SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SALAD WITH CILANTRO DRESSING & AVOCADO

I got this recipe from The Garden Grazer, added an extra can of black beans, some grilled chicken and avocado to make it more of a meal and thought it was pretty darn tasty.

If you are not a huge cilantro fan, just top with different dressing. Maybe homemade healthy ranch? See below.

Salad Ingredients
Large head of romaine
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (I used frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Strips of grilled chicken
Slices of avocado

Desired dressing

Directions
Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Top with dressing, grilled chicken and slices of avocado.

Cilantro Dressing Ingredients
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions
Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Easy homemade healthy ranch dressing from Wellness Mama:

COCONUT ZUCCHINI COOKIES

Is summer really over? Is the long weekend really over? Do we all have to head back to the daily grind today? Are our days of sundresses and flip flops numbered? What about days at the lake? Are they gone, too? YES. YES, it is all true.

Buuuuuttttt...... most of us live in Wisconsin (my stats page tells me this) and FALL is right around the corner. That means chunky sweaters, jeans, scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, football games (not that the Buells give a hoot about football) crisp air, the changing leaves, bonfires, pumpkin patch going, and apple baking. Ohhh just writing this is already making today better. Hello Fall! I am ready for you!

But before we head on over to the neighborhood bonfire with our spiced apple cider and chunky scarves, let's use up the zucchinis that are taking over our gardens. whatdoyasay? 

Last year we planted TWO zucchini plants in our garden and we had zucchini coming out of our ears. I baked and cooked zucchini everything. We didn't plant any this year, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't get any...   

Our neighbors sent their little girl over to our house the other day with a GIANT zucchini from their garden - like a big as my arm kind of giant. I do not like to waste food, especially homegrown, organic goodness, so I was on the search for some yummy (and of course healthy) zucchini recipes to try. Here is zucchini recipe #1! It is a keeper.

Ingredients:
1 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes (I used unsweetened)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil and sugars, mix until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract. Next, add the shredded zucchini. Mix until combined.

4. Slowly add flour mixture until just combined. Stir in oats, coconut, and chocolate chips.

5. Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or cookies are slightly golden around the edges and set. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

(Recipe from two peas and their pod)

Did you all have a fabulous Labor Day weekend? What did you do?
In case you do not follow along on Instagram, I will do a quick recap of our weekend. We got Ellis' play kitchen all ready to be sanded, primed and painted, I baked up a storm, we went to the Taste of Madison with some friends and had key lime pie, buffalo chicken dumplings, meatball sandwiches, and drinks. Lots of drinks. :/ We also saw the boat show downtown, and went pontooning with our neighborhood friends. I pretty much loved every second until we had a baby meltdown after she missed both of her naps yesterday while we were pontooning. Yikes! That child needed "night night" stat! 

WATERMELON & COCONUT SMOOTHIE

Nothing beats a sweet, juicy, and perfectly ripe watermelon in the summer, am I right?! Too bad you only get those gems about 30% of the time. Usually they are just ok. And sometimes they just suck.
What do you do with all that 'not so tasty' fruit? You freeze it and throw it in a smoothie of course!

WATERMELON COCONUT SMOOTHIE

Throw the following in a blender:
2 ripe bananas
2 heaping handfulls of frozen watermelon
1/2 cup or so plain organic yogurt (I use stonyfield)
Enough coconut almond milk to make it the consistency you prefer

popsicles  |  margaritas  |  sorbet  |  lemonade

And... IT'S FRIDAY! Happy Labor Day weekend! See y'all on Tuesday! This girl will be spending the weekend at Taste of Madison and on a pontoon boat! Yippee! 

ROASTED BEET SALAD

If I wasn't a graphic designer, I would probably be a beet farmer like Dwight from The Office. :) All joking aside (b/c clearly beets are a serious matter) I flippin' love beets. I have tried them on Ellis' tiny taste buds and she doesn't share my same opinion on the topic. I guess she got her Daddy's looks AND his taste buds since she can suck a lemon dry. ick!

If you're a beet fanatic like myself, give this recipe a try. It is one of my very favorites!

Ingredients:
6 red beets
Organic arugula
Feta cheese - crumbled
Candied walnuts (or toasted almonds)

Dressing:
3 tablespoons orange joice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
a pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:
To make dressing - mix all ingredients together and shake (I love my salad dressing shaker)

To cook beets - preheat oven to 350º. Place beets in a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a fork.  When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin. (If it doesn't peel off easy, use a carrot/potato peeler.)  Slice the beets into bite-sized pieces.

To assemble - put a few handfuls on arugula on each plate. Add cooked, sliced beets, sprinkle with feta cheese and candied walnuts and drizzle with dressing.

FALAFEL WITH AVOCADO SPREAD

I know some of you are wondering, what is falafel? 

According to Wikipedia, falafel is: A Middle Eastern dish of spiced mashed chickpeas or other pulses formed into balls and deep-fried.

Well, this falafel is neither made with chickpeas, deep fried nor made into balls. 
My definition is: Kind of like a black bean burger. :)

Anyways, Jodie made it for one of our Monday night dinners last year and it has been a favorite in our house ever since. I love it b/c it is delicious, but also b/c I can freeze it. I make a double batch (8 patties), and we usually eat two and freeze six--- or you can just freeze all eight so they are all ready in the freezer for fast dinners. I also make a double batch of the avocado spread and freeze what we don't use in sandwich-size ziplock bags. I freeze enough spread in each bag for two patties b/c when I thaw the patties, I usually thaw two at a time. The avocado spread actually stays green if you freeze it right away. I also think the lime juice helps to keep its color.

Ingredients

Patties:
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

Spread:

1/4 cup mashed peeled avocado
2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream (I never use fat free anything)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients:
Pita pockets
Red onion slices, separated into rings
Microgreens (I skip these)

Preparation:
• To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Shape bean mixture into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated. (If frozen, cook for about 6-7 minutes each side)
• To prepare spread, combine all ingredients - stir well. 

To assemble:

Spread about 2 tablespoons of avocado spread over patty and place it in a pita pocket; top with onions and greens.

grease the pan and cook each side until crispy

avocado spread

(Recipe from Cooking Light - September 2007)

BAKED OATMEAL CUPS

These are great for so many reasons - they are healthy, freeze well, serve as a quick snack or breakfast on the go and Ellis gobbles them up! Yup, just a win all around. I cannot take any credit for these delicious oatmeal cupcake-like bits of goodness. I got the recipe from Sugar-Free Mom. I can only take credit for the lovely pictures. :)

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
1 banana, mashed
½ cup honey
5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2¾ cups milk (I used 1%)
Optional toppings: raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, craisins, etc.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
Finally pour in milk and combine.
Spray two 12 capacity muffin tins with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups.
If using toppings, add them onto the tops of muffins now. If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter. (I mixed mini chocolate chips into the batter and topped with walnut pieces)
Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean.

Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags or tupperware.
To enjoy after freezing pop them in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

(makes 24 servings)

I freeze mine is tupperware containers and pull them out as needed.
They are pictured here with my blueberry bran muffins. I tend to do my baking all in one day. :)

BLUEBERRY BRAN MUFFINS

This one of my favorite muffin recipes and a staple in our home. I got the recipe from my Sister in Law's Mother a few years ago and I have been making them on a regular basis ever since! It is one of those recipes that literally everything in it is good for you. :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups wheat bran or oat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/3 cup honey
1 ripe medium banana, mashed with a fork
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or other berries)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat over to 400°.
Mix together dry ingredients.
Mix together wet ingredients.
Combine together wet and dry ingredients - then fold in blueberries.
(Note: If using frozen berries, toss with a little flour first so that it doesn't turn your batter blue.)

Transfer batter into a greased muffin tin.
Bake at 400° for 18-20 min or until a toothpick can be inserted and taken out clean.

Makes about 12 muffins.

CHICKEN, BROCCOLI & QUINOA CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

3 to 4 seasoned chicken breasts (salt and pepper), cooked & cubedOne 
10 oz can condensed cream of broccoli or mushroom soup (See note below)
1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (traditional calls for 1 full cup. WOW.)
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, etc)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large heads of cooked broccoli
2 small cans of sliced water chestnuts
1 1/2 cups COOKED quinoa (3/4 cup quinoa | 1 1/2 cups water | 1/4 teaspoon salt)
Feshly shredded parmesan cheese for the top

Directions:
1. COOK CHICKEN BREATS
Season with salt and pepper. cook at 350° for about 40-45 minutes. Cut open to make sure they are cooked all the way through. Keep the oven heated at 350°.

2. COOK THE QUINOA
Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear. (I use Bob's Red Mill brand and it is pre-rinsed so no need for that part) In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible. Fluff with a fork.

3. STEAM THE BROCCOLI (or cook in any way you choose)

4. MIX TOGETHER:
In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, sugar, and pepper until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa, broccoli, chicken and water chestnuts.

5. TRANSFER TO THE BAKING PAN(S)
Spoon mixture into greased casserole. (either one 9x13" or two 8x8" like I used) Sprinkle on some shredded Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (30 minutes for the two pans) or until bubbly on the edges and golden. Makes 10 generous 1/2-cup servings.

season, cook and chop the chicken (I buy 'JUST BARE' brand chicken breasts - organic & cage free!)

Make your own "cream of whatever" soup to avoid unnecessary ingredients

Mix together the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, sugar, and pepper

Sprinkle on the fresh parmesan cheese

Enjoy!

Note: Sometimes I make my own cream of whatever soup. Here is how:

Condensed “Cream of Anything” Soup
1 cup cold milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch till well blended.
Stir in butter, bouillon, salt, and pepper.
Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken.
Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup.

CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP:
Stir in a drained 4 ounce can of mushroom pieces to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Mushroom Soup.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP:
Stir in 1/2 cup cooked chicken pieces to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Chicken Soup.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CELERY SOUP
Stir in 1/2 cup sautéed chopped celery to the recipe above.
Use in recipes in place of one can of Cream of Celery Soup.

recipe adapted from Eating Well... Living Thin(er!)

BTW, I have professional taste testers for all my recipes and J & L clearly love it! ;)

THAI QUINOA SALAD

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday to y'all! The wedding was fantastic, but more on that later this week. For now, here is a DELICIOUS quinoa recipe for you...

I was thinking about my diet the other day and I really need to step up the veggies. I tried this recipe b/c it is packed full of 'em! It isn't exactly a quick weeknight meal unless you food prep that morning of the night before. I always find myself saying "If you want to eat heathy, you are going to have to chop sh!t up!" and sometimes all the darn chopping can be time consuming. Oh, and for those who are gluten free, this recipe is too! :)

Ingredients
¾ cup uncooked quinoa
1-2 cups shredded red cabbage, depending on how much crunch you like
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup diced green onions
½ cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
Optional: 1 cup edamame or chickpeas
Fresh lime, for a bit of tang
For the dressing:
¼ cup all natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten-free if desired
1 tablespoon honey (use agave if vegan)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
Water to thin, if necessary

Instructions

FOOD PREP:

Chop up ingrediants

COOK QUINOA: 

Rinse quinoa with cold water in mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.

MAKE DRESSING: Add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.

ADD THE DRESSING TO THE QUONIA:

Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like to the quinoa. (I added it all)

MIX IN:

Next mix the red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if desired.

Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1/6th of recipe Calories: 260 Fat: 13.5g Carbohydrates: 27.7g Sugar: 7g Fiber: 4.3gProtein: 8.6g

Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

Food prep - chop up veggies

Make the dressing 

Add the dressing to the quinoa

Add in the chopped veggies

Enjoy!

Another picture of my little kitchen helper. :)

SIMPLE SNACK: NUTELLA & GREEK YOGURT DIP WITH APPLES

This is one of my favorite snacks to pack in my lunch for work and my go-to appetizer to bring to a pot-luck when I have no time at all to make anything. It is fast, super-duper easy and mostly healthy!

DIRECTIONS:

For the Dip: Mix 1 cup greek yogurt with one heaping tablespoon nutella. (add less or more nutella for desired taste)

Cut up some apples and serve.

HUMMUS PLATE

I make this ALL OF THE TIME to bring to grill outs, picnics, or just to have as a quick lunch on the weekends.  Like I said in this post, I prefer to make my own hummus. Here is the recipes I use.

Ingredients
One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans (I usually use uncooked chick peas in the bag and quick-soak them)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 to 3 tablespoons water

Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl then process another 30 seconds.

Open can of chickpeas, drain liquid then rinse well with water. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes or until thick and quite smooth.

Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.

To Serve: Scrape the hummus into a bowl then drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika.

To Store: Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.

(original recipe from inspired taste - go to for more pictures and a video.)

To make a quick appetizer, I spread the hummus (if in a pitch, you can just grab some store bought hummus) on a plate and throw some chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and feta on top!  Serve with chips or even better, carrots!

HAPPY FRIDAY!