TASTE: Broccoli Apple Slaw

Broccoli Apple Slaw.

Happy Earth Day! Today I'm bringing you the latest installment in this month's roundup of unusual salads and I'm just gonna go ahead and say it - this one is a home run. Because everyone that tastes this slaw wants more! And it's composed of completely raw veggies (and a few other goodies), which is especially healthy. Woohoo! Add in some sweet and savory elements, drizzle on some good dressing, and you've got yourself and healthy healthy lunch, my friends.

Ingredients:

- 1 package Broccoli Slaw (in the salad section of your grocery store - usually contains shredded broccoli, cabbage and carrots)

- 1 Granny Smith Apple, diced

- 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries

- 1/2 cup Goat Cheese

- 1/4 cup Pecans, chopped

- Your choice of Balsamic Dressing (this one is my new favorite, you can find it at Kroger in the organic section)

Method:

1. Combine the slaw, chopped apple, cranberries, goat cheese and pecans in a mixing bowl.

2. Drizzle on your balsamic dressing.

3. Voila! I told you this one was easy!

You might find yourself making this over and over again, because it's so simple to throw together, super hearty and filling, and just plain fun. Let me know what you think!

TASTE: Artichoke & Olive Quinoa

Artichoke & Olive Quinoa

You deserve a healthy lunch. But it can be hard to eat healthy when you're busy in the middle of the day! This month I am going to share with you a few easy make-ahead lunches that are easy to pack in a bag and eat on the go. I've started meal-prepping my lunches at the beginning of the week to make sure that I stick to my goals and eat healthy, even when I'm being pulled in many directions throughout my day. It's so easy to give in and chow down on whatever is accessible. For me, this often means chocolate-chip Kind bars and popcorn. Not exactly a balanced meal. And I need lots of energy, so I have to make sure I fuel up properly.

I came up with this little meal, which is super easy to prep, and some of the ingredients can even be swapped out for other options. This way, you can make it a few weeks in a row and slightly modify the mix-ins to change it up for your taste buds.

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cups Quinoa, rinsed and drained

- 3 cups Chicken Stock

- 1/2 jar Kalamata Olives

- 1 jar Artichokes

- 1 bunch Chives, finely chopped

- 1 lemon

- Salt and Pepper, to taste

- Optional swaps: green olives in place of Greek olives, parsley in place of chives, cherry tomatoes in place of artichokes - the possibilities are endless!

- Optional Add-ons for extra protein: tuna, shredded chicken or salmon

Method:

1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and set aside.

2. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add quinoa and lower the heat. Cover the pot. Stir frequently until the liquid is completely dissolved.

3. Add in the artichokes, olives, chives. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with lemon juice.

4. Add in your preferred protein, if you choose. I like it with tuna!

Lunch is Served.

I hope you get a small moment for yourself to enjoy this delicious bowl of health! Let me know what you think about this super easy make-ahead meal :) Happy Monday to you, friends!

TASTE: Lemon Mustard Chicken with Mango Cauliflower "Couscous" (PALEO ALERT)

Lemon Mustard Chicken with Mango Cauliflower "Couscous"

Good Morning! I hope everyone had an awesome Labor Day weekend. Ours was super low key, we just filled the days taking long walks and cooking early dinners. Haha, that's life with a newborn, folks! I am excited to share one particularly easy and delicious recipe with you today.

This was sent to me by my darling friend/sort-of-cousin/former-boss/mother-of-my-goddaughter (yes, we have a lot of relational ties). She mentioned that she had been eating "Paleo" lately, and that she's been feeling great as a result. I was intrigued, but not enough to give up all the good stuff in life. Obviously. She assured me that this recipe tasted DELICIOUS and that I needed to try it out for myself. So I relented. Folks? She was right. Ugh AGAIN. Kelley, you've got to stop doing that.

This recipe was sourced here, but I actually made a few (extremely minor) changes to the recipe to make it a bit more my own. (Lately I have a thing for adding whole grain mustard to everything:)

Lemon Mustard Chicken Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts, 2 to 4, boneless

- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

- ¼ cup lemon juice

- 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 tbsp honey

- 2 tsp dried thyme

- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed

- 1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp sea salt

- 1 tsp black pepper

Lemon Mustard Chicken Method:

1. Heat a skillet or dutch oven over medium and let get really hot.

2. Place olive oil, lemon juice, whole-grain mustard, garlic, honey, thyme, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

3. Add the chicken to the bowl and ensure an even coating of all the meat. (The original recipe says to "cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 2 days", but I didn't do that. I just coated the chicken well and placed it in the heated dutch oven.) Then I poured the remainder of the marinade over the chicken. The more the merrier, right?

4. Grill over medium heat only flipping once until cooked through. Serve over a bed of the Mango Cauliflower Couscous.

Mango Cauliflower "Couscous" Ingredients:

- ½ head cauliflower

- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

- ½ cup raw almonds, chopped, consistency of choice, (you can substitute any nuts that you want)

- 1 mango, peeled and diced

- 1 tbsp coconut oil

- 1 pinch sea salt

Mango Cauliflower "Couscous" Method:

1. Melt coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pulse all of the cauliflower in a food processor until it is like rice or until it resembles Couscous.

2. Transfer the cauliflower to a separate bowl. Chop almonds up in a food processor, and then add to the cauliflower.

3. Place diced mango in the food processor and pulse until it is broken down to small chunks - don’t pulse too much or you will end up with mango salsa (which I am sure would work just fine; I just prefer little bites).

4. Add the cauliflower, almonds, and coconut to the sauté pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often and then add the mango. Continue to cook until done to your liking.

All together, now.

Serve the "couscous" with the delicious Lemon Mustard Grilled Chicken and enjoy. No seriously, you WILL enjoy it. Despite the whole Paleo-label. Let me know what you think!