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Thursday, June 29, 2017

Perfect Summer Appetizer: Tomato Olive Mozzarella Bites



Does anyone remember the movie MERMAIDS with Cher?  I LOVED that movie when I was younger.  Cher was the coolest, quirkiest, and prettiest mom and fed her girls all sorts of fingers foods for meals.  And THAT is what inspired me to make this appetizer!  (If you haven't seen the movie, please do).

I made this for the first time and brought it to a neighborhood backyard bbq and it was a hit!  This is a simple, yet delicious, and totally refreshing appetizer on a warm summer night, when you are chatting and waiting for the burgers and chicken to cook.  


Ingredients:
1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 pint of Fresh Mozzarella balls, halved
1 jar of Green Olives stuffed with Garlic, halved
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper Mill
Toothpicks

To Assemble:   
Use the Tomatoes and Olives as the 'ends' with the Mozz in the middle of the toothpick.  When plate is full, drizzle with the olive oil and crack the salt and pepper on top.  

DONE.  It is just that easy!   And you didn't even have to turn on the oven :)




Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Romaine Tuna Sandwich!

Romaine Tuna Sandwich

Refreshing!  Delicious!  And it whips up in seconds and is not hard to pack up and take with you to work or a picnic or wherever the day takes you!  Just pack up the tuna separately from the leaves and assemble when you are ready to eat.

I love Tuna - great protein and low calorie - a favorite combo of mine!   And it's tasty and you can mix it with all sorts of things.  I love it with Capers, but could not find any in the fridge, so today it's pretty basic, but still satisfying and yummy :)

Simply mix together:
1 can, Chunk Light Tuna packed in water
a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Salt, to taste
(add some Capers, if you have them!)

Then scoop this mixture into beautiful fresh sturdy Romaine Leaves.  Top with sliced Cherry Tomatoes, and serve with 1/2 Avocado, diced.

Did you know there is Protein in Romaine and more Vitamin A than a Carrot?! 

Clean Eating at its summertime best :)  And it's got all my 'must have's' for a great and healthy meal:

Protein
Veggies
Good Fats
Fiber
Yumminess

Enjoy!




Thursday, June 15, 2017

Veggie Plate: a Cool Meal on a Hot Summer Day

Veggie Plate, Cool Meal on a Summer Day


What turns a plate of Veggies (in this case: mushrooms, zucchini, and tomatoes) into a delicious meal?  In my humble opinion, any of these techniques will do:

-Browning/ Sauteing the veggies (don't be afraid of high heat)
-using plenty of good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-Fresh Garlic
-Fresh sliced/ diced Onions
- and of course: SALT!

I made all these Veggies yesterday so today I was able to simply pull the Pyrex out of the fridge and plate it and sit down to enjoy.  Isn't it pretty?!  I think so :) and yes, it was delicious - due to the browning, the good EVOO, the garlic, the onions and the salt.

You may say:  where is the protein?!  Well it was a hot day and I wasn't all that hungry, but still, I never skip a meal; this was the perfect solution :)   After sitting down to eat it I thought....mmmm some nice Kalamata Olives would have been a great addition or some fresh Mozzarella, alas I had neither and survived with just the Veggies ;)

You know about "eating your water"?   That's a thing and very important in the summer heat.  This meal fits the bill!

Enjoy :)


Monday, June 12, 2017

Cauliflower "Rice" Teriyaki


Cauliflower "Rice" Teriyaki


Happy Monday :)  So this is my version of a "Cleanse" after a weekend away enjoying all sorts of indulgences:  a plate of veggies packing a lot of fiber and good fats and good flavor!  

I usually buy cauliflower and pulse it up myself in the food processor to make 'cauliflower rice', but this time I just picked up a bag from Trader Joe's ready to go - it makes throwing this meal together fast and easy!  

I simply heated the cauliflower rice with some grated carrots and a little Teriyaki sauce in a pan.  Then I topped it with 1/2 Avocado, diced, and the juice from 1/2 Lime.  Delish.

I've also been drinking water all morning.  I typically start off with a 16 oz glass of water every morning, before breakfast, and then another after breakfast. But after all the sodium and treats this weekend I'm drinking even more today!

If you aren't sold on all this water drinking, check out 6 reasons to drink water!