EAT: Melon...lots of melon.

A mostly-emptied watermelon and a spoon in the backyard--that was summer bliss as a kid. Often my mom would scoop out about three quarters of the melon for a fruit salad to take to a cookout and leave me with the remnants. I remember sitting in the grass and eating every bit of red from that shell. Melon makes summer so sweet. 

Cantaloupe and tomatoes from my garden...mmm

Here in Colorado, melons are plentiful right now. Cantaloupe is two for a dollar. And, my garden smells like sweet, ripe melon. As the melon season winds down, I'm making the most of it. My favorite refreshing afternoon treat is a melon smoothie. This is the simplest smoothie in the world. 

Melon Smoothie

Ingredients: chunks of melon, ice, a little water

Directions: Place all ingredients in your blender or Magic Bullet and blend.

                  Pour it into a glass and enjoy! Share if you must.

EAT: Eat Seasonally, Eat Locally

In recent weeks, our meals have often consisted of peppers and tomatoes.

We have had a surplus of them from our CSA.  

Thankfully, I love both.  It has allowed me to come up with creative ways to eat them and enjoy them as a family.

While my favorite way to eat a tomato is while you are still in the field and it is warm from the sun, we have discovered a lot of other delicious meals and snacks!

I recently made a Mexican inspired wild rice dish.  Everyone loved it and it was as cinch to prepare!

Bumper Crop Rice:

- Saute 1 small onion in a tablespoon of olive oil.

- Add several chopped peppers (I used 5) and saute.  I also added one hot pepper.

- Add in several chopped tomatoes (I used 4) and allow to come to a simmer.

- Add any other favorites - I chose corn and black beans.

- Season with salt, pepper and cumin.  

- Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

I made a wild and brown rice mixture and added the delicious veggie mixture to it.  

We topped it with shredded cheddar cheese and fresh salsa.  Delicious!!

The Easiest Salsa Fresca:

We received this recipe from our CSA this year.  As we were out in the fields picking crops, they were in the barn whipping this up by the ball jar for all of their supporters to take home.  It is delicious, easy and healthy.  Give it a try!

- 4 large, ripe tomatoes

- 1 large onion

- 1 T chopped garlic

- 1 T chopped jalapeno

- 1 cup chopped cilantro

- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

- salt to taste

Chop tomatoes to desired level of chunkiness.  Drain for a few minutes in a colander.  Chop onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro.  Mix all ingredients together.  Let it sit for a few minutes for the flavors to marry.  Enjoy!

I love the taste of summer!

EAT: zucchini fries

Welp, I may not have delivered on all of my New Year’s Resolutions, but I did, in fact, fulfill my New July Resolution. Last night I made zucchini fries! 


They weren't quite as beautiful as the original recipe, but they turned out to be very tasty. 


I'm not going to lie, they didn't actually taste like french fries, but they did taste really great...

 We also attempted to grill a couple, just for fun. The baking turned out better...

 Ta da!..

EAT: Zucchini, Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

Oh, yes. Cookies for breakfast! These are my son's hands-down, favorite breakfast. They are easy to make, protein and whole grain-packed, and super tasty. I modified this recipe that I found by replacing some of the banana with zucchini and making a few other substitutions. I have tried so many variations on these cookies--truly, you cannot mess these babies up. I use my stand mixer (I'm obsessed with it) and keep it on stir. Then, I add one ingredient at a time. Bake these bad boys at 350 degrees on an un-greased cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. If you make huge cookies, they will take longer to bake...that's probably a no-brainer! These cookies will not spread, so flattening them out a bit before baking is a good idea.

Ingredients
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 banana
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. oats
small handful chocolate chips

Modifications:
Dried fruit is delicious in this recipe, as well. I generally add raisins to this recipe.
Just this week, I added a healthy dose of pumpkin pie spice. Then, I halved the amount of zucchini, added half a cooked sweet potato and a banana. (This was the best combination yet!)
Often, I chop an apple and throw that in--in place of some of the zucchini. I generally add cinnamon to that mixture. (And, probably leave out the chocolate chips)
The original recipe contains two bananas instead of zucchini.
A little orange juice and zest, along with some dried cranberries would be awesome. Reduce the applesauce if you add the juice. (I could go either way with the chocolate chips on this one!)

Let me know if you try this recipe and if you have any other ideas for changing it up.

EAT: Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

When Crosby was born, we were so blessed with many amazing meals.

One such meal was from my friend, Becca.  And she shared the recipe with me.

Enjoy!

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T olive oil
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1/4 cup picante sauce
1 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked brown rice
8 flour tortillas, warmed
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.) In a large nonstick skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender.

2.) Add the beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes; bring to a boil.

3.) Reduce heat, simmer uncovered until heated through and the mixture thickens.

4.) Add rice.  Cook five minutes longer or until heated through.

5.) Spoon a rounded 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla.  Fold sides over filling and roll up.

6.) Place in a 13 x 9 dish coated with cooking spray.  Spoon salsa over each tortilla.

7.) Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

8.) Uncover; sprinkle with cheese and bake 2-3 minutes longer.

This recipe is delicious.  I have made it several times and BOTH of my kids love it!  Success!!

EAT: new july resolution

Confession time.

I set my 2011 eat resolution to get more creative with dinner with a dedicated heart, but I have failed. I am still eating veggie burgers and chicken all the time, and have not yet busted into my cookbooks as planned.

Hmph.

However, I recently spotted this recipe for zucchini fries at Delighted Momma and I am reinspired. I'm setting my new July resolution to try making these before my next eat post, and I'll be sure to report back with details.

PS: If I hadn't just eaten dinner, I'd totally make this right now. Immediately want...

image via Delighted Momma

EAT: Yogurt Making

My first attempt was a disaster. I ended up with kind of smelly milk. Kind of smelly, hot milk. I used a yogurt recipe that simply required a crock pot. I was incredibly encouraged by the enthusiastic comments that readers had left. So, I felt a little stupid when, at the end of the 11 hour process, I had not created yogurt. Then, I found this recipe. It also requires a crock pot, but you'll additionally need some time on the stove and a candy thermometer. You use a couple tablespoons of Dannon yogurt to get things going, but other than that, the only ingredient is milk (not ultra-pastuerized). If you follow the steps, you will make yogurt!

I was so excited about my yogurt that I almost immediately made it again. During the second round of yogurt making, I strained some of the liquid through cheese cloth and a strainer to make Greek yogurt. Then, I was left with whey. I found an Italian bread recipe that makes use of leftover whey from cheese making. It was oh so delicious. And then...I decided that my yogurt needed a companion, so I mixed up some homemade granola to top it off. At the end of the week I was feeling like quite the successful cook.

Have you ever tried making yogurt or cheese?

EAT: Arugula, Pea and "Sausage" Pasta

We have joined a local CSA this spring that allows you to come to the farm and pick some of your veggies each week.

We ended up with bags of arugula and sugar snap peas.  I combined them to make a delicious pasta dish and I thought I'd share the very simple recipe with you.

Arugula, Pea and "Sausage" Pasta

- 1 lb whole wheat pasta
- 1 cup shelled sugar snap peas
- 1 cup arugula, cut into pieces
- 6 Morningstar veggie sausage patties cut into pieces
- 1 T olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- shredded parmesan cheese

1) Cook pasta according to package directions.
2) While pasta cooks, shell snap peas and then place in a saute pan with olive oil over med high heat.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.
3) Add "sausage" to pan and continue to cook until heated through.
4) Drain pasta, reserving about a half cup of cooking liquid.
5) Toss pasta with peas, "sausage," arugula, cooking liquid, salt, pepper and parmesan.

Enjoy!

EAT: veggie burgers

I’ve already admitted that I’m a veggie burger addict. And after months of making the recipe Courtney sent me* last fall, I think I am finally ready to share it. This is a big deal…

Corn and Two Bean Burgers:

2 T olive oil
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 c dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup corn (if canned, then drained)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 large egg

For burgers, heat oil in a large skillet over med high.

Combine kidney beans and black beans in a bowl and partially mash with a fork. Add breadcrumbs, corn, onion and egg and stir until well combined. Add any spices you might want. FYI - I normally need more bread crumbs in order to get them to stick. Form into four to six patties. Add patties to pan and cook about four min on each side or until crisp and beginning to brown. If you’re making a large batch and freezing them, I prefer to freeze them raw, and then cook them later, but Courtney prefers to cook then freeze.

Also, I don’t do ketchup, but Courtney makes this Chipotle version for them. If you dare eat ketchup, I think this is the way to go…

For Chipotle Ketchup:
1/3 c ketchup
1 t honey
1 t lime juice
1/2 t chipotle chile powder
1/2 t cumin

Combine ingredients, add to burger, and enjoy!

*Are you noticing a pattern? Kind of a recipe thief…

Image via

EAT: Honey-Chile Chicken

June is a bit unpredictable in Colorado. Arapahoe Basin could still be open for skiing. We could be burning up at 95 degrees. Possibly both. Who knows? One certainty is that the farmer's markets will be open. While the local produce selection is slim pickings in late spring, there will without a doubt be a large chile roaster at the end of the row of booths. Which means we are buying freshly roasted green chile. My husband wants it in his eggs, on his sandwiches, and stirred in with his rice. I try to come up with some new ways to mix in the green chiles each time we buy them. I decided to try this recipe on the fly and we all enjoyed the results.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp honey
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 large roasted green chiles

Whisk the honey, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper together.

Dice the green chile. Mix half of it into the honey mixture.

Cut the chicken breasts into four pieces. I cut them in two directions--holding the knife vertically and then horizontally.
Mix the chicken in with the honey mixture.

Cover the bowl with a plate (then you don't need plastic wrap) and allow it to marinate for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 400.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and spread your chicken out on it.

Bake it for 20-30 minutes, turning half-way through. (This would also be excellent on the grill!)
Once it is fully cooked, top it with the remaining green chile.

 Serving options:
Wild rice and a side salad

Tortillas and Asian slaw
Roasted asparagus and fresh bread
As a salad over spinach and arugula with tomatoes and a vinaigrette

(Plenty for leftovers!)

Let us know if you give it a try!

EAT: Simple.

There are many staples that reside in my refrigerator.

One such staple is any variation of a bean salad.

Beans are so delicious, so filling, so cheap, so good for you and so easy to work with.

You can vary this bean salad in hundreds of ways.  Here is the basic recipe I work with:

- 2 cans of beans, drained (my favorites are garbanzo beans or black beans, but any will do!)

- 2 cans of corn, drained

- a handful of chopped grape tomatoes

- a diced pepper (any color you prefer)

- the juice of half of a lemon or lime

- spices to taste.  I like to use salt, pepper, cumin and red pepper.

- a bit of olive oil

Mix it all together and chill in the refrigerator.

You can vary it in so many ways.  

Some additional add ins I love include:

- diced cucumber

- diced celery

- chopped carrots

- diced green onions

- chopped broccoli

- feta cheese

And you can vary the seasoning in many ways as well.

It is delicious with:

- olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper whisked together

- olive oil, red wine vinegar, a dash of tabasco sauce,  lemon juice, a few tablespoons of sugar and salt and pepper whisked together.

- italian dressing and salt and pepper

- salsa and salt and pepper

- a packet of taco seasoning

- or any other combinations you would like!

And I love eating this salad on it's own, topped on spinach, over pasta, in burritos, or even with chips.

It is a great part of a go-to meal and I hope you enjoy it!

EAT: Chickpea Summer Salad

Last weekend, I went to St. Simons island, where I was expecting a fabulous beach weekend. While the weekend was fabulous, there was very little beach involved, as it rained the entire time we were there. 

When I got back Sunday, after a weekend of less than healthy eating, and less than summery weather, I was craving something light and fresh for the week. 

I made a very tasty garbanzo bean salad, which was Courtney's recipe. I've taken it for lunch every day this week and it has hit the spot - healthy, full of flavor, full of veggies and summer in my mouth. 

Use the vegetables you bought at the farmer's market last week to throw together your own batch. 

Ingredients:

Garbanzo beans

Corn

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Red pepper

Feta

Salt

Pepper

Cumin

Balsamic Vinegar

Throw all of the vegetables in a large bowl, with proportions to your own liking. I prefer a lot of corn because it's my favorite base. I have also found that the crunch from the pepper adds a lot of zest - so I tend to go heavy on that as well. 

Add feta and spices to taste. I like to add Pepperman and Cayenne in addition, so feel free to spice things up as you see fit. 

Finally, add Balsamic Vinegar. If you're planning to eat it throughout the week, add more Balsamic than you think you need - the veggies and cheese soak it up, and when I opened my Rubbermaid container Monday, I found it to be much dryer than I expected. I had to add more to the rest of the batch. 

I also like to add some avocado the day of, as I like having one more texture and am a cado addict. It's definitely not required, but I highly recommend it.

Happy vegetable eating!

image via

EAT: Let's Grill!

'Tis the season to break out the grill. So, let's talk about grilling some meat! Probably once a month, my husband tells me how thankful he is that I am not a vegetarian. While he loves many of Courtney's vegetarian recipes, he is (without a doubt) a meat eater. When you are craving a juicy burger, you can make some choices that will make less of an environmental impact.

Livestock emissions are among the highest contributors to greenhouse gases, so eating meat less frequently is better for our planet. I'm still working on convincing Jose of this. Eat smaller portions or combine the meat with veggies, and I'm betting that you won't notice much of a difference.

Choose meat that is local. Most cities have farmers' markets up and running, so start there. Talk to the farmers or vendors. Simply buying your beef, chicken or turkey locally decreases the amount of gas required and pollution created.

Ask the vendors how their beef or chicken is raised. Often, farmers will use organic methods for raising meat or vegetables without being certified organic due to costs. Free-range, grass-fed is best. Even when eggs or chicken are labeled as "cage-free" the animals may never step foot outside. They simply have an access point to the outdoors. Worry less about labels and more about conditions. Not only is this better for the animals and environment, but it's better for you.

Make better choices while grilling. Use lump charcoal instead of briquets and a charcoal chimney instead of lighter fluid. Your charcoal grill will then be closer to carbon neutral. If you're going to use a gas grill, try to purchase one that is energy efficient.

Don't give in to the quick clean-up temptation. Even if you're eating outside, use your regular dishes and cloth napkins. The plastic plates and paper napkins may seem like part of the season, but they don't need to be.

Get outside and enjoy!

Mixing It Up.

Since Crosby's birth, I have admittedly cooked very little.

Our time has been divided between the hospital and home and it has seemed that what we eat has been one of my last priorities.  As long as it is healthy, anything goes.
Another banana and peanut butter sandwich?  Sure, why not?  Veggies and hummus for dinner?  Or course!

Thankfully, many friends have very graciously provided us with amazing meals throughout the weeks and we have been very well fed.

And I had a few meals frozen in the freezer (I think I knew a big change was on the way!) and those have lasted us a while, as well.

I had a few batches of vegetarian meatballs frozen and although we love them on pasta, I have decided to get a little creative with them so my husband doesn't become incredibly bored with our fare.

One of our new favorite ways to eat them is in a pita with hummus and lettuce, tomato and plain yogurt with lemon juice mixed in.  It is delicious and is a new twist on an old favorite.

We have also enjoyed dicing them up and eating them on a salad for a warm spring night dinner.

You could make them into smaller "meatballs" and place them on a pizza.

Or you could put them in a toasty bun and add marinara sauce and cheese for a hero sandwich.

You could even skewer them with some of your favorite veggies and make kabobs with them.

And of course, they are always delicious on pasta!

Ashley recently posted a recipe for Greek turkey meatballs that look delicious. You could make these and eat them any of the ways listed above.

And although I have mentioned these veggie meatballs before, they are just so good, that I think the recipe bears repeating!

What are your favorite ways to enjoy a new twist on an old classic?

Vegetarian Meatballs

ingredients:

1 c finely ground pecans
1/4 c shredded parmesan or cheddar cheese
1/2 c cottage cheese
4 eggs
1 Tbs chopped onion
1 c breadcrumbs
1/2 t oregano
salt and pepper

directions:

1) Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.  Occasionally I will have to add additional breadcrumbs to make it a "meatball" consistency that will stick together when formed into balls.

2) Place meatballs into a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

We love ours served over whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese on top!

You can also use different nuts according to what you have on hand.  I have used almonds, walnuts, pecans or all three depending on what is in our cupboard.  Walnuts are one of the healthiest nuts around, so that is one I tend to use often in these!

A Bit Greek

As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, I hosted a party for a wonderful organization in Denver--the Women's Bean Project. I purchased quite a few of their products, but had yet to use any of the dip mixes that I had picked up. If you aren't hosting a party, when do you really ever use a dip mix? I was craving something a little bit Greek, so I decided to make some Greek turkey meatballs. The Dillicious Dill Mix was just the thing to liven up our dinner. (You can purchase the dip mixes online, so you can enjoy this recipe too!)

Ingredients
Pitas
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 leek
1/2 shredded zucchini
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
salt to taste
olive oil
1/2 packet Dillicious Dill Dip Mix
1/2 cup plain non-fat greek yogurt

I used my food processor to crumble my bread, shred my zucchini and grind my turkey (in that order). The whole turkey breasts were less expensive than the pre-ground turkey.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, zucchini and bread. Add the leeks and mix everything together.

Use your hands to mix the egg, salt and a little less than 1/4 of the dill dip mix into the turkey mixture. Once it is thoroughly mixed, form meatballs--smaller than golfballs.

Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Brown the meatballs on both sides, then place the entire skillet into your hot oven. Bake until cooked through--about 10 minutes.

While your meatballs are a'cookin', mix the rest of the dill dip mix with the yogurt. Spread the yogurt dip into pitas. We added some cucumbers and olives to our pitas. Once your meatballs are done, squeeze them into your deliciously full pitas. This could become a regular on our menu.

Gratitude.

2011 has been a tumultuous and eventful year in our household.

I was pregnant and expecting our third child to come in June. We had some known complications in my pregnancy, but we were hopeful i would carry our little babe to term.

As we moved through the winter, I started having a lot of contractions and losing lots of blood. Unfortunately, I became very sick and ended up being admitted to the hospital. After many complications and an emergency c-section, we welcomed our beautiful son into the world on March 7th, at 27 weeks gestation.

The past 5 weeks have been emotional and stressful. I am abundantly thankful to be able to say that I am doing great and our baby is growing and progressing wonderfully. We still have many weeks until he will leave the NICU, but we are all doing better.

And through my hospitalization and recovery and the past weeks of us dividing life between the NICU and home, we have been abundantly blessed by our family and friend's generosity. People have so generously prayed for us. Friends have watched our children so we can be in the hospital. Family has flown into town to help us in our time of need. And we have received amazing meals from friends to get us through the days well fed.

A friend of mine set up a wonderful meal schedule for our family through the website www.TakeThemAMeal.com. We have received delicious food three nights a week and it has been such a gift.

The website is incredibly user friendly and allows the people bringing meals to sign up at their convenience and see what everyone else is bringing. It allows you to change dates if needed and see where the greatest need for a family is.

It has been such a blessing to receive food so that our family is well nourished as we walk through this time. Consider taking a meal to someone in need...or even coordinating meals for a friend!

beyond the kitchen

I used to hate watching movies like Good Will Hunting because it made me sad to see such poverty. I couldn't handle thinking about people who truly live in such sad situations. Although it's not gotten easier to watch it as I've gotten older, it helps to focus instead on the positive things other people are doing, and ways to help.

It's relatively easy to find ways to give to those who need food and water. From volunteering in soup kitchens to giving food to those on the street, any way that you can give locally will immediately impact your community.

Outside your city, there are many charities focused on providing for those in poverty. Below are three highly reputable charities that offer food and water. If you're like me and have a hard time setting aside an entire Saturday to volunteer somewhere, these organizations are a great outlet.

Feeding America: It's so important to give globally, but it's also essential to focus on those in need in the United States. This organization gave food to more than 37 million people in 2010. They offer ways to donate monetarily, volunteer time and to act as a local advocate.

Heifer International: This organization aims to teach families how to provide for themselves, as opposed to just giving them food, by providing livestock and training. After learning how to expand their livestock, each family agrees to give one of their animals to another family in need - thus constantly working to end the cycle.

Charity Water: This organization works to bring clean drinking water to those who do not have access to it by building wells. From volunteering in New York to raising money for schools, there are so many ways to get involved.

If you know of any other great ways to give food to those in need, please share as a comment. The most effective tool is to spread the word.

image via

Cinnamon Apples

After a delicious lettuce wrap and Chinese dumpling dinner recently, one of my friends whipped up a quick and delicious dessert for all of us to enjoy. While we ate this treat plain, I think it would make a great addition to other desserts, as well. You will make it in your microwave, so it couldn't be easier.

Ingredients:
Apple
Cinnamon
Sugar
Water

Cut the apple into slices. Place the slices in a bowl with about 1/4 cup of water. Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon and sugar to taste. Microwave the apples for one minute and check to see if they're done. Add more time, if necessary. Obviously, if you use more apples, you'll need more of everything else.

We ate them with our hands right off a communal plate. But, I think their are many options for this dessert. I'm dreaming of vanilla ice cream with the cinnamon apples and a tad of granola. Covering a muffin or scone in the apples would make a tasty treat. If you make snickerdoodles, I would add some cinnamon apples when they're still hot out of the oven. This would also be a lovely addition to oatmeal. For a decadent breakfast, use the apples as a topping for waffles, pancakes or cinnamon rolls. Are you hungry yet?

no bake dinner

After an amazing trip to Australia, I am completely, utterly, jet lagged. And the last thing I want to do is cook.

Which is why I bring you, the hors d'oeuvres dinner.

A favorite when we were younger, my mom often served it to us when things were especially busy at our house. We thought we were real fancy eating our french meal.

At the time, it consisted of veggies, cheese, crackers and summer sausage. Today, the ingredients have changed, but the idea remains the same: pull off a satisfying dinner without cooking.

The key is to figure out what you need in a meal to make it feel complete. I need the to have vegetables and protein. Others might need a carbohydrate, something spicy, a fruit, etc. Isolate what it is you need and build on it.

Some of my favorite uncooked ingredients are cheese or cottage cheese, red peppers and carrots (my favorite raw veggie). Throw in a little turkey, and I'm all set.

What's your favorite uncookable meal?

photo

Chicken Revisited

Oh, the many uses of the good, old rotisserie chicken. Well, preferably a new chicken. A fresh chicken that you have purchased from your favorite grocery store. This is a perfect meal for your grocery shopping day. I often find myself not wanting to cook a complicated meal after spending time grocery shopping and putting groceries away. It's just a little more exhausting to grocery shop with a one year-old. You can imagine, I'm sure.

A fifteen minute chicken meal is an excellent solution for a grocery store day. Whitney is the biggest lover of chicken that I know, but often finds herself in a rut--making the same chicken dinner over and over again. Having several chicken recipes in your arsenal is the best way to avoid that rut! (I am not including pulling the meat off the chicken in the 15 minutes.)

Meal 1: Tacos
Mix the meat with taco seasoning, black beans, and salsa in a skillet over medium-high heat.
While it's cooking, slice an avocado and shred lettuce and cheese.
Put all of the ingredients into taco shells and enjoy!

Meal 2: Pasta
Boil water for pasta of your choice.
Dice an onion and saute it in some olive oil.
Add a large can of diced tomatoes to the onions along with some other veggies of your choice. Good options include zucchini, carrots, celery, leeks, peas.
Get your pasta cooking.
Add chicken to your veggies.
If your sauce is too thick, add a bit of pasta water.
Mix the cooked pasta into the veggie and chicken sauce.

Meal 3: Big Salad
This is self-explanatory, so I will just give you a list of some of my favorite salad ingredients. Just try to really load it up with veggies to make sure it satisfies.
Greens: spinach and arugula
Veggies: peppers, carrots, celery, cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, snow peas
Toppers: cashews, beans, avocado, corn, sesame seeds, cheese
Don't forget the chicken!

Meal 4: Grain Bowl
We love eating grain bowls on a quick and easy dinner night. We all enjoy it--even our 15 month old!
Two parts water and one part grains need to be cooked in a pot. We just had a quinoa and barley mixture. It will take about ten minutes to cook.
While your grains cook, dice vegetable of your choice.
Veggie combinations: butternut squash, carrots and snow peas
                                   onions, peppers, and corn
                                   broccoli, peppers, and onions
During the last three minutes of cooking, add your veggies and chicken to the grains.
Right before serving, I often stir shredded cheese into the pot.

What are some of your favorite chicken dinners in a hurry?