Coconut Quinoa & Chicken

All I hear about and read about in health blogs (you paleo crossfitters) is coconut, coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut flavored everything. I lovveee coconut, but, when it comes to savory, I'm a Mediterranean-diet/"from the earth" kind of girl. I stick to my Italian roots and create most meals with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon, garden veggies, herbs, etc... you know the drill.  

Tonight as I was driving home, I wanted to switch it up (mainly because I'm on my summer kick of avocado/tomato/basil and probably boring the bageezus out of you). Plus, I wanted to make quinoa, which I always see as a fun little challenge to make it taste like something other than sand.

Now, go ahead and google health benefits for coconut oil/milk/etc. I'm on the fence with promoting it because although the research is rather interesting (good for digestive track, anti-inflammatory, etc), it is still a saturated fat and I can't get behind it like my #1, extra virgin o/o. (rule of thumb: fats in liquid form at room temperature are better for you (unsaturated - olive oil, veg oil) than fats that harden at room temp (saturated - butter/coconut oil) .

All things in moderation though, right!? Biggest benefit of this meal? It made my condo smell like a coconut factory. You crossfitters must wreak of coconut. Not a bad thing, not a bad thing at all. 

Oh, and it's LOADED with protein from both the Chicken and the Quinoa. And, it is simple to make.

1. Cook your quinoa. 1 part quinoa, two parts coconut milk (I used coconut almond milk). I also put in a tsp of coconut oil on the bottom of the pan in fear that it might stick.

2. Add a small handful of raisins, coconut chips (or flakes), and pecans or slivered almonds. 

Cook chicken in a saute pan over medium heat in, yep, coconut oil.

Once the quinoa is fully cooked, add the chicken and top with more coconut chips (or coconut flakes - doesn't really matter). This meal is fast, easy, and pretty dang tasty. The flavor of the coconut really came out (of course) and I really enjoyed it. This is a GREAT recovery meal. Quinoa isn't just a protein superstar, it also has twice the fiber as most grains, and tons of iron (important for us ladies). I always feel like I've won when I make quinoa taste good! 

Have a great THURSDAY! xo

Rosemary & Garlic Crusted Salmon

I wanted to make salmon tonight and either grill it or broil it like I usually do. Then I remembered that I forgot lemons.... again.... at Foodies. Pissed! (for you know, 1.5 seconds). Then I thought about what I could use from my little herb garden which reminded me of a pin I pinned on Pinterest (a pin I pinned on Pinterest - is this even a real phrase now?) a couple weeks ago. Did that pretty little salmon have rosemary on it? Oh yes, yes it did. Perfect.

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The original recipe calls for the 'crust' to consist of just garlic & rosemary. As I was chopping, it was basically begging me to add the tiniest amount of butter to the mixture (honestly, half a pad, if that). Also, I drizzled the filet with olive oil and salt, of course.

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This meal only took about 20 minutes to make.  The sweet potatoes you see are easy. Just preheat the oven to 425, chop a sweet potato and drizzle with extra virgin o/o, salt & pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes then flip them around and keep baking for another 10 minutes. (I threw the salmon in with them for the last 10 minutes).

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The little avocado, tomato, feta salad is something I make constantly (pretty sure it's in a bunch of my posts). Just chop the avo/tomatoes/basil and add feta and extra virgin o/o. So easy.

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So as a little recap... Need:

- Wild Salmon

- Extra Virgin o/o

- Salt

- Pepper

- Couple sprigs of rosemary, chopped

- 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped

- 1/2 - 1 pad of butter

- Sweet Potatoes

- Avocado, Tomato, Feta, Basil

- Salmon: 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes depending on size

- Potatoes: 400-425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes 

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So, not only was this meal crazy delicious, but, it has so many health benefits I don't even know where to begin! Sooo let's see, Omegas, vitamin D, B12, and protein from the Salmon. Mono-unsaturated fats from the extra virgin o/o & Avo. Mega-antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties from the garlic. Tons of A, C, B's, and Potassium from the sweet potato. C, lycopene, & antioxidants from the tomatoes. Anddd, fiber, iron & calcium from the Rosemary. You go ahead and eat this and you enjoy yourself!

Have an awesome week! 

Grocery Staples

I haven't done a grocery list post in a while. As I've been mentioning more recently, there are certain staples that I buy each week and then "build" meals with them every day.  The goal being to make each meal different and not bore my taste buds.   Yesterday, I picked up a lot of my healthy staples that I never go without so I thought it would be the perfect time to write post on it!

Can't live without:

1. Organic chicken tenderloins 

- Non-organic chicken eat corn, GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GMO) CORN, chickens cannot process corn properly... so what are you stuck with? A fatty chicken loaded with fake chemicals. Go organic as often as possible. It's worth the extra $$. 

2. Organic Sabra hummus

I love this hummus. Most hummus that you'll find at the store has some preservatives in it - this one does not so it's second best from making the real thing. 

3. Teddy's All Natural PB 

A local favorite (Everett, MA). The only ingredients you need in PB is peanuts and salt. None of that high fructose corn syrup bull-ish. 

4. Garlic 

I mean, I'm Italian.  It'd be a sin to not have garlic in my kitchen. On top of that, it's anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, high in c, b6, and selenium. Oh, and it makes everything taste WAY BETTER. 

5. Avocados 

I eat avocados daily. I mean, fiber, potassium, vitamin c, and all of the b's, plus mono-unsaturated fat. Avocados rock and they taste amazingggg. 

6. Blueberries 

You already know they are an antioxidant powerhouse and loaded with vitamins. I like to eat them first thing in the morning with a glass of lemon water. Bfast later. 

7. Arugula 

I love arugula. I prefer it to most lettuce and it lasts way longer in the fridge. I usually bring an arugula salad to work a couple times a week. It's high in antioxidants, and vitamins c, a & potassium.  

8. Frozen yogurt 

I usually have a little fro yo after dinner every night - I have been doing that for years. Look for minimal ingredients, live cultures, no fructose, no fake sugars, etc. I really dig this local brand from Vermont, Sweet Scoops, I pick it up at Foodies in Southie  on a weekly basis. 

9. Chickpeas 

Chickpeas are a good source of protein fiber and a quick and easy topping to salad and the key ingredient in hummus (great to make on a whim when friends come over). 

10. Fage Greek Yogurt

I blogged about greek yogurt so much last year you probably got sick of it. It's just so versatile and full of protein, great for lunch, bfast, dressings, sauces, etc. Remember this? 

11. Fruits & Veggies

I usually pick up whatever is in season and priced right.  

What foods can you not live without?!  

Have a happy hump day! xo