Carrot Ginger Pasta

This is an adaptation from this recipe, once again because I didn't have many of the ingredients. The final verdict from our family was 2/5ths loved it, 2/5ths liked it, and 1/5th did not like, but he's the 1/5th who only likes pizza and chicken noodle soup right now so he doesn't really count. And since I was part of the 2/5ths that loved it, I think it's blog-worthy:).

Ingredients:

• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/3 of one of those large bags of baby carrots from Sam's Club (sorry it's not more precise but that's how I gauge things sometimes)
• 1 t minced fresh ginger (fresh is always best, but a few sprinkles of powdered would work I'm sure, and I obviously rarely have the "right" ingredients myself)
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 T sesame seeds
• Juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 T water
• Extra olive oil, salt, pepper as needed

Directions:

Ina saucepan over med-high heat saute the garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Add the carrots, ginger, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Let the carrots cook for 10-15 minutes until they are fork tender (turn the heat down a bit if they are drying out or starting to brown). Once fork tender, pour everything into your blender or food processor. Add the sesame seeds, lemon juice, and water and blend/process. Add more olive oil as needed to create a sauce, not just paste. Season with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with pasta, and feel free to add some cooked shredded chicken unless you want a meatless meal.

Butterfinger Bars

This does not fall into the "Whole Foods" category by any means, but you gotta live a little, right? My only complaint about these bars is that unless cold, they fall apart very easily. But I prefer my chocolate cold or frozen anyways, so it all works out for me, and these are so yummy they are worth the mess even if they warm up.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sleeves graham crackers
• 1/4 c coconut oil
• 1/2 c peanut butter (I use all natural - crunchy or smooth works)
• 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 T sugar or honey
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 c chocolate chips
• 1 T peanut butter

Crush graham crackers to crumbs. If you like things super smooth, use a blender or food processor. If you like things more chunky like me, just throw them in your mixer and let it crush them down for you (plus less dishes to wash after:). Add the coconut oil, 1/2 c peanut butter, coconut, sugar/honey, and pinch of salt. Press mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish for thinner bars, or a bread pan for thicker bars (pre-oiled or sprayed with cooking spray).

Melt the chocolate chips plus 1 T peanut butter and drizzle over the top and put in the fridge or freezer to set up. Make sure to cut into bars before they are frozen solid (speaking from experience, otherwise they break into more of a bark-like dessert...). Keep cold until serving.

 Delicious!

BBQ Chicken Stir-Fry

A few years ago a friend shared a BBQ chicken kabob recipe with me. I was pregnant at the time and it actually sounded yummy to me so I wanted it THAT NIGHT! But I had no skewers. So I turned it into sitr-fry instead. About a year later our family started making lots of changes in the way we ate, moving towards a whole foods diet. My palate changed and the original recipe became way too sweet for me. So I started changing things up each time we ate this meal, and here's our version today....the version we all love (even if my boys end up eating just the chicken, rice, and pineapples!).

Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 red onion, cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 bell peppers (a combination of different colors is my favorite), cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 small, fresh pineapple, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken
• 1 T + garlic salt (taste test to your liking)
• 1/4 BBQ sauce, mixed with 1/4 c water (if you like things really sweet, you can mix it with orange juice, but that's way too sweet for my palate)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the onion and pepper (you want them sizzling when they hit the pan so make sure it's preheated well) and cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp tender. Add your tomatoes and pineapple, and cook for another 3-4 minutes (I like to wait until the cherry tomatoes are bursting). Add your cooked chicken and garlic salt. Taste test to see if you need more garlic salt. When everything is heated through add the BBQ sauce/water mixture and allow it to cook down for a couple more minutes. Serve over brown rice, quinoa, or even with pasta.

Avocado Pasta

A yummy, quick, satisfying pasta dish we refer to as "Super Hero Pasta" because of the green color (think little boys and the Green Lantern...). The original recipe for the sauce comes from here (so no, I am not claiming this as my original recipe!!!!), but we usually triple the sauce and use spiral pasta and broccoli florets cooked together for an "easy to eat for babies and kids" dinner. I also switch out the cilantro for basil a lot.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados
Juice of two limes, or 2 frozen lime cubes (i sometimes freeze lime juice in ice cube trays in the freezer)
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 large handful cilantro or basil (both are yummy in the end - just produce slightly different flavors)
2 t good salt
1 package spiral pasta
2 more t good salt (for seasoning the pasta and broccoli)
3 c broccoli florets (chopped into bite sized pieces)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, adding a couple of teaspoons of salt to the cooking water. With about 5 minutes left of cooking time, add the broccoli. Strain everything together.

In a blender, combine the avocados, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. You may need to use the tamper to get things mixing well.

Combine pasta, broccoli, and sauce in a larger serving dish. We eat this alone or with fruit and rolls.

French Toast

Another easy, filling breakfast we eat often.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1+ c milk (we use rice or coconut, and I just eyeball the amount - want it thin enough to soak into the bread quickly but not runny))
• 1 t cinnamon
• Whole wheat bread (usually around 10 slices, depending on how much liquid each slice soaks up)

Directions:

Preheat griddle to 350. In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Dip each slice of bread and cook on the griddle. Our favorite way to serve is with coconut oil, maple syrup, and fruit.

Simple Pasta

Another quick, simple, yummy, dinner that I can change up according to what I have on hand. If I am using up leftover ingredients (like the chicken, veggies, and pasta) this is a one-skillet meal too:).

Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1-2 c (or more) diced yellow squash (or whatever veggies I have...broccoli, zucchini, peppers, onions, or even frozen veggies if I'm really in a bind)
• 1 T minced garlic
• Salt & Pepper
•  1 c cooked, shredded chicken (I'll use leftover after I cook a whole chicken, cook a frozen chicken breast, or eliminate for a meatless meal)
• 1-2 T balsamic or red wine vinegar
• Pasta (leftover or make some; spaghetti, penne, whatever I have on hand)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the veggies, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until veggies are crisp-tender (varies depending on the veggie). Add the chicken (if already cooked, otherwise cook before the veggies), vinegar, and pasta and heat through.

Savory Quinoa

This is my favorite way to prepare quinoa for hot meals.

Ingredients:

• 3 c chicken stock (homemade is my fave, and chicken broth or water work if I don't have any)
• 2 c quinoa, rinsed well in cold water
• 1 t good salt
• 1-2 t Costco No-Salt Seasoning Mix (or other version)

Rinse quinoa in cold water in fine-mesh sieve. Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, add the quinoa and spices. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy.