Chicken Stir-Fry

Serves 4

Everyone should have a solid chicken-and-veggie stir-fry recipe in his or her back pocket, and this one is my go-to.  Stir-fry is a great way to get in a ton of veggies and lean protein into a meal. Feel free to do shrimp, tofu or beef instead of chicken or swap out any of the veggies for others that you prefer!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ginger juice
• 1 tablespoon tamari (I use gluten-free)
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• ½ cup brown rice vinegar
• ½ cup toasted sesame oil
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
• 3-4 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 onion, cut into crescents
• ½ cup carrot, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup purple cabbage, sliced
• 1 cup bok choy, sliced
• 1/2 cup broccoli, cut into florets
• ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

-For the marinade, whisk the following ingredients together: 

• 1 tablespoon ginger juice
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• ½ cup brown rice vinegar
• ½ cup toasted sesame oil
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• After everything is mixed, divide the marinade equally into 2 different bowls and set aside.

• Marinate chicken in ½ of the marinade for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Toast sesame seeds in dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until the seeds turn brown, glisten and occasionally pop or jump.  Remove seeds and set aside.
• Heat 1-2 tablespoons peanut oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook for about 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
• Put broccoli in skillet and sauté for 5-7 min, until just softened.  Turn off heat and set skillet aside.
• Coat another skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of peanut oil and cook onion and carrot over medium heat until tender.
• Add cabbage, season with salt and pepper, toss, cover and cook for 3 min.
• Add the rest of the marinade to the skillet and toss.
• Add the broccoli and chicken to skillet.  Season with a little toasted sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and serve on top of quinoa or brown rice. Enjoy!

Chickpea Pasta with Basil Pesto

Serves 4

This is another winning recipe in my house - which for me means that I make my entire family the same thing for dinner and everyone eats it! Pesto is a delicious way to pack nutrition into any meal, especially pasta.  It’s filled with good-for-you ingredients and disease-preventing antioxidants such as vitamins A and C, and it’s rich in heart healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats thanks to nuts and olive oil. Chickpea pasta is super high in protein, but if you want to add more, this is a great dish to throw in some grilled chicken or sausage.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh Basil, big stems discarded, rinsed and dried
• 1-2 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoons Pine nuts or Walnuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
• ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or more
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1-2 boxes of Banza Chickpea Pasta

Preparation:

• Prepare a pot with 4 quarts of water.  Add a tablespoon of salt.  Bring water to rapid bowl over high heat and stir pasta into boiling water.  Stir periodically to keep from sticking and remove from heat just as the pasta is slightly undercooked.  Before draining pasta, reserve about ½ - 3/4 cup of the reserved water, set aside, then drain the pasta and pour it back into the pot.
• In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, nuts and about half the oil in a food processor or blender.
• Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container occasionally, and add the rest of the oil gradually.
• If you prefer a thinner pesto, add additional oil.
• Next, add about half of the reserved water into the pasta and then add the pesto.   Turn heat on low and mix until thoroughly coated. If you want the sauce thicker, add a little more of the reserved water.
• Finally stir in the Parmesan cheese just before serving.
• Enjoy!

Shrimp & Quinoa Paella

Serves 4

An easy, all in one pan recipe for delicious Paella that’s made healthier with quinoa instead of rice.  I like using quinoa because of its numerous health benefits.  Quinoa beats rice with its impressively high fiber, protein and iron content as well as many other nutrients.  It cooks the same way as rice: 1 cup quinoa + 2 cups liquid.  It’s a great substitute in paella as it gets infused with all the different ingredient flavors.  In terms of seafood, you can use whatever you like.  If you’re not a seafood fan, feel free to use meat or chicken instead.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 ½ teaspoons saffron threads
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups shitake or sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 12 ounces peeled cooked shrimp

Preparation:

• Combine wine and saffron in a small bowl and let stand until ready to use.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat.  Add tomatoes, onion and garlic and cook, stirring often until fragrant, about 7-9 minutes.  
• Add mushrooms to skillet.  Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms release juices, about 3-5 minutes.
• Add wine-saffron mixture to skillet and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.  Add quinoa and while stirring occasionally, cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Add vegetable broth, salt and pepper to skillet.  Stir well and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until quinoa is almost tender, about 20 minutes.
• Gently stir spinach into paella and add the shrimp.  Cover and cook until shrimp is heated through, about 3-4 minutes.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Comfort Zoodles

Serves 2

Here's another super easy and delicious way to prepare zucchini noodles.  It's a take off of the classic spaghetti aglio e olio with some gluten-free yumminess on top!  This recipe is courtesy of Melissa Joulwan. You can view the original recipe at: http://meljoulwan.com/2011/08/18/comfort-noodles/

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized zucchinis; spiralized or julienned with a vegetable peeler
• 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 eggs, scrambled
• Handful of fresh minced parsley for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Place spiralized zucchini between paper towels to squeeze excess water out.  Let them sit while you prepare the topping.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Mix the almond flour with the coconut oil and sprinkle it with a little salt.  Then sauté in the pan, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until it’s toasty brown for about 2 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a plate to cool.  As it cools, the coconut oil will solidify and make “crumbs” so don’t worry if it’s just brown dust when you take it out of the pan.  Just push the dust together into a pile and let it do its thing. 
• Return the pan to the heat and add the zucchini noodles.  Sauté until just tender, about 1-2 minutes.  
• Push the noodles to the side of the pan and reduce heat to low.  Let the pan cool down for a couple of minutes and then add the olive oil and garlic.  After about 20 seconds when garlic is fragrant, pour in the eggs and allow them to cook until just beginning to set a tiny bit.  Mix the zucchini noodles into the egg and continue to stir gently and continuously until the egg is set and noodles are well coated.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Finally, plate noodles (I love to put them in a deep bowl) and sprinkle with the almond flour crumbs and minced parsley.  
• Serve and enjoy!

Zucchini Noodles with Turkey Meat Sauce, Shitake Mushrooms, and Roasted Broccoli

Serves 4

I still can’t believe how similar zucchini noodles are in texture and taste to regular pasta!  Packed with nutrients, minerals, amino acids and fiber, zucchini delivers countless advantages to the body to keep you healthy! This recipe was created one night when I was craving one of my all time favorites, spaghetti Bolognese.  I wanted something hearty and healthy and the result was delizioso! 

Ingredients:

• 3 large or 4 medium sized zucchinis
• 1 lb. organic ground turkey
• 3-4 tablespoons coconut or extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
•  ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or dried)
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
• 3 cups Rao’s marinara sauce
• parmesan cheese (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Spiralize the zucchini into noodles and place between paper towels to squeeze excess water out.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Toss broccoli with 1-2 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper and place on baking sheet in oven to roast for about 20-25 minutes until just starting to brown.
• In a large frying pan sauté sliced shitake mushrooms with 1 tablespoon oil until soft, remove from pan and set aside.
• Heat the remaining oil  over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. 
• Add ground turkey and cook until all the pinkness is gone, breaking it up with a spoon, about 7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Add marinara sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes and half the basil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes to blend flavors.  
• Add broccoli, mushrooms and zucchini noodles to turkey meat sauce and toss to coat.  
• Top with remaining basil, parmesan cheese (optional) and serve!

Taco Salad

Serves 4

One of my favorite meals in our house is Taco Tuesdays because it’s a night where I make ONE meal and everyone actually eats it!  While my kids enjoy piling their taco shells with a variety of toppings, I love to add roasted veggies in addition to all the toppings to make this incredibly delicious salad!

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of Broccoli cut into small florets
• I Head of Cauliflower cut into small florets
• 1 Onion sliced
• 1 Sweet Potato cut in cubes 
• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 4 tablespoons Coconut Oil
• Salsa
• Guacamole
• Cashew Cream
• 3 Cups Arugula
• Olive Oil for drizzling
• 1 tbsp. Chili Powder
• ¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
• ¼ tsp. Onion Powder
• ¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ tsp. Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp. Paprika
• 1 ½ tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 cup Rao’s marinara sauce 

Preparation:

•  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Melt coconut oil in saucepan.
• Coat cauliflower, broccoli, onion and sweet potatoes with oil, season with salt and pepper and spread on baking sheet. 
• Roast for about 20 minutes, check and then toss veggies on the baking sheet and cook for additional 10 - 20 minutes or until desired amount of browning and tenderness.  Remove broccoli, cauliflower and onion first as they will be done before the sweet potatoes.
• Place ground turkey meat in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, ground cumin and salt.  Cook ground turkey meat, breaking up with a wooden spoon until cooked through, about 10 minutes.  
• When meat is cooked add marinara sauce.
• Assemble the salad by tossing the arugula with olive oil.  Then top with ground turkey, roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower, onion, and broccoli.  Add some guacamole and salsa.  Finally top with a dollop of cashew cream! 
• Enjoy!!!

Zucchini Noodles with Cashew-Basil Pesto

Serves 4

My family loves this pesto so much that this dish is now on a regular rotation in our house.  It’s super delicious, filling, crazy healthy and the best part is you feel like you’re eating a big bowl of pasta.  It’s also incredibly quick and easy to make.  This recipe tastes great cold or you can sauté the noodles for a couple of minutes in a pan and then toss with the pesto sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 3 large or 4 medium sized Zucchinis 
• 2 cups fresh Basil
• 2 Garlic cloves
• ¼ cup raw Cashews
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
• ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 12-15 Yellow Cherry Tomatoes
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

• In a food processor, add garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons olive oil and cashews.  Process until smooth.
• Add nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and process to combine.
• Add basil and the rest of the olive oil and process again.  
• Add apple cider vinegar and process until combined and set aside until you’re ready to combine with zucchini noodles.
• Spiralize the zucchini into noodles and place in large bowl and mix in the pesto until well coated.
• Toss in cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with parmesan cheese (optional), serve and enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Serves 4

Spaghetti squash is a wonderful grain-free and gluten-free substitute for pasta any day of the week and I love it paired with this creamy cauliflower sauce. This dish is packed with vitamins A and C, B-vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and even has potent antimicrobial properties. Whether your aim is more veggies or fewer carbs or just a new go-to recipe for your weekly meal plan, this recipe is a sure bet so give these fiber-filled noodles a try! 

Ingredients:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 2 teaspoons Coconut Oil or Ghee
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 ounces Cauliflower Florets
• 1 cup Water
• ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
• ¼ cup Rao’s Marinara or Arrabiata Sauce
• Handful Fresh Basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees convection or 400 degrees.
• Cut squash crosswise; take out seeds and place squash open side down on baking sheet with about ½ inch of water at the bottom.
• Bake squash for about 40-50 minutes and remove from oven.
• Meanwhile sauté the minced garlic in 1 teaspoon of coconut oil or ghee in a saucepan over how heat.  Cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, but not browned.
• Add 1 cup of water, along with the cauliflower, and bring the water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot for 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower is fork-tender and soft.  
• Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper.  Process until very smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to traditional cream sauce. (Be careful when blending hot liquids – the steam pressure can blow the lid off your blender so you may want to let the cauliflower mixture cool for 10 minutes before blending).
• Using a fork, run around the perimeter of the squash to release the strands.  
• Put the strands in a large skillet with a teaspoon of coconut oil or ghee.  Add ½ the cauliflower sauce, tomato sauce and nutritional yeast.  Stir until squash gets nicely coated and creamy.  Add more cauliflower sauce if needed.  Top with chopped basil and enjoy!

Kale Bowl with Roasted Vegetables

Serves 2

When you start off your meal with kale you know you’re doing your body good.  This salad has so many amazing ingredients!  The hearty roasted vegetables mixed with the creaminess of avocado and cashew cream and the crunchiness of the seeds is so delicious!  I love this for a meatless Monday meal idea!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Kale
• 2 cups Spinach
• 2 cups Butternut Squash cubed in bite size pieces
• 2 cups Broccoli cut into florets
• 1 cup Baby Onion peeled and halved
• 1 Avocado cubed
• ¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds
• 3 tablespoons Black Sesame Seeds
• Olive Oil for drizzling 
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Lemon

Preparation:

• Melt 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil to coat vegetables (Squash, Broccoli, Onion).  Season everything with salt and pepper and sprinkle Squash with cinnamon.  Roast at 375 convection for about 30-40 min.
• Keep an eye on the veggies as roasting time for the onion may be shorter.  Remove veggies when they look slightly browned.
• Lightly pan steam kale and spinach with a little bit of vegetable broth for flavor.  You can also sauté with coconut oil, salt and pepper.  Remove greens from heat when slightly wilted.
• Plate greens in a bowl.  Add roasted veggies, 1 cut up avocado, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.  Drizzle with olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper.
• Drizzle with Cashew cream dressing. (see below)