With flu season in full swing and the weather jumping up only to go back down again (thanks, Ohio), I found myself craving soup this week. I always love a good soup, but with my week being a little crazier than usual, I knew I…
For this week’s meal prep, I did my usual fruit washing, dividing some berries into containers for Cameron and I to grab for work, and cutting up some bell peppers for snacking with hummus. I also roasted some butternut squash and broccoli (a butternut squash…
Sounds kind of like a weird combo, right? It gets weirder. This amazing, protein-packed dish also contains quinoa, asparagus, avocado and cucumber, and is topped with a light balsamic lemon vinaigrette. And yes, maybe this combo stemmed from the fact that I had some roasted asparagus and chickpeas already made, and I realllllyyy didn’t want to go to the store… but it turned out amazing which is why I have to share it with you.
I used to be sort of a VERY picky eater when I was a child. I honestly do not know how my mom dealt with me (sorry mom!!). No foods could touch.. not to mention I would not eat a single fruit or vegetable unless it was Green Giant green beans from the can. However, I surprisingly always liked tuna. Granted I would only eat it on an english muffin and I had to watch it be made…. but that’s not the point.
Point is, despite having grown out of my picky eating phase (thank goodness!), canned tuna will always remain a staple in my pantry. Why? Because it is a fantastic source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, is low calorie, and can be kept in your pantry to be used for a quick, easy, and healthy meal whenever needed!
For the lightly roasted asparagus: spread out asparagus on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil, add a dash of ground black pepper and garlic salt, and toss to coat well; bake at 450 for approximately 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For the roasted chickpeas:
1. Drain and rinse and then DRY WELL with paper towels.
2. Spread out on baking sheet and mist with olive oil. **Do not put so much that they are wet with oil**
3. Season with paprika, cumin, and salt and pepper–toss to coat.
4. Place in a **COOL OVEN**. Turn temperature to 450 degrees and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. **If you want them even crispier, leave in longer until desired crispness is reached**
Salad Dressing: Whisk together 1 T olive oil, 1.5 T lemon juice, 1 T balsamic vinaigrette, 1 tsp dijon mustard, and a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To assemble:
1. Place a bed of arugula onto each plate (~1 cup each).
2. Add avocado (sliced, 1/4 avocado each), roasted asparagus, and shaved cucumbers.
3. Add cooked quinoa (~1/4 cup each) and roasted chickpeas (~1/2 cup).
4. Add ~1/2 can oil-packed tuna (drained) to each.
5. Drizzle half the dressing onto each salad and top with more fresh ground black pepper or some feta cheese if desired!
When I say meal prep to some of my clients, a lot of them cringe at the idea because they think it means spending a full day or entire afternoon in the kitchen prepping your foods for the entire week. Some people may choose to…
Happy Valentines Day! Anyone who knows me knows I have a BIG sweet tooth. I have to have some type of sweet every day. I know that might seem weird for a dietitian.. but I refuse to deprive myself of something I love so much.…
Who doesn’t love a good brunch? It is probably one of my favorite weekend endeavors. But sometimes going out to eat can break the bank a bit, and I thought why not host brunch at home? Plus this was an opportunity for me to have not just 1, but 4 guinea pigs to try out a new recipe on!!! Don’t get me wrong, Cameron is always willing to try my creations.. but sometimes it’s nice to have an extra opinion or two before sharing things with my followers!
Now, typically I am more of an eggs gal–with some potatoes, fruit, toast etc. But this Saturday I woke up craving pancakes. Normally when Cameron and I make pancakes, we have to make sides because pancakes really only cover one food group, and balanced meals gotta have more than just starches, amiright??
I have been dying to try making quinoa based pancakes, and I happened to stumble upon Ambitious Kitchen’s recent recipe and was sold on the lemon blueberry combo immediately. So lemme tell you about these beauties… they are the WHOLE PACKAGE (and then some). Thanks to the quinoa, whole wheat flour, and egg (whites AND yolk), each serving clocks in with about 9 grams of protein (including all 9 essential amino acids.. aka the amino acids that our body doesn’t produce on it’s own so we have to get them from food sources), and is packed with whole grains (think fiber galore) and other nutrients. Not to mention each serving (about 3 pancakes) is under 300 calories and has less than 10 grams of sugar.
I was a little nervous because truthfully I had no idea what to expect, but they were seriously amazing. And all of my guinea pigs (aka my boyfriend and friends) agreed! We enjoyed ours with some extra strawberries and mimosas over a game of Pandemic. Now if that isn’t the perfect wholesome Saturday, I don’t know what is.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we did 🙂
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetend vanilla almond milk
1 1/2 T honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Zest from 1 large lemon
1/2 T melted coconut oil
3/4-1 cup blueberries
Powdered sugar for sprinkling
This past weekend I visited Washington DC to celebrate one of my best friend’s 25th birthday. I left with both my heart and tummy so full (in the best way possible). I have been to DC twice previously over the past two years (my younger…
I have heard that there are some people that think cilantro tastes like soap.. I feel really bad for those people because this cilantro cashew pesto is absolutely amazing. Typically I make my pesto with basil, but based on the ingredients I had I went…