simple greens with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil-garlic dressing

Who doesn't love tomatoes and basil together? This simple salad takes those two flavors and brings in creamy mozzarella over spring greens. The combination is over the top, but is so, so simple to make. I made this salad for a gathering in advance, and whipped it out of the fridge when it was time to eat. Elegant, simple and delicious - what's not to love?

Tomatoes and basil are also well known as super healthy foods. Basil is full of Vitamin A and is said to promote cardiovascular health. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, also good for the heart, Vitamin C and more. Adding a quality olive oil to the mix helps the body to absorb these nutrients and even fight cancer.

Simple Greens with Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil-Garlic Dressing
This salad has no set amount of ingredients. Make it as large or small as you need it.

1. Mix spring mix or spinach with halved cherry tomatoes. Cube desired amount of fresh mozzarella (I buy the ball) and add to the mix. Toss gently. Top with fresh-ground black pepper.
2. Make the Basil-Garlic Dressing as directed. This recipe makes about a cup of dressing, so reduce or double it as needed. (Save any leftover dressing for an easy Grilled Shrimp Salad later in the week, as shown in the Basil-Garlic Dressing recipe post above!)

tex-mex beans and peas over rice

So, I'm in a produce-eating competition at work. The idea isn't necessarily to replace your meats and carbs with produce (although I'm finding that something has to give!), but rather to incorporate a variety of colorful, fresh foods into the diet. The competition runs for eight weeks, so don't be surprised if you see more veggie-, bean- and fruit-based dishes in the next month or two!

This also means that I'm upping the ante on my already robust fresh produce intake. I'm averaging 10-12 different kinds of produce each day, which has been surprisingly easy. It just means that I have to be diligent about snacking, really. Most of the time, I get distracted by things I need to do, and I forget to eat my afternoon apple or carrots. Now, I'm making myself get up to eat. I also have discovered a yummy spinach smoothie recipe that blends the greens with yogurt, honey, cinnamon or peanut butter, a little orange juice and ice cubes. Filling and super healthy for breakfast.

So, this is a recipe that I made for lunch one Sunday. It brought in tomatoes (red and yellow), black-eyed peas and black beans for a powerhouse meal. You could also add spinach if you have it, but I had used all of mine in my morning smoothie. :)

Tex-Mex Beans and Peas over Rice

• 1 cup white or brown rice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup fresh salsa, plus more for topping
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Black pepper
• 1 14-ounce cans black-eyed peas (undrained)
• 1 14-ounce black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
• Sour cream, avocado, tomato wedges and lime, for serving (optional)

Cook the rice as the label directs. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the salsa and cumin and cook, stirring, until the salsa is soft, about five minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, plus the liquid from one of the cans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are creamy and tender, about 12 minutes. Add some black pepper to taste.

Fluff the rice with a fork and divide among bowls. Add the spinach and cilantro to the black-eyed pea mixture and stir until wilted, about one minute; spoon evenly over the rice. Top each serving with a few avocado slices, some cheese and more salsa. Serve with desired toppings.

stuffed sweet potatoes with spinach and bacon

Yeah. I said it: sweet potatoes and bacon. They've officially entered each other's worlds. Yeah. This recipe manages to blend sweet and savory all in one healthy side dish. And for those who love nutmeg, it really adds a lot to this dish. I am not a huge fan of it when it is overdone, but this is the perfect amount to add an earthy, "something-in-the-background" flavor. This would be awesome with a steak or pork.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Bacon
Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each)
• 4 thick slices of natural bacon or 2 ounces sliced pancetta (about 8 thin slices)
• Handful of spinach or 1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough stems trimmed, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced  
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes  
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese  
• 2 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
  
  

1. Wash, dry, prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes to an hour, or until soft. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until crisp, about four minutes. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Increase the heat to medium high; add the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, about three minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about three more minutes.
2. Mix the ricotta, Parmesan, and nutmeg to taste in a small bowl. Split open the sweet potatoes lengthwise and fluff the flesh with a fork. Top each with 1/8 of the ricotta mixture, then top evenly with the spinach mixture and the remaining ricotta mixture. Chop the bacon and sprinkle evenly on top.

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lemony penne with chickpeas, feta and tomatoes

While this dish is yummy and super flexible, the best things about it are how healthy and easy it is. I like to eat vegetarian dishes once a week or so, but I like to find meals that don't feel like they're missing something. Chickpeas and other beans usually satisfy me and provide good protein without unhealthy fats. It's a good trade off. This is a great, simple weeknight meal that squeaks in lots of good veg and whole grain. I put everything together while I waited for the pasta to boil and then stirred it together in a pretty bowl. I was in and out of the kitchen - including doing the dishes - in less than 30 minutes. Perfect.

Lemony Pasta with Chickpeas, Feta and Tomatoes

To mix it up, try adding spinach, cooked chicken, broccoli, mushrooms or other add-ins.

• 8 ounces whole-grain penne
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots or onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese 
• 1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 Greek seasoning (or dried Oregano)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lemon rind, grated (use up to a whole lemon to taste) 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in bell pepper and chickpeas; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in pasta and reserved cooking liquid; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add feta, Parmesan and remaining ingredients; toss to combine.

 Want other easy, healthy weeknight meal ideas? Try these:

• White bean chicken chili
• Minestrone
• Slow-cooked stuffed peppers
• Turkey burgers with avocado and manchego

bacon-stuffed portobello mushrooms

Bacon for the win. Again.

This time in an almost-vegetarian dish. (Vegetarians eat bacon, right? They should.) Our produce box this week provided two beautiful portobello mushroom caps, onions, green peppers and garlic. They provided the inspiration (bacon added the ka-pow!) and an easy, and relatively healthy, weeknight meal was born. Especially when served with a green side dish and a small roll for dipping into herby olive oil. Yummmm.

Though the meal does have natural bacon in it, the two-person recipe only calls for two to three slices, which is less than most people would consider a serving size. Three slices average less than 10 g of fat, less than a quarter of which is saturated, and lots of protein. (Just watch the salt and buy low sodium when possible.) And portobello mushrooms are incredibly low in calories, yet high in nutrition, and are very filling - thanks to their high fiber and density. They are packed with B-12 (think energy), potassium (relieves muscle cramping and high blood pressure), copper (helps red blood cells deliver oxygen) and Vitamin D (helps to absorb calcium). Bingo.

Here's how to do it.

Bacon-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Ingredients

• 2 large portobello mushrooms, destemmed and gently wiped with a paper towel
• Olive oil
• 2 large or 3 small center-cut, natural bacon slices, cut into pieces
• 1/4 c each onion and bell pepper, diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• 1/8 c fresh herbs, like rosemary or parsley
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten 
• Salt, pepper

Start by sauteing bacon in pan. When halfway cooked, add the onion and bell pepper. Salt and pepper lightly. When onion appears translucent, add the garlic. Stir for 30 seconds and remove from heat.

Next, add the bacon mixture to a food processor with the breadcrumbs, herbs, Parmesan, season salt and a swirl of olive oil. Pulse until finely chopped and the ingredients are combined. Remove from processor and place in a bowl with the beaten egg. Stir to combine. 

Gently rub the portobellos with a little olive oil and place in an oven-proof dish. (I prefer pretty ones, like my new orange one shown above.) 

Divide the bacon mixture evenly on top of the portobellos and grate a little Parmesan on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve hot!

Ready for a bacon tip? Buy a good quality, natural bacon with no nitrates, hormones or antibiotics and freeze the slices together in sets of 2-4 pieces. This eliminates waste (therefore saving money) and provides you with pre-portioned amounts for recipes and splurge Sunday-morning breakfasts!

smokey black-eyed peas

So, my love affair with black-eyed peas continues. This time, as a side dish, which was put together for a good cause.

The hubs and I volunteer occasionally at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides an inexpensive option for families with sick, hospitalized children to stay. It also feeds these families a freshly made, hot meal for free each and every night, which gives these challenged families one less thing to worry about while their child undergoes yet another surgery or a round of chemo. That's where volunteers like us come into play: we cook the food. I like that I can do something I enjoy that makes someone else's difficult day a little easier.

And, as it turns out, we have been paying it forward in an unexpected way. Our close friends just had a very premature baby in another state and had to stay in a RMH while the child was in the NICU. It just so happens that the new father was the man who did us a favor by marrying us. It was a nice full-circle realization when we heard how wonderful the RMH was for them, and I was super excited to give my time to the organization this week.

So, the theme of this donated meal was Southern vegetables and sides - a mostly meat-free meal beefed up (pardon the pun) with plenty of protein from bean dishes. I was asked to provide the black-eyed peas. I'm not going to lie, before I dropped them off, I dipped out just enough for me to eat as a snack the next day. And I can tell you that they are even better after they sit overnight. Enjoy - for a good cause or not.

Smokey Black-eyed Peas
Adapted from Epicurious

• 4 hickory-smoked bacon slices, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
•  1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
• 2 (15-ounces) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until browned but not crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Cook scallions, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in fat in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add black-eyed peas, half of the bacon crisps and the broth and simmer five minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and top with the remaining bacon. (Or cook in advance and allow them to sit overnight.)

easy, healthy side dishes

Running out of ideas for new side dishes? Check out these recipes and tweak them to your taste. Easy, healthy and delicious, these will freshen up any weeknight dinner.

Italian-style Vegetables

This is an easy use-up-what-you-have-in-the-fridge type of side dish. Swap out any of the veggies for what you have, but these are especially tasty together.

Ingredients

• Zucchini, halved lenthwise and then sliced crosswise
• Onion, sliced into 1-inch long strips
• Mushrooms, quartered
• Italian dressing (homemade is better)
• Salt and pepper

1. Toss the zucchini, onion and mushrooms together in a pan with a swirl of prepared Italian dressing so that all of the pieces are evenly coated. Turn the heat up to medium and saute until they are starting to brown and the zucchini and onion are soft.
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Garlic and Sun-dried Tomato Corn Muffins (shown above)

• 1 package corn-muffin mix, such as Jiffy
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• Cornmeal

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tin with nine papers. 
2. In a large bowl combine the muffin mix, corn, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir to combine. In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and eggs until well blended. Add the buttermilk mixture to the muffin mix. Stir to combine.
3. Spoon the mix into the muffin tins, filling up the cups about halfway. Dust with a sprinkle of cornmeal. Bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Pan-grilled Corn

The next time you sear chicken in a pan, consider this yummy and flavorful corn side dish. When the chicken is done cooking, wrap it in foil and start the corn. The flavors can be easily modified to suit any style dish.

Ingredients

• 4 c corn
• 1 fresh chile, like serrano or jalapeno, diced (and seeded if you can't take the heat)
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1-2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or the juice of one lime
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro (or basil)
•  Salt/pepper

1. Add a little oil to the pan with the bits from the chicken still in it; set it over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the corn, chile and garlic; let it cook for a minute. As the corn browns, begin to turn it with a spatula. Do this until all the corn is browned on at least one side.
2. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper, the water and stir in the vinegar or lime juice and the herbs. Serve immediately with the chicken.

Roasted Red Potatoes

There is nothing more satisying that a pile of crispy-on-the-edges and soft-in-the-middle red potatoes. Great for summery dinners and even better in the winter. Mix it up with whatever fresh herb you have, but I like rosemary and garlic – and dipping the quartered potatoes in ketchup when they're done.

Ingredients

• Red potatoes – about 4 small to medium ones per person, quartered
• 1 clove garlic per person
• Handful of rosemary, coarsely chopped
• Salt/pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a shallow baking pan, toss the quartered potatoes with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Season very generously with salt and pepper. (If you like it spicy, add a little cayenne pepper).
2. Roast for ~45 minutes, until the edges are crispy and browned. Stir once or twice during the cooking process and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.

Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients

• Asparagus, woody stems removed
• Fresh-shaved parmesan
• Salt/pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle asparagus with olive oil in a jelly-roll pan. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 18 minutes. Remove from oven, stir around, and top with Parmesan. Roast for two more minutes. Taste, season if needed and serve.

Still need more ideas? Check out these ideas:

• cumin-roasted carrots 
• sauteed snow peas with red onion
• cheesy garlic smashed potatoes
• creamy polenta
• roasted roma tomatoes