I don't know about you, but deciding what to cook can quickly become the bane of my existence that day. (Okay, I'm being a bit dramatic) But thinking about what to cook can be exhausting! I think style includes eating healthy and being good to your body. And God knows we're not fitting into those skinny jeans if we don't!! Gone are the days when I could be sustained by chocolate cake for a week.



1. Pick off the spinach leaves, chop them up, and put them in a blender. 2. Chop up the onions and tomatoes, set aside. 3.

Cooking with things you already have in the fridge - with no real 'recipe' to go by AND making it taste good - has always been the mark of a good cook to me. Unfortunately, I don't feel like I'm much of a natural at it, but I'm working on it! I thought I'd start slow and simple, and although this recipe is much more carby and cheesy than I usually opt for, it's still OK once in a while.

New resolution: go with what's already in the fridge!

In olive oil, sautee the chopped garlic. Add the spinach and arugula, then tomatoes, then the green beans. Finally, add in the cooked tortellini. I topped off the dish with a little basil, salt and pepper and parmesan and feta cheese. And voila! You're done and dinner is served :)

I have been rather obsessed lately with finding healthy, clean eating options and creating a balanced diet for my family and me. In my search for tasty recipes and becoming more nutritionally informed, I find myself so grateful for all the amazing blogs out there creating new and interesting things in the kitchen in the name of health and clean eating!

Coming up with new, healthy options for our meals is always a challenge for me. I've been hitting up our local Trader Joe's more recently and love the great fresh produce they have on hand. (And anytime I can steer away from their to-die-for Chocolate Patisserie, is indeed a good day.)

For a light dinner last night, I made these quick and easy turkey pitas. Made with whole wheat pocket pitas, roasted turkey breast, tabbouli, sliced sweet onions, feta with mediterranean herbs, and tzatziki sauce, it was a quick meal with a good mix of whole grains, lean protein and veggies.
 

All ingredients from Trader Joe's

Hubby and I were craving soup the other day, so I decided to whip this one up. (It's a lot easier than other soups.) It's also one of my faves! The recipe is from my go-to cookbook called The World Kitchen by Williams Sonoma. There are a lot of great international recipes in this little gem! And they're super easy to follow, so if you're an experienced cook or just a beginner, it's perfect for anyone looking to try something new.


Anyway I've been meaning to post more cooking pieces, but every time I get started on a dish I become so overwhelmed by the cooking (I have to follow every recipe step-by-step) that I can't seem to balance a camera at the same time. Just imagine someone absorbed in taking pics not noticing that the onions are on fire. (That almost happened this time, by the way.)

But back to cooking. This dish takes us back to India's colonial history. Originally introduced by the British, it's a slightly different take on a traditional North Indian lentil dish known as daal. The trick here is a generous helping of chicken broth and green chilies.


Now there are a lot of different types of green chilies out there - jalapeno, habanero, serrano, Thai... generally it's safe to say the smaller the chilli, the spicier. So go with whichever one you feel comfortable! We're working with Thai chilies here, but that's because we like our food really hot. 

What you're gonna need:

• One yellow onion, chopped
• 2-4 Green chilies, chopped (depending how hot you want it)
• 3 Carrots, chopped
• 2-3 small yellow potatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth 
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric
• 1/2 tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 tbsp red chili powder
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup red and yellow lentils 
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• cilantro for garnish 

Step 1. Chop up the onions, garlic, and green chilies. Fry for about 1 minute. Then add all the spices. Fry for another minute.

Step 2. Add the chicken broth and the pre-soaked lentils. Cook for about 25 minutes.

Step 3. Chop up the carrots and potatoes and add them to the stew. Cook until tender, about another 25 minutes.

Step 4. Add lemon juice and chopped cilantro for garnish.


And voila! You're done!

I've never put up any recipes on the blog before, but I've been trying new healthy ones and thought I'd share them with you all! After all, eating healthy is an important part of style - how else can we fit into our skinny jeans?! Just kidding :) But I have been looking for more vegetarian and vegan options as I try to cut out meat and dairy from my diet - so here is a super-easy recipe for kale I tried recently. Let me know how it turns out in the comments!



Sauteed Kale Recipe  

You will need:
* 1 bunch kale
* 1 yellow onion
* 2 cloves garlic
* 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
* sea salt
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Chop up the kale and throw away the stems.
2. Slice the onions into thin rings and mince the garlic. Set aside.
3. Pour the olive oil into the pan; let it heat up. Now toss the minced garlic and mustard seeds into the pan. Let the garlic turn dark yellow.
4. At this time, pour the sliced onion into the pan. Let the onions turn yellow.
5. Now toss the kale into the pan, adding the lemon juice for the kale to absorb and turn soft.
6. Stop cooking the kale when there are still some crunchy pieces left. Add sea salt to taste.