Mango Quinoa Salad

Mango Quinoa Salad
Recipe from Our Best Bites (adapted from Biggest Loser)

2 cups cooked quinoa* at room temperature, or chilled

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

*Quinoa can be cooked in water or broth.  I suggest using vegetable or chicken broth for enhanced flavor.

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.  In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad.  Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.

I often add other bell peppers (orange, yellow, whatever I have) & I like to use avocado oil instead of EVOO because I prefer the flavor.  You can serve over grilled chicken or fish to make it more of a meal.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

This is my favorite whole wheat pancake recipe as they are light and fluffy because you fold in the egg whites, where many wheat pancakes are so dense.  Prep does take a few more bowls, but definitely worth it.  And my kids LOVE them.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 egg whites
2 egg yolks

Directions:
Beat egg whites until stiff peak forms then set aside.  Mix whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt. In another small bowl, combine milk and egg yolks.  Gradually stir into the flour mixture until smooth. Gently fold in egg whites.

Yields:
6-8 pancakes

*they do take a little longer to cook than regular pancakes.

Simple Spinach Smoothie

Lets be honest, this is probably the only way I'm going to eat a huge serving of kale or spinach every day. Popeye would be so proud. I was surprised how much I loved this smoothie when I first made it. By the ingredients list it doesn't sound like its going to be that tasty but it sure is.


1 banana
2 pitted dates
large handful of frozen spinach
2/3 cup almond milk
1 heaping tsp of almond butter

Pricing (best deals I've found):

dates- $4.49 for 1 lb at Trader Joes or Costco is the same price $8.98 for 2 lbs
almond milk- Silk Unsweetened 3 64 oz containers for $7.59 at Costco
almond butter- Kirkland brand $8.99 for 27 oz at Costco 
spinach-more convenient to get the bags of pre-chopped, $1.99 for 1 lb at Trader Joes

Green Pineapple Smoothie

This is the smoothie Troy and I make every morning. It is the only reason I peel myself out of bed. That and I guess I have to go out and make money to buy stuff. But really the smoothie.

• 1/4 cup almond milk
• handful of frozen pineapple chunks (best deal is at Costco-$6.99 for 4 lbs)
• large handful of Kale (pre chopped bag for $1.99 at Trader Joe's)
• 1 banana
• 1 orange

It is so delicious and fruity, you don't taste the kale, just make sure to blend for awhile to make as smooth as possible. My sister in law makes this for her kids every morning and they love it.

*sometimes we replace the pineapple with frozen mango chunks ($10.99 for 4 lbs at Costco) or a frozen berry medley ($2.99 for 1 lb at Trader Joe's) when we want something different that day.

Cocoa Date Squares

Hi ladies! So excited to go on this health journey together! I know one of the concerns people have of eating healthy is the expense. When I post recipes, I will try my best to include any prices I can. I'm cheap, so I do a lot of research for the best prices out there-if you find any less expensive options please let me know!

For those of you that were at book club last time, this is the recipe I was talking about that I'm obsessed with. When you need something chocolatey and chewy, these are a great healthy option over brownies or any kind of processed chocolate treat.

Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth: 

20 fresh pitted dates ($4.49 for 1 lb at Trader Joes or Costco is the same price $8.98 for 2 lbs)
6 Tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 cup pecans (I get all my raw nuts from Costco-best price)
1/2 cup almonds
2 Tablespoons chia seeds (Trader Joes- $3.49 for 5.3 oz)

Smush dough together and flatten out on a cookie sheet. You can also roll into 1" balls.

Freeze for an hour then eat!

Source:  (modified from) Deliciously Ella Cookbook

Banana Almond Smoothie

1/2 a banana
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tbsp almond butter
1/2 tbsp flaxseed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup ice cubes

Place everything in a blender and mix until combined. Enjoy!

*from Jillian Michaels Body Revolution*