Cookie dough yogurt

This is something to help with that sweet tooth craving but stay clean: non-fat Greek yogurt, spoonful almond butter, spoonful of honey, splash of vanilla extract, small amount of chocolate chips. This can be addicting, so sometimes I add blueberries instead of chips which gives it a nice crunch without the extra calories and sugar. Another thing that I love about this treat is that its got lots of protein, so on those nights when Trevor isn't interested in eating his dinner, I can count on him taking quite a few bites of my yogurt and getting some good nutrition in disguise:)

Quinoa and white bean chili

This chili is filled with superfood nutrition and tasty too! I made it for my own family and will have leftovers for lunches, but it would also be good to bring to a Sunday football party. I changed the recipe a bit by using chicken stock instead of water. Also topped it off with a parmesan, asiago, romano cheese blend. Yum!
 http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/quinoa-and-white-bean-chili/

Slow cooker quinoa and diced tomatoes

Quinoa is one of the new super foods. This is a great side for almost any dish, and it keeps for a long time in the fridge. I add one cup of quinoa, two and a half cups of low sodium chicken stock, and a can of no salt added diced tomatoes. It only takes about 4 hours on low in the slow cooker, so don't let it cook too long or it will burn. This time I made it over the weekend, then served it on Friday with coconut shrimp curry:)

Unstuffed cabbage rolls

This is something that I like to make when I'm traveling and want to make dinner for everyone, or make something that will last me for the weekend. It's easy to bring or grab quickly the ingredients, quick to make, and satisfying.
Here are my recipe changes: Ground turkey instead of beef.  I don't add the tomato sauce, and I use a bag of shredded coleslaw mix instead of chopping a head of cabbage. It's also nice to top it off with a little parmesan cheese:)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/unstuffed-cabbage-roll/

Coconut curry shrimp with green beans

Yummy Coconut curry shrimp and green beans! I served it with quinoa that I had made in the slow cooker over the weekend with chicken stock and diced tomatoes. The hardest part about this was peeling all of the frozen shrimp, but totally worth it:) Recipe below.

https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2014/07/coconut-curry-shrimp-green-beans/?utm_campaign=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=MyFitnessPal

Peanut tahini pasta with chicken

The hardest part about this recipe was saving some to bring for lunches this week. Yum!! I followed the recipe pretty closely, except I used soba noodles. I also added about a tablespoon of honey and used almond milk instead of cow's milk in the sauce. I will be happy to have this for lunches this week:)



Find the recipe here-


http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-peanut-tahini-pasta/

Cauliflower fried rice

This recipe has the potential to be great, but I kind of messed it up a little. Don't get me wrong, it was still good, and I went back for seconds, but it could be even better. First of all I thought I had frozen peas, but I didn't, so that was missing. It would have been so much prettier and tastier too. Secondly, I have a problem with not using ALL of the cauliflower in one recipe, so I used too much. Imagine any fried rice with too much rice... It's good, but not as flavorful as it would be with a better rice to goodie ratio... I made this recipe with shrimp that I added once the onion was tender. So good!
http://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2013/03/cauliflower-fried-rice.html

Peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies

This is a fun one to do with the kids, especially if they like to lick the batter. There are no eggs in these cookies. Packed with good clean fun and a few chocolate chips, it's tough to hold back from eating too many. Be sure to share them:)

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 Find the recipe link here.

Lebanese baked chicken

We had some friends over for dinner tonight, and I took a chance with this new recipe. Trevor was a great helper with juicing the lemons for me; I pretty much followed the recipe but used two lemons instead of one. I forgot to take a picture when it came out of the oven. I added turnips, carrots, tomatoes, onions, red potatoes, and lots of garlic and served it with whole grain cous cous and the strawberry kale salad. This was all that was left. Needless to say I will make it again:)

http://buttoni.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/lebanese-baked-chicken/

Tex-Mex baked spaghetti squash

I think it would be better named overstuffed spaghetti squash, and I'm feeling pretty stuffed now too after eating it! And there's plenty more for another meal tomorrow. Bill said it was "OK," then went back for a second helping, and Trevor said, "I like all these beans Mommy!" Music to my ears:)
Of course I did not follow the recipe exactly_ I used a whole package of chicken not just a breast; I used the whole jar of salsa instead of one cup, and I used ground coriander, not fresh.
The recipe is from Myfitness pal-
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2014/08/tex-mex-baked-spaghetti-squash/utm_source=email&utm_medium=email_2&utm_campaign=ROD15_20140825&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRonuKnBZKXonjHpfsX77O4oXa%2B0lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4AScVqI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFSrTFMblm0LgLXhM%3D

Banana ice cream or pudding

Sometimes I just need some chocolate! One way to get my fix is to add some unsweetened cocoa to frozen banana slices and blend. I have found that if they are too frozen it really jams up my Magic Bullet, so I only freeze them for an hour or if they are frozen solid I defrost them for about 20 seconds. If I defrost them too much it's more like pudding, but still good. Often I add a bit of Greek yogurt, because I know Trevor is going to want some, and he needs his protein:)

Cilantro lime cauliflower rice with shrimp

Man I am on a roll for picking yummy recipes! This one is a winner. After I had cleaned up and put Trevor to bed, I realized that I was still hungry, so I came down for a tiny bit more. It was even better cold from the fridge. So excited that I can bring this for lunch tomorrow! Yum:)

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Serves 4.

1 Head Cauliflower

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 Small Onion (diced)

1 Clove of Garlic (chopped)

1 cup frozen peas

2 Limes, juice and zest

1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped

Sea salt to taste

1. Rice the cauliflower by grating it on the larger holes on a grated or in a food processor. (I find that I have better results if I put smaller amounts into the food processor, not the whole head at once.)

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, add the onion and sauté until soft.

3. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two and then add the peas and cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower rice is tender, about 7-10 minutes.

4. Turn off heat and add the lime juice, zest, sea salt and cilantro into the cauliflower rice and stir.

I added a pound of frozen raw shrimp after the onion was soft, but before the cauliflower. It was more than 10 minutes cooking, and I added about a third can of coconut milk from the fridge that I wanted to get rid of just before turning off the heat. It would also be good with chicken. 

kale and egg white snack wrap

I was at the grocery store and thinking about ideas for a more exciting and filling afternoon snack than my usual veggies and hummus. Last week I did a wrap with tomatoes, avocado and hummus, but when I made it in advance it got kind of soggy. This is my answer for this week- sauté a big bag of kale with some pine nuts and tomato wedges in olive oil, then add egg whites. Top with a bit of parmesan cheese blend, and you've got the perfect afternoon snack wrap that can be made a few days in advance. It ticks lots of boxes for me- primary veggie, protein, easy, and filling. This may not be pretty, but yum:)

Pizza with cauliflower crust

If you have ever been to my house for lunch during the summertime, then you have probably tried this cauliflower crust pizza.  I could probably eat this every day!

Ingredients

·       2 cups cooked, riced cauliflower

·       2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

·       2 eggs, beaten

·       1 teaspoon dried oregano

 teaspoon crushed garlic or garlic paste

·       ½ teaspoon garlic salt

·       olive oil (optional) 

·       clean pizza or pasta sauce, shredded cheese and choice of your toppings

Instructions
To "rice" the Cauliflower: Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself. One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

1.     Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray or use parchment paper.

2.     In a medium bowl, stir together cauliflower, egg and  1 cup mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

3.     Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

4.     Remove from oven.

5.    To the crust, add sauce, toppings and remaining cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

*Note: Toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Szechuan green beans and ground turkey

This is one of my go to recipes. It's quick, easy, and quite tasty. I love that I can make it spicy hot or mild depending on my mood;) The recipe that I have is NOT completely clean, but can be made so with some easy adjustments. Instead of the corn starch use arrow root (find it at Whole Foods with the spices), and skip the Hoisin sauce. It's not necessary and still tastes great. This time I added some shredded carrots and an extra can of water chestnuts. You could serve it with brown rice, but I usually skip that and have it alone as a meal. Find the recipe on this link http://thelemonbowl.com/2012/07/szechuan-green-beans-and-ground-turkey.html

Afternoon survival wrap

I forgot how hungry I get spending the day with 18 third graders! Today I was so hungry that I over snacked- stopped at the grocery store for a few things and ate a whole bag of chocolate coconut crisps in the car ride home. Totally clean, but way more than I needed. Then when I got home I started in on the sweet potato brown rice Triscuits. Ahhhh! This won't happen again this week, because I will be ready with my improved afternoon snack wraps: fresh tomato, hummus, and a quarter avocado on a whole wheat wrap. Yum! I'm not perfect, but I do try to learn from my mistakes:)

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Warning! Take your servings then put the rest away or you will eat too much of this yummy meal. I love Pad Thai, so I'm not going to say that this is exactly the same, but it certainly is a good enough substitute for me.
My grocery list somehow missed a few items, and I couldn't find unsalted peanuts at the store, so I was missing the onions, peppers, and peanuts, but I did add a spoonful of peanut butter to the sauce to make up for that. And it was still delicious. Of course I cooked the squash in the microwave instead of the oven, so much easier and faster. This one goes on the list of things to make again soon!


Here's the recipe https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/2014/06/spaghetti-squash-pad-thai/