Brussels Sprouts

Yesterday I shared on my Facebook page that I had not tried Brussels Sprouts -ever! However 2 weeks ago I decided to buy some and figure out how to prepare them. I asked on Instagram how you had tried them and got some great ideas. Then I decided to experiment with them. Here is the first of 2 recipes I've loved so far with them. Oh and just so you know I've eaten them almost every day of the week of the past 2 weeks, yes loved them that much!

INGREDIENTS:

10 Brussels Sprouts
1 Tsp of minced garlic
Garlic Salt to taste
Crushed Black Pepper to taste
Cooking Spray


PREPARATION:

1.- Chop off the stem of each sprout and take the first layer off. Cut in half and set aside.

2.- Spray a medium sized skillet with cooking spray and place on medium-high heat. After a minute add minced garlic and brussels sprouts, sauté for about 2 minutes.

3.- Add spices and stir it all as if you were stir-frying for 4 minutes, cover with a lid and place on low-medium heat for another 3 minutes.


Enjoy!

Fun fact about Brussels Sprouts is the have the same chemical as Broccoli to help boost DNA repair and block growth of cancer cells. Also high in vitamin K! 

Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS FOR VINAIGRETTE:

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 Tsp Black Ground Pepper

1/4 Tsp minced garlic

1/4 Tsp Chicken Bouillon powder {Knorr}

1/4 Tsp Dijon Mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients in the order they are listed and mix using either a whisk or add all ingredients to a tight lid container and shake! ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS FOR SALAD:

4 Cups of fresh spinach {washed and dried}

1/4 Cup of Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

1/4 Cup chopped walnuts

3 oz Fresh Blackberries

1 Small Pear Chopped into bite size pieces {optional ingredient}

Mix all ingredients and serve. 

Alphabet Veggie Challenge {week 7}

We are on week 7 of our Alphabet Veggie Challenge and have been having fun searching for vegetables we have not tried at the super market. On week 6  we choose letter:

While at the grocery store we noticed some purple potatoes! perfect! because "purple" starts with "P" as well as potatoes. We wanted something different and purple potatoes were certainly different, we had thought of parsnips but the family was not keen on the idea of: "a white carrot" {their exact words} so as I was thinking of a different way of preparing them Renee from Magnolia Days blog shared her parsnips recipe with me -which due to us deciding on potatoes I adapted to potatoes.

First I washed and peeled them, chopped into chunks and tossed with light extra virgin olive oil. I added garlic salt and pepper. Roasted them at 375 degrees on a aluminum foil wrapped baking sheet for about 45 minutes.

I decided to serve them as a side to our pan seared Salmon and some zucchini. It was the perfect side! 

Make sure you visit Renee at Magnolia Days and tell her I said hello!

Now let's see what the next letter for week 8 is:

"o"

Remember to get creative with your vegetables and incorporate them in your recipes.

Leave us a comment to let us know what vegetable you tried this week and how you incorporated it into your meals. 

Alphabet Veggie Challenge {week 6}

We are on week 6 of our Alphabet Veggie Challenge and have been having fun searching for vegetables we have not tried at the super market. Last week we choose letter:

So off we went to the grocery store to find any vegetables that start with the letter "L". So we decided to get creative with Lettuce the other option for the letter "L" was: Leeks and Lemons. 

On one of last weeks days I was saving my calories and specifically my carbs for dinner, so when lunch time came I decided to use some romaine lettuce leaves and make some wraps with tuna salad. I must admit it was better than I though it would taste and also since it was a very hot day it was very refreshing to know I did not need to be at the stove preparing a delicious snack. 

Other ways to enjoy lettuce besides a salad is using it instead of buns for burgers and also incorporating them in soups.

Now let's see what the next letter for week 6 is:

Remember to get creative with your vegetables and incorporate them in your recipes.

Leave us a comment to let us know what vegetable you tried this week and how you incorporated it into your meals. 

Alphabet Veggie Challenge {week 5}

We are on week 5 of our Alphabet Veggie Challenge and last time we choose a letter it was the letter:

While we took some time to visit beautiful Baja Mexico I found that the vegetable I wanted to try was:

You guessed it! Radishes! and yes I had them in the raw, just washed and cut the ends and sliced them or as a whole to accompany my meals. One of my meals of choice to enjoy it with was 'carne asada' tacos as well as 'quesadillas' and let me tell you it adds a little kick and flavor to any meal!

I am now a Radish fan :)

I found when shopping for Radishes they have to be a deep shade of red and in addition leaves should be bright green and the texture can not be soft to touch. Some of the radishes I purchased were spicy, but others were juicy and sweet. 

And now onto the next letter for week 5! 

Let's get creative with our vegetables and try them in different ways! 

Remember to share with us what vegetable you tried this week.

The Veggie Alphabet Challenge {week 3}

It's been three weeks since we started the Veggie Alphabet Challenge and we are loving it! how are you liking it? Our family has been enjoying searching for new vegetables to try and we have let our creative juices flow. Last week the letter was "B" and so we decided to try Beets.

I know beets can be included in salads and some main dishes, however we boiled them and then peeled them and cut them into slices and served as a side to our meals. I also snacked on them when I felt a little hungry.



INGREDIENTS:

Bunch of fresh beets
Water

PREPARATION:

1.- Cut off stems and wash thoroughly to remove all the dirt -keep in mind beets grow underground.

2.- Place the beets inside a large enough saucepan to fit them and pour water into saucepan. Boil at medium heat.

3.- When beets feel soft take them out of the water and using a table knife to peel and holding beet in place with a fork. Allow cooling off before enjoying.

You can either slice or chop the beet or even grate it. I prefer enjoying it straight out of the refrigerator so I put in plastic zip top bags in the refrigerator and then serve.


Remember to follow the #hashtag #alphabetveggiechallenge on Twitter and visit each week for the letter of the week. For our third week the letter is:

I am changing my eating habits to get healthy, lose weight and feel great. Read more about why I am doing this here,here and here.  This is a sponsored post as part of the  Shaklee Corporation’s Team #Cinchspiration Campaign. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. All opinions are my own.