what's been cooking...

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Has it really been a month since I've sat down to post?

Well, I will fully admit to not spending a whole lot of time in the kitchen. The sun is finally out in the Northeast, and so am I. But here's what I've been whipping up...

To keep my skin clear and bright, smoothies every morning. I combine 2 cups of water, coconut water or almond milk + 1 packet of ALOHA Daily Good Greens + 1/4 - 1/2 cup of a good fat like hazelnuts, almonds or avocado + 1/2 - 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit.

Blend it all together and voila. A satisfying start to my day.

My other morning ritual? 1 cup coffee + 1 Tablespoon coconut oil + 1-2 scoops collagen. Sounds weird, tastes delish. And keeps me looking 33 vs 43.

There's a lot of blending in the Spring. Quick and easy… and makes meals come together quickly. One recent fav:

Chimichuri Sauce

(makes 2+ cups; store in fridge or freeze)

2-3 cups fresh parsley
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cider or red wine vinegar vinegar (or more, to taste)
4-5 cloves garlic (or more, to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste

Whiz everything in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve drizzled over chicken, steak, fish, shrimp, quinoa, couscous, rice and/or grilled veggies. 

I've also made sure to keep a few tubs of pesto on hand for quick weeknight dinners. Kale Pesto is a go-to, and another that's become a recent fav is Carrot-Cashew Pesto. Deelish. This is one of the recipes in the Second Batch of Stock Your Freezer in a Snap, which you can purchase here if you don't already have the instant download. Lots of good vegetarian, gluten-free, and family friendly freezer recipes in there that you can whip up.

My kids love this Carrot-Cashew one because it's creamy and sweet.

I love to spread this one on naan and make a pizza dinner, which has been pleasing both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians around here.

That kind of dinner comes together quickly, which is perfect because I find we're on on fields, tracks and whatnot well into the evenings most nights.

My other fav, if games, matches, belt tests or meets fall right at lunchtime or dinnertime, is the snack bar at our local park. My personal favorite? Emad's Falafel Platter. If you're at Mead Park, it's a must try.

I was trying to think back on the past month and the only real 'cooking' I've done was to restock our supply of enchiladas for the freezer. I've taken to making large trays of chicken ones, and packaging up individual containers of vegetarian ones for my older son. Have that system down pat so we can all enjoy the 'same' meal.

On Cinqo de Mayo we had both sets of grandparents visiting, so I whipped a chicken and veggie tray of enchiladas out of the freezer and served them alongside that delicious Romaine, Jicama, Mango Salad that's an oldie but goodie on the blog.

Plus, since that enchilada recipe makes a ton, we were able to surprise our son's dedicated Robotics Team coaches and teachers with a Cinqo de Mayo feast too. Ole!

Anyway, given the choice, we're taking most of our meals outside

and when I do cook (enchiladas being the exception), I'm making a real effort to eat clean-- lots of quinoa salads, things like the chimichurri sauce and pestos mentioned above drizzled over grilled veggies, fish or meat.

But then there are those times when you think, "I want to be good… but man of man, do I also want a decadent treat!". And that's when I poke around sites I like and find recipes like this Banoffee Pie from Oh She Glows that make me swoon.