This one's for you...

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My friend Amy in Boston makes the best cocktails! We have to have her on as a guest blogger. She is well known for her bloody mary's but she really does come up with the most delicious, mouthwatering beverages with or without the booze and they are always figure friendly. With that being said this one's for you Amy! When I received a big old watermelon in my CSA box I instantly wanted to juice it and drink it. I made the mistake of putting it in the juicer and made a big mess. Don't do this, use your blender guys. Anywho, I juiced up some watermelon and cucumber with a hint of lime and yum yum. This was a nice summery refreshing drink! Next time I will put in some strawberries.

Cut up some watermelon (take out the seeds) and a little bit of peeled cucumber a fresh squeeze of lime and blend away in the blender.  I put mine in the fridge after to make it cold, it's not so good room temp.

Enjoy!

Lentils

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I love lentils! They are super easy to make, you don't have to soak them and my girls LOVE them. There's a large variety of lentils but I always use green because the stay firm after you cook them. Lentils are SUPER healthy and here's why.
-low in fat and calories
-no cholesterol
-good for digestion
-relieve constipation
-good for the immune system
-great source of B vitamins, folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C
- and last but not least, good source of protein!

I have a very basic lentil recipe that I make once a week.
1 cup of lentils
Vegetable stock (enough to cover lentils)
saute onion, garlic, celery, carrots in some olive oil salt/pepper to taste
add your lentils and stock and cook for about half hour 45 minutes.

This week in my CSA box I got two green peppers. So I decided to use up what was in my fridge and stuff them with brown rice, lentils and corn. Mixed in with tomato sauce. Baked them at 400 for a half hour and yum! This would be a good one to serve to meat eaters.

Zucchini Recipe

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I got yet another zucchini in my CSA box the size of my forearm along with three tomatoes. Now, it's been hot, steamy and just downright gross in the city these past few weeks and it puts me in the mood for something light and fresh. This recipe has pasta in it and some might say that's not so light. But we love pasta in our house and my husband likes to have some cooked in the fridge at all times. So here's what's cooking! This recipe taste better a few hours after you cook it. I made this in the am and left it covered on top of the stove and by dinner time the flavors were well blended and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 white onion or 1 small one
4 garlic cloves (i love me some garlic)
1 zucchini, sliced in half moon shapes
3 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup almond milk, add more as needed, eyeball it. (you could use soy)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
some fresh basil
1/2 pound cooked whole wheat pasta
salt/pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pan heat up your oil over medium heat. Add your onion and cook for a few minutes. Next add garlic and give it a stir. Add your tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Break them up with the back of a wooden spoon and keep stirring. Then add your zucchini and let that cook a bit. Add your salt and pepper. Next whisk in the cornstarch with your milk in a small bowl and then add to the pan. Lower your heat and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add cooked pasta and fresh basil. I topped it off with pine nuts!

My kid won't eat...

I hear this a lot from my friends. And I'm sorry I don't have a whole lot of advice to give you. I'm lucky that my daughter is good eater and I hope my youngest will be too, but who knows. One thing all kids seem to like is Pasta!

Eden Organic Vegetable Alphabets is a great option if your kid eats a lot of pasta. It's a bit healthier than white pasta and taste better than just plan old whole wheat. It's $3.99 a box and all organic ingredients. It has Beet Powder, Spinach Powder, Carrot Powder and Annatto Powder. I think most grocery stores stock Eden Organic so it shouldn't be to hard to find.

My George I think I've got it!

A while back I told you about this amazing smoothie truck in Soho called Urban Oasis. http://urbanoasistruck.com/?page_id=20

I've been trying to figure out how to make the black and white smoothie I had from there at home. And I've got it! Maybe not exact but it's yummy and a great meal replacement that's filling and healthy for you. It  will give you a chocolate fix without all the junk.

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I want to tell you about something called Cacao Nibs. They are cocoa beans that have been roasted, separated from their husk and broken into smaller pieces. I'm not crazy about eating them plane as a snack but they are great in smoothies and baked goods. They have GREAT nutritional value. This is what they mean by dark chocolate being "good for you". (Not a candy bar)

They are one of the best sources in magnesium as well as a good source of calcium, iron, copper, zinc and potassium.

Magnesium is an important mineral that many people are deficient in. Magnesium is a part of the nerve and muscle function, bone strength and circulation. It can not be produced by the body so you have to get from food sources.

Black and White Smoothie:
2 frozen bananas (peel and place in ziploc bag in freezer)
1 cup almond milk
1 full tablespoon cacao nibs (you can find then at any health food store or amazon)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened all natural cocoa
1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Mix it all up in a blender for about 2 minutes. Add ice or milk as needed.

My Bad...

My deepest apologies for not being around much this week. I've been a bit busy. The good news is that I have been working on some new seasonal recipes for you! I told you that I joined a CSA and I've been getting a lot of zucchini and potatoes the past two weeks. This is the latest....

I used a small oven proof dish because I was testing the recipe. If you're using a larger dish adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:
1/2 tbls olive oil
1/2 an onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt/pepper to taste
1 zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2-3 potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2-3 tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
A few tablsp of butter or earth balance spread
1 tblspn Italian seasoning
Shredded parmigiano reggiano (eye ball it )

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375

Slice your veggies a 1/4 inch thick.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil add a little salt and pepper.
Cut veggies a 1/4 inch thick.
Salt and pepper veggies.
Place onion and garlic mixture in bottom of oven proof pan.
Place veggies on top in a spiral form and add seasoning and butter on top.
Cover with foil and bake for a half hour.
Take out of oven, sprinkle with cheese and then bake uncovered for about 20-25 mins or so. Till potatoes are  cooked.

This makes a great side dish and very pretty if entertaining.

Saute your onion and garlic.

Cut veggies a 1/4 inch thick. 

Place onion and garlic mixture in bottom of oven proof pan.

Place veggies in a spiral form.

Meatless Monday

Black Beans and Rice Recipe! We love taco's on our household but I don't like the taco seasonings that come out of those packets. They are loaded with sodium and a bunch of preservatives that are not necessary. So I make my own it's super easy and very versatile. The one I use came from a blog called smashed peas and carrots.

Taco Seasoning:
1/4 cup chili powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Bean Recipe:
Cooked brown rice
1-2 tblspn olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup black beans, soaked overnight

Soak your beans overnight. Drain and rinse in the am and cook for about 45 minutes.
In a large pan heat 1 tblsp of olive oil and add your onion and cook for about 5 min. Next add your pepper and cook for about 5 min or so. Add your chopped garlic.
Add tablespoon of olive oil ,beans and rice. Next add a tablespoon (or more to taste) of your taco seasoning. Mix all together so everything is heat through.
You could add some hot peppers or red pepper flakes for some spice but my little ones don't like it. I add it to mine after it's cooked.
You cold also put it in taco shells or tortilla with a side of avocado.

saute onion and peeper

Mix in cooked rice and beans

Loving peppers!

All done!