Meal Plan

Sauteed Sea Scallops with Strawberry and Celery Salsa

Sauteed Sea Scallops with Strawberry Salsa Sauteed Sea Scallops with Strawberry Salsa

Sea scallops are a wonderfully decadent treat, especially when crisped up in some butter and olive oil.  I love ordering scallops at restaurants on a special occasion, but there’s really no reason to limit them to a restaurant experience; you can make them at home just as well and they’ll be more affordable.

The key to making delicious seafood at home is to start with good seafood, then to not overcook it.  With good-quality seafood I find that it’s actually much easier than other proteins like chicken or steak to prepare.  They have so much flavor on their own that a simple salsa on top is enough to make a restaurant-quality dish.  If you can, buy fresh (not frozen) scallops, which will sear well.  Frozen scallops will still be very tasty, but because they hold on to some water, won’t form that golden crust.

This recipe is from Eat Happy Meal Plan.  Check out the whole week’s menu here.  Sign up and get the other recipes along with the shopping list and weekly planner that will save you time and energy here.

Scallops with Strawberry Celery Salsa
From Eat Happy Meal Plan
Total Prep Time: 30 minutes
Active Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 lb domestic wild sea scallops, preferably fresh (fresh will sear better than frozen, but frozen will still taste great)
3 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed and cut into ½ inch dice*
2 stalks celery cut into 1/3 inch dice
2 limes, juice and 1 tsp zest reserved
1 tsp honey, raw and local [...]

By |July 16th, 2014|Gluten Free, Meal Plan, Recipes, Seafood, Soy Free|
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Scallops and Strawberries: Meal Plan Menu for July 20

Meal Plan Menu July 20 2014 Meal Plan Menu July 20 2014

Are you ready for Eat Happy Meal Plan to transform your relationship with dinner?

Here’s sneak peak of next week’s Eat Happy Meal Plan Menu!  This is the menu for the week of July 20-July 26th, and it will arrive in inboxes this Thursday at 6am!

Next week you could be enjoying these delicious scallops with an easy Strawberry and Celery Salsa, an amazing Summer Vegetable Tart with an even more amazing homemade 5-minute tart crust, sweet and savory Hawaiian Tuna Stackers with Pineapple and Canadian Bacon, and a simple Quinoa Pilaf made with vegetables you’ve roasted earlier in the week.

Enjoy meals that are homemade, fast, nutrient-dense, and full of fresh flavor with this meal plan.

Sign up today to get your this Eat Happy Meal Plan in your inbox on Thursday.  You’ll be loving dinner next week!

By |July 15th, 2014|Dairy Free Option, Meal Plan, Seafood, Soy Free|
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Chia Breakfast Pudding with Purple Rice

Chia and Purple Rice Breakfast Pudding with Berries Chia and Purple Rice Breakfast Pudding with Berries

I am very excited to share this Chia Breakfast Pudding with Purple Rice recipe, because it really helped me break my breakfast rut and is perfect for summer.  It takes so little active time to prepare at night, then no time at all in the morning to pop out of the fridge.  And it feels like eating dessert for breakfast which is always fun.

For breakfast I’m usually pretty boring: a lot of oatmeal during the winter and granola during the summer, and mix it up on weekends with pancakes, waffles and the like.  But I have been getting so tired of my go-to breakfast, and I really wanted something cool and something fast (still rushing one kiddo off to camp most of the week!).  I also really love to get something extra nutritious into my body first thing in the day to start things right, but am not quite at the point of eating leafy greens before 11am.

I have also been reading Mark Fuhrman’s excellent book, Super Immunity, which makes a very compelling case for the healing powers of natural plant-foods.  He has a recipe for Forbidden Rice Pudding, which uses a Chinese purple rice that is actually higher in antioxidants than blueberries!  Antioxidants neutralize damaging free radicals in the body.  Eating antioxidants can have a wide range of health effects, including reducing the risk for cancer, inflammation, aging, and cell damage.  It’s good to eat antioxidants.

This seemed promising; the nutritional power of berries in a rice pudding that can be  made [...]

By |July 2nd, 2014|Dairy Free, Food as Medicine, General, Gluten Free, Recipes, Soy Free|
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  • Arugula and Steak Salad with Grilled Onions and Peppers and Shaved Parmesan
    Permalink Arugula and Steak Salad with Grilled Onions and Peppers and Shaved ParmesanGallery

    Arugula and Steak Salad with Grilled Onions and Peppers, Shaved Parmesan, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Arugula and Steak Salad with Grilled Onions and Peppers, Shaved Parmesan, and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Arugula and Steak Salad with Grilled Onions and Peppers and Shaved Parmesan Arugula and Steak Salad with Grilled Onions and Peppers and Shaved Parmesan

You know it’s a good food week when your leftover meal is even better than the original meal the leftovers came from – such is the case with this Arugula and Steak Salad. Using leftover Lime-Marinated Steak and grilled onions and peppers from Eat Happy Meal Plan’s Lime-Marinated Steak Fajitas I created this super simple and fast salad.

This salad is really well-balanced: bold steak paired with sweet onions and peppers, peppery spiced arugula, and all tied together with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette.  I added a little crunch with some sunflower seeds, and what could be wrong with some shaved Parmesan on top?  (It pairs so nicely with the balsamic vinegar!)

No worries if you don’t enjoy steak – simply sub in whatever protein you prefer – tofu, chicken, or even even shrimp will all work with the lime marinade and ultimately result in a great salad.

Arugula Salad with Grilled Steak, Onions and Peppers and Shaved Parmesan
From Eat Happy Meal Plan
Total Prep Time: 20 minutes
Active Time: 20 minutes
Serves:  4

Ingredients
5-7 ounces arugula leaves
1-2 cups leftover grilled steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1-2 cups leftover grilled onions and peppers, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 ounces parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon or whole-grain mustard
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

  1. Wash the arugula leaves and spin or pat dry.  Place in individual bowls or a [...]
By |June 26th, 2014|Dairy Free Option, General, Gluten Free, Meal Plan, Recipes, Soy Free|
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Sneak Peak: Meal Plan Menu for Week of June 29

Eat Happy Meal Plan Shopping List June 29, 2014

Eat Happy Meal Plan Shopping List June 29, 2014

It’s a sneak peak of next week’s Eat Happy Meal Plan Menu!  This is the menu for the week of June 29-July 5th.

We are really getting into summer now and I’m having great fun cooking simple meals with the fresh ingredients that are beginning to abound at the market.  Tomatoes, herbs, arugula, and snap peas are favorites on this week’s menu.  Even better – cook once and eat twice this week by cooking some extra steak and vegetables at the beginning of the week, then make a delicious and super-fast salad with the leftovers later in the week.  I love making menus that save time and effort.

Don’t do steak?  No problem – make the whole week vegetarian by using tofu or seitan, or sub in chicken or whichever protein you like.  They’ll marinate equally well and the recipes will still work (tips on how to make substitutions are included).

Sign up today to get your this Eat Happy Meal Plan in your inbox on Thursday.  You’ll be loving dinner next week!

For free recipes and meal tips like us on Facebook!

By |June 24th, 2014|General, Meal Plan|
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  • Eat Happy Meal Plan Shopping List June 8, 2014
    Permalink Eat Happy Meal Plan Shopping List June 8, 2014Gallery

    This Week’s Meal Plan ~ Healthy Meal Plans ~ Mediterranean Week!

This Week’s Meal Plan ~ Healthy Meal Plans ~ Mediterranean Week!

Eat Happy Meal Plan Shopping List June 8, 2014 Eat Happy Meal Plan Shopping List June 8, 2014

I don’t know anyone who cringes at Mediterranean food – it’s so delicious! – so why not devote a week of healthy meal plans to this wonderful cuisine?

This happened quite by accident, as I started with lovely Hummus, Tomato and Avocado Sandwiches, which led to a savory Mushroom and Hummus Soup with Spinach (need to make the most of hummus leftovers!), and then a filling Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole.  Since it’s spring and the local farm eggs are amazing, I added a quick and filling Green Eggs and Ham Frittata to the mix.

Eat Happy Meal Plans are all about eating the most health-supportive ingredients in the most enjoyable ways, saving time, energy, and money.  Each of these meals is prepared in 30 minutes or less of active time, and using the “cook once, eat twice” strategy you can get a super-fast yet completely different meal out of leftovers (this week using hummus).  Homemade hummus is so easy and economical, if you’ve never made it before…let’s just say you’ll be pretty happy with yourself.

Sign up today to get your Eat Happy Meal Plan each Thursday in your inbox.

For free recipes and meal tips like us on Facebook!

By |June 10th, 2014|General, Meal Plan, Recipes|
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  • Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole
    Permalink Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole with lots of good stuffGallery

    Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole with Kalamata Olives, Roasted Red Peppers and Cannellini Beans

Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole with Kalamata Olives, Roasted Red Peppers and Cannellini Beans

Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole with lots of good stuff

While putting together the Eat Happy Meal Plan for next week I inadvertently ended up with a bit of a Mediterranean theme – including this Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole.

Mediterranean food is renowned for its health benefits as well as its tastiness and, for lack of a better term, the level of satisfaction this way of eating provides.  Because it’s not deficient in any major food group (lookin at you fats) and includes a lot of variety in foods and flavor, it’s a very satisfying way to eat, which also happens to make it very sustainable.

This casserole is a bit of a smorgasbord of Mediterranean ingredients – kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, cannellini beans, feta cheese (look for authentic goat or sheep milk varieties), fish, and fresh herbs.

You do have to cook the quinoa, but other than that the preparation is as simple as tossing chopped ingredients in a bowl (many of which conveniently coming from the pantry), mixing, then transferring to a casserole dish to bake.  Twenty-five minutes, easy peasy.

Serving of Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole Serving of Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole

Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole with Kalamata Olives, Roasted Red Peppers and Cannellini Beans
From: Eat Happy Meal Plan
Total Prep Time: 55 minutes
Active Time: 25 minutes
Serves:  4 with leftovers

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well in a fine-mesh sieve
2 cups chopped tomatoes with liquid from about 1 can
3 roasted red peppers, about 1 jar, cut [...]

By |June 5th, 2014|Dairy Free Option, Gluten Free, Meal Plan, Medical and Health Studies, Seafood|
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  • Kale, Strawberry and Avocado Salad
    Permalink Kale, Strawberry and Avocado Salad Gallery

    Kale Salad with Avocados, Strawberries and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Kale Salad with Avocados, Strawberries and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Kale, Strawberry and Avocado Salad Kale, Strawberry and Avocado Salad

Looking for a fresh take on your old kale salad?  This tasty dish has the best elements of Spring: sweet strawberries and creamy avocado paired with crispy red onions and savory pistachios.  If you haven’t tried a massaged kale salad, this is a good excuse to give it a whirl.  Massaging the kale with a little salt and olive oil – just for a few minutes – improves the flavor and wilts the kale slightly so that it’s tender.

Strawberries and balsamic vinegar enjoy each other immensely, so I thought I’d use a nice balsamic vinaigrette, which also has the nice benefit or mellowing out the onions so that they’re also sweet and crisp.  If you’ve been buying your salad dressing from the store you might be amazed at how simple and fast this dressing is – it literally takes about 30 seconds to whisk together!

Thanks to generous amounts of avocado and pistachios, this salad is substantial and filling enough to serve as a light main dish at lunch or dinner.  It also makes a lovely side dish to a little roasted or grilled fish.  Get more great recipes in my new cookbook here.  And definitely come on over and like us on Facebook!

Enjoy and Eat Happy!

Kale Salad with Avocados, Strawberries and Balsamic Vinaigrette
From Eat Happy Meal Plan
Total Prep Time: 15 minutes
Active Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados, pits removed and cut into ¾ inch cubes
2 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed and quartered
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup [...]

By |May 29th, 2014|Dairy Free, General, Gluten Free, Meal Plan, Recipes|
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Next Week’s Meal Plan Menu ~ Healthy Meal Plans

May 25 2014 meal plan photo

 

Healthy meal plans are Eat Happy Meal Plan’s specialty!  Not healthy in the low-cal, low-fat, rabbit-food kind of way.   Rather, in the – no one has adulterated these ingredients to strip the awesome nutrients from them – kind of way.  Just look at that list of amazing produce that’s worked into the week of dishes!  Farm-fresh arugula, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, kale, mushrooms, peppers, etc.  Eating this way places so many nutrients in the body.  I have seen it hundreds of times in my health coaching clients – the body just starts working better.

Next week’s meal plan is full of one-dish wonders.  Here is the full line-up:

~Warm Lentil and Kale Salad with Portobello Mushrooms
~Beef and Broccoli with Brown Rice
~Arugula and Asparagus Salad with Prosciutto and Parmesan with Whole Grain Rolls or Crackers 
~Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Salad

Eat Happy Meal Plan will be immensely beneficial to you if you want to eat this way, but don’t have the time (or knowledge or experience or desire) to do the planning.  Eat Happy Meal Plan does the work for you, and makes it mindless and delicious.

Sign up today to get your Eat Happy Meal Plan each Thursday in your inbox.

For free recipes and meal tips like us on Facebook!

By |May 22nd, 2014|Food as Medicine, General, Meal Plan|
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Warm Lentil Salad with Kale and Portobello Mushrooms

Lentil Salad with Kale and Mushrooms Lentil Salad with Kale and Mushrooms

This lentil salad right here is a bowl full of health.  Lentils are off the chart on a number of awesome nutrients, including molybdenum, folate, copper, phosphorus and iron. (Sometimes I seriously wonder how something so boring looking can be so incredibly full of good stuff.)  Throwing in the kale and portobello mushrooms makes this salad a pretty epic dish of vitamins and minerals galore.  Need a pick-me-up?  Put down the 5-hour energy and make this for dinner.

Not that that’s the only reason to eat it.  The secret to this dish being super delicious is the tangy Dijon and apple cider vinegar vinaigrette.  There is something about this vinaigrette and lentils that is just harmonious.  There’s this tangy-savory dance going on.  I frequently make this dish with a little bacon, but this vegan version using mushrooms is just as good – and it’s all because of the vinaigrette.

These are regular old el cheapo green lentils, which actually look quite brown.  Other lentils are more beautiful and some, like red lentils, cook faster.  But in general I enjoy green lentils just fine, especially in a salad like this.

For the full fabulous week of meals, and a convenient shopping list and planner that’ll help you save time, sign up for the Eat Happy Meal Plan here.

Recipe:  Warm Lentil and Kale Salad with Portobello Mushrooms
From Eat Happy Meal Plan
Total Prep Time: 45 minutes
Active Time: 15 minutes
Serves:  4

 Ingredients
1 ½ cup lentils*
1 small onion, minced
1 [...]

By |May 22nd, 2014|Dairy Free, General, Gluten Free, Meal Plan, Recipes, Soy Free|
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