Archives for posts with tag: healthy recipes
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Roasted Veggie Rice

January 26, 2016 //
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One of my go to ways to cook veggies is to roast them. There is something perfectly yummy about a nice roasted vegetable, am I right? No? Just me?!? Ha! I am sure if you are reading this then perhaps, you too are a veggie fan. This is a recipe I have been perfecting over time. It started out a bit different. A hit, but different. Most recently I created this version and it was bananas good! My nearly 5 year old (9 more days!!) said it was the best thing I ever made. Let me repeat that so it can sink in, my 5 year old said something that consisted of ROASTED vegetables and brown rice, was the best thing I have ever cooked! When a 5 year old tells you that, you just quit right then and there. You cannot create anything as delicious as that ever again. Your work here is done. You may retire. Without further ado, I present to you the best recipe I have ever made, according to Jackson.

(If you hate it, don’t worry, the toddler (16months) wouldn’t even let me put one scoop in his mouth. You can join his team.)

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Roasted Veggie Rice

For the roasted veggies:

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 orange pepper
  • 2-3 zucchini
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 1 container grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup olive oil

For the rice:

  • 2 cups (or one bag) of Volcano Rice. You can use brown rice as well, 2 cups. Cook per directions
  • 1 small package basil, chopped
  • handful chives, chopped
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • fresh black pepper to taste
  • feta cheese to taste and optional

Preheat oven to 425. Combine the roasted veggie ingredients in a large bowl, mix/toss well. Lay evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until the veggies are cooked through and are slightly brown.

Meanwhile, prepare rice to package directions. The Volcano Rice takes about 30 minutes to simmer. Adjust your prep according to the rice you use, brown rice takes longer.

Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk well. When the rice is done, transfer to a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the rice and mix well. Add the basil, chives, and pine nuts, again, mix well. When the veggies are done add them to the rice mixture. Combine well. Serve with feta. I keep that on the side because Jackson is not a big feta fan.

It is a simple recipe and was a big hit. I was very happy with how it turned out. Jackson said the zucchini felt good on his teeth. haha He is a veggie lover though. Tonight he has requested broccoli because and I quote “I just love the way you cook it mommy.” I hope you enjoy this roasted veggie rice as much as he does.

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Pasta Primavera

June 26, 2015 //
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Here is my take on pasta primavera. I do love veggies oh so much. There is something particularly delicious about roasted or grilled veggies. I could just eat those every single day of my life.

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Pasta Primavera

  • 1 lb whole wheat pasta
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • 1 carrot (you could add two. I only had one left!)
  • 1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
  • Olive oil spray, to taste (I use a sprayer that I fill myself)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 vine ripe tomatoes
  • Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut the zucchini, pepper, onion, and carrots into pieces. Arrange neatly on the baking pan. Spray with olive oil until all pieces are coated. Shake the Herbes and sea salt over the veggies. Set in oven. Keep an eye on them. Roast until they begin to brown and the veggies are tender. I even added another coat of olive oil and flipped them around while they cooked.

Meanwhile prepare the pasta. Chop the tomatoes into chunks. When veggies are done add everything to a large bowl and mix to combine. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over and mix again. This is to taste. I prefer to be generous because the sweetness of the vinegar really pulls this dish together!

They made yummy leftovers. I just reheated it all in a pan adding a touch more balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

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Lemony Parm Chicken and Asparagus

May 30, 2015 //
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I made this recipe on Wednesday night. I was going to post it on Thursday. However, I had my very first migraine! It was debilitating! I was down for the count from 1am until about 7pm. I was able to muster up the strength to take the boys outside so they could get their wiggles out. But the thought of sitting in front of a computer screen was even more nauseating. Yesterday I was just busy with the kiddos. Here were are on Saturday morning. Recently I have been getting cravings for asparagus. It must be what happens when you get into your 30’s! HA! I have been incorporating it into dishes here and there. Thankfully my family is enjoying it as well.

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Lemony Parm Chicken and Asparagus 

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • drizzle of olive oil to taste
  • 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • sea salt to taste
  • fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1 bunch of asparagus
  • handfuls of spinach, chopped
  • 3/4 oz container of chives
  • parmesan cheese, to taste.
  • Brown/red rice, to serve over, optional

Heat the garlic in the pan with the olive oil. Once fragrant, add the chicken. Begin to cook chicken through. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook until you no longer see pink. Meanwhile, cut the asparagus into smaller pieces. Once the chicken is no longer pink, add the asparagus. Cook uncovered for a few minutes. Cover, and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is tender. Remove cover, add the chopped spinach and chives. Turn heat down. Let spinach wilt. Turn off heat and serve over rice.

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Categories Chicken

Ginger Curry Turkey with Brown Rice Noodles

May 20, 2015 //
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This recipe is being posted out of sheer luck. Well, maybe some skill was involved, but there was luck there too. Getting dinner to the table last night was hectic to say the least. It was very busy and loud in my kitchen. I was hoping it would be yummy. I wasn’t convinced though as I scooped it into bowls. My cooking had been a touch distracted. I had two boys who equally wanted attention. One wanted to help me cook and CHOP food. The other had bumped his head as I started prepping and so he wasn’t in the mood to be left in the pack and play for an extended period of time. (He hit his head because he is a 7 month old baby who is already cruising along furniture and he has no fear!)

I learned to trust myself a little more. Or at least give myself some credit. This dish was so yummy! We were all raving about it.

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Ginger Curry Turkey with Brown Rice Noodles

  • 1lb ground turkey breast
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Ginger Rice Vinegar
  • 1/2 Tbsp Malaysian Ginger Curry
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 head broccoli
  • 4 small carrots, chopped
  • a couple handfuls of spinach, chopped
  • Brown rice noodles, cooked according to package
  • Sambal Oelek, optional.

Combine the onion and garlic in a large pan or stir fry pan. Pour olive oil over to coat pan. Cook until onions begin to get tender. Add the turkey meat and begin to brown. Add the vinegar, curry powder, and sea salt.

Meanwhile cook the noodles according to package.

Once the meat is browned through add the red pepper flakes, carrots, and broccoli. Once veggies are tender add the spinach and cook until spinach wilts. Add the cooked noodles, breaking them apart into smaller pieces. Mix all together well. Serve in bowls with a scoop of Sambal Oelek if desired. It gives it a nice spiciness!

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Snow Pea Lime Chicken

April 27, 2015 //
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AH! This past week has been crazy! So much has happened. I really did not come up with any new recipes until last night. I was supposed to grill some chicken. I had a new poultry rub idea ready to go. The potatoes were in the oven. Alexander suddenly decided he was starving and exhausted even though he had recently eaten. Babies, I tell ya! I had to halt my food prep and go nurse a sweet little almost 7 month old to sleep for a nappy nap. The potatoes were already cooking. I had to switch it up once I was done because I was short on time now. Pan chicken is always a quick dish for me to whip up. I thought of this on the fly. I was inspired by the snow peas we purchased. This is the very first time I have cooked with snow peas. I hate regular peas. They make me gag. I have tried and I just cannot enjoy the flavor of them. Snow peas taste a bit different though, so I decided to try them again. I really enjoyed this dish. It was light and fresh and very spring like! It looks like snow peas may become a more frequent veggie in our home. Jackson also enjoyed them. He said “Yum. They’re kind of like green beans!” Truth!

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Snow Pea Lime Chicken

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp orange blossom vinegar
  • 3 limes
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 orange pepper, diced
  • 3 carrots julienned
  • 1/2 lb snow peas
  • 3 green onions, chopped

Juice two of the limes. Set the 3rd one aside for later.

Combine the chicken, lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, white pepper, thyme, ground mustard, and sea salt in a large pan. Begin to cook. Once the chicken no longer looks pink add the orange peppers. Cook until they soften. Once the have softened, add the carrots and snow peas. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile juice the 3rd lime. Once chicken is cooked, turn off heat and add the remaining lime juice and green onions.

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Categories Chicken

Savory Turkey and Veggies with Roasted Potatoes

April 17, 2015 //
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I have had a taste for tomatoes all of the time lately. Maybe it is the spring air that has been surrounding us daily. Something about a nice fresh tomato screams warmer weather. That partially inspired this dish. The other part was my 4 year old. I listed off all of the things I could potentially cook and he picked the turkey and potatoes. I truly get giddy over the fact that my child is so open to eating all of these yummy veggies. Eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini all in one dish. It is not always easy at dinnertime with a 4 year old, but we have been consistent in our rules that he has to eat what I serve. It has paid off. I remember when he wouldn’t touch meat and veggies could be a trip as well. Now he picks turkey and begs me to buy eggplants and cauliflower! I haven’t served a legit salad in a while though because he has a deep hatred for them and I have just been too busy basking in the victory that is my child begging for all of these other veggies. Ha! Summer is creeping in though and my salad cravings will increase…..Maybe by the time he is 5 I will have conquered the salad battle as well!

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Savory Turkey and Veggies with Colorful Roasted Potatoes

  • 1lb white meat ground turkey
  • 2 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 eggplant, diced
  • 2 vine ripe tomatoes, diced
  • 1 zucchini, zoodled

Heat the garlic in the olive oil for 1-2 minutes, until it is sizzling and fragrant. Add the ground turkey and begin to brown. Breaking up the pieces with your spoon. Once some of the pieces are turning white, add the Italian seasoning, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, ground mustard, and sea salt. Continue to cook until you no longer see pink bits, breaking up the pieces as it cooks. Add the eggplant and tomatoes. Cook until the eggplant until is soft and the tomatoes start to fall apart. Add the zoodles and cook another 2-3 minutes for the zucchini to get tender.

I served this over my Roasted Potato Bites. The only thing I did different was skip the lemon juice in this recipe. I just roasted them with the olive oil and sea salt. It was a nice compliment to the turkey.

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Roasted Purple Cauliflower and Red Potatoes

April 12, 2015 //
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Jackson begs me to buy cauliflower all of the time. He is also known for just tossing a bag of fresh green beans into our cart without knowing if I had it on my list! When he saw that I was cooking the purple cauliflower he stopped in his tracks to exclaim his joy. If your veggies are this fun of a color, what’s not to love? This recipe is a great side dish. I made my Lemon Pepper Chicken to go along with this dish. I skipped the pasta and the green beans. I didn’t have and green beans. I added two shortly zoodled zucchinis and a couple handfuls of spinach instead. They went together very well!

I was supposed to get this posted yesterday but I have found my laptop to be in use all of the time lately. Jackson has discovered AbcMouse. A wonderful learning site. We signed him up the other day. It is the first thing he asks to do in the morning. Yesterday he started his morning at 6am. Very early for my chronically late sleeper. That is my normal writing time. Better late than never, though. Hope you get to squeeze this yummy side dish into your week.

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Roasted Purple Cauliflower and Red Potatoes

  • 1/2 head purple cauliflower (approximately)
  • 4-5 medium/small red potatoes
  • 2 Tbsp lemon olive oil. I used this
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 405

Cut up potatoes into bite size pieces. Break apart cauliflower florets. Add all to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, Italian seasoning, and sea salt. Mix/toss well until all pieces are coated. Pour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for around 30 minutes.  Serve!

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Categories Recipes, Side Dishes

Blood Orange Chicken

April 4, 2015 //
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I wanted to make something with chicken and veggies. I also wanted to use a new vinegar I recently purchased. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet. My 4 year old really wanted pasta. This creation came from those three factors. I then started thinking about how gorgeous all the blood oranges I bought are. I am just in love with their color. They are truly beautiful.

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Blood Orange Chicken

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 blood oranges. One juiced. One cut into pieces and set aside.
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 Tbsp O Ginger Rice Vinegar
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3 small carrots, julienned
  • 1 zucchini, julienned
  • Crushed red pepper (optional)

Heat the coconut oil in a large pan. Add the minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces, blood orange juice, lime juice, ginger rice vinegar, coriander, sea salt, and pepper. Cook chicken through. Add the honey and blood orange pieces. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrots and zucchini. Cook until the veggies are tender but still bright.

I served it over whole wheat spaghetti, but brown rice would be another great option. You can also sprinkle a little red pepper flakes over your bowl if you wanted a little kick.

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Categories Chicken, Recipes

Grilled Steak with Greek Peppers

April 1, 2015 //
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The weather has been beautiful the past two days. Yesterday was nice enough to enjoy using my grill. I was inspired to make this dish by finding these very pretty purple peppers at Whole Foods the other day. I love incorporating color into my meals. It even helps get the little ones excited about veggies. These were too pretty to pass up!

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Grilled Steak with Greek Peppers

For the meat:

  • 2 steaks. I used filet
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • touch of olive oil
  • sea salt, to taste
  • fresh black pepper, to taste

I trimmed the meat and sliced it lengthwise so the pieces were thinner and grilled quicker. I mixed the lemon juice and olive oil in one small bowl. The sea salt and pepper in another. I brushed each side of the meat with the lemon juice/olive oil. Then rubbed the sea salt/pepper into the meat.

I grilled on low until the steaks were about medium well. Slice up the steaks, set aside.

For the Peppers

  • 2 small purple bell peppers
  • 1 small red bell pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 Tbsp of my Greek Seasoning 
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • Several handfuls of spinach/arugula mix. You could also just use spinach. I just had this leafy green mix
  • Fresh chopped Italian parsley, to taste.
  • Feta, to taste
  • Whole wheat Pitas

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the minced garlic. Heat for a minute. Add the sliced peppers, Greek seasoning, vinegar, and lemon juice. Cook until peppers are tender. Add the spinach/arugula and the sliced up steak. Allow leafy greens to wilt. Add parsley, mix well. Serve on warm whole wheat pita bread. Top with a little feta.

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Categories dinner, Recipes

Greek Seasoning

April 1, 2015 //
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Here is another one of my homemade seasoning mixes! It is great on meat, veggies, or potatoes! Keep your eyes open for recipes that include it. I seriously am obsessed with these mason spice jars! They’re so tiny and cute.

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Greek Seasoning

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Mediterranean oregano
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp Mediterranean basil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder

Combine all in an airtight container, shake to mix well. Store in a cool dry place. When cooking with this I add fresh garlic. I just really prefer fresh garlic to powdered garlic. You could add 1/4 tsp of garlic powder if you waned to use that instead of a clove of garlic while cooking.

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