Copycat Zupa's Mango Berry Salad

The Mango Berry Salad from Zupa's Cafe is my very favorite salad.  I get it every time I go there.  I think I could happily eat this every day!  (And, I did, for about a week, so that none of the delicious dressing or berries would go to waste!)

Mango Berry Salad with Mango Dressing and Cinnamon Almonds
adapted from: sixsistersstuff.com

8-10 c. salad greens
2 c. sliced strawberries
1 small package blueberries
1 mango, cubed

For the dressing:
1 (5.3 oz) container vanilla greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 mango, pitted, peeled and cubed
1 tsp. honey
pinch of salt

In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients until it is smooth.  Then taste it and add more honey or salt to taste.

For the cinnamon almonds:
I put a handful of sliced almonds (about 1/2 c.) in a small frying pan, with about two teaspoons of butter, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.  Over medium-low heat, stir it constantly until the butter and sugar melt and coat the almonds.  Remove it from the heat.  Once they have cooled, sprinkle them over the top of your salad.

In a large bowl, combine the greens, strawberries, blueberries, mango cubes and cinnamon almonds.  Pour some of the dressing over the top and toss it to coat.  Serve and enjoy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

I make these muffins all the time.  They are delicious and healthy, and they are perfect to send in my kid's lunches for school.  I freeze them in a big ziploc bag, then pull one out in the morning, put it in a baggie in their lunch box and it will be thawed and ready to eat when they are!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
by: runningonipsum.com

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. sugar (sometimes I do half white, half brown)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. milk
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla 
2 c. grated zucchini
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two muffin pans (it makes 24 muffins).  In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In another bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, applesauce, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.  Stir that into the dry ingredients until it is moistened.  Fold in the zucchini.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake them for 20-25 minutes.

Coconut Crusted Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce (and a Honey Mustard Sauce, just for fun!)

Have I mentioned that one of my New Year's Resolutions is to eat healthier?  I didn't get too specific because I didn't want to be disappointed if I failed, but basically I want to eat more fruits and veggies and less sweets.  I'm going for more heart healthy meals because my sweet hubby has cholesterol issues and is dieting (kind of).  Because I am the buyer and preparer of food, it is at least partly up to me to help him be successful.  I haven't been really excited about this, so I'm trying to change my attitude.  Even though it sounds so boring and tasteless to eat healthy, I'm trying to think of it as an exciting food challenge!  Tonight, I made a heart healthy fish dish, and you may too, if you wish :)  It was REALLY good.  Not at all boring and tasteless.  I made two different dipping sauces and they each gave the tilapia an entirely different taste.  So, I'm including them both in this recipe. (Our favorite was the apricot, FYI)

Coconut Crusted Tilapia
adapted from: allrecipes.com

1 c. shredded coconut, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. creole seasoning (I didn't have this, so I made my own from this recipe)
4 (4 oz.) tilapia fillets
1/2 c. cornstarch
1 egg
1/2 c. canola oil

Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray.  In a shallow dish, combine coconut, flour and creole seasoning and stir it well.  In another bowl, whisk together the egg and oil.  Put the cornstarch in another bowl, dip the tilapia in to coat it, and shake off the excess.  Then dip each fish piece in the egg mixture, then the coconut mixture until they are evenly coated.  Use tongs for this!  It is so much cleaner on your hands.  Place the prepared fish fillets in the baking dish and bake it at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork when tested.  I covered mine with tinfoil for half of the cooking time, and flipped the fish one time, halfway through, and it came out juicy on the inside and a little crispy on the outside.  Perfect!

Apricot Dipping Sauce
also adapted from allrecipes.com

1/2 c. apricot jam (or nectarine)
2 tsp. brown mustard (or dijon)
1 tsp. prepared horseradish (or omit this)

Stir it all together in a small bowl.  I thought I had apricot jam downstairs, and it ended up being nectarine.  I also used dijon mustard and no horseradish.  And it was delicious with the tilapia.  I put the recipe in the way it was stated on allrecipes because I'm guessing it would taste even better if you followed what they had.  Unless, of course, you hate horseradish and don't have brown mustard, or apricot jam.  Then follow my recipe.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
from allrecipes.com

1/2 c. mayonaise
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Stir all the ingredients together until they are well mixed.  Maren like this so much she was eating it plain.  I know that sounds terrible, but she loves mustard.  Go figure!