basil feta stuffed peppers with garlic tahini sauce

i am pretty proud of this recipe because instead of modifying this recipe, i created it from scratch. in the past, i have made stuffed peppers with a Mexican flair to it, because what goes better with peppers (and life) than Mexican food?

this recipe was inspired by my financial stress (remember this?) and forcing myself to put something together on what was in our kitchen versus finding a recipe and heading to the grocery store to put it together. thanks to Sam's Club, we had few ingredients, but in bulk....

basil feta stuffed peppers with garlic lemon tahini sauce:.

>> 4 peppers
>> 1 cup of quinoa (red or white), cooked
>> 1/2 cup mushrooms
>> 1/2 cup broccoli
>> 3 tomatoes (i used Roma, but obviously any kind would work), diced
>> 1 lb of ground beef
>> 1 cup feta cheese
>> basil (i used dried, but would prefer fresh)
>> 2 cloves of garlic, minced
>> salt and pepper
>> coconut oil (or olive oil)

preheat oven to 300. in a large pan, heat coconut oil and garlic. once the coconut oil is melted, sauté mushrooms, broccoli and tomatoes. in a separate pan, brown the ground beef. add the cooked quinoa and browned meat to the large pan of vegetables, remove from heat. stir until well mixed. add basil, salt and pepper (how much you prefer) and feta cheese. stir until well mixed. while everything is cooking, you will want to prepare the peppers - cut tops off (not too much, just enough to open it up) and 'gut' them. once the quinoa/meat mixture is cooked, stuff each pepper with the mixture and drizzle the top with olive oil to prevent the quinoa from drying out in the oven. place in a pan that allows the peppers to stand up (i used my infamous Pyrex cake pan). bake at 300 for about 30 minutes.

garlic lemon tahini sauce:.

>> 1 clove of garlic, minced
>> 2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
>> 1/3 cup tahini sauce
>> 1/3 cup water

mix well with a fork and put in the fridge to stiffen - should have a yogurt consistency. drizzle over the peppers once you pull them out of the oven. warning: you may want more than that, so you should probably keep extra on your plate.

                                     

this recipe made plenty - you could either use it to stuff 6+ peppers or save the leftovers for something else. i used the leftovers to mix in with spaghetti squash a few days later.

i promise the recipes that i post are easy - do not let the 'different' ingredients trick you!

give it a try and let me know what you you think!

always striving for more,
dee b.

buffalo chicken quinoa:.

i'll be honest and let you all know that i saw this recipe on Pinterest - who doesn't get inspiration from Pinterest?

i seriously LOVE anything related to buffalo chicken, so i was excited when i came across this recipe. i changed up a few things to not only make it easier for me (we were trying to watch The Office at the same time......priorities) and i wanted to make sure that i used up some produce that was on the edge of going bad!

so, here is what Pinterest and i came up with.

>> 1 cup quinoa
>> 1 chicken breast
>> broccoli
>> shredded cabbage
>> shredded carrots (i just cut up carrots really thin - who buys shredded carrots?)
>> kale (i have to throw kale in everything....drew hates it)
>> 1/2 cup hot sauce - i used Frank's hot wing sauce because i put that sh!t on everything
>> 1/2 cup olive oil
>> blue cheese crumbles - i skipped this since i was on my last day of .;get balanced:. and also because i hate blue cheese.

cook the quinoa as you normally would (if you need help check this out). cook the chicken in a separate pan with a little bit of olive oil and in another pan or wok, start to cook all of your vegetables - you want them tender, yet still pretty firm because the sauce is going to make them even softer. while everything is cooking, whisk together the hot sauce, olive oil and a dash of salt. when the chicken is almost done cooking, cut it up into bite-size pieces, put it back in the pan with 1/4 of the hot sauce mixture - this will allow the chicken to soak up some of the hot sauce. once the chicken is completely done, the veggies are tender and the quinoa is cooked, combine all of it in either a big wok or bowl and add the rest of the hot sauce. stir until evenly mixed. top with blue cheese crumbles, if you're into that.

as with most of the recipes that i post, please feel free to mix things up - add different veggies, use more or less sauce, add more chicken, use beef or tofu, add ranch seasoning or dressing - literally whatever you think would be good with buffalo sauce (almost anything) would go well with this recipe.

let me know how you've decided to make it your own and as always, enjoy!


always striving for more,
dee b.

1/3

i am 1/3 way through .:get balanced:.,  ONE THIRD.....not that i am counting...

there have been a few challenges along the way - for instance, i can't mindlessly eat - i ate a handful of pistachios before i panicked and checked the ingredients (thank God, they are gluten-free). drew and i met some friends in Uptown the other night for drinks - he ordered a burger and french fries, i got a water and i had to mindfully NOT pick at his french fries. it wasn't that hard, but it was something that i had to be mindful of. also, CRAVINGS - sugar cravings, carb cravings, the things i would do for a frozen pizza or a beer right now. i am sure my .:get balanced:. senseis are cringing at this, but i have yet to cheat! i have learned a lot of new coping skills with these cravings and they have worked! i have dreams about cheating and then wake up in a cold sweat (kidding.....kinda).

seriously, things are going really well and i am thoroughly enjoying all of the new recipes and trying new stuff! AND, i have honestly broke my addiction to coffee. i literally RELIED on a French Press or an Americano every morning - high octane stuff and if i didn't, then i was left in a fog with an insane headache.

i posted a picture of our dinner last night on Facebook and Instagram and a few people asked for the recipe, so here we go!

.:grain bowls:.
the idea of grain bowls was in the guidelines of .:get balanced:. so this is where my colorful wok started!

1:. pick a grain - you can use brown rice, but this is a great opportunity to get creative. finally try quinoa, lentils or millet. any of these will work really well as a base.

2:. vegetables - don't overanalyze this part - what do you have in your pantry or fridge that needs to get used up. get out of the box and throw vegetables in that you typically wouldn't put together

3:. want to up the protein? use quinoa or lentils as a base or add some chickpeas and beans. if you are a meat eater, throw in some meat or poultry.

throw it all together! do yourself a favor and buy a massive wok for things like this! i bought mine at IKEA for $30 and it has a lid - i seriously use it 5x a week, well worth it!

worried about it being bland? play around with spices! they are SO many types of herbs and spices out there, you just might be surprised by what you end up liking!

i have mentioned before that steamed veggies, quinoa/rice are staple side dishes for drew and i, but thanks to .:get balanced:. i switched a few things up and ended up with an even more robust and healthy side dish that we both like!

here is my example of a grain bowl from last night:.

FIRST - if i am making any type of stir fry, steaming veggies, etc., i ALWAYS heat up my wok with a few TBS of coconut oil and freshly minced garlic (typically a couple cloves). it seriously smells so good! it also creates a nice, flavorful "environment" for whatever your a cooking!

base:. organic Basmatic brown rice and lentils - these were leftover from big batches that i made earlier in the week, but both are super easy to cook. the grain base needs to be cooked before you throw it in the wok. refer to this post - it mainly focuses on cooking quinoa, but i hav realized that brown rice, quinoa and lentils basically cook the same way!

vegetables:. purple cabbage, brussels sprouts (both whole and shredded), carrots, green pepper, sweet potato, kale and black beans (i know it's not vegetable). some of these were cut fresh, some were leftovers from the grain bowl that i brought for lunch. did i mention that you can just about throw anything into a wok and it works???

seasoning:.i have become obsessed with cajun seasoning and i HATE spicy stuff, but it a nice change-up from the regular sea salt and pepper
sauce:. tahini sauce - i have also become obsessed with this as well thanks to .:get balanced:.

recipe for tahini sauce courtesy of .:get balanced:.>> 2 Tbs tahini
>> 1 Tbs lemon juice
>> 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
>> 1-2 tsp raw honey (depending on sweetness)
>> 3 Tbs water
Hefty pinch of sea salt and pepper
>> 1 clove of garlice, minced
>> 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
>> 1 Tbs finely chopped chives (i skipped these, not a fan of chives)

whisk together tahini, lemon juice, vingar, honey and water. mix in garlic, salt, pepper and drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. add more water if you would like it to be thinner. mix in the chives last. store in the fridge in a jar.

i instantly doubled this recipe because i had a feeling that i would really like it! i have used it mainly in my grain bowls, but it could be use with almost anything - on top of burgers, steaks, porkchops, in sandwiches or wraps!

back to the grain bowl/stir-fry - again, don't overanalyze it! get creative - you can almost put anything in there and it will work:. flax seeds, peas, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, jicama, the possibilities are literally
endless!

enjoy!

always striving for more,
dee b.

p.s. there is still time to join us for .:get balanced:. seriously, with this MN weather, who doesn't need a little help with their energy?! anyone around the WORLD can join by either visiting this website:. https://coursebeyond.com/course/8/30/ or emailing hello@prescribe-nutrition.com.

.: taco chili with quinoa :.

i had intentions to post this shortly after the fried rice quinoa recipe, but in all honesty, last week was FULL of celebrating drew's 27th birthday!!! between celebrating with his family and just us two, the week went by quickly, too quickly to get this sucker up!

this recipe is unbelievably easy and healthy (aside from using canned products versus fresh). i made it while drew and i were under the weather and we were feeling some soup - yea, it's that easy! i think i will definitely be making this again soon.

so, here we go:.

taco chili with quinoa:.

>> 1 lb ground beef or turkey (i used ground beef that was stocked in our freezer)

>> 1 can of tomatoes (diced, stewed, whatevs) - about 15 oz.

>> 2 cans of Rotel diced tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro (pictured below)

>> 1 package of taco seasoning

>> 1 package of hidden valley ranch dressing - the dry powder stuff

>> 1 can of pinto beans - about 15 oz.

>> 1 can of chili beans or black beans - whatever you prefer! - about 15 oz.

>> 1 can of whole kernel corn

>> 1 cup quinoa,  cooked

1. brown the meat - once brown, add the taco seasoning and hidden valley ranch dressing with about 1/4 cup water.

2. while the meat is browning, combine all the canned ingredients in a big pot - don't drain them first! i only drained the beans because the liquid they sit in freaks me out, but the rest of the juices are great for flavor!

3. once quinoa and meat are cooked, add them to the big pot.

4. let it simmer for about 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally (really it just needs to heat and mix up, so you can skip this or let it simmer for longer depending on your time frame).

5. enjoy!!!

                 

that's it! seriously, so, so good! i ate it for dinner that night, lunch and dinner the next day and then lunch again the day after that!

side note** feel free to add or take away ingredients as you prefer. for instance, i left out a chopped onion, but added extra corn. also, i topped ours with cut up avocado, but sour cream is another option. this recipe is simple and pretty generic, so feel free to make your own!

always striving for more,

dee b.

p.s. aside from the whole new design and revamp (please let me know what you think, i am trying to make it more reader friendly, easier on the eyes, etc.), i am working on a new feature that i am SUPER excited about.....stay tuned!

.:quinoa - friend or foe?:.

whether you're trying to pronounce it or cook it, quinoa can be intidating, right?

if you're anything like me, you dream of being a connoisseur of quinoa because of all the awesome recipes you see on Pinterest, plus you heard somewhere that it's healthy for you, right? one issue, you just don't know how to get it from the crazy bulk grain container at the grocery store to your stove (do you put it on the stove? who knows!)

well, let me break it down for you - quinoa is great for you :: give yourself 3 tries cooking it and you will be a pro, i promise!!!

buying quinoa:. it is cheaper to buy quinoa out of the bulk section in the grocery store, but you can also buy it in a fancy plastic zip bag found in either the pasta or baking items aisle.

preparing quinoa:. since i buy quinoa out of the bulk dispenser, i soak it for about 15 minutes in lukewarm water before cooking. this can help take off the bitter coating called saponin (i am also a slight germaphobe, so it makes me feel better). don't have 15 minutes??? soak it for 5 minutes or simply give it a quick rinse through a mesh strainer (hand mesh strainer, approx $3 at Target) or just skip this all together. you will be ok, deep breath.

cooking quinoa:. i swear, the first 5 times i cooked quinoa i 'Googled' how to do it JUST to make sure i was OK. the ratio i like to use is 1 cup quinoa, 1 1/2 cups of cold water and a dash of salt - you may want to play around with this ratio depending on how 'soft' or 'firm' you decide you like your quinoa (relax, Goldilocks).

anyway, put the quinoa, water and salt in a pot, cover it and let it come to boil. turn the heat down to low-medium (there should still be a slow boil) and let it work it's magic for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa absorbed most of the water - occasionally, you can fluff with a fork.

voila! that's it - not that hard, right? like i said, you can play around with the quinoa::water ratio depending on your preference. i made quinoa for the 6th time last night and i didn't even double check Google.

is it really healthy for you?!

think of it as a superhero version of brown rice. quinoa has all the essential amino acids making it a complete protein. along with it being a complete protein, quinoa is gluten free, has more protein (8 g) and fiber (5 g) AND less carbs than brown rice - need i say more???

brown rice and quinoa can be used interchangeably - play around with it as a plain side dish, in a casserole or soup, pilaf or stir fry!

i have a few recipes that i will share shortly - enjoy!


always striving for more,
dee b.



.:happy humpday!:.

humpday is quite an exciting checkpoint for myself and my surrounding cube-mates. it's not only allows us to see the light of the weekend, but it also means payday is tomorrow and, let's be honest, humpday jokes break up the day as well.

i am proud to tell you all that i made it to the gym last night and worked out for an entire 1 1/2 hours burning over 700 calories. i have not worked out like (or felt this sore) in a long time.

my workout routine included:.
-30 min run on the treamill, starting out at 6.0 speed and increasing every 5 mins until i reached 7.8 speed. lucky for me, this was another run where my legs wanted to out run my heart regardless of the fact that i spent most of the time with a heart rate over 175 bpm. heart, i am sorry that i'm not sorry.
-weightlifting-i am hoping for this to become more methodical, so i can share some secrets with you until then, i just do basic squats, benchpress, incline dumbbell press and more squats....
-abs-my mf decided we should do the ab workout from p90x together. after about 2 sets, he got distracted by intramural soccer (soccer being his main love) that was going on. before we started he heeded a warning, do what you can, so i was glad to have only done 2 sets. :)
- we ended up playing in a game of intramural soccer, so i guess that counts as working out, right?

before working out, i tried out a recipe like i promised! i made eggocupcakes (egg cupcakes). the recipe is cheap and the procedure is simple:.

.:eggocakes:.
>approx 10 eggs
>approx 1 cup of milk
>salt or seasoning salt & pepper
>veggies:. peppers, mushrooms, whatever you like in your omelets
>cheese
>cupcake pan
>non-stick cooking spray

preheat oven to 375°. in a mixing bowl, create scrambled egg mixture with eggs, milk, and salt  & pepper. pour mixture into the cupcake pan (sprayed with the non-sticky stuff). cut up your choice of veggies and sprinkle them in with the cheese. bake for 30 mins. pop them out of the cupcake pan and refigerate. they're easy and healthy for breakfast on the run or quick post-workout protein. i made mine with almond milk and quinoa (for a little extra protein kick). now, this was my first time playing with quinoa, i am pretty sure i made it right, but i am going to have to play with it a little more before i know for sure. i soaked it in cold water for about 7 mins before draining it. i used 1 cup quinoa: 1 1/2 cup cold water, brought it to a boil and let it simmer for about 15 mins, essentially, until all the water was absorbed. next time, i may try this recipe with skim milk and skip the quinoa....

pictures of the recipe will be on later tonight (i can blog at my cubicle, but cannot upload pics)

anyway friends, i am off for a night of basketball practice and hopefully a few drinks to celebrate humpday (i'll be honest, a workout tonight is not in the forecast)

always striving for me,
dee b.