Category: Entrees

Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Mediterranean Chicken

Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Mediterreanean Chicken jpg

One of my favorite things about Spring is switching from stick-to-your-ribs comfort meals  to lighter, garden fresh recipes. I love making a meal out of grain salads and earthy greens topped with grilled or roasted herb chicken. Hints of lemon run through this Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Mediterranean Chicken dish, making for a bright and flavorful Spring recipe. It becomes so much more than a salad when you combine all of these ingredients.  A little bit of parmesan cheese, crunchy sunflower kernels and heart healthy avocado top the recipe and each bring there own unique flavors.

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Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Mediterranean Chicken

Quinoa and Arugula Salad with Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients

  • FOR SALAD
  • 1 c quinoa
  • 4 c arugula
  • 1 c grape tomato, sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1/3 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 2 tbsp sunflower kernels
  • FOR DRESSING
  • 1 tbsp basil, chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • FOR CHICKEN
  • 1 lb chicken breast tenders
  • 1/3 c olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a bowl and chill 1 hour.
  2. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and marinade ingredients. Toss to coat.
  4. Pour chicken onto baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes.
  5. In a large bowl combine ingredients for salad dressing. Add arugula, tomatoes and quinoa. Stir to coat. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, sunflower kernels and avocado.
  6. Place chicken on salad. Serve.
http://freshandfit.org/quinoa-and-arugula-salad-with-mediterranean-chicken/

 

Tortilla Chili Verde

Tortilla Verde Chili 1

I love a meal that can be stretched and reheated throughout the week. Sunday is an ideal day to prepare a big batch of chili to have during the start of a new week. Having a healthy recipe on hand keeps me from ordering out and starts the week off on the right foot. Another fantastic aspect of this recipe is that you only use one pot for super quick cleanup.

This chili made with grass-fed ground beef, green salsa and fresh vegetables covers all the bases for a healthy recipe. Instead of using oil, I begin cooking the ground beef first and then add in my veggies which will cook in the juices from the meat. You could also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.

The secret ingredient in this recipe is corn tortillas. The tortillas are added to the chili and then simmered for 20 minutes. This breaks the tortillas down completely and they become a part of the broth adding a nice roasted corn background, much like tortilla soup.

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Tortilla Chili Verde

Tortilla Chili Verde

Ingredients

  • 1 lb grass fed beef
  • 1 c white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 16 oz jar of green salsa
  • 24 oz low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 corn tortillas, torn into large pieces
  • 1 c cilantro, chopped
  • 1 avocado, diced

Instructions

  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, begin to brown ground beef over medium heat.
  2. After 5 minutes, add onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, onion powder, salt and cumin. Use a wood spoon to break up ground beef and stir well. Cover and cook 5 minutes longer.
  3. Remove lid and add chicken broth and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add tortillas. Simmer 20 minutes.
  4. Stir in beans. Continue to simmer for a thicker chili or serve.
  5. Garnish with cilantro and chopped avocado.
http://freshandfit.org/tortilla-chili-verde/

 

Herbed Fusilli Pasta with Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Beans

Herbed Fusilli Pasta Fresh and Fit

As you can tell by scrolling through my blog, the majority of my recipes are plant-based. I try to eat a mostly plant-based with a sprinkling of animal protein throughout the week. I consider myself a part time vegetarian. If I do purchase meat, I make sure it was held to high standards and practices. My hat goes off to strict vegans and vegetarians. It is a very disciplined and aware way of life. I try to do the best I can giving the knowledge I continue to gain about the meat industry and animal welfare. I don’t try to push my beliefs on anyone, I simply believe in doing your best and maintaining your ethics the best you can. Now onto today’s recipe…
Give your pasta a nutritional boost with fresh veggies in this herbed fusilli pasta recipe. Hearty mushrooms take the place of meat for a filling plant-based dish perfect for chilly fall days.

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Herbed Fusilli Pasta with Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Beans

Yield: 8 servings

Herbed Fusilli Pasta with Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 16oz package of fusilli pasta
  • 1 8oz package of sliced baby portobello mushrooms
  • 1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 cups green beans, sliced in half
  • 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese, organic preferred
  • 1 c heavy cream, organic preferred
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 tbsp basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp chili flakes

Instructions

  1. Begin by boiling water for pasta. In the meantime, sauté mushrooms in 2 tbsp of olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes in a separate pan. About 10 minutes.
  2. Add in green beans, 2 tablespoons of basil, oregano, chili flakes and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
  4. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.
  5. Return pasta to pot and pour in vegetable mixture. Stir to coat.
  6. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and basil.
http://freshandfit.org/herbed-fusilli-pasta-with-mushrooms-sun-dried-tomato-and-green-beans/

Oven Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Pita Pizza


Oven Roasted Tomato Pita Pizza

If you are like me and you live in an area of the country transitioning into fall and cooler weather, you may be looking for something to do with your final tomato harvest. This recipe is the perfect way to use the last of your tomatoes. You can ripen any green tomatoes in a paper bag for a about a week. That is exactly what I did with the rest of mine. Oven roasted tomatoes are an awesome way to condense all the great flavor of tomatoes and bring out the natural sugars by slow roasting them. Then you can freeze or can them and use them in pasta sauce or right on top of pizza like we are going to do today. Instead of using pizza sauce, we are going to top our tomato and ricotta pita pizzas with roasted balsamic tomatoes. So yummy!

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Oven Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Pita Pizza

Serving Size: 2 pita pizzas

Oven Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Pita Pizza

Ingredients

  • FOR TOMATOES
  • 4 large tomatoes of your liking, sliced in half lengthwise (I used the Polish variety from my garden)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • FOR RICOTTA TOPPING
  • 1 c whole milk ricotta
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp basil, chopped and divided
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • 2 large pita breads

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, sea salt balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. Use hands to coat tomatoes with the mixture.
  3. Set tomatoes on baking sheet cut side up. drizzle with any leftover oil and vinegar from the bowl.
  4. Top with basil. Place in oven. Cook 1.5 hours until tomatoes shrivel and begin to brown around the edges.
  5. While tomatoes cook, prepare the ricotta topping by combining ricotta cheese, oregano, lemon zest, chili flakes and sea salt. refrigerate until tomatoes are ready.
  6. Remove tomatoes from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  7. Spoon ricotta mixture onto pita bread.
  8. Top with tomatoes and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil.
http://freshandfit.org/oven-roasted-tomato-and-ricotta-pita-pizza/