Tag Archives: healthy eating

Quinoa with Feta and Edamame

Posted in salad, side dish, vegetarian by

I love this quick and easy salad, especially in the summer. It is a colorful, refreshing and healthy addition to a picnic or barBQ. It makes a great side dish or even a light meal on Meatless Mondays.

YIELD: Serves 5

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked Quinoa
2 cups Chicken Broth (or vegetable or beef if you prefer)
½ cup chopped Red Bell Pepper
½ cup chopped Red Onion
½ cup Corn (fresh, frozen or canned – be sure to drain it first)
½ cup shelled Edamame
½ cup chopped Cilantro
¾ cup crumbled Feta Cheese
1/3 cup Italian Dressing (preferably homemade but bottled will do)
¼ teaspoon Salt (or salt to taste)

Directions:

Rinse the quinoa in a wire mesh strainer. Add the broth to a medium size pan. Heat the pan on medium heat. Add the quinoa, stir and bring to a boil. 

Cover the pan and decrease the heat to low and simmer. Let cook about 15 minutes or until the quinoa absorbs the liquid. Then remove from the heat and let cool while preparing the remaining ingredients. Chop the red bell pepper, red onions, and cilantro.

In a medium size bowl, add the red bell pepper, red onions, corn, and quinoa. Then add the Italian salad dressing and stir. Add the edamame and cilantro, and stir.

Next, stir in the feta cheese and add the salt (or salt to taste). Serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Asian Simple Salad and Dressing

Posted in 30 minute meals, asian, dressing, salad, vegan, vegetarian by

I was on the hunt for an easy and tasty Asian Salad Recipe and stumbled upon this one from Fit Foodie Finds. This is one of my new favorites! Take a peak below or go to link https://fitfoodiefinds.com/asian-salad-dressing/

Prep: 20 minutesCook: 0 minutesTotal: 20 minutes

SERVINGS 4

Asian Salad Dressing

This Asian Salad Dressing is made with garlic, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and a little soy sauce. It’s the perfect healthy salad dressing to top on your favorite kale salad or use as a chicken marinade!

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 10 minutesTotal: 15 minutes

FAT 15 CARBS 3 PROTEIN 0

YIELD 4

Dressing Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly minced
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Asian Kale Salad Ingredients

  • 4 cups shredded kale, packed
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
  • 1 large red pepper, minced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
  • 1/2 cup onion, minced (any kind)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds


    INSTRUCTIONS
  • Start off by making your Asian Salad Dressing.  
  • Prepare Asian salad by placing kale into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
  • Massage the olive oil into the kale with your hands for 2-3 minutes or until kale is soft and broken down.
  • Add the rest of the kale salad ingredients to the bowl and mix.
  • Pour entire dressing on the salad and toss until all ingredients are combined.

TIPS & NOTES

Nutrition includes Asian Salad dressing.

NUTRITION FACTS

  • Serving Size: 1/4 Calories: 249 Sugar: 6 Fat: 19 Carbohydrates: 18 Fiber: 4 Protein: 4

Sautéed Beet Greens

Posted in cut calories, side dish, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegan, vegetarian, weight loss ideas by

Sautéed Beet Greens

This is such a delicious healthy recipe to make the most of your beet greens! These sautéed beet greens are a flavorful and tasty side dish that comes together quickly with just a handful of ingredients.

 Prep Time 5 minutes

 Cook Time 10 minutes

 Total Time 15 minutes

 Servings 2 servings

 Calories 91kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bunch greens from 3-4 beets washed well and chopped into small pieces, stems and leaves separated
  • ½ yellow onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • ¼ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you prefer to make it vegan)
  • ½ Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Heat oil in 10-in skillet over medium heat. Add beet stems and onion and sauté until stems and onion have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute or until fragrant.
  • Stir in beet green leaves and chicken broth and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until beet greens have softened. Stir in apple cider vinegar and salt to taste.

Weeknight Baked Lemon Dill Salmon

Posted in 30 minute meals, cut calories, fish, gluten free, low-carb, main meal, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, Uncategorized, vegetarian, Weeknight Meal, weight loss ideas by

Baked Lemon Dill Salmon

PREP TIME. 10 mins

COOK TIME. 15 mins

TOTAL TIME. 25 mins

SERVINGS. 4 servings

Skin-on salmon is helpful as the skin helps hold the fish together after baking but skinless salmon works fine too.

Ingredients

  • 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets or steaks, preferably skin-on
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1 thinly sliced lemon, for garnish

Method

  1. Prep the salmon: Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and sprinkle a little salt over it. Let it sit at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Make the dill butter: Mix the fresh dill with the butter in a small bowl.
  3. Bake the salmon: Spread 1-2 T olive oil on the fish to coat it. Place the salmon skin side down in a roasting pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes undisturbed (depending on how thick your salmon pieces are). Remove the salmon with a spatula. The salmon should be just cooked through when done.
  4. Serve: To serve, place a few thin slices of lemon on each plate. Remove the salmon pieces from the oven and place on the lemon slices with a spatula. Top each piece of salmon with about a tablespoon of the dill butter and serve at once.

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING)

560 CALORIES 40g FAT 16g CARBS 40g PROTEIN

Cranberry Cherry Smoothie

Posted in brunch, cut calories, dairy-free, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegan, vegetarian, weight loss ideas by

Here’s a cleanse-friendly shake. Yum!

Ingredients

2-4 scoops SP Complete Vanilla or SP Complete Dairy Free
1 scoop whole food fiber (optional)
1 cup frozen cherries or berries
1/4 cup frozen cranberries*
1/4 inch ginger root (peeled)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Yum!

Tip: fresh cranberries are only available in my area during the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) but they freeze really well. I stash a bag in my freezer when they come out and they are a perfect addition to this shake.

Asian Slaw with Cilantro Lime Ginger Dressing

Posted in asian, cut calories, gluten free, low-carb, salad, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegan, vegetarian, weight loss ideas by

My husband and I recently embarked on a “clean eating” journey. We vowed to eat more veggies and less processed foods. Clean eating doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice good taste. Here is a savory salad that we found in the Standard Process Purification Cookbook. The combination of granny smith apples and citrusy lime cilantro dressing are the secret to this tasty asian slaw. Leftovers store well in the fridge too!

Ingredients

4 cups (8 oz.) thinly sliced savoy cabbage

2 cups (6 oz.) thinly sliced red cabbage

2 medium carrots (4 oz.), peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks

1 large Granny Smith apple (8 oz.), unpeeled, cored, and cut into thin matchsticks

½ tsp sea salt

2 T. plus 1 tsp. lime juice

2 T. apple cider vinegar

1 ½ tsp. stevia powder

2 T. Olive oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)

1 pinch salt, optional

1 T. plus 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts, optional (not during cleanse)

Preparation

1. Combine savoy cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, and apple in large heat-proof bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Whisk together apple cider vinegar, lime juice, 2 Tablespoons. water in small bowl.

2. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt, and cook 7 to 8 minutes, or until onions are browned and bottom of pan has brown bits. Add ginger, and cook 30 seconds. Add vinegar mixture to deglaze, and cook 15 to 25 seconds, using spatula or spoon to scrape up brown bits. Remove from heat, and spread onion mixture over cabbage mixture. Toss with tongs until slaw is well combined and cabbages begin to wilt.

3. Add 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, and toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve garnished with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and peanuts, if using.

Sweet Potato Bites

Posted in AP's Favorites, comfort food, side dish, Snacks, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegan, vegetarian by

Ingredients

2 Sweet Potatoes cut into thick chuncks

2 T olive oil

Pinch or two of salt

Process

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes then turn the oven off and leave inside for another 30 minutes. The extra 30 minutes will caramelize the sweet potatoes and make them oh, so tender and delicious!

3 Step Lentil Soup

Posted in cut calories, dairy-free, gluten free, low-carb, soup, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, vegan, vegetarian, weight loss ideas by

What could be better than an easy and savory soup that’s chock full of vitamins and nutrients? It’s low in fat and high in fiber and protein too. Sometimes I modify this recipe and toss in a handful of cherry tomatoes while cutting in half the amount of crushed tomatoes. I make up a large batch and store it in the fridge for a quick but satisfying meal during the week. It also freezes well.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped in 1/2 inch dice
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 T fresh)
  • 2 cups dry lentils (I like red)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • salt to taste (maybe 1/4 tsp or so)
  • ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  • Step 1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
  • Step 2. Stir in lentils*, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until lentils are tender, at least one hour.
  • Step 3. When ready to serve, stir in spinach and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper; taste and adjust as needed.

* Don’t forget to rinse the lentils well before placing in the pot as this removes some of the indigestible sugars that can cause you to feel bloated and gassy and also removes any dirt or debris.

Nutrition Facts 

Per Serving:

Lentil Soup Nutritional Facts

Servings Per Recipe: 8
Calories: 349

% Daily Value *

Protein: 18.3g 37 %

Carbohydrates: 48.2g. 16 %

Dietary Fiber: 22.2g. 89 %

Sugars: 3.3g 

Fat: 10g 15 %

Saturated Fat: 1.4g 7 %

Vitamin A 85 %

Niacin Equivalents: 5.7mg 44 %

Vitamin B6: 0.5mg 33 %

Vitamin C: 13.3mg 22 %

Folate: 333.7mcg. 83 %

Calcium: 98.1mg 10 %

Iron: 6.2mg 34 %

Magnesium: 104.4mg 37 %

Potassium: 969.5mg 27 %

Sodium: 130.5mg. 5 %

Thiamin: 0.4mg 39 %

Calories From Fat: 90.1

Gaby Inspired Pan-Roasted Eggplant

Posted in gluten free, side dish, SP friendly, Standard Process Friendly, Uncategorized, vegetarian by

Ingredients

  • 1/4 to 1/3c. olive oil
  • 1.5 lb. baby eggplant (Japanese or Baby variety), sliced in half lenghthwise and diced into 2-3 inch pieces if Japanese and larger variety of eggplant
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Vinaigrette-
    • 2 T. lemon joice
    • 1/2 c. olive oil
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 c. grated Pecorino (or your favorite hard cheese. I like Spanish Manchego)
    • Kosher salt & pepper to taste
    • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Process

  1. Make your vinaigrette and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant and turn often for about 15 minutes. Add more oil if eggplant starts to burn- you want it to caramelize.
  3. Transfer eggplant to a large bowl and toss with (more oil!) about half of the vinaigrette.
  4. Save the rest of the vinaigrette for your salad.
  5. Sprinkle with more Pecorino if desired and serve.

Caprese Chicken

Posted in chicken, italian, low-carb, main meal, Weeknight Meal by

Yield: 4 servings

recipe note: Balsamic vinegar comes in many forms. I recommend a higher quality one to get the fullest flavor. Many balsamic vinegars found in grocery stores are very thin – like water. Higher quality ones often found in specialty shops are aged longer and are slightly thicker (not as thick as balsamic glaze, but somewhere in the middle of the two). 41-Olive offers many choices.

ingredients:

4-6 skinless boneless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer)
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I mix it up with the colorful heirloom variety)
10 large basil leaves, finely chopped
4-6 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced in 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices
balsamic vinegar, to taste (My newest favorite is BlackCherry from 41-Olive)

directions:

Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken thighs or breasts and set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken, cover pan, and cook for about 10 minutes. Flip chicken breasts and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked thoroughly (or has reached an internal temp of 165°F).

While chicken is cooking, in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and continue sautéing until tomatoes skin starts to soften/wrinkle, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Set aside.

Once chicken has reached desired doneness, top each chicken piece with 1-2 slices of mozzarella (depending on how thick you sliced it). Pour tomato mixture on top. Cover pan with lid once more and let the mozzarella melt, about 1-2 minutes.

Lastly, drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.