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

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