Roasted Veggie Rice Bowls + Avocado Dressing

Matt and I have been trying to be more conscious about what we eat and in turn eat less meat.  This is easy for me because I love a vegetarian meal.  I have been really proud of Matt though because he has stuck with it and he says he feels better from what he is eating.  

This dish came about as a way to clean out my fridge.  Sometimes I over do it at the Farmers Market- real shocker.  All the produce always looks so gorgeous and I end up buying more than we need for the week.  I pulled all our week old veggies out and roasted them last night.  Then I had the idea to make sort of a rice veggie bowl, that of course needed dressing.  As you know I prefer not to use store bought dressing.  Homemade just tastes so much better.  This avocado green goddess dressing is delicious.  It pairs perfectly with the roasted veggies and rice.  This is a meat free dinner that is full of so much flavor.  Feel free to use any combo of veggies or even use quinoa or brown rice instead of white rice.

Enjoy!

I also wanted to mention two kitchen items I love and use every time I roast veggies.  Silpat mats + gold baking sheets.  The silpat mats are silicone mats you put on your baking sheet before you bake.  I am obsessed with mine.  They make it so your pan doesn't get ruined from spills and clean up is easier.  I have the small and large size and use them practically everyday.  You can wash them by hand and they are also dishwasher safe.  As far as baking sheets I swear by the Williams Sonoma Gold baking sheets.  

|| R O A S T E D  V E G G I E  R I C E  B O W L S   +  A V O C A D O   D R E S S I N G ||

- 1 head of broccoli chopped

- 3 squash sliced

- 1 pint cherry tomatoes

- 1/2 head purple cabbage

- 1 can cannellini beans or really any type of bean

- 1 cup cooked rice

GREEN GODDESS AVOCADO DRESSING

Via 

-  1 ripe avocado

- 1 teaspoon dried basil

- 1 teaspoon dried parsley

- juice of one lemon

- 1 garlic clove minced

- 1/3 cup olive oil

- 2/3 cup water

- salt and pepper

Puree all in blender or food processor.

Toss veggies with olive and salt and pepper.  Roast at 375 degrees about 30 minutes or until cooked.

Assemble veggies and rice in a bowl and serve with dressing,

What I Feed My Kids.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is do your kids eat what you eat? and what do you feed your kids?   Both of my kids are hit or miss eaters.  Sometimes they eat great and shock me and sometimes they are super picky.

As much as I would like us to all sit down to dinner together as a family every night it just isn't possible with Matt's work schedule.  I feed Frances around 5:30 so she always eats before we do.  I would say about 2-3 nights a week Sterling eats with Matt and I but most of the time he is ready to eat at 5:30 when Frances does. 

The past two weeks I tried to photograph their food.  Weekends we order pizza or eat out so these are mainly week night meals.  Lately Sterling wants to eat on a divided plate too since Frances does so I just feed him the same thing.  Frances is all about using a spoon these days which is great because I feel like she is trying more foods, like quinoa that she can scoop up.  I am not telling you my kids cleaned their plates but this what I served them:)  If it was a recipe of mine I linked to it.

String cheese | strawberries | quinoa | roasted cabbage | hummus and pita 

shredded carrots | Peas | cheese | cantaloupe | yogurt

cheese | raspberries | navy beans  |roasted broccoli | salmon cakes

roasted shrimp | Asian slaw |  greek yogurt | blueberries | avocado

watermelon | quinoa | chicken meatballs | cheese | avocado

taco chicken | avocado| roasted white beans | cheese | apples

rotisserie chicken| mandarin oranges | edamame | avocado | boiled egg

I try not to feed my kids too much frozen food but sometimes you have to.  I really like the Kidfresh brand.  My kids like their fish sticks, chicken nuggets, and chicken meatballs.  They also do mac and cheese but neither of my kids love mac and cheese which blows my mind.

Other frozen foods we like are the puff pastry dogs from Trader Joes, Morning Star veggie burgers, and Dr Praeger Spinach nuggets.

The divided plates above are from skip hop and they are our favorites.

Skip Hop Plate Set

If you have any meals your kids love, I would love the recommendations!

Asian Chopped Salad with Roasted Shrimp

I love a chopped salad.  I frequently dream about new combinations for chopped salads.  Something about everything being chopped so finely so that you get a bite of each ingredient makes chopped salads a winner.  This salad is a hodge podge of recipes I found online trying to recreate my favorite salad at Leon's Oyster Shop, the Siam Salad.  If you ever eat at Leon's try the Siam Salad it is incredible.  

This salad is a bit different but has several of the same components like crunchy cabbage and lots of fresh herbs.  It is not heavy at all and the perfect light Summer Salad.  This is a great make ahead meal.  The chopped salad gets better the longer it sits.  I actually made the salad and roasted the shrimp earlier in the day since we had soccer practice.  It was easy to come home and it all was ready. We enjoyed it slightly chilled but you could reheat your shrimp if you prefer.

 I usually saute our shrimp but for this recipe I roasted them and they turned out great.  You could also serve this with shredded chicken if you prefer.  I added in the Ramen for a bit of crunch but the Ramen does get soggy (still good) the longer the salad sits, so you could omit the Ramen if you want.  The flavors in this are so fresh and vibrant and both kids loved it which is always an added bonus.

Enjoy!

|| A S I A N  C H O P P E D  S A L A D   W I T H    S H R I M P  ||

adapted via Cooking Classy and Camile Styles

Ingredients 

• 3 cups shredded green cabbage( I used one bag of the shredded cabbage)
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup sliced carrots (I used the kind in the bag in match stick slices)
• 4 green onions, sliced (about 1/2 cup) 
• 2 3oz ramen packages
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup fresh mint sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro sliced
• 1/4 cup basil sliced
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• juice of one lime

Dressing
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce 
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dried ginger
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss Shrimp with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Place on baking sheet and cook about 15 minutes or until not translucent.
• After the shrimp is cooked remove from oven.  Crumble ramen into small pieces and place on baking sheet along with almonds, spread into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven until golden, tossing once halfway through baking, about 6 - 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• In a mixing bowl whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well blended while seasoning with salt to taste, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl add green cabbage, purple cabbage, carrots, green onions, mint, basil, and cilantro. Drizzle lime juice over the lettuce mix and stir.  Add in ramen and almonds and pour dressing over the entire bowl.  Toss and serve!

Toddler Food Ideas

One of the requests I received back when I was uninspired was to do a post on what I feed Frances and Sterling.  Feeding kids can easy and it can also be a nightmare.  I think the key is keep switching things up and introduce new things.  Now that Sterling is older he eats what we eat for dinner.   He is not given a choice.   I do not cook him a separate dinner unless Matt and I will be eating really late.  I try to make him eat what we eat.  Now don't get me wrong many nights he goes to bed hungry but he has to at least try everything and if he eats well he is allowed a piece of dessert- sort of a bribe to get him to eat more but it works.  By making him take at least one bite of what we are having it has helped teach him that some things that look gross and he said he wouldn't eat he actually likes.  For example this week I made butternut squash soup and roasted cabbage,  he immediately looked at his plate and said I am not eating that- gross!  Then when I made him try it and he actually liked both and almost cleaned his plate. I call that winning in the Mom Department:)

Frances Moon is obviously a different story.  She is full on into finger foods now.  I still use pouches for on the go but other wise it is food she can feed herself.   Breakfast is usually a Kashi Waffle or Oatmeal and Fruit.  Lunches are often on the go and are a squeezable pouch but dinners are always at home.  I tried to take pictures of Frances Moon's dinners  to give you some ideas of what she eats.  There are so many options and I would welcome ideas too, but these are just a few baby/toddler meal ideas.

String Cheese | Strawberries | Peas (canned)

 Avocado | Beets | String Cheese | Shredded Chicken

Sweet Potatoes | Blueberries | Morning Star Chicken Nuggets

Morning star Veggie Patty | Cauliflower | Strawberries and Blueberries

Carrots | Mandarin Oranges | Snappea Peas

Roasted Cabbage | Cracker Barrel Cheese | Bananas

For those curious the plates above are the Dr. Browns Plates and the last plate is by 5x7 Designs.  I like the Dr. Brown plates because they are small and divided.  I also like the 5x7 plates because they are open and the designs are so cute- Sterling has one too! They make adorable gifts as well.

One tip to make things easier is to prep on Sunday or Monday.  I often roast a few sweet potatoes, butternut squash etc to have in containers for the week.  Then it is easy to pull out and feed Frances, no extra cooking or work required. 

A few ideas of food to buy and keep in your fridge or freezer, I usually keep these items stocked at our house.

- Morning Star Veggie Patties

- Morning Star Chicken Nuggets

- Kashi Waffles

-  String Cheese or mini Babel both are softer cheeses

- Yogurt

- Snappea Peas

- Cheerios

- Ritz Crackers

- Fig Newtons

- Libby's diced veggies (these come in plastic containers like mandarin oranges and are great for kids.  They have carrots, peas, and green bean options)

- Mandarin Oranges

- Nutrigrain Bars

- Avocado

- Fresh Fruit- I always buy bananas, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  They are softer fruits and easy for Frances to eat.

- Giggle Bites Food - This line by my friend Melissa is awesome.  This is all I fed Frances in the beginning and we still use it often.  She also offers Toddler Sneak-Ums which are genius to mix in with whatever else you are cooking!

and because many times Frances Moon is over the food I serve her.  Feeding any age child is never easy.  This Ecard suns it up as does her face.

The Spiralizer + Recipes and Other Kitchen Gadgets I Love

You might remember a few months ago I posted about trying to decide between the hand held spiralizer and the Paderno.  Well I decided to pay a little more and go with the Paderno and I could not be happier.  This little gadget has changed my life, trust me you need one.  The possibilities are endless and I swear when you are eating the veggie noodles it feels like you are eating real pasta. 

The main complaint people had with the Paderno was storing it and cleaning it.  Cleaning it is a breeze to me and you can even put the parts in the dishwasher.  It is a bit big, I keep mine in a basket in my kitchen with the blades in a locked drawer (my kids will get their hands on anything not put up)! 

I have the three blade version, but apparently they have a 4 blade version as well and it is only $10 more.  Use code SHIP4FREE to get free shipping on orders over $49.

Paderno Spiralizer

I wanted to share two really simple recipes I made recently. One is using raw veggies and one is slightly cooked.  The possibilities are endless.

Z u c c h i n i   S a l a d 

 

Cut 2 Zucchinis using the 3mm blade.  Whisk together olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, champagne vinegar and salt and pepper.  Toss noodles with this dressing and add crumbled feta and fresh cherry tomatoes.

S w e e t   P o t a t o   S a l a d 

This recipe is thanks to one of my instagram followers.  Cut 1-2 sweet potatoes using the 3mm blade.  Heat olive oil in a pan add in two cloves minced garlic and sweet potatoes.  Cook about 5-10 minutes depending how soft you want the potatoes. I cooked a bit longer to get them a little cripsy, so good!  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with parsley and fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.  If you want heat add a few red pepper flakes!

I can't wait to make this Slutty No Carb Pasta next.

If you want more recipes you must check out Inspiralized- her blog is only recipes using the Paderno Spiralizer.  It is amazing!!

I can't wait to make this recipe she just posted: Zucchini Spaghetti With Crispy Proscuitto and Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon Parmesan Sauce!

A few other Kitchen Gadgets I am loving lately:

\\ M a n d o l i n

I use my Mandolin often.  I use it to shred cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and other lettuces.  Also great for thinly sliced cucumber salad.

\\ G a r l i c   P r e s s 

I used to buy the jarred garlic and I never will again.  Fresh garlic is just so much more flavorful and delicious.  If you don't have a garlic press you need one, it makes mincing garlic a breeze.

\\ M i c r o p l a n e  G r a t e r 

I use this often for citrus zest or grated fresh ginger.

\\ S t a r  M i c r o p l a n e 

This is the perfect grater for Parmesan Cheese.  Regular graters make it too thick and this grates it finely.

\\ I p a d   S t a n d

I got this stand last year for Christmas and use it all the time.  I frequently use my IPad when cooking so this works great.  You can kind of see it in the first picture on this post.

and these I don't have them but I want them!! 

\\ S t a i n l e s s   S t e e l   C h o p s t i c k s

Grouper with Watermelon Salsa + Roasted Cabbage

Ya'll this meal was just awesome.  We had it Tuesday night for dinner and we all loved it.  Even Sterling loved the cabbage and usually he is picky about veggies.   I was inspired because in my CSA basket this week it had a head of cabbage and a watermelon and I wanted to branch out from how I normally eat the two.

 I have been hooked on going to our local fish shop to get fish and this week they said the Grouper was the freshest so I used that but any fish could work with this recipe.  We make this salsa often with pineapple but never watermelon.  The watermelon was great in the salsa and paired really well with the fish.  We served the fish with roasted cabbage and man was it good. I don't know why I have never roasted cabbage before but I am hooked now!!  It had great flavor and was a touch crispy it was excellent!  

Enjoy!

|| G R O U P E R + W A T E R M E L O N   S A L S A ||

- 1 - 1.5 pounds of Grouper or any other white fish

- olive oil

- 1/2 small watermelon diced finely (seeds removed)

- 2 jalapenos diced (seeds removed)

- 1/2 red onion diced

- 1 avocado diced

- juice of one lime

Place the grouper on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes depending on size of the fish.  It is ready once you can flake the fish with a fork.

Mix together watermelon, jalapeno, red onion, avocado, lime juice, and salt.  Lightly toss together and let sit while fish cooks.  Spread over fish and enjoy.

|| R O A S T E D  C A B B A G E ||

- 1 head cabbage

- olive oil

- salt and pepper

Slice cabbage into rounds.  Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 400 degrees 40 minutes.