Juicing!

Today I felt more like juicing instead of making a smoothie, so I pulled what I had and made my own yummy, refreshing juice!

This book was given to me by my step-mom and it has a TON of really great recipes, with interesting information along with each recipe. If you are new to juicing and don't know what to pair with what, I highly suggest this book! It also has a section for smoothies, as well as a detox section with specific recipes to help you detox. I love the back section because it contains recipes for aliments, like acne, fatigue, arthritis, tummy problems, etc. Great, great, great book!!

I also suggest starting with recipes that have more fruit. To make today's recipe a bit sweeter, try adding another apple, pineapple, or orange.

Here's what you need:

• 3 carrots, sliced to fit your juicer
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 apple, sliced to fit your juicer
• 2 handfuls spinach

Directions:

Add all ingredients to your juicer and juice it up! I always mix my juice before I drink and pour it over ice. Yum!

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

Homemade Hummus!

I LOVE hummus! It is a very easy, versatile dish that can be used to dip veggies, or you can use it as a spread on sandwiches. I found this recipe on Epicurious.com and this has been the best one that I have tried so far!

Why make your own when you can buy some at the grocery store?? Take a look at the ingredients on the store-bought Non-GMO Roasted Read Pepper Hummus (from Sabra's website):

Cooked Chickpeas, Tahini (Ground Sesame), NonGMO Soybean Oil, Red Bell Pepper, Water, Garlic, Salt, NonGMO Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate Added To Maintain Freshness, Natural Flavors

Thankfully they have taken steps in the right direction and are using some non-GMO ingredients, which is great!! However, there are still some ingredients that you want to watch out for:

• When I buy groceries, I like to know that I am buying organic ingredients, especially fresh fruit and vegetables. So seeing just 'red bell pepper' on the ingredient list makes me wonder. It is most likely not organic, which then means it could be GMO and covered in pesticides.
• Again, when buying my own ingredients, I get organic, thus when I make my own hummus I am using organic chickpeas, organic tahini, and other organic ingredients. I seriously doubt Sabra is using organic ingredients. 
• Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent molding. With prolonged use, this ingredient has been linked to skin allegories, like eczema. (Food Babe)
• Even though they are using non-GMO soybean oil, this and canola oil are the cheapest oils to use and can offset the balance of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6 fatty acids. This is why so many people are deficient in Omega 3 fatty acids, thus can cause chronic diseases like cancer, depression, and arthritis. (Food Babe)

So with that said, it is seriously worth the few moments it takes to make your own hummus because you know what is going in it and where the ingredients came from. I hope you enjoy this homemade hummus recipe! It makes double what you would get at the grocery store as well!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups drained and rinsed canned organic chickpeas
• Water
• 1/2 cup organic tahini
• 1/4 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 TB ground cumin
• 1 TB ground paprika
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Put everything (except the parsley) in a food processor and begin to process; add water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.
2. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. 
3. Serve with a bit of fresh parsley or paprika. Enjoy!

I like to dip fresh bell pepper, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumber with the hummus! I also use it as a spread on my turkey sandwiches, instead of using mustard. 

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

*Recipe derived from Epicurious

Black Bean Burgers - Meatless Meals!

I was chatting with a friend and she gave me the idea to start a meatless section of my blog. So I will include recipes from the meal planning weeks as well as other recipes here on this section of the blog. I called these 'Meatless Meals' because a lot of them still require cheese and dairy, which some vegetarians don't eat. So, hence 'Meatless Meals' and not a true 'Vegetarian' section. Hope you all enjoy and maybe you can start a Meatless Monday with your family once a week...or more! We try to go meatless at least once a week. :)

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 egg
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I like to make my own by toasting bread and then placing in a food processor. You could also use gluten-free bread if needed.) 
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (forgot this in the picture!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Hot sauce to taste (optional)
• 1 to 2 TB organic EVOO
• Whole wheat (or gluten-free) hamburger buns
• Romaine lettuce
• Tomato, sliced
• Avocado, sliced

Directions:

Put beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork or a potato masher. 

Add egg, yellow onion, bread crumbs (see picture), oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

To make your own bread crumbs, toast bread well and place in food processor.
Pulse till a fine consistency.

Mix well to combine then shape into 6 patties.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat (I like to use avocado oil).

Arrange patties in a single layer (working in batches if needed) and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. 

Transfer to buns and top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and any other toppings of your liking. Serve with sweet potato fries or a side salad.
Makes 6 burgers.

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

Mexican Pizza - Meatless Meals!

Mexican Pizza 

Ingredients:

• Sprouted corn tortillas or whole grain tortillas 
• 1.5 cups salsa or tomato sauce
• 2 cups canned organic black beans or meat of your choice (I just use one can)
• 1 cup green pepper chopped
• 1/2 white onion
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 cup freshly grated organic cheddar cheese
• 1 TB chili powder (optional)
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 or 2 avocados

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º. 

As oven is preheating, place tortillas on rack in oven for 3-4 minutes (until tortilla becomes hard but not crisp). 

Remove tortillas and first top with 1/4 cup salsa, a sprinkle of chili powder, 1/3 black beans, green peppers, onions, cheese, and topping with jalapeño (just eye ball all the ingredients when it comes to topping the tortilla...just go with how much you want).

Top toasted tortillas with salsa

Add black beans, green bell pepper, white onion (for my 3-yr old, I only put the black beans) 

Finally top with freshly grated cheddar cheese

Place tortillas back in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve with a slice of lime, chopped romaine, avocado or sour cream. Delicious!!

(Since this will be a repeat meal for the next day, I just chop extra so I don't have to the next night and then all I have to do is prepare the tortillas and bake.)

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

*Recipe from Food Babe

Meal Plan #2

This week I wanted to make an easy crock-pot meal, as well as a pasta dish and I was craving a burger as well! So on this week's menu, we have Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans, Portobello Mushroom Pasta, and Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries. And the Cilantro Chicken lasted us till Wednesday! So I made the pasta dish on Thursday and the burgers on Friday and ate some leftovers for lunch. Hope you enjoy! Comment below if you try these recipes and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you!

Shopping List:

(This does not include spices or oils. Links to some ingredients are listed in the recipe as well as below. Use organic ingredients whenever possible...corn products are a must to avoid GMOs.)

• 6-8 organic chicken breasts (depending on the size of your family)
• 1 lime
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh basil
• 1 small bag frozen corn
• 7 garlic cloves
• Red onion
• 1 can black beans
• Tortillas
• Cheese
• Sour cream 
• 2-3 avocados
• 2 small bags of frozen edamame
• 1 box penne pasta (I like using a gluten-free option and this brand is my favorite)
• 2-3 large portobello mushrooms
• Rice wine vinegar
• 1-2 sweet potatoes
• 1 lb ground turkey
• Eggs
• Hamburger buns
• Lettuce
• 4 roma tomatoes

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Corn and Black Beans

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1+ lime, juiced
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 small bag of frozen corn
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 finely chopped red onion
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add everything to your crockpot and mix ingredients together. 

Cook in crockpot on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Serve with tortillas and dress with cheese, lettuce, avocados, salsa, sour cream...really anything that you would like!

*This is a great pre-make freezer meal! When I was pregnant with my first-born, I doubled this recipe  (split into two bags) and made it ahead of time, placing all ingredients in freezer bags and storing in freezer till we needed it. I labeled what it was and how to cook it. Came in so handy when my hubby had to take over in the kitchen! Simply thaw the night before and then dump in the crock pot and cook all day. So easy and delicious! 

**Use organic ingredients whenever possible

***Recipe from Over the Big Moon

Portobello Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen edamame
• 4 TB extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 box penne pasta
• 2-3 large portobello mushrooms
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 TB rice wine vinegar (Don't use the brand in the picture! It's not bad, but the taste is not that great compared to what I had previously. The one I had last time I'm pretty sure was more of rice wine?? I'm not sure, but it was red and tasted much better!)
• 1 cup Roma tomatoes, chopped and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Wash portobello mushrooms, remove the stalk and lift the outer skin from the cap by using a small knife or your fingers. It peels off easily. Slice the caps into quarter-inch pieces.
2. In a large saucepan, bring about 4 quarts of water to a full boil. Salt the water and add pasta and cook according to directions. 
3. In a small saucepan, cook frozen edamame according to package directions. 
4. In a large skillet, add about 2 TB EVOO, add mushrooms and sauce until they become soft. Add the minced garlic and rice wine vinegar. Stir. Cover and let cook over low heat for about 5 minutes.
5. Place edamame in skillet along with tomatoes and herbs and heat through. Pour mushroom mixture over pasta and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Serve with a little freshly grated parmesan if you like!

Veggies warming in skillet! Love the colors!

Top with a little fresh parmesan and it's ready!

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible
*Recipe adapted from The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook

Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3 egg whites
• 1 bell pepper (I like red for color)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• Black pepper to taste
• Crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 tsp fresh cilantro
• Olive oil

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375º.
2) While oven preheats, start working on the sweet potato fries: peel the potato(s) and slice thinly.
3) Place in bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4) Place sweet potato slices on a foil-lined baking pan and cook for about 15 minutes at 375º.

5) While sweet potatoes are cooking, start working on the turkey burgers: mix ground turkey, egg whites, chopped bell pepper, and garlic.

 6) Add herbs, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and cilantro, and mix again.

7) Divide mix into 6 equally sized burgers. 

8) Place them on a baking sheet, also lined with foil and a bit of olive oil sprinkled on.

9) Before placing burgers in oven, flip sweet potatoes to cook the other side, and place back in oven.

10) Bake the burgers at 375º for 20-30 minutes, and sweet potatoes about the same (but check every 10 minutes to monitor burning).

11) Top burgers with lettuce, cheese, tomato, avocado, and anything else that you like!

*Use organic ingredients when possible

*Recipe courtesy of Jamie Eason

Mango Nectarine Smoothie

My 3-yr old LOVES smoothies...I mean, seriously...we make one every. single. day. If I make one and don't let him have any, he throws a fit. Anyway, like I mentioned in previous smoothie posts, my smoothies don't change that much; I just swap out fruit and play around to find something that I like. Right now I am loving the combination of strawberry and mango. And I happened to have 1/2 a nectarine laying around so I decided to throw that in for this smoothie. Hope you enjoy!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 TB hempseed
• 1 TB flaxseed
• 2 TB sunflower seeds
• 1 banana, frozen or fresh
• 1 cup whole milk 
• Large handful of spinach
• 7-8 frozen strawberries
• Around 8 or more chunks of frozen mango 
• 1/2 nectarine 

Directions:

First add the milk to your blender with the spinach, sunflower seeds, hempseed, and flaxseeds. 

Blend well. 

Once blended well and you can't see any bits of spinach, add the rest of your ingredients and blend until smooth.

This made enough for my son and a full glass for myself (picture at top). 

Please let me know if you tried this smoothie and what your thoughts are! Love hearing from you! 

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

Carrageenan...Say What?!?

One of the documentaries I have watched in the past was 'The Truth About Cancer' and I was completely riveted by the documentary (if you haven't watched it, go find it on their website or on YouTube). Well, I signed up for their emails and recently received one that discussed carrageenan. In all honesty, I don't usually open and read all of their emails but for some reason this one peaked my interest. So I opened it and started reading all about this natural ingredient, carrageenan, which is added to SO MANY of our organic products, as well as others. So why should we be cautious about this natural ingredient? Well, just like that "natural" chicken breast that you find at the grocery store, "natural" doesn't necessarily mean it is healthy for you.

So what is carrageenan? "Carrageenan or carrageenins are a family of linear sulphate polysaccharides that are extrude from red edible seaweeds. They are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties (Wikipedia)."

Where is it found? Well, unfortunately, it is found in a lot of foods. Milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, yogurt, juice, frozen pizza, sour cream, dips, infant formula...the list goes on. Crazy, huh?!? I was looking for a healthy sour cream for tacos one day at the grocery store and first looked at Horizon's Sour Cream...guess what, carrageenan was there! Looked at my sons toothpaste, guess what...there, too! So what is the big problem for us?

Dr. Joanne Tobacman, MD, is a physician-scientist who has studied the carcinogenic effects of carrageenan for over 20 years. She found that the carrageenan was stable and safe while in the food product itself, but would too easily break down in the digestive process and cause health problems. Her research linked carrageenan consumption to the development of diabetes and digestive problems.
Dr. Tobacman also found that carrageenan could contribute to the development of ulcers and cancerous tissue growth. The International Agency for Research on Cancer reported in 1982 that there was enough evidence to claim that carrageenan is a likely carcinogen in humans.
A study dated back to 1981 cautioned researchers to investigate carrageenan consumption in humans before widespread usage. This study used strong language and cited multiple sources showing that carrageenan has carcinogenic effects when added to food or drinking water of several animal species. - The Truth About Cancer

So...still want to consume this ingredient? Not me! I will definitely be on the lookout now for this ingredient and try my best to keep it out of my house. Here is a great shopping guide to help you when avoiding this ingredient. Another solution to avoiding carrageenan is to make your own products when possible, like almond milk or coconut milk. Try Food Babe's recipe for homemade coconut milk. I personally like her first version, using canned coconut, as the texture was smoother for me.

Hope you all have a healthy and wonderful week!

Meal Plan #1

This week I decided to make Chicken Tacos, Mexican Pizza, Black Bean Burgers, and Lean Lasagna. This allowed plenty of leftovers for in-between days, because who wants to cook every. single. day? Not this busy momma! Again in my quest to watch ingredient labels and trying to avoid as much GMOs as possible, you will see what brands/products I used...and somedays it was inevitable...I was using GMO's or some horrible ingredient. But, I have to make due with what resources I have. I mainly shop at Kroger but cheese, I like to get a Market Street, and milk as well as some other items, Sprouts. However, the closest Sprouts to me is about a 20 minute drive from my home. Which isn't bad, but also don't want to spend my whole day running from grocery store to grocery store (with a toddler in tow!). I try to split it up so it is not as overwhelming and sometimes just have to get what I can where I am. Oh, and ignore the dates on my chalkboard...I am working a week ahead of you :) ANYWAY...here's your week of recipes and shopping list:

Shopping List:

(This does not include spices. Links to some ingredients are listed in the recipe as well as below. Use organic ingredients whenever possible...corn products are a must to avoid GMOs.)

• 1 lb organic chicken breasts
• 1 large container organic chicken stock or broth
• 1 8 oz can chopped green chilies
• Large head of organic romaine lettuce
• Tomatillo salsa 
• Salsa
• Sprouted whole grain tortillas 
• Sprouted corn tortillas
• Block of organic cheddar cheese
• Avocados (3-4)
• Sour cream (optional)
• 2 cans organic black beans
• White onion
• Yellow onion 
• Green bell pepper
• Lime
• Organic eggs
• Bread or bread crumbs 
• Hamburger Buns
• Tomatoes (2)
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• Large container organic mushrooms
• Large container organic spinach
• Ricotta
• 1 package whole-wheat lasagna noodles
• Shredded mozzarella

Chicken Tacos 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb organic chicken breasts
• 4 cups organic chicken stock, broth, or water
• 2 TB chili powder
• 1 (8 oz) can chopped green chilies (this was a hard ingredient to find that wasn't packed with horrible things. The brand that I went with, that Kroger had, was Casa Fiesta. Ingredients were green chilies, peppers, water, salt, and citric acid.)
• Organic romain lettuce
• Tomatillo Salsa or any other salsa
• Sprouted whole-grain tortillas
• Garnish with organic freshly grated shredded cheese (I like O Organics block cheddar cheese), avocados, guacamole, sour cream, tomato, etc. 

Directions:

Place chicken breasts and stock in slow cooker. 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. 

When ready to serve, remove chicken from slow cooker and place in a bowl. 

Grab your hand-mixer and shred that chicken up! 

Stir in chili powder and chopped green chilies. 

Top each tortilla and build your taco! I topped mine with chicken, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, pineapple salsa, and red onion. Delicious!

      

Learned this little trick that has changed my life! 

Shred chicken with your hand mixer! So fast and easy!

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

*Recipe from Mix & Match Mama

Mexican Pizza 

Ingredients:

• Sprouted corn tortillas or whole grain tortillas 
• 1.5 cups salsa or tomato sauce
• 2 cups canned organic black beans or meat of your choice (I just use one can)
• 1 cup green pepper chopped
• 1/2 white onion
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 cup freshly grated organic cheddar cheese
• 1 TB chili powder (optional)
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 or 2 avocados

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º. 

As oven is preheating, place tortillas on rack in oven for 3-4 minutes (until tortilla becomes hard but not crisp). 

Remove tortillas and first top with 1/4 cup salsa, a sprinkle of chili powder, 1/3 black beans, green peppers, onions, cheese, and topping with jalapeño (just eye ball all the ingredients when it comes to topping the tortilla...just go with how much you want).

Top toasted tortillas with salsa

Add black beans, green bell pepper, white onion (for my 3-yr old, I only put the black beans) 

Finally top with freshly grated cheddar cheese

Place tortillas back in oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve with a slice of lime, chopped romaine, avocado or sour cream. Delicious!!

(Since this will be a repeat meal for the next day, I just chop extra so I don't have to the next night and then all I have to do is prepare the tortillas and bake.)

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

*Recipe from Food Babe

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 egg
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I like to make my own by toasting bread and then placing in a food processor. You could also use gluten-free bread if needed.) 
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (forgot this in the picture!)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Hot sauce to taste (optional)
• 1 to 2 TB organic EVOO
• Whole wheat (or gluten-free) hamburger buns
• Romaine lettuce
• Tomato, sliced
• Avocado, sliced

Directions:

Put beans in a large bowl and mash well with a fork or a potato masher. 

Add egg, yellow onion, bread crumbs (see picture), oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

To make your own bread crumbs, toast bread well and place in food processor.
Pulse till a fine consistency.

Mix well to combine then shape into 6 patties.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat (I like to use avocado oil).

Arrange patties in a single layer (working in batches if needed) and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. 

Transfer to buns and top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and any other toppings of your liking. Serve with sweet potato fries or a side salad.
Makes 6 burgers.

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

Lean Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion (I used the 1/2 that was left from the turkey burgers)
• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 2 cups tomato sauce (I use a jar of pasta sauce...I love Muir Glen's Italian Herbs)
• 3 tsp Italian seasoning 
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 6 cups chopped spinach
• 2 cups ricotta
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 package whole-wheat (or gluten-free) lasagna noodles
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375º. 

Sauté onion for 2 minutes, then add turkey and cook an additional 5-7 minutes. 

Add tomato sauce, all seasonings (minus nutmeg) and mushrooms and simmer 2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat.

In a seperate bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, and nutmeg.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. 

Drain and rinse with cool water.

Coat a 9" by 13" baking pan with cooking spray (I use EVOO and rub it around with a paper towel).

Arrange 1/3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread a layer of ricotta mixture, then turkey mixture, then 1/3 mozzarella.

Add your layer of lasagna noodles first 

Follow with the ricotta and spinach mixture 

Add the turkey and sauce mixture

Lastly, layer with shredded mozzarella

Repeat layers, ending with mozzarella.

I was able to get about 4 layers of lasagna noodles

Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

Cool at least 5 minutes before cutting.

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible.

*Recipe from Epicurious.



Please let me know what you think of this week's menu! I'd love to hear from you!
Hope you have a blessed week! Happy cooking!