Last Night's Veggies Cookies

Makes 20-24 cookies
Weird name for a cookie right? But that’s literally what these were. The first time I made Pineapple Pork Tenderloin I didn’t have peppers. Actually to be honest, I seriously needed to go grocery shopping and the only thing I did have was a big buttercup squash. So I made roasted squash with pineapple instead. We all ate it happily enough that night but none of us really felt like eating the leftovers. The frugal side of me couldn’t bear to throw them away so I made them into cookies. Normal people use their leftover dinner veggies to make cookies too, right? Regardless, we all loved them and these have since become a favorite cookie in our household. They are sort of like a pumpkin gingersnap but they're more cakey than crispy.

NOTE: If you are making something in your crockpot, you can chop up about a cup of winter squash/sweet potato and put it on a piece of tinfoil with about a cup of pineapple. Fold the foil into a pouch and stick it on top of whatever you're cooking. Obviously this wouldn't work if you were cooking a soup since the packet would sink. It only takes about 3 hours on low for the veggies to soften but you can leave it in there as long as your dish is cooking and just take it out at the end.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat flour)
• 1 Tbsp ginger
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup Earth Balance buttery spread or coconut oil
• ¾ cup canned pineapple, drained
• ¾ cup cooked winter squash/sweet potato
• 1 cup sucanat, divided
• ¼ cup molasses

ONE: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

TWO: Puree the pineapple and winter squash/sweet potato together adding a small amount of pineapple juice if needed to create a puree the same consistency as canned pumpkin.

THREE: In a large bowl, cream together the buttery spread/coconut oil, pineapple-veggie puree, ½ cup of sucanat, and molasses using an electric or stand mixer. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until dough comes together. Chill dough for at least an hour.

FOUR: Preheat oven to 350 and pour remaining ½ cup of sucanat into a shallow bowl. Scoop out a generous tablespoonful of dough and roll it between your palms into a small ball, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll the ball in the sucanat until completely covered and then place on a cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, lightly press the doughball to flatten. Repeat until all the dough is gone. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Cool about 2 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a cooling rack. Don’t leave them on the tray for too long if you want them crispy.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1 cookie) - 89 Calories (16 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 130mg Sodium, 17g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 3g Sugars, 1g Protein, 17% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Sneaky Lasagna (with Spinach!) OAMC

Makes 10 servings
This is hands down one of our family favorites and we ALWAYS have some in the freezer. This recipe makes one pan but I always double it and make 2 at once because I figure I’m already making the pans dirty and heating up the oven, I might as well make it worthwhile :) I assemble the first one and pop it into the oven and I can usually have the second one assembled (and sometimes even get the dishes done!) so that when the first one is ready I can put the second one in and sit down to have the first for dinner.


You will see that this recipe has you making homemade spaghetti sauce which I really like to do when I have the time because then I know exactly what we are eating and can be sure that there are no random added ingredients. However, if I am crunched for time, I have used jars of premade sauce and then just browned the ground turkey and added it in. You will need about 4 1/2 cups of sauce to equal 6 cups total after adding in the meat. Just make sure you read the ingredients list really well when you pick a sauce. You would be amazed at the things that get added in to some.

Ingredients:
Sauce -

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, diced (2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
• 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 cup pureed cooked sweet potato (optional, but I always add it in because it gives the sauce a slight sweetness, which most commercial sauces achieve by adding sugar. When I first started adding it Matt said, “Wow. This is awesome! It tastes just like Chef Boyardee!” Thanks hunny, that’s totally what I’m aiming for. Homemade sauce that tastes like processed crap in a can, LOL. What he meant in his own goofy way was that the sauce was so good it tasted like it was professionally made… which he apparently thinks Chef Boyardee is…)

Filling and Pasta Layers -

• 1 lb fat-free ricotta cheese
• 3 cups reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (This is bolded because I ALWAYS forget to divide it!)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbsp dried basil (or ½ cup minced fresh basil)
• 1 large egg lightly beaten or equivalent of egg substitute
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 12oz bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped or torn
• 12 whole grain lasagna noodles uncooked (not no boil noodles, just regular whole wheat noodles. The whole no boil thing is a scam, you don’t need to boil any noodles. My friend, Ariana, taught me that :) Before that I was preboiling all my lasagna, grrrr)

ONE: Combine the onion, oil, and ½ tsp salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and cook until it’s JUST starting to brown, about 4 minutes.

TWO: Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and measures about 6 cups, about an hour (the sauce might spit while it’s cooking so I always cover the pot with one of those mesh screen things that prevent splattering). Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

THREE: Dump the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper into a large bowl and stir well.

FOUR: Preheat the oven to 375 and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 ½ cups of the sauce evenly over the bottom.

FIVE: Rinse 3 uncooked lasagna noodles under cold running water and lay them on top of the sauce spaced evenly apart. Place 1/3 cup of filling on each one and spread it out evenly over the entire noodle. Lay 1/3 of the bag of spinach over the top of the filling (this will seem like a big pile of spinach and will make the layers really tall but it will wilt during cooking and you won’t even notice it’s there).Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly over the spinach. Repeat this layering two more times, rinsing each lasagna noodle before placing it in the pan.

SIX: Lay the remaining 3 noodles over the top and cover with the remaining 1 ½ cups of sauce, making sure to cover the edges. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Place the lasagna pan on a cookie tray (to catch any bubbling over sauce) and bake for 45 minutes.

SEVEN: Remove the foil and sprinkle the lasagna evenly with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbling and slightly brown, 10-15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Let the leftovers cool completely in the fridge overnight. Slice into individual servings (one pan should yield 10 servings) and freeze using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash. Reheat in the microwave or thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven @ 350 for about 30 minutes.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 424 Calories (136 Calories from Fat), 15g Fat, 7g Saturated Fat, 90mg Cholesterol, 590mg Sodium, 38g Total Carbohydrates, 7g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugars, 35g Protein, 181% DV Vitamin A, 60% DV Vitamin C, 50% DV Calcium, 21% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Cucumber Tomato Bruschetta

Makes 8 servings
According to Wikipedi, "Bruschetta is an appetizer from central Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese; the most popular recipe outside of Italy involves basil, fresh tomato, garlic and onion or mozzarella. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer.” In our house, Bruschetta means my kids will eat raw veggies because they have a vinegary sauce on them and they’re served on little pieces of bread :) Whatever it means to you, this version is delicious and you should try it.

Did you notice I snuck a little chopped kale in there? It blends right in with the basil and oregano and you can't taste it because the other flavors are so strong. But it helps this "snack" pack a whopping 20% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin A and 15% of Vitamin C.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grape tomatoes cut into quarters (or other chopped tomatoes)
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped kale
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into shreds
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Whole grain baguette, crackers, or pita bread

ONE: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the bread/crackers. Toss well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

TWO: Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours. Serve over slices of toasted baguette, crackers, or pita bread triangles.

Raw tomatoes become mushy once frozen but you can still freeze the leftovers in half cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash. Use the thawed tomato mixture in a dish where the mushier texture won't matter. I serve it as a salsa-type topping for chicken, mixed into some brown rice for a little kick, or inside an omelet.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (not including bread) - 44 Calories (31 Calories from Fat), 3.5g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 4mg Sodium, 3g Total Carbohydrates, 0.6g Dietary Fiber, 1.6g Sugars, 0.6g Protein, 20% DV Vitamin A, 15% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 2% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Grape Zucchini Bread

Makes 16 servings
I know what you’re thinking… do grapes and zucchinis really go together? I’m here to tell you they do and the result is lovely. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know I have a big crush on quick breads. Part of the reason is that my breadmaker has a quick bread setting so I just dump everything into the pan, push a button, and an hour and a half later it magically becomes bread. But even if you don’t have a bread maker, quick breads are easy to throw together. I also like them because you can put all kinds of different things in them but they’re usually slightly sweet which makes my boys think they’re getting a special treat when really they’re getting a good dose of whole grains. Plus they freeze really well. What more could you ask for?!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup green seedless grapes, halved
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• ¼ cup sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won’t be “clean”)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)

BREADMAKER: Dump everything into the breadmaker, adding the flour last. Run the breadmaker on the quick bread setting (I take a rubber spatula and run it around the edges after it's been mixing for a little while to make sure there's no pockets of unmixed flour). Remove from the bread pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

OVEN:
ONE: In a bowl, blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sunflower seeds.Beat together egg, oil, honey, sucanat, and almond extract.

TWO: Add zucchini and grapes to egg mixture; gently stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.

THREE: Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan to a wire rack. Slice and serve.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 147 Calories (51 Calories from Fat), 5.7g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 12mg Cholesterol, 400mg Sodium, 22.7g Total Carbohydrates, 0.6g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 2g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Classic Vegetarian Tacos (OAMC)

Makes 4 Servings, 3 Tacos Each
I'm not kidding when I say this is one of the top 5 things I have EVER eaten. I first tried this recipe when I was recipe testing it for Clean Eating Magazine. You can find it in the April/May 2011 edition with a quote from yours truly on page 58 :) I made it again a few months ago for some other moms at my MOMS Club's Fit and Frugal Meeting. All the moms loved it but the best part was that literally every child there ate it happily and asked for more. It's almost completely vegetables and they all scarfed it down!

The first time I made it for Matt and the boys, Matt had already finished his second one when he asked me what type of meat I used since it was so moist and tender. I wish I could have taken a picture of his face when he found out it was mushrooms and cauliflower, two of his least favorite foods. Priceless.

The other absolutely phenomenal thing about this recipe is how well it freezes. I triple or quadruple the recipe and freeze it in individual portions (3 tacos worth). It is so quick to heat some corn tortillas in a dry skillet for a few seconds while microwaving the filling. SOOOO GOOOOD!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced small (1½ cups)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, roughly chopped into small pieces (I use Portabella)
• 1 cup cauliflower florets, roughly chopped into small pieces
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 12 small corn tortillas
• 5 large Romaine lettuce leaves, sliced into ¼-inch strips
• ½ avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
• ½ cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup low-fat sour cream

ONE: In a large, high-sided skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.

TWO: Add mushrooms and cauliflower and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until vegetables start to release water and shrink. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are about half their original size and cauliflower is fork tender, about 15 minutes.

THREE: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together tomato paste, ¼ cup water, chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add to mushroom mixture along with corn. Stir to combine, then cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

FOUR: Warm tortillas over the flame of a gas stove or in a warm oven (I plop them in a dry skillet over medium high heat and warm them for about 20 seconds a side one by one). To assemble tacos, fill each tortilla with ¼ cup mushroom filling. Top with lettuce, avocado, cheese and sour cream, dividing evenly.

Freeze leftover filling in 3/4 cup portions using the medium/large portion method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving, 3 tacos each including garnishes - 379 Calories, 12g Total Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 58g Total Carbohydrates, 10g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 15g Protein, 394mg Sodium, 11mg Cholesterol, 37% Vitamin C, 45% Riboflavin

:)

Clean Eating Sweet and Savory Turkey Cheddar Meatballs in the Crockpot (OAMC)

Makes approx 35 meatballs
My mouth is watering right now just thinking about these. They are my personal favorite. They are so good that I want to make them and go door to door to share them with everyone in a ten mile radius, LOL :) Not only are they delicious but they combine a lean protein with a green veggie AND an orange veggie. What more could a mother want?! Plus my kids get really excited because they have raisins in them and they feel like dinner involving raisins is just the coolest thing ever. I got the idea for these meatballs from THIS totally awesome crockpot blog.


These are one of my top go-to items for a quick and easy dinner. I serve them crumbled into a bowl of brown rice and they are so moist and tender that you don’t need any type of sauce. I scoop a cup of rice from my freezer stash, plop 3 or 4 meatballs on top, microwave for a minute and a half and presto, a complete meal :)

Ingredients: (Can be doubled... which I do every time because otherwise I am immediately bummed that we've eaten half of them. I like seeing a big bag of meatballs in the freezer.)

• 1 ½ pounds 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 tsp kosher salt OR ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
• 1 ½ cups pureed broccoli *
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ cup raisins

*If you are making a small batch of pureed broccoli for this recipe and you are using a blender instead of a food processor (especially if your blender isn’t very good…Mom), you can add one or two egg whites to the broccoli for easier pureeing. Broccoli is sometimes hard to puree without adding liquid but adding water will make the meatball mixture very sloppy. The egg whites will make for a slightly wetter and stickier “batter” but will not negatively affect the firmness and cohesiveness of the finished meatballs. It will work best if you put the egg whites into the blender first and then add the broccoli in a little at a time, pureeing as you go.

ONE: In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix VERY well (I use my hands… which I HATE doing but it really does do the best job).

TWO: Scoop out a level 1/8 cup and use your hands to roll it into a ball.

CROCKPOT: Place formed meatballs into your crockpot, stacking them gently on top of each other once the bottom is covered (like a bucket of golf balls). Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-7 hours.

OVEN: Place formed meatballs in rows on a cooking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. (I’ve cooked a batch in the crockpot but kept just enough out for dinner and baked them in the toaster oven before. They came out great!)

Remove from the crockpot or baking tray and cool on a wire rack over a double layer of paper towels (to catch the drips). Freeze using the flash freeze method.

TIP: When cooking them in the crockpot, don’t worry that they don’t look brown at first. I promise you that they will eventually brown and you will be able to gently separate them when they’re cooked. The bottom ones will be slightly moister and mushier than the top ones but we mash them into brown rice anyway so that doesn’t bother us. If you want them firmer you can use a turkey baster to remove the juices from the bottom of the crock halfway through cooking. You may need to increase the cooking time if you do this due to heat loss from uncovering the crock.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (4 meatballs) -  236 Calories (88 Calories from Fat), 10g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 75mg Cholesterol, 348mg Sodium, 17g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 21g Protein, 107% Vitamin A, 51% Vitamin C, 18% Calcium, 10% Iron.

:)

Clean Eating Cauliflower Pizza Crust (and Cauliflower Bread Sticks!)

Makes 4 servings, 1 slice each
When I first saw this recipe HERE I thought, “No way! How could that possibly work?” But it totally did and let me just tell you it is AWESOME. I think this might be the ultimate veggie sneak :) Matt hates cauliflower. He calls it albino broccoli. But he loves pizza so he now loves something primarily involving cauliflower (insert evil cackle… and then remember that Matt reads this blog every day to find out what we’re having for dinner so he now knows that his pizza crust is made of albino broccoli… oops). Whatever, Matt, you know you’ll still eat it anyway.

This is seriously a bread stick made out of cauliflower!!! How cool is that?!

Ingredients:

• ½ a head of cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp fennel
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp parsley (you can use Italian seasoning or garlic or any spice combination you like instead of these three)

ONE: Wash cauliflower and remove leaves. Grate it until it is the size of rice. I use the shredder blade on my food processor but you could use a hand grater or a chef knife as long as you chop it VERY finely.

I literally took a bag of frozen cauliflower, shoved it into the top of my food
processor fitted with the shredding/grating blade, and turned it on.

TWO: Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe dish and cover. DO NOT ADD WATER because the cauliflower will absorb it all and turn to mush. Microwave on high 4-5 minutes until tender but not mushy.

THREE: Preheat oven to 450. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Scoop out one cup of the cooked cauliflower rice and mix with the egg and mozzarella.

FOUR: Press evenly onto the pan in a pizza dough shape and sprinkle with spices. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).

TO USE IMMEDIATELY: Spread pizza dough with a little bit of sauce and sprinkle with toppings and some mozzarella cheese. Place under the broiler on high heat and grill just until the cheese is melted.

TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers or whole plain pizza crusts using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

TO MAKE BREAD STICKS:
ONE: Double the recipe. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a cookie tray. Take that same piece of parchment paper and line an 8x8 baking dish with it. Don’t cut it. (Or use a single batch and put it in a loaf pan... but it doesn't make as many breadsticks and I PROMISE you you'll want more... immediately)

Single batch in a loaf pan

TWO: Spread the unbaked “dough” into the baking dish, pressing down with a spatula to cover the bottom evenly. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 20-25 minutes until dough is set, just starting to brown around the edges and not wet on top.

THREE: Remove pan from oven and increase temp to 450. Transfer the parchment and set dough to the baking sheet. Cut the dough into strips and separate carefully. Sprinkle with garlic powder and a little parmesan or shredded cheese if desired (I did).

FOUR: Bake another 15 minutes in 450 degree oven until top is slightly browned and bottoms are crispy. Cool on a wire rack.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1/4 of the recipe) - 121 Calories (62 Calories from Fat), 7g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 62mg Cholesterol, 188mg Sodium, 5g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugar, 10g Protein, 6% DV Vitamin A, 60% DV Vitamin C, 24% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Green Eggs and Ham (without the ham) (OAMC Eggs)

In my house, my boys call these Dinosaur Eggs and I make them 2 or 3 times a week (we alternate having Overnight Oatmeal and Green Eggs and toast every other day). I love them because they are happily eating a whole serving of spinach and they love them because... well... they're fluorescent green. I make them for myself too because, if I just put the spinach inside the omelet, it sometimes slips all over the place and is hard to eat. Plus every now and again I'd get a bite that was almost all spinach and I'm not a fan of cooked spinach. With it pureed right into the mix, I barely taste the spinach :) Since I'm also not a big fan of corned beef, this is our favorite healthy St. Patrick's Day meal. A great alternative to corned beef and cabbage if you ask me. 

Did I mention they were fluorescent green?

Before I had children I absolutely could NOT make pancakes or omelets. I was never patient enough to let the bottom cook to the point where it was firm enough for me to flip it. I always rushed it and made a big mess. Now I have no problem. Funny how that works :)

Open wide!

Ingredients:

• Two eggs (or 4 egg whites)
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 Tbsp 50% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

ONE: Place the eggs and spinach together in a mini food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

I got this Sunbeam Kitchen Assistant for $2 at WalMart :)

TWO: Spray a small non-stick pan with cooking spray and pour the egg mixture in. Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the top is almost set, about 3 to 5 minutes.

THREE: Sprinkle the cheese on top of one half and, using a heat proof rubber spatula, carefully fold the egg in half. Cook an additional 2 minutes per side until the egg in the center is cooked through and the cheese is melted.

Sometimes I will make one for the boys to share and then, since the pan and everything are already dirty, I'll make a few more quickly while they're eating. You can freeze them using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (using whole eggs) - 189 Calories (113 Calories from Fat), 13g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 431mg Cholesterol, 265mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 17g Protein, 68% DV Vitamin A, 14% DV Vitamin C, 21% DV Calcium, 15% DV Iron

Per serving (using egg whites) - 110 Calories (26 Calories from Fat), 3g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 8mg Cholesterol, 344mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 19g Protein, 58% DV Vitamin A, 14% DV Vitamin C, 17% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Sneaky Chicken Enchiladas (OAMC)

Makes 6 servings, 2 enchiladas each
These have all the sinful gooeyness and flavor of a Mexican Restaurant without the white flour or processed cheese. Plus the sauce is so flavorful no one will ever know there’s almost a whole bag of spinach hidden in it! This recipe was modified from a recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Cook's Illustrated The Best Light Recipe.


There are two schools of thought for freezing enchiladas. I like to make them and have them for dinner and then freeze the extras. Other people like to assemble them and freeze them prior to baking them and then defrost and bake them prior to serving. Instructions for both methods are below. If you are not going to be baking them right away don’t bother preheating the oven to 400. Also, for less hands on time, see the alternate cooking method for making the filling in the crockpot/slowcooker.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion cut into slices
• 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced
• ½ tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp)
• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups raw spinach leaves (3 big handfuls)
• 2 - 8oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), trimmed of excess fat
• 2 cups 50% light cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 - 4oz can chopped green chiles, drained
• ½ cup minced cilantro
• 12 6-inch whole wheat tortillas

ONE: Throw the onions and peppers into a large saucepan with the oil and salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onion has softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and honey and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

TWO: Pour the water into a blender or food processor and add spinach; puree. Add the tomato sauce and spinach-water mixture to the saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

THREE: Cut each chicken breast in half and plop them into the sauce so that they are fully covered. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to cool. Using a slotted spoon scoop the veggies out of the sauce (or pour it through a medium mesh strainer); set the veggies aside.

FOUR: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Toss together the shredded chicken, cooked onions and peppers, ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of the cheddar, drained chiles, and cilantro.

FIVE: Preheat the oven to 400. Pile the tortillas on a plate. Place about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of the top tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. You’ll have to snuggle them pretty closely together in the pan to fit them all in but it’s doable. Otherwise you can use two baking dishes. (TIP: If the tortillas are too stiff or start to crack, place them on a plate between two damp paper towels and microwave them for about 30 seconds to soften.)

SIX: Lightly spray tops with cooking spray and pour 1 cup of remaining sauce over them covering them thoroughly, especially the edges. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar down the middle.

SEVEN: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes longer. Serve with the remaining sauce.

TO FREEZE: Freeze the remaining sauce using the small portions method. Freeze the enchiladas using the  flash freeze method. Reheat in the microwave and serve one enchilada with 2 cubes worth of sauce. Alternatively, do not preheat the oven and complete the steps up until laying them in the baking dish. Use a disposable baking dish and freeze the rolled, unbaked enchiladas in the dish. Freeze the sauce and cheese separately. Defrost pan, sauce, and cheese overnight and follow remaining instructions.

**Alternate Cooking Method:
Throw everything except the cheese, chiles, cilantro, and tortillas into a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. If possible, vent the lid during the last hour of cooking by placing a wooden spoon between the lid and the crock. This will help thicken the sauce. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the sauce as described above. Shred the chicken and continue to assemble the filling as directed above. If your sauce is still fairly liquidy simmer in a saucepan uncovered on the stove while you shred and mix the chicken, about 8-10 minutes.

Follow the above directions for assembly and baking. This method significantly cuts down on the hands on time and is good if you are going to be busy all day and want to be able to throw dinner together relatively quickly. You will lose some of the texture from the peppers and onions, though, as they will be very soft from being in the crockpot.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (2 enchiladas) - 465 Calories (102 Calories from Fat), 11g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 68mg Cholesterol, 1239mg Sodium, 58g Carbohydrates, 10g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugar, 37g Protein, 78% DV Vitamin A, 74% DV Vitamin C, 42% DV Calcium, 27% DV Iron

NOTE: Based on the nutrition analysis tool I use, this recipe is VERY high in sodium. When I make it I use plain tomato sauce with no salt added and a whole wheat tortilla with very low sodium. I know that my version doesn't have nearly as much sodium as listed above but I'm limited on the ingredients I can choose on the nutrition analyzer. If you are worried about your sodium intake, make sure that each ingredient you choose is low in sodium.

Clean Eating Cauliflower Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Makes 4 servings, 2/3 cup each
This is not your Mama’s mashed potatoes. The cauliflower makes it light and luscious while adding a good dose of Vitamin C (200% of the Daily Value!!), fiber, and protein. Plus the addition of the yogurt boosts the calcium.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb potatoes
• 1 medium head cauliflower, coarsely chopped into florets
• 1/3 cup plain lowfat yogurt
• ¼ cup skim milk
• ½ tsp garlic powder

ONE: Place cauliflower florets and 2 Tbsp of water in a microwave safe dish with a lid (I use a corningware baking dish with a glass lid). Heat on high, 3 minutes. Stir and heat an additional 2 minutes until very tender.

TWO: Scrub potato skins well and pierce in several places with a fork. Place in the microwave on a double layer of paper towel and heat on high 5 minutes (if your potatoes are thicker on one end, put the thick end closer to the walls of the microwave and the thinner ends in the center). Flip over and heat an additional 5 minutes or until a fork pierces the potato easily. (Alternatively, bake in the oven at 400 for about an hour). Once potatoes are tender, cut in half and scoop the insides out.

THREE: Combine potatoes, cauliflower, yogurt, milk, and garlic powder in a bowl and mash well. Alternatively, throw everything into a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Freeze leftovers in 2/3 cup portions using the medium/large portion method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 2/3 cup serving - 158 Calories (6 Calories from Fat), 1g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 2mg Cholesterol, 92mg Sodium, 34g Total Carbohydrates, 8g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 8g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 200% DV Vitamin C, 13% DV Calcium, 10% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Sneaky Sloppy Joes (OAMC)

Makes 10 servings, ½ cup each
We never ate these when I was little (I’m British… we tend to avoid things with sloppy in the title) so my only experience with Sloppy Joes growing up was seeing them in the lunch line or watching the occasional Manwich commercial, both of which seemed pretty gross. But then I saw a few recipes here and there that actually looked kind of appetizing so I thought I’d give it a whirl and come up with my own. I am now a big, huge Sloppy Joe fan, as are the boys and Matt.


The first time I made these I put them on whole wheat buns with fresh spinach but Matt said that having to bite through the spinach got in the way of the “sloppiness” so he recommended I puree the spinach and just add it into the meat. He’s a smart man (and I’m still amazed that my meat and potatoes husband actually suggested I ADD pureed spinach to something he was going to eat). It makes for a kind of funny color (after I made Matt try a bite he said, “I’m not going to lie. When you approached me with the spoon my first reaction was to recoil.”) but you can’t taste the spinach at all and it actually helps to thicken the sauce a bit. I serve these with Baked Beans.

How I "healthified" it:

• The original recipe called for 1 lb of ground beef. I substituted lean ground turkey instead to decrease the amount of fat and saturated fat.
• The original recipe used brown sugar. I substituted sucanat because it is less processed.
• Finally, I added shredded carrots and spinach to boost the nutritional profile.
• The results - A decrease in calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and an increase in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 medium carrots, shredded
• ½ cup water
• 4 cups fresh spinach (or 4 big handfuls)
• 1 ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 Tbsp sucanat (can use brown/turbinado sugar)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp mustard powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper

ONE: In a large saucepan, cook ground turkey over medium high heat until brown, stirring to break meat into pieces. Drain and discard any grease and return turkey to saucepan.

TWO: Add diced onion, shredded carrots, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes including juice. Puree spinach into ½ cup of water and add to saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

THREE: Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce is thickened, about 12 minutes. Serve over whole grain buns.

Freeze in ½ cup portions using the medium/large portions method. For Once a Month Cooking this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

NUTRITION INFO:

Original Recipe - 189 Calories (84 Calories from Fat), 9g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 50mg Cholesterol, 455mg Sodium, 11g Total Carbohydrates, 0g Dietary Fiber, 10g Sugars, 15g Protein, 6% DV Vitamin A, 16% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 16% DV Iron

New "Healthified" Version - 118 Calories (32 Calories from Fat), 4g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 32mg Cholesterol, 309mg Sodium, 11g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 5g Sugars, 10g Protein, 99% DV Vitamin A, 23% DV Vitamin C, 7% DV Calcium, 13% DV Iron

Toddler Approved :)

Clean Eating Very Veggie Meatloaf

Makes 12 servings
As you may have noticed, I pretty much find a way to sneak vegetables into everything :-) Carrots are especially versatile and, in this recipe, they actually make for a much moister meatloaf. When I make this we literally have to limit Colwynn because he would eat the entire loaf if we let him. When given the choice between a third helping of meatloaf or dessert, he actually chose the meatloaf. Is that weird?

Ingredients:

• ½ cup egg whites
• ¼ cup water
• 2 12oz packages frozen broccoli (or 2 cups pureed)
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 4 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 ½ cups whole wheat bread crumbs
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp sucanat (you can use turbinado/brown sugar instead but it won't be "clean") (*Instead of the vinegar, molasses, and sucanat you can use 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce but read the label carefully for any ingredients you want to avoid, like high fructose corn syrup)
• 1/3 cup ketchup (again, read the label)

Glaze:

• ½ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup sucanat (you can use turbinado/brown sugar instead bit it won't be "clean")
• 4 tsp cider or white vinegar

ONE: Cook the broccoli according to the package directions. Place egg whites and water into a blender or food processor and add broccoli a little at a time. Puree until mostly smooth.

TWO: In a small skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil with a dash of salt until softened, about 5 minutes. Combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Stir the glaze ingredients together.

LARGE LOAF: Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Press half of the mixture into each pan. Brush ¼ of the glaze over the top of each meatloaf. Bake for 45 minutes, brush with remaining glaze, and continue to bake an additional 20 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing into 6 slices per loaf (about 1 ½-inch-thick pieces). Serving size is 1 slice.

MINI LOAVES: Preheat oven to 375. Spray two min-loaf pans with cooking spray. Press ½ cup of mixture into each loaf section. Spread each mini loaf with about 1 tsp of glaze and bake 25 minutes. Spread each loaf with another tsp of glaze and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Serving size is about 1 ½ mini loaves.

MUFFIN LOAVES: Preheat oven to 375. Spray two 12 serving muffin tins with cooking spray. Place 1/3 cup mixture into each muffin cup and top with a scant tsp of glaze. Bake 20 minutes, spread each muffin loaf with another scant tsp of glaze, and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Serving size is 2 muffin loaves.

Freeze using the flash freeze method.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 238 Calories (60 Calories from Fat), 7g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 53mg Cholesterol, 466mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 19g Protein, 83% DV Vitamin A, 52% DV Vitamin C, 11% DV Calcium, 13% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Crockpot Black Bean Salsa Soup

Makes 10 servings, 1 cup each
This is one of Matt's favorite things that I make. He'll come home from work and sniff the air as he comes in the door. Then he'll get all excited and ask, "What's in the crockpot?" He's been known to squeal with glee when he finds out that it's this soup :) You know I'm all about sneaking veggies into everything and this soup is no exception. The first time I made this it was too hot for the boys to eat and I didn't want to wait for it to cool. I had two chunks of frozen pureed broccoli in the freezer so I tossed them in. Everyone ate it happily and the secret was all mine.


A few times later I didn't have any broccoli (it only happens once in a blue moon in our house) so I had to leave it out. Matt was in the middle of his bowl and he said, "Did you do something different this time? Not to be mean but it doesn't taste as good as usual." I told him the only difference was that I left out the broccoli. Then it happened. My husband, who thinks that the epitome of epicurean cuisine is white Wonder Bread and claims to hate most veggies, actually said, and I quote, "Don't leave the broccoli out again. It tastes much better when it's in there." Be still my beating heart :)

This soup is quick to throw together and you don't even have to defrost the meet first. Always a plus in my book. It's also really low in calories (only 122 per serving) but high in dietary fiber (6g) and protein (10g). This means that it's very filling so you get more bang for your caloric buck.

Garnished with a dollop of Homemade Yogurt :)

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts chopped into big chunks (can be frozen)
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 32oz carton all natural low sodium reduced fat chicken broth (4 cups)
• 2 12oz packages of frozen broccoli
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with juices
• 2 tsp cumin
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Shredded cheddar, plain non-fat yogurt or sour cream, sliced avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

ONE: Cook the broccoli according to the package directions. Pour 2 cups of the broth into a blender or food processor. Add cooked broccoli and puree (if you don’t have a very good blender…Mom…you may want to add the broccoli a cup at a time and puree as you go).

TWO: Throw the broccoli mixture and everything else (except the garnishes) into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5.

THREE: To thicken the broth before serving, use an immersion blender (seriously the coolest tool ever!) and blend everything right in the crock for about a minute or until it’s how you like it. If you don’t have an immersion blender, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and CAREFULLY (because it will be really hot) puree it in a regular blender and then add it back to the soup. You might also want to use two forks to shred up the chunks of chicken a bit.

Serve with the garnishes. We like to eat ours with whole grain tortilla chips or cheese quesadillas for dipping. Sometimes I stir ¼ cup of cooked brown rice into each serving. My Mom likes to add a little lime juice to hers while the boys are all about having a dollop of yogurt in theirs. Make it your own :)
 

Col likes his with extra cilantro



Toddler approved :)


Freeze 1 cup portions without the garnishes using the medium/large portions method.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving (before garnishes) – 122 Calories (10 Calories from Fat), 1g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 4mg Cholesterol, 41mg Sodium, 20g Total Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 10g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 9% DV Vitamin C, 4% DV Calcium, 13% DV Iron

Clean Eating Chocolate Walnut Zucchini Bread

Makes 16 Servings
I love quickbreads because they are fast and easy to throw together and just sweet enough that my kids think they're getting a treat.


How I "healthified" the recipe:

• The original recipe called for 2 cups of white flour. I substituted 2 cups of whole wheat flour.
• The original recipe used a cup of chocolate chips and 1 ¼ cups of white sugar. After some testing, I found that reducing the chocolate chips to a half cup left enough chocolate that the bread still feels indulgent but not too much that the chocolate flavor is overpowering. Even with only a ½ cup of chocolate, 1 ¼ cups of sugar was sweeter than necessary. I substituted sucanat (whole cane sugar or “sugar cane natural” which is a natural sweetener; look for it in the organic section of the grocery store or a natural food store) for the sugar and reduced it to ¾ cup.
• The original recipe called for 1 ½ cups of zucchini and three whole eggs. To reduce the fat and cholesterol I used egg whites in place of two of the eggs. I increased the zucchini to 2 ½ cups to boost the nutritional profile and make up for some of the moistness lost from using egg whites instead of whole eggs.
• The results - A decrease in calories, cholesterol, total carbs, and sugars plus a slight increase in dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and calcium.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 2 cups whole wheat flour, divided (I use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)
• 1 egg and 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup sucanat (can use brown or turbinado sugar if you don't have sucanat)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 2 ½ cups shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)

ONE: In a small bowl, toss walnuts and chocolate chips with a little bit of flour. Set aside.

TWO: Add the liquid ingredients to the bread pan followed by the flour and remaining dry ingredients. Add the zucchini, walnuts, chocolate chips, and any remaining flour from the bowl. Run the machine on the quickbread setting.

THREE: Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes before slicing.

NON-BREADMAKER: Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes before slicing.

NUTRITION INFO:

Original Recipe: 248 Calories (96 Calories from Fat), 11g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 40mg Cholesterol, 226mg Sodium, 36g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 22g Sugars, 4g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron

New Healthier Recipe: 177 Calories (78 Calories from Fat), 9g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 13mg Cholesterol, 224mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 4g Protein, 3% DV Vitamin A, 7% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron