Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Asian Noodle Salad

Seems like it has been awhile since I've posted a recipe (or anything, let's be honest). The above picture is not so great, but the dinner itself was awesome! We loved it...and since we used left over chicken (from this meal), prep time was fast and dinner was on the table in 20 minutes. I made the salad earlier in the day so it had time to chill--but it would probably be good at room temp, too. Delicious, and healthy (look at all those colors!)--you will love it.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

adapted from Weelicious

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. cilantro, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced (or pressed in garlic press)

approx. 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (we used leftover roast chicken...you could use rotisserie or whatever you have on hand)

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 Tbsp. olive oil

kosher salt to taste

1 head iceberg or bibb lettuce

Directions:

1. Combine soy sauce, honey, and cilantro in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Saute onion and bell peppers in oil until softened (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute longer.

3. Toss chicken in pan and toss to heat through.

4. Add soy sauce mixture and cook about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt.

5. To serve, tear lettuce into "cups" and wrap around chicken mixture.

Asian Noodle Salad

adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, sliced

1 red pepper, julienned

1/2 green pepper, julienned

2 carrots, julienned

1 package asian style noodles, cooked and cooled according to package directions (I used Udon)

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables and noodles and set aside.

2. Combine dressing ingredients--whisk thoroughly.

3. Place vegetables and cooled noodles in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Enjoy!

Real Food, 15: Pasta with Sausage, Basil, & Mustard

(the quality of this pictures looked much better on the camera screen....)

My last blog update was July 21st. That is absurd. I apologize for my laziness.

To try and redeem myself, please enjoy this FANTASTIC recipe I found in Food & Wine magazine. I have been going through all my old food magazines and tearing out recipes to try. This was a big hit! We had enough for 2 nights, and by about 1:00 on the second day, I was wishing it was dinner time so I could eat it again. The fact that I liked this dish so much was actually a surprise to me--I was leery of the mustard. But, the mustard flavor is really subtle, and really good!

Pair this with the Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic recipe below (also from Food & Wine) and enjoy yourself a great dinner!

Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard

adapted from Food & Wine magazine, 2002

Ingredients:

1 lb. whole wheat medium shells

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, meat crumbled

3/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 Tbsp. grainy mustard (NOT the bright yellow stuff you use on hot dogs)

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1/2 to 1 cup thinly sliced basil

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add sausage meat and brown over moderately high heat. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half.

3. Add the cream, mustard, and red pepper and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

4. Stir in the pasta and basil and serve.

Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic

from Food & Wine magazine, 2007

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 heads of broccoli, stems peeled and halved lengthwise

1/2 cup water

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add broccoli, cut side down. Cover and cook over moderate heat until richly browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the water, cover and cook until just tender and water has mostly evaporated, about 7 minutes.

3. Drain any remaining water and add the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil to skillet. Saute the garlic and crushed red pepper until garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season broccoli with salt and pepper and drizzle with lemon juice just before serving.

Enjoy!

Real Food, 14: Tuna Noodle Bowl

Lincoln looooves noodles. So, we do end up having noodles for lunch fairly often around here. I try to mix it up so it isn't always mac 'n cheese (although, I think he might prefer it that way...). This combo takes about 11 minutes to throw together (that includes the 10 minutes you'll need to cook the noodles). I know not everyone is a fan of tuna. I have also made this with salmon (yummy!) and think chickpeas would be nice as well, if you don't eat fish.

Tuna Noodle Bowl

an original by me

Ingredients:

1 cup tri-color rotini noodles, prepared according to package directions

1 foil packet tuna in water (or salmon, or chickpeas)

1 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Cajun seasoning* to taste (I ♥ Tony Cachere's. Delicious.)

Directions:

Combine tuna and noodles in a bowl. Top with cheese and season with Cajun seasoning. Yum!

*I usually take out Lincoln's portion before adding the seasoning--it is pretty spicy. I sometimes let him try it, but he usually prefers it plain...

Enjoy!

Real Food, 13: Orange Berry Muffins

A big thank you to Juli for sharing this delicious recipe with me! I have never really baked with an orange/strawberry combination before, and that is a shame. It is a citrusy, sweet combo perfect for summer. Enjoy!

Orange Berry Muffins

adapted from a recipe given to me by Juli

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I like safflower)

1 egg (ACK! As I am going through these ingredients, I just realized I forgot the egg when I made these! I can tell you that they still taste great and look great, but when I make them next I'll use the egg and let you know if it makes a difference...)

1 Tbsp. grated orange zest

1 cup thinly sliced fresh strawberries (dried very well) (note: don't use frozen berries!)

3-4 Tbsp. strawberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a standard size muffin tin (or use liners).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, vegetable oil, egg, and orange zest. Stir in the strawberries.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

5. Place a spoonful of batter in each muffin cup. Top each with a teaspoon (or so) of jam. Spoon remaining batter on top until each cup is about 2/3-3/4 full.

6. Bake until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean (15-18 minutes). Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then remove.

Enjoy!

(note: the recipe says it makes 16 standard size muffins; I got 12)

Real Food, 12: Dos Toros tacos & Santa Fe Quinoa Salad

I have been on a taco kick lately--it is such an easy meal to put together, and you can put so many fresh and healthy toppings on them. So imagine my excitement when the May issue of Food and Wine arrived with an entire feature dedicated to tacos! My summer menu has just been set. This version features a tasty lime marinated chicken that Lucas raved over. I served with a quinoa salad (been on a quinoa kick lately, too...) that was also featured in Food and Wine. Looks like I'll get my moneys worth from renewing that subscription!

Dos Toros Tacos

adapted from the recipe in the May 2010 issue of Food and Wine magazine

NOTE: this recipe requires marinating time!! Plan ahead!!

Ingredients:

3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup water

1 tsp. sea salt

2 lbs. chicken thighs

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. dried parsley

12 whole wheat tortillas, warmed

toppings: shredded cheese, sliced avocado, chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, diced onions, salsa, corn, lime wedges, etc.

Directions:

1. Puree the tomatoes, lime juice, water, and salt in a food processor or blender. Pour mixture into a gallon size re-sealable bag and add the chicken. Seal the bag, pressing out the air, and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

2. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Brush both sides with the olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika and parsley. Grill over moderately high heat until chicken is lightly charred and cooked through (can use an outdoor grill or a grill pan indoors).

3. Let chicken stand for 5 minutes, then cut the meat into strips or shred.

4. Warm the tortillas in a small skillet, then serve with the meat and toppings.

Santa Fe Quinoa Salad

adapted from the recipe in the May 2010 issue of Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:

3/4 cup quinoa

1 tsp. cumin seeds

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used Safflower)

ground pepper and sea salt

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

3 oz. jar cocktail onions, drained and diced (I actually found these in the olive bar at our local Kroger--I used onions marinated in balsamic vinegar)

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions (I used a rice cooker). Allow it to cool, or place it in the refrigerator while your prepare the rest.

2. In a small skillet, toast the cumin seeds over high heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Transfer to a blender. Add the lime juice and oil and blend. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour the dressing into a bowl and add the beans, bell pepper, cilantro, and onions. Add the quinoa and mix. Season with salt and pepper.

ENJOY!

Real Food, 11: Soba Noodles with shrimp and broccoli

Soba noodles. Have you heard of these? I had not, before finding this recipe, and I am sad about that. Why, you ask? Because, friends, soba noodles are delicious. Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. I found them at the grocery store in the Asian food section. Yum. This dish is fast and really fresh tasting. A perfect summer dish!

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Broccoli

adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients:

6 oz. soba noodles

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets

6 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. agave syrup (or honey)

3 Tbsp. cooking oil (I like Safflower)

2 shallots, thinly sliced and separated into rings

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp. grated lime zest

2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 scallions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

salt to taste

additional cooking oil for sautéing

lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat about 1 Tbsp. cooking oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Repeat process with the garlic.

2. Boil noodles according to package directions. Remove noodles from water using tongs and rinse with cold water. Don't throw out the water!! Return water to boiling and add the broccoli. Boil until tender.

3. Whisk together soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, and agave syrup (or honey) in a medium bowl. Add noodles and toss. Set aside.

4. Combine lime juice, lime zest, and remaining tablespoon of oil. Toss the shrimp in the mixture and season with salt. Sauté shrimp over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until pink.

5. Place noodles onto the serving plates. Sprinkle with the scallions, cilantro, garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper flakes. Top with the shrimp and broccoli. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Enjoy!

Real Food, Day 10: Rice Salad

It has been awhile since I've done a Real Food post. "Real Food February" is now "Real Food"-no more month time frame to stress me out : ) I actually have a ton of pictures all lined up and ready to be blogged about--so, as soon as I get those finished, expect a flurry of delicious recipes coming your way.

This one is great--easy, fresh, and perfect to share at a summer picnic. You'll love it.

Rice Salad

from Cooking-A Commonsense Guide

Ingredients

1.5 cups long-grain rice

1/2 cup peas, cooked and cooled

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

3 green onions, sliced

1 can corn

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. sugar

Directions

1. Prepare rice according to package directions, or using a rice cooker. Allow to cool to room temperature (can be prepared a day in advance).

2. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and sugar together.

3. Mix the rice, green onions, peppers, corn, peas, and mint in a large bowl. Add the dressing and mix well. Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Real Food, Day 9: Quinoa Taco Salad

Another meal inspired by Katie at goodLife{Eats}! I've been working on this post for nearly a week now. It has just been left up on the computer. Up until tonight, I'd only written one sentence (last night I added the link--woohoo!). I need to get back in the blogging groove. Goal for the night: get this post published.

I made a bunch of adaptations to this recipe. It was really good--and it makes a ton. Lucas had some sort of apprehension to quinoa (he was under the impression it was going to taste like dirt), so that is why we also included meat in our version. (note: after eating it, he has determined it does not taste like dirt, so next time we can leave out the meat if we want...).

Quinoa Taco Salad

adapted from the recipe by Katie at goodLife{Eats}'

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 orange bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

3/4 cup diced tomatoes (I used canned)

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1/2 lb. ground hamburger

1/2 packet taco seasoning

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

for serving:

tortilla chips

baby spinach

cilantro

salsa

sour cream

shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions.

2. In a skillet, brown hamburger. Drain fat and add taco seasoning and water. Keep warm over low heat.

2. In a skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion, garlic, and bell peppers until tender. Add spices and continue to saute 2-3 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes, black beans, and quinoa. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: layer tortilla chips, spinach, quinoa mixture, and taco meat on plate. Top with salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, and cilantro, if desired.

Enjoy!

Real Food, Day 8: Lemon Blueberry Muffins

This one is maybe a stretch on the real food concept. But, still including it. Because I am on a huge baked goods kick right now, so this is at least me attempting to make them with real ingredients. I still have some lemon juice saved from our Meyer lemon tree, and I had some blueberries that needed to be used up, so the only logical thing to do was make these muffins. Now that I have fully rationalized that to myself, on with the recipe!

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

adapted from The NY Times

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest (note: I didn't have fresh lemons, but this worked great!)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure lemon extract (note: substitute vanilla if you don't have lemon)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1.5 tsp. sea salt

juice from half a lemon

1/3 cup milk

1.5-2 cups blueberries

Directions:

(preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with liners or spray with cooking spray. Can also use 6 giant muffin cups).

1. Mix together butter, lemon zest, and sugar using the paddle attachment on your mixer until fluffy.

2. Add in the extracts, eggs, and lemon juice and mix until combined.

3. Whisk together the flours, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl.

4. Remove 1/4 cup of the flour and set aside. Add half the remaining flour to the batter and mix on low until combined. Add in 1/2 the milk. Mix to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.

5. Toss the blueberries in the 1/4 cup flour you removed. Gently stir the blueberries into your batter by hand.

6. Divide batter between the 12 muffin cups. (optional: sprinkle a little sugar over each filled cup for a crunchy top). Bake 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and centers spring back when touched lightly with your finger.

These were yummy. I'd make them again, for sure!

*An important note: I have made these peanut butter banana muffins 4 times now. The past 2 times, I added a teaspoon of apricot preserves after filling the muffin cups halfway, then topped them with the remaining batter. Verdict: AWESOMENESS. Definitely the way to go!*

Bonus picture: I had to go with my first shot of the muffin, because a little person who shall remain nameless grabbed the muffin off my plate (which, in his defense, was just sitting on the front porch directly in his reach) and shoved it in his mouth. The blurry proof is below:

Real Food, Day 7: Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

I'm going to need everyone to use their imaginations and pretend this is the 7th day of February rather than the 22nd. I'm a liiiiittle behind on my posts. But this one is a good one, so hopefully that will make up for being so slow.

Last week, Katie at goodLife{eats} posted a great, simple formula for using what you have on hand to make a quick pasta supper. I thought her creation looked delicious, so I added it to our menu for this week, with a few changes to adapt to what we had on hand. Also, it really was quick. I timed it, and this dinner from start to finish took me 26 minutes (and that was while wearing a baby on my back who kept hitting things with a wooden spoon and opening and closing the pantry and freezer as we walked by...).

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

adapted from goodLife{eats}

Ingredients:

2 links sweet Italian sausage

1 red onion, sliced in thin half moons

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups broccoli florets

1/3 cup white wine

3/4 cup roasted red and yellow peppers, soaked in olive oil and garlic, sliced into strips (note: I found these in the specialty Italian section at the store. You might also find them in the deli section)

handful grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves

8 oz. whole wheat penne pasta

sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

handful shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Remove sausage from casings and slice into coins. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned on both sides. While sausage is cooking, prepare pasta according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add in the broccoli florets to the water to cook.

2. Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook until tender (3-4 minutes).

3. Deglaze the pan using the white wine. Scrape up any browned bits.

4. Stir in the peppers, tomatoes, pasta, and broccoli. Season to taste with sea salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Top with shredded parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Real Food, Day 6: No-Velveeta Nacho Cheese

When I told Lucas about my plan to do a whole month of real food eating, one of his major concerns was that the Super Bowl fell during my month of choice--the SUPER BOWL, also known as our junk food feast day. To give you an idea, last year we ate Super Nachos, a pizza, brownies, hot wings, and several sodas. Just the 2 of us. Yep. So... this year presented us a bit of a challenge. Most important to our food plan was including the Nachos. Now, I know we could have made these into healthy nachos with beans and fresh garnishes like salsa, cilantro, and avocado. But tell me, where is the challenge in that?? We wanted to re-create the quintessential Super Bowl food: Velveeta Rotel Dip. WITHOUT the "cheese product" log. Soooo....I put Lucas in charge of that one. And you know what? He did AWESOME! It was great! I think it definitely stood up to the Rotel dip--even more flavorful, in fact. The only downside is that it did take longer to make, but I think it's worth it to use real cheese instead of a cheese product that isn't even found in the refrigerated section of the store....

Since Lucas made this, I asked him to share the recipe with you:

This recipe came from Emeril (queso), but it differs at the end because the end of the recipe didn't print out. So instead of sour cream, we used milk, and left out the cilantro.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon Essence, plus more to taste (Click HERE for the Essence recipe.)
• 1 teaspoon Mexican chili powder
• 1 cup chopped seeded tomato
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3-4 chopped jalepenos
• 8 ounces white Cheddar cheese (1/2 pound), shredded (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese (1/2 pound), shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup canned, chopped mild or hot green chiles
• 2-3 tbsp. flour
• milk

Tortilla chips, for serving

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute.
2. Add the onion and Essence and chili powder and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes (Essence).
3. Stir in the tomato, jalepenos, and garlic and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the flour. When mixed in, pour in about 1/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Then, add the cheeses and chiles. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
5. As cheese begins to melt, add milk to thin the mixture to your desired thickness.
6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Real Food, Day 5: Homemade Croutons

Why have I never made these before? SO MUCH tastier than the boxed variety, and only 4 ingredients (vs. this list from a box of Pepperidge Farms croutons...yikes).

These are easy enough to make everyday--even if you forgot and already have dinner cooking, they are quick enough to throw together in 10-15 minutes.

I plan to eat a lot more salads now, just so I can have an excuse to make these.

Parmesan Croutons

created by Kelly

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread

1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese

2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

Directions:

1. Cut the bread into cubes--I get about 16 per slice, but make them as big or small as you like.

2. In a bowl, mix the cheese, olive oil, and salt together (just salt to taste...)

3. Toss in the bread cubes and stir to coat. You can add more olive oil or cheese if you feel like they cubes aren't getting coated enough.

4. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the cubes out evenly on the sheet.* Bake at 300 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Bake less for chewier croutons, and longer for really crunchy croutons.

*I make these in my toaster over, so 2 slices of bread makes the perfect amount for my tiny baking sheet. If you make theses in a full size oven, consider making a larger batch so that the baking sheet is evenly covered and everything cooks evenly....

Mmmm!

Real Food, Day 4: Lasagna

This was a special request from Lucas. I used to make lasagna somewhat often, but for some reason it dropped out of our regular rotation. I am pleased to be bringing it back with this recipe, though! The original recipe makes a 9x13 monster lasagna, but I divided it into 2 8x8 pans--cooked one, and froze the other. Bam! One less dinner to cook next week.

The recipe calls for making your own tomato sauce--but feel free to substitute your favorite jarred variety if you don't have the extra time. I made my own this time, since we are going for a less processed lasagna for our monthly challenge, and it was actually really easy. And tasty, too. And really, really filling. Technically, this will end up feeding us for 4 nights, since we'll have leftovers from each batch. Always a bonus for me!

Hearty Lasagna

adapted from Cooking Light at Myrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, or sausage...we used beef, because that's what we had).

1 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, divided

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian stewed tomatoes

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz. ) can tomato paste

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups cottage cheese

1 (15 oz.) container part skim ricotta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions (or make your own...)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

olive oil

Directions:

1. Brown meat over medium heat; crumble, drain, and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the onion and garlic over medium heat until onion is translucent. Return meat to pan, and 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, and the following ingredients: crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and pepper. Cover, and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, simmer an additional 20 minutes.

3. In a bowl, combine remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.

4. In a 9x13 pan (or 2 8x8 pans) coated in cooking spray, spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Arrange a layer of noodles over sauce. Top with a layer of the cheese mixture. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of the ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of tomato sauce, then another layer of noodles, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Top with a final noodle layer and cover the top with remaining tomato sauce.

5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 60 minutes. Remove from over, uncover, and sprinkle a layer of mozzarella on top. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Remove and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Real Food, Day 3: Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

(I know this picture is super blurry...but I have no doubt I'll be making these again and will retake it then!)

Not so much a meal, but I have already made these muffins twice since February started. That's right. We've already eaten through 24 peanut butter and banana muffins. And by we, I mean mostly me. Lucas doesn't really care for peanut butter and bread pastry combos (although, he will eat peanut butter and jelly. But not just jelly. Or fruit and bread/waffle/pancake combos. Or nutella. But, I digress...). And Lincoln isn't much help in the eating department either (although, in a rare fit of hunger, he did devour nearly half of one in the car one day...). Also, 4 or 5 of them went to a birthday party. The rest went to my belly. And it was thankful.

These are "nearly" real food muffins. They can't be considered totally real, because of the inclusion of refined sugar. But, I'm going to look around for a fitting substitute in the future. If I find something that works, I'll let you know.

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins

adapted from Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar (divided)

1/2 cup mashed banana

1/2 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the peanut butter, banana, yogurt, egg, and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar.

3. Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients into one bowl and stir until combined.

4. Gently stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar--just fold in 2-3 times--you want to still see the sugar crystals.

5. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups (lined or spray with cooking spray first).

6. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from pan to cool.

Enjoy!

Real Food, Day 2: Whole Grain Waffles

Just in time for Sunday breakfast--these delicious, whole grain waffles. We love waffles around here--especially for brinner (that's breakfast for dinner....). But, they also make great weekend breakfast fare. This is the first time we've tried whole grain waffles--and honestly, I like them BETTER than our old standby, white flour recipe. They were flavorful, hearty, and delicious with real maple syrup, butter, and fruit compote. Next time I make them I'm making a double batch and freezing some so we have a second brinner waiting for us at a moment's notice. Nothing easier than popping a waffles in the toaster oven for a 5 minute dinner prep.

Whole Grain Waffles

based on the recipe from The Rookie Cookie

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour (or, grind rolled oats in the blender or food processor to make your own oat flour)

2 Tbsp. milled flax seed

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

2 eggs, beaten

1.5 cups buttermilk

2 Tbsp. oil (I went ahead and used vegetable oil since I hadn't made these before and didn't know what a substitution would do....I might try yogurt or applesauce next time I make them)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat waffle iron and spray with cooking spray, if indicated.

2. In a large bowl, combine wheat flour, oat flour, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.

4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently to combine. Don't over mix.

5. Cook waffles according to directions for your waffle maker.

Serving suggestion: top with grass fed butter, pure maple syrup, and berry compote.

Please make these! They are great!

The February Food Plan

As mentioned in my goals for 2010, we are going to be eating "Real" food for the month of February. This goal has actually been something I've been wanting to do for awhile, but it did involve some prep and menu reworking, plus budget tweaking, so until now has remained a "to-do" instead of a "do-now." But, here we are in February and thus has begun our challenge.

So, what exactly does eating "Real" food entail? For us, we are basing our definition from the 2 fabulous books by Nina Planck: Real Food: What to Eat and Why? and Real Food for Mama and Baby. Real food is traditional...it is unprocessed (or as minimally processed as you can find), whole, and natural. It is the stuff your ancestors ate...before there was margarine, breakfast bars, and Cool-Whip. It is not low fat--it is "good" fats. It is not low cal. It is making sure you are eating foods that are high in nutrients, and eating them in a way that your body can ABSORB the nutrients.

Some examples:

--We'll be switching to whole milk. The fat in whole milk contains the vitamins A & D. In order for calcium to be absorbed efficiently, you need these vitamins.

--We'll be eating fish twice a week in order to boost our omega-3 intake. We'll do our best to find wild caught fish, as available.

--We will cook with and eat natural fats: cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, unrefined coconut oil, grass-fed butter.*

--I learned from reading that certain vitamins are "fat soluble," meaning that they are either contained in fat (such as vitamin D in milk) or if you eat them in other foods, you need to eat a fat with them (such as butter) in order to aid in absorption. The fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K(12). Beta-carotene and lycopene (antioxidents) are also fat soluble. For us, this means we will be adding butter or olive oil to our vegetables and salads.

Those are just a few examples. The main gist is avoiding refined foods and eating traditional foods. We aren't being super strict and do have some "cheat" items--Lucas gets to keep his Yoplait yogurt for lunches (he is not so much a fan of the plain or vanilla flavors--and since yogurt is a good source of calcium and fat, I figured it's not a big deal). We aren't doing this to lose weight or anything--just try and eat healthier and more effectively (make use of the vitamins and such). We also don't plan to avoid eating out. This isn't all or nothing, I guess is what I'm saying.

I am excited that we'll be trying a bunch of new recipes this month--and cooking more with whole grains. I plan to post the new things we try, so watch for that. If I get my act together, there may even be a featured link on the sidebar soon for the February Foods. No promises :)

A final reminder about the books: they are a great source of knowledge, but keep in mind they are not written with a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle in mind. I find her research she presents on why she is no longer vegan interesting, but since I've never researched the other side, can't really say much more than that. If you have questions, let me know!