Quinoa with Mushrooms and Sausage

We're about to get really healthy up in here.

But I can't help it. The markets here in Portland are brimming with incredible produce right now, and I must taste everything. 

Last week's fun find? Beautiful oyster 'shrooms.

And in an attempt to balance out all my beer carbs with healthy meals, this protein-packed dish was born. (Bonus: It doesn't taste as healthy as it is!).

Quinoa with Mushrooms & Sausage

Yields: 4 servings

-1 cup quinoa

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-1 small yellow onion, diced

-1 clove garlic, minced

-5 ounces oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped

-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

-Healthy pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

-1 Field Roast Italian Sausage, chopped

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

-1 1/2 cups baby spinach

-Splash of good Balsamic vinegar

-Crumbled feta cheese, for serving

Directions:

1.) Cook quinoa according to package directions. While quinoa cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften - about 5 minutes.

2.) Add mushrooms, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper to the pan. Cook until mushrooms begin to soften slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Add sausage and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

3.) In a large bowl, mix quinoa with onion, mushroom, and sausage mixture. Stir in baby spinach and let wilt; add a splash of Balsamic. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Serve with crumbled feta on top (because feta makes everything better).

This dish is a nutrient powerhouse. Protein-packed quinoa, mushrooms, and sausage + vitamin-laden spinach - with the feta cheese helping to make it seem not so healthy. Given the protein factor in this dish, it's also super satiating. Win-win!

Oh, and if you can't find oyster mushrooms, really any other mushrooms would do. And if you want to make this dish vegan? Simply leave out the feta.

What dishes have you cooked lately?

Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans and Farro

Vibrant bell peppers stuffed with black beans, farro, a slew of spices, and fresh cilantro? Yes, please.

These cute little peppers pack a protein punch, while also offering you quite the onslaught of nutrients. And if you're vegan, simply nix the cheese and yogurt. Easy - and still super delicious! 

Let's dig in!

Stuffed Peppers with Black Beans & Farro

Yields: 4 servings

-4 bell peppers

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-1 small yellow onion, diced

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

-1 jalapeno, seeded and diced small

-Cumin

-Chile powder

-Pinch of cayenne (optional)

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

-1/2 cup salsa (I used a spicy tomato salsa)

-1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

-1 cup cooked farro

-1 cup shredded cheddar

Garnish: a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and extra chopped cilantro

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.) Remove tops from peppers and scrape out membranes and seeds. Set aside.

3.) Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 1 additional minute, or until fragrant.

4.) Stir in black beans, jalapeno, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Add salsa and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and cooked farro.

5.) Evenly fill the four prepared peppers with the farro and black bean mixture, and set inside an 8x8 baking dish. Top each pepper with 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until peppers have softened and cheese is melted. Serve with dollops of Greek yogurt and extra cilantro.

Versatile, healthy, and filling. Dinner doesn't get much better than that!

What have you been cooking up lately?

Chickpea, Vegetable, and Feta Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Don't get me wrong: I love the usual pasta salads and potato salads that make an appearance at almost every summer barbecue. But sometimes, I'd like to not binge on carbs all day (keyword: sometimes). And if I'm the one responsible for said "side dish," in the middle of the summer heat wave, I sure as heck don't want to cook anything either.

That, my friends, is where this side dish comes in.

No cooking required. No heavy carbs. Mostly just nutritious ingredients covered in tangy feta, lemon juice, and nutty tahini.

Let's eat.

Chickpea, Vegetable, & Feta Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Yields: 6 servings

Salad:
-1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-1 red bell pepper, diced
-1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
-3 scallions, chopped (white AND green parts!)
-1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
-1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
-Salt and black pepper, to taste

Dressing:
-2 tablespoons tahini
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1.) In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, vegetables, parsley, and feta cheese. Season lightly with salt and black pepper; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2.) After 30 minutes is up, whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. (Texture of "dressing" will be thick; this helps prevent any leftovers from getting runny and soggy). Carefully stir dressing into salad until well-coated. Serve, and enjoy!

Summer in a bowl. With lots of feta for good measure. 

Your next barbecue needs this.

Garlic Naan Pizzas with Goat Cheese, Sausage, and Onion

I actually am trying to be more fit these days.

To help balance out all those beer calories, I've been eating healthier (during the week, at least) and hopping on the treadmill at least four times a week. And it's working. However, I still crave some freakin' pizza Monday through Friday. I'm only human!

That's where these healthier, super-easy-to-make, weekday delights come in.

These Garlic Naan pizzas are the perfect thing to whip up when you have leftover naan (like I did); or, if you just want to buy a brand new package and make a quick, healthier version of your favorite pizza.

I used toppings that were already in my fridge, but feel free to change up the toppings to your preferences. 

Here's what it took to make three of these little guys:

Garlic Naan Pizzas with Goat Cheese, Sausage, & Onion

Yields: 3 servings (with a large side salad)

-3 pieces of garlic naan

-1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1 cup pizza sauce (jarred or homemade)

-Toppings: goat cheese; 1 link Field Roast Italian Sausage, sliced; thinly sliced red onion

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place naan on an ungreased, non-stick baking sheet. Brush each piece of naan with olive oil, and evenly sprinkle on minced garlic. Spoon pizza sauce evenly over each piece; top with your desired toppings (or, toppings mentioned above).

2.) Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until naan is crisp and goat cheese is softened/starting to brown.

I mean...how easy is that? Leftover naan no longer stands a chance.

What's your biggest, guilty pleasure craving? Besides pizza, I'm always craving nachos. Always.

Farro Salad with Black-Eyed Peas, Red Pepper, and Arugula

We've gone from rice to farro, friends.

Farro is an ancient wheat grain that I somehow always forget about. I typically go for couscous or quinoa in the same grocery store aisle, forgetting about these little pearls of high-fiber goodness. (Bonus: Farro's also awesome for those who are sensitive to gluten - while it's not gluten-free, it contains lower levels than most of today's wheat products, and, if prepared properly, the gluten is pre-digested and broken down by sprouting and fermentation (like a sourdough process, essentially)). 

To up farro's nutritional ante in this recipe, I added black-eyed peas for protein, red pepper and arugula for texture and nutrients, and plenty of garlic, onion, Parmesan cheese, and even a little white wine for extra flavor.

Dig in!

Farro Salad with Black-Eyed Peas, Red Pepper, & Arugula

Yields: 6 servings

-3 cups homemade vegetable stock (or low-sodium store-bought)

-1 cup dry farro

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-1 small red onion, diced

-1 large garlic clove, minced

-1 large red bell pepper, diced

-1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

-Pinch of crushed red pepper

-Salt and black pepper, to taste

-Splash of dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)

-2 large handfuls of baby arugula

-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

-Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1.) In a large pot, bring vegetable stock to a boil. Stir in farro, and lower heat to simmer; let cook for 20 minutes, or until farro is tender. Strain any excess stock and set aside.

2.) In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is almost translucent, about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add bell pepper and cook until it begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes. 

3.) Add black-eyed peas, crushed red pepper, and salt and black pepper to the saute pan. Add a splash of wine, scraping any excess flavor from the bottom of the pan. Add the arugula and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes.

4.) Off the heat, add in the Parmesan cheese and a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Stir black-eyed pea, pepper, and arugula mixture into the cooked farro. Serve salad warm, or refrigerate and serve cold later. (It's even better the next day!).

This salad made a delectable side dish alongside some vegetarian sausages and a green salad, but a big bowl of it also made the perfect work day lunch. 

Do you have a favorite farro recipe? 

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Nutella Energy Bites

For years, my go-to "healthy" snack was LARABARS. I loved them because they contain only a few, legible ingredients; they're tasty; and there are a ton of flavors, making my weekly haul consistently varied. But as time went on, I began to discover that LARABARS never filled me up - they do have quite a bit of [natural] sugar in them. And, as an extra bummer, they're also quite expensive.

Over the last few weeks, I've become especially interested in finding a more satiating (and cheaper) alternative. So, when I stumbled upon these No-Bake Energy Bites from Gimme Some Oven, I was immediately inspired.

I tweaked the recipe to include what I already had in my kitchen, while still keeping these bites healthy and low on sugar. I also added just a teeny bit of Nutella for flavor, but the peanut butter and oatmeal are the stars here. These have been the perfect treat to pop before or after a workout, and have also been enjoyed with a cup of coffee as I try and wake up my brain for the work day.

No-Bake Peanut Butter-Nutella Energy Bites
Yields: 12 balls
-1 cup old-fashioned oats
-1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
-1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (or smooth, if you prefer)
-1 teaspoon Nutella
-2 tablespoons honey
-Pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1.) Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.
2.) Once chilled, roll into balls about 1-1.5" in diameter. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Easy to make, packed with protein, and tastes like a treat? Count me in!

What's your favorite pre- or post-workout snack to have?