Easy Crockpot Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup is an all time winter fave around here! And I love this recipe because it is a super easy one!! Check out this delicious, filling and healthy quick meal!!

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken breast, cleaned

• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth

• 1 1/2 cup verde salsa

• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 1 TBSP cumin

• 1 TBSP chili powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1-2 bell peppers sliced

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 3 TBSP lime juice

• Topping options: avocado, Cotija cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, cilantro

  • Tip: instead of buying tortilla chips, I buy baked tostadas and use them like tortilla chips.

How to:

1. Place chicken, broth, salsa, black beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt to crockpot and set on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours.

2. When ready to eat, saute peppers and onions. Mix into soup with lime juice.

3. Shred chicken with two forks (may have to remove from crockpot to do this)

4. Enjoy with your favorite toppings!

Side suggestion:

Simple Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1 bag shredded cabbage

• 1 bag shredded carrots

• 1-2 TBSP lime juice

• 1-2 TBSP olive oil or avocado oil

• salt, pepper and cumin to taste

How to:

1. Mix together and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Risotto

As a dietitian, I get several cool perks, like being an ambassador for companies like Siggis. This recipe popped up on one of their feeds and I couldn’t pass it up!! We adjusted the recipe slightly but are seriously IN LOVE! We made it for the first time last week, but made enough butternut squash that we made it again this week. I am not joking, this is one of those dishes that can be eaten for any meal!!

Here is the recipe:

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash

• 1/2 TBSP olive oil

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp cloves

• salt and pepper to taste

• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2 TBSP avocado oil/Ghee

• 1 small white onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cups brown rice

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 2 TBSP Siggis Coconut Yogurt (plus some for topping)

• Green onion, sliced for topping

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Peel and cube butternut squash. Mix with olive oil, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, heat a Dutch Oven or pot with avocado oil. Add mushrooms and onion and cook until softened and browned. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute. Then add rice and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat and cook until broth is absorbed (can add water if more liquid is necessary).

3. Once squash is cooked, allow to cool. Then puree using a blender, food processor or emersion blender.

4. Once pureed, add to the cooked rice and stir well. Add yogurt and thyme. (You may have too much butternut squash depending on the size you bought, in that case set aside and use later).

5. Serve topped with sliced green onion and a dollop of Siggis Coconut Yogurt.

We served ours with pork chops and broccoli the first time and chicken and salad the next :-)

Hope you love this as much as we did!!

Chili and Cornbread

Halloween always means it is time to make chili and cornbread! Here is the recipe I’ve been diggin this year!

Three Been Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground turkey or ground beef

• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

• 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 red onion, chopped

• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 TBSP chili powder

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 TBSP oregano

• 1 tsp basil

• 2 tsp parsley

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

• 1 tsp ghee/avocado oil

• 1 1/2 -2 cups water

How to:

1. Cook ground turkey in a saucepan in 1 tsp ghee/avocado oil on the stove until slightly browned.

2. Place all ingredients up to cheese in the crockpot. If you need additional liquid, add 1 1/2- 2 cups water. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

3. Top chili with shredded cheese and serve cornbread and a vegetable on the side

Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 TBSP baking powder

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 egg

• 1 cup milk

• 1/4 cup butter

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl of mixer.

2. Add cornmeal and mix.

3. Add egg, milk, butter and mix until combined (no more that 1 minutes)

4. Grease 9 muffin tin slots and fill each evenly with batter.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until browned and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

6. Can also make cornbread squares by using a 8x8 pan and baking for 20-25 minutes.

7. Serve with honey butter

*Cornbread recipe from Bob's Red Mill cornmeal package. 

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

Tomato season is upon us!! I am always so amazed at the taste difference between a fresh in season tomato versus one I buy at the store in February! It all of a sudden makes sense to me why they are technically fruits, because I can actually taste their sweetness!!

We received heirloom tomatoes in our LINC Box a couple weeks in a row. Heirlooms are so beautiful and I knew I had to do something fun and special with them. I stumbled across a recipe for panzanella. Now, to be honest, I don’t think I knew what panzanella salad was until this experience. Now I am hooked!! We bought some bread from our local bread shop, The Grain Shed, to use in this salad too! Here is the recipe:

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

Ingredients:

Here is the bread we used. I had to include a picture because it was SO delicious!!

• 1 1/2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, chopped in large pieces

• 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered

• 1/2+ red onion, sliced

• 4 cups crusty bread, chopped in large pieces

• 1 head basil, chopped

• olive oil

• 2-3 TBSP red wine vinegar

• salt and pepper

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Chop the bread into pieces and toss with a little bit of olive oil and salt. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 25+ minutes, or until bread is crusty.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.

3. Add the basil, olive oil and red wine vinegar and carefully mix.

4. Traditionally, you would mix in the bread pieces, however I didn’t want ours to lose their texture and get moist, so I mixed them in with the servings we were having and kept them separate in storage.

We served ours with Greek flavored chicken!! I also served my leftovers with cottage cheese, and trust me when I say it was AMAZING!

Roasted Anaheim Pepper Salsa

We have subscribed to the LINC Box this summer, which is a box that combines local fresh produce weekly! This box has allowed us to experiment with a lot of produce that is out of our ordinary choices! A recent box included Anaheim peppers. I love peppers because of their various taste and heat profiles. Anaheim peppers are not high in heat. They fall between a bell pepper and a poblano pepper. Here is a good chart with common peppers and their heatness ratings:

Because Anaheim peppers are not spicy, I knew they had to be roasted to give the salsa a smokey flavor. Here is the recipe I chose:

Roasted Anaheim Pepper Salsa

Ingredients

• 6 Anaheim peppers, largely chopped

• 12 oz cherry tomatoes

• 3/4 onion, largely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic

• olive oil

• 2-3 TBSP lime juice

• 1/2 bunch cilantro

• salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. Mix peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic with 1 TBSP olive oil. Place on a baking sheet.

3. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast vegetables for 30 minutes, or until slightly browned.

4. Place vegetables in a food process or blender with lime juice and cilantro. Pulse until it reaches desired consistency.

   *When placing hot items in a food processor/blender, make sure you have a place for the heat to escape. I generally hold the lid open using and oven mitt and make sure that the opening is pointed away from my face.

5. Store in refrigerator and enjoy on anything that salsa tastes good on!

We served ours on taco bowls, quesadillas, eggs and even turkey sandwiches!

Peach Season Favorites

It is peach season again!! I always forget how much I love peaches until I bite into a freshly picked ripe peach and juices fly everywhere and I feel like I am eating a Peach-O… then I am quickly reminded about how lovely a ripe peach is.

I shared another great peach recipes last year in the Seasonal Eating: July Edition post. The recipe is for a peach salsa that we have used on all kinds of meat, white fish and even in cottage cheese! I highly recommend checking the recipe out.

This year, I wanted to share a couple more of our favorites… Five Spice Pork Chops with Peaches and Peachy Tacos. Both are fun ways to add peaches to a meal! Here are the recipes:

Five Spice Pork Chops with Peaches

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork chops or pork cutlets

• 1 TBSP five spice powder (buy this if you don’t have it cause it is SO good)

• salt and pepper

• 4 peaches, chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic minced

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tsp olive oil

How to:

1. Preheat grill

2. Cover the pork chops in a little bit of olive oil. Then salt, pepper and rub the Five Spice all over the surface.

3. Grill until cooked through

4. Meanwhile, place peaches, garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine.

5. Heat a saute pan and add peach mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the peaches soften and the mixture thickens.

6. Serve peaches on top of the pork.

Peachy Tacos

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil

• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 1 glove garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup chipotle chili in adobo

• 2 ripe peaches, chopped

• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 lb chicken breast

• 3 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 2+ TBSP lime juice

• Corn tortillas

• 2+ peaches, thinly sliced

• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

How to:

1. In a large pot, add 1 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until slightly softened.

2. Add chipotle chili, tomato sauce, and peaches and cook on low for 20 minutes.

3. Transfer the sauce to a blender and carefully blend, until a sauce has formed. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, heat the same pot with 1 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil. Add chickens and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the chickens and add 1/4-1/2 of the sauce back to the chickens. Cook on low covered with a lid for 20 minutes. (Ours ended up being saucy enough that we saved the other half of the sauce to make the meal again!)

5. Once cooked through, remove from pan and shred, using to forks.

6. Place chicken back in the sauce.

7. Meanwhile, combine cabbage, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl.

8. Serve tortillas with chicken and sauce, cabbage slaw, peach slices, avocado slices and jalapeno. Enjoy!!

The Perfect Smoothie Formula

Warm weather is coming which means smoothie season is here!! All the fresh produce makes smoothies that much more appealing this time of year. I do, however, make smoothies all year round and generally use frozen fruit. If smoothies aren’t done right, they can cause your blood sugar to spike and your energy to crash- not what we want. This is a formula I use for making smoothies. You can add quite a bit of variation using this formula. As you think through various options, just remember, you want more than just carbs in your smoothie!! So add protein and/or fat to make those carbs last longer!!

Smoothie Formula (makes 2-3 smoothies)

• 1 cup vegetable (beets, cucumber, zucchini, carrots)

• 1 banana

• 2 cups other fruit (citrus, berries, mango, etc)

• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt

• 2 cups spinach (or other green)

• 1 cup almond milk or other liquid

• 1/2 cup dry oats (you won’t even notice them)

• 1 scoop protein powder (I like to use unflavored)

Beet Orange Smoothie:

• 1 cup beets (steamed)

• 1 orange

• 1 cup berries

• 1 banana

• 2 cups spinach

• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1/2 cup oats

• 1 scoop protein powder

Carrot Ginger Sunshine Smoothie

• 3-4 large carrots

• 1 orange

• 2 cups spinach

• 1 cup berries

• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 banana

• 1 scoop protein powder

• 1 TBSP grated fresh ginger

• 1 tsp turmeric

Cucumber Berry Spice Smoothie

• 1 cup cucumber

• 1 cup berries

• 1 banana

• 2 cups spinach

• 1/2 cup oats

• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt

• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger

• 2 TBSP unsweetened coconut

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp cardamom

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1 scoop protein powder

*Note- I generally serve my smoothies with granola on top, which adds some extra fat. If you will not be topping with fat of any source, consider throwing in nuts, seeds, nut butters, or avocado. Here is a link to an awesome granola recipe.

Eat Seasonally: December Edition

Here we are… the last Eat Seasonally post of 2018!

December’s list of seasonal produce is short, but sweet! Many of the foods are literally sweet. All citrus is prime during this season, as well as pomegranates AND parsnips, squash and celery root are all in season, which I would say are pretty sweet for being vegetables.

This month’s recipe focuses on oranges and pomegranates. Both of which are full of antioxidants. Some other notable facts:

Oranges: We all know oranges have vitamin C, which makes them great for immunity boosters. Which, (not ironically) helps out with the seasonal cold and flu. Oranges also have a low glycemic index, which make them a great food for weight control. Oranges have also been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease because they have potassium, folate and and vitamin C which all help with lowering cholesterol and preventing stroke and arrhythmias.

Pomegranates: Pomegranates have been shown to help with memory and brain health. Also, studies have shown that a consistent consumption of pomegranate can help lower cholesterol.

Pomegranates are a funny fruit. The seeds are not necessarily easy to “harvest,” but are so worth it! My tips are to cut the pomegranate in quarters, and use your thumb to push out the seeds into a bowl. Then sift through the bowl and pull out all of the extra white pulp. If that seems too hard, you can always buy the seeds already picked out. You can usually find them in the produce area, often by the pre cut and packaged fruit.

Salmon with Pomegranate Orange Salsa:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb salmon

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp cayenne

• 1 tsp fennel seed

• 2 TBSP lime juice, divided

• 5 TBSP white wine vinegar, divided

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp Ghee/avocado oil

• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

• 2 oranges, peeled, segmented and chopped

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

• 1 tsp cumin

• 2 TBSP olive oil

How to:

1. Mix garlic powder, cayenne, fennel seed, salt and pepper. Season outside of salmon with spice mix.

2. Heat 1 tsp ghee/avocado oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add salmon. Sear each side for about 1-2 minutes each. Reduce heat, pour in white wine vinegar and lime juice. Cook salmon until cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, make salsa by combining pomegranate seeds, oranges, 1 TBSP lime juice, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, cumin, and 2 TBSP olive oil. Mix together and set aside.

4. Serve salmon with salsa on top

We served this salmon with quinoa and sautéed green beans!

Eat Seasonally: November Edition

So… squash is obviously a popular seasonal food during this time of the year, but I wanted to highlight some other November beauties!! This soup contains fennel, leeks, apples, and walnut. Each of those foods have a list of positive health benefits, so this month I am going to highlight one really cool thing about each of them:

• Fennel: contains a special phytonutrient called anethole WHICH has shown over and over again to reduce inflammation and reduce risk for cancer. Fennel has a very unique and distinct flavor!

• Leeks: contain a nutrient called kaempferol that has been shown to protect against damage to your blood vessel lining and also may be important in the release of nitric oxide which helps your vessels expand to get more blood and oxygen through.

• Apples: YUM! Apples contain a nutrient called cholorgenic acid which helps keep blood sugars low. The apple sweetens this soup wonderfully!

• Walnuts: contain melatonin! Melatonin help regulate your circadian rhythm and helps with sleep which is always good!

So this soup will help with inflammation, your heart health, blood sugar control AND sleep!! Cool, huh?!

Leek, Fennel, Apple and Walnut Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 leeks, sliced

• 1 ½ tsp dried thyme

• 1 fennel bulb, chopped (reserve frons)

• 1 medium apple, chopped

• 2 tsp turmeric

• 3/4 cup walnut halves, roasted

• 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

• 2 tsp Ghee/avocado oil

 How to:

1. Heat Ghee/avocado oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Saute leeks and thyme for about 4 minutes. Then add fennel and apples and stir.

2. Add turmeric and stir until everything is coated evenly. Saute for another 3 minutes. Add ½ cup walnuts and broth.

3. Bring pot to a boil and let simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat.

4. Using a hand blender or large blender, blend soup until smooth. (we found a kitchen blender was easier). If you choose a kitchen blender, remove the cap from the lid and cover with an oven mitt leaving a little space for steam to escape. Also, work in batches so it doesn’t explode on you.

5. Serve the soup with toasted walnuts, fennel fronds and pepper on top.

*The color of this soup isn’t the best BUT the taste is!! We served it with chicken and sourdough bread!!

Eat Seasonally: October Edition

I love fall foods! It seems to be the one season that has very well known and well loved produce! There are a lot of wonderful options from the list above that I could have chosen to highlight this month, but I decided to focus on the obvious… PUMPKIN!!!

Pumpkins contain all sorts of good nutrients. Just 1 cup contains 200% of your daily needs of Vitamin A! This is important in immunity, eye health and bone health. Pumpkin also contains Vitamin E, which is a nutrient that can easily be missed in people’s diets. Pumpkin is considered a starchy vegetable, which means it has a greater amount of carbohydrates than its non-starchy friends- which means it provides a significant amount of energy for a vegetable!

The best ways to eat pumpkin are to either roast your own (sugar pumpkin) OR to to buy canned pureed pumpkin. Avoid the pumpkin pie mix, especially for this recipe!!

Pumpkin Sage Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

• 12 oz whole wheat noodles

• 1 lb chicken sausage (Italian or Sicilian)

• 1/2 white onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp ground sage

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• dash of cinnamon

• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth

• 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree

• 1 TBSP tomato paste

• 2 cups spinach

• 2 oz parmesan cheese

How to:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. In a saute pan, cook sausage until browned. Set aside. In the same pan, add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent.

3. Add 2 tsp sage, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and a dash on cinnamon. Cook for about 1 minute.

4. Add low sodium chicken broth, pumpkin puree, and tomato paste.

5. Cook noodles in boiling water for 9 minutes. Then drain.

6. Mix noodles and sausage into the pumpkin sauce. Add 2 cups of spinach and mix until spinach wilts.

7. Serve pasta topped with parmesan cheese.

We served ours with sautéed Brussel sprouts and mushrooms.

I hope you enjoy this cozy Pumpkin Sage Sausage Pasta!

Eat Seasonally: September Edition

I didn’t know it until I moved away from Colorado, but hatch green chile salsa is like A THING in Colorado. Probably because it is more southwest than any other state I’ve lived in and these lovely chiles are grown in New Mexico. Also, probably because Spokane Washington isn’t known for its phenomenal Mexican food!! Anyways, I saw these at the store at the beginning of the month and knew I had to make some salsa. The recipe is to come, but first, lets talk about hatch green chiles and why they are so awesome.

Chiles are vegetables, which means they contain a lot of nutrients for a little amount of calories. Some of the nutrients these chiles contain are:

Vitamin A: all green peppers contain vitamin A, which help with eye health and immunity.

Vitamin C: is a precursor in collagen growth as well as an antioxidant.

Capsaicin: this is what gives peppers their spice. The more heat a pepper has, the more capsaicin in contains. Capsaicin can help reduce pain because the heat/spice increases blood flow. This has been shown to help internally, for example with headaches. Capsaicin also comes in cream form, as it can also help if applied externally to sore joints and muscles. Hatch chiles aren’t known for their heat, but they do still contain a bit of capsaicin.

Now for the recipe!!

Hatch Green Chile Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic

• 1/2 white onion

• 2 green onions, diced

• 1 jalapeno, deseeded

• 1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, shells removed and roughly chopped

• 5 hatch chiles, seeds removed and cut lengthwise

• 1 TBSP olive oil

• 1/2 cup cilantro

• 2 TBSP lime juice

• 1 tsp cumin

• 2 TBSP white vinegar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

How to:

1. Turn oven to broil. Clean and prep garlic, jalapeno, tomatillos, and hatch chiles. Cut them all into large chunks for roasting.

2. Mix tomatillos and hatch green chiles with 1 TBSP olive oil.

3. Place all vegetables on a baking sheet or two. Arrange them so they are spread out a bit.

4. Broil in oven for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly charred.

5. Remove from oven and add to food processor or blender. Add cilantro, white onion, green onion, lime juice, cumin, white vinegar, salt and pepper. You may have to work in batches depending on how big your blender is. Blend until smooth.

6. Serve and enjoy!

We made hatch green chile burgers:

Turkey burgers with pepper jack cheese, spinach, avocado and A TON of salsa :-)

Eat Seasonally: August Edition

It's August which means it is tomato season! If you have never gotten the pleasure of eating a home-grown tomato (not one from the grocery store), then you, my friend, are missing out. Tomatoes are good, but homegrown tomatoes will blow your mind!

So... the great debate... are they vegetable or fruit? Technically tomatoes are fruit BUT everyone counts them as vegetables, including me. The way they grow makes them a fruit, BUT nutritionally, their caloric composition is more similar to that of a vegetable. So my vote is.... they are vegetables!

Tomatoes also make up 80% of the lycopene consumption in the US. This is mostly because of high consumption of pasta sauce and ketchup. That doesn't take away from the fact that tomatoes are a great source of lycopene which is a carotenoid that is linked to lower prostate cancer, reduction in oxidative stress, eye health, heart health and skin health. Lycopene is better absorbed with a fat source, which is one reason why this recipe ROCKS!!

Avocado Toast with Basil, Heirloom Tomatoes and Balsamic Reduction:

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread

• 1/4-1/2 avocado

• 2-4 slices heirloom tomato

• basil, chopped

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• salt and pepper

• eggs

• bacon

How to:

1. Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, while whisking. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be careful, it will burn easily and tastes pretty awful when it's burnt.

2. Cook your eggs and bacon.

3. Toast the toast. Top with mashed avocado, tomato slices, chopped basil and balsamic reduction. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

4. Serve with eggs and bacon on the side.

Eat Seasonally: July Edition

Okay.... I am late to the game with July's recipes BUT these ones are totally worth the wait!

This months seasonal foods are peaches and blueberries!! Here in Spokane, we are so lucky to have Greenbluff so close. Picking my own fruit is like a novelty because we never had anything like that in Denver where I grew up. So, I LOVE going to pick my own fruit. One of the best parts is that they actually tell you to eat while you pick... for free! UMM yes please!!!

Before I dive into the recipes, let me tell you about these gifts from God!

Peaches:

Just like with all the fruits and vegetables that I have posted about, peaches help prevent chronic diseases which can be a blanket statement for all fruits and vegetables. These little gems are high in vitamin C which helps with collagen formation. So all you thinking about taking a collagen supplement- my advice to you is to eat your vitamin C, and your body will build its own collagen. Peaches also have vitamin A and beta-carotene to help your vision and skin!!

Blueberries:

Blueberries are like a staple child for fighting inflammation. They have a low glycemic index score and a bunch of antioxidants which help them be a strong shield against inflammation. Blueberries also contain calcium for you bone health... so thats cool too!

Now to the yummy part!! This month I picked Salmon Burgers with Peach Salsa and a Corn and Blueberry Salad on the side.

A few notes about these recipes:

• I used canned salmon which is not the most appealing when you open it up. But, we have a hard time justifying putting a nice fillet of salmon in a food processor. Canned salmon is also cheaper, and contains a good amount of calcium because the bones are still in the fish. Here is my tip: take it out of the can and try and think about anything else except the fish. Peel off the skin and move on!

• If you are using canned or non-canned salmon, look for wild salmon, not farm raised.

• Each portion of this recipe calls for jalapeno, onion, and cilantro- chop all of it at once and separate it into the different parts of the meal. (2 jalapenos, 1 cup cilantro, 1 large red onion).

• If you are like me and have skin that can't stand jalapeno, use medical gloves while you handle the jalapeno. If you don't have any, use the inside of a produce bag.

Salmon Burgers with Peach Salsa

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb salmon (we used 2 cans canned salmon)

• 1 TBSP chili powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped

• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1/2 jalapeno, chopped

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/3 cup cooked quinoa

• 1 TBSP lime juice

• 1 egg

• 1 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil

For the Peach Salsa

• 3 large peaches, chopped

• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 jalapeno, chopped

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 TBSP lime juice

• dash of salt and pepper

How to:

1. Place 1/4 cup quinoa in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and cover and reduce heat and cook until cooked through.

2. If you are using a salmon fillet, put it in the food processor and pulse until it resembles ground meat. If you are using canned salmon, place it in a bowl and mix it up until it has flaked apart.

3. Add 1 TBSP chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 cup onion, 1/2 bell pepper, 1/2 jalapeno, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1/3 cup cooked quinoa, 1 TBSP lime juice, and 1 egg.

4. Mix together and form into patties. It may be easier to place the patties in the refrigerator for a while to allow to bind.

5. Meanwhile, combine the peaches, 1/4 cup onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 jalapeno, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 1 TBSP lime juice and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

6. When ready to cook, place 1/2 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil in a saute pan. Place patties in the pan and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. You will likely work in 2 waves. If so, add more Ghee/avocado oil to prevent sticking.

Corn and Blueberry Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 ears of corn

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 small cucumber, sliced

• 1/4 cup onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 jalapeno

• 2 TBSP lime juice

• 2 TBSP olive oil

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp salt

How to:

1. Bring water to a boil. Cook corn for 8-10 minutes. When it is cool, cut the corn off the cobb.

2. Combine the corn with 1 cup blueberries, 1 small cucumber, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/2 chopped, jalapeno, 2 TBSP lime juice, 2 TBSP olive oil, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt.

3. Mix to combine and enjoy!!

Eat Seasonally: June Edition

We were at the Perry Street Farmers Market trying to decide what seasonal food we were going to buy for this month's post. As we were walking around the weather turned in an instant and all of a sudden we found ourselves in a downpour, so we quickly grabbed beets and ran...but paid for them first ;-)! We grabbed beets because there is so much fun stuff to do with beets! I grew up thinking beets tasted like dirt BUT as I experimented with them more I realized how sweet they actually are. So with this month's post, you get beets 3 ways!! But first- a little about beets:

Beets contain a ton of good nutrients, but nitrates are one in particular. Nitrates are converted into nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide works to relax and dilate blood vessels. This benefits:

• Blood pressure: if there is more room in the vessels for the blood to flow, there isn't as much pressure making it easier for the blood to flow

• Brain function: if there is more blood flowing to the brain, it will in turn work more sharply

• Endurance: Again, more blood can flow with less resistance in the vessels means more blood to your muscles making you perform better

We often make a beet smoothie (recipe below) after our Wednesday bike rides and I have definitely experienced the nitrates effect on my blood pressure. Exercise also releases nitric oxide, so when I exercise and have beets, I sometimes feel like my blood pressure is too low! It is kind of cool to be able to feel what science says should be happening :-)

The three recipes this month are

1. Beet Green Pesto

2. Beet Smoothie

3. Beet, Fennel, Apple Slaw

Beet Green Pesto

The root itself it great for you, but so are the leaves attached! 

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups washed beet greens

• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

 

How to:

1. Place all ingredients through pepper into a food processor.

2. Pulse until finely chopped

3. Add olive oil and continue to pulse until it reaches your desired consistency

4. Enjoy!

Beet Smoothie (makes 3-4 servings)

This is a go-to around our house! Vegetables are something I often don't get in for breakfast, so this is a fun way to incorporate vegetables at the beginning of my day!

Ingredients:

• 3 beets (cut in quarters, steamed and refrigerated)

• 1 orange, peeled

• 1 banana

• 1 cup frozen berries

• 1 LARGE handful spinach

• 1 cup milk (any kind)

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup oats

• *optional to add protein powder

• Your favorite granola

How to:

1. Stick all ingredients (except granola) in a blender and blend until smooth

2. Serve in a bowl topped with granola

Beet, Fennel and Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 medium raw beets, cut into matchsticks

• 1 fennel bulb, cut into matchsticks

• 1 tart apple, cut into matchsticks

• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

• 3 TBSP olive oil

• 1 TBSP lemon juice

• 1 orange, zested

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

How to:

1. Combine chopped beets, fennel, apple and parsley in a bowl.

2. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, orange zest, salt and pepper in a small bowl

3. Pour dressing over salad and mix together

Eat Seasonally: May Edition

Can you feel it? The abundant fresh produce will be here SO soon! For now, if you have visited any of the local farmers markets, you have likely seen a lot of greens and radishes and seed starts. May is the in between month where the markets don't have too much, but you can get excited by the fact that more is coming!!

This month's recipe is a Cauliflower and Roasted Chickpea Salad with Radishes, Avocado and Apples!

Some seasonal highlights of this recipe are:

Cauliflower is a Brassica crop, which is known to help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and diabetes. It is high in vitamin C and vitamin K.

Radishes are great for your liver. They are also high in vitamin C which is a precursor to collagen formation. Which is good for your tissues and skin! Radishes have a notable amount of folate, which can be hard to get for individuals who don't eat a lot of grains. Folate is very important in pregnancy and fetal development. 

Avocados are one of my favorites! Yes, they are high in fat, but they contain monounsaturated fats, which are healthy healthy healthy!! They are also high in fiber. Between the fiber and the amount of fat they have, avocados can be a great food to eat to help you feel full and satiated!

Chives also have many healthy characteristics. One to note is that they are good for digestion and can help get rid of bad bacteria, fungus and yeast in your GI tract to help it function as it should. 

So yea... this salad is packed with a punch and has many health benefits!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 4 TBSP lime juice + zest of 2 limes

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• chili powder, to taste

• 2 TBSP Dijon mustard

• 1 head of cauliflower, core removed (or cauliflower rice)

• 8 radishes, thinly sliced

• 1 cup parsley, chopped

• 4 mint leaves, chopped

• 4 green onions, diced

• 1/4 cup chives

• 1 1/2 crisp apple, diced

• 1 ripe avocado

• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Mix chickpeas with 1 TBSP olive oil, chili powder, salt and pepper and place on baking sheet. Roast until slightly crispy, about 15 minutes.

2. Whisk together lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard and 3 TBSP water. Set dressing aside.

3. In a food processor, place cauliflower and chop until it is in small granules- like rice. You may have to do this in batches. Place in a large bowl.

4. Place radishes, parsley, mint, chives, green onions, apples and sunflower seeds in the bowl with the cauliflower. Add the chickpeas. Mix to combine and add 1/2 of the dressing from step 2.

5. Serve the salad topped with avocado and add dressing as needed.

*We served ours on a bed of spinach and added salmon and quinoa to make a complete dish!

Eat Seasonally: April Edition

Spring is officially here which means we have busted out the grill! This month's vegetable is artichoke, and yes, we decided to grill it!

Artichokes always take me back to one of the first years Kevin and I were dating. He came with us to a family friends house for a fairly fancy dinner event and artichokes were on the menu. He had never eaten an artichoke before and proceeded to stick the whole leaf in his mouth. About 5 minutes later, I realized he was still chewing and was struggling to get the leaves down. I had to signal to him how to eat the properly eat the artichoke without brining too much attention to us and he had to figure out how to get rid of the leaves that he had been trying to eat for the last 5 minutes! We then had to fight the laughter- which I know you all know that feeling of trying not to laugh, so then you just laugh harder- yea... that was us. It still makes me laugh just thinking about it. All that to say... if you're eating artichoke for the first time- DO NOT EAT THE WHOLE LEAF! There is "meat" at the bottom of the leaf that you use your teeth to peel off. As you get to the center of the artichoke, you can peel away all the leaves and the fuzzy stuff and find the heart- which is my favorite part!

This vegetable is unique to say the least, but it does have many health benefits. Artichokes have been shown to help digestive tract irritation and aid in creating a healthy gut environment. They have been used to treat high cholesterol because they increase the production of bile which helps to decrease excess cholesterol. This bile production also aids in the health of your gut by improving gut flora and reducing inflammation and irritation of your digestive tract. They are also full of antioxidants which help all sorts of functions in your body.

Artichokes are also full of fiber, B12 and vitamin K. Overall, this vegetable is full of health benefits!

So, here is how we cooked them!

Grilled Artichokes:

Ingredients:

• 2 artichokes (one artichoke per person)

• One pot full of boiling water

• 1-2 TBSP olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 1+ TBSP butter, melted

How to:

1. Chop the artichokes in half lengthwise

2. Boil in water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the grill.

3. Drain water out of artichokes and mix in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated.

4. Place on grill for about 5-10 minutes, turning as needed.

5. Serve with melted butter to dip the leave in. Once you have peeled the "meat" off of the leaf, discard the leaf.

6. As you reach the center, peel off remaining leaves and wash the fuzzy part off. This will leave you with the heart. Dip in butter and enjoy!

We served ours with grilled pork chops, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. 

Eat Seasonally: March Edition

March is always an odd month. You never know what the weather is going to be and deep down you are anticipating the nice weather and sunshine coming but still getting hit with random cold weather and snowstorms... or at least that has been my experience here in the Northwest. I feel the same odd tension with food choices- I still crave the warm comfort foods from winter but also want to turn on the grill and start exploring salads and warm weather foods. 

This month's recipe contains a bit of both winter comfort and fresh warm weather vegetables. The comfort comes from the bacon- YUM! And the vegetables highlighted this month are peas, asparagus, and sugar snap peas. I have decided this salad will be my new go to for potlucks and parties because it is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Here is some fun information about the vegetables:

Asparagus: is full of various phytonutrients and antioxidants. One to mention is called asparagusic acid which causes the asparagus smell to show up in your urine. Everyone metabolizes this in various ways, so not everyone can smell the resulting chemical in their urine. The breakdown of this chemical also plays a roll as a cofactor in aerobic metabolism. Plus its delicious!

Peas: peas are a part of the legume family. Research has shown that peas contain all sorts of antioxidants. One in particular is called coumestrol- which has shown to benefit our stomach health and specifically reduce the risk of stomach cancer. Peas also have a high amount of protein for a vegetable (8-10g per cup). They are full of fiber and actually contain omega-3 fatty acids as well! All of these attributes make peas a strong fighter against inflammation and other chronic diseases. 

Sugar Snap Peas: are unique in the fact that they provide a significant amount of iron for a vegetable. Iron is better absorbed with Vitamin C, which sugar snap peas also contain a significant amount of. This means you'll get more bang for your buck in iron absorption when choosing sugar snap peas!

Okay now for the recipe:

Asparagus and Peas with Warm Tarragon Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups peas

• 1 pound sugar snap peas, cut in thirds

• 1 bunch of asparagus, bottoms trimmed and stalks cut in thirds

• 5 pieces bacon

• 3/4 cup shallots (1 large shallot), diced

• 3 TBSP fresh tarragon, finely chopped

• 2 TBSP white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• zest of 1 lemon

How to:

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Chop sugar snap peas and asparagus. Once water is boiling, place vegetables in water fro 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a saute pan. Once cooked, set aside. Pour off all but 1 TBSP of the bacon grease.

3. Add shallots to the saute pan and cook until they begin to brown. Add vinegar, mustard, and tarragon. Quickly mix and then add vegetables to pan. Mix until coated. Then place in a bowl.

4. Mix in salt, pepper and lemon zest. Break up the bacon into bits and mix in. Enjoy!!

We served ours with grilled steak seasoned with Spiceology's Cowboy Crust Seasoning and farro.