what i've been whipping up. [+ a recipe!]

happy tuesday, y'all! 

despite being ridiculously busy lately, i've been cooking a loooot. let me show you...

crock pot mediterranean succotash - healthy, easy, and lasted me a whole week!

quinoa burgers - made with cottage cheese, egg, zucchini and cheddar. one recipe makes a ton!

and these:

shredded chicken tacos

for one

whole wheat tortillas

1tbsp. greek yogurt

1/2 avocado

shredded chicken (made with this recipe)

1 cup broccoli slaw (or more)

red onion

1 tbsp. lime juice

pinch of salt 

prepare 2 small whole wheat tortillas. in a small bowl, mash the avocado with the greek yogurt. combine with shredded chicken and place in tortillas. place broccoli slaw in the same bowl with lime juice, salt and thinly sliced red onion and mix. top chicken with slaw, wrap up tacos and EAT!

xo jordan

happiness is...

music that makes me want to dance...

anxiously awaiting the album's official arrival.

this weather...

rediscovering california's beauty 

and spending time in the sun with good friends...

killer hike at griffith park!

refueling with healthy and fresh foods...

strawberry and peanut butter smoothie with greek yogurt.

red pepper with TJ's Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip. aka the reason i eat my veggies.

egg + egg white with avocado and cherry tomatoes.

and some homemade baked goods for my sweet tooth...

zucchini yogurt bread! recipe coming soon.

happy weekend :)

xo jordan

coconut crusted tilapia with avocado mango salsa.

this is probably one of the fanciest yet easiest dishes i've ever made. without a recipe. in less than 40 minutes (including a shower during baking time). and it's healthy. what. even.

i had a little too fun last weekend at Target and one of the things i found was tilapia, amongst a crockpot, some nailpolish, laundry detergent, and cereal of course. i've been trying to make more substantial homemade meals so that i don't snack on dark chocolate covered pretzels until the wee hours of the night (guilty as charged), and one of my ideas was to make something like a simple baked fish with a side of veggies and rice or something...

but this? this is soooo much better than that. and equally as healthy. 

coconut crusted tilapia with avocado mango salsa

for 2 filets

2 frozen and defrosted tilapia filets

1 lightly beaten egg white

3/4 cup shredded coconut (either sweetened or unsweetened)

1/2 cup panko flakes

1/2 of a mango

1/2 of an avocado

1/4 cup (or so) diced cucumber

2 tbsp chopped red onion

2 tbsp lime juice (or more)

for the tilapia: preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. toast coconut in a pan over low heat for about 5 minutes or until flakes turn slightly brown, stirring constantly. place egg white in one bowl and mixed toasted coconut & panko flakes in another. pat the tilapia filets completely dry and then dip into egg white. completely coat fish in the flake mixture (the coconut kept falling off my fish, but i just used my hands to put more on and press it down). bake on a baking sheet on tin foil or parchment paper for 25 minutes.

for the salsa: dice mango and avocado in small squares and combine with diced cucumber and red onion. coat in lime juice and mix well. 

eeeeeeaaaaaattttttt.

:)

xo jordan

ridiculously belated vacation photos.

2 weeks ago, i reunited with my family in Breckenridge, Colorado for our annual ski/snowboard vacation! i've been going there since i was little but missed last year's trip because i was dancing on the cruise ship, so this year was extra special. our amazing week was filled with delicious food, tons of beautiful snow, four days of perfect snowboarding, a group trip to the gym, a massage and lots of family time. ever since the morning after i got back to LA, it's been a non-stop hustle, so i apologize for the delay! enjoy the photos, i'll be back with recipes as soon as the chaos subsides :)

view from the plane - almost there!

 -4 degrees

valentine's day trip to the Breckenridge Distillery :)

papa D!

whiskeyyyyyyy 

 my mom is a cutie.

valentine's day pancakes <3 

they still have christmas lights up in town :)

snowboarding/dancing, obviously.

apres-ski apps! mac & cheese, trio of sliders, quesadillas, coleslaw, chili and zucchini fritters!

 carrot cake & shake! aka one of the greatest desserts i've ever eaten.

mid-snowboarding photo

*snow princess

my brother is awesome.

parents!!

ahh, reliving vacation memories. i miss them all already! and i'm actually trying to make a trip out to Big Bear or Mammoth to snowboard out here 'cause it's so fun! if you've never tried it before, you really should. but wear a helmet...

xo jordan

new favorite snack: sorbet. [& a shout-out!]

so y'all know how you can make ice cream with just 2 ingredients, right? (tell me you knew that...if not, welcome to the world of ridiculously easy-to-make desserts.) well, not too long ago my friend Rosie asked if it were possible to make ice cream with any other frozen fruits besides bananas since she wasn't too crazy about the flavor. at the time, i told her i doubted it, that bananas are the only fruit with such a creamy consistency and i always make sure to add them to my smoothies for that very reason. 

however, one day i found myself without any bananas...

instead of panicking (i may or may not have, a little), i decided to work with what i had in my freezer: some frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries. perfect!

the end result? a sort of sorbet, if you will. a refreshing, slightly sweet frozen treat, no bananas required.

berry sorbet

for one.

~8 frozen strawberries

~1/4 cup frozen blueberries

2 tbsp of water or milk of choice

1 packet stevia (optional but recommended)

1 tbsp coconut shavings (optional)

1 tbsp cocoa powder (optional but SO good)

toss everything in a blender. puree. top with garnish, if desired.

**other fun mix-ins: nut butter, sliced almonds, walnuts, chocolate chips

in other news: please go visit my cousin Heather's blog about her fabulous life in Manhattan and the Catskills: City Meets Country. she's one of my favorite people in the entire universe, a wonderful mom and an amazing cook!!!!

xo jordan

grain bowls - 2 ways.

i've been throwing together these super easy bowls with plenty of veggies, fiber, and protein for lunch and dinner almost everyday. i'll probably want to switch it up soon, but as of now, they're still delicious! feel free to swap out the grain, veggies, or anything else. that's the best part about them - they're customizable to your taste and what's in your fridge!

asian farro bowl

for one.

1/3 cup or so of farro (i used TJ's 10-minute)

frozen edamame

~10 pre-cooked, de-veined, tail-on shrimp

cubed avocado

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

garlic salt to taste

prepare farro as directed. defrost shrimp and edamame. mix everything together. eat :)

mediterranean quinoa bowl

for one.

1/4 cup or so of quinoa (i used TJ's organic tricolor)

quartered cherry tomatoes

diced cucumbers

chickpeas

cubed avocado

garlic salt to taste

greek yogurt feta dip with zaatar spices (from TJ's)

prepare quinoa as directed. mix everything together. bada-bing, bada-boom!

until next time.

xo jordan

tried and true.

guys, i know.

i've disappeared again. i was swamped with b-school apps, essays and the like, pluuuus there were the holidays, my vacation at home, and many days of working at the restaurant. mad apologies.

and it's not like i haven't been whipping up things in the kitchen, because i totally have. in fact, i've probably been experimenting even more this past month because, ya know, the holidays basically requiring shoveling in cookies and other various baked goods. i wanted to share with you some of the things i've been making that pretty much blew my mind with their deliciousness. i wish i could at least credit myself with the photos, but i can't even do that. for shame.

1. Hearty Pumpkin Chicken Soup: please, oh please, make this immediately. i've been eating it everyday for the past week and i don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

2. Pumpkin Chiffon Pie: for when you really, really want pumpkin pie and don't want to feel sad about your figure afterwards. and the gingersnap crust? drooling.

3. Chewy Gingersnap Cookies: the best. hands down.

4. Pumpkin Amazeballs: an easy, healthy pre or post-gym snack.

5. 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie: i'd be lying if i said i didn't make this everyday for 3 weeks for dessert...

so there you have it, some new recipes to try. and apparently mostly of the orange variety? interesting...

i pink-swear promise with a cherry on top that i will be on here more, especially since i know i have some new readers...hey y'all :)

xo jordan