sheet pan chicken, sausage and peppers

I have been eating gluten free for eight months now (I will be sharing more about this journey in later posts) but the change in my diet has changed my life. But I will admit at times it can be challenging because of all the meal prep we have to do. One our favorite tricks for eating good healthy food is incorporating lots of sheet pan meals into our weekly menu. Sheet pan cooking is quick and easy prep time and the outcome is really delicious!

INGREDIENTS: 

8-9 chicken thighs

8 pre-cooked organic chicken sausage 

4-5 potatoes cut into quarters

2 red bell peppers sliced

2 yellow bell peppers sliced

2 orange bell peppers sliced

1 green bell pepper sliced

10 garlic cloves

2-3 TSP ghee (or preferred oil)

1 med red onion

1-2 TSP Herbes de Provence

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees 

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with the avocado oil.

Make sure everything is coated with oil and seasoning.

Spread everything out on an oiled sheet pan.

Cook at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until the chicken skin is nice and brown.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook until the chicken is done. The time will depend on the amount of chicken. It typically takes around 45-60 minutes for 8-9 chicken thighs.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and enjoy!

purple potato salad

I fully believe that colorful food tastes waaaay better or maybe it's all in my head! And while I love potato salad, there is something so fabulous about PURPLE potato salad. Did you know that purple potatoes contain four times more antioxidants than white potatoes?!? I love incorporating purple potatoes into my meals and today I've got one of my favorite easy recipes vinaigrette purple potato salad.

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 lbs of boiled or roasted purple potatoes, cut into quarters

1/4 cup of olive oil

2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 or 3 garlic cloves chopped

1/4 cup of chopped parsley

pinch of salt and pepper

Boil or roast potatoes and remove from heat.

In a bowl mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are warm toss them with vinaigrette and then add the chopped parsley.

crispy cabbage and quinoa salad

Salads are a BIG part of my daily meals and lately I am on a cabbage kick! Did you know that cabbage is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, B6, fiber, potassium and more?!? Since going completely gluten free eight months ago, cabbage has been as a really important part of my meals and I love using it in a variety of salads. 

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked quinoa

Shredded cabbage

Shredded carrots

Shaved red onion

Dressing:

2 tablespoons avocado oil mayo

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 lemon- squeezed

salt and pepper to taste

healthy salmon chowder

Living on the Oregon Coast we are surrounded by wild, fresh fish and it's a big part of our family diet. One of my favorite meals in the winter is a big hearty bowl of chowder. But these days, I am eating very clean and healthy with zero gluten and very little dairy so I've come up with my own version of a salmon chowder. It's not the same as that heavy chowder loaded with butter, cream and sodium that I can get at my local fish market. Instead it tastes light, crisp and totally satisfies my chowder cravings.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of fish stock (homemade stock is even better)

2 cups of coconut milk

2 poached wild salmon fillets

2-3 tsp coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

3 stocks of celery, chopped

3 potatoes, cubed

1bay leaf

1 teaspoon of fresh dill, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook the vegetables in coconut oil on low for about 20-30 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk and fish broth over the vegetables and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.

Add cubes of salmon to the vegetables and broth and cook on low heat.

Dish and serve with fresh dill and parsley sprinkled on top.

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unicorn toast

My readers will know by now that I love simple, healthy and pretty food! My theory is that the more colorful and beautiful the food, the more you will enjoy it and be less tempted to eat Cheetos and Oreos for breakfast. Something we are loving around here (especially Lucy) is unicorn toast! This colorful trend was started by food stylist Adeline Waugh and basically it's pastel colored cream cheese slapped on some toast. And though it's simple, there is something that feels so special about eating colorful and whimsical food!

There are all kinds of ways that you can make colorful cream cheese but we like using natural ingredients like beet juice, pomegranate juice, blackberries, turmeric, spirulina powder, raspberry juice and more! You can also use natural food coloring if you don't have the time or patience to create your own.

Simply mix the natural coloring with cream cheese to get desired color.

Spread on your favorite bread.

I like taking it even further and add all kinds of toppings like fruit, granola, chia seeds, coconut, etc.

The result is colorful and delicious toast that is healthy (and a HUGE hit with the kiddos)!

fruit pizza

We love our sweet treats around here so I am always trying to make things that are a little bit more healthy! One of our favorites is fruit pizza. It's yummy, colorful and fun to get creative with.

INGREDIENTS:

Toppings:
Favorite fruit- I used dragon fruit, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi and black berries
Yogurt

No bake crust:
1 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup of melted butter or more depending on the 
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix graham crackers, sugar and melted butter.
Press mixture into a round plate.
Chill for 1 hour.
Add all those toppings and enjoy!

kale berry salad

Kale is a big part of my diet and I am always looking for ways to make it exciting. One of my favorite salad combos is kale with berries. The sweet berries mixed with the earthy flavor of the kale is delicious way to get your daily greens!

INGREDIENTS:

Chopped kale

Raspberries

Blackberries

Cucumbers

Chia seeds

Crumbled feta

Pecans

Olive oil

TIP: Use a little bit of olive oil on your hands and massage it through the kale. This will take away the bitterness and turn that kale soft and sweet! You can also get the same result by tossing the kale in olive oil and letting it sit over night.

Dressing:

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons honey

squeeze of lemon

pinch of salt and pepper

beet hummus

I love colorful food, there is something even more pleasing about eating food that is beautiful! One of my favorite colorful and healthy treats is beet hummus. It is easy to make, delicious and super pretty!

You can use homemade hummus or if you don't have lots of time, you can even use store bought hummus.

MY FAVORITE HUMMUS RECIPE:

Typically hummus has tahini or sesame paste but I like to make a nut free version.

1 can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
dash of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Next, you will need to roast a couple of beets.

Once the roasted beets have cooled, puree them in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Next is the fun part! Slowly begin adding the beets to the hummus. The fun thing about beets is that the color is DYNAMIC and it doesn't take much to transform that hummus into someone colorful.

Keep mixing the beets until you've achieved your desired shade of pink.

The result is beautiful and a great way to brighten up a vegi plate.

blackberry mint s'mores

The end of August in Oregon is blackberry season and when you have a backyard full of blackberry bushes, you find all kinds of ways to enjoy them! One of my favorite summer treats are s'mores but I love putting a twist on this sweet treat.

Ingredients:

Graham crackers

White chocolate

Marshmallows

Fresh mint leaves

Make your s'mores the traditional way and after the marshmallows and chocolate melt, add a handful of blackberries and top with a mint leaf.

This treat is a perfect combo of sweet and fruity and CRAZY delicious!

avocado toast

I pretty much live on avocado toast. It's a fast and healthy meal that I eat just about every day for lunch. Grab a slice of your favorite bread, mash up some avocado and then get creative with toppings. Here are some of my favorite ways that I prepare my avocado toast!

romesco sauce

There are a lot of different foods and flavors that I crave but one of my favorites is romesco sauce. Romesco sauce is a nut and red pepper based sauce that originates from Northeastern Spain. It is often served with seafood but honestly this stuff is good as a dip, a spread, as a pesto sauce, as a marinade or even added to soups and sauces for flavor. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 red bell peppers

2 tomatos

1/2 red onion

5 cloves of garlic

1 cup almond slivers

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

Start by roasting the red bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic in the oven at 425 degrees until soft (about 20 minutes for garlic and about 30-40 minutes for onions, peppers and tomatoes). 

Peel the skin from the peppers and tomatoes.

Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse.

Next, add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth.

The result is a really rich, smokey sauce that is crazy delicious!! One of my favorite ways to use it is as dipping sauce for oven baked mozzarella sticks.

INGREDIENTS

1 package of mozarella string cheese sticks (12 cheese sticks)

1 egg

2-3 Tsp flour

1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs

pinch of salt and pepper

Unwrap all of the cheese sticks, cut them in half and place them in the freezer until frozen.

In a bowl, add the beaten egg.

In another bowl, add the flour.

In a third bowl, add the panko bread crumbs.

Remove cheese sticks from the freezer.

Dip each cheese stick in the flour, then in the egg and then in the bread crumbs.

Lay cheese sticks on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Bake the cheese sticks at 375 degree for about 5 minutes and then flip them over to the other side and bake for another 5  minutes.

Remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes then serve warm.

smoothie bowls

If you haven't heard of smoothie bowls, you are totally missing out! Currently they are a breakfast trend that is sweeping the nation and I am super happy about it! While I eat healthy most of the time, I have a really bad habit of skipping breakfast. I've never liked eating in the morning. My problem is that nothing sounds good to me until about 10am which can be a challenge because I get up at 6am, exercise and need good nutritional fuel for my body. Then smoothie bowls came into my life and I am happy to say I am starting my day with a big, colorful bowl of goodness.

So a smoothie bowl is basically a really thick smoothie that you pour into a bowl and sprinkle with all kinds of yummy and healthy toppings. I think the reason I am enjoying smoothie bowls so much is because it feels like you are eating a giant bowl of ice cream for breakfast!

TIPS FOR MAKING A SMOOTHIE BOWL:

To make a smoothie that you eat with a spoon, you need to make it thick. I typically use an avocado to thicken up my smoothies.

I also don't go crazy with tons of fruit inside my smoothies- I typically try to use mostly green veggies (kale, spinach, broccoli, avocado, etc) and then I add a small handful of fruit (peaches, mangos, banana).

I like to top my smoothie bowls with all kinds of healthy nuts and seeds.

My favorite toppings are always crunchy because it really tricks my palette into thinking I'm eating an ice cream sundae or a bowl of frozen yogurt. 

I like to adding toppings that are pretty! Slices of colorful fruit, edible flowers and herbs are my favorite way to add color and a little bit of sweetness.

I also like to get creative and make my smoothie bowls look super pretty because the more beautiful my breakfast is, the less likely I will stuff my face with doughnuts!

1. big handful of spinach, big handful of kale, half avocado, half banana, coconut water

2. handful of strawberries, two bananas, scoop of protein powder, coconut water

3. two big handfuls of spinach, handful of kale, half avocado, small handful of peaches, coconut water

4. three big handfuls of spinach, half avocado, protein powder, coconut water

two big handfuls of spinach, handful of blackberries and strawberries, one banana, coconut water

crafting for kids: homemade carmel corn

Madolyn Oliver is back today with kid/teen friendly recipe and this one is and this one is delicious (I've already made a batch a it's a hit!

Every year around on Thanksgiving night we make our homemade caramel corn. We bring out the big pot, all the ingredients and we get together as a family and make caramel corn. We crank up the Christmas music, and carry out our yearly tradition. Making our caramel corn is always fun for me. I love how the sweet aroma fills the house,  how easy and fun it is to make, and most of all I love eating it! 



Caramel Corn Ingredients 


1 C sugar
1 C dark brown sugar (packed)
1 C butter
1 C light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1-2 cups of popcorn to be popped.  We use a popper with coconut oil.  
 
Put some sheets of foil on your counter to cover a space about 30" x 30" and pray the foil with cooking spray. If you don’t spray it you will have all of the yummy caramel sticking to the foil.


Place the other ingredients in a large, heavy pan with high sides. 


Cook over med – med high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel almost reaches about 245 degrees on a candy thermometer.



Pour over the popcorn and combine with a LONG wooden spoon so you don't burn your hands. Ask an adult to help you with this part so you don’t burn yourself. The caramel will be really hot!

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes (if you can wait that long) and enjoy!  This is so good!

You can fin Maddy here:

jeanneoliver.ning.com 

Creatively Made Kids (a free series)

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Study Hall Studio (back to school DIY)

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