Italian Caprese Chopped Salad

Hello summer!  This salad is so fresh, simple and screaming summer.  I love all things Mediterranean and this dish is a favorite. If you're measuring out your cheese intake, you can add the amount of cheese that you'd like to your individual serving.  

2 packages grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
12 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, diced into cubes
sea salt and pepper, to taste

In a serving dish, combine tomatoes and basil,  Pour balsamic vinegar over them and stir until evenly coated.  Before serving, add in mozzarella, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Stir and serve.

Thai Baked Pineapple Stir Fry

Look at this beautiful dish!  This perfectly seasoned stir fry is baked in a pineapple, infusing the rice with the sweet, tangy pineapple juice.  Throw in some cashews for a nutty crunch and we're talking paradise for dinner.  This is a meatless version, but any kind of protein can easily be added. Anything from shrimp to chicken to sliced sausage makes a great add in.  If you're making a special dinner for two this would definitely be a winner.  Or how about dinner guests that you want to impress?  Wouldn't this be the perfect side at your next BBQ?!  Come up with whatever reason you want to make this dish.  You've just got to make it!

Ingredients

1 ripe sweet pineapple

4 green onions, sliced

3 minced garlic cloves

1 TBS olive oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup frozen diced carrots and peas

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp coriander

¼ tsp chili flakes

¼ cup cashews

1 TBS coconut milk

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Cut the pineapple in half, including the leaves. Carve out the pineapple flesh but keep the skin intact.  Cut up half of the removed pineapple flesh into small chunks and set aside. Pat the inside of the pineapple boat dry with paper towel. Cover the pineapple leaves with aluminum foil to keep from burning. Place the pineapple boats on a cookie sheet and bake for about 5 minutes to dry them.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add green onion and garlic and stir fry for a minute until fragrant.  Add half of the beaten egg to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds without stirring. Then stir in remaining egg, cooked rice and carrots and peas. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, turmeric, coriander and chili flakes. Stir fry on high for 5-10 minutes to desired crispness.  Add in pineapple chunks, cashews, coconut milk and soy sauce and stir.  Scoop stir fry mixture into pineapple shells and bake for about 10 minutes until heated through.  Garnish with more cashews and green onion. Serve right away.

{skinny} Chicken Salad

I don't know about you, but I eat much healthier when I plan ahead.  If I'm hungry and grab whatever is quick and easy, it's usually not so healthy.  If I plan ahead and prepare some healthy snacks and meals to have on hand when hunger hits, it's much easier to stick to healthy eating habits.  This is one of my favorites.  The original recipe is from Jillian Michaels and makes 4 cups.  Each 1/2 cup serving only has 118 calories.  I like to make a double batch and keep the extras in the fridge to pull out for a quick lunch or snack.  You can serve it sandwich style on whole wheat bread, scoop it up with whole grain crackers, roll it up in a leaf of lettuce or eat it just plain.  So many options.  And speaking of options, this recipe is very versatile.  If you're not a fan of the grapes, just leave them out.  Not so fond of the celery?  Replace them with cucumbers.  Cashews are my favorite nut but you can switch them out for another kind if you have a different favorite.  I've listed some optional seasonings that I like to add in (not all at the same time though!).  Play around with it and find the seasonings that do it for you.  Make this salad yours and enjoy a yummy, guilt free, protein packed meal!

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half
1/3 cup chopped cashews
1/3 cup non or low fat plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Optional seasonings and herbs:  chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, paprika, green onions, parsley, cilantro

Directions
Put the cubed chicken into a large bowl. Add the grapes and cashews and toss gently to mix the ingredients. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, celery, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the chicken and stir gently to coat. Season to taste.  Store the salad in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.

Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet

Summer and ice cream go together like peanut butter and jelly or cookies and milk.  When you're trying to eat healthy though, it just doesn't cut it to sit on the side nibbling carrots while everybody else is enjoying a big bowl of cold creamy, ice cream goodness.  This recipe right here is the answer to all of summer ice cream dilemmas.  It goes way beyond good.  Because I'm kind of a nerd, I looked up "good" in the thesaurus to see what they had to offer.  I think they nailed it - marvelous, satisfying, shipshape, rad, splendid, gratifying, stupendous, super-excellent, superior, tip-top, spanking.  Okay, and we'll stop right there with spanking.  Not sure where they were going with that.  After eating this there is not a single ounce of me thinking, "I wish I had eaten some real ice cream instead".  The only thing I'm thinking is, "I wish I had made more!"  And my kids are head over hills in love with it too.  They can't get enough!  And you can eat it and fill your kids up on it, guilt free because it's healthy too!  It's quick and easy to make.  You just need to plan ahead a little and freeze your watermelon cubes.  I can make 4-5 batches of sorbet with that one watermelon.  So, let's review.  Tastes amazing and is loved by all, mixes up in five minutes and it's healthy!  I must insist you go make this marvelous, satisfying, super-excellent treat.  Now.  Your summer will be glad you did!

4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed and frozen
2 cups strawberries, frozen
2-4 TBS stevia or other natural sweetner
1/2 cup cold water
1 TBS lemon juice, or to taste

Place all ingredients in blender.  Mix until smooth and well blended.  Add a little more water, a few tablespoons at a time, if it is too thick to mix.  Serve immediately or store in freezer in an airtight container for up to a month.  If freezing, let it soften for a few minutes before enjoying!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quinoa Bowl

Sweet potatoes are pretty much my favorite vegetable.  Especially in a savory dish.  (I'm not such a big fan when they go the sweet route.)  This dish is definitely a win for team sweet potatoes!  Serve them over quinoa and with black beans and you've got a very filling and satisfying meal.  And the dressing is fantastic!  Creamy but healthy, since it has a greek yogurt base, and full of flavor.  And for the record, I realize the recipe title says "bowl" but I obviously don't have it pictured in a bowl,  I'm a rebel like that.  Plus, I wanted to be sure to show off the beautiful layers and thought it would be hard to see all of them in a bowl.  You have my permission to serve this "bowl" recipe on a plate, If you'd like.  And as long as we're straying from the the beaten path, if you want to make this dish a little lighter, you can substitute the quinoa with salad.  Either way, it is fantastic!

INGREDIENTS
Roasted Sweet Potato:
2 large sweet potatoes, diced
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Quinoa:
3/4 cup red quinoa
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Juice of half a lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Cilantro Cream Drizzle:
1/4 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp honey
Juice of half a lime
Pinch of salt, garlic powder, and chili powder
Other Ingredients:
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
Cilantro for garnishing

DIRECTIONS
Roasted Sweet Potato:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees then line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
Toss the diced sweet potato in the olive oil and spices and lay it out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast the sweet potato for 12-15 minutes or until it is fork tender.
Quinoa:
Rinse and drain the red quinoa then put it in a medium sized sauce pan with the water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Bring the quinoa to a boil, then cover it with a lid and lower the heat to medium low.  Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from the heat and season the quinoa with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, lime juice, and cilantro.
Cilantro Cream Drizzle:
In a blender add all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
Assembling the Bowls:
In 2 or 3 serving bowls divide the quinoa mixture.  Top the quinoa with the black beans and roasted sweet potato.  Drizzle the cilantro cream on top with a spoon.  Top with more cilantro if desired.

Chicken Avocado Lime Soup

This soup is nothing short of amazing!  I've shared it with so many people now and everybody loves it!!  It combines some fairly basic ingredients to create a ligh, simple but bursting with flavor, kind of soup.  I usually reserve soup for the coller months, but this is one that I love to eat year round!

Ingredients
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves minced garlic
7 cups organic chicken broth
2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
Optional toppings - tortilla chips (I like to toast corn tortillas and cut into wedges), shredded cheese and plain Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream)

Directions
In a large pot heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add green onions and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, salt, pepper and shredded chicken.  Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Add avocados to soup just before serving (if you don't plan on serving the soup right away, I would recommend adding the avocados to each bowl individually, about 1/2 an avocado per serving). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and Greek yogurt, if desired.