This is my version of the recipe Loaded Taco Cabbage Steaks by the very talented, Stella Drives at Hungry Happens. I saw her version on Instagram and knew I had to make them. This recipe is the perfect way to get more veggies into our family dinners. If you'd like to make it completely vegetarian, you can replace the ground beef with black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans.

My favorite brands to use in this recipe are:

Siete Seasoning
Siete is a brand that I LOVE! They are non GMO, gluten free, additive free, and their products taste delicious. 

Tillamook
Y'all know I love cheese, so naturally I'm picky about it. I prefer Tillamook cheddar cheese. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. After eating Tillamook, every other cheddar cheese just tastes like plastic. 

This garlic vinaigrette is going to be your new favorite! Clean, simple ingredients, and delicious flavor.

This is the best avocado ranch ever! After a little trial & error I finally came up with a healthier alternative to store bought ranch. This is so good on salads, sandwiches, drizzled onto steak or chicken, or as a dip.

So fast & easy! These quick pickled red onions are a perfect addition to avocado toast, tacos, grilled protein or salads. Adds bright vibrant color to your dish and a delicious vinegary bite.

We LOVE sea bass. For special occasions, I'll splurge, go to Fresh Market, and get the really nice, thick cut sea bass filets. For a quick and delicious weeknight dinner, though, the frozen sea bass from Costco is a game changer! We always have it in our freezer for dinner in a snap.

My friend, Corey, and I love going on weekend girls trips. In our adventures we've enjoyed some pretty fabulous food all over the country.

​Sometimes we try to recreate these delicious bites when we get back home. On one of these adventures she fell in love with these crispy delicious pickles.

​Corey has perfectly recreated these little bites. 

I love a good salad, and this one has become one of my favorites. It's not your typical green goddess salad, because I added burrata. If you know me, you know I'm obsessed, so it seemed appropriate here. ​​Try it and let me know how you like it!

I’m a firm believer in “all things in balance.” With that in mind, Big Strong Handsome and I try to do the Standard Process 21 Day Purification Process about twice a year. Because let's face it, no matter how clean you try to eat, sometimes you end up running through a drive through or having a glass or four of wine. Now add in your exposure to chemicals in cleaning products, air pollutants, pesticides, and other external toxins, Over time, all those toxins build up, and your body needs a little help getting rid of them. This detox program works wonders for us by giving a reset back into healthy habits where we feel our best. As a bonus, you'll probably loose a little weight too! Now I'm not one to jump on a scale everyday, because my value is not based on whatever number pops up, but... I lost 13 pounds during our last detox and have kept it off. That along with how great I feel at the end of the detox is enough for me. 

As with any detox or major changes to your diet, please consult a physician. Here's a link to more information on the Standard Process 21 Day Purification Process.

What do you eliminate in your diet during the detox? 
During the detox you should avoid:

• alcohol
• caffeine
• tobacco
• dairy
• eggs
• grains (wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, bran, bulgar, couscous, semolina)
• nuts
• processed or refined foods

What can you eat on the detox? 
Basically, you're only eating whole, organic, unprocessed foods. However, since we've done the detox several times, our physician allows us to adjust it to meet our individual health needs. For instance, I know now that I don't have a nut allergy or an egg allergy, so I'm able to include them in my diet during the detox. Here are some of the things I eat on the detox, and a few progress pics.

I wrote this recipe after having a similar salad while traveling. I had never thought to pair blueberries with quinoa, but it's delicious! My favorite part, of course, is the goat cheese, but all of the elements together are a total flavor bomb. Who says healthy food has to be boring? This salad punches that statement right in the face. (giggle)

I recently made a special dinner for my father-in-law. Slow cooked brisket, challah with honey & a delicious compound butter, rosemary roasted potatoes, and this amazing spinach apple salad. This salad was truly the star of the show! ​

​I love this basil pesto! It's super easy & it’s delicious on everything… steak, chicken, fish, pasta… everything. Here's how I make it.

​The Vinaigrette
This is one of the only salads where I don't make my own dressing. ​Instead, I use Garlic Expressions. You can find it at Publix or online. It's delicious, and it's not full of thickeners, preservatives, or toxic chemicals found in most prepared salad dressings. It's American made, non-GMO, vegan, allergen free, gluten free.

Say Cheese!
I prefer to buy a wedge of blue cheese, and crumble it myself. It ALWAYS tastes better. When you buy pre-crumbled blue cheese it typically contains anti-caking agents... sounds delicious, huh? No thank you. I'll spend the extra 15 seconds and crumble my own cheese.

​An Apple A Day
We almost always have Honeycrisp apples on hand. They're Big Strong Handsome's favorite, so that's what I buy. I think almost any sweet apple would be delicious in this salad, though. Fuji, Golden Delicious, Gala, they'd all be good.

Let's Get Nutty
Whole walnuts can be a little pricey, so you can always substitute whole walnuts with walnut pieces, or pecans. Whatever you prefer.

​Delicious salads don’t have to be complicated.

This one couldn’t be easier, and it’s the perfect side for any protein.

​My favorite pairing for this salad is probably a juicy flavorful steak.

It doesn’t get any easier than this folks. Big Strong Handsome doesn’t typically eat white potatoes, but he’ll eat sweet potatoes and purple potatoes. So, roasted sweet potatoes is something I make almost every week.
 
This is a super simple way to prepare them, and they’re delicious every time.

​This is a super simple recipe, and one of my favorite ways to use leftover crab meat. When we have crab legs for dinner, we inevitably have a little bit of crab leftover. I crack open the leftover shells, clean all of the meat and store it in the fridge overnight. The next day… summer rolls baby!
 
Warning:  This dipping sauce is addictive. You may want to make extra and store it in your fridge because it’s delicious on leftover chicken, shrimp, and veggies. It’s better than anything you’ll pour out of a jar. Promise.
 
If you want to make these even easier, pick up some prepared crab meat from the seafood section, and precut veggies from the produce section. Done and done.
 
These summer rolls not only look beautiful, they taste delicious, and they’re guilt free. For a vegan option, just leave out the crab meat.