We came home to have lunch with Kara, Laura and my mom as we worked on decorating our house. Pictures this weekend.

Then I dropped off dinner and got started on making our dinner for Brady’s grandma and aunt to come over for. I did a big pot of black bean soup with extra veggies to go with salad and cheese melts.

But we can talk about that later.

We had a great time chatting and playing (staring at) with 4 week old Baby Mya. Before they left and Anna hit the tub, we had a fabulous Dairy Queen cake (the Reese’s Blizzard kind) for Jacki’s birthday!

Quinoa would have been a better choice than ice cream cake but who would ever pick that?

  Quinoa with Red Onion and Kale

• 2 cups of vegetable broth (+ 1/2 c. more if needed to finish cooking quinoa)
• 1 c. quinoa
• 1 med. red onion, sliced thin
• 1.5 c. of fresh baby kale
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 or 2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/2 can of chickpeas
• MMM sauce for topping (you could also use your favorite sauce – teriyaki, spicy peanut dressing, soyaki, etc)

1. In a large pot, bring broth to a boil. Then add quinoa.
2. Cook with a lid on until water is dissolved and quinoa is fluffy. You may need to add a little water or broth to get the quinoa all the way cooked.
3. While quinoa cooks, in a large frying pan, simmer onion, garlic, olive oil, kale and chickpeas.
4. When onions are softened and kale has wilted, add veggies to the pot of quinoa.
5. Serve with a big dollop of MMM sauce.

We are ready to eat!

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Apple Walnut Brie Tartlets

Pesto Shrimp Bites

Goat Cheese + Cranberry Bites

Lentil Butternut Squash Chili

Low Fat Crab Cakes

Healthy Mac + Cheese

Sweet Potato + Black Bean Burrito w/ or w/o chicken

Classic Lean Beef Chili  

Spicy Peanut Salad

Beer Cheese Dip

Dried Beef Dip

Almond Raspberry Bars

Low Fat Sugar Cookie Fruit Bars

Light Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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In honor of Mama Pea’s second cookbook, I decided to make her highly raved about MMM sauce. While I was skeptical of the many different ingredients, I in no way doubted it’s delicousness.
What I didn’t realize was how fantastic it was going to be. It exceeded my expectations. Brady loved it as well. And although Anna called it hummus (which I let happen since she loves hummus!), she loved it too!
I see why Sarah specifically wrote that the recipe could easily be doubled. Too bad I didn’t follow her directions and double it to begin with because now I will have to wash out my food processor an extra time.

We drizzled the liquid gold on our dinner last night which included salmon, red onion + kale quinoa (recipe to come) and green beans.    
And once we started eating and realized how good it was, I moved the whole container onto the table for easier access.

MMM Sauce
from the recipe goddess: Mama Pea

• 1/4 c. almonds
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/4 c. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
• 2 1/2 T. lemon juice
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1/4 t. salt
• 3/4 t. curry powder
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/2 t. dried cilantro

Her Note That I Didn’t Follow: this recipe could easily be doubled and leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for 7-10 days

1. In a high speed blender or food processor, combine oil, almonds, water and chickpeas. Blend until relatively smooth.

2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

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Now we are already at Monday morning with no couch and no weekend left. Bummer.

The good news is that we got to share these tasty treats with the Sunday night dinner crew that came over for a pizza party last night. We made 4 or 5 different kinds of pizzas to go with roasted cauliflower, salad and cocoa krispie treats.

If you need a fast, sugar loaded dessert and you are trying to skip the basic chocolate chip cookie – make these.

Cocoa Rice Krispie Treats

• 2 T. butter
• 1 bag of little marshmallows
• 1 box of Cocoa Rice Krispies

1. Melt the butter in your pan and add bag of marshmallows.
2. Cook on med-low until marshmallows are melted.
3. Add box of cereal to pan once it has been removed from heat.
4. Combine marshmallows and cereal and pour (spoon) into a greased 9×13.
5. Cut and serve fresh!

No little hands could resist.

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And cooking. And teaching classes. And everything else.

I did find time this week to make this delicious lentil dish. In fact, I just finished off the last of the leftovers today for lunch on a salad. It was 1,000 times better than it looks.

I saved the recipe from Natalie’s blog a few weeks ago and only changed a few things based on what I had on hand.

Garam Masala Lentils and Potatoes

orginally from Family Circle October 2011 then The Sweets Life.

Ingredients:
-l lb brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
-1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
-2 onions, peeled and chopped
-1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp garam masala seasoning
- 1 tsp ground cumin
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combined 4 cups water, lentils, potatoes, onions, diced tomatoes, salt, garam masala, cumin, and pepper. 2. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

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It is Friday yet? This week has been so long and it’s not even Wednesday! The furnace has been a process and it’s fixed yet.

Sooo, let’s just talk food.

I made a his and hers burrito for dinner tonight. I would post a recipe but there were so many things going on that I don’t have one. I do that two recipes that I mixed together to form my own.

I used Angela’s Butternut Squash and Black Bean Burritos recipe:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed, & roasted
• 1/2 cup uncooked short grain brown rice (yields: 1.5 cups cooked)
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• One 15-oz can black beans (about 1.5-2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• 4 tortilla wraps (large or x-large)
• Toppings of choice: (avocado, salsa, vegan sour cream, spinach/lettuce, cilantro, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a large glass dish with tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on squash and give a shake of salt and pepper. Coat with hands. Roast chopped butternut squash for 45 mins. or until tender.

2. Cook brown rice (for directions, see here)

3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in salt and seasonings and stir well.

4. Add chopped red pepper, black beans, and cooked rice and sauté for another 10 mins. on low.

5. When b’nut squash is tender remove from oven and cool slightly. Add 1.5 cups of the cooked butternut squash to the skillet and stir well. You can mash the squash with a fork if some pieces are too large. Add Daiya cheese and heat another couple minutes.

6. Add bean filling to tortilla along with desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Leftover filling can be reheated the next day for lunch in a wrap or as a salad topper.

And this one I found on Epicurious.

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If that’s the case, try making this salad. You can even eat it it with a large marg if it’s that kind of day.

One of the best things about this salad – besides the amazing color and dance party of flavor is the fact that you probably have most of the ingredients right now. So there is no need to make an extensive grocery list with 50 items.

Run over to your pantry and check for the following basics:

canned corn – black beans – salsa – chili pepper sauce – cumin

Then head to your fridge and look for these everyday foods:

an avocado – a frozen bag of shrimp – romaine lettuce – carrots – fat free greek yogurt – a few tomatoes

If you’ve got them then you are ready to go.

Southwest Shrimp Salads

• 1 lb. frozen shrimp, already cooked when you buy it, remove tails if needed
• 2-3 T. red chili pepper sauce (depending how hot you like it)
• 2 t. cumin

• large bed of romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 can of no-salt corn, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 can of low-salt black beans, drained and rinsed well
• handful of carrots, chopped
• 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 avocado, diced

• 2/3 c. salsa
• 1/4 c. greek yogurt
• a dash of cumin

For the shrimp:

1. Thaw or simmer the frozen cooked shrimp until it has just thawed.
2. Drain the water left from thawing or simmering the shrimp.
3. Mix the shrimp with chili pepper sauce and cumin and simmer for about 3-6 minutes on medium heat.
4. The shrimp should firm up and be coated in sauce.
5. Set aside to cool.

For the salad:

1. Chop the lettuce.
2. Layer beans, corn, carrots, tomatoes and avocado onto lettuce.
3. Place cooled shrimp on top.

For the dressing:

1. Mix greek yogurt with salsa and cumin.
2. Stir to combine.

That’s it. There is no way to mess it up.

Once you have loaded up on fresh veggies and tasty shrimp, find your favorite baker and ask them to bake you a fresh batch of cookies.

Make sure they mix the cookies and frosting in the bowl together and that they store their mixer in the oven. Once you find that, you are all set. If you can’t find your own special baker, I am sure I can share mine.

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This week I needed a healthy meal for Anna that would be easy to reheat. I immediately turned to a favorite – Mac & Cheese. It’s simple to make, full of protein and is easily gobbled by little fingers (and big fingers for that matter).

Full of low-fat cottage cheese and whole grain pasta, this dish can keep those little legs moving.

Plus it has a secret ingredient: pumpkin. It adds a little extra something to the creamy texture and is undetectable. It’s usually served with a side of puzzle or Playdough.

Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 lb. of cooked elbow noodles – whole grain, high fiber, gluten free or pasta plus all work
• 1 large container of low-fat cottage cheese (24 oz.)
• 1 container of sour cream (16 oz.) – low-fat, reduced-fat work best
• 1 c. pure canned pumpkin
• 1 c. 2% cheddar cheese (or more if you’d like)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta as directed.
2. Mix cottage cheese, sour cream, pumpkin and cheese together.
3. Place noodle mixture in a baking dish.
4. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, until noodles are bubbly and cheese is melted.
5. Uncover and bake for a 5-8 more minutes.
6. Serve warm

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It’s packed with fresh lemon juice to wake you up.

at  

Fiber for chew and greens for energy.

An amazing dressing that’s light but rich at the same time.

Veggies for color and texture, plus nutrients!

The combination results in a tons of flavors that will make your mouth happy!

Lemon Tahini Wheat Berry Salad

• 2 c. cooked wheat berries or spelt berries
• 1 c. chopped arugula
• 1 c. chopped or diced tomato
• 1/2 c. chopped peppers
• 1 c. chickpeas
• Lemon Tahini Dressing

Lemon Tahini Light Dressing

Adapted from Tahini-Lemon Dressing.

Yield: Just under 1 cup of dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Tahini
• 4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast or a bit more, to taste
• 2 T. tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1 tsp kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

1. In a bowl, add all ingredients and mix until smooth.

2. Pour onto salad or use with other recipes!

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This appetizer came together with things I had in the cupboard and fridge and may be on the top of my favorite appetizer list.

It’s easy.

It’s simple to make.

It can be made ahead.

It doesn’t need to be served warm.

It’s moderately healthy.

It’s packed with flavor.

It has all of the qualities of a great appetizer.

And it can be served in mini phyllo cups for added crunch and easy eating.

Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnut, Arugula and Cranberry Bites

(this recipe made a little more than 30 cups)

• 2-4 oz. of crumbled goat cheese (1/2-whole small container from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 c. of chopped walnuts
• 2 c. of diced fresh arugula
• 3/4 c. dried cranberries
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• salt to taste on nuts
• 1 T. water
• 2 T. good balsamic vinegar

• whole grain bread or phyllo cups

1. In a small sauce pan, mix brown sugar and water and add walnuts and a sprinkle of salt. Cook on med. heat until sugar crystalizes on walnuts (8-10 minutes). Let cool and sugar will harden.
2. Mix cooled nuts with diced arugula, cranberries and goat cheese.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Add balsamic vinegar and serve in mini cups or on whole grain toasts!

Enjoy!

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