Feta Cucumber Tomato Salad

I am so excited about this salad! It totally made my day! I already had another post scheduled for today, but when I made this salad yesterday and tasted it, I fell in love! Sorry, Super Kicked-up Chex Mix, your debut will have to wait!  I seriously want to eat this salad every day for the rest of summer! It is so healthy and flavorful! I served mine up with a tall glass of ginger iced tea! This salad is all things summer! I can not pinpoint one flavor that stood out to me, but the combination of all the fresh and bright ingredients together brought a sweet crunchy freshness! It actually tasted like there was a sweet dressing was on top, but there is nothing sweet in it. This is such a very healthy salad. I can't wait to make it again!  Have a try for yourself!

Feta Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ingredients
1 large cucumber (or 3 baby cucumbers, like I use)
1 heaping cup of grape totmatoes
3 green onions
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbl grapeseed oil or olive oil
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice

Thinly slice the cucumber. If the skin of the cucumber is thick, you may want to peel it too. Halve the grape tomatoes. Slice the green onions on a diagonal, don't be afraid to use the WHOLE thing people (greens and whites)! Now toss all the ingredients in a bowl until it is mixed well and the veggies are evenly coated with oil and lemon juice.

Serve and smile! You can be proud of this Super Healthy Dish!

Happy Summer!

Warmly,
Mary

Strawberry Spinach Salad

You know what's funny to me? You request a healthy recipe but what are the chances that you make one of my healthy dishes over one of my decadent desserts? Ha, not likely! You know that I'm right! Until now...because this colorful salad is bursting with flavor! It's sweet and salty. Creamy and Crunchy! This salad is super tasty! I really hope you do make it. I do almost once a week!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients

6 cups baby spinach

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup feta cheese crumbles

2 handfuls walnut halves, chopped if you want

Dressing Suggestions: I just squeeze the juice of one fresh lemon on top and I'm happy. But for a more luxurious (but so not healthy) option, go for the poppy seed dressing. 

Divide the spinach into 4 salad bowls. Top each one evenly with the strawberries, feta cheese and walnuts. Drizzle on the lemon juice or dressing. 

Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary

Fresh Guacamole!

I am so excited! I finally got the nerve up to make homemade Tamales! I am working on therm as we speak...errr as I type! So as a wonderful encore to that success of taking the plunge, I am sharing with you the wonderful world of green! One of my all time favorite snack foods, EVER! Guacamole! This is super simple and super healthy! It is so delicious that you might not think that it's healthy, but the fat in the avocado actually breaks down the unhealthy fat in your body...I mean how fabulous is that! Just keep the salt and junk out of your gauc...and make it fresh people...there really is no other way! My kids eat the stuff...they would eat it every day...they request it! And it is so versatile, it's not just for tortilla chips, you know! Ok, well I gotta go, I have tamales to make! 

Guacamole

Ingredients

4 ish avocados, mashed (depends on how many people you're going to share with!)

2 roma or a couple handfuls of grape tomatoes, chopped

1/4 red onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

handful cilantro, chopped (optional)

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

squirt of lemon juice

Add all of the ingredients together in a bowl, mix it around and enjoy! Adjust individual ingredients to your liking...See, super easy! Or if you made my Salsa here, then you can just add a couple of spoonfuls of that to the mashed avocado!

Serving suggestions: 1/2 an avocado per person

Warmly,
Mary

Our Saturday Favorite

May is pretty much my favorite month of the year. Usually the weather is perfect, I know several fabulous people with May birthdays (to include my own), school gets out, the pool opens, Mother's Day, and our local Farmer's Market opens the first Saturday in May! Most Saturdays from May through September we wake up bright and early to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the wonderful outdoor market-place. While there, the kids and I eat "around the world" as we like to call it! They have sweet treats and savory selections to choose from. We also enjoy looking at homemade crafts, my weakness being the aprons and hair-bows! Then we fill our arms with an array of fresh fruits and veggies to bring home. We often rush home afterwards to slice those juicy ripe tomatoes to serve up on the fresh baked bread (also from the Farmers Market) for delicious BLT's.

This last visit to the Farmer's Market I picked up some beautiful Roma tomatoes, red onion, garlic and cilantro. I'll give you one guess as to what I was looking forward to making...Salsa! I use it on everything! I scoop it on omelets and scrambled eggs, dip chips in it, serve on tacos, burgers, salmon, chicken, mix it with avocado for amazing fresh guacamole...the possibilities are endless. This is one item we KEEP in the fridge pretty much at all times. Sometimes I make it chunky although my friends from Mexico insist that is NOT salsa. Sometimes I make it more smooth, just like the authentic stuff!

My kids are like me...they love the smell of the fresh herbs!

More authentic

chunky

Gimme Some Fresh Salsa

Ingredients

5 - 6 Roma tomatoes

1/4 - 1/2 red onion

3 - 5  garlic cloves

Handful cilantro

1 - 2 whole jalepenos

First I boil about a quart of water and throw the tomatoes in the water for about 30 seconds to a minute. Remove them and set on a cutting board to cool a bit.

Roughly chop onion and throw into the food processor. Peel the skins off the garlic cloves and cut into quarters add to the onions. Pull the cilantro leaves off the stems and toss those in there too. Take the jalepeno, cut the stem off and cut the pepper a couple of times and add it in there too. Put the lid on the food processor and pulse it a few times. Now peel the skins off the tomatoes (that's why we added them to the boiling water, makes peeling a tomato way easier). For chunky Salsa,  just dice the tomatoes and add the other ingredients to it. For the more authentic style salsa, cut them in half and I usually give them a gentle squeeze over the sink, but you don't have too.  Now add them to the happiness that's going on in the food processor. Pulse it until it's the consistency that you desire. You can add salt...most people do. We don't cook with any salt but I recognize that is not the norm. A lot of my food posts won't be the hard-core healthy food we eat on an everyday basis but I'll throw some in there here and there. This is one of those healthier recipes.  Anyway, add salt if you must. Sometimes I add some lime juice too, but I didn't have any on hand.

It makes everything even better! Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary

Slap 'yo momma good! (sorry mom)

A couple years ago two girlfriends of mine and I took a long weekend trip to Nashville. It was one of the most memorable trips I've been on. We went for a  Mother's Of PreSchoolers convention. I learned a lot and my heart was changed in so many ways. But it wasn't all business. There was tons of girl time too! And to make it even better, we stayed at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland, one of the most amazing hotels in the south! What are three moms without their kids to do on a Friday night in Nashville! Head out for some BBQ and Line Dancing (don't kid yourself, the other 2, not me!)! Anyway, on our way downtown to the Wildhorse Saloon, the bus driver said that we had to try the ribs, they were so good they'd "make you wanna slap 'yo momma"! I know! If I even thought something like that, you'd better watch out! Whoa! But with a statement like that, I had to try them! And they were ok. But you just have to try mine...cause they are so good they'll make you wanna...eat the whole rack! :)

Plus, mine are much healthier than most recipes you find that are loaded with sugar and salt.

Preparing the meat with 2 rubs

With and without BBQ Sauce

Just getting started

Lickn' them bones clean!

Superman tearing them up too (without BBQ sauce)

Perfectly Delicious RIBS

Ingredients

1 rack baby back ribs

2 tsp liquid smoke

3 Tbl Dijon mustard

1 Tbl brown sugar

2 Tbl paprika

1 tsp Cheyenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, we like KC Masterpiece Original and Famous Dave’s Rich and Sassy

Preheat the oven to 250. Lay a very large piece of foil over a baking sheet. Set the ribs on the foil. Let them hang out while you prepare the rubs. In a small bowl mix together the liquid smoke and Dijon mustard. In another small bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. Brush, spoon or use your fingers to generously rub the mustard mixture all over each side of the ribs. Next sprinkle the seasoning rub over the entire set of ribs too. Fold the foil over the ribs, completely sealing all ends of the foil pouch. Bake in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and get your grill fired up, set on High.

Cut the rack into portions of 2 or 3 bones. For the healthiest choice, omit BBQ but for the tastiest choice, lather up with BBQ sauce, and don’t be shy! Lay the ribs on the hot hot grill racks and reduce the heat to low. Close the lid and let them hang out for about 5 minutes. Coat with more BBQ sauce and turn. Cook for another 5 minutes. As long as you keep an eye on the ribs and the flame isn’t too high, you will be fine, but the BBQ sauce does have sugar and there is a fine line between delicious caramelizing and nasty burning! 10 minutes is good enough for us but you are welcome to continue to cook longer. Just a warning though…the meat will literally fall off the bones into the grill if it sits on there too long! MMM…they are so tender! Once they have met their perfection, remove from the grill and load up on your plate with other summer favorites! We enjoyed these on Memorial Day with a summer salad and Eric’s Best Beans, which you will get to see later this week! The beans and the ribs pair perfectly together!

Enjoy!

Warmly, 

Mary

Grilled Avocado and Cheese Sandwich

Are you ready for a really healthy and super easy meal? I am always looking for something that is easy to fix for the whole family but totally a complete meal that is very nutrition packed and makes you feel good about what you just ate, oh and very tasty!

My kids love avocado and ask for guacamole for lunch at least once a week! I hope your family likes it too!

Grilled Avocado and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredeints 

Grilled Avocado and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced Whole Grain bread

Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese, sliced

Avocado, sliced thinly

I use a panini grill and I don’t even need to use butter or oil or spray to get the break toasty, which is super healthful. If you use a skillet, instead of butter, use cooking spray in a hot skillet. Take a slice of bread, layer with a slice of cheese, avocado, and another slice of cheese. Top with another slice of bread and grill, heat or toast until the cheese is all melted and yummy! Cut in half and enjoy!

I devour half a sandwich and serve with 1 cup of arugula, ½ a cucumber and a handful of grape tomatoes. 

 

 

 Oh Yummy, I need to go...I'm going to make another one!

Warmly, 

Mary

A Happy Couple

I love summer! I love being outside and the heat. I love cooking outside. I LOVE grilling...love it! Have you ever had peppers and onions on brats? When Superman introduced me to it several years ago I thought it sounded awful....until I tried it...the bursting sweetness of the caramelized veggies paired with the salty savory meat, is a beautiful match-up. Another great thing about it is that you can choose healthy options of it too. Choose a good brat...low fat, low sodium and no added junk. I have found these amazing buffalo brats. Buffalo or bison meat is an extremely lean and very flavorful meat. An intense version of beef, but not "gamey" like some meats.

Peppers and Brats

Ingredients

1 pkg brats

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1/2 onion

Turn the grill on medium. Slice peppers and onion. Place inside a large piece of foil and wrap tightly. Set on the grill. Cook your brats on the grill too. Follow the directions for the brats according to their package, it can vary so much. The peppers and onions will need to cook for 10 - 15 minutes, depending on if you like the peppers a little crunchy or not.

Remove brats and veggies from the grill. If you're eating it on a bun, place your brat in the bun and top with the veggies. If you're going for the low-carb option, slice the brat and top with the veggies. Either way, you will be happy for this food marriage!

Warmly, 

Mary

Summer In Your Mouth

That's right I said summer in your mouth. That is seriously the best way for me to describe this super simple healthful salad. The sweet burst of the grape tomatoes, the crispness of the cucumbers and the peppery bite of the radish is all of the greatness of a summer salad without wasting any tummy space on lettuce! An added bonus is that it won't wilt in the sun. You bring along your healthy option on a picnic and you can be assured that it will keep fresh!

Oh, and the Princess and I love to mix it in with a couple spoonfuls of cottage cheese! I seriously would eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Super Summer Salad

serves 4

Ingredients

1 English Cucumber or 2 baby cucumbers

1 c grape tomatoes

8 Radishes

Dressing

1 Tbl Grapeseed Oil

2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced then crushed

Mix together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside. Chop the cucumbers and radishes, set in a bowl. Add the tomatoes. Drizzle the dressing on top and mix. 

You will be very happy that you made a healthy choice today!

Warmly,

Mary