A sorry to my readers...

I am sorry I have not been able to keep my blog up to date, I have found it hard going back to school, work and family to keep it up but I am going to do my best to stay up to date with yummy recipes for everyone to enjoy...forgive me!

Chicken with Fruit Chutney on a bed of Spaghetti Squash

So this pretty meal is absolutely refreshing and yummy.  Tonight we had a nice chicken breast with a fruit chutney served on a bed of spaghetti squash...The combo of apples, pears, cherries and nuts was a nice change for this family.






Chicken w/Fruit & Nut Chutney
Serves 4


4 chicken breast
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 apples, cored and sliced
1 pear, cored and sliced
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
4 tsp of brown sugar
1 cup water
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1) Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

2) In a large skillet, heat oil and cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through about 12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a serving platter; cover, keep warm.

3) Add fruit and nuts to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. For sauce, in a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, water, vinegar, and ginger. Add to the fruit in the skillet; cook and stir 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Serve chicken with sauce on top.

VERDICT: Yum...it may not be 100% clean but it's yummy and different.  Next time I will add a little corn starch to thicken up the sauce a little bit.  The kids loved the fruit.

Simple & Yummy...PW's Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Well with Zumba today along with grocery shopping, lots of rain and a daughter who has strep throat AGAIN I made this yummy dinner with some roasted asparagus.  With the right product choices this is ST2 Feingold  and it may not be 100% clean but it was YUMMY, thanks Pioneer Woman for your lovely meal (check out her site...she's amazing)

PW's Sour Cream Noodle Bake
Serves 6-8
9 WW points (for 8 servings) or 12 WW points (for 6 points)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  lb ground beef (I use 5%)
• 15-ounces Hunt's tomato sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 oz whole wheat egg noodles
• ½ cups light sour cream
• 1-¼ cup small curd cottage cheese
• ½ cups sliced green onions
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I like Tillmook brand)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add all the noodles to the prepared dish and top with the ground beef mixture and top with grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted. 

VERDICT: OMG this was such an easy dish to make and we made them into 6 servings and they were HUGE!  My kids gobbled it up and it was comfort food at it's best.  Thank you Pioneer Woman for another great meal.

A family favorite: Four Cheese Spinach Pizza

So here's a family favorite I have made for years.  I use Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza crust instead of the said boboli and I use 2 bricks of frozen spinach (note: take an old rag and put the spinach in it and squeeze out all the water).  If you are doing Feingold omit the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and used approved products and make your own pizza crust.

Four Cheese Spinach Pizza
Serves 6
6 WW points per slice

Ingredients

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) fresh spinach
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 prebaked 12-inch thin pizza crust
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute spinach for 2-3 minutes or until wilted; remove from the skillet. Cool slightly; chop.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir in the spinach, salt and pepper. Spread over crust to within 1/2 in. of edge.
• In a large bowl, combine the tomato, onions, olives, basil, oil, vinegar and garlic; sprinkle over spinach mixture.
• Top with the feta cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes or until cheese softens and is lightly browned. Yield: 6 servings.

Penne with Salmon and Asparagus...pure goodness

It may not be 100% Feingold, or even 100% clean but man is this a family favorite for years...and I bet with a few minor changes you can make it Feingold & clean not to mention it's healthy & nice enough to serve to guests (and it's easy)!!!




Penne with Salmon & Asparagus
Serves 4



3 cups whole wheat penne
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (I used organic)
1/2 cup dry white wine (or even more chicken broth)
1 lb fresh asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 lb salmon (no skin or bones)
1 cup sour cream (I use organic low fat)
3 tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
chives

1) cook pasta according to package

2) in a large serving bowl, add sour cream, mustard, salt & pepper

3) in a large pan heat chicken broth and wine.  Add asparagus and cook until just tender.  Transfer the asparagus (leave liquid in pan) to the bowl.

4) cook salmon in liquid until cooked all the way through

5) drain pasta and add to bowl.  Add in salmon and mix all together.

6) sprinkle with chives and serve

VERDICT: I have been making this for years when I followed weight watchers and it has always been a family favorite.  I have served this to my girlfriends and they all loved it. Oh and the portions on this are large also. If you change the wine to chicken broth and use approved brands you can make this FG friendly and I know a clean diet says a glass of wine is okay occasionally so this may actually be clean...so I say enjoy life and have some salmon & asparagus is a lovely dish you won't even realize is "diet" food...I won't tell if you don't!

Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Artichokes & Herbs...

So tonight's really yummy meal was good clean eating and Feingold friendly...it was so yummy I didn't even get a photo of it because everyone chowed down before I had a change to photography it, even my unexpected guest who showed up was amazed (single guy doesn't get many home cooked complete meals).




Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Artichokes & Herbs
Serves 4

• 1 cup organic reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons whole wheat flour
• 1 pound chicken breast
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces sugar snap peas, cut in half (I just threw them in, I didn't cut)
• 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs of choice (I use litehouse herbs)
  

1. Whisk broth, mustard, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons flour in a small bowl until smooth.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in two batches, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Stir the broth mixture and add to the pan along with snap peas &, artichoke hearts. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the snap peas are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the vegetables, and simmer until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs.
   
   VERDICT: yummy and so fresh.  I served this with homemade rice-a-roni and a green salad.  My poor bachelor friend didn't know what hit him.
   

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili...YUMMY

So tonight's dinner was yummy turkey chili that I adapted from an old recipe I had...It's yummy and clean and cooks all day in the slow cooker and ready when you get home.














Clean Turkey Chili
Serves 7


1 tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
1 onion, diced
5 tomatoes, diced
1 small can of hunt's tomato sauce
1 large can of hunt's tomato sauce
1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup of water (or more if you want thinner chili)

add the oil to a pan, add garlic, onions & turkey and cook until turkey is all cooked.  Place meat mixture and remaining ingredients in the crockpot and mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

VERDICT: next time I will double this recipe...YUMMY and very nice on a cool night, it was hard saving lunch for hubby and I tomorrow oh and a bonus it's only about 250 calories per bowl.  Here's a tip try these great slow cooker liners by Reynolds...talk about cutting cleaning in half. 

What's cookin in my kitchen this week...a preview

So here's what's cookin in my kitchen this week...yummy!!!  I have included the links to items I have already cooked and posted in the past!

Chili, corn bread & salad

Salisbury steak w/mushroom gravy, smashed potatoes & veggie

Chicken w/sugar snap peas & herbs, brown rice & veggie

Chicken stir fry w/thai peanut sauce, noodles & salad

Creamy tarragon chicken, hm rice-a-roni & veggie

Mini meatloaves, noodles & veggie

Yummy Chicken & Spiced Apples...

So tonight's super yummy dinner was a slightly edited meal from eatingwell.com it's not only clean it's also ST2 Feingold friendly and you can make this without the apples and still be good.  The apples are just like apple pie filling...YUMMY


Chicken & Spiced Apples
Serves 6
 
 2 apples, preferably Braeburn, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided
1 1/8 teaspoons herbes de Provence, divided (I used Mrs. Dash)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 cup reduced-sodium organic chicken broth
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1. Toss apple slices with lemon juice and cinnamon in a small bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence mrs. dash, salt and pepper. Place chicken between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small saucepan to a 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with the seasoning mixture.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter to the pan; heat over high heat. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner.
4. Add broth, lemon zest, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon herbs and any accumulated juices from the chicken to the pan. Cook, stirring to scrape up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with the sautéed apples.

VERDICT: OMG everyone in my family emptied their plates and loved this.  The apples are so yummy and go nicely with the chicken.  I served this with some whole grain pasta and roasted asparagus...I didn't have the herbes de provence so I used mrs. dash garlic herb and it worked really good.  I also added the apples to the sauce at the end.  If you are doing Feingold either just omit the apples or don't add them to the plate for the person who can't have them.

Healthy New England Clam Chowder

It's comfort food at it's best.  This week has been a cold one and my middle child told me he wanted to try clam chowder so I took him up on that and made a quick & healthy Feingold friendly & Clean Eating clam chowder...Enjoy!!!












New England Clam Chowder
Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 slices bacon, chopped (make sure it's approved)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 medium red potato, diced
• 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups low-fat milk (I used 1%)
• 1/2 cup organic 1/2 & 1/2
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 6-ounce cans chopped baby clams, rinsed
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add onion and thyme to the pan; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add potato, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Whisk milk, 1/2 & 1/2, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the pan and return to a simmer, stirring, over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add clams and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
3. To serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.
   
   VERDICT: This was wonderful...easy, thick and tasty with only a fraction of the fat of regular clam chowder.  My family loved it and the only complaint was where is the bread bowls LOL
   

Spiced Honey Cranberry Chicken

Are you ready for something a little bit different but yummy...well here you have it.  I got this from the Clean Eating magazine and with a few changes this can be made Feingold friendly also.


 


Spiced Honey Cranberry Chicken
Serves 4


1 cup brown rice
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp salt, divided
1 cup whole cranberries (I always buy at thanksgiving and then freeze them for later use)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless chicken breast
2 tbsp honey (you can probably use agave also)
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp dried sage

Instructions:
1) cook rice according to directions, first adding in zest to pot then the water.  When rice is cooked through remove from heat and stir in orange juice, paprika & 1/2 tsp salt. (I use a rice cooker)

2) chop cranberries and set aside.  heat oil in a large skillet on medium.  Add chicken, swirl to coat in oil and saute for 3 minutes or until chicken begins to turn golden brown.  Flip breast over and cook for another 3 minutes.

3) Add cranberries, honey 1/4 cup water, mustard, sage and remaining salt to chicken.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes.  Cut into thickest part of chicken to check doneness...if still pink continue to cook until done.

4) Remove chicken when done and set aside.  Continue cooking until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

5) serve

VERDICT: I loved how the rice was diffrent than just plain rice, it was sweet & tart and complemented the cranberries perfectly.  The chicken was nice and my family loved it...ENJOY

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

So I just realized after 10 years my kids like soup...it all started with beef stew so this week we had a yummy Shrimp & Corn Chowder with a nice salad and I made drip biscuits with some Bob's Red Mill 10 grain pancake mix...it's clean and Feingold friendly


Shrimp & Corn Chowder
Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion
2 large carrots, chopped
Salt & Pepper
1 jalapeno pepper (I omitted this)
1 tsp smoked paprika (omit if doing ST1 Feingold)
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 lb potatoes, peeled & chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 cups frozen corn
1 cup low fat milk
2 lbs small shrimp (not salad shrimp)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot on medium.  Add onions & carrots; season with S&P and cook until soft.  Add jalapeno, paprika & thyme and cook 1 minute. Add 3 cups of water, increase heat and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and reduce heat to simmer until just tender, 7-8 minutes.  Add corn & milk; season with some salt and pepper and simmer for 3 more minutes.  Remove from heat.
2. Pour 3 cups of soup mixture into a blender and cover (be very careful, this is going to be hot) with lid and a towel and puree (I did this in batches).  Add back to soup and simmer.
3. Add shrimp to pot and simmer for 3 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked.  
4. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy
   
   VERDICT: very good, easy and my kids all loved it, who knew they liked soups...this will be great on a cold rainy day!
   

It's Quick, It's Easy, It's Clean and It's kid friendly...Beef Stronanoff

Okay this week has been crazy...one day I literally walked in the house, dropped everything and headed to the kitchen to make super simple beef stroganoff...I had dinner on the table in 15 minutes, how's that for fast!





Beef Stroganoff...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups wide ww egg noodles
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1/3 cup low fat sour cream (I have also used greek yogurt as a sub)
1 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 lb extra lean ground beef
6 shallots, chopped
8oz container of sliced mushrooms, chopped

Directions:
Cook noodles according to the package directions.

Brown ground beef with mushrooms and shallots until all the way cooked through, drain fat and set meat mixture aside.

Spray a pan with a little EVOO (I have a sprayer that I add olive oil to). Whisk in flour and cook whisking constantly for one minute. Add broth and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream, Dijon, soy sauce, salt, pepper and dill. Cover and keep warm.

Return beef, along with any juices and sauce to skillet. Stir.

Transfer noodles to plates or platter and top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with remaining tsp of dill and serve.

VERDICT: what do you want out of a simple meal...it was fast, cheap & easy that the kids gobbled up LOL

What's cookin in my kitchen this week...a preview

So here's a quick look at what's cookin in my kitchen this week...

Spiced honey-cranberry chicken
rice
veggie

Seafood corn chowder
salad

Roasted salmon w/snow peas
rice
veggie

Clean eating beef stroganoff
egg noodles
veggie

Spaghetti w/ meat sauce
Salad

Tomato walnut pesto & grilled chicken breast
pasta
salad

Danish meatballs
rice
veggie

Chicken Stir-fry with Thai Peanut Sauce

So tonight's super yummy Feingold & Clean Eating.  Yummy chicken with a sweet peanut sauce, brown rice & roasted asparagus with dry italian dressing mix (homemade not a package). dinner was wonderful

I am only going to post the recipe for the sauce as a saute is what you want to make of it.  I did chicken tenderloins, straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots and baby carrots.


Chicken with Thai Peanut Honey Sauce
Serves 7

1/4 c. pure honey (or agave)
1/4 c. natural peanut butter
1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (optional, I omited it)
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (I used Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tsp crushed chili peppers (I omited this due to FG)

Directions:

Stir together the honey, peanut butters, soy sauce, rice vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Add to your stir fry when you are ready

VERDICT: very good...my kids loved it and I can see this as a really nice dipping sauce for chicken also.  I will be doing this again

It's a man's meal...Beef Stew w/ Beer & Paprika

Oh tonight's yummy "man" meal is complements of Pioneer Woman (she's one of my favorite food bloggers).  I made not only a good stick to your ribs meal but with a few adjustments it's also can follow Feingold and can go with the Eat Clean diet with a few exceptions.

Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika

Serves 6 large bowls

Ingredients:



3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 pounds Stew Meat
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can
4 cups Beef Stock (or 4 Cups Water + 4 Beef Bouillon Cubes) (I used organic stock)
2 cups Water (additional, If Needed)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (omit if following FG)
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (FG ST2)
½ teaspoons Paprika (FG ST2)
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1-½ teaspoon Sugar
4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
Minced Parsley (optional)

Pioneer Woman's Instructions



Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside.


Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.


*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.


Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

My Instructions:

Omit oil and butter.  Slice stew meat into bite size pieces and place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low all day (I didn't need the extra stock)

VERDICT: DELISH...next time I will probably cut my stock in half since I like a thick stew and this didn't cook down, it may if you do it PW's way but for me it didn't...everyone in my family ate every bite...my kids have never been stew eaters but I guess they are now.  I served this with whole wheat rolls for dipping that yummy juice!

Clean Lasagna Rolls here we come...

Oh yummy clean eating lasagna rolls...how could it get any better oh yeah and they are portion controlled?









 

Lasagna Roll Ups
Serve 10


10 whole wheat lasagna noodles (try Bob's Red Mill brand)
1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef
1 small diced onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
28oz can of crushed organic tomatoes
8 oz all natural tomato sauce
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed & squeeze dry
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese


heat oven to 400

1) Cook lasagna noodles per directions, drain and rinse with cold water and set aside

2) heat oil in a large skillet, add onions & garlic and cook until onions are soft.  Add in meat of choice and brown until no longer pink.  Add in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce & spices and simmer until bubbly & thick.

3) in a bowl mix 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, egg and spinach until mixed well.

4) in a baking pan, spread about 1 1/2 cups of sauce on the bottom.

5) lay out 1 sheet of pasta, spread some of the cheese mixture on the noodle and roll up.  Place seam side down in the tomato sauce...repeat with remaining noodles & cheese

6) pour remaining tomato sauce on top of noodles, cover and bake for about 25 minutes.

7) uncover and top with remaining cheese and cook until the cheese is melted...

VERDICT: very good...I love the portion control of this and the cinnamon & nutmeg add such a wonderful flavor and scent to the sauce...YUMMY!!!  Also if you wanted to you can cook 9 noodles and make a lasagna out of this...I have even done it so you don't have to precook the noodles and just add some water to the sauce and cook for about 30-45 minutes...

Beef & Snow Peas...YUMMY!!!

So last night I did a repeat...I made Pioneer Woman's Beef w/Snow Peas...DELISH!!!


Most of this meal is clean...I did replace the cornstarch with arrowroot & the soy sauce with Bragg Liquid Amino and I omitted the chili peppers and the wine since this is not allowed with Feingold.


Let me tell you...this sauce is so to die for, I am in love with it.  We served it with organic wild rice & green beans!!!

You must try this recipe!

Apricot Glazed Shrimp w/ Snow Peas

So tonight's yummy dinner was from the new copy of Clean Eating Magazine and I adapted it a bit...This is a ST2 Feingold friendly meal also.














Apricot-Glazed Shrimp w/ Snow Peas
Serves 4

6 oz chinese noodles
1 tbsp olive oil (original recipe called for Safflower oil)
1/2 cup minced white onion
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs shrimp (original recipe called for scallops)
1 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup all-natural apricot preserves
2 cups fresh snow peas
salt & pepper  to taste


Instructions:
1) cook noodles according to directions and set aside

2) heat oil in skillet, saute onions, garlic & ginger for about 2 minutes.  Add in shrimp (or scallops) and cook until pink.

3) in a small bowl mix soy sauce & preserves

4) when shrimp are just about done, toss in snow peas & sauce and cook all the way through.

5) serve over noodles

VERDICT: very nice...the shrimp & apricot are a nice combo.  I can see this also being good with chicken.

Lemon Artichoke Chicken with Wild Rice & Asparagus

Tonight for dinner was a nice lemon artichoke chicken with some wonderful organic wild rice (found at Costco) & asparagus...it's Feingold friendly & Eat Clean approved.  I found this recipe in my new Clean Eating Cookbook (BTW if you are a clean eatter get this book).  Remember if you are following Feingold to make sure all ingredients are approved and chicken your cooking spray and make sure it has none of that yucky stuff in it...





Lemon-Artichoke Chicken
Serves 4



¼ cup whole-wheat flour
½ tbsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste
1 lb thin chicken cutlets
Olive oil cooking spray
½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into sixths
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

1) In a shallow bowl, thoroughly combine flour, oregano, pepper, and ¼ tsp salt. Dredge each chicken cutlet in flour mixture, shake off excess and place on a plate.


2) Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium to medium-high, so skillet is hot but not smoking. Add ½ the chicken cutlets and cook 3-5 minutes per side, until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to clean serving plate and repeat with remaining cutlets, coating skillet once more with spray. Cover your serving plate with foil to keep warm.


3) Adjust temperature to medium-low and heat oil. Place onion in pan and cook, stirring frequently until soft and golden, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute stirring constantly; then chicken broth, bringing it to a simmer; followed by artichokes, lemon juice, and zest, simmering for 2-3 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


4) Pour artichoke mixture over chicken cutlets, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutritional Analysis
Calories 220
Sodium 420 mg Total Fat 5 g
Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 1 g
Total Carbs 20 g
Polyunsaturated 1 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Monounsaturated 2 g
Sugars 0 g
Trans 0 g
Protein 27 g
Cholesterol 65 mg

VERDICT: What a nice meal...the artichoke and lemon were a great combo and even my picky eater finished his plate.  It was light and did you see the calorie count on that...score.  I used some chicken breast and some chicken tenderloins.

Flank Steak Rolls, Rice-a-Roni & Steamed Green Beans

So last night's dinner was Flank Steak Rolls, steamed green beans and homemade clean rice-a-roni.  With a few tweaks this was made feingold approved and clean eating approved.  I got this from my clean eating cookbook.  Make sure you check out the rice-a-roni recipe...I cleaned it up (not on my site) by using brown rice and whole wheat pasta.

Flank Steak Rolls
Serves 4

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 cups whole-wheat panko (I didn't have whole wheat panko)
• 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar rice wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1 flank steak about a pound, trimmed of visible fat
• 3 oz spinach leaves
• kitchen string
  
  1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange a rack in a baking dish and coat with cooking spray
  
  2) In a small bowl, combine panko, nuts, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes.  Set aside.
  
  3)  Place steak on a work surface. Holding a sharp knife, parallel to the work surface and positioned along 1 of the longer sides, cut the steak almost in half horizontally so it opens like a book. Spread steak open with “spine of book” parallel to you.
  
  4) Sprinkle panko mixture over steak leaving a one inch border along the farthest edge.  Arrange spinach on top.  Beginning with the closest edge roll steak up, gently pressing down on the spinach.  Tie up with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals.  Place steak in prepared pan and bake unto the meat thermometer reads 150 for medium and 130 for rare. Remove from oven, transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil to rest 10 mins.
  
  5) Remove foil and string and carefully cut steak crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Serve drizzled with any juices that accumulated on the cutting board.
  

VERDICT: next time I may skip the panko bread crumbs...it absorbed all the juice and made a stuffing that I wasn't thrilled about but overall it was yummy!

MMMM Turkey meatballs w/ whole wheat spaghetti, spinach & ricotta cheese

YUMMY...tonight's Eat Clean & Feingold friendly dinner was complements of my new Eating Clean cookbook.  It was good & refreshing and I added some Trader Joe's frozen grilled asparagus and there you go a good healthy dinner.

Turkey Meatballs w/ Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Spinach & Ricotta
Serves 4


INGREDIENTS:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 lb extra-lean ground turkey
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 egg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
8oz whole-wheat spaghetti
4 cups baby spinach
3/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
juice and zest of 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft but not browned, three to five minutes.

2) In a large bowl, place turkey, onion-garlic mixture,basil, oregano,breadcrumbs, tomato paste, egg, salt and pepper. Using your hands or a large spoon, gently mix together until combined.

3) Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, portion out turkey mixture in golf ball sized increments. Use clean hands to roll mixture into 20 meatballs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions, until al dente reserving 1/2 cup pasta water
Five: In a large serving bowl, add spaghetti, spinach, cheese,lemon zest and juice, and quarter-cup reserved pasta water. Gently toss to combine, allowing heat of spaghetti to wilt spinach and cooking water to melt ricotta to a creamy sauce. Add more reserved water if necessary.to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Add meatballs and serve immediately..

VERDICT: this was nice, light & refreshing.  Next time I will actually saute the spinach with some EVOO and heat the ricotta so the sauce is warm (our sauce was cold) but we liked it and I loved the lemon with it as it adds a freshness to it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*NOTE: just remember if you are following FG then to make sure you use approved ingredients...in this recipe I made fresh bread crumbs from approved bread, used 100% natural turkey, approved tomato sauce (remember that's ST2) and approved ricotta

My new favorite burger...Pizza burger

So last night for dinner was a repeat and i have decided it's my favorite way to make burgers (clean and feingold if you make your own burger)...so juicy and even my mushroom hating child gobbled this up like no tomorrow.


http://heymommywhatsfordinner.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-for-dinner-111310-pizza-burgers.html


In my keep it clean attempt I didn't add the bacon into the burgers I let everyone take them if they wanted it after cooking it up.  I also made sure my tomato sauce was 100% natural (hunt's has no added sugar or other junk you just don't want in a sauce) and only added cheese to who wanted them.


Last night I served the burgers with oven baked fries (slice up a potato, drizzle with some EVOO and spices and bake until done) and steamed baby green beans...DELISH


NOTE: if you have a child who doesn't like mushrooms dice them really small and they won't even say anything about it...just gobble up the burger


Guess what I am having for lunch!

Creamy Tarragon Chicken w/ Wild Rice & Roasted Asparagus

Dinner 1/9/10: Okay my 1st post and it was a Feingold & Eat Clean approved recipe.  It was really good.  Tonight's recipe was complements of Chelle's Fitness Recipes.  Creamy tarragon chicken and I served it with a nice organic wild rice mixture & roasted asparagus...delish

PS. make sure all ingredients are approved FG ingredients







Creamy Tarragon Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter
4 chicken breast
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour
parsley

Heat oven to 375

Bake chicken on a baking sheet until almost cooked all the way through (about 30 minutes)

When chicken is almost done cooking, melt butter in a large pan, add garlic & tarragon and saute for about a minute. 

Add chicken broth, salt & pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add chicken and simmer until no longer pink (basting occasionally)

While the chicken is simmering mix the yogurt & flour in a small bowl.

When chicken is cooked remove chicken to serving platter (or in my case, plates).  Add the yogurt mixture to the broth and mix until smooth.

Serve over chicken & parsley

VERDICT:  Now my kids didn't like the sauce but hubby and I did...I actually made 6 chicken breast and had enough sauce...What a great clean meal...Thanks Chelle

Clean Eating Coffee Creamer...

So one thing I love is Coffee Mate Creamer...well that isn't part of the Eat Clean Diet (regular sugar is a no-no) so today I just used Almond Breeze Vanilla milk and as it did take away the bitterness of the coffee it just wasn't my coffee mate...so in looking for a clean version of creamer I have to thank Tiffany over at The Gracious Pantry for her wonderful version of coffee creamer.

Clean Eating Coffee Creamer
makes 5 generous (1/4 cup servings)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup soy milk (or almond milk, or even milk I am guessing)
3 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of extract of your choice (see note)
2 tbsp of honey (I may do this a little less next time)
1/2 tsp of xanthan gum (I actually left this out, it's to thicken it)

Flavor options:  extra vanilla extract, almond extract, orange extract or any other extract as long as it's clean.

Directions: 

1) in a blender mix all ingredients until well blended.

2) Pour in a container of choice (I found my italian dressing bottle fit it perfect, yes it was cleaned REALLY well) and keep it in the fridge.

VERDICT: well I dumped the container of coffee mate down the drain...This was really good.  I used almond milk and all vanilla extract and it taste like the sweet cream creamer I had in the fridge...oh and a major plus, it's lower in calories than the stuff you buy in the store.  The stuff I had was like 50 calories per 1 tbsp (and let's face it if you want creamer usually you don't use just 1 tbsp) and this is like 50 calories for 1/4 cup...thank you Tiffany

My blog going in a little bit of a diffrent direction...Feingold and Eat Clean Diet in 1 happy home?

So as the new year started I decided to make a fresh start (as the majority of Americans do).  The last half of 2010 I focused my life on helping my children and less on me...with starting Feingold, my diet went on the back burner and the weight came back on...don't get me wrong I LOVE Feingold and what it has done for my children so I will continue to follow FG.

I tried to incorporate FG with weight watchers and that just didn't work, the plan is great (I lost 15 lbs on it before my wedding) but when you can't use low fat & processed products in your cooking it makes things hard so I started to do some research and came across the Eat Clean Diet.  The concept is going to be easy when it comes to dinners and I will just have to continue to do it through out the day...

The Eat Clean concept is a simple one that is great...eat smaller meals more frequently, have protein with a complex carb (good carb) and stay away from artificial and fake stuff.  Pretty basic if you ask me...hopefully it will work (I recall a few of my trainers telling me the same thing in the past)

So here's to my new journey...Feingold & Eat Clean working as one in my household.

So dinners will still be Feingold friendly AND follow the Eat Clean concept...if you see a mistake please bring it up to me so I can correct it...trying to merge 2 diets is a challenge at 1st, but I am blessed that my kids seem to do good on most ST2 foods.

Thanks for following my blog over this short journey and here's to more to come!

PS. I was pretty excited to find someone on the EC support board who also does FG!!!

What's for dinner 1/4/11: Homemade Mac & Cheese...YUMMY!

Okay 1st off this photo is not good, but man was the mac & cheese LOL


So last night's Feingold friendly meal was homemade mac & cheese.




Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 6-8 (depending on your serving sizes)

Ingredients

	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste (for cooking pasta)
	1 Tbsp unsalted butter
	1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
	2 1/2 cup(s) low-fat milk
	2 cup(s) onion(s), finely chopped
	5 oz cheddar or colby cheese, shredded (extra-sharp suggested)
	3 oz shredded cheddar cheese
	3/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
	3/4 tsp table salt, to taste
	2 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated (Parmigiano Reggiano suggested)
	12 oz dry whole-wheat elbow macaroni
	1/4 cup feta cheese  (original recipe called for blue cheese)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.

Cook macaroni in salted water as directed on package; set aside.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly add flour, stirring constantly; cook for about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk to thoroughly incorporate flour mixture. Stir in onion and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently; remove from heat.

Combine feta with about two-thirds of both types of cheddar cheese in saucepan and season to taste with salt and pepper; stir in macaroni. Pour half of macaroni mixture into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar cheeses. Pour in remaining macaroni mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for about 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into 6-8  pieces.

VERDICT: I will change it next time...next time I will just add all the cheese instead of layering and cut the parmesan cheese in half and mix that in also...my kids didn't like the cheese on top (I think they were sick LOL) but overall it was really good...perfect comfort food.

What's for dinner 01/03/2011: Pioneer Woman's Beef & Snow Peas

OMG so tonight I made Pioneer Woman's Beef & Snow Peas and let me just say...SOOO good.  Of course I had to adjust a few of the ingredients to make it Feingold friendly but that is so okay.  The ingredients I changed was:

I omitted the sherry & red pepper but man was it good and the sauce tasted just like you would get it in a chinese restaurant.  So I say thank you Pioneer Woman for another wonderful dinner!!!

Beef & Snow Peas
serves 6
8 weight watcher points (not including rice)

Ingredients

• 1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
• ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
• 8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
• 5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
• Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
• 3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
• Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
• Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Verdict: once again DELISH and oh and it's points friendly if you are doing weight watchers