Rainbow Israeli CousCous

We had the best dinner a few weeks ago,
I shared it with you here

and I said recipes would follow,
well, I am a little late with that!!

Well here is one of them,
it is for the Rainbow Israeli CousCous
this is so yummy and soooo easy!
But it makes for a fun side dish
and a sneaky way to get peppers
into my picky kids-

Rainbow Israeli CousCous

1 cup of Rainbow Israeli CousCous
(cook according to directions)
1 each red, yellow & orange bell pepper, diced
red pepper flakes (to taste)
scant squirt of fresh lime juice

Saute the diced pepper in olive oil,
squirt a small bit of lime juice and sprinkle
with red pepper flakes (we like things hot)
Add to the cous cous when it is done cooking
and voila-
YUMMY!!

Day 72- Another Orange Recipe- Orange Skewered Steak

This is such a simple and light
option for a red meat.

I absolutely love how easy this recipe is
and how flavorful it is.
Plan on devouring this up,
I usually serve this with a light salad

Little Miss Sunshine Salad

and a fresh veggie- like these Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

Complete and beautiful Dinner in less than 30 minutes

That's the way I like it


Orange Scented Beef Skewers

1 orange (both zest and juice)
1/4 cup liquid aminos
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 TBSP. agave or honey
1 TBSP. sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp. Sambal chile paste
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Zest the orange into a bowl. Cut the orange
in 1/2 and juice into the bowl. Add the remaining
ingredients except the steak.
Cut the steak into strips. Let the steak
strips marinate for several hours.
Place the steak strips onto skewers
(I used metal ones, soak bamboo ones in
water first so they don't flame)
twisting while you skewer.
Preheat your grill to a medium-high
and grill the skewers about 4-6 minutes.
These cook fast, so watch them carefully,
and eat immediately.

B: Fage Greek Yogurt w/ raspberries
S: Cottage Cheese
L: Lettuce leaf wrap sandwich, apple
S: Multi-grain crackers, 1 oz. cheese
D: Fajita veggies, grilled chicken
Total Calories: 1202
No Exercise Today

Day 73- Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

Oh sweet wonderful oranges,
and limes & lemons-
Yes ma'am, I do,
I love Citrus,

the colors, the smells,
the juices, the flavor,
I even love the smell
of the citrus trees in bloom!
Yes, yes it's true,
I love Citrus.

I love to add citrus zests when
I cook and prepare food.
We use it in our salad dressings,
we use it in our sweet treats,
and we almost always add
a zip of citrus to our fresh juices

Behold the ingredients to my favorite Juice; beets, apples, lemon & ginger

and smoothies!

Strawberries, Lemon & Banana!

I haven't done a recipe for several days,
and decided that I couldn't hold out one
of my favorite, quick, easy and
wonderful veggie dishes.

See 'em up there at the top! Oh, mummy, they're yummy!

It's another one of those recipes that
I feel almost silly sharing because it
is soooo easy-
but oh soooo yummy!

This recipe makes a wonderful companion
to a simple family dinner as well
as a delightful side for any special occasion-

I have served it at home, at church functions,
and for big groups-

it's a winner that's for sure!

Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

2 pounds Sugar Snap Peas
2 TBSP. butter
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
1 orange

I use a saute pan;
Add sugar snap peas with 
a very small amount of water,
just enough to allow steaming,
add the juice of 1/2 the orange 
and the sea salt (I use Maldon sea salt flakes)
and cook for maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
I like my veggies al dente,
cook longer if you want them a little
more cooked.
When cooked to your liking,
zest the orange onto the beans
and top with butter.
Stir and serve!!


 

Day 81- Quality Counts with Oils & Vinegars

My sixteen year old is our resident
salad dressing maker.
I am usually running around the kitchen
in the final minutes before dinner is served
and all of a sudden I realize I forgot to make
the dressing-
lucky for me, in walks Miss Kutie Pie
and she saves the day.

She makes some yummy ones,
and is a pro at deciding what flavors
will best compliment the fresh ingredients
we are using in the Salad de Jour!

With the exception of one dressing that
we use once in a rare while, we make
our own salad dressings- no matter what
type of salad we are eating. 
This is one of the things we did long ago
when I started eliminating processed foods
and I have loved it so much. No more drowning
our greens and toppings.

The secret to great tasting homemade dressings
is great tasting oils

Specialty and high quality oils are available at most fine grocery stores.

and vinegars.

There are specialty oil & vinegar shops in many areas or you can buy online

They may be a bit more pricey-
but ohhh, soooo worth it-

Miss Kutie just recently made us a dressing
that was out of this world,
It was made with
Grapeseed Oil
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Coconut Sugar
Lemon Extract

Nielsen-Massey has great ingredients and can be ordered online if you can't find them locally

We used small dashes on this Delicious Salad

It was truly a match made in Heaven!

Day 81 Stats & Facts
B: Greek yogurt with berries and granola
S: Whole Grain crackers with guacamole
L: Grilled Tuna Sandwich on Ezekial Bread, mango slices
S: 1/2 c. cottage cheese & grapes
D: Fruit salad & Luna protein bar
S: Whole Wheat Graham Crackers & Kettle Corn
Total Calories: 1214
No Exercise

Little Miss Sunshine Salad

It doesn't seem like
anything special at first glance.
With just a few ingredients it
just seems to good to be true.
But I can promise you this salad
will make you smile :)

Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking of this salad!!

Even Dear ole' Hubby liked it
and he is usually not too fond
of vinaigrette dressings.

Let's just cut to the chase here shall we??
This salad starts with some pretty
simple basics:

A mixture of baby spring greens and baby spinach
Fresh Raspberries
Craisins
Bleu Cheese or Feta (depends on what you like)

Than you add some delicious Glazed Cashews,
* we make these by melting butter in a heavy pan,
adding cashews and tossing them until lightly
roasted. We then add agave nectar and continue tossing
until they are nice and glazed over. We have used
various flavors of agave and have never been
disappointed with the flavor of the nuts. 

Drizzle lightly with this Vinaigrette
Grapeseed Oil
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
Lemon Extract
Sea Salt
Coconut Sugar

Go Ahead- admit it
You like it LOTS!!

Day 83- Make Friends with Salad- Chile Lime Steak Fajita Salad

Holy Mouthful Batman!!

Today I am including a salad that is a Mouth Full
of Yumminess from beginning to END!

Rule # 6 (read here for my "rules")
says to avoid Carbs after lunch- which means
that during this 84 day process, I will be
eating a lot of Dinner Salads.
I'm not talking boring old Dinner Salads-
No Way Jose,
These are mouth watering treats, full of
goodness, nutrients and healthy living!

I have several Salad Recipes that I love
this one is easy & one I make ALL the time for lunch
or this one just omit the noodles.
 

This recipe actually serves double duty-
Day 1: It's a yummy Flank Steak served with
this Delicious Mango Berry Salsa
and caramelized peppers and brown rice

and then on Day 2, it's this delicious salad!

So sorry, it tastes much better than this looks

For the Steak:
1-2 pounds flank steak

Rub:
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 lime, juiced
1 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the rub spices together. Add lime juice
and olive oil- stir to combine
Place the steak in a shallow dish like a pie plate
and pour rub over. Rub it in on both sides.
Allow the steak to sit for 15 minutes.
Getch'yur grill ready-
Gill over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes to your desired
doneness, I like to leave it a little pink on the inside.
Let the steak rest for 5 minutes and then Cut steak into strips

For the Salad: 
Romaine and Mixed Greens
Red Onion, sliced thinly
Drained Black Beans
Avocados, sliced
Red, Yellow & Orange Peppers-
slightly sauteed so they are a little more than 
al dente

Top with a delicious, spicy, homemade salsa
in place of a dressing-

Okay, so for the Low Down on Day 83
B: Steel Cut Oats, Blueberries & Pecans
S: Banana & 3 TBSP almonds
L: Boars Head Chicken Sandwich on Ezekial Bread & an apple
S: Turkey Jerky & Grapes
D: This delicious Salad!
Total Calories: 1242
Exercise: Strength, 65 minutes at home

Spicy Mango & Berry Salad

I told you about this Delicious Chicken

that has rocked our world since
I first discovered it earlier this summer!

All due Respect-
I do love the Chicken-
but I love this SALAD even more-

Use the leftover Chicken
from this RECIPE POST

Spicy Mango & Berry Salad

Mixed Greens
Raspberries & Blackberries
Mango
Red Onion slices
Spicy Chicken, cut into slices

We use all sorts of dressings with this combination
My daughter makes a delicious
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
and we love this

Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
1 shallot, finely minced
1/3 c. fresh orange juice
3 TBSP. lime juice
2 TBSP. honey or agave
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
* Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites Cookbook

Ahhhh, My New FavE

I am a MOM on a MISSION!

I am tired of Leftover Night-
BUT...
I hate to throw food out-

Also, contrary to popular belief,
I don't want to spend all day,
EVERY day in the kitchen!
NO! I would like to get out and take
a field trip once in a while-
nowhere fancy,
just maybe, the FAMILY ROOM-

My Mission-
which I have chosen to Accept
is to EAT all the food I prepare
and to minimize waste!

So there's my rant-
and here's my RAVE!!

This new Chicken Recipe-

it is so yummy Night One,
and even yummier Night Two
when made into the delicious salad

And if you are lucky enough to have
a Night Three out of it,
it makes a delicious wrap!!

One Recipe,
Three totally different Meals-
No one gets the
"Not Meatloaf AGAIN" glazed over look!!!

Oh yes, I like meals like that!!!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken
2 packages boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp. Grapeseed oil

Glaze:
3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 TBSP. Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
 less than 1/4 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos

Rub:
3 tsp. garlic powder
3 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. coriander
1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt Flakes
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
less than 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

*** These are best Grilled ***
1. Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Trim fat, rinse and allow to dry. Very lightly coat chicken with oil.
Rub the spices into the thighs.
3. Grill 3-5 minutes on each side.
4. While the chicken is cooking, warm the honey.
Whisk in vinegar. Reserve 2 TBSP. glaze and
brush the rest on the chicken in the last few minutes
 of cooking. Remove chicken and let it rest for 3-5 minutes.
Drizzle reserved glaze over finished chicken.

* Adapted from Spicy Honey Chicken from 
Our Best Bites Cookbook

MENU PLANNER-
Serve with Spicy Fried Rice &
Roasted Carrots with Gremalato

Tropical BBQ Burger

I really like a nice, fat,
JUICY
chicken burger-

It is the one thing that I like better
at restaurants than I do homemade...
That is until Now!!

This was such a simple little
creation-
I've said that before,
but really
SO SIMPLE,
but oh so juicy, tasty and delicious.

We had some really big chicken breasts,
and I cut them in half.
I lightly coated them with olive oil
and lime juice and a little salt and pepper.
We grilled them until they were almost
perfectly cooked and than we spread a
mixture of apricot preserves and lime juice
on each side, letting them cook just long
enough to glaze the chicken.

At the same time,
we put big slices of FRESH pineapple
on the grill.
OH, my mouth is watering as I type.

Top your bun with whatever condiments
you like-
I didn't use anything because I am not
a condiment lover at all!

Pile in your bun-
a deliciously glazed chicken breast,
provolone cheese,
a pineapple slice,
a few avocado slices and
a few basil leaves
(or lettuce if you'd rather)

And now you have put Red Robin
to shame...

We ate it with some roasted carrots
and asparagus,

& this delicious Arugula Salad
and I'd say it was a pretty delicious,
light summer dinner.

Enjoy!

Last summer, I had a strange
and frustrating weight gain
thing going on!!

I was so frustrated and finally
called a nutritionist friend of mine.
She analyzed my food and exercise
and determined that I was eating
TOO FEW calories and not enough Protein!

Well hold on there, little Missy,
the only way I know to add more
calories is to add more treats-
but I knew that wasn't what I was looking for.

So in a search for recipes that would
support post-cleanse life,
bring calories and would also
taste yummy for the kiddos,
I found this delicious Chicken Salad.

I am going to tell you,
right here and right now,
that this isn't fancy--
can I just make that my
overall disclaimer!!
THIS IS NOT FANCY!

But it is YUMMY,
oh so YUMMY!!
It is light enough for a summer
lunch or dinner.
Easy enough to pack on a picnic,
and tasty enough to eat often.
Plus ALL my kiddos liked it
even the pickiest of the picky's
will eat it.

Chicken Salad Wrap

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
green onions
freshly ground black pepper
fresh dill
diced celery
red pepper flakes

I didn't give you any measurements for a few
reasons. First of all, I don't care for mayonnaise,
so I use the smallest amount possible. And to be
honest, I think the entire recipe is subject to
your own preferences. I like that I can add
everything but the mayo and mustard and pack
in a picnic cooler. Than I just add the condiments
when we are ready.

I serve this in many ways, the pictures above
are on a wrap with cucumbers and red onions
and lettuce. Add red peppers, feta cheese
or spinach too.
Simple-
but easy and light!!

Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls

I have used the same recipe for
Crescent Rolls for over 15 years!!

I have seen others,
I have considered others,
BUT I never, ever actually
MAKE any other recipe!

My Motto-
"Don't fix what ain't broken"

But white flour is really NOT my friend
right now, so these rolls have been
out of my life for quite some time.

I volunteered to bring rolls to
Easter Dinner at a friends house,
so I decided to make some
the same way as always.
But I decided to make a batch
using fresh ground whole wheat.

I was way skeptical-
one of the things that makes these
rolls so amazing is that they are so
light and airy,
and I had my doubts that I could
get that same consistency with
whole wheat.

The dough rose to perfection

Once rolled & shaped, they again rose perfectly

I was WRONG!!!
These worked wonderfully,
Tasted amazing
and I could enjoy every bite!

 Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls

3 cups whole wheat flour ***
1 c. scaled milk
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. warm water
1 TBSP. yeast
1 egg

*** You can use a combination of wheat & white
flour if you would like.

Soften yeast in warm water. Mix milk, margarine,
sugar and salt. Let the milk cool enough so it
doesn't kill the yeast. Add yeast and egg. Beat.
Add flour to form a soft dough. Let rise
45 minutes. Punch down and roll dough 1/4"
thick. Roll into circles and cut into pie slices.
Roll from big side to small side into crescent
rolls. Let rise another 20-30 minutes. Bake at
375 degrees for 12 minutes.

* A big tip for this recipe is to keep the dough
as moist as you can to work with it. This keeps
the rolls really light and fluffy, not too heavy.

Roasted Butternut Squash

I am going to send up a great big
RED FLAG warning-

I did not like Butternut Squash
up until maybe two years ago!

I confess this to you just in case,
you are a little cautious of this recipe
because you don't THINK you like
butternut squash.

I am here to say, you might be WRONG!!

Before tasting this, you couldn't have
paid me enough to eat it.
Mind you, I had NEVER even TRIED it,
but I was 100% convinced, there was
no way I would ever like it!

Than I went to a cooking class,
and gave in to peer pressure-
and I did partake,
and I did LIKE!

We eat this ALL the time,
like ALL- THE- TIME!!

We eat it as a side
like we did a few weeks ago
or I make it for an after school snack.

Go out and buy yourself one of these cute
little, funny shaped wonders today-
 
this is so easy, it seems silly to even do a
recipe, but here it is:

Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash, cut into bite sized chunks
Olive Oil- enough to coat said squash
Red Pepper Flakes, Sea Salt & Black Pepper
** or you can use ground chipotle chile seasoning,
mexican chilli seasoning or anything that you like that
has a bit of a kick to it!
Roast in the oven at 375 for 8-15 minutes.
I know that seems like a big difference, but it really
is going to depend if you want it 'al dente' or quite
soft.
I am an al dente lover, my family wants things a little
more done-

** I just bought a WONDERFUL
Garlic Infused Olive Oil that adds a
great flavor to butternut squash as well.