Mid Week Meal Menu

Picture courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Nothing makes me happier than watching people enjoy healthy food. Watching Nathan eat the giant salads I make him daily gives me odd joy; I simply love the idea of nourishing our bodies!  We had some guests over for dinner, and I decided to make an entire organic feast! Here is my mid week dinner party menu! 

Carrot Salad with Tahini and Crisped Garbanzo Beans

Peppered Zucchini and Butternut Squash

Roasted Parsley Lemon Garlic Potatoes

Greek Chicken

Carrot Salad with Tahini and Crisped Garbanzo Beans

Peppered Zucchini and Butternut Squash

Roasted Parsley Lemon Garlic Potatoes

Fresh flowers throughout the house are a must! 

Gluten Free Farmers Market Pesto Pasta

Nathan and I are hardcore pasta lovers, however, it's no secret that isn't easy on the physique. Since we are on a Caribbean diet, (we are visiting the French West Indies Feb 1st! WOOOOP), pasta is out of the question, but that doesn't mean the cravings go away. We recently discovered quinoa pasta, which is not quite the same, but does the trick of curbing our pasta itch. This pasta is packed with powerhouse veggies, it is gluten free, and is flippin delicious. I could eat this ALL DAY long, and this recipe made so much, I just might. 

For Pesto:

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)

5 cups organic fresh basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good olive oil

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

Vegetables:

1 red organic bell pepper

2 bag of Trader Joe's butternut squash

1 cup of organic peas

1 organic white onion 

Some feta for topping.

Directions:

1. In a food processor, add nuts and garlic cloves, mix until combined. 

2. Add the basil and chop slowly, add olive oil.

3. Once thoroughly combined, add the parmesan, chop until combined. Refrigerate.  

4. Cook quinoa pasta, be careful to not over cook. 

5. In a sautee pan, cook onions, butternut squash, and red bell pepper. Briefly cook - I like to keep mine semi-raw. I hate cooking out all the nutrients! 

6. Add pesto and veggies to pasta mix thoroughly. Top with feta! 

Chocolate Twist Bread (Babka Bread)

I saw this gorgeous loaf of bread on the popular page of Instagram. I knew I had to make it, so I tracked down the recipe, which led me to Smitten Kitchen - a new favorite! I was overjoyed when I realized this recipe made two loafs, one for Nathan, and one for our neighbors! This bread is not the easiest because it takes time, but overall in the end it is pretty dang easy for how gorgeous it is! Recipe found here: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/10/better-chocolate-babka/

One for Nathan, one for the neighbors. 

Follow me on Instagram: mersierrra for recipe updates and stuff!

My Favorite Lemonade

I made it to age 22 without a sweet tooth. About a month into my wedding dieting, at age 23, I began craving sugar like it was my career. This whole sweet tooth thing is new to me. I spent my life scoffing at girls who cried into their Ben n Jerry's; I simply could not relate. Today, this could not be any less true as I think of sugar often. I'm lucky, though, because my sugary cravings consist of Trader Joe's dried mango, Chick-Fil-A's diet lemonade, and the occasional chocolate something. None of these are TERRRRRIBLE, and I still prefer salt to sugar, however, the sugar cravings are excessively frequent and unfortunate. 

A friend turned me onto Chick-Fil-A's lemonade, and for the past couple weeks I have been dragging Nathan to the drive through to get my fix. Every night like clock work we finish dinner and I have to ask Nathan under my breath with embarrassment if we can go. This lemonade seemed like an answer from above, because its basically guilt free. However, my cravings were so frequent, I felt like spending $2.50 every night was kind of a waste. I know that's not a lot of money per day, but at the end of the month, thats almost $80.00 in lemonade! What madness; I'd rather buy some shoes or a new dress with that money. I decided by making it at home, using better sweetener, I can curb my sweet tooth all day AND save money! I am drinking a giant glass right now, and dang, it's good. I know this is simple and silly, but I'm excited about my lemonade discovery - it really is the little things in life... 

I fill my Britta filter about half way with water.

Juice of 6 lemons

Stevia sweetener. ( I keep adding packets until its the right sweetness for me! )

Lots and lots of ice. The key is it has to be ice cold! 

Thai Chopped Salad with Sesame Garlic Ginger Lime Dressing

It is really hard staying positive - especially when we live in a world of such pettiness, am I right? Why cant we all get along? I read a good quote last night went like this:

"How would your life be different if...You walked away from gossip and verbal defamation? Let today be the day...You speak only the good you know of other people and encourage others to do the same." -Unknown

I am realizing with age how people treat you has to do a lot with how they feel about themselves. It is kind of a direct reflection of their insides. ANYWAYS, there is my two cents for this Thursday. 

Let's get to what matters: this salad! My brother in-law and sister in-law are traveling South East Asia for FOUR WHOLE MONTHS, which means I am getting a whole lot of texts with photos of the best looking food ever. Nathan is really jealous; he LOVES Asian food. So I decided to take the healthy route and make a Thai inspired salad ,and let me tell you, it's amazing! It is actually packed with nutrition, and the dressing is just to die for! 

P.S. This salad takes TIME - lots of chopping and peeling. I would suggest this as a main course. Maybe shred some left over chicken and add on top? I'm just thinking out loud. 

For Salad:

5-6 cups organic baby kale finely chopped

1/2 head ice berg lettuce finely chopped

3 organic carrots cut with peeler

2 organic bell peppers thinly sliced

1 cup organic cilantro finely chopped

3/4 cups cashews (I use Trader Joes Thai Lime and Chili Cashews, life changing)

For the Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 organic garlic cloves

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh organic ginger

1 tablespoon honey

1 entire organic juiced lime

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and add more of whatever you think or adjust to your preferences, I think its just perfect! 

2. Toss all salad ingredients together, add dressing, and enjoy!

Avocado Lime Cilantro Brown Rice

Since Nathan and I are now reformed foodies, we went from eating anything and EVERYTHING to being annoyingly organic/health conscious. It is a fun challenge to find new foods to filter into our routine. Brown rice and quinoa are two regular staples in our diet. For a while we got super hyphy off using quinoa in replacement for rice in asian and mexican inspired dinners, however the novelty wore off quickly. We decided to kick up the rice tactics and dress it up in a completely clean, organic, non seasoning type way. By making some good old guac and thoroughly mixing it into brown rice, you have something completely foreign and oddly delicious. I added my avo-brown rice to a salad, and Nathan ate his with some black beans and corn, scooping it all up with tortilla chips and salsa, for a nacho-ey vibe. This rice made my salad drool worthy, and now I think I want to always have a tupperware around to dress up and add some protein to future salads.

You will need:

2 cups brown rice, already cooked and cooled. 

2 avocados

1 lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper for seasoning 

chili flakes if you can handle the heat

Mash up all your avocado thoroughly.

All all the ingredients.

ONEEEEEE more picture because that is a glorious sight to me. 

Add it to your brown rice and mix, mix, mix. 

YUM!!!

Brie Avocado Veggie Sandwich

Since I was tiny, veggie sandwiches have been my favorite food. I even remember begging for them so often my Mom warned me I was going to turn into one if I didn't stop. I guess I could have had worse addictions than piles of sprouts and pickles. Now as an adult, my love has not wavered, only expanded, as I explore new combinations. I always use Ezekiel bread, though.  Ezekiel bread is a health-staple in my house. It's not only guiltless - it's a complete protein. This sandwich is so yummy and packed with super-foods; it is the perfect lunch or dinner meal to start your new year right! 

You will need:

Thoroughly toasted Ezekiel Bread. I use the low sodium one that comes in an orange bag.

1/2 avocado

thinly sliced bell pepper

thinly sliced beef steak tomato

thinly sliced onion, white or red

arugula 

brie cheese

mustard

prosciutto 

My Perfect Breakfast

As I mentioned before in my post about my everyday lunch routine, I usually eat the same thing most days. This may seem boring, but to me, it makes the days I go out to eat more exciting and gives each regular morning a comforting routine. In 2014 I ate Fage 0% greek yogurt every morning with a packet of stevia. It may sound unimaginative, but don't knock it until you try it. I loved it and seriously looked forward to my sweet, guiltless breakfast each morn. Even though stevia is the only non-carcinogenic sweetener, I decided for 2015 I would step up my breakfast game with even more natural toppings, ditch the labeled packet, and make breakfast even more exciting. I'm a little silly when it comes to sugar, even totally natural sugars; I just cant help but want to avoid them.  My mind tells me sugar = bad. However, this yogurt bowl is guilt free, satisfies any sweet tooth, and is essentially a blank canvas for all kinds of healthy toppings. To be honest some days I'll opt for Ezekiel toast with avocado just to cut down the sugar, but I think this bowl is pretty darn delicious, healthy, and a pretty start to anyones day!

I use:

Fage total 0 % yogurt

chia seeds

organic honey

strawberries 

blackberries

Our Perfect Cheese Platter

Nathan and I are HUGE cheese lovers. Little-to-nothing excites us more than a good cheese display. Literally nothing disappoints more than a lame one. While in Europe, we found ourselves wanting to incorporate interesting cheeses into our daily routine and I truly wish the U.S. would adopt this style of eating! Nothing is better than a quality assortment of finger foods.

This is pretty close to a perfect cheese platter. I would probably add some tiny pickles and something bruschetta/caprese-esque but last night, this was perfect. Not a better way to ring in the new year: hanging at home, reminiscing, and eating good food! 

These are the basics every good cheese platter should have. Our absolute favorite cheeses are the Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe's and their brie cheese. 

Some sort of Italian soda is key. We opted for a delicious sparkling pomegranate flavor.  

Nathan added some blackberries to his pomegranate soda which was delicious. 

Burgundy Beet Salad

I have always been super interested in a holistic approach to medicine. I truly believe that we can heal our bodies and prevent just about everything with an organic, balanced diet. But, I also believe in balance. Its okay to celebrate once in a while, with a massive bowl of chips and salsa, or a cookie here and there. We sometimes need these things to feel human!

I just recently started reading a book called Fix Your Mood with Food, by Heather Lounsburg. The book talks tons about how important it is to nourish our bodies with proper nutrition, for in return, the quality of our physical and emotional lives will improve greatly. The book has encouraged me to step up my health game EVEN more! This salad is not only gorgeous, but has my body screaming with joy! I thought it would be fun to list the benefits of the salad's ingredients so you can pat yourself on the back while your eating! 

Beets: lowers blood pressure, boosts stamina, fights inflammation, anti cancer properties, rich in nutrients and fiber, supports detoxification

Spinach: digestion, kidney function, treats anemia, improves eyesight, immune system support, cures fevers, promotes strong hair roots

Pumpkin Seeds: immune support, heart health, liver health, promotes restful sleep, anti-inflammatory, heart health

Avocado: healthy fats, dietary fiber, lowers cholesterol, reduces risk of diabetes, reduces risk of coronary artery disease, prevents cancer  

All you need:

Trader Joes Baby Heirloom Red Spinach  

Trader Joes unsalted pumpkin seeds

Beets

Avacado

Feta cheese

Balsamic Vinegar

Kansas City Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cups of cold butter (she strongly recommends margarine)

1 3/4 cups flour (NOT generic grocery store brand. She swears this is important!)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tspn vanilla

1 tspn baking powder

1/4 tspn baking soda

2 cups oats

2 cups Scotchies (I used chocolate chips this time. Either works!)

1. Cream butter in an electric mixer on medium speed.

2. Add half of the flour, all of the sugars, the egg, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla. 

3. Once those ingredients are combined, add the remaining flour.

4. Once the flour is thoroughly mixed in, add the oats and the chips. 

5. Using an ice cream scoop, form perfect cookie dough balls. Roll the cookie dough balls in a bowl of sugar so they are totally covered. 

6. Freeze the cookie dough balls completely. This helps them keep a better shape when you bake them later! 

7. Preheat oven to 375˚. Bake the cookies for about 9 minutes, or until they are golden colored. Warning: the cookies will appear way too soft and you will be tempted to put them right back in the oven. REFRAIN! The cookies get hard after sitting out for about a minute because they continue to cook. So the softer you like your cookies, the less time you should leave them in the oven!

Snow Flake Sugar Cookies

It would not be any holiday without some festive sugar cookies. I decided to surprise Nathan with a snowflake themed batch today! Let me warn you, these cookies take time and effort. They are not for the impatient. I adore the icy blue and white pallet for Christmas. It is so far off from traditional red and green but somehow still seems so festive! I have made lots of different sugar cookie recipes over the years and found this one VERY easy to work with and tasty! 

Click -cookie recipe Katrina describes these perfectly "This is the BEST sugar cookie recipe- no chilling the dough, cookies keep their shape when baked, soft and flavorful, perfect for decorating."

Click-royal icing recipe I like this recipe because it does not require meringue powder!

My Everyday Lunch

I make a lot of fancy meals, but to be completely honest, most of those are for Nathan. When I got engaged I went into fitness overdrive. I got an amazing personal trainer, went to the grocery store, bought all new food, and literally changed my eating over night in preparation for our wedding! After the first month of this change, I got into an extremely satisfying and consistent groove. I began this change in July and by my wedding in October I lost a whopping 26 pounds! I truly had no idea I had that much to loose or that it was even possible to feel so good. Since our wedding and month long honeymoon I have gained some of that back. We spent a month in Europe, it was expected! I am not discouraged though; I am back on my pre-wedding regiment and am beginning to feel just as amazing again! It really is a whole life change. 

I used to be a food addict, I admit, but some simple changes I made have really shifted and changed my thought-life completely. That's exactly what unhealthy food addiction is: the result of an out of control thought-life! I used to find myself thinking of food from the minute I woke up. It was an out of control battle, truly like an addiction! I wanted to be healthy but the mental pull to eat the bagel with a pound of cream cheese overpowered the much smaller voice that said "don't you want to feel great AND look great?" I actually used to cry - CRY - to Nathan, asking, "am I really going to live my entire life with this out of control mindset?" The unhappiness that comes with wanting to look and feel better but for some unexplainable reason wanting food more seems crazy, but people who aren't driven by food simply can't understand. 

When I got engaged, I got an amazing personal trainer who basically gave me the most straight-forward guide to weight loss. Even though the formula was SO simple and SO familiar to me, hearing it from someone else made it completely click. I rushed to the store, bought an excessive amount of salad things, veggies, some quinoa, black beans, and literally GALLONS of water. I got home, tossed anything that was not organic and completely natural away, and started with this clean slate. I viewed each meal as an opportunity to make something amazing out of a few clean ingredients. I even started to food journal! This was a WHOLE new me. I found myself feeling amazing and even getting extremely excited and happy to deny unhealthy food and stick to my regiment. My anxiety levels were down, my happiness was at new heights, my skin was glowing, and a bonus was I was dropping pounds QUICK, and it did not even feel like I was trying! 

I wanted to start by sharing my lunch I actually eat EVERY day! I know it is not very exciting - just a simple salad - but I love this salad and look forward to it everyday! If you guys are interested in hearing more about my daily health routines comment and I am happy to share! 

-organic baby greens

-organic avocado

-organic heirloom baby tomatoes

-kalamata olives

-sun flower seeds

-I usually add a blob of organic hummus right on top

-balsamic vinegar

Thats all; so simple yet so tasty. The sunflower seeds satisfy me and fill me up completely! 

Butternut Squash Soup

One of my favorite meals on my honeymoon was butternut squash risotto I got at Harrods in London. Before that risotto I had written of butternut squash as gross. I can safely say it is a new favorite vegetable in my house! This soup is perfect for this overcast day and is filled with my favorite staple ingredients- white wine, garlic, and heavy cream. We are gonna eat ours with mozzarella grilled cheese. INSANE. Enjoy!

You will need:

2 twelve ounce bags of Trader Joes pre cut butternut squash, or 1 medium butternut squash

6+ garlic cloves

1 yellow onion

olive oil

fresh thyme sprigs

32 oz vegetable stock

salt & pepper

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup white wine 

In a large pot add a large drizzle of olive oil. Add chopped yellow onion and sauté for a few minutes on a medium flame. Add both bags of butternut squash and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add 1/4 cups of white wine and let the wine cook for 5 more minutes. Add the vegetable stock and heavy cream. Cook on high flame until soup begins to boil. Turn down flame add about 1/2 TBS of salt and pepper, 6 heads of garlic, and about 7 sprigs of fresh thyme. Stir and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Using an immersion blender puree until smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed! 

Chicken Pot Pie

It is cold in Santa Barbara today, my iPhone says its even going to rain. For us Californians, this is music to the ears considering the hideous drought we have been in. The cold weather inspires me to light candles, wear thick socks, and bake things warm and rich. Nathan loves chicken pot pie and today I realized I have not made him one since being married. The 63˚ forecast (yes thats near freezing for me) was reason enough to make him a good old chicken pot pie with last nights lemon chicken leftovers. 

You will start with the crust. This is my favorite crust and its super easy. ANY ONE can do it because the dough is so easy to work with. 

2 cups of flour

1 stick of chilled butter plus 3 TBS 

1/3 cups ice water

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1.Place flour in electric mixing blow. Cut butter into smalls squares and add to flour. Mix on medium speed until it resembles coarse meal. 

2. In a separate whisk 1/3 cups ice water, egg, sugar and salt.

3.Add the ice water mixture to the flour and butter mixture. Mix on medium speed until it forms into a ball.

4. Remove and place onto a floured surface. Push the dough out and away from you with the heel of your hand (this is called kneading the dough). Do this until it is in a nice fluffy ball. Dust with flour, cover with wax paper and let sit in the fridge for 2 hours. The butter needs chilling before you can roll the dough effectively. 

Now onto the FILLING! Keep scrolling for directions. 

You will need:

For Filling:                                                                                               Cream Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter                                                                1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 yellow onion chopped                                                          1 cup all purpose flour

1 potato diced                                                                           2 1/2 cups chicken stock

3 garlic cloves, minced                                                           1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 orange bell better sliced                                                      Dash or 2 of Tabasco 

2 medium sized carrots diced 

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cooked rotisserie chicken ( I think this pie is best made with leftover chicken.)

salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. Start with the filling. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onion and potato and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and carrots and sauté until the potatoes are tender. Add the pepper, salt and crushed peppers. 

2. While the veggies are sautéing, skin the chicken, and remove the meat off the bones. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add to the vegetable mixture. You may now preheat the oven to 375˚.

3. You will now start making the cream sauce. Melt the butter in a large pan with high edges over a medium flame. Add the flower and whisk continuously until smooth. While continuing to whisk, add the chicken stock until the mixture thickens and resembles a thick, creamy soup. Add in the cream and hot pepper sauce. Pour the cream over the veggies and chicken and stir to combine. 

4. Pour the mixture into an empty pie pan. 

5. Remove the crust from the fridge and place on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin roll out the crust to about 1/4 inch thickness. Place the crust on top of the filling. Brush the crust with beaten egg. Bake pie for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve right away!