a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian - installment 2

last week i shared what a day of meals looks like for me.  continuing in that vein, i thought i'd share another day of delicious gluten-free, vegetarian food.

breakfast - sauteed zucchini and garlic with a scrambled egg cooked in olive oil, topped with parmigiano-reggiano cheese

lunch - chickpea salad with tomatoes

snack - bowl of fresh sweet cherries -- they're in season now, and sooooo delicious!

dinner - homemade cauliflower crust pizza

after dinner - decaf coffee with soy milk

bon appetit!

foodie wednesday: mexican stir fry

last night for dinner, i was feeling like mexican, so i whipped up a quick mexican stir fry.  though i love cooking (from scratch), i took some short cuts - like using a boxed rice mix - in order to save time and energy.  overall, the reviews were good, and craig and i both filled our plates more than once!

here's what went down:

1 box goya spanish rice mix - arroz con tomate
1 medium vidalia onion, chopped
2 red lombak peppers (i.e. mild cayenne)
1/2 cup baby portabellas, chopped
1/4 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped romaine (optional)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp red curry
salt to taste
olive oil

toppings:
avocado
salsa
cilantro or basil

1. get the rice going according to box's instructions, so it can cook while you prepare the stir fry.

2. saute the onions, peppers and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil.  season with garlic, curry and salt.  continue to saute until onions are translucent and veggies are beginning to brown.

3. create space in the center of the pan and add a bit more olive oil and the turkey.  season turkey with a bit more salt and cook until turkey is cooked completely.

4. allow stir fry to cool slightly and add in some chopped cilantro (i was completely out of cilantro, so i used some basil from our garden, which did the trick nicely!)

5. when rice is done, fluff it lightly before serving.

6. assemble plate: romaine covered with rice & stir fry mixture and topped with chopped avocado and salsa.  yum!

this recipe makes approx. 4 servings.  meaning craig and i both had a hearty dinner and there was still enough for our lunches the next day : )

want some more simply delicious dinner ideas?  check out vegetables & vodka {here}.  a FREE e-cookbook filled with healthy dinners and low-cal cocktails!

foodie wednesday: chicken & peppers

i found some locally grown green peppers when i was food shopping the other day.  i'm usually more of a red pepper girl, but since they were local, i figured i'd go with the green.  when i came home, i found 3 small cajun bell peppers (1 oz each) had ripened to perfection in our garden.  with so many lovely peppers on hand, i decided to go "mexican" and created a chicken & pepper saute to go over rice.

here's what went down:

1 green pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 small peppers, chopped (optional)
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 medium-large chicken breast
1 tsp cumin
olive oil
salt & pepper
optional: avocado, salsa, rice
(makes 2 hearty portions)

1. saute peppers & onions in a bit of olive oil over medium heat.  season with salt & pepper.

2. while that's cooking, prep the chicken.  cut it into cubes and season with salt, pepper & cumin.

3. once peppers & onions begin to soften, add garlic.  continue to saute until caramelized.

4. make room in the center of the veggie pan, add a bit more olive oil and add chicken.  continue to cook for a few minutes until chicken is cooked through. 

5. remove from heat and add tomato.  voila! 

we enjoyed ours over rice and topped it with avocado & chipotle corn salsa.  the fresh peppers really made this dish! 

other ideas: you could also enjoy this over salad greens or use the mixture to fill tortillas or tacos!

portabella caps & potato packets

first off, i apologize for my absence these past few days.  a tree came down on our property and took out cable and internet.  comcast was just restored this morning : )


ok, post time.

gorgeous day = time to fire up the grill.  in my opinion, fresh grilled veggies are the perfect way to celebrate a summer evening, so the other night i decided to grill up some portabella caps, potato packets & peaches.  (just realized now the lovely alliteration that was our dinner : ) 

our simple grilled meal was summertime on a plate, and we thoroughly enjoyed every last bite.

here’s what went down:

portabellas

marinate 2 portabella caps (washed & dried) in ¼ cup italian dressing
grill on high, 4-5 minutes on each side, until caps are tender and delectable grill marks appear

potato packets

cut 1 potato, 1 zucchini and 2 large carrots into ½ inch cubes
toss veggies with 2 tbsp mustard (any kind), 1 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper
divide veggies into 2-3 foil packets coated with olive oil and seal packets well so veggies don’t fall out while grilling
grill for 30-40 min until veggies are tender and lightly browned

peaches

2 peaches, halved
brush the cut surface with a bit of olive oil
grill for 3-4 min face down until grill marks caramelize

in addition to our veggie feast, i sautéed up some chicken sausage seasoned with feta and spinach.  the sweet peaches with the savory sausage were fabulous!

simple summertime goodness!  yum!

simple toppings, dips & marinades

anything can be made better with a simple sauce or marinade.  you can turn bland chicken into a brilliant entree or a boring salad into an impressive side.  below are a few of my go-to favorites to zest up dinner any night of the week!

toppings & dips:

1 avocado + 1 tbsp minced garlic + 1-2 tbsp grated parmesan
mash all the ingredients together and use it on chicken, fish, rice or as a salad topping

credit {here}

1/4 cup mayo + 1 tsp curry
mix together and use as a dipping sauce for sweet potato fries, beer battered fish or homemade chicken tenders

marinades:

1/4 cup mustard (any kind) + squeeze of lemon + salt & pepper
coat 2 chicken breasts in this simple marinade and let them sit (in fridge) for at least an hour.  then pan saute in a bit of olive oil.

mustard marinade - credit {here}

2 tbsp teriyaki (or soy sauce) + 1 tsp minced garlic (bonus: + sesame seeds or sesame oil)
marinate 2 fish filets in this asian-inspired sauce for at least 30 min before cooking.  try cooking your fish "en papillote" (i.e. in a foil packet with veggies).  it makes the fish super tender and ensures that it doesn't dry out!

do you have any simple cooking secrets to share?

healthy snack-attacks

i am a snacker.  and i eat several times throughout the day.  i find that if i go more than 3-4 hours (sometimes 2-3 hours) without food, my stomach starts rumbling, and i find my mind wandering toward "what can i eat?"

as i sit here with my cut up apple, munching away, i thought i'd share some of my all-time favorite (healthy) snacks with you. 

- fruit - my "go-tos" are apples, oranges and grapes, but i also love all the fresh berries that are available this time of year.  i just got some cherries that are to-die-for!

- yogurt - i love yogurt because you can dress it up so many different ways.  sometimes i top it with bananas, raisins and cinnamon, other times granola (or cereal) and pb.  anyway you make it, yogurt is yummy and super good for you.

- cheese & olives - lately i've been enjoying string cheese and olives.  this small savory snack is really satisfying.

- nuts - i personally adore pecans, though almonds are super good too.  for a sweet treat i mix a few tbsp of pecans with some raisins and a dash of cinnamon - eat it all together and it tastes like an oatmeal raisin cookie - no joke!

- hummus & crackers - this is a great option if you're craving something crunchy.  plus hummus comes in so many flavors & varieties, you're bound to find one that suits your fancy.  (also, try hummus with apples or carrot sticks for an even healthier version.)

me & my apple snack

so there you have it.  my list of go-to snacks.  but before i release you back into the snacking wilderness, there are a few other things to keep in mind.

portion control - because i eat/snack throughout the day, i am conscious of portion control.  i never sit down with the whole box of crackers and container of hummus.  instead, i plate up a small portion and then sit and enjoy it.

thirsty? - i am so guilty of this.  thinking i'm hungry when i'm actually thirsty.  keep hydrated and listen for your true hunger so that you don't overdo it.

slow it down - if you're going with small meals/snacks to satisfy you, it's really important to eat slowly and chew thoroughly.  if you rush through your mini-meals, they won't even register, and you'll just leave yourself feeling unsatisfied.  take your time to taste your food : )

so, mavens, what healthy, wholesome snacks do you love?

carrot ribbon salad

this super simple salad is the perfect summer side.  (you like all the alliteration?  thank you, ap english.)  anyway, if you have 5 min, you can pull it together...and it's so pretty : )

2 large carrots
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp teriyaki
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp chopped garlic

makes 2 side dish servings

1. peel the outer layer off the carrots and toss it
2. keep peeling...and peeling...
3. toss the ribbons with the soy, teriyaki, oil and garlic
4. done!

i didn't have any (unfortunately) but fresh chopped chives would be awesome on this! 

we enjoyed our carrot ribbon salad along with homemade turkey burgers, sweet potato fries with chipotle salsa dipping sauce and sauteed onions & zucchini.

sweet potato fries

the other day at the natural foods market i found local sweet potatoes.  upon seeing them i knew what i wanted to make - baked sweet potato fries.

when i started peeling them, i noticed something peculiar.  the flesh was not bright orange, as i am accustomed to, it was pearly white.  hmmm...intriguing...

don't worry, they tasted amazing - even better than the orange-colored fries i've made before.  i'm not sure if it was the fact that they were fresh & local or perhaps white-fleshed sweet potatoes are just better, but they were seriously the sweetest sweet potatoes i've ever enjoyed.

1 large sweet potato (will make 2 hearty side portions or 4 small servings)
1-2 tsp olive oil
salt & cracked pepper
red curry

preheat oven to 400

1. peel the potato and cut into 1/4 in sticks

2. place on an oiled baking sheet and spray/drizzle with more olive oil

one of my favorite cooking tools -  my olive oil mister

3. season with salt, pepper and curry and give them a light toss

4. make sure fries are laying flat on the baking sheet, and bake for 25-35 min until golden brown, flipping fries 1/2 way through

we enjoyed ours with an easy dipping sauce i whipped up quickly.

1 part bbq sauce
4 parts salsa

i used honey bbq for subtle sweetness and corn & chipotle salsa for a little smoky heat.  yum!

p.s. oh happy day is giving away a 7 day trip to PARIS for 2!  enter {here}

recipe for a looong weekend

friday evening

• happy hour at bobby’s (more bobby's fun here)
• sushi at 86 west

saturday morning

• vinyasa yoga class

saturday afternoon

• visits to garden centers to gather veggies to plant in garden

• then once back at home plant lettuce, tomatoes, peppers & zucchini.  some of our garden is in the shade so I was on the hunt for vegetables that do well in partial shade – lettuce being one of them.  other semi-shade-tolerate veggies?  beans, peas, root veggies like potatoes and carrots, brussels sprouts, kale, spinach and herbs.

saturday evening

• fire up the grill (steak for craig, veggies for me)
• grill-top veggie packets: cube potatoes, red bell peppers and any other veggies you like.  (i added green onion and whole garlic cloves to ours.)  sprinkle with salt & pepper.  season with fresh herbs & spices.  drizzle with olive oil.  place in a foil packet.  cook over medium heat on covered grill for 20-30 min or until potatoes are tender.  

olive & craig

• craig set up a table and chairs in our back yard and we enjoyed dinner al fresco while olive played in the yard.  simply fabulous.

sunday morning

• walk in doylestown with olive.  even at 9am it was HOT!

• back home for breakfast and to get ready to head over to my parents' for memorial day weekend fun

sunday afternoon

• chillin’ outside and visiting with family while olive played with her buddies, colby & duncan

sunday evening

• meet with cate & chad for drinks in lambertville (they’re just 3 weeks from their wedding so there was a lot of excitement in the air)
• if you find yourself in lambertville, nj and go to libations for drinks, order a “tight dress” – a delicious vodka & champagne cocktail

monday morning

• low key morning – prepped some sides for our memorial day dinner

• quinoa with sautéed red onions, mushrooms & fresh thyme
• red cabbage & carrot slaw with sesame dressing

 monday afternoon

• head over to erin & brian’s for lunch and swimming (and delicious drinks)

• spiked arnold palmer: 1 shot sweet tea vodka over ice, topped with lemonade.  they were honestly a little too good.

monday evening

• back to mom & dad’s for casual outdoor dinner
• homemade turkey burgers with mom’s basil & pinenut pesto
• two salads – quinoa and slaw (that hannah and i made earlier)
• fresh greens (from our garden)
• sweet cherries

lovely long weekend.  how was your weekend?