lunch

Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

September 25, 2018

Easy shredded chicken tacos get a healthy veggie upgrade when diced zucchini is added in for a fast dinner or lunch any day of the week.

“So, Sara…what’s your mom fixing for dinner tonight?”

It was my running joke with my daughter’s friend when I drove them home from Tuesday night basketball practice.

“Ugh. Taaaccccos, again,” she typically replied. “I’m kind of sick of tacos.” But how one possibly be tired of tacos?

Tacos are fast and easy to pull together as a simple vegetarian meal (these fried avocado tacos are BEYOND!) or with any sort of protein added in: fish tacos, beef tacos, slow cooker pork tacos, and yep, even spaghetti tacos. They’re one of the ultimate what-to-do-with-the-leftovers meal-prep meals.

So while Sara might be tired of Taco Tuesday, it makes a whole lot of sense to me.continue to the recipe… about Easy Shredded Chicken and Zucchini Tacos

11 Use It Up Zucchini Recipes

September 5, 2018

These 11 recipes are sure to answer question of what to make with zucchini and cure your healthy recipe cravings at the same time.

I am 100% for fresh produce–but things can get a little out of hand in the garden this time of year, know what I mean?

If you’re like me, your counter tops are covered with zucchini and if you don’t have your own garden, I bet you’re getting doorbell ditched with tons of the stuff from friendly neighbors, desperate to offload their bounty.

Not that I’m complaining.

With so many ways to use this versatile veggie, you can eat squash every day through September without getting sick of it.

This roundup features 11 healthy, delicious recipes, guaranteed to help you make the most of summer’s most popular veggie.continue to the recipe… about 11 Use It Up Zucchini Recipes

Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

August 29, 2018

At our house, this easy lemon rice is a side dish staple and with just 5 ingredients, it’s a super simple way to jazz up plain old white rice any day of the week.

No matter where your set your plate, it’s likely that rice will be one of the side dishes served on any international dinner table.

This lemon rice makes regular appearances alongside so much of my main meal cooking, like my Greek marinated chicken, or as a basic side for my Greek pork souvlaki kebabs or turkey kofta skewers, and always with my Easy Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce.

But this lemon rice doesn’t travel only in Greek or Mediterranean circles. It’s a fan of crossing all culinary borders, and it does a fine job of fitting into any dinner no matter the main dish’s international personality.

continue to the recipe… about Easy Lemon Rice Recipe

How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

August 22, 2018

Healthy boneless chicken breasts can be shredded, sliced, or diced, and used as the base for countless healthy recipes, and when you cook them in the Instant Pot pressure cooker they can go from frozen OR fresh chicken breasts to fully cooked with just 10 minutes cooking time.

How many times have you come home and realized you’ve forgotten to pull the chicken from the freezer for tonight’s dinner? If you’re like me, it’s way too many.

But since I discovered how to cook both frozen chicken breasts and/or fresh chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, those days are over.

It seems like all too often us recipe creators aka food bloggers get caught up in creating that totally unique recipe.

The recipe that intrigues.

The recipe that nobody’s ever thought of before.

But the reality is, while those recipes are fun to bookmark and make every so often, it’s the basics for daily cooking that we really need.

Like how to cook the basic boneless chicken breast, and how to cook it fast.

I’ve shared my recipes for the Best Grilled Chicken Breast and the Best Baked Chicken Breasts and you guys love them. So when I received requests for an Instant Pot version, how could I not oblige?

And once I started cooking chicken breasts STRAIGHT FROM THE FREEZER in my Instant Pot, I realized I needed to share with you how you can do the same.

So let’s talk basics.continue to the recipe… about How to Cook Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (from Fresh or Frozen)

Italian Chicken Wrap

August 21, 2018

You may see pinwheel wrap sandwiches so often at the store or the quick mart you don’t even realize how easy they are to make at home. But this healthy Italian Chicken Wrap sandwich has a few secrets up it’s tortilla that’ll make it so you’ll never want a take-it-with-you lunch any other way again.

This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods

It seems that lunches are the meal that can make or break your best eating intentions.

I know you know what I’m talking about. And I know that if you’ve said it to yourself once, you’ve said it 4053 times.

“This week I’m totally taking my lunch every day.”

But then it’s the night before and you’re too tired to pull a lunch together, or your morning is in a frenzy, or your delicate ingredients have all gone bad.

And then there you are. Once again, your intentions are dashed, leaving you staring emptily at the vending machine or forking over $13.84 for a lame something or another that really is just not that good. And worse, that marginal lunch is both taking away from your budget’s bottom line while adding too many calories to your very own bottom that soon won’t fit into your jeans if you keep this up young lady. (oops, did I say that out loud?)

But this easy Italian chicken wrap lunch is different. And here’s why.continue to the recipe… about Italian Chicken Wrap

Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

August 15, 2018

This caprese flatbread recipe is an easy way to take advantage of the best of the season’s fresh tomatoes, basil, and of course mozzarella, making it the perfect appetizer bite or as an easy vegetarian dinner.

Head to the farmers market this time of year and you’ll see everyone around freaking out over the bulbous beauty of the heirloom tomatoes and just-off-the-vine-still-warm-from-the-sunshine beefsteaks.

I think they’re lovely too. But my fave tomato this time of year are the sweet cherry tomatoes I can pop straight in my mouth like candy.

Awwwww, who am I kidding? I love these baby tomatoes any time of year.

A few weeks ago I photographed the new winter menu of one of my favorite clients, Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT. If you haven’t yet been to Park City and Deer Valley, it’s a destination to put on your bucket list, not only for winter skiing, but truly any time of the year.

This time around we shot photos for the new menu items for their low-key bar and restaurant The Brass Tag. But where does that name come from? Back in the day aka around 1890, the silver boom was huge in Park City and local miners would hang a brass tag before entering the silver mines to work. When the day was done, if there was tag still hanging on the board, it was time to start a search for the miner. Think of it as the low-tech GPS system of yesteryear.

This easy to make caprese-style flatbread pizza was just one of the items we shot that day, and after looking at it through the lens, and then taking a bite (okay, maybe more), I knew it was something you guys would love to make at home.

continue to the recipe… about Mozzarella and Tomato Caprese Flatbread

Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

August 13, 2018

Greek food and especially gyros are one of my favorite kind of meals, but since I’m not much of a fan of lamb, it’s my marinated Greek chicken and chickpeas that adds the protein to this easy Greek gyro style salad with a yogurt tzatziki sauce perfect for a meal prep lunch or dinner.

This Greek gyro chicken salad is one of those types of salads that makes a statement, declaring that Mediterranean dishes are just as good in a bowl as they are stuffed in a pita or grilled on a skewer.

This Greek salad is far from contrived, or uppity, or way too out there. It’s just a good, basic salad that covers all the major food groups. I love that this salad can be prepped ahead for take-to-work or school lunches—proven by my Ali Smudge who is obsessed with it.

On busy weeknights, it makes for a super fast dinner. It’s ready to roll for everyone at to eat together, or parceled out as your peeps filter in for meal time.

Because doesn’t it seem that’s more the case than ever these days?continue to the recipe… about Greek Chicken Gyro Salad

Stuffed Zucchini Hasselback Pepperoni Pizza Style

August 9, 2018

Stuffed zucchini takes on a whole new look when it’s cut hasselback-style then stuffed with pepperoni pizza fixins’ for an easy, healthy, all-in-one 6-ingredient meal or pull-apart appetizer.

For most every backyard farmers the question isn’t how to grow zucchini, it’s what to do with it all once the harvest begins. These guys are prolific!

So what are some ways to use up all that zucchini? Stuffed zucchini is likely one of the first recipes on your idea list.

But how about this…how about we make the method even simpler and forgo the scoop and hollow method and simply slice these bad boys hasselback-style instead?

They’re ripe for the stuffing, so let’s get slicing.

continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Zucchini Hasselback Pepperoni Pizza Style

Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

August 7, 2018

This Chinese Chicken Salad takes the healthier high road than the heavier versions I always see at those popular food chains that everyone loves. But this one with crunchy romaine, wontons, and an almond crunch, topped with protein-packed chicken breast, pasta noodles, and a flavor-flav sesame dressing.

Lighter fare that totally satisfies is what I’m craving now. And as summer’s flowy skirts and loose-fitting shift dresses morph into fall’s jeans and thigh hugging pants, it seems lighter food is part of my weekly anthem.

Goodbye my fave potato salad and chocolate drizzled ice cream cones dripping down my chin. Hello meal planning, gym going, and my fave weight loss plan.

And that’s where my all-time favorite—and healthier—Chinese Chicken Salad comes in.

I’ve updated this recipe post because I refer to it all the time and it needed some updated love.

I CRAVE this salad, and it’s one I love to make for ladies lunches or for a simple, and lighter meal for a crowd. Because who doesn’t love a good Chinese Chicken Salad anyway?

continue to the recipe… about Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

31 Quick and Healthy Veggie Side Dishes in 30 Minutes or Less

August 1, 2018

Getting your fill of seasonal vegetables just got easier with this list of 31 quick and healthy seasonal vegetable side dishes that can be prepped in 30 minutes or less.

This time of year brings on a love/hate relationship with the season.

On the one hand, it can be completely comforting to daydream about weather cool enough for a cozy sweater, spicy pumpkin goodies, and getting the kids and ourselves back into the pleasant hum (fingers crossed) of a school-day routine.

But it’s always bittersweet to lose the relaxed vibe of those chilled out summer months and all the extra moments of family time we sneak in around the campfire, up at the cabin, boarding on the lake, or just in our own back yard.

To help ease the craziness that can surround the first few weeks of a new schedule and busy activities, we’ve put together a list of 31 quick and healthy veggie-based side dishes that have you covered from A-Zucchini!

Most dishes have just 10 ingredients or less (not including pantry staples like olive oil or salt and pepper) and with the exception of items with a longer baking/roasting time, all recipes can be put together in 30 minutes or less, with minimal prep time.

These recipes will help you get dinner on the table in no time flat, with enough nourishment to keep you going until Fall really gets here.continue to the recipe… about 31 Quick and Healthy Veggie Side Dishes in 30 Minutes or Less

Caprese Pasta Salad with Garlic Marinated Tomatoes

July 24, 2018

This easy caprese pasta salad recipe steeps cherry tomatoes in a garlic-infused oil that becomes the dressing over any type of pasta with sliced mozzarella, capers, lemon, and basil making it a healthy potluck recipe that’s perfectly ripe for brunch, lunch, or a dinner everyone will love.

This is a re-do of one of my favorite tomato pasta salad recipes I published my first year of blogging. I’ve been making this caprese pasta salad on repeat ever since the clock struck summer, but it’s very likely that many of you haven’t ever even seen it, and that’s a darn shame because it’s just too good to miss.

So after looking at it so many times already this summer, I thought it could use a refresh. And so here it is once again, with a spit shine, some new photos, and a video to show you easy it will be for you to make it too.

I’m a huge fan of summer’s fresh tomatoes, especially when my garden starts producing my beloved cherry tomatoes I pop straight into my mouth like candy. So back in August of 2011 when I spied this recipe on the Martha Stewart Living cover peeking over the others on the grocery store rack, there wasn’t a question whether the issue would be coming home with me.

And that’s why this salad has been in my summer recipe-making-repertoire ever since.continue to the recipe… about Caprese Pasta Salad with Garlic Marinated Tomatoes

Classic Three Bean Salad (That’s Really Four)

July 11, 2018

Besides knowing how to use a can opener, there’s no need for any special talents when you make this easy three bean salad, and with a homemade dressing, this pantry salad is a classic potluck favorite that can be made in 15 minutes or less.

This straight-from-the-pantry/salad-bar-staple salad is just one reason why I majored in art instead of in math, because apparently I can’t count.

While this salad is most often called a three bean salad, I just couldn’t help but add in another bean to make it four, not just because it added a different shape and a little more color—because you know, food is art—but because how could I leave even one bean out of the mix?

And with a homemade dressing that adds a sweet pickled pucker, this salad shows why once again, real good real food is best…even when it starts with a can. Or four.

continue to the recipe… about Classic Three Bean Salad (That’s Really Four)

Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables

July 3, 2018

This creamy pasta salad recipe skips the mayonnaise for a lush sauce made with almond milk and avocado to make an easy grilled vegetable pasta salad you’ll happily eat guilt-free.

This recipe is brought to you by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

One thing’s for sure: It’s rare I meet a pasta salad I don’t like. I may not have loved them all, but I do seem to have a high tolerance of acceptability for even the most marginalized salad bar pasta salad-types.

But that’s the main reason I choose to make my own pasta salads at home. They’re fresher, they taste better, and I can add a twist of healthy and still reap all the flavor and even the creamy factor I crave with this one in the fridge that’s ready to eat any time of the day.

How to Make a Creamy Pasta Salad That’s Healthier Too

Pasta and macaroni salads made with traditional creamy dressings are fine for my occasional potluck splurges. But when I’m looking for a creamy pasta salad I can jot down in my Nourished Planner for my weekly meal prep or share with friends who are more health-conscious about the foods they eat, this creamy sauced mash-up of almond milk and avocado totally does all the right stuff.

Just like I do for the rest of my menu planning, adding more colors of the rainbow to my pasta salad is a simple way to make it more nourishing too. Plus, it just makes it so dang pretty too!continue to the recipe… about Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables

How to Make an Awesome Antipasto Salad Platter

June 25, 2018

Making a salad for a crowd doesn’t get any easier than adding all the antipasto toppings like olives, pickled veggies, artichokes, pepperoncini, salami, salumi, prosciutto, pasta and mozzarella balls to a big pile of lettuce for an Italian salad everyone will love.

This recipe is in partnership with DeLallo Foods

Antipasto is known as the first course of the Italian meal. It’s the time to get a nibble of olives and pickled peppers or a bite of cured meats and cheeses, and to prepare your belly for the feast about to come.

What I love about this Antipasto Salad Platter is it bridges the gap between that appetizer course and the salad course, for a more relaxed vibe that mixes all my favorite tastes together, and can easily be made into a meal all its own.

And when you serve this salad family-style in the middle of the table, everyone can add “just a little more” to suit their taste and their appetite, creating a more festively communal way to share.

continue to the recipe… about How to Make an Awesome Antipasto Salad Platter

Red White and Blue Watermelon Blueberry Fruit Salad

June 24, 2018

Juicy watermelon, sweet bursts of blueberries and crunchy jicama dressed with a simple honey and lime dressing make this red, white, and blue salad a favorite worthy of all the fireworks all summer long.

This is a guest post from my mom. We wrote together while on a family vacation in the iconic epicenter of the USA, Yellowstone National Park in 2013 and I’m giving it a little update today. Back then I was pondering what to write about this tasty Red White and Blue Salad, and so my mom helped me brainstorm what to write. She’s good that way.

I think she pretty much summed it all up, so I’m writing it verbatim, from mom’s mouth to daughter blogger’s post. She’s my biggest cheerleader, and in every way she can, makes my job as a blogger that much easier.

Take it away mom.

continue to the recipe… about Red White and Blue Watermelon Blueberry Fruit Salad

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

June 21, 2018

This easy chicken marinade infuses chicken of any cut with the classic Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano plus Greek yogurt for a more tender bite.

Hey, ho, whaddya know?!!! You ready for the best? Because I’m giving you the best!

It may be a bold statement to make, but unlike fake politicians, sorcerers, and that guy in Nigeria who says he’ll double your money if you’ll just wire it to him, I’m standing behind my claim that this super easy, extremely delicious Greek Chicken marinade very well could be:

the ying to your yang.

the butter to your nutter.

the pop to your lock.

Which would make this little diddy of a recipe the best lemony, best garlicky, best Greek-y oregano-ish chicken marinade you just might ever make.

continue to the recipe… about The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado

June 19, 2018

This easy, creamy BLT pasta salad recipe is loaded with healthy tomatoes, arugula, and avocado, plus crispy bacon that’s all topped with a super simple-to-make Ranch-style dressing made with mayo and Greek yogurt.

You could say my collection of pasta salad recipes here on the blog are my children, and just like any mother of kids, it’s nearly impossible to choose just one as my most favorite. But, if you’re a fan of a creamy pasta salad, or an ultra simple-to-make pasta salad that’s loaded with healthier goodness (plus bacon!), this pasta salad is for you.

Once the garden tomatoes come into harvest, BLT sandwiches are a staple at our house. And the only thing that makes them even better is adding avocado for them to become BLATs. Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwiches that are now a BBQ pasta salad staple.

So when my daughter requested I make a pasta salad that included her beloved bacon in the BLT mix, avocado was an obvious addition to make.

continue to the recipe… about BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado

Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

June 12, 2018

Boneless, skinless chicken breast marinated in the traditional Greek flavors of lemon, garlic and oregano then threaded on skewers with a few veggies makes these grilled chicken kebabs an easy and healthy weeknight dinner winner.

Dinner on the grill makes up about 95% of our summer dinner cooking routine, and with so much variety to be had (pork, steak, shrimp, and even cheese!) cooking skewers and kebabs is an easy, all-in-one healthy dinner that take as little as 15 minutes to marinate only about 15 minutes for the chicken kebabs to cook on the grill.

I’m not sure when I dropped the shish in shish kebabs, but whether you spell them kebabs or kababs, or maybe call them skewers too, these small chunks of chicken threaded on wooden or metal skewers with vegetable chunks are incredibly versatile to make.

Nearly every cuisine has it’s own ethnic flavor of chicken kebab (Indian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Japanese and Thai) as a popular street food to eat on the go.

But today we’re staying at home to make our own, and cure my summertime Mediterranean flavor-craving with grilled Greek chicken kebabs, all day, all the way, babe-ae.

How to Make the Greek Chicken Marinade

This greek marinade is my favorite go-to recipe for anything and everything chicken and it does double duty as a dressing for salads too.continue to the recipe… about Easy Greek Chicken Kebabs

Grilled Corn Salad with Tomato and Avocado

June 4, 2018

When fresh corn and tomatoes are at their summer best, this easy salad with creamy avocados that’s simply dressed with a hint of Mexican jalapeño, lime juice, and garlic, is a healthy recipe that’s sure to become the star side dish of every potluck and barbecue you make it for.

Corn. It’s my husband’s veggie kryptonite. Me? Avocado and tomato are what light my fire.

And the combo of all three is what’s kept this summer salad in regular rotation on our dinner table, and we’re barely into June!

The simple flavors of this salad is in it’s combination of fresh, sweet corn on the cob (that’s even sweeter after a sear on the grill) added to creamy avocado and juicy tomatoes, is hands down this summer’s salad-facsimile of the little black dress—because it literally goes with everything.

Playing With Fire by Michael Symon

This side salad recipe comes from Iron Chef and The Chew Host Michael Symon’s new cookbook Playing With Fire:BBQ and More from the Grill, Smoker, and Fireplace where he shares loads of tips, tricks, and totally achievable grilling and barbeque recipes that any home chef can master.

continue to the recipe… about Grilled Corn Salad with Tomato and Avocado

30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

May 31, 2018

From zippy potato salads, quinoa salads, coleslaws, and pasta salads that just seem to get better and better over time, we can’t get enough of this list of 30 healthier, light and refreshing summer potluck salads to make now.

With the official first day of summer lingering around the corner (can’t wait for you to get here June 21!), we can’t help but daydream of picnics, potlucks, and pool parties. That’s because we know these shindigs always have the best food.

Childhood memories of cookouts and summer get-togethers bring up all the happy memories of summer’s answer to comfort food: All the side dishes you can fill a plate with and for me that means all the salads.

We’re talking salads that’ll cool you down even on the hottest of days; dishes eaten pool-side, picnic-style, or enjoyed on those lazy summer eves with all the grilled foods and in the company of family and friends.

So whether you’re a caprese salad junkie, coleslaw queen, or broccoli salad aficionado (this one’s my fave!), the gang’s all here. You’ll recognize healthier riffs on your classic faves, plus some new inspiration. But whatever your craving, we’ve got you covered so you can bring your best potluck game all summer-long.continue to the recipe… about 30 Healthy Summer Potluck Salads to Make in June

Mediterranean Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Olive Tapenade

May 29, 2018

A simple marinade with two kinds of balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, and grainy mustard gives this grilled balsamic chicken topped with an easy olive and sun dried tomato tapenade a classic Mediterranean flavor zing.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

It’s no secret that I have a love affair with Mediterranean flavored food, and there’s no better season than summer to really get into exploring all the flavors as a cook and relishing every bite as an eager eater.

From Italian-style Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salads to classic Greek Pork Souvlaki and The Best Lebanese Fattoush Salad, summer is the season to take advantage of Mediterranean vegetables in their prime, fresh herbs at their peak, and outdoor grilling techniques that naturally become the dinnertime norm.

This grilled balsamic chicken served with a super-simple-to-make olive and sun dried tomato tapenade is one of my favorite, and easiest gateways to making healthy Mediterranean eating a weekly ritual.

continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Olive Tapenade

Truffled Mushroom Pizza

May 22, 2018

A simple mushroom and cheese pizza gets an upscale twist with truffled mushrooms and a light arugula salad topping one of the easiest homemade pizza doughs you can make.

I’m pretty sure we can all agree that pizza is the quintessential meal. It crosses all boundaries and pleases people of all ages and gender. And with nearly every culture cultivating its own version of the classic pizza pie, it doesn’t matter if you’re a drunk at 2 a.m. college student, a family ordering it for Friday night, or a high society maven who serves it as a dainty appetizer, if you like food it’s likely you’re a pizza pie fan.

Making pizza at home is one of life’s simple pleasures. At home you have complete control of what tops your pie and make it your choice to keep it super simple, or load on all the fixins’. Mushroom and cheese pizza is always a favorite of mine. I like to keep my pies simple, but simple certainly does not mean boring.

Sure, I like my mushroom pizza topped with simple ingredients, but I like my ingredients fancied up with an upscale twist.

Say hello to my truffled mushroom pizza.

continue to the recipe… about Truffled Mushroom Pizza

Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad

May 15, 2018

Quick and easy to make for lunch or even a light dinner, this healthy Tuscan salad puts high protein front and center with chunks of albacore tuna and white beans tossed with arugula and more Mediterranean flavors.

It’s not every day that a salad wakes me from a dead sleep. But this morning, this one did. Not because I was hungry—because I wasn’t—but because I sleepily woke to the words, sentences, and phrases for this blog post forming in my head.

Why I didn’t write it all down at that moment instead of rolling over and going back to sleep is a choice I’m regretting now.

But this salad? There’s absolutely nothing to regret about this salad, nothing at all.

How to Make a Healthy, No-Mayo Tuna Salad

This easy, all-in-one-meal, tuna salad is made with simple ingredients and pantry staples to create a lunch that’s totally fresh and filling.continue to the recipe… about Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad

Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls

May 8, 2018

Quick, easy, and totally flavorful, these Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls with brown rice, black beans, and served with tomatoes and avocado are just the right level of adobo spice with a touch of honey to sweeten up meal prep for any lunch or dinner.

When I looked over and read what her t-shirt said, I thought of several people I know who spend at least part of every day feeling exactly the same way.

Hangry. Hungry + angry = Hangry.

Personally, its rare that I ever get to the hangry stage because I work from home, so when I’m hungry, I can dart into the kitchen to make a quick lunch, grab a handful of almonds, or whip up my fave afternoon yogurt + berries + granola snack. But it’s highly likely I’m in the minority.

Enter #hangry.

This rice bowl recipe comes from the new cookbook aimed at solving that dreaded meal-time dilemma of getting nutritious meals in the belly when time isn’t always on your side. The Weekday Lunches and Breakfasts Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Home-Cooked Meals for Busy Families by Mary Younkin of the food blog Barefeet In the Kitchen, serves up super-simple breakfasts and lunches that work for everyone at the table. Or if you’re like me, easy to eat at the desk too.

Filled with recipes for quick, easy, and make-ahead breakfasts and lunches, this is the busy person’s cookbook with freezer storage suggestions and easy to reheat directions galore.

Over on my Instagram stories I took a poll and asked your opinion which recipe I should make from the book, and not surprisingly, this Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls came out on top. And here’s why… continue to the recipe… about Chipotle Lime Shrimp Bowls

Beyond Easy Chicken Mole Enchiladas

May 3, 2018

This super easy, no-cook, homemade mole sauce is made from scratch, and gives regular chicken enchiladas a delicious twist for a super fast Mexican dinner to meal prep or even throw together for a quick and easy weeknight meal.

I recently heard about a study that reported that no matter how many recipes they have on their Pinterest wish list or the dog eared in their favorite cookbooks, the home cook generally makes the same 15-20 recipes over and over and over again.

Now, on one hand, this limited recipe strategy can be a bonus, because:

They’re recipes you know you and your family will eat.
They’re proven recipes that work.
Since you’re familiar with them, there’s no time wasted leaning into a recipe learning curve.

But on the other hand, those recipes can get you totally get stuck in a rut. And who wants to be the boring cook in the kitchen anyway??!!

Today’s recipe is a hybrid of one of my go-to recipes to cook (enchiladas) with a twist (mole sauce!), because:

It’s totally familiar = enchiladas. Approachable = chicken. But with the addition of just two ingredients to regular enchilada sauce, this recipe gets serious brownie points for uniqueness.
When they’re as easy to make as these, enchiladas are pretty much impossible to screw up.
All you need to know about these babies is how to use a blender, an oven, and how to roll with the best of them.

How to Make Mole Enchiladas

Because mole sauce isn’t found at most ordinary Mexican American restaurants, many people aren’t familiar with it which leads to the most popular questions about mole sauce: what is mole made of and what does mole taste like?continue to the recipe… about Beyond Easy Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Avocado Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

April 24, 2018

The Sicilian-inspired salad’s flavor combination of fennel’s sweet licorice flavor, juicy tart grapefruit and smooth avocado topped with salty Parmesan is a welcome addition to any meal any time of the year.

I am a self-proclaimed lemon head. No, not the ’80’s band (although I do love me a little Evan Dando), nor the super sour hard candy that’ll send your tastebuds into orbit. In so much of the food I cook, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds just the right bright citrus notes to liven up a blah bite or balance out a rich and heavy dish.

One of my fondest memories as a kid is sitting at my grandparents breakfast table and watching my grandpa section his daily grapefruit with his special grapefruit knife. Grandpa was a man of few words, but one thing he would always say is, “Heidi, you should eat grapefruit.”

As a youngster who leaned more to the sweeter side than the tart, I politely declined every time. What I later realized is he had a secret to enjoying his grapefruit: a big spoonful of sugar he’d sprinkle over the top. I always knew he was smart, but that sealed the deal.

Just like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and xx, my culinary taster pallet developed and changed over the years. So when I came across this bright, and fresh, and totally easy to pull together salad that works equally as well as a meal-time opener or as the main star, I was finally ready to go all-in on the grapefruit eating band wagon.

This simple salad is from the new cookbook Simply Citrus by Marie Asselin of the food blog Food Nouveau and it hits all of the sweet and sour and puckery notes that only citrus can provide.continue to the recipe… about Avocado Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

Orange Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bowls

April 9, 2018

Today’s style of healthy eating is all about eating the rainbow and there’s no easier way to do it than by meal prepping ingredients that when combined together create nutritious meals made in half the time.

This easy orange marinated chicken with sesame flavored broccoli rice (yes, broccoli as rice!) will totally bowl you over. Get it? Ugh. Now why did I have to go and do that???

Getting a weeknight dinner on the table isn’t really about mastering fancy cooking techniques or having all the best equipment to get things done. It’s more like a game of Tetris (my favorite!), where you plug in the holes (how much time you have, what’s in the fridge, how many will actually be showing up) with the shapes that fit.

And that’s where planning “what’s for dinnnnnnnerrrr?” more like a game instead of a call of duty can totally come in handy. Because even when it comes to cooking, strategy is always the ticket to winning.

That’s why easy meal prep is the strategic key that fits into just about every eating plan for any day of the week (lunches too). Some think they don’t have the time to set aside to meal prep, because why would you do things twice? Here’s why. BECAUSE IT SAVES FRIGGING TIME PEOPLE! Getting a few things chopped, mixed, and even cooked ahead of time will totally save in the long run.

If you haven’t tried meal prep yet, this easy orange chicken superfood bowl recipe should totally be your gateway drug to join the rest of us in our winning, cooking ways.

This orange chicken and broccoli rice (not white rice, silly, BROCCOLI RICE!) meal-ina-a-bowl recipe comes from the new cookbook Nourishing Superfood Bowls: 75 Healthy and Delicious Gluten Free Meals to Fuel Your Day from my fellow food loving recipe maker and AASDN-certified nutrition specialist Lindsay Cotter, the creator of the gluten-free cooking blog Cotter Crunch where she shares always healthy, gluten-free and mostly paleo recipes.continue to the recipe… about Orange Chicken and Broccoli Rice Bowls

Arugula Salad with Pesto Shrimp, Parmesan and White Beans

April 2, 2018

This Mediterranean-inspired arugula and pesto shrimp salad is not only super simple to prepare ahead of time for lunch, but because you can meal prep it straight from your pantry and freezer, it’s incredibly easy to make on the fly, too.

This recipe is brought to you by Kroger

Breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.

Dinner. That’s when families come together.

But lunch? Ugh. Who has time to actually make and enjoy lunch?

Preparing a healthier, real good, real food lunch instead of grabbing your mid-day meal at the drive-thru or the food court—or worse, skipping it all together—is probably one of the biggest hurdles of completing our goals of a healthier day.

Because who hasn’t totally derailed their plans of “this week is the week I’m totally going to stick to the plan” and suddenly the day’s in-between-gaps get filled, appointments and projects and schedules and commitments all roll over and blanket one another, and it’s just that much easier to pick up some lunch instead of make up some lunch.

This is exactly why getting into the habit of shopping ahead of time for your weekly eating plan, adding a few quality ingredients to your freezer and pantry, and doing a bit of easy meal prep at the beginning of the wekk is more important than ever. Because is can all be in the plan, man!

Real Food Ingredients

A big part of my product choices are those that are part of my real good, real food eating plans. Whole foods with minimal or no processing, no added antibiotics, and great, fresh, quality is key. But only at a price point I feel good about.continue to the recipe… about Arugula Salad with Pesto Shrimp, Parmesan and White Beans

17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham

March 28, 2018

From ham and bean soup to ham fried rice, these 17 irresistible leftover ham recipes are the perfect way to put those smoky Easter leftovers to good use.

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself with leftover ham this Easter (this is one of my favorite recipes), that means spring pastas, soups, fried rice, and more are just a bite away. Of course it takes a whole lot of restraint not to just channel our inner caveman and snack on the remaining ham straight off the bone — the porky goodness is just way too tempting.

Baked hams are a celebratory food. Since we tend to make them for holidays and special occasions, they’re typically not something we have on a regular basis, so when we do, we know there’s a wealth of yummy ideas for repurposing that ham are at our disposal.

From classic split pea soup made in the pressure cooker, to gussied up grilled cheese, these round-two leftover ideas are so good, they’ll give your holiday ham dinner a run for its money .

So let’s carve in, shall we?

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham from Skinnytastecontinue to the recipe… about 17 Recipes to Make with Leftover Ham

Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato

March 20, 2018

Chicken quinoa bowls have staked their healthy claim on quick and easy meal-prep dinners that are flexible enough to mix and match ingredients for take-to-work lunches that never get boring, too.

This quinoa bowl combines what seems to be my ever-lasting, default flavor combo, inspired by Mediterranean flavors ala Donny and Marie: it’s a little bit Italian, and a little bit Greek goddessness. And it all taste good to me.

Over the years I’ve found myself adopting more and more recipes inspired by the Mediterranean diet to my weekly eating plan. I eat more anitoxidant-rich vegetables and fruits (avocado all day!), healthy legumes and whole grains, and loads of fresh herbs. I don’t eat a whole lot of red meat, but chicken, turkey, and EFA-loaded fish like salmon are my friends and olive oil tinged with lemon is one of my favorite flavorings.

And wine. Yes, wine is heart-healthy too.

I’ve known about the heart-healthy benefits of the Mediterranean style of eating ever since my days designing health and wellness magazines, way back when you had to shop for quinoa in specialty health food stores and when my editors made sure I didn’t sound alike a complete goof when I said “kwin-O-aaa” instead of “KEEEN-wa.” Bless their hearts, they were always looking out for me.continue to the recipe… about Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bowl with Broccoli and Tomato