Tag Archives: side dish

How to Meal Prep Quinoa + 15 Healthy Recipes

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Want to know how to make meal time easier, more nutritious and with nearly unlimited potential for variety?  Meal prep a huge pot of quinoa, the healthy seed. Rather than a big batch of quinoa with seasonings, sauces or veggies already mixed in. Making plain quinoa is like a blank canvas for recipe inspiration as it strikes you, rather than being stuck with a dozen of the same exact pre-made meals in the freezer. How to Meal Prep Quinoa + 15 Recipes

And yes, cooked quinoa can be frozen for timesaving use later! This is a dinner hack you need to add to your arsenal STAT! Read on the get all the “how to” and serving suggestions! Continue reading →

Truffle and Thyme Mushroom Quinoa

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Gasp, I didn’t care for mushrooms until my mid-thirties. The simple suggestion of mushrooms sent shivers down my spine as a kid and I think I stubbornly carried that childhood aversion over into middle age. Well, that goodness I tried mushrooms again, over a decade ago. Mushrooms are super healthy, low calorie and high in important nutrients like b vitamins, selenium, copper, niacin, potassium, iron and phosphorous. It’s fine for taste purposes to put raw mushrooms on your salad, but the nutrients are best accessed through the heat of cooking! Truffle and Thyme Mushroom Quinoa is a quick and easy side this that packs major flavor solo or puts a juicy steak over the top.

So today, I’m sharing my easy side dish recipe for Truffle Mushroom and Thyme Quinoa that features sautéed mushrooms with a sprinkle of truffle salt. It’s hard to believe that such a super simple recipe can have such big flavor, but that’s the beauty of mushrooms – they marry with and magnify the flavor of whatever dish they are in. Continue reading →

How to Roast, Grill, Microwave & Slow Cook a Sweet Potato + Recipes

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When I found out that today (February 22nd) was National Cook a Sweet Potato Day, I got really excited. It’s about time this delicious, nutrient-packed tuber got some attention other than in November. Packed with healthy carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients, sweet potatoes are perfect for your plate year ‘round. With at least 16 varieties grown in the U.S., including one of my favorites, the Stokes Purple Sweet Potato, I can’t imagine ever get tired of this vibrant veggie.How to Cook a Sweet Potato

Bake, microwave, roast, saute, grill, fry and boil are just some of the ways to cook a sweet potato. Eat them “as-is” with simple seasons or mash flesh to use as an ingredient in soups, side dishes, smoothies, baked goods and more.  So, are you wondering just exactly how to COOK a SWEET POTATO? Read on the find out the basic methods and get some of my favorite recipes:  Continue reading →

Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa + Pinner’s Conference

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Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa - thefitfork.comIt’s happened more than once, I’ve tasted a quinoa salad and gone “meh” even though I know good for me. We are at the crescendo of the quinoa craze, so you too probably are aware that this ancient grain (which is actually a seed) boosts your diet with  nutrients like B-vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, vitamin E, and fiber. Additionally, quinoa is also one of only a few plant foods considered a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids — oh how I love me some protein! 

Maple Pecan Raisin Malasses Crusted Steak and Butternut Squash Quinoa

To add some flavor excitement to a quinoa recipe, I decided to mix up a dish that magnifies some of my favorite flavors that some consider “fall season” but I embrace year ’round – maple syrup and butternut squash! And hey, even though it was 105 degrees yesterday . . . we are getting closer to Autumn one day at a time! I’ve used two of my favorite products from NOW Foods, Organic Tri-color Quinoa and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa can be served warm, room temperature or cold -- it's a healthy vegetarian side dish or salad packed with protein and wholesome energy.Anyway,my recipe for Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa is just bursting with flavor and wholesome goodness. Not only is this recipe pretty to look at, it’s a beautiful addition to a meal-prepping lineup — especially important now that it’s Back-To-School season. You can make a big batch and eat it warm or cold — it also holds up well to being packed in a lunchbox.   Of course, I like to pair mine with a big, juicy steak!

Maple Pecan Raisin Malasses Crusted Steak and Butternut Squash Quinoa

By the way, I am demonstrating this Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa coming up on Friday, September 9th at the Texas Pinner’s Conference  in the Dallas area (Arlington Convention Center). My class is called “Empowered Meal Prep – Protein for Fitness.” 

pinners conference class description

pinners conference pic 1Learn how to prepare enough protein (I’m grilling Molasses & Pepper Crusted Steaks) to make dinner with leftovers for breakfast and lunch — the other recipes are Iron-Boosting Beef & Date Spinach Salad and Steak & Plantain Breakfast Bowl. Sign up for my class, I’ll also have beef swag and lots of tasty samples!  Use the discount code FITFORK at online registration to save 10% on the very reasonable cost that allows you access to 100+ classes on food, fitness, crafts, home décor and more! Or, if you just want General Admission to shop and see the sights (no classes), you can get a free pass ($7 at door) using FREESHOPPING. RESISTER HERE

Meal Prep for #BTS Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa @NowFoods

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Are you a make-ahead meal prepper? What is your favorite dish to stock in the fridge or freezer? Have the kids gone back to school yet? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer 

Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa - thefitfork.com
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Maple Pecan Raisin Butternut Squash Quinoa
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Beautiful and health-boosting, this easy quinoa recipe works well as a warm side dish or cold salad -- it packs and keeps for several days making it ideal for potlucks, lunchboxes, and make-ahead dinner planning.
Course: Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces diced butternut squash about 2 cups
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
  • 1 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed I used tri-color quinoa from Living Now (Now Foods)
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup real maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon2 dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup raw, unsalted pecan pieces
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions, tops & bulbs
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Toss butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Bake squash, stirring once halfway through, for approximately 15 minutes or until tender and turning golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool down.
  3. Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions -- it should also take around 15 minutes, so you can do the squash and quinoa simultaneously to save time.
  4. When quinoa done, transfer to large bowl, fluff with fork and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
  5. While quinoa and squash cooling down, prepare dressing by adding maple syrup, remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt to small bowl and whisk until combined.
  6. Add cooked quinoa, cooked squash, green onions, raisins, and pecans to large bowl, mix gently to combine.
  7. Pour dressing over top and stir to evenly distribute. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

Mango Flat Iron Steaks + Fruity Jicama Slaw + Weber Grill #Giveaway

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This post and giveaway is sponsored by Litehouse Foods and Weber. However, all comments, opinions and enthusiasm are my own.

Ladies . . . and gentlemen, it’s time to get your grill on! While I exercise my freedom to grill year ‘round, the entire month of July is specifically designated as National Grilling Month.  That means you need to be cooking outdoors at least on the weekends and, preferably, every chance Monday through Friday that you can.

Mango Marinated Steak with Fruity Jicama Ginger Slaw

My recipe for Mango Marinated Flat Iron Steaks with Fruity Jicama Ginger Slaw is a quick and easy recipe for the work week – it’s ready in just about 30 minutes and gives you an excuse to sit out on the patio for a little deserved rest and relaxation.  Sitting there next to the grill with your beverage of choice in hand (might I suggest a pina colada), smelling the delicious island-inspired aromas wafting from the grill will destress you almost as quickly as a tropical vacation.

Mango Marinated Steak is made with the flat iron cut, the second most tender cut of beef! A tropical inspired recipe for the grill that takes only 30 minutes to make.

This recipe, developed for Litehouse Foods & Weber (GRILL GIVEAWAY AT BOTTOM OF POST), uses one of my all-time favorite cuts of beef – a flat iron steak. If you’ve not yet thrown a flat iron steak before, you’re in for a real treat! While I’d like to keep this somewhat lesser known hush-hush, I’ve decided to share the “grate” news with y’all! This steak, cut by the butcher from a top blade roast,is second only in tenderness to tenderloin yet is so much more economical, typically a third the price per pound! It can be thrown on the grill “as is” or given a quick dry rub or 15 minute marinade for flavor, meaning dinner can be on the table chop-chop! Plus, the uniform shape and thickness and succulent taste are making this steak an up-and-coming grill season superstar. I’ve got to thank Beef Loving Texans for turning me on to this cut, which is one I now demonstrate time and time again in Grilling 101 classes.

Mango Jicama Ginger Slaw is a tropical take on a summer bbq side dish -- serve with grilled beef, chicken or seafood!

Y’all know I love bright and colorful side dishes made with seasonal produce just as much as my beef – the two go hand-in-hand (or, hand-in-mouth is more like it)!  I tossed together a quick slaw made from jicama (a Mexican root vegetable), mango, grated ginger and other fresh produce, finishing it with Litehouse Food’s traditional Coleslaw Dressing whisked up with some lively ingredients to add to the island-vibe.

flat irone mango slaw grill close upNow, the fun part! I get to giveaway the really cool little Weber grill I made these steaks on (well, it’s actually a brand new one, of course).  The Weber Q 1200 is so ready to ignite your grilling creativity in the backyard or on any number of off-site food adventures – I’ve used it for camping and food demos.  Smaller in size than my full-sized grill, yet not at all flimsy, this portable gas grill offers the same blazing badassery you’d expect from a Weber grill.  Things I love about it – 1) perfect for those nights when just grilling for two, and not the entire family; 2) no-fuss electric ignition and 14-oz. screw-on propane tank; 3)  two generous-sized, fold-down trays ready to accommodate all my serving trays, spatulas and other such grilling superfluities; and 4) it’s available in a rainbow array of seven color choices to match any outdoor décor (although, I’m giving away the BLUE to one of YOU).

win weber grill

Check out Weber Nation for tons of ideas and inspiration for grilling that will keep you busy (and full) all seasons.

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Mango Marinated Steak with Fruity Jicama Ginger Slaw
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Mango Marinated Flat Iron Steaks with Fruity Jicama Ginger Slaw
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
Make waves with this island-inspired grill recipe for tender flat iron steaks with a juicy sweat-heat slaw featuring jicama, ginger and mango! It's like a vacation for your taste buds! Also, enter to win a Weber Grill!
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: Caribbean
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Marinade & Steaks:
  • 1/4 cup mango juice
  • 2 tablespoons grated lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • salt to season
  • 1 1/2 pounds flat iron steak(s)
Fruit Ginger Jicama Slaw:
  • 3 cups peeled jicama that has been julienned, grated or spiralized
  • 2 large mangos, peeled and sliced thinly
  • 1 bunch green onions, bulbs and tops
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
Dressing:
  • 1/2 cup prepared coleslaw dressing I prefer Litehouse Foods brand from produce section
  • 1/4 cup mango juice
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha red pepper sauce
Instructions
  1. For Marinade and Steaks: Combine mango juice, lime juice, lime zest and olive oil in bowl .Whisk in garlic, chili powder and red pepper flakes.. Pour mixture in zip-top plastic bag and add steak, turning to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
  2. Heat grill to approximately 400 F degrees. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Season steak on both sides with salt, to personal preference. Add steak to grill and grill approximately 5 to 6 minutes, before flipping once to cook another 4 to 5 minutes. For medium-rare, remove steak from grill when instant-read thermometer registers 135F degrees. Allow to rest 5 minutes.
  3. For Dressing and Slaw: In large bowl, toss together jicama, red onion, mangos, green onions (cross-wise sliced bulbs and length-wise sliced tops), cilantro and red pepper. Set aside.
  4. In small bowl, whisk together Coleslaw Dressing, mango juice, lime juice, lime zest, vinegar, ginger, green onion and sriracha. Pour over slaw and stir gently to evenly coat. Serve cold.