Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until June 1st, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. This week, we are focusing on eating more whole grains. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

Back in 1998, Jen and I were the captains of our high school volleyball team. Now, we are busy mamas, each living in different cities, running health coaching businesses. Pretty cool, right?

Jen, you are busy, right? How do you get a healthy meal on the table?

I can be a scatter brain sometimes.  Okay, a lot!!  In order to avoid eating out I always need to have a plan.  I spend an hour on Sunday to plan out my meals and make a shopping list for the week.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?

After changing my eating habits a few years ago I simply cannot go back to eating the processed meals that I used to live off of.  My body will not let me.  If I revert back to my old habits my body rebels with tiredness and an upset stomach.  I also eat well to set an example for my son.

What is your favorite thing to make during the spring months?

My favorite foods to eat in the spring are salads with lots of greens, veggies and the occasional fruit.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this spring to eat a little healthier?

Cook what is in season.  Go to your local farmers market or grocery store and pick out what looks beautiful.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?

My new favorite gadget is my immersion blender.  Soups and smoothies have become a breeze.

Mushroom and Barley Risotto 

• 3 cups broth (you can use vegetable, mushroom or chicken broth)
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups mixed wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Freshly ground pepper and sea salt, to taste

Directions:

In a small pot heat the stock till boiling, then turn off the heat and set aside until ready to use.

In a large pan over medium heat add olive oil.  Once hot, sauté the onion until softened.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Add the fresh thyme and barley.  Let the barley toast for a couple minutes before adding in 1 cup of the hot stock.  Stir and bring to a steady simmer.

Once the liquid has been absorbed add a half cup more liquid and stir.  Cook until the liquid has been absorbed again, stirring frequently, before adding more.  Repeat this process until all the stock is gone or until the barley is tender and creamy.  This should take about 45 minutes.

When the barley mixture is almost complete (about 5 minutes), add in the mushrooms.  Season with sea salt and pepper to taste and cook until the mushrooms are soft.

Top with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until June 1st, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. This week, we are focusing on eating more dark, leafy greens. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

Now, here is a dish that will allow you to cook, clean up and eat all under an hour! Nice, right?! This recipe comes from my friend Monica who was craving chicken and polenta the other night and said, “What the heck? I will put them together!” Well, it turned out to be a fabulous, quick dish that she wanted to share with you.

Monica, why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?

Healthy eating is a major priority in my life because I grew up eating not so healthy.  Think pop tarts and corn dogs! Gross!  So, now that I’m in my 30′s I believe that you are what you eat and I want my body to perform at its best.  Plus I want to pass on these teachings to my family and friends.  Not only does the food need to be healthy, but it also needs to be cost effective.  I don’t have time to be shopping for expensive, hard to find ingredients and I don’t have time to be making difficult time consuming recipes. You can make a healthy and low cost meal that tastes great!

What is your favorite thing to make during the spring months?

My favorite thing to make in the spring time is anything in season and fresh.  I love making shrimp ceviche and tacos are my “go-to” meal.  It takes me less than 30 min to whip up some black bean tacos.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this spring to eat a little healthier?

I think the one thing people need to do this spring is to visit your local farmers markets!! Buying local is so great for our local farmers and I just love the upbeat atmosphere of my farmers market.  Music, people, dogs, babies, and wonderful food everywhere!!

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?

My most favorite kitchen gadget is my garlic press.  I know, really fancy, right?  I can’t stand mincing garlic!! One too many nicks on my fingers I think.  I also love my microplane grader!  Super easy to use for garlic and ginger when I make a stir fry.

Quick Chicken and Polenta

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
2 tbls olive oil
1 teas basil
1 teas oregano
1 teas rosemary
1 small onion, chopped
8 tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas pepper
2 cups of kale, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1-2 cups broccoli as a steamed side or you may add to the chicken mix.
1/2 cup instant polenta
2 tbls Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Slice up your chicken and add it to the oil seasoning the chicken with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and rosemary. Let the chicken create a nice sear, about 3 minutes, then stir chicken around. Next add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, broccoli, and onions. Cover and let the chicken simmer over low/medium heat for about 25 minutes. Check the chicken and perhaps S&P to taste. I always add my kale in last to make sure it doesn’t overcook and turn brown.

When the chicken is nearly done start the instant polenta. It should only take 5 minutes. In a small pot add 1/2 cup polenta and 1 cup water and stir. If you think it’s getting too thick add more water.

Place polenta on the plate and add the chicken veggie mix on top of it. Add Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until June 1st, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. This week, we are focusing on eating more dark, leafy greens. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

This week during the Mealtime Makeover, we are focusing on whole grains. We are looking at the grains we are eating and seeing how we can give them a healthy tweak. My friend Jennifer knows how to get it done in the kitchen. One of her favorite dishes is mixing greens, beans and grains. There are endless possibilities! Keep reading for one of her favorite combinations.

Jennifer, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
I cook once and I eat twice or thrice!  Make enough so you have leftovers that you can reinvent into something else the next day. I keep staples in my cupboards that I can throw together in a pinch – like whole grain pasta, canned cannellini beans, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, tinned mackerel or sardines – makes a great quick pasta.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
Because I feel so much better when I am eating better. Everything else in my life is easier and runs smoother when I am nourishing myself properly.

What is your favorite thing to make during the spring months?

After a cold winter of warming foods, I like really fresh and often raw food.  Smoothies and juices, salads with fresh herbs.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this spring to eat a little healthier?

Drink water. Add a side salad to lunch and dinner.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
My Japanese mandolin.  I like to cut veggies really thin to make a fast salad or so they will cook faster.  And my Vitamix. Tough call – it’s a tie.

Greens, Beans & Grains

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon chili flakes (more if you like it HOT!)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 shallots, chopped
1 bag baby spinach
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 yellow pepper, diced
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin
*½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, but gives a nice smokey flavor)
1 can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 baked sweet potato, skin removed and cut into 1 inch chunks
sea salt
pepper
2 cups of brown rice, cooked
1 avocado, chopped into ½ inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
hot sauce or salsa are optional

Directions:
Heat olive oil and chili flakes in a large pan or wok.

When oil is hot, add garlic and shallots, sauté to soften.

Add cherry tomatoes, spinach, yellow pepper, turmeric, cumin and smoked paprika. Sauté until soften and spinach is wilted.

Add black beans and a pre-baked diced sweet potato, cook until heated through completely. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over brown rice or mix the rice in with everything else in step 4.

Top each plate with avocado, scallions and cilantro. Hot sauce or salsa are also a nice addition.

This dish is great cold the next day if there are any leftovers.

Enjoy!

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until June 1st, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. This week, we are focusing on eating more dark, leafy greens. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

My friend Sara has experienced first-hand how changing the way she eats and lives her life has changed her health for the better. She has suffered from allergies, eczema, depression, and asthma. When she eats real food, she feels better. Period. She has learned that small changes are the way to go.

Sara, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
I like to keep meals versatile and uncomplicated – I love making one-pot meals to cut down on cooking time and minimize cleanup. I pick foods that will taste good together and just go for it! I’ve found that you can pretty much combine any protein, vegetables, and pre-cooked grains to a pan and it will usually come out tasting pretty good. I make the flavor of the foods the star of the meal and use condiments like Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce), vinegars, and oils to enhance the flavor of the dish. I also do as much prep work ahead of time – like cooking a large pot of whole grains on the weekend to use in several dishes throughout the week.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
I learned several years ago that my mood and energy level are directly tied to the quality of food I’m eating. I love to feel great, and I only feel great when I’m eating real food – especially dark, leafy greens. Making healthy meals for myself and the ones I love nourishes both my body and soul.

What is your favorite thing to make during the spring months?

I love salads! Spring greens are my favorite. I get inspired by the beautiful spring vegetable at the Farmer’s Market – cabbages, leafy greens, onions, herbs and carrots are so colorful and lovely. Slaws in particular are my favorite type of salad because they taste great and hold up well for leftovers, I love experimenting with different dressings to keep the flavors fresh!

What is that one thing that busy people can do this spring to eat a little healthier?

Cook in large quantities so that you will have leftovers – especially when it comes to whole-grains and protein. Having healthy, pre-cooked food in the fridge that can quickly be thrown together for a meal helps ensure that we eat real food – instead of chips and salsa – for dinner.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
I love my blender. It’s great for smoothies, soups, salad dressings, homemade nut butters, and a lot more! We use it almost daily.

Asian Spring Slaw

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 cup raw almonds – roughly chopped or sliced
• 2 heads baby bok choy
• 4 scallions
• 4 carrots – peeled with the tops trimmed off
• 2 big handfuls of kale leaves, thick stems removed
• 1/2 head of red cabbage

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or vegan)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• sea salt + pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Toast the almonds by spreading them on a cookie sheet and baking them at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes until they are light brown. They will go from toasted to burned quickly so keep an eye on them!

2. In large mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

3. Wash and chop baby bok choy and scallions.and add them to the mixing bowl that contains the dressing.

4. Using a food processor, chop the kale by pulsing it several times with the “S” blade attachment. Switch to the grater blade attachment and grate the red cabbage and carrots. Dump all chopped/grated vegetables into the mixing bowl with the dressing.

5. Mix salad well so the dressing coats the veggies. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Eat right away, or place in fridge for 1-3 hours to allow the flavors to combine.

6. Top with toasted almonds and an extra drizzle of toasted sesame oil before serving.

Note: This is a versatile slaw salad – the almonds make it hearty enough to be the main course, but you can also add your favorite pre-cooked protein to the salad to make it even heartier. The vegetables stay crisp even when mixed with the salad dressing and the flavor gets better over time, which makes this dish great for leftovers. Wrap up leftover slaw in a tortilla with some leftover cooked chicken for an on-the-go lunch. Make prep easy by toasting the almonds or chopping the vegetables the day or two before you plan to throw this salad together.

Prep Time: about 15-20 minutes
Makes about 6 cups of salad.

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until June 1st, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. This week, we are focusing on eating more dark, leafy greens. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

I don’t know about you but for me, endive is one green that I don’t eat that often. I just don’t think about it often. However, my friend and business coach Michelle, came up with this very creative appetizer that would be a perfect snack for a cookout. Give endive some love and check it out!

Michelle, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
I break each recipe down into tasks. I might chop all my veggies tonight for a meal I’m making tomorrow. Or I’ll prepare the dressing 2 days in advance. Sometimes just taking out the ingredients is all I can do before my toddler starts whining but at least I have them out and ready to get to work on when he takes his nap.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
It’s a core value of mine. In my Italian family, home cooking equals love. Healthy home cooking? That’s something I picked up along the way to solve my own health problems and have since built a business around it.

This spring we finally have access to an outdoor grill so it’s been very fun to give my husband grill duty while I concentrate on making fabulous salads and side dishes.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this spring to eat a little healthier?

Eat what’s on sale. Haha – no seriously, when all the spring veggies are in season they tend to be in such abundance that the stores will put them on sale. Just one more reason to eat seasonally.

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
My magic bullet blender. Hands down.

Endive Boat Hor’deorves with cantaloupe, goat cheese and mint

Ingredients:

16 large endive leaves
Filling:
Tiny smear of raw honey
Stick of cantaloupe
Dab of goat cheese
Dressing:
Handful of fresh mint leaves
Handful of almond
1/4 cup olive oil
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Arrange leaves on a platter. Smear a tiny bit of honey into each, then add a piece of fruit and cheese.

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender, along with a little water to help blend. Spoon dressing onto each endive boat and serve.

Welcome to Busy Women Mealtime Makeover! Whether you are one of the lovely busy ladies participating in the makeover or just interested in taking your meals up a notch – girl, do I have some rockin’ recipes for you! From now until June 1st, I’ll be featuring twelve new delicious makeover-friendly recipes. This week, we are focusing on eating more dark, leafy greens. (And if you want to join in and get the entire makeover PDF complete with meal plans, shopping lists and recipes, videos and photos of me cooking, weekly emails with additional recipes and kitchen tips and tricks and access to our online forum, you can totally start a few days late – click here and sign up!)

From a young age, my friend and fellow health coach, Melissa, had digestion problems and often struggled with the ups and downs of weight gain. Through trial, error and much research she found that an all natural, whole foods diet, along with regular exercise was the answer to improving her health issues. She was able to lose weight (and keep it off), improve her digestion, increase energy and greatly improve her mood. How awesome is that? Melissa wants to share what she has learned. She is running her Spring Cleanse: Group Program in a few days. It runs from May 14th through May 23rd. Check it out here.

Melissa, you are busy, right? How do you get a decent, healthy meal on the table? 
I like to make meals that are quick, easy, and healthy. I’m definitely not a chef or a fancy cook, just healthy ingredients and a whole lotta love in my dishes. I also try to do the prep work (i.e. cutting, slicing, etc.) either in the morning or when my little one is napping.

Why do you make healthy, real food a priority in your life?
I believe the gift of health is the most important thing I can offer my family and healthy meals are a great way to do that!

What is your favorite thing to make when it is cold outside?
Once springtime comes around I like to add more salads and smoothies into my daily diet.

What is that one thing that busy people can do this spring to eat a little healthier?
Prepare. Cut up fruits and veggies and bag them in individual baggies once you purchase them so this way you can just grab and go!

What is your favorite gadget in the kitchen?
I’d have to say my Vitamix — Love!  My 2 year old son loves the old fashion hand juicer, he helps me make fresh squeezed orange juice.  My best advice for a healthy family is to get your kids involved in the kitchen!

Quick and Easy Greens

Ingredients:

2 carrots, shredded
2 bunches dark leafy greens (kale, collards, swiss chard, spinach) Stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
1/2 small onion chopped
1 can canellini beans
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 C uncooked quinoa
*1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Directions:
Rinse and cook quinoa according to package. In the meantime, put carrots, greens, onions, 1/4 C water, salt & pepper into a large skillet and toss well.  Add in canellini beans. Cover and cook over medium heat tossing until greens are witled and tender. About 10 to 15 minutes.  Spoon greens over quinoa sprinkle almonds on top and enjoy! Serve with a wedge of lemon for even more flavor.

Wanna cook real food? Let’s do it together. We start cooking this weekend! Join me for Busy Women Mealtime Makeover. Only 30 spots so get yours now! Couple spots still available.

I have a strange love for grocery stores. Just ask my hubby, Brian. I can spend hours checking out produce and comparing labels of packages. I get a thrill out of seeing fresh greens. I know, I am strange.

Well, now that I am a mama of a busy 2-year-old, my grocery shopping experience has to be quick. Somedays, Madilyn will not even let me put her in the shopping cart. Yes, I am holding a toddler in one arm and pushing a cart in the other. Oh yeah, add pregnancy nausea to that. Oye. Therefore, yes, my shopping trips have to be quick these days.

The other day, Giant Eagle offered me a gift card to try out their Curbside Express service where you order groceries online and pick them up in front of the store! For those of you in the Pittsburgh area, this service is available at the Giant Eagle Market District in Robinson. Yes, you don’t even have to go in. Score. Fabulous my friends, just fabulous. I will most definitely be doing this again. Below is a recap of my experience.

On Sunday, I sat down with my laptop and ordered everything. My tip for you is to start out with a list and a plan for the week. When you open the ordering website, it can be a little overwhelming if you don’t have a plan. Before I got online, I sat down and decided what we were going to eat for the week. Then, I broke it down and wrote down a shopping list. Then, I jumped online and ordered everything. I submitted my order and it was available for pickup the following day between 2 PM and 2:30 PM. Nice.

On Monday, I loaded Madilyn in the car and we headed to the store to pick up our groceries. My mom tagged along. She wanted to see how this went. When we arrived, I called the phone number on the sign and three minutes later, a nice, young man pushed all my groceries to my car. I handed him my form of payment and he loaded up my car! How easy is that, my friends?

Giant Eagle is waiving the service fee for the first time the service is used. The fee is $4.95 after that. In my opinion, it is worth every cent. Just think, if you get a couple of things on sale, you end up even, right? Right now, being 14 weeks pregnant and carrying a toddler around, I welcome anyone who will do these tasks for me.

When I got home I did realize that one item was incorrect. I got thin angel hair rice noodles instead of pad thai. No worries at all. Plus, I couldn’t use my reusable grocery bags which is kind of a bummer. However, I loved the service and will most definitely be doing it again especially when I have 2 kiddos come this October!

Now, can I find someone to put away all these groceries?

Wanna cook real food? Let’s do it together in May. Join me for Busy Women Mealtime Makeover. Only 30 spots so get yours now!