I fall guilty of this almost every week and I finally realized enough was enough.
Last week, I began by searching for recipes based on ingredients that I already had in the fridge. Not only was this a money saver, but it was a great way to try new recipes!
I began by rummaging through my refrigerator and immediately picked out a package of portobello mushrooms that have been chilling in the corner for a little over a week (maybe 2?). I prayed they hadn't gone bad yet, and much to my amazement, they were still good! I Googled a few recipes, and decided on a recipe that called for an olive oil plus garlic brushing on the outside of the cap, and then diced tomatoes and blue cheese on the inside. Simple, yet delicious. I'll definitely make this again.
The search for a main entree continued, as I sifted through my Recipe Box on Allrecipes and found a highly rated one for Grilled Cilantro Salmon. The only ingredient I didn't have was cilantro, which was a whopping $1.30ish...so I didn't mind buying it at all. This dish turned out delicious! The honey and cilantro leaves brought so much flavor to the meal. It didn't require much time at all, few ingredients, and was beyond tasty.
This past Sunday, Justin and I went for a walk to explore some new trails and came up with the grand idea to finally go strawberry/blueberry picking! We've been talking about this for a while, and I guess the heat got to us and we decided to do it. We Googled a couple different local farms, but most weren't open for do-it-yourself-picking on Sunday. We came across one called Ashely Porter Farm & Nursery that said they were open and we could pick our own strawberries. Yay!
We set out on a nice little 30 minute drive, only to find out that their website info was out-dated and strawberry picking was last month. Tear. But they still had lots of fresh veggies, fruit and flowers! Plus, homemade ice cream. (Note: I think I overdosed on ice cream this weekend...but it was oh so good!)
Loving the color!!!
And love, how that turned into this...
Summer Squash Salad.
Very refreshing after a hot day. This was enough to fill me up for dinner, but I'm thinking I might have to pair this with some chicken next time since I'm still a little full from brownies and banana bread at work :)
Recipe:
Summer Squash Salad
Ingredients:
2 c. (2 med.) sliced 1/8 inch zucchini
2 c. (2 med.) halved lengthwise, sliced 1/8 inch yellow squash
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. basil leaves
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 c. sliced 1/8 inch red onion, separated into rings
2 med. ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
Directions:
In 2 quart saucepan place zucchini and yellow squash; add enough water water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until water comes to a full boil. Boil 1 to 2 minutes, drain. Rinse with cold water. In large bowl stir together remaining ingredients except onions and tomatoes. Add zucchini, yellow squash, onion and tomatoes; toss to coat.
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On a side note, I took my previous post about protein to heart today, and I wasn't hungry once!!
After my 3.4 mile run this morning, I made 2 scrambled egg whites plus toast with peanut butter and strawberry jam.
For lunch, I had a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with avocado, swiss cheese and onions.
You may be thinking - I could care less about what you ate today - BUT I'm telling you this because for the first time in a loooonnnggggggg time I wasn't a ravenous lion at 10am OR 3pm. Usually, I'm counting the minutes trying to hold out for my mid-day snacks. I was soooooo happy to NOT by hungry for once.
And since I've already told you about my breakfast and lunch, I might as well add that after my TRX class this evening, I had a protein smoothie for dinner. Delicious.
Life couldn't be better. Thank you protein :)
Do you ever buy fresh produce and then end up not using it all before it spoils?? Where do you like to go for yours?? I typically go to Trader Joes, but the farmers' market is my favorite!
I'm a vegetarian, so when I hit the grocery store, I pretty much go insane on veggie/fruit buying. Then it's so upsetting when I don't use it all up. In fact, last night I threw away 3 yellow squashes, it was sad.
ReplyDeleteEither way, farmers markets are the way to go for veggies. They're delicious-er and cheaper. Unfortunately, ours is VERY limited in our town.
Have you noticed the taste difference in tomatoes vs. store bought? Thats basically my favorite thing about summer... that and the awesome Vitamin D the sun provides :D
I do that too! And then I get so mad at myself when I see stuff that's gone bad. I buy way more than I can eat a lot of the time too - pretty produce is too hard to resist. I get most of my stuff from Whole Foods :)
ReplyDelete