Kale & Black Bean Salad

This past weekend I was trying to figure out what to bring to a cookout using ingredients that I had in my fridge... and I came up with this. I was pretty pleased with the way it turned out! The kale doesn't get soggy and I liked that it was a bean salad that was packed with veggies. I have the feeling I'll be making some version of this a lot this summer! Later I thought if I had a red onion that might have been a good addition, or maybe a red bell pepper, or substitute feta for the parmesan. You could even add quinoa to bulk it up. I think you could use a number of ingredients and it would turn out great as long as you've got a good base dressing. My favorites are homemade dressings, or the Good Seasons packets, which are basically homemade just easier. Homemade is so much better than store bought!

What I'm Up To

Hello to the Internet world! I'll resume my France posts soon. But for now, here's what I'm up to right now:

Making Blueberry Zucchini Bread
with our produce box goodies

Reading these books

Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

I started this book a little unsure of how interested I'd be in the story, but I had heard from so many people it was great that I decided to give it a shot. Several times have I almost busted out laughing mid-read, it's that funny. I also failed to notice that the author is one of the writers for Arrested Development. It has just as many awkward, ironic situations as you would picture and more. Such clever writing. I'm almost finished and a little sad about it.

Baked Chicken Parmesan

This is the first time I've ever attempted chicken parmesan. I was thrilled with how it turned out! I opted out of serving it with pasta, to save on calories. And honestly I don't think the meal suffered at all! I served this with a salad and rosemary bread, and it was scrumptious. This was plenty for the two of us and another couple. I am definitely going to make this again in the future!

Baked Chicken Parmesan
4 chicken breasts
1 cup breadcrumbs (2 slices of bread if you're making them yourself)
Nature's seasoning/salt & pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 jar marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, and Nature's seasoning (view about this here). Melt butter in a separate bowl. Lightly brush butter onto the chicken, then dip in the breadcrumb mixture until covered. Place on the sprayed baking sheet, and repeat with the rest of the chicken.


Lightly spray more cooking oil on the top of the chicken, and then place in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, and then bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread a little marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place chicken in it. Pour more sauce over the chicken, then add the mozzarella cheese. Put back into the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

source: adapted from Skinny Taste


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Zucchini and Black Bean Skillet

Do you ever feel like cooking is therapeutic? There's something about taking a bunch of ingredients and then creating something that smells and tastes delicious. Tonight was a night where I wanted to cook. I went straight to Harris Teeter from work so I could get the ingredients for this recipe I saw on Pinterest (right now I'm on a veggie kick, and you know my love for black beans). I finally got home and cleared out my kitchen to prepare for cooking, only to find out I bought a CUCUMBER instead of a ZUCCHINI. Wow, my brain really must have been somewhere else while I was shopping. I ended up going back to HT for my zucchini, because I was determined to cook tonight. (This extra trip actually worked in my favor because I picked up a bottle of wine that I also forgot, of which I'm now  enjoying a glass!) I'm so glad I went back for the zucchini, because this recipe was delicioso! I also needed that stress-relieving time in the kitchen. So much that after dinner I baked some more chocolate chip pumpkin muffins. It turned out to be a good night after all :)

Zucchini and Black Bean Skillet

1 tablespoon olive oil (or canola)
1-2 zucchinis, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
3/4 cup water
1 cup instant brown rice
1/2 cup Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and green pepper, saute for 5 minutes. Add black beans, undrained tomatoes, and water. Increase and bring to a boil. Add rice, stir well.

Cover and let stand for 8-10 minutes (until water is absorbed). Sprinkle with cheese and serve!

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Source: Ready Set Eat

This post is featured in Alderberry Hill's "Make the Scene Monday" and Dittle Dattle's "Amaze Me Monday" Link parties

Healthy Eats: Bell Peppers

I'm starting a new segment of the blog: Healthy Eats. These posts will highlight healthy foods that are tasty and good for you! In the future I hope to post recipes that go co-incide with my Healthy Eats posts. Stay tuned!

via

I love to eat bell peppers as a snack, because they are tangy and full of flavor, while also being good for you. As I was eating some slices of green bell pepper at lunch the other week, a coworker told me that the red bell peppers are the most nutritious for you. I decided to research to find out if this was a rumor or if it was actually true. Here are some interesting facts I learned:

• All bell peppers are of the same plant, and their colors vary based on how ripe they are! Green peppers are picked before they are ripe, and then are ripened off the stem. Red peppers have been ripened fully before being picked. Yellow and orange are somewhere in between. This explains why green peppers are the cheapest to buy.
• Because they are ripened fully, red peppers do have the most nutrients. This veggie is LOADED with vitamin C - 209 mg as opposed to the 70 mg found in an orange. (So if you want to build up your immune system, eat a red pepper instead of an orange!)
• Green peppers are slightly bitter, and a lot of people don't really like them raw. Red, yellow, and orange peppers however have a very different taste - they are much sweeter and almost fruity. These are great to eat raw!*
• Nutrients found in all bell peppers (levels varying based on color) include: vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta carotene, folic acid, chemicals stimulating antioxidant activity.
• Bell peppers help prevent blood clots, risk of heart attack and stroke, and according to some studies, cancer. They also help lower cholesterol.
• Like all vegetables, cooking bell peppers at higher heat will cause them to lose some of their nutrients, which is why eating them raw is such a great snack option. :)

Sources: Wikipedia, Everynutrient.com, The World's Heathiest Foods

*Bell peppers can also be purple in color, but I omitted them because they are less common and I never see them in the grocery store. If you'd like to find out more about them, check out my sources.

Simple Pumpkin Muffins

This week I've kind of been on a pumpkin craze, like the rest of the world this time of year. (If you missed my Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili, check it out!). Today I made a simple recipe that is so good and so simple. My friend Morgan over at Living Life for His Glory made these pumpkin muffins for a girls night, and I could not get over how good they were, while also being good for you! I decided to change the last few up a bit, by adding in a special ingredient, which may or may not have kept them healthy. You are not going to believe how simple these are!

Simple Pumpkin Muffins

1 box of cake mix (Morgan recommended using carrot cake)
1 can of pumpkin
1 cup water
pumpkin pie spice, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. (Do not add any other ingredients the cake box says to add - just the powder mixture!) Bake according to instructions on the box, probably at 350 degrees for about 18-20 minutes.

Recipe from SparkRecipes

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Do you see my special ingredient hiding in there?

There it is! I added chocolate chips to a few and they were Mmm mm good! Leave a comment to let me know what fun flavor combinations you come up with. Happy fall baking :)

Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

I am linking up with one of my favorite blogs for a great chili recipe! I made this last night and it is so SO good. Honestly, this chili tastes almost just like any regular red chili. However, this one is healthy because it has ground turkey and pumpkin in it. Yes, I said pumpkin! It is not a strong flavor in the recipe, and somehow it really pairs well with the chili powder, cumin, and garlic.



Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili | Skinnytaste*

The most fun part about this chili is that I prepared it the night before, and then put it in the crockpot in the morning before I left for work. All day long I was daydreaming about it... seriously I couldn't wait to get home for it! It turned out great and my husband and I both enjoyed it so much. I hope you do too!


Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Calories: 182.6 • Fat: 2.3 g • Protein: Carb: 10.9 g • Fiber: 8.8 g • Sugar: 2.1 • Sodium: 429.8 (without salt)

cooking spray
2 lb 99% lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 (15 oz cans) of white northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
4.5 oz canned chopped green chile
2 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth (I used 1 can plus some water)
1 tsp chili powder, to taste
1 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves

Serve with:  fat free sour cream for topping, chopped cilantro and chives for topping, salt and pepper to taste, and tortilla chips

Heat a large heavy saute pan over high heat and lightly spray with oil. Add turkey and cook, breaking it up until white, about 5 minutes. Add to crock pot. Add oil to the saute pan, then onions, garlic, sauté about 3-4 minutes; add cumin and sauté another minute. Put in crock pot. Add beans, pumpkin puree, green chilis, broth, chili powder, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to taste before serving. Enjoy!

*Click the link above for Gina's printer-friendly version

Avocado Dressing

It certainly has been a while since I posted a recipe. Last night I had a ripe avocado I needed to use, and in my daily email from MyRecipes.com I saw a recipe for Avocado dressing! How perfect! The website had it paired with chicken tostadas, but I didn't have the ingredients for that so I decided to change it up. I cooked up some Costco salmon burgers (ever tried these?? they are delish!) and this dressing was an AMAZING topping. There is something about the sour cream and avocado mixture that is just perfect. I'm sure it would be a great topping for a number of meals. Check it out!

Avocado Dressing

1 ripe avocado
1/4 c. reduced fat sour cream
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. canola oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until creamy and smooth. Top on a favorite salad, burger, tacos, fajitas, etc.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com

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Fresh Squeezed Fruit Juice

Photo credit: Blythe Klippstein

Have you ever been to the Raleigh Farmers Market? If not, you need to go ASAP! It is the largest one I've ever been to, and they have so many options of fresh fruit, bakery goods, plants, flowers, and more. Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to host two of my best friends, Julia and Blythe, as they came down from VA for a visit. We all had such a great time! Girl talk and catching up was long overdue and is such rich food for the soul. ((They both have posted more pictures from our weekend on their blogs Skopjanka and Through the Lens of My Nikon.)) 

My adorable friend Julia

One of our favorite treats at the farmers market was this fresh squeezed fruit juice drink: absolutely sublime. They squeezed a lime, lemon, and orange into the cup, added just a touch of sugar water, and cherries. It was the most delicious, fruity, and fresh drink I have ever had. And it tasted so naturally sweet! I'm pretty sure I am going to have to mimic this drink at home. Now if only I had a juicer...

Baked Shells with Zucchini, Goulda, and Herbs

This is going to be my next recipe to try. It looks so intriguing and I love casseroles! They are always so unhealthy and the awesome thing about Faith Durand's recipes is that they are so much better for you! She is the author of "Not Your Mother's Casseroles," which takes old-school casserole dishes and puts a healthy twist on them. I am definitely going to try some of her recipes in the next few weeks, and if I love them, her book is going in my cookbook collection!