Protein-Packed & Fresh Veggie Tabbouleh

So a few months back I started my venture on eating more "anti-inflammatory" foods, in order to help my body become the best it can be in all facets of life. (Check out this post to review where this all came from...) Well, long story short, it turns out I needed another knee scope last week to see what the heck was going on with this knee of mine that wasn't healing from a scope-gone-bad from December last year. So to continue my "anti-inflammatory" journey and prepare my body for the outpatient procedure and long recovery ahead, I sought out some high protein and high fiber recipes to give my body a good fighting chance!

Why do you need protein, and why do you need more of it when you're going under the knife and/or about to need your body to really work well for ya? Well, think of of it like this; Your muscles are like a factory you are building- and the bricks to assemble the building are found within protein-rich foods. So you have to have enough of the bricks to properly assemble your building, right!? And when you're body is already feeling slightly defeated, it deserves for YOU to be on top of things and give it as many bricks as you can!

Well, I'm NICHe in the KITCHe of course, and I'm not just going to cart in plates full of meat to eat- no way! There ARE ways to combine really great, tasty, low fat proteins with other recipes I love, and reep the benefits!

One recipe I came across combined the basics of the popular Middle Eastern parsley salad, and the protein benefits of the popularly growing, grain-like, quinoa. And I must say- I'm hooked! All the veggies provide tons of fiber and vitamins, and the quinoa is awesome for protein & antioxidants! This is a very well-rounded salad and it really is perfect to go as a side to a piece of grilled fish, BBQ chicken, shish kabob, shrimp stir fry, summery gazpacho soup...well, you get the point...

(You'll want to eat this all up within 2 days or so, otherwise the veggies will start to get a little mushy)

P.S. This is totally Gluten-Free too, so safe for all you GF'ers out there!

Ingredients & Recipe: (adapted from Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Health)
Printable Recipe

• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup quinoa (I like this Ancient Harvest brand)
• kosher salt
• juice from 1/2 of a lime
• drizzle of olive oil
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, diced finely (skins are okay to eat)
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced very finely or grated
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped finely
• about 3 Tbls. fresh mint leaves, chopped finely
• 1 tsp. dried paprika

Begin by preparing the quinoa; stir the quinoa and water in a small pot, add in a pinch of salt and bring up a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the quinoa has absorbed all the water and is fluffy & tender. Set aside to completely cool.

Meanwhile, do all your chopping of the veggies and combine them all in a large bowl. Stir in the lime juice and olive oil, and add the paprika.

When the quinoa is cool, gently stir it into the veggie mix. Chill the salad for at least 2 hours to let all the flavors merry together.

Classic Mustard Egg-Salad in a Romaine Wrap

So I first had egg-salad in High School when I worked at the Birmingham Country Club pool Snack Bar. I worked there 2 summers in a row with a few friends and let me tell you- my bank account wasn't the only thing that grew those summers:) I feel like it was at that Snack Bar where I first had creative freedom in a kitchen- well of course I had to stick to filling drinks and grilling hot dogs for the members, but I also learned how to properly slice a pineapple and make fruit salad, make killer tuna-melts, and of course make a really delic & simple egg-salad.

Through the years I've slimmed the recipe down, using Olive Oil mayo (and less of it altogether) and instead of bread, I love the idea of making it an "un-wich" (like Jimmy John's says) A.K.A. a lettuce wrap! Make a few eggs the night before and you will have yourself a healthful, protein packed lunch!

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and smashed, or use one of these
• 1 Tbls. of mayo, I prefer the olive oil type
• 1 tsp. yellow mustard
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. dried dill weed
• a few dashes of paprika, seasoned salt & pepper
• Green leaf or Romaine lettuce
• fresh tomato, diced (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a fork until just blended. Cover with plastic wrap and place back in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, to give the mix some time to "marry".

Rinse a few large lettuce leaves, pat dry with paper towel. Fill the leaves with egg salad & tomato and roll the lettuce up (like a burrito). Enjoy!

You Could Also Try...

• Finely chop 1 celery stalk and/or 1/4 red onion, add this to your egg-salad before letting it "marry". You'll get a great crunch, added flavor & a bit more fiber!
• Adding 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice adds a fresh "brightness" to the egg-salad, try it!
• I try to make my egg salad early in the morning and bring it to work in a small container. I place a few pieces of lettuce between some paper towel, and the assemble my Romaine Wrap at lunch time. Nothing beats a fresh, healthful wrap at lunch, especially when I know what the ingredients are!

Middle Eastern Veggie Burgers

Veggie burgers do not have to be lame, tasteless and dissatisfying! I enjoy a few of the frozen veggie burgers out in the market but for the most part, when eating them I don't really feel the sense of satisfaction that you get out of big ol' hefty meat burger. The record will be set and you will have a whole new appreciation & approval for veggie burgers after you make this recipe.

Ingredients & Recipe:
Printable Recipe

• 1-1 1/2 cups Red Potatoes
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
• 1 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbls. olive oil

First begin by placing potatoes in a sm-medium pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes until quite tender, drain them and let them cool for a few minutes. Roughly chop up the cooked potatoes and throw into a large bowl. Add in 1 Tbls. of oil and the garlic into the bowl and begin to mash the potato mixture until chunky. Take out and place 3 Tbls. of chickpeas from the can into a separate small bowl. Add the remaining chickpeas from the can into the chunky potatos and mash up until well combined. Mix in remaining 1 Tbls. of olive oil, parsley, salt, lemon zest, paprika, pepper & egg whites. Carefully stir in the separated (3 Tbls.) chickpeas into the mixture.

Begin to heat up a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Divide the potato/chickpea mixture into equal sized patties (either 6 mini burgers or 4 regular size). Slap them onto your heated pan (do not overcrowd, cook in batches if needed) and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until each side is golden brown.

Assemble burgers on slider sized or regular sized buns, and play around with toppings. I loved mustard and lettuce with these, but you could try mayo, tomato...

You Could Also Try...

• Leftovers were amazing, maybe even better than the originals. I heated mine up in the toaster oven so that I could keep the crispiness.
• Slice cooked burger over a big bed of lettuce for an original Middle Eastern salad. Use lemon juice and olive oil for dressing so you don't lose the flavors of the burger slices!

Parmesan Grilled Cheese Sandwich- The Ultimate Comfort Food

I actually had to call in to work today:( I barely EVER call in to work because on days that I might not feel great, I can usually muster up the energy to at least work from home. Today, I just couldn't do it- I've got wicked cold for sure! Anyways, after I took a 3 hour nap, I needed to take a dose of medicine but didn't want to do that on an empty stomach. Nothing really sounded great, I didn't feel like making something complicated, and I wanted something quick. Ahh yes, a grilled cheese sandwich-nothing like it! I made a little Mrs. Grass chicken noodle soup to go with my comforting grilled cheese, and I have to say, that combo for lunch had me feeling slightly more human in no time.

I personally feel like I've perfected the basic grilled cheese. Now, I realize you can use a million different breads, a zillion different cheeses, and you can add ham or tomato...the options are endless. My grilled cheese is pretty modest and uses ingredients you already have around, but is not very bashful in taste!

Ingredients & Recipe:

Printable Recipe

• 2 slices of whatever bread you have (whole-wheat, pumpernickel or rye make the best grilled cheese- I think!)
• 1-2 tabs of butter
• 2 slices of your favorite cheese (today I used 1 slice of Colby-Jack and 1 slice of American)
• 2 tsp. of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. of Pesto (store bought or homemade)
• 2 slices of tomato

Begin by heating a griddle pan or regular saute pan over medium heat. I really think starting with a hot pan helps you get a nice crunchy crust. With a butter-knife, butter one side of each slice of bread. Over a plate, sprinkle 1 tsp. of Parmesan cheese over the buttered side of each slice of bread, and use the knife to work it into the butter. (Not all of the Parmesan will stick to the butter, but do your best). Place one piece of bread, butter side down, to start grilling. Schmear some pesto on its other side, layer with 1 piece of cheese, the tomato slices, the other piece of cheese and top with the other buttered bread slice (butter side out). Carefully flip after about 2 minutes (or after your desired color), and grill for 2 more minutes on the other side.

Cut your sammie on the diagonal and remember: you absolutely CANNOT enjoy this sandwich without a good kosher pickle spear!

You Could Also Try...

• My mom always uses spray butter instead of regular butter! Very good option!

Simply Satisfying Celery Chicken Salad

You've probably caught on to the fact that I like to use up the foods I already have in the fridge or freezer. It just takes a moment of "being in the here & now" with your fridge before you realize what a lovely concoction you can create...and be totally satisfied with!

Tonight's creation was all about prepping something easy to have for lunch for the week ahead. My schedule is never the same each day, so when I need to eat lunch, I need to do right then- no time to flounder about making something healthy, and no one wants to eat a Lean Cuisine all the time! My simple yet satisfying Celery Chicken Salad will keep you full of healthy protein & fresh veggies, and maybe even wishing that every meal was lunchtime!

Ingredients & Recipe:

Printable Recipe

• 3 trimmed chicken breasts, poached/boiled in salted water (I also stir in about 1/2 tsp. of celery seed for more flavorful chicken), then shredded
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped finely
• 3 celery ribs, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup of mayo (I like the mayo made from olive oil- a little healthier and great taste)
• Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 tsp. of the lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. celery seed
• 1/2 tsp. dried chives
• dash of caraway seed (optional)
• S & P to taste

Once you've poached and shredded your chicken, set it aside and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the onion, celery, mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest and seasonings together. Toss your chicken into the bowl, combine well and give it a taste- add a little more S & P if you like, or add some depth by tossing a dash of the caraway seed. Let the chicken salad chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors combine together before serving.

I bought some awesome onion-rye bread to make open-faced sandwiches on, so when I assembled my sandwich, I layered a ton of baby spinach on the bread, followed by a a few slices of tomato, and then smothered the chicken salad on top! Grab a spicy garlic pickle and a a few pretzel rods and you have an amazing, and protein filled lunch!

You Could Also Try...

• Make this sammy ahead of time! Since there is very little mayo in this recipe, it won't make your bread soggy, so wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and bring it to work for lunch
• Add in 1/2 cup of slivered almonds to the mix for an added crunch
• I'm personally not a black-olive lover, but many people enjoy adding 1/4 cup of chopped black olives into the mix for a greek style chicken salad
• Use 1/4 cup of sour cream instead of mayo for a creamier salad
• Add 12-15 green or red seedless grapes (halved), for a sweet taste
• Don't forget you could use my Cajun Roasted Chicken Breast recipe to prep your chicken instead of poaching!