If you were to look inside my fridge, more often then not, you would find a little jar of sauce.

Not just any sauce.

Magic sauce.

A few days after Scarlet was born, my mom came over to make us some dinner and the meal she made has become a staple in our house. The sauce for the roasted veggies comes from one of my favorite food blogs and the dinner concept from my mom's sheer genious.

Thank you Mom.

As I've mentioned before, eating all real foods takes some planning, preperation and time and I'm always looking for easy items I can keep on hand to throw together a quick meal... especially when you can get good leftovers out of it!

A few things about this meal:

• If you are a meat eater and worry that a meal of veggies won't fill you up... I promise this will.
• You can use any veggies you like with the sauce. Although it does taste amazing with the cauliflower!
• I sometimes add garbonzo beans or lentils to the meal for added protein.
• I always double or triple the sauce and keep it on hand for another meal. Thus, the little magic jar.
• If your 3 year old says "I will like vegetables when I get older mama." then you might be out of luck with this one. Yes, I'm speaking from experience.

ENJOY!

Elizabeth

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND ASPARAGUS BOWLS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head of cauliflower - cut into bit sized pieces
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 package of the 5 Grain Blend from Trader Joe's (it is a mix of couscous, orzo, beans and red quinoa) or any grain
• Vegetable broth

THE SAUCE:

I follow these intructions and mix together:

• 2 T almond butter
• 1 T braggs amino acids
• 1 t lemon juice
• 3 T water
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1 t minced ginger
• 1 t minced garlic
• 2 T chopped cashews or almonds

TO MAKE:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Follow the instructions for cooking the 5 Grain Mix and get it going on the stove. I use vegetable broth and coconut oil.

Side note: I usually make the whole package because it works great for leftovers and Duke LOVES it. Seriously great, kid-friendly, mix! I usually mix in some avocado and sometimes I can even hide some broccoli in it. Sometimes.

Mix together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.

In a medium sized bowl, toss the cauliflower with about half the sauce and place on a baking sheet. Roast for about 15 minutes.

While the cauliflower starts cooking, toss the asparagus with the remaining sauce.

After about 15 minutes, stir the cauliflower and add the asparagus to the baking sheet and roast for another 10 minutes.

TO SERVE:

Layer everything in a bowl!

If you like spicy, it tastes great with a bit of Sreracha on top.

ENJOY!

  To me, Whole Foods is a little slice of heaven on earth.

Some women like to window shop and drool over beautiful clothes…

I prefer to peruse the isles of Whole Foods.

(Ok, I love clothes too but window-shopping is not really my thing… I like shopping to buy better)

Anyway… I love to stroll down the isles and dream of new meals to create and flavors to try.

Beyond just shopping there, they have some of the best lunch and dinner meals around. If you have not gone to their Marketplace for a meal, you really need to!

They have EVERYTHING. Mexican, Italian, Indian, Sushi… you name it, they have it and everything is delicious! I know that most of the store is pretty spendy (my husband calls it “Whole Paycheck”) but their meals are really quite reasonably priced.

One of my favorite things to eat there lately is their Teriyaki Salmon Bowls. I pretty much want one all day, everyday so it was time to attempt to make them at home.

Now if I can just convince my husband that he wants these everyday too…

ENJOY!

Elizabeth

GLUTEN FREE TERIYAKI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 C Bragg’s amino acids

3/4 C water

1 tsp minced ginger

2 tsp minced garlic

2 T brown sugar

1 T cornstarch

Couple of dashes of cayenne pepper

TO MAKE:

Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until it boils. Then reduce to a simmer until it thickens. Stir frequently.

GRILLED SALMON AND VEGGIE BOWLS

Adjust quantities according to how many you are serving

INGREDIENTS:

Chopped:

Bell Pepper

Cauliflower

Asparagus

Onion

Mushrooms

*any veggies work!

Thinly sliced salmon

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Minced garlic

Sea salt

Pepper

Cooked brown rice

TO MAKE:

Fire up the grill!

Place all chopped veggies in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a scoop of minced garlic.

Cook them on the grill on a high heat until they brown up but still a bit crispy. We cook ours on a grill pan we got at Target and it works perfectly for any veggies

For the salmon, we usually buy the frozen Alaskan Salmon Fillets from Costco and those are really easy to slice in thin pieces. Toss them in a bowl with olive oil, lemon juice and dash of sea salt. Place them on the grill and watch them closely because they won’t take long to cook.

TO SERVE:

Layer brown rice, veggies, and salmon and drizzle the teriyaki sauce on top. Garnish with fresh basil and green onions for added flavor.

ENJOY!

After a whole pregnancy of craving nothing but Mexican food, two weeks of quick and easy meals, and wonderful friends and family cooking for us… I have made my way back into the kitchen to work on some new, non-Mexican, recipes!

As I am learning to juggle my two little ones, keeping up with laundry and brushing my teeth before my husband gets home from work…. My goal with most meals has been to have enough for leftovers for lunch the following day.

Leftovers are a mama’s best friend.

With Spring finally making it’s way to us, I am getting so excited to grill up every type of colorful vegetable I can get my hands on! Yet for this recipe, my stove had to suffice… as well as the veggies I happened to have in my fridge.

Feel free to get creative with this meal and use whatever type of veggies you and your family like. Really anything goes with this one!

ENJOY!

Elizabeth

CILANTRO LIME PEANUT SAUCE + VEGGIES + RICE 

(apple cider vinegar not used)

PEANUT SAUCE:

• ½ C natural peanut butter
• 1 T Braggs amino acids (or soy sauce)
• 2 T limejuice
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 t minced ginger
• 1 T brown sugar
• ¼ C cilantro
• ¼ C water
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional – just adds a bit of a kick but not too much)

(kale and zucchini not pictured) 

VEGGIES + RICE:

• 2 C cooked brown rice (I cooked mine in vegetable broth for added flavor)
• 1 can water chestnuts – chopped
• 1 bell pepper – chopped
• 2 C steamed kale – chopped
• 3 carrots – pealed and chopped
• ½ C green onions – chopped
• 1 zucchini – chopped
• ¼ C chopped cilantro
• Coconut oil

TOPPINGS:

• Chopped peanuts
• Green onions
• Sriacha Hot Sauce

TO MAKE:

SAUCE:

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add more water to reach desired consistency if necessary.

VEGGIES:

Heat a bit of coconut oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add carrots and peppers and cook for a few minutes until they soften. Then add water chestnuts, steamed kale, green onions, zucchini, cilantro, salt and pepper and cook all together for a few more minutes. I tend to like my veggies on the crispier side so turn up the heat to medium high and let them brown up without getting soggy.

*Steaming the kale prior to sautéing it will soften it and makes it much better! You can use a steamer or just put a bit of water in a pan with the kale and cover. Cook for about 5 min on a high heat. You just want it to soften a bit and wilt.

TO COMBINE:

In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked brown rice, sautéed veggies, and peanut sauce. Stir until combined. Give it a taste and add more salt or pepper if desired.

TO SERVE:

Add toppings and enjoy!

 

My Grandma Ruth loved me.

She would tell me she loved me with a kiss on my cheek and a simple “I love you, dear”.

And she would show me she loved me….

By cutting the crust off my sandwiches at lunch (on white Wonder Bread of course)

And always making sure the candy dish was freshly filled when I came to visit.

And stocking the freezer with “Awful Waffles” (aka: Eggo Waffles).

And freshly baked coffee cake waiting on the counter as soon as I arrived.

She loved my family and me through food every time we came to visit her house. She would serve us and my Grandpa tirelessly and always served a beautiful dinner every night… complete with a homemade dessert.

She was a beautiful example of what true service is in every way.

She never seemed flustered or too busy for me… even when I was trying to “help” her cook dinner.

She never complained about the dirty dishes in the sink.

She awoke before everyone else so she could have coffee ready and all the breakfast options waiting for us on the counter.

She and my grandpa even slept on the pull out couch in their living room so my family could use their bedroom and have plenty of space.

I long to be like my Grandma Ruth and serve in the way she did.

One of our favorite meals she would make was called Chili Con Carne and her recipe has been passed down and made by everyone in the family.

The only problem is, like most of her cooking, it is not exactly all that good for you.

But oh so tasty!

So, a few years ago I revised her recipe to be a bit better for you but still achieve the same Grandma’s Chili taste.

I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

Elizabeth

GRANDMA’S CHILI… almost

*Serves 8ish and freezes perfectly!

*Contains dairy

INGREDIENTS:

2 packages of ground turkey (about 2.75lbs)

1 medium onion – chopped

1 T minced garlic

2 cans black beans - drained and rinsed

2 cans kidney beans - drained and rinsed

1 box of Trader Joes Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

4 T chili powder

1 T cumin

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp pepper

1 T flour (I used oat flour but any kind of four works)

Splash of water

TO MAKE:

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pan. Add ground turkey and let it begin to brown.

Once it has cooked for a bit, break it up in to small chunks and add chopped onion and garlic.

While the meat is finishing cooking, combine chili powder, cumin, sea salt, pepper and flour in a bowl and stir well. Add a few tablespoons of water and stir well. It should make a thick paste.

Once the meat is finished cooking, add the paste to the meat and stir.

Add black beans, kidney beans and tomato soup.

Bring everything to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Give it a taste and add more spices if needed. If you would like it a bit spicy, add some cayenne pepper.

*This meal works great when made ahead of time and reheated for dinner. It also freezes really well. I usually freeze half and then use the other half for dinner and leftovers.

TO SERVE:

• My grandma ALWAYS served hers on bow-tie noodles. It may sound a bit strange to have chili with noodles… but it is AMAZING! I would recommend a good whole wheat noodle or brown rice noodle.
• It also works on quinoa, just by itself… or a little corn bread never hurt either.
• It can be topped with cheese, guacamole or sliced avocado, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt… or all of the above.

ENJOY!

PS: she really did make the best Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Pineapple Upside Down Cake around and I plan to attempt a healthier version of those sometime soon as well!