‘Clean Eating’ Articles at Sweetnicks, Page 2

Recipe: Cauliflower Crust Veggie Pizza

July 28, 2015 · Narrative

Overloaded vegetable pizza that is carb free? Yep, yep. Right here.

When it comes to cauliflower crust pizza, been there, done that.

And after that recipe, which was good, you wouldn’t think I would need another.

And you would mostly be right.

Until I spied a picture for a new version in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine.

You know how they say “a picture is worth a thousand words?”

They would be right, because I ended up making the recipe the next night.

The power of persuasion and all.

This recipe was very similar, but just different enough to yield a slightly new result. I’m not going to lie, it’s slightly time consuming, as is the one I originally made two years ago. The major difference between the two recipes is that this one from Cooking Light calls for baking the “riced” cauliflower before making your crusts. A teensy new step, but one that resulted in pizza that was … dare I say it … foldable. Not completely foldable like a traditional slice of pizza, but enough so that it was possible. And because of that slight difference, I think it’s worth having this recipe in your repertoire as well.

And besides, who can go wrong with all those loaded veggie toppings?

For that part, I added extra mushrooms (and skipped their suggested peppers), and the whole thing resulted in one delicious dinner.

It makes two decent size pizzas, so I had one for dinner, and had the second one for lunch the next day.

side note: it does lose a bit of its foldability and crispness the next day, but still tastes just as awesome.

If you’re avoiding (or going light) on carbs, or just want to take your pizza in a completely different direction, make this.

PS If you haven’t picked up the August issue of Cooking Light magazine, get it! Filled will all sorts of clean eating recipes, it’s my favorite issue in a long time.

…

Recipe: Cracklin’ Chicken

July 6, 2015 · Narrative

A healthy, super delicious two ingredient dinner that you can get on the table in fifteen minutes? YES, a thousand times yes.

When you find yourself making the same recipe twice in less than seven days, you know it’s a winner.

This is that.

I originally discovered it in the Nom Nom Paleo cookbook some months back, and finally got around to making it. I’m not even sure why it took me so long … oh, right. Too many recipes, not enough time. But now that I have, and again a second time, it is guaranteed to be in heavy rotation.

Because two ingredients (I’m not counting spices from your cabinet) and it’s both healthy AND delicious?

Yes, please.

Bonus points for being kid-approved.

And it fits so many eating plans … Whole30, Paleo, Primal, clean eating… everything except vegetarian. Natch.

It calls for cooking the chicken thighs in ghee. Ghee is something I’ve been cooking with since I did my first round of Whole30 some months back. It’s clarified butter, which means it is butter without the dairy. You can definitely make it on your own, but, for now, I’ve just been buying it at the Indian grocery store. It’s super cheap there.

The recipe suggests buying a splatter guard, and although I hate have extra items in my kitchen, after making it twice already, I think I’m going to add one to my wish list. It’s not terrible without it, it would just save a few minutes of extra clean-up from the splatter.

Because you’re pounding the chicken so it’s very flat, which allows for even cooking, this cooks up in nothing flat. The ghee gives the skin a nice extra crispy coating. Almost like fried chicken, but not.

I cut the skin off Nick’s pieces, because he’s in a I-don’t-like-chicken-skin-phase, which was fine because it made the dogs happy.

Skin weirdness notwithstanding, it’s a meal that we all can agree on and love.

Make it; you won’t be disappointed.

*last night, I served it with Baked Cheesy Cauliflower Tots and homemade mayo. Last week, as shown in the first photo, it was a side of zucchini noodles with Parmesan

…

Recipe: Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter & Bananas

June 22, 2015 · Narrative

A healthy breakfast that takes just five minutes to prepare, and is ready in time for you to grab it as you head out the door in the morning.

Whether it’s during the school year or the summer time, mornings are a little chaotic. Everyone trying to get those last few minutes of precious sleep … hello snooze button … and scrambling to get out the front door in time.

So when I have time to do some pre-planning over the weekend, I grab it.

Anything to make the mornings smoother … and allow for extra sleep. Because, I mean, #priorities.

A co-worker gave me this recipe last week. I used to eat oatmeal regularly for breakfast or a late morning snack, but that was before I started clean eating in 2011 … and reading labels.

This is way better than that.

No junk. No preservatives. No chemicals. Nothing you can’t pronounce.

Just super simple ingredients that you like have on hand already. Mix it all together, pop it in the fridge in the morning, and grab on your way out the door.

I warmed it up for a minute before eating it, and topped it with sliced banana and a drizzle of honey.

Delicious and filling.

…

Recipe: Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak

May 12, 2015 · Narrative

‘Tis the season for grilling, and this flank steak is the perfect way to celebrate warm weather foods, and it’s quick enough that you can enjoy it even on the busiest day of your week.

Every two weeks, we have a Girl Scout meeting in the evening and the timing of it usually means take-out on the way home, or scrounging through the refrigerator for leftovers.

But tonight, I made an effort to get dinner done before we even left.

I also needed something quick and easy, healthy, and that the kids would eat.

This is that.

Well, almost that.

Delivering all the goodness of dinner cooked on the grill, this meal can be ready in thirty minutes, which includes the 15 minutes of marinating time.

That’s a movement I can get behind.

Once I started marinating the steak, I popped a tray of cherry tomatoes in the oven for roasting, and when the steak was done grilling, the tomatoes were done. The steak was then topped with the roasted tomatoes and torn pieces of fresh basil.

Super simple and super delicious.

Whether you’re following Whole30, paleo, primal, clean eating … or just an eat-all-things-grilled lifestyle, this meal works out perfectly. In half an hour, you can get a complete dinner that you can feel good about serving your family.

Which is pretty much my favorite kind of meal.

*I said this was almost the meal I was looking for, because it failed to meet the kid-friendly part of my requirements. Madeline ate enough to get by and Nick reminded me that he’s “not a fan of steak,” and proceeded to microwave his until it no longer resembled what I made. Kids.

…

Recipe: Avocado Fries {Whole30}

April 27, 2015 · Narrative

Warm, creamy avocado fries that will have you thinking of avocado in a whole new way.

I am no stranger to the magical virtues that warm avocado possesses.

I first discovered how good they were on a cruise to Bermuda way back in 1996. The Ex and I discovered a little dive restaurant that served the most amazing Toasted Bacon and Avocado sandwich. So good that we smuggled a few back on the ship with us, and that fond memory has stuck with me since then.

So when I kept seeing recipes for Avocado Fries, I made a mental note to try them.

Because avocado.

But most of the recipes I saw were fried, and that’s not exactly what I was looking for.

So if you can’t find something you want, you have to do the next best thing… create it yourself.

And here we are.

The simplest recipe ever, you’ll be shoveling these babies into your mouth in less than twenty minutes.

I coated the avocado slices with coconut flour, then egg whites, then coconut flour.

Baked in the oven.

And then done.

Of course you can use regular flour too; I used coconut flour because I wanted to make these #Whole30-approved. Doing your second coating with panko will make them slightly crispier, if you’d prefer. I kind of like them this way better.

Smooth. Creamy. Warm. So buttery. Melt in your mouth. Completely guilt-free.

Pretty much a keeper.

Hungry for more avocado recipes? I’ve got you covered. It’s kind of a favorite thing in our home.
This recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce was a recent winner.
This Chicken Avocado Salad is in regular rotation in our home and after you taste it, you’ll know why.
You can find ten of our favorite avocado recipes in this post here.
And a whole Pinterest board dedicated to avocado recipes.
And lastly, more often than not, we split them open, drizzle hot sauce on them, sprinkle a little sea salt and dig in.
…

Recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprout and Sweet Potato Salad

April 21, 2015 · Narrative

A salad with an unusual combination of sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts … that magically works.

I’ve got to be honest.

I really don’t experiment much with Brussels sprouts. I usually just roast them with light extra virgin olive oil, and maybe a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or a demi glace when they’re done, and top with some crispy bacon.

And that’s about it.

In fact, out of the probably thousands of recipes I’ve posted here in the past ten (!!) years, I think there has only been one for Brussels sprouts (and clearly a photo taken long before I knew anything about taking good food pictures).

But then I saw this recipe recently and the mix of ingredients was so unusual, I had to give it a try.

Clearly I’m attracted to the weird.

That and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, which is a pretty sure fire indication that a recipe is going to be made sooner rather than later.

…

Recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce

April 14, 2015 · Narrative

Light, healthy, yet perfectly filling, this recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce is the perfect celebration of all things Spring.

Avocado, I swear, has to be one of the most annoying produce items on the planet.

Because this happens ALL. THE. TIME.

Without fail.

Which means sometimes we have to be a little creative and find new ways to eat avocados. NOW.

I have had a recipe for avocado cream sauce pinned forever, and since all of us like avocado, I figured it was a safe bet.

Not all of us like zucchini noodles, but that’s life.

Like this recipe I shared last week, this one is super quick and perfect for a crazybusy weeknight.

It’s super light and healthy, so zero guilt involved, yet it’s filling enough to be a good meal for anyone.

Well, except those looking for red meat.

#sorrynotsorry

The creaminess of the avocado lends itself well to make a unique pasta sauce, and the zucchini noodles mean that you can have “pasta” without the carb guilt.

So this is perfect if you’re following Whole30, paleo, carb-free, or clean eating.

Or just love avocados.

Give this one a try.

I think you’ll fall in love.

Hungry for more avocado recipes?
This Chicken Avocado Salad is in regular rotation in our home and after you taste it, you’ll know why.
You can find ten of our favorite avocado recipes in this post here.
And lastly, more often than not, we split them open, drizzle hot sauce on them, sprinkle a little sea salt and dig in.

…

Recipe: Garlic Lovers Shrimp Over Zucchini Noodles

April 7, 2015 · Narrative

Tender flavorful shrimp over zucchini noodles … a delicious, healthy meal that only takes twenty minutes to make.

When I was telling someone about this meal last night, I said it was easily the best meal I’ve had in the last two weeks.

And I wasn’t exaggerating.

It’s amazingness was only compounded by the fact that it took less than twenty minutes to make and it is #Whole30 compliant … and eating clean. And gluten-free. And Paleo. And … as you can see, it fits most any eating lifestyle you may be dedicating yourself to.

I had noticed the picture on Flavor God‘s Instagram feed and went to the grocery store that day for the ingredients. I hadn’t had shrimp in awhile, and was craving it, and after seeing the picture, I knew that this dish would be packed full of flavor and I needed to make it asap. I was right.

The recipe is so simple that I made it while chatting with a friend and making a separate dinner for five kids. Just cook the shrimp, set it aside, add the other ingredients in the pan and cook that and then toss it all over zucchini noodles (made with a spiralizer). If you don’t have an spiralizer, you should totally get one, but this would also be delish served over angel hair pasta if you’re not avoiding carbs.

A slight crispy coating on the shrimp, the tiny tang from the pearl onions, and just the notion that you are eating something that tastes decadent … but isn’t … this one is a keeper for sure.

…

Recipe: Chicken Avocado Salad {Whole 30}

March 17, 2015 · Narrative

A delicious and simple recipe that combines shredded chicken and creamy avocado to make a light and tasty lunch.

If I had to categorize the type of recipes I gravitate towards (whether they are my own creation or someone else’s recipe), I would say that they are firmly entrenched in two distinct categories: super simple and on the table in under 30 minutes or a long and slow process that could take the whole afternoon or even a week (like the homemade bacon that is currently curing in my refrigerator). This Chicken Avocado Salad recipe is definitely the former.

I am a fan of dishes I can pull together on the weekend, that will give me a week’s worth of meals.

Work smarter, not harder. And all that.

This is that.

Starting with a rotisserie chicken makes quick work of this recipe. Just break it up into bite size pieces and mix it gently with the rest of the ingredients, and you are set with a week’s worth of light lunches, or a dinner or three.

Options, you’ve got them.

So between the easy of making this salad, coupled with my love for ALL THINGS AVOCADO, I knew I would love the finished dish.

And I did. …

Recipe: Pizza Parsnip Fries

March 10, 2015 · Narrative

An unusual twist on the guilty pleasure of French fries, these Pizza Parsnip Fries will have you coming back for more. And more. And more.

Last week, I was in HomeGoods looking for new bathroom towels, and ended up in the flour and oil aisle.

As you do.

As I picked up a package of coconut flour (healthy stuff!), a woman nearby struck up a conversation. We chatted for fifteen minutes, and by the end, we had covered parsnip fries, almond flour, clean eating, and she had convinced me to make my own coconut flour.

I would say it was a pretty productive visit.

Especially since I found the aforementioned towels I went in search of.

So, parsnip fries.

I think I have only had parsnips once.

In March 2009.

The only reason I remember such a random date is because my sister-in-law was over for dinner and I remember making a tray of roasted root vegetables, including parsnips and turnips.

And then The Ex and I got separated the month after.

So that first foray into parsnips stuck.

But clearly it didn’t stick enough for me to have them again.

Yeah, I don’t know what’s wrong with me either.

But after talking with the woman in HomeGoods last week (and we didn’t even discuss how to make them), I got parsnip fries on the brain and went searching for the parsnips this weekend. I tried to find them at the farmer’s market, but the vendor said they weren’t popular enough in this area (go figure!), but luckily I scored at my favorite grocery store.

The method to making this deliciousness could not be more simple, and it is completely forgiving. Use whatever herbs and spices you like to make a version that speaks to you. I happened to use Flavor God’s Pizza seasoning, but a million other spice and/or herb combinations would be equally awesome.

Hash tag creativity.

…

Recipe: Buffalo Aioli {Whole30}

March 2, 2015 · Narrative

An easy-to-make, healthy dipping sauce that is perfect for when you want a little kick.

I am a condiment girl through and through.

And, unfortunately, if I’m doing clean eating or Whole30 in the most honest way possible, condiments are pretty much a no go.

Unless you make them yourself.

And, really, thank goodness for that option.

I have been making my own mayonnaise for a few months now, before I started Whole30, and, quite honestly, it is amazing. You can read about it here.

But woman cannot live by mayo alone.

So when I spied a recipe for buffalo aioli that was Whole30-approved, I could not make it fast enough.

And now that I’m on my third batch in as many weeks, it was time to share it with you.

I love all things buffalo (this roasted cauliflower recipe is another delicious example), and while these aren’t buffalo wings, the buffalo aioli tastes awesome as a dipping sauce for roast chicken. Or roasted potatoes. Grilled chicken. Vegetables. And likely a million other things as well.

It’s got a slight kick to it, which you can, of course, adjust by adding more or less hot sauce to it, but as written, it’s the perfect amount. Not so hot that you’re grabbing for a glass of water, but enough that you notice that it’s there.

Make it.

You won’t be sorry.

…

Recipe: Asparagus and Artichoke Crustless Quiche

February 19, 2015 · Narrative

A super simple, very healthy recipe for quiche that is perfect for a light lunch, breakfast, or just because.

Here’s the thing about quiches … they are super forgiving. Once you get the basic premise of how many beaten eggs you need in the oven for how long, you’re golden. After that, it’s all about clearing out your fridge or catering to whatever your taste buds are craving.

Today’s crustless quiche was a bit of both.

Lately I’ve been making a quiche on the weekends, because it sets me up for breakfast for the week.

Or slightly less than a week when you discover your seven year old all the sudden likes quiche.

And asparagus.

(and she also recently discovered a love for scrambled eggs and requests them on the daily, so holla!)

Crust for your quiche is awesome, particularly if it’s the light, flaky kind, but since that’s not allowed on Whole30, I just did away with it.

You won’t even miss it.

I had a huge bunch of asparagus that I had just bought, and I was looking for something else to do with them besides just roasting.

Add in some diced artichoke hearts, onion, garlic, seasoning, eggs.

Bake and boom.

You’ve got a slightly light, slightly hearty, mostly delicious bite for whenever you want it.

This is a great recipe to mix and match whatever vegetables or other add-ins you have available. Sausage bits, roasted red pepper strips, and mushrooms all would be wonderfully delicious additions. As would cheese. Natch.

Enjoy!

…

← Previous
1
2
3
4
…
6
Next →