Taco night!

Steak Taco's topped with Cole Slaw


This is a clean eating alternative for when you have that craving for taco's. The Cole slaw is healthy and clean. I used cole slaw mix and diced some tomato's and avocado. I bought this organic citric vinaigrette dressing and drizzled that in it. Seasoned it a little and it was really good on top of the taco. I found these artisan whole wheat and black bean tortillas..yum! This is another one of my clean eating creations that is great and the family loves it! This is one that you throw in the crock pot and assemble later...super easy! Enjoy:


Ingredients:

2-3 Steaks depending on how many you are feeding. Any kind of steak will work
Fresh garlic clove pressed or grated
1/3 cup onion sliced
1/2 TB of paprika
2 tsp of garlic salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of cumin
1 Tb of apple cider vinegar
1 Tb of Worcestershire sauce
I set the steaks down in the crock pot whole and season them. Pour the apple cider vinegar in the bottom and set it on low for 8 hours. You could do 5-6 on high if you needed to. When they are done it should just shred apart easy.

Topping:
cole slaw mix ( 2 or 3 cups)
1 avocado diced
1 tomato diced
pepper
garlic salt
1 tsp of cumin
Organic citric dressing or any healthy dressing that you think would taste great. just add as much as you need. Mix it together yum! You could always spice the cole slaw up a bit by making it kind of a pico slaw...just get creative with it!

Clean Eating = Happiness!

Black bean patty with corn avocado pico de gallo slaw


It has been about 3 months now that I have been eating clean. Not only do I feel better and have more energy, but I have lost 10 pounds. This has been a great change for my family too. My daughter likes it and my husband is not complaining. My husband is sliming down as well. I have just had to be a little creative with recipes. What I have found is that fresh herbs make a huge difference in flavor when you are leaving out the unhealthy ingredients. I have two bowls of fruit out on my counter so that my family and I can easily grab fruit anytime. This little gem I came up with last week. My family loved it. It is filling and full of flavor. The corn avocado pico slaw is my newest creation that I am proud of. It's yummy! This is another healthy family approved meal...enjoy!

Ingredients:

16 oz of black beans. Canned or fresh. I made 4 patties easily with 16 oz.
1 Tb of onion minced
1 garlic clove minced
diced green chili's
2 Tb olive oil (for the skillet)
1 egg
garlic salt
pepper
cumin
chili powder
all seasonings to taste
1 Tb of flour
1 Tb of corn meal
hot sauce optional I used tobacco green hot sauce

ingredients for the corn avocado pico slaw

1 cup corn. canned or frozen
1 tomato diced
1-2 Tb of onion diced depending on how much onion you like.
1 garlic clove minced
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 lime juiced
1/4 cup of cilantro chopped
1 cup to cup and a half of shredded cabbage or cole slaw mix.
2Tb red wine vinegar
garlic salt
cumin
pepper
chili powder
all seasonings to taste
1 avocado diced

Directions for the corn pico slaw:
Mix all together and taste it to make sure it tastes the way you want.

Directions for the patty

Take a fork and mash up the beans. When beans are all mashed up add in all of your chopped ingredients. Add in your garlic salt, pepper , cumin, and chili powder. Mix all around and give it a taste to see if you need to adjust the seasonings. Add in the egg and mix that around until it is well mixed. Take a cookie sheet and dust with the flour and cornmeal. Make your patties. I was able to make four patties out of this recipe. Dust each side of the patty with the flower and cornmeal. Place in the the skillet with 2 Tb of olive oil. Be careful to let it cook enough on one side before you flip it. They are a little delicate at first. When cooked place the corn avocado pico slaw mixture in the center of the plate, and place the patty on top. Then add a little spoon full on the top. Enjoy I hope you like it!

Creativity is flowing!

Sesame Ginger Grilled Chicken

It's been about a month since I decided to make a life changing decision and change the way my family eats. It has already paid off. I'm starting to feel better. My energy is much more even. I don't have the afternoon crash. I was really starting to have bad body aches and I was sooo tired by the afternoon. Going up and down the stairs would just wear me out. My cloths are also fitting better:)My husband has actually admitted to feeling better also. I have been creative and come up with some yummy dinners. My family hasn't missed any of our old stuff its been great! Here is one of my creations that turned out so good. The topping is shredded cabbage, zucchini, onions, and bell pepper. The topping tasted just like the inside of an egg roll but healthy!I served this with brown rice and edamame.

Recipe

Chicken Breast depending on how many you are making
Newman's Own low fat sesame ginger salad dressing
Fresh ginger
salt
pepper
1-2 tbl olive oil
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/3 cup sliced onion
1/3 cup chopped bell pepper
zucchini sliced and cut in half
1 clove fresh garlic minced

Instructions:
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breast. Place on grill. While the chicken is cooking put the olive oil, shredded cabbage, onion, bell pepper, minced garlic zucchini and start cooking it. Take the fresh ginger and grate the ginger over the mixture probably about 1 table spoon of it in there. If you have garlic salt put that in with some pepper. When the chicken is done brush the salad dressing on both sides. Place your cabbage mixture on top and serve with some brown rice or what ever healthy side you like. Enjoy!

New Journey...New Life!

Clean Eating



I recently watched a movie called "Hungry for Change". It was eye opening! I eat relatively healthy, but sneak in lots of snacks and the occasional burger and fry's. I had no idea the chemicals that are in convenient foods and how they effect your body. My mouth was seriously on the floor when I was watching this movie. I have gone up and down with my weight my whole life. It's always so hard when you have a family that you love cooking yummy dinners for. Well my "ah ha" moment in this was that I can change the way my whole family eats and they probably won't notice. Plus it gives me a new challenge. I can take healthy basic recipes and figure out ways to make them taste yummy with out making them unhealthy. I finally figured out that if I quit thinking of it as a diet and think of it as a new way of living it might finally work for me. I might actually be able to kick this weight for good. I know you are probably thinking " duh" but I guess I have just been making excuses for too long. I've learned that eating foods in its basic non processed form is called "Clean Eating". I was also surprised to see that there are so many recipes out there it's easy to figure out. I went to the grocery store and went with a whole new focus. My cart was 75% produce, I had wheat bread, wheat pasta's, and brown rice. I have now had my family eating clean for 2 weeks now and they have not complained once. My husband who seems to never be full is eating less and feeling satisfied. My daughter has been loving it too. I have made several things during this time that have been great, but this is my favorite. I know you will love it...family tested 9 year old approved and it even has spinach in it:
Margarita chicken

1 chicken breast per person I needed 4
1 Tomato diced
1 cup of low fat mozzarella cheese
enough fresh uncooked spinach to lay across the top of each piece of chicken
Fresh pesto I make my own and freeze it to use in meals
1 avocado diced
salt
pepper
rosemary

Directions;

Lightly salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Do the same with the rosemary. Place chicken on grill and grill both sides until cooked.
Spread pesto on each piece of chicken. Then place the spinach across the top. Spoon on the diced tomato's, then Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place chicken on a cookie sheet and broil until cheese is melted. Remove and top with diced avocado. yum!

Black eyed peas are not just for New Years!

This yummy dish I decided to do for the super bowl. My mom was going to come up and stay and I wanted to be able to enjoy her company, relax, and watch some football! The best way to do that in my opinion is to figure out dinner in the crockpot. Being that I am from the south as a tradition I always make black eyed peas for New Year’s. The reason that southerners do this tradition is for good luck all year. I found myself digging through the pantry in search of something easy. It was then that I spotted a whole bag of black eyed peas. I remembered that mom didn't make it this year for New Year’s because she had been sick. She has to have her black eyed peas this year!! I have a recipe that I do for new years with the left over ham hock, but this time I thought I would put a twist on it. I decided that I would do it a bit like gumbo. The key to delicious black eyed peas is low and slow...lots and lots of flavor! I did not have a ham hock on hand so I decided to grill chicken breast and chop it up and slow cook it with the peas. I told my mom what we were having and how I was going to experiment and I'll be honest she was raising her eyebrows. Going "oook" lol. She also isn't someone who would ever say " I love black eyed peas" though. So I forgive her. The other thing that I decided I would do different this time is pour the black eyed peas over a yummy rice. If you are like me and you love to cook and come up with new creative recipe's, you know that there are moments when you make something and you take that first bite and say to yourself " damn I'm good"...well this was one of those moments folks lol! This turned out so good that I may be making this more often then I normally would. I can't wait for you to try it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I served it with some of that delicious peasant bread that I make. If you scroll down onto one of my other recipes you should find it there.

Recipe:

1 package of black eyed peas
1 small onion chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes (the regular size not the large)
1 small can of diced green chilies -optional-
1 minced garlic clove
3 tbl butter
3 tbl flour
2 good size boneless skinless chicken breasts ( more if smaller pieces)
4 cups chicken broth
2-4 cups water
1 tbl spoon garlic salt (add more if it needs it)
1/3 cup of Cumin (more if needed)
1-2 tsp of chili powder
Pepper...I just did quite a few grinds of the pepper grinder...to taste really
1-2 tsp of onion powder
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce (for Smokey flavor)
1 bunch cilantro some for the rice and some for the peas.
2 tbl brown sugar (feel free to add more if you like)
Zest of one lemon for the rice


Instructions:

I will start this process the night before at 8 or 9 pm. Make sure and rinse off your peas in a strainer to make sure they are clean and there isn't anything in there that doesn't belong. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and start grilling it. While the chicken is cooking in a stock pot start to sauté the onion, jalapeno, and green chilies. When the onions are translucent add in your minced garlic. Then start your rue. Add in the butter and flour and stir it around until it's a nice gold color. Add in your chicken stock. I used a whisk to really mix it around. Then add in the diced tomatoes and let simmer. When your chicken is done chop it into little strips or however you want it chopped. Then add that to your mixture. Place the black eyed peas in your crock pot, and then add the mixture into the crock pot. Then you'll need to add the water. You want to make sure there is plenty of water in there to cover the peas. Add all of the seasonings including the Worcestershire sauce. Cover and set to low to cook all through the night. In the morning I will get up and check it. Make sure there is plenty of water still and taste it to see if you need to adjust the seasonings. That is also when I will chop up some of the cilantro and put it in. Keep on low and serve in the later part of the afternoon 5ish will be perfect!

Instructions for the Rice:

Cook your long grain rice either on the stove or in a rice cooker. When the rice is finished add some chopped cilantro and your zest of one lemon and stir it around….yum!

To serve scoop some rice in a bowl and pour your black eyed peas over the top and enjoy!

Here's to Soul Food and New Beginnings!

French Onion Soup

It has been a little bit since I last blogged. I have begun the New Year and all of it’s renewed hopes. This year the start of the new sounded so perfect. I really needed it. The best way to start new plans and new goals is in a brand new year! This year I will make time for the things that I love and contribute to my happiness. I will be present in every sense of the word. I will stop feeling regret and guilt over things that I cannot change, and make it better in the present. I read an amazing quote by Eckhart Tolle; it says “Only in the present moment do we have access to life itself". That spoke volumes to me. Life is happening in the now...and if we are focusing too much on the past we are literally missing out on life. Light bulb moment big time! I am giving my life a chance living it without regret but with presence. Now that I am starting off the New Year with this gift to myself...I begin to feel refreshed and loved and I want to share that with everyone.

My favorite way to show it is cooking yummy food for those I love. I woke up one morning thinking about French Onion Soup and how yummy it sounded. I have never made it before, so I began my search of recipes. I found one from All Recipes and Paula Dean. I decided I would take a bit from both and put my own little twist on it. I do not have those cute little individual bubble bowls that you are supposed to use for this so I had to improvise. I used a round casserole dish and laid the French bread on top of the soup covering the casserole. It tasted great I think it works just fine to do it that way. Here is what I came up with. Enjoy!


Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups thinly vertically sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion $
4 cups thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 cups less-sodium beef broth
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
8 (1-ounce) slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 (1-ounce)Gruyere or swiss cheese. I recommend the Gruyere:)
2 bay leafs

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and Bay Leafs; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours.
Preheat broiler.
Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute.
Place 8 ovenproof bowls on a jelly-roll pan. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Divide bread evenly among bowls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Side Note:
I only used 4 onions. So I think that is up to you and how much you want to use.