Avocado with Feta, Cucumber, Tomato Sandwich

click picture for source

Okay so this was way too easy.  I was in a lazy mood today and did not feel like making anything.  Normally this results in a run for fast food that is far too convenient, however, I am trying to make better eating choices, so I scanned pinterest for some easy inspiration.

This was it.  Exactly what I was looking for.  There wasn't a website recipe or anything, but the picture caption summed up how to make it and that was that.  

It was quick for my desire to eat immediately and it was light and refreshing so I didn't feel weighed down or gross after eating.  Another example of how eating right doesn't have to be eating bland and boring.  

I mashed avocado with feta.  Toasted some whole grain artisan bread (thin sliced).  Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

Spread the avocado mixture on the toast.

Top with cucumbers and tomatoes

Salt and Pepper

EAT!  

Enjoy!

Black Bean and Rice Stuffed Peppers

picture source same as recipe source

I recently had a girl's night at my house.  I was craving a Mexican fiesta, but didn't want to make something I always make...I wanted to try something new.

Enter...stuffed peppers.

Okay...these were so good and you know what....they were even better heated up as left overs for lunch a couple of days later.

When I made mine, I made way too much filling, so guess what us ladies made for breakfast the next morning...

That's right!  Breakfast burritos.  We put the filling in a large skillet and cracked in a bunch of eggs.  Then we heated up corn tortillas and cheese in another skillet, added the filling, some fresh salsa and guacamole...DELICIOUS!  

So you get two meals out of one...who doesn't love that?

Go visit Simply Life for the recipe.

I did make some changes...of course, right?

- I used white basmati rice and cooked it in my rice cooker.

- I forgot to add the corn and lime juice

- I did broil step in the oven earlier in the day and when I went to take the skin off, it wasn't coming off as easy as it normally does, so I left it on.  Next time, I would skip this entire step

- Instead of doing mine in the oven, I bbq'd them....who doesn't love a good char?

That's it!

Enjoy!

Sesame Noodles

I made this for dinner last night.  It was SO good!!  Ben, who doesn't even like sesame, liked it.  I can't express in words how much I loved it.  It is my new favorite dish.  I'm pretty sure we'll be having it again and again.


It was quick, it was easy and delicious as leftovers today.  It is a perfect weekday meal and because it doesn't require heating up, it's a perfect lunch for those without microwaves at work.


I got the recipe from Tasty Kitchen.


The recipe says you can use whole wheat spaghetti instead of the Soba noodles, but I highly recommend sticking to the Soba noodles.  I don't like cold pasta salads, but I loved this one and I think it was the texture of the noodles.  You can get them in the Asian section of your grocery store....and they aren't expensive, either. 


It was surprisingly filling and didn't need to serve anything else with it.   I figure the recipe should feed 8+ people....depending on how much people eat.  I found it to be a relatively inexpensive meal because most of the ingredients are things I have on hand normally.


Please go make it.  Now.  You'll thank me!

Martha Stewart Veggie Burger

Last week I attempted a different Martha Stewart Quinoa Burger . We did not like it....at all. The texture was wrong and it tasted too much like a falafel. If you like falafel, then you probably would have liked it. It could have been the way I made it, but it did not hold together properly and was quite mushy.

A friend recommended this one to me and I tried it last night. We loved it!! It was so good and perfectly delicious. The patty held together like a real burger. I did have to add a second egg after it had been sitting in the fridge for the hour. It felt a bit dry when trying to form patties.

picture taken from Martha Stewart's webpage

I served some sliced tomatoes on the side and it was all very perfect. The burger itself is very filling.

I did make a couple of changes.

The recipe, for the burger, calls for shallots, which I didn't have, so I just chopped up garlic and onion instead. I didn't have portobello mushrooms either, so I used cremini mushrooms.

In the yogurt sauce, the recipe calls for capers, which I didn't have, so I used finely chopped green olives. I added a little too much so I did add a bit more garlic. I also added lemon juice to the sauce.

I didn't have greek yogurt, I just had plain non fat and I learned a neat little trick for thickening up the yogurt so it's like a greek yogurt. I put a coffee filter in a sieve and put my yogurt in there and let it sit for an hour or so and voila....thick yogurt!!

Also, instead of toasting the bun in the frying pan, I just broiled it.

I think that's all I did differently. I really enjoyed it and plan on making it again!

Let me know if you try it!