Homemade Salsa

As a daughter of a Panamanian, I have a fairly spicy palette. I have 3 different hot sauces in the house at any given time (my top faves are Chalula, Tabasco, Franks and Sriracha).

I've never made my own salsa before but as I don't love any of the salsas around here (and couldn't get to my parents to get some Kirkland Organic Salsa...) I went for it!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes 
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: fills one old and large coconut oil jar

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
2 cans cut and peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup red onion diced
1/2 cup white onion diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup canned (or fresh) green chillies
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 dash of salt

Instructions

• Combine tomatoes, red onion, yellow onion, green chilies, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and salt in blender. Pulse blender until mixture is combined, yet remains chunky. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Enjoy!

Egg white omelet with spinach, kale and feta topped off with salsa and avocado. Yum yum

Zoodles

After a long hiatus...I'm back! I haven't not been eating or anything. I just always eat my food too quickly to actually photograph it. But last night I made this with a friend and we remembered to take pics.

When it comes to pasta, my stomach is a bottomless pit. I could eat bowls and bowls of it and only want more until the pot is finished. A couple of weeks ago, I made dinner for friends that had recently had a baby. I decided to go with a pasta dish, and at the store I had two boxes of pasta in my hand as I assumed one box per a person. I was quickly informed that that is waaaay not how it works. Oh well. Looks like I'm off pasta for a reason.

Meet my best friend, Zoodles. Zoodles are zucchini cut into strands that look spaghetti noodles. Having not eaten pasta for oh almost three years, I discovered these guys a few years ago. I got myself a Julienne peeler and it changed my life....and THEN my mom got me the great gift of the Vegetti. I know what you're thinking. That's the worst name for a VEGETABLE PEELER. But it's coo, get over it and you will be eating Zoodles for the rest of your life.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: I can eat the whole thing but for normal people...~2-3 servings

Ingredients

6-7 small zucchini (you can use large but they won't fit in the Vegetti...though you can easily Julienne them)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup pasta sauce (or more)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Optional:

Carrots (if you want a multicolor pasta)
Ricotta cheese
Olives
Fresh basil

NOTE: if you don't have either a Vegetti or Julienne peeler, you can peel the zucchini to the core. If you're adding carrots to the mixture, I suggest Julienne-ing or regular peeling it.

Instructions

• Zoodle/Julienne/peel the zucchini. No need to peel the outer skin off.
• Finely chop the onions and sauté
• Once onions are sauted/clear, add the zucchini mixture
• Add sauce and cheese as desired
• Because the zucchini is so thin, it should take just a couple of minutes to cook
• Enjoy!

Kale Broccoli Soup

I've always loved green veggie soups. In fact, my mom used to make what she called "Shrek Soup" leaving all non greens out. I've matured a long way since then and eat soups with vegetables of all shapes and colors, but still...there's something about the greens.

It may not look the most appetizing, but kale really is one of the richest greens, filled with protein, fiber (both of which keep you full)  and folate (key for brain development). So come on, give it a chance...get on the kale wagon!

Prep Time: 1 hour
Soup Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: I can eat the whole pot but for normal people probably 10 servings

Ingredients

1 bag frozen broccoli | 2-3 medium heads of fresh broccoli
5-6 cups fresh spinach/kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
Pepper to taste
1 leek
1 large onion
1 cube frozen crushed garlic (=1 clove crushed fresh garlic)
1 cube frozen dill
3 cups water

Instructions

• Finely chop the onions and leeks. Roughly chop the broccoli heads and the kale and spinach.
• In a large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions become translucent.
• Add the garlic, cooking until the garlic becomes fragrant, but not browned. Add the kale and spinach and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale and spinach are just wilted.
• Add the dill. Simmer for 2 -3 minutes.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and all of the broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the broccoli is tender.
• Blend the soup in batches in a blender or directly in the pot with an immersion blender.
• Return the pureed soup to the pot and bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir  and add additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.
• Serve and garnish bowls with a dollop of sour cream or Parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy!

Running(/Walking) Songs of the Moment

My favorite form of exercise is power walking. I really can walk for forever...as long as I have a good playlist. Leaving my headphones at home is basically the same thing, if not worse, than leaving my sneakers at home. I change it up from time to time, but do have token favs that I always keep.

In honor of the 10 k I'll be walking/running tomorrow, here's a top ten running playlist.

#1  Good warm up song: Riptide, by Vance Joy

This one's mellow but upbeat at the same time and will be definitely starting me off in tomorrow's race.




#2 Token happy song: Honey I'm Good, by Andy Grammar

My sister just sent me this song last week, and I was HOOKED from the first five seconds.




#3 Token Taylor Swift Song: Shake it Off, by Taylor Swift
I CAN'T HANDLE HOW FUN THIS SONG IS! BUT I CAN.




#4 Angry Avril Song: Rock N Roll, by Avril Lavigne




#5 When you need the extra push: Work Bitch, by Britney Spears
This one is ALWAYS on my playlist...it really gets me up the steepest hills.




#6 The happiest beat song that makes me think I too can surf: Oh Cecilia, by The Vamps ft. Shawn Mendes




#7 For the climb: Elastic Heart, by Sia
That's right folks. Your fav Even Stevens's star Shia LaBeouf is featured in this vid!




#8 That song that magically gives you more adrenaline. I Lived, by One Republic




#9 "It's YOUR RUN Song." My spinning teacher always leaves the last song as "your song". Meaning, you go at your pace, your moves, whatever you want. Whether you're in a race or it's your usual morning run, it's important to remember that you're doing this for you...so have fun!




#10 Don't forget to cool down/stretch properly! Let it Go, by James Bay
This one is so full of soul and really forces you to slow it down and breathe. Congrats, you did it!




For more of my running favs, follow my complete playlist on Spotify:

What's for Lunch?

I won't lie. I spend a nice amount of time preparing my food. But over the years, I've learned how to best minimize the time required to make my meals for school/work, by preparing as much as I can early in the week.

This week I made a nice batch of quinoa, and have been making different meals using the it as the base to each meal.

I was feeling a little lazy on this one, but it ended up being a perfect little meal!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes for carrots (quinoa 30 minutes if not prepared ahead of time)
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup fresh kale
1-2 medium carrots
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt


Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
• Peel 1 medium carrot(s), slice into thin strips and place them in a single layer on 2 baking sheet —the strips can be touching but should not overlap.
• Bake uncovered
• Flip carrots over after 20-25 minutes
• After thirty minutes, add 1 cup of fresh kale that is rubbed in coconut or olive oil to the oven
  (NOTE: rubbing the kale in oil is important so the kale doesn't burn! I tend to place the kale underneath the carrots so they don't get crunchy)
• Add all to a bowl/tupperware container, and enjoy!