Apple, Walnut & Quinoa Salad

Apple, Walnut & Quinoa Salad

By Food & Wine

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 Red Delicious apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk the quinoa into a saucepan of boiling salted water and boil until the grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the quinoa and let it cool.
2. In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, scallions, vinegar, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in the quinoa and season with salt and pepper to taste. Crumble walnuts over salad and serve.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-walnut-and-quinoa-salad

Pioneer Woman's Grilled Peaches & Pecans

Prep: 5 Minutes	Level: Easy
Cook: 5 Minutes	Serves: 1

Ingredients

•  Fresh Peaches, Halved And Pitted
•  Maple Syrup, For Brushing
•  Butter (for Grilling)
•  Pecans, Chopped

Preparation

Brush the peach halves with maple syrup. Smear butter on a grill or grill pan over low heat. Place the peaches cut side down onto the grill/grill pan and cook them low and slow for a few minutes, rotating them 90 degrees halfway through. Monitor the cooking temp and keep it low enough that the maple syrup doesn't burn. 

Remove the peaches when they're slightly soft but not mushy and have great grill marks. Brush a little extra maple syrup over the tops.

Serve them:

Over ice cream: Scoop ice cream into a bowl, then cut peach halves in half. Press the slices into the ice cream, sprinkle pecans all over the top, and drizzle on extra maple syrup.

Over Greek yogurt: Spoon Greek yogurt into a small dish. Press slices of grilled peaches over the top. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle on maple syrup.

Over salad: Toss mixed greens with your favorite salad dressing and crumbled blue cheese. Pile high on a platter and place grilled peach halves all over. Sprinkle with pecans.

Other ideas: Serve grilled peaches and pecans over pancakes, French toast, crostini, etc.

Webpage: http://thepioneerwoman.com

Game Day Mini Potato Skins with Simple Guacamole by What's Gaby Cooking?

Ingredients

12 Dutch Yellow Baby Potatoes

PAM Olive oil spray

Salt and Pepper

2 strips Pancetta, roughly chopped (bacon also works)

1 cup of Guacamole (recipe below)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the whole potatoes with PAM olive oil spray and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and let cool until they are cool enough to handle. Cut the potatoes in half, lengthwise, and scoop out a little of the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch remaining.
2. Place the cut potatoes back onto the baking sheet, flesh side up. Lightly spray the tops of the potatoes with the PAM olive oil spray.

     3. In a small skillet over medium high heat, crisp up the pancetta. Once crisp, remove from pan            and set on a paper towel to drain some of the excess oil.

4. Place some of the pancetta into the potato, cover with a bit of cheese, and place back into the oven for 5­7 minutes until the cheese has melted.
5. Top with the guacamole, sprinkle with a few chopped red onions and serve! http://whatsgabycooking.com/potato­skins/

Simple Guacamole

INGREDIENTS

• 3 avocados
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/8 cup chives, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut the flesh from the avocado and place into a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mash together with a fork until chunky. Set aside.
   Whatsgabycooking.com/guacamole/

Eating Well's Summer Succotash Salad

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/summer_succotash_salad.html

From EatingWell:  July/August 2011

This summer salad is based on the Southern favorite, succotash, and is a fresh-tasting combination of butter beans, corn, summer squash and tomatoes. Butter beans, the same species as lima beans, are the bean of choice in the South. When they’re in season you may be able to find them fresh—shell them yourself. Or use frozen butter beans, baby lima beans or even edamame.

10 servings, about 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups shelled fresh butter beans (1 1/2 pounds unshelled), frozen (thawed) butter beans or baby lima beans
• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 cups corn kernels, fresh (from about 4 large ears; see Tip) or frozen (thawed)
• 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 small yellow squash, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 stalk celery, very finely chopped
• 1/2 cup very thinly sliced fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Place beans in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 30 minutes for fresh beans, about 25 minutes for frozen. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn, onion, squash and zucchini and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Add the cooked vegetables to the bowl of beans. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 1 hour.
3. When the beans and vegetables are cool, stir in tomatoes, celery and basil.
4. Whisk vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until the dressing is creamy and well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the succotash and toss to coat.

Nutrition

Per serving : 136 Calories; 6 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 17 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 339 mg Sodium; 253 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Finish with Steps 3 & 4 just before serving.

• Tip: To remove corn kernels from the cob, stand an ear of corn on one end and slice the kernels off with a sharp knife. One ear will yield about 1/2 cup kernels

Here are the two barriers to exercise that we hear most often:

I don't have enough time.


I don't have enough money.
 

Here's your challenge today: If I came to you and told you that I had injured myself and needed to be taken to the ER, would you have time for that?

If so, then you have time to exercise.

The truth is that you have to MAKE time for exercise.  It's in your power.

If you truly feel that you can't carve out time in your life to exercise, take a really close look at how you do spend your time and decide if what you're spending your time on really matches the things you say you want to be spending your time on.

The same holds true for money.  We all have limited financial resources.  And we choose where to spend those resources.

Do you go out to eat?  Do you get your coffee from a coffee shop instead of making it at home?  Do you pay for cable?  Do you take trips?  Do you buy decorations for your house?  Do you buy a lot of clothes?

If so, then you have the money to pay for the exercise that you want to do.

It's all a matter of WHERE you spend your money.

I'll make you a deal - you MAKE time and CHOOSE to spend your money on exercise, and we will make exercise fun and effective for you!  I promise!

Cucumber Avocado Caprese Salad from Popsugar Fitness

Cucumber Avocado Caprese Salad

Ingredients

2 cucumbers
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (about 30)
1 avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 cup fresh mozzarella (I like to use the little balls)
1 avocado
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Wash, dry, and dice the cucumbers. Wash, dry, and halve the tomatoes. Dice the avocado.
2. Place the cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado in a bowl. Add sliced basil and mozzarella. Pour on the oil, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
3. Enjoy immediately.

Information

Yield

4 servings

Cook Time

15 min

Nutrition

Calories per serving

253

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Source URL
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/-9740893

Links:
[1] http://www.fitsugar.com/node/9740893/edit

Watermelon Mint Sorbet

Watermelon Mint Sorbet

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of watermelon, seeded and scooped into big chunks 
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon raw (turbinado) sugar
• 3 limes, juiced
• 3 tablespoons white rum
• pinch sea salt
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon mint, chopped 

Instructions

Toss watermelon chunks, sugar, lime juice and rum in a blender. Pulverize the watermelon (to pulverize sounds like more fun than to purée, right?).

Add the mint and blend until the mint is chopped into large flecks.

Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours. Serve.

Notes

Mildly adapted from Cookin' Canuck.

The sorbet will freeze hard if left in the freezer for more than a few hours. Just set it on the counter for about 20 minutes, or until it is scoopable.

Yields about 3 cups

Recipe: http://cookieandkate.com/2011/watermelon-mint-sorbet/