What's for Lunch Wednesday - Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt

I saw this on Pinterest and thought it might be a nice snack.  The person I pinned it said to freeze it and it would be like ice cream. It doesn't. However, it is pretty tasty when it isn't frozen. The only thing is that it is pretty rich so I really need to split it in half or even thirds and would be a great snack at work.

What's for Lunch Wednesday - Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt
From: My Fridge Food
Prep time: 5 min

Ingredients:
1 Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Mini Chocolate Chips
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together with greek yogurt.

Cashew Cookie Bars - Larabar copycat

I tried making my own Cherry Pie Larabars a while back which turned out great.  I saw this copy cat recipe of another Larabar flavor - Cashew Cookie.  I've never tried the real one, but I have to say this was pretty good.  I still like the tart flavors of the Cherry Pie one better, but these were so easy to make and were a nice snack when you want something sweet.

Cashew Cookie Bars - Larabar copycat
From: Edible Sound Bites
Prep Time: 10 min
Makes: 8 small bars

Ingredients:
1 cup raw unsalted cashews (or you can use sunflower seeds)
10 medjool dates, pitted (or 1 cup of regular dates)
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1. Pulse Cashews in your food processor until finely chopped.  Empty the nuts into a bowl.

2. Place the dates into the food processor and grind until roughly chopped into small pieces.

3. Add the cashews back into the food processor with the dates, add a pinch of sea salt and pulse until well combined (if using regular dates and the mixture isn't holding together add 1-2 Tbsp warm water)

4. Form into bars and store in air tight container and refrigerate.

Freezer Meal - Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Here is another meal I made when I did my Freezer Meal extravaganza.  After making it I realized it is really similar to my other Crock Pot Fajitas. I actually didn't end up making these myself, I gave them away, but I do have another one in my freezer to try someday.  I assume they taste similar to the other recipe and the recipients of the meal (my in-laws) said it was quite tasty.


Freezer Meal - Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
From: Making our Marx
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5-6 hours

Ingredients:
2 green peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
taco seasoning packet (or 2-3 Tbsp taco seasoning)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Slice green peppers and onions.  Combine all ingredients in gallon freezer bag.  Get as much air out when closing bag.  Freeze.

2. To Cook: Thaw, place contents of bag in crock pot and cook for 5-6 hours on low.  Shred meat and serve on tortillas with fixings.

*** This is actually from my other recipe, but I assume they look very similar!

Easy Steak Fajitas

This is a recipe we make often and I'm surprised I haven't ever posted it.  It is quick and easy and really tasty.  We got it from Men's Health Magazine years ago and continue to make it fairly regularly.

Easy Steak Fajitas
From: Men's Health
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 10 min

Ingredients:
Flank Steak
1 onion, in large slices
1 green pepper, cut in strips
1 red pepper, cut into strips
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno, cut into rings (optional)
1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
Whole wheat tortillas


Directions:
1. Cut the meat diagonally  and across the grain into thin strips.  Place in a large ziplock bag with all the other ingredients and shake well to combine. 

2. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat then dump steak mixture into the skillet.

3. Cook, turning frequently fro 5-8 minutes until the meat reaches the desired doneness.  Serve with tortillas and salsa

Freezer Meal - Crock Pot Honey Rosemary Chicken

This is another freezer meal I made in my freezing extravaganza day.  I thought this would be one of my favorites, but it landed a little flat for me.  It was ok, but it was a little dry (the chicken was dry and not much sauce), and I think the cook time on the recipe was too long for such small pieces of meat and not much sauce.  Plus it ended up kind of burning on the sides, which made the flavors seam off.  If I make it again, I would definitely only put it in the crock pot for about 4-5 hours on low.  I think that would cook the chicken enough (but not over cooked) and wouldn't get any of the burned flavor so you could taste the honey, balsamic, and rosemary better.


Freezer Meal - Crock Pot Honey Rosemary Chicken
From: Making our Marx
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6-8 hours  (next time I would do it 4-5 hrs on low)

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients into gallon freezer bag.  Remove as much air as possible when closing the bag.  Freeze.

2.  To Cook: Thaw, place contents into crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Serve over rice.

What's For Lunch Wednesday: Turkey, Goat Cheese, Peppers, and Avocado Roll Up

It is pretty well documented on this blog and with anyone who knows me that I don't really like bread (with a couple exceptions).  This idea from my Beach Body T25 nutrition book appealed to me since it is basically a sandwich without bread.. but I did change it up a little bit.  It was a nice combination of smooth in the goat cheese and avocado, salty in the turkey, and crunch in the peppers.  It was super easy to put together and filling (and easy to bring to work). You could easily add any veggies to this, but I liked this combo, although some red/yellow/orange peppers would make it a little more colorful! 

What's for Lunch Wednesday: Turkey, Goat Cheese, Peppers, and Avocado Roll Up
From: Elizabeth - inspired by BB T25
Prep time: 5 min

Ingredients:
Sliced Turkey (preferably nitrate free)
Goat Cheese
Sliced Peppers (Any Color)
Avocado slices

Directions:
1. Lay Turkey slices flat, spread a thin layer of coat cheese on turkey.

2. Place avocado and pepper on turkey and roll up turkey around them. Enjoy!

Freezer Meal - Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

A while back I decided I wanted to make some Crock Pot Freezer Meals.  I came up with a bunch or recipes (thank you pinterest) and ended up doing about 6 different new recipes.  I'm going to share them one by one, but hopefully at some point I'll be able to do a compiled post and share my favorites.

This is one I really liked.  Just the Chicken and sauce gets frozen, but when I cooked it I chose to add some frozen mixed stir fry veggies from Trader Joe's for the last hour.  I really liked the addition, but I think it would still be great without it.

Freezer Meal - Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken
From: Making our Marx
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4-6 hours

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into bites size pieces
1 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup water
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
a few sprinkles of ginger

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients into a gallon freezer Ziploc bag.  Remove as much air as possible out while closing the bag.  Freeze.

2. To cook: Thaw and place contents of bag in crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. If desired, add in a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables for the last hour of cooking.  Serve over rice.

One Pot Mexican Quinoa with Black Beans

I was looking for a quick one pot meal with quinoa and came upon a recipe that I could change a little bit to fit what I wanted.  This ended up being really easy prep and quite tasty.  It was so filling and Bill didn't even mention that it didn't have meat! Definitely will make this again when I'm looking to whip up something quick with what I have in the house!

One Pot Mexican Quinoa with Black Beans
From: Adapted from Skinny Ms
Prep time: 5 min
Cook Time: 25-30 min

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chilis
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 - 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

 Directions:
 1.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and saute diced onions until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute one additional minute.

2. Add remaining ingredients and give a quick stir.

3. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low boil and cook 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes covered before serving.  Fluff with a large spoon and serve.

Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak Marinade

This is a nice easy marinade we used for Flank Steak this summer.  I chose it because I had all the ingredients in the house and it only required 30 min of marinade time (although I let it marinade for at least an hour).

Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak Marinade
From: Point-less Meals
Prep time: 5 min
Marinate time: 30 min

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb flank steak
salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1.  Combine all ingredients except steak in a large ziplock bag.

2. Add steak, turn to coat; marinate for 30 minutes (up to a few hours).  Grill until desired doneness.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting into thin strips against the grain.

Veggie Pizza

Veggie Pizza is a great addition to any BBQ.  This is my Mom's recipe that is very easy to make and has so many veggies!  It is a great cool and refreshing snack (or side!)

Veggie Pizza
From: Mom
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Chill time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:
2 pkgs crescent rolls
1 cup mayo
2 (8oz) cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp chives
Veggies of your choice: broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green onions, cauliflower, green or red peppers

Directions:
1. Roll out crescent rolls onto cookie sheet, covering entire sheet and pinch together seems.  Cook according to directions and cool.

2. Meanwhile. Combine mayo, cream cheese, dill and chives in a bowl.  Chop all veggies to desired size (I used a chopper for everything except the tomatoes and gr. peppers to get them real small).

3. When crescent roll pan has completely cooled, spread cream cheese mixture over crust.  Top with chopped veggies.

4.  Refrigerate a few hours. Cut into squares and serve.