Our Favorite Holiday Foods

My passion for cooking began in college.  I started watching Food Network and learned so much.  I loved recreating the things I saw on TV and challenging myself to try new things.  When Gonzalo and I first got married, I cooked all kinds of fun recipes and spent money and time in stores like Sur la Table and Bed Bath and Beyond.  Some of that has changed since having kids, but I still love cooking. The holidays are a good time for me to get creative in the kitchen again.  I've found a few solid recipes that we all love and we've been making them for the past couple of years.  I used to want to try new things each year because there are so many options out there, but these recipes have stuck around!

Pomogranate, Kale, Walnut, and Wild Rice Salad with Feta is so good!  I looks super pretty and the flavors are awesome.  This is perfect to make the day before and just add the dressing right before.

Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, and Brussel Sprouts is an easy way to get lots of veggies and healthy carbs!  The flavor from the herbs is so good.

This Good Eats Roast Turkey is the most flavorful turkey I've made.  I think the combo of the brine and the aromatics that go inside really make is amazing.  Alton Brown knows his stuff!

Clean Eating Cranberry Sauce is a million times better than the canned stuff and so easy!  I top my turkey with this instead of gravy.  I think it has so much more flavor.

I like to save my carbs for dessert and this Sweet Potato Pie is worth it!  It's not really clean eating, but my theory on dessert is that it should be the real deal!  No need to go halfway on something that's meant to be a treat!

I hope these recipes help you with your Christmas meal planning.  

Oh, and if you need a recipe for holiday breakfast, try this one! 

Clean Eating Pumpkin Oatmeal Casserole with Cranberries

Easy 5 Minute Guacamole

Sara, my 5 year old decided on a whim that she wanted chips and guacamole for a snack this afternoon. I just happened to have 2 avocados in the fridge, so we threw this together in 5 minutes! It's so easy and so delicious!

Easy 5 Minute Guacamole

2 large avocados

1/3 cup cilantro 

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Pulse avocado and cilantro together in a food processor until it reaches the desired consistency. 

2. Add in reminding ingredients and pulse a few times, until well combined. 

You can make this in a food processor like I did, or just chop and mix by hand, both work well!

What We're Eating This Week ( 12/14-12/20)

I spent some time planning out dinners this week, but I also planned a few lunches.  This will probably be enough to last us through some of next week as well!

Roasted Vegetable Chickpea Salad is a yummy vegetarian lunch that surprised me how good it was the first time I made it!

Greek yogurt chicken salad-I was afraid to try chicken salad without mayo but once I did, I will never go back!  It's great and is so much better for you!

Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potatoes - these are so good!

Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats - we love tacos in this house and we also love zucchini.

Sweet and Spicy Beef Noodles

Crispy Almond Crusted Mahi Bake

What We Are Eating This Week (12/7/15-12/13/15)

I'm back!  I carved out some time last night to meal plan for the week, so I decided to share what we will be eating.  Hopefully it'll help you plan your week as well.  I've found that healthy eating doesn't happen without a plan.  Often the junk is the easy stuff to grab without thinking, so you need to know what you are eating ahead of time so you can make the right choices.


Hearty Beef and Butternut Squash Stew
This is one from the 21 Day Fix Extreme cookbook and I never tried it when I did the program.  I'm looking forward to cooking it!


Thai Wild Rice Salad with Seared Salmon
This looks awesome.  So pretty and full of flavor!  My favorite salmon dishes usually have asian flavors.


Easy Pesto Chicken Bake
I've made this a few times.  It's SUPER easy and really flavorful.  I'm going to serve it on top of spaghetti squash.


Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Meat, veggies, and carbs in one pot?  Yes please!  This looks so good and so easy.  I love crockpot meals.

Homemade Wheat Tortillas

This recipe is just so good. I can't make it too often or I would go way overboard on carbs. It's hard to eat just one or two! I love this recipe because the ingredients are things everyone has on hand and the tortillas are so much better than store bought, and they are preservative-free! I've experimented with a few variations and this one is the best. Give 'em a roll!

Homemade Wheat Tortillas

3 cups flour (I use 2 cups white whole wheat and 1 cup all purpose)
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 heaping tsp salt

1. Combine all ingredients and kneed until well combined.
2. Preheat two nonstick skillets over medium heat. (So you can cook two at once)
3. Divide dough into 12 equally sized balls.
4. Roll them out as you cook them. Cook approximately 2 minutes per side, until slightly blistered.
5. Pile into a tea towel to keep warm until dinner.

These keep well in the fridge if you have any leftovers!

Easy Baked Fish

I am always looking for new, easy and flavorful ways to cool fish. I like it a lo and I know it's very healthy, but sometimes it can be bland or dry. 

This recipe is an easy way to cook veggies and fish together. Plus with a foil packet, you won't have many dirty dishes! The foul packet keeps the fish super moist. I actually used frozen salmon that wasn't thawed and it worked very well!

Easy Baked Fish

Serves 4

4 fillets of fish (I used salmon)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 lb green beans

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. About 15 minutes before dinner, marinate the fish in the orange juice. 

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

3. Wash and prep green beans by cutting off the ends. 

4. Lay out 4 pieces of foil, each about 12 inches long. 

5. Portion out the green beans on each piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the salmon fillet on top and pour a small amount of orange juice in the packet.

6. Fold up each packet tightly and place on a cookie sheet in the oven. 

7. Bake about 20-30 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork. 

What We are Eating This Week (9/21-9/27)

It's been awhile since I've posted our weekly meal plan but I wanted to do it this week so I can make sure I use what I have on hand and make some of the things I've been wanting to make.  Most of the recipes I'm making are from the Fixate Cookbook.  If you don't have it yet and want one, get it here!  For the things that aren't from Fixate, I won't be following recipes, just going with my gut :). I put a little explanation on each meal to walk you through how I'm going to do it.

Bison Burgers with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Zucchini Bake

For the bison burgers, I'm going to mix the meat with some dijon mustard, and egg, and some spices.  I'll serve the burgers on a piece of toasted Ezekiel bread.  I'll roast the potatoes at 425 with olive oil and spices until cooked and the Zucchini Bake (pictured below) is from Fixate.

Beef and Broccoli with Cauliflower Rice
For this one, I'll saute the beef and broccoli with Braggs liquid aminos and the make the cauliflower rice.

Citrus Mahi Mahi and Roasted Acorn Squash from Fixate
I'm going to marinate the mahi in orange juice, honey, and soy sauce and then bake it at 350 until cooked through.  The squash recipe (pictured below) is from Fixate.

Crockpot Habanero Cilantro Pork Loin with Sweet Potatoes and Green Beans
This is a super easy recipe.  I use a 3 lb pork loin, cover it with store bought clean salsa, and cook it until it falls apart.  I'll bake the sweet potatoes and mash them with coconut oil and cinnamon and then roast the green beans at 425 with olive oil and seasonings.

Spaghetti with whole wheat noodles and clean tomato sauce, side salad
We all know how to make spaghetti :)

Chicken Parmesan and Roasted Veggies
The chicken parmesan is from Fixate.  I'll roast whatever veggies I have on hand at 425 with olive oil and grill seasoning.

Healthier Rice and Beans

My husband is Mexican and naturally, he loves rice and beans. My kids do too! Traditional Mexican rice and refried beans are not the heathiest options on a daily basis, but I've found a substitute that is Gonzalo-approved!

Pinto Beans and Rice 
(from the Ultimate Reset)

1 can pinto beans, with liquid
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tsps paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsps Braggs Liquid Aminos

Heat beans in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until hot. Drain. Add reminding ingredients and mix well. Gently fold in warm cooked rice.

Pecan Pie Shakeology

Here is a delicious recipe to try if you've got vanilla Shakeology.

Kale and Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

This recipe was inspired by one I saw on 100 Days of Real Food that used regular potatoes.  I figured I could make it a little healthier and we were happy with the result!  This was very easy and filling.

Kale and Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
serves 4

4 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 bunch of kale
2 shallots
1 package of nitrate free bacon
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

Bake sweet potatoes in a 425 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender.  Set aside to cool.

Cook bacon in a skillet and set aside.  While bacon is cooking, wash and chop the kale and finely slice the shallots.  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots and then the kale.  Cook together until kale is wilted and shallots are soft, about 5-8 minutes.  I added a splash of vegetable stock to deglaze the pan, but you could also use a little water to help steam the kale. Turn off the heat.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and add the insides to the skillet with the kale and shallots.  Make sure the sweet potatoes are mixed well with the kale and then add the greek yogurt.  Crumble in the bacon.  Once everything is combined and heated through, add the mixture back to the potato skins.

Enjoy!

What We Are Eating This Week (Week of 6/29/15)

This is a sample of how I often plan the week.  I write down what I have on hand (either full meal or specific ingredients), then I plan out meals to make from those items, then I write down what I need to buy.  From there, I transfer my list into my Kroger app.  It's my favorite for grocery shopping!  It keeps my list all sorted by category, I can keep my store coupons in there, and I can also add items directly from the weekly ad.

I pretty much cleaned out the fridge this past week, so for inspiration this week, I decided to use another technique.  Sometimes I will take either a cookbook or food magazine and pick all my recipes from there.  It's nice to just need one guide for all of the week's meals.

This week I'm using an Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine from January/February 2015.  I really like this magazine.  It's always full of fun recipes and information.  Rachael Ray was the first TV cook I watched and she taught me so much.  I love her creativity and casual approach.  She does a lot more pasta and cheese than I eat, but she has some great ideas!  Here are the recipes I plan to make:

These adorable mini meat loaves with customizable mix-ins. I think I'll let the kids choose how to flavor their own!

Roasted Pork Chops with Green Beans and Potatoes-one pan means less mess!

For lunch-Korean Style Rice Bowls. I'll use brown rice instead of jasmine and may do grilled chicken instead an egg.

Beef and Kale Stri Fry-will use brown rice, honey instead of sugar

For breakfast, lunch, or snacks, I will try this Avocado Smash or this White Bean Smash on top of Ezekiel bread and have either an egg or grilled chicken on the side.

Looks like a delicious week!  I hope that helps with your meal planning! 

Chicken with Zucchini Noodles and Avocado Cream Sauce

I had some friends over for lunch the other day and decided to make them something with zucchini noodles.  As I always do when I have company, I chose to make a recipe I've never made before, and didn't even follow a recipe, just used a few as a guide.  I don't know why I do this, but it usually works out just fine.  The end result was really good!  Creamy from the avocado, tangy from the lemon juice, nutritious from the zucchini, and filling from the chicken!  I will definitely make this again! When I do make it again, I will add a photo. We ate it so fast I didn't get a picture!

Chicken with Zucchini Noodles and Avocado Cream Sauce

Serves 4

2 cups cooked and diced chicken
4 medium sized zucchini
1 small avocado
1 clove of garlic
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1. Prepare the avocado cream sauce.  In a food processor, pulse the garlic clove a few times to break it down.  Add the avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, greek yogurt, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Puree until the mixture is well combined and creamy.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil.  If your chicken is cold, add the chicken and saute 2-3 minutes until heated through.  While the chicken is cooking, prepare your zucchini noodles.  I use a Vegetti, but you could use a food processor with the correct attachment, or a vegetable peeler and make strips.

3. Once the chicken is heated thoroughly, remove from the pan and add more olive oil to the pan.  Increase the heat to high.  Saute the zucchini noodles for 3-5 minutes.

4, Combine the chicken, zucchini noodles, and avocado sauce and serve!

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Let me know if you tried it!

Cinnamon Apple Crunch

Last night after dinner I was really craving something sweet, but I'm really trying to be good since I'm going to Hawaii next week.  I thought about what I had eaten during the day and realized I was a little low on fruit.  I decided to create something to satisfy my sweet tooth and man, it was yummy!

Cinnamon Apple Crunch

1 small apple (I used a golden delicious)
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup quick oats, uncooked

Heat the coconut oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.  Slice the apples thinly and spread out in an even layer in the warm pan.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Once the apples have cooked a few minutes and begin to soften, flip them individually.  Pour oats over the top and drizzle with peanut butter.  After about 2 minutes, turn up the heat and stir continuously until everything is well combined, and apples are soft.  Try not to burn your mouth, it's hard to wait until the apples are cool enough to eat!

21 Day Fix Equivalents:
1 purple
1 yellow
2 tsp

This recipe would be easy to modify as well. If you don't have any yellow containers left or are trying to stay away from grains, pecans would be great instead of the oats.  You could also leave out the peanut butter and do a small drizzle of honey instead. Either way, it's delicious and fast and I will definitely make it again!

What We Are Eating This Week (6/1)

It's time for my weekly meal plan!  In case you are wondering how I come up with this, here is my method.  

1. Look in the fridge and see what I still have on hand

2. Shop sales at the store

3. Find/create recipes using those things

That seems to be the most cost effective way I've found.  I definitely find recipes ahead of time and shop specifically for those at times, but it's not always the case.  Sometimes I don't even know I'm going to the store until 20 minutes before it's time to go.  That leaves me little time to plan!  So, I usually just load up on produce, lean meat, whole grains, and canned items like tomatoes and beans.  Those provide a good base for just about any recipe.

This week we are having...

Roasted Chicken and Vegetables 

(will prep this Sunday and use for lunches during the week)

Flank Steak Stir-Fry with Veggies

Beef Fried Rice

Salmon Teriyaki Skewers

(will sub honey for the brown sugar and add green bell peppers)

Also, these recipes are more of a guideline.  I usually tweak things a little to either make them cleaner or fit ingredients I have on hand.  Either way, at least I have a plan!  What are you cooking this week?

Snack Time: Greek Yogurt

One my favorite snacks is Greek yogurt.  It is a staple on my grocery list each week.  There are so many ways to prepare it, so it never gets boring.  The high protein content makes it a great choice to keep us full and buying plain keeps us from overloading on sugar.  Besides a healthy snack or breakfast, it also makes a great topping in the place of sour cream!  You can also make chicken salad with it instead of mayo.  Try it!  I promise you won't miss the taste of mayo and your body definitely won't miss all the artificial ingredients in mayo!

Here are a few of my favorite variations of Greek yogurt:

Greek yogurt with stevia, flax meal, and frozen raspberries

Greek yogurt with peanut butter, stevia, and slivered almonds

Today I tried it with stevia, cinnamon, and chopped apples.  It was delicious!

What's your favorite variation?

What We Are Eating This Week (5/24)

It's time for the next edition of what we are eating this week!  We actually didn't eat everything that I prepped last weekend, so I don't have to plan as many meals.  I'll add a couple suggestions  in case you need a couple more ideas!


Skirt Steak Fajitas

Spicy Chickpea Veggie Burgers

A few of my favorite recipes you need to try:

Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

Chicken Bacon "Alfredo"

Almond Chicken Soup with Sweet Potato and Collards (I use kale)

Let me know if you try any of these recipes and what you think!  

My Review of Hello Fresh

Overall, I was really pleased with Hello Fresh.  The recipes were very easy to follow and the flavors were out of the ordinary but not too wild. I like that I have recipe cards now that I can use again. All of the ingredients were clean, so it was easy to eat healthy meals using this service. I will definitely do it again!

Meal 1 was chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes with a kale and couscous salad. The chicken was really good, not a huge fan of raw kale. A little too strong of a taste for me! Sara liked all of it though and ate the whole meal which almost never happens. 

Meal 2 was baked salmon with brown rice and a tangelo and avocado arugula salad. This meal was delicious, super easy to prepare, and very flavorful. It actually came with quinoa but Gonzalo has requested no more quinoa so I made brown rice.  I will definitely make this again. 

Meal 3 was mustard pork chops with roasted green beans and crispy potato cakes. This was also really really good! The mustard sauce had a shallot which I love and the potato cakes were something different I wouldn't usually make. Gonzalo and I devoured it all. 

Here's the recipe for the salmon:

Oven Roasted Salmon with Avocado, Tangelo, & Quinoa (or brown rice) Salad

2 salmon fillets

1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa

4 cups baby arugula 

1 avocado

2 T white wine vinegar 

1 tangelo 

2 scallions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare brown rice or quinoa according to package directions using water or vegetable stock. Meanwhile, zest the tangelo, then peel it with your hands. Slice the tangelo into thin rounds, then into half moons. Remove any seeds. 

Rub salmon fillets with 1/2 T olive oil, half of the tangelo zest, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven 8-10 minutes, until flaky and opaque. 

Meanwhile, halve and pit the avocado and thinly slice. Slice the scallions, keeping greens and whites separate. 

Make the vinaigrette: mix remaining tangelo zest with 2 T white wine vinegar and 2 T olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Toss half the vinaigrette with the cooked brown rice, season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

Toss the arugula, tangelo segments, scallion whites, and avocado with the remaining vinaigrette. 

Serve arugula salad atop a mound of brown rice. Top with the salmon and sprinkle with scallion greens. Enjoy!

If you want to try it out, use this link to get $40 off your first order! https://www.hellofresh.com/?c=LKWLVH