love... a lot.

It completely simplifies my life. (Especially since my cooking skills aren't quite to par with my baking abilities. Shh).

In this recipe the tender, juicy, shredded chicken soaks up all the flavors the sweet and tangy sauce provides. This tasted wonderful served over rice with a side of veggies.

This will definitely be made again. I mean, a meal that requires five minutes of prep and tasted marvelous, how could I not?

Enjoy!


Sweet & Sour Chicken {Slow Cooker}
Adapted from: My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup low-sodium beef broth

Direction

In a large skillet, heat the butter/olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook them for 1-2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken to the slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Whisk well. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve with rice or noodles.

Turkey and Zucchini Green Chili

With Thanksgiving right around the corner it was only fitting to make this soup.

Especially since I already know this is as close as I'll get to cooking the turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

I’m in charge of dessert. Go figure, right?

This soup has great flavors from the onion, garlic, green salsa and ground turkey. Add a dash of hot sauce and it's even better.

This is a healthy, flavorful and satisfying soup; perfect for this chilly fall weather we are enjoying in Vancouver.


Turkey and Zucchini Green Chili
Adapted from: Closet Cooking

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 pound ground turkey
3 cups chicken stock (low-sodium, low-fat)
2 cups green chili salsa (mild)
1 can white beans (rinsed and drained)
1 teaspoon oregano
2 jalapeno peppers (or to taste, diced) (I did not add)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound zucchini (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 can of corn

Directions

Heat the oil in a pot. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 5-10 minutes

Add the stock, green salsa, beans, oregano, peppers, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the zucchini and corn and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes.

Spelt Bread

Brace yourselves, people. I'm throwing a healthy recipe your way. You know I wouldn't post something if it wasn't fabulous, so you're going to have to trust me on this one!

We have my MIL to thank for this recipe. My FIL is on a special diet so while we were visiting them in California last week I got her to share this with me. First of all, the best part about this bread is that it is extremely easy to make. Second, it doesn't involve kneading, yeast and fussy rising times, things that intimidate me with baking bread (more specifically, cinnamon buns... I really must get on that).

This is great toasted for breakfast, so filling and delicious. The ingredients listed below are your base, from there add whatever fillings you like. I added a couple handfuls of chopped pecans and almonds, raisins, dried cranberries and apricots. I also tossed in 1/4 cup of flax seed, even after my recent flax incident. Top your bread off with some almond butter and honey and you're in for a treat, a healthy treat! Nothing better than starting your day off right!


Spelt Bread

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flower (I used Bob's Red Mill from Costco)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
Your choice of fillings!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease loaf pan and set aside. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Add the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and mix together. Add eggs, milk and your choice of fillings to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour in loaf pan and cook for 40 - 45 minutes.

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

This soup is beyond good. We're talking out of this world delicious and a definite must make for shrimp lovers.

You can have this soup ready in about 30 minutes, start to finish. It smells heavenly while cooking and tastes fantastic. This has already been requested as a "please make again."

The coconut milk’s rich flavor will keep you coming back for more of this substantial soup. So, go! Go make yourself a batch of my new favorite soup. I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Note: Instead of the shrimp, use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about three), cut crosswise into quarter-inch strips. Cook for the same amount of time.


Brazilian Shrimp Soup
From: Food & Wine

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup long-grain rice
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 ¾ tsp salt
1 ¾ cups canned crushed tomatoes
5 cups water
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 ½ lbs medium shrimp, peeled and cut in half horizontally
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup cilantro, chopped (I used basil)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.  Add the rice, red pepper flakes, salt, crushed tomatoes, and water to the pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until the rice is almost tender.  Stir in the coconut milk into the soup.  Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice and basil.  Serve immediately.

Spinach and Lentil Soup

I am about to make your day. Friends, I give you the "one pot dinner." Yes, you heard me right. One pot! No chopping involved here, just throw in all of the ingredients, put the lid on and bring your soup to a boil.

Not only is this soup delicious, easy, mess free and healthy but the total bonus is that it will leave you plenty of time to bake dessert ;)


Spinach and Lentil Soup
From: Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock
1 cup lentils
1 pound fresh baby spinach
2 teaspoons lemon pepper spice blend
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of one lemon

Directions

Place chicken stock, lentils, baby spinach, lemon pepper spice blend, and olive oil in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer for 15 minutes or until lentils are tender. Mix in lemon juice. Makes 4 servings. Each serving is approximately 156 calories - love that!

Rice, Asparagus & Avocado Salad

As the temperature rises, so does the appeal of crisp, healthy and delicious summer salads. This recipe does double duty as either an appetizer or a meal. My hubby made an incredible stuffed pork tenderloin so this colorful salad served as a side but if you wanted to add juicy grilled chicken, prawns or salmon it would make for a great meal. This was so delicious, mighty nutritious and will be made again and again!


Rice, Asparagus & Avocado Salad
Adapted from: Cook & Be Merry

Rice:
½ cup uncooked white rice
½ cup uncooked brown, aromatic or wild rice

Dressing:
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1-2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup packed cilantro leaves, stems discarded (I used basil)
Kosher salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) (not table salt)
Dash white pepper

Salad:
½ cup sliced green onions
1 cup seeded cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cups chopped curly endive, light to medium green leaf parts, stems discarded (optional, I didn't add)
1 pound asparagus, stems peeled, cooked 1-2 minutes, cut in 1-inch pieces (I used white and green)
1 avocado, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
Optional: yellow or red pepper, cut into small strips (I added half of both)

Directions

Cook white rice according to package directions. Chill. Cook brown rice (separately) according to package directions. Chill.

In mini-processor or blender (I used my magic bullet), place vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic and basil. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

In a very large bowl, combine rices, green onions, tomato, asparagus and avocado and any other veggies you're using. Toss with dressing. Serve immediately or chill to blend flavors.

Lemon Cumin Quinoa

Quinoa... my newest grain love! Have you tried it?!

The quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) seed is high in protein, calcium and iron. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans.

This is superfood here people! And it's wonderfully delicious!

I'm hooked on quinoa and love its versatility. Qunioa is great for breakfast, salads or soups.You're only limited by your imagination when cooking with this grain!


Lemon Cumin Quinoa with Avocado, Raisins, and Apricots
Adapted from: Fine Cooking

Ingredients

3 TBS raisins (preferably a mix of dark and golden)
2 TBS dried apricots, thinly sliced
1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed well
Kosher salt
1 large lemon
3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
2 medium firm-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3 TBS coarsely chopped toasted almonds
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, soak the raisins and apricots in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water, the quinoa, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Immediately fluff the quinoa with a fork and turn it out onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.

Finely grate the zest from the lemon and then squeeze 1 TBS juice. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, and 1/4 tsp. salt. In a large bowl, toss the vinaigrette with the quinoa, raisins, apricots, avocado, scallions, and almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Look at that! Food! With nutritional value!

I'm turning over a new leaf (this leaf happens to turn often, just not this way) and I'm cooking and I'm cooking healthy. (My mom is probably picking herself up off the floor right now).

There has been a healthy handful of you that have mentioned there are no nutritious recipes ::gasp:: Although I can't guarantee you that this will be a regular occurrence I can tell you that I will try my best to post something tasty and nutritious every once and a while!

So here we go, Mushroom Barley Soup.

Barley is a nutritional powerhouse! (Yes! Just what you've all been asking for!) Barley is described as a wise choice for heart-smart dining as it contains soluble fiber content, along with its naturally low-fat content and zero cholesterol.

This soup was really easy to make, has a super low calorie count, tasted delicious and was great for both packed lunches and dinners. Enjoy!


Mushroom Barley Soup
Adapted from: Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

1 cup barley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2  carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 package of white button mushrooms, sliced (I used 20-25)
3 cans low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a medium pan, bring 4 cups of water and the 1 cup of barley to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they are soft.  Add the vegetable broth, water, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves before serving. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.