Winter Vegetable & Quinoa Soup {Recipe ReDux}

I love cookbooks. Especially when they have wonderful pictures to go with the recipes. Although, I guess that’s why I love food blogs so much too, huh? Unfortunately, since my love affair with food blogs and Pinterest has grown, my cookbook collection has grown a bit of dust. This month’s Recipe Redux made me wipe off that dust and flip through so real pages.

It’s the end of the year and we’ll taking a moment to reflect: ReDux has been around for 42 months! (Can you believe some of you have ReDux-ed 42 recipes?) To celebrate, we’re playing a little party game this month: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 42 or 142. We can’t wait to see the books you’re cooking from these days – and how you make that recipe healthier.

I found my way to this bad boy..

There are some really fun recipes in there, like cashew energy quinoa bites, that I will definitely be trying soon. In the meantime, I was quite pleased when I flipped to page 142.

Even in California, it’s been getting a little chilly lately so I couldn’t wait to make a nice, creamy soup. I had also just picked up a Butterkin Squash from Trader Joe’s that I wanted to break into. Side note: I was telling my mom it tastes like a combo of butternut squash and pumpkin.. and subsequently figured out the name, Butterkin. Genius! She and Nathan were both laughing at me. Anywho, into the pot it went!

Winter Vegetable & Quinoa Soup

Makes eleven 1-cup servings

Ingredients
– 1 medium Butterkin Squash; about 2-3 cups [Can use butternut squash or sugar pumpkin instead]
– 2 tbsp EVOO; divided
– 1 medium yellow onion; diced
– 1 large sweet potato; diced
– 1 medium golden beet; diced
– 1/2 – 1 tsp red pepper flake
– 3 – 4 cups chicken stock [Make it vegetarian/vegan by swapping out for vegetable stock!]
– 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
– 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
– 12 oz. beer; I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but a lesser hopped beer would be good too
– Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut your squash in half, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with 1 tbsp EVOO and place in the oven. Roast until you can easily scoop the flesh out; about 30 minutes.

Heat a large pot over medium heat and drizzle with the remaining tbsp EVOO. Add in the diced onion and cook 5-7 minutes until translucent. Sprinkle in the red pepper flake and cook another minute until it becomes fragrant. Add in the diced sweet potato, beet, and 3 cups of chicken stock. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sweet potato and beet are tender.

At the point, the squash should be ready to come out of the oven and cool. After the squash has cooled for a couple of minutes, scoop the flesh out and add it to the pot in addition to the quinoa flakes and nutmeg. Using an immersion blender [a regular blender would work as well, in a few batches], blend until the soup is smooth and creamy. If needed, add the 4th cup of chicken stock, but remember you’re also adding beer at the end!

Add salt and pepper to taste and pour in the beer, stirring slowly to incorporate. Scoop out a big bowl and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

98 Calories / 3g Fat / 14g Carbs / 2g Fiber / 3g Sugar / 3g Protein

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday – Leftovers with winter veggie & quinoa soup
Monday – Roast turkey breast with roasted potatoes & carrots
Tuesday – Pomegranate sesame chicken with ginger rice
Wednesday – Leftovers
Thursday – Moroccan lemon & cardamom meatballs, naan, & side salad
Friday – Out!
Saturday – Leftovers

Food for Thought

Have you ever tried quinoa flakes?

Foodie Friday: Sesame Carrot Noodles with Beef, Broccoli, & Asparagus

Do you ever look quickly at a recipe and think it says one thing and when you go back and take another look, realize it’s actually something else? And then sometimes what you originally think turns out to be an even better idea.

Ok, let me break it down for you. When I was meal planning last week, I chose this sesame carrot noodles with grilled asparagus recipe. Any kind of Asian-style recipe is always a go in this house, so a sesame sauce on carrot noodles sounded like an awesome idea, right? I lie. It was actually soba noodles with a sesame carrot sauce. Still sounds awesome [and honestly, something that Nathan would go for over carrot noodles] but I was totally stuck on the carrot noodle idea. My version of this recipe was born.

Sesame Carrot Noodles with Beef, Broccoli, & Asparagus

Adapted from Clean Wellness
Serves 4

Ingredients

Carrot Dressing
– 1 cup carrots; chopped
– 1 tbsp fresh ginger; chopped
– 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
– 2 tbsp soy sauce [can sub tamari, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos to make gluten-free]
– 2 tbsp tahini
– 1 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
– 1/4 tsp chili flakes

Noodle Bowl
– 1 lbs asparagus
– 1 bunch broccoli
– 2-3 medium carrots; spiralized
– 2 oz. black bean noodles [can sub soba noodles]
– 1 lb london broil; sliced thinly
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
– 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 2 green onions; chopped
– Toasted sesame seeds [Optional for serving]

Directions
Combine all dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Cook your noodles according to the directions, drain, and set aside.

While your noodles are cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Toss the sliced beef with the soy sauce and sesame oil, then add to the hot pan. Quickly sear on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add 1/2 tbsp EVOO to the pan and toss the carrot noodles in. Cook them until soft, about 5-7 minutes, and add the broccoli. Saute for 2-3 minutes before adding the asparagus. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and add the black bean noodles into the pan.

Toss about 2/3 of the carrot dressing into the pan and mix the noodles together with the veggies. Once everything comes together, add in the beef and most of the rest of the dressing, saving about 1 tbsp per serving to drizzle on top. When the beef is warmed through, divide between 4 bowls, sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve!

Nutritional Information
Per 1/4 recipe

390 Calories / 15g Fat / 22g Carbs / 6g Fiber / 10g Sugar / 34g Protein

The best part of this recipe is that it is equally as delicious without the added beef and because we’re using black bean pasta, it has a whopping 17g protein before adding any extra protein on top! I’m kind of in love with the black bean pasta; it really doesn’t have any distinct flavor so it’s perfect for adding any kind of delicious sauces. And it turns out it’s husband-approved too 😉

Food for Thought

Have you ever tried black bean pasta before?
Would you swap the beef for another protein?

Back to Reality

Well, looks like we’re back to regularly scheduled programming. Unfortunately, we dropped my parents off at the airport yesterday afternoon. I can’t believe the week flew by so quickly but we really had a great time. In my mom’s words..

“It’s been food and drink and food and drink and WALKING! Lots of fun.”

And a little AT&T Park tour.

I’m not ready to go back to reality yet, but I guess that’s what happens when you grow up, huh? Nathan took the whole week off while they were here and we really treated it like a vacation for us too! We tried a bunch of new restaurants, visited some new places, and also showed off some of our faves. I mentioned last week that I fully expected their visit to be tough. Leading up to their visit, I hadn’t been feeling to awesome about the changes I’ve noticed in my body but I wanted to try to forget about that for the week. The first couple days it was on my mind, but honestly, I think making the deal with myself that I was just going to say screw it, enjoy every minute with them, and go back to my normal, healthier eating when they left made it so much easier. Ice cream again? Sure! Another beer sampler to share? Let’s do it! No need to justify my decisions to anyone because we were all about enjoying ourselves. You bet I had a couple of nights where I felt uncomfortably full but I’ll forget about that. What I won’t forget is seeing my parents try beer after beer after beer [they’re not big drinkers!]. I won’t forget watching my dad break up a cookie for a sundae before paying for it. I won’t forget sharing a lunch at Source with my mom and then discovering amazing gelato that we had to share too. I won’t forget watching my dad and Nathan play catch on the beach after our picnic. So today I resume my “normal” eating and I go back to working on getting back to feeling more comfortable in my skin. But only after having some chocolate coconut milk ice cream for dessert last night. Because ice cream is what we did. And last night was still “vacation” and damnit, I wanted some ice cream!

Food for Thought

Are you able to let go of your “crazy” sometimes? It was the best thing I could have done while they were here.

Link Love #23

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway yet?

Wow, I don’t even know where yesterday went! I’m so glad we finally got a break from the constant rain. I was able to take a walk to Berkeley Bowl in the middle of the day and it was much warmer than I expected. Good and bad when you layer up like I do.. definitely blasted the fan when I got home haha. I also came home to a wonderful package thanks to Kaila and NuNaturals. Can’t wait to try these out!

Health

Warning: 7 “Healthy” Habits that are Stressing Your Metabolism – Living the Nourished Life

Warning: 7 “Healthy” Habits that are Stressing Your Metabolism – Living the Nourished Life
Confession of a Food Addict – Wellness Today
Renewing Your Training with Recovery – Workout Nirvana
Food Shaming and Comparison – The Real Life RD
The Bloat Cure – Dr. Oz

Fitness

30 Minute Body Pumping Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms

30 Minute Body Pumping Workout – CandyFit via Burnbrae Farms
Sprinting Vs Running: What You Need To Know – Lifting Revolution
Total Body Workout – Peanut Butter Fingers
20-Minute HIIT Workout – Pumps & Iron
Fabulously Fit Friday Treadmill Workout – Treats With a Twist

Food

15 Easy, Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas – Minimalist Baker

15 Easy, Healthy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas – Minimalist Baker
Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa, and Kale Salad – Eat Yourself Skinny
Butternut Squash and Spelt Salad with Goat Cheese and Toasted Almonds – The Lemon Bowl
Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Butter – “Baby Delight Butter”– The Smart Kitchen via Delights & Delectables
Grain Free Chocolate Coconut Chia Bread – Cotter Crunch

Food for Thought

What was one of your favorite posts from last week?

Will Run for Beer

Have you entered my Peanut Butter & Co. giveaway yet?

Well this was another relaxing and fun weekend! Friday night I met up with Kara for a drink at Prizefighter. I hadn’t been yet but heard that they were known for their cocktails. Since it was rainy, I was feeling something nice and warming and opted for the Nuevo Viejo.

I could use some help on my cropping skills.

We met up with Nathan at Summer Summer for some delicious Thai food for dinner. And lucky for us, they had a good amount of options on the happy hour menu.. cheap date 😉

Saturday was pretty laid back. It’s been raining constantly since Thursday so that doesn’t really make for fun times outside. We went out again for dinner to get out of the house and revisited The Bureau 510. I got the Mother Nature sandwich that I was eying the first time and it was great.

Grilled tofu, avocado, alfalfa, onion, red pepper spread, butter lettuce, lavash whole grain

I also got an awesome package from Caitlin and immediately had to dig into my goodies!

She’s the best!

Greek yogurt mixed with TJ’s chocolate coconut milk ice cream, topped with a sunbutter GoMacro bar and a few PB M&Ms. Perfect night time treat!

Yesterday I braved the rain and met up with Melissa, another Tone It Up-per, for the Park Chalet Beer 5K. Being sick all week, I considered skipping out because running in the rain may not be the best idea, but I was feeling much better so I decided to give it a go and I’m so glad I did!

We met some friends along the way

I’m usually not one for enjoying the rain, but there was actually something nice about it. Maybe because I was actually treating this as the fun-run that it was so I was just taking it all in. But that definitely deserved a brewski [or 2] afterward!

Cheers to finishing the run!

Those beers really did me in and I was happy to get home and into warm, dry clothes. Nathan took the reigns on dinner and roasted a beautiful bird! I added some roasted asparagus and naan on the side and heated up some korma sauce. Indian in a snap 😉

He knows his way around a bird!

Weekly Meal Plan

Saturday – Went out
Sunday – Roast chicken, asparagus, & naan with korma sauce
Monday – Chipotle black bean burgers, roasted potatoes, & side salad
Tuesday – Healthier Cincinnati chili over zucchini noodles
Wednesday – Leftover roast chicken with panzanella salad
Thursday – Black rice salad bowl with chipotle orange chicken, cashews, & feta [a repeat from last week!]
Friday – Valentines Day! We always work together on dinner and dessert and we’re still discussing our options.

We also have a new addition to the kitchen.. now we just have to hang it!

I could use some help with my chalkboard handwriting!

But now we won’t have to check the blog for reminders on the menu 😉

Food for Thought

Have you ever done a race or fun run in the rain?
What’s on the menu at your house?

Foodie Friday: Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Tofu Burgers

My recent order from Relay Foods left me with a bunch of sweet potatoes [I’m not complaining!] so I was searching for different ways to prepare them. I found tons of sweet potato burger recipes on Pinterest, including this one from The Lean Green Bean, which I thoroughly enjoyed last week.

This totally inspired me to figure out another burger recipe. I’ve also been trying to cut back on grocery costs so I loved being able to stretch all of my ingredients in burgers. Not to mention, they’re so versatile!

Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Tofu Burgers

Makes 8 burgers

Ingredients
– 1 large sweet potato; steamed
– 1 12oz. container extra firm tofu; drained and pressed
– 1/2 cup quinoa; cooked
– 1/2 medium onion; chopped
– 2 stalks green onion; chopped
– 2 chipotles in adobo; chopped
– 2 cloves garlic; minced
– 1 lime; zested and juiced
– 2 tbsp coconut flour
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
– 1 tsp chili powder
– 1 tsp garlic powder
– 1/4 tsp cumin
– Salt & pepper to taste
– McCormick Salt-Free Fiesta Citrus Seasoning [LOVE this stuff!]

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mash together until well combined. Form into 8 patties and place on a prepped baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Enjoy on a bun with lettuce, tomato, & onion or over a bunch of roasted vegetables. Always top with avocado or guacamole.. it practically completes the burger!

Additional Toppings
– Garlic-Chipotle Love Sauce
– 5-Minute Chunky Guacamole

Nutritional Information
Per burger

117 Calories  /  3g Fat  /  16g Carbs  /  3g Fiber  /  5g Sugar  /  7g Protein

Food for Thought

What is your favorite burger?

Foodie Friday: Peanut Chili Baked Tofu

Who else is excited for the weekend?! I know I’m ready. Time to kick back, relax, and try some new recipes! And speaking of, here’s a fun one if you’re feeling the vegetarian vibe!

Peanut Chili Baked Tofu

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 package super firm tofu (I use Nasoya Sprouted Tofu)
1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp chili garlic paste (Lee Kum Kee is my favorite!)
2 tbsp peanut flour (I use Protein Plus, but you can also use PB2, or 1 tbsp nut butter)
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place tofu between paper towels with a light weight on top to press out the water. Let sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare the marinade.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients. After your tofu has been pressed, cut into 1″ cubes and toss in the marinade. Let sit for another 5-10 minutes.

Place a greased baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the tofu out in a flat layer. Toss it in the oven and bake about 20-25 minutes, or until the outside is a little crisp.

Serving Suggestions
I prefer my peanut chili tofu with a large helping of roasted vegetables. This would also be great over soba noodles and sauteed veggies or over a salad. You could even make this into a wrap, but I would suggest cutting the tofu into longer strips rather than cubes if you plan on doing a wrap.

Nutritional Stats
Per serving (1/2 recipe)

308 Calories  /  18g Fat  /  10g Carbs  /  5g Fiber  /  4g Sugar  /  26g Protein

Don’t forget to enter my Premier Protein Giveaway! And if you’re dying to get the peanut flour and are new to iherb.com, use the discount code ZAF482 at checkout for $5 off your first order!

Speak Up!

Have you ever had tofu? If so, what’s your favorite tofu recipe?

5-Minute Chunky Guacamole

Guacamole is one of those condiments that makes just about everything better. It’s definitely a summer staple in my house!

Whether you’re eating it with chips and salsa or as an accompaniment to a protein (a tortilla-less chicken enchilada, maybe?) it just gives everything that little extra bit of flavor and creaminess. And this recipe could not be any easier!

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients
4 ripe Haas avocados, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced; preferably red, but white or vidalia works too
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Dice the avocados, onion, and tomato into 1/2″ chunks. Toss into a bowl with the lemon juice, to prevent the avocado from browning. Add your minced garlic clove and jalapeno, plus salt and pepper to taste, and toss gently. You just want to mix enough to combine all of the ingredients well, but not mash anything up.

Enjoy this as a dip, on top of fish tacos, or any other way you prefer!

Speak Up!

Do you prefer your guacamole chunky or mashed?

Fake chicken as good as the real deal?

Beyond Meat, a new company based in Maryland, has come up with an alternative to chicken meat that it claims is a dead ringer for the real thing. And unlike other meat alternatives on the market, this one aims to be cheap as well as tasty.

The idea behind this new lean, mean protein is to break away from the boring vegan options and hopefully introduce meat-eaters to a meat-free alternative. The mixture of soy and pea powder, carrot fiber, and gluten-free flour will not only be a great substitute for chicken, but will provide the same great flavor and texture at lower cost and without all of the additives found in chicken.

The lucky locals of Northern California will be some of the first to have the opportunity to try Beyond Meat chicken when Whole Foods begins carrying the product next month!

Speak Up!

I know I’m intrigued, are you? Would you substitute chicken on a regular basis for this new vegan chicken?

Read more about this new product and listen to the podcast on NPR.

Baltimore Farmers’ Market

A few weeks ago the Baltimore Farmers’ Market opened up for the season. This has to be my favorite Sunday activity; a nice long walk in the warm weather and sunshine, deciding what I’m going to have for breakfast, and what deliciously fresh fruits and veggies we will get (you really can’t beat a salad with fresh lettuce from the market!)

Today I decided to try something new for breakfast.. tri-colored quinoa with smoked portabella, fresh feta, and homemade hot sauce over mixed field greens.

Hellooooooo my new love! (Sorry Nathan..)

I can’t even begin to tell you how incredible the flavor were of the smoked portabella. And the perfectly cooked quinoa. And the super fresh feta…..

It was so out of the ordinary from my normal breakfast that usually include some sort of peanut/almond butter or other sweet deliciousness, but my goodness did it hit the spot!

I think I’ve found my new “go-to” at the farmers’ market and I think I’ll be dreaming of this breakfast until next Sunday..

Speak Up!

Does your city have a farmers’ market? What’s your favorite dish to get?