I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time containing myself from buying too much every time I’m at my farmer’s market or favorite local produce shop.

How could you resist not going home with one of everything here??

Greens of every kind (I came home with swiss chard, fresh spinach and dandelion greens on this trip), local tomatoes (ours typically come from Ruskin, FL and you can literally smell the freshness as you walk up to the boxes of tomatoes), and a variety of beautiful eggplants, peppers and squashes you don’t typically see on your regular trip to the grocery store. Produce heaven!! I love it. Absolutely love it.

I pretty much always come home with a big bag of tomatoes. That’s a given.

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One of the keys to keeping my weight under control is to have grab and go options ready for me in my fridge. Right now, my family’s schedule is jam packed and I’m finding myself constantly in need of something quick, filling and healthy to grab for lunch or a snack. Quinoa salads (or grain salads in general) have always been a great option for me and this Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad has particularly been one of my favorites for years. You can pretty much always feel good about eating a protein rich salad like this when you are hungry and don’t want to sabotage all of your efforts at the gym (if you know what I mean!).

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We are a brown rice family. I make it pretty much every week because it is one side dish I know everyone loves and will eat. I try to make a big batch of it ahead of time for meal prep to make it easier to make recipes like this 5 Ingredient Vegetable Fried Brown Rice or to include in these Turkey and Black Bean Burritos. It is my go-to base for when I make stir fry so having it made ahead and ready to go definitely helps on nights when all I have time for is to stir fry. 🙂

I found this recipe for Cilantro Lime Brown Rice on the side of the bag of brown rice I purchased from my grocery store, Publix. (I {heart} Publix so much.) Since I was making rice for burritos, I decided to give it a try because, well, cilantro and lime. Doesn’t cilantro and lime pretty much make everything better?

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The recipe for Asian Almond Slaw Salad was developed in partnership with Fisher Nuts.

Anyone have Spring Fever yet? I think it’s safe to say always have spring fever, for the most part. Our weather situation in Florida is nothing to complain about but I cherish the small pocket of time it feels like spring here, which is right about now. I spent most of this last weekend in the yard trimming landscaping and planning for flowers. Cleaning up my herb pots is next on the list. Nothing feels as good to me as a few hours of work in the sunshine (when it’s not sweltering hot).

This is the time of year that I am also ready to get back in the salad. I say that all the time but January is just not a big salad month for me, and I have to be honest, I’m missing raw, crunchy veggies in my life right now. I pulled together this Asian Almond Slaw Salad in honor of getting back in the salad and sharing a heart healthy recipe with you since February is American Heart Month. I think it’s safe to say you already know that fresh fruits and veggies are considered heart healthy foods, but did you know that nuts are too?

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Remember how I mentioned I got a second dinner out of the pork I cooked for Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Pork Tostadas that included brown rice and vegetables? Well, these Sautéed Cilantro Lime Vegetables are the veggies that landed onto that dinner plate.

This vegetable medley of zucchini, yellow squash and red onion is the perfect side dish for so many meals from simple oven baked black bean and cheese quesadillas to Mexican baked pasta (both go-to dinners in my house). One of my favorite ways to cook veggies is by sautéing them over medium high heat with a tiny bit of oil and finishing them off with a squeeze of lemon or lime and fresh herbs.

Super quick and easy – not to mention, healthy and delicious. This is how to get your family to eat their vegetables!

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Back in the day, when my husband and I first were married (almost 13 years ago), we lived in a very rural area of Central Florida. We had built a house there, because it was very affordable and near his parents, and lived there for about 3 years. It was just a little too rural for us and we found ourselves often driving the distance to where we live now to work and play. Although we were very happy to move when we did, we have some nice memories of life in our first house and the area it was in. Since we felt a bit isolated and were so far from our friends, we spent a lot of time finding ways to entertain ourselves – which of course included eating out at restaurants nearby.

One of our regular places to grab dinner was a little Mexican place, and this is where I tried Roasted Tomatillo Salsa for the first time. I remember not really knowing what a tomatillo was at the time, or even knowing that I was even eating tomatillos. All I knew is that I had to have this salsa every time I ate at this restaurant, it was usually the first thing I requested after ordering our drinks. I loved it with chips, but I loved it on pretty much anything I was eating from tacos to rice and beans to salad. Obsessed.

Tomatillos are naturally tart when eaten raw, but roasting them really brings out their sweetness and such a great flavor. I have used them in verde sauce and served over these Cheese & Onion Enchiladas (so good!!) and roasted them to make in salsa like this one I’m sharing today. Although I cheated and used jarred salsa, I’ve added green tomatillo salsa to soups like this Summer Chicken Chili Verde as well as Skinnytaste’s Easiest Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken plenty of times. Delicious!!

What ingredients are in salsa verde?

• 1.5 lbs tomatillos, husk removed, cleaned and quartered
• 2 poblano peppers, cut into large pieces
• 1 jalapeno, cut into large pieces
• 2 onions, cut into large pieces
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• large bunch of cilantro
• 2 limes
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

How do I make salsa verde?

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place tomatillos, pobalnos, jalapenos and onions into a large bowl. Season with cumin, salt and olive oil and coat evenly using a spoon to mix.
3. Roast in oven for 15 minutes until soft.
4. Once cooled, place ingredients into a large food processor. Add cilantro, juice from 2 limes, a big pinch of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Process by pulsing 12-15 times or until you reach desired texture. Taste for salt and adjust. Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, grilled chicken or fish.

Making your own Roasted Tomatillo Salsa also knows as Salsa Verde is truly simple, and such a treat to serve as part of a salsa bar when you’re entertaining. I like to include it along with fresh tomato salsa, guacamole or a chunky dip like this Mango, Avocado and Black Bean Salsa when putting together a Mexican inspired spread to serve family and friends.

If you cook with tomatillos and make something other than salsa with them you’ll have to let me know! I would love to try them in different dishes.

Hope you are enjoying your summer!!

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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

• Author: Aggies Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 cups
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs tomatillos, husk removed, cleaned and quartered
• 2 poblano peppers, cut into large pieces
• 1 jalapeno, cut into large pieces
• 2 onions, cut into large pieces
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• large bunch of cilantro
• 2 limes
• coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place tomatillos, pobalnos, jalapenos and onions into a large bowl. Season with cumin, salt and olive oil and coat evenly using a spoon to mix.
3. Roast in oven for 15 minutes until soft.
4. Once cooled, place ingredients into a large food processor. Add cilantro, juice from 2 limes, a big pinch of coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Process by pulsing 12-15 times or until you reach desired texture. Taste for salt and adjust. Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, grilled chicken or fish.

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I always seem to be a week late and a dollar short when it comes to posting recipes for food holidays. In theory, Cinco de Mayo is probably my favorite holiday as far as food goes (though obviously it is not technically just a food holiday, you know what I mean), but let’s be real it doesn’t need to be Cinco de Mayo for me to make or share a Mexican inspired recipe with you. Mexican food is a staple in our house, whether we are picking it up from one of our favorite local places or I’m cooking it up at home. I know I professed my love of Greek food recently, but Mexican food ranks high up on the list as well. Especially when it’s made with freshest ingredients like in this Mango Avocado and Black Bean Salsa recipe.

This Black Bean, Mango and Avocado Salsa is filled with all the fresh flavors of Mexican that I love. I made it a couple of weeks ago while my parents were visiting and they loved it. I love introducing my parents to foods they are not used to eating. We were not big Mexican food eaters growing up – other than the occasional taco night I don’t recall salsa or guacamole a regular thing until I was out on my own and cooking for myself.

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Whenever I see avocados on sale at my grocery store (10 for $10 – best deal ever!), I can’t help but buy a million of them. My daughter, my youngest son and I can eat avocados every day so they really don’t go to waste when I bring home a bagful, especially since I’ve learned that keeping them in my fridge helps them last longer. Normally I just serve our avocados sliced up in a salad, smashed on toast or straight up for the little ones, but every now and then I get adventurous and throw them into a smoothie or make a dressing like this Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing.

I love including avocados in quesadillas like these Bean and Avocado Quesadillas (SO good!) or as a topping for Black Bean and Egg Tostadas (these are not just for breakfast – I love them for lunch and dinner too).

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It happens every year…one second you are trick or treating with your kids, then next thing you know you just finished washing all of your Thanksgiving leftover tupperware and people are asking you if you’ve finished your Christmas shopping yet. It’s seriously so hard to wrap your mind around how fast time flies around this time of year (so cliche, I know). And how “busy” we tend to feel every day.

Personally, I’m not a fan of time flying fast and feeling busy. I have to constantly keep myself in check. My husband likes to keep me in check too. 😉

My friend Sandy wrote a post on savoring the holidays the other day and it really stuck with me. From her post:

DON’T FORGET TO BREATH.

I think as women we sometimes forget to breathe during the month of December! So today I’m sharing my 5 tips for a less stressful month of December. I’m sharing from the perspective of a 50+ year old, married woman, mama of 3 adult kids, and what I’ve learned from some crazy holiday seasons. Seriously, I think in our 30s we’re just trying to do to much and impress one another. In my 40s I learned to slow down, but still piled quite a bit on. Now today, I’m savoring every moment that I can by planning, spreading out the activities, having down time, and not overdoing. Basically, the holidays for our family mean being with the people we love.

Sandy’s words above and tips in her post are absolutely ON POINT. I encourage you to read her post and really think about how you personally spend your holiday season. I am so so thankful to have friends like her who remind me to slow down and breathe (and not just during the holidays).

Another thing that seems to happen to us around this time of year too is feeling tired, run down and just spent. Doesn’t sound fun does it? All the busyness tends to eventually catch up with us and if we are not getting the rest we need, the exercise we need and eating food that is good for our bodies, well…we start to feel it. (Not to mention all the sick germs that are floating around right now too!) I thought a lot about this this morning while I was out walking with my little guy. This past month I have not been doing a good job of taking care of myself (I did get hit with the flu and an sinus infection back to back so that is part of the reason…but leading to that hasn’t been great either). Not getting in walks, not getting enough rest, you know the drill…well, humor me here as I list out a few things that I told myself I need to be doing to take better care of myself — starting now. None of these things are new, they are literally just the basics. And really, they are just a friendly reminder and encouragement for all of us to remember to take care of ourselves during this {hectic} time of year.

5 Ways To Take Care Of Yourself During The Holidays:

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This post is sponsored by Bush’s Beans.

You’ve heard the saying you eat with your eyes right? I totally believe in that saying, for me the more colorful a dish is the more appealing it looks to me. This Summer Black Bean and Corn Salad is one of those dishes that I like to think is colorful enough to eat … and eat … and eat plenty of, whether it’s a side dish for dinner at your house or a salad you bring to a neighbor’s barbecue.

Black Bean and Corn Salad – easy summer side dish

This is one of those side dish / salad recipes that comes together easily with a bunch of ingredients you may already have in your fridge and pantry. The corn makes it a little extra special because it’s super sweet and fresh summer corn cut right off the cob, but if all you have is frozen corn at the time then go for it anyway – just run it under some water to quickly defrost and dry completely before quickly sauteing it.

The avocado is a fun add in because it adds just a bit of creaminess to the salad when combined, along with a little extra protein along with the black beans. And the cheese…crumbled cojita cheese (or even feta if you can’t get your hands on cojita) takes it over the top.

You’ll love this black bean and corn salad on fish tacos or even on it’s own (or in taco salads like how I’ve been eating it for a couple of days).

It’s seriously so good.

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