Lee Hersh

Citrus Quinoa Salad & Recipes for Mother’s Day Brunch

March 11, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Citrus Quinoa Salad

I am so excited to be back with my lady blogger friends for another collaboration. This time our theme was Mother’s Day Brunch. So mom- because I won’t be with you on Mama’s Day this year, this post is dedicated to you and your love for grapefruits.

5 Healthy Mother's Day Brunch Recipes from your favorite bloggers! #GrainFree #GlutenFree #DairyFree

Dayummmm,

Yup- that was my exact same thought after I saw all of these gorgeous looking recipes come together! These ladies are so talented and I am so happy to get to work with them on cool projects like this monthly!

Let’s start off with the wonderful Kelly from Nosh and Nourish. She’s been exploring her paleo cooking/baking lately and I’m loving it. This Paleo BLT Crustless Quiche looks legit- plus it has bacon in it!

Paleo BLT Crustless Quiche #glutenfree #paleo

Pancakes are the way to my heart….and I pretty much love Davida, so this recipe is a win-win situation. Paleo Mocha Almond Pancakes….hellz to the yes!

You guys already know this, but Lexi is pretty much the queen of primal baking. No dairy, no grains, no sugar…I don’t know how she does it, but it’s pure bliss! How nummy do these Paleo Lemon Blueberry Muffins look?!

Ali from Inspiralized made Mango-Avocado Plantain Cups with Coconut Whipped Cream. Pretty much want to faceplant in these little guys!

If only I could have all of these recipes in one meal in real life. Why do my best blogger friends have to live all over the country…err….and Canada?!

I guess I’ll have to eat my wonderfully delicious, citrusy, quinoay salad all by myself.

Citrus Quinoa Salad- the perfect dish to bring to a BBQ to share! #glutenfree

I remember my mom eating grapefruits sprinkled with sugar as a kid…so this citrus fruit always makes me think of her

No sugar in this baby! Only natural sweetness from the fruit and a little bit of honey.

I am glad I opted for the red quinoa. I love the contrast against the fruit. I usually prefer white quinoa because I feel like it has a smoother texture, is less bitter, and cooks better, but the red variation didn’t let me down! You just need to be patient while it is cooking. I tend to take things off the stove too early…let it cook!

I paired my quinoa salad with some Vanilla Honey Greek Gods Greek Yogurt. GOSH I LOVE THAT STUFF. It made the perfect parfait….an excellent way to finish off a brunch if you ask me!

Ingredients for Citrus Quinoa Salad

red quinoa, rinsed
water
orange
grapefruit
fresh blueberries
honey

So Mama Kay, thanks for being the BEST mom in the whole entire world. You deserve more than a day of recognition. I can’t wait to see you next week for Sister’s graduation! LOVE YOU!

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Citrus Quinoa Salad & Recipes for Mother’s Day Brunch

Author: Sandra
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

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Instructions

Bring 2/3 cups of quinoa and 1 and 1/3 cups of water to a rolling boil. Turn down to low and cover. Let simmer for about 15 minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed. Transfer into a tupperware and place in refrigerator to let cool for about an hour.
Prep oranges and grapefruit by peeling and slicing. Make sure you get all of the white rind off, or it will taste bitter. This may take some time.
Mix together cooked quinoa, oranges, grapefruit, and fresh blueberries. Toss in about 2 tablespoons of honey.
Serve cold.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cheesy Mexican Macaroni Pasta

March 11, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Cheesy Mexican Macaroni Pasta

Easy, tasty, nutritious- all things I love about a homemade dish!

Meet- Cheesy Mexican Macaroni Pasta.

Cheesy Mexican Macaroni Pasta #GlutenFree #Healthy

This meal is actually something I threw together in like 20 minutes. It was a day where I was in a hurry, had just cleaned the kitchen, and didn’t want to dirty up 4 different pots and pans. I wasn’t expecting it to be a blog post, but here we are!

Classic Mac is rich and creamy, this is light and simple….with lots of extra goodies added.

I used gluten free brown rice noodles. I heart brown rice noodles. You can’t even tell a difference from normal white pasta…and the best part is, they are whole grain.

I found some colorful organic grilled corn in the frozen section at whole foods. Sadly, I didn’t make those gorgeous grill marks myself That would be TALENT!

I seasoned this pasta with a drizzle of EVOO, some garlic powder, cumin, and the secret fire ingredient: cayenne pepper.

WARNING- hot flames ahead.

On top is where the magic happens. Fresh sliced tomatoes with bite sized pieces of avocado and fresh cilantro.

Ingredients for Cheesy Mexican Macaroni Pasta

macaroni pasta
Mexican-style cheese
black beans, rinsed
frozen or canned corn
milk
Virgin Olive Oil
cumin
cayenne pepper (or to taste)
garlic powder
salt and pepper

That’s what’s up.

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Cilantro Lime Avocado Spread

March 11, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Cilantro Lime Avocado Spread

Msn I lobr s hoof dsmmivh.

^^ is what happens when your hands are shifted on the keyboard and you’re trying to type- “Man I love a good sammich.”

Is it Monday? No, it’s Tuesday. But I am typing this on a Monday so I don’t feel so bad

This recipe is pretty much my chunky guacamole recipe, except I didn’t dip anything in it…I spread it on a sammich, which is why I decided to change the name to Cilantro Lime Avocado Spread.

I think I rationalized that quite nicely!

Please please tell me you bought a food processor.

If you say you don’t have one yet, I am going to cry. I use my food processor multiple times per week…and it makes the silkiest, smoothest avocado spread! And a mean banana soft serve!

I found these awesome Whole Wheat Pita Sandwich Pockets at Cub Foods the other day.

<33333 Not gluten free, but <333333

My Turkey Pocket consisted of:

Honey Turkey (freshly cut from the deli)
Sliced Tomatoes
Spinach
A big glob of Cilantro Lime Avocado Spread
More cilantro

Now I call that a balanced meal.

Whole grains
Protein
Healthy Fats
Vegetables

What is your favorite kind of sauce/spread to put on a sandwich?

My runner up is hummus!

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Cilantro Lime Avocado Spread

Author: Sandra
Total Time: 15 minutes

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Instructions

First,Place all ingredients in a small food processor and process until smooth or at desired consistency

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Leftover BBQ Chicken Salad

March 11, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Leftover BBQ Chicken Salad

So.

I’ve been without a microwave for about 3 weeks now.

It has broken and been fixed 3 times now.

I tell yah. Life is a lot harder without a microwave. Every time we get really excited to defrost a piece of meat, we realize we can’t because we don’t have a microwave that works. Or- when I just want to heat some water to throw a tea bag in. WHOMP.

I do have to say. I’ve learned to be patient over the past three weeks because making stuff on the stoves takes a lot longer (but sometimes it’s worth it!)

Stovetop oats…so much better than microwaved
Air popped popcorn…on the stove is so much better.
Tea…by heating water on the stove. Oh, and I heated up yesterday’s coffee (is that gross?).
Leftover stir fry from the night before

The list goes on!

Today’s recipe has nothing to do with reheating food. It actually has to do with cold food. And to more of less rub in the face of my microwave that I DON’T NEED HER.

I love cold leftovers.

Especially grilled chicken and corn.

HAH MICROWAVE…TAKE THAT!

Blake and I have been making giant salads with our leftover meat- chicken, steak, shrimp. You name it we’ve done it! Then we mix in lots of stuff like sliced fruit, almonds, goat cheese my favorite salad dressing (which I used in this recipe)…really whatever we have on hand.

It’s bomb.

And cold.

And tasty.

Side note: I am a huge fan of mixing sweet and salty. Like BBQ chicken and poppyseed dressing,

Rant over.

But seriously. This chicken turned out really good. We usually dry rub our chicken breast on the grill, but Blake used a BBQ sauce called Bone Suckin’ Sauce.

I wish I had a photo of the full chicken breast because they had the most perfect grill marks. I don’t know how he does it. #GrillWizard

Last but not least. Some shameless self promotion. I have been putting of a legit newsletter and blog subscription email. WELL IT’S HERE! Subscribe via email and never miss a recipe!

So who wants to join me in the EAT COLD FOOD MOVEMENT?

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Muenster Apple and Maple Bourbon Bacon Grilled Cheese

March 10, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Pure Canadian Maple Syrup. I was compensated, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Hey grownups, do you eat grilled cheese?

Uhhh- you should!

My friends at Pure Canadian Maple sent me a giant package with lots of maple syrup involved and I knew what I wanted my first recipe to include….BACON! Maple + Bourbon = insane flavor, that’s all I have to say!

I started off by creating a little marinade: half maple syrup + half bourbon. Then, I let the bacon soak for about 30 minutes, so that it would become infused with flavor. On to my pan they went to cook and get crispy.

Of course the alcohol is burned off during this process, but luckily the bourbon flavor stays.

Maple + Bourbon = Love.

Now for the fun part. I made this bacon around 10:15 in the morning. I wasn’t in the mood for breakfast, but “I could eat lunch.” Yes, I sometimes I eat lunch before 11AM (don’t judge!). Grilled cheese sounded just fab.

No words can really describe the party that will happen in your mouth if you make this recipe!

I’ve been putting maple syrup on/in everything lately. We’ve already had a couple fall-like days here in Minnesota (sigh), so honestly, maple syrup is a perfect addition to pretty much anything! There are a few reasons why I am a maple syrup lover. Let’s discuss…

1 ingredient
Pure
No artificial additives
Excellent source of magnesium and zinc
Vegan and paleo-friendly
Gluten-free
Most importantly, it tastes good!

I pulled a really cool graphic from the Pure Canada Maple Site on substitutions. If you ever find a recipe and are looking to substitute the sweetener for maple syrup- then this graphic is for you!

Muenster, Apple, and Maple Bourbon Bacon Grilled Cheese

Author: Sandra
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 1 grilled sandwich 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

For the Bacon

- 1 pound uncured bacon
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons Pure Canadian Maple Syrup

For the Grilled Cheese

2 pieces of multi-grain bread
2 pieces of muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 pieces of apple, thinly sliced
1 piece of Maple Bourbon Bacon, cut in half
1/2 tablespoon butter

Instructions

For the Bacon

First, place bacon in a medium sized bowl. Then, pour in Pure Canadian Maple Syrup and bourbon. Toss to make sure everything is evenly coated. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Next, heat a non-stick frying pan to medium/high heat. Then, place bacon strips on pan (I did four at a time). Cook for a few minutes or until you can see the edges turning golden brown. Use a fork to flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until it reaches your desired texture.
Place cooked bacon on a plate lined with paper towels. Pat with another paper towel on top to remove excess grease.
To finish cooking the rest of the bacon, pour existing bacon grease from pan into a small container and wipe clean with paper towels. Note: There will be black residue from the bourbon and maple mixture, it should wipe clean with paper towel if you are using a nonstick pan.

For the Grilled Cheese

Prepare your grilled cheese by lining a piece of multi-grain bread with thinly sliced muenster cheese. Then, add on the apple slices and bacon. Place 2nd piece of bread on top.
Heat a nonstick pan to medium heat and rub with butter or coconut oil. Place sandwich on pan and cover. Let cook for about 3 minutes or until the bread begins to brown.
Flip and cover again. Let cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the bread begins to brown.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Healthy Bison Chili

March 10, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Healthy Bison Chili

This bison chili is chock full of veggies and hardied up with short grain brown rice to make the best tasting chili ever!

This quite possibly is the best tasting chili I have ever made.

That says a lot because I make it at least twice a month during the fall months. I love it, Blake loves it, and 2-year olds love it! I made this chili when Blake and his buddy Jeff went hunting for the weekend. I stayed back with Abbie (Jeff’s wifey) and her two little ones Charlie and Cara for the weekend. It works out because Abbie is pretty much me but 8 inches shorter. She is an avid runner, yogi, master chef in the kitchen, gardener, and all around mom rockstar. Anyways- we made this delicious chili and Cara (the 1 and a half year old) couldn’t stop eating it!

WAM BAM.

All I gotta say is that my kids BETTER eat like hers do. They stuff their faces with bananas, avocado, hummus, etc.

Fortunately for the guys- we saved some for them when they got home. We give them chili, they give us pheasants.

Sounds like a fair trade? errrr?

Inside the chili we used bison, which I picked up at Whole Foods, a plethora of beans, short grain brown rice (THA BEST), and lots and lots of veggies.

I guess you could consider this a stew chili?

Honestly- what makes a stew a stew and chili, chili? #nooneknows

On top I shredded some cheese, plopped on a dollup of full-fat Freek yogurt, some green onions, and red chilies from Abbie’s garden.

O0oooo chili for days.

It really does get better and better as you reheat it

what you need for Healthy Bison Chili recipe

short-grain brown rice
chicken stock
organic bison and EVOO
yellow onion, finely diced
sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
celery stocks, diced
diced tomatoes
white beans
black eyed peas
garlic paste (or minced garlic)
minced green chiles (or more depending on your palette)
chili powder
1paprika and garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

What kind of extras do you like to throw in your chili to make it THE BEST CHILI EVER?

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Ingredients for Citrus Quinoa Salad

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Instructions

Ingredients for Cheesy Mexican Macaroni Pasta

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For the Bacon

For the Grilled Cheese

what you need for Healthy Bison Chili recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition