Eggs, Eggs, More Eggs and Kung Pao Chicken

Per the usual I am way behind in doing my assignments for my Clean Eating Academy class. This week’s subject was eggs and all assignments are due tomorrow by midnight. Needless to say I spent most of my day making eggs. I love eggs but even I am a bit sick of them at this point. Apparently I’m not as good with eggs as I am vegetables but thought I would share my hits and misses!

This is Roasted Garlic and Lemon Aoli – I am calling it a MISS – no, not because it’s green (that’s because I used grapeseed instead of olive oil) because it really doesn’t taste like roasted garlic or lemon. I even used more roasted garlic than the recipe called for and it still came up short in the flavor department. Next week I have to make roasted sweet potato fries and rumor is this aoli tastes great with the fries. I’ll hang onto it and we’ll see if that rumor is true 🙂

The scrambled eggs were a HIT! I loved them and loved the idea of putting fresh oregano in them. Best part about these eggs (3 were used) it was super filling and I wasn’t hungry until well after lunch time. Protein and fat is where it’s at!

I have to call these a HIT although I won’t eat a sunny-side up egg. I can’t do the runny white stuff so if I do fried eggs they are over medium. My husband loved them and had no problem taking them off my hands!

Huge MISS! This was my 2nd attempt at deviled eggs. Seriously? Deviled eggs? Yes – these eggs were almost the death of me! I am not giving up on deviled eggs but I had to throw in the towel today and say good enough was going to be good enough! I have to say by deviating from the recipe the 2nd batch tasted better although my job drizzling the glaze left something to be desired. Can’t win them all!

Thanks to Clean Eating Magazine dinner was a HUGE hit! I made Kung Pao Chicken that would rival any takeout! I highly suggest making this recipe and keeping it handy for those nights when takeout is tempting! We served it without the rice and increased the chicken to 16 ounces from 10. It’s all about the protein for us!

Click here for the recipe: Clean Eating Kung Pao Chicken.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Pizza

Can’t believe I forgot to post this last night after dinner! It was so good! In fact it was so good and I was so excited to eat this I forgot to take any pictures until we already served ourselves!

I followed the recipe exactly but had to add more water to the Wildtree Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. When using this dough in the past I always pre-baked the crust. This recipe didn’t say to do that and I wish I would have. Next time…and there will be a next time!

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Enchilada Pizza

I HIGHLY suggest using the Wildtree Pizza Dough (either whole wheat or regular) and Tia Rosa’s Enchilada Sauce. The sauce is organic, nice and thick, has a deep peppery flavor and is WAY lower in sodium than other sauces on the market. It is worth it and can be found at www.mywildtree.com/eateasy. You can also search for other recipes using the sauce on this page 🙂

Enjoy!!

Life is Back to ‘Normal’

After a crazy couple weeks I am happy to report things are getting back to ‘normal’…which in our house just means slightly less chaotic.

Between visitors in town and a half business/half pleasure trip to Texas I’ve never needed to get back to eating cleanly as I do right now. This Clean Eating Academy class I’ve been taking is a blessing because it’s forcing me to eat clean even when I’d like to make some short cuts. I had to finish my veggie assignments today. Nothing like waiting until the due date to get them all finished. Here’s a peek at what I’ve been up to!

Green Beans & Asparagus blanched then cooked with grapeseed oil and garlic, Bruschetta, Kale prepared the same way as the beans and asparagus and Mushroom Bruschetta! All were delicious and my husband enjoyed all of them except the kale…he doesn’t do kale! The tomato bruschetta was my favorite – I even made the balsamic glaze myself 🙂

The veggies were great tonight with simple, baked cod. All I did was drizzle a tablespoon of Lemon Grapeseed Oil over the fish, sprinkle with Wildtree Dill Dip Blend then bake at 375 for 15 – 20 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Once done I finished it with just a little bit of fresh lemon juice.

This week our assignments are all about eggs! Yum – I love eggs and they are my perfect food when I’ve not been eating well and need to reset the clock!

Glazed Carrots and Getting Rid of Unnecessary Carbs

My latest cooking assignment for my Clean Eating Academy class was Glazed Carrots. The purpose of the assignment was to get additional practice cutting carrots into batonnet. The recipe was simple, only 4 ingredients, 5 if you include the water used to deglaze the pan and finish cooking the carrots.

To make these carrots you just cut 2 cups carrots batonnet style, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over medium high heat then add the carrots. Saute for 4 minutes then add 4 teaspoons raw honey. Toss to coat then add 3 tablespoons water to deglaze the pan. Cover and cook 1 minute; stir; then cover and cook 4 minutes until tender. Garnish with 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley.

Since this isn’t nearly enough for dinner I also made a modified version of Wildtree’s American Goulash…really what I ended up making was more Italian Chili rather than goulash because I omitted the pasta. We’re trying to curb the amount of refined carbs we’re eating and honestly this dish was plenty filling and tasty without the pasta. Here is the recipe: American Goulash! The Pizza Sauce Seasoning can be purchased at my Wildtree site.

Enjoy and happy cooking 🙂

More Veggie Cuts and Another Favorite Magazine Recipe

I started my third lesson in my Clean Eating Academy class today. It was more difficult veggie cuts. I always wondered how food in magazines, cook books and restaurants always looked so perfect; now I know! These methods for cutting veggies take a little more time and practice but make such a difference visually. They (not sure who they are) always say you eat with your eyes first.

Zucchini: Batonnet

Carrots: Julienne

Celery: Brunoise

Basil: Chiffonade

I might have to re-do this assignment, think I was supposed to do different vegetables with each cut instead of only one, but figured I’d post it any way. Also learned to save all the trimmings from my vegetables when I’m prepping them, store them in a baggie in the freezer then use them when making stock. LOVE that idea since I don’t have the ability to compost and this will help reduce the amount of garbage/waste I create.

I’ve written before about loving the magazine Clean Eating. It is an awesome publication and I learn so much every time I look through an issue. Another magazine I love is Eating Well. Tonight I made a very filling and delicious meal out of the March/April 2015 issue. They are Tex-Mex Black Bean & Quinoa Bowls. Click here for the recipe:Tex-Mex Black Bean and Quinoa Bowls. Looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow 🙂

Clean Eating Academy

I have been fascinated by eating clean for awhile. If I was brave enough I would quit my job and go back to school to become a Nutritionist or Dietitian. Sadly I don’t even know the difference between the two so until I figure it out I’m going to keep my day job.

As I was reading Clean Eating Magazine a few weeks ago I ran into an ad for Clean Eating Academy. I jumped at the chance to sign up for this course! I love learning all I can about cooking, clean eating and nutrition so an interactive, online course was perfect for me.

I am in the process of finishing up my first project (Minestrone) but was too excited about my first few submissions I had to share! The fun part was all these ingredients were used in the making of the soup!

Part One – different ways to ‘cut’ fresh herbs:

12:00 – Rough Cut Rosemary

3:00 – Basil Chiffonade

6:00 – Torn Parsley

9:00 – Finely Chopped Chives

Part Two – Vegetable Cuts

Upper Left: Macedoine Zucchini

Lower Left: Paysanne Carrots

Right: Mirepoix Carrots, Onion & Celery in 2:1:1 Ratio

Before taking this class I didn’t know what these words meant let alone how to make the cuts.

Part Three – Onions and Garlic

Far Left: Onions Sliced with the Grain

Top: Diced Onions

Right: Chopped Garlic

Bottom Right: Garlic Puree

Part Four – Vegetable Stock

I made a sachet of herbs and peppercorns to add to the vegetables in the stock then cooked the vegetable stock for an hour. I’ve never made vegetable stock before and it actually had a ton of flavor even though there wasn’t any salt added. The Minestrone is on the stove now and I’ll season that with salt and pepper once done!

I highly recommend this class to anyone interested in Clean Eating. It’s through the Clean Eating Academy and I found the information in Clean Eating Magazine!

Happy Hump Day

It’s only Wednesday…why oh why is it only Wednesday?

Made some delicious Steak Tips with Mushroom Gravy and served them over egg noodles. It’s sort of practically clean or so I’m telling myself because it was so good 🙂

Since I was finally able to turn the AC off (hopefully for the season) this was a perfect comfort food meal for a cool evening! Paired well with a glass of Coppola Merlot.

In other exciting news I started an online culinary class focusing on clean eating. In reading their guidelines regarding what it means to eat clean I have a lot of work to do. I will do my best to stay on top of my coursework and will post pictures of my assignments!

Here’s to only having 2 days left in the week!!

Steak Tips with Mushroom Gravy

Serves 4

3 tablespoons Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil, divided

1 pound steak tips, cubed

1 (8 ounce) package mushrooms, quartered

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup Wildtree Chicken Bouillon Soup Base, prepared according to package directions

1 tablespoon Wildtree Alfredo Extraordinaire

2 teaspoons thyme

3 cups egg noodles, prepared according to package directions

Heat 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak tips and cook until brown on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil to the now empty skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir to coat; cook for one minute. Whisk in prepared Chicken Bouillon Soup Base until smooth. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Whisk in Alfredo Extraordinaire and thyme, return beef to pan, and cook until heated through. Serve over prepared egg noodles.

Calories 420; Fat 22 g; Saturated Fat 5 g; Carbohydrates 25 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 31 g; Cholesterol 105 mg; Sodium 270 mg

Cooking Out of My Comfort Zone

Tonight I ventured out of my culinary comfort zone. I’m not really sure why; but I’m glad I did.

Since it’s technically fall, although having to turn the AC back on today tells me different, I wanted to make something with the beautiful butternut squash I got from Door to Door Organics.

I’ve never made a creamy soup before mostly because I prefer soups and food I can chew. I figure there will be a time in my life where I’ll have no choice but to eat creamy soups…I don’t need to eat them now. Alas – I made this tonight…

It didn’t get as thick as I would’ve liked – maybe use more squash next time? I put the pepitas on top like the recipe called for but they sank 😦 since I needed more than just soup I made Wildtree Ranch Dressing and made a salad with whatever veggies I had handy. Not bad for a vegetarian meal…but I found myself hungry shortly thereafter and had some Almonds and Brazil Nuts as snack. The recipe is below!

Butternut Squash Bisque

Serves 6

2 tablespoons Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 2 pounds)

3 cups Wildtree Chicken Bouillon Soup Base, prepared according to package direction

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup Wildtree Alfredo Extraordinarie

¼ cup pepitas

Heat Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and butternut squash; sauté for 10 minutes. Add the prepared Chicken Bouillon Soup Base, cover, and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Puree soup using a stand blender or immersion blender. Stir in nutmeg and Alfredo Extraordinaire. Garnish with pepitas.

Calories 200; Fat 10 g; Saturated Fat 1.5 g; Carbohydrates 25 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 6 g; Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 250 mg

Weekend Recap

After being on the road this week for work it was nice to have a quiet night at home on Friday. Since I was doing a 10k the next morning I appreciated the quiet evening even more! Not that you really need to carb load for a 10k but I do like to eat pasta the night before a run because it sits well in my stomach. I did go out on a limb with this pumpkin alfredo because I wasn’t sure the creaminess would settle well. Lucky for me – it did and it was yummy!

My husband isn’t a fan of pumpkin but did like this. The pumpkin added more creaminess but since thyme is the only herb or spice used it doesn’t taste like pumpkin pie or the trendy pumpkin spice. The lighting in my kitchen is terrible for taking pictures – we have all Edison bulbs – but since this is pumpkin the yellowish hew doesn’t seem to harm it! The recipe is below but I added 8 ounces of sliced, sauteed baby bella mushrooms. They made the dish taste meaty even thought there is no meat in it!

The 10k I did was no joke. I guess I didn’t read the race description close enough to realize it was a 10k trail race. I’ve never run on trails and I’m so uncoordinated walking on hiking trails can be a challenge for me. I knew I was going to be slow because I was planning to walk part of the race since I’ve been going to PT for my back over the past month. I predicted I was going to finish 1.5 hours. This was before I knew it was a trail race…it was a tough race. Many hills and luckily some narrow paths that caused us to walk single file once in awhile. I finished in 1:29 which I’m super happy about! My ankles and legs not so thrilled with my performance though!

To treat myself after the run I had a nice lunch with my husband then we decided to visit a new brewery. We LOVE craft beer! We ended up going to Magnify and sampling a couple of their brews. This is their Search Saison. It was really good and almost wine-like. They are currently aging some on red-wine barrels so I’m excited to try that when it’s released.

The bonus to the trip to Magnify was the new (just opened 5 weeks ago) distillery next door. The laws in New Jersey have been changing and making it much easier for breweries and distilleries to operate in the state. Jersey State Distillery holds only the 7th distilling license in the state. They only had their Vodka and White Whisky when we visited and they are both really nice. Per New Jersey state law they’re only allowed to make/serve drinks made with their spirits so they had many infused with various flavors. My husband had the classic Moscow Mule and I had the Cucumber Gimlet. I can’t wait to go back!

We bought a bottle of Vodka for the house because it was that good and Vodka is awesome! If I’m going to drink I do prefer to drink craft beer, local wines and craft spirits. They tend to use better ingredients and are more concerned with quality over quantity. I also suffer from less of a hangover when I drink small batch and locally crafted beverages. So our post race excursion fits in well with my clean eating lifestyle 🙂

For the second Sunday in a row we hung out at home and relaxed. My body sure needed it! I didn’t feel like making anything complicated so Wildtree’s Organic Pot Pie Skillet Meal came to the rescue. I made the recipe as the package suggests and added fresh green beans. It’s so good, tastes like fall and comes with a total of 3 packs of seasoning so this is will become a regular go-to when I don’t want to fuss with dinner. www.mywildtree.com/eateasy

So that was my weekend! Looking forward to the week ahead – lots of fun and new recipes to try!

Pumpkin Alfredo

Serves 4

8 ounce whole wheat spaghetti, prepared according to package directions

¾ cup whole milk – I used 2%

½ cup Wildtree Alfredo Extraordinaire

½ cup pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons thyme – I used fresh

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain, rinse, and set aside. Whisk together milk, Alfredo Extraordinaire, pumpkin puree, and thyme in a small pot over medium low heat until heated through. Toss with prepared pasta. Garnish with pine nuts.

I added sauteed mushrooms with the pumpkin.

Calories 350; Fat 12 g; Saturated Fat 3.5 g; Carbohydrates 52 g; Fiber 8 g; Protein 14 g; Cholesterol 10 mg; Sodium 210 mg

PotPie Skillet Meal – click here for recipe!

Submitted By: Wildtree from Warwick, RI

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil

1 pound chicken breasts (approx. 3 breasts), cubed

2 cups water 1 package Wildtree Pot Pie Skillet Meal

3/4 cup rice

Method of Preparation:

In a 10 or 12 inch skillet, heat the Grapeseed Oil until shimmering. Add the cubed chicken and brown lightly. Add the water and the Pot Pie Skillet Meal package and stir to combine. Add in the rice, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender.

I used brown rice so it took longer to cook and added the beans when I added the rice. Had I realized the rice would take so long to cook I’d have added the beans much later.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 260 Fat: 1.5g Saturated Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 35g Fiber: 1g Protein: 24g

Double Bonus Thursday!

I was in Atlanta for work this week Monday – Wednesday. I made dinner on Sunday, took some pics, but it was so late by the time we ate I pretty much scarfed down my food while watching the Packers.

In theory I’ve always been a fan of having a big Sunday dinner. I say in theory because I wasn’t raised in a family that did big Sunday dinners. I’ve really only read or heard about them from friends raised in big, Italian or southern families. Especially in the fall there’s something comforting about a special meal; something I wouldn’t bother with during the week. This past Sunday is was Meatloaf Wellington! It wasn’t nearly as difficult as it looks but does take a long time to cook/bake so not weeknight fare for this girl!

If you have picky eaters you might want to use a food processor to dice up the sweet potato and brussels sprouts. I love them both, my husband doesn’t like sweet potatoes but didn’t say anything about them in this dish. Maybe he thought they were carrots…whatever the case it worked and he liked it!

I know the puff pastry isn’t clean and the sprouts weren’t organic but everything else is – this is practically clean – I’m not always perfect…but don’t tell my husband 😉

This recipe makes 8, very generous, servings. I served it with a side of buttered beets and that’s all we needed. Had to take a picture with the beets because they’re so pretty!

I couldn’t wait to get home from my trip and start eating clean again. Last nights dinner on the plane was Chex Mix 😦 so these Veggie Enchiladas were the perfect meal after the crap consumed yesterday.

No picture of the filling since they didn’t make it to the plate without falling apart but it was delicious! The recipe called for zucchini but my husband doesn’t like it so I subbed in green pepper which is a perfect substitution for this recipe. They could’ve used more sauce but nothing some Wildtree Taco Sauce out of the pantry couldn’t fix!

Meatloaf Wellington

Serves 8

2 tablespoons Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil, divided

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

8 ounce Brussels sprouts, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup low fat milk

1 package Wildtree Just Like Mom’s Meatloaf Mix

1 pound lean ground beef

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a sheet pan. Heat 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and celery. Sauté for 7-10 minutes or until slightly tender. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Combine with egg, milk, Just Like Mom’s Meatloaf Mix, and ground beef. Roll puff pastry out to a 13 x 13 inch square on a lightly floured surface. Shape meatloaf down one side of the puff pastry. Pull the opposite side of the puff pastry over the meatloaf and pinch the edges to seal. Fold ends closed. Carefully transfer meatloaf to the greased sheet pan, placing it seam-side down. Brush the entire pastry with the remaining 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil. Bake for about 1 hour or until completely cooked through and pastry is golden: 160°F.

Calories 360; Fat 22 g; Saturated Fat 7 g; Carbohydrates 24 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 17 g; Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 160 mg

Vegetable Enchiladas with Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Serves 6

2 tablespoons Wildtree Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil

½ red onion, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach

1 cup frozen corn

1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup Wildtree Red Bell Pepper Sauce, divided

12 (6 inch) whole wheat tortillas

¾ cup shredded pepper jack (or cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and sauté 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the corn and black beans and cook until heated through. Remove pan from heat and stir in ½ cup Red Bell Pepper Sauce. Spread about 1/3 cup of the vegetable filling down the middle of each tortilla. Roll tightly and place seam side down in a baking dish. Top enchiladas with remaining ½ cup Red Bell Pepper Sauce and shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through. Top with fresh herbs such as basil or parsley if desired.

Calories 480; Fat 17 g; Saturated Fat 3.5 g; Carbohydrates 63 g; Fiber 9 g; Protein 16 g; Cholesterol 15 mg; Sodium 640 mg