Inspired by Fresh Ingredients

7 miles. Done.  I love running in the morning and getting it out of the way because it's a great way to start my day.  On my run this morning, I decided to incorporate some more hills, grass and trails.  It was a nice change of pace from my flatter, more road-type courses, and I also wanted to explore a bit.  I covered areas that I haven't been in a while, like the Monocacy Park course where we used to do intervals in college.  With the alumni meet coming up in a few weeks, I wanted to get a little grass running in before I ran a cross-country course.  The grass kind of slowed me down a bit, as well as the rolling hills, but in the end...I had a solid seven under my belt.   

As for today's post, it was inspired by the lovely fruits and veggies that are available in the summer.  Some of them are from the produce stand just around the corner from my home, and some are from Wegman's...my favorite grocery store in the whole wide world.  Come summer, my menus always tend to lean heavy on the colorful side...bright tomatoes, green and yellow squash, salads tossed with vibrant and crispy vegetables, and much more.  The girls know, lunch isn't complete without a fruit and a veggie, so they don't even argue anymore.  

Here's what I am thinking for the week:

Bunless burgers with an Heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese and basil salad using these...

Heirloom tomatoes are rich in color and flavor.  I love all of the hues in this bowl...reds, yellows, and oranges.  Can you just imagine them in a salad tossed with a light vinaigrette?  
 
My basil is looking might fine too...

Also on the menu for this week, Marinated chicken breasts topped with a Mango, Cilantro and Jalapeno Salsa using these...

I'm thinking that a light, lime dressing will be the perfect touch for this combination.  Another find at the stand were these fresh flowers.  I couldn't resist!

And last night, I marinated pork tenderloin in a homemade concoction of olive oil, rice wine vinegar, OJ, garlic, soy sauce and lime juice.  On the side, I tried Giada's Quinoa Pilaf.    

It was simple and delicious.  I can't wait to dig in to all of the freshness to create healthy and satisfying meals for me and my family.   

What's for dinner this week at your house? 

Have a great day!