Apricot Adobo Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus // Noms

Pork loins are underrated and I often forget about them in the world of cooking. There are several pork loin recipes that are now our go-to dinner choices. (so easy!)

This one is the one we've made the most, but I can share the others later if you guys are interested. :) Mashed potatoes are pretty standard, and many of you may want to leave those out of your meal.. so I'm not going to share that recipe. The asparagus is BOMB and easy, so I am definitely sharing that.

Apricot Adobo Pork Loin

4 servings

1-2lb pork loin (original/unseasoned)

1/2 cup apricot or peach preserves

1-2 T adobo chiles/sauce (you can chop these up and freeze them in ice cube trays! We never use them all! If you do this, just use one cube!)

Salt and pepper

1) Salt and pepper the pork loin. Sear all sides in a hot skillet.

2) Meanwhile, mix adobo chiles and preserves.

3) Place seared pork loin in an oven safe dish. Coat pork loin with half of the preserves/chile mixture.

4) Bake at 400 F for about 45 minutes, or until internal temp is 145 (medium-rare) 160 (medium). We've made this in two ovens and the times will vary based on oven and size of pork loin.

5) Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Use rest of sauce to top pork loin before serving. (you can put this on your potatoes too)

The BEST Asparagus EVER

4 servings

Two Bunches of Asparagus
Olive Oil
Sea Salt, Kosher Salt, etc. (some type of chunky salt)

1) Rinse asparagus.
2) Trim asparagus to correct length. {this is a very important {yet easy} process that makes ALL the difference}
     a) hold both ends of the asparagus
     b) pull both ends down with even pressure on both ends until the asparagus snaps and breaks.
     c) the "head" end is the part you keep, the other part disgard. *at this point you may feel like you are wasting food and money but if you cook this part as well you will not be pleased. Its too tough to eat*
3) Place "head" ends of the asparagus in a dish and drizzle with olive oil.
4) sprinkle with sea or kosher salt to taste
5) grill on an outdoor grill or george foreman grill for 4-5 minutes.

There you have it, super easy! We make this asparagus all. the. time. It's super easy and one of our favorite veggies!

What are your go-to easy/quick meals?! Please share! :)

Hope you have an exciting week ahead.

XO,

Alexandra

The Easiest Veggie Ravioli

My guess is that many of us made a goal to eat better in 2016. Maybe you did, maybe you're doing great! ... maybe not so much. It's never too late friends, persistence is they key to achieving goals!

Sometimes, KC and I are just plain busy... and we need something fast, but something that's not awful for us... well, this recipe, is SUPER EASY, QUICK, and overall decently healthy. Eat a reasonable portion and serve it with a salad.... you're good to go!

*this recipe comes with some very specific veggies, but you can really use whatever you want! Spinach, onion, peppers... whatever sounds good to you!*

Veggie Ravioli

Serves 6-8**

18 oz. of refrigerated cheese or veggie ravioli (we tried a mushroom one last time...NOM!)
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced (you can use canned, drain first! Or use fresh!)
14 oz. canned artichoke hearts (in water), chopped
4 oz. canned sliced black olives (you can buy non-sliced, and slice them FOR SO MUCH CHEAPER!)
29 oz. jarred pasta sauce of choice
1 pkg. shredded mozzarella

1) Cook ravioli according to package directions. Prep. veggies while ravioli is cooking. Drain and return to pan. Add pasta sauce, and prepared veggies. Stir to combine.
2) Spray 9 X 13 baking dish, and put pasta mixture in pan. Top with cheese. Bake at 400 Degrees F. for 15-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. (ours only took 15!)
3) Serve with salad and enjoy!

Substitution Ideas: Like I mentioned above, any veggies would be great in this! If you choose raw veggies, you may want to sautee them to soften them a bit before baking... or let bake for the longer amount of time. You can also substitute other types of pasta/ravioli. You could use cheese, mushroom, squash, meat... etc. Even tortellini would work! Any sauce would be great here too!

**6-8 servings is a lot for some, but is convenient in terms of packaging of the ingredients. We each eat a serving the first night, save individual servings in 2 cup pyrex for lunch the next day, then we freeze whatever's left in individual serving sizes! So easy to pull out of the freezer on a day you need a lunch in a pinch!**

What's your favorite meal that's easy and healthy?!

XO,

Alexandra

Bikini Season Salmon and Broccoli {Recipes 97 & 98}

My sister-in-law, Kelsey gave me the Glamour Magazine Cookbook for Christmas. 

I have flipped through the book many times since I got it and I am so excited to try more of the recipes. The Frozen Mango Mimosa recipe came originally from the book. We just changed up the sorbet flavor. 

Anyhow, these 2 recipes also came from this cookbook. It turned out to be a light and delicious meal. It wasn't hard at all and was really tasty, not to mention healthy!

Bikini Season Salmon

{borrowed, adapted and enjoyed from Glamour's Cookbook}

Serves 4

{we cut ours in half and still had 4 servings!}

Ingredients

Four 8-ounce skin-on salmon fillets

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers*

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Put the salmon skin-side down in a glass baking pan. Rub the salmon fillets with 1-tablespoon olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Let the salmon sit in the pan for at least 10 minutes. 

2) Drizzle the white wine over the salmon, then sprinkle 1/4 cup parsley on top; save the remaining parsley to use later. Put the pan in the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon fillets are opaque. {I overcooked mine a bit, it was still good but a bit dry. So make sure to take it out on time!

3) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, capers, remaining parsley, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Top each salmon fillet with the lemon juice mixture and serve immediately. 

Enjoy!

We made this broccoli recipe from the same book as a side.

Beyond Basic Broccoli

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs of fresh broccoli cut into florets

3 T. Olive oil

4 garlic cloves thinly sliced

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp or less red pepper flakes {optional}

1) Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Add brocolli to the boiling water and cook, uncovered until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the brocooli to the ice water using tongs or a slotted spoon, then drain in a colander. Wipe out the pot.

2) Ad the olive oil and garlic to the pot and cook over medium high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until just golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and cook while stirring for 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. 

Enjoy!

What is your go-to healthy but tasty meal?

All for now,

Alexandra

*capers are pickled flower buds. They smell disgusting, but they really do taste good! Kyle liked them too! :)

8 Things You Should Eat Every Day!

I have gotten really into healthy eating recently and I have been trying to read about it in a way that is actually "Healthy" as opposed to "Diet-y". I don't believe in diets as society has made them. So I am extremely critical as I read magazines, books etc and take in their advice. 

One source that I found and expected to be "Diet-y" was Women's Health Eat This, Not That Special. Turns out it wasn't and it actually has some great information in it. 

The information I have found most useful so far was the list of 8 things you should eat every day and why. So I just thought I would share it with you all as I explore different aspects of healthier eating. Who knows maybe it will be helpful for you too!

8 Things You Should Eat Every Day!

1) Spinach 

Pros: muscle builder, good source of omega 3s and folate

How Much:1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup cooked each day 

How I fit it in: I stick it on sandwiches, in pitas and make it into salads. You can stick it on pizzas, in pastas, lasagna, eggs almost anything really! Super sneaky way: Blend a cup of fresh spinach into your morning or afternoon smoothie. Sounds gross but the fruits you use are strong enough that you won't even notice the taste and you will still get the awesome benefits.

Tips: Go organic and baby on this one. Smaller and pesticide free leaves taste much much better, sweeter, you'll want to eat it alone. Larger, pesticide laden leaves can be bitter.

2)Yogurt

Pros: Calcium Rich, Probiotics boost immune system and protect from cancer.  

How much: 1 cup per day

How I fit it in: Yogurt with granola and fruit for breakfast or a snack its sweet and nutritious, or I run to 3 spoons with Kyle and pick up some non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt and top it with berries, coconut and nuts! Its delicious! I can't even think about getting anything else!

Tip: Greek yogurt is a much better source of proteins as far as yogurt goes. Its thicker so if you don't like that for traditional fruit and grain type snacks and meals blend it into dips or sauces! Its rich and creamy and protein packed!

 3) Tomatoes

Pros: lycopene {multi-cancer fighting and reduction of risk for coronary artery disease}. Yeah. Its that awesome.

How Much: 22mg {8 red cherry tomatoes or 1 glass of tomato juice}

How I Fit it in: I LOVE SALSA. Seriously. Tomatoes in general are awesome. I put them in sandwiches, pitas, salads ANY kind of mexican food. Which I also LOVE. This one is easy for me. Other ways might be soups & tomato sauces think Italian food. Ketchup even does something {though it shouldn't be your primary source}

4) Carrots

Pros: carotenoids {reduce risk of many cancers and inflammatory conditions like asthma and arthritis}

How Much: 1/2 cup per day {not very much!}

How I Fit It In: Carrots meet Hummus match made in heaven. Other than that carrots are easy and because they are sweet they can also be easily blended up into smoothies just like spinach. But you can also blend it into pasta sauces or top any dish with it. 

Tip: Just do it. Its such a small amount. 

5) Whole Grains

Pros: Fiber {lowers risk of heart disease, keeps you full longer}, Protein for energy.

How Much: As much as you can get. Seriously. Its an easy switch.

How I Fit it in: Whole wheat pita pockets are one of the greatest things ever. They aren't too grainy and they make a super delicious substitute for a sandwich or salad. Whole grain oats, rice etc count too! So many options.

Tip: Often times people don't like whole grain oats, pasta or rice because it seems grainy in comparison to regular versions. Cook it just a bit longer and odds are you won't notice. 

6) Walnuts

Pros: TONS of: Omega 3s, protein, polyphenols {anti-inflammatory}

How Much: 1 ounce

How I Fit it in: Well I love nuts so its not hard. I top my cereal, yogurt and frozen yogurt with them. Put them in trail mix or brownies.

You can also put them in salads or pastas. Or grind them up to put into cookies or other baked goods, use as breading on meat, or add to a pesto.

Tips: Don't be afraid. Once you try them a few times you will love them. Its such a small amount that if you don't like them its easy to grind up or stick in something else. Or: almonds and pistachios are almost as good.

 

7) Blueberries

Pros: Fiber rich, antioxidant packed {prevent cancer, diabetes and memory problems related to aging}

How Much: 1 cup fresh, 1/2 cup dried or frozen.

How I fit it in: I top my morning granola with fresh blueberries and bananas and 1% milk. You can also put them on top of yogurt or frozen yogurt. You can keep frozen ones on hand for any time and throw them in smoothies etc. Add them to pancakes, salads, put them on your ice cream. Dried are great for trail mix. 

Tip:Dried blueberries. {I bought organic}are SUPER expensive. My small bag was $8.50. But these berries are seriously SMALL! Which is great because they will last longer that way. Plus they have a strong flavor and are really yummy! Much better than raisins. 

8) Black Beans

Pros: heart healthy, anthocyanins {shown to improve brain function}

How Much: 1/2 cup serving or MORE!

How I Fit it in: I LOVE Mexican food. So its pretty easy for me. Check out my 

Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe. You can also add them to chili or other soups. Blend them up with other ingredients with for a yummy chip dip!

Tip: Black beans {and other beans} make eating meatless every once in a while {or as often as you like} protein packed! No need to worry! Plus they are filling and flavorful! I say go on a serious mexican food exploration mission! You won't regret it!

I will post recipes for each individual thing and some with combined recipes soon!

Enjoy and Eat Well!

Alex

11 Goals for 2011

1. Hello blog world. Its been way too long. Lets just say the end of 2010 was rough for me. But now its 2011 and I'm starting all over. I don't know if you know this but I am extremely goal oriented. I love lists. I make a list for every break, year, school year etc. However this year my list is not super solid yet.. but I am pleased with what I have so far. 

So here it is.

1) Treat the week as if it starts on Sunday. 

I don't know about you but I have begun to dread and not enjoy my Sundays just because they are followed by Mondays. How awful is that? Hating Sundays and Mondays leaves me with 2/7 of my life that I don't like. That's miserable. So I've decided that my weeks now start on Sunday. I think this will help me feel like I end my week with a break (Friday/Saturday) and begin my week with a break (Sunday). Then I get to begin my week with a day of rest, fun, break whatever so that when Monday comes around I am not so unhappy. 

2) Get into Fitness Routine 

I blogged about this back in the fall and it worked out pretty well until my shimmy class ended, I got very busy with classes and then broke my foot. A broken foot and a walking boot on your leg not only makes everything more difficult but makes exercise nearly impossible. (boo) 

so

This year I am starting fresh on a well recovering foot :) 

Specific Fitness Goals:

a) Take a fit class at the rec center 3-4 times per week.

(Shimmy, Yoga, Zumba)

b) Do Yoga DVDs (or the like) 2-3 times per week.

(my favorites are anything Gaiam, especially with Rodney Yee or Coleen Saidman) 

c) Get Outside

(I want to make an effort to find beautiful Kansas scenery to walk, jog, run, bike, hike, camp... anything!) 

3) Open a Nest Egg Savings Account

Have a certain $ amount or % pulled from my pay checks and deposited into an account for only savings. I will also put all of my coins from various banks (both piggy and moose-y) in that account and a certain % of my jewelry earnings.

4) Read at least 12 books

During school it is extremely hard to find time to read anything but non-fiction and magazines. But I find if I make a goal to read and crowd my little space in my room with tons of books I am much more likely to do it. In 2010 I resolved to read 20 and read 12 which I thought was pretty good, so this year I will resolve to meet or exceed last year's record.

5)Continue to swap my regular products for Eco-friendly / organic versions once the original is used up (but do a better job) 

 This has been a goal of mine for a while and I am not going to lie, I have strayed. To be honest sometimes I just want to be "normal" and sometimes I am extremely short on money. But I've realized that neither of these reasons are very valid. I feel much better about my purchases when I make them with the environment and my own health in mind. Of the products I have switched I am very pleased with most all of them. (I might blog about this later for more specific info) So goodbye chemicals! :)

6) Stock a Healthier Kitchen (or fridge and cabinet space :))and then utilize it to its fullest extent.

I have been reading a lot of health magazines and books and getting really interested in nutrition. Learning about balancing different nutrients and which foods do what for you. Women's Health issued a "Eat This! Not That!" special issue that had some really helpful information in it. It tells you which tortillas, cereals etc are healthiest compared to their counterparts. A little of this seems to "Diet-y" to me. But honestly much less so than I expected. (I will probably blog about this later too with more specifics) I also want to use my new stock of nourishing food and fun new kitchen tools (thanks for the Chrismas Gifts) to actually make more real food for myself for lunches and meals that my kitchen won't be cooking. Instead of Ramen.. or picking something up at the snack bar. 

7)Reflect, Relax and De-Stress!

This goal has a few different points to it. 

a) Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

b) Do yoga to relax/De-Stress

c) Exercise in general to sleep better

d) Write down thoughts in my journal (or here!) to get it out of my mind and for later reflection.

e) Try Meditation (guided at first) just to see how I like it.

f) get outside

8) Pamper (somewhat related to #7)

I am one of those people who is very busy most of the time. I spend most of my weekends and evenings worried about fitting everyone and everything in. Which usually exhausts me, stresses me out and keeps me living out of a "suitcase". This year I would love to lose a leats a few of those feelings by making more time for myself.

a) Making Miller feel more like home

b) adventure with aroma therapy

c) get regular hair cuts/brow waxes

d) get a massage/have Kyle learn :)

e) do nails/foot soaks/facials/hot tub soaks

f) use my makeup in the mornings (when I feel like it)

 9) Travel (and dream about traveling)

self explainatory

a) Get out of the state at least 3 times. 

b) Go at least 1 new place.

c) make updated lists of places I want to go someday

d) take any opportunity

e) utilize breaks and opportunities through school

f) enjoy the great outdoors (camp, hike, bike, canoe...) anywhere

10) Be a More Responsible Consumer

This basically means to pay attention to what I am buying and why I am buying it. I want to buy healthier purchases for myself (food), the earth (everything), used products (books, movies, clothes, buying fairly traded products, and donating to charity). I know some really cool organizations and websites for this one so I will also post separately about this later. Also to make sure it something I really want or need. Make sure its something that I don't already have. By shopping this way I will also be able to get much better prices, saving me money. High-Five mother earth! :)

11) (as always) Try New Things, Accept Challenges and Do What I'm Afraid of.

 I love a good challenge, a new experience, something that scares me. That is how I have had some of the most rewarding expereiences of my life so far. So I'm not stopping now. :)

Hello 2011! You are certainly welcome here!!

What are your goals for 2011?

-Alex