WIAW #13 Banana Ice Cream?!

Hello and happy Wednesday! Before I even say anything, I have to start with this.

THIS.

Holy cow man. One frozen banana, cut into slices, with peanut butter (mixed with cinnamon!) in between. It is JUST like ice cream! I had this as a snack, and I had to put some back in the fridge for later because it was so rich.

I had heard of this nifty trick before on blogs, and even in a Youtube video from Davey Wavey (one of my favorite health gurus!). I have no idea why it has taken so long for me to get around to trying it!

I can see why frozen bananas so easily make for fantastic, healthy ice cream when blended. I may want to try some different flavor combinations and see what I can come up with... I think vanilla extract would make it super yummy too.

Anywho... on to the eats!

Breakfast:

A non dairy yogurt and a hard boiled egg (not pictured)

I used to have an addiction to Chobani. Like, seriously, I would go through a large container of their Vanilla greek yogurt in a matter of days. However, back when I ate yogurt regularly (over a year ago), I was having some stomach issues in which I couldn't detect the source.

It's embarrassing, but I constantly felt bloated and queasy. For months I had an INTENSE, sharp pain in my abdomen, and nothing the doctor suggested helped. (Actually, they had just prescribed me a medication called Nexium to reduce acid reflux. I was NOT about to take that- the side effects are awful, plus it goes against the holistic approach I support- so I knew it was time to get serious in finding out what was causing my issues.)

Eventually, I made the connection to my stomach problems and the yogurt. Yep. Just like my grandmother, turns out I am lactose intolerant! So bye bye yogurt for me and with it, all my dreams.

UNTIL... BOOM. Enter So Delicious. They make non dairy milks, yogurts (I have yet to locate their Greek kind!), and even ice cream! I've been anticipating trying this for quite a while now, but their products are a bit pricey so I've had to wait until now. I got the plain flavor, but it still tasted AMAZINGLY sweet (like coconuts, duh). And no tummy troubles!

Lunch:

Leftover sauteed veggies. 

Oh, poor boring old me. Bringing my mess of a thing to lunch for everyone to ponder "What on earth is that child consuming?" Ah, I'm used to it.

Maybe it doesn't look so appealing, but really it was quite tasty... just a melody of some farmers market as well as store produce. At school my boyfriend insisted the squash looked like bananas, but never mind him! ;)

Snack:

The delicious invention mentioned above. Please disregard my horrifying nails.

Dinner:

Bell peppers stuffed with leftover lentils and a bit of chicken meat.

Getting creative with leftovers! Woot woot.

So... what have you been eating?

Any favorite allergy-friendly brands that you adore?

Natalie

Fall Saute Stuffed Acorn Squash- Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Dairy and Sugar Free

From my last post with WIAW, you saw my delicious acorn squash... I had leftovers of the recipe I am about to post.

My goodness,  I LOVE acorn squash. You can do so much with it! Saute it, make it sweet or savory... my person favorite it just to bake it in the oven. However, maybe that is because I have yet to TRY it any other way... I need to be more adventurous next time I prepare one.

Whats even better, is that fall is right around the corner, so these babies are in season! I have been seeing them at the farmers market when I go each weekend. Local+In season+Tasty+Healthy= Awesome.

Anyways, when I was at the farmers market last, one of the nice ladies mentioned I should try grating some of the squash I bought and sauteing it. You know, kind of like "noodles" I will use it in a "pasta" recipe for sure, but for this meal, I just decided to combine the two ideas (shredded squash with well, more baked squash...) and YUM! The textures are nice and the flavors float well together.

Anyways... on to the food!

Saute Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves 2 

1 medium acorn squash
1 medium carrot
2 medium zucchinis
1 cup shredded or thinly sliced cabbage
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup unsalted stock
2 TBSP coconut oil
1/2 TBSP garlic powder
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
3-4 TBSP unsalted tomato paste


1) Bake your acorn squash, wrapped in foil, in a 450 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until its soft and some juices have escaped.

2) Grate them veggies up (not the onion)! This is really fun to do, actually. Its crazy how much mass three little veggies create. It's awesome to watch the pile grow! I placed my shavings into a bowl as I proceeded.

3) Heat the coconut oil over medium high heat in a pan. Saute your onions until tender, then toss in grated veggies.
Saute for about 5-7 minutes.

4) Toss in your spices and tomato paste, and add the stock. Stir until combined, and the paste thins out slightly. Cover, and turn down heat.

5) Cut open your acorn squash, remove the seeds (if wanted), and stuff with your veggies. Enjoy!

This recipe was not only super fun, but REALLY crazy easy.

You can even get the kiddos to help with this one. It's an easy way to get them to eat their vegetables when they are helping cook, plus it always helps when the food looks pretty! :)

What are some ways you use acorn squash?
How do you get your kids involved in the kitchen, and how do you get them to eat healthy?

By the way... I think I may start leaving off the names of the recipes of the pictures of them. What do you think?

Natalie

Red Wine and Mint Eggplant Spaghetti with Chicken Vegetable Sauce

Remember that massive load of vegetables I bought at the farmers market? Well, most of the veggies are holding up just fine. However, those eggplants on the other hand... I am afraid that they keep getting more and more wrinkled by the hour. Crazy huh?! It makes me really wonder how in the world grocery stores keep their stock looking fine. Are we really wasting that much food to where they are throwing out food hourly? Just some thoughts! 

Anyways, I am trying to find different ways to use the stuff so that we can make sure it doesn't go bad, yet not get tired of the same old meal. 

This is is the recipe I came up with yesterday! I know that eggplant absorbs flavor really well, so marinades pair with it. I would love to grill the stuff soon, but again... we are still out of gas from last time. 

This was the first time I have used alcohol while cooking. I don't think it turned out as well as it could have, but again, I've got a life time of experimenting. 

I also used some mint from the garden. Gotta actually use the stuff! I want it to do more than just look pretty outdoors :)

Red Wine and Mint Eggplant Spaghetti with Chicken Vegetable Sauce 

Yields 2-3 servings 

1-1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (I used strips instead of full breast) 

1/2 package 100% whole wheat spaghetti noodles

5 small-medium sized white Egg eggplant (Or 2 medium purple ones), cut into rounds

1/3 red wine

2 TBSP garlic powder

2 sprigs fresh mint, chopped 

2/3 small can + 2 TBSP unsalted tomato paste 

2 large carrots, chopped

2/3 cup diced mushroom

1/3 cup minced onion

1/4 cup sweet bell pepper, diced 

1 cup chopped fresh spinach 

1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 TBSP+ 1 TBSP coconut oil 

1/3 cup+ 1/3 cup unsalted chicken or vegetable stock 

1) Get out your marinade ingredients! Wine, eggplant, mint, tomato paste, and garlic powder. Measure them accordingly (you will use 2 TBSP paste for this part). 

2) Combine the wine and tomato paste first, to smooth the paste out. Slather each eggplant round with the mix, then coat with the mint and garlic powder. Cover and let sit in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight.

May I take a moment to point out the SMELL of this marinade. Something about the garlic and the wine just made my mouth water. It was awesome.

3) Melt 1 TBSP of coconut oil in a large pan. Place your onion, mushroom, and bell pepper in to saute, about 5-6 minutes. 

4) Toss in your carrots at this point, and let them too saute for about 2 minutes. Then, add 1/3 cup stock, bring to a light simmer, and cover for 5 minutes. 

5) At this point, bring a large pot of water to a hard boil. Break your noodles in halve, then place them in the water to boil, about 6 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and set on warm heat with some liquid still in the noodles to keep from sticking. You also could throw in some olive oil or stock to prevent sticking.

6) Scoot your vegetable mixture over and place your chicken. Cover and let cook, flipping the chicken over halfway through. 

7) When your chicken is cooked, add in the 3/4 small can tomato paste. Stir it in until it forms the sauce.

8) Throw in the cherry tomato halves, and your spinach. Cover, and set aside on low/warm. 

9) In the meantime, place another pan or skillet on medium high heat and melt your last TBSP coconut oil. Put your eggplant in here, including any leftover marinade. 

10) Saute for about 7 minutes, then add your last 1/3 cup stock. Bring to light boil, and cover until the eggplant is soft, usually about 10 minutes. 

11) At this point, combine your chicken and vegetable mixture with the eggplant. Serve over the noodles and enjoy! 

I could slightly taste the mint in this recipe. It gave a nice touch, but I think next time I will use more. I like the fact that I did not use basil (in a Italian inspired dish), so the mint was very surprising. 

Try this recipe out! It is simple, and doesn't really take a huge amount of time.

What are your favorite ways to use food before they go bad?!

Any favorite herbs you like to use?

Natalie 

My Life Lately

I don't think I have ever really done one of these yet, so I figured it is about time!

What is going on in my life (that is at least some what relevant to what I post here?) Well, on a daily bases, my life is filled with all sorts of things I could ramble about. However, I think the events from this past weekend might be more of the audience's interest here on Clean Eating Teen...

For those of you who did not know, Friday was the official Cow Appreciation Day. If you came to Chick-Fil-A dressed or painted like a cow, your food was free!

My mom has been face painting at a Chick Fil A close to us for nearly 12 years. When I was about 7 or 8 I helped her out by sitting next her and offering to make kids balloon animals, but for the past 4 or so year, I also am painting. We always are hired for Cow Appreciation day... my my goodness, some things you see there just can not be unseen.

I have witnessed full families come in not only for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner as well. I can not tell you how many grown men I have seen with blown up gloves attached to their stomachs as utters. Even high school football jocks show no mercy in the face of free food... they come dressed up too!

Honestly, it is a GREAT company to be a part of. The Chick Fil A franchises are usually ran by friendly people, and the workers i've seen are collage bound and friendly.

So, this past Friday, I spend about 7 hours face painting for this occasion! One of the hit things kids were asking for was a Despicable Me minion... so cute.

Me with the famous cow! 

Come Saturday, I started my day off with a nice dose of Bob Harper: Inside Out Method Cardio Conditioning.

Let me tell you one thing. I love Bob. 

I mean, really, I do. If him and Jillian ever decided to have some sort of fitness love child, I would steal it from the hospital and raise it as my own (okay, so maybe that's showing you too much of my creeper side...)

This workout was AWESOME!! All you need are two pairs of dumb bells, a medium set and a lighter one, and of course your own body weight. I have done his Total Body Transformation , and that is equally as good. I've yet to try Jillian's latest DVD, Hard Body , but I right now am thinking that Bob is a bit tougher in the DVDs than she!

Should I start doing workout DVD reviews? 

Afterwards, my mom, sister and I headed to the farmers market! We got TONS of vegetables, and for such a good deal I am still in shock. This was our first time to this certain location, so we are DEFINITELY going back. They run every Saturday! 

 Me with all my goodies! This doesn't even show the giant box laying on the car floor.

And for the record, yes, I am wearing pants. This is just a really awkward angle. 

We lay out everything after we returned home that evening. Yellow squash, Pattypan squash, Tomatoes, and those little round white things are EGGPLANTS! Yes, "Egg" plants. Get it?

After the market, we met briefly with my moms long time friend from elementary school! She just started working at an antique store, and we wanted to check it out. Sadly I don't have a picture for this.

She had to close up shop and my mom had made plans to go to lunch with her, and my dad had invited my sister and I to a pool party with some family friends. So, my mom dropped us off with him.

Pool and COOK OUT time!!

My sister and I. This was the first time I had swam all year!

As you know from previous posts, I LOVE COOKOUTS. I think they're so fun. This party is an annual one, so I always look forward to it this time of year. Sadly, they did not really have much I could eat (lots of things with dairy, and they cooked out brisket and hot links- red meat). So I settled for some fruit, veggies, and like half a container of some Sabra hummus someone with good taste brought. ;)

I ate more where that came from.

It was pretty light, but that night I got my fill for food by cooking up a big old saute of our fresh veggies! I had that, with turkey patties and black eyed peas. 

What were you up to this weekend?

Whats the best deal you have had at a farmers market?

Natalie

Basil Sauteed Melody with Browned Turkey

As mentioned in my WIAW #2, I ate an amazing dinner that I couldn't exactly figure out a name for. What do you call a mixture of wonderful sauteed veggies, tossed with some browned turkey meat? You're probably thinking, "Stir-Fry? Duh.", but I just felt this meal needed a little bit more fancy of a name. You can see I still struggled finding one, though, so if you've got other suggestions feel free to let me know! 

The smell of sauteed vegetables is just SO mouth watering... it filled the whole house, and then once I started cooking of the meat, things got really tough. I mean, I was so tempted to just eat the whole thing out of the pan. Patience. Plus the fact that I needed to take pictures for my blog. Patience. 

Without farther ado, here it is...

Basil Sauteed Melody with Browned Turkey
Yields 2-3 servings 

1/2 lb lean ground turkey meat
1 TSP Chile powder
1 TSP garlic powder
1 TSP black pepper
1 TSP paprika
2 TBSP coconut oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced mushroom
1/2 small jalapeno (i used home grown, and mine was actually sweet as it had turned yellow)
1 1/2 cup thawed frozen corn
1 regular sized package frozen broccoli, thawed
1 large diced tomato
1/4 cup unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
3 TBSP chopped fresh basil

1) Thaw your frozen veggies!



2) On medium high heat, melt your coconut oil and saute the garlic, jalapeno, mushroom and bell pepper. Let get soft, about 5 minutes.

3) Add your thawed corn, and saute for another 5 minutes before throwing in the thawed broccoli.

4) After about 3-4 minutes, add in your Chile powder. Stir well.

5) Add in your chopped tomato at this point.

6) Once the tomato has softened transfer the mixture in a bowl and set aside.

7) In the same pan you just used, place your unsalted stock.

8) Place your meat and other seasonings in the pan, and cook until browned, with most of the liquid gone.

9) Place your vegetables back into the pan and add your chopped basil. Mix well, cover and let the flavors blend for a few minutes before serving.

And voila! This meal is simple, and since it uses some frozen items, you probably already have the ingredients in the house! ;) Pretty good for a something I kinda threw together really planned out.

Try this out and let me know what you think. I will definitely be making this again, maybe adding some onion on the next go around (none were in the house when I made this).

Have you ever had success with a last minute meal?
What are your favorite things to saute?

Natalie