Cleaning Things Up

=SPICY PINTO BEANS AND SPINACH=

2012-02-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

The first three weeks of our clean eating adventure, my husband decided he was not going to eat meat. He wanted to detox. I searched for ways for him to get protein and this was what I came up with - beans! I don't have a picture, but quite frankly, the beans didn't look very good at all! I skipped the picture because it didn't do this dish justice. Know that this tastes fantastic, but beans aren't very photogenic:)
16 oz dry pinto beans, rinsed
3 TBS olive oil
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS minced basil
2 TBS dried thyme
1 large onion, rough chopped
6 roma tomatoes, rough chopped
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed and diced
8 cups chicken broth
5 oz fresh spinach
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Put all ingredients except spinach in crock pot. About an hour before it's ready, add the spinach. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

By all means, if you want more spice, add more jalapenos - or just keep the seeds! And next time I make these, I think I'll add flax seed....

=BANANA BREAD=

2012-02-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl Sunday is a holiday in our house. In the past, we've designated it as "Junk Food Sunday". Literally, we would buy loads of junk food and when it was time for the game, we'd dive in! While I'm still not convinced that's a terrible thing to do, I think it's only acceptable if you're eating healthy at least 300 days out of the year. We were most definitely not!

This year, we decided we would cheat a little - as we do every Sunday. Sunday morning breakfast and evening meals are clean, but after church we grab something we're craving. Most Sundays it's a veggie pizza from a local take and bake place (there's less grease that way and we can limit the cheese).

Our church also has a fellowship meal for lunch on Super Bowl Sunday, so we knew there would be yummy desserts there. Thankfully it's a "Soup-er Bowl" fellowship, so we stuck with vegetable soup or chili. I wanted to make something we could eat in place of dessert to help us feel like we weren't missing out too much, though, so I opted for banana bread.

I searched the internet high and low for a clean version and was pleased to find several that were clean. I actually only chose this one because I had all of the ingredients on hand. I apologize. I don't remember where I found this so I can't give proper credit, but just know that this is not an original recipe. Here it is:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 slightly beaten egg whites (I used one whole egg instead)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3 medium or 2 large)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup olive oil + more for oiling pan
pinch of sea salt

Coat an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan with olive oil and set aside. Mash bananas and set aside. In a medium bowl combine whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine egg whites, banana, agave nectar, and oil. Once mixed well, add flour mixture all at one time to banana mixture. Stir until moistened. The batter should be lumpy. Spoon mixture into pan.

Bake at 350' F for 45-50 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center of the bread. The toothpick should come out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for approximately 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

Eat up!

=CLEAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE=

2012-02-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

My favorite comfort food is spaghetti - or any italian dish, really. After a month of eating clean, I'm dreaming of spaghetti! I decided to try my hand at sauce from scratch.

There are many things I've made from scratch, but spaghetti sauce wasn't one of them. I have always used a canned sauce or at least the seasoning packets with tomato sauce. My kids are very picky about their spaghetti sauce - well, about anything actually:) I knew I wanted to add plenty of good stuff, but there could be no chunks. I blended everything in my blender, so now there's no evidence:)

Here's the recipe:

2 TBS Olive Oil
2 TBS Garlic, chopped (or paste)
2 TBS Basil (fresh, chopped or paste)
2 TBS Dried Oregano
3 Bell Peppers (I used 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green), blended smooth
1 Medium Onion, blended smooth
1/2 Cup Sweet Potatoes, blended smooth
3 - 6 oz cans Tomato Paste
4 Cups Chicken Broth

Put all ingredients in a large skillet or saucepan and cook on medium high until sauce comes to a boil, stirring frequently. After sauce begins to boil, lower temperature to medium low. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Serve over whole wheat pasta. Add chicken or ground beef, if wanted.

This doesn't look too appetizing, but it did the trick:)

It smells better than it looks - trust me on this one:)

=EASY, CLEAN SCRAMBLED EGGS=

2012-02-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

It's no secret, I love shortcuts. If there's an easy way to do something, I'll spend my time trying to figure it out. The only thing I love more than a shortcut is saving money! Imagine how giddy I was a few weeks ago when, browsing through the aisles of Walmart, I found a single waffle maker on the shelf - clearanced to $2.84! I wasn't even shopping for a waffle maker, but I jumped on that deal!

I've used it for protein waffles for breakfast and I saw a post somewhere where someone had used their waffle maker to cook hashbrowns. What a great idea! I tried it and loved it! It got me thinking about what else I could make in it. And so I tried scrambled eggs - and IT WORKED!!!

Heed my advice when I say - DON'T OVERFILL THE WAFFLE MAKER! It can be a MESS! Usually 2 eggs or 1 yolk +3 egg whites will fit, but depending on the size of the egg, it could be too much. If you think you're cutting it close, save some and make another. Your plate will look fuller anyway:)

Here's today's breakfast:

1 egg yolk + 3 egg whites
2 TBS diced red bell pepper
Fresh Spinach
Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper

1/4 Cup Frozen Hashbrowns
Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Yummy!!! And the best part is the clean up. Your waffle maker will wipe clean! Enjoy!

=CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BARS=

2012-01-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

That's what I said! Chocolate and peanut butter - like a Reese's! Only not really.

When I first started 'eating clean', I asked a friend for her protein bar recipe. She had made them, but I hadn't tried them. When she sent me the recipe, I was both excited and disappointed. Excited because I had the recipe in hand, and disappointed because the recipe called for vanilla protein powder and I had chocolate. I had all of the other ingredients in my pantry.

I decided I would try them with chocolate protein powder, but I would have to omit a few other things. Here's what I came up with:

In a saucepan, cook over medium heat:
1 1/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 TBS coconut oil

Mix dry:
2 1/4 cups steel cut oats
2 cups chocolate protein powder (as natural as possible)
1/2 cup coconut flakes

Mix all together and spread on cookie sheet. Cool in fridge for 2 hours. Cut into bars - about 1/2 the size of your palm. Store in a ziploc bag. These can be sort of crumbly, but it's okay. They're great with a spoon too!

I take these everywhere! They're great for breakfast - or in a pinch.

=HOMEMADE ICE CREAM=

2012-01-28T14:09:00.000-08:00

I homeschool my kids and we belong to a local co-op (that we love!). Every Friday, I teach a class to girls on homemaking skills. Last week, I had decided to let them make their very own homemade ice cream - and in a Ziploc bag nonetheless. A few years ago I did this with the kids at summer camp and it was a hit! Here's a link for the original version.

My first thought was that I would just cheat a little. Then the more I thought about it, I didn't want to cheat - I'd only just gotten started! I decided to pack along my Stevia and unsweetened almond milk and give a clean version a shot!

I was totally impressed! Because Stevia has a bit of an aftertaste to me, I decided not to use much. The result was AWESOME! It tasted good, but not sugary sweet like original ice cream. The best part is - after shaking that bag for 10 minutes, you've gotten a pretty good workout:) Here's the recipe:

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 packet of Stevia in the Raw

6 Tbs Ice Cream Salt

Ice

1 Quart-sized Freezer Bag

1 Gallon-sized Freezer Bag

Put almond milk, vanilla and Stevia in quart-sized freezer bag. Close bag tightly. In gallon-sized freezer bag, put ice and salt. Put small bag inside large bag with ice and salt. Close tightly. Shake for 10 minutes. About 20 calories per serving.

1 serving

So next time your kids want a treat, there's no reason why you can't enjoy it with them! The best part is the clean-up. Just toss your bag! Enjoy!

=CLEANED UP CHICKEN FAJITAS=

2012-01-27T21:52:00.000-08:00

This was absolutely one of my husband's favorites! He raved about these fajitas! I must admit, I found them pretty tasty myself:)

This picture looks like I didn't even try, but seriously - I didn't even try... I took this picture before I started the blog and we had these right after our evening workout - hence the styrofoam plate. (Please, no comments about styrofoam. One cause at a time.)

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (Hormone free)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

4 Tbs Lime Juice

1 small onion, sliced

3 small peppers - any color, seeds and ribs removed, cut into ribbons

1 Tbs Cumin

1 Tbs Chili Powder

4-6 Whole Wheat Tortillas

All Natural Salsa (optional)

Greek Yogurt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350'. Put onions and peppers in a small baking dish. Place chicken breasts on top. Drizzle olive oil and lime juice over chicken. Shake cumin and chili powder on top of chicken, as evenly as possible. Cover. Bake for one hour. Top of chicken will look burnt because of seasoning. It's not! Shred chicken with two forks and mix with peppers and onions. Serve in whole wheat tortillas and add salsa and Greek yogurt, if desired. And of course, by all means, if you want to add more fresh stuff like lettuce or tomato to your fajitas, go for it! YUM!!!

**UPDATE: New Pictures!

=SAUTEED SPINACH & PEPPERS=

2012-01-27T21:16:00.000-08:00

I've never been one to like vegetables....literally almost none of them! I quickly realized after beginning to eat clean that I was gonna have to keep trying new things and hopefully I'd find something I would like.

I ran across a recipe for spinach and thought I'd try it, but it was just plain spinach. Plain spinach might be okay for you, but for me it brought back memories of the salty canned spinach that was served at school. Bleh! Yes, it would have to be different. It would have to have color and lots of flavor - and it did not disappoint! (And once again - not a great pic!) Here it is:

4 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Small Red Pepper
1 Small Green Pepper
1 Small Yellow Pepper
5-10 Grape Tomatoes, halved
About 4 Large handfuls of Fresh Baby or Flat Leaf Spinach
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Lemon juice
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Heat olive oil and garlic in skillet. Saute' peppers until tender. Add tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, then add spinach, sea salt and pepper. Saute' until spinach is done (about 5 minutes). Squirt a little lemon juice on top when it's done. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 4

=CHICKEN NUGGETS=

2012-01-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

Now I know you're saying, "Chicken nuggets? I thought she was giving us clean recipes!". I am.

We may just be starting the whole 'clean eating' thing, but our family quit eating chicken nuggets a long time ago. Almost 2 years ago, I watched a video from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution that sickened me! I have never liked processed chicken nuggets or patties, but like most moms, I bought them for my kids. I actually thought it was okay because I baked them instead of frying! I've posted a link to the video for you if you're interested, but be warned, this isn't for those with weak stomachs!

I began making chicken nuggets at home, just by adding breading to pieces of chicken breast and baking them. The kids liked them, but it wasn't love at first bite! It's been a process. Over time they've learned to like them. Now we've changed things again! We're not using white flour, so I've had to experiment some more.

Let me apologize for my picture. My kitchen lighting isn't very good, but this will give you the general idea...

Not bad, right? If you're baking these like me, instead of frying, use a sprayer filled with olive oil before you bake them, otherwise they won't brown (ask me how I know this!). If they're not brown, they're still edible, but not so pleasing to the eye - which, by the way is how my kids judge everything!

2 Chicken breasts

2 Egg whites (I buy them in a carton)

1 cup Whole wheat pastry flour (pastry flour has a lighter texture than regular whole wheat flour)

1 tsp Stevia

1/2 tsp Sea salt

1/2 tsp Fresh ground black pepper

Olive oil in a spray bottle

Preheat oven to 400'. Mix flour, Stevia, sea salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Put egg whites in another bowl. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and dredge through egg whites, then flour mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet. I cover mine with foil so I can just toss it when I'm done. Spray nuggets with olive oil as evenly as possible. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until done. These are wonderful! Serve them with sweet potato fries or even white potato fries (gasp!). This makes 15-20 nuggets. To save time, you can make extra, put them in a freezer bag and toss them in the freezer for later!

=QUINOA-PINEAPPLE PILAF=

2012-01-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that was born out of necessity. I was trying quinoa for the first time and had only heard how bland it was. I'm not a fan of bland food, so I thought for a few days about what to do and this is what I came up with. Once again, this recipe has heat, but I think you'll like the sweetness that the pineapple brings! It's colorful to your eyes as well as to your palate. This picture is a little pixelly, but it gives you an idea of how it looks...

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups cooked brown rice (I used the kind in a microwavable pouch)
1 cup water (I used the pineapple juice from the can of pineapple and then used water for the remainder.)
1 tsp fresh cilantro or cilantro paste
1 small onion, diced
3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
3 slices of canned pineapple (canned in juice, not syrup & as natural as possible.)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Bring all ingredients except brown rice to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Mix brown rice into quinoa mixture.
Serves 4-6

=SALSA CHICKEN=

2012-01-24T22:12:00.000-08:00

This must be one of the easiest recipes in existence! If you love chicken and you like a little heat for a kick, you'll love this!

2 Chicken Breasts (hormone free, cage free if possible)
3 Bell Peppers, any color
1 Cup all natural salsa
2 Tbs Greek yogurt
Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Place chicken in a baking dish. Lay peppers on top of chicken. Pour salsa over the top. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Serve with 1 Tbs of Greek yogurt.

=CHOCOLATE PROTEIN WAFFLES=

2012-01-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite breakfast foods are these chocolate protein waffles. Just spread a little almond butter on top and you're good to go! If you must have something sweet, you can add a little agave nectar, but I'm not adding the extra calories. These are delicious! Here's the recipe:

1 1/3 cup Gluten Free Bisquick
1/3 cup milled flaxseed
1/3 cup chocolate protein powder (can use vanilla)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbs olive oil
1 egg, 2 egg whites

Stir all ingredients and place 1/3-1/2 cup into a waffle iron. Remove when done. If you have a light that tells you when they're done, you may have to cook for another minute or two. Top with almond butter. Enjoy!

=THREE WEEKS IN=

2012-01-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

After years of eating on the go and grabbing what was quickest with no regard to nutrition, we've decided to start eating "clean". We're easing our kids into this new way of eating, but my husband and I are diving in head first!

Quite frankly, we've taken the easy road - quick, processed foods in the pantry that were easy to grab and drive-thru windows are familiar to us, but they come with a price. My husband and I will both turn 40 in 2012. That's not old, but let's face it - the excess weight will be harder to lose the older we get! The biggest price, however is the guilt. Guilt because we've trained our kids to eat the same way - quick and easy over fresh and healthy, and the guilt of tearing down our "temple".

The Message says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,

"Didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body."

To put it in the words of my husband, "How can you grow holier when you're unwilling to grow healthier?" So true!

Yesterday marked three weeks of clean eating. In that time I've lost 21 pounds and my husband has lost 15. God has definitely had His hand in this! I can't remember a time that I've had more energy and I'm loving all the experiments going on in the kitchen! The new recipes are what spurred on this blog. Many people are asking my husband questions that he's unable to answer and he wanted a place to point them to. The exact phrase he used today was, "I don't know what I eat or when I'm gonna eat it." Nice....

So we're wiping the slate 'clean'. We've turned from the old unhealthy eating habits and we're forming new healthier ones. NO GUILT! Hallelujah!

I won't have new recipes daily (because I have a life), but I'll try to catch you up on what we've eaten so far, then update as we try new things.
I'll keep you updated on our progress. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy 'Cleaning Things Up', too!