HeaVy on the Veg!

Vegetable Bagels….

I look forward to these so much. I have them for lunch on the regular. They are very easy to make and super yummy.

Try Aldi’s Greek yogurt cream cheese for added protein.

Radish and scallion bagel- toast bagel then top with cream cheese, everything bagel seasoning, scallions and thinly sliced radishes.

Cucumber bagel- toast bagel and top with cream cheese, everything bagel seasoning, thinly sliced cucumbers and dill.

Protein packed snacks….

Here are a few of my favorite cool summer snacks that a super easy, refreshing, and pack a little protein.

Probiotic vanilla yogurt with a spoonful of peanut or almond butter.

Frozen blueberries with almond milk. I’ll be eating these all summer with my huge bag from Aldi.

Fruit with cottage cheese. My favorite fruit is ripe cantaloupe and blueberries but a I also love bananas and strawberries. I prefer 4% small curd cottage cheese and my favorite brands are Wegmans and Galliker’s Dairy.

This maybe the perfect summer item to bring to a picnic or pool party. It is so fresh and goes well with a summer beverage. I love it with chips or on top of blackened fish or chicken tacos. This recipes makes a large batch so be sure to share with friends.

Be sure to get unseasoned black eyed peas. You may need to check the organic isle.

Mix 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of seasoned rice wine vinegar with a tablespoon of sugar in a small bowl and set aside to dissolve.

Rinse two cans of unseasoned black eyed peas and place in a large bowl with lid.

Take kernels off 3 ears of cooked corn. Or use a half bag of frozen sweet corn. Add to bowl with peas.

Finely chop the following and add to bowl- 1/4-1/2 a red onion. 3 jalapeños- remove seeds and ribs with gloves 2-3 small stalks of celery 1 red pepper

Mix all in bowl with liquid and cilantro Add salt to taste

Let chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours

How to perfectly roast vegetables and tasty ways to use them…

I have lots of zucchini right now so I decided to roast up a big batch of veggies which included mushrooms, zucchini, red onion, a yellow and orange pepper.

Largely dice them all up then toss in a bowl with evoo and steak seasoning. Place on two parchment lined baking sheets and roast only one sheet at a time at 400 degrees for a good 15-20. Keep checking them. I like mine toasty.

Spacing them out ensures they roast and don’t steam. One sheet at a time ensures even heat for proper roasting.

Now ways to use them…

My favorite way to eat eggs now is to scramble two eggs by shaking them in a mason jar. Place in nonstick skillet with a little butter once almost complete add a spoonful of cream cheese and warm veggies. Top with avocado, everything bagel seasoning and hot sauce.

If reheating vegetables do it in a skillet not the microwave. The microwave makes them to mushy.

You can also use them in an omelette or a frittata.

For lunch, I love put them in a wrap.

Reheat veggies in a small skillet. Heat wrap in microwave for 10 seconds. Place wrap on plate add vegetables, crumbled goat cheese or feta and top with fresh mint.

Kid Approved Smoothie

I absolutely love the MoJo smoothie from a local eatery. I think I have mastered it and my son loves it.

I recently bought a large container of kiwi and decided to chop it all up for smoothies. I also freeze rip bananas for this same purpose.

Blend frozen blueberries, strawberries, kiwis and a half frozen banana. Add a small amount of yogurt, milk, water and maple syrup. Purée until smooth.