Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Asian Barbecue Chicken and Grilled Corn on the Cob

I normally don't get excited about chickpeas but this was one really hit my palette tonight.  It is definitely a keeper.  The recipe gets points for simplicity and budget friendly without compromising on taste.  I even varied it with half cherry tomatoes and have chopped Roma tomatoes since that is what I had on hand and didn't sacrifice any of the flavor.  I am excited to see how the leftovers hold up tomorrow.  This could stand as a snack, lunch or dinner side dish, or possibly through in some diced chicken or salami and make it a main.  I'm even thinking I would happily eat this leftovers as a quick breakfast option for a great way to start a summer morning.  Not sure if the masses would be with me on this one or not but it sounds good to me!

Click here for the full recipe:  http://rachelschultz.com/2013/01/19/tomato-chickpea-salad/

We served this with corn on the cob and Asian Barbecue Chicken (one of my favorite grill standbys):  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/asian-barbecue-chicken-10000000698696/

Pesto and Sundried Tortellini with Orange Pepper and Green Beans

Made this for lunch today.  Would easily cart well to a picnic.  Caitlyn was a huge fan of the tortellini which we gave to her plain because I was not sure if the pesto would be too strong for her.  So we will be seeing this again somewhat regularly I imagine.  Will change up the veggies to keep it interesting.

Ingredients:

Cheese Tortelini
Prepared Pesto
Julienne sundried tomato
Shredded Parmesan
Green Beans
Orange Bell Pepper

Prepare the Tortellini according to package directions.  Saute the green beans and orange pepper until crisp tender.  Toss all items together.  Good warm or at room temperature.

Mom's Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This makes a great family dinner.  I steamed fresh broccoli instead of frozen and used rotisserie chicken.  A little labor intensive for the typical weeknight but easy to make ahead and freeze.  We served this over rice with some sriracha sauce for a bit of kick.

Strawberry, Cucumber, and Basil Salad

Great summer salad. The cucumbers do not hold up for very long so only make enough for the meal at hand and serve immediately.

Creamy Corn and Chorizo-Stuffed Mushrooms

We enjoyed this recipe, mostly because stuffed mushrooms are a bit of a novelty for us and a nice breakup from the daily routine.  We used italian sausage in place of chorizo which would have been to spicy for the kids.  We also made them on the grill which was fun.  They were good but not particularly special.  For the labor involved I think next time I would just buy something ready made like artichoke dip to stuff the mushrooms with for convenience and probably enjoy just as much.

Southwestern Steak, Corn, and Black Bean Wraps

This is a great recipe that I will definitely make again. I loved the flank steak and corn and black bean salsa and the pepperjack cheese was a nice touch. The leftovers were fantastic also. I also added sour cream, sriracha, and fresh spinach to the burritos which really rounded them out.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

Good simple stir fry recipe. I substituted bok choy for napa cabbage since it was on sale. I also threw in some mushrooms which I had on hand. Finally we topped off individual servings with some Chili Garlic Sauce for those in our household who liked spice. Will make this again.

Recipe:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-vegetable-stir-fry-50400000128805/

Summer Corn and Shrimp Succotash

I tried a version of this for dinner tonight and it was quite enjoyable.  I didn't follow the cooking techniques exactly and made a few additions/substitutions based on what we had in hand but overall followed the sentiment of the dish.  For example I used Edemame instead of Fava Beans since I know Caitlyn loves Edemame.  I also skipped the garlic and shallots but included onions, orange pepper, and zucchini.  Instead of tarragon I added some basil that we had on hand.  I think you could use just about any combination of fresh veggies and herbs and this would turn out pretty pleasant.  The sour cream and sriracha condiments also give this succotash dish a nice variation.  It was an enjoyable switch up from our normal cuisines and very pleasing to the pallet.  We will likely make this one again, and experiment with more veggie combinations.

Recipe:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/summer-corn-shrimp-succotash-50400000135970/

The yoga discipline continues.  Of course right away I missed a few days this week and I felt it.  Work has grown exceptionally busy so it is both hard to stop what I'm doing and necessary.  I am finding it challenging this week to have a still mind.  And I'm feeling limitations in my body that I don't want to be there.  It's both frustrating and motivating to continue.  I want to go deeper.  But the awareness I'm developing is so important.

For my 36th birthday, I decided to engage myself with a life coach to start thinking about who and how I wanted to be.  I uncovered some interesting self reflections and I discovered some really big roadblocks within myself.  Many of which I give in to on a regular basis.  A couple of weeks ago I started doing yoga.  I needed to build in one healthy habit that was going to give me a strong foundation and that I can be successful at.  One of my biggest challenges is just making time for myself and particularly pulling myself away from work.  I've done yoga almost every day for the past two weeks and am finally learning how to create that time and space.  It's something I look forward to and am willing to make time for.  Now that I am on a roll, I really don't want to miss it.  I am finding so much greater awareness of my self - my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual state of being.  I feel like I'm able to take in more, to give more, and to be a little bit more fully.  I like it, and can see it is laying a strong foundation for growth in so many other areas of my life.  I know eventually there are other healthful habits I need to incorporate for a strong and healthy heart but I'm trying not to think ahead.  This is my focus for now and I'm looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me.

Fried eggs atop sautéed celery red and yellow peppers and breakfast chicken sausage

Steel cut oats with maple syrup and chopped walnuts

Breakfast

Nutrition Journal

***SICK DAY***

Here's the best I could do with a sick day and what I could find in my cupboards.

AM - 2/3 Cup Steal Cut Oats and 2 Tbs walnuts

LUNCH - 1 slice of cooked Turkey Ham, 1 Can of Chicken Noodle Soup