Warrior Salad

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I am so ready to get back to my regular schedule.  I have eaten whatever I have wanted and not worked out as much I should have.  It is the holiday season, so I'm not going to dwell on it.  What's done is done.  Time to move on and get back to it.  I can absolutely tell I have not been eating well or been working out.  I have less energy and just feel kind of blah.

I got the recipe for this salad from a cookbook that I got for Christmas (The Chew) and it is from Daphne Oz.  I changed it a little by not adding as much olive oil, but here it is.

Serves 4

Dressing:
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp real maple syrup
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
2 cups cooked quinoa
3/4 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Nutritional info:  265 calories, 0.5 g saturated fat, 46.1 g carbs, 5.5 g dietary fiber, 8.3 sugars, and 8.4 g protein.

Turkey Salad

It is no secret that I love Chicken Salad.  I very much enjoy making it with some fat free greek yogurt and dijon mustard and rolling it up in a wrap.  So, I figured I would make some turkey salad wraps since I had some left over turkey!  You can make your turkey salad however you like to make your chicken salad.  Some people like celery, grapes, cranberries, pecans or walnuts in theirs.  I made some very basic greek yogurt and dijon for mine.  Sooooo good.  It was a great way to use up my leftovers.

Quinoa Cucumber Caprese Salad

I LOVE CAPRESE SALAD!  I know it has to do with the delicious fresh mozzarella, but the combination of that with the basil and tomatoes is a match made in heaven.  Here is my lunch for the week.  I can eat it as a salad or in a wrap, of course.

1 English cucumber, diced
1 Avocado, diced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
1 cup quinoa uncooked
juice of 1 lemon
3 minced garlic cloves
3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
4 oz fresh mozzarella, diced

Cook the Quinoa according to the package directions.  Mix all of the ingredients together and there you have it...Easy Peasy.  This salad is a little higher in calories and fat than my normal salad, but I just love it so much.  It is worth it!

Peanut Butter Banana Wrap with Mini Chocolate Chips and Golden Raisins

I love all things that have peanut butter and chocolate, so I decided to make a snack wrap today with those things in mind.  To make it seem healthier, I also added some banana and golden raisins.  I can convince myself that something is healthy if I can add some fruit and/or veggies to it.  It is my super power.  :)

-1 Low carb, multigrain wrap (60 calories)

-1 Tablespoon of Natural Peanut Butter (85 calories)

-1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life chips, 25 calories)

-1 Tablespoon of Golden Raisins (depending on what brand, 30 calories)

-1/2 banana (depending on size, 50 calories)

This wrap is about 250 calories and is very filling.  As you know by now, I need a snack pretty much every day at about 3pm and this hit the spot!  It is filling and satisfied my peanut butter/chocolate craving.

Tomato and Basil Salad

The garden is getting a little out of control, so this week I made a very simple salad for my lunches this week.

4 cups of chopped, seeded tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 can white beans
1/2 cup quinoa dry, cooked and cooled
2 oz of any hard cheese grated such as pecorino or parmesan
2 Tablespoons of Balsamic

This makes me 5 servings to have as a salad or in a wrap.  Nutritional facts: Saturated fat: 2.4 grams, dietary fiber: 5.6 grams, sugars: 2.4 grams, protein: 9.5 grams, 187 calories.

My Version of a BLT

Vegetarians, look away.  Today I wanted some bacon.  I do not like turkey bacon.  I like REAL bacon.  I cooked up 2 slices of center cut, thick sliced bacon (80 calories).  While it was sizzling away I pulled out one of my low carb tortillas (60 calories) and spread a Laughing Cow Veggie Cheese (45 calories) wedge on it.  Then I placed some spinach on top of the cheese and a sliced Roma tomato on top of that.  Once the bacon was done, I drained the grease on a paper towel and put it in my wrap and wrapped it up.  It was OH.  SO.  HEAVENLY.  It wasn't too bad for me either.  The only problem is that I wanted another one when I was finished with it, but I had some blackberries instead.  See, I can have self control some times.

Mediterranean Crunch Salad

My lunch for this week is Mediterranean Crunch Salad and I found it at the Whole Foods site.  I altered it a bit to fit my tastes and you can do the same.

1 can of Garbanzo beans (15 oz)
1 chopped English cucumber
1 cup of quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup diced onions
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup of finely sliced kale, thick stems removed
20 Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced,
3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon, finely chopped fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon, finely chopped parsley

As always, this is good as a salad, side, or in a wrap.

My version makes 5 servings and is 170 calories.  It has .7 grams saturated fat, 4.9 grams dietary fiber, 3.4 grams sugar, and 6 grams protein.

Strawberry banana breakfast wrap

I made some homemade almond butter because....well I love it.  My favorite almond butter is Justin's Almond Butter, but it has 200 calories per serving.  Mine has only 98 calories because it has no added oil.  My favorite thing to make with my almond butter (other than straight off the spoon) is to add it to a breakfast wrap.  I get a low carb tortilla (mine is 60 calories) and smear some almond butter, slice up 3 strawberries and half of a banana and roll it up.  My wrap is 221 calories.

Mediterranean farro salad

I know I am late with my post today. I have been without power since Friday. I could whine and complain about it, but I have a generator and my town is not underwater and I am not watching fires come closer and closer to my home. I will just be thankful that I can do some of my everyday activities that I enjoy (thank you gas stove). Please excuse any typos or formatting issues as I am doing this all on my iPhone.

Here is my lunch for the week. I can keep it in a bowl or toss it in a wrap.

3oz fresh mozzarella, diced
4oz kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups farro uncooked
About 25 cherry tomatoes quartered
1/4 cup diced red onion
3 minced garlic cloves (or less)
About 30 chopped basil leaves
2 Tablespoons balsamic
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook and cool your farro and add it with all the other ingredients. Enjoy!!

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chick Pea Salad

I prepare my breakfast and lunch every Sunday for the week ahead, so there is never a question about what I am eating.  For my lunch, I usually make a new salad I can stuff in a wrap.  This week I made a Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chick Pea Salad that I adapted from here.  It is so summery and fresh!

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (cook it using package directions)
1 can of chick peas
1 pint of quartered tomatoes
2 diced avocados
2 garlic cloves
1/4 onion
1 bunch of cilantro
2 cups of spinach leaves

dressing:
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp. dijon mustard

In a food processor, zap the garlic, onion, cilantro and spinach until chopped finely.

Combine in a large bowl the cooled quinoa, chick peas, tomatoes and avocados.

Whisk the lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl.

Combine the mixture in the food processor to the ingredients in the large bowl and then pour the dressing over the top.  Combine all the ingredients together gently.  Eat on its own as a salad or put in a wrap!

Rosemary, lemon chicken salad

Here is an easy recipe for Chicken salad that I LOVE!

1 Rotisserie chicken from your grocery store deli, skin removed and chopped
1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
the zest of 1 lemon
1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
1/4-1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (depending on how creamy you want it)
salt and pepper to taste

Add it to some leafy greens or put it in a wrap.  It is so yummy!

Summer Chopped Salad with Garbanzo Beans and Quinoa

I do love a summer salad with beans and/or quinoa.  I eat them for lunch all week.  I eat them as a salad or I put them in a wrap on top of some fresh spinach.  I adapted this salad from this original recipe.

1-14 oz can of garbanzo beans
1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded, cored and diced
1 English cucumber, diced
3 green onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 oz feta cheese
20-30 fresh basil leaves chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa as the box suggests.  Then combine with all of the above ingredients once cooled.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

I missed having a Quinoa salad to put in my wrap at lunch, so I made this one.  I am a huge fan of cilantro...and avocado....and wraps  :)

serves 6

1 can black beans
1 avocado diced
1 cup cooked quinoa
about a pint of quartered cherry tomatoes
4 scallions minced
juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno minced
salt and pepper to taste

For my wrap, I put the salad on a bed of baby spinach as I always do.

Nutritional Info (salad only):  Saturated fat .2 grams, dietary fiber 4.8 grams, sugar 1.5 grams, protein 6.5 grams.

Spring Vegetable Farro Salad

This is my first time ever making farro and boy am I going to find ways to eat it all the time.  It is so good and good for you.  I adapted the recipe from here.

2 cups farro, uncooked
10 asparagus spears
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 red onion
1 can of artichoke hearts
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
8 minced garlic cloves
30 fresh basil leaves, chopped
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup balsamic
4 oz grated parmesan
4 scallions chopped (light green and dark green parts only)

Put the farro in a pot with about 4 cups of water and simmer with the lid on for 20-25 minutes.  Drain water if any remains and allow to cool.

Cut up the asparagus, zucchini, squash, onion, artichokes, peppers into bite sized pieces. Add to a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil.  Add the minced garlic as well.  Make sure the veggies aren't too crowded on the sheet.  Cook at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes or so.  You want your veggies to be tender, not mushy.  When done, allow to cool.

Once everything is cool, mix the farro and the veggies together as well as the basil, lemon juice, balsamic, cheese and scallions.  Put in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

This makes A LOT!  I made it and had it for lunch for the week.  Mine made 10 cups of salad.  I have also put it in a wrap for lunch (surprise, surprise).

Quinoa, Tomato and Bean Salad

I needed a side dish for our turkey burgers last night, so I decided to make a fun salad.  I had all of the ingredients in my refrigerator/pantry, so I just threw it all together easily.  It was so yummy and SO GOOD FOR YOU!!

makes 4 large servings

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 can of white beans (you could use any beans you like.  I just had these on hand)

1 pint of tomatoes halved or quartered

20-25 basil leaves cut into ribbons

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons of olive oil

3 garlic cloves

the juice from half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Nutritional info: 171 calories a serving, .6 grams saturated fat, 6.1 grams dietary fiber, 1.6 grams sugar, 7.1 grams protein.

Guess what I am putting in a wrap tomorrow with the leftovers?

Avocado Egg Salad

To add to my collection of lunch wraps, I made this one today.  It makes 3 servings.

2 Whole hard boiled eggs
4 Hard boiled egg whites
1 avocado diced
3 Tablespoons of Greek Yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
1 Tablespoon of chopped chives
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

I put mine on some spinach inside my low carb wrap.  My calorie total came to 197 calories, 9 grams of fat, .8 grams saturated fat, 8.1 grams dietary fiber, 1.8 grams sugar, and 14.4 grams protein.

California Wrap

I love wraps for lunch.  I can't deny that.  This can also be adapted to make a sandwich  :)

I adapted this recipe slightly from here.

Makes 3 wraps:
1 avocado diced
1 tomato seeded and chopped
1 cup cucumber seeded and diced
juice of 1 lime
3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons minced chives
Salt and pepper to taste

In my low carb wrap, I spread 1 Garden Vegetable Laughing Cow Cheese wedge, 1/4 cup raw spinach, 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts, and 1/3 of the avocado salad.  Enjoy!

Nutritional info:  208 calories, 2.8 grams saturated fat, 9.7 grams dietary fiber, 2.3 grams sugar and 10.8 grams protein.

Food of the week: WRAPS

One slice of bread can be up to 120 calories depending on the type you choose.  You can save yourself a lot of calories just by eating wraps.  I eat tons of wraps for lunch and I love them!  The round wraps I eat are only 60 calories and the oblong ones are 90 calories.  You really need to read the nutritional information on the wraps at the store because some of them are over 200 calories a piece. So, enjoy a wrap for your lunch!  Wiggity wiggity wack!

Avocado and chickpea salad

My Friend, Cindy posted this recipe yesterday on her awesome blog, vegetarianmamma .  She actually linked the recipe last week, but made it yesterday and texted me to tell me how awesome it was.  So, I decided to make it my lunch.  She got the recipe from twopeasandtheirpod.com .  There are some wonderful recipes there as well.  After I made this, I decided it tasted like guacamole and figured I should put it in a wrap and add some salsa and spinach.  SOOOOOO GOOD!

Wiggity wiggity wack! It's another wrap idea. :)

I sure have been eating a lot of wraps at lunch this week. Today, I had some beans left over from dinner so I used them on top of spinach with some salsa, some avocado, and a sliced babybel. So delicious. I am a huge Mexican food fan and this was very yummy and you have to love a wrap that is only 250 calories.