Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Avocado

I'm on a quinoa kick. And I'm always looking for new things to do with avocados, so why not combine the two! This one was inspired by a recipe a friend shared on Facebook. You can find it here: http://theleancleaneatingmachine.com/2014/01/17/quinoa-stuffed-avocados/

The original was more of a Mexican-flavored meal so I decided to change it up and bring on some completely different flavors. The only way to go, of course, was Mediterranean style!

Warm Chick Pea, Pea Pod, and Tomato Salad

When you have pork in the Crock Pot that's ready to be shredded for tacos, the only logical thing to do is come up with a great side dish that is different than your standard, plain beans. Not that there's anything wrong with beans (I love black beans just hanging out by themselves), but I wanted something new.

Naked Jalapeño Poppers

My husband and I are big fans of jalapeño poppers. It's been quite awhile since we had them though because the fried goodness just isn't good for you. Tasty? Oh yeah. But to eat a lot of them is just soooo not gonna happen around here.

Pureed Cauliflower Soup

We're totally on a cauliflower kick over here. My son absolutely loves it so I've been trying out some different things. I did the (suddenly so popular) cauliflower pizza crust but I need work on it some more. I think it could be much better so more on that later.

I've also done it steamed with carrots and then seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper. It's really good, but kind of boring. But, hey, if my kid will eat it then I love it.

Mediterranean Baked Cod

This one. This one is probably one of my favorites. And my son's favorites. You just have to love when your six year old's new favorite dinner is fish, right?

(Did I mention he's six now? When did this happen? He was just a tiny baby, wasn't he? Well, my little man just had a birthday and at least I can say that I'm handling this one better than I handled it when he turned five. Not sure why since six means he's officially a kid and not my baby anymore. How can he not be my baby anymore? How will I get through this?! Well, after I commented that he was getting so big, he proceeded to reassure me that no matter how old we both get, he'll be my baby forever. He knows just what to say to get to this momma's heart...)

Okay, mini meltdown over. Now I can get back to the recipe...

Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad

You may have thought that quinoa was just a trend, but it's here to stay. It's delicious, it's versatile, and it's really good for you.

It can get boring eating it plain though, so I like to add fun things to mine. This one is so great because it's not your traditional hot side dish. Because of the mild flavor additions, it's best served at room temperature. This allows all the flavors to meld together nicely and softly pronounce each one.

It goes with pretty much anything, but it's so good and filling that I could just make this a meal!

Baked Zucchini Crisps

Do you still have some zucchini laying around? The season is pretty much over and it's also around the time when I start to get tired of the squash. I love it, but after a summer full of it, it's nice to move on to some winter veggies.