I recently spent a week in Florida with my two sisters-in-law. Besides the wonderfulness of hot weather, sleeping in, & lying by the beach, I also got to eat some DELICIOUS food. Living with others for a week is a great way to get some new inspiration for lunches and dinners. I don't know about you, but I get stuck in a rut of eating the same things!
My sister-in-law, Hayley, has recently become a vegan (no animal products). You may think there is nothing she can eat. WRONG. We had some of the most amazing food with her! She's a fantastic cook, although she won't admit it :) The first day of our trip she created a salad base. I call it a salad base because it was a basic mix of veggies and sauces, but each person could add what they wanted to please their own taste buds throughout the week. This is such a genius (but also basic!) creation that anyone can make. Make it once at the beginning of the week, and spice it up as you please each day. Here's how: (you can create any variation of this based on your favorite fruits and vegetables) Dice the following into bite-size pieces: 2 cucumbers 2 apples 2 tomatoes (regular or cherry) 2 peppers 2 onions Add the juice of 1 lime and sprinkle with salt and pepper. That's it! As you can see in the photo above, I scooped mine over a bed of baby spinach and topped with bleu cheese and hummus. I also sprinkled some balsamic vinegar over the top so it wasn't dry. The week after, I made the same variation but added apple cider vinegar, which was really good! Chop this up each week, and you'll always have something healthy and delicious on hand! Ways to mix it up: New sauces - lime, lemon, balsamic, apple cider vinegar, Italian dressing, olive oil New spices - basil, chives, parsley, cilantro, garlic, pepper, salt Add ons - kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, cheese, hummus, plain Greek yogurt, chickpeas, beans, nuts, seeds, hard-boiled eggs Thank you Hayley for this delicious summer salad! Here is the long-awaited Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe that many of you have asked me for. I actually can't take credit for it. It was passed along to me from a client of mine, who got the idea from The Common Man Restaurant in Lincoln, NH. I tweaked it a bit, and you can too if you'd like (e.g. switch up the meat or use no meat, switch up the dried fruit, etc.)!
Ingredients: 1-2 acorn or buttercup squash 1 c tri-color quinoa 1 chopped onion 2 tbsp shredded carrots 1-2 c raw spinach 8-12 small to medium-sized shrimp (I used frozen but fresh will do too) 2 tbsp dried cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice) 2-4 tsp olive oil* Instructions: 1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F 2. If shrimp are frozen, place in a bowl of hot water 3. Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. You can wash the seeds, pat them dry, and toast them to have with dinner or as a snack later. 4. Lightly coat the squash with 1-2 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. 5. Place squash on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F until tender - this will probably take ~45 minutes. 6. Cook quinoa in a pot on the stove according to package instructions. 7. Add 1-2 tsp of olive oil to a frying pan and turn on medium heat. 8. Add chopped onion and shredded carrots and sauté until tender. 9. Add shrimp to pan and cook until lightly brown on each side. 10. Add spinach to frying pan and stir mixture until spinach wilts. 11. Combine veggie and shrimp mixture with cooked quinoa 12. Add quinoa mixture to cooked squash and top with dried cranberries 13. Enjoy! *When I made this recipe, I used Garlic Olive Oil, which added some delicious flavor! |
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LAINEY YOUNKIN, MS, RD, LDNWelcome! I'm Lainey, Registered Dietitian and Stella & Dot Stylist residing in Boston, MA. Let's talk food, fitness, & fashion. I can style your diet and your closet! ARCHIVES
August 2015
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