~Salmon & Salsa~ (cucumber salsa that is)

½ Cucumber, peeled, quartered, thinly sliced

1 cup Tomatoes, quartered

½ Yellow Bell Pepper, cut in 1″ strips

2 Tbsp. finely chopped Red Onion

1 tsp. Parsley

1 tsp. Lime juice

1½ tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

1 tsp. Honey

½ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

Approx. 1 tsp. Sea Salt

20 oz. fresh Salmon Fillet

Approx. ¼ tsp. Black Pepper

Fresh Lime wedges (for garnish)

Gently toss together cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper and red onion in medium bowl.

In small bowl whisk together lime juice, 1 tsp. of oil, honey, red pepper flakes, parsley and ½ tsp. of salt.

Pour dressing over cucumber salsa, toss and set aside.

Slice salmon into four 5-oz. fillets approximately 1″ thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining oil in large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add fish to pan.

Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until 145º on food thermometer at thickest spot.Transfer to dinner plates. Top each fillet with ¼ of the salsa and garnish with lime wedges.

Serve hot with steamed broccoli florets.

~beef & veggies stir-fry~

1 lb. fresh Asparagus
12 oz. Top Round Steak
3 Tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
1 1-Gal. Freezer Bag
¼ cup Teriyaki Sauce
½ tsp. Honey
¼ cup water
2 Garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3 Tbsp.Vegetable Oil, divided
4 Med. Carrots
1 each Red and Yellow Bell Peppers, cut in ½” strips
1 cup Sliced White Mushrooms (optional)
1 cup Broccoli Florets
½ small Red Onion, sliced (about ½ cup)
2 cups cooked Brown Rice or Quinoa

Trim off asparagus ends and cut spears into 1″ pieces.
Peel carrots and slice diagonally into ¼” coins.
Set both aside.
Slice steak thinly and place in freezer bag with flour. Seal, shake to coat and set aside.
In small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp. oil, teriyaki sauce, honey, water, garlic and red pepper flakes.
Heat remaining oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until very hot.
Carefully add steak and carrots to pan, then stir-fry for 4 minutes.
Stirring constantly, carefully pour in sauce mixture. Stir-fry 1 minute.
Add remaining vegetables and stir-fry 3 minutes.
Serve immediately over cooked brown rice or quinoa.

~Greek-style Turkey Burgers with Tzatziki~

Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4-6


1 pound ground turkey 
4 ounces crumbled feta 
1 cup chopped fresh or frozen spinach
sliced tomato and red onion (optional)


Preheat oven to 425° (or fire up the grill).


1. Combine turkey, spinach and feta in a bowl. Mix well, season with salt and pepper.


2. Form six patties and place on a broiler pan (or on the grill).


3. Bake on center rack for 25 minutes. If you’re grilling, cook about 7 minutes on each side.


4. Meanwhile, combine all tzatziki ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and adjust flavors to taste.


5. When burgers are cooked through, stick ‘em on a toasted bun and top with tomato, onion, and a hearty dollop of tzatziki. Or make smaller patties and serve two on a bed of lettuce.


And that’s dinner!

Tzatziki

6 ounces plain yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup minced peeled cucumber

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon dill 

salt and pepper

~easy guacamole salad~

what you need: 

2 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced

1 tablespoon sour cream (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 large tomato, diced

1 onion, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro 

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 clove crushed garlic

what to do: 

In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash the avocados and stir in salt and pepper. Mix in the sour cream, tomato, onion, jalapeno, chopped cilantro, crushed garlic and lime juice.

GREAT served with chips or cinnamon twists,  or on hamburgers, or with tacos or.... 

~cheesy egg muffin~

what you need: 

1 toasted whole grain English muffin

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 ripe avocado

1 slice tomato

1 egg, poached

1 slice Swiss cheese

Freshly ground pepper to taste

what to do" 

Drizzle the English muffin with a little olive oil, then spread 1/4 ripe avocado on it. Top it off with the slice of tomato, Swiss cheese, poached egg and the pepper to taste. Enjoy!

~snacks under 100 calories~

Okay people.. I am trying to eat healthy but I LOVE TO SNACK!!! With this being said I have decided that I can have 3 snacks a day under 100 calories.. and here are some of my choices... please let me know some of your favorite snacks as well! 

1 cup of blueberries 

1 piece of raisin toast

1 cup of cheerios

 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1 cup of melon

20 pistachios 

2 cups of air popped popcorn

2 cups of FRESH veggies zucchini/carrots/broccoli etc... the key word here is FRESH 

(add 1/2 cup of light ranch)

Small Latte with SKIM milk

1 hard boiled egg

1 light yogurt 

1 small orange 

1 cup of strawberries 

1 string cheese

1 handful of almonds

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

~apple and thyme pork chops~

time: 30 minutes / 4 servings

what you need:

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons canola oil

16 ounces boneless pork loin chops, (4 4-ounce chops), 1/2 inch thick, trimmed of fat

1 small onion, sliced

1 medium Granny Smith apple (or any tart apple), peeled and sliced

1/4 cup organic apple cider, or organic apple juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

what to do:

mix 2 tablespoons broth & cornstarch in a small bowl

heat oil in a large skillet over high heat

add chops and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side

transfer to a plate

reduce heat to medium-high and add onion to the pan

cook, stirring often, until it starts to soften & brown, 2 - 3 min

add apples & cook - stirring often until tender, 3-5 min

stir in the remaining broth, cider (or juice), mustard, thyme and the cornstarch mixture 

bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened & glossy, about 1 min

return the chops to the pan and heat through

serve immediately and ENJOY!

~roasted cauliflower~

time: 35 minutes / serves 3-4

what you need: 

1 head of cauliflower

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper

what to do: 

preheat oven to 400°F

trim and wash cauliflower 

cut cauliflower head into quarters

then cut across head into ¼-inch-thick slices

toss cauliflower slices, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl

spread out cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet

roast until tender and golden brown about 20 minutes

**I like to toss in spices or garlic depending on my mood**

~SUPER easy Greek omelette~

what you need: 

4 organic eggs

splash of milk

4 mini tomatoes slices

5 basil leaves

1/8 c. feta cheese

what to do: 

Crack eggs into bowl, add milk and whip. 

Pour onto hot oiled pan at medium heat, as it cooks, scrape uncooked eggs to sides and "let them under" the cooked eggs, til all moisture is cooked off. 

Add garnishes to 1/2 of the omelette and fold it over itself. 

Let cook another min. then serve and enjoy! 

~zesty tomato sauce~

what you need: 

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 (32-ounce) cans organic, no-salt crushed tomatoes

2-3 basil leaves (optional)

1 tsp. kosher salt (optional)

In a large pot, add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. 

Add next four ingredients. 

Sauté all vegetables on medium heat until tender, about 7-8 minutes.  

Add tomatoes (and other optional ingredients) and simmer on low for 30-40 minutes.

Once cooked, remove from heat and cool slightly. 

Add mixture (a little bit at a time) to food processor and blend until you reach desired consistency.

Enjoy immediately or pour into ice cube trays and freeze. 

Each cube makes a perfect portion of sauce…just reheat and enjoy with favorite foods such as pasta, meatballs or even chicken fingers!

~whole wheat pizza dough~

servings 16 mini pizzas 

what you need: 

1 ½ cups of warm water

2 packets active dry yeast

1 tbsp. sugar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (reserve ¼ cup for kneading)

Coat large bowl with oil and set aside.

Warm water to approximately 115 degrees and put in large bowl. Add yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes, until foamy. Whisk in sugar, oil and salt. Slowly add flour, stirring until dough comes together in sticky form. Place dough in oiled bowl; turn dough a few times in bowl until it’s completely covered in oil. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour, until the dough doubles in size.

Once the dough has proofed, place on floured surface and knead until completely smooth. For 2 family size pizzas, divide in half. If you want to make toddler-sized, individual pizzas, divide dough into 16ths.

Roll portions into balls and flatten into round, pizza shells. Layer each piece of dough between parchment paper, and place in resealable freezer bags. Take out individual shells as needed and bake from frozen.

Will keep in freezer for 3 months :) 

~herb crusted flank steak~

I haven't personally tried this recipe yet - I found it on the South Beach Diet website so I'm thinking it must be healthy as well as tasty! I will keep you posted on how it works out for me :) 

time: 20 min / serves: 4

what you need: 

1 pound flank steak, visible fat removed 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon tarragon 

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

2 tablespoons Dijon® mustard 

1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs 

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 

what to do: 

preheat broiler and pan

combine salt, tarragon, garlic, pepper, and Dijon must in a sm bowl

spread half this mixture onto one side of the meat

broil mustard side up, about 4 inches from the heat for 4 minutes turn the meat over, spread the remaining mixture, and broil for an additional 3 minutes

combine bread crumbs and parsley, pat evenly on meat

broil 1 minute more

let stand 5 minutes

slice steak thin diagonally across the grain

~chili~rubbed tilapia w/asparagus & lemon~

!yummy and healthy!

time: 20 minutes / 4 servings 

what you need:

2 lbs asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1" pieces

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 lb tilapia

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

bring an inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan

put asparagus in a steamer basket, place in the pan, cover, and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. 

transfer to a large plate, spreading out to cool

combine chili powder, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt

dredge fillets in the spice mixture to coat

heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat

add the fish and cook until just opaque in the center, gently turning halfway, 5 to 7 minutes total.

divide among 4 plates

immediately add lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and asparagus to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the asparagus is coated and heated through, about 2 minutes

serve the asparagus with the fish.