The Healthy Chef

Office Fiesta Salad

Hi everyone!! I’m sorry it has been so long since my last post, but I have BIG news! I’ve landed myself a career working for the largest wholesale grocer in the country [food….my specialty…how perfect!]. I’ve been very busy trying to learn the ropes before they send me off on my own. I am ecstatic, a real job where I’m actually using my degree, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. :)

But I am back in kitchen with my newest healthy creation and, let me tell you, you are in for a treat!

Color Me Healthy Salad

I love this salad!! I went crazy at the grocery store today [thank you, first paycheck] and bought every color of the produce department’s rainbow. If I had added blueberries, this salad would have them all, and I will remember that the next time I make it, which will likely be soon because it is SO GOOD!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 large handful baby spinach [not shown]
3 green onions
1 cup cilantro
3 medium-sized tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1/2 bell pepper
3 sweet mini peppers
1/2 cup broccoli
1/4 cup feta
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dry-roasted [unsalted] almonds
2 tbs. Ken’s Light Options Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing [or light dressing of your choice]
1 large mixing bowl [preferably with a lid]

I like Ken’s dressing not only because it’s light, but because it is also tastes great, is inexpensive, and can be found at almost any grocery store. They have a variety of different [Light Options] choices and I absolutely love them all.

This salad is incredible and ridiculously easy to make, so get to the grocery store so you can get started! I should mention here that the almonds are an absolute MUST, unless you are allergic, of course. They bring incredible flavor to a meal that has incredibly diverse textures and tastes.

Step 1: Chop all of your fresh ingredients into dime- to quarter-sized pieces, including the cilantro. As you finish chopping your vegetables [or fruit, if you want to get technical about the tomatoes] place them in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add the feta, cranberries, and dry roasted almonds to the mix

Step 3: Pour 2 tbs. of light dressing atop your ingredients

Step 4 [The Fun Step]: Place lid on mixing bowl and SHAKE! This ensures that your dressing reaches every bite, which, if you’re like me, is the most important variable in the entire salad equation.

And violà! The Color Me Healthy salad! Enjoy!

If you’re starting to see a recurring theme, you’re right! I love Mexican food, more than air…almost. It seems that quesadillas and Sangria have become my signature dinner move. And the best part is that they’re oh so simple to make.

I recently started using cucumbers in my quesadillas, thanks to a certain boyfriend I know. Don’t be thrown off by the apple, it’s for the Sangria, of course.

After hitting Market Basket with my friend, Katie, this afternoon, I couldn’t wait to get home and make my favorite meal. And after a long and nerve-racking interview today, I needed something delicious to ease my mind. And viola! New blog entry :)

Adios Anxiety, Hola Quesadillas! Recipe

1 crown of brocolli
1 onion [Sweet, white, yellow, or Red] - I used a Sweet Onion tonight
1 jalapeno
1 cucumber
1/2 dry pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups mixed greens
1/4 avocado
1 apple [I used my favorite, a Fuji]
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1 whole wheat tortilla
Extra virgin olive oil
1 box Spanish rice [which I completely forgot to photograph…whooooops!]
1 carafe Sangria wine [if you’re in a hurry and on a budget, I used Carlo Rossi]

First things first, Sangria.Cut up an apple and let it soak in your Sangria. If you’re like me [which you probably are], you should grab a wine glass, throw in an ice cube or two, and test your concoction while you cook. ;~)

Second, rice: follow the directions on the back of the box. This usually entails boiling a certain amount of water, adding butter or margarine [or my favorite, olive oil], bringing the water to a boil, adding the rice, butter/margarine/olive oil [which should always be your #1 choice, it’s called The Healthy Chef for a reason, folks!], stirring it around for a second, reducing the heat to a mere simmer, and leaving it on the stove top, with a lid, for a specified amount of time.

Third, throw a little olive oil in a big pan. Let it warm up, level 3 will do it perfectly. Chop up your veggies while the oils heats up. Broccoli goes in first [it takes the longest to soften], onions second, jalapenos third, cucumbers fourth, and tomatoes last. Sautee them until they look….cooked [see photo above].

Fourth, take a flat pan and toss on a little olive oil. Turn the heat to level 3. Let a tortilla heat up [flat] for a moment, then add a small layer of shredded cheese, topped with a bunch of your sauteed veggies, followed by another thin layer of shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over [we’re making half-moon quesadillas, see photo]. Let cook for one minute, then flip.

In a bowl, toss mixed greens, chopped broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with your dressing of choice. Place a few avocado slices on top.

At this point, your rice should be done. Scoop desired amount onto a plate, along with your desired amount of salad. Your [finished] quesadilla can now join the mix, and voila! A beautiful Mexican dinner….with Sangria.

ENJOY!!!

My boyfriend’s Christmas card [watercolors] and Valentine’s present [acrylics on canvas]. They turned out pretty well, don’t you think? He liked them a lot. ;)

BERRY Banana Smoothie

1 large banana
1 cup frozen berries [blue, rasp, straw]
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3/4 cup skim milk
2 tbsp. flax seeds [optional]

{Fruit photo borrowed from TrueNorth Health Kitchen @ http://www.healthpromoting.com/kitchen/mixed-berries-wbanana}

Place ingredients in a blender, push “BLEND”, and enjoy! :~)