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!!

I shouldn't have, but I did

I know better-
I really, really know better!

But I did it anyway-
and you know what,
I am DARN glad that I did!!

I bribed my 8 year old son

to try to eat healthy for ONE full week-
NO sugar,

The Makings of Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

NO artificial food
 
and LOTS & LOTS of
Fruits & Veggies

You see, we eat healthy-

at least mostly-

here at Chez Peterson,

But my two youngest-
well they are the shame of our Chez,
they are the pickiest of the picky-
so I got desperate and
I bribed him!!

In exchange, I offered a treat
at the local Yogurt Stop that he
has wanted for SOOOOOO long-

This is a treat I always say 'NO' to-
Not to mention,
in January, we stopped going for
store bought treats completely,
so he has been YEARNING to
go and get a big ole' yogurt smoothie!

I NEVER bribe healthy for junk-
I mean
REALLY- where is the logic??

But desperate times called for desperate measures-
and this mom saw NO other option.

He has been amazing-
He is bound and determined to succeed.
He has eaten veggies at EVERY meal,
he has tried cantaloupe, blackberries and green grapes-

he has eaten cucumbers, celery and avocado!

You don't live here, so you don't realize it
BUT this is BIG

Today is Day 4-
one more school day to go,
Next week we are going at it again-
we'll make it longer-
TEN DAYS!

There is hope yet that he won't turn to plastic
because of all the fake food he eats!

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 78- Thai Lettuce Wraps

Do you have any recipes that you know you love,
you know your family loves, but for some
reason you don't make it very often?
Well this is one of those recipes for me!

My family LOVES this recipe-
we have been making these for so long,
I couldn't even begin to track down
where the original recipe came from.

Believe me, make an effort to
have ALL the ingredients if at all
possible. The unique combination of
fresh ginger, mint, cilantro and lime
is amazing! Every one of your taste buds
will pop with joy as you eat these.
And made with ground turkey,
these come in at less than 100 calories
each!

Go, go NOW to get these yummy ingredients!

Thai Lettuce Wraps

1 T. Oil                                                                1 lb. GroundTurkey

1 sliced red pepper                                       3 thinly sliced scallions

2 T. Finely chopped ginger                        2 chopped garlic cloves

½ t. red pepper flakes                                 1 t. sugar

3 T. Soy Sauce                                                 1 t. sesame oil

12 boston lettuce leaves                            1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 bunch mint & cilantro leaves               1 lime

 ** I added avocado because I had some and wanted to use them up

Cook & crumble ground turkey. 

Add pepper, scallion, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes & sugar. 

Turn off heat, stir in soy sauce & sesame oil. 

To serve: Put lettuce, cucumber, mint & cilantro on platter. 

Place 1/4 c. turkey mixture in 1 leaf of lettuce. 
Top with cucumber, mint and cilantro. Squeeze some lime on top and roll.

Day 78- Stats & Facts
B: Mango Berry Protein Shake
S: Cottage Cheese & Tomato Slices
L: Boar's Head Chicken sandwich on 
Ezekial Bread
S: Pear, Cantalope, Cucumbers w/ Hummus
D: Thai Lettuce Wraps w/ avocados
1 cup milk
Total Calories: 1202
Exercise 60 minutes, strength &
60 minutes treadmill steady pace

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

Steak Fajita Salad

I started off with some
deliciously seasoned flank steak
and peppers & yellow squash that
had been roasted barely to al dente,

I made a bed of spring greens & spinach

topped that bed with a delightful
spread of the peppers and steak,
along with some thin slices of red onion
and zucchini 

and topped that with some fresh
bleu cheese.

I combined some
olive oil and some specialty Balsamic Vinegar-

-I used a Current Balsamic,
but any deep flavored Balsamic would work-
and mixed them together with a little sea salt
and shallots to make a deep & rich
dressing-

Add a homemade
Whole Wheat Crescent Roll

And Voila-
my new favorite salad-
at least until tomorrow

Grilled Vegetables

Oh Garden Goodness!!
Remember I said I'd live on a farm
if I had my ruthers?

Well this is why,

Take a wide array of veggies- 

 

Mix together,
a little bit of Grapeseed oil
a little bit of Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar,
and definitely a little crushed red pepper
with a bit of sea salt and pepper

Apply generously over above mentioned veggies

add to the grill

cook for a few minutes,
and than flip,

and voila,
dinner instantly!!
So Yummy,
So Healthy,
and really, in my opinion,
So Beautiful.

I was in a bit of a bind for dinner
the other night.
I had veggies and
I had chicken thawed,
but honestly I was a little tired
of my old standby's!

 I felt like something hip and happening,
so I went with grilling the veggies nearly whole

and than topping greens

with the grilled chicken and veggies!

With a little fresh guac 

and homemade restaurant style salsa

Well, all I can say is that
My family LOVED it-

and I loved that it was so fast,
easy and presentable

That's a win-win-win in my book!

Veggie Lover Sandwich Wrap

In an effort to re-vamp the lunches
that the kids take to school
and to encourage
"more good stuff" into their
school day diet,
I have spent a busy week
waking up early to get
breakfast ready first

and than getting all the fixin's
out and ready so the kids could
come and prepare their lunches.

Think the Brady Bunch on steroids
as everything is lined up for the
kids to come and package up their
lunch bags.

Our favorite lunch was a
Veggie Lover Sandwich Wrap-

I was hesitant with this idea,
because I wasn't sure how they
would take eating just a Veggie Sandwich.
Who can complain when there is so
much goodness available to put
in the wrap?

I got no complaints when they saw
the plate full of veggies,

and only compliments
when they got home from school.
So I can say it was a hit on the home
front for sure.

Today, Karli confessed that she had
several people at school today tell
her how lucky she was to have such
good lunches all week!!
SCORE!

The thing I liked most was how the
work from that one morning
carried over for a few days-
the next day we had wraps with chicken-

the yummiest roasted buffalo chicken evah!

and I had everything ready for a fresh salad
at lunch.

I struggle with making & eating
lunch when I am home all day with no
one to prepare a meal for, so this
preparation was nice for me too.

It's Friday and I feel good about
everything the kids took to school
this week-