Summer Time Mediterranean Salad

Hey Everybody! Sorry I haven't posted in a while...this summer has already been so busy with trying to get out to enjoy the weather as well as wedding planning. I've still been cooking a lot but just haven't found the time to post. I promise to be better the next few weeks!
So I decided to post about one my favorite recipes from the past few weeks. I was inspired by a Barefoot Contessa recipe from her cookbook "How Easy was That." Added a few of my own little twists to make it even healthier and that was it! It's my favorite because it's absolutely delicious but also incredibly quick and easy. 
It's essentially chopped up veggies with simple lemon garlic dressing and homemade pita chips. I made a batch today to have for lunch throughout the week and I'm super excited about it.
So here it goes!

For the salad, combine all of the below ingredients in a large bowl and toss together.

• 1 can of chic peas, drained
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1 package of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
• 12 kalamata olives, halved
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped basil
• 1 tbsp chopped mint
• 1/2 a cup of good feta

For the dressing, combine all of the below ingredients and whisk together. 

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• Juice of a lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the pita chips, cut 4 pitas into triangles. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook at 375 degrees for 10 mins. You could brush the pita with olive oil but I've found that it's not necessary. You still get that awesome crunch without the extra fat.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Top with feta cheese and serve with the pita chips!

And that's pretty much it!!

Healthy Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding is my new obsession. A dessert that's sweet, delicious and actually truly good for you! And it's so easy to make. Chia seeds are an amazing sources of omega 3's as well as fiber. Combine that with a cup of Greek yogurt and you have a low calorie, high protein and filling dessert!
Here's what you need:

1/4 cup of chia seeds
1 cup of almond or soy milk
1 cup of vanilla greek yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
A little bit of cinnamon (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.
Now for my favorite part...the toppings. You can put just about anything you  want on top of the pudding. My personal favorite is blueberries and shredded coconut. Mango, some fat free whip cream and chopped nuts is also fantastic. Get creative with the toppings and enjoy!

Homemade Guacamole

Guacamole...so simple yet so amazing. It's the perfect dip for a lazy warm Sunday night. I've been making guacamole with a few years now and I've been followed tons of different recipes. However, I've always struggled with the appropriate balance of citrus, spice and salt. Tonight I had a break through and I think I've finally discovered the perfect balance...at least for me! 
So here it is :

4 ripe avocados
1/2 ripe tomato, seeded
1/2 red onion
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Generous helping of salt- for me it was about a full teaspoon 
Pinch of Pepper

Combine all ingredients and mash together.
For me, I love the taste of lime in my guacamole so I was super happy with the 2 limes and the red onion adds the perfect amount of spice.

Rainbow Farro Bowl with Homemade Hummus

1 cab ride, 2 airplanes, 1 bus, 3 trains and 10 hours later, I finally made it back to my apartment in queens. I spent the past 3 days in New Orleans with my most favorite girls/bridesmaids and we had such an amazing time. 

3 full days of oysters, beignets, po' boys and bloody marys, I'm feeling equal parts satisfied and bloated.

I knew that I needed to make a dish tonight that would help me start my week off right so I decided to make a Rainbow Farro Bowl with Homemade Hummus and it was delicious!

Here's what you need.

Bowl:

1/2 Cup of Cooked Farro

1 Yellow Pepper

1 Green Pepper

20 Cherry Tomatoes

1 small eggplant

15 Pistachios (tossed with salt and pepper on the stove for 5 mins)

Hummus:

1 Can Chick Peas

2 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp parsley

Salt and Pepper

For the salad, toss all of the vegetables with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast at 375 for about 30 minutes.

For the hummus, combine all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth.

Put the farro and veggies in a bowl, top with hummus and a little more lemon salt and pepper. It's light and healthy but still delicious. And it's a great dish to have for left overs during the week.

Enjoy!

Mixed Green Salad with Farro, Beets and Raspberries

My body has grown accustomed to having fresh fruits and veggies every day and I notice such a difference in my energy level when I'm not eating as well. After a relaxing and indulgent weekend in Montauk, full of oysters and lobster mac and brie, I knew I needed something healthy...but still tasty.

I was actually inspired by a salad we ordered at Coast, our favorite restaurant in Montauk.

It was a simple mixed green salad with beets, raspberries, farro, deep fried blue cheese and dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. Such easy ingredients and I knew I could put my own healthier twist on it. I also had some left over parsley and feta vinaigrette that was inspired by a recipe provided by my lovely boss, Leigh. I knew this dressing was the perfect topping to my simple salad.

So here's what you'll need:

Salad:

1 package of organic mixed green salad

2 Cooked Beets

20 organic raspberries

Pecans (toasted on low heat for about 5 minutes)

1/4 cup of cooked farro

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
3/4 cup of olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 shallot
1 tbsp of oregano
1/4 cup of parsley
1/4 cup of reduced fat feta
Salt and pepper 

For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. As you begin to blend the ingredients, slowly add the olive oil until it becomes thick. 

Note: You don't need to use all of the dressing on this salad. You can save it for about a week and use it on other salads you make. You'll need about a half a cup for this salad. 

For the salad, combine all of the ingredients together and toss with the dressing. I added the farro when it was still warm because I like when the greens wilt a little but you can wait until it cools down.

This was absolutely delicious and so healthy. Farro is relatively new to me and I'm just finding out a lot about its benefits. It packs 7 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein per serving! It's also a complex carb, meaning that it keeps your energy levels stable so you don't crash. Combine that with the cleansing effects of beets and you have the perfect salad to help get you back on track after an indulgent weekend.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Burgers

In the spirit of summer foods, I've been trying to find a veggie burger recipe that's healthy but still packs a ton of hearty and savory flavors. This recipe is "semi-healthy" but extremely delicious. I added my own little twists to make it healthier, like reducing the amount of olive oil, but overall it's a great option for a vegetarian!

Here's what you need:

3 8oz packages of organic mushrooms (it's nice to get all different kinds, shitake, baby bella etc so that you get a whole range of flavors)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2/3 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded parmesan


Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and add mushrooms, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Let the mixture cook down until the mushrooms release their juices and much of it evaporates. This should take about 10 minutes. If not all of the juice evaporates, it's okay just use a strainer to remove the excess. 
Place the mushrooms on a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Put in a large bowl.
Mix in bread crumbs and oats, then stir in the parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and a little more salt and pepper. Lastly, stir in the eggs. 
Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes.
Roll the mushroom mixture into normal burger size patties.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan.
Cook until brown, about 3 minutes on each side.

I served mine with delicious whole wheat kaiser rolls smeared with just a little bit of spicy mayo (recipe to come) You could use a wrap or a sandwich thin for a low carb option.
I also made homemade sweet potato wedges which were delicious and so easy.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into wedges
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix all ingredients together and spread on a baking sheet.
Let cook about 10 minutes and then stir. Let cook about 10 more minutes until brown.

Happy Barbecuing!!

PS- this was obviously Daniel's portion, not mine :)

Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint

Now that the weather is finally warming up I'm starting to crave traditional summer foods, like burgers and watermelon. I love to eat watermelon just by itself, but there's so much you can do to it to enhance the flavors even more. I've also been reading up on the health benefits of watermelon because how can something that tastes so good be healthy? But it's really truly healthy! It turns out that watermelon packs a ton of lycopene which assists with cardiovascular and bone health. It also helps reduce body fat, supports kidney function, has tons of antioxidants and supports eye health. It has a lot of other benefits too. Check out the link below for more!

http://livelovefruit.com/2013/07/8-amazing-health-benefits-of-watermelon/ 

So here's what you need to make the delicious Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint.

1/2 a large watermelon (or the whole if you're making for a large group. This is a great recipe to take to a picnic. Just double the ingredients I list below)
8 oz of reduced fat feta
About 8 mint leaves, chopped
2 tbsp shredded coconut (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!