Cleaner Shepherd's Pie

A traditional shepherd's pie is made with lamb or beef, as well as corn and potatoes, with additional ingredients depending on what recipe you consider a "real" shepherd's pie. When I look over those traditional recipes, they often lack enough veggies and are pumped full of carbohydrates. In order to reach the right sized portion, with the appropriate amount of macronutrients, I took the traditional recipes, limited the carbs, and increased the vegetables. This cleaner shepherd's pie may be quite different from the recipe that your mother made, however I know that once you give this a try you will understand eliminating the extra fat and carbohydrates, doesn't mean you also eliminate the flavor. And, if you're someone who is looking for new recipes to add to your 21-Day Fix meal preparation rotation, I list your servings and macronutrient counts so you can easily track your meal.

Shepherd’s Pie

1 Protein, 1 Veggie, 1 Carb

(Makes 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups Sweet Potatoes, peeled, cubed and steamed
• 1 tsp. Garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. EV Olive Oil
• 1 ½ lbs. Lean Ground Turkey
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 cup Peas, frozen – defrosted
• ½ Summer Squash, sliced into ¼ slices
• ½ Zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch slices
• ½ cup Mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup Carrots, sliced
• 1 rib Celery, sliced
• ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• ½ tsp. Onion Powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Steam sweet potatoes until soft, or a fork pierces through easily and place in food processor. Add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper to taste, and puree until smooth. Put aside. 

2. Heat 1 tsp. EVOO in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, salt and pepper to taste, and stir often to break up meat. Cook until no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Drain and discard fat; set turkey aside.

3. In same pan, heat remaining 1 tsp. EVOO on medium-high heat. Add onion, summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, celery, salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft; about 8 minutes.

4. Add turkey back to pan, and stir into vegetables. Add peas. Transfer mixture into a 13 x 9 in. baking dish and cover with whipped sweet potato, spreading out over entire mixture. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

You may find that this is a bit different in texture from your traditional recipes, but the flavor is great.  It's also packed full of veggies, proteins, and the proper amount of carbohydrates per serving.  I hope you enjoy your cleaner version, and always remember that you can substitute different veggies per your preference. If you don't like mushrooms, substitute a veggie you do like.  There's no sense in eating foods that you don't enjoy!

Maria

Healthy Turkey Meatballs

I'm not going to lie, the part of me that's Italian feels a little guilty about taking the meatball and turning it clean, but I got this recipe from when I did 21-Day Fix Extreme, and they are honestly very good.  This is a great way to substitute bread crumbs with oatmeal, and red meat for ground turkey.  Just remember that meatballs do not make an entire meal, so pair it with some whole grain pasta, or some veggies, or both, but make sure you make it a meal! (And Dad, if you read this, don't be upset that I turned the meatball into a health food...please???)

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 lbs. 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp. Sea salt or Hymalayan salt
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 12 fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. tomato sauce, no sugar added







Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly coat with non-stick spray.

3. Combine turkey, salt, mustard, smoke paprika, egg, oats, garlic, parsley and tomato sauce in a large bowl, and mix well.  (I used a Kitchen Aid mixer, but you can mix by hand.)

4. Roll mixture into 30 1-inch meatballs.  Place on prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Makes 6 servings, 5 meatballs each.

The great part about these meatballs is that you can freeze them, and then defrost and reheat them whenever you want, so you're not committed to eating meatballs three days in a row.  Just remember that if you're pairing these with pasta, you should really only be eating about three servings of carbs per day, around 1/2 cup serving, so don't throw them on top of half a box of pasta and think you're eating healthy.  Portion control, and meal planning are the key to success, so make sure you're aware of what you're putting in your mouth, and also try to get your carbs in early in your day so you have time to burn them.

If you have any questions or comments please contact me at:

www.beachbodycoach.com/mlbarclay
or
mariassuperfittraining@gmail.com

EAT CLEAN. TRAIN MEAN.

Maria

Healthy Lasagna Roll Ups

I love lasagna, but the classic lasagna is typically weighed down with whole-fat cheeses, and is very rarely portion controlled. I stole this from the Clean Eating Mag site, and what I love about this recipe, outside of the taste, is that it allows you to easily portion control your meals, and helps fill that craving for pasta and cheese.  I come back to this recipe time and time again, sometimes using ground bison, and sometimes using turkey.  Each will create a different texture and flavor, but they are equally delicious.

When it comes to whole foods, and clean foods, I always tell people that you need to know what you're willing to compromise in your diet.  I use low-fat and fat-free cheeses, however, other clean eaters would argue that these are over processed and not a healthy solution.  You have to be your own gauge when it comes to what you put in your diet, and what you choose to leave out.  If you prefer whole-fat, you can still make this recipe, it will just clearly have a higher fat content.

Ingredients:
- 8 Whole Wheat Lasagna sheets (cooked to pkg. directions)
- 1 15 oz. pkg. Low-fat Ricotta
- 1 pkg. Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 c. Low-fat Shredded Mozzarella, divided
- 2 tbs. Fresh Basil (chopped)
- 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 1 clove Garlic, chopped
- 1 lb. Ground Bison
- 1 28 oz. can Whole Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a skillet or saute pan, heat EVOO on medium. Add onions, lightly salt, and cooked for 3 minutes.  Add garlic, and cook for additional 2 minutes.
2. Add bison, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cumin to bison and break up meat, cooking until very little pink is left.
3. Add whole tomatoes to pan, cover, and allow ingredients to simmer on low for 25 minutes, occasionally stirring in order to break up tomatoes.
4. While the meat sauce is cooking, cook lasagna noodles to package directions.  In a medium bowl, combine egg, ricotta, fresh basic, salt, pepper, spinach (squeezed of all excess fluid), and 1/4 cup mozzarella and mix well.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of cooked tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 10-inch casserole dish.  Lay a cooked lasagna noodle flat in front of you.  Use a spoon to spread 1/8 of the ricotta mixture across the noodle, and roll it up.  Place the rolled pasta seam side down, into the casserole dish.  Repeat with the remaining noodles.  Spread the remaining tomato sauce over the roll-ups, then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
6. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and broil for 5 minutes or until roll-ups are browned and bubbly.

If you find that you are someone who doesn't know how to eat lasagna without overeating, you'll greatly appreciate how each roll-up is an individual serving running around 234 calories (this is not a solid number as it will change depending on what type of meat you use). And like any pasta, the next day leftovers taste almost better than the fresh out of the oven product.  So, good luck and enjoy!

Beef Osso Bucco Over Parsley Parsnip Puree

Who doesn't love Osso Bucco???  Veal, pork, beef, whatever.  Slow cooked meat with vegetables is just plain ol' delish!  The restaurant I work in has done several different versions of an Osso Bucco appetizer, and at some point a light bulb went off and I decided that I absolutely needed to try making my own.  I ended up going with beef primarily because it was what was available in my grocery store at the time that I was inspired to try this recipe, and I already had most, if not all, of the ingredients, outside of the meat, available in my house.  

The Osso Bucco recipe is inspired by a dish I found on Food Network's website, and of course, was a Giada recipe, however, mine is so drastically different, that I can't even give you the link because you won't recognize it.  Likewise, the Parsnip Puree was also inspired by a Tyler Florence recipe, but I changed it up quite a bit by substituting soy milk and parsley in order to carry the parsley flavor throughout the entire dish.  This was, indeed, a huge hit in my house, and is something that I will continue to make over the years.  Give it a try, and if you want, take my recipe, mix it up a bit, and call it your own!

Ingredients:
Osso Bucco:
3 whole Beef Shanks, trimmed
1 tbsp. Whole Wheat flour
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 small White onion, diced
2 Carrots, diced
2 Celery stalks, diced
2 Vine tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp. Tomato paste
4 c. Beef stock
2 whole garlic cloves
1 dried Bay leaf
1/4 c. Parsley, chopped

Parsley Parsnip Puree:
1 lb. Parsnip, peeled and coarsely cut
1/2 Unsweetened Soy milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Garlic cloves, sliced
1/4c. Parsley, lightly chopped
2 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Pat dry the beef shanks, and trim.  Cover all sides of the shanks with whole wheat flour.  In a 4-quart pot, heat 2 tbsp. of oil, place the beef shanks in the pan, and brown on all sides.  Remove the meat from the pan, and place aside.  

Place the onion, carrots, and celery in the pot and saute until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, tomato past, beef stock, garlic cloves and bay leaf.  Return the beef shanks to the pot, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for approximately 1 1/2-2 hours.  Add chopped parsley within the last 15 minutes of cooking.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

In the meantime, you can either cook the parsnips by placing them in a pan and covering with water, and bringing them to a boil, then simmering until tender (about 15 minutes), or steam them until cooked through.  When cooked, (a fork should easily pierce them), place the parsnips into a food processor.  In a saucepan, place the soy milk, garlic cloves and parsley over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, and strain out the garlic and the parsley.  

Puree the parsnips in the food processor until smooth.  Slowly at the olive oil while pureeing.  When smooth, then add the soy milk, garlic, and parsnip mixture to the food processor while pureeing.  Puree until it is a texture you like.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

To present, place about a 1/4 cup of the parsnip puree in a bowl, top with part of the beef shank (it should be falling apart at this point), and then ladle over some veggies and stock from your pot.

This is such an easy dish to execute, although there may seem to be a lot of steps.  I would recommend trying it if you want to impress your in-laws or friends.  If you plate it right, they'll think they're dining at some fancy restaurant instead of sitting at your dinner table!

Seafood Corn Chowder

On to another one of husband's favorite dishes, and one that he asks for whenever he's craving a nice creamy, seafood dish, the Clean Eating Magazine's Seafood Corn Chowder.  If you're looking for great, fresh recipes, with less fat, and more Powerfoods, this is a magazine that is a must in your household!  I'm a recipe hoarder, where I cut out the recipes in the magazine, and put them into my Food Book Organizer that my friend Rachel got me for Christmas one year.  Seek one out, and start cutting out your favorite recipes and food ideas.  You'll be happy you have something easy to access when you want to try something different and new.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 White onion, chopped

2 Large carrots, chopped

2 Celery stalks, chopped

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

3/4 tsp. Dried thyme

1 lb. Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 c. Frozen corn kernels

1 c. Non-fat milk

3/4 lb. Sea scallops

1/2 lb. Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 Scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large stockpot on medium.  Add onion, carrots and celery; season with salt and black pepper and cook until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add jalapeno, paprika and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Add 3 cups water, increase heat and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and reduce to a simmer until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes.  Add corn and milk; season with salt and black pepper, and simmer for 3 more minutes.  Remove from heat.

Pour 3 cups corn mixture into a blender, covering opining loosely with a kitchen towel to prevent splatters, and puree.  Transfer puree back to pot, stir to combine and return to medium heat; bring to a simmer.

Add scallops to pot and simmer for 3 minutes (time should begin when liquid returns to simmer).  Add shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes or until shellfish are opaque in center.  Remove from heat and taste for seasoning.  Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with scallions, dividing evenly, and serve.

A couple of warnings and notes about this recipe.  First off, when adding the jalapeno, you can choose to remove the membranes and seeds, which will decrease the heat of the chowder.  Should you choose to leave them in, be warned that this is spicy, and you may be wishing you could actually taste the seafood. If it's your first time trying this recipe, choose to do it without, and then decide if you would like more heat in your bowl.   Secondly, you'll notice that I did not garnish my seafood chowder with scallions, and this is because my husband has an allergy to raw onion, and anything that contains an onion like juice flavor, but don't be fooled, the chowder is still quite delicious, with or without the garnish.

Slow-Cooker Mushroom Barley Risotto

Every once in a while I pick up a Crock Pot cookbook because I love when I can just put something in a pot and walk away.  Who doesn't?  We all love great tasting food, but why does it seem like we are always slaving over the stove to create it?  Well, we don't have to, and the Crock Pot is the solution to saving time and energy.  This recipe made it's way to my kitchen via The Complete Series: Slow Cooker, which is a great Crock Pot companion for the clean eating individual.  I'm not going to lie, this recipe needs some TLC on the stove before it makes it's way into the pot, but I promise that the end result makes the preparations well worth the time and effort!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
1/2 lb. Button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. Fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh thyme, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 c. Pearl barley
4 c. Vegetable stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, and saute for 4 minutes.  Add all the mushrooms and saute until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Add the parsley, thyme, garlic and barley and stir for 1 minute.

Transfer all of the mushroom mixture to a slow cooker set on high, add 4 cups of stock, cover and cook until liquid is almost absorbed and barley is almost tender, about 3 hours.

Stir in the tomato paste, check for seasoning and cook for 1 more hour or until the barley is tender and the mixture is creamy.  At the end, stir in the Parmesan cheese and season again if necessary.  

Although this dish takes a few hours to create, I find it much more manageable then stirring my risotto for and hour and a half, standing over my stove, frustrated that the sauce isn't thickening.  Instead, I just check in on it a couple times, go about my daily household duties, and come back to it when it's done.  It is so creamy and delicious, it's hard to believe it's vegetable based and that just one cup is enough for any lunch or dinner!

Turkey Burrito with Avocado Salsa

This is, hands down, my husbands favorite dish that I make.  Yesterday we were on our way to the grocery store, and he was talking about how the fridge had nothing in it.  I replied that it just felt that way because it wasn't jammed full of tupperware.  He replied that there was so much stuff we needed that was missing .  I laughed and asked what was missing.  He then replied, "Well, I know it's missing turkey burritos!" 

And that it was.  The funny thing is, the turkey burrito was born much out of happenstance, where I had all the ingredients, and husband wanted to feel like he was eating "real food."  It pretty much evolved from a turkey scramble (ground turkey mixed with a bunch of different vegetables and rice) to what is now a staple in our household: The Epic Turkey Burrito

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Wraps
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 Onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste
I can Black Beans, rinsed
1 c. Quinoa, cooked
1 Roma Tomato, diced
1/2 Avocado, diced
1/4 c. Corn
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 Jalapeno, diced
Non-fat cheddar cheese
Non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 c. Romaine lettuce

I saute the onions first to make sure that they are nice and carmalized.  I then add the ground turkey and cook through, seasoning with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste.  In the meantime I prepare my quinoa to package directions.  When the turkey is cooked through, I add the black beans, and quinoa to the pan and heat until everything is warmed through.

Ahead of time I prepare the Avocado salsa by taking the Roma tomato, avocado, corn, lemon juice, and jalapeno and mixing in a small bowl.  I also add salt and pepper to this to taste. 

To prepare the burrito, I warm the tortilla or wrap in the microwave for 15 seconds, and start to top first with Fat-free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, lettuce, Non-fat Cheddar cheese, the avocado salsa, and then the turkey mixture.  After this, you just do your best to fit it all in the wrap, and keep a paper towel close by to sop up the mess that result from eating.  

I also love this dish because it makes left overs for at least a day or two, and if you run out of wraps, or just don't feel like adding the extra carbs to the dish, you can always do what husband and I do, which is turn it into, what we like to call, Turkey Burrito Bowl.  

  

Super-Easy Walnut Crusted Salmon

Ahh, salmon, we meet again.  In looking to always change up my salmon prep for dinner, I came across a couple of recipes that used a walnut crust, and an almond flour crust.  I had traditionally cooked salmon either by itself, or brushed with this awesome agave nectar with a little salt and pepper, but I was looking forward to trying something with a little more crunch, and a little more warmth.  This was super easy, and took almost no time.  

Ingredient List:

1/2 lb. salmon filet

1/8 c. of chopped walnuts

Dash of cinnamon

Most people expect that in order to put a crust on a protein you need to do an egg wash, or something wet in order to get the nuts or flour to stick.  Salmon, luckily, tends to be on the moist side, so there was really no need to dip the filet in any eggs.  All you need to do is chop the walnuts however fine you like the texture, dip the salmon in the nuts and press down to make them stick, sprinkle some cinnamon on top, primarily to add some warmth to the dish, and place in a non-stick sprayed pan, pre-heated to medium.  Sear on each side until the salmon is cooked to your liking.

I often prepare a green side dish with my salmon, but choose whatever you like to pair with your fish.  I'm lucky enough to have some really great pans to steam my greens really easily, so I tend to throw them on with a little seasoning and just leave them until my steam pan screams at me and tells me their done. Pick something relatively easy so you feel like you're getting a fancy dish, but you're really not doing a whole lot of work with either your protein, or your side dish! 

Salmon Cakes with Steamed Broccoli

How much grilled/pan seared salmon can one person really eat?  I swear to the food gods, that my husband and I ate salmon fillets every week, once a week, for two months straight.  We pan seared it with seasonings, we grilled it with seasoning and agave nectar, we put it on salads.  I mean seriously, at some point, you look at that salmon fillet and you actually passionately hate it's existence, even if you love the flavor.  

So, in not wanting to hate my salmon anymore, I started brain storming how I could turn salmon into a "cake" and pan sear it that way.  I work in a restaurant that makes crab cakes, so I started here, and talked to the prep-cook Katie (the poor thing has probably hand made a few thousand crab cakes), about what ingredients I should put in.  I then researched other recipes online to see how other people were cleaning up their own salmon cakes.  What came to be MY salmon cake was a combination of ideas.

I start with a 3/4 lb. piece of raw salmon that has been skinned and cubed.  I puree it in a food processor to a consistency that I like.  In a bowl I whisk together two egg whites, 1 tbsp. of Fat Free Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh cut parsley.  I then add the salmon to the bowl, as well as 1/4 c. of Panko bread crumbs (do some serious label reading on the Panko that you pick out.  So many of them have enriched products and added sugar.  Avoid these at all cost!).  

I hand mix all the ingredients together, and decide at this point whether or not the consistency is dry enough to form cakes, or if I should add more Panko.  It may take more depending on the moisture in your piece of salmon, however, you don't want it to be over dry, just firm enough to form a patty out of the mix. Use non-stick spray in a pan heated to medium, and sear the cake on each side for about 4-5 minutes.  I like my salmon a little under-cooked, so you may want to keep it on a bit longer.  

For the sauce on top of the salmon cakes, I mix together 1/4 c. of Fat Free Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon, and salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder to taste.  I change the seasoning whenever I like, sometimes adding cumin, and other spices depending on what I'm in the mood for.  Definitely try different combinations and find the ones that you love!  

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables

Sounds super boring right?  Chicken.  Potatoes.  Vegetables.  How does one celebrate this meal?  Well, for starters, the herbs, onion and lemon that you stick in the chicken make it so moist and flavorful, that it won't taste like the precooked roasted chicken you pick up at your grocery store, that you and I both know has been sitting under that heating lamp for a solid two hours.  Seriously.

Another one of my Food Network favs is "The Best Thing I Ever Made: (Insert whatever food they choose for this particular episode)".  This one was obviously chicken, and I personally have always been a bit intimidated by roasting my own chicken because I'm always afraid I'm either going to under cook it, or over cook it.  But, I am trying to take new steps this year, and so I jumped in head first, bought the chicken and took the advice of my Chef de Cuisine about temperature.  I suggest you use a meat thermometer, and you won't ever have to worry about over, or under cooking your chicken again.  What drew me to this recipe, was the use of shallots, and the way Marc Murphy sautes the endive with the chicken liquid.  It just sounded so homey and flavorful.  

Truth be told, the Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Vegetables was super easy, and super delicious.  The only thing that I did differently was place a bit of the chicken liquid in a pan and sauteed the endive separately, rather than keep it in the roasting pan.  I did this because I use stoneware, and I didn't want to put that on my stove burners.  But let me tell you, the flavors you get in this recipe will blow your mom's roasted chicken out of the water, and the best part is, you can use your chicken carcass to make your own chicken stock in a crock pot, where you can just leave it in the pot, and walk away for 12 hours.  Imagine the dinner possibilities with your own stock?  Amazing!

 Chicken and Summer Vegetable Cacciatore with Polenta

I absolutely love this dish.  The recipe that I followed to make this suggested you pan sear the chicken and saute the vegetables, which I'm sure would taste fantastic.  I, however, had the Weber fired up for some reason or another (when you cook with charcoal, you tend to cook three meals at once to take advantage of the grill being lit), and decided that I was going to grill the chicken and the vegetables.  I cannot stress enough, how happy I am that I decided to take this approach instead of sauteing.  The flavor that you get out of the vegetables is amazing, and I don't think you can go wrong with any grilled protein.

This was another recipe from The Best of Clean Eating, a book I would highly recommend.  Regardless of how frustrating I find the layout of the actual book, the recipes are always amazing.  

I pre-marinade my 1 lb. of thinly sliced chicken in a large plastic zip-lock bag with salt, pepper, chopped fresh oregano, and chopped fresh basil, 2 tbsp. of olive oil, and tbsp. of water. Mush it around in the bag to ensure even coverage, and put in the fridge for at least 30 min.  Slice into 1/2 in. slices: 1small zucchini, 1small yellow squash, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, and two tomatoes which have been cored. Grill the vegetables on medium heat until soft and slightly charred.  Grill your chicken until cooked through.  

Polenta, or boiled cornmeal, can be served many different ways including grilled, soft or baked.  I bring 1 c. of low-sodium chicken broth to a boil, add 1/2 c. of polenta, mix until it's absorbed, and then remove it from heat, add salt and pepper, and sometimes, I add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  If served directly from the pan, the polenta will be nice a smooth and creamy texture, almost like a cream of wheat.  You'll notice in my picture, however, that the polenta is firm and holds shape.  This will occur when you put polenta in a pan, and cool it down in your refrigerator.  I usually cook the meal, put it directly into tupperware and then cut it when I'm taking a portion for a meal.  Either way, I enjoy both textures, and you can decide yourself how you would prefer the dish.    

I can't wait for summer, and all the farm stands to open so that I can pick up all my veggies farm-fresh and grill this dish up! 

Chicken Sausage Spinach Mushroom Grilled Pizza

A couple of years ago, when my husband and I tried to make the change into clean food, and a healthier lifestyle, he would constantly say that there were some things that he could just not let go of.  Greasy, gross, disgusting Greek pizza was one of those things he craved.  Where I'm an admitted sugar-whore, my husband is a greasy food lover.  It wasn't until I introduced this pizza into our dinner rotation,  that my husband openly stated that this pizza, was much better than any pizza you could get at a pizza shop, and this only two months after we had a full blown conversation about how there is no substitute for the nasty pizza you get at your local Main Street pizza pub.  Celebration!

The recipe itself was inspired by the Spinach and Chicken Sausage Pizza in The Best of Clean Eating, but took on a whole new life when we were watching a Grill It episode with Bobby Flay.  Grilling pizza dough?  Yup, that's what we're talking about here.  

I had tried making my own clean pizza dough at one point, which was very good, but found that my local grocer had a multi-grain pizza dough, already defrosted and ready to go, that was healthier, and easier, and so, I shaved some time of my prep and went in this direction.  

Grilling the pizza, again came out of necessity.  Our oven had given up on us, and in order to prep all our food for a couple days before we received our new one, I decided this was a food adventure I wanted to jump into.  I formed the dough, and brushed one side with a thin layer of Canola oil.  I placed that side down on a preheated grill grate and let it cook until browned.  In the meantime, I brushed the other side with Canola oil, and flipped when it was ready.  

I then topped the pizza with one can of organic diced tomatoes, drained, and over this put sauteed mushrooms onion and spinach.  I then placed on two sliced, grilled chicken sausages, and topped it all with part-skim mozzarella cheese that was grated.  Throw the lid back on your grill, and let everything get nice and warm and gooey, and you're good to go!

If you want to cook the pizza in your oven, you can always do that as well.  Just follow whatever instructions are on your pizza dough, and top your dough when raw, and then cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Not quite as tasty and delicious, but still pretty freaking yummy!

I think what I love most about this recipe is the idea that you have all sorts of Superfoods on here.  Spinach, tomatoes, grains, chicken...who knew pizza could fall under the Superfood category???  Just don't go eating half the pizza in one sitting.  This would completely eliminate the meal as a healthy alternative.  

Eggplant Parmesan and Quinoa Risotto

Some people grew up eating Eggplant Parmesan, I however, did not.  My only interaction with eggplant as a child was my grandmother dropping it off at the house for my mother, and me being disgusted by the fact that it was a purple plant.  My husband, when I brought up eggplant as a dinner food, was also turned off.  But, we powered on through, and in doing so, both fell in love with the version of Eggplant Parmesan.  

This recipe was taken from The Best of Clean Eating, and was so simple and yet, with the homemade tomato sauce, and baked panko crusted eggplant, it tasted so much better than a baked vegetable should be.  Where's the fry oil?!? Sorry people. You've got the wrong eggplant recipe here.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Put 3 large egg whites in a dipping container and beat them.  In a separate container mix together 3/4 c. of Whole Wheat Panko ( I use the Emeril's brand because, after much label reading in my grocery store, this was the healthiest version I could find), 6 tbs. of grated low-fat Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 tsp. of dried oregano, 1 tsp. of garlic powder and a dash of salt.  

Cut your ends off the eggplant, cut crosswise into 3/4 in. slices, dip your eggplant in the egg white wash, then into the Panko mixture and place on a large non-stick sprayed cooking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, or around 25 minutes.  

While that's baking, take to medium tomatoes cut into chunks, 1 tbsp. of tomato paste, 2 garlic cloves, and 12 large basil leaved and throw them into your food processor and pulse to make a chunky sauce.  Throw this into a pan heated on a medium burner and reduce down for about ten minutes.  

When your eggplant is done, take it out, and turn your oven to broil. On your baking sheet layer eggplant, tomato sauce, and part-skim mozzarella cheese.  Put another slice on top and repeat.  When all are layered, throw it back in the oven for about 3 minutes or until cheese melts.  

Quinoa Risotto

I love Quinoa.  There I said it.  I like it more than white or brown rice, and I like it more than cous cous.  Judge me, I don't care.  I like Quinoa for so many reasons, I can't even begin to tell you.  One, it's a complete protein, meaning you don't need to add anything else to the dish for it to acquire all the amino acids which make a protein complete.  But, beyond that, it cooks and fifteen minutes.  And, I LOVE that!

Risotto is often thought of as being prepared with Arborio rice, and nice thick cheese, and everything else that I don't want to eat.  The reality is, you can make risotto with any type of grain, you just need to prepare it low and slow.  

I start by sauteing onions and mushrooms until soft.  I take soaked quinoa (soak it to activate the germ, as well as remove any of the dirt and residue that is on the grain) and add it to the pan.  I then take already heated chicken or vegetable stock (make sure it's already heated, but not boiling) and add it VERY SLOWLY, A VERY SMALL AMOUNT AT A TIME!  You want to make sure that the grain takes in the liquid slowly and reduced down to almost no liquid before adding more liquid.  

How much Quinoa to stock depends on the serving size you plan on making.  Look at the package and decide what serving size you would like and prepare enough stock for whatever amount of grain you choose.   

When it's all done (you'll know when the ring around the grain separates), I put SOME freshly grated Parmesan and Part-skim Mozzarella cheese into the risotto and mix.  Yes, I am human people, and I do like cheese.  I just don't eat entire blocks of it to myself!  

White Bean and Chicken Chili

This recipe was initially introduced to me by one of my besties, who is also an amazing cook, and who also loves the food network.  It was so great to find a different chili recipe than the Three Bean red chili that I had been making, although that remains my husband's favorite, and as soon as the weather changes to cool, it is the first  thing that he asks for in his meal rotation.  

I love Giada De Laurentiis despite her annoyingly perfect life, and her constant need to whisper, "There we go" whenever she adds an ingredient or mixes something.  Whether it's her Italian heritage, or her recipes that can be cleaned up and modified, I DVR every episode, and throw it on in the background whenever I'm doing tasks around the house.  So, imagine my excitement when I found out that this was one of her recipes!  

White Bean and Chicken Chili

The only ingredients that I changed was the AP flour to Whole Wheat flour, and instead of Swiss chard, I added kale (upon trying the one at my friends, I didn't want to change her recipe because it tasted so yummy).  

I also made a half batch of this recipe, thinking that 2lbs. of chicken was a bit absurd, but in retrospect, I wish I had just made the full batch because I would have like to have more for left-overs. 

Expand your chili horizons and try a new type of chili today!

Tofu Cabbage Rolls

Why are we talking about Tofu, and also, why cabbage?  Well folks, here's the real deal.  Tofu, Soy, Tempeh; they are all Superfoods, and well, as they say, them's the breaks.  Therefore, fitting these foods into your diet at least a couple times out of the week is a very good idea.  I've never been a huge cabbage fan, however, my husband is Polish, and therefore, Gwumkis were a staple in his house growing up, which made it easy for me to fit this one into a dinner without the nose up at Tofu.  Also, like Tofu, Cabbage is yet another sidekick in the Superfoods group.

The good thing, and the bad thing, about Tofu is that it really doesn't taste like anything at all, that is, until you season it on up. So, you can make it taste however you want.  Hooray! This particular recipe came out of The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook and it's something that both my husband and I were unusually happy about.

In a medium saute pan place 1/2 onion chopped, 3 cloves of garlic pressed, 1 c. of carrot grated, and one celery rib finely chopped.  Saute until soft, add 1/4 c. of basil and 1/4 c. of parsley and crumble 1 block of medium firm tofu in the pan.  Cook until heated through and add 3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Take 6 large green or Savoy cabbage leaves (I recommend doing a couple extra in case they tear) and place in boiling water until it just changes color.  Remove immediately and run under cold water.  Put the tofu mixture into each or the leaves, wrap them tightly so the mixture does not fall out, and place in a steamer basket for ten minutes.  Serve nice and hot!  

The best part is that you are pretty much using the cabbage as a wrap, so you can switch this recipe up by rolling whatever you want in the middle of them, as long as it's clean and healthy of course!