Good For You Archives - Page 8 of 19 - What the Forks for Dinner?

5 Bean Basil Salad

Making a special meal for Mom on May 8th? 5 Bean Basil Salad is a perfect salad for brunch or lunch.

Healthy, beautiful, super easy to prepare, and can be made ahead. What’s not to love!!

I no longer am fortunate enough to have my Mother, but we always made a huge ordeal over Mothers Day. My Mom loved good food, and I was always happy to prepare it for her. But on Mothers Day, I always went the extra mile.

Not only did the meal need to be really good, but it had to be beautiful…….just like my Mom! Everything had to be artfully arranged, and only the best china, and flowers would do. After all it was the day we celebrated her.

If your Mom deserves a special meal……and what Mom doesn’t? Add Five Bean Basil Salad to the menu. Green beans, kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, and cannellini beans. The colors alone are enough to make your mouth water.

Add the red and yellow of cherry tomatoes, and the red and white of radishes…….art on a platter.

Top it all with what I must say was an excellent basil dressing and you have a salad made for a Queen….a.k.a. Mom!

The Five Bean Basil Salad is so extra easy to prepare that you will have plenty of time to spend with the lady of the day! So spoil you Mom this Mothers Day…..she deserves it!!

5 Bean Basil Salad

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Author: Marty Boyd
Yield: 6

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Ingredients

Scale

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and blanched
1/2 cup fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 small shallot, quartered
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup halved red & yellow cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

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Instructions

For dressing:
Combine 1/2 cup basil, shallot, oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender and puree until smooth.
Arrange the green beans and all other ingredients decoratively on a platter. Serve with the dressing. Garnish with the chopped basil.

Cranberry Almond Energy Bites

Spring Break is approaching it’s final days, then it’s back to school for the last of the 2015-2016 school year. I will need something to get my motor running……… Cranberry Almond Energy Bites.

I am always running later than I want too! I start getting ready for school early enough, but somewhere between the shower and the door……..I think I enter a time warp, or fall into a black hole…….anyway, I am always running out the door.

But, I believe in the power of breakfast. After a good nights sleep you need to refuel your tank. But, for the running late me, it needs to be a grab and go, eat in the car kinda thing. Cranberry Almond Energy Bites are certainly that kind of breakfast.

Loaded with oatmeal, almonds, and almond butter, you will have all the protein you need to start your day. Chia seeds and flax add an additional health boost and cranberries and coconut add a bit of sweetness.

Since I have been on Spring Break, and doing Spring Break things…..no alarm, a few extra hours of sleep…..it will be hard to get back into the groove.

I have a plan, or I should say I made a plan. I made the Cranberry Almond Energy Bites this week, and I am already for that first day back to school. I can grab a couple of the bites and a cup of joe and head on out the door! Hopefully on time……..but, lets not get hysterical!

If you need that make ahead grab and go breakfast, try these bites. A big shout out to The Creative Bite for the recipe I found on Pinterest.

For now, I plan on enjoying my last few days of Spring Break!!!

Cranberry Almond Energy Bites

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Author: The Creative Bite
Yield: 16

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Ingredients

Scale

1 c. oatmeal
⅓ c. sliced almonds
⅓ c. sweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
½ c. almond butter
¼ c. honey
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
⅓ c. dried cranberries, roughly chopped

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Instructions

Bake oatmeal, almonds and coconut for 8-10 minutes at 350°, stirring after 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool. (My coconut was already toasted so I did not add it to the oatmeal and almonds)
In a medium bowl microwave the almond butter for 20-30 seconds until runny, add the baked mix along with flaxseed, honey, chia seeds and cranberries to the bowl.
Form into 1.5″ balls and refrigerate. I used a small ice cream scoop to make sure they were uniform. Store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to one week or freezer for 3 months.

Notes

To make shaping the balls easier I sprayed my hands with coconut spray.
I also rolled them in extra coconut and almonds for a pretty look!

Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl

It’s the weekend…..oh hum……a rainy weekend at that……..lets cook!! Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl is good today, and tomorrow, and the day after that!

I adapted this recipe from Southern Living, it looked so good I had to try it. Plus, noodle bowls are all the rage and we just stay current!!

Good warm, room temp, or cold, this is really an awesome dish. You can eat it today…..and by the way, I couldn’t quit eating it, so I had to put it away…..no self control!

I did put some in a container for work on Monday. Now, contrary to popular belief, I think our school lunches are awesome, but they are geared for kids, so I pack a lunch sometimes.

This is one of those times. I love, love, love asian food. This noodle bowl is the perfect blend of all of my favorite things.

Rice noodles are fool proof, just cover them with boiling water and let them set……what could be easier?

The sauce is a mixture of soy, rice wine vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and sweet chili sauce. It is slightly spicy and the sesame oil with it’s rich amber color and distinctive nutty flavor, gives the noodle bowl that Asian flavor I love so much. The black sesame seeds give it a hint of color, but if you cannot find them toasted sesame seeds will work just as well.

All the veggies give a crispy freshness to the bowl, and make it a pretty bowl and make its pretty healthy. Vegetarian if you will……

Need a dish today and lunch tomorrow? Try Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl …….and sing the Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl praises !

Asian Veggie Noodle Bowl

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Author: Adapted from Southern Living
Yield: 8

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Ingredients

Scale

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoon Sweet Chili Sauce
14 ounce package rice noodles
1 15-ounce can cut baby corn, rinsed and drained
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas. sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
Black sesame seeds for garnish

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Instructions

Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside.
Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl.
Pour vinegar mixture over hot cooked noodles. Toss to combine. Add vegetables, toss to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve hot or cold.