Clean Eating Cherry Almond Dutch Baby Pancakes (and how to pit fresh cherries without a cherry pitter)

Makes 6 servings, 1 slice each
This is another variation of the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. It was delicious with peaches, we loved it with pineapple and coconut, and this morning we had cherries so I thought I'd give it a try. 


A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. The boys voted this one as their favorite version and I have to agree :) But I REALLY love fresh cherries so I might be a little biased.

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp pure Maple syrup
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
• Large pinch nutmeg
• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup sliced cherries
• 2 Tbsp slivered almonds (although the boys and I had it with pecans because we didn't have any slivered almonds LOL)

ONE: Place a heavy, 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a baking dish. You'll need something a bit bigger than an 8x8 square pan but a 9x13 is about as big as you could go.)

TWO: In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, Maple syrup, almond extract, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until blended (a few lumps are fine).

THREE: Carefully add coconut oil to the skillet in the oven. Close the door, and allow it to melt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Wearing a heat-proof glove or oven mitt (I wear my Ove Glove), remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted oil into the batter; whisk just until blended (do not over mix).

FOUR: Pour the batter back into the hot skillet and sprinkle evenly with the sliced cherries. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes.

FIVE: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the almonds. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes.

Not only do I get to eat a delicious pancake... staring at it through the oven door
keeps Theron entertained for 20 minutes and I get to see this excited little face :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

QUICK TIP: I don't have a cherry pitter. We all love cherries and I am eagerly looking forward to the day that I can just hand my kids a bowl of cherries and send them outside to happily eat them and spit out the pits. Until that day comes, this is how I get around the pits:

Wash the cherry, pull off the stem, and stand it up on the cutting board.

Slice of the fruit on either side of the pit

Finally cut off the little bits of fruit left around the pit.
Discard the pit and enjoy!

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 162 Calories (71 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 94mg Cholesterol, 141mg Sodium, 18g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 9g Sugars, 6g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 2% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Whole Wheat Taco Bowls

These are so quick and easy to make but they are a fun twist on a regular old taco. Plus I find it next to impossible to find healthy, whole grain taco shells. My kids think these are fun because they can break apart their bowl and eat it as they go. Actually, Matt likes them for that same reason :) We use them to make taco salads using Salsa Barbeque Chicken.

Ingredients:

• One tortilla per person
• Olive oil cooking spray

ONE: Preheat the oven to 350. Place small, oven safe bowls or balls of tin foil on a cookie sheet. 

TWO: Mist both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and drape them over the bowls/foil balls. 

THREE: Bake for 17-20 minutes or until light brown and crispy.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Taco Bowl- 130 Calories (25 Calories from fat), 3g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 280mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 4g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 8% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Salsa Barbeque Chicken Tacos (Crockpot)

Makes 8 servings, about 2/3 cup each
My husband loves anything involving salsa and tortillas and I love anything involving minimal effort and not having to remember to defrost the chicken. That means this recipe is a win-win for our family :) This is a great dump-and-go recipe that makes a whole bunch of really tender, juicy shredded chicken with a very interesting barbeque-y flavor. We serve it as taco meat but you could use it as a sandwich topper, in a salad, on rice, whatever. Go crazy!

We eat ours as a taco salad in homemade tortilla bowls

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lbs, frozen solid is just fine!)
• 16 oz jar salsa
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 tsp ground (dry) mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp honey

ONE: Dump everything into the crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

TWO: Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred it using two forks. Stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce and let it cook 30 minutes more with the lid off to thicken the sauce. 

Scoop servings out with a fork to let the extra liquid drip out. Freeze leftovers in 2/3 cup servings using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 2/3 cup serving- 244 Calories (28 Calories from Fat), 3g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 72mg Cholesterol, 584mg Sodium, 24g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 18g Sugars, 28g Protein, 10% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron 

:)

Clean Eating Pumpkin Coconut Bars

Makes 16 servings, 1 bar each
I first got the idea for this recipe from my friend, Julie. (Hi, Julie!) Julie's 2-year-old daughter was one of my Survival Swim students this past summer and, as soon as I heard about some of the interesting and delicious things she was eating for dinner, I knew Julie and I would be good friends :) They came over a few weeks ago for a marathon healthy-cooking-and-freezing session and Julie brought one of these along for her daughter. She got the recipe HERE and I was immediately intrigued. With a few minor changes it was easy to make it into a Clean recipe. The main thing I did was significantly reduce the amount of sweetener used and substitute honey for the white and brown sugar. As the author of the original recipe says, they were quick and easy to make with minimal clean up. Always a plus in my book!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 Tbsp coconut extract
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

ONE: Dump everything into a bowl and mix well. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

TWO: Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a foil-lined and spayed 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan. Bake at 350F for 25-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

THREE: Let the bars cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack. The bars may still look underdone, but that’s ok because they will continue to set up as they cool. Allow to cool very well before slicing.

Individually wrap bars and keep them in the fridge for a week or throw wrapped bars into a freezer bag and freeze for longterm storage.

NUTRITION INFO:


Per 1 bar serving- 169 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 6mg Sodium, 23g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 12g Sugars, 5g Protein, 48% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Unstuffed Peppers Casserole

Do you want to eat something AMAZINGLY delicious for dinner tonight? Look no further!

Those of you who know me know that I almost never follow a recipe exactly. I can't help but tweak or modify as I go. But my very good friend, Mandy, has made this casserole for me a few times and when I make it for myself, I follow the recipe word for word :) It seems so simple but it is to die for. 

The thing I like best is that I can throw it together so quickly using my freezer stash. Two of the main ingredients are cooked brown rice and chopped bell peppers. I always have cooked brown rice at the ready in my freezer and when bell peppers are on sale I buy a bunch, chop them all up, and throw them in a freezer bag to use  in recipes just like this one.

This recipe is Clean as long as you read the label really carefully on the pasta sauce and choose one without anything undesirable added. The only modification I might make would be to decrease the amount of cheese from 2 cups to one. My family loves cheese and we aren't trying to eat a reduced fat or calorie diet so I use the full amount. However, if you are trying to lose weight or lower your cholesterol or something, there will still be plenty of flavor with less cheese. 

For the full recipe, check out the post on my friend, Mandy's, blog HERE! Thanks, Mandy!!!!!!!:)

Clean Eating Red Beans and Rice with Sausage (Crockpot)

Makes about 8 servings, 1 cup each
This smells like a little bit of heaven while it’s cooking :) I’m a real wimp when it comes to spicy food but this has just enough kick that the kids and I can eat it without complaint while having that slightly spicy New Orleans feel. My nephew, Chase, can sometimes be a picky eater and is VERY resistant to trying new foods, but even he ate this. In fact he fed it to himself without any coercion and said, “I never tried this and I like it.” A very big compliment coming from him.

You may have been shocked to see that there are no veggies in this dish. A rarity coming from me because you know I'm all about the one dish meals that include veggies so I don't have to cook any sides :) I almost always stir in some finely chopped cooked broccoli or brussel sprouts before serving. You could also add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of finely chopped raw sweet potato or carrots in at the beginning of cooking or stir cooked pieces in before serving like with the broccoli. Or I've sometimes thrown 2 cups of very finely chopped raw kale in during the last 1/2 hour of cooking but DON'T STIR it in until you're ready to serve (see Tip below).

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 lb lean turkey or chicken sausage, sliced into medallions
• Small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped (I've made it without this in a pinch but I think it adds a little something in the moisture and texture department)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: ½ tsp Tabasco (I didn’t add this but if you like spicy things have at it!)

ONE: Toss everything into the crockpot and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

TIP: Stir it all together when you first put it in but DON’T stir again until you’re serving. The rice in this dish is meant to be a little more mushy and sticky than plain brown rice but stirring while it’s cooking will make the outside layer break down and let the gummy part out. Picture Cajun rice pudding.

OR:
Dump everything into a gallon-sized freezer bag and freeze. Toss the whole frozen chunk into a crockpot/slowcooker and cook on high 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours. Make sure you freeze it in such a way that the frozen lump will fit in your crockpot. I set my bag inside a big circular tupper so that it freezes into a narrower cylinder.

Freeze leftovers in 1-cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 1-cup Serving - 354 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Total Fat, 1.5g Saturated Fat, 35mg Cholesterol, 943mg Sodium, 51g Total Carbohydrates, 7g Fiber, 1.5g Sugar, 22g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 7% DV Calcium, 20% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Whole Grain Cornbread Waffles

Makes 8 servings, 1 waffle each
Cornbread is one of my absolute favorite foods so I love, love, LOVE these waffles. This recipe is actually adapted from a recipe from the Publix Family Style Magazine. I have actually never made these for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, we all happily eat the leftovers for breakfast, but I always cook them with the intention of eating them for dinner. I had never thought of a "dinner waffle" until the Family Style article but it is an awesome idea, especially if you're feeding toddlers. My boys are so excited to be eating waffles for dinner that they would eat almost anything on top of them. Tonight I topped them with the taco filling from the Best Ever Veggie Tacos but usually I top them with Saucy Chicken. Or you could just be normal and make them for breakfast :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
• 1/2 cup whole grain cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp honey/sucanat
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 egg whites

ONE: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, honey/sucanat, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl combine the milk, olive oil, and egg. Whisk the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.

TWO: Preheat a waffle iron and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour a generous 1/4 cup of batter onto each waffle grid and cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned (or according to your waffle makers instructions).

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

NUTRITION INFO:

Per waffle - 175 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 216mg Sodium, 24g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugar, 4g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Asian Style Peanut Butter Slaw

Makes 8 Servings
When I was living by myself I used to live on this slaw. I think I must have made it a dozen times over a six month period; so often I memorized the ingredient list! The dressing keeps well in the fridge for a few days and you can simply pour it over the cabbage as you wish (Storing the slaw "dressed" is not recommended. The cabbage loses its wonderful crunch.) When I took these pictures I was out of green onions and cilantro, so they couldn't be included. And, I promise you, it tastes better than it looks. :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 small head Napa cabbage (the crinkly green kind)
• 1/3 cup green onions, sliced

Dressing-

• 6 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 5 Tbsp natural peanut butter
• 4 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp water
• 6 Tbsp evaporated cane juice with 1/8 tsp molasses OR 6 Tbsp sucanat
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• fresh cilantro for garnish

ONE: Slice the head of cabbage in half and carefully cut out the core. Thinly slice the cabbage into strips.

TWO: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small mixing bowl. Whisk (slowly at first) until combined and creamy.


THREE: Divide out the portion of cabbage you want to eat with today's meal and add some of the green onions. Pour on a bit of the dressing and toss to combine. Garnish with the cilantro.

Posted by Barb! :)

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving with about 2 1/2 Tbsp dressing - 119 Calories (68 Calories from Fat), 7.5g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 306mg Sodium, 8g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 5g Sugars, 5g Protein, 95% DV Vitamin A, 80% DV Vitamin C, 11% DV Calcium, 7% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Pina Colada Dutch Baby Pancakes

Makes 6 servings
This recipe is modified from the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. The original recipe was so good I wanted to make it again the next day but was out of peaches. We love pineapple and coconut in our house and that was how this version was born.


A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. They are traditionally made with white flour and a TON of butter but Clean Eating Magazine of course found a way to make it JUST as delectable while still being good for you :) My very good friend, Martha, was the one who first introduced me to Dutch Babies (made the ton of butter way!) and she’s a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to this dish. As soon as I tried the Clean Eating version, I immediately sent it to her and she was blown away as well. She gives them her seal of approval :)

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup low-fat milk
• 2 tbsp Agave nectar or honey
• ½ tsp coconut extract
• ¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
• Large pinch nutmeg
• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained and 2 Tbsp juice reserved
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

ONE: Place a heavy, 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a baking dish. You'll need something a bit bigger than an 8x8 square pan but a 9x13 is about as big as you could go.)

TWO: In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, Agave, coconut extract, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until blended (a few lumps are fine).

THREE: Carefully add coconut oil to the skillet in the oven. Close the door, and allow it to melt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Wearing a heat-proof glove or oven mitt (I wear my Ove Glove), remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted oil into the batter; whisk just until blended (do not over mix).

FOUR: Pour the batter back into the hot skillet and sprinkle evenly with the crushed pineapple. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes.

FIVE: Meanwhile, toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat (the first time I made these I tried toasting the coconut in my toaster oven, forgot about it, and it caught fire… like billowing smoke fire. Oops.)

SIX: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the toasted coconut and drizzle with the reserved 2 Tbsp pineapple juice. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes. I call it scrumptious :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 179 Calories (72 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 107mg Cholesterol, 130mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 5g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 8% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 6% 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 Coconut Brown Rice (OAMC)

Makes 8 servings, ¾ cups each
I love coconut and I love brown rice so you know Coconut Brown Rice is right up my alley :) This a a supremely delectable side dish that is not overpoweringly coconut. It makes for a nice change from regular brown rice (although if you make your brown rice like THIS it’s certainly not just regular!) but is just as easy to cook.

The idea for this recipe came from THIS post from the fabulous Gluten Free Girl but she made hers in a rice maker and I don’t have one of those. I know, you can’t believe there’s a kitchen appliance I don’t own since I’m ALL ABOUT my kitchen appliances doing the work for me. If you are lucky enough to have a rice maker, follow her instructions. If not, here’s how you can rock some pretty tasty whole grains using the oven method :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice (Gluten Free Girl uses basmati)
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (1/4 tsp regular salt)
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper (I use 1/2 tsp because I’m wimpy and I think pepper is spicy)
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• Juice of 1 medium-sized lime (about 2 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 cups water

ONE: Preheat oven to 375. Combine rice with curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper; spread in a medium sized baking dish (I use my big oval Corningware). Stir in lime juice.

TWO: In a small saucepan, combine water, coconut milk, and coconut oil and bring to a boil.

THREE: Pour water mixture over rice (don’t stir!) and cover baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil (I use the glass lid that came with my Corningware so I can skip the foil). Bake 1 hour or until rice is tender.

FOUR: Remove dish from oven and fluff rice with a fork. Cover with a dish towel and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let stand another 5 minutes before serving

Freeze leftovers in ¾ cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per ¾ cup serving - 273 Calories (107 Calories from Fat), 11.9g Fat, 9.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 154mg Sodium, 38.5g Total Carbohydrates, 2.4g Dietary Fiber, 1.1g Sugars, 4.3g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 8% 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 Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts (OAMC)

Makes 6 Servings
These are super easy but they look gourmet when they are done. I love, love, LOVE that you cook them from frozen becaues you know I'm incapable of remembering to thaw things the night before. When there is a really good sale on chicken, I've been known to make 30 stuffed chicken breasts at once. It takes next to no time to assemble them and they've really become one of my go-to throw together meals. I usually have them with some Perfect Brown Rice and steamed veggies and I drizzle the rice with the juices from the baking dish. Yum!!

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
• ½ cup feta cheese
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves

ONE: Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and feta with a fork.

TWO: Make a slit in the side of the chicken breast to create a pocket. Fill the chicken breast with the cheese mixture and spinach. (My sister, Anthea, uses scissors to snip the spinach into tiny pieces and then mixes it in with the cheese before stuffing.)

THREE: Wrap individually in tin foil and freeze. Store frozen breasts in a freezer bag.

TO COOK: Preheat oven to 350. Unwrap frozen chicken breasts and place them in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake, covered with foil, for one hour or until tender and no longer pink in the center (45-50 minutes if defrosted).

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving -  89 Calories (46 Calories from Fat), 5g Total Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 32mg Cholesterol, 229 mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 0g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 9g Protein, 21% Vitamin A, 5% Vitamin C, 9% Calcium, 3% Iron



:)

Clean Eating Cantaloupe Bread

Makes 16 servings
OOOOOooooohhhhhh Buddy!! This is good. Like REALLY good... as in we ate the entire loaf in one day, LOL. It's an interesting flavor. It's not overwhelmingly cantaloupe-y (that's a word, right?) and it almost tastes like pumpkin bread but with a lighter type of sweetness. Does that make sense? If not, go back to we ate the entire loaf in one day. I'm making another one tomorrow :)

This is all that was left 15 minutes after it came out of the Breadmaker hehehe

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won't be "clean")
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups pureed cantaloupe
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)

ONE: 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.

Isn't it amazing that you push a button and this becomes perfect bread?!

NON-BREADMAKER INSTRUCTIONS:
ONE: Buy a cheap breadmaker on Craigslist, LOL. Just kidding. Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

TWO: In a large bowl combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, and pureed cantaloupe. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan.

THREE: Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 146 Calories (48 from Fat), 5g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 26mg Cholesterol, 203mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 3g Protein, 20% Vitamin A, 16% Vitamin C, 4% Calcium, 7% Iron

Clean Eating Oatmeal Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Makes 12 servings, 1 muffin each
I love, love, LOVE peanut butter and jelly. This is one thing about me that’s very American. We don’t really do peanut butter in England and my British family members think we’re weird that we like it so much. I never really thought about how central to my life peanut butter was until we took the boys over to visit our family in England. We literally flew over there in the cargo hold of a military plane and it took us DAYS to actually get to my family’s house. It sounds awful but it was free and most of the time it was actually pretty fun. However, when we finally got there, the boys had been on a crazy schedule for three days and had switched several time zones.


When we finally made it to the base in England, the first thing we did was run to the convenience store for a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. We made a whole pile of sandwiches to take with us for the last leg of our trip the following day. We thoroughly enjoyed them on the numerous bus rides and still had a few left when we finally arrived at my family’s home.


At dinner that first night, Colwynn fell asleep in his plate. They always joke about people doing that on TV and stuff and I never thought it could really happen. Well it can… and it’s hysterical. Theron stayed awake but refused to eat anything but peanut butter sandwiches… for 2 days. The first night I was like, “Whatever, I don’t care as long as you’re eating something so I can put you to bed.” But by the end of the second day it was a bit ridiculous. Meanwhile, my family is thinking, “Wow. Americans really do live on peanut butter.” LOL!! Throughout the rest of our visit we had peanut butter other times as well. Not an abnormal amount or anything, just the odd piece of toast or sandwich here and there, but because it was an alien food to my family, it really made me notice how often we eat it.


This doesn’t really have anything to do with muffins except that it’s one more wonderfully delicious way you can enjoy your peanut butter :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sucanat (can use brown/turbinado sugar but they won’t be “clean”)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups skim milk
• 1 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 12 tsp all natural, no sugar added fruit jam (I used homemade peach jam… that I made in my breadmaker… from peaches that I got at the Farmer’s market last summer for almost free… and then I canned the jam myself… woohoo)

ONE: Pour the lemon juice into the milk and set aside; don’t stir. Let stand 5 minutes.

TWO: In a large bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sucanat.

THREE: In a small bowl, beat the egg and add the oil, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla.

FOUR: Stir the lemon-milk mixture and add to the flour mixture along with the other liquid ingredients; stir until just combined.

FIVE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups. Fill each one half full and plop a teaspoon of jam on top of the batter. Cover jam with another scoop of batter so that muffin cup is 3/4 of the way full.

SIX: Bake 18-20 minutes until tops are lightly browned and spring back when touched. Cool on a wire rack.

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

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 251 Calories (86 from Fat), 10g Total Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 18mg Cholesterol, 119mg Sodium, 35g Total Carbohydrates, 4g Dietary Fiber, 10g Sugars, 8g Protein, 4% Vitamin A, 1% Vitamin C, 7% Calcium, 10% Iron

Clean Eating OAMC Honey Lime Dump Chicken (and Honey Lime Chicken Pizza!)

Makes 4 – 6 servings
This comes from my friend, Ashley, who originally got it from one of her favorite cookbooks, Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer, Vol. 2. Ashley is a definite Once a Month Cooking pro. She’s a home schooling mother of three so she doesn’t have a whole lot of free time to mess around in the kitchen. I first tried this recipe at my other very good friend, Ariana’s, house. It’s called a dump chicken recipe because you just dump a bunch of ingredients into a bag with the chicken and freeze. Then Ariana literally pulled it out of the fridge and dumped it all in a baking dish.

Ariana, Ashley, and my other friend, Crystal (I guess I have a lot of friends, lol) get together regularly and do a marathon cooking day. They always include a recipe like this one because it’s so fast to throw together and you can do it while something else is cooking. Ashley suggests serving this over a salad (like this Strawberry Salad) or in a wrap. I serve it over brown rice and we’ve even made it into a pizza.

If there's a good sale on chicken, you could definitely tripl or quadruple this recipe and make a whole bunch all at once. I recommend freezing them in individual batches in their own freezer bags, though.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp jalapeno pepper (optional, I don't use this because I'm wimpy)

ONE: Mix together lime juice, olive oil, honey, cilantro, garlic and jalapeno pepper. Place chicken breasts in a gallon sized freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken breasts. Label and freeze. (I dump all of the marinade ingredients into the bag, seal it, and shake it really well to combine. Then I throw the chicken breasts in. Saves me having to wash a bowl)

TWO: On serving day, thaw completely. Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear. (I bake it covered at 350 for 30 minutes [60 minutes if frozen] or throw it into the crockpot [usually frozen solid because you know I never thaw anything] and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4)

TO MAKE A PIZZA:
Ingredients:

• 1 prepared pizza dough (like this whole wheat one or this cauliflower one)
• 1 cooked batch of Honey Lime Chicken
• 1 Roma tomato, sliced
• 1/2 cup kale, finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

ONE: Preheat the oven to 450. Spread 1/4 cup of the cooked Honey Lime glaze from the chicken evenly over the pizza crust.

TWO: Sprinkle the kale over the sauce and top with the cheese, sliced tomatoes, and cooked chicken.

THREE: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown on the edges. Slice and serve.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1/6 of recipe) - 304 Calories (179 Calories from Fat), 20g Total Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 49mg Cholesterol, 42mg Sodium, 14g Carbohydrates, 12g Sugar, 19g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 11% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

:)

Flatout Parmesan Bread Sticks

Makes 10 servings of Bread Sticks, 2 each
These are quick and easy to make and go great with a hearty soup as a fast and satisfying lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 100% Whole Wheat Flatout Wraps
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Shredded Parmesan Cheese

ONE: Preheat oven to 375F. Brush olive oil onto flat bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

TWO: Cut length-wise into 5 pieces and bake until crisp, about 8 minutes

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 50 Calories (31 Calories from Fat), 3g Total Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 85mg Sodium, 4g Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugar, 2g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 2% 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 Crockpot Chicken and Apple Toss

Makes 8 servings, 1 cup each
This recipe is a spin off of my Crockpot Rosemary Balsamic Glazed Chicken (which you should also try because it is totally awesome and delicious if I say so myself). I was visiting my in-laws and I wanted to throw something into the crock so that we could all eat dinner together without anyone having to take any time away from their visiting to cook. My Mother-In-Law didn't have all of the ingredients for the Rosemary Chicken recipe so I improvised (this is BIG for me, I never cook anything without a recipe, LOL) and this dish was the result. We all liked it so much I thought it was post-worthy. So here you go :)

Just like the other recipe, this is especially fast if you already have diced veggies from your freezer stash. Plus, the chicken doesn't have to be defrosted. You can throw it right in frozen solid and it will still be perfect come dinner time. This is great for me because, even though I always have a meal plan for the week, I never seem to remember to take the meat out to defrost the night before.

Ingredients:

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into big chunks (about 1 1/2 lbs, can use thighs)
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
• 3-4 cups of roughly chopped veggies (I used one bag of frozen Italian mixed veggies [red and green pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms] and about 1 1/2 cups of chopped broccoli, baby carrots, and grape tomatoes that I picked out of a salad my MIL had made for the previous night's dinner, LOL)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 cups finely chopped leafy green veggie like spinach (or kale)

ONE: Spray crockpot with cooking spray and place chicken pieces on the bottom.

TWO: Dump veggies (except for spinach), onion, garlic, and apple into the crockpot on top of the meat.

THREE: In a medium bowl whisk together vinegar, cinnamon, soy sauce, and honey. Pour over the veggie chicken mixture.

FOUR: Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in the spinach and replace the cover (do this one hour before if using kale). Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

Freeze leftovers in 1-cup portions using the medium/large portions method.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per Serving: 68 Calories (4 Calories from Fat), 0g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 8mg Cholesterol, 74mg Sodium, 12g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugars, 5g Protein, 63% DV Vitamin A, 86% DV Vitamin C, 4% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron