Cheeseburger and Sauteed Green Beans

1 Cheeseburger (made with Muenster cheese)
1/2 cup sauteed green beans (from my garden)
1 cup green salad

Enjoying the last  few cook outs of summer!

Puffed Kamut!

1 cup puffed kamut
1/2 banana sliced
1/3 cup blueberries

Kamut is a kind of wheat.  With a very interesting story behind it!  My local healthy grocery store sells it as "puffed kamut."  It is much bigger and has a heartier flavor and texture than regular puffed wheat.  It is 30% higher in protein and can be tolerated by people who are otherwise allergic to wheat.  I love it!

Gouda on Sourdough

1 cup fresh mango chunks
2 slices of fresh San Franciso sourdough bread
1 slice gouda cheese

Simple and elegant....and delicious!

Bruschetta!!!

What to do with 2-day old French bread and lovely ripe tomatoes from the garden?  Make bruschetta!

Simple Ingredients:
ripe tomatoes
fresh basil
fresh garlic
cubes of mozzarella
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Stir together and let rest for 20 minutes.  Then serve on toasted bread slices.  All you really need in life.  ; )

Mushroom Ragout and Summer Squash

1 cup whole wheat linguini
3/4 cup of mushroom ragout (recipe here)
1 cup sauteed yellow squash (fresh out of my garden!)
1/2 sliced cucumber (also fresh out of the garden!)

I love this time of the year!  It is when my garden finally starts producing and I can just walk outside and pick something to make for dinner.  Only the mushrooms and linguini didn't come from my garden.  The onions, the fresh basil, the cukes,  and the squash all did.

Indian Chickpea Curry and Naan

1 cup delicious (and easy-to-make) Indian chickpea curry
3 cucumber slices (out of my own garden!)
1 piece of "frying pan" naan

This meal is fragrant and tasty.  Still low fat.  Full of protein.  And can be completely vegan! 

Ham and Edam Cheese on Wholegrain

1 ham sandwich with Edam cheese and fresh spinach on wholegrain bread
1/2 sliced green pepper
1/2 sliced cucumber
1/2 cup red grapes

Simple lunch with a variety of crunch and flavor. 

Homemade Mac-n-Cheese with Carmelized Vegetables

1/2 plate homemade mac-n-cheese
1/2 plate carmelized yellow squash, tomatoes, and spinach

A WHOLE plate of comfort food!

Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich

2 slices multi-grain bread
2 tablespoons fresh ground peanut butter
1 ripe banana

Forget the jelly.  Bananas are plenty sweet!  And on a hearty wholegrain bread, you get plenty of complete proteins.  Add a glass of ice cold milk and life couldn't be better!

Peaches!!!

Peaches are in Season!  Eat them on everything.  ; )

Egg and Mushroom Pita

1/2 whole wheat pita
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions
1/2 cup 3 bean salad
1 sliced peach
3 sliced strawberries.

This meal was VERY filling, had no processed sugars, and was high in protein and fiber.  And it was DELICIOUS! 

Asparagus and Grapes

1 bunch of grapes
10 stalks of asparagus
1/2 cup bowtie pasta with peas and cream sauce
1 yummy grilled steak

It's fun to think about your meal in terms of the "side" dishes instead of the protein.  It also helps you remember to make them a substantial and perhaps major part of the meal.

Oatmeal with Bananas, Pecans, and Maple Syrup

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 banana
5 pecan halves crumbled
1 tablespoon real maple syrup

This simple breakfast cannot be topped!  Well, actually it IS topped....with the most delicious additions.  Oatmeal never tasted better!