Zoodles with Slow Cooker Bolognese

We bought a Vegetti a few months back and love it even more than we thought we would! It is really easy to use, and using it to make vegetable replacements for pasta is surprisingly amazing. We have been liking zoodles (zucchini noodles) more than regular pasta. The texture/slight crunch of zoodles goes really well with a good meat sauce, or with some fresh herbs and olive oil as a side with chicken, fish, or even a steak. My favorite thing to do with zoodles is to top them with my slow cooker bolognese. The bolognese freezes really well so if I make a big batch, I can freeze enough for a future dinner (or two). When I thaw the sauce, all I need to do is heat it up and take 5 minutes to put a few zucchini through the Vegetti - and dinner is ready in 15 minutes!

Zoodles with Slow Cooker Bolognese

Ingredients

Fresh organic zucchini
Slow Cooker Bolognese

Directions
1. Make bolognese (view recipe by clicking link above)

2. Use Vegetti, or similar kitchen tool, to make zoodles from fresh zucchini

3. Serve zoodles cold, room temperature or heated to desired temperature. When boiling zoodles, boil for only 1-2 minutes to avoid excess softening. Drain or pat dry to remove excess liquid. Zoodles may also be heated briefly in the microwave or in a pan with a small amount of oil.

4. Top zoodles with slow cooker bolognese or other sauce and enjoy!

What are the nutrition benefits of zucchini versus noodles? Zucchini is a good source of vitamin C and also provides fiber, manganese, lutein and zeaxanthin (phytonutrients that are good for eyesight). Compared with traditional noodles, zucchini is much lower in calories, providing about 21 calories per cup. Traditional pasta provides about 200 calories per cup! Zucchini noodles are a fresh, whole food, whereas noodles are an enriched processed food product.

Pineapple Coconut Pops

Yesterday afternoon, my son, Charlie, and I made healthy homemade popsicles together. It was so much fun to see how excited he was to go to the grocery store with me to get the ingredients, put them in the Vitamix and then pull them  out of the freezer to be eaten when they were ready.  He is 4 years old and loves to help in the kitchen. He stands in the doorway every day saying "Mommy, can I please help you?" Depending on what I am cooking, it isn't always easy to give him a safe task. So I have been making a point to come up with some quick and fun things that he can play an active role in making. Popsicles are great because there are so many ways to make healthy versions and are very easy for kids to help with!

Pineapple Coconut Pops

Ingredients

1 whole fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 (13.5oz) can coconut milk

Directions

1. Place pineapple chunks and coconut milk in blender and blend until smooth (I used my Vitamix on the Frozen Desserts setting)

2. Pour into popsicle molds, leaving ~1/2 inch of space from top

3. Place in freezer for at least 4 hours

4. To remove popsicles from molds, run under warm water until loose

What are the nutritional benefits of these pops? Pineapple is an excellent source of Vitamin C and manganese, as well as a good source of fiber. Coconut milk is abundant in vitamin C and E, as well as several B vitamins. 

Chili Baked Potatoes

For Super Bowl Sunday, I made Ted's favorite - chili baked potatoes!  Since we couldn't go anywhere all day because of the blizzard, I let the chili simmer all afternoon to make it more flavorful, and it was awesome. The longer you can let it simmer on the stove, the more flavorful it will be. But no matter what, it always tastes better the second day so leftovers for dinner tonight are not only going to be easy, but really good.

I usually just use ground grass-fed beef in our chili, but we had a ton of leftover brisket, so I cut some of that up and added, and it was a great addition. I essentially used the same general chili recipe that I always do, but tweaked it a bit for using beef instead of turkey, and used whatever leftover stock was in the fridge. You can use chicken or beef stock, and I used a combination of both to use up what was open.

Top your chili potato with your favorite fixings! We put some organic shredded cheddar on the potato, then topped it with the chili and some organic sour cream. 

Chili Baked Potatoes

Makes ~6-8 servings

Chili

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup organic red bell pepper, chopped
1 pound organic grass-fed ground beef
3/4 pound cooked beef brisket, cut into small pieces
1 (28oz) can crushed organic tomatoes with basil, undrained
1 (16oz) can organic red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup organic chicken stock
1 cup organic beef stock
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Chalula)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Directions

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

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

Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

Whole organic russet potatoes
Sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Rinse potatoes with water to wet the skin and rub with sea salt. Poke a series of holes in the potatoes with a fork to let steam escape.

3. Place potatoes on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 60-75 minutes, or until soft on inside.  For softer skin, wrap potatoes in aluminum foil for baking.

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. 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. Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium - and with the skin, there are even more of these nutrients, plus lots of fiber!

Broiled Shrimp & Veggie Brown Rice

Shrimp are a great source of lean protein, and I love including them in a meal, but sometimes I have a hard time coming up with a healthy recipe for them. I didn't have a ton of time, so came up with this simple, healthy and great-tasting last-minute meal, and it tasted even better the next day. I cooked the rice and seasoned the shrimp in the afternoon, and at dinner time, this meal took no time at all to cook! My husband makes a similar seasoning for grilled shrimp skewers that he makes in the summer, but they were great under the broiler as well. This is a great weeknight meal!

Broiled Shrimp & Veggie Brown Rice

Makes ~4 servings

Ingredients

Shrimp:

1 pound thawed large shrimp, raw and deveined - shells removed

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

Rice:

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

2 1/2 cups organic chicken stock

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 cup organic carrots, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 organic free-range egg

Soy sauce, to taste

sesame oil, to taste

Directions

To make shrimp:

1. Place shrimp and all seasonings and oil in a gallon-sized bag and seal. Shake until shrimp are evenly coated. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to broil setting. Spread shrimp on a baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes per side.

To make rice:

1. Place brown rice, chicken stock and olive oil in medium-sized sauce pan and cook according to directions on rice package (usually bring to a boil and simmer for 45-60 minutes, unless using faster-cooking rice).

2. Place carrots in small pan with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 minutes. Add peas to water and drain.

3. Place 2 Tbsp canola oil in large pan and heat over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, beat egg. Add carrots, peas and egg to pan and scramble egg. Add rice and stir to combine all ingredients. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. Stir until evenly distributed and remove from heat.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Shrimp are an excellent source of protein, providing 24g of protein in a 4oz serving. Shrimp are also a good source of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. 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. Brown rice is unrefined, so contains it's original abundance of iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and fiber. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Peas are a great source of vitamins and K and fiber. Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fat of any oil, and is rich in healthy unsaturated fats. 

Orange Chicken

This recipe popped up a few months ago on a blog that I follow - Hugs and Cookies XOXO. She typically makes lots of rich and amazing-looking desserts, but will often post some pretty simple and healthy dinners.  It turned out great, and tasted even better the next day as leftovers.  The original recipe called for all coconut oil, and I will be honest, I had never cooked with coconut oil before because there is so much conflicting information about the benefits of eating it that I have just stuck with my staples of canola and olive oils.  But I thought I would give it a try, so used half coconut oil and half canola oil. This turned out to be a good combination because there was a slight coconut flavor without being overpowering - and I was able to use the coconut oil in moderation.  The sauce and chicken paired really well with brown rice, and I steamed some broccoli to go along with it as well.

Orange Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken:

1 pound organic free-range chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp virgin coconut oil

2 Tbsp canola oil

Sauce:

1/2 cup water

Juice from 1/2 fresh orange

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp tamari

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 clove garlic, peeled and grated

3 green onions, chopped

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

Directions

1. Combine flour and salt in large sealable bag. Add chicken and evenly coat with flour mixture.

2. Heat coconut oil and canola oil in large skillet. Add chicken and and cook until completely cooked through and golden on outside. Remove chicken from heat.

3. To make sauce, combine 1/2 cup water, orange and lemon juice, rice vinegar, tamari, brown sugar, and garlic in a pan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water in a small dish and stir to make a slurry. Add to sauce mixture in pan and stir until thickened.  Place chicken on serving dish and pour sauce over the chicken. Top with green onions and serve over brown rice.

(Recipe adapted from hugsandcookiesxoxo.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty-acids, which have been shown to raise HDL (good) cholesterol, but have also been shown to possibly raise LDL (bad) cholesterol as well, so use in moderation (which is why I used half coconut and half canola oil in this recipe).  Virgin coconut oil also contains antioxidants (possibly from the phenolic compounds it contains). Canola oil is the lowest in saturated fat of any oil, and is rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Brown rice is unrefined, so contains it's original abundance of iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and fiber.

Crock Pot Chicken Paprikash

This is one of my favorite slow cooker dinners. I typically this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but this time made it using a whole chicken that we picked up from a local organic pasture-raised farm. Using the whole chicken takes a bit more effort, as it needs to be quartered, but is well worth it for the additional flavor and tenderness.  When I make this meal with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I lightly flour them before adding them to the slow cooker. But with the whole chicken, I skipped the flouring step, as it creates a "sliminess" (for lack of a better less-gross sounding word) on the chicken that is just not good. 

In the past I have served this meal over a bed of egg noodles, but this time I just tossed some extra green beans in the slow cooker and served the chicken on those. We didn't miss the noodles at all!

Crock Pot Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients

3-5 pound organic, free range whole chicken

1 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed

24 ounces canned organic tomato sauce

1 cup water

4 Tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup organic low fat sour cream

Directions

1. Coat slow cooker with canola oil. Quarter the chicken. Place green beans and onions in bottom of slow cooker and put chicken pieces on top. Add tomato sauce, water, 2 Tbsp of paprika, salt and pepper. Stir sauce to combine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6 1/2 hours.

2. In small mixing bowl, combine sour cream with remaining 2 Tbsp paprika. Scoop 1 cup sauce from slow cooker and slowly whisk into sour cream mixture, then slowly stir into slow cooker.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin K and a very good source of fiber, manganese, folate, and vitamins C and B2. 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. Canned tomato products contain more bioavailable lycopene compared with fresh tomatoes, and are high in vitamin C. Low fat sour cream is a good source of calcium, phosphorous and vitamins B2 and B12.

Vegetarian Times' Quinoa Zucchini Burgers

Vegetarian Times has a lot of really great recipes, and I have found some of my favorite quinoa recipes on their website. These quinoa burgers were great, and held together really well too. They have so many healthy ingredients in them, and the ground flax seeds mixed in are an awesome way to get omega-3s. To grind the seeds, I just pulled out my little coffee grinder. You could use a small food processor as well, but the amount of seeds may not be enough even for a small food processor. Red onion and tomato were perfect toppings to go with the flavors in these burgers. If I had had an avocado in the house, I would have tossed some of that on them too!

Vegetarian Times' Quinoa Zucchini Burger

Ingredients

2 cups organic vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 cup organic canned chickpeas

1 cup organic zucchini, grated

1/2 cup organic pumpkin seeds

5 Tbsp ground flax seeds

4 tsp fresh organic basil, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp fresh organic thyme, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil + extra for oiling baking sheet

Directions

1. Combine vegetable stock, sweet potato and quinoa in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until quinoa is tender. Let cool enough to handle. 

2. Add remaining ingredients, except for olive oil, to quinoa mixture. Lightly mash chunks of chickpeas and sweet potato. Shape into 8 patties.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil in large pan and cook patties for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly golden. Place on oiled baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Serve on whole wheat buns with your favorite burger toppings.

(Recipe adapted from vegetariantimes.com - July/August 2014 issue)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A (one cup provides over 400% of the daily value!) and are a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Garbanzo beans are packed with fiber as well as lots of great nutrients, including protein, molybdenum, manganese, folate, tryptophan, copper, phosphorous, and iron. Zucchini is a good source of  fiber and vitamins A, C and folate. Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, and copper, and a good source of zinc and iron. Flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Quinoa is a whole grain and is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a great source if fiber, iron, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin and manganese. 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.