There are too many {wonderful} words to describe mexican quinoa: delicious. healthy. colorful. fresh. flavorful. easy.  BJ was in the mood for a healthy dinner, and mexican quinoa did not disappoint.  It’s versatile enough to be a main dish or a side dish; and whether you’re eating with family or hosting a party, mexican quinoa is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 can black beans
1 can corn
grape tomatoes, halved
red onion, chopped
green onion, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper
toppings:
avocado, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Cook quinoa according to packaging.  Meanwhile, chop tomatoes, red & green onion, cilantro.  Once quinoa is cooked, add all ingredients and combine.  Top with shredded cheddar cheese and diced avocado.

enjoy!

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There’s one thing I can’t resist buying when I’m at the Chicago Airport, and it’s Garrett’s Caramel Corn.  I love caramel corn, but there’s just something about Garrett!

Blame it on the babe, but I was craving caramel corn – and no where near Chicago.  So, I did what any pregnant woman would do and I made some.  Yes, I made caramel corn.  It’s much easier than it looks and oh, so delicious.

Ingredients
Popcorn (I use light butter)
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. water

Directions
Cook popcorn as directed, set aside.  Over medium to high heat, combine butter, sugar, and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 4-5 minutes. Mixture will change from thick & bubbly to dark brown & liquid.  Pour bag of popcorn into a large bowl, and top with a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.

 Enjoy!

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All I want is pineapple.  I seriously can’t get enough of it.  Maybe it’s because pineapple is packed with good fiber to help digestion and vitamin C to boost the immune system – or maybe it’s because pineapple is delicious.  Either way, I’m loving pineapple.

When I visited my sister Lindsey in Panama, we could buy pineapples for $0.75 – talk about fueling a pineapple addiction!  We also experimented with a Pineapple Coconut Smoothie that will rival any $12 Pina Colada.  This smoothie is healthy, packed with nutrition, and is perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 cups Pineapple
1/2 Frozen Banana
1 cup Light Coconut Milk*
2 tbsp Shredded Coconut
1 tbsp Flax Seed (optional)
1 tbsp Chia Seed (optional)
Ice

Directions
Add ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth.  Top with shredded coconut.

Note: Light Coconut Milk can be substituted with Almond Milk, Soy Milk, Non-Fat Milk or Water.

Enjoy!

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After a week in Dallas, all I wanted was vegetables.  Lots, and lots, of vegetables.  It’s not that I ate unhealthy, but Texas is a state that’s all about meat and BBQ.  And meat and BBQ is what I ate. When in Dallas.  That being said, I like my greens and if I don’t get greens…well, I’m not very happy.

BJ – a man all about protein – was skeptical about this all-vegetable meal but even he was pleasantly surprised with the {flavorful} outcome.  My vegetable lettuce wraps are quick, healthy, and delicious!

Ingredients
Boston Bibb Lettuce (6-8 leafs)
Cabbage (I used red & green)
Radish
Red Onion
Mung Bean Sprouts
Carrots
Avocado
Pickled Cucumbers (homemade with Red Wine Vinegar)
Basil
Cilantro
Salt & Pepper

{Semi-Homemade} Peanut Lime Sauce
1 tbsp Peanut Sauce (in the Ethnic Food section)
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Honey
Juice from 1 Lime

Directions
Chop/julienne all vegetables and set aside in separate bowls.  To pickle cucumbers, cut cucumbers to desired sizes and cover with red wine vinegar and salt/pepper.  Once ready, assemble lettuce wraps; I prefer: lettuce, cabbage/carrots, radish, red onion, mung beans, avocado, basil/cilantro, and finally, peanut lime sauce.

Enjoy!

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Last week it was cold and dreary, especially for March. My wishful thinking for Spring and sun and warmth clearly isn’t working, so I did what I do best when it’s cold: make (warm) soup. I’ve been on a kale-kick lately, so I knew I wanted kale in the mix. Add some potatoes and beans for protein, fiber, and substance, and I had a pretty delicious soup.

I knew BJ would like this soup, but I wasn’t expecting the (overwhelming, positive) response I received from my little sister. It was almost like my soup was the best meal she had ever eaten. (A compliment I don’t take lightly) She’s with my parents this week, and wants my mom to make it for her…again. Katie – this one’s for you! xo

Ingredients
3 medium Russet Potatoes, cut into small pieces
1 bunch of Kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cans Cannellini Beans
1 Onion, diced
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 cups Chicken Broth
1-2 cups of Water (optional)
2 cloves Garlic
1 Bay Leaf
Italian Seasoning
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper
Optional: Gruyere Cheese for topping

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and water; stir in the potatoes, S&P, Italian Seasoning, and Bay Leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cannellini beans, kale, and simmer, for 30 more minutes. Optional: grate Gruyere cheese and top each bowl of soup with a helping of cheese.

Enjoy!

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At the beginning of January, I decided to {mostly} eliminate wheat from my diet (you can read about it here).  This initially posed a huge problem – I love all things wheat and salty.  Pretzels, saltine crackers, more pretzels, pizza, pasta – you name it, I love it (and want to eat it).   

So, I had to get creative with my snacks.  Blue corn chips have helped with the salty/crunchy that I crave, but I’ve been eating a lot of carrots, hummus, tatziki, {homemade} plantain chips, and these delicious little oatmeal & peanut butter balls.  I’ve been making a version of this recipe for years (peanut butter, oatmeal, and honey) but decided to add a few extras into the mix.  This recipe is so easy and quick – but the best part is that it’s healthy and satisfies all types of cravings!  

Ingredients (I tend to eyeball of my measurements, but for those that like exacts – here you go)
2 cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
3/4 cup Peanut Butter (I prefer smooth)
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Coconut Flakes
1/4 Flax Seed
1 Tbsp Chia Seed
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Optional: chocolate chips, raisins, chopped nuts

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl (you can warm up the PB in the microwave to make it easier to work with).  Mix well with a spoon, and then mix together with your hands.  Put mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to slightly harden and form together.  Remove from refrigerator and use hands to create oatmeal & peanut butter balls.

Enjoy!

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Last week I was craving Mexican, but without all of the ground beef or flank steak.  I knew I had to use some creative marketing to convince BJ to forgo the meat – I was hoping that if I said “vegetables” over and over, it might just work (the man loves veggies).  I couldn’t have picked a more delicious dish to con convince my husband to eat a vegetarian dinner; Layered Vegetable Enchiladas is the perfect weeknight dinner or dinner party pleaser.

It’s easy, and it looks beautiful (so much so that I wanted to photograph it more than I wanted to eat it).

Ingredients
1 can corn (15 oz)
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
3-4 limes
bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 can black beans (15 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
chili powder
salt & pepper
8 tortillas
3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large pot, combine corn, green/red peppers, red onion, juice from 2 limes, tomatoes, chili powder, salt & pepper, and cook until liquid is almost evaporated.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mash black beans with cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, and salt & pepper.   Arrange 4-6 large tortillas on a large baking sheet (spray with Olive Oil or Pam).  Spread bean mixture evenly on each tortilla.  Top each with 1/2 cup of vegetable mixture and cheese.  Layer each tortilla on top of each other; top remaining tortilla with vegetable mixture and cheese.  Bake until hot throughout, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to plate; garnish with lime wedge, fresh cilantro, and serve.

Enjoy!

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Hello readers! My name is Kammie and I am a healthy living food blogger over at Sensual Appeal Blog and a Fitfluential Ambassador. I live over in the beautiful city of Chicago and I’m currently a senior in college. Being a student, my life is all about balancing what’s important – school, work, hobbies, fitness, and healthy eating. I’m managing quite well and that’s mainly thanks to the accountability of the blog and preparing easy healthy recipes which I’ve been learning since starting my blog in March.

I am thrilled to be here at {will run for margaritas} to share something delicious with you guys. As you probably already know, post-workout or post-run eats are hugely important in proper recovery. My recovery meals range from protein oats, shakes, eggs, or…. soft serve. Wait, soft serve? Yes! Because I have an enormous sweet tooth and just because I like to eat healthy doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice my preferences and my sweet tooth… like chocolate? No way, I could never give up chocolate. So today I am sharing with you guys my go-to quick recovery meal, a Mocha Banana Protein Soft Serve. Are you ready for this? I hope so.

I used to drink my favorite recovery meal as a regular protein shake at first. The Mocha Banana protein shake was one of my first recipes to be posted on my blog and I’ve been drinking it quite a lot ever since. I recently tweaked it to make it more decadent tasting. Because I’d rather feel like I’m eating dessert. That’s just me and my huge sweet tooth. Sorry I’m not sorry.

I hope you make this delicious vegan recovery snack/breakfast/dessert/whatever-else-it-could-count-as. It’s not only healthy and vegan, it also has no sugar added! So you can have no guilt for satisfying that mocha craving.

Ingredients (serves 1)
2/3 frozen banana
5-6 ice cubes
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Isopure)
1 tsp Inka (or instant coffee)
1 Tbsp Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
1 Tbsp oat bran
1/8 tsp xanthan gum (optional)
1/8 tsp agar powder (optional)
shake of cinnamon
1/3 – 1/2 cup almond milk

Instructions
Put the ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Add a little bit of almond milk at a time, just to get everything going. Add more to make the mixture blend easier if it gets stuck. The outcome will be thick and creamy, of soft serve consistency. Top with cereal if desired (I used Sally’s Natural Cocoa cereal).

Enjoy!