Tomato and Veggie Turkey Stew

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Peanut Butter (without all the added stuff!)

Homemade Peanut Butter

A few weeks ago, I made my first batch of almond butter and it was better than anything I've bought in the store.  Once I saw how easy it was to make almond butter, I thought why not try peanut butter.  My husband really liked peanut butter but doesn't like the natural kinds I have purchased in the past. I'm anxious to see if this goes over an better.

Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on Target's peanut butter?  Is it really necessary to have sugar as the second ingredient plus rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, and molasses?

All of my peanut butter includes is dry roasted peanuts, a dash of salt, 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil.  I used a bag of dry roasted peanuts from Trader Joes.

1) Put about a 1/2 of cup of peanuts into the food processor and chop briefly.  Sit to the side, it will be added later to create chunky peanut butter.

2) Add the remaining peanuts, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the food processor.  This is wear patience comes to play.  Run the food processor and watch the peanuts transform.  You may need to stop it occasionally and push the mixture to the bottom of the processor.

3) If necessary, the last tablespoon of honey and coconut oil to reach the desired consistency. 

4)  After about 10  minutes has passed, your mixture should start to look like peanut butter.  Once you are happy with the consistency, put the chopped peanuts back into the butter and run the processor just long enough to mix the peanuts in.


5) Store in an airtight container in the fridge or pantry.  If you plan on keeping it in the fridge, remove about 5 minutes before you wish to use it for easy spreading.

If you are feeling creative - add cocoa powder for chocolate peanut butter!

Baked Beans and Pears from The Cooking Club of PA

Baked Beans and Pears (from the Cooking Club of PA

 My parents went to a cooking class put on by the Cooking Club of PA (http://www.thecookingclubpa.com).  My mom enjoyed it so much that she sent me the website with some recipes to try.  The first one I went with was Baked Beans and Pears. I didn't stick to the exact recipe but it is a yummy (and much healthier) version of the baked beans that come out of a can.  It is even husband approved!



Here is the original link: http://www.thecookingclubpa.com/#!baked-beans-and-pears/ck7d

Here is my take on Baked Beans and Pears:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of  coconut oil

1/2 of a medium onion, chopped

2-15oz cans Great Northern Beans

2 organic pears, diced (skins on) 

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard 

2 tablespoons of  honey

2 tablespoons of  balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup of nitrate free cooked bacon, chopped

Directions

1) Heat a large skillet and add the coconut oil.  Saute the onions for 2 minutes.  Drain the beans.  Add the beans to the skilled and cook for about 5 minutes.

 2) Remove the skillet from heat.  Add the remaining ingredient (except the bacon) and stir until well mixed.

 3) Transfer the mixture to a 2 quart baking dish and top with chopped bacon.  Cover the dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Remove the cover for the last 5 minutes to crisp the bacon, if desired.

Curry Chicken and Veggies in a Crock-Pot

Curry Chicken and Veggies in a Crock-Pot

 

This recipe was adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe. This recipe evolved as I looked around my kitchen and found veggies that I thought would work well.  This recipe is perfect for a Sunday since it just requires dumping everything in and enjoying a delicious warm meal 6 hours later.

One way that this can be made healthier is by making your own coconut milk to avoid some of the added ingredients in canned coconut milk.  Coconut and almond milk are on my short list to try.  I did however use homemade peanut butter in this recipe, check out how to make it here.

Ingredient List:

1 sweet potato (cut into three inch pieces)

4 stalks of celery (chopped into one inch pieces)

1/2 of a red onion (diced)

2 cups of baby carrots

3 tablespoons of natural peanut butter (see homemade recipe)

6 tablespoons of red curry paste (can be adjusted depending on desired level of spice)

1 can of coconut milk

1 pound of chicken breast

2 cups of frozen brocolli

1 cup of pineapple chunks 

2 tablespoons of homemade peanut butter 

1/4 cup of chopped peanuts to garnish

Quinoa or brown rice

Direction List:

1) Mix coconut milk, 4 tablespoons of curry paste, vegetables(except for the broccoli in the crock pot.  Make sure that the curry past is dissolved.

2) Lay the chicken on top of the milk/veggie mix.  Rub an additional 2 tablespoons on to the chicken breast.   Turn the Crock-Pot to low and allow to cook for 5-6 hours. 

3) I left my Crock-Pot on for 6 hours and at 5.5 hour mark, I added the brocolli, peanut butter and pineapple. Also, I shredded the chicken.  Stir all of the ingredients together and allow to cook for an additional 1/2 hour.




4)  Serve on a bed of brown rice or quinoa and garnish with chopped peanuts. Add a side of fruit and you have a well balanced and delicious dinner!  Makes about 4 servings.

Avacado Dream Smoothie

Avocado Dream Smoothie

Green smoothies are my new go to breakfast item. They can be made the night before, eaten on the way to work and get your nutrition off on the right foot for the day!

I rarely make the same smoothie twice. My decision making process is normally dependent on what is in the fridge and what veggies need used.  Yesterday, I found a keeper and I call it the "Avocado Dream".  I use my magic bullet to whip these up and it takes about 5 minutes from start to finish.  They are loaded with veggie, smooth and airy.  Give it a try!

Ingredients:

-1/2 an avocado

-1/2 a frozen banana

-1/2 a cup of pineapple chunks(and juice) 

-Handful of spinach

Directions:

1) Place the spinach in the magic bullet, add just enough water to puree the spinach. You could use coconut water here if you want some added sweetness.

2) Add the avocado, banana, and pineapple chunks. Blend until smooth, add additional water if necessary

Now this smoothy isn't very sweet but I don't think it really needs any added sweetener.  The pineapple does a great job of masking the flavor of the spinach and the avocado creates a smooth and rich texture. However, if you prefer something sweeter, try adding a tablespoon of honey or agave nectar.

Let me know what you think! What will your next green smoothie include?

Green Chili

Green Chili

This summer with my CSA I had more spinach then I knew what to do with! My solution? Put it in the blender with some water and freeze it. The plan was to use it as a base for soups this winter. I did the same thing when we had an overwhelming amount of squash or zucchini.

My goal for our new(ish) journey in clean eating is to still make meals that make my husband happy. He is definitely a meat and potatoes guy so it has taken him sometime to come around to trying new fruits and veggies and limiting processed food.

For dinner tonight, I wanted to make chili with a twist. I ended up going with my standard 'dump' approach for chili but added pureed spinach and squash. The flavors and the colors in the chili masked that I added some extra vegetables.

Ingredients

-2 cans of kidney beans

-1 can of diced tomatoes

-1 can of tomato sauce

-1 lb of ground turkey (browned)

-2 cups of frozen spinach puree

-2 cups of frozen yellow squash puree

-Cumin and chili powder to taste

Directions

1) Add beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and frozen vegetables to a large pot. Cook on medium heat until well mixed, stirring occasionally.




2) Add the browned turkey to the pot and season with chili powder and cumin. I start with about a tablespoon of each and adjust accordingly until I've reached the correct level of spice



3) Allow ingredients to simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Garnish with cheese, green onions, or avocado.



My favorite part of the recipe is that I can make it the night before a busy day and just put it back on the stove to warm up for dinner the following night.  This recipe makes about 6 servings.

And an added bonus!  My husband gets heartburn from eating tomato based and spicy food - he thinks that the addition of spinach and squash reduced the acid level in the soup.  Score - feeling good and extra veggies!