PROTEIN PACKED QUINOA SALAD

It's that time of week, and I'm so excited to share with you this protein packed, delicious quinoa salad! And the best part? It only took me about 15 minutes to make. This is one of my go-to recipes when I'm short on time and want something that keeps me full but doesn't make me feel heavy or sluggish. This yummy salad has four protein sources (quinoa, chickpeas, edamame, and sliced almonds), two veggies (red and orange pepper), and one fruit (dried cranberries). Keep scrolling for all of the details!

INGREDIENTS:
-1 cup of Trader Joe's tri-colored, organic quinoa
-2 cups water
-1 red pepper
-1 orange pepper
-1 bag (12oz) of Trader Joe's frozen, shelled edamame
-1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-1/2 bag (or about 4oz) of Trader Joe's sliced almonds
-1/2 bag of Trader Joe's dried cranberries
-2 tbs of olive oil
-2 tbs of red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook quinoa (for directions on how to make quinoa, click here)
2. Dice the red and orange pepper
3. Combine the cooked quinoa, diced pepper, and all other ingredients in a large bowl and serve cold (keep it in the fridge for a few hours before eating so that the edamame is thawed).

Feel free to add or substitute your favorite veggies, fruits, or protein sources to this recipe. Sliced apples and pumpkin seeds would be a great option for fall!

Enjoy!

LD

Savory Chili

Happy Sunday! I'm excited to share with you guys an amazing, simple chili recipe that will keep your fridge (or freezer) stocked for the next few weeks. I'll be honest, I'm not much of a fall gal, but I do enjoy the shift to making warmer dishes, and chili is one of my favorites. My sweet fiancé came up with the recipe and I instantly fell in love with its full flavor, incorporation of multiple veggies and protein sources, and ability to be easily reheated from the fridge or freezer. We each enjoyed a large serving of this chili everyday for lunch for 5 days and froze another 7ish servings for a later date. Check out the recipe!

Ingredients:
-2 lbs of lean ground beef (can substitute ground turkey if desired)
-4 cans of kidney beans
-2 cans of black beans
-2 cans of white beans
-1 sweet onion
-2 red peppers
-2 yellow peppers
-2 orange peppers
-4 jalapeños (2 with seeds, 2 without)--use less if you do not like spicy food or remove seeds from all
-2 cans of diced tomatoes
-1 carton of Trader Joe's organic chicken broth
-1 bag of cheddar cheese
-cumin (to taste)
-chili powder (to taste)-- most important spice! Will need at least 5 tbs
-1 tbs worcestershire sauce
-black pepper (to taste)
-1 tsp cinnamon
-garlic (to taste)
-red pepper flakes (to taste)
-3/4 of the darkest dark chocolate you can find

This seems like a lot of ingredients, but many of them are spices or other simple produce/cans you may keep on hand anyway. Also keep in mind this makes A LOT of chili, so many ingredients are needed to create this large quantity.

Directions:
1. Chop onion and add to pot along with 2 lbs of ground beef, garlic, black pepper, and worcestershire sauce (may need to add 1 lb at a time depending on the size of the pot)
2. Once meat is fully cooked, add in chicken broth
3. Dice up peppers and jalapeños and add them in along with the beans and canned tomatoes
4. Add in seasonings to taste and dark chocolate bar. Don't be shy here--the seasonings are creating the majority of the flavor!
5. Turn down the heat and let simmer for about an hour
6. Serve in bowl topped with shredded cheese.

I would recommend freezing the remainder of the chili within 5 days of cooking to be sure it stays fresh. To reheat, simply add the frozen chili to a pan and heat on the stove.

Enjoy!

LD

TURKEY PEPPERONI + VEGGIE PIZZA WITH CAULIFLOWER CRUST

Hi friends! Man has life been craaazy lately--in the best way! I won't lie, I love traveling to visit friends and family, but I could not be happier to be in my cozy apartment right now with my fiancé for the first Saturday since August. Westchester really is beautiful this time of year, and I'm so happy to be here to enjoy the weekend and give you guys a yummy alternative recipe to traditional pizza. I love that this recipe is low in carbs, incorporates a ton of veggies, and can be customized to your liking! Here it is:

Appliances needed:

-Food processor

Ingredients:

CRUST:

-1 large head of cauliflower

-1 egg

-1/5 cup parmesan cheese

-1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

- rosemary, oregano, basil or any other flavorful spice of your choice for taste (do not leave this out--makes a huge difference!)

TOPPINGS: (completely up to you, but this is what I love)

-1/4 bag of Applegate's natural uncured mini turkey pepperoni (coupon here: http://www.applegate.com/coupons) 

-1 green pepper

-1 tomato 

-1 can of Trader Joe's pizza sauce

-1 cup of mozzarella cheese

- rosemary, oregano, and basil to taste

*money saving tip: check out the Ibotta app. It is free in the app store and allows you to unlock rebates within the app for items you typically buy and then scan your receipts to get cash back--super easy! Use this code to get an additional $10 cash back once you use the app for the first time: hdtxyjf

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (be sure to do this first--it can take a while for the oven to get to this high temp)

2. Cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces and place in food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower is a very fine texture

3. Place the processed cauliflower in a bowl in the microwave for 4 minutes. Once it is done let it cool for AT LEAST 4 minutes

4. Place the cooled cauliflower in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all of the water possible (I find it easier to do smaller portions at a time rather than all the cauliflower at once)

5. Combine the cauliflower with the egg, 1/5 cup of parmesan, 1/4 cup of mozzarella, and spices in a bowl to form a dough 

6. Spread the dough out on a piece of greased foil to form a very thin crust

7. Cook the crust for 15 minutes or until crispy (could be longer or shorter depending on your oven)

8. Remove from oven and add a thin layer of sauce, cheese, and toppings of your desire and broil for about 5 minutes

9. Cut and enjoy!