Sauteed Swiss Chard, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

Ok so, I've been eating a head of swiss chard everyday for the past three days. I keep telling myself I'll split it into two portions, but it keeps coming out so good....I can't stop eating it.

This is a great hearty side dish, or snack (if you do what I did) sprinkled with some grated parmesan cheese.

Sauteed Swiss Chard, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion 

1 (4-ounce) package mixed gourmet mushrooms (or whatever mushrooms you like)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 head swiss chard, stems removed and roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add 1 teaspoon olive oil.

2. Add the onion to the pan, cook until soft (about 4 minutes). Add the mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down.Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the swiss chard, cover and cook about 4 minutes or until the swiss chard is wilted. Toss well and serve!

Sauteed Mushrooms and Green Beans

There are so many ways to eat veggies, and it doesn't have to take a lot of preparation. I always stock my freezer with frozen steamer bags for days that I am super busy and don't have anything prepared. That wasn't the case today, but I wanted to add something to the mushrooms I started cooking. So I searched my freezer and pulled out a bag of green beans. Here's how it went down:

Sauteed Mushrooms and Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) cartons of sliced white mushrooms
1 steamer bag green beans
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Sherry cooking wine

Directions:

1. Heat a non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 6-8 minutes

2. Meanwhile, follow package directions on the steamer bag of green beans. Once the mushrooms are soft and the green beans are steamed, add the green beans to the pan. Add garlic salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of sherry cooking wine to the pan and toss to combine. Cook for about 30 seconds more then remove from heat and serve!

Sweet Potato and Coconut Quinoa Salad

Bored of plain quinoa? This easy and super-healthy quinoa dish is full of flavor! It's a really fun side dish- just add some protein like chicken, fish, or tofu and some vegetables to make it a perfectly balanced meal.

I got my quinoa, coconut flakes, coconut oil, and pumpkin seeds from Vitacost. Use this link for money off your first order.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup red quinoa (can use regular too)
1 large sweet potato (mine was about 6 ounces)
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (or sunflower, etc)
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon coconut balsamic vinegar (can use regular too)
1 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
Salt

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Peel and dice sweet potato into 3/4" cubes. Add to salted boiling water and cook about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
3. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat. Add pumpkin seeds and cook until golden on both sides (be careful not to burn them!).
4. Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Add salt to taste. Eat warm or cold!

Meal Prep Basics: Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I love roasting sweet potatoes. I throw them into salads, stir-fries, and omelets to add a healthy and delicious source of carbohydrates to my meals . Roasting vegetables really brings out their natural sweetness.

Here's how I do it:

First, I preheat the oven to 400 F.

Next, I peel the sweet potatoes and cut them in half vertically. I cut each half lengthwise, and then cut each of those halves lengthwise as well. Then, I cut them vertically into half moon shapes.

I line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with non-stick olive oil or coconut oil spray. I spread the sweet potato pieces out evenly and spray them with the same olive oil or coconut oil spray.

You can add any seasonings and spices that you like, but I like to keep them plain! You can make them sweet by adding cinnamon and then tossing them in sugar-free or regular maple syrup, or make them savory by adding spices like garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, etc.

Finally, I bake them in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until soft and just about golden brown.

                                

                                           

Creamy Avocado Asian Slaw

The perfect side for an Asian inspired meal. Avocado replaces the mayonnaise to make this slaw salad delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. So simple to make. I used a package of broccoli slaw to save time, but you can slice your own cabbage to use in this recipe as well. Went perfect with my miso glazed cod!

Creamy Avocado Asian Slaw

Ingredients: 

1 ripe avocado

1 package broccoli slaw

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon Bragg's liquid Aminos (or soy sauce) 

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 packets stevia

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, blend the avocado until smooth (or you can mash really well with the back of a fork).

2. Add the avocado and remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix well. 

3. You can eat it right away, but it's even better after it's chilled in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Braised Cabbage with Creamy Goat Cheese

 I got this recipe idea from a co-worker (thanks Colleen!!) and decided I had to try it for two good reasons: 1. I have never made cabbage as a side dish (I usually use it for soups) and wanted to expand my cabbage cooking horizons 2. I'm obsessed with goat cheese. Good enough, right? Stirring in the goat cheese at the end was KEY. Goat cheese has such a creamy, rich flavor- just a little goes a long way. I had it three days in a row! The first night I made it, I paired it with a simply roasted wild Alaskan cod that I bought from Trader Joe's. I like to keep my protein simple when I have a lot of flavor going on with a side. It was such a satisfying and healthy meal!
 

I don't feel like I should write an official recipe because I didn't measure anything. So here's my easy directions: 

Roughly chop one head of red cabbage. Cook over medium high heat on a pan coated with cooking spray and drizzled with a little olive oil. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the cabbage begins to soften slightly. Add about 2 tablespoons low-sodium teriyaki sauce, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for about 20 minutes until the cabbage is soft. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of goat cheese at the end of cooking until melted through.

Bonus: When compared to cow's milk products like cream cheese, goat cheese (also known as chevre) is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol!