This super easy meal is budget friendly and a great recipe for healthy eating. It's time saving by using frozen veggies. This meal consist of: Easy Southwestern Rice, Pobalano Cubed Steak and Avocado Pico de Gallo.

Your Shopping List:
1 Pobalano pepper, 1 bag of frozen Southwestern Corn Mix, 1 package of 2 cubed steaks, 1 ripe avocado, 1 small red onion, 1 medium tomato, 1 lime, 1 small bunch of cilantro, white rice, black pepper, flaked dried chili, apple cider vinegar, ground or flaked sea salt

Easy Southwestern Rice:
2 cups white rice | 2 cups water | pinch of salt | 1 bag frozen Southwestern corn mix | 2 tbsp canola oil
1) Add water into a pot with oil and salt and bring to a boil.
2) Add rice (don't rinse, rinsing rice removes all the vitamins and minerals) and corn mix.
3) Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat and cover, cook for 20 minutes or until rice is dry and soft.

Pobalano Cubed Steak:
1 pobalano pepper, cut into strips | 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (use organic ACV with the "mother" in it, it provides amazing health benefits) | sea salt & pepper to taste | 2 cubed steaks
1) Rinse cubed steaks (always rinse meat... let's not be gross) in water and lay them in a bowl or deep dish with the ACV (apple cider vinegar) while you cut the pobalano pepper into thin strips.
2) Remove the steaks from the ACV and season to taste with the salt and pepper.
3) Spray a pan with cooking spray, lay the cubed steaks in the pan and top with the pobalano pepper strips.
4) Saute over medium-high heat 7-10 minutes until cooked to desired doneness.

Avacodo Pico de Gallo:
1 ripe avacodo | 1 small red onion | juice of 1 lime | 1 medium tomato, cubed or diced | 5-10 stems of cilanto, leave only | pinch of sea salt | pinch of dried chili pepper flakes
1) Dice everything.
2) Mix it all in a bowl.
3) Add lemon juice and toss.

Plating It:
Place rice on plate and add a cubed steak. Spoon avacado pico de gallo over the cubed steak and top with a few strips of the pobalano pepper that cooked with the steak. Enjoy!

Beating the heat with a broken air-conditioner, high 80's weather and humidity isn't easy but so far this week I've managed to do it with the help of a few cool-down treats. The best part is that it's nothing that will break my diet anytime soon and take very little effort.

My fave: Frozen Grapes

What you need: As many grapes as you want | a freezer-safe container to put them in
How to do it:
1) Wash the grapes and shake them off.
2) Put them in the container and put in the freezer.
3) Freeze for a few hours.
4) Serve frozen or use in place of ice cubes in juice.

Frozen Watermelon
What you need: cut up watermelon | container to put it in
How to do it:
1) Cut the watermelon into cubes and place in container big enough to hold it.
2) Put in freezer for a few hours.
3) Serve frozen or in place of ice cubes in drinks or water for "agua fresca", fresh water.

Smoothie "Ice Cream"
What you need: your favorite smoothie | container to put it in
How to do it:
1) Make or buy your favorite smoothie.
2) Pour it into small cups or a container and place in freezer.
3) Freeze for a few hours to set.
4) Eat with a spoon like ice cream.

I love iced coffee! I don't love all the calories and sugar and I don't love having to go out and get some but sometimes making it at home taste a little watered down. I toyed with how to make good iced coffee (it's a lot more complex then just adding ice to regular coffee or you'll get a watered down mess) and found a way. In the week and half since my air-conditioner has been broken, I've made this in the mornings and afternoons to help keep me refreshed. This recipe isn't specific in measurements so that you can decide how you like your coffee, creamier or stronger and so that you can make either a little bit or a whole lot.

Healthy Iced Coffee

What you need: freshly ground fair-trade coffee grinds (I use a Peruvian blend)| purified water |cold sugar-free coffee creamer, you choice of flavor |cold fat-free (I use lactose-free) milk | loads of ice | Truvia sweetener if you want a sweeter iced coffee

How you make it:
1) Brew coffee in your pot using the purified water (cleaner, truer taste) and fair-trade coffee grinds, as usual except make it stronger than you normally would. Regular strength coffee will become watery with all the extra milk and ice.
2) Pour the coffee into your desired container, cover and put in the freezer to chill for about 10 minutes. Use about one half more the normal amount of coffee you normally use to avoid a diluted taste.
3) Add the normal amount of creamer you would normally use plus about 1 1/2 tsp and mix.
4) Add 1/4th cup to up to a full cup of milk to the coffee (it depends on how you like your coffee and how big a cup or how many servings your making, which is why I leave the exact measurements up to you. Mix well.
5) Fill the rest of your cup up with the ice and avoid stirring (that will make the ice melt faster).
6) Enjoy!