Click here PIN this refreshing Summer Melon Protein Parfait!

From what I can tell, it’s pretty hot all over the country right now, right? I know here in Florida we are in the upper 90s with heat indexes in the 100s every day. If I’m not near a body of water of some sort then I’m in air conditioning. I believe they call this time of year the “dog days of summer” (<– nerd alert – interesting info!).

Lately it seems like a) everyone I talk to feels like it’s too hot to cook, myself included and b) I am absolutely obsessed with cold melon (of all kinds). Watermelon for dinner? Sounds good to me!

(more…)

The post Summer Melon Protein Parfait appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Raise your hand if you love a good stir fry. (My hand is raised high – and so are my family’s hands too.)

Stir fries are a busy weeknight’s lifesaver. They are simple, healthy and quick. A no brainer really if you think about it. All it takes is a little prep (those precut bags of veggies at the grocery store come in real handy if you are really short on time) and a good wok.

Here are a few more healthy dinner ideas for you.

I’ve been lacking in the good wok department for quite some time. I have not had much luck with woks over the years for some reason. They have always seemed to get warped and become lopsided on my cooktop and the inside of the wok gets a little sad looking after some time.

Swiss Diamond recently sent me their 14″ Nonstick Wok to test out and I am so impressed. The quality is amazing. It’s a huge wok (and comes with a glass lid) so you can easily make stir fries packed with veggies your whole family will love – like this Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry I made this week. Their nonstick coating is made with real diamond crystals (pretty cool, huh) and they are made of heavy-duty cast aluminum with a flat bottom so no warping, tipping or spinning will be happening.

I’m excited to offer the same wok to one lucky reader too – see the below the recipe to enter the giveaway!

(more…)

The post Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Can we talk about all the goodness happening in these little bites? Yep, I recently discovered the amazingness of quinoa bites and I have to warn you…I’ve become a bit obsessed.

These Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites here today are a little extra special though. Not only are they insanely delicious, but they were made with double the love…for my friend Bev of Bev Cooks who is (very soon) expecting twins! To say that I’m happy and excited for Bev would be an understatement and I wish I could personally deliver her a plate of these myself.

Today, a great big handful of blogger friends are coming together to celebrate Bev and her soon-to-be bundles of joy with a Virtual Baby Shower. If you follow Bev then you already know she’s incredibly hilarious and talented – her writing and humor honestly makes me laugh out loud all the time. Don’t even get me started on her food, let’s just say I want to eat at Bev’s house pretty much every day. Her babies honestly have no idea how lucky they are to have such a special mommy!

Bev and I haven’t had the chance to meet in real life yet (how the heck?) but knowing we are going to have little ones just a few months apart, I think it’s time we plan a play date…(with wine! what do you think Bev??).

So let me tell you a little more about these quinoa bites. I started seeing quinoa bites on Becky’s blog a few months back and I couldn’t stop thinking of them. I cooked up some of her Ham & Cheese Quinoa Bites a few weeks ago and polished them off all on my own in just a couple of days. They seriously make the perfect snack (er, lunch) and I’ve made them a couple times a couple of different ways since. These Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites were inspired by my favorite Greek dish Spanikopita and turned out fantastic. They would be a perfect (healthy) bite-sized addition to any get together, or just to have in your fridge for a quick bite. Enjoy!

Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites

Yield: 36 quinoa bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth or water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 big handfuls fresh spinach, chopped (about 1 cup cooked)
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 oz crumbled feta
• pinch salt and pepper
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook quinoa (using water or chicken broth) according to directions. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion until softened. Add spinach in batches until completely wilted down.
4. In a large bowl combine quinoa, spinach, garlic powder, oregano, feta, salt and pepper. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust before adding egg. Add egg to quinoa mixture and incorporate.
5. Spray mini muffin tin with nonstick spray. Spoon quinoa mixture into tin using a tablespoon, gently patting down.
6. Bake in 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes. Season lightly with a sprinkle of coarse salt while cooling.Let cool for 5 minutes then remove from tin using a butter knife.
7. Makes about 36 quinoa bites.

Bite sized and good for you! These quinoa bites are perfect for sharing or having in your fridge for healthy snacking! Recipe inspired and adapted from So Very Blessed

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Quinoa Love on Pinterest.

Congrats Bev!! I’m truly so happy and excited for you, I can not wait to meet your little ones!! xoxo

Please take some time to check out all these amazing recipes Bev’s friends created for her virtual baby shower (a big thanks to Julie and Lisa for organizing this!):

Appetizers
Bacon Cotija Guacamole from Gaby Dalkin
Gruyère Gougères from Shaina Olmanson
Lemon Risotto Tarts from Kelly Salemi
Goat Cheese Crostini with Pesto and Roasted Red Peppers from Liz Della Croce
Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites from Aggie Goodman
Roasted Red Grape, Brie and Rosemary Flatbread from Laurie McNamara
The Fastest Appetizer Ever from Brooke McLay
Apple Pear Tart – Two Ways from Sarah Glyer

Drinks
Chocolate Chai Frappe from Brandy O’Neill
Cherry Chocolate Kiss Smoothie from Amy Flanigan
Cranberry Sorbet Bellini – Non-Alcoholic and Alcoholic from Megan Keno
Peppermint Mocha Affogato from Christina Lane
toasted marshmallow cream hot chocolate from Jessica Merchant
Pomegranate Lemonade Punch from Heather Christo

Salads
Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Orange and Pine Nuts from Rachel Gurk
Pear Cranberry Arugula Salad from Tracy Benjamin
Brussels Sprout Salad + maple roasted cranberry dressing from Katie Unger
Gluten-Free Pasta Salad from Lisa Thiele
Hearty Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad with Honey Ginger Dressing from Heather Disarro
Winter Citrus Salad from Catherine McCord

Entrees
Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Chicken Sausage Pasta from Heidi Larsen
Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna from Joanne Ozug
cheesy chicken enchilada ‘double’ stacks from Lauren Grier
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup from Kevin Lynch
Thai Spiced Chicken with Coconut Cream Swiss Chard from Brandi Evans
Sausage and Red Pepper Quiche from Tasty Kitchen
Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Goat Cheese from Julie Deily

Desserts
Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies from Averie Sunshine
Glazed Dulce de Leche Pound Cake from Meagan Micozzi
Mississippi Mud Pie Brownie Ice Cream from Megan DeKok
Buttermint Frosted Sugar Cookie Cups from Shelly Jaronsky
4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies from Ali Ebright
Sweet Potato Creme Brulee from Brian Samuels
Whole Wheat Double Chocolate Mint Cookies from Aimée Wimbush-Bourque
Mini Chocolate Stout Cheesecake with Salted Beer Caramel Sauce from Jackie Dodd
Red Velvet Hi Hat Cookies from Kristan Roland
Double Chocolate Panini from Kathy Strahs

The post Spinach and Feta Quinoa Bites appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Do you like salmon? We like salmon at our house. It’s not something I crave, or even really buy frequently, but when I do make it I always wonder why I don’t make it more often. It’s a healthy fish, full of those Omega 3 fatty acids that we all need in order to keep our heart, skin and brain healthy.

So, since you know it’s so good for you, try out this light and easy grilled salmon dinner recipe…serve with brown rice and stir fry vegetables with a squeeze of lime.

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Key West Grilled Salmon

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Fish
• Method: Grill

Print

Pin

Grilled salmon is a quick, flavorful, healthy dinner. This Key West grilled salmon recipe uses citrus and spices to amp up the flavor! 

---

Ingredients

1/3 cup lime juice (2 limes)
2 TB olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/8 tsp black pepper
Few drops hot pepper sauce
4 salmon steaks (1 1/2 lbs total)
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 TB water
2 tsp honey (recipe calls for 1/4 tsp but I didn’t think that was enough)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Combine lime juice, oil, salt, celery seeds, black pepper and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl. Place salmon in a shallow dish. Pour 1/4 cup lime juice mixture over fish; turn to coat. Refrigerate 10 minutes, turning once. Reserve remaining mixture for sauce.
2. Prepare grill or broiler.
3. Stir green onion, water, and honey into reserved lime juice mixture. Grease grill rack or rack of a shallow roasting pan. Place salmon on rack. Drizzle with half of lime juice mixture from marinade dish. Grill on covered grill for 2 minutes per side or until cooked through, or broil 4 minutes per side. Serve grilled salmon with green onion sauce. (I broiled my salmon and never flipped, just let it cook through, skin side down.)

---

Notes

Recipe from Family Circle All Time Favorite Recipes

Now speaking of fish…there is a new little fish in the family. My 19 month old daughter is finishing up her swim lessons this week. She has been taking lessons in the Safe Start program at our YMCA for the last 6 weeks, 5 days a week for 10 minutes a day. It is a Survival Swimming program where they teach the babies how to float and swim to the wall. During their last week, they “test” the babies in their summer clothing and winter clothing to make sure that if, God forbid, they were to fall into the pool, they would still have the skill to float and swim to the wall.

Well, today was summer clothes for us and she did great! I can’t believe she is actually smiling…the water was pretty chilly today!

The post Key West Grilled Salmon appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.