Sunday Dinners | New Tradition with Salads & Skewers

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Do you have any recollections of traditional Sunday dinners with grandparents, parents, siblings and other relatives all gathered around the table? When Foodie.com asked me to share a post on the topic, I knew it would be easy because I have lots of great memories.

When I was a young working adult and newly-married wife, my grandmother and aunt would host a Sunday dinner in the middle of the afternoon complete with huge roast, ham or turkey and smorgasbord of sides – plus there was always a super yummy dessert. This spread was cooked with so much care and attention, the frequent non-family guests would always think we were celebrating some sort of special occasion – and we were! The special occasion was the company of each other and reminiscing about our collective past and sharing dreams for the future – in addition, there were always plenty of funny jokes and good-natured ribbing to go around. An extra perk for me was to see the making of secret family recipes firsthand and to learn great food tips from these two fabulous home chefs in the family.

Classic #throwback scene from a Sunday dinner at grandparent's house.

Classic #throwback scene from a Sunday dinner at grandparent’s house.

My grandmother is long gone and I live in a different city from my aunt today. But, I am blessed to have parents now living nearby and three children of my own; that’s why we try to get together as often as possible to share meals – and happy news, hopeful plans and lots of hugs.  Often these meals don’t happen on Sunday and they are usually not as elaborate as the traditional meals prepared by the earlier mentioned matriarchs – but we are still together breaking bread and making memories. Sometimes we do pizza as a treat for the kids, but often I try to keep it healthy by putting quick and nutritious salads and grilled kebabs on the menu

In addition to making kebabs outdoors on the grill, whipping up a big entrée salad is one of my favorite Sunday dinner ideas – especially on those busy weekends that are packed full of sports, church and volunteer activities. A big salad, like my recipe for Speedy Salad Nicoise, come together in just a few minutes, especially if you have already pre-grilled or roasted your lean protein. That’s one of my favorite tips for a busy week – I’ll crockpot a big chuck roast or grill a huge tray of chicken breasts or salmon to eat throughout the week.  Add a rustic loaf of bread, some flavorful compound butter . . . . and uncork a bottle of wine (plus apple cider for the kids) and you have all the makings for a special meal that brings together those who are near and dear. Salad with olives tuna tomatoes green beans

Speedy Salad Nicoise Recipe
Serves:  4

  • 3/4 lb. trimmed green beans
  • 4 small red potatoes
  • 1 head of Bibb, Boston or artisanal Romaine lettuce
  • ½ pint halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup drained Nicoise olives
  • 2 (4-oz) pouches drained premium albacore tuna steaks
  • 2 Tbsp. drained capers
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped chives
  • 4 oz. Red Wine Olive Oil Vinaigrette
  1.  Add eggs to large pot of water and bring to a boil; allow to gently boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Drain, remove shells and let eggs cool. Slice or quarter eggs lengthwise; set aside.
  2. Add the green beans to pot of water and par-boil for 2 minutes. Lift out with tongs and rinse in colander with cold water.
  3. Return the water in pot to a boil, adding more water if needed. Add the potatoes and boil for 15 minutes or tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl to cool. Peel potatoes and quarter or cut in large chunks.
  4. On a large platter, arrange the lettuce, sliced eggs, green beans, potatoes, halved tomatoes, and olives. Drain tuna steaks from their packing liquid and place in center of salad; sprinkle with capers. Dust entire salad with parsley and chives. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Serves 4.
Tuna jar salad

Bottle up your leftovers in a jar for Monday lunch!

And, if you have leftovers you can bottle them up for lunch on Monday. Just pile everything in a Mason jar with the sturdiest ingredients on the bottom (including the dressing) and the most delicate on top. When hunger strikes, turn the jar upside down, give a few shakes and pour on a plate (or eat straight from the jar)!

I’d love to hear your favorite Sunday dinner memory or recipe, please share in the comments!

This post was sponsored by Foodie.com.

Medicine Ball Mash Up & Saturday Shoutouts

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Well, I’m on my way to the “Big D” to run in the Rock & Roll Dallas Half Marathon Sunday morning.  I heard that Deena Kastor is in the field, so I’m really going to have to step up my game (insert hysterical laughing here). The past bronze-medal winning Olympian and American record holder in the marathon (London 2006 in 2:19:36) and half-marathon (Berlin 2006 in 1:07:34) is proof that getting older doesn’t mean you have to stop competing. Even though these records were set eight years back, this weekend the 41-year runner will be trying to make half-marathon history again by breaking as many as three or four American Masters Records, according to Competitor Magazine. If Kastor can run between a 5:25 and 5:30 pace per mile (as opposed to my exact 1 minute per mile slower 6:25 – 6:30 pace), she just may capture records at the splits in four distances — 15K (9.3 miles), 10 Miles, 20K (12.4 miles), and the full half marathon. She estimates her finish time to be 1:11 to 1:12.  Why isn’t she trying break a record in the 5k too?  Just kidding; I learned that lesson the hard way – years ago I PR’d at the 10k inside of a marathon; finishing the remaining 20 miles was brutal.  Run Deena, run, I’ll be chasing you from 13 minutes behind!

jennifer fisher med ball mash up core power

If you’re not running this weekend, I have a fun little workout you can do. All you need is a medicine ball and some space with a hard-surfaced floor. It’s amazing how much you can get worm out with just one piece of gym equipment – a tame-looking medicine ball.  By the way, I whipped up this Medicine Ball Mash Up workout for CorePower. The company makes a great high protein shake to nourish taxed muscles after a hard WOD or run.  Pick up a case for the most delicious workout recovery ever — Chocolate Light is my favorite flavor with 150 calories and 20 grams of protein.

I was also recently sent a sampler pack of Ratio Protein Bars through a campaign for Fitfluential.com (By the way, if you haven’t joined Fitfluential, you really should. It’s free and a great community of instant fitness friends, plus there are lots of perks.  Tell them Jennifer Fisher at TheFitFork.com sent you in the referral line). Anyway, back to the Ratio Bars —  I am a total nutrition bar addict and am very particular about which ones I eat. As you can tell from the picture, I don’t like to give a review without actually trying the product – every one of these Ratio Bars was gobbled up by yours truly. What I like about the bars is the high protein content; I always choose a bar with at least 20 grams of protein (these all have 24 grams) and under 250 calories. Plus, these bars advertise no gluten, no soy products, no hormones, no artificial ingredients and no GMOs.  Hard to say which of the six yummy flavors I liked best, but I think Cookie Crunch and Cake Batter were the front runners.

whey protein bars by Ratio

As part of my ambassadorship with the Zooma Women’s Race Series and their relationship with Ultimate Direction, I was sent some useful running gear to try out. This company has been around since 1985 and is the initial mastermind behind the hydration pack; in fact, they invented the first waist pack designed to carry water bottles – today they have introduced even more options to make hydration easier, from handhelds to vests and more.   I’m excited to try out a couple of products from the Jenny Collection including the “Meow” waist belt and “Handy 10” water bottle. At first I thought maybe they named this cute, comfortable gear after ME, but found out that the designed-for-women-by-women product line is actually named after the athlete-designer, Jenny Jurek (wife of renowned ultra runner, Scott Jurek).  Cool, check them out and stay hydrated this spring!

jenny_handy10_zoom

ultimate direction meow

Strawberry Cucumber & Spinach Salad – There’s an App for That!

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Everything seems to finally be coming up spring! Gardens are growing and offering up the first bounties of the season. I plan to be down at the local farmer’s market every weekend decked out in my sandals and sun hat – yes, you guessed it, I’m a warm weather-loving girl. Oh my goodness, the fruits and vegetables of this time of year take my breath away – the amazingly sweet berries, the mild spring onions, crunchy cucumbers and delicate baby greens. Ahhhh!

Jennifer Fisher at Sprouts

Foodie Recipes App to the rescue while shopping at Sprouts!

 

Usually, I’m pretty creative about pulling together a meal out of what I already have on hand in the fridge and pantry. But somehow, when I see the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at the market, I sometimes get overwhelmed by the unlimited possibilities for my dinner table. That’s why I love Foodie Recipes; it’s a virtual cookbook full of recipes that I can take on the go. When my head starts spinning and I don’t know where to start, I can open up this app on my iPhone or iPad to find the perfect healthy recipe complete with gorgeous photos, clear instructions, and preparation and cook times. Yes, I’m the fly-by-the-seat of her pants home chef who plans her menu while pushing a cart or finishing a workout at the gym – thank goodness I now have “an app for that!”

foodie gluten-free meals

It’s really neat how the format of the Foodie Recipes app reads just like a traditional cookbook, but with much more convenience. Every month, a new batch of food-editor curated recipes are uploaded in “editions” that fit the season or a theme – for example, past editions have included “Easy as Pie,” “Dinners for Two,” and “Holiday Sweets.”  One of my favorite editions is “Gluten-Free Meals;” it features a seven day meal plan for folks who have allergies, are intolerant or just want to avoid foods with gluten. All 30 recipes in this “Gluten-Free Meals” edition were created by Café Johnsonia and organized so your every sense will be delighted from Meatless Monday through Sunday Supper (with Traditional Tuesday, Western Wednesday, Thai Thursday, Friday Favorites and Sunrise Saturday in between).

strawberry cucumber spinach salad

So, yesterday, as I toggled my way through the Foodie Recipes app, I found this lovely Strawberry Cucumber & Spinach Salad and it just reminded me of all the things I love about spring. I knew my mom and friends would love the gluten-free recipe too, so I shared through email and my social media outlets to spread this tasteful message of the season.  You could serve this healthy recipe as a side dish or top with your favorite lean protein for an amazing entrée salad.

Enjoy! And, don’t forget to check out the FREE Foodie Recipes app for the iOS platform (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) – available for free download in the iTunes Store.

 

Spring Salad with strawberries and spinach

 Strawberry Cucumber & Spinach Salad Recipe

For salad:

  • 8 oz. strawberries, sliced
  • 1 small or ½ large cucumber, peeled if desired, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced
  • 5 oz. fresh baby spinach
  • 2-3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

For dressing:

  • 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 1-2 tsp. honey, to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. For salad: Place all ingredients into a large serving bowl. Add some of the dressing and toss gently to coat. Add more if needed. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.
  2. For dressing: Whisk the yogurt, lemon juice and olive oil together. Add the honey, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings as necessary, to taste. Chill until ready to use. Yield: ⅓ cup dressing

Serves: 2

thefitfork.com strawberries spinach cucumber

This post sponsored by Foodie.com and the Glam Network. However, all opinions are my own.

Simple Green Smoothie Starts St. Patrick’s Day Feast

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Don’t be afraid of the green! It’s St. Patrick’s Day (well, almost) and everything should be tinted with the color of Emerald Isle. But, who wants the yucky chemicals in food dyes that turn your beer –err, I mean, smoothie green?! Simple and straightforward, made with only the freshest and most natural of ingredients in all of the lands, you’ll start the day off right fueled with the vitamins and minerals (lots of iron!) from spinach and healthy fats from avocado and hemp hearts. In addition to adding a little crunchy variety to the top of this creamy smoothie, the hemp packs a punch of protein and nutrients – they’re powerful little seeds and probably what you’ll actually find hidden in the pot at the end of a rainbow!

Simply green smoothie

Simply Green Smoothie Recipe

  • 10 ounces unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ small avocado
  • 1 handful spinach (frozen okay)
  • Vanilla stevia, if desired
  • Ice, if needed
  • 1 tablespoon raw, shelled hemp seed (hearts)

Blend almond milk, avocado and spinach in blender. If you like a sweeter smoothie, add a couple drops of vanilla Stevia. If needed, add ice to achieve desired consistency – but, it may not be needed, especially if you used frozen spinach. Top with hemp seed. Serves 1.
green smoothie overhead 700

This healthy smoothie recipe will be breakfast for all the lucky leprechauns in my house — it will be a nice change of pace after drinking red beet smoothies last week! And, to finish celebrating the day, I’m going to be trying some of the authentic (but lighted with your health in mind) recipes from Cooking Light’s St. Patrick’s Day Feast. Check it out, there is rich stew, chewy brown soda bread, smoked salmon with horseradish, and more – it’s everything you need for an authentic and amazing St. Patrick’s Day get-together.

st pat day feast cooking light

Honey-Sweet Pecan Apple & Hemp Granola Recipe

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hemp protein granola apples and pecans

I have more granola for you! You just need to run over and grab a handful before it’s long gone. Sprinkling a couple of crunchy tablespoons on my Greek yogurt in the morning is a must; however, my husband prefers to munch it straight out of the bag. To create a more satiating snack, I almost always add a couple scoops of whey power and some raw, shelled hemp seed to my granola recipes for an extra protein boost. By the way, check out my granola recipe round up post for some other healthy breakfast, dessert and snack ideas.

pecan apple hemp granola with honey

Honey-Sweet Pecan Apple Hemp Protein Granola Recipe

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup organic honey
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup (2 scoops) vanilla or plain protein powder
  • 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (Gluten-Free, if needed)
  • 1/3 cup shelled hemp seed
  • 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup honey pecans, chopped*
  • 3/4 cup dehydrated apples, chopped
  1. Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
  2. Place the coconut oil, honey, applesauce, water and protein powder in a medium saucepan. Turn heat to medium-low and whisk until mixture is smooth, thick and creamy and just beginning to bubble. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
  3. Pour oat, hemp and cinnamon into pot, stirring to combine and coat. Pour mixture out evenly on prepared baking sheet.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes, stirring once or twice. If granola still seems moist, keep baking in 5 minute increments until dry. Remove from oven and let cool completely on sheet. Crumble up in bowl and stir in chopped pecans and apples.
  5. Store cooled granola in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months.

*Sugared and honey-coated nuts tend to burn easily, so I add them after baking. However, if you substitute raw nuts, they may be added with the oats before cooking.

healthy ingredients coconut oil and honey

I love trying out new ingredients and brands in my recipes; it makes me feel like an experimenter of epicurean proportions! I was recently sent some new products to try out, and give a thumbs up to both. First, I was surprised to find that the LouAna brand made a coconut oil. This great southern company, in business since 1894, has been making nearly every type of cooking and salad oil imaginable.  LouAna Coconut Oil is ideal for baking, sautéing, stir-frying and more – the scent is enticing and there are no trans fats or cholesterol. You also get all the benefits of this heart-healthy “super fat” at a budget-friendly price – I’ve seen it at my local market for $6.00 per huge 30-oz. container.

I’ve used all types of sweeteners in my granola before including maple syrup, stevia and (gasp) real brown sugar. We have a couple honey-lovers in the house, so I decided to try Wholesome Sweetener’s Organic Honey. Here in Austin, Texas, it’s not hard to get my hands on some pretty delicious local honey – but, I must say, I did love my bottle from Wholesome Sweetener. It was a beautiful amber color and really did have the “butterscotch essence” as advertised! Aside from the superior taste, I feel confident using this product in recipes and letting my kids squirt it all over their biscuits, bacon and yogurt – that’s because this honey is fair trade-certified, non-GMO and organic.  One thing I did notice is that it’s important to reduce the baking temperature by 25 F degrees; honey tends to caramelize (and burn) fairly quickly.

I’ve been practicing these one-armed pull-ups so I can get my workout in AND much granola at the same time. Well, just kidding – it was a dare and I figured out a way to make it happen. Sorry the video is sideways, oops.