What brings me joy (Plus a granola recipe worth rejoicing over)

Grilling out for lunch on a snow day...
The warm sunshine spilling out from between the blinds after a week of snow...
An encouraging conversation with a friend that lasts two hours...
Watching a client's eyes light up with realization during a coaching session...
The taste of sweet-n-saltiness in my morning granola (see recipe below)...
All these things and more bring me joy.

I experience joy in the small, unexpected graces of every day and also in the big realizations when I am fully living into who I was created to be.

Yet it's not necessarily these things in and of themselves that bring joy but rather the recognizing and paying attention to them.

When I go about my day and eat that same cereal as a means to end... 
When I ask the same coaching questions as a sense of responsibility not opportunity...
When a date with a friend runs long and I view it as throwing off my schedule... 
These prevent joy. 

Instead, it's the change in perspective that brings the joy. 

As author Ann Voskamp says, the height of our joy depends on the depths of our thanks. "As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible." 

Yet so often I start the day with expectations and standards, and then I'm only thankful or joyful when those are met. 

What if we stepped forward into our day expecting nothing but uncovering joyful moments? What if the only expectation that we had was the expectant hope found in Christ?

"I always pray with joy... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:3-6). 

As the footnote in my Crossway ESV Bible says, "The joy that Paul calls for is not a happiness that depends on circumstances but a deep contentment that is in the Lord, based on trust in the sovereign, living God, and that therefore is available always, even in difficult times." 

There is deep joy found in living out the mission that God has called you to and abiding in His every day graces.

To celebrate the every day small joys, here's some pictures of the snow day last week and a delicious new recipe for granola. (Despite John initially joking that the granola was "birdseed," he actually loved it and ate it for a snack every day.)

Grilling out on snow day last week

The parking lot to the zoo by our house.
I wasn't overly joyful about the snow itself, but John being home this time
and taking an evening walk in the snow together were reasons to be joyful.

Sweet and Salty Granola

I based this recipes off of Bon Appetit's granola but then made it my own.
Serves 12
Ingredients:
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I did a mix of walnuts, cashews, and almonds)
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp. flax seeds
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds
1 egg white, beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup warmed coconut oil
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup mix of raisins and golden raisins

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine oats through sesame seeds in a large bowl. Add in egg white, honey, coconut oil, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Toss to combine.
3. Spread out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Bake granola, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes or until granola is golden brown. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
6. Stir in raisins and store in an airtight container.

Today I'm linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart

What I ate during #snowmageddon & other adventures

With the temperature getting to 60 degrees today, it's hard to believe that almost a week ago my backyard was covered in snow. Thankfully, last Tuesday, I got back from the grocery store just before the snow started in Atlanta, so I hunkered down inside and weathered the storm fine.

John was in Memphis last Tuesday for what was supposed to be an up and back business trip. When his return flight got cancelled, he and his coworkers tried to drive back. After getting to Birmingham and realizing there was no way they would get home in "snowmageddon," they turned around and drove to the nearest hotel that had available rooms, which landed them in Athens, Alabama. Thursday afternoon he made it home safely, and we were just thankful he was "stranded" in a hotel and not on the road for 20 hours like many people. Despite John having no change of clothes and using whatever toiletries the hotel had on hand, we weathered the storm just fine. (And no frozen or burst pipes this time either: success!)

On Wednesday, I ventured outside with some friends and went sledding in the park with their Flying Saucer. It was lots of fun, evidenced by my smile in the picture below. Though not being able to steer, I ran into a tree about three times... all part of the adventure!

About to hit the tree...

Since I was stuck at home alone, I made two hearty meals that lasted me the week. One was a variation of my avocado quinoa, which is a staple in our house and a favorite of John's. Once John returned, I served this with cod topped with a salsa. The other was a sweet potato and butternut squash sweet and spicy stew.

Before I get to the recipes, the other notable occurrence in our life was watching Chuck, our great friend from middle/high school, get recognized in a Super Bowl commercial! Budweiser threw Chuck a surprise parade and celebration for his homecoming from serving in Afghanistan as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. John even made a cameo in the commercial around second 28... so I suppose even though he wasn't home the week our pipes froze/burst, it was all worth it since he was in Orlando at that time, attending Chuck's homecoming parade! I can't think of a better person for Budweiser to have surprised and honored than Chuck. He is truly inspirational, a wonderful friend, and an incredible leader. We're all so glad to have him back home! Check out this Fox News interview of Chuck to see his genuine humility.

John's one second of fame :)

Now onto the recipes...

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Sweet and Spicy Stew

I baked gluten free bread, which was an excellent addition for the stew.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 - 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs to taste

1 onion, sliced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 jalapeno, diced with seeds

1 cup red lentils

2 cups chicken broth

2 Tbsp. sunflower seed butter (or peanut butter)

1 -2 cups kale

1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Fresh cilantro for topping

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes and butternut squash with olive oil and salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs, to taste. You want enough to top each piece but not be covered. Lay out sweet potato mixture onto a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.
2. While sweet potato mixture roasts, heat a Dutch oven over low-medium heat. Add in olive oil and onion. Caramelize the onion for 25 minutes or until browned.
3. Remove sweet potato mixture from oven and let rest. Add in garlic and jalapeno to onions. Stir for 1 minute. 
4. Add in lentils and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover. Let lentils simmer until softened, about 12 minutes. 
5. Add in sunflower seed butter and stir to combine into soup. Add in kale and chickpeas, stirring until kale wilts. Add in sweet potato mixture. 
6. Let simmer for 10 minutes then remove from heat. Top each serving with fresh cilantro. 

Avocado Quinoa

I've been making this recipe for a while now, but the version below is my new and improved recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa 

3 cups water

3 small avocados, mashed

1 tomato, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 bunches cilantro

2 jalapenos, diced and with seeds

Juice of 1 lime

Dash of paprika

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Rinse quinoa under cold water. Cook quinoa in 3 cups of water according to package instructions.
2. Once quinoa is done, remove from heat and into a bowl. Add in avocados, mashing with a fork to combine into the quinoa. Mix until quinoa is coated and avocado is fully mashed.
3. Add in remaining ingredients, expect spices. Stir together. Add in spices, tasting as you go until it's the right saltiness/spiciness.   

Cod with Yellow Pepper Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 cod fillets

1/4 cup corn meal

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/2 onion, diced

Juice of half lime

2 tsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro for topping

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix salt and pepper (to taste) with cornmeal in a shallow bowl. Coat cod pieces with cornmeal mixture. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and put cod onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until done and cod flakes easily with a fork.
2. While fish cooks, whisk together dijon, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine yellow pepper, cucumber, and onion. Drizzle with olive oil, lime juice, and salt/pepper to taste. Toss to coat.
4. When fish is done, place a fillet on each plate and drizzle each fish with dijon dressing. Top with salsa and fresh cilantro.

Warms meals, cold nights: 2 new recipes

Out of one of my favorite books of last year came one of my favorite recipes so far for this year.

Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine recipe for Real Simple Cassoulet cannot be beat. I wasn't even sure what a cassoulet was before I started making it, so John and I were curious to see how it'd turn out. It ended up being a delicious, hearty, sweet dish that is perfect for a cold night. It's easy enough to make, serves a lot, and would even be a wonderful dish to serve for a casual, winter dinner party. Here's my take on it:

My take on Bread & Wine's Real Simple Cassoulet

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 links pre-cooked Italian chicken sausage (my favorite is Trader Joe's), chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

3 parsnips, peeled and diced

1 tomato, chopped

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

3 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced and divided

1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp. European butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Heat a dutch oven over medium-low heat, add olive oil and onions, stirring occasionally until they are almost caramelized. 
2. Once onions are done, add the sausage, chicken broth, vegetables, beans, thyme, salt, pepper, and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4. Heat oven to 400 degrees while cassoulet simmers. 
5. In a bowl combine the bread crumbs, parsley, butter, and 1 clove of minced garlic. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top of cassoulet.
6. Place cassoulet in oven and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until top is golden.

For Christmas, I received the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, which has gorgeous photos. Some of the recipes seem a little complex at first glance, but the one below is very easy and tasty. It was the first one from the cookbook that I tried, and it's a keeper. While Smitten Kitchen's photo is so much more beautiful, these tacos were still delicious!

My take on Smitten Kitchen's Spaghetti Squash and Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out

Juice from 1 lime

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp sea salt

Corn tortillas

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chicken broth

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 link precooked Trader Joe's jalapeno chicken sausage, diced

1/4 cup white onion, diced

4 ounces crumbled queso fresco, optional

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash, halved side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Cook for 40 minutes or until done (soft enough to scoop insides out).
2. While squash cooks, add beans, onion, sausage, chicken broth and a dash of cayenne, pepper, and salt to a pot. Let simmer, covered, until softened about 20 minutes.
3. Once squash is done, let it cool slightly then using a fork, scrape the squash flesh into a bowl. Discard the skin.
4. Wisk lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt together in a small bowl. Pour over squash and toss together to coat.
5. Assemble tacos by placing beans, squash, cheese, and cilantro on top of tortillas. 

Cooking Comparisons: Making a meal my own

My favorite way to cook is to read a recipe, get inspired, and then make it my own.

With the following recipes I did just that:

Oven-fried Chicken Sandwich 

John's sandwich, inspired from Bon Appetit and Cooking for Isaiah

My chicken tenders without the bun, served with slaw and a kale salad

John wanted the Fried Chicken Sandwich with Slaw and Spicy Mayo on the cover of April's Bon Appetit, but since the first piece of equipment that you need is a deep fry thermometer (which I obviously do not own), I altered it a bit. Plus, I wanted to make it somewhat healthy and gluten free. Instead of frying the chicken, I used Cooking for Isaiah's oven-fried chicken recipe and sauce, and I changed the coleslaw recipe for what I had on hand. Here's what I ended up making:

Serves 4
Ingredients:
Chicken
4 cups corn tortilla chips, crushed (I used Trader Joe's no salt added ones)
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
1 pound chicken tenders (I used Trader Joe's tenderloins which were thin. I recommend pounding your chicken first if it isn't thin, so then it stays moist.)
Sandwich rolls
Sauce
1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Slaw
2 cups broccoli slaw
1 jalapeno sliced thin
1/2 red onion sliced thin
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine crushed tortilla chips with salt and pepper to taste. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Coat chicken with chips, then dip into eggs, and coat with chips again. Repeat this process with all of chicken and put on a baking sheet. Bake chicken for 15 minutes or until done. (If your chicken is not as thin it may need 20 minutes).
2. While chicken cooks, prepare the slaw by tossing all of the slaw ingredients together and let marinate.
3. Mix sauce ingredients together.
4. Spread sauce on both sides of sandwich rolls and top with chicken and slaw. (Yes the slaw goes on the sandwich.) Or, serve the sauce on the side for dipping the chicken tenders in if not making a sandwich.

Black Bean Tacos with Bacon and Feta

My tacos as compared to Cooking Light

John's taco 

My tacos without the cheese and on corn tortillas

For this meal, I followed Cooking Light's recipe pretty closely. You can read the recipe here.

Here were the changes I made:

• I didn't cook the onion, garlic, and jalapeno together in the bacon drippings. Instead, I let the onion caramelize in a separate pan while the beans cooked, and I added in the garlic and jalapeno towards the end.
• I didn't have seasoned black beans, so instead I mixed in cumin, sea salt, and pepper and let them simmer with some chicken broth for about 10 minutes. I occasionally stirred them, mashing up some of the beans while they simmered.  
• I also made my homemade guacamole to put on top of my tacos (since I didn't use feta) and as a nice side with chips.

Thai Basil Beef

My rice bowl as compared to Bon Appetit's

For this Bon Appetit recipe (which you can read here) I followed it almost exactly. Here are the few changes that I made:

• I didn't have fish sauce, so for the sauce I used Tamari (gluten free soy sauce), lime juice, and about half of the amount of sugar that the recipe calls for.
• We happened to have gone to the farmer's market and had red chiles, but when I make this again I would probably use jalapenos since I always have those in the fridge.
• I used brown rice instead of white.

Here are some other cooking comparisons that I've made in past posts:

Nachos

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Five Fall Flavored Recipes: Soups and Muffins

John laughs every Fall because as soon as Trader Joe's starts selling acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes by the bushel, baking pumpkins, and brussels sprouts on a stock I cannot contain my excitement. I love Fall cooking and flavors!

In honor of these delicious ingredients, here's some Fall recipes that I've made lately and that I highly suggest you should try out:

Apple Pie - Filled Muffins

John and I devoured these in about 2 days, so I suggest you double the recipe. They are THAT good. When you bite into them you get cinnamon apples in the middle. I followed FitSugar's recipe but used gluten free flour and almond milk instead. 

Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping

As if the apple pie muffins weren't tasty enough, John thought these were even better... probably because they taste like dessert! I used the recipe from Cooking For Isaiah, a cookbook that I highly recommend even if you aren't dairy or gluten free.

Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon Crumbles

The day after I got my Cooking Light issue this month, I made this sweet potato soup. It was so easy but so good. I used my immersion blender which helped it come together quickly. 

Pictured Above: Roasted Broccoli & GF Corn Muffins

Roasting our broccoli was revolutionary. John wasn't a huge fan of broccoli before, but now he loves it roasted. Bon Appetit's recipe is my favorite. The corn muffins are from Cooking For Isaiah.

Chickpea, Butternut Squash, and Lentil Stew

Pictured with Pumpkin Muffins, recipe above.

Ingredients:

1 white onion, chopped

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cardamon

Pinch of black pepper

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 quart chicken broth

1 cup red lentils

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tsp sea salt

Fresh cilantro for topping

Preparation:

1. Toss butternut squash with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until it's softened and done.
2. While squash cooks, heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute until it starts to brown. 
3. Add jalapeno, garlic, and spices (through black pepper) and stir to combine for about 1 minute.
4. Add chickpeas, diced tomatoes, red lentils, and broth to onion mixture. Stir and turn heat to high until it starts to simmer. Reduce heat and cover until lentils are done, about 25 minutes. 
5. Once lentils are done, add in butternut squash to pot and stir everything together. Season with sea salt and cilantro before serving.

Pumpkin & Potato Soup

In case you missed it on BeEmbraced a couple of weeks ago, this soup is another win for a Fall night.

I promise it tastes so much better than it looks in this picture!

7 Recipes Roundup

I have lots of things to update on the blog, such as seeing John Mayer in concert and attending Alex's wedding in St. Louis! But since I haven't put any recipes up lately, I'll start with that.

Here's the line-up:
Granola Bars
Green Smoothie
Sweet Potato Salad
Chicken Sausage Pizza
"Fried" Sole
Roasted Salmon
Pumpkin Soup

Kitchen Sink Granola Bars, inspired by The Paleo Mom recipe

I call these the kitchen sink granola bars because I basically put everything but the kitchen sink in them. Adding nuts to these would be good as well, but I was using seeds as the main focus for this recipe.

Makes 16 squares

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp. honey

1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used sweetened because that's all Trader Joe's had)

1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup oats

1 Tbsp. flax seeds

1 Tbsp. chia seeds

Pinch sea salt

Couple dashes of cinnamon 

Preparation:

1. Grease an 8x8 pan with cooking spray, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk eggs, honey, salt, and cinnamon together until completely combined.
3. Combine all dry ingredients. Pour egg mixture over top and mix to combine until everything is well coated. 
4. Pour into pan and press down with a rubber spatula to even everything out. Bake for 18 minutes or until edges start to slightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool for an hour or so. Cut into squares or just break off as much as you want at a time like I do!

Green Pear Smoothie

Looks gross but it's delicious, pinky promise.

Serves one: Blend together half of a chopped pear, handful of green grapes, half of a frozen banana, half cup of frozen spinach, 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, 3 Tbsp. vanilla hemp protein powder, and enough almond milk to get everything blended together. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Salad

I made up this recipe during our North Carolina weekend getaway based on what ingredients I happened to bring with us. It turned out surprisingly delicious!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (the size of cheese cubes)

1 Tbsp. light extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

1 small onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced (keep in seeds if you want it spicy)

1/2 can, drained and rinsed cannellini beans

Cumin, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Garlic salt seasoning, to taste

Arugula 

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

1. Toss sweet potatoes with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and roast in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. When potatoes are the consistency of french fries, remove from oven and toss with sea salt and pepper .
2. Caramelize onion in olive oil while sweet potatoes cook.
3. Add in red pepper, jalapeno, beans, and remaining spices after onions have cooked for 10 minutes.
4. When potatoes are done, mix everything together and serve over a bed of arugula. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic on top of salad.

Chicken Sausage Pizza

There's not much of a recipe here; I just wanted to give you another idea for a quick, yummy meal. I make gluten-free dough using Cooking For Isaiah's recipe. John uses Trader Joe's pre-made dough. We then top with pizza sauce, onions, tomato, spinach, mushrooms, and Trader Joe's chicken sausage. We add garlic and herbs to the top, and John adds cheese to his. We cook them according to the directions. Easy and delicious!  

"Fried" Sole with Dill and Side of Lentils

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 cup gluten free (or regular) flour 

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs, beaten

4 small sole fillets

Relish: 1 tomato chopped, 3 green onions, chopped, sea salt, pepper, dill, lime juice, and olive oil

Preparation:

1. Combine flour with spices. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. 
2. Dredge fish with eggs, then coat with flour mixture. 
3. Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil to coat. Add fish fillets and cook 2 minutes per side. Add extra oil in between fillets. Repeat until all fillets are cooked.
4. Combine relish ingredients and serve on top of fish. 

Lentils: Cook lentils according to instructions. While lentils cook, caramelize an onion. Add in two cloves of minced garlic and mushrooms once onions start to brown. When lentils are done, add to onion mixture and stir in spinach, ground pepper, a few dashes of red wine vinegar, and a squirt of lime juice.

Roasted Jalapeno Salmon with Broccoli, inspired by Bon Appetit

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets

4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 skinless salmon fillets

1 jalapeno, sliced into rings (we kept seeds in)

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

2 Tbsp. drained capers

2 Tbsp. chives, chopped

Juice from a half lime, divided

Zest from a half lime, divided

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss broccoli on a large rimmed baking sheet with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
2. Rub salmon with 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Push broccoli to edges of baking sheet and put salmon in the middle. Roast for 10 minutes, or until salmon is opaque.
3. While salmon roasts, combine jalapeno, vinegar, pinch of salt, capers, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, pepper, chives, and zest and juice from a 1/4 of a lime
4. When salmon is done top with remaining lime juice and zest. Serve jalapeno mix on top of salmon.

Pumpkin, Potato, and Kale Soup, inspired by FBG's recipe

I love Fall vegetables, so I was super excited to make this soup this week! And it didn't disappoint! I served it with gluten free corn muffins (using a mix from Williams-Sonoma).

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

4 c peeled and 1½-inch cubed baking pumpkin
 (4 cups = about 1 pumpkin)

2 russet potatoes, 1½-inch cubed 

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


3 large cloves garlic, minced
 and divided

Dried herbs, to coat 

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped


2 red bell peppers, coarsely chopped


4 c low-sodium chicken broth

5 dashes cayenne pepper


3 c chopped kale 

2 large carrots, coarsely chopped


1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped


1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped


1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped


Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop vegetables, making sure to keep them all the same size. Place pumpkin and potato in a large roasting pan and toss with oil, 2 cloves garlic and herbs. I used dried oregano, dried Italian seasoning, dried savory, and sea salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, uncovered. 
2. Add remaining vegetables to roasting pan except carrots and kale. Then, roast for another 20 minutes, or until vegetables are starting to brown.
3. Remove pan from oven and put roasted vegetables and stock in a large pot. Add the cayenne pepper, black pepper, and a dash of salt. Stir everything together. Heat over medium-high heat until soup starts to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add chopped carrots, kale, 1 garlic clove minced, fresh herbs, and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes.

I hope you're able to enjoy some of these recipes! And be sure to check back soon for updates on our weekend adventures!

Three 20-Minute Summer Salads

Nothing says dinnertime during summer than salads loaded with summery fruits and vegetables. Here's three that I've made recently that were delightfully easy, healthy, and summery!

Southwestern Chicken Salad

I had a variation of this salad at my friend Malorie's house and loved it. Here's my re-creation below.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

2 Tbsp. dijon mustard

Juice from 1 lime

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp chili powder

Salt/pepper to taste

1 bag of spinach

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 red onion, chopped

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 avocado, chopped

2 corn on the cob, boiled and cut off the cob

2 jalapeno chicken sausage from Trader Joe's (or bacon)

Cilantro, sea salt, pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Whisk together dijon, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper. Brush over chicken breasts and cook in 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until done.
2. Combine the remaining salad ingredients (spinach through corn).
3. Cook sausage or bacon and crumble on top of salad. 
4. When chicken is done, cut it into bite sized pieces, add to salad, and top with fresh cilantro and salt/pepper to taste.

Summer Vegetable Ceviche 

This dish was inspired by a Food and Wine recipe. See my variation below.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tomatoes, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced (with seeds)

2 nectarines, chopped

1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 orange bell pepper, chopped

2 corn on cob, boiled and cut off the cob

Juice from 1/2 lime

1/4 cup cilantro

Olive oil, sea salt, and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Mix everything together and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt/pepper to taste.
2. Would be good to add in avocado too!

Quinoa Mango Salad

Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1/2 bag of kale
Olive oil
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup cilantro
Salt/pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Cook quinoa according to directions. (Usually: In 2 cups of water, bring quinoa to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.) Remove from heat when done.
2. Add kale to a bowl and remove any stems. Drizzle with olive oil and massage with your hands until kale is tender.
3. Add in vegetables to salad.
4. Add in quinoa. Stir everything together with cilantro and salt/pepper to taste.

I served this with a side of chicken jalapeno sausage and black beans simmered together over low heat with red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and black ground pepper. Delicious!

GuiltLESS Pleasures: Not-so Nachos & Good-for-you Grilled Cheese

One thing I'm loving this month? The new Cooking Light issue! This week I've made two recipes from their newest issue for "healthified" comfort food.

This is one of John's busiest times at work, so I've been focused on making meals that are quick yet hearty and comforting. When John saw the array of nachos recipes as I was reading Cooking Light Sunday night he was very excited to try one out this week. (See picture below!)

Here was his nachos pick (that earned a 10 out of 10!):

Huevos Nachos

Inspired by Cooking Light

The original Cooking Light recipe is pretty simple, but I made some tweaks to it, and it was still a big success! (For dairy free and gluten free eaters like myself, I still broiled my chips, I just didn't add cheese to my half. I also use corn chips so they're gluten free.)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese  (optional if you're dairy free)

4 ounces tortilla chips

3/4 cup rinsed and drained canned black beans

1/2 red onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, diced (I kept seeds in so it was spicy)

Juice from 1/2 lime

3 small spicy chicken sausages (I used Trader Joe's spicy jalapeno and roasted red pepper all natural chicken sausage)

4 eggs

Preparation:

1. Preheat broiler. 
2. Mix together beans, onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice.
3. Heat sausage in a pan for 7-9 minutes, or until heated through completely. Remove from pan and cut into small pieces. Stir into bean mixture.
4. Scramble the four eggs in the pan. Remove from heat when done.
5. Arrange chips on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Broil for 3 minutes or until cheese melts.
6. Add the bean and sausage mixture to the chips and top with eggs. 

The second recipe that I've made this week is:

Cooking Light's Kale and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese 

with Poblano-Tomato Soup

Again, I made some changes to make it both faster to prepare and with a gluten/dairy free option. I used hummus instead of cheese for mine and made them on gluten free bread. This was another recipe winner!

Ingredients:

Grilled Cheese

1-2 cups chopped kale (depending on how much you want)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 red onions, sliced

Ground pepper and sea salt to taste

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (Cooking Light calls for this, but I forgot to add it in and it was fine!)

8 slices bread

2 Tbsp. hummus (optional)

Cooking spray

4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Jalapeno Tomato Soup

2 tomatoes, halved

3 large garlic cloves, halved

3 shallots, halved

1 seeded red bell pepper, halved

1 jalapeno pepper, halved (I kept seeds in for spiciness)

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

Preparation: I am writing it in the order that I prepared everything since it went quickest this way.

1. For soup: Preheat broiler. Place tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and peppers on jelly roll pan. Toss with canola oil. Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened.
2. For sandwich: While vegetables for the soup cook, heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil to pan. Add in onion and cook for 10 minutes or until it's tender and browned. Add in kale, salt, and pepper until kale wilts. Remove from heat. Add in vinegar.
3. For soup: Remove vegetables from broiler once they're browned. Coarsely chop them and add to a large pot. Add in the canned tomatoes and chicken broth. Use an immersion blender to blend everything together until it is a chunky broth. Let simmer, covered, over low heat while you finish the sandwiches.
4. For sandwiches: Lower oven heat to 300 degrees. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add in bread slices, and when they start to brown, flip them over for another 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat this with all of the bread slices and reapply cooking spray when needed. 
5. For sandwiches: Arrange 4 bread slices on a baking sheet. Top each with kale and onion mixture then add cheese to top. (For dairy free option, spread hummus on bread instead of using cheese.) Top with the other 4 bread slices to make a sandwich. Bake sandwiches for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. 

PS The next day, I took the soup with me as lunch on the go and ate it cold. It was still delicious and tasted like gazpacho!

What the Shack's are eating lately

Yesterday, I recapped what John and I were up to last weekend, and today I'm talking about what we've been eating lately. Read on for quick, yummy (and healthy of course!) recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, AND dessert.

Breakfast

Chocolate "Frosty" Smoothie

Coffee and Chocolate... perfect start to the day

This smoothie was so creamy that I ate it with a spoon. It reminded me of a frosty, so it was obviously quite a delicious way to start the morning. The key here is to use everything frozen so it's thick.

Serves 1 / Instructions: Blend together 1/2 frozen banana, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup frozen, chopped spinach, 3 Tbsp. chocolate hemp protein powder (I use this one), and enough almond milk to get everything blended together (probably about 3/4 cup). 

Lunch

5 Minute Pasta

I used gluten free pasta but any will work for this dish. I also had the pasta already pre-cooked from dinner the night before (see next recipe!) and reheated it, making this come together quickly.

Serves 1 / Instructions: Cook one serving of pasta. While pasta cooks, combine 5 halved grape tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. chopped sun dried tomatoes, 2 tsp capers, 1 tsp fresh thyme. When pasta is finished, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with combined veggies.

Dinner

Italian Shrimp Pasta

Since John and I eat different types of pasta (i.e. he doesn't eat gluten free), I made spaghetti noodles for him and gluten free mushroom pasta for me (see 5 Minute Pasta picture above).

Serves 2 / Instructions: 

1. Preheat pan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and half of a white onion, chopped. Caramelize onion (about 15 minutes).
2. While onion cooks, thaw shrimp. Quarter 10 grape tomatoes, halve 1/2 cup of green olives, and chop 1/2 cup of portabella mushrooms. 
3. Add in mushrooms and two cloves of chopped garlic to onions. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Season shrimp with dried oregano and add shrimp, tomatoes, olives, and 1 Tbsp. capers to pan. 
5. Cook until shrimp is pink and done cooking. 
6. Toss everything with pasta, drizzle with olive oil, and top with fresh basil, sage, thyme, and ground pepper. 

Dessert- saving the best for last!

No Bake Chocolate Cookies

I got the urge to bake late last night and decided to make some gluten free, vegan cookies. They're not exactly healthy but not as bad as most cookies either! Plus, they definitely passed John's taste test!

The key is to use coconut oil to get a "coconutty" flavor (but you can use butter if you don't have it) and quality cocoa powder. Obviously Trader Joe's was my selection of choice:

2 dozen cookies / Instructions: Combine 1 mashed banana, 4 Tbsp coconut oil, 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (or substitute peanut or almond butter) in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once it starts to boil, take pan off heat and stir in 3 1/2 cups gluten free (or quick cooking) oats. 

Spoon out about a tablespoon of the mixture and place in balls on parchment paper (or in Tupperware like I did). Stick in fridge to harden.