Marinated Pork Tenderloin w/Roasted Sweet Potato-Carrot Puree and Steamed Green Beans

This is a restaurant quality meal that would work for a weeknight or entertaining.  It looks pretty fancy, but I use a few tricks from the store that make this very quick to whip up.  If you ever buy Pork Tenderloin at the grocery, you may have seen the Marinated ones as well.  They are so amazingly tender, and perfect if you don't have time to marinate yourself.  I also used the Green Beans in that come in steam able bags in the produce section, not the frozen ones.  All you have to do is microwave them for 3-4 minutes and you have perfectly steamed green beans.  I made a little Lemon Garlic Oil to toss them in afterwards. 

As for the Sweet Potato-Carrot Puree, it is the truly homemade dish of the three, but still very simple to do with a food processor.  If you don't have a food processor just mash the roasted veggies with a potato masher, it will just be "rustic" smashed roast vegetables.  The only reason I used Sweet potato and carrots is because I had 1 sweet potato i needed to use in the pantry.  But I thought the combo turned out perfect!

For the Marinated Pork (I used the Mesquite flavored):

• Heat a Grill to Medium high heat
• Place tenderloin on grill once hot and brown own each side for 3-4 minutes. 
• Then turn heat down to Med-low and cook until desired, turning occasional. About 5-6 more minutes for medium.
• Take pork of the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  This will keep it really juicy.  Slice diagonally and serve!

For the Sweet Potato Carrot Puree

Ingredients:

• 1 Sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 lb baby carrots, or sliced carrots
• 2 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 C Milk
• 2 Tbls Maple Syrup or Honey
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss Carrots and sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper in a baking dish.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until veggie are very tender.
3. Let them cool for a few minutes, then place them in a food processor, and pulse until puree begins to form. 
4. Then add in milk gradually, may need more or less depending on the consistency you like. Also add in syrup or honey. 
5.  Taste for seasoning, then serve.

Lemon Garlic Steamed Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh Green beans in steam bag
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbls Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Cook green beans in microwave according to package directions
2. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat
3. Add in garlic and Lemon zest, cook stirring for about 2 minutes.
4. Pour lemon garlic oil over the cook beans, toss and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Enjoy!

My Brother's Bean Salad

So, we went to Atlanta this weekend to stay with my big brother, Jeremy.  He lives in a pretty cool complex in Buckhead with all sorts of shops and restaurants on the bottom level.  It was fun, if I lived in Atlanta I think I would want to live at this place.  Anyway...when we got there he said he made some Bean Salad for us to snack on if we got hungry over the weekend.  He pulled out this container filled with a colorful salad, I was pretty impressed.  It was definitely healthy, and it actually looked really good.  So after being out all day and night on Saturday, Zach and I came home hungry for something.  So, we pulled out the salad and had a nice filling snack.

 Jeremy gave me the recipe, so I came home last night and made it for us to have this week.  It is super easy to make and something about the texture of the different beans makes it really enjoyable.  Also you can really add any type of frozen veggies you want to this.  Just thaw them in the microwave and add them.  You can of course use fresh veggies as well, the frozen ones are just so quick!  I made a few changes for my version but here is the basic idea...

Jeremy's Bean Salad

• 1 Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Can Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Bag Frozen Veggies, thawed
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• 3 Tbls Olive Oil
• 3 Tbls Apple Cider Vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Mix up the oil and vinegar in a large bowl, then add all ingredients.  Toss with a spoon. 
2. Chill in the fridge at least 30 min.  The longer it sits, the more flavor it gets.

Yogurt-Banana Pancakes

Ever since Zach and I got married, we like to enjoy a good breakfast on Saturday mornings when we don't have anywhere to be.  During the week our breakfast is pretty simple and on-the-go, so it's nice to sleep in on Saturdays and make a hearty breakfast...or just go to Cracker Barrel! 

One of my absolute favorite breakfast foods is PANCAKES!  I love them, but anytime I have a breakfast with pancakes I always feel sort of sluggish the rest of the day.  So of course I have tried to find "healthy" recipes for pancakes, whether it is using whole flour, flax seed, oatmeal, or all of the above.  One thing I know is that you really can't make a nutritious pancake that truly tastes like the kind you get at Cracker Barrel...ya just can't judge them by the same criteria.   

However, I found a great recipe which I adapted to create these delicious and nutritious pancakes.  They are hearty, light, and a great way to start a Saturday, or any day really  If you have bought whole wheat flour before in an attempt to bake healthy, you may have noticed it is a little heavier than white flour, and it really changes the texture of baked goods.  So, next time you go to the grocery try buying "White Whole Wheat" flour.  It is lighter, but still has the benefits of whole wheat flour. 

 The greek yogurt in this pancake recipe also adds protein and a nice light consistency.  These are quick and easy to put together, so don't wait til Saturday, make them a mid week breakfast surprise! 

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg
• 2 tsp Canola Oil
• 1 Banana, mashed
• 1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt, or you could use vanilla flavored
• 1 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Whisk Together Egg, oil, yogurt, and honey

Whisk in a separate bowl the rest of the ingredients

Mix the dry into the wet until just combined, it's okay if it's a little lumpy

Heat a skillet or griddle to medium heat coated with cooking spray.

Pour or spoon about 1/4 cup of batter on skillet for each cake, cook until bubbles begin to form on top of cakes, flip and cook another 2 minutes.

Enjoy with fruit, pure maple syrup, or whatever else you like to top your pancakes with!

Eggs-It's what's for dinner!

Not So Boring Healthy Eats

It’s that time of year again, the holidays are over and swimsuit season is right around the corner.  Spring break beach trips and summer vacations are quickly being planned.  It’s such an exciting time, not only due to the warmer weather, but the delicious produce that comes with this season as well.  I find it is actually a little easier to eat healthy when it’s hot outside, and there are so many fresh fruits and veggies available. 

However, we are at that point where spring is not quite here yet, but we still want to begin eating a little better for those pool days and beach trips.  If you’re like me you don’t want eating healthy to be filled with the same old salads and chicken and broccoli meals ALL the time.  Not that you can’t make those foods  taste great, but the idea of them can get a little boring after 10 straight days.  So, here are a couple of recipes that will be much more exciting for your taste buds and still great for your waistline.

We all know eggs are a great source of protein in the mornings when trying to slim down, but here’s an idea-try them at night!  If you haven’t ever made a Frittata, don’t let the name scare you off, it’s really just a glorified omelet. This recipe is full of flavor and it certainly doesn’t taste like bland “health food”-oh and it's cheap!!  Another awesome thing about this dish is you can use up all of those leftover veggies in your fridge that might not get eaten.  So feel free to change the vegetables and cheese in this recipe depending on what you have.

Mushroom and Feta Frittata

Serves 4

·         4 Eggs, 4 Egg Whites

·         1 Tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·         4 oz baby portabella mushrooms

·         ½ Cup onion, chopped

·         ½ tsp Fresh Thyme

·         3 Slices prosciutto, or ham torn

·         1/3 cup Feta

·         ¼ Cup basil

·         Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350

2.       Place 1 tbls olive oil in an oven safe skillet over medium heat, suate onion for about 5 minutes until softened, add a pinch of salt.  Then add mushrooms and thyme, if skillet seems dry add a few drops of water, cook for another 3-4 minutes, unitl mushroom are tender

3.       Meanwhile whisk together eggs, egg whites, feta, prosciutto, and basil with a pinch of salt and pepper

4.       Pour egg mixture in the hot skillet with veggies.  With a spoon make sure all ingredients are incorporated evenly then allow to cook without stirring for about 5 minutes, next place the skillet in the oven for about 10 minutes until the top is slightly brown and cooked throughout.

5.       Slice into wedges and serve with Lemony Quinoa!

Quinoa is a delicious whole grain that is also high in protein; it’s the perfect substitute for rice or pasta. You can find it in the organic section of the regular grocery stores.  It’s a little pricey, but because it is packed with nutrition a little goes a long way.  This is my favorite way to make it as a quick and easy side dish.

Lemony Quinoa

Serves 4

·         1 Cup Quinoa

·         1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (Can use water)

·         2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil

·         1 Lemon, zested and juiced

·         2 Green Onions

·         Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1.       Cook quinoa in broth or water according  to package directions

2.       After cooked, stir in lemon zest, juice, oil, and green onions

3.       Add a pinch of salt and pepper and taste for seasonings.