Israeli Couscous Salad with Almonds, Blood Oranges and Greek Olives

This Easter the hubby and I were hosting a portion of my family at our home.  We have consistently taken either Christmas Eve or Christmas but this was our first time entertaining for Easter.  When it came to what to make, my initial thought was of course brunch.  It is something I love to serve and love to eat so it usually makes perfect sense.  There was just something that told us to try something different.  Our final decision?  A Wine Country Lunch.

The menu was inspired by a recent cookbook I picked up, The New Wine Country Cookbook.  I had my eyes set on trying the Israeli Couscous Salad with Almonds, Blood Oranges and Greek Olives and this lunch made for the perfect setting to give it a whirl.  

Paired with ribs, grilled pineapple, grilled vegetables and white wine, this salad was the perfect way to bring it all together and feel as if we really were in Wine Country.  It was so good in fact that I had another bowl and another glass of white wine with it for dinner.  

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
2 cups vegetable broth
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 blood oranges, chopped
3/4 cup Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.  Add the almonds and toast until crisp and golden (5-7 minutes).  Set aside
2. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and garlic.  Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.  
3. Add the couscous and cook until the couscous begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes.
6. Scoop into a large bowl and fold in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and mint.
7. Add the toasted almonds, diced oranges, olives, lemon juice and half of the parsley to the bowl of couscous.
8. Toss gently, season to taste, add the parsley and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

This is only one of many amazing recipes in this book and if you are as much of a fan of wine country as I am, I highly suggest you picking it up.  You can order The New Wine Country Cookbook here.

Beyond simply the food, Easter is such a special day for my family and it also re-centers me and my focus in life.  I loved all the family time and always leave wanting more.  I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well.

* This recipe was taken from The New Wine Country Cookbook, page 51.

Avocado Toast + Cheese

I know I am jumping on the trend bandwagon with this post but I do not care because I am obsessed with Avocado Toast.  For breakfast, lunch or dinner, I just cannot get enough.  As a mom, it does make the EASIEST lunch ever, allowing you to get some great nutrients in with very little time.  The only difference between mine and perhaps the uber healthy version is that I like cheese with it, because cheese is my favorite and I see no reason not to add it.  Here is what you need to do...

Ingredients:
Two slices of cheese
One Avocado
Two pieces of bread
Salt and pepper

1. Turn your broiler on.
2. Toast two pieces of bread in your toaster and then set on a baking sheet with a slice of cheese on each piece.
3. Still the toast and cheese under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese on top.
4. Remove from the oven and place on a plate.
5. Slice the avocado and lay slices across each piece of toast.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
ENJOY!

Kale Salad

Last week when I was in LA, I had lunch at The Fat Cow, a great restaurant located at The Grove.  I was in a salad mood and ordered their "Skinny Cow Chopped Salad".  It is one of the best salads I have ever had and have been thinking about recreating it ever since.

Last night we met up with some friends in Palm Desert to relax, BBQ and let the kids play.  We were in charge of a salad so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to gather all the ingredients and try this salad out.  It was nutrient dense, easy to throw together and a delicious compliment to the food.  I have found a new staple for our menu at home.

Ingredients needed:
Kale
Shredded Cabbage
Shredded Carrots
Chopped Radishes
Pumpkins Seeds
Sunflowers Seeds
Dressing of your choice, but I suggest a vinaigrette to keep it light

Grilled Vegetable, Herb and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

After completely over indulging on the Fourth, I was in the mood for some uber veggie filled meals on Friday to make up for it.  I came across these Grilled Vegetable, Herb and Goat Cheese Sandwiches and it sounded pretty delish.  With all the eggplant, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, it seems like the perfect way to get some healthy food back into our system and was light enough for a warm summer evening.  The entire sandwich involved some simple grilling and mixing, making it incredibly easy to make.  I finished the meal with a grilled caesar salad and a glass of red wine.  All in all, a fab dinner if I do say so myself!

Roasted Beet and Orange Salad with Caraway Seeds

We were able to make it to Day 3 of the Sambazon Cleanse!  I will admit, the first day was HARD.  I was craving bread and chocolate all day and even though there was plenty of food and juices to keep me full, I wanted what I love...CARBS!  By Day 2 it was starting to click and I began to notice the benefit of eating clean.  Today is the last day and I have to say, I am glad we did it!

One thing I have loved about this cleanse is the food.  Sambazon did a great job of creating extremely clean and healthy meals that have provided MUCH more flavor that I was expecting.  I have been making everything the day before so that the hubby can bring it all to work and we really have had a great menu of items.  This recipe for the Roasted Beet and Orange Salad with Caraway Seeds has been one of my favorite (it was lunch yesterday).  I love beet salad and the flavors, colors and light dressing just feels like summer.

What you need:
2 large beets, scrubbed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 oranges, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 c. beet greens
1 c. baby spinach
4 tsp balsamic vinegar 
2 tsp caraway seeds
4 tbsp hemp hearts
salt (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Place the beets in a roasting pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil
3. Roast for 45 minutes
4. Cool to room temperature and then cut into bite size pieces
5. Place beets in a salad bowl and add the oranges, greens and spinach
6. In another bowl, combine the remaining oil with the vinegar, seeds and salt
7. Pour over the salad and toss.  Garnish with hemp hearts

Other items that we have eaten from the cleanse that were pretty good?  This Red Potato and Green Bean Salad that tastes way better than it looks.

And this Open-Faced Veggie Burger with Avocado and Organic Side Salad which we actually packed up to bring to an Angels game.  It was delicious and as you can see, piled with so many yummy things, but I still missed having a beer and hot dog!

Have a great weekend!

* recipe courtesy of Sambazon

Grilled Peanut Butter-Banana Fingers

Gone are the days of a few crackers and fruit as an after school snack.  My boys come home HUNGARY and it seems, eat our entire kitchen.  I cannot even imagine what the teenage years are going to be like.  I have been trying to come up with some heartier snacks for them to get them until dinner and these Grilled Peanut Butter-Banana Fingers from Cooking Light: Real Family Food did the trick.  A little protein, a little fruit and a little sweet.  They were perfect and not to shabby for me either.  What is not to love about peanut butter, chocolate and banana?  I will tell you.  NOTHING.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 slices white bread
1 small banana, halved crosswise
cooking spray
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons honey (optional)

To Make:
1. Preheat pan or panini grill
2. Spread peanut butter evenly over 2 bread slices.  Cut each banana half lengthwise into three slices.  Layer banana slices over peanut butter on bread slices.  Top with remaining bread slices. ( I actually put the peanut butter on all four slices because I hate when I have a grilled sandwich and it is not evenly spaced.  Blame my OCD).
3. Coat outside of sandwiches with cooking spray and grill, about 1 min on each side.
4. Cut sandwiches into 4 slices.
5. Drizzle sandwich slices evenly with chocolate sauce.  Serve with honey for dipping (one son liked this, the other didn't.  I did not think it was necessary and sweet enough without the honey)

Greek Quinoa Salad

Since beginning my triathlon training, I have become a garbage disposal.  It seems like there is never enough food and I will confess, I am not very nice when I am hungry.  In order to keep up with my appetite AND eat healthy options, I have been perusing the internet for some new, easy recipes.  At the top of my list was this Greek Quinoa Salad by With Style and Grace.  It not only looked delish but I loved the fact that there would most likely be leftovers and provide me with a potential snack the next day.  

The only thing I did different was to add a can of garbanzo beans because I wanted to add protein and make this for our dinner.  I made it earlier in the afternoon which was fabulous because it was ready to go and we were able to focus on the important task of pumpkin carving after dinner instead of doing dishes.  If you would like, add a glass of Pinot Grigio.  It made it even better.  Plus, I was right.  There was a TON left over.  Perfect.

  

I could have absolutely taken more photos of this recipe but I was glued to CNN all afternoon with Sandy watch and could not pull myself away long enough.  My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the East Coast.  

Tomato Feta Salad

On Monday I came to a realization.  I need to detox.  Since Memorial Day, I have thrown caution to the wind and have been celebrating the arrival of summer with what feels like un-ending drinking, poor eating and NO working out.  Does this ever happen to you?  Anyway, this sudden awakening led me to scouring all my cookbooks, looking for vegetable based recipes that will get some nutrients back into this diet.  Last night I made this salad and it was exactly what I was looking for.  Refreshing, flavorful, veggie-filled and EASY.  Plus, I think it looks pretty.

Shrimp Po'Boys with Angry Mayonnaise

This past Sunday I was trying to come up with something to make for dinner.  Our routine meals were boring me and I was motivated to attempt something I have never made before.  I started doing searches on Food Network when I came across this recipe.  First of all, I love fried food.  Who doesn't?  Then, with "angry" in the title, how could I pass it up?  It definitely took a number of steps but in the end, it was all worth it.  Served in the backyard with a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio, it was the perfect way to end the weekend.

Baked Monte Cristo Rolls

Monte Cristo sandwiches are my absolute favorite.  What is better than a fried sandwich stuffed with ham, cheese and jam?  I have been trying to make some more creative dishes for the kids and I continue to fall back on ways to adjust more adult meals for them.  While perusing the grocery store yesterday I thought that there is probably a pretty easy way to pull together this sandwich that would:
1. not be as bad for you
2. would still spike the interest of a child's palette
3. would be EASY

All it took was four simple ingredients and I had a Spring time dinner that the kids loved and that I did not slave over.  The added bonus?  My hubby and I were able to eat the ones they could not finish.  They were quite tasty if I do say so myself and I think that they would not only be great for a kids lunch or dinner but even as an appetizer at a dinner party (just add a sprinkle of powdered sugar).

Ingredients:
Pillsbury Crescent rolls
Sliced ham
Havarti cheese
Jam of your choice

Steps:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice the cheese into thin slices
3. Roll the crescent rolls out on a cutting board
4. Place one to two slices of ham and a slice a cheese at the top of the roll
5. Roll everything up
6. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 11 minutes (or until golden brown)
7. Fill small bowl with jam for dipping