Greek Quinoa Salad - 21 Day Fix approved

I love feta and olives, so I'm always looking for healthy meals and ️sides to incorporate then. 

I like to make this salad for a simple make-ahead lunch with grilled or roasted veggies, and it's great for a picnic, potluck or party too!!  I made it for Labor Day at our house yesterday. 

So good!!!!  Feel free to add more ️veggies or change up the ingredients.  It's super versatile. 

Happy Cooking!!!

Sarah

Greek Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package instructions

2 T red wine Vinegar

2 T olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed 

1 cup diced cucumber

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half (mine were yellow tomatoes)

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/3 cup sliced green olives

1/2 lemon, juiced

More red wine vinegar, salt, pepper & olive oil to taste

Cook quinoa according to package, scrape into a bowl & immediately add 2 T each red wine vinegar & olive oil while hot.  Combine well, season with salt & pepper.  Set aside until it's at room temperature.

Once cooled, add all the other I ingredients, mix well, and add additional vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!!! 

Sprouted Wheat Blender Pancakes

We LOVE pancakes on the weekends!!   I love Kodiak pancake mix, but sometimes I just want to make my own.  

First, its cheaper.  Secondly, its fun to do with the kids!!  It doesn't take long, especially if its a blender recipe.   I created this one this morning and it was a HUGE hit!  The yogurt adds moisture and protein, while the vanilla gives it great flavor.

Hope you enjoy it!

Happy Cooking,

Sarah

 

Sprouted Wheat Blender Pancakes

2 cups of plain, 0% Greek Yogurt

1/3 cup almond milk

2 tsp vanilla

2 T agave nectar

2 large eggs

4 T canola or olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sprouted wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder   

Preheat your griddle to 350 degrees.  Place the yogurt, almond milk, vanilla, eggs, oil, agave, and salt in the blender and blend on high until well blended.

 

Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder and blend just until combined.  Don't over do it.  Add more milk if its too thick to pour, but batter will be VERY thick. 

I used a spoon to spread it out after I poured it onto the hot griddle. 

 

The pancakes don't bubble up as much as normal pancake batter, so you may need to flip them before you think you would.  Keep checking them so you don't have burnt pancakes.  

 

I added fresh blueberries to mine.  So yummy!!!  These have a great flavor and texture. Enjoy!!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

It might be spring but it sure doesn't feel like it!!!  40 degrees and rainy all day called for some soup at dinner time and this was perfect!

Hubby and kid approved, you can add as much or as little rice as you would like.  It is comforting and delicious.  You could also play around with the seasonings to make Tex-Mex or Italian versions, but this one really does taste like a ketchup smothered stuffed pepper from my childhood - YUM!

Hope you give this one a try!
Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Stuffed Pepper Soup 
this recipe was adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/stuffed-pepper-soup/

3 cups cooked brown rice  (I used my rice cooker)
1 lb 90% lean organic, grass-fed, ground beef
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz each) cans diced tomatoes, pulsed in the blender (my kids don't like big chunks of tomatoes on the soup, but I wanted some texture)
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
Himalayan salt and fresh pepper to taste

Over medium heat, brown the ground beef until cooked through and drain on paper towels.  Return to the pot with the peppers and onions.  Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional 5 min.  

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, marjoram and season again.  Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.  Serve over the brown rice.  I serving for me was 1.5 cups of soup over 1/2 cup brown rice.  (For all my Fix friends, that's 1 green, 1 red, and 1 yellow).   So delicious!!!  

Banana Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

Who doesn't love dark chocolate??

So how about a healthy muffin that's high in protein and tastes like dessert?!?!

YES PLEASE!!!!

These were so simple and delicious!  Nina did most of the work and we've been snacking on them all weekend.  They are so decadent, it feels like dessert.  Yum!

Hope your family loves them as much as we did!

Happy Cooking! 

Sarah

Banana Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins

Adapted from the back of the Kodiak Cakes box 

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups of Kodiak Cake Power Cake Mix (I get it at target next to the other pancake and waffle mixes).

1 cup of unsweetened Almond Milk

1 egg

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional chopped nuts, shredded coconut, you pick!)

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend until smooth.  Stor in the chocolate chips.  Fill a muffin tin lined with paper liners, or a greased muffin pan.  

Bake for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Makes 12 muffins!!  Enjoy! 

Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

These are so good and a great alternative on taco night!  My husband and I LOVE them, although I must be honest - they don't really interest the kids.

 (I just make some extra quinoa & chicken for them.)

It's gluten free and can easily be made vegetarian, vegan or dairy free too. 

I hope you love these as much as we do!!

Happy cooking!

Sarah

Tex-Mex Stuffed Peppers

(This recipe has been adapted from the Fixate cookbook) 

4 medium bell peppers, (red, orange or yellow), cut in half, seeds/stem removed

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 T chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt & pepper to taste

1.5 lbs raw chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces 

15 oz can of clean, no sugar added tomato sauce (just read the label)

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Greek yogurt & hot sauce for topping 

Preheat your oven to 375. Place the 

Peppers skin side down in a large baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  Set aside. 

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the chicken and all the spices, stirring frequently until chicken is no longer pink.  About 5-8 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce, quinoa, beans, and cilantro.  

Stir together and turn off the heat. 

Generously fill the pepper halves until all the filling is gone, or until no more can be piled on top.  And be sure to mound them high!

Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Top each pepper with cheese and bake for an additional 5 min.

Top off with your favorite hot sauce and greek yogurt (instead of sour cream).  Yummy!!  

And if you are following the 21 day Fix, each pepper half is 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 red and 1/2 blue.  Enjoy!!!!

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I've done a few overnight oats in the crockpot, and while good, the texture was too mushy for me.

These were JUST RIGHT!!!  So yummy!  The flavor was awesome and the steel cut oats maintained some of their texture, which I love!

And what's better than to wake up with breakfast ready?!?

Enjoy!  

Happy cooking,

Sarah

Overnight Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats

2 medium Apples, peeled & chopped (I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 gala)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2 cups water

1 T agave 

Spray your crockpot with cooking spray.  Mix all the ingredients together.

Cook on low for 7 hours overnight. Cooking time could vary depending on your crockpot, but for me, 7 hours was perfect!!!

Stir once again!

Serve immediately.  Feel free to top off with additional cinnamon, chopped nuts, or almond milk.  Yum!!!

Cleaner Tuna Salad

I LOVE tuna salad!!  I ate it multiple times a week when I was pregnant and it's my favorite protein for a sandwich or a salad, but the traditional tuna salad recipe is full of mayo.  So I found a way to make it with the same delicious flavor, but cut the fat.  

It's not completely clean, but sometimes we need to find healthier versions of our favorites that still taste a lot like the original. 

Hope you enjoy!!

Happy cooking!

Sarah

Cleaner Tuna Salad

2 cans solid white albacore tuna

3 T mayo made with olive oil

3 T Greek yogurt

1 tsp whole grain mustard

1 T chopped dill pickles

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional chopped celery or onion

Mix all together and serve on your favorite whole grain bread or on top of a bed of greens.  Yummy!!

Make -Ahead Turkey Spinach Lasagna

 I LOVE lasagna but it can be a lot of work, so I don't make it often.  Then an idea hit me:  why not prep it on the weekend?  Make it ahead?  Perfect!!  So I did and I also made it more "clean eating" friendly. 

 Make-Ahead Turkey Spinach Lasagna

• 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles (you will only use 9) 
• 1egg
• 1/2 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese 
• 1/2 (10 oz) bag of frozen spinach
• 8 oz sliced portabella mushrooms  
• 1 cup  shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 lb ground turkey (94% lean)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder 
• 1 tsp italian seasoning 
• 2 (24 ounce) jars sugar-free pasta sauce

Spray a 7.5"x11"x2" pan with cooking spray (its my smaller version of a 9x13).   Over medium heat, brown the ground turkey until cooked through.  Put onto a plate lined with paper towels and return the pan onto the stove.   Spray with some cooking spray and add the mushrooms and frozen spinach.  Season with salt & pepper.  Cooked for 5-10 min or until cooked through, tender, and water has evaporated.    In bowl, combine beaten egg, ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese and parmesan.  Add the spinach and mushroom mixture and season with salt & pepper to taste.   

 

In your pan, spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom.    Layer in the order, 3 uncooked lasagna noodles (they will overlap), then half of the ricotta cheese mixture, half the browned meat, and 1 cup of spaghetti sauce.   Next layer, 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining ricotta cheese mixture, remaining meat and 1 cup sauce.   Next layer  last 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

 

Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.  I made mine about 36 hours in advance.  Once you are ready to bake it, preheat your oven to 375 while your pan sits on the counter.   Take off the plastic wrap and replace with aluminum foil.  Bake covered with foil for 60 minutes.   Uncover and continue cooking until all the cheese is melted on the top (about 5 minutes). 

 

Let stand 15 minutes before serving.  Serve with extra sauce if desired.  This goes perfectly with a side salad and the leftovers are delicious as well.  

Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal

This was so easy and delicious!!!  I've made it 3 times this week!  I love the crockpot recipes out there, but I was missing the texture of my steel cut oats in the microwave.  This is perfect for anyone who doesn't like mushy oatmeal! 😊

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Overnight Steel-Cut Oats

1/3 cup steel cut oats

1/3 cup water

1 T shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1 T chopped pecans

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Mix together and put in the fridge 

overnight.  Add 1-2 T almond milk 

in the morning.  Heat in microwave

 for 1 minute and drizzle wit maple syrup. 

Healthier Pumpkin Muffins

Who doesn't love pumpkin muffins in the Fall????

I love baking healthier muffins with my kids and packing them with protein.  They are great healthy snacks or a fun addition to their lunch box!  Plus, with a little extra chocolate, they are getting the nutrition I want them to get without an extra fight.  

Try these out!  Super simple and so good!!!  I eat them for snack too!  Yummy!

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Healthier Pumpkin Muffins 

2 ½ cups of Trader Joe’s  Multigrain Baking and Pancake Mix

1 scoop of  vanilla whey protein  (I’ve used Shakeology or Whole Foods brand)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground ginger

¼ cup of coconut sugar 

½ cup Greek Yogurt

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

¼ cup of mini chocolate chips (in half the batter….the other half with no chocolate for me) 

In a large bowl, whisk the egg and add the Greek yogurt, milk, pumpkin, sugar, and spices.  Mix until well combined.  Then add the protein powder and baking mix.  Stir only until combined, be careful not to over mix so the muffin won’t get tough.  

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, fill each with an ice cream scoop full of batter.   Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Makes 12 muffins.

You could do a bunch of variations on this, as long as you stick with the basics (yogurt, milk, egg, baking mix, protein powder 1 cup of fruit puree & spices/flavorings of your choice).   You could probably use chocolate protein and use almond extract and smashed over-ripe bananas.  I'm trying that next!