My favorite dish was the sweet and spicy roasted brussels sprouts.

The recipe came from a recent People magazine (Paul Qui:Top Chef winner) and will be making another appearance soon! It was a little high in sugar, but it made a ton of sauce. We probably used about 1/2 of the sauce. Next time I make them I will cut down the sugar and see how it goes.

Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts

• 1-2 lbs. of brussels sprouts, without stem and sliced in half
• 1 T. olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Rinse the sprouts and trim their stems and slice in half.
2. Toss with a little olive oil (1 T.) and salt and pepper.
3. Roast brussels sprouts on a cookie sheet at 400* for about 30 minutes, turning once.

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 head of garlic, minced
• juice of 1/2 of a lemon

1. Make the sauce by combining the above ingredients together in a sauce pan.
2. Allow the mixture to cook down almost in half so the sauce can thicken and meld together.
3. When the brussels sprouts come out of the oven after being roasted and the sauce is ready, toss the sauce and sprouts in a large bowl and reheat in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
4. Serve warm with an extra drizzle of lemon juice.

Hope your Thursday is as relaxing as this.

Mine is not. I am off to teach 6am No Limits Circuit, followed by a breakfast break and back to teach Total Conditioning. Then it’s home to make dinner for neighbors and have lunch before we go to the Indian’s Home Opener today! Should be busy and fun!

What are you making for Easter this weekend?

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Lentil Veggie Soup

• 4 stalks of celery, chipped into small pieces
• 3 onions, diced
• 1 cup of baby carrots, diced
• 1/2 lb. or 1.5 cups of brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 butternut squash, peeled then diced
• a few handfuls of fresh kale
• 1 can of low (or no) sodium diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 lg. boxes of vegetable broth – no/low sodium
• 2 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic and herb (no salt seasoning)
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 cubes of frozen minced garlic
• 3 cubes of frozen fresh basil
• pepper, salt and nutritional yeast to taste
• *also, I added garam masala into my leftover soup today and it was great.

1. Dice carrots, onions, celery and put into a large pot with 1 c. water and the garlic cubes and fresh garlic. Simmer mixture for 5-10 minutes until veggies begin to soften and water is almost evaporated.
2. Add in all veggie broth and lentils, tomatoes (with juice) seasonings, basil and some fresh pepper.
3. Simmer for 20-30 minutes at a low boil until lentils soften.
4. In the meantime, peel and dice the squash. Place squash on a glass dish and microwave for 4-5 minutes to soften squash.
5. Add soften cubes of squash and fresh kale to soup and continue simmering.
6. Once all veggies have reached your desired consistency, remove from heat and serve with warm crusty bread.

So good. Filling and light at the same time.

While I was busy making soup, Anna was busy doing some important work. Notice the finger. I think the iphone, ipad, ipod finger has become a natural instinct. Scary.

A masterpiece in the making.

And always so proud.

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Brady packs his lunch everyday, with the exception of a few days when I make it for him. (I used to make if all the time when we were first married but those times are gone.:) ) He likes to eat the same thing each day – grilled chicken (that we cook early in the week) on a salad with black olives, a little cheese, hardboiled egg and veggies, usually tomatoes, cucumber and carrots. There are times when he will take leftovers or once in a long while he will make a peanut butter (no jelly) sandwich on whole wheat. A yogurt and sometimes an apple round out his noon-time meal. This meal fits his criteria for a packed lunch:

• portable and fits in the lunchbox
• does not need to be reheated
• filling and satisfying
• overall, simple to prepare/assemble as long as you plan ahead
• healthy

When I was a teacher I would pack my lunch everyday. I would usually bring a salad but sometimes I would change it up and bring soup, popcorn, leftovers or a veggie sandwich. It was important for me to pack my lunch because every moment of time in the day mattered and I usually had to rush through lunch to get something done.   

It’s easy to get stuck in a lunch rut and it’s easy to just buy lots of prepackaged foods to throw in your lunchbox or your child’s but this year, try to make packing your lunch fun! Get your child involved and do it ahead of time!

Here are a few ideas of different things to pack:

1. Wrap sandwich: filled with a lean protein, fresh veggies and a little bbq sauce. Or try these delicious lime spiced shrimp wraps.

2. Individual quiche muffins: mix eggs, veggies, a little cheese and a little milk abd

3. Veggie and Cheese Pitas: Layer some hummus, a few cucumbers, lettuce and a tomato with a piece of Colby-Jack cheese in a whole wheat pita.

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4. Peanut Butter, Jelly and Banana sandwich on whole wheat.

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5. Tasting plate of fresh veggies, fruit and whole grain pretzels with peanut butter and hummus to dip into.

6. Egg salad sandwich: Make egg salad with hardboiled eggs and a little mayo and a little plain yogurt. Let your kids decide if they want to eat it on bread or spread on crackers. Top with a few pieces of fresh tomato.

7. Greek Yogurt Parfait. : If your child does not like traditional lunch choices, give them something you know they will eat. Layer greek yogurt (calcium, protein) with peanut butter or almond butter and fresh fruit. Top the parfait with a whole grain cereal to add some crunch!

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Join in Healthy Lunchbox Day by packing a veggie-rich lunch at least once a week on Wednesdays!

Dr. Praeger’s believes teaching children how to make smart food choices and providing them with healthy options should be a priority.

That’s why Dr. Praeger’s is launching Dr. Praeger’s Healthy Lunchbox Day: by packing a veggie-rich lunch at least once a week on Wednesdays, parents can help kids develop healthy eating habits for life.

Dr. Praeger’s offers all-natural, delicious and nutrient-rich options that are a great way to help kids eat sensibly, maintain a healthy lifestyle and make smart food choices. For more information on the products, please visit: http://www.drpraegers.com/Kids-C52.aspx

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This dinner or appetizer recipe is like a party in your mouth. It is packed with flavors and nutrition. It’s bright and beautiful color make it perfect for serving guests and entertaining. This dish is vegetarian but can be easily modified to feed a meat-eater or a vegan.

When thinking about what I wanted for dinner this week, I listed my criteria.

• healthy
• seasonal
• packed with flavor and nutrition
• grilled
• beautiful (because it’s fun to eat pretty things!)

Then I thought about my favorite foods – and I put the two ideas together to create this fabulous meal. Brady, my mom and I voted it one of the best recipes ever. Perfect for summer, perfect with Pinot Grigio.

It tastes like something from a gourmet restaurant.

Farmer’s Market Toast Points

• fresh multigrain bread
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray

• 1 small jar of pesto
• 1 small log of goat cheese
• olive tapenade (or crushed Greek and green olives)
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1×1 pieces
• fresh arugula
• fresh tomato, sliced thin
• zucchini, sliced thin
• summer squash, sliced thin

1. Cut each piece of bread into a triangle and spray generously with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray. This gives the bread great buttery flavor and helps it cook well on the grill.
2. Place sprayed bread on the grill for about 1-2 minutes then flip sides. Make sure each side of the bread is toasted from the grill.
3. While the toast is cooking, grill the zucchini and squash with a little EVOO spray.
4. Bring the toast points and the grilled veggies back into the house when they are ready.
5. To assemble: Place a toast point on a plate and cover with a layer of goat cheese.
6. Top the goat cheese with about 1 tsp. fresh pesto.
7. Add arugula, tomatoes, olive tapenade, red pepper and grilled veggies to the stack in any order you choose.
8. Drizzle with a little more pesto, if desired.
9. Serve with toothpick!

This truly is the perfect summer meal. Filling, colorful, grilled and fresh.

There are endless combinations and arrangements you could do with these ingredients or just by adding/changing a few.

This toast recipe is entered in the Toast Ambassador contest sponsored by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

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This was a delicious spring dinner! It’s simple to make and has WAY less butter and oil then regular shrimp scampi. It reminds me a recipe I saw in Cooking Light a while ago. Let me know if you try it!

Light Shrimp Scampi

• 1-2 lbs. cooked, deveined and shelled shrimp
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 3 – 4 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 big Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. Italian seasonings
• fresh basil
• salt and pepper

1. Heat butter, EVOO, garlic, lemon juice and seasonings in a large saucepan
2. Add shrimp and simmer together until shrimp are covered in scampi sauce and well flavored.
3. Pour shrimp and sauce over cooked pasta. You could use Barilla pasta plus or whole grain. I served this with stir fried veggies and a glass of Pinot Noir!

Today was a great day for a run outside. I ran 5 miles in the sun and it felt amazing!

What did you do to workout today?

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The sushi was from a new place we had not been to, and we were not impressed. He ordered a spicy yellow tail roll and a spicy eel roll. I got a standard California roll. They were small and overall not great.

We made some miso soup to go with our Asian inspired meal. It was light and tasty – not as good as homemade because it came from a packet.

For the homemade portion of the meal, I made a fresh veggie stir fry. The base of my sauce was tahini, which I can NOT get enough of. I love it .

Tahini Soy Stir Fry

• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 bag of frozen edamame
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 in. pieces
• 1 can of water chestnuts, drained
• 1 bag of broccoli slaw
• 1 cup of mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, diced

• 2 T. tahini (plus more if you like)
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• salt and pepper

1. Chop all veggies.
2. Heat a big stir fry pan with a splash of sesame oil or EVOO.
3. Add veggies and cook.
4. While veggies are cooking, make the sauce by mixing the ingredients.
5. Add the sauce to the veggies and simmer together until veggies are browning and soft but still firm.
6. Enjoy with quinoa and a glass of Malbec!

     

Anna is still doing well with her cast!

Do you like tahini? What do you use it in? Do you have any good recipes that use tahini? I can’t get enough of it!!

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Tyler’s Green Beans and Tomatoes

1 – 2 lbs. fresh green beans4-5 fresh tomatoes, diced2 T. EOOsalt and pepperfresh parmesan cheese
Snip the green beans and then simmer them in EVOO until they have softened and their color has brightened. Add diced tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes melt down and start to carmelize. Add salt and pepper and parmesan before serving!

Since it’s still Easter week…

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The blanket and books were very entertaining until Anna spotted the mulch.  At that point she spent a good 30 minutes picking up each piece of mulch and sharing it with me.  This game didn’t end until she decided she wanted to taste it.

While we read outside, we grilled veggies for dinner.  I love grilled veggies!  They are the perfect spring, summer and fall food!  They have so many flavors and textures and they are totally customizable!  For tonight’s dinner, I mixed them with quinoa (a complete protein).  Anna loves quinoa and devoured this dish.  She was not afraid of eating any of the veggies and she loved the texture of the quinoa.

Grilled Vegetable Quinoa

Use any veggies you like!

• zucchini, cubed
• onions, cubed
• mushrooms, cubed
• sweet potato, **(Cooked in the microwave until soft but still firm) then cubed
• asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• peppers, cut into cubes or strips
• 3 T. EVOO
• 3T. red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked as directed

1. Place all cut veggies in a bowl and drizzle with EVOO and vinegar.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill veggies in a grill basket on medium heat until they are firm but cooked.  Keep stirring to prevent some from being charred.
4. Stir grilled veggies into cooked quinoa.
5. Serve with a chilled glass of Riesling!! You could always drizzle with more EVOO and vinegar or top with feta!

I can’t wait for the leftovers.  There are so many things you can do with grilled veggies, from salads to wraps or eating them plain!

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Today was different though because we had an important dinner mission. We were going to attempt to recreate the famous Northstar Burger. You can read about my love for Northstar and their burger here or here or my restaurant review here. You are lucky I don’t blog about every Northstar burger I enjoy! I have attempted to create the burger before and was semi-successful   my attempt .

This time was better then before though. I will use this recipe again and again!

Attempted Northstar Burgers
Inspired by the amazing burgers at our favorite restaurant Northstar Cafe in Columbus, Ohio
makes about 6-8 burgers

• 1 cup brown rice – cooking in a rice cooker works well because it makes it a little sticky
• 1 onion, diced small
• 1 can of diced beets, drained and rinsed
• 1 T. garlic, minced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 T. EVOO
• 1 T. parsley
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
• 2 T whole wheat flour
• 1 T rolled oats
• 1 egg

Open, drain and rinse a can of diced beets.

Simmer the beets with a diced onion, garlic, black beans, lentils, and spices for a minute to infuse the flavors.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor

Pulse a few times, but don’t puree – you want the chunks of veggies!

Add rice, egg, flour and oats and pulse a few more times to mix together.

Form into patties and placed on a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 435 for about 15 -20 minutes or until burgers are held together and starting to brown. At Northstar they grill the burgers but I didn’t attempt that today. I think they would cook well in a cast iron skillet or grill pan or on a George Foreman though. Let me know if you try them!

Serve on a fresh roll with lettuce, spicy mustard, tomato, onion and cheese if you want!

We tried them for lunch and Anna loved them. She also enjoyed her cantalope and green beans. Tonight we are going to have them again for dinner – the proper way, on a bun with all the toppings. I will update you with a picture of those but I couldn’t wait to share the recipe!

We are off to enjoy the rest of the day with possibly another walk to the library or a play date in the yard with Jasper before I teach teen spin at 4:30pm! I took song requests last week and so I have added some more Bieber and Yeah 3X to the playlist! Should be a good time!

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First, I cooked the lentils (bring to a boil, then simmer until done). Then I chopped fresh green peppers, tomatoes and red peppers.

I also chopped some matchstick carrots I had leftover in my fridge. My Pampered Chef food chopper is a great tool for this. Plus it goes in the dishwasher, which makes it so easy to use! Does anyone have this and love it?

Some uncut matchsticks went into the mix too! And just before I dressed it, I made about 1 c. of whole wheat cous cous and stirred that in!

Then I threw together this dressing, which I later added tahini to. It was fresh tasting, but not overpowering.

Next time, I would add even more veggies. This dish traveled well and still tasted good on Sunday (I made it on Friday).

Lentil Salad with Tahini

• 1 bag of lentils
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 c. carrots, diced
• 1 c. whole wheat cous cous, cooked as directed

dressing

• 2 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1/2 lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. oregano
• 2Tbsp. tahini

1. Cook lentils according to directions, drain and set aside.
2. Dice all veggies, I used my PC Food Chopper
3. Make 1 c. whole wheat cous cous, according to directions.
4. Mix veggies, cous cous and lentils together.
5. In a separate bowl, make dressing by combining all ingredients together
6. Add mixed dressing to lentils, cous cous veggies.
7. Enjoy!

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