Balsamic Chicken & Roasted Vegetable Whole Wheat Pizza

We are defrosting our refrigerator and freezer this weekend, so I needed to do something with some food from the freezer for dinner tonight. I had some of this whole wheat pizza dough in the freezer from the last time I made a big batch, as well as some chicken breasts, so I decided to make a grilled chicken pizza. To make it dairy free for Charlie, I roasted some vegetables from the refrigerator and made a balsamic glaze to give the pizza lots of flavor. I put grated parmesan on 3/4 of the pizza for me and Ted.

To save myself time at dinner time, I roasted the vegetables, made the balsamic glaze and grilled the chicken in the morning and just stored it all in the refrigerator. When it came time to make dinner, all I had to do was roll out the pizza dough and top the pizza.

We have a circular pizza pan, but we prefer to use a rectangular cookie sheet. It easier to roll the dough into a rectangular shape, and we like the square-shaped cuts of pizza from a rectangular pan.

This pizza dough is so easy to prepare and makes enough dough for 2 big pizzas. It freezes really well so I usually freeze half of it for future use. It comes in handy, just like it did tonight!

Balsamic Chicken & Roasted Vegetable Whole Wheat Pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Crust:
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sea salt (optional)
1/4 oz active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups lukewarm water

Grilled Chicken:
1 pound organic free range chicken breasts
Salt, to taste (optional)
Pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

Roasted Vegetables:
1 small bunch fresh asparagus
1 cup fresh grape tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste (optional)
Black pepper, to taste

Balsamic Glaze:
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey

Seasoning Before Baking:
Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste
Salt, to taste (optional)
Black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To make pizza dough, place flour and salt in large mixer with dough hook attached. Combine water, yeast and sugar in large measuring cup or small bowl and mix with a fork. Let sit for 5 minutes. Turn mixer on low and slowly add water mixture. Once all water is added, allow dough hook to continue kneading dough for about 3 minutes.  If you are not using the dough right away, place in an oiled bowl, cover it and place it in the refrigerator.

2. To prepare the vegetables, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop asparagus, into 1-inch pieces and combine in large mixing bowl with grape tomatoes. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix until vegetables are evenly coated. Spread vegetables on a baking sheet. Place in oven to roast for 20-25 minutes, until softened.

3. To prepare chicken breasts, slice in half to make thinner and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in large sealable bag with olive oil and manipulate until chicken is evenly coated. Heat grill pan, with top, over medium-high heat. Place chicken on pan and grill for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from grill pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into small strips.

4. To make balsamic glaze, combine balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and honey in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes until thickened (should coat spoon). Remove from heat. Store, covered, in refrigerator until ready to use. 

5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Grease rectangular cookie sheet with olive oil and roll out pizza dough until thin and in rectangular shape. Place dough on top of cookie sheet and remove excess dough around edges of pan with a knife.

6. Place pizza dough in preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and brush crust with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Top with roasted vegetables and grilled chicken. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Season toppings with salt and pepper. Sprinkle grated parmesan over toppings (I only put on 3/4 of pizza so a portion would be dairy free). Place in oven and bake for 7 more minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Asparagus is high in vitamin K and is also a great source of vitamin A, folate and iron. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene and vitamin C. Balsamic vinegar is rich in polyphenols - a type of antioxidant. Whole wheat flour is less refined than all purpose flour so provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron. 

Seared Tilapia with Tomato Vinaigrette & Gazpacho Salsa

This was a really refreshing and light dinner. The tomato vinaigrette was amazing and would be a great dressing for a mixed green salad as well. The one thing I would do differently next time would be to roast the tilapia in the oven instead of cooking it in a pan because it fell apart a bit. A thicker fish, like halibut or cod, would probably hold together better on a pan. But it was still delicious and was complemented very well by the salsa and vinaigrette. Tilapia is one of my favorite types of fish to cook because it is fairy inexpensive, low in fat and a great source of protein - one 4oz tilapia fillet provides 28g of protein!

Seared Tilapia with Tomato Vinaigrette & Gazpacho Salsa

Seared Tilapia

Ingredients

4 (6oz each) tilapia fillets
Olive oil to coat pan
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring tilapia to room temperature. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat large pan over medium-high heat. Once pan is hot, coat evenly with olive oil. Once oil is hot, lay fish in pan and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until fish is golden but not sticking to the pan.

Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions

In small food processor (or a blender), puree tomato until smooth. Add sherry vinegar. With machine running, drizzle in olive oil slowly. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Gazpacho Salsa & Arranging Meal

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced
2 organic bell peppers (I used 1 red, 1 yellow)
1/2 small sweet onion, diced

3 Tbsp parsley, chopped (for garnishing)

Directions

Toss salsa ingredients together and place one quarter of mixture on each plate. Place tilapia fillet on top and drizzle with vinaigrette. Garnish with parsley. Serve with additional vinaigrette on the side, if desired.

(Recipes adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Tilapia is a low-fat fish and is packed with protein and B-vitamins. Tomatoes provide lots of vitamin C and lycopene. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C.  Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Cucumbers are a great source of vitamin K and also provide some B vitamins and vitamin C. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. 

Turkey Chili & Dairy-Free Cornbread

This chili is one of our favorite fall and winter meals. It has a great chili flavor, but is not as "tomato-y" as traditional chili tends to be due to the chicken stock taking place of tomato sauce. The crushed tomatoes provide just enough tomato flavor. This chili is also a great meal for Charlie because it is not very spicy.  To add more hotness, you could always add more hot sauce to your bowl (which Ted often does).  

I have always made this chili by simmering it on the stove, as I indicate in the directions, but you could easily cook it in the slow cooker. To go the slow cooker route, just cook the ground turkey, bell pepper and onion in a pan until the turkey is cooked through and the onions are translucent. Then place the turkey mixture, along with the remaining ingredients, in the slow cooker and cook it on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

This is the first time I have made this corn bread, and it was just as good as regular corn bread (it may have even been better!). 

Turkey Chili

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup organic yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 pound antibiotic free, all-natural ground turkey
1 (28oz) can crushed organic tomatoes, undrained
1 (16oz) can organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp sugar
2 cups organic chicken stock
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Chalula)
1 tsp sea salt (optional)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes. 

(Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com)

Dairy-Free Cornbread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 large organic free range eggs
1/2 cup canola oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with canola oil and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, combine almond milk, eggs and oil. Add milk mixture to cornmeal mixture and stir until evenly combined.

3. Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

(Recipe adapted from wholefoodsmarket.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Turkey is an excellent source of protein as well as vitamins thiamin (B3) and pyridoxine (B6), and the mineral selenium. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Bell peppers are one of the best food sources of vitamins A and C. Canned tomato products contain lots of vitamin C and more bioavailable lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Kidney beans provide lots of protein, folate, fiber, and iron.

Lasagna

This lasagna recipe has developed by trial and error, and I think I have now put together the right combination of great flavor and ease of making it!  Due to Charlie's dairy allergy, I leave the cheese off of one side of the lasagna, so his portion is just layers of noodles and meat sauce (it's ok because he doesn't even like cheese!). I have found that the key to a great-tasting sauce is simmering it over low heat for about and hour.  If you don't have time to tend to it, you could even toss the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker for a few hours. Ted is not a huge fan of ricotta cheese, so I limit the amount that I use and add more mozzarella and parmesan, and this combination seems to work really well.

We took this lasagna to have for dinner with great friends who recently had an baby.  I made the sauce and then assembled the lasagna in the morning. I just covered it with foil and put it in the refrigerator until we left, and when we got to our friends' house, we just popped it in the oven to bake while we visited with them (and had a couple glasses of wine!). So this can be easily assembled ahead of time, and can even be frozen to be baked later. 

Ted also made some homemade garlic bread with some fresh italian bread from our neighborhood bakery. And we made a mixed green salad with my homemade balsamic vinaigrette.  It was great to catch up with good friends over a meal and meet their sweet little baby!

Lasagna

Ingredients

1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large (32oz) jar tomato basil marinara sauce
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 small (6.5oz) can tomato sauce
9 lasagna noodles
12 oz ricotta cheese (~3/4 of a 16oz container)
1 organic free range egg
1/3 cup fresh organic parsley, chopped
2 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot, cook ground beef, onion and garlic until meat is cooked through and onions are translucent. Add marinara sauce, tomato paste and tomato sauce and stir until evenly combined. Simmer sauce over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions (I boiled mine for 10 minutes). While noodles are cooking, place ricotta cheese, egg and parsley in a small mixing bowl and stir until evenly combined. Drain noodles and let sit until cool enough to handle.

3. To assemble lasagna, coat bottom of rectangular baking pan with a thin layer of sauce (so noodles don't stick to pan). Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce layer. Place another layer of sauce on top of noodles. Top sauce with ricotta cheese mixture, followed by mozzarella and then parmesan. Top cheese with another layer of noodles, and repeat. 

4. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Compared with conventional beef, grass-fed beef is lower in total fat, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and higher in vitamins, particularly vitamin E. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C. And cheese is of course a great source of protein and calcium.

Spaghetti Squash Tacos

These tacos are a great vegetarian meal for the Fall, and something different from plain old vegetarian black bean tacos.  The chili powder, cumin and coriander give a great flavor to the squash without it tasting too spicy.  I roasted the squash in the morning to save myself some time later on, and you could even roast the squash the night before. Just pull it out of the fridge and toss it in the microwave for a minute to heat it up.

The recipe that I used suggested rinsing the seeds from the squash and roasting them with some chili powder and salt, so I did just that, and they turned out to be a pretty tasty little snack!

Spaghetti Squash Tacos

Makes ~ 10 tacos

Ingredients

1 large organic spaghetti squash
Juice of 1 lime (~2 Tbsp)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 package 6-inch whole wheat tortillas
1 (15oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz queso fresco, crumbled or finely chopped (omit for a dairy free meal)
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half, lengthwise, and remove seeds. Grease a baking pan with canola oil and place squash-halves facing down on baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.

2. Scrape squash flesh with a fork, making strands, into a bowl and discard skin.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pour over squash and gently toss together.

4. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Warm tortillas for 30 seconds per side in skillet. Place on platter.

5. Sprinkle each heated tortilla with 2 Tbsp of black beans, 2 Tbsp of squash mixture, 2 tsp queso fresco, and a couple pinches of onion and cilantro.

6. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce and enjoy!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash Seeds

Ingredients

Seeds of one large spaghetti squash
Chili powder to taste
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Oil baking pan with canola oil and rinse seeds. Toss seeds with chili powder and salt and spread on pan. Roast for 10 minutes.

(Recipes adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Spaghetti squash is a good source of vitamin C and A and K, as well as B vitamins. Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Red onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Cilantro is packed with antioxidants and vitamins A and K. Whole wheat tortillas are less refined than flour tortillas, and contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals as a result. Cumin is a good source of iron and calcium. Coriander is also a good source of calcium.

Hummus & Tabouli Pockets

This hummus and tabouli was one of Charlie's favorite meals as a baby. I would just put a scoop on hummus on his high chair tray along with some tabouli (minus the cucumber and tomato chunks) and he would devour it, just using his little hands! It has been a while since I made this dinner, so it made a comeback tonight, and we all enjoyed it as much as ever. If you are going for a vegetarian meal, you can just use hummus and tabouli in your pita pockets and omit the grilled chicken. You get lots of great protein and flavor from the hummus alone. I also like to peel and cut up some fresh carrots for eating with the extra hummus.  When Charlie was a baby, I would cook carrots for him until they were very soft and put those on his tray with the hummus and tabouli as well. 

I made the hummus and tabouli and seasoned the chicken this morning, so at dinner time, all I had to do was grill the chicken and assemble the pita pockets. The hummus and tabouli could also be made the night before to save you some time.

Hummus & Tabouli Pockets

Ingredients

Hummus (recipe below)

Tabouli (recipe below)

Whole wheat pita pockets

1 pound grilled organic free range chicken breasts (optional)

Garlic powder to taste

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Prepare hummus and tabouli from recipes below.

2. If adding chicken to your pita pockets: season chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Brush with olive oil. Heat grill pan and grill pan top over medium high heat. Place chicken breasts on grill pan and cover with grill pan top. Grill about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit for 3-4 minutes. Slice chicken into strips.

2. Spread 1/4 cup hummus into pita pocket and add 1/2 cup tabouli. If using grilled chicken, place chicken strips in pocket on top of tabouli.

3. Serve and enjoy!

Hummus

Ingredients

1 can organic garbanzo beans, drained

3 Tbsp tahini

Juice of one lemon (~3 Tbsp)

6 Tbsp olive oil

2 small cloves garlic

1 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in large food processor and process until smooth and creamy

Tabouli

Ingredients

1 cup water

1/2 cup bulgur

3/4 cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3/4 cup cucumber, chopped

1/3 cup fresh organic parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. In saucepan, bring water to boil. Add bulgur and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Let cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine bulgur, tomatoes, cucumber and parsley.

3. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over bulgur mixture and fold in until evenly combined. Place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours.

(Recipe adapted from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Garbanzo beans are packed with fiber as well as lots of great nutrients, including protein, molybdenum, manganese, folate, tryptophan, copper, phosphorous, and iron. Tahini, made from sesame seeds, is also a good source of protein, and provides some calcium and B vitamins. Lemon juice provides lots of vitamin C. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Bulgur is a whole grain, so contains all of its original fiber, protein vitamins and minerals. Bulgur is particularly high in iron and B vitamins. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene and vitamin C. Cucumbers are a great source of vitamin K and also provide some B vitamins and vitamin C. Red wine vinegar has been shown to reduce glycemic levels after eating in people with Type 2 Diabetes. Parsley is rich in vitamins C, K and A.

Turkey Schnitzel Oktoberfest Feast

Saturday was the perfect Fall day - it was beautiful and sunny outside, with a nice cool breeze, and Ted cooked an amazing Oktoberfest meal!  As I have mentioned before, Ted is a really good cook, and this meal is definitely up there as one of the best that he makes. He only makes it once or twice a year in the Fall because it is very rich, and I always look forward to it! This is a mostly dairy free meal. The turkey and potatoes contain no dairy, but the dill sauce is not dairy free (but thankfully Charlie doesn't seem to mind not eating any since he has never really liked creamy things anyway). The cabbage can be made dairy free with dairy free margarine in place of butter.  This is the first time Ted has made this red cabbage, and it was by far the best red cabbage I have ever had! To complete our German meal, we paired it with an Amber Marzen, the traditional beer of Oktoberfest - delicious!

Oktoberfest Feast

Serves 6

Turkey Schnitzel

Ingredients

1 pound extra lean turkey breast cutlets
3 organic free range eggs, beaten
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Dash of celery salt
1 1/2 cup canola oil

Directions

1. Wash and pat dry turkey cutlets and season with half of salt and pepper. 

2. Mix flour, bread crumbs and remaining seasonings in a shallow dish. 

3. Place beaten eggs in a separate shallow dish.

4. Wash turkey cutlets in egg, and then dredge in flour mixture; repeat egg wash and dredging in flour a second time (so each cutlet should have 2 layers of the egg wash and flour mixture)

5. Heat oil in large pan or pot over medium high heat. Place turkey cutlets in hot oil and cook for 3 minutes per side. You will know they are done when they float on top of the oil and are golden brown. Place finished cutlets on a wire rack while cooking remaining cutlets.

6. Serve with green dill sauce (recipe below)

Green Dill Sauce

Ingredients

3 hard boiled egg yolks
Juice of half of a lemon
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sour cream
6 oz fresh organic dill
2 oz fresh organic thyme
2 oz fresh organic parsley
2 oz fresh organic chives
Black pepper to taste

*You can use any fresh herbs that you like. The traditional German herbs that are used to make green sauce are difficult to find in the U.S. so we used the herbs that we like.

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in large food processor and process until smooth

2. Serve cold

Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds organic yukon gold potatoes
1 yellow onion
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Wash and pat dry potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Rough-chop onion and combine with potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and toss until evenly combined and coated with oil.

3. Spread potato mixture on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour (stir after 30 minutes), or until golden brown

Red Cabbage

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter or dairy free margarine
5 cups red cabbage
1 cup organic apples, sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp water
1/4 granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a large pot and stir to combine. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until cabbage is tender.

2. Serve warm

(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal?  This dinner would probably considered more of a "splurge" for us - but there are still a lot of great things in this meal! For starters, using extra lean turkey for the schnitzel instead of pork cuts down on the fat and calories. Additionally, using canola oil instead of butter for frying the turkey greatly reduces the amount of saturated fat (and makes it dairy free). Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fat of any oil, and is rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Dill activates antioxidants in the body and is a good source of calcium, manganese, iron, magnesium, and fiber. Thyme is rich in antioxidants, vitamin K and iron, and is a good source of calcium, manganese, fiber. Parsley is packed with vitamin K, and is a great source of vitamins C and A. Chives supply antioxidants, potassium, calcium, beta carotene, folic acid, and vitamin K. Yukon gold potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium. Red cabbage is packed with antioxidants and vitamins K and C, and is a good source of folate, fiber, manganese, molybdenum, and vitamin B6. Apples provide even more vitamin C and fiber.

Slow Cooker Red Curry Lentils

Ted has been asking me to make beans or lentils and rice for quite a while now, and today I finally made him some! This is a really easy slow cooker dinner and was absolutely delicious. I have recently discovered how much I love curry, and it gave a really nice flavor to the lentils. The coconut adds a great flavor as well. I made the brown rice in the morning, and then just heated it up at dinner time. This recipe makes a pretty big batch, so I put about half of it into a container to freeze - which I am sure I will be thankful for some day soon when I am busy and need something quick to heat up for dinner!

Slow Cooker Red Curry Lentils

Ingredients

4 cups brown lentils

2 medium yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ground ginger

5 Tbsp organic red curry paste

1 Tbsp garam masala

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp sugar

2 (29oz) cans organic tomato puree

1 1/2 empty tomato puree cans filled with water

1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1/2 cup coconut milk

organic cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Rinse lentils and place in slow cooker. Add diced onions, garlic, ginger, curry paste, garam masala, turmeric, sugar. Stir until evenly combined.

2. Pour 2 cans of tomato puree over lentil mixture. Add water. 

3. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. 

4. When cooking is complete, season with salt to taste. Stir in coconut milk and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

5. Serve over organic brown rice and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from pinchofyum.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Lentils contain lots of protein and soluble fiber (the kind that is helpful for lowering cholesterol levels) and are high in folate and magnesium.onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Canned tomato products, such as the tomato puree in this recipe, contain more bioavailable lycopene than fresh tomatoes! Coconut milk is abundant in vitamin C and E, as well as several B vitamins. 

Baked Chicken Risotto

I started making this risotto when Charlie was a baby because we quickly discovered that he loves garlic and rosemary, so this became one of his favorites. I hadn't made it in a while until yesterday, and when Charlie began to eat it, he said, "This is really good, Mommy!" So it seems to still be something he likes. This is a really simple dinner and can easily be made ahead of time. I made it yesterday morning and just heated it up while I was steaming some broccoli to go with it at dinner time.

Baked Chicken Risotto

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 pound organic free range chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tsp organic rosemary, chopped
4 1/4 cups organic chicken stock

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

2. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, or until liquid is all absorbed into the rice and chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from Baby and Toddler Cookbook by Rachael Anne Hill)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Red onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium.

Mango Strawberry & Chia Green Smoothie

This is one of my favorite smoothies I have made. The mangoes and strawberries go so well together and provide lots of natural sweetness. I really like adding chia seeds to my smoothies, especially if I am drinking them right before a workout. I made this about a half an hour before exercising, and I felt so energized during my workout!

Mango Strawberry & Chia Green Smoothie

Makes ~5 8oz servings

Ingredients

5 large organic kale leaves, stems removed
1 cup sliced organic strawberries
1 mango, sliced
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 cup orange juice
1 cup cold water
1 cup ice

Directions


1. Place all ingredients in blender and blend until liquified and there are no visible pieces of ice

2. Pour in a glass and enjoy!

What are the nutritional benefits of this smoothie? Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K. It is also a good source of minerals calcium, copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorous. Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber. Mangoes are an excellent source of vitamins C and A. Chia seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium. The orange juice provides yet even more vitamin C.