Summer Veggie Spring Rolls

There have been lots of "happenings" in the Yellow Apron world during these last 2 months of a hiatus.  1.  We moved apartments, and 2. A new addition has joined the household.  Meet Cooper.

School has ended, which means my little blog gets much more attention.  And to kick off the summer, I have a great dish to share.  I originally got the idea from Clean Eating magazine, my absolute favorite magazine for recipes.


We had them as a side dish to our dinner, but they would also make a great appetizer, or a lunch.  What's even better, is they are very customizable to suit your taste buds! (C gave these a 10 too).

Ingredients:


1 cup shredded broccoli shaw (carrots, broccoli, red cabbage)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup mango chunks
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
12 rice paper sheets (I only used 8, but they come in a pack of 12)

Someone wanted to help.

Keeping my feet warm

Steps:
1.  In a large bowl mix all ingredients except for the rice paper.

2.  Take a shallow dish (like a casserole dish) and fill it with warm water and place to the side.  Lay a damp tea towel on your work station (dining room table for me).

3.  Take 1 sheet of the rice paper and soak it in the water for 15 seconds.  Then remove it and blot it with the damp tea towel.  It should be sticky.

4.  Using a spoon, place filling across the center, in a line.

5.  Fold up the two short ends.

6.  Fold over one long side, then roll over the remaining wrapper.

7.  Serve with soy sauce on the side.

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Take Your Lunch To Work this week!

This Edamame Bean Salad is a perfect dish to make on a Sunday, and then have for lunch for the week.  It's absolutely delicious.  Have some plain greek yogurt on the side and you have enough protein to keep you satisfied all afternoon!


Random Sidenote:  Ever since I was little, I have had a fear of cafeteria lines.  School food quality aside, everyone always just seems to know where to go, how much food costs, what foods you have to buy (like you always had to buy a milk with the lunch, but I never wanted the milk because I don't like milk!), etc.  All growing up I brought my lunch to school, and continue to do so.  Plus, my mom would put little notes in my lunch bag, which continued through high school!  Everyone at the lunch table was super jealous...






Ingredients:  
1 can black beans
1 can chick peas
about 20 grape tomatoes cut in half
1 cup shelled edamame (thawed if frozen)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 oz. fresh mozzarella chopped
(this is about half of a typical package)
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

Dressing:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt



Steps:  
1)  Drain and rinse the black beans and the chick peas.

2)  In a large bowl combine: black beans, chick peas, tomatoes, edamame, cilantro, mozzarella, onion, and mushrooms.  Stir to combine

(I have a huge issue with cutting onions.  No matter what I do, it just burns my eyes.  I have resorted to buying the pre-chopped type.  I know this is horrible both economically, and environmentally... but what's a girl to do?!)  

3)  In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing.  Pour on top of the salad, then stir to fully mix.

4)  Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Ginger Edamame

This dish can easily be done as an after-school/work snack, or used as a side dish to a meal.  From start to finish, it was about 6 minutes.  Can't beat it!  Ingredient amounts will change depending on the tasters choosing.  Fresh ginger is really good for you too!





Ingredients: 

cooking spray
peeled/chopped fresh ginger
frozen edamame, in pods
soy sauce











Steps: 

1)  Spray a small pan with cooking spray, and heat on medium.

2)  Add in chopped ginger.



3)  Add frozen edamame and soy sauce.  Use enough soy sauce so the edamame is just covered.  (You can always add more later, but you can't take it away!)

4)  Cook until edamame is warmed through (about 5 minutes).

5)  Remember, when eating shelled edamame, use your teeth to squeeze out the bean!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

A Quinoa Dish Variation

Wow, ok so my last post was a full month ago... I'm sorry my dedicated Yellow Apron Experiment Readers!  I don't understand how people with full time jobs and kids are able to blog.  So as a special treat to all you readers out there, 2 posts today!  A simple healthy, food dish, and an idea for those small apartment dwellers.  

This dish is a slight variation on a past quinoa dish.  But can we say Hello Protein!  C (my official taste tester) gave this one an 8.  The addition of olives would have made it a 9...




Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup of quinoa

1/2 can kidney beans
1/2 can black beans
5-6 whole fresh mushrooms (sliced)
10-15 grape tomatoes cut in half

Small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese




Steps:
1.  In a medium size pot, bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil.  Add in the quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer.

2.  After about 15 minutes (or until about 1/2 of the liquid has been absorbed) add in the kidney beans, black beans, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

3.  Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed (about 30 total minutes).  Just before serving add in the mozzarella cheese and mix.

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Lime Bean Salad

As I wrote in the last blog, I sort-of misread directions about preparing dry bulk beans.  Long story short, C. and I ate beans just about everyday for 2 weeks.  Eventually we still had so many beans leftover, we just had to throw the rest out.  So, taking the large mixture of beans, I made a delicious bean salad with a lime dressing on it.  

Reminder to self: fully read the directions before trying something new... Especially where it says dry beans will increase 2 to 3 times in volume when cooked!

Ingredients: 
4 cups of beans (Any type works...You can get super creative with the bulk beans at Whole Foods!)
tomatoes
avocado
feta

(Dressing):
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from 2 limes
fresh cilantro (about 3 tbsp chopped)
dash of salt













Steps:


1)  Make dressing by mixing olive oil, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and a dash of salt in a small bowl.

2)  Pour over the beans and thoroughly mix.  I let the mixture sit over night to really soak up some of the dressing.  Add in the avocado after.

3)  Before serving (or eating) add in some chopped tomato, and sprinkle with feta.  Save this step for just before eating the salad, otherwise they tend to get too mushy.

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Citrusy Sweet Potatoes

Ok so work is really starting to get in the way of my blogging... Good thing today is Columbus day, and I can finally get caught up.

I made this side dish a few weeks ago as part of a bigger meal.  Timing with my cooking is something I really have to work on.  I thought this meal was going to be quick and easy... easy yes, but quick, not so much!  The sweet potatoes ended up taking much longer than I thought, which threw off my timing for everything else.  (Check back soon for the beef skewers that were also part of the meal!)

The Citrusy Sweet Potatoes are the perfect dish if you have the feeling where you love fall, but are still slightly holding on to summer.  Weird way to describe a dish right??  However, the sweet potatoes make it a great fall side dish, while the pomegranate and lime make it feel more like a summer dish.  Hence the summer leading to fall dish! I originally got the idea for this dish from the Whole Living Blog.  (Seriously, if you don't subscribe to it, it is a MUST!)

Ingredients: (for 2 people)

2 sweet potatoes

1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes 

2 tablespoons cilantro

1 pomegranate

1 lime

Sidenote:  The originally recipe called for toasted unsweetened coconut flakes.  I didn't find the unsweetened coconut flakes until after I made these (Whole Foods bulk section), so I went with just what's in the baking section of my regular grocery store.  I also didn't toast them because of my timing issue.  I will be trying that with dinner tonight though!  The original recipe also used coconut milk, but I am not a fan of it!



Steps:
1)  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork so steam can escape.

2)  Bake on a cookie sheet for about 45 minutes.  (I ended up having to put mine in the microwave for an additional 10 minutes).


3)  While the sweet potatoes are cooking, cut open the pomegranate.  I read somewhere the best way to do this is under water.  I cut the pomegranate in half horizontally, then soaked each half upside-down in water.  After about 5 minutes, it's much easier to break apart the pomegranate (in the water!).  The seeds start to separate from the rind.

4) When the sweet potatoes are done, and have cooled enough so you can touch them, cut them in half.   Slightly mash each side.  If you can't easily do this, then they probably need to cook longer.


5)  Sprinkle the top of each potato with the pomegranate seeds, coconut flakes, cilantro (chopped).  It's really tasters choice with how much you add of each.  Then squeeze the lime juice on top of each potato, about half a lime per potato!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Stuffed Avocados

I seriously think I could live off avocados.  I probably eat them at least 4-5 times a week, and always love it when I find new avocado recipes.  I had originally found the idea for this from a fellow food blogger (Thanks Kitchen Trial and Error!), but changed it to suit my needs.   

I served the stuffed avocados as a side dish, using just 1 avocado for 2 people.  These would also be great to serve if you have people over for dinner.  They take about 2 minutes to make, but look and taste great!

Ingredients:

avocados (at least 1 per 2 people people)

1 can black beans

salsa 

feta crumblers

fresh mint leaves (chopped)

   

Steps:

1.  Cut the avocados in half the long way.

2.  Use a knife to remove the pit.

3.  Using a small spoon, scoop just a little bit of the avocado out to make the indent bigger.  This way there is more room to fit the filling!

4.  Warm the beans in a microwave safe dish for about 45 seconds.  Then place 2-3 tablespoons of the beans in the avocado "indent."

5.  Top with some salsa.  I have absolutely no spice tolerance so I opted for Newman's Own Mild Tequila Lime.  

6.  Sprinkle with feta crumblers and chopped mint leaves!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Quinoa, Tomatoes, Olives, Feta... And All in One Dish

This quinoa dish is delicious and super easy to create.  It can be served as a side to a dinner, or really it can be a  meal in itself.  Quinoa is a "complete protein" (check out the link for full details) which basically means it's really good for you.  Quinoa is high in protein, calcium, iron, fiber, and  magnesium.  For all you vegetarians out there (and non-vegetarians too), if quinoa isn't already part of your regular diet, it is a must!!

Ingredients:

2 c. Chicken Broth

1 c. Red Quinoa 

(really any type would work, but the red gives it a nice color)

35 Grape Tomatoes, cut in half

1 can sliced Olives

3/4 c. Feta Cheese

Steps:

1) In a pot, bring quinoa and chicken broth to a boil.

2) Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then add in halved tomatoes.

3) Continue to let simmer until all the liquid is gone.

4) Mix in the feta and olives.

5) Serve in a large dish!

Be sure to finish the meal with your favorite dark chocolate... for health purposes of course!

Give this meal a try and let me know how it goes! Put your own twist on it?  I'd love to hear it all below in the comments section!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~

Salty? Crunchy? Healthy? Yes, Please!

Do you ever crave that salty, crunchiness of potato chips? Feel like you've been so good with your eating habits and don't want to ruin the track you've been on?  Well, Kale Chips are the answer to your life's burning questions.  They will satisfy that salty/crunchy need and are a great compliment to almost any dish. (Plus kale is LOADED with Vitamin A, C, and K)

Sidenote: Thanks "Sissy K" for the recipe... I chose to spice it up a bit with some garlic powder!

Ingredients:

Kale

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Garlic Powder

1)  Chop off the stems of the kale.

 2)  Cut the kale along each side of the spine.  Throw out the spine and chop the leaves into small pieces.

3)  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with sea salt (generous amount) and garlic powder (a small touch).

It seems like a lot, but the kale really cooks down.










4)  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the kale is crunchy.  You will need to mix it a few times while cooking too.

Ever make Kale Chips before? Have a different variation of them?  I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!

~Eat Well and Be Happy~