Meatless Monday: Strawbery Avocado Couscous with Lime Vinagrette

This is a wonderfully different salad than I'm used to and I can't wait to try it now that strawberries are in season!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked couscous
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts

For the lime vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine couscous, avocado, corn, strawberries, cilantro and pine nuts. Stir in lime vinaigrette.
2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime zest and juice, and sugar in a small bowl. Toss into salad and serve.

[Image and Recipe via Nature Box] 

Meatless Monday: Carrot and Ginger Juice Recipe

Perfect for Summer, this juice recipe is nutritious and delicious !

Ingredients:
* 1 bunch carrots
* 4 oranges (Navel, Blood, Valencia, etc.)
* 1 ginger root (about the size of your palm)

Directions:
Rinse the dirt off the carrots. Remove green tops. You can chop them to assist your juicer. There's no need to peel the carrots. Using a serrated knife, cut all of the rind off the oranges and separate to fit through the juicer. Break or cut apart the ginger. Run all of your ingredients through the juicer and mix. If you find the juice to be too spicy from the ginger, add another orange or water to dilute it.

Bon appetit!

Recipe and Images via BLDG25

Eating In: Easy Frittata

Frittatas have quickly become a staple in my home. Perfect for weekend brunch, this dish can be catered to each individual by simply combining eggs and super fresh ingredients or those leftovers you've been wanting use.

I take my ramekin and spray it generously with an oil spray/diffuser. Then I add 2 whisked eggs and whatever I happen to have on hand. This time I used some thawed peas, chopped red bell pepper, chopped yellow onion, leftover chicken from a Chinese curry dish ordered the night before, salt and pepper. Last, but not least, I add shredded cheese. Any cheese will do. Just make sure you use shredded/crumbled pieces (which you can do yourself) to ensure for even distribution. The proportions of each ingredient are up to you and will depend on the size of your ramekin.

Next, I pop it in the toaster oven and bake for 20 minutes, then set to broil for another 20 minutes. The cheese creates a yummy golden crust and the eggs fluff up beautifully once baked. Be careful removing your ramekin, as it will be extremely hot. I love adding a dollop of Sri Racha chili sauce for an added kick. You've made a satisfying and easy, yet elegant meal for one (or for many). And you save money by not wasting leftovers. Consider using tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, herbs, bacon/prosciutto and scallions.

Bon appetit!

Eating In: Turkey Pho

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This is a great way to get through some of those leftovers.

Ingredients:
- 8 cups turkey stock
-3 tbsp. fish sauce
-2 tsp. brown sugar
-6 whole cloves
-4 star anise
-1 (3-in.) cinnamon stick (broken)
-1 (3-in.) piece peeled fresh ginger (halved)
-4 oz. uncooked wide rice stick noodles (bahn pho)
-cooking spray
-1 medium onion (peeled/halved)
-3 cups shredded cooked dark turkey meat
-2 cups fresh bean sprouts
-1/3 cups cups thinly sliced green onion
-1/4 cup  fresh Thai basil (thinly sliced)
-1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
-1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
1/2 cup fresh mint sprigs
-6 lime wedges
-1 jalapeno (seeded/thinly sliced)
-Hoisin sauce (optional)
-Sri Racha chili sauce (optional)

Directions:
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large stock pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Return broth to the pan and keep warm. Cook noodles according to package directions. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat your pan with cooking spray and add onion. Cook for approximately 8 minutes or until charred on each side. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Slice onion thinly and add to broth. Add turkey and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to pan. Bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Place about a 1/2 cup of boodles in each of 6 bowls. Ladle about 1 1/3 cups broth over each serving. Serve with cilantro, mint, lime wedges and jalapeno. Serve with Hoisin sauce and/or Sri Racha if desired.

Bon appetit!

[Recipe and Images via MyRecipes.com]

Eating In: Crock Pot Chicken Curry

Here's another crock pot recipe that is one of my faves. You can replace the chicken with beef or tofu. If I had some peas on hand, I would have added them as well.

Ingredients:
- Garlic (the more the better for me)
- 1/2 or 1 white or yellow onion (diced)
- 1-2 whole carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 1-2 russet or golden potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- Chicken (dark meat, white meat or a combo of both; I used skinless and cubed the meat; you can use bone-in to add more flavor; cut according to preference or leave whole pieces)
- Tomato (based) sauce (at least 1 cup but it depends on how much sauce you like)
- Water to create sauce (add according to your preference; I prefer medium thickness/not too watery)
- Spices (I added 2 teaspoons each of the following: turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander powder, garlic powder, onion powder, sumac; adjust according to your personal preference; no need to include all of these)
- Salt and pepper
- Bay leaves (I like alot; don't forget to remove them when serving)
- Parsley or cilantro when serving
- Jasmine rice (or couscous, brown rice, etc.)

Oil your crock pot to make clean up a snap. I use my spray device for even distribution and no waste.

Place lid on slow cooker and set on high for 3-4 hours or on high for 6-8 hours.

Remove the bay leaves and serve over any kind of rice (I LOVE Jasmine for its fragrance and texture, but any rice will do)  or coucous for a comforting and nutritious meal :) For perfect rice in the microwave, click here.

Bon appetit!

Eating In: Perfect Rice Using the Microwave

My mom taught me how to do this years ago and it NEVER FAILS! There's no need to go out and buy a rice cooker or sit over a hot stove to make sure it comes out perfect. All you need is a casserole dish, rice and water. I LOVE Jasmine rice, but this will work with any rice. However, with brown or wild rice, you will want to add 5-10 minutes or so to the cook time depending on your microwave.

Take 1 cup of uncooked (Jasmine) rice and pour into your dish. Add 2 cups of water. Basically you're working with a 1:2 ratio. For every cup of uncooked rice, you want to add double the amount of liquid (ie. water or chicken broth). 1 cup of uncooked rice is enough for 2 people. You can add salt or use chicken broth instead of water, but I like mine au natural and paired with a flavorful side dish, such as my Crock Pot Chicken Curry. DO NOT PUT THE LID ON. Leave uncovered and put in the microwave. For my particular microwave, I set it for 25-27 minutes. If cooking Jasmine rice, the aroma will begin to fill the air. Once it's done, remove (careful, it's HOT so use an oven mitt) and fluff with a fork. You can cover it with the lid now to keep it nice and warm.

This formula always produces the best rice and it's so EASY! Give it a try and I promise you'll love it :)

Eating In: Crock Pot Seafood Stew

This Crock Pot Seafood Stew is something I literally just threw together on a whim. It's very simple and it came out great! Adjust according to your personal preference. This recipe made about 5 servings. Add cooked rice or pasta to stretch it even more throughout the week.   Next time I'll remember to add some freshly chopped Italian flat leaf parsley or cilantro when serving :)

Ingredients:
-Seafood (scallops, mussels, clams, fish, or any combination thereof) - I used thawed mussels. When using mussels or any other shell fish, be sure to clean them thoroughly. I like leaving them in their shell which imparts an incredible oceanic flavor and aroma. Once cooked, the meat easily comes out.
-1 large or 2 small Golden or Russet potatoes (peeled and cubed) - I used Russet
- 1/2 yellow or white onion (chopped)
-2 whole carrots (peeled and chopped)
-Tomato sauce (I used 1/2 a jar of store bought Marinara and a small can of condensed tomato soup with added can of water)
-1/2 cup white wine
-Salt and pepper
-Red pepper flakes
-1 garlic clove (chopped)

Now that you've got everything in your crock pot, place lid on and set to low for 8 hours or to high for 4 hours.

Bon appetit!