Do you listen to Podcasts?  I’m currently addicted to them and they help my day at work go by a little more quickly, always a plus!  As I work away I plug my ears and listen the latest podcasts from my very favorites in the Paleo world.  Always great information! 

Here are some of the podcast I listen to regularly:

Balanced Bites Podcast

Underground Wellness Podcast

Robb Wolf Podcast

Chris Kresser

In a recent podcast from Balanced Bites, Diane spoke to Karen Pendergrass from Paleo Approved and I can’t even begin to tell you the interesting stuff in this talk.  It’s scary to think of what is on our shelves and what we think is “good” but in reality not good at all.  One of the things that stood out the most in the podcast was the talk about how grass-fed beef is labeled at the stores. So you see grass-fed and you think good, right?  In Karen’s talk I learned that if the beef is not labeled 100% grass-fed then it’s not truly grass-fed.  Ok, if you knew this I apologize for being so behind the game.  You have to remember it was only recently I start to purchase beef again.  Anywho, finding this out made me mad.  Shame on me for believing those signs in my local Whole Foods!  The reality is in the last 3 months they feed the cow corn and grain….so real…. it’s not 100% grass-fed.  So all this time when I head to Whole Foods and pick up grass-fed beef…..thinking it is 100%….I was wrong!  Scary, right?  Just a little note when you are shopping make sure you are getting 100% grass-fed beef.  From now on I’m going to make sure my freezer is well stocked with the good stuff.  Listen to the podcast because that is one of many valuable information Diane and Karen touch on in their talk. 

Ok, I’m tired and need some shut eye….but before I leave you, here is a yummy recipe for taco lettuce cups.  If you like a little spice then you will like the taco seasoning.  If you don’t want as much spice just don’t include the red pepper flakes.  These cups are easy and quick and a great way to not only get dinner on the table fast but also a great reheat option for lunch the next day.  Top with the garnish of choice and you have a great Paleo meal.  I happen to think guacamole makes these taste pretty spectacular….but I love guacamole!

Enjoy everyone!  See you back next week.  Thinking up some Valentine Paleo treats…

Taco Veggie Lettuce Cups

1 pound 100% grass-fed beef

1 bell pepper, diced (color of choice, I used half red and half orange)

2 to 3 green onion, diced

Taco Seasoning (see below)

Lettuce Leaves, washed and dried

Fresh Guacamole and Salsa

Cilantro, green onion, and bell pepper for garnishing (optional)

Taco Seasoning

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( a dash or two)

Add all of the above in a small bowl and mix to combine

Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add beef and cook until no longer pink.  Add bell pepper and green onion to beef mixture and stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes until veggies are slightly soft. 

Add seasoning to skillet and stir until evenly distributed.

Scoop beef mixture to lettuce leaves and garnish as desired.  Guacamole and Salsa is a must in my opinion.  Enjoy!

Makes about 6 to 8 servings

I hope everyone is having a great week.  I’m back with another Paleo recipe that is a great lunch or dinner option.  The best part of this recipe is you can change it up any way you like.  Especially depending on what type of meat you prefer.  Here I used ground chicken, but you could easily swap out the chicken for turkey or beef (of course grass-fed being the preferred meat).  As far as vegetables you can get creative here too if you want.  I stuck with the Mexican theme here and went with onions and bell peppers but tossed in carrots since I had a lot on hand and it never hurts to have a little more vegetables in the mix.  You could even go Italian with this recipe and use tomatoes, onions, spinach, and basil and skip the peppers, chili powder and parsley/cilantro.  Have fun and get creative.  That’s what I love about being in the kitchen….you get to fun and get creative with your meals using ingredients you love the most.  After the chicken veggie mix was done I put them in lettuce cups and topped them with guacamole.  It was a great lunch time meal.  But it even works for dinner because the following night I reheated in the skillet and had it for my dinner.  It was just as delicious then as it was the day before for my lunch.  Enjoy!

 I hope everyone has a fabulous Labor Day weekend!  Enjoy those last days of summer and those cookouts.  Here in South Florida I have a feeling the summer temperatures will be around a lot longer so this weekend won’t be the last of our cookouts.  Anything you have planned for your grill this weekend?  Our grill plans are still up in the air, but I think ribs may be something my husband would opt for if asked. 

 Enjoy everyone and have a safe and Happy Labor Day! 

Chicken Vegetable Lettuce Cups

Print Recipe

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or coconut oil)

½ cup yellow onions, diced

½ cup green onions, chopped

½ cup red bell pepper, diced

½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced

½ cup carrots, shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground chicken (or turkey or beef)

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro

Salt and Pepper to taste

Lettuce leaves (such as Bibb), washed and dried

Additional toppings of choice: Avocado, Guacamole, Salsa, etc.

Instructions:

Heat 2 tablespoon oil of choice in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, and carrots and cook until all are softened, about 2-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

While the vegetables are cooking heat another large skillet on medium heat and add one to two tablespoons of oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Crumble chicken into the pan and sprinkle with salt and chili powder.  Cook the chicken without stirring until it is browned on one side, then turn the pieces over to brown the other side.  At this point you can also make sure the chicken is broken into small pieces or crumbled.  Once the chicken is just cooked through, stir in vegetables and sprinkle with more salt and chili powder to taste.  You can also add a little ground black pepper too.  Remove from heat.  Stir in fresh parsley or cilantro. 

 To serve place the chicken vegetable mixture into lettuce cups and serve with toppings of choice.  I used avocado or guacamole and salsa.  Yum!

 Enjoy!

Who says you can’t have a sandwich on a Paleo diet?  While walk the aisle of Whole Foods I was trying to figure out a lunch idea for the week that wasn’t a salad.  As I passed by the portabella mushrooms I thought to myself…..that’s it!  I’ll use these for a sandwich instead of the traditional bread that tops a sandwich.  Because if you aren’t familiar with the Paleo diet, bread is a no, no.  I know, I know….your probably thinking are you crazy? No bread!  Well my friends I would like to report that I don’t miss bread one bit and I feel a whole lot better without it and feeling better speaks higher to me than having it.  Now back to these portabella’s, they work great as sandwich topper/bottom and I’m sure would even be perfect as a burger bun.  With these sandwiches you can get creative and add whatever your heart desires.  I had some chicken leftover in the frig so that’s what I grabbed first and from there I just kept adding and it ended up being a delicious lunch time treat.  I’m actually looking forward to making my next sandwich already and adding something new.  I’m also wondering what other things I can do with these portabella caps….hmmm!?  The possibilities are endless I have a feeling.  Even if you aren’t following a Paleo type diet, these are a must try.  Especially is you are a portabella fan. 

And before I leave you I have to talk about the sweet potato chips.  I’m a huge lover of Terra Sweet Potato Chips, but I wanted to try to make them myself but try them baked.  I have been wanting to make them for awhile, but I didn’t have the right tool.  So once I got my new OXO Mandoline this past weekend I knew one of the first things I had to try were these chips.  Being on a Paleo diet, chips are not allowed but homemade sweet potato chips are totally allowed so it was a great treat to eat a chip.  I think next time I might try frying half the batch in a little coconut oil and seeing how they turn out.  Once these were out of the oven and cooled it didn’t take long for me and the munchkins to go through them.  I have a feeling these will be made again this weekend.

Speaking of weekends….I hope everyone had a fabulous one!  See you back here next week!

Portabella Sandwich Stack

Print Recipe

4 Portabella Caps

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 boneless, skinless chicken cutlet, cooked (and cut into two pieces)

2 slices of tomato

1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves

2 slices cooked turkey bacon, or bacon of choice

3 tablespoons guacomole

Instructions:

Scoop out the gills and stem gently from the underside of the mushrooms.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet and cook mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until the mushrooms turn golden brown on the top and become tender.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan.  On one mushroom, pile on cooked chicken, turkey bacon, tomato, spinach, and 1 ½ tbsp guacamole.  Top with the other mushroom.  Repeat with other mushrooms.  Then cut in half or eat whole, and enjoy!

 Makes 2 sandwich stacks.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Print Recipe

1 to 2 medium sweet potatoes

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Sea Salt to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using a mandolin, slice sweet potatoes into even slices.  You don’t want the slices to be too thin, so be carefully while slicing. 

Place sweet potato slices into a large bowl and toss with olive oil.  Season with sea salt to taste. 

Place slices on a baking sheet and bake 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes half way through baking to make sure both sides are cooked.  Towards the last 10 minutes of baking you will need to watch the chips to make sure they don’t brown/burn.  I prefer mine a little more brown, but the goal is to have them golden.

Remove pan from oven and allow the chips to cool on a wire rack until they are cool and chip like.  And enjoy!

Are you ready for the holiday weekend?  I’m already thinking ahead and excited for the long weekend.  My parents are coming into town to visit and I’m looking forward to getting into the kitchen with my mom and coming up with the 4th of July menu.  Usually it’s just me in the kitchen on the 4th of July planning the menu so I’m really excited to have my mom here.  Growing up we always headed to my grandmothers house but it was common for my mom to bring half the dishes at the cookout.  There was always a couple sides involved and a couple of desserts.  One of the desserts always consisted of ice cream and most commonly peach ice cream.  My favorite!  This weekend as I was thinking about the upcoming weekend I dreamt up these little sliders.  I have to say they were a bit addicting too and were finished by everyone in the house very quickly.  The spice rub is a recent new favorite and I’ve used it on chicken and even last weekend on Father’s Day ribs (a request from the hubby for his big day).  The rub is great and adds a lot to the chicken but the peach mustard sauce is a great mix to the spice of the rub.  You have a little spice and then you have the sweet from the sauce.  And in my opinion 4th of July isn’t the same without peaches involved. 

What foods are a must at 4th of July for you?

Spiced Grilled Chicken Sliders with Peach Mustard Sauce

Print Recipe

For Spice Rub:

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons paprika

1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder

3 teaspoons sea salt

3 tablespoons fresh ground pepper

Mix brown sugar, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  You will have extra.  Just store in an airtight container and use again on chicken or ribs.  Spice rub will keep for several months.

For Chicken:

4 skinless, boneless chicken cutlets

Cooking Spray

Press spice rub onto chicken cutlets on both sides.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for as long as overnight to allow the flavrs of the spices to permeate the meat.  If you refrigerate the chicken, let them stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before grilling.

Place a large grill pan over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray.  Add chicken to pan; cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done.  Cool slightly; shred meat.

For Peach Mustard Sauce:

3 medium to large fresh peaches, peeled and pitted

1 tablespoons water

1 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon honey

Recoat grill pan with cooking spray.  Place peaches, cut side down on pan; cook 4 to 6 minutes on medium-high heat or until tender and lightly golden brown, turning after 3 minutes.  Place peaches and next 5 ingredients (through honey) in a food processor; process until smooth.

To assemble sliders:

Place about 1/3 cup shredded chicken on bottom bun drizzle about 1 tablespoon peach mustard sauce over chicken; cover with top half of bun and serve.

It’s Friday evening here in Hong Kong and Friday morning back at home.  My first week down and another week and half to go.  It’s been a busy week so far and I’m still trying to adjust to the time zone change.  I’ve got my fingers crossed that  tonight is the night where I can finally get some much needed sleep.  Tomorrow is another busy day but I have to say Hong Kong is a very lively place to be.  It’s not my first time here but I have to say each time I’m amazed by this city.  It’s like New York City.  There is fashion, lights, glitzy, people, food, and so much more.  Fun place to be.  I plan on posting pictures soon so stay tuned.

Now moving on to this couscous….I love asparagus and I’m so happy it’s spring time and aspragus is in season.  It’s one of my very favorite vegetables.  When I was at Whole Foods getting things stocked up for the family before leaving for China the asparagus was calling my name as I stocked up on fruits.  Made my way to the asparagus and gave in and added a bunch to the cart.  Once I was home I decided to make this light and fresh couscous for lunch by using some things that were in my cabinets.  Turned out fabulous and I wish I had some right now as I type this from my hotel room in Hong Kong.  Once I’m home this is on my list to make again.  It was light, fresh and perfect for spring time.  And if you want you could add chicken. 

I hope everyone is well and have a fabulous weekend! 

Asparagus Primavera with Couscous

Print Recipe

1 1/2 cups dry couscous

1 pound asaragus, rinsed and bottom thirds snapped off

1 cup shredded carrots

15 ounce White Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups loosley packed baby spinach, cut into strips

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Fill a shallow pot with about 1-inch of water and bring to a boil.

In a separate medium pot, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, then add couscous.  Remove from heat, stir and cover.  Couscous will be ready in 5 minutes.

Cut asparagus into pieces.  Place asparagus and carrots into shallow pot of boiling water, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain immediately. 

In a large salad bowl, toss remaining ingredients, except parmesan.  Add asparagus and carrots and toss again.

To serve, fluff couscous with a fork before spooning about 1 cup couscous onto each of plates.  Spoon salad over top, dividing evenly and garnish with parmesan.

On busy weekends with two little girls keeping me busy, eating lunch is sometimes forgotten that is until they go down for a nap and I soon realize I am starving.  My go-to fast and always good meal is a quesadilla.  You can do so much with these little guys.  You can even make them sweet, but I’ll save that for another time.  This weekend I was in that starving state and threw this quesadilla together using some things I had in my refrigerator.  Just a few notes, I used a new cheese I found at my local Whole Foods called Daiya that is dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, gluten-free cheese….I know a lot of “frees” but I promise it melts just like cheese and tastes pretty good.  I also used a gluten-free brown rice tortilla.  Now you can use the cheese of your choice and the tortilla of your choice instead but due to my recent diet changes these were my go-to ingredients.  This quesadilla is yummy and loaded with good for you veggies and great protein from the chicken.  If you are a busy mom like me and get to 1 or 2 in the afternoon and realize you are starving because you forgot to eat lunch try making a quesadilla, you’ll be happy you did.

I’m also over guest posting on Smithfield.com today where I’m sharing another quesadilla recipe, Pork Apple Cheddar Quesadilla.  My little munchkins love these with the addition of one of their favorite fruits…apple!  Stop on over if you have a chance and let me know what’s your quick and easy go-to dinner recipe is for your kids. 

Thanks guys and enjoy!

Chicken Veggie Quesadilla

Print Recipe

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

1 cup spinach, chopped

3/4 cup zucchini, chopped and grilled

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I used the Vegan Daiya Cheddar Cheese)

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 tortillas of choice (I used gluten-free brown rice tortilla)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Line baking sheet with foil.  Lightly brush one side of a tortilla with a little olive oil and place that side down on baking sheet.  Sprinkle about ¼ cup cheese on tortilla, then place ½ cup chicken, 1/4 cup grilled zucchini, 1/2 cup chopped spinach, and remaining ¼ cup shredded cheese.  Brush another side of a tortilla with olive oil and place that side up onto of the already prepared side.  Press down slight.  Continue process with remaining two tortillas.

Place in oven and bake about 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and press down slightly again.  Until golden and cheese on the interior is melted.Transfer the quesadillas from baking sheet to a cutting board. 

Cut into small triangles as if you were cutting a pie. Serve with salsa of choice.  I prefer mango salsa and a little guacamole. 

Makes 2 large quesadilla’s.

The week is almost over and only a few more days left of the cleanse.  A part of me wants to jump up and say yippee!!!  Yippee that it’s almost over and not once have I cheat (even though at times it has been tempting).  And then another part of me wonders if I can do it for a few more days.  Hmmmm???  Am I crazy?  Possibly?  I’m 15 days in now and I have to tell you I have felt a huge difference in how I feel.  It’s also made me realize a lot about what I put in my body.  Not that I ate bad in the first place but it opens your eyes to other things like the cup of coffee I drank every morning or the occassional glass of wine I had on the weekends and that I really don’t need those things.  Don’t get me wrong a part of me misses but a big part of me doesn’t.  I do know one thing I am looking forward to not having a smoothie for lunch and dinner.  I think I’ve tried every combination and some have been good and some not so much, but I’m looking forward to the option of having a non-blended breakfast and smoothie this time next week.  I hope I haven’t bored everyone too much with the cleanse and the recipes.  I’ve tried to throw in some other recipes along the way and I’m working on a super sweet treat for next week to extend the pre-Valentine celebration.  But I have to say the cleanse has allowed me to get in my kitchen and learn a few things about ingredients and foods that I didn’t pay attention to in the past.  And I am very thankful for that aspect.  Especially when it comes to feeding the girls and making smart choices when it comes to certain foods.  Ok, enough with my gibber gaber let’s talk about this salad.  It’s another healthy recipe and it was something I honestly tossed together one Saturday at lunch time.  I just came home from Whole Foods with my vegetables and fruits and I was starving.  After making the girls their lunch I started to work on my lunch and this recipe is what came of it.  It happen to be my lunch time meal for most of the week too.  I do have to warn you it’s a random mix of things in this salad, but in the end it was delicious!  So with all that being said I thought I would share it with you in case you are looking for a healthy lunch time salad.  Of course, you can add and take away what you like or don’t like.  The pears in this salad really made it for me because it added that slight bite of sweet which I have missed a bit lately.  So if you are questioning leaving those out I would keep them in.  And if you don’t like them in there you can blame me and I’ll take full credit.

Ok, so here it goes…enjoy everyone and have a super fabulous weekend!  See you next week with some other recipes.

Brown Rice Chicken Veggie Salad

Print Recipe

2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice

1 cup chicken, cooked and cut into cubes (I used a rotisserie chicken)

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup carrots, diced

1/2 cup chickpeas

1/4 cup green onion, diced

1 Asian pear (or pear of choice), chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped

Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

Steam carrots and broccoli for a few minutes until they are slightly cooked but still have slight crunch.  Drain and run cold water over the veggies to stop them from cooking.

In a large bowl mix together cooked brown rice, chicken, broccoli, carrots, chickpeas, green onion, parsley, and basil. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.  Add to the brown rice salad and mix to coat the salad.  Top salad with chopped almonds and stir slightly and serve.

Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Makes about 4 servings

I’m back with another pomegranate recipe as promised.  It’s the second out of three that I’ll be sharing with you this week.  Thanks for all your wonderful comments on the quinoa salad.  Today’s salad happens to be another healthy (and gluten-free) recipe too.  Sorry, you’ll be seeing a lot of these healthy recipes in the next few weeks as I start my 21-day cleanse tomorrow.  Yikes, little scared about that too.  But let the fun begin!  But don’t worry the baked goods will be back.  I think my husband (and kids) would disown me if I stopped baking sweets.  I will also be sharing some healthy baked goods along this 21-day journey too.  And stay tune as I share more about this cleanse, but let’s get back to the salad.  This salad has the best of two worlds with it’s dose of veggies and fruit.  The apples really add a nice crunchy sweetness to the salad and I think really pulls the salad together.  I have to admit, it was one of those salads that came about in my head as I was starring endlessly in my refrigerator and cabinets.  With the words hmmmm happening at the same time.  Are you envisioning it?  Am I painting the picture for you?  Well, sometimes that’s when the best things come to me.  Of course, I seem to tone out the two little girls and the husband in the background when I’m in this zone too.  Not sure how this happens honestly but it does and it’s absolutely fabulous when it does.  And without further ado….

Broccoli Apple Brown Rice Salad with Pomegranate Herb Dressing

Print Recipe

2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled to room temperature

1 apple, cored and diced (I used Fuji)

2 heads broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into florets

1/3 cup almond slices, toasted

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pomegranate Herb Dressing

3 tablespoons POM 100% Pomegranate Juice

2 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoons fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Cook brown rice according to package instructions and cool to room temperature.

Steam broccoli florets until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes.  Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside. 

To make dressing, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, toss brown rice, broccoli, diced apples, and dressing.  Before serving sprinkle salad with toasted almond slices.

Makes about 4 servings.

Happy 2011 everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe New Year’s.  We didn’t do much here which is always nice.  We were all trying to enjoy the last few days until we all had to head back to reality which for me meant work.  Totally over-rated, right?  That’s how I was feeling after a week and half of vacation.  I could get used to the vacation thing.  Especially long vacations!  Today it was back to work for me but the little ones had one more day of fun.  Daddy spent the last day of their holiday break with them and they had a great time.  I have to admit I was a little jealous.  A trip to Starbucks, play time at the park, lunch time, nap, and more playing…sounds fun right? 

So did anyone make any New Year’s Resolutions this year?  I always say I am but never end up making any.  Maybe because I don’t want to disappoint myself and break them?  Not sure really?  It was never a big thing my parents did while I was growing up either so maybe that has something to do with it?  Who knows?  But I did promise (notice I didn’t say “resolution”) myself one thing, and that was to start eating more veggies.  I can eat fruit all day but veggies have never been something I crave or go out of my way to eat.  This weekend I came up with this roll-up.  I was starving after a mid-morning run and instead of just doing the turkey and cheese I tossed in some spinach, cucumbers, and red bell peppers and it was simply delicious.  It was a super healthy wrap which was exactly what I needed after a 5 mile run.  Another “promise” I’ve made….run more.  I took a little break from running this past fall because I was burnt out but this weekend I ran a totally of 15 miles.  Yippee!!  For some reason I couldn’t get enough.  It didn’t help that the weather was beautiful here in South Florida.  I great change from the cooler temperatures we had earlier last week.  Ok, back to the roll-up….you must try it.  It’s a great lunch time sandwich packed with protein, veggies, and whole grains.   Yummy! 

Enjoy!!     

Honey Mustard Turkey Veggie Roll-Ups

Print Recipe

For Honey-Mustard:

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons Honey

For Sandwich:

4 Whole Wheat Flat Breads (I used Flatouts Multi-Grain with Flax flatbreads)

1 1/2 cups shredded reduce fat cheese of choice

8 to 10 slices deli turkey (I used Plainsville Honey Roasted Turkey)

1 cup baby spinach

1 English cucumber, seeded and cut into 3-inch long sticks

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together mustard and honey until well combined. Set aside.

Heat grill panto medium-high heat or a panini grill.

On one side of the flatbread (or wrap of choice) spray a little non-stick cooking spray.  Lay the side you sprayed down on a flat surface.  Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey mustard on the side facing up leaving 1-inch around the edges.  Spread about 1/3 cup cheese over honey mustard, then lay 2 to 3 slices of turkey on top of cheese.  Place 1/4 cup spinach leaves on top of that, then a couple sticks of cucumber and slices of red bell pepper. 

Top with additional cheese, if desired.  Start with one end of the flatbread and carefully roll-up the sandwich to make a wrap.  Place seam side down into grill pan, and slightly press down and allow to grill on one side for 4 to 5 minutes.  Then carefully flip wrap and grill on the other side for an additional 4 minutes, or until golden and cheese is melted.  If using a panini grill, place sandwich in grill and close top and cook according to your grills instructions.  I prefer using a panini grill, but a grill pan will work also.

Repeat with remaining wraps.  Makes 4 wraps.

Serve with a side of carrots and celery and additional honey mustard (optional).

I have had a full few days.  I took off from home to head to San Fran yesterday for a full weekend of Blogher Food.  Yea!  I have been looking forward to this trip for a long time now!  I arrived in SF really late last night and have had a full first day here jammed packed with meeting other amazing food bloggers and learning so many new things and valuable information.  I have one more day jammed packed with fun things and then I head back home.  Don’t worry, I promise to recap everyone on the trip once I’m back home.

Now let’s talk about these sloppy joes.  I recently received an email from Sarah, a wonderful reader and fellow mom.  Sarah asked me for a healthy and meatless idea for sloppy joes for her daughter.  This recipe suddenly came to mind because it’s one of my families favorites and it’s a health version to sloppy joes.  It’s packed with veggies which is something we are always trying to fit into our little ones lives these days.  And I’m not talking about one veggie…we are talking 5 different veggies!

Wow!  And it’s not only got the veggies but it’s got protein.  I used turkey for this recipe but you could easily substitute it for meat-less ground.  I found this recipe last year when I subscribed to a wonderful magazine called Clean Eating.  It’s always got healthy and delicious recipes that I’m always eager to try.  Next time your at your bookstore see if you can find it on the stands.  It’s a great source for healthy recipes.  I found this recipe and it’s now a favorite.

So Sarah, I hope you daughter enjoys this sloppy joe recipe as much as my family does.  

Have a great weekend everyone and I’ll be back soon to share with everyone my adventures at BlogHer Food.  Now it’s time for me to get some shut eye and rest because tomorrow will be a very long day.

Turkey Veggie Sloppy Joes

Print Recipe

1 ear fresh corn, shucked (about 1 cup)

1 pound white turkey meat (or meat-less ground)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 medium tomatoes, diced into small pieces

1 cup low-sodium chicken (or veggie) broth

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon arrowroot dissolved in 2 tablespoon cold water (or cornstarch)

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

1/2 cup low-fat Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Use a small, sharp knife to cut kernels off corn. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook turkey, breaking it up with a spatula or spoon, until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  If using the meat-less ground instead of the turkey, cook according to package directions.  Add red and yellow peppers and cook, stirring occassionally, for 2 minutes.  Add onion and cook, stirring occassionally, for 4 minutes.  Add chile powder, garlic powder and salt and cook, stirring occassionally, for 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes, corn, broth, tomato paste and soy sauce, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Add arrowroot mixture (or cornstarch) to sloppy joe mixture, stirring until sauce thickens, 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

Toast hamburger buns until lightly browned.

Place a bun half on each plate, open-faced.  Top buns with Sloppy Joe mixture, dividing evenly.  Sprinkle with cheese, dividing evenly, and serve.

Adapted from Clean Eating September/October 2009 Issue