Soup + salad
Hi friends! How’s the day going? Hope you’re having a great morning! First things first: huge congrats to the winner of the coconut scrub giveaway! Liz S., check your email so I can get your goodies on the way. For friends who’d like to pick some up, the FITNESSISTA30 code will work until June 15 to get 30% off your order..
In an effort to step up my salad game, and help a sad post-vacation fridge, Liv and I ventured to Trader Joe’s for essentials.
How to eat fresh vegetables: wash and chop, instead of letting them sit in the fridge to slowly wilt to their death. (<— what has been happening way too often lately)
Food prep has been hit or miss, but I realized that if I devote 20 minutes to chop, wash, and get some salad stuff together, we’ll all eat more fresh food during the week. Liv snacked on veggies with hummus while I chopped some veggies for salad, sliced some for dipping,
made a balsamic dressing
(1 part balsamic, 2 parts olive oil, a teaspoon of Dijon, 2 minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper, onion powder, oregano and dried basil)
and put together lunch: a glorious salad with chopped spinach, kale, veggies, turkey (pan-seared to heat up), 1/2 avocado, balsamic and the secret ingredient.
These mushrooms from Trader Joe’s are fantastic on salads. They’re just the right amount of vinegar + garlic.
Oh, and meal prep includes the brownies, yes? 😉
Spin was particularly awesome last night. It’s amazing what fresh songs will do, and I try to download at least a few new ones each week to rotate into the hundred or so that I love for spin. Last night it was “Hey Mama” for a moderate climb, “Fight Song” for a cool down, and “What Kind of Man” for a heavy climb with tempo work. So good.
Dinner was a random mix of goodies; it kind of felt like our house was Soup Plantation (which is a good thing, because it’s Liv’s favorite restaurant haha). The Pilot grilled some chicken drumsticks, we roasted some veggies, and I was really craving tomato soup, so I put together a dairy-free version.
Here’s the easy recipe: saute a chopped onion with 3 cloves of minced garlic until fragrant, and blend in the Vitamix with 1 1/2 cups cashews (raw, soaked for at least an hour in water), and two large (28 oz) cans of drained San Marzano whole tomatoes.
After the mixture is smooth, pour into a large pot, and heat on medium low, stirring occasionally. Season well with salt, pepper, dried basil, onion powder, and a pinch of sugar.
Can’t wait to have this for lunch later today with a manchego quesadilla.
(When you try to be artistic with a basil oil drizzle… and that happens. Haha)
For now, it’s off to a doc appointment!
See ya later today on the Family page.
xoxo
Gina
Last week to check in for your April workouts! I’m surprising a lucky winner with a new lulu tank and “HIIT It!”
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I’m going to have to try that soup recipe, I’ve been having a hankering for soup! I need to grocery shop today and I want to make it a goal to prep some veggies, thanks for the reminder, it really does help during the week!
My favorite song for spin (or running) right now is the new Usher and Martin Garrix, Don’t Look Down.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5M9jOReAKGZ2AttVefFjTY
I really really need to get on board with food prep. I end up just grabbing quick snacks because I don’t have enough healthy options prepped!
Mm that salad looks so good! And I love a gooey brownie! 😀
Were you certified through Spinning for your instructor certification? How did you like it? I’m looking into getting certified. I didn’t realize there were so many certification options out there. Thanks!
I definitely need to get better with food prep. It certainly would make life so much easier!
You totally have me craving a huge salad now! I love marinated mushrooms,I think a stop at the antipasto bar is a necessity now 😉
I would be a mess if I didn’t meal prep on the weekends. The week is just too busy with working and commutes. Props to you for being able to eat healthy and not do it!
That salad looks SO delicious. You really can’t go wrong with ingredients from Trader Joe’s. 😀 That Florence + The Machine song is also on my running playlist. Keeps you going!
That salad dressing container looks awesome! What’s the brand and where did you get it?
I really need to do the same thing with my veggies when I get home. It takes just a little more effort upfront but then I don’t end up throwing away all this stuff that has gone bad. Oh and brownies are definitely on the meal prep list for today too! 😉
I love the idea of prepping veggies ahead of time — it’s insane how much convenience influences my eating! Anything that’s ready to go usually ends up being what I reach for. 🙂
Always, Anita
This looks delicious,m totally craving salad right now! 🙂
http://www.lozzieknows.com/
San Marzano tomatoes are the best!!! They make any dish or soup or sauce automatically more flavorful!
When I try to pour a smoothie neatly into a mason jar and it is a hot mess.
A+ on the balsamic glaze ;).
I’d love to win this giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity, Gina!
I took a spin class last night and the instructor was horrible. I thought “If Gina was here, she’d be so fabulous”. Wish I could take one of your classes!
Thanks for the realistic side of meal prep. I try, but sometimes it’s hard to make it happen.
Loving that soup! It looks fantastic…and who doesn’t love a tomato soup? As long as you meal prep brownies, your meal prep is complete! 😉
Those mushrooms looked so good, I had to walk to TJ’s on my lunch to get them. Darn pregnancy cravings, once I see something that sounds good I have to have it!
Mmm…both the soup and the salad sound yummy. I am going to try the soup recipe soon!
I think your olive oil looks great!
Those brownies! I so want one right now 🙂
I’m obsessed with those mushrooms!
I made this soup for dinner the other night and it was SO GOOD! My husband even said it was the best tomato soup he has ever had! I was skeptical about the cashews working out, but it really was delicious! I also topped it with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkle of Manchego cheese! Yum! Thank you!
so happy you both enjoyed it!! i can’t wait to make it again 🙂