Living La Vida Holoka


Panera Inspired Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

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Lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, peppadew peppers, feta cheese, and basil mayo make up this Panera inspired Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich with a ton of crunch and fresh flavor!

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When Panera launched their grocery program at the beginning of the pandemic, I didn’t hesitate to hop online and check out their menu.  It was at a time when I was avoiding the grocery store at all costs – literally terrified of going anywhere – so having another option for food shopping was such a relief!  My first Panera grocery order included a French baguette, tomatoes, avocados, a whole bunch of apples, a green salad, fruit salads, and a box a cinnamon rolls (because cinnamon rolls). 

My next couple of orders included my new favorite sandwich, the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich.  The sandwich is made on an amazing tomato basil bread with feta cheese, cucumbers, lettuce greens, onions, peppadew peppers, tomatoes, salt and pepper, and hummus.  I always order it light on the onions and get basil mayo instead of hummus.  It’s like the perfect veggie sandwich with a whole lot of crunch and fresh flavor!  


The tomato basil bread is so good on its own (like so good that I’ve even ordered an entire loaf)!  It’s made with a sugary crumb topping.  Yup! You heard that right!  A savory loaf of herby tomato bread with a crumb topping made with sugar, cinnamon, and honey.  Somehow, it totally works!  

I’m trying to avoid extra sugar – especially after binging on pie and ice cream for my birthday – so I used sprouted grain bread that I got in my last Hungryroot box.  If you can get your hands on the tomato basil bread, it’s totally worth the extra sugar and calories!  But any bread will do to make this veggie loaded sandwich!


Panera Inspired Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

 
I’ve made a homemade version of this sandwich before, but I wasn’t able to get some of the ingredients, like the peppadew peppers, so I had to improvise a bit.  It was still a delicious sandwich, but not the same.  Now that I have everything I need, I’ve been making this sandwich a lot! 

The first thing I do when I make this sandwich is slather each slice of bread with basil mayo that I make quickly in a blender.  It’s just a little mayo, some fresh basil leaves, and salt and pepper.  Then, I add lettuce leaves and start piling on the rest of the goods! 

The peppadew peppers are key and kind of pull everything together, in my opinion.  They’re a slightly sweet pickled pepper with the slightest hint of spice.  If you can’t find peppadew peppers, try using roasted red peppers instead. 

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Panera Inspired Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

Yield: 2

Panera Inspired Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of whole or sprouted grain bread
  • 1/4 cup basil mayonnaise
  • Lettuce leaves
  • 4 thin slices tomato
  • 3-4 tbsp. chopped peppadew peppers
  • 6 thin slices red onion
  • 1 mini cucumber, sliced
  • Crumbled feta cheese
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Spread each slice of bread with basil mayonnaise.
  2. Layer two slices of bread with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, and peppadew peppers.
  3. Sprinkle with feta cheese, season with salt and pepper, and place the other slices of bread on top.
  4. Serve sandwich with an apple or potato chips.

Notes

To make basil mayonnaise, blend about 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and 2-3 tbsp. fresh basil leaves together with salt and pepper just until combined.

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Seems like a pretty simple sandwich.  Right?  But trust me, it’s beyond delicious!  It has a ton of crunch and Mediterranean inspired flavor!  Adjust the amount of veggies to your liking and serve this sandwich Panera style with a bag of chips or an apple on the side! 

Did you make this Panera Inspired Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Peach Corn Salsa

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Fire up the grill to make these Grilled Shrimp Tacos topped with a fresh and flavorful peach corn salsa for the ultimate summer Taco Tuesday!

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


Before the pandemic happened, I was doing really well with my relaxed version of the Fast Metabolism Diet. Then everything went to hell when the lockdown was put into place and grocery stores turned into a shark frenzy.  It was hard to maintain any shred of normalcy in life and in our fridge.

I went food shopping twice before things got really bad in New Jersey.  Then, I struggled to get grocery store deliveries.  And when I got deliveries, we really couldn’t be picky with our choices and ended up with a lot of substitutions.  Thankfully, I had our Hungryroot boxes to fill in the gaps, but keeping up my normal eating habits was hard to do. 

Shopping for meat was difficult.  Chicken was impossible to get, then pork, and the prices of what was available seemed to skyrocket.  But seafood seemed to be spared the chaos.  We’ve pretty much been able to get a bag of shrimp with every shopping trip and delivery. 


Things seem to be getting back to normal – as normal as they possibly can get right now – around here.  At least at the grocery store.  I mean, the last time I was there, the toilet paper was stocked to the ceiling.  That’s got to be a sign of hope!  I was also able to fill my cart with a lot of the foods I was eating before life got weird.

So I’ve been trying to get myself back into my relaxed FMD way of eating.  That means eating healthy carbs and fruit on Monday and Tuesday, protein and vegetables on Wednesday and Thursday, and healthy fats the rest of the week.  Not only does my body feel better eating that way, but it keeps our menu interesting!

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Peach Corn Salsa

 
For Taco Tuesday this week, I decided to make a taco recipe that, not only gave me a good excuse to use some of the shrimp in our freezer, but fit right into my “Tuesday foods.”  It’s an amazing time for fresh produce and the peak of peach and corn season.  So I wanted to make a really fresh, summery shrimp taco with a peach corn salsa.  

Before I started the shrimp, I put the salsa together so it could sit and soak up all of that flavorful goodness.  I chopped up a peach, some tomato, onion, jalapeño, fresh basil and added corn right off the cob (but you could use frozen or leftover).  Then, I squeezed in some lemon juice and added a little salt and pepper to finish it off. 


Grilling the shrimp was quick and easy.  I skewered them for easy cooking and seasoned them with a sprinkle of chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice.  The shrimp only took a few minutes to cook.  Then, I charred some corn tortillas and filled them with lettuce, shrimp, and a few spoonfuls of peach corn salsa! 

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Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Peach Corn Salsa

Serving Size: 6-8 tacos

Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Peach Corn Salsa

Ingredients

    For the peach corn salsa:
  • 1 large peach, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup fresh corn, kernels removed from cob
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • For the shrimp tacos:
  • 1 lb. large shrimp
  • Chili powder
  • Garlic powder
  • 1/2 lime
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 package corn tortillas
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Peach corn salsa

Instructions

    For the peach corn salsa:
  1. In a large bowl, add the chopped peach, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and corn.
  2. Stir in the lemon juice and fresh basil.
  3. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
    4. For the shrimp tacos:
  4. Oil the grill and preheat over medium-high heat.
  5. Sprinkle the shrimp with chili powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Then, squeeze lime juice over the skewers.
  6. Place the shrimp skewers on the heat cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until opaque and cooked through. Remove the skewers from the heat.
  7. Char tortillas over the grill for a few minutes on each side, if desired.
  8. Then, fill with lettuce, shrimp, and peach corn salsa. Serve immediately.
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These tacos are basically the perfect summer taco!  All that’s missing is a beach view, a summer breeze (AC will do), and an icy margarita!  Not a fan of shrimp?  Swap in some grilled chicken instead! 

Did you make this Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Peach Corn Salsa recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Italian Caprese Wraps with Prosciutto

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These Italian Caprese Wraps with Prosciutto are like having your favorite summer salad all rolled into a quick and easy sandwich wrap!

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Despite griping about how hot it is during the summer and how I can’t wait for the weather to cool down again, there is one thing that the heat is good for – growing tomatoes!  We always grow a couple types of tomatoes in our garden every summer.  We plant those big, ol’ juicy Jersey tomatoes and a smaller variety, like the cherry tomatoes we’re growing this year.  

Our tomatoes are just starting to pop!  Every morning, while watering the gardening, I can see little hints of red and orange through our tomato plants.  We’ve been picking most of our tomatoes while they’re orange so they can ripen on our windowsill.  We’re just getting to the point where our counter is going to be overloaded soon!


So I’ve been making a lot of tomato salads, or throwing some cherry tomatoes onto my breakfast plate in the morning, or in a sandwich for lunch.  But a lot of times, I don’t even want to eat during the day.  I spend most of my morning outside watering plants and feeding the birds.  Then, I’ll get some work done and by the time lunch rolls around, I’m too hot to be hungry.

That’s where an easy dish like these Caprese wraps comes in.  During hot summer days, a simple wrap is a quick bite I can grab and enjoy on-the-go!  Make these ahead of time, pack them up, and take them to the pool or beach, or wrap them up and keep them in the fridge when you want a little something to nibble on! 

Italian Caprese Wraps with Prosciutto

 
The main filling in these wraps is tomato, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil to replicate a classic Caprese salad.  It’s one of my favorite salads to enjoy during the summer because it’s easy to make, refreshing, and delicious! But I also added a few slices of prosciutto (Italian ham) and spread my wraps with a quick pesto mayonnaise to add to those Italian flavors!

You could use store bought pesto and combine it with mayonnaise to keep things simple or make a quick homemade pesto with fresh basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.  You could even make this Kale and Sundried Tomato Pesto that I actually enjoy better than traditional pesto! 

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Italian Caprese Wraps with Prosciutto

Yield: 2

Italian Caprese Wraps with Prosciutto

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. prepared pesto
  • 2 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 2 whole wheat wraps
  • 6-8 slices prosciutto
  • 1 medium tomato, sliced thin
  • 6 slices fresh mozzarella
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix pesto and mayonnaise together.
  2. Spread the pesto mayonnaise onto each tortilla.
  3. Then, divide the prosciutto between each tortilla.
  4. Next, place the tomato and fresh mozzarella on top, followed by the fresh basil.
  5. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  6. Carefully roll up each tortilla and serve.
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These wraps will stay fresh for a day or two in the fridge.  Of course, the sooner you eat them, the better they’ll be!  Wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them in an airtight container to prevent them from getting too soggy.  Then, just grab one out of the fridge when it’s time to eat!  These wraps make a great summer lunch!  Serve them with a small salad or sliced melon. 

Did you make this Italian Caprese Wraps with Prosciutto recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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Jackfruit Rice Bowl with Black Bean Mango Salsa

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This plant based Jackfruit Rice Bowl is taco seasoned and topped with a slightly spicy and super flavorful Black Bean Mango Salsa!

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


What’s the weirdest thing you’ve purchased during this pandemic?  My three weirdest purchases have been a four pack of assorted live succulents that came with a rose quartz crystal, a hefty 25 pound bag of wild birdseed (that my husband and I extensively researched before purchasing), and about 10 cans of unripened jackfruit. 

I bought the succulents while we were planting our backyard garden, so I guess it wasn’t that weird.  The crystal was a bonus that’s now hanging out in a terrarium.  The birdseed is obviously for our flock of backyard friends that have kind of turned into our extended pets and an easy source of entertainment.  And the jackfruit was to keep my cravings for this meatless wonder satisfied while avoiding the grocery store! 

Jackfruit Rice Bowl with Black Bean Mango Salsa

 
The other day, I was craving something a little different for lunch.  So I cracked open a can of jackfruit and made myself a rice bowl.  I could have topped the rice bowl with jarred salsa and called it a day.  But I also had a can of black beans, a mango, and a whole bunch of cherry tomatoes from our garden to use.  So I made a simple black bean and mango salsa to add to my bowl.

I cooked the jackfruit in some olive oil until it started to soften and shred apart.  Then, I added taco seasoning and lime juice to it.  While that was cooking, I made some brown rice.  I like to cook my rice in half water and half vegetable broth to give it a little flavor. 


Once everything was done cooking, I put it all together in a bowl, and sprinkled some more fresh cilantro on top.  It honestly didn’t need anything else!  There’s a lot of flavor packed into this bowl from the taco seasoned jackfruit to the slightly spicy salsa! 

If you want to lay off the spice, you can use half of a jalapeño in the salsa.  I used pickled jalapeños since they’re not as spicy as fresh peppers.  If you really want more flavor than spiciness, remove the white pith, rib, and seeds since that’s where the heat is. 

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Jackfruit Rice Bowl with Black Bean Mango Salsa

Jackfruit Rice Bowl with Black Bean Mango Salsa

Ingredients

    For the black bean mango salsa:
  • 15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 pickled jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 mango, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup tomato, chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. ancho chile pepper
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
    • For the jackfruit rice bowl:
  • 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 20 oz. can green jackfruit in brine, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup taco seasoning
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 cup brown rice, cooked in 1 cup water + 1 cup vegetable broth
  • Optional: fresh cilantro, to garnish

Instructions

    For the black bean mango salsa:
  1. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, garlic, onion, jalapeño, mango, and tomato.
  2. Stir in the lime juice, fresh cilantro, and ancho chile pepper.
  3. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
    4. For the jackfruit rice bowl:
  4. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  5. Add the jackfruit and cook about 10-15 minutes, covered, or until the jackfruit softens and can break apart easily.
  6. Then, add the taco seasoning, water, and lime juice.
  7. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken and soaked up by the jackfruit, about 2-3 minutes.
  8. Remove the jackfruit from heat and assemble the rice bowls.
  9. Add the rice to the bowl first. Then, top with jackfruit and black bean mango salsa.
  10. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.
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You’ll get about two or three rice bowls out of this recipe and end up with extra black bean mango salsa.  Use it with homemade tortilla chips, or to top a taco salad.  It’s so good that you could honestly eat it on its own like a bean salad.  However you use the leftovers, you’ll be happy you had extra! 

Did you make this Jackfruit Rice Bowl with Black Bean Mango Salsa recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #livinglavidaeats. Don’t forget to tag me @lavidaholoka!

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