Tonights Dinner

I've got my salad all ready, still in the colander, so I don't dirty another bowl...yes, I will admit it. I am lazy that way!

Just romaine, edamame, carrots, celery, and tomatoes.

I like to keep my salmon simple. White wine, lemon, pepper, sea salt and whatever herb I have on hand. Tonight it is cilantro.  Either bake it, or better yet, cedar plank it on the BBQ.

I looked  in my fridge and my peppers were starting to lose their crispness, so I decided to stuff them with a black bean, rice and green pepper mixture, with Costa Rico Salsa, and cheddar cheese, to grill as well...

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Pesto Potato wedges and Festive Salad

Grab a tenderloin and make a slice down the middle-

Stuff away! I chose Sun dried tomato, goats cheese and balsamic vinegar

 Then I thought I'd dice up a pear, a pomegranate and some onion to make a chutney to bake over it for extra flavour.

now I need something to go with it- something SUPER easy, as I don't feel like doing much---something that can bake at the same time- OH! Slice up some potatoes, and coat them in store- bought PESTO!

* make sure you put the pesto on liberally- I didn't and they could have used more*

Clean out your fridge- make a salad- this one? Romaine, pomegranate, orange, carrots, and almonds.

Bake the pork in white wine and the potatoes on a cookie sheet until done.

Not a bad end result- It was quite tasty and I put it on a " healthy list!"

Finally! Back to my Foodie Blog! Curried Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

I have been pretty busy these last few weeks. Life got super busy again, and as you know I am focusing on my Fitness Certifications, so I spend most of my day at the gym each week.  I LOVE it though, and am very happy to be following what makes ME happy.

Along with Fitness, Nutrition is a major part of our life as well.  So I am busy prepping healthy snacks and meals for the family.  Helping out some friends and  getting outside to  spend time in the great sunshine!  The weather has been gorgeous. So lots of grilling and fun times ahead.

I tried this recipe awhile back and fell in love with it. SOLID protein, and very healthy...but the best part? It tastes GREAT!  Hope you try it.
 I found this on the blog- Dinner with Julie. I made a few small changes to keep it even healthier.

Curried Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango




1 cup quinoa

1-2 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 red or yellow pepper, chopped

1/4 English cucumber, chopped

2-3 green onions or a chunk of purple onion, chopped

2 cups (packed) baby spinach, torn or sliced (optional)

half a 19 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

handful of torn cilantro (optional)



Dressing:

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup of fat free Italian salad dressing

2 Tbsp. white wine or white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. mango chutney, chopped if chunky (optional)  or any fruit chutney you might have on hand.

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. curry powder or mild paste

1/4 tsp. cumin



Rinse quinoa well under cool water in a fine sieve, then cook in a pot of boiling salted water over medium heat until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. (Just like you’d cook pasta.) Drain well, return to the pot, put the lid back on and let it steam – this will produce fluffy quinoa – until cooled.



Combine the oil, salad dressing, vinegar, chutney, honey, curry and cumin in a jar or small bowl and shake or whisk to blend. If you like, season the dressing with salt and pepper.



Put the quinoa, mango, vegetables and beans in a large bowl, drizzle with dressing and toss until well coated. Serves 4-6.

Apple, Fennel and Celery Salad

I tried this salad the other night. I am always looking for fun new side-dishes that are healthy.

This one fit the bill. I served it with grilled pork loin. Amazing. Great crunch and a nice new flavour that I am not use to. I will definitely make this one again.

Apple, Fennel and Celery Salad

1/2 c thinly sliced fennel
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1 red delicious apple, cored., peeled and chopped
1/4 c roasted walnuts, chopped

Dressing:

1/4 c plan yogurt
1 tbsp liquid honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp poppy seeds
pinch of salt and paprika

mix the dressing together and mix over salad ingredients.

4 servings. 122 cal, 2 g protein, 6 g of fat, 2 g fibre