Living La Vida Holoka


Caprese Style Quinoa Salad

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This Caprese Style Quinoa Salad is a great way to use up garden tomatoes! It’s a healthy and delicious dish that’s full of traditional Caprese salad flavor!


Holy grape tomatoes, Batman!  Our grape tomato plant is popping like crazy right now and taking over our garden!  I’ve been dehydrating the majority of our tomatoes to make homemade sun-dried tomatoes and the rest have gone into salads.  It’s like we blink and all of a sudden there’s a whole new batch of tomatoes to pick!  I’m not actually complaining.  I love these sweet, little tomatoes!  They’re my “garden candy!”  But I had to think of another way to use them.

I’ve been slicing up our meaty beefsteak tomatoes in Caprese salads.  Caprese salad will forever be one of my favorite summer salads.  It’s so fresh, really easy to make, and best when made with tomatoes and basil straight from the garden.  This year, I’ve become a huge fan of quinoa salads, too.  Quinoa makes such an awesome base for salads.  It’s a superfood that’s high in protein and fiber, and works well in so many dishes!  So I figured, what better way to use up some our grape tomatoes than in a Caprese Style Quinoa Salad?!


This salad goes way beyond a basic Caprese salad.  Traditional Caprese Salad is sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil with a drizzle of good olive oil.  It’s a simple salad, but full of fresh flavor.  This quinoa salad recipe includes all of those ingredients, but we brought a few friends to the party, too! 

Even though quinoa is already high in protein and fiber, I love to add chickpeas to my quinoa salads.  They’re a match made in health food heaven! I also had some black olives in the fridge to use, so I sliced them up and tossed them in.  We have red onions growing in our garden, as well, so I diced one up and added it, too!  

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Caprese Style Quinoa Salad

Caprese Style Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rainbow quinoa
  • 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups mini fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2/3 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup black olives, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp. prepared pesto
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • Optional: red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa according to package. Once cooked, spoon quinoa into a large bowl and set aside to cool.
  2. Add chickpeas, mozzarella, tomatoes, onion, olives, and basil to the bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, peso, and olive oil. Add a pinch of red pepper, if desired.
  4. Pour pesto mixture into the quinoa bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
  6. If not serving right away, cover bowl and store in fridge.
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Our grape tomatoes definitely aren’t slowing down anytime soon!  This quinoa salad was a delicious way to use a bunch of them up!  This is the kind of salad that gets better as it sits.  If you feel like it needs a little more dressing after a day or two, whip up another batch of the pesto, olive oil, and lemon juice dressing!  It’s even great with a drizzle of balsamic!  It’s also great for meal prepping!  Make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy it all week long! 

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Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread

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I received product from Cole & Mason in exchange for this post.  No other compensation has been received.  All opinions are 100% my own.

This Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread is packed with flavor, “summer heat,” and a ton of fresh, garden veggies!  It’s a delicious, light summer lunch!

 

When my father makes mussels in the summer, he always makes them with “summer heat.” That means that there’s just enough heat added to the dish without making you break into a sweat!  It’s summer.  You’re probably overheating already!  “Summer heat” is a nice heat that makes the tongue tingle, but doesn’t take away from any of the other flavors in the dish.  So when Cole & Mason sent me their Sriracha Spice Seasoning Mill Refill, I immediately thought about creating a recipe with a little of that “summer heat.” 

Mussels.  Been there, done that a few times.  I love them, but I’m giving shrimp the spotlight in this recipe.  I recently scored an awesome deal on shrimp from one of my favorite local fishmongers!  We’re talking enough shrimp to split into three or four plentiful two-serving portions!  So I decided to use some of our shrimp to make a Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread.  This flatbread has just the right amount of that “summer heat” and gives you a delicious reason to use up some of your garden bounty!


It was a slow start to gardening season this year, but our plants are really starting to burst now.  Especially the garden at my in-laws’ house!  It’s like having a free farmer’s market just a few minutes away!  Between our garden and their garden, I’ve been trying to add a ton of homegrown veggies into every meal. We definitely have enough eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers, and tomatoes to do just that!

Another thing I tend to have stocked most of the time is flatbread.  I picked up a package of roasted garlic flatbread, just because, but wanted to use it for something more than just flatbread pizza. It was the perfect base for my summer veggies and adding Sriracha seasoned shrimp to the mix made it a tasty party!  This flatbread is definitely an excellent, light, summer lunch!

BRING THE HEAT WITH THIS SRIRACHA SHRIMP AND SUMMER VEGGIE FLATBREAD!

Sriracha Shrimp and Summer Veggie Flatbread
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Ingredients
  1. 8-10 large shrimp, peeled and cleaned
  2. 1/2 or more tbsps. Cole & Mason Sriracha Seasoning, ground
  3. 1 roasted garlic naan flatbread
  4. 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
  5. 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
  6. 1 whole-1/2 small green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
  7. 1/2 cup small zucchini, cut into thin rounds
  8. Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp in a little olive oil and the Cole & Mason Sriracha Seasoning.
  3. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium-large skillet and heat over a medium flame.
  4. Then, add the prepped veggies and cook for about 6-8 minutes, or until the veggies just begin to soften.
  5. Add the seasoned shrimp to the skillet and cook until they're pink and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
  6. While the veggies and shrimp are cooking, place the flatbread in the oven to warm.
  7. When the veggies and shrimp are done cooking, remove the flatbread.
  8. Use tongs to add the veggie and shrimp mixture on top of the flatbread.
  9. Cut into pieces with a pizza cutter and enjoy!
Living La Vida Holoka http://www.livinglavidaholoka.com/


I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with Cole & Mason’s seasonings before creating this post.  I’m glad so I was introduced to them!  I’m going to be putting this Sriracha Spice on a ton of dishes!  The seasonings are meant to be ground in a mill to release their natural flavors.  My mortar and pestle worked just as well!

Each of Cole & Mason’s spice blends are certified Kosher and made with quality ingredients.  Want to try one of these blends for yourself?  Enter this sweepstakes for your chance to win free product, housewares, or a grand prize worth $1000!

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What’s your favorite meal to spice up with Sriracha?

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

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This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.

These Air Fryer Zucchini Fries are a healthier alternative to French fries.  They’re a crispy and delicious appetizer, side dish, or snack!


I’m on the struggle bus again, guys. I haven’t really gained any weight this summer (definitely not my struggle, so settle down), but I have eaten like total crap. I’m talking fried chicken, summer salads drenched with mayo, and ice cream – SO MUCH ICE CREAM!  I mean, I’ve basically had an all out affair with Ben & Jerry.  It’s been quite a summer romance with those two, but it’s time to move on.  So once my birthday hit and I, again, made the realization that I’m inching closer to the big 4-0, I decided to get myself in check. 

So I put the ice cream down and told myself I would go low carb again.  I even spent the majority of my birthday money this year stocking the house with healthy eats.  Such a boring, adult thing to do.  Right?  It seemed like I’d be able to go low carb without any problem.  Well, that’s until I remembered that we have an endless supply of zucchini from the in-laws’ garden and one that was sitting in the fridge!  It’s been too hot to bake, so no zucchini cakes or bread will be made anytime soon.  Zucchini Parm is pretty darn delicious, but there’s only so much of it you can eat at a time! It was time to break out the air fryer!


I’ve been meaning to make zucchini fries since…well, probably last summer or even the summer before! It’s been a long time coming, but now that we have our air fryer, there was no better time to try them out!  They were relatively easy to make.  A little time consuming, yes, since I was making them in batches.  But they come out of the air fryer so crunchy!  I’ve even reheated them in the oven and they didn’t lose any of that crunch! 

Sure.  They’re not exactly low carb.  I mean, I did start by dredging them in flour, dipping them in egg, and then finishing them off with bread crumbs.  Bread on bread.  I’m sure there’s a low carb alternative to these ingredients that I could have picked up them during my healthy shopping trip.  But I had good ol’ all-purpose flour and bread crumbs on hand.  Let’s face it – these zucchini fries are still better than a plate of greasy French fries!  

 
 
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Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Air Fryer Zucchini Fries

Ingredients

  • 1 small-medium zucchini, peeled and cut into fry-sized sticks
  • 1-2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • Optional: marinara sauce, Ranch dressing, for serving

Instructions

  1. Start by dredging zucchini sticks in flour.
  2. Then, dip into egg.
  3. Coat with bread crumbs and place in the air fryer basket.
  4. Cook zucchini fries at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
  5. Work in batches until all of the zucchini is cooked.
  6. Keep previous batches warm in the oven, if necessary.
  7. When the zucchini fries are done, serve with marinara sauce or Ranch dressing, if desired.

Notes

Pro tip: Boost the flavor of these fries with different seasoning blends or add chopped herbs from the garden!

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So let’s just go ahead and say “zucchini fries before guys,” or at least those two guys named Ben and Jerry!  This healthier alternative to French fries was definitely a fun and tasty way to use up some of our garden zucchini! 

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What I’ve Learned from Blogging

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This post may contain affiliate links.  Making a purchase through one of these links helps support this blog.

It’s my eighth blogging anniversary and I’m celebrating by sharing everything (okay, maybe not everything) I’ve learned from blogging during these past eight years!


Tomorrow is my blogging anniversary.  I’ve been blogging for eight years.  EIGHT YEARS!!! What started as a hobby has become a business.  In these past eight years, I’ve learned so much, not only about blogging, but about myself.  Sure, it hasn’t come without its struggles and its thoughts of, “Why am I doing this again?”  But I can’t imagine doing anything else.  Blogging has been the creative outlet I’ve craved for so long and it’s been such an awesome experience.

So today, I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned about blogging these past eight years.  I wanted to share the struggles, the wins – all of it.  Bloggers don’t just take pretty pictures, write up a post, and hit “publish.”  If only it were that easy!  There’s so much more involved.  Through all of the hard work, I’ve learned so much about this crazy industry and, also, myself.

It’s hard work

Oh, you didn’t know?  Yeah, it’s not just about writing down some words, popping in pictures, and hitting “publish.”  Unless you’re doing it for a hobby, don’t expect the money to just fall into your pocket.  You need to work your butt off!  You need to promote, promote, promote.  Share the hell out of your posts, use all the hashtags, and do whatever you can to get on brands’ radars.  

But wait!  First, you have to create your post.  That means, spending time developing ideas, taking photos, editing photos, writing a solid post, getting that SEO in place, and scheduling social shares.  It’s a process, but in the end, the hard work has been so worth it.  Even when it seems like it’s not!

Community

Since the beginning, blogging has given me a sense of community.  I’ve connected with women that are incredible human beings!  The best!  The support and friendships are nothing that I ever experienced sitting behind an office desk.  These girls are killing it with their blogs and social media platforms.  They’ve become inspiration for me and I’m lucky to have found a spot in their circle of friends.

How to say “no”

When I first started working on product reviews, I basically welcomed every opportunity.  I mean, if I didn’t get compensated, not even with product, at least I got exposure.  Right?  WRONG!  I’ve become aware of how many brands think they can sucker bloggers into writing for them for free.  Not cool, guys!

Time is definitely money and I don’t have time to work for free.  Especially when I put a decent amount of work and dedication into each blog post.  And it goes beyond that point because each post makes its way to my social media accounts – every single one!  Free promotion?  I don’t think so!  Guys, it’s totally okay to say “no.”  Pass up those opportunities because there will be better ones!

How to say “yes”

“But, Jess, you just told us to say ‘no.'”  I know.  But now comes the fun part where we grab opportunity by the cojones and run with it!  So, a lot of bloggers say that you shouldn’t work for product.  But if it’s something I’m going to use anyway (Not gonna lie – I love when people send me free food), I’ll make an exception.  Especially if it’s from a brand I’ve been dying to work with!  It’s a great way to develop a relationship with brands and work with them on a continuous basis.  And negotiate.  Aim high so you can negotiate an offer that works for both of you.

Handling rejection

Rejection happens and it sucks.  For instance, a foreign PR company recently e-mailed to use one of my images in press material.  They asked for my rate.  I did some research on what I should charge because, quite honestly, no one’s ever wanted to buy one of my images from me before.  They responded a few days later that it wasn’t in their budget and that was that.

It’s going to happen.  You’re going to pitch brands and they’ll probably throw you some interest.  Then, you’ll start talking dollar signs and things will start to shift.  All of a sudden, your great idea isn’t so great anymore and opportunity slams its door right in your face!  Just keep opening doors because, eventually, there will be a brand behind one of them that wants to work with you!

My worth

I’m ending this post with the biggest lesson I’ve learned from blogging – my worth.  It all goes hand-in-hand with everything I’ve already said.  After so many years, I know what my work is worth.  I know when to say “yes,” when to say “no,” and to be proud of my accomplishments (like those features!).  I’ve come a long way, baby, and I’m going to keep working at it!

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Bloggers, what have you learned from your blogging experience?


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