Blueberry & Coconut Breakfast Quinoa

April 15, 2015 Amanda Plott

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

That is something that I think anyone of my generation grew up learning, and to this day I still find it to be true. Starting your morning off right can be essential. Especially when you're trying to eat better and become healthier.

This powerhouse breakfast bowl is not only one of my favorite breakfasts, it's also a great way to control your hunger and power you on through your day. It's full of the good-for-you stuff such as protein, fiber, calcium, and plenty of vitamins, and minerals. And yes, even antioxidants!

I would say that this could be comparable to a bowl of warm oatmeal or a breakfast rice cereal as far as flavor and texture. So if you're a fan of either, then you're sure to enjoy quinoa for breakfast.

Oh, and did I mention that this breakfast is entirely gluten-free and vegan? Yep!

I know, there's a fierce debate about whether honey is vegan or not... but, for the sake of this breakfast I'll say that it is. If you're a staunch vegan, you can always swap the honey out for agave...

Couscous Crusted Chicken Tenders with Corn & Tomato Salad

April 9, 2015 Amanda Plott

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sargento. The opinions and text are all mine.

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

Who watches Chopped? I do, I do! It's one of my most favorite shows. I love to watch the cooks on there immediately having to think on their feet with a basket of rather random and sometimes even off-putting ingredients.

Growing up, it was a weekly challenge to go through the fridge, freezer, and pantry to use up any and all leftovers into a completely new and delicious meal. My dad, being in the food industry all of my life, was all about repurposing food and making sure nothing went to waste! So, the show Chopped has always been right up my ally.

Sargento® is hosting a “Chopped at Home” contest, so today's post is a little different since I'm getting creative and doing a Chopped-inspired dish featuring Sargento® Shredded Cheese. The challenge was to use the following real ingredients: Sargento® Off the Block 4 Cheese Mexican, boneless chicken tenders, couscous, and salsa!...

Skinny Avocado Deviled Eggs

March 19, 2015 Amanda Plott

Ah, spring is in the air at long last. One thing that's always been a tradition in our house around Easter is deviled eggs. And man, oh man... I love me some deviled eggs. However, outside of my mother, I'm really the only one in the family that eats them. So, I guess you could say that deviled eggs aren't really a family tradition, but a mother-daughter tradition instead.

Another thing that both my mother and I love endlessly is avocado. I seriously feel as if avocado makes just about everything better. I wish that I could go back to my childhood and collect all the avocado and guacamole that I turned my nose up to then. Erf. What was I thinking?!...

Skinny Lean & Green Cauliflower Colcannon

March 6, 2015 Amanda Plott

A while back I had made this yummy Cauliflower & Hominy Smash as a lower carb and lighter alternative to mashed potatoes, and trust me... it is so sooo good. So, when I was trying to come up with a way to make a traditional Irish colcannon healthier, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.

Don't know what Colcannon is? Colcannon is basically an Irish dish that's made out of smashed potatoes with green cabbage and/or kale with cream, butter, salt and pepper. For this recipe, I basically used the same idea of the Cauliflower & Hominy Smash, but added in some kale and green cabbage to sort of combine the two ideas into one...

Green Eggs & Ham

March 4, 2015 Amanda Plott

In honor of Dr. Seuss's 111th birthday being earlier this week, and with St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, I decided to make a play on Green Eggs & Ham!

“Try them, try them, and you may! Try them and you may, I say.”
― Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham

St. Patrick's Day is actually one of my favorite holidays, and it also happens to be my dad's birthday. Happy Pre-Birthday, Daddy! My dad always thought it was fun to make Green Eggs & Ham for breakfast around his birthday. So, the idea for my take on Green Eggs & Ham was definitely inspired by him, even though I'm pretty sure that you makes his a whole lot differently...

Vegan Cauliflower Rice Taco Bowls

February 26, 2015 Amanda Plott

A while back I came across the idea of cauliflower rice. At first I was a bit skeptical, but after the first time I tried it, I knew it would be an instant hit. I've made it several times now and somehow it just never manages to make it here, for one reason or another.

I knew that I wanted to make the cauliflower rice to go in some sort of taco bowl, but wasn't exactly sure where I wanted to go with it beyond that. Then I remember that I had made this green goddess dressing a while back, and absolutely fell in love with it. I kept trying to think of other ways in which to use it and finally came to the conclusion that the most of the ingredients in it would make for a perfect cilantro lime avocado dressing.

Aha! Perfect to go with my cauliflower rice bowl!

Once I had some of the basics nailed down, I let my local produce for the week speak for me and I ended up with a veggie-full bowl of wonderfulness...