The Nourishing Bowl

I have been making this bowl like crazy lately! It’s simple, delicious and nourishing.

Here is my tip: Prep the ingredients on a Sunday and make enough to last 3 days of lunches during the week.

The Nourishing Bowl

Ingredients:

Quinoa
Kale
Watermelon Radish
Chicken
Turmeric
Sea Salt
Pepper
Chicken Broth
Trader Joe’s Green Goddess Dressing
Optional toppings: Avocado, sprouts, and hempseeds

Directions:

Cook the quinoa as directed on the package.

Meanwhile pan grill chicken (or purchase a rotisserie chicken).

Then, saute kale in a little chicken broth, sea salt and turmeric.

Wash and slice the radish.

Once everything is cooked, prep bowl with ingredients and top with the green dressing.

*pre-make 1-2 other bowls in tupperware but don’t add the dressing until you eat them.

ENJOY! x

Gather: The Fancy Grilled Cheese

My friends can attest, I love me a fancy grilled cheese. And when it comes to throwing parties, I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong serving these.

Pair a grilled cheese with a side salad and soup, and voila! Here is how to keep this budget friendly, simple to put together, and appealing for picky eaters and those friends that have a food intolerance.

Made to Order: A Fancy Grilled Cheese

Bread Options:

Sourdough bread
Gluten-free bread

Cheese Options:

Goats milk cheddar
Gouda cheese
Vegan cheese (my favorite flavors come from Follow Your Heart)

Protein options:

Deli turkey
Ham

Veggie Options:

Arugula
Tomato
Dill sandwich pickles

Topping Options:

Butter (for cooking)
Stoneground mustard
Ketchup (for dipping)
Cracked pepper

Styling:

Make these look fancy by cracking pepper and placing sage or rosemary on top.

Pairing Options:

Local Beer + Wine
Deli Salad from New Seasons
Boxed soups like the Tomato/Red Pepper one from Pacific Foods

Northwest Bagel Plate

Ok, you asked for it! And I will gladly share this recipe because it’s way too simple and tasty not to share!

As some of you may know, I’ve been trying to decrease the amount of dairy in my diet, so I’ve been playing around with a lot of different nut cheeses. When I came across Kite Hill’s cream cheese, I realized that going dairy-free is practically a walk in the park. There are so many great options now that will satisfy that cheesy craving.

Anyway, a loaded bagel is my weakness. I’ve always loved them, but usually stay away from them because it’s hard to find gluten-free/dairy-free options. So, I took it upon myself to create my own. I was inspired to add smoked trout to as a replacement to smoked salmon and it was a good move. See the full “recipe” below : )

1 New Cascadia everything bagel (gluten-free)
Kite Hill chive cream cheese
thinly sliced cucumbers
smoked trout
rainbow sprouts

Assemble as you’d like!

That’s it! I also like a little squeeze of lemon on top.

Enjoy : )

Marionberry Nice Cream

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to go berry picking. There is something so nourishing to the mind and body to be able to pick your own food and then enjoy it. I cry a little inside because we don’t have much of a backyard to grow anything right now. But, I sure am grateful to live in a place like Oregon, that has endless areas to get fresh, seasonal produce.

We are big blueberry fans at our house, but lately, I have been loving marionberries. They are actually a blackberry that was developed at a college here in Oregon (pretty cool, huh?). They call it the “cabernet of blackberries.” Ha! It has a strong flavor, so I typically like to bake with them. This time, however, since the weather has been so warm, I opted to make an “ice cream” with it.

This is a really refreshing twist on ice cream and I can promise you that you won’t have that yucky post-ice cream feeling. It is also a big hit with Parker, so this is very toddler-friendly.

Marionberry Nice Cream

2 frozen bananas
2 cups of frozen marionberries
1/2 cup coconut cream
Maple syrup to taste
Top with chia seeds

Directions:

Place banana, berries and coconut cream in a blender and blend on high.

Add in maple syrup (I would start with 1 teaspoon and add more if needed). Blend again.

Pour mixture into 4 small ramekins or a large glass tupperware dish. Cover, and place in freezer for 3-4 hours.

Once frozen, stir the nice cream, and serve with chia seeds sprinkled on top.

You can’t really go wrong with 5 ingredients!

Enjoy! xx