SNACKS
Blueberry Coffee Cake – A very pretty and slightly sweet snack with coffee or tea. If you like your sweets, super sweet, then add a bit more coconut palm sugar.
Chocolate Avocado Oatmeal Cookies – A creamy, eggless cookie option. Almond flour can be substituted for whole white wheat flour for a flourless option too.
DINNERS
Couscous Lemon Salad with Spinach Feta and Asparagus – Easy, peasy, lemon and feta squeasy. Consider doubling this recipe – it makes for a great lunch the next day.
Roasted Tomato Caprese Panzanella – Some classics should not be changed. I felt that way about a caprese salad until I came across this recipe. Oh.my.goodness! The added crunch of toasted bread croutons with sweet balsamic vinegar takes this classic to a whole new level!
Clean Eating Sloppy Joe’s with Crispy Baked Fries – A crowd pleasing, comfort food staple that will be consumed with smiles.
Broccoli Spinach Quinoa Soup – Did you know the entire head of broccoli, including the stem, is edible? Talk about zero waste cooking!
Hope Something Makes Your Belly Smile…
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Blueberry Coffee Cake
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 c. organic plain Greek yogurt or organic sour cream
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1/2 c. organic milk
- 1 1/2 T. white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 to ½ c. organic coconut palm sugar
- 2 t. organic vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
- 8 drops organic stevia
- 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1 1/2 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. sea salt
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut, optional
- 1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9 baking dish with coconut oil and/or olive oil. In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a larger bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined (do NOT over stir). Very gently stir in the blueberries or gently press them into the top of the batter, being careful not to crush the blueberries. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Bake for approximately 25 minutes and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean/dry.
Chocolate Avocado Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Queen of Quinoa
[I would’ve inserted a picture here, but life got busy and it didn’t happen.]
Ingredients
- 1 very ripe banana (if banana is not super ripe, add ¼ c. organic coconut palm sugar)
- ¼ avocado
- 2 T. creamy almond butter (alternatives: peanut butter or nut butter)
- 8 drops organic stevia
- ½ c. rolled oats
- 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 T. white whole wheat flour (alternatives: quinoa flour, oat flour)
- 1 t. cinnamon
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mash together the banana and avocado. Stir in the almond butter, stevia, and coconut palm sugar (if using). Stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Create cookie mounds using a scoop. Bake on a silicone lined baking sheet or baking stone for 15 to 17 minutes.
Couscous Lemon Salad with Spinach Feta and Asparagus
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Ingredients
- 1 c. Israeli Couscous (alternative: whole wheat orzo pasta)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 t. olive oil
- 8 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Sea salt/pepper, freshly ground
- 1 c. fresh organic spinach
- 1 large lemon, halved
- 1/3 c. feta cheese
Directions: Cook couscous according to package directions in salted water. Drain when done (reserve a cup of the cooking water). While the couscous cooks, warm a skillet to near medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook until you can smell the garlic. Add the asparagus and saute for 5 minutes before adding the spinach. Stir until the spinach begins to wilt. Squeeze the lemon over the top and toss the asparagus mixture. To a large serving bowl, combine the cooked couscous, asparagus mixture and feta cheese. Add 1/2 cup or more of the couscous cooking water and stir to create a bit of a sauce. Season with salt and pepper and give a final squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.
Roasted Tomato Caprese Panzanella
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
- 2 pints organic grape or cherry tomatoes
- 6 slices of 100% whole grain bread, cut into cubes (I use Ezekiel bread)
- 4 T. olive oil, divided
- 1 t. sea salt, divided
- 1 t. pepper, freshly ground
- 2 1/2 c. fresh baby mozzarella balls/pearls, drained and dried with a kitchen towel
- 15-20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- balsamic reduction, see recipe below
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees (bake, not convection). Arrange the tomatoes and bread cubes in a single layer on two separate baking sheets. Drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ½ t. sea salt. Bake for ten minutes, use a spatula to flip the bread cubes, and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. In a large serving bowl, toss the bread cubes, mozzarella balls, basil. Add the tomatoes and gently toss one more time. Drizzle desired amount of balsamic reduction and a bit more olive oil.
Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
- 1 c. store bought balsamic vinegar
- 4-5 drops organic stevia drops (optional)
Directions: In a small sauce pan, add the balsamic vinegar and stevia. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer until it has reduced by one-half (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. It’s done when it is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. Note: it will thicken even more as it cools. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Clean Eating Sloppy Joe’s with Crispy Baked Fries
Adapted from Broke and Bougie and Self Magazine
Ingredients
- 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. 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
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium organic potatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 T. olive oil
- 3/4 t. coarse sea salt
Directions: Soak the fries in a large bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes. While they soak, preheat the oven to 450 degrees (bake, not convection). Drain the fries and gently pat dry. In a bowl, gently toss the 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).
Broccoli Spinach Quinoa Soup
Adapted from Wendy Polisi
[I would’ve inserted a picture here, but life got busy and it didn’t happen.]
Ingredients
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 red onion, chopped finely
- 1 t. sea salt
- ½ t. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 c. quinoa, rinsed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 c. vegetable and/or chicken broth
- 1 large head of organic broccoli, chopped (including the stem)
- 1 organic white potato, peeled & chopped
- 6 oz. organic fresh spinach
- 2 T. tahini, optional
- 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
- ½ to 1 t. sea salt
- ½ t. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 c. organic sharp cheddar, shreddedOptional topper
- Organic Greek Yogurt
Directions: In a large stock pot heated to near medium, add the olive to coat the bottom. Add the onion, sea salt, and black pepper. Saute until softened (about 8 minutes). Add the uncooked quinoa and garlic. Stir constantly to brown the quinoa just a bit and prevent the garlic from sticking. Add the broth, broccoli, and potato. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30-35 minutes (the potatoes will be soft). Add the spinach and stir until it has wilted. Add the remaining ingredients. Transfer to a blender container (all or in batches depending on the size of the container). Blend until smooth and creamy. If your blender has a soup setting, use it and walk away. Top individual bowls with a dollop of Greek yogurt for a nice zip!
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