SNACKS
Fudgy Chocolate Beet Brownies – You’d never know the beets are in these brownies. They are chewy and fudgy – simply delicious. (Pictures slipped my mind – oops).
DINNERS
Quinoa Potato Salad with Pan Seared Chicken – A great alternative to a traditional potato salad with mayo that does not stay fresh long or hold up well at a hot picnic. This one only gets better with time, and it matters not if it’s hot, cold, or somewhere in between.
Grilled Chicken and Peach Arugula Salad – I wish I had doubled this recipe. It was gone in a flash! No time to pan sear chicken or the peaches? No worries. Omit the chicken and serve the peaches freshly sliced. It’s still gonna be fab!
Spinach and Rice (or Quinoa) Stuffed Bell Pepper – I realized late in the game that Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard was without rice. So, I substituted quinoa and it worked like a charm. I’ve never met a bell pepper that didn’t love Gouda and bacon!
Clean Eating Sloppy Joes with Zoodled Crispy Baked Fries – Recipe repeat alert! A family pleaser every time. This was my first attempt making curly fries with a Spiralizer. They weren’t pretty – I used the Spiralizer wrong. But, they were yummy!
Indian Summer Chili – It had been a while since this chili graced our presence. It reminds me of tailgating, cool fall evenings, and all things great about the start of soup/chili season. A friend shared this recipe with me a few years ago and I’m not sure how we every survived without out! Prepare yourself, this recipe is gonna be on here over and over and over and over and…well, you get the picture 🙂
Hope something makes your belly smile…
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Fudgy Chocolate Beet Brownies
Adapted from Purely Twins
1 medium ripe banana
1/4 c. beet purée (puree directions here)
2 T. coconut oil liquid (alternative: 2 T. olive oil)
3 T. nut butter (I like salted, creamy almond butter)
4 T. 100% pure maple syrup (alternative: organic honey, preferably raw)
1 T. organic vanilla extract
2/3 c. raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray muffin pan with coconut oil or olive oil. In a food processor or blender, blend the banana, beet puree, oil, nut butter, syrup and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients (cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder) to the wet batter and blend until smooth. Spoon batter into muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Do NOT over bake! The brownies will pull away from the pan edges slightly, but a toothpick will NOT come out completely clean. Allow to cool slightly so they can achieve all of their fudgy potential. Enjoy!!
Quinoa potato salad with Pan Seared Chicken
Adapted from LFFC CSA Recipe Group
8 medium organic potatoes, unpeeled, cut in large cubes
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. frozen peas
sea salt and pepper, freshly ground
2 T. chopped fresh mint
¼ c. white wine vinegar (alternative: red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar)
2 t. Dijon mustard
½ c. cooked, unseasoned quinoa
¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions: Boil potatoes in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). While the potatoes are boiling, warm a large skillet to medium heat. Saute the garlic and green onions in the olive oil for until the garlic is fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir in the frozen peas and cook until tender (3-4 minutes). Season with a few grinds of sea salt/pepper. Stir in the vinegar and Dijon mustard to form a sauce. Finally, add the quinoa and cheese. Season with salt/pepper to taste.
Serve with 2-3 pan seared organic chicken breasts.
Grilled Chicken and Peach Arugula Salad
Adapted from Love and Lemons
Pesto Dressing:
1 packed c. combination of mint & basil
¼ c. pine nuts, toasted (alternative: your preferred toasted nut)
½ garlic clove, roughly chopped
½ lemon, juiced and zested
¼ c. olive oil (or more)
Tiny pinch of red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
Salad Ingredients:
2 organic chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 t. olive oil
1 T. preservative free grill seasoning (I like Trader Joe’s 21 seasoning salute)
2 firm, yet ripe, organic peaches, sliced
2 t. olive oil, divided
1 t. balsamic vinegar
2 c. organic baby arugula
Fresh baby mozzarella balls, halved
a few dollops of pesto (see recipe above)
sprinkle of toasted pine nuts
sea salt & pepper
Directions: Prepare the dressing in a food processor or blender and set aside. Pan sear the cube chicken sprinkled with grill seasoning and sea salt/pepper until done. In a separate skillet, warmed to medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Arrange the peaches in a single layer on the skillet and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook for one minute, flip the peaches, and cook an additional minute on the other side. Remove from the heat. In a large serving bowl, toss the arugula with one tablespoon of olive and sea salt. Add the remaining salad ingredients (mozzarella, pine nuts, and chicken). Top the salad with the pine nuts. Drizzle the dressing over the top. Season with sea salt/pepper to taste.
Spinach and Rice (or Quinoa) Stuffed Bell Peppers
Adapted from Whole Food Market Recipes
1+1/2 c. organic brown rice or quinoa
4 organic yellow, red or orange bell organic peppers, halved through the stem and seeds discarded
1/2 t. sea salt
2 t. olive oil (only if using turkey bacon)
4 slices preservative free bacon (alternative: preservative turkey bacon)
1 large white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (6 oz) package fresh organic spinach
1 c. smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 T. Parmesan cheese, finely grated
3 T. whole wheat bread crumbs, optional
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice (quinoa) according to package directions. While the rice (quinoa) is simmering, place the halved bell peppers, face up, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the bell pepper interiors with sea salt. Cover peppers with foil and bake for 15 minutes. In the meantime, warm a large skillet to medium heat. Add the sliced bacon (if using turkey bacon, add olive oil to the pan first). Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until translucent (4-5 minutes). Add the garlic to the pan and stir. Cook until fragrant (about a minute). Add the fresh spinach, and toss it until it has wilted. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Gouda cheese, rice (quinoa), and black pepper. Overfill the bell peppers with the rice (quinoa) mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes.
Clean Eating Sloppy Joes with Zoodled Crispy Baked Fries
Adapted from Broke and Bougie and Self Magazine
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 organic bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ground turkey
3 T. honey
1 T. Italian seasoning (alternative: Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute)
1 t. sea salt
1 t. pepper
1 can organic tomato sauce
2 T. organic tomato paste
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. hot sauce*
1 t. soy sauce*
1 t. apple cider vinegar*
*These three ingredients can be replaced with Worcestershire sauce.
Directions: In a large, deep skillet warmed to medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, and bell pepper. Cook until the veggies are softened (about 3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the turkey and break it up into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes). Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer to allow the liquid to reduce and thicken a bit (about 5 more minutes). Serve immediately.
Crispy Baked Fries
4-5 medium organic potatoes (I used a combination of gold and new potatoes)
2 T. olive oil
3/4 t. coarse sea salt
Directions: Use a Spiralizer to create curly fries. Soak the fries in a large bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes. While they are soaking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees (bake, not convection). Drain and gently pat dry. In a bowl, gently toss the curly fries in olive oil. Arrange the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes or until brown (flip at the halfway point).
Indian Summer Chili
Adapted from Rachel Ray
3-4 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 lbs. ground turkey breast (not 99% fat free)
4 T. chili powder (check ingredients to avoid preservatives/fillers)
4 T. grill seasoning blend (Carly: check ingredients to avoid preservatives/fillers –Kroger’s Grill Time Chicken is filler free)
2 T. cumin
2 T. Worcestershire sauce, (alternative: balsamic vinegar)
1 – 3 T. hot sauce, medium to extra-spicy (several ingredients add heat – start slow and add more when tasting at the end)
1 large organic onions, chopped
2 large organic green or other color peppers, chopped
1 bottle of beer (alcohol cooks out)
2 (14 or 16-ounce) cans organic tomato sauce
1 can organic diced tomatoes (Carly: organic fire roasted tomatoes)
1 c. smoky barbecue sauce (choose one w/ the least amount of sugar and ingredients – or make your own w/ recipe below)
plain Greek yogurt (optional topping)
crumbled organic tortilla chips (optional topping)
organic cheddar, shredded (optional topping)
Directions: Heat large, stock pot (or Dutch oven) to medium heat. Add olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Add turkey, chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Mix ingredients and break up the turkey into tiny bits. Continue cooking until turkey is no longer pink (approx. 5-7 min.). Add onions and green peppers and cook until softened (about 5 min.). Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to barely simmering. Cover and allow to simmer for at least 20 min.
Note: if you double the original recipe it’s simply too spicy!! Reducing the chili powder or substituting diced organic tomatoes with the diced fire roasted tomatoes would do the trick.
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