Sweet Grape Salad

Growing up, my Mom had the most delicious fruit dip recipe that she would bring for me and my friends during our soccer tournaments when traveling on the weekends. Everyone loved it and it was always requested, even though I know it was extremely simple to make. 

Sometimes it just doesn't click to combine certain items until that one day when it finally happens and you realize you should've made it a lot sooner. This just so happens to be the case for this grape (fruit) salad recipe...

Extremely easy / not much thought or time to make / but DELICIOUS. 

Adding in the lemon and cinnamon is key, and takes it up a notch. 

Also, after I took these pictures I realized mixing in some granola or nuts would be the perfect addition and a great, healthy breakfast! 

Sweet Grape Salad

For the dressing:

+1 cup greek vanilla yogurt

+juice from 1/2 a lemon

+1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Fruits:

+2-3 cups seedless grapes (green + purple), halved

+1 cup strawberries

+1/2 cup pineapple

(you could also add in some green apples!)

+chopped walnuts, optional

+granola, optional

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and stick in the fridge while you cut up your fruits. Once all your fruit is chopped up and in a large bowl, pour the dressing over and stir to coat! Enjoy!

Cheesy Vegetarian Brown Rice Casserole

Monday, Monday...it's you again.

The good news? A brand new week to create memories and make your dreams happen (more on this in a minute..see below!)

I'm on a little venture right now called "trying to get my husband to like mushrooms". Leading up to this recipe, things weren't looking so good. He will eat them with certain things, but isn't a big fan. However, since he is a fan of casserole's and cheese I figure this dish might be one that maybe he wouldn't pick out the mushrooms. Ding ding! Winner winner...you know the rest.

Ingredients:
+1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
+1 can (14 oz.) vegetable broth, simmered to reduce to 1 cup
+1 T mushroom base, added to broth to enrich the flavor (optional, but recommended)
+12 oz. mushrooms, chopped into pieces about 1/2 inch
+1 large onion, diced small
+4 cups chopped broccoli, stems and flowerets
+2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
+2 tsp. Italian Herb Blend
+salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
+1 1/2 cups reduced fat sour cream
+1 cup grated low-fat sharp cheddar
+1/2 cup + 1/2 cup grated reduced fat Four Cheese Mexican Blend
+1/4 cup low-fat grated Mozzarella

You can go here to get the full recipe and instructions for baking! Her website has a ton of awesome gluten free and vegetarian dishes to check out while you're over there.

This recipe is full of flavor and is an easy one to make if you're doing a meatless night in your house but need something filling and satisfying!

Bon Appetite!

*About making those dreams come true...for the past couple months I've been following along with Eric Hill's project called The Global Odyssey, thanks to a blog reader who was actually friends with him. He is also on this season of The Bachelorette with Andi, but what he was doing with his life and this project was so much more. He wanted to travel to all 195 countries in world record time. Not only that, he wanted to "find awesome everywhere". How much do you love that? Long story short...I was so inspired by him and his journey then last week he passed away from a terrible paragliding accident. I may have never met him, but from following his project on Facebook I was blown away by all the stories and kind things people from all over the world (literally) had to say about him on his feed. It is just another one of those situations that helped put things into perspective and reminded me about the life that I want to live. There are so many dreams I have and instead of just having them in the back of my head chasing them, I need to go after them. Make them happen. I'm determined to.

Highly, highly recommend you go read about his adventures on his website (his videos are incredibly inspiring and crazy!) if you want some serious inspiration too! Here's one of the amazing tribute videos... :)

ACAI BREAKFAST BOWL

Back with another healthy recipe today!

Remember when we went to San Diego this past fall and I fell in love with acai bowls?! Well, ever since we got back the struggle of not having any places that sell them here has been very real. ;) Not only are they one of the most delicious breakfast foods out there, but acai is know for it's insane antioxidant levels, healthy fats, iron, calcium, and beta-carotene.  A place here finally opened last month that sells them, but I quickly realized that it might be cheaper for me to make them myself due to how often I really crave them and want them for breakfast!

These bowls are packed with nutrients, are so delicious, and actually very easy to make. A winning combination in my book! If you have ten minutes, you can put one of these together and make your stomach very happy.

Acai Breakfast Bowl

+1 frozen acai packet (I bought the Sambazon brand from Whole Foods)
+1 frozen banana cut into pieces
+1 large handful frozen blueberries (or strawberries, peaches, etc)
+1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
+1 large scoop peanut butter

Blend all ingredients together until thick and creamy. I used a food processor for this, but you can use a blender or Vitamix. If you use a blender, you may have to scrape the sides/mix it up a couple times. The frozen fruit helps give a better texture and you don't want to blend it too long because you still want it to be thick.

Top with sliced banana, your favorite granola, and any other fruit you'd like!

Enjoy! 
See my latest recipe, Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad (healthy vegetarian option) here!

Have you made an acai bowl before and if so what are your favorite toppings?

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Looking for a healthy recipe that will give you multiple lunches or dinners in one simple batch? Look no further, this one is for you.

All this warm(er-ish?) weather is getting me to do crazy things, like try new recipes. This is crazy because I haven't been cooking much this winter, besides chili, then I cuddle up under a blanket as fast as possible. But this recipe is perfect for spring and will fill you up! It's vegetarian, but the quinoa gives you the protein that you need. The last time I shared a quinoa recipe with you, I told you that I wouldn't share a quinoa recipe unless it was really great/flavorful and I'm keeping my promise!

So maybe you're trying to incorporate more meatless meals in your diet or maybe you're trying to find a quinoa recipe that is actually tasty and not bland...if so, then read on. :)

{buying quinoa in bulk is the way to go-this bag has lasted me months!}

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad:
original recipe inspiration found here

Quinoa-

+1 c. rinsed quinoa
+2 c. chicken vegetable stock*you can use chicken if you'd prefer
+1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
+4 cloves garlic, chopped
+1/2 tsp sea salt

Roasted Vegetables-

+2 bell peppers, cubed
+1 zucchini, cubed
+1 squash, cubed
+1 red onion, cubed
+1 fennel bulb, cubed
+4 garlic cloves, whole
+1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
+2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
+1/2 tsp smoked salt

Dressing-

+1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
+2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, or fire up the grill.

In a bowl, combine all the cubed veggies and toss with the Herbs de Provence, oil and salt. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping half way through.

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over low heat and add the garlic, saute for 1 minute, then add the rinsed quinoa and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

In a serving bowl, combine cooked quinoa with roasted veggies. Add dressing and toss!

You can enjoy this dish warm or cold!

Pin now and make later! :) I've found I will actually experiment with new recipes if they are easily stored on my Pinterest boards, making it easy peasy to pull up and accomplish. Happy Thursday...we're almost to the weekend! 

Looking for another quinoa recipe to try? Check out my Pizza Quinoa Casserole! 

Pizza Quinoa Casserole

Pizza-our love/hate relationship goes WAY back. Love it because it's obviously so yummy and one of my favorite foods...hate it for how it makes my body feel afterwards. Sluggish, tired, just that overall blah feeling. I remember my freshman year in college days when I thought that eating all of those late night pizza's during the week and on the weekend (what was I thinking?) wouldn't ever catch up to me. Oh so wrong.

When I found this recipe, my eyes kinda perked up because honestly I haven't had the best luck with quinoa in the past, but felt this might change my feelings on it. Being a vegetarian, quinoa is such a good source of protein for me, but every time I've cooked with quinoa I've felt it comes out a little bland for my liking. But combining pizza flavors with it? I knew I had to give this a shot and I'm pretty dang happy I did (all of you vegetarian girls out there will love this recipe! and even if you aren't, this is a good meatless monday meal option.)

Billy doesn't like quinoa (well he didn't until I made him try this!), so this casserole provides me with lunch or dinner for about 4 days. I just portioned it out into multiple storage containers and kept them in the fridge until I was ready to eat then reheated them in the microwave. So simple and delicious!

Pizza Quinoa Casserole
recipe inspiration from here

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dry quinoa
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 roma tomatoes
1 cup fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic
15 oz. can tomato sauce (I only used and recommend 12 oz)
1 cup shredded mozzarella (optional-I didn't use any cheese and it was still great!)
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
Salt

Directions:
+Preheat oven to 375.
+Rinse and cook quinoa: add 3 cups water and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed.
+Meanwhile, chop onion, green pepper, tomatoes, and mince garlic.
+In a skillet over medium heat, saute onion, green pepper, and mushrooms with salt for about 10 minutes or until softened.
+Add garlic, stir, and heat for 1 more minute.
+When quinoa is cooked, place it in a large mixing bowl. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella, sauteed vegetables (any excess liquid removed), basil, and oregano. Stir to combine.
Spread mixture into a lightly sprayed 9x13 inch dish and gently press down. Top with a light sprinkle of cheese.
+Bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

What are your feelings towards quinoa?

If it's tasted bland to you in the past, give this recipe a shot! The flavors are great and may change your mind! :)

Oatmeal Yogurt Breakfast Blend

Phew. We've made it to hump day!

Rocky wanted me to first tell you all thank you for the birthday messages. He says he had a fantastic day and has the best parents in the world (this is an already well known fact). We bought him some new toys and bones, took him for a long walk and car ride, and I made him these peanut butter and oatmeal cookies in the oven....

It's safe to say he loved them.

Anyways, today I have a new favorite breakfast recipe to share!

Just like most of my other recipes, this is SO simple but tastes really yummy. I don't eat dairy that much anymore, but sometimes I want a yogurt every now and again, so this is my special treat for when I do have it. 

If you want an easy, healthy breakfast to add to your morning routine-this is it!

What You Need:

+1/2 cup oats, uncooked

+1/2 cup yogurt

+1 peach (cut into small pieces), or you can use any fruit you'd like!

 

 What You Do:

Combine oats and yogurt in mason jar. 

Mix well so all the oats are fully coated in yogurt. 

Add your peaches. 

Refrigerate for 8 hours.

The yogurt softens the oats overnight and in the morning you wake up with a delicious, already prepared breakfast!

note: if you aren't an oatmeal fan, make a parfait and use granola!

Easy peasy.

Has anyone made this for breakfast before? 

Give it a try!

Recipe: Easy Greek Tortellini Salad

Just popping in to share an easy weeknight dinner (or perfect side dish for a party) recipe that I made last week!

This is 110% husband approved. I need to put that out there first. Normally, you won't find me eating pasta, just because I'm not that big of a fan (please don't kill me), but that also means you won't find me cooking it in our house. Insert husband tears. I told Billy when I got back from Texas that I would eat pasta on a weeknight, so here I am, living up to my pasta promise. Men are so funny with food, aren't they? Don't even get me started on the fact that he went to our local bulk grocery store last week (sans list from myself) and bought HALF of the store. And I bet you can take a pretty good guess at where half the items came from...I can tell you right now it was NOT the produce section.

Moving on, we both really liked this dish. I like that it's different by using cheese tortellini...who hates cheese tortellini these days? Serve it up with your two favorite sides to make it a meal (we had watermelon and my favorite-corn on the cob) 

It's filling, easy to throw together, and light/refreshing for summertime!

Easy Greek Tortellini Salad

-recipe adapted from two peas and their pod: I left out the olives and also added a little bit of light italian dressing.

Ingredients:

+1 20 ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini (use whole wheat if you want!)
+1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
+1 large cucumber, chopped
+1 cup kalamata olives, pit removed and chopped
+1/2 red onion, chopped (only had white so I just used that and it was fine)
+3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the Dressing:
+1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
+3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
+1 clove garlic, minced
+1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
+Salt and pepper, to taste
+2 tablespoons light Italian dressing (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain the tortellini and rinse with cold water.
2. Place the tortellini in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, and feta cheese.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until salad is well coated. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator.

Once you're finished devouring, you can store this salad in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cheers to that...

Hello leftovers! Hello lunch the next day! So many options here.

Are you a fan of Greek Salads?

ENJOY!
(that is if you try it-which I definitely think you should...)

Don't forget to enter this giveaway and this giveaway I have going on while you still can!

*follow me on instagram (@katiewkrysh) to see sneak peek's of these wonderful eats and more

 

SPD: SKINNY SOUTHWEST BLACK BEAN DIP

Get your hand out of my bowl!
....is always what I want to say when I make this dip ;)

Just kidding. THIS IS MY GO-TO DIP! (Caps are necessary for that) I love sharing this dip with friends and family because everyone is always wanting the recipe (so, so easy) and it's typically gone within an hour or two! If you have been following me for over a year or so, then you might have seen a very similar recipe for this that I talked about often, but back in those days I didn't have a "big girl" camera and obviously the amazing Saw it. Pinned it. Did it wasn't around then.

That means I have to share it now with you all, right? RIGHT!

Trust me when I say, you won't be able to get enough of this dip. It's healthy, filling, and perfect for cookouts. Not to mention, it is so easy to throw together when you're in a rush and don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen slaving away.....

Don't these ingredients look like the perfect combination ever?

Ingredients:
pinspiration is from this recipe 

+1 or 2 large avocados, peeled and diced (for avocado lovers/obsessers like myself, always use 2!)
+2 large tomatoes, chopped
+1/2 red onion, chopped
+2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (organic)
+1 can whole kennel yellow corn, rinsed and drained (no salt added!)
+1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:
+2 tbsp red wine vinegar
+4 tbsp lime juice

...you can add in some olive oil and salt/pepper if you wish but it just won't be as "skinny"!

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill. Serve with your favorite brand of tortilla chips! I recommend Pop Chips brand of tortilla chips (couldn't find at the time when we were at the cottage where I took these pictures), but you can use whatever you prefer.

 

Pin it to one of your Pinterest boards...Make it....Devour!

Bam! Katie tested, Pin APPROVED (approved over a year ago-but who's paying attention to that?!)

Hope those of you who didn't link up last week, join us this week! :) There are so many easy recipes/projects on Pinterest you can find during the summer, so I hope you will join us and re-create something you have been wanting to try. Sound good?

 It's your turn now! Come join in on the fun....

Please follow these simple rules:

+Link up using the linky tool below.

+Link back to Steph and I's blogs in your post (be kind!), so other people can know about the link up!

+Visit other blogs to get new inspiration and find new friends.

 

EDAMAME BEAN SALAD {RECIPE}

Happy Tuesday bloggies.

I've got a yummy and really healthy recipe for you today. It was inspired by a salad I saw at our local grocery store but there are two big differences between them: 1. This one doesn't contain ROCKS and 2. I'm sure it's much healthier because it doesn't include a heavy sauce on it.

Rocks? Yeah, rocks. There I was the other day just minding my own biz eating the salad when I bit down on a rock {ouch!} and broke it in two {and am lucky I still have my teeth!}. It was terrible! End result? Kroger, where I bought it, is sending me a $15.00 gift card to make up for it. Hmmmm.... I won't mention that the manager didn't even apologize either..I won't do it...

Anyways...so I was determined to clean this recipe up a bit by only using lemon juice (you can use red wine vinegar too!) and it's delicious. The combination of ingredients in this salad is so refreshing and tasty!

Ingredients:
+1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
+1/2 cup chickpeas. rinsed and drained
+1/4 cup cilantro, diced
+1/2 red pepper, diced
+1/2 yellow pepper, diced
+1/4 red onion, diced really small
+3/4 cup edamame (cooked and without the shells)
+Lemon juice, to taste
+Sea salt, to taste

optional: red wine vinegar

Okay so when I made this, I didn't really measure anything, so if these measurements are off just adjust them to your taste or how much you need at the time. Do you like black beans more than chickpeas? Use more black beans. I just threw all the ingredients in a bowl, mix, and let marinate in the refrigerator for a bit...so easy and sometimes I just don't want to get all serious and measure things out. ;)

The best part is you can just make enough for 2 people or use more of the ingredients if you're serving at a party or cookout. Get busy and make this!

PS: Not sure if I have any Oklahoma readers out there, but wanted to send my thoughts and prayers out to your state. Hugs. hugs. hugs. during this difficult time.

 

COPY CAT CHIPOTLE GUACAMOLE...SERIOUSLY.

 

Whoa whoa whoa!

Life has been a little bit (ok, a lot bit) busy lately. Ever feel like hitting the "pause" button?! I could use that right this instant. I feel like there's so much going on now that the weather is steadily nice (this is not me jinxing it...right?) and even though the days are longer, I'm trying to fit more and more into them! But they are all really great things, so I can't complain.

I did make time for this. This meaning a COPY CAT CHIPOTLE GUACAMOLE RECIPE!

It deserves all caps. Chipotle's guacamole is like a dream to me... so amazing that if they ever forgot to put it in my bowl, I would get in my car, drive back there, and demand ask very nicely for not just the normal amount but a second scoop. It's serious business. 

If you are a guacamole fan, you must make this. Pin away, my friends! It's about to rock your world.

This recipe is pretty simple, but tastes very similar to Chipotle's....or it's just THAT good that I can't tell the difference between the two. Either way, you need it in your life like yesterday.

Copy Cat Chipotle Guacamole:

inspiration from this recipe

Ingredients:

+3 ripe avocados

+1/2 cup chopped red onions

+1/2 cup chopped cilantro

+1/3 cup chopped jalapeno

+1/8 cup of lemon and lime juice ~ 80/20 ratio

+pinch of salt (I didn't even use it and it was still amazing!)

What to do:

Peel and pit avocados, place in a bowl, and mash them with a fork. You want them to be a little chunky. Add the other ingredients and mix. Serve with your choice of tortilla chips - I highly recommend this flavor of Pop Chips! They are SO good and a healthier option for tortilla chips.

VOILA.

Then, you get your eat on....

 

Once you make this, make sure to tweet/instagram/facebook me and let me know how you like it.

Be back tomorrow for an exciting SPD project that you will be able to complete in under 15 minutes and it's perfect for summer! 

Any guesses?!