Orzo Pasta Salad

While on the phone chatting away with an old friend, she noted how much she missed my cooking...especially her favorite Orzo pasta salad.  After reminiscing our cooking time together, I felt inspired to make the famous Orzo pasta dish for dinner tonight!

Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat Orzo pasta
• olive oil
• 1/2 sweet onion (finely chopped)
• 1-2 gloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 large tomato (diced)
• Spices of your choice (I usually use ~1 T. basil, 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. thyme, salt, and pepper)
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh mozzarella
• Optional: roasted red peppers, roasted artichokes

Directions:

1. Cook Orzo pasta and set aside - season with salt and pepper and add some olive oil when done
2. Coat skillet with olive oil and warm on low-medium heat
3. Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until golden brown
4. Add tomatoes and spices and cook on low/medium heat for ~5-10 min
5. Add mixture to pasta and stir well
6. Stir in fresh mozzarella
7. Top with fresh basil for a finishing touch

Serve with grilled chicken and some veggies for a full meal.  Also, a great dish to chill and eat cold tomorrow.  Enjoy!

Going Green!

From Alex: This green smoothie was a pin that had originally been posted to Pinterest and I put my own spin on it. I think the best part about these smoothies is that you can pre-make them all in one day. I have listed the ingredients below, put them all into one quart Ziploc freezer bags:

• 1 cup Kale
• 1 cup Spinach
• 1/2 cup Parsley
• 1 chopped green apple
• 1/4 avocado
• 1/2 chopped banana (optional)

If you measure out all of these ingredient and put them into freezer safe Ziploc bags, one bag will produce 2 small smoothies or 1 large smoothie (that's what I prefer). Once you pull the bag out of the freezer and slide the ingredients into the blender you can add any of these supplements:

• 1 cup of Water or Coconut water (necessary)
• 1 scoop of Green Superfood - High Energy
• 1 tablespoon Flax oil
• 1 tablespoon Chia seeds
• 1 scoop of Protein Powder

 

BLEND! If your smoothie does not seem to be blending, just add a little more water or coconut water. This is a seriously delicious healthy smoothie. I really think you are going to like it!

 

Cheers Amy!!



Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta - Gluten Free!

From Amy:  While vacationing in Cali, I find it pretty easy to hop on the healthy band wagon eating clean and nutritious.  As my aunt eats a gluten free diet, I have decided to adopt her eating habits for the week - and we are off to a good healthy start!  Stopping for fresh ingredients at the local market we put together a simple and healthy dish as we drank wine and visited.  I give my aunt total credit for this gluten free recipe!

Starting with a light tomato and garlic sauce for our gluten free pasta, we also indulged in some sauteed swiss chard and fava beans.  Most importantly, all paired with a glass of gabbiano chianti classico. 

Buon Appetito!

Ingredients

• 1 package (1 lb.) gluten free pasta
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
•  4-5 large garlic cloves
• 10 basil leaves
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• optional: sauteed shrimp, grilled chicken

Directions:

1. Roast tomatoes with garlic at 350 degrees for ~45 min
2. While roasting tomatoes, cook pasta and set aside
3. Blend together roasted tomatoes and garlic, with parmesan cheese, basil, olive oil, and salt and pepper
4. Pour blended mixture over pasta and serve (with your favorite vino)! Add optional shrimp or chicken.

Paleo Banana Bread...Yummm

From Alex: In an attempt to get more protein and less carbs in my diet, I decide to try some recipes from the Paleo Diet. Both breads that I made were super moist and full of flavor. First I made the Banana Bread:

2 cups almond flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup agave syrup

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray loaf pan with cooking spray. (this is a very important step!!)
2. Mix together almond flour, ground cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl.
3. Beat two eggs in a bowl. Mix in water, almond extract, agave syrup, mashed bananas, and vanilla bean paste. Add banana mixture to almond flour mixture; mix until no dry areas are visible. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
4. Bake banana bread in the preheated oven until brown and crisp around the edges, about 45 minutes.

This bread made my entire house smell so delicious!! My husband and mother-in-law couldn't resist the smell and before I could turn around to take a picture it was gone...This recipe is definitely worth trying because it will satisfy your sweet tooth without all the sugar and carbs.

Amy & Alex - Staying Connected

This blog is an idea that we came up with to help us more easily share healthy recipes, without the inconvenience of living across the country from one another. We are both very passionate about eating healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle. Fortunately both go hand in hand and we are excited to get sharing! But first, here is our background.

We (Amy & Alex) met at Duquesne University, through the sorority we were both joining our very first year of college. As we became closer friends and pretty much inseparable, it was clear to both of us that we were the same person! Love to EAT, workout, go dancing and had the same view on life. The years went by and our friendship has grown so strong that we now live on opposite sides of the country and still talk every week like nothing has changed. I’m not sure if we even knew it way back 7 years ago that we would both be obsessed with healthy eating…but we are and we need to share these recipes with each other! I’m not saying we don’t sneak the occasional cupcake or cookie, but we will make them as healthy as we can first.