Winter Vegetable Soup

Sometimes you just need a quick and easy, comforting, warm, delicious meal on a cold winter night. This soup is just that! It’s hearty and filling, but still healthy and light. It has a slight Italian flavor and goes great some warm Focaccia or garlic bread. It is quick enough to have on the table in about 20-30 minutes. 

Winter Vegetable Soup

Veggie Burgers

For Christmas, my husband and I got each other the same gifts – meat grinders. We had talked about it but I never thought we’d get each other the same thing. Either way, it worked out! We ground up some chicken, deer, beef, etc just to try it out! I got a little crazy and decided to make some veggie burger patties too. A couple of hiccups but we figured it out! They turned out great, freeze well and are perfect for a light healthy meal. I served ours on lettuce leaves for less carbs – but they’d work on a bun! Makes about 6 burgers

Check them out at the link below!

Veggie Burgers

Salmon Cabbage Salad with Simple Rosemary Dressing

Sometimes you just need a light lunch and this does the trick. The best thing about salads is you can eat a TON of lettuce with very little setback. About 2 cups of lettuce (depending on the kind) is about 50 calories. The bad part about salads is the dressing. I like my salad dressed up. I know people who don’t need dressing on their salad but I like a little bit. Salad dressings are one of those things that can be loaded with unnatural, unhealthy ingredients. This salad dressing I made is simple, natural and light. The salad gets a lot of its flavor from the salmon. If you season your salmon properly, you won’t need a lot of extra flavors from the dressing. If you are not a fan of salmon, you could swap in shrimp or chicken but the salmon provides a lot of essential oils and nutrients. On a busy week, I will make salmon or chicken one night and make some extra. I’ll slice it up for my salads or lettuce wraps throughout the week; it makes for quick meal prep! This makes about 4 servings

2 salmon fillets (about 3 oz each)

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp black pepper

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp lemon juice

4 cups salad greens, chopped (I like romaine, kale mix)

1 cup carrots, diced

2 cups red cabbage, chopped

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp vinegar (I like coconut or white wine)

1 tsp rosemary, chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

Zest from one lemon

½ tsp black pepper

Season salmon fillets with turmeric, pepper, salt and lemon juice. Sauté your salmon fillets in a skillet for about 8 minutes per side or you can grill your salmon. Salmon is cooked through when it starts to flake with a fork. In a large serving bowl, combine salad greens, cabbage and carrots. Flake salmon fillets with a fork and sprinkle into salad mixture. Top with dressing and gently toss together. 

New Year New You Breakfast

Happy New Year! Today, some of you may not wake up in time for breakfast and might not feel like eating if you had a little too much fun! For those of you like me, who barely stayed up to “ring in the new year” and then awoke to very busy kids early, you might need a quick pick me up! If you saw my post yesterday about our New Year’s goals, you will see that one of mine is embracing my health issues and having a more positive outlook on them.  A couple weeks ago, I found out I was showing intolerances to almost every food. My major problems being gluten, dairy and eggs – which I was forced to give up immediately. The dairy and eggs have proven to be quite a struggle to give up. I was eating two eggs a day for breakfast. When I first started going through my diet change last summer I found a cute little blog, Peas and Thank You, and a cookbook by the same name. The author is very fun in her writing. They follow a vegan diet that includes gluten so I do have to make some modifications to her recipes but they are still great! In her cookbook I found a recipe for tofu eggs. I immediately thought, “no way am I eating tofu”. My sister is vegan. She eats tofu; I’ve tried it and hated it. However, I decided to give it another shot. I modified the recipe I found to add in my favorite veggies and I’m very surprised (and happy) to say that it works! This is a baked dish that tastes similar to a quiche or frittata. Tofu, when baked like eggs, has a very similar taste and texture to eggs. I challenge you to try the tofu as it does have many health benefits. However, I understand if you just can’t quite make that leap into the tofu world (it was hard for me!). If you can’t, I’ve added an egg substitution for you. Either way, this dish is healthy, tasty, filling and keeps well. Sometimes life brings us challenges that we aren’t prepared for but today is a new day, the start of a new year and I’m embracing a new “me” and I hope this little dish helps! This serves 4-6.

1 package of tofu (any firmness will work) or 8 eggs

¼ cup peppers, chopped

½ cup kale, chopped

¼ cup mushrooms, chopped

¼ cup potato, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup shredded cheese (I used Daiya dairy free cheddar)

1 tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp sea salt

• In a large skillet, sauté kale, peppers, mushrooms and potato in olive oil until crisp tender (about 10-15 minutes). Meanwhile, prepare tofu. 
• If you are using a firm or extra firm tofu, you will need to puree it until smooth. To do this, just use a blender and a little bit of water until it is smooth. 
• If you are using a soft tofu, you won’t need to puree it, but you will need to drain the excess water out.
•  If you use the soft tofu, you can leave it a little chunkier and it gives the dish a scrambled egg like texture. If you use the firm pureed tofu, its smoother. Either way it tastes great! 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine tofu, cheese, spices and vegetables; stir until well combined. 
• Pour mixture into a greased 9” glass pie plate or other baking dish. Bake at 375°F for about 20-25 minutes or until mixture starts to brown and is firm in the center. 
• You can also fill muffin cups with the mixture and make individual servings, just adjust your cooking time. 
• Serve this with some fresh fruit for a complete meal!

Healthy Nachos

Going low carb can be a real challenge. I find it especially hard to eat healthy during football or parties. We just love party snacks but you know as well as I do that they can be awful for you! I’m still adjusting but for now these nachos will work great in a pinch! Believe it or not, the bell peppers make a great substitute for a chip. Let’s be honest though – it’s still not a chip. I really liked the light and crisp taste though. Plus I could eat a lot more without feeling guilty about it! I did made my husband some with tortilla chips though – not everyone is excited about finding a low carb, clean, appetizer like I am : ). Makes enough for about 4-6 servings depending on if you are serving as an appetizer or a meal.

3-4 bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2” chunks

1 can beans, drained and rinsed (our favorites are black beans or cannellini beans)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

½ cup corn

½ cup jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 avocado, chopped

¼ cup green onions chopped

½ cup shredded cheese (we used dairy free)

Salsa, sour cream, etc for additional toppings

Heat oven to 400°F. On a large baking sheet sprayed with olive oil, line bell peppers in a single layer. Spread evenly over peppers the beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers. Top with cheese and bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with avocadoes, green onions and additional toppings if desired. Serve immediately. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This recipe may trick you. It looks like a cheesy, fattening, heavy casserole. However, it is a slimmed down, lean, tasty casserole that you can feel good about eating. This low fat, low carb dish is still comforting and delicious. Chicken Cordon Bleu can typically be very heavy and most casseroles have a rich and creamy but fatty sauce. I swapped out the heavy cream for a lighter but still savory sauce. I kept the swiss cheese but it could easily be substituted for a diary free cheese and still taste great. I also swapped out the carb filled pasta for some carb free spaghetti squash. I even added a few extra veggies to get more nutrients. Any way you make it (traditional or modified), this dish is savory and wonderful. Perfect for a fall or winter day.

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbsp Olive oil

¼ cup onion or bleu cheese dressing (homemade or bought – I used a sweet Vidalia onion dressing)

½ spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise

¼ cup water

¼ cup onion or bleu cheese dressing

2 cups swiss chard, cut into thin, short strips

4 slices of swiss cheese

3 oz of sliced deli ham, diced

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic, minced

• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook chicken breast chunks in olive oil and ¼ cup of the onion or bleu cheese dressing. Cook chicken for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through completely. 
• In a greased 2 quart baking dish, pour water and place one half of the spaghetti squash, cut side down. Pierce squash shell with a knife or fork. Cook in microwave for about 10 minutes. Once spaghetti squash is cooked, drain any extra water from the baking dish. Turn over squash and scrape edges and bottom of shell with a fork to make spaghetti “noodles”. Place scraped squash into a separate bowl. 
• While squash is cooking, quick-blanch the swiss chard. Bring two cups of water to boil in a sauce pan. Put swiss chard in boiling water and cook for about a minute. Drain water quickly from chard. 
• In the same baking dish, spread cooked chicken on bottom. Sprinkle spaghetti squash over chicken. Pour the remaining ¼ cup of dressing over squash and chicken. Place swiss chard over squash and then sprinkle on diced ham. Next, layer on slices of swiss cheese until mixture is covered. Layer on sliced tomatoes until dish is covered. Finally, sprinkle on salt pepper and minced garlic.
•  Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and mixture starts to bubble around edges. 

Sweet Potato Skins

For Christmas this year, my mother-in-law made these great looking little potato skins for an appetizer. They were just potato skins, stuffed with bacon, cheese and onions. I of course couldn’t eat them because of the cheese and onions so I decided to make my own! We don’t eat a lot of white potatoes and I’m currently on a non-dairy diet so I modified this quite a bit. They turned out really great though. They would be perfect for a game day snack or party food. Plus they are made with more natural ingredients so you don’t have to feel as guilty for eating them! This makes 8 potato skins.

4 small sweet potatoes

1 Tbsp olive oil

5 slices of turkey bacon, diced

½ cup shredded cheese (I used Daiya DF cheddar)

1 Tbsp chives

1 Tbsp coconut sugar

Paprika

Garlic salt

Black pepper

• Bake sweet potatoes as desired, oven or microwave, until just cooked. Cut baked potatoes in half, lengthwise and carefully scoop out insides, leaving about ¼ inch layer of potato in shell. 
• In a large skillet, cook diced bacon pieces until cooked through. 
• On a large baking sheet, lay potato shells and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle coconut sugar, chives, paprika, salt and pepper onto potatoes. 
• Sprinkle turkey bacon inside potato shells and top with shredded cheese.
• Bake at 450°F for about 15 minutes or until shells are crispy and cheese is melted. Serve with ranch or sour cream. 

Menu Plan Monday - week of 12/22/13-12/28/13

Oh boy--- 2 days until Christmas!?! We are so ready! Presents are wrapped, house is cleaned, goodies have been made... now comes the waiting... impatiently. I might be worse than the kids! On Christmas morning, I will likely be awake at 4 or 5 am... laying in bed until I hear my son rustling around. Or if I'm sneaky enough, I can quietly wake him up before my husband finds out. Apparently, it's weird if you wake up before the kids - just ask him.

"Is it Christmas yet?!"

Here's this week's meal plan. Notice Christmas Day is a little crazy. I plan on eating junk. So it may be a healthier version of junk but still not our usual treats! Lots of GF cookies, candies, cakes, etc. We are having brunch at our house and that will include some scones, cinnamon rolls, etc. Make sure you check out what the other bloggers have lined up this week at OrgJunkie.com's host site for this week's Menu Plan Monday. I'm sure they have lots of great meals, tips,etc for you!

22	23	24	25	26	27	28
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
cinnamon	egg	banana	CHRISTMAS	cranberry	scrm egg	french
rolls	muffin	smoothie	BRUNCH	scones	apple/milk	toast
fruit	banana	toast	(pancakes)	banana	smoothie	banana
tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
spaghetti	shrimp	kale	ham	chicken	veggie	mixed
squash w/ olives	veggie	salad	potatoes	lettuce	baked	veggie
garlic bread	rice	fruit	lots of food!	wraps	potatoes	salad
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
bean/corn	baked	stuffed	leftovers	bean	KIDS	turkey
nachos	chicken	acorn	cookies	soup	CHOICE	taco
salad	spaghetti sq.	squash	splurge!	cornbread	(pizza)	salad
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
graham crackers	carrots	cheese	all	carrots	PB celery	veggies
oranges	celery	grapes	kinds of	apple	trailmix	trailmix
cookie	trailmix	popcorn	goodies!	yogurt	fruit	GF granola

Mini Polenta Pizzas

These little pizzas are a favorite at our house. They are fun for the kids and really quick and easy to make. In addition, it is gluten-free and low-fat. Polenta is a perfect alternative for carb filled pizza crust. You can use homemade polenta or cheat a little and use pre-made. Either way this is an easy, filling and delicious recipe!

1 roll of polenta (or homemade cut into small slices)

¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette

½ cup mushrooms, diced

1 cup fresh spinach

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp minced garlic

¼ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp black pepper

2 small tomatoes, sliced thin

Shredded cheese

• In a large skillet, sauté mushrooms, spinach and garlic in olive oil until slightly tender. 
• On a large greased cookie sheet, place thin slices of polenta (about ¼ in thick). 
• Using a pastry brush, spread on balsamic vinaigrette over polenta slices. 
• Top each slice with a little of the mushroom/spinach mixture. Then top each slice with a tomato slice and sprinkle with cheese. 
• Bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. I got one roll of polenta to make about 15 pizza slices. 

Pear Pomegranate Salad with Fruity Balsamic Vinaigrette

I’m sure your holiday meals are similar to ours; full of delicious, fattening, rich, buttery, heavy foods. I like making something light and refreshing so we don’t get completely off track this time of year. Plus when there are tons of pies, cakes, rolls, candies, etc most people don’t quickly grab veggies to put on their plate! Fill your plate half full of this salad and not only will you be less likely to overeat but you won’t have to feel as guilty about that pie you eat later! This is one of my go-to dishes to bring to any meal as it is so quick and easy and so healthy.

4 cups of fresh kale

4 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cups of spinach
1 cup of raw brussell sprouts, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1 pear, thinly sliced
1 cup pomegranate arils
½ cup toasted/candied pecans
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette
½ pear, peeled and sliced
½ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp thyme

• In large serving bowls, combine salad ingredients and mix well.
• In a blender, combine vinaigrette ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Refrigerate at least an hour or until ready to serve.
• Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

I know it’s fall and everyone is giving out recipes for pies, cakes, warm dishes, etc. Just because it is getting cooler outside doesn’t mean you can’t have a cool refreshing dessert sometimes to. Plus, my son’s go to dessert is either popsicles or ice cream – no matter what time of year it is. Anyway, I caved into his constant begging for ice cream but gave it a fall twist. I also added a little cheat by topping his with caramel sauce – of course that was the best part to him! To make this I used my YoNanas maker – it is awesome! It takes frozen bananas or other fruits and turns them into something wonderful! You could also make this using a high powered blender. Either way, grab a few extra ripe bananas at the grocery store and freeze them for future ice cream nights. This makes one serving

1 frozen banana, broke in half

¼ cup pumpkin puree
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp whipped cream, optional
1 tsp caramel syrup, optional

• If using a blender, combine banana, pumpkin, cinnamon and sugar and blend well for about a minute or until smooth.
• If using a YoNanas maker, take one half of the banana and put it in the maker. Start blending and add in pumpkin, cinnamon and sugar. Add second half of banana to maker and finish blending. Top bananas with whipped cream and caramel syrup if desired.
• What I like best about using bananas to make “ice cream” is that it tastes so great and creamy that it feels like you are eating something not so great for you. The best part is you are not – simply natural fruits!

Cream of Mushroom Soup and Green Bean Casserole

Okay, here’s another “don’t look at the can, make it from scratch” recipe. This is so easy (not quite as easy as opening a can) and delicious! Try it; you will feel much better about adding it to you holiday dishes or just having a bowl of it. I made this so I could make a green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out but it was wonderful. I used a mixture of mushrooms but plain button mushroom will work just great. This makes about 2 cups.

1 8oz package of mushrooms (I used a button and portabella mix)

½ cup diced onions
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp potato starch
2 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

• In a large saucepan, sauté mushrooms, onions in olive oil until soft. Add in black pepper, garlic, salt, thyme and vinegar until well combined. Sprinkle over potato starch. Slowly add in milk, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. The mixture will thicken as it cooks. If it gets too thick, add in milk or water. If it is too thin, sprinkle over a little bit more starch. Cook for about 10 minutes until you reach desired consistency. Serve as a soup or use in recipes that call for canned mushroom soup.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Use the cream of mushroom soup recipe to make a traditional Thanksgiving side dish.

1 recipe cream of mushroom soup

2 packages of frozen green beans (at least 20 ounces), cooked
½ cup onions, diced
½ cup mushrooms, diced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 slices cheese (we use dairy free)
1 cup GF bread crumbs

• In a large skillet, sauté mushrooms and onions in olive oil. Sprinkle over black pepper and sea salt. Cook until vegetables are crisp tender. In a 9x13 baking pan, place green beans and onion mixture. Pour mushroom soup over top of green beans and stir until combined. Top with sliced cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are slightly browned. This serves about 12-15.

Kale Salad with Sesame Dressing

Kale is an odd vegetable. I’m not completely sold on it yet. I do like it certain ways but this was the first time I tried to cold/raw. It has a very distinct flavor and texture but it is packed full of nutrients.  This salad is very crisp and refreshing. It is also very simple to make. The dressing really accentuates the bold flavor of the kale. This would be a good, healthy addition to your holiday meal – swap it for something not so healthy (maybe the cheese ball??)

8 oz of fresh kale (organic is best)

½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup shredded cabbage (we used red)
Dressing
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (you really need this to get the full flavor)
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar or honey
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (heat in a skillet for about 5 minutes to toast seeds)

• In a large serving bowl, combine kale, carrots and cabbage.
• In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
• Drizzle dressing over salad and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Meal Plan Week of 11/10/13-11/16/13

Hello all! I love getting ready for the holidays - I'm so excited to share some new holiday recipes I've been trying. For now though, you will have to wait! Here's this week's meal plan. I'm also thinking of including shopping lists to go along with the meal plan post so you all can have "Shopping Saturday" to get your needed items before the week starts. I'll work on that soon!

10	11	12	13	14	15	16
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
Breakfast	cereal	scrambled egg	egg	scrambled egg	oatmeal	pumpkin
bake	berries	toast	cin. toast	w/ veggies	berries	french toast
fruit	egg	banana	apple	banana sandwich	almond milk	banana
tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
"lunchables"	chicken salad	salad	salad	turkey	salad	veggie
to go	lettuce wrap	hummus/carrots	w/ veggies	lettuce wraps	hummus	pizza
trailmix	fruit	crackers	fruit	fruit	celery	wraps
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
tomato soup	beef	turkey	leftover	beef	KIDS	bean soup
hot rolls	broccoli	stroganoff	turkey or	stew	CHOICE	salad
salad	salad	salad	stirfry	rolls	(quesadillas)	biscuits
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
smoothie	pear	smoothie	trailmix	celery	smoothie	orange
cheese stick	trailmix	fruit/nuts	cheese	apple	carrots	smoothie
cookies	pudding	apple nachos	ice cream	banana parfait	frozen yogurt	cupcake