Tuna Apple Pasta Salad

It’s been one of those weeks where I haven’t gone food shopping and have limited ingredients on hand, so a pantry staple meal was a bit of a must. This tuna apple pasta salad is my absolute go-to. It’s the perfect lunch, dinner, or side and has been a favorite of mine for years! It’s made with five simple ingredients, three of which are pantry staples. The flavor combo may sound a bit weird, I know, but, trust me, it’s amazing!

Making this tuna apple pasta salad is always a bit of a comfort for me. I feel like pasta dishes are always a bit comforting, and this one specifically reminds me of my mom. She first made this for me when I was in high school after adapting it herself from some recipe she found. Since then, I’ve been making it for myself (and friends) on repeat with a few tweaks over the years. It’s super simple, and you can make a nice batch to last you for the week (although it will probably be gone in a day or two in my experience).

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 8 oz cooked pasta of choice (I like to use chickpea pasta to make it GF)

• 2 cans tuna, drained

• 4 celery stalks, sliced

• 1-2 granny smith apples (depending on size), cubed

• 1/2 cup avocado oil mayo (or mayo of choice)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix together the cooked pasta, tuna, celery, apple, mayo, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. That’s it! Enjoy!

Whether you’re enjoying this for lunch or making it as a side for a party, it’s sure to be a hit. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away! When it comes to Thanksgiving, it’s all about the sides. You’ve gotta have a great stuffing, potatoes of course, and I always love a delicious veggie side dish. One of my favorite go-tos is this super simple and flavor-packed roasted brussels dish with crispy bacon, pumpkin seeds, and a balsamic drizzle to bring it all together. It’s a super tasty way to get in those veggies that the entire family will love!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 large bundle of brussels sprouts, de-stemmed and sliced

• 4 pieces bacon

• 1/4 red onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1-2 tbsp avocado oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Toss the brussels sprouts in avocado oil, sea salt, and pepper and roast in a preheated 425 degree oven for for 20-25 minutes until browned and crispy.

2. In the meantime, cook up the bacon on the stove top until crispy.

3. Remove the bacon and chop it into small pieces. Remove excess bacon grease from the pan, leaving about 1 tbsp.

4. Cook up chopped red onion and pumpkin seeds for 3-5 minutes in the pan on the stovetop.

5. Once cooked, mix the Brussels sprouts, red onion, pumpkin seeds, and bacon.

6. Serve and top with a drizzle of balsamic. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Good Clean Summer Love Pasta Salad with Love Beets and Organic Girl

I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE me some beets and organic greens! So when Love Beets and Organic Girl let me in on their #GoodCleanSummerLove campaign, I was SO excited to play around!

Before we get into the recipe deets, let me tell you guys about this amazing contest. One lucky winner is going to win an entire year's supply of Love Beets and Organic Girl (insert heart eyes and hand raising emoji here)! I'll put the full details on how to enter at the bottom of this post, so make sure you check it out!

So back to the eats. Beets and greens scream summer to me (hence the campaign I'm guessing), and of course they both go great in a salad. But I decided I wanted to kick it up a level. What else screams summer? Grilling, corn, and pasta salads. So why not bring them all together? Trust me you want to bring them all together...

Here's What You'll Need:

-1 lb pasta, cooked (I used sprouted penne, but lentil or whole grain pastas are also great)
-2 cups Organic Girl pepper greens
-4 Love Beets organic cooked beets, chopped
-1/4 cup Organic Girl pomegranate balsamic dressing
-3/4 cup feta
-2 ears of corn
-1 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 cup pine nuts
-Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Preheat your grill to medium high heat.
2) Remove the silk from the corn and pull down the husks. Coat the corn in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Replace the husks back up around the corn.
3) Grill the corn for about 20 minutes, rotating 1/4 of the way every 5 minutes.
4) Once cooked, shave the kernels off the cob using a knife.
5) Toast the pine nuts on the stove top until just golden brown (about 3-5 minutes).
6) In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, beets, pepper greens, corn, pine nuts, and feta.
7) Add in the dressing (and salt and pepper to taste) and mix completely until evenly distributed.
8) Serve and enjoy!

This pasta salad is literally like summer in side dish form. It's perfect for a picnic, bbq, or even as a meal through out the week. Let me know what you think in the comments, and make sure to check on the contest rules below.
 

Mixed Potato and Veggie Hash with 4th & Heart California Garlic Ghee

I was about to call this recipe "The Best Damn Breakfast Potatoes You've Ever Had", but I decided to hold off and let you decide that one for yourself. But SPOILER ALERT, they might just be the best damn breakfast potatoes you've ever had. Potatoes in all shapes and sizes are something I love, probably a little too much. From sweets to reds, mashed potatoes to home fries, I just really like potatoes. I don't necessarily eat them all that often, but they definitely hold a special place in my heart especially when it comes to brunch. 

So when I decided to take on breakfast potatoes, I knew I had to do it right. I wanted them packed with flavor, so I knew using 4th & Heart's California garlic ghee was the only way to go. Just heating up the pan with this stuff makes your mouth water! Add in both sweets AND russets plus some other flavor packed ingredients, and I knew I had the side that can't be beat for your next brunch!

Here's What You'll Need:

-1 medium sweet potato, cut into about 1/2" cubes
-1 small russet potato, cut into about 1/2" cubes
-1 cup baby arugula
-2 cloves garlic, sliced
-1 medium tomato, cut into about 1/2" cubes
-2 tbsp 4th & Heart California garlic ghee, separated
-1/4 tsp Himalayan pink sea salt
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp chili powder (optional)
-1 tbsp shredded organic parmesan (optional)

Serves 4-6 

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees on convection.
2) Heat up 1 tbsp of the ghee in a cast iron skillet on the stove top over medium high heat.
3) Once the ghee is melted and the pan is hot, add in the sweet and russet potato cubes, sea salt, pepper, and chili powder (if you're using it). Cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring every so often until the potatoes soften.
3) Mix in the 2nd tbsp of ghee for about a minute until it is completely melted.
4) Mix in the arugula, sliced garlic, and tomato cubes so that everything is evenly dispersed.
5) Toss the skillet into the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the tops of the potatoes begin to brown a bit. Sprinkle the parmesan over the entire skillet about 2 minutes before removing it from the oven (so at about 8-10 minutes depending on cook time). 
6) Let cool for about 5 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

I served mine alongside an egg and some sauteed veggies, but feel free to brunch as you please! The combination of the garlic ghee with both the sweet and russet potatoes is just perfect. Plus that added taste of the roasted tomato and fresh garlic just takes these potatoes to the next level. I'm dying to hear what you think in the comments below, so definitely let me know once you give them a try!

 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

If you read my last entry (for vegan cauliflower fried rice), you'd know by now that I am a sucker for carbs. I love potatoes, rice, pasta, you name it. My greatest weakness of all of these is probably French fries.

They are a vehicle for delicious sauces and they are pretty darn delicious on their own. An embarrassing story (that my sister loves to tell) is that I used to eat plates of French fries as a meal when I was in elementary school. I always look at my mom with the 'what were you thinking' look as she tells the story. But really, she's the greatest mom around and wanted to do whatever made me happy, which unfortunately, was eating plates of French fries.

So yeah, French fries, I can't get enough. I've recently started making the switch over to sweet potato fries when I go to out eat (if they're an option). Honestly, not much healthier. However, that's why I'm bringing you this post today. I wanted to turn one of my favorite foods into an easy, healthy version to make at home and enjoy guilt-free.

Here's what you'll need:

-1 giant sweet potato - if you look at that picture up there, my sweet potato was literally the length of my cutting board (or 2 medium sized sweet potatoes)
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt
-1/2 tsp chili powder (if you do not like spicy, skip the chili power or use 1/4 tsp because they will have a kick)

Instructions:

1) Preheat your over to 400 degrees F.
2) Cut your sweet potato into fry-like strips. I prefer thinner fries, so mine were probably about 1/4"x1/4"x3".
3) Throw the potato pieces in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container. Add the olive oil, pepper, salt, and chili powder. Close the container or bag tightly and mix it all around.
4) Lay the fries on a baking sheet so that they are one layer and aren't on top of each other.
5) Put the baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes.
6) Take the fries out, flip them, and place them back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until they reach your level of desired crispiness.
7) Remove the fries from the oven. I find that they're a little bit better/crisp if you let them sit for couple of minutes.
8) Serve and enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below, and feel free to sign up for e-mail updates on new recipes.