Rainbow Kabobs

Truly the yummiest dinner that never gets old. You can easily make this meal vegetarian, and just do vegetable kabobs, but we love the flavor the Aidell's chicken sausage adds to the mix. The perfect backyard BBQ that includes so much flavor, so much color, and so many nutrients. Fruits and veggies have such bright colors that are packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants to fight off free radicals that harm tissues in your body. Phytonutrients are there to prevent disease, and keep your body working properly. A win-win!!

Serves 2-3, Yields 6 kabobs

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, cut into chunks

1 yellow squash, cut into chunks

1 zucchini, cut into chunks

1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 orange bell pepper, cut into chunks

6 brown mushrooms, or cremini mushrooms

2 Aidell chicken sausages, (we LOVE the chicken-apple flavor the most)

Ingredients for marinade:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

Juice from 1 lemon

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

pinch of ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix marinade ingredients together. Set aside.
  2. Cut up veggies into chunks and arrange on skewers as you desire. Using a basting brush, brush marinade over veggies and let sit for 5-10 minutes while the grill heats up.
  3. Grill the skewers and rotate until all sides start to slightly blacken. Add more salt to taste, if needed.

ENJOY!!

 

 

Thai Cashew Chicken Salad

I modified this recipe from "Our Best Bites, 400 Calories or Less" cookbook and it is something I craaaaave! It has the slightest peanut taste to it, and the cashews and lime top it off perfectly. You will love this one, I can guarantee.

Perfect for a summer dish! Serves two.

 

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups coleslaw cabbage mix

1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)

1/2 cup cooked quinoa, cooled

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup edamame

1/4 cup cashews or peanuts, chopped

For dressing:

2 tsp. raw peanut butter

2 tsp. raw honey

2 tsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce, or coconut aminos

lime wedge (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl combine all the salad ingredients. Easy, right?

2. In a small bowl, put peanut butter and honey in microwave for 15-20 seconds, and whisk together. Whisk in oil, vinegar, and soy sauce. Toss with salad.

3. Top with chopped nuts and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Greek Chicken Salad Pitas

Ingredients:

-8 oz. shredded rotisserie chicken (about 2 cups)

-1 tsp. lemon zest

-1 tsp. minced garlic

-3 green onions, chopped

-1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

-1/2 c. plain fat-free yogurt

-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar

-3/4 tsp. Greek herb seasoning

-1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved

-1 c. sliced cucumbers

-salt and pepper to taste

-1 c. baby spinach leaves

-4 whole-grain pita pockets

Instructions:

1.     Toss together chicken breast, lemon zest, garlic, green onions, and feta cheese. Set aside.

2.     In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, red wine vinegar, and Greek herbs. Toss the dressing with the chicken mixture and refrigerate for at least one hour.

3.     Right before serving, divide the chicken salad evenly among the pita pockets and add tomatoes, cucumbers, and spinach with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Recipe from Our Best Bites: 400 Calories or Less

Sweet Potato Bites

A snack even your toddlers will want to eat!

 

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, sliced

1/3 cup Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus, or your favorite kind

1 large handful of spinach

1 medium tomato

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tsp. Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute, divided (*Garlic and Herb Mrs. Dash is good too)

olive oil cooking spray

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Slice sweet potato slices on baking sheet that is sprayed with your cooking spray. Drizzle olive oil over top and sprinkle with 1 tsp. TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute or Garlic and Herb Mrs. Dash

3. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through

4. While sweet potatoes are cooking, saute your spinach and tomatoes in a pan until slightly browned

5. When sweet potato chips are done, top with hummus, spinach, tomatoes, and feta cheese

6. Place in oven for 1-2 minutes longer until cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining 1 tsp. of TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute over the top.

7. Let cool slightly, and enjoy while warm!

 

the favorite wrap

Ingredients:

-Lavash flatbread, or your favorite healthy flatbread or naan to be used for the wrap

-Light mayo + mustard *Go easy on the sauce

-Sliced turkey or ham + sliced tomatoes, + sliced

avocado + sliced olives… the options are endless!

Instructions:

1.     Melt cheese on half of wrap, top with favorite toppings, and roll up into a tight wrap. Enjoy!

meg's pesto

Okay, okay people... this is the real deal. Spread this over pasta, homemade pizza, steamed veggies, a panini, or eat a spoonful of it plain. #guiltyascharged

This pesto cannot be beat!

Ingredients:

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 c. fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

1/4 c. pine nuts

1/3 c. parmesan cheese, *optional

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 pepper 

Instructions:

Add olive oil, garlic, and basil to blender. If you have a Twister Jar attachment to your Blendtec, this is what I use and it works like magic. Once the first three ingredients are in, lightly pack down basil leaves in olive oil and add remaining ingredients on top. "Pulse" your blender until you have the desired consistency for your pesto. Store in refrigerator or in freezer for later use. Enjoy!

moab

We recently road-tripped it down to Moab for some hiking/camping. We love our spontaneous adventures, and Bry and I have made a pact to never stop adventuring- even with kids. The nights were freezing, and poor Ellie froze her cheeks off ;) but the sun came out during the day and warmed us right back up again. I love camping when it involves tin-foil dinners and campfires at night, star-gazing, snuggling in sleeping bags, hikes, and some sunshine. 

If you're ever headed that way and looking for somewhere fun to camp, we camped in a place not too far after you pass through town, called "Behind the Rocks." There were fun motorcycling/jeeping trails to explore, and the kids had fun running around the campsite and climbing the rocks. I highly recommend it! As far as a fun family-friendly hike, Delicate Arch in Arches National Park is a must. It is quick, not too steep for the kiddos, and the view is worth the climb! Something about being amongst towering red rocks and natural arches, never gets old.

Also, if you are looking for a durable and high-quality backpack, we invested in the Osprey Poco Plus Kid Carrier, and have LOVED it. Ours is the year-old version, and we found a screamin' deal on Backcountry.com a while back, but it is worth every penny! Comes with a sun shade, extra storage underneath the seat, and Ellie loves being in it. She sings and talks, "kaw, kaw, kawwwwww" everywhere we go. Definitely worth looking into if you're thinking about getting one!

Oven-Roasted Broccoli

A yummy side for any meal that will take you 5 minutes or less to prepare, and 15-20 minutes in the oven!

Ingredients:

5 cups broccoli, cleaned and stems trimmed

3 Tbsp. EVOO

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

dash of pepper

1/3 cup. Parmesan cheese

1/2 a lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place broccoli in a bowl. Cover broccoli with all the ingredients, besides Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Toss until mixed well.

3. Put broccoli evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until stems are golden brown.

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and stick back in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

4. Remove from oven, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top, and it's ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Meg's Power Bites

Okay people, if there's one thing I ALWAYS have on hand, it's these. I pop one in when I need an energy boost, before a workout, after a workout.. you get the picture. I sometimes crave these over cookie dough... (did I just say that...?) 

They are full of protein, healthy carbs, and soooo delicious! I know there are a million recipes out there for these, but I've tweaked this one to the point of perfection. Trust me on this!

Servings: 15-18

You will need:

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 c. raw peanut butter

1/4 cup raw  pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3 Tbsp. semi-sweet dark chocolate chips (*you can also substitute chopped nuts here instead)

1/4 c. raw honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 scoop protein powder 1 tsp. chia seeds

Mix together, roll into small balls (yeilds ~20 balls), put on wax paper or tin foil, and seal in container in fridge. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before eating.

Enjoy!

GAME DAY SALSA

Nothing quite beats fresh salsa with chips on game day. It's so good, you'll be snacking on it plain! The great thing is, most of the ingredients you probably already have lying around. Game on!

Ingredients:

2/3 c. cilantro

2/3 c. green onions

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. hot sauce

6 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 avocado, chopped

1 can black beans, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 can black eyed peas, drained

1 lb. tomatoes, chopped

Combine and serve with your favorite chips. Happy chip-dipping!

Enjoy!

The Protein Foundry Copycat Cali Toast

Have you been to eat at The Protein Foundry? I would have breakfast there every day if I could. Their protein shakeouts, gourmet toast, and acai/pitaya bowls just do it for me. Here's a copycat recipe of their Cali Toast that will put your regular toast to shame.

Ingredients:

1 piece of Dave's Killer Bread, toasted

Low-fat cottage cheese, enough to cover bread

Sliced avocados

Crushed red pepper flakes

A pinch of sea salt

Enjoy!

 

 

Blueberry Kodiak Cakes

If you haven't tried Kodiak Cakes, run to the store! These have become a regular breakfast item at our home, and they are packed with protein. You know what that means... They make the best post-workout snack. Start your day off with a bang! 

They even have a gluten free option now, if that's your thing.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. lemon juice from 1 lemon

1 c. lowfat milk

1 1/4 c. Kodiak Cakes Mix

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar (optional)

1 egg

1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1/2 c. fresh blueberries

Instructions:

In a large measuring cup, mix lemon juice and milk together and set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix together Kodiak Cakes mix with sugar. Whisk egg and melted butter into mixture. Pour in milk mixture and mix gently until combined. Do not over mix. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and as pancakes are poured in desired size, drop blueberries on top before flipping. 

Top with other fresh fruit, pure maple syrup, or your favorite topping.

Enjoy!