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 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

:)

Perfect Barley (OAMC)

Makes 12 servings, about 1/2 cup each
This recipe is very similar to the Perfect Brown Rice. I LOVE brown rice but every now and again I want something different. Barley has a nice texture and a slightly nutty flavor. It's really great in salads too because it soaks up all of the dressing but is big enough to not get mushy or lost in the rest of the dish. 

To really save yourself some time, make a batch and freeze it in 1 cup portions. Once they’re frozen, put them all together in a big gallon-size freezer bag, break the chunks up (sometimes it helps to let them defrost a little bit first), and throw the bag back into the freezer. This will leave you with a big bag of individual cooked barley grains. That way, if you need a cup as a side dish or to throw into a soup or something, you can just scoop it right out of the bag with a measuring cup. Throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds or a minute and it's ready to eat.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hulled barley (can use pearled but it is not whole grain, the bran has been removed)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups boiling water

ONE: Preheat oven to 375. Spread barley in a 9x13 baking dish or large ceramic baking dish with lid. Boil water and, once boiling, stir in oil and salt. Pour over barley and cover baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil (or skip the foil and use the lid of the dish if it has one). Bake 1 hour or until barley is tender.

TWO: Remove dish from oven and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately. 

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving: 128 Calories, 3g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 23g Total Carbohydrates, 198mg Sodium, 5g Dietary Fiber, 4g Protein, 0% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 1% Calcium, 6% 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

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Green Bean Fries

Makes 8 servings
Are you excited?!?! I'm excited :) I'm not a big fan of green beans and they are one of the only veggies my kids won't eat. This never bothered me all that much since they're not really one of the powerhouse veggies.... except they are SUPER cheap here in Florida during the summer. Not only are they usually on sale at the grocery store but you can get huge piles of them for an obscenely low price from local farm stands. Now, if you already like green beans and so do your kids, then this will be just one more (totally awesome) way for you to enjoy them. But for us, it opens up a whole new inexpensive side dish option. The boys call them Dinosaur Fries :)



Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs (I made my breadcrumbs with unfrosted miniwheats and they were AWESOME for this because they grind into really fine crumbs and are very dry so they stick really well)
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour

ONE: Fill a big bowl halfway with water and lots of ice. Set aside.

TWO: In a medium saucepan, combine the green beans and water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook until the beans are bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain and dump into the bowl of ice water. Set aside.

Cooked, cooled, and drying

THREE: In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk. On a plate, mix the bread crumbs and seasonings. Dump the flour into a gallon-sized ziploc bag.

FOUR: Drain the green beans and pat them dry with paper towels. Throw them into the flour bag and toss to coat, shaking off excess flour. Dip the beans into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs, coating thoroughly. (I put the breadcrumb mixture into a gallon bag. Then I dip the beans and drop them in one by one, shaking the bag a little each time. Once I have about 8 coated beans in there I pick them out and lay them on the baking sheet. I repeat this until all the beans are coated. This gives them more of a complete coating and makes the process go faster.)

FIVE: Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a large cookie sheet with olive oil spray and lay the beans on it so that they aren't touching. Bake for 25 minutes.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method and reheat in the oven or toaster oven.

Theron grabbed a Green Bean Fry and ran....

...Right over to Colwynn who was hiding around the corner
eating a stolen Salmon Patty. This is his "innocent" face.
It might work on Daddy but Mommy knows better :)
Colwynn on the other hand is too busy inhaling his
salmon patty to bother trying to look innocent. LOL

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 172 Calories (17 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 375mg Sodium, 28g Total Carbohydrates, 5g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugars, 7g Protein, 9% DV Vitamin A, 15% DV Vitamin C, 14% DV Calcium, 13% DV Iron

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 Honey Glazed Carrots

Makes 4 servings
I’m actually not a huge fan of carrots unless they are mixed into things. Shocking, I know, since we all know I LOVE vegetables. However, I am a huge fan of honey and ginger and so are my kids, so when I make these glazed carrots we all lick our plates clean. These are so ridiculously good that Matt and I secretly hope the boys don't want to finish all of theirs so that we can eat the leftovers, LOL. I never thought cooked carrots would become my favorite side dish of all time but these are seriously that delicious :)

Looks so simple yet tastes soooooo decadent :)

Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz. bag of baby carrots, cleaned and trimmed (or 4 big carrots, peeled and cut into baby-carrot-sized pieces)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1Tbsp lemon juice
• Dash of salt
• ½ tsp ground ginger

ONE: Place carrots and 2 Tbsp water in a microwave safe baking dish with lid (I use a small corningware dish with a glass lid). Microwave on high, 4 minutes. Stir and microwave on high an additional 3 minutes until carrots are fork tender but not mushy. (Alternatively you could steam them in one of those Ziploc Zip ‘n Steam Bags).

TWO: Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat 2 minutes. Stir in honey, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring constantly, until it has dissolved. Add the lemon juice, salt, and ginger and stir to combine.

THREE: Add the steamed carrots to the skillet and stir gently to coat. Increase the heat to medium and cook another 2 or 3 minutes until carrots are heated through.

Freeze leftovers using the medium/large portion method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 162 Calories (91 Calories from Fat), 10g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 113mg Sodium, 18g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 14g Sugars, 1g Protein, 309% DV Vitamin A, 7% DV Vitamin C, 4% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

Clean Eating Healthy Homemade Baked Beans (OAMC)

Makes about 10 servings, ½ cup each
Matt LOVES baked beans but it’s just against my nature to buy the ones in the cans. Now I can make him a big pot every now and again and he can have them whenever he likes. The boys love these too but they call them candy beans. That’s fine with me as long as they eat them :) There are surprisingly no vegetables hidden in these… but if you put them on whole grain toast (a British tradition that Matt has happily adopted) the grains and beans together form a complete protein which makes for a very filling meal. This can easily be made into a vegetarian dish by using a non-meat product, like tofu bacon, in place of the meat

Ingredients:

• 3 cans navy beans, drained and rinsed (can substitute cannellini, white or kidney beans)
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ½ cup sucanat (can use brown/turbinado sugar)
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1/3 cup ketchup (read the label! not all ketchups are created equal)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp dried mustard
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ pound of natural savory meat sliced or diced (I’ve used all natural chicken and apple sausages, tofu “bacon”, cooked Italian turkey sausage, and even all natural ham deli meat)

ONE: Throw everything into the crockpot, cover, and cook on low for about 6 hours or high for about 4 until the beans are softened but not falling apart. Stir well and serve over toast (Matt made me put that toast part in).

Freeze leftovers in ½ cup portions using the medium/large portion method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per ½ cup serving - 221 Calories (21 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 15mg Cholesterol, 905mg Sodium, 38g Total Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 9g Sugars, 13g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 8% DV Calcium, 17% DV Iron

Clean Eating Homemade "Stove Top" Stuffing

Makes about 15 servings, 1/2 cup prepared
I love the convenience of Stove Top stuffing but I’ve never had much luck finding a whole grain variety without a bunch of added junk. Now I can easily make it myself and I know exactly what’s in it. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make a bigger batch. Especially good if there’s a great sale on whole wheat bread.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cubed bread (about 12 slices bread, make the cubes pretty small like they are in the store bought Stove Top)
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1/2 cup dried minced onion
• 2 Tbsp dried minced celery
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

ONE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes until dried out and crispy like croutons.

TWO: In a large bowl combine the baked bread cubes with the seasonings and toss well to coat. Store 2 cups each in quart-size freezer bags. If kept airtight, this can be stored about 3 months in the pantry or 12 months in the freezer.

TO PREPARE: Combine ½ a cup of chicken broth with 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan. (If I have some celery I'll put the 2 Tbsp of olive oil in first and saute about 1/2 cup finely diced celery for about 5 minutes before adding the chicken broth.) Bring to a boil and stir in 2 cups of bread cube mixture. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. 2 cups of dry mix makes 4-5 servings, ½ cup each.

Freeze prepared 1/2 cup portions using the medium/large portions method.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving (1/2 cup prepared) - 123 Calories (57 Calories from Fat), 6g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 229mg Sodium, 13g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 4g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 4% DV Vitamin C, 4% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

Grilled Asparagus

This is more of a method than a recipe. A few years ago I was half watching a cooking show while doing some things around the house. I can't for the life of me remember what the main recipes were but, at the very end, the host vaguely mentioned grilling asparagus. I didn't have much experience with asparagus before that, besides steaming and pureeing it for Col as baby food. I grilled some that night and Matt and I both LOVED it. Matt actually requests asparagus for dinner sometimes now and would even say he enjoys eating it. Both of the boys love it cooked this way as well. In fact, when Theron was about 10-months-old it was his favorite food. So much so that we had to sneak it into the cart in the grocery store because if he saw it he would scream and cry because he couldn't have it. Is that weird?

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus, rinsed, with woody ends trimmed off (you can just snap the ends off by bending the stalks)
• olive oil
• sea salt

ONE: Move an oven rack to the top position and preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.

TWO: Lay the stalks of asparagus on the cookie sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Roll the stalks around a bit so that they get lightly coated in oil. Sprinkle with sea salt.

THREE: Bake 8 minutes or until oil is sizzling and stalks are tender crisp.
Instead of using the oven, I arrange them on the baking tray that came with my toaster oven and bake them in there. I love how fast and easy it is to make this. This was one of those change-my-life cooking moments. Kind of like the Perfect Brown Rice :)

TIP: To keep raw asparagus fresh and crisp, stand it upright in a jar of water like a
bunch of flowers and store it in the fridge. This works really well for fresh herbs too.

Perfect Brown Rice (OAMC)

Makes 12 servings, about ¾ cup each
This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Cook’s Illustrated The Best Light Recipe. I’ve made probably 500 batches of rice this way by now and it’s literally perfect every single time. I love that it cooks in the oven, too, because I can just shove the pan in the oven, set the timer, and forget about it. What can I say; I really like it when things cook themselves with no effort on my part :)

To really save yourself some time, make a batch and freeze it in 1 cup portions. Once they’re frozen, put them all together in a big gallon-size freezer bag, break the chunks up (sometimes it helps to let them defrost a little bit first), and throw the bag back into the freezer. This will leave you with a big bag of individual cooked rice grains. That way, if you need a cup of rice as a side dish or to throw into a soup or something, you can just scoop it right out of the bag with a measuring cup. Throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds or a minute and it's ready to eat.

It seems so small but this rice has made a HUGE difference for our family!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups brown rice
• 4 2/3 cups water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

ONE: Preheat oven to 375. Spread rice in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour 2 Tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt over dry rice and stir to coat. Boil water and pour over rice. Cover baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil (I use a large oval Corningware baking dish. It has a glass lid so I can skip the foil). Bake 1 hour or until rice is tender.

Could this be any easier?

TWO: 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.

Do you like my fancy containers?... Old butter tubs, hehehe :)

Toss the frozen chunks into a gallon-sized freezer bag and break them up

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving: 190 Calories, 3.5g Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 36g Total Carbohydrates, 200mg Sodium, 2g Dietary Fiber, 4g Protein