If you’re a long time TMS follower you may remember I had a little bit of a health scare around this time last year. I had completely run myself into the ground and my body was telling me through my skin. I would react after eating nearly anything. My face would swell up, become extremely dry and itchy and then peel off… it was like nothing I had ever experienced. Through lots of research I found out that the reaction on my face was essentially my body reacting to stress. I made a plan with my naturopath…it was time for entire life overhaul. I needed to slow down, sleep more, reduce my stress levels and be more mindful of what I was putting into my body. Before this health scare I tried to eat healthy but I didn’t always focus on how I was nourishing my body in all facets of my life. 

In the last year I have really tried to focus on not only the foods I’m eating, but also the quality of the ingredients I’m using while cooking. I know that by choosing items like Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable broth I can feel good about what I’m consuming and that’s why it is the key ingredient to my Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl! Cooking the quinoa in this broth is a game changer- it seriously takes this dish to the next level!

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

Base:

• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 cups Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth

Toppings:

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Orange Pepper
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• 1/4 purple onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/4 kalamata olives (chopped)
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

• 3/4 cup Vegan Sour Cream
• 1 cup grated cucumber (drained!)
• 1 TSP lemon zest
• 1 clove of garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste

Spiced Oil:

• 3 TBSP Avocado Oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 TBSP lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/2 TSP cumin

Instructions:

1.) Wash and chop the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes.
2.) Cook the quinoa using Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth.  Make sure to rinse the quinoa before adding it to the pot. Rinsing the quinoa removes the natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy.  Add 4 cups Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth with 2 cups rinsed quinoa.  Once the quinoa comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.
3.) Make the tzatziki sauce. Grate one cup of cucumber into a bowl then squeeze out the liquid. (squeeze hard- lots of water should come out) If you don’t do this, your sauce will be very runny. Mix in the vegan sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and dill. Store this in the fridge until it is needed.
4.) Chop up the tomatoes, peppers, olives, onions, and cucumbers into bite size pieces. These are the toppings for you bowl!
5.) Toast your pine nuts in the oven or on the stove top. Make sure to watch them very carefully as they burn super easy!
6.) Make your spice oil. Add approximately 3 TBSP avocado (or your oil of choice) to a pan then add the garlic and spices. Careful not to burn this, it burns very quickly. About 3-4 minutes on low to medium heat should do the trick!
6.) Once your cauliflower is done toss it in the spiced oil and it’s time to build your bowl! Make your base with quinoa, top it with your chopped veggies and add the tzatziki and garnish it with parsley! 

This dish is just as good served as leftovers. Toss the leftover quinoa in a bowl with the toppings and tzatziki and mix it all up- perfect for lunches! Enjoy!! 

Enjoy!!

Special thanks to Pacific Foods for sponsoring this this post!

The post Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl appeared first on Teach Me Style - A style, beauty and life blog..

I experimented with a few recipes and this one is by far my favourite.  It’s healthy, delicious, and keeps my full until lunch!

* peel, cut, and freeze your bananas before!

Best Green Smoothie Recipe

-1/2 frozen banana
-1 cup (or more) fresh baby spinach
-1 cup coconut milk
-1 scoop PB2
-1 scoop organic brown rice protein powder – this stuff is absolutely horrendous on its own but it is perfect in this smoothie. I tried it with vanilla and it was NOT GOOD.
-Handful of mixed nuts, dates, and shredded coconut.  I throw a big batch of this in my food processor once a month and keep it in a jar on my counter.  My favourite mixture is dates, almonds, dried coconut, and cashews.
-splash of egg whites – this makes it frothy and gives you a little more protein
-dash of cinnamon
*you can add ice if you wish but the frozen banana keeps it cold enough for my liking

I almost always prep my smoothie the night before by putting everything, except the coconut milk, into the blender cup and popping it into the freezer.  That way all I need to do is add the liquid and blend.

And because drinking a smoothie out of a cute tumbler makes everything better, here are a few of my favourites:

Oh and I always get questions about my metal straws.  Here they are! I just have the regular metal one but these metallic ones look pretty sweet!

Are you a big smoothie guy?! If so, share your favourite in the comment section below.  It’s so nice to switch it up every so often!

The post My Favourite Green Smoothie appeared first on Teach Me Style - A style, beauty and life blog..

1.) Delicious… like friggin’ good
2.) Easy

This fit beautifully into both!

I love cooking and trying complex dishes but on a daily basis I always lean towards fast, easy, and delicious.  I try to find healthy alternatives but hey, I’m human… who doesn’t love pizza, donuts, and ice cream every once in a while?!

Another note, I cannot take credit for this recipe.  Although I have altered it slightly I originally found it on my all time favorite food bloggers site, Damn Delicious.  If you haven’t visited her blog YOU NEED TO! It is seriously amazeballs and every single recipe I have made has been just that-damn delicious.  The site is well organized and easy to navigate.  She breaks down the recipe index into categories making finding what you’re looking for easy breezy. I suggest you bookmark or subscribe as I’m sure you will be visiting her blog frequently!

Mexican Quinoa

Ingredients:

1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1 TBSP E.V.O.O  (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 jalapeno or any mild pepper if you don’t like spice
1 cup quinoa
1 cup of vegetable broth
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 TSP of chili powder
1/2 TSP cumin
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 avocado
1 lime (juice only)
Fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish – fun fact I hate cilantro… I went with parsley

*Optional: Ground Italian sausage- I used the spicy kind and it was great!

Instructions:

Heat olive oil, garlic, and jalapeno pepper in large skillet over medium heat.  Cook until fragrant.

Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

If you’re adding Italian sausage, fry this separately and drain the grease. Once quinoa is cooked, add the sausage and mix.

Garnish with chopped avocado, lime juice, and cilantro!

Quick, easy, and on the healthy side… I’m in! September is a hectic month let the cooking be easy, thanks Damn Delicious for the recipe inspo!

Who is your favorite food blogger I would love to know?!

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