I'm all about fast meals, and I'm all about soup. Seriously all about it. If something takes me twenty minutes to cook, you know it's something that's being made at my house on the regular (hello lazy post-work meals!) Also... tortilla soup is something I didn't get to enjoy as a child because often times it's unkosher! If you want to make this recipe kosher (for all my jewish pals out there!) Just leave out the cheese! Still super tasty! ⠀
INGREDIENTS:⠀
1 tsp ollive oil⠀
1 cup white onion, chopped⠀
1 cup bell pepper, chopped⠀
2 garlic cloves (who are we joking...? 5 is better ;) )⠀
3/4 tsp ground cumin⠀
3/4 tsp chili powder⠀
32 oz organic chicken broth⠀
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes⠀
15 ounces roasted chicken breast, shredded (rotisserie chicken works perfectly!)⠀
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro⠀
1/2 cup coarsly crushed baked tortilla chips⠀
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese⠀
1 avocado, peeled and diced⠀
1 lime⠀
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HOW TO:⠀
Heat the oil in a nonstick dutch oven or large pot on medium high⠀
Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the spices, broth, and tomatoes.⠀
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5 min⠀
Add the sjredded chicken to the soup and simmer for 3 min or until heated through. Stir in the cilantro.⠀
Serve up! Top with remaining ingredients!⠀
Tuna Tomato Bites
I'm a sucker for tuna, it's official. If I was stranded on a desert island, but that ocean was FULL of tuna, I would survive happily (as long as I had someone to do the dirty work.. duh). So basically any tuna recipe is perfect in my opinion.⠀
Here's how to make these delicious bite sized snacks⠀
INGREDIENTS:⠀
4 sweet cocktail tomatoes (small)⠀
1/2 can tuna- drained⠀
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard⠀
1/2 tbsp mayonnaise⠀
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice⠀
1/4 of a small avocado, diced⠀
1 green onion, diced⠀
2 tbsp corn ⠀
1/4 cup cottage cheese (if that's your thing, if not, cream cheese!)⠀
salt & pepper to taste⠀
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HOW TO:⠀
1. Hollow out the tomatoes. Discard the insides or mix them with the tuna⠀
2. Mix together tuna, mustard, mayonnaise, and lemon juice in a bowl⠀
3. Add the avocado, green onion, corn and cottage cheese. Fold into mixture.⠀
4. Season with salt & pepper⠀
5. Stuff into hollowed tomatoes!⠀
OM NOM NOM NOM NOM
Smoky Corn & Edamame Beef Chili
Smoky Corn & Edamame Beef Chili!⠀
My plan was to do a nom that was kosher for Passover, since I am currently keeping KFP... but then I saw this recipe and seriously couldn't help myself. So this is one I haven't personally tried, but I will be making it AS SOON AS POSSIBLE because my tummy is rumbling just thinking about this.⠀
Without further ado....⠀
INGREDIENTS:⠀
1 tsp olive oil⠀
1 small onion (diced)⠀
1 clove garlic (minced) (the recipe calls for only one... but you know me... put in four!!!)⠀
1.25 pound extra lean ground beef⠀
1 cup sliced mushrooms⠀
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes⠀
1 8-oz can tomato paste⠀
1.5 cups chicken broth⠀
1 cup frozen or canned corn⠀
1 cup shelled edamame beans⠀
1/4 tsp salt, pepper to taste⠀
1 tsp cumin⠀
1 tsp paprika⠀
1/2 chili powder⠀
1/2 tsp cayenne powder⠀
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed & drained⠀
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HOW TO:⠀
In a large pot, over medium heat, combine the oil, onion, & garlic and saute until soft (approx 3 min)⠀
Add the ground beef & shrooms and cook until browned & the shrooms are softened. (approx 7 min)⠀
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, corn, edamame, and spices and bring to a simmer.⠀
Reduce the heat to low, add the beans and simmer for 20 min.⠀
Garnish with cilantro if you like!
Blueberry Crumb Bars
My plan for this week was to post something a bit more... healthy, purposeful, and seasonal... but I couldn't help myself! (Next week I'll get back on track I promise) Plus.... everyone needs to have a bit of careless food fun every now and then! As we all know, blueberries are packed with antioxidants and clearly I cannot wait for summer... I'm sorry that blueberries aren't in season yet... but I mean ladies, look at this recipe. How could I not post this?⠀
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INGREDIENTS: Crumbs-⠀
1 cup granulated sugar⠀
1 tsp baking powder⠀
3 cups all purpose flour⠀
1/4 tsp salt⠀
Zest from 1 lemon⠀
1 cup cold, unsalted butter (cut it up into chunks!)⠀
1 egg⠀
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Berries-⠀
Juice of 1 lemon⠀
1/2 cup granulated sugar⠀
4 tsp cornstarch⠀
4 cups freshblueberries⠀
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HOW TO:⠀
Preheat your over to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan⠀
In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough should be crumbly. Pat half of the dough down into your prepared pan.⠀
In another bowl, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.⠀
Bake in preheated oven for 45 min, or until top is slightly brown.⠀
Cool completely before cutting into squares!⠀
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YUM! Next week... remember I'll get back onto the healthy kick.⠀
Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
Are you craving cake but it's breakfast time? Are you lacking energy to cook/prepare nutritious foods in the morning? Well... if none, one, or both of those are true... this is probably the snack for you. I don't care if you don't like cake (I'm looking at you momma sido), this is incredibly delicious, quick to make, isn't ACTUALLY cake, it's super healthy, and packed full of proteins. Plus... you can literally roll out of bed, grab a spoon, and dig in which is a really big benefit in my book since I NEVER want to cook breakfast and will usually grab whatever is easiest (yes potato chips have happened often).⠀
So... without further ado... CARROT CAKE OVERNIGHT OATS:⠀
INGREDIENTS:⠀
1/2 cu grated carrots⠀
1/2 banana, ripe, mashed⠀
2 tbsp shredded coconut⠀
1 1/2 cup rolled oats ⠀
1/2 tsp vanilla extract⠀
1/2 tsp- 1 tsp cinnamon⠀
1 tbsp ground flax seeds (remember, SUPER good for constipation)⠀
2 tbsp. maple syrup⠀
1 tbsp chopped almonds⠀
2/3 unsweetened almond milk/milk of your choice.⠀
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HOW TO:⠀
1. In a jar combine all the ingredients⠀
2. Give it a good stir⠀
3. Seal the jar and pop it in the fridge⠀
4. In the morning, add almond butter, yogurt, nuts, or coconut flakes for an extra energy boost.⠀
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You can store this in the fridge for up to FOUR days!⠀
Recipe & photo from sweetashoney
Smoothies to Smooth Your Insides ;)
So you're pregnant; expecting a lovely little being to enter your life in a matter of months, you're filled with so many different feelings... and one of those feelings is that you CAN'T POOP! This is one of the most common complaints pregnant women have and I can tell you there is an easy peasy fix that will have you pooping in the next 12 hours. Since you're pregnant, you definitely should not take a laxative, as we are trying to keep the body rid of these types of medicines. Instead, change up your diet a bit! Try to eat more fiber. Try acacia root fiber, chia seeds, ground flax (literally my favorite thing in the world to add to anything I can!), sweet potatoes, apricots, prunes, plums, lentils, beans. These types of foods will soften stool. Have a fiber-rich smoothie every day for breakfast! After all, smoothies are the breakfast version of a milkshake and can be just as tasty! Below are two different smoothie recipes with very similar ingredients to getcha (and keep ya) movin!⠀
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Mango, Blackberry and Wheat Germ Smoothie:⠀
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Ingredients:⠀
2 cups chopped mango⠀
1 cup frozen or fresh blackberries⠀
1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple⠀
1 cup plain yogurt (or kefir)⠀
½ cup wheat germ⠀
juice of 2 limes⠀
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Papaya, Banana, and Flax Meal Smoothie:⠀
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Ingredients:⠀
2 cups peeled, seeded, chopped papaya⠀
1 cup fresh banana⠀
1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple⠀
1 cup plain yogurt (or kefir)⠀
½ cup flax meal⠀
juice of 2 limes
Kale Salad
Everyone's talking about kale – and for good reason. This dark leafy green is packed with vitamins and nutrients, making it a prenatal superfood. Pair it with crunchy almonds and chewy dried figs for a sweet and satisfying salad. Absolutely starving? Add cooked shredded chicken or a cup of barley.⠀
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Ingredients⠀
1 bunch (about 8 large leaves) curly kale⠀
1 cup (4 oz/125 g) lightly toasted sliced almonds⠀
3/4 cup (3 oz/90 g) dried cranberries⠀
1/4 cup (1.5 oz/45 g) chopped dried figs⠀
(As my usual moto... add garlic! you can never have enough garlic)⠀
Balsamic vinaigrette⠀
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1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) balsamic vinegar⠀
1 tablespoon minced shallot⠀
Salt and freshly ground pepper⠀
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil⠀
1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) shaved Parmesan cheese⠀
Preparation⠀
Rinse the kale and pat dry with paper towels or spin dry in a salad spinner. Remove and discard any tough stems and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Place the torn kale leaves in a serving bowl. Add the almonds, cranberries, and figs. Set aside.⠀
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To make the balsamic vinaigrette, in a bowl, combine the vinegar, shallot, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.⠀
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Just before serving, pour half of the vinaigrette over the kale mixture. Toss to coat. Taste and add more vinaigrette as needed. Let rest for 10 to 20 minutes, if you like, to help the leaves soften. Scatter the Parmesan over the salad and serve.⠀
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Makes 4 to 6 servings⠀
Lentil Celery Root Soup
It's chilly out and we all need something to warm up our bellies to keep baby warm (that's how it works right?) Not only is this soup SOUPer tasty, it will also help baby to keep growing in all the right places. This is a quick meal for you to whip up at any point in your pregnancy. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds) celery root, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup dry red lentils
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Parmesan cheese, grated
HOW TO:
1. In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add leek and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute more. Add celery root, carrot, lentils, apple, broth and 1 cup water to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until carrot and celery root are tender. Stir in honey and lemon juice.
2. Remove from heat. In two batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pan and stir in more water (up to 2 cups) if needed to reach desired consistency. Simmer for 5 minutes.