Ingredients

For the chicken

2 whole chicken breasts
2 tablespoon of crushed chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
4 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

For the tacos

4-6 flour tortillas
2 cups of shredded cabbage
1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 tomato, chopped
a handful of cilantro, chopped
sour cream (optional)
extra hot sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken breast in the crushed chipotle peppers (run this through the food chopper or processor to get the peppers finely chopped), tomato paste, lime juice, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt overnight or for at least two hours in the refrigerator.

2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and add the chicken breast. Cook on medium-low heat until chicken is completely cooked from the inside.

3. Allow chicken to cool until it can be shredded. In the meantime, chop the cilantro, tomato, and cabbage, if needed.

4. Shred the chicken with a fork into bite-sized shreds.

5. Add to a warm tortilla and top with cabbage, cilantro, tomato, and cheese. You can add sour cream and extra hot sauce (my husband and I LOVE “El Yucateco” habanero sauce) as needed. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 shot of vodka
1/6 shot of Chambord raspberry liqueur
1/4 shot of limoncello
1/6 shot of pineapple juice or club soda
a handful of ice cubes

Directions

1. Add ice cubes to a martini glass and let stand a few minutes in order to cool the glass.

2. Mix the Chambord, vodka (I like Grey Goose or Three Olives, but pick your favorite), limoncello, ice cubes and pineapple juice to a cocktail shaker and shake away! If you’re using club soda, add this after you’re done shaking.

3. Pour into the glass (without the ice cubes) and enjoy!

Van’s Waffles

Who doesn’t like a warm, slightly crispy on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside waffle? If you’re an Eggo fan, keep reading! I recently discovered Van’s and might not go back. These frozen waffles are ready in less than 5 minutes (in the toaster) and super quick and easy to consume, even when on the go.

What I love: These waffles (I buy the “Lite” version) are fairly small, but big on taste! They also 97% fat free, made with whole grains, contain no artificial ingredients, and at 70 calories per waffle, you can easily eat 3 for a nutritious and satisfying breakfast.

What I don’t like: They can be addicting! Especially when you eat them with some peanut butter and jelly on top. Keep in mind that these are a little pricier than regular waffles, but well worth the chemical-free ingredients that they’re made of.

The Verdict: Try them for breakfast with some fruit or maple syrup on top. Then, let me know if you’re still missing your Eggos J.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt

This new line of Greek yogurt by StonyField Farms is definitely one of my new favorite foods! Yogurt really makes for a fantastic snack anytime of the day, and girls, if you don’t like drinking milk, yogurt is a great alternative to get your daily dose of Calcium in.

What I love: This Greek yogurt is much creamier and richer than regular yogurt. It also has 0% fat, less carbs, and about twice the protein of regular yogurt. It tastes great, is quite filling and because it’s organic, there’s no worry about hormones or chemicals in your yogurt either!

What I don’t like: It’s quite pricey, up to $1 more compared to regular Stonyfield Farms yogurt. I wouldn’t mind paying a little less J.

The Verdict: Definitely give this a try and compare it to regular yogurt to see which one you like better. My favorite flavor is the regular Greek yogurt with honey on the bottom – simply divine!

Ingredients (for 3-4 people)

1 cup of red lentils
4 cups of water
A pinch of turmeric powder
6-8 fresh curry leaves
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon dried mango powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
a handful of cilantro, finely chopped
salt to taste

Directions

1.  Submerge the lentils in water and allow them to soak for at least 10 minutes.

2.  Chop the tomato and add to a small pot that can hold 4 cups of water along with the lentils, turmeric powder, curry leaves, and some salt. Bring to a vigorous boil on medium-high heat.

3.  In the meantime, chop the onion, green chilies, and cilantro.

4.  Once the lentils are boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for at least 10 more minutes.

5.  In a separate, small frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Continue to fry until they start to sputter.

6.  Carefully add the onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, mango powder, and cumin powder. Stir together and fry for about 5 minutes, until the onions are starting to become slightly soft.

7.  Add the onion mixture to the lentils and throw in the cilantro. Add more salt to taste and stir together. Serve steaming hot with Basmati rice on the side.

Smucker’s Organic Peanut Butter

Ok, who does not have a peanut butter craving from time to time? Lately, I’ve definitely been on a peanut butter kick. My favorite way to consume peanut butter is on a pure, plain, and simply peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Nothing beats it. Nothing.

What I love: Smucker’s Organic Peanut Butter (I buy the creamy kind) has just two ingredients: peanuts & salt. If you take any of the regular peanut butter types, you can be stuck with high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, hydrogenated oils, and other ingredients which simply take away from the goodness and flavor of natural of organic peanut butter. I love the fact that this peanut butter is creamy, not too salty, and perfectly natural.

What I don’t like: The fat and calorie content still tends to be quite high, which is true for just about any peanut butter you’re eating. Stick to a tablespoon or two a day and you’re in the clear.

The Verdict: Have some real, natural, organic peanut butter and get a good dose of monosaturated fats (the kind that lower the “bad” cholesterol LDL), antioxidants, and protein as an added side benefit!

Trader Joe’s Sesame Soba Noodles

This is an excellent example of a great, wonderful, and nutritious lunch or other meal-on-the-go. All you need is a microwave and you’ve got yourself a tangy, aromatic Asian meal.

What I love: These noodles are so delicious and filling! They literally keep me full for hours after I eat them. Soba noodles tend to be low in calories as well and this dish doesn’t contain more than 250 of them! The noodles, tofu, and veggies have a wonderful, tangy, sesame flavor that I definitely crave from time to time.

What I don’t like: The only drawback here would be that one bowl of these noodles does contain 25% of your daily sodium allotment. In addition, it is a frozen, not fresh meal, so as addictive as these may be, try to switch things up and eat some fresh foods as part of your meal as well.

The Verdict: Definitely give these a try! As I mentioned, you can find them at your local Trader Joe’s, in the freezer section. They are decently priced as well (under $3.00, I believe), so this makes for a great, cheap, and tasty lunch when you’re on-the-go.

Kashi Dark Chocolate Coconut Bar

If you’re looking for a quick and easy dessert, look no further! These bars are a great way to keep calories in check while satisfying your sweet tooth.

What I love: CHOCOLATE! I’ll eat pretty much anything even remotely related to chocolate, but the down side of that is that the calories tend to pile up quickly. This Kashi fruit & grain bar contains only 120 calories in addition to 4g of fiber and 4g of protein. It’s also free of preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavors.

What I don’t like: I can’t believe I’m typing this, but sometimes these can get a little TOO much in terms of sweetness. One of them is definitely enough, but that’s probably a good thing anyway =).

The Verdict: Toss one in your lunch bag or have one for dessert. It’s a lot more satisfying and definitely healthier than some of the other desserts you could be having. Once in a while, you’ve got to indulge, but Kashi makes it easy to do so, even when it feels like you’re being bad. Check out some of their other (less dessert-like) flavors as well.

Ingredients

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, more if needed
1/2 lemon, juiced, seeds removed
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 3-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. In a food processor, add the basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and a dash of salt and pepper.

3. Start grinding the mixture together and gradually stream in the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. I don’t prefer too much oil in my pesto and this seems works better with the chicken, so be careful with the amount of oil you pour.

4. Once the peso is pasty and smooth, start preheating your grill plate or outdoor grill.

5. Add the chicken to the grill and baste each side with the pesto sauce.

6. Grill until chicken is cooked. Server warm and enjoy!

Don’t eat chicken? No problem! Try the same recipe with grilled tofu instead. This goes great with the heirloom tomato recipe on my site and with some buttery garlic bread.

Ingredients

1 cup of red quinoa
2 cups of water
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the corn-avocado salad:

1 15 1/4 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained or:
4 medium ears of yellow corn, with kernels cut from the cobs
1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/3 cup of cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup of red bell pepper, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon of Mexican chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa and cook with 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes in the microwave, or a bit longer on the stove, until all liquid is absorbed. You should be able to use the same 2-1 ratio of water to quinoa as you use for rice.

2. Peel and slice the avocado and set aside. Chop the red bell pepper and cilantro.

3. Mix the corn, black beans, bell pepper, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

4. Toss in cilantro and top with sliced avocado.

5. Combine with the red quinoa or serve separately.

Ingredients

1 pound of heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on the size of the tomato
2 cups of baby spinach, washed
1 cup of crimini mushrooms, sliced
a handful of reduced fat feta cheese
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1.Slice the tomatoes and mushrooms and set aside with the washed baby spinach.

2. Heat the olive oil and add the tomatoes and mushrooms.

3. Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes and then add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted and the tomatoes start to break down a bit.

4. Turn off the heat and add the feta cheese. You don’t even need to add salt since the cheese will provide the right amount of saltiness to the entire dish. Serve immediately.

This is another FoodNetwork.com recipe that I thought was worth sharing. I tried making this just this morning and not only did it make the house smell amazing, it was really easy to prepare and turns out to be a wonderful dish for entertaining. You can find the recipe for the dish here, but read through some tips on how I made this a bit different:

• I found that you actually need much more bread than the recipe calls for. No matter what kind of bread you choose, use twice the amount, so six slices instead or the recipe will turn out too mushy.
• If you want the recipe to be more like a bread pudding, use the amount of milk recommended, otherwise, if you want this to be a little less mushy, use 2.5 cups of milk instead of 3. I used 1% milk instead of whole milk and this worked just fine.
• I changed this into an organic recipe since I normally buy all the ingredients organic. This obviously won’t affect the taste much, if at all, and you certainly don’t have to buy organic,but I find that blueberries, butter, and milk are good candidates to buy organic because of the amount of pesticides and hormones normally found in them. Besides, you won’t just improve your health, you’ll be helping out organic farmers and the earth as well!

With Father’s day coming up, this isn’t a bad recipe to surprise dad with. Goes great with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. I bet you the kids will love it, too.