PB & Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients

- 1 ripe banana (sliced)
- 1 1/2- 2 cups whole strawberries
- 3 cups shredded kale
- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 3 cups vanilla flaxseed milk

Directions:

Add the banana, strawberries, and milk to a large blender. Drop 3 tablespoons of peanut butter to the top and pulse enough to just mix the peanut butter in to the milk a little ( This helps keep the peanut butter from sinking below the blades or holding the kale together during blending) . Add 3 cups kale and bled until mixture is slightly brown and the kale has been blended in to small flecks.

* We like this one a little thick so if you prefer add a 1/2 cup of flaxseed milk until it reaches your desired viscosity.

Pumpkin Chilli With Cinnamon

This recipe was a bit of an accident in that I mistook the chili powder for cinnamon one day and just didn't have time to make something new before dinner time (Don't judge. It's has happened or will happen to us all) I was surprised to find that the cinnamon worked really well with the other spices and that the pumpkin lowered the acidity of the tomatoes quite a bit. This became a favorite for Roo who typically wont eat more than a bite of traditional chili. 

It became a favorite of mine since its a ready in minutes one pot wonder that is packed full of veggies and protein.

Ingredients

-1 lb ground turkey
-16 oz canned Cannellini /White beans (not drained)
-16 oz  canned stewed tomatoes
-12 oz pureed pumpkin
-1 cup diced yellow onion
-1 1/2 cup corn
-1 green bell pepper diced
-1 tbsp olive oil
-Garlic salt (to taste)
-Cinnamon (to taste)
-Ground pepper (to taste)
-1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese (optional)

Cooking Instructions

After coating the bottom of a large pot with olive oil, cook the ground turkey over medium high heat. Toss in chopped onions until soft. Add in all remaining ingredients and heat to boiling. Lower heat to low medium heat and cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve warm.

Planet Balls

Ingredients

1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Cooking Instructions

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter, honey and vanilla and mix well until there are no dry pockets. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture into your clean hands and roll the mixture into a ball. Place your finished ball on a plate and repeat until the mixture is gone. Place the plate of balls in the fridge uncovered for at least an hour. Serve cold and store the remainder in Tupperware in the fridge.


Resources

My recipe was adapted from this recipe from Smashed Peas and Carrots.

The "Healthier" Chicken Nugget

While processed nuggets are easier they are filled to the label with preservatives and they don't even have the benefit of veggies. If you want something a little more healthy then these are a great alternative to the packaged and drive through options. Totally worth the extra time and they freeze well too. 

As a side note I am also a dinosaur nugget consumer on occasion. While I might feel guilty because I'd rather be feeding these to my family, I'm not at all ashamed. Sometimes a t-Rex has got to loose a leg to get me to the end of a busy day; there's nothing wrong with that. 

 

Ingredients

Rotisserie chicken meat

1 egg

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups bread crumbs

1/3 cup chopped chives

Pepper

Garlic salt

1 tsp turmeric optional*

4 mushrooms optional*

Cooking Instructions

Remove all of the meat from the rotisserie and place it into a food processor. (Add the mushrooms as well if you want them) Set the bones aside for homemade chicken broth. Pulse the meat until it has a course consistency. Spoon it into a large mixing bowl and add the egg. Stir together until it's moist and forms easily. Add the chives and season to taste. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour. 

After the hour heat your oil up in a medium sized pan on medium heat. The oil should be deep enough to cover about 1/2 of a nugget or just a little less. Spread out your crumbs on a small plate evenly and place it on the counter closest to you pan to minimize clean up. Taking a measuring tablespoon scoop out some meat mixture, roll it into a ball and then flatten it just a little so that its in the shape of a nugget. Place it on to the crumb plate and cover completely, pressing down gently on areas the bread won't stick to. Place it into the pan, cook until golden brown, flip and cook till that side is golden brown. Because the meat off of the rotisserie was already cooked the nuggets only need to get crisp and warm up, usually only about 3-5 min. 

Serve with anything you want either warm or hot. We like them with salads, applesauce and milk. 

Chicken Marinara

Ingredients

(4) 6 oz chicken breasts

1cup marinara sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1tbl olive oil

Premixed salad

Cooking instructions

Heat the oil on medium heat in a large pan. Use a sharp knife to poke about 8 small slits into each chicken breast. Place them all into the skillet and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, turn, cook for another 10 minutes. Check the middle to ensure it is cooked through completely. Spoon the marinara sauce over the chicken, about 2-3 tablespoons for each, then cover each piece of chicken with a pinch or two of mozzarella cheese. Cover with the lid again and turn off the heat. Plate after 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is hot.  Serve with a premixed salad while hot. 

Chicken Taquitos

These are excellent alternatives to the overly processed versions you find in the freezer section at the store. They keep well in the fridge for a make ahead meal and are totally delicious.

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken 

1 1/2 cups of your favorite tomatillo salsa

1 package of taco sized corn or flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese

Black beans* optional

Directions

Heat the oven to 400.

Shred all of the meat from the bone of the chicken and place the shredded pieces into a large mixing bowl with the tomatillo sauce and cheese. Mix together well. Add in optional ingredients here. *The mixture should be moist but not dripping with sauce. 

Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture evenly into a tortilla and place into a 9x11 baking dish "seam" down so that it won't unroll during baking.  Repeat until your pan is full. Cook in oven for about 15 min, turn and cook for another 10. 

Great while served warm with spring salad and orange slices. 

Farm Soup

This recipe is perfect for lunch during the farm themed unit not just because of the little tractors and animal noodles but because of the number of colorful veggies that go into it. 

Ingredients

 Italian Meatballs (either pre-packaged or handmade)

Farm shape noodles

2 cups cleaned kale

3 rainbow carrots cleaned and sliced

1/2 a white onion diced

2 fresh garlic cloves minced

1 1/2 potatoes cleaned and diced

1 box of organic chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot boil the carrots and potatoes until they are almost soft and drain.

 Boil the farm noodles in a separate pot and drain. 

In the large pot warm or cook the meatballs  until cooked thoroughly then place all of the listed ingredients in the pot except the pepper, salt and kale. Simmer on med low heat until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the remainder of the ingredients and cook until the Kale is slightly wilted but still firm. The potatoes and carrots should be firm but not crunchy. 

Enjoy with milk and a side of fruit.