Vegetable Tian

I tried another recipe I got from Pinterest that I've been meaning to try...Vegetable Tian.  The original recipe (and much prettier pictures) can be found here.  I chose to replace the russett potatoes with sweet potato and just used zucchini because that's the squash I had at home.  I really liked the flavor of the dish but I think I could have just sauteed/baked the ingredients and the taste would have been the same.  So I probably won't repeat this exact recipe in the future but it was worth the try.

Vegetable Tian

• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium sweet potato, unpeeled, sliced (I microwaved my potato slices for a couple minutes to soften them to be sure they cooked all the way through)
• 2 squash (zucchini and/or yellow squash)
• 3 large Roma tomatoes (I only had large vine riped tomatoes so you can see I had to adjust in my pic above)
• Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Dried thyme, to taste
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375.  Saute onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent, then add garlic and cook for an additional minute.    Spread the onion/garlic on the bottom of a greased round baking dish.
 

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. Season with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme, to taste. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.

Cover the dish with a oven safe lid or tin foil  and bake for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until browned. 

Roasted Vegetable Stack

I can't promise that I'm bringing my blog back....BUT, this recipe fits my blog perfectly and was delicious so I had to be sure to share!  I pinned this recipe 42 weeks ago on Pinterest and just barely got around to trying it!  I'm glad I finally did!  Bright, flavorful, and full of veggie goodness!

The recipe I pinned can be originally found here at Perry's Plate.  I followed it pretty much as it stated (shocker I know) except for just a a couple small changes because of what I had in my fridge.  Really the only change I would make next time is I would add mushrooms to the roasted veggies - just because I love  them.  I might try it again with beans to add some protein, then I could use less cheese as well.  Really you can use whatever veggies you have/want!

Roasted Vegetable Stack  
(Originally called an enchilada, but no enchilada sauce was used so I'm just calling it a stack)

1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 large onion, slivered
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 T canola oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo (I used my favorite premade salsa, Herdez, bc I didn't feel like making any)
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
9-10 corn tortillas, halved (I actually used flour because that's what I had in my fridge. I try very hard to like corn but I just can't break my love of a good flour tortilla)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (any blend you like!)
sour cream and thinly sliced scallions for garnish, if desired (I didn't use)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

(veggies pre-roasted)

Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, 1/3 of the cheese, and a handful of spinach. Make a second layer of tortilla, vegetables, cheese, salsa, and spinach. Top with with a layer of tortillas, vegetables, salsa, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

(look at those gorgeous layers!!)

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.

Serves 4-5

Spaghetti Squash with Chili

Spaghetti Squash with Chili
Slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 spaghetti squash
8 ounces lean ground turkey  (93/7 % or 99/1%)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
14 ounce can Rotel (or equivalent), drained
15 ounce can corn, drained
8 ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste (if you don't have that's okay)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed

If you have never cooke spaghetti squash before, it's really not bad I promise.  You can either bake or microwave it.  I choose to bake mine because it could bake as I was making the chili.
To bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and middle (as you would a pumpkin).  Place the squash halves with the cut sides down and the rind side up on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.  Cook for ~30-45 minutes.  I set my timer for 30min and they were done.  Just poke with a fork to check.  Be careful when you turn them over because the trapped steam is what helps them cook.  Use a fork to softly scrap out the flesh, which comes out in string like strands.
To microwave: cut and clean in the same manner.  Place one half in a baking dish with ~1/4 cup water.  Cover and microwave for ~8-10 minutes.  Do the same for the second half.

For the chili:  In a medium saucepan cook ground turkey, onion, and garlic until meat is fully cooked and onion is tender.  Season with a little salt and pepper while cooking.  Drain off any fat.
Stir in Rotel, corn, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and oregeno.  Simmer, unconvered, for 10 minutes or desired consistency.

Top spaghetti squash with chili.  Yum!  I liked it!  And I love being able to use spaghetti squash more in the fall and skip the pasta!

Spicy Pickled Carrots

I bet no one will make this recipe unless you've had these carrots! I had this what I called mexican pickled carrots at Taco Milagro and I've heard of these famous carrots served at Ninfa's. After becoming addicted to these carrots I actually tried to google a recipe but was a little unsure about what I was finding. So imagine my excitement when The Homesick Texan posted this! I just got around to making them and they were yummy!! I basically ate 8 carrots in 24hours! haha. So if you've had these before or if you want to have some more exciting carrots try them! For a non-spicy version, omit the chiles and jalapeno but add a dash of cayenne pepper (trust me, won't be super spicy but the flavor will be right.) And they tasted better after cooling off so what they taste like in the pot isn't the end result.

Ingredients:
1 cup Water
¼ cup Vegetable Oil
2 cups White Vinegar
1 ounce Chiles De Arbol, stems removed
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Kosher Salt (Plus More To Taste)
1 pound Carrots, cut into thin rounds
¼ cup Slivered Onions
1 Garlic Clove
1 Jalapeño, seeds and stem removed, sliced

Directions:
In a medium-sized pot, add the water, vegetable oil, vinegar and chiles de arbol. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.

Add to the pot the cumin, oregano, black pepper and salt. Continue to cook on medium for 5 more minutes. Add the sliced carrots, onions, garlic and jalapeño, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the carrots are your desired texture. Taste and add more salt if you prefer.

Cool and then refrigerate. Will keep for one month refrigerated.

Note: Chiles de arbol can be found at Mexican grocers and many regular supermarkets. And be aware that these carrots are very hot, so you might want to cut back on the chiles de arbol.

Roasted Balsamic Veggies

Super easy, super delish! And I love these cold too (actually even better!)

Yellow squash - sliced

Brussels sprouts - tough ends cut off then cut in half

Purple onion - sliced

Place in bowl or zip lock bag. Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mix well or shake bag so veggies are coated. Spread evenly on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt/pepper.

Bake at 425 degrees for ~20 minutes

*Feel free to try other veggies and combinations, adjust roasting time accordingly! Since using up my Brussels sprouts I've been addicted to this recipe just using yellow squash & onion.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

My sis sent me a recipe that she thought I might like. It sounded sort of like a recipe that was so weird that it sounded delicious, if that makes any sense. Well in true Heather fashion, I did my own thing based on what I had at home and personal preferences. I liked it and I personally really like raw Brussels sprouts so I will likely make this or a variation of it again.

Here's the original recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pineapple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Here's what I made:

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

adapted from www.joythebaker.com

4 cups raw Brussels Sprouts Ribbons
4 chopped green onions (white part)
1 cups fresh pineapple chunks, cut into bite size chunks
1 avocado, cut into chunks

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Dressing
¼ cup agave nectar (or honey, I just don't like honey too much)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt And Pepper To Taste

Prepare salad dressing: mix agave nectar/honey, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and dijon mustard. Whisk in oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Set dressing aside.

Lay Brussels sprouts on their sides and cut thin slices creating ribbons for salad. Toss together Brussels sprouts, scallions, pineapple, avocado, and almonds. Drizzle in dressing and toss well.

Kale Chips

I've been wanting to try these for quite some time now and have just forgotten or never gotten around to it. I burnt some of mine a little so next time I won't bake them quite so long [or maybe a lower temp]. The ones that weren't burnt were tasty & kinda fun to eat. Not sure how often I'll actually make this since I learned that I actually love the taste of raw kale. For those of you who haven't had it, it tasted like broccoli but in lettuce form!

Remove thick steam from kale. Tear kale leaves into smaller pieces. Sprinkle/mist with olive oil & sprinkle with salt and/or seasonings of choice. Spread on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for ~10 minutes.

PS - My views on food and how/what we should eat coming soon....I just know it'll take a little longer to write so I haven't written it yet. But many people ask...which is good seeing as how I am a dietitian and all :)

Parmesan Tilapia & Squash Veggie Packets

Dinner tonight was SO yummy (& easy), I had to share!

Parmesan Tilapia
-baste the tilapia fillet w/ a light coating of olive oil
-sprinkle Grill Mates Garlic Herb & Wine marinade seasoning on the top, pat the powder down so it sticks to the fish
-sprinkle w/ a light coating of shredded parmesan cheese (I use the Kraft shredded parmesan, romano, & asiago - my favorite!)

That's it! Bake as desired...I did 400 degrees until the fish was firm & flaky (~12 min)

Squash Veggie Packets
This recipe is my best friend's husband's recipe and these veggies are my favorite!! He does these on the grill but I do the oven version for my apartment and they came out great. Add any veggies you want! He usually uses onions also but I didn't have any on hand. The amount below is enough for 2 servings.

My veggie packet tonight consisted of:
1 zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
handful of crimini mushrooms, sliced
-place veggies in tin foil
-cover with Italian dressing (highly recommend Ken's Italian w/ Aged Romano, also don't use zesty Italian because it is too strong)
-close tin foil so the dressing will not leak and the veggies will steam (you might need to do 2 sheets in different directions)

-Grill if able or bake at 500 degrees for 20-30 min

Zucchini "Pasta" Review

I like to try some of those different creative options out there that people like to do to decrease calories or eat healthier. Since I'm a dietitian, I get asked about these things but also I like being creative with what I cook/eat. Well last night I tried making zucchini spaghetti. For those of you unfamiliar it is where you use zucchini in place of pasta. The idea is you decrease calories/carbs, increase your veggie intake, all with still being able to enjoy "pasta". Now I wasn't trying this so much as a diet option, because I think encorporating whole grain pasta into my diet is fine. But I was just curious!

I sliced my zucchini into thin long strips, boiled them for about 2 minutes, drained them, and topped w/ my favorite pasta sauce. If you put hot sauce on top that can continue to cook the zucchini so just be aware. I topped w/ a touch of fresh shredded parmesean.

I did like the meal and thought it was flavorful but I think I would do it more as a side dish (i.e. the whole italian zucchini & tomatoes type dish). I'm not sure if I cut the strips thin enough though to even come close to pretending to be pasta but I was worried they would fall apart if I cut them too thin. I did like this dish but you have to think about it as a dish on its own, NOT a replacement for pasta. For the pasta lovers feeling guilty out there, just pick a whole grain pasta but more then that keep your portion size in check! That's really the downfall for most pasta lovers.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried zucchini "pasta" or the next product that is making me super curious to try & review: Tofu Shirataki Noodle Substitute

*Update - had the leftovers which were sooo yummy! I liked it much better than the original dish because the tomato sauce soaked into the zucchini & made it a little extra flavorful, mmm!

Balsamic Vinager

Two new uses for Balsamic vinegar that I've been doing lately -

*Current obsession for snack or side dish:
Fresh mozzarella + tomatoes + sprinkle with ground Kosher salt and Balsamic vinegar
Soooooo delicious, fresh, & light! I love using the ball shaped mozzarella w/ grape/cherry tomatoes. Or the kind of mozzarella you slice w/ some sliced vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes are yummy too. Add some fresh basil if you want! Makes me crave some just thinking about it!!

*Liven up some strawberries
I read about this in a magazine (sorry I don't remember which one) but its a way to liven up those kinda iffy looking strawberries...you know the ones that are still edible but not too pretty anymore.
1. Slice strawberries & sprinkle w/ sugar (I use the Splenda sugar blend, I don't use just plain Splenda because the sugar pulls the water out of the strawberries making them moist and juicy). Refrigerate for 30mins
2. Sprinkle w/ ~1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar and refrigerate for another 30 mins
3. Eat plain, add to salads, be creative!
These end up being really good, it just kind of boldens the flavor a bit.

Japanese Cucumber Salad

This is the recipe I make when I'm craving that cucumber salad I get with my sushi. Yumm!! Also referenced here as a great side dish to a yummy recipe!

Japanese Cucumber Salad

2 cups thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers*
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

* English cucumbers may be substituted. The English cucumbers need to be peeled, cut lengthwise, seeded, and sliced into thin half moons.

In a large bowl, combine cucumbers and salt; mix well. Add sugar, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil; mix well. Sprinkle with sesame seed and mix. Let marinate for 20 minutes before serving. NOTE: If you desire, drain off some of the vinegar mixture before serving.

To serve, divide salad among individual chilled plates.

Makes 4 servings.

Olive Garden Stuffed Mushrooms (Copycat)

*comments after recipe

Olive Garden Stuffed Mushrooms
8-12 fresh mushrooms
1 (6 ounce) can clams (drained and finely minced, save 1/4 cup of clam juice for stuffing)
1 green onion, finely minced
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated mozzarella cheese for stuffing
1/4 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese for garnish
1/4 cup melted butter
fresh parsley for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Gently wipe and stem mushrooms; pat dry
3. Combine clams, onions, garlic salt, minced garlic, butter, and oregano into bowl and mix well
4. Add Italian bread crumbs, egg, and clam juice and mix well
5. Add Parmesan, Romano, and mozzarella cheeses to the stuffing and mix well
6. Place approx. 1 1/2 teaspoons of the stuffing mixture into the mushroom cavity and slightly mound
7. Place the stuffed mushrooms in a lightly oiled baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over the top of the mushrooms
8. Cover and place in over for about 35-40 minutes
9. Remove cover; sprinkle the 1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese on top and pop back in oven just so the cheese melts slightly
10. Garnish with freshly diced parsley. Serve hot

Makes 4 servings.
1 serving = 297 calories, 12.2g saturated fat, 391mg sodium, 14.6g protein

I wouldn't consider this a "healthy" dish but its not horrible either so if you're okay with the nutritional values or you're making it for a party go ahead! However this is The Healthy Bite so there are some easy suggestions to make this a bit healthier (along with my "two cents" about the recipe).
-First of all this is a great way to get those mushrooms in! Lots of B vitamins (great for metabolism and energy) and selenium (promotes antioxidant activity). My aunt suggested your basic white mushrooms and that is what we used but I personally love the flavor of brown mushrooms (baby portabella or crimini) so use whatever mushrooms you like!
-Don't be scared of the clams or clam juice!! Really even the people who don't like clams like this recipe. And because you mince them you can't even tell they're there.
-We used a bag of mix cheese instead of buying 3 different cheeses so it saved us some money. You might already have all 3 cheeses, in that case go for it. My suggestion if you want to cut back on the saturated fat and calories is to cut the cheese in half. Or even keep the cheese in the stuffing the same but don't sprinkle the 1/4 cup over the top.
-Also to cut back on the saturated fat and calories: spray w/ Pam instead of oiling your baking dish. And you do NOT need to pour 1/4 cup butter over the top...your mushrooms will bake fine if you don't and you'll let go of some of that unneeded stuff
-For all those fellow mushroom lovers out there, these are a great hors d'oeuvres at a party or side dish for dinner

Risotto With Spring Vegetables

I know what you're thinking - Risotto is not healthy. My sister Michelle started watching a show called Cook Yourself Thin. I watched a few episodes with her and as a Dietitian I have to say I appreciate a lot of the things they do and I absolutely hate some of the things they say. But they do have quite a few tasty looking recipes and "healthier" versions of some not so healthy favorites. I loved this recipe because it was a super easy & healthy way to make risotto. I'll critique the turnout afterwards.

Risotto with Spring Vegetables

Serves 4

Calories per serving: 489

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/4-1/3 inch thick

4 1/2-5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 pound medium asparagus, ends trimmed

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

3/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups short grain rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (we didn't use)

1/4 tsp pepper

1. Combine the oil and onion in large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the zucchini; turn the heat to medium-low, and cook until softened and lightly browned, 18-20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring the 5 cups broth to a simmer in a saucepan wide enough to hold asparagus. Add the asparagus and simmer until barely tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs. Cut into bite sized pieces and set aside. Add the peas, parmesean cheese, and 1 Tbsp of the basil; set aside. Put a lid over the broth and reduce the heat to very low so that the stock barely simmers.

3. When the zucchini is cooked, stir in 1/2 tsp salt and the remaining 1 Tbsp of the basil. Add the butter and the rice, increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the rice is translucent. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue adding the broth, about 1/2 cup - 1 cup at a time, and cooking, stirring frequently, until the rice is just tender and the mixure is creamy, 17-20 minutes. (You may not use all of the broth). Stir in the reserved contents of the bowl and season with the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt and the pepper.

Critique:

• This recipe should be called Basil Risotto. If you're a basil lover make the risotto as is. If you like the basil as more of a background flavor I would decrease the basil in the recipe. The risotto was very good but very basil-y.
• The zucchini pretty much disintegrated in the risotto so we were left with the end/skin pieces of the zucchini so I'd recommend undercooking your zucchini before you add rice.
• We followed the amounts of the recipe and I can honestly say I have no idea where they got that it serves 4. Five of us ate this meal and we ate about 1/2 of the amount that was made. And we ate it as a main course not a side dish. Hopefully that means the calories were even less too. :)
• I didn't like the peas in mine but Michelle did. I think this was a great "basic healthy risotto" recipe that you can really use whatever vegetables/herbs are your favorite in. I'd definitely make it again.

Marinated Mushrooms

1 lb white button mushrooms, washed and stems removed

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 c fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 c Italian parsley leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Halve or quarter the mushrooms if needed, depending on size.  Combine the garlic, mustard, rosemary, parsley, salt, and pepper in a food processor until smooth in consistency (You may need to add a little of the olive oil to get it to blend evenly).  Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk together with the olive oil and vinegar, until you have a thick dressing.  Toss the mushrooms in the dressing until well coated.  Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled or at room temp.

I obviously scaled the recipe down some because I did not need a lb of marinated mushrooms.  These were pretty good.  The marinade can also be used for dipping bread as well.  I loved the addition of Dijon mustard.

Zucchini Bake

I'm a sucker for anything w/ Bisquick in it and I thought this recipe sounded pretty good. Here's the original recipe:

Zucchini Bites

1 cup Bisquick

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

4 small unpeeled zucchini, thinly sliced (3 cups)

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 serving: calories-260, fat-20g, chol-110mg, sodium-600mg, carbohydrate-13g, fiber-1g, protein-8g

Makes 8 servings

Well I didn't want to make 8 servings so here is what I made. I'm calling it a zucchini bake instead of zucchini bites because as you see from the picture....its clearly a bake and not bites. Here's what I made:

Zucchini Bake

1/2 cup Bisquick

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp seasoned salt

2 small unpeeled zucchini, sliced

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (heaping 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup Egg Beaters (equiv to 2 eggs)

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir all ingredients until blended. Spread into pan. Bake about 25min or until golden brown.

I had to bake this about 10 minutes longer because the Bisquick was not all the way cooked yet. I found this was a pretty good side dish. I also think this could be a pretty good way to get kids to eat zucchini (although I don't have any to try this out on). The nutrition info I put before was for the original recipe so my version would obviously be different because I used Egg Beaters.

Sesame Tuna with Cucumber Salad - Posted by Eileen D.

I got some nice fresh Tuna fillets at Costco last week. Probably 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. I rubbed each side with a small amount of sesame oil, a tsp. of Hoisin sauce, then sprinkled it fairly heavily with a mix of light and black sesame seeds (so it covers the entire surface). I then grilled it on my outdoor grill. Restaurants serve tuna rare - but that's not my preference so I probably did about 4 minutes each side.

I served it with another favorite of mine - that I adapted from a sushi restaurant that I like.

I mandolin small cucumbers into very thin slices (don't peel of course) - two per person. I mix the cucumbers with a dash of sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, and a dash of low-sodium soy sauce. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on the top and serve immediately.

I like this meal because it's light, satisfying, and as far as I know - pretty darn healthy. (I know Hoisin sauce isn't very good - but I use a very small amount.) The more I read about how much fish we should eat, I try more ways to prepare it so that everyone likes it. Both Case and Carson will eat fresh tuna - so it works.

Vegetable Confetti

Recipes don't need to be hard or complicated. This is something I made one day because I had a bunch of veggies I didn't want to go bad. What I absolutely love about it is that it can go on a salad, on top of salmon, as a side dish, or even a snack by itself. It actually becomes more flavorful as it sits so you can make a batch and keep it in the fridge to use whenever. You can use whatever vegetables you like (or have handy) and whatever dressing you choose. I put no measurements because everything is based on your taste and how much you want to make! The mix I made was a beautiful range of colors, which was another thing I like about this. *Remember...every different color fruit and vegetable has a different benefit! Here's to eating our rainbow every day!


Vegetable Confetti

-diced yellow squash
-diced green bell pepper
-diced tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes
-sliced green onion
-dressing of choice (I use the spray dressing in Caesar...yum!)
-salt/pepper (optional...remember don't use salt if there is plenty in your dressing!)

Mix together! It's as easy as that! Sorry I don't have a picture available at this time...I don't have any made right now.