Cherry-Tomato, Watermelon Summer Salad

I recently ordered this book to get more info on eating a plant based diet and have loved reading it. I mainly ordered it for the 150 recipes he includes at the back which are pretty amazing. It has been a great resource for wanting to incorporate healthier meals into my diet.

I made this tomato watermelon salad tonight and it is the PERFECT quick summer salad. Watermelon is all the rage this summer :)  and this recipe incorporates every fresh summer flavor your little heart could desire. I halved the recipe and sat down and ate the whole thing. It would be perfect to take to a summer BBQ as well. Yum!

2 Boxes of Cherry or grape tomatoes halved (large amounts of lycopene which fights cancer and heart disease)

1 Bunch of Cilantro (2 handfuls) chopped (detoxifies colon, pulls heavy metals out of body, relieves gas, prevents nausea, antiinflamitory)

3 Green onions, white and green parts chopped (Rich in Vit K which is good for bone health and immune system)

1/2 medium watermelon cut into bite-sized pieces (hydration assisting in weight loss, lycopene, vit A, potassium)

3 tablespoons of lemon juice  and lemon or lime zest

3 tablespoons of balsalmic or sherry vinegar

Oven-Bakes Parmesan Rosemary Fries

I don't know who else saw these on OBB but I decided to make them tonight for sunday dinner and they were mm mm good! The only ingredient I had to go get was some fresh rosemary but other then that they are relatively and easy make. And I would definitely recommend getting the fresh stuff. Also, put the pan on a rack closer to the top if you like them crispier.

Ingredients:

4 medium Russet potatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 1/2-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish if desired
Canned Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (lightly crumple it if you want to; that will help ensure even browning) and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Cut each potato into 8 wedges and set aside ( you can also cut them like you do for this recipe). In a large, wide bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, corn starch, and rosemary. Add the potato wedges and toss to coat them evenly with the olive oil mixture. Spread evenly over the prepared foil and bake in the preheated oven for  about 40 minutes or until the fries are golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. If desired, sprinkle with additional rosemary and salt. Serve immediately.

Chipotle Chicken Kabobs with Avocado Cream Sauce

These were delicious! My husband said while eating these I should be on Master Chef. If you know my husband that is saying something. Then as we were going to bed he said that was the best dinner! These really were amazing and easy! I had all ingredients on hand too... We just ate them plain because we are trying to cut carbs at dinner and it was plenty!

Adapted from Annies Eats
chipotle chicken kabobs with avocado cream sauce

Yield: about 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken: 
Juice of 2 limes
½ cup of vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
¾ tsp. chili powder
¾ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and minced
2 lbs. chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into 1½-2 inch pieces
Minced fresh cilantro, for serving

For the avocado cream sauce: 
1 avocado, split and pitted
½ cup low-fat greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

• In a medium bowl or a baking dish/pie plate, combine the lime juice, oil, spices, garlic, brown sugar, and chipotle.  Whisk together to combine.  Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to ensure that they are all coated and mostly submerged.  Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate for 30-60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates.  When the chicken is done marinating, thread the pieces onto skewers for grilling.  (If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them first to prevent charring/burning.)  Dispose of the excess marinade.  Place the kabobs on the grill and let cook, turning once or twice, until all sides are slightly browned and the internal temperature registers 160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.  Remove to a plate and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro, if desired.
• To make the sauce, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or a blender.  Process until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve alongside the kabobs for dipping.

Lentil and Brown Rice Salad

For those of you who are trying to get that bod in swimsuit shape for the summer and love a hearty salad try this one! I seriously inhaled this one and it was a piece of cake to make. If you haven't been able to tell I've been trying to eat more plant based whole foods and share my recipes. I am feeling awesome and have had so much fun trying new fun ingredients. Even if you consider yourself a picky eater, I don't care it's worth the benefits to make healthier choices.
via wellvegan.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup green lentils (if you live near a trader joes they have precooked lentils that are cheap)
• 1/2 cup brown rice (trader joes also has a brown rice medley that you store in the freezer and throw in the microwave for 3 min as is makes for quick prep for this meal)
• 2 large carrots
• 2 radishes
• handful of cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 ribs celery sliced thin
• 1/4 cup currants or craisins
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 4 cups mixed greens or any other lettuce. I used mixed greens mixed with kale
• Drizzle of balsalmic vinegar over the top

Instructions

1. Cook rice and lentils according to package directions. Set aside to cool. While the rice and lentils are cooking, prep the rest of your ingredients.
2. Assemble all tossing

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Downtown Bakery and Creamery’s Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Yield: 24 standard size muffins  (52-56 mini muffins)

For the muffins:
12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 lb. 11 oz. (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup buttermilk

For dipping:
8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don’t overmix. The batter is very thick.  Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. (A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes.

Melt the butter for the dipping mixture. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter (I recommend the brush method- I did both and found that the dip method lead to them absorbing too much butter and got greasy).  Then roll them- top, bottom, and sides- in the cinnamon sugar.

Make ahead: You don’t have to bake all the muffins right away; the batter will keep, covered and chilled, for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Mini muffins:  I baked mine in a mini muffin tin. I made a half recipe and got 28 mini muffins.  They took about 18 minutes to bake, but I would start checking at about 14 minutes.

Source:Fine Cooking

Helpful Hints:

• Cinnamon sugar is delicious, but powdered sugar, plain sugar, or vanilla sugar would be delicious too.
• Do not overmix, or you will not get fluffy, tender muffins.
• I added a splash of vanilla to the batter, as I can’t imagine any baked good without it

Spicy, crisp chicken on Mint Avocado Salad

I made this for dinner tonight with Tofu and I really liked it, Beau not so much. I'm sure it would be great/better with chicken and has lots of great flavors. I've never cooked with mint but I loved it on the salad. I also added a little siracha sauce to make it more spicy. Panko can be found at the local grocery store in the asian isle. So when you're feeling adventurous I would try this salad out. Also I would add the dressing on individually rather then coat the entire salad in it before hand.

Ingredients

• 1 package regular tofu, firm or extra-firm, drained or a couple of chicken breasts cooked and sliced into strips
• 1/3 cup spicy Asian chile sauce, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dressing
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup panko
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 heads butterhead lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup fresh whole mint leaves
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced lengthwise

Instructions

1. Cut the tofu in half horizontally (slicing parallel to work surface). Keep the tofu stacked; cut crosswise in half to make 4 rectangles. Cut each rectangle into 2 triangles.
2. In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 teaspoon chili sauce, orange zest, orange juice, and olive oil. Season the mixture with salt to taste. Set aside.
3. Pour the remaining 1/3 cup chile sauce into a shallow bowl. Place the panko in a separate shallow bowl. Piece by piece, gently coat the tofu in the chile sauce and then the panko, patting it on each piece to coat.
4. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat half the canola oil over medium heat. Gently place half the tofu in skillet. Pan-fry the tofu, turning once, until outsides are crisp and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat. Repeat the process with remaining oil and tofu.
5. Add lettuce and mint to bowl with dressing; toss to coat. Place equal mounds of salad in center of four plates; fan avocado slices on top. Arrange 2 tofu triangles next to the avocado and serve immediately.