I love grains in salads! It gives a slight crunch while taking the bore out of basic salads with greens as the base.

This week I have been munching on the salad below with a brown rice base. The finely diced toppings

amp up the crunch factor

while offering viagra price a variety of different flavors.

Simple Brown Rice Salad

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/2 granny smith apple
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Cook the brown rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, Finely dice red pepper, apple, and celery. Place diced ingredients in a bowl along with raisins and sunflower seeds and toss with lemon juice. Once rice is done cooking, drain and place in a bowl and top with mixed ingredients.

** Makes 2 servings.

Another simple, but satisfying way to incorporate grains and veggies into your diet

What different ways do you like to prepare salads?

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Confession: Through my four years of undergrad, I didn’t eat a box of Macaroni and Cheese. Not once.

I know it’s supposed to be a staple item on the college diet, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I think the above confession is largely due to the fact that the only ever Mac & Cheese I had ever known before coming to the U.S was my Dad’s homemade recipe with green peppers, bacon, real cheese and lotsa love. It didn’t come from a box, the ‘cheese’ wasn’t in the form of powder, and it certainly wasn’t an unsightly orange color. With that being said, I still enjoy the odd spoonful of Mac & Cheese when Kevin orders it as a side at various restaurants. I’m not opposed to it totally, I just can’t bring myself to eat the orange stuff that has the consistency of a clumpy glue pot I was slightly totally familiar with in first grade

Mac & Cheese has always seemed to have

the “once on the lips, forever on the hips” stigma associated with it. And there is good reason for that association. Normal Mac & Cheese can have approx. 850 calories per serving. Yikes!! The recipe below is slightly similar to one they are introducing on the new patient menu at the hospital I am currently interning at. This lighter version only has approx 450 calories and also packs a powerful veggie punch. Hint: Lots of Vitamin A and C.

Healthy Mac & Cheese

• 1/2 cup original almond milk (or 1% cow’s milk)
• 2 10oz packages of frozen squash
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 oz grated muenster cheese
• 2 oz grated mozzarella cheese
• 2.5 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta shells

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine both cheeses in a bowl along with cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Place frozen squash and milk in a saucepan and cook on low until squash is heated through. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to separate bowl, adding the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the large pot. Remove squash from heat and add the cauliflower. Using an immersion blender, puree vegetables until smooth and light. Stir in cheese and add the sauce to the pasta, tossing well. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and bake for 25 mins.

The amount of cheese is considerably decreased in this recipe, but the cheesy flavor is definitely still there and it doesn’t taste like a big ol’ bowl of pasta and squash

So although this Mac & Cheese is still pretty brightly colored, at least I know it’s naturally colored from the large amount of squash. And that makes for one happy camper Aussie!

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Ok, before I dive into all the goodness and yumminess of this meal, did anyone else hear about Burger King testing out a home delivery service? Coz’ as if drive thru isn’t convenient enough, you can now get soggy fries and preservative laden

burgers straight to your doorstep. Oh joy.

Anyways, back to the good

stuff. So I am kinda totally loving Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips. I first tried this product at the Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) back in 2009 and only just rekindled my love affair with them. Why I took such a long hiatus from them truly beats me!

This afternoon when I stopped into Sprouts on my way to an appointment I noticed that the chips were 2/$4. Woohoo! I quickly snapped up a bag each of the Blue Corn and Cheddar varieties and instantly knew what was for dinner: Nachos

Again, this recipe is super easy (if you read through my other recipes you’ll probably notice that is a theme around here) and was especially good for a night like tonight when I got home a few hours later than usual. 

For the toppings, I simply added some corn and black beans to a mix of diced red and green peppers and roma tomatoes.

I grabbed a handful of each kind of the chips, plated them and piled on the veggies, topping them off with a small amount of both shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

After microwaving on high for 1 minute to melt the cheese and adding a few slices of avocado, the nachos were good to go!

So why do I love Food Should Taste Good chips so much?

• I
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  can actually pronounce all of the ingredients listed. And the words ‘modified’ and ‘high fructose/corn syrup’ aren’t listed anywhere.

• They are certified gluten free
• No trans fats
• Cholesterol free
• Low sodium
• No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives

…and the goodness list actually continues beyond this.

Pretty sure this meal is faster than ordering home delivery. Beat that Burger King