Kale, Quinoa and Chicken Salad

People, it's hot.  Like, real hot.  Like, I thought I'd sit outside for a minute with my computer and let my just-showered-hair (after 3, fine 4 days) dry in the summer breeze until I realized my boobs were already sweating HOT.  When it's this hot, I feel the need to eat really light, probably because my body feels bloated and heavy and I also want nothing to do with the kitchen.  This is, eat lots of vegetables (and sip white wine for lunch?) type of weather.  But I always forget how easy it is to throw a salad together for lunch.  For some reason it doesn't SEEM easy, but with leftovers involved and some minor weekend prep, a week-day salad can be effortless.  See the one I just made below...

Kale, Quinoa and Chicken Salad

Serves 3

Printable Recipe

1 bag frozen quinoa with vegetables* (or 2 cups cooked quinoa)

3 cups baby kale

1 cup shredded roasted chicken

1 avocado, diced

3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

1/3 cup crumbled greek ricotta** (or goat cheese, or feta)

Balsamic glaze

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Prepare quinoa as instructed on bag (I did this Sunday night and kept it in tupperware).  Assemble rest of ingredients and toss.  Drizzle with balsamic glaze and olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

*Found this in the organic section of the freezer.

**Sometimes I get in a feta/goat cheese rut, so I tried this Greek ricotta the other day and I'm OBSESSED!  So creamy.

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Snacking Chocolate

I recently discovered that 'snacking chocolate' is a thing that exists in this world.  Now tell me... what is a more brilliant than taking wholesome foods like nuts, seeds, pretzels and coconut, covering them in dark chocolate, sprinkling them with sea salt and proclaiming to the world, eat this snack and feel good about it!?  I'll tell you what's more brilliant... saving some money and making your own.  It's basically chocolate bark... but if you call it 'snacking chocolate' it's much more acceptable to eat at various times throughout the day, like for a pre-breakfast snack and a mid-morning snack and a pre-lunch snack and then a post-lunch snack and a mid-day snack and so forth...

It's super easy to make.  Just scatter whatever you want on parchment paper, in my case pumpkin seeds and broken-up pretzel pieces...    

Melt good quality dark chocolate in the microwave for 30-second intervals.  Pour over snacks using a rubber spatula to spread (it won't be perfect, but that's the beauty of snacking chocolate!), and immediately sprinkle with sea salt (if desired)...

Let harden on counter or in fridge, and then break apart.  Snack away!

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Winter Granola (by Inspired Spoons)

Can you believe I have a sister who's still in college?  That makes me so young!!  (I won't mention our large gap in age.)  Her name is Georgia, and she's actually going to graduate soon (I'm still young) from Syracuse as a Nutrition major, and I am certain she will leave her stamp on the food world!  Just check out her beautiful and nutritious culinary creations on her blog, Inspired Spoons, or her Instagram account.  You might be thinking, wait... YOU have a sister that makes wholesome, plant-based foods?  YOU, that girl who fries cookie dough, loves short ribs and would eat cheese in her sleep if that were possible?  Well yes, I do, and I'm telling you that Georgia's blog does just what it says it will do... it INSPIRES you, to try new things and eat better.  

For instance, I've never really been into granola.  It's not something I dislike, per say, but it's also not something I seek out.  Until I tried Georgia's "Winter Granola" (which I've named after the subtle flavors it offers like cinnamon and pumpkin spice and cranberries), and I absolutely couldn't put it down.  I asked her if she would share the recipe, and she did.  I made a batch yesterday with the intention of giving some of it away, but I don't think that's going to happen.  IT'S ALL MINE!

Thanks, G :)

Winter Granola, by Inspired Spoons

(Makes approx. 4 cups)

Printable Recipe 

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup unsalted almonds

1/2 cup buckwheat groats (or wheat germ)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 T unsalted butter (or coconut oil)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds and buckwheat groats onto a baking sheet.  Toast in oven for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, combine maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, spices and salt over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.  Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.  After the oat mixture is done toasting, reduce oven heat to 300.  Add the oat mixture to the saucepan and stir to coat completely.  Turn the mixture onto the baking sheet (this time lined with parchment paper) and distribute evenly.  Bake for 25 minutes, stirring a few times to ensure everything cooks evenly.  Remove from oven, immediately add cranberries and raisins and toss.  Let cool and devour!

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Pistachio & Pea Pesto

Hi people!!  How are you I've missed you what's going on?!  Did I forget to mention that I'd be taking two weeks off over the holidays?  It actually wasn't my intention, as I had all these wonderful ideas for posts.  But then my house turned into Kevin McCalister's as far as holiday guests go, and the days became full and merry and chaotic and joyful.  So now I'm back with something green because isn't that what you're supposed to do at the beginning of January?  Eat green things?  Again, this wasn't my intention (moderation all year round, my friends).  The real motivation behind this green sauce was the pistachio nut.  I bought a whole bunch of the raw, unsalted kind by accident.  Gross!  Who wants that!?  However, instead of throwing them out, I turned them into pesto with peas and garlic and parmesan and really delicious olive oil.  It's SO good.  Make a big batch and eat it on spaghetti squash or roasted veggies OR... if you're into moderation like me, a gigantic bowl of pasta.  

Come back tomorrow for some very, VERY exciting information.    

Pistachio & Pea Pesto

(Makes approx. 2 cups)

Printable Recipe

1/2 cup raw, unsalted, peeled pistachio nuts

1/2 cup thawed frozen peas

1 clove garlic

1 T chopped basil

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Place first five ingredients in a blender (or food processor) and blend until well combined.  With blender still going, slowly add olive oil until you reach desired consistency (more olive oil will result in a smoother pesto, less will result in a chunkier pesto).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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