Gluten and Dairy Free Turkey Meatballs

Every New Year I set goals - not resolutions - benchmarks I want to hit in different areas of my life.

And in the realm of nutrition, I wanted to test my food sensitivities.

You see,  I've been eating Clean now for over 2 years, following the 80/20 rule most of the time, sometimes 90/10. I've cut out all dairy aside from yogurt & cheese. But now I want to discover if I have more food sensitivities than I know.

You see, I've always had sensitive acne prone skin. In high school I was on acutane. When I was pregnant, my breakouts were AWFUL!!! And even now, with my super clean diet, I still breakout. I've done everything the dermatologists have recommended, and I've boiled it down to food allergies/intolerances or hormones.
So now it's time to rule out food groups. Gluten & dairy free for 30 days!!!
I know...sounds like torture for a foodie like me.
But if it helps me to be my best self, than its worth a shot!!

So here's my first attempt at a gluten and dairy free meatball.  I usually use wheat bread soaked in milk as part of my meatball mix.  But not here!!  And everyone LOVED them!  In fact, I hardly have any left for my lunch tomorrow.  Ha!

A good problem to have I guess. 
So give them a try this week.  I hope you love them as much as we do!
Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Gluten and Dairy Free Turkey Meatballs

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 lb of ground turkey (I found organic on sale)

1 large egg

1/2 medium onion, grated (or use your food processor)

2 cloves of garlic, minced ( I have a garlic press I love)

1 tsp himalayan salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 cup almond flour

 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and parchment paper for easy clean up. 

Add the garlic, onion and spices to a large mixing bowl. 

Then add the almond flour and egg.  Mix thoroughly with a fork until well combined.

This allows for an even distribution of all of the flavors.  This is the secret to a perfectly seasoned meatball.  Yum!

Now form them into golf ball sized meatballs.  Heat 1 T of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. 

Brown them evenly on all sides and transfer to the cookie sheet. 

Bake at 350 degrees for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Don't they look yummy?????

Add the meatballs to your favorite sauce, or eat them just as is. 

I roasted off some spaghetti squash earlier in the day as a simple gluten free substitute to pasta.  Plus, it gives me a ton more servings of veggies for my day! 

Now that's a delicious bowl of gluten and dairy free spaghetti and meatballs.  Yummo!  Enjoy!!

Crockpot Chicken Lentil Stew

How about a nice bowl of chicken lentil stew on a cold winter day???

Well this one is easy, clean, healthy, hearty, and delicious. 

I love my crockpot.  Like really, really love it.  I try to make anything I can in there.

And lentils are perfect in the crockpot. 

 

This is so simple and delicious!!

You could absolutely make variations with different spices you use too.

Mine is pretty basic to keep the kids interested, but don't be afraid to spice things up!! 

Happy Cooking!!

Sarah

Slow Cooker Chicken Lentil Stew

1 pound of lentils, sorted & rinsed

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2-3 carrots, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (15.5 oz) of diced tomatoes

1 bag coleslaw mix 

salt and pepper to taste

Enough water to cover everything (about 6 cups depending on the size of your slow cooker).

1 tablespoon of better than bullion chicken base (optional - I found mine at whole foods)

Throw everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours.

Before eating, remove the chicken, shred it, and return it to the soup.  

I topped mine with a little pizza seasoning and red pepper to spice it up!!

Enjoy!

Overnight Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Steel-cut Oatmeal

I love making my oatmeal in the crockpot!!!

I set it up before bed, and voila!!!  It's ready when I wake up!!

My go to recipe is a banana blueberry but I wanted to try something more seasonal.  So I thought I would make a Pumpkin Spice version.

It smells amazing and tastes delicious!!!

Hope you enjoy!

Happy Cooking,

Sarah

Overnight Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Steel-cut Oatmeal

4 cups water

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (not quick cooking)

3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin 

2 tsp vanilla

2 T maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp each nutmeg, cloves, and ginger

Combine all ingredients and cook overnight on low for 6-8 hours. That's it!

Enjoy!!!

Vegetable and Feta Egg Casserole

Dish is so simple! You pick your favorite vegetables, top it off with some cheese, and pour some beaten eggs over the top. You can make versions for yourself and for your kiddos. Everything can be made ahead of time for the entire week. It's like an omelette, only baked in a pan with less chances of messing it up! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!!

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Vegetable and Feta Egg Casserole

(This version serves 4)

8 eggs

1/4 cup water

Salt & pepper to taste

Cooking spray

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped 

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 cups baby spinach chopped 

Start off by sautéing the pepper, onion, and mushrooms in a non-stick pan over medium heat. 

Meanwhile, spray a small rectangular pan (mine's a 7.5"X11") with cooking spray and set aside. 

Whisk together the eggs, water, salt & pepper.  Also set this aside.

When the vegetables are done sautéing, you can place them evenly over the bottom of the pan. 

Next layer the chopped spinach (uncooked) then the feta.

Lastly, top off with the beaten egg mixture.

Tap the pan a few times to get rid of air bubbles.  It will look like there's not enough egg, but that spinach will shrink up to nothing.  Top with foil. 

 Cook in a preheated over at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until the eggs are set. 

Yummy!!!!  Serve immediately or save it for a quick & easy weekly breakfast or snack.  

If you are following the 21 day Fix or Fixate meal plan, each serving is 1 red and 1 green. (Not enough cheese to count)

Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad - 21 day Fix Approved

I love chicken salad, but I'm always looking for a leaner version NOT loaded with mayo.  I had heard of the 21 day Fix version in the Fixate cookbook, and I thought "okay, I'll try it."   I'm not normally a honey mustard fan, so I wasn't too excited.  BUT LET ME TELL YOU, this is AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!!  

I couldn't wait to eat it again today!  So yummy, you've got to give it a try! 

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

(my version adapted from the Fixate Cookbook - serves 2)

1 1/2 cups of shredded cooked chicken, breasts or thighs (I used leftovers from a homemade soup, but my crockpot chicken recipe is perfect for this too!)

1/4 green apple, chopped

10 red grapes, cut in quarters

1/4 cup of sliced almonds

1 batch of my Honey Mustard Dressing (recipe below)

First, start with the dressing. 

Honey Mustard Dressing

1/4 cup of 2% Greek Yogurt

1 HEAPING T of whole grain mustard

1 T raw honey

1 T rice vinegar

2 T olive oil

Add the first 4 ingredients to a medium sized bowl.  Whisk together.  Then slowly add in the olive oil, while continuing to whisk.

 

Whisk until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper. 

 Add the other ingredients to the dressing.

Stir together until dressing is equally distributed.  Enjoy over a salad, as a wrap, or a sandwich. 

Makes 2 servings - in 21 day Fix containers, each serving is 1/2 orange, 1/2 blue, 1 red, 1/2 purple (add greens and yellows according to how you serve it). 

So delicious!!!  Enjoy!

Spiralized Cucumber Greek Salad

I love any kind of Greek salad or anything with Feta cheese, for that matter.

So when I saw this idea, I couldn't wait to put my own spin on it!!!

All my favorites in one dish with a fresh, flavorful herb dressing.  Yum!!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Spiralized Cucumber Greek Salad

1 large english cucumber, or 2 large regular garden cucumbers, Spiralized using whatever veggie spiral gadget you've got

1 cup of grape tomatoes, sliced in half

10 kalamata olives, pitted & sliced

1/4 cup sliced pepperochinni

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup herb dressing (recipe below) 

Toss everything together, season with salt & pepper if you would like, and serve!!

Stays good in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!!

Fresh Herb Dressing

1/4 cup fresh mint

1/3 cup fresh parsley

1 clove of garlic

1/2 lemon, juices

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

Himalayan Salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste 

Pour everything into a mini blender & blend.  Dressing will stay emulsified in the fridge and can be stored up to a week.  It's great on any kind of salad.

Cauliflower Chickpea Salad

If you are looking for a quick and delicious salad or side, then THIS is it.

So simple, perfect for an easy meal prep or potluck, you've got to try this dish!!

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into pieces

Cooking spray

1 - 15.5oz can garbanzos, drained & rinsed

salt & pepper to taste

1 T white wine vinegar

1 T whole grain mustard

1 T Dijon mustard 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

First, get the cauliflower roasting away.  Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray, place the cauliflower in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and roast at 400 for 30-45 minutes until tender and browned.

Now make the dressing.  Combine the mustards and vinegar in a large bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking as you go until well combined.

Add the roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, and parsley.  

Stor until well combined.  Season with salt & pepper if needed. So good!  

Enjoy!!! 

Lentil and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers

This recipe takes the leftovers from my Indian Spiced Lentil recipe and turns it into delicious veggie burgers.  2 meals out of one big crockpot of healthy goodness.   I like to top min off with a garlicky yogurt sauce - so good!!!

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Lentil and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers

1 1/2 cups of leftover Indian Spiced Crockpot Lentils (recipe here: http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2016/09/crockpot-indian-curried-lentils.html) 

3/4 cup of leftover cooked brown rice

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil, for cooking

Garlicky Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt 

1 tsp olive oil

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients and allow the sauce to sit for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

Now to make the burgers.  Take half of the lentils and mash them with a potato masher.  Then add the other ingredients and mix well until combined. 

Form into 4 patties.  (If you like your burgers a bit drier, you may want to add more rice).  Chill in the fridge for an hour or freezer for 30 minutes. 

Heat 1 T of olive oil over medium in a frying pan.  Cooke for 3-5 minutes on each side to get a little crust on it.  

Flip and do the same to the other side.

Serve with the garlicky yogurt sauce along side a salad or roasted broccoli.  Yum!!  Enjoy!

Simple Spaghetti with Tuna and Tomatoes

This recipe was a long time coming.  I had been watching chefs on the Food Network, such as Mario Batali and Giada De Laurentiis make versions of this and I always wondered what it would taste like.  But truth be told, I was scared that making the canned tuna warm would be super fishy.  Well to my surprise, its not at all!!!

Last week I took a bunch of cooking books out of the library.  Owen took interest in several recipes, so I told him to choose 4 to make this week.  This Spaghetti recipe was one of them.  

It can be thrown together in less than 15 minutes, perfect for a busy weeknight, and a great option to add healthy protein to every kids favorite dish - pasta and sauce.  Yes, we love meatballs; but homemade meatballs takes some time, and store-bought have lots of ingredients I would prefer to avoid.   So this is now something I KNOW my kiddos will eat without any drama.  IN fact, Owen said he like this MORE than his regular pasta with plain sauce. WHAT?!?!?!  I'll take it!

A more grown-up version would add capers and kalamata olives, or maybe even an anchovy or two for the foodies out there.  As many of my recipes, I want you to take it and make it your own.   This can be served with a green salad or roasted veggies.

Happy Cooking!!

Sarah

Simple Spaghetti with Tuna and Tomatoes

8 oz whole grain spaghetti (I like Ronzoni Smart Taste)

1-2 T olive oil

1 cup of your favorite clean marinara sauce (or you can make a quick pan-sauce with

1 T olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 cup of pureed canned tomatoes)

1 can (5 oz) albacore tuna, packed in water

1/2 cup Romano cheese

reserved pasta water

Cook the pasta according to the package in heavily salted water.   Once its ready, reserve some of the pasta water and drained the spaghetti. 

Meanwhile, heat up or make your sauce (heat pan, add olive oil add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, stir and allow to warm before moving to next step.).   Once warmed through, add the tuna breaking it up until its just warmed through, about 2 minutes.   Add the spaghetti and toss everything together.  If its dry, you can add some pasta water and top off with the grated Romano. 

Enjoy!!!!

 

Make Ahead Couscous Salad

I love make-ahead salads for quick go-to lunches and snacks!!  You can be intentional with your ingredients,  or just use up all the leftovers in your fridge.  And to be honest, that's what this was for me.  

Once you know the basic way to make homemade dressing, you just throw a bunch of things in a bowl and voila!!  You have deliciousness!!  

I hope you love this and get creative with it - make it your own.  And message me with your creations too!!!  I want to hear from you!

Happy Cooking!

Sarah

Make-Ahead Couscous Salad

1 1/2 cups of leftover whole wheat couscous (already cooked)

1 cup of garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained

1 cup chopped cucumber

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 cup diced red pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

4 T olive oil

2 T red wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a large bowl and keep in the fridge until you eat it.  When you are ready to serve yourself, just gently toss again to redistribute the dressing.  

Enjoy!!!