Cumin Lime Black Bean Quinoa Salad

One of my very favorite parts of spring is being able to eat Sunday lunch out on my back patio. There's just something about being able to eat outside. Ya know? I love hearing the birds chirp, the sun shining on my face & spending a quite Sunday afternoon outdoors. With the weather warming up here in Utah the past few weeks I have been craving some of my favorite spring and summertime salads. This one is so light & fresh. I love how the flavors pop! Plus, it's super fast & easy.

Cumin Lime Black Bean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
• 1 (14-ounce) can black beans (or 1.5 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, julienned (about 1.5 cups) OR 1 large chopped and roasted sweet potato
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• Fine grain sea salt & black pepper, to taste
• Dressing (recipe below)
• Sliced avocado (optional)

FOR THE DRESSING:

• 5 to 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice (3-4 limes), to taste
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Directions:

1. If using Sweet potato: rinse, peel, chop in cubes & lay in baking dish & drizzle olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until cooked. Cook quinoa according to package, let cool. 
2. In a large bowl, toss the quinoa, drained and rinsed black beans, cilantro, carrots (or roasted sweet potato), green onions & avocado.
3. Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl or jar. Adjust to taste if desired. Pour onto salad and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Summertime Potato Salad

6 medium red potatoes, 

1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut in thirds

15-20 cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup kale, chopped

1/2 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt

1-2 tsp of fresh dill

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar

Cook and cut potatoes & asparagus. In small bowl mix yogurt, dill, oil & vinegar. Add that mixture to the potatoes & asparagus. Mix in tomatoes and kale.

This is a nice lighter, healthier option to have as a side for all your upcoming BBQ's this summer. Enjoy this fresh tasting Summertime Potato Salad! My potatoes, kale & dill were all from this weeks share from my favorite local farm, La Nay Ferme.

|La Nay Ferme| Veggie Salad

 

 

 Veggie Salad:

Mixed Greens

Spinach

 2-Radish's

2- baby Carrots

1- small green onion

Slivered Almonds

Parmesaen Cheese

Add fresh cilantro to taste

For the dressing I used an oil and balsamic vinagar blend.

All of my produce was from last weeks share from La nay Ferme. It was the perfect light Saturday lunch. I always love coming home after my Saturday workout and making something healthy. This was filling, full of flavor & so fresh!

Pineapple Cilantro Salsa

Ingredients:

2-3 cups fresh pineapple

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 chopped red onion

1 cup chopped red pepper

3 tablespoons chopped jalapeno pepper (remove seeds)

1 clove garlic, minced

juice of 1 large lime

salt & pepper to taste

Directions: In a bowl, combine pineapple, cilantro, red onion, red pepper, jalapeno, garlic and lime juice. Stir until ingredients are well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

If I could only have one type of food for the rest of my life it would be chips & salsa.

The fresh flavors of La Nay Ferme's fresh cilantro, the lime juice, the sweetness of the pineapple and a kick of peppers makes this salsa perfect in every way.  It is great plain with chips, over chicken, put on top of a salad, or used as a side. I love this time of year because I always feel so inspired to eat more clean and take advantage of fresh locally grown produce. 

Chili

One of my favorite traditions as a kid was that my mother always made chili the night of Halloween. My friends would come over and we would enjoy chili before we headed off trick or treating. Then we would come home eat more chili with cider & doughnuts. Since I have moved away I have always kept the tradition of making chili the week of Halloween. It's is too delicious not to share on the blog, so you can thank me later!

Ingredients:
1 lb. hamburger (lean to extra lean)
1 onion, chopped
1 can white northern beans, undrained
1 can red kidney beans, undrained
2 cans pinto beans, undrained
1 pkg. chili seasoning
1/3-1/2 bottle chili sauce (such as Heinz)*
1/2 an 8 oz. can tomato sauce (more if preferred)*
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown hamburger and onion together. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Taste and season accordingly. I recommend just having salt and pepper at the table for each individual to season themselves. Delicious with cornbread. 

*Notes: I use all 8 oz. of tomato sauce and probably 2/3 of the chili sauce. I taste as I go to make sure there is a nice vinegar tang to the chili. If not, add more chili sauce. Serve with cornbread.

garden salsa

Every summer I become even more addicted then I already am to chips and salsa. Hello, homemade salsa! This year i jazzed it up and changed my 'recipe' (i say 'recipe' because i kind of just throw everything together with no measurements} 

fresh garden tomatoes 

(i boil mine then let them soak in cold water in the sink so the skins easily peel off. thanks mama Shippen for teaching me your ways!)

green chili's

jalapeno

green pepper

cilantro

green onions

crushed red pepper

lime juice

pepper to taste

i also like to throw some black beans and avocado into my personal bowl! 

La Nay

This weeks share at La Nay Ferme

Includes: Mixed Greens, Arugula, Tomatoes, Carrots & Potatoes, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Okra, Chives & Thyme.

As I thought of what I might make with all of my produce I decided to do simple things yet delicious.

Breakfast: 

These potatoes were amazing! I am already craving them. I can't get over how flavorful they were. I cut up a little onion and fried them. Tossed some cheese over, a dollop of ketchup & breakfast was ready. 

Lunch:

As fall is approaching I like more filling dinners. That being said I try to keep lunch lighter. I chopped up carrots,tomatoes, cucumbers. I put them over mixed greens and arugula then grated some fresh Parmesan. I paired it with some of my favorite poppy-seed dressing and had a light yet filling lunch!  

Dinner:

Early this week I took a pasta class up in SLC (more on that later) and had picked up some fresh pasta at Tony Caputo's Market. I decided to chop my tomatoes and saute them in garlic and olive oil. As soon as the noodles were finished cooking I added them to the sauce, added a little butter and fresh Parmesan and WA-la dinner was a hit!

I love getting my fresh local produce because there are so many simple things you can add them to! Plus it helps me get my fruits & veggies in! 

Pizza Pizza!

Remember that beautiful produce I shared with you earlier this week? 

Well I made two very delicious and very different pizzas. Take a look.

I don't know about you but I live for the weekends.

The best part is being able to relax & soak in every moment. I also like to treat myself to some good food, naturally! 

This weekend I was craving pizza so I decided to take the plunge and make a fresh, homeade pizza using local produce from  La Nay Ferme.  Boy, was it delicious and especially fun to make a personal-sized pizza! I loved that I could treat myself to something special and have something that was good for me. 

Here's how I made the pizzas:

Tomato Basil Pizza -2 chopped tomatoes -chopped basil (the more the better!) -3 slices fresh mozzarella dough, any recipe Veggie Pizza -1 pepper - 1 tomato cut in small wedges -1 small cucumbers dough, any recipe
After preparing your dough into small circles & chopping your vegetables, layer sauce and toppings.
Bake at 450 degrees for 11-13 minutes.

I really enjoyed both pizzas and couldn't decide which one I liked better.  They were so flavorful & different. I especially loved the flavor of the pepper & basil. It was fun to switch things up and use cucumber on a pizza. Who would have thought it added the perfect touch? I will be making them again.

Be sure to read this post and see my visit to the farm, it's gorgeous.
Here's everything I received in my one week share from the farm. Like the picture? I took it :)

strawberry rhubarb pie.

 

  Rhubarb Pie   4 C. rhubarb (cut in 1-inch slices) 1 2/3 C. sugar 1/3 C. flour Dash of salt Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie; line 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Fill with rhubarb mixture.  Dot with 2 tablespoons butter.  Adjust top crust, cutting slits for escape of steam; seal; flute. Bake at 400* for 50 minutes. PS  I like to lightly brush milk on top of the crust and sprinkle with sugar. Note:  You may want to cover the edge of the pie crust with foil so it doesn’t get too brown.     Mom and I made a few adjustments and decided to do 2 cups strawberries & 2 cups rhubarb. It was delicious. I love learning baking techniques from my mom. She's simply the best to learn from!    

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

 

 

22Oz. Penne Pasta (cooked and drained- do not overcook)

(i also use mini bow tie)

7-8 Roma tomatoes, or slice grape or cherry tomatoes.

2-3 cups shredded mozzarella or shredded Parmesan. Sometimes I do both.

a bunch of fresh basil. (the more the better!)

2-3 large chicken breasts cooked and cubed/shredded (i cook mine in the crock pot)

Dressing:

2/3 Olive oil

2/3 Balsamic Vinegar

1 1/2 salt

3/4 black pepper

1-2 tsp. crushed garlic

 

This is the perfect spring/summer lunch salad.

 It tastes so light and fresh.

Enjoy :)

 

 

zuppa toscada

 

 

 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion-chopped

1/2 package of sausage

2 qt of milk

2 qt water

3 red potatoes sliced

heaping tablespoon of better than chicken bullion paste

sea salt to taste

1.tsp spikes seasoning aka seasoning salt

3 sprigs of chopped kale (add 5 min before serving)

3 cloves of garlic

 

coat your pan with olive oil, add chopped onions, brown the meat in same pan, add liquids, potatoes & seasoning. bring to a boil and simmer on low for 30 minutes. add salt to taste. five minutes before serving add the chopped kale. wa la! zuppa toscada! 

       

carmel corn.

1 cube margarine 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2-3 cups of marshmallows -melt the butter in a saucepan -add sugar, let dissolve -then add marshmallows and keep stirring so it doesn't burn -add to 2 bags of microwave popcorn (i like to sift through the popcorn so there are no kernels) this is one of my all time favorite treats. in college my roommates and i would make this almost every weekend. it is the easiest, most tasty, fastest treat! i had a little get together the other night with some girlfriends to watch the miss america pageant and decided to make carmel corn since it was a fast treat and i had a photo session earlier in the day. enjoy!