Healthy Pancakes

My kids are always begging for pancakes...and not a healthy kind. Of course I refuse to make the kind from the box so I started searching for an alternative that we would all enjoy. Luckily, I found one on the website - Sally's Baking Addiction!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/3 cups (167g) whole wheat flour (or white whole-wheat)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 1 cup (240ml) milk*
• 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large banana)
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar (or light brown)
• 1/4 cup (63g) Greek yogurt*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup add-ins like chocolate chips or fruit, optional

Directions:

Toss the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and banana together. Whisk in the brown sugar and yogurt until no lumps remain. Whisk in the vanilla until combined.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix the batter or your pancakes will be tough and very dense. Add any mix-ins you prefer, but again - do not overmix the batter.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat generously with cooking spray, oil, or butter.  Once very hot, drop about 1/4 cup of batter on the griddle. Cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form on the center or sides, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Coat griddle/skillet again with nonstick spray for each pancake or batch of pancakes.

Keep pancakes warm in a preheated 200F degree oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve immediately. Pancakes taste best right after they are made. Pancakes freeze well, up to 2 months.

*Recipe tested with both skim and vanilla almond milks. Soy milk, 1%, 2%, 

Banana Bread

I returned from vacation to find 6 brown bananas on my counter. They needed used and I just happened to come across Emily Fonnesbeck's recipe. The only thing I did differently was use whole wheat flour and add bittersweet dark chocolate chips. If you haven't checked out Emily yet, you must. She is phenomenal. Okay, so I haven't actually met her but I plan to one day...and maybe do an internship with her when I finally return to school! A girl can dream...

Here is her recipe:

JC's Banana Bread 

2 ½ cups rice flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

6 ripe bananas

2 eggs

¼ cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

Combine rice flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a blender, place bananas, egg, oil and vanilla and blend to mix. Add banana mixture to rice flour mixture and stir to combine. Place in greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Emily Fonnesbeck RD, CD, CLT

Ratatouille

My New Hampshire family sent us home with all kinds of yummy veggies from their garden. I knew exactly what I needed to make and we watched Ratatouille while we ate! I used this recipe but deviated just a bit.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized tomatoes, greens removed
• 1 bulb garlic, tip cut off to expose cloves on top
• 1 eggplant
• 2 zucchini (unpeeled)
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 very large carrot
• 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil + additional for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons leaves thyme
• 1 tablespoon leaves oregano
• 1 teaspoon basil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 °F. Roast the tomatoes and garlic bulb (drizzled with a touch of olive oil) for 45 minutes to 60 minutes, or until skins on tomatoes are very wrinkly and darkened, and the garlic is caramelized and fragrant. Remove from the oven, let cool and then remove skins from the tomatoes and the roasted garlic cloves from the bulb.
2. Decrease your oven temp to 375 °F. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, sweet potato, and carrot into even slices, about 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch thick.
3. In a food processor, blend the roasted tomatoes and garlic along with the tomato paste, sea salt, basil, and 2 tablespoons olive oil until very smooth. Spread 3/4 of the sauce into the bottom of a lightly oiled ceramic oven safe dish. Arrange the sliced vegetables into a spiral ring, alternating the colors to create an eye-catching pattern. Drizzle with olive oil (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) and the remainder of the sauce. Top with fresh thyme and oregano.
4. Top with a layer of parchment paper to cover and bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes. Let cool and then serve alone or on a bed of mashed potatoes, quinoa, forbidden rice, or your favorite grain.

Zucchini Boats

A friend gave me a recipe and I LOVED it. So did my family and neighbor! This time I made a few adjustments to make it a little more healthy. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Zucchini
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 3/4 -1 C of salsa
• 1/2-1 C of cooked quinoa
• 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added, drained
• 1/4 C minced fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (homemade) - use more if you like a little more kick
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 C shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Cut  zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leave 1/4" in shells. 
2. Place shells in an ungreased 3 qt microwave save dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside. 
3. Meanshile in a large skillet, cook turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Remove from heat and stir in quinoa, cilantro, chili powder, cumin and tomatoes. Scoop into zucchini shells.
4. Microwave, uncovered on high for 2-4 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave for another 30 seconds to melt the cheese and zucchini are tender. 

Enjoy!!

Crockpot Pasta 2

I love my crock pot. I can't believe it took me so long to start using it. This recipe was simple, adds quite a few veggies and the kids had no problems finishing their bowls...because it's pasta. Here is the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 cups baby carrots
• 3 cups spinach, chopped
• 5 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 can beans, rinsed and drained, low sodium
• 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 2 cups chicken or veggie broth, low sodium
• 3 Tsp oregano
• 2 Tsp parsley
• 1/2 Tsp Sriracha 
• 1/2 jar of organic spaghetti sauce, low sodium (or home made sauce)
• 8 oz of pasta (I used a quinoa pasta)

Directions:

1. Brown turkey.
2. Add everything to the crock pot except the pasta. 
3. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4-5 hours.
4. During last 30 minutes on high or 1 hour on low, add pasta.

Healthy Enchilada Bake

It's been a while since I posted a new recipe. I admit I've been a little lazy on trying new recipes. I've been recreating the ones my family enjoys. I finally tried something new! I didn't deviate from the original recipe too much. I used half the amount of cheese and I topped the recipe with the extra enchilada sauce. I hope you enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced
1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced
1 cup corn frozen kernels
Juice of 1 small lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, low sodium
2 cups red enchilada sauce (I made a recipe very similar to this)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese. 

5.Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with toppings, if desired. Serve warm.

Crunchy Fruity Coleslaw

Last Saturday after the Gretna Gritty we had a healthy potluck picnic. Best picnic I've ever been to!! We had so many healthy choices with a few not-so-healthy options to keep us balanced. Some of the healthy options included turkey/veggie chili, quinoa/bean chili, venison with homemade sauce, hummus, veggie tray, fruit tray, gluten free pasta salad, brownies, PB cookies, and more! One of the side dishes was Amy's cole slaw. Delicious! I haven't had the chance to make it yet but I highly recommend it! Here is her recipe...

Below is the recipe I sort of followed on Saturday. The first time I made this I did make the dressing part (olive oil, vinegar, garlic and honey)...it is good, but the following times I didn't have honey on hand so I just used oil and vinegar. Saturday's version did not include garlic or honey.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
• 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced in 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped (4-5 onions)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine green and red cabbage, red pepper, apricots, corn, green onions, almonds and sesame seeds

2. In a small bowl whisk together remaining ingredients.  Toss dressing with salad, mixing well.

Hope you enjoy!

Quinoa Strawberry Avocado Salad

I still had prepared quinoa and I wanted to use it for tonight's dinner since we were going meat free with the portobella mushrooms. Quinoa offers a good amount of protein, iron, and fiber. Steve recommended adding the walnuts last so that they stay crunchy. Here is the original recipe.

Ingredients

For The Salad:

• 1-2 big avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 3 cups strawberries, quartered
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• a large handful of arugula

For The Dressing:

• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a small jar with a lid, combine the lime juice, olive oil, honey, and mustard. Cover and shake until mixed well. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
2. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss again. Serve.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

I made extra quinoa - a lot of it. I needed more recipes to eat it up! I found a recipe and my sister and her family loved it! We finished the entire salad and wanted more! Here is the original recipe; below is what I used with what I had on hand.

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup tomato, sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced (my cucumber was rotten but I'll make sure I have it for next time!)
• 1/4 cup olives
• 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (~1 lemon) 
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

PB Oatmeal Cookies

Amy & Doug had to put the cookies on top of the cabinets so the kids and I would stop eating them. They were fearful we'd eat them all before the picnic started! Yes, they are that good! I had to make some and the kids loved helping me!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup organic peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2.5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a small bowl, use an electric mixer to cream peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs.
3. Add rolled oats and baking soda to creamed mixture, and mix well.
4. Line baking sheets with  parchment paper.
5. Roll dough into two-inch balls, and press to flatten on the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies turn slightly brown.
7. Cool cookies on a rack, and store leftovers in an airtight container.

Creamy Quinoa Casserole

This meal was quickly gobbled up! Of course they liked it - I finally added cheese to a meal. It's a rare occasion! Of course I had some changes with what I had on hand, plus I wasn't going to use heavy cream ;). Check out the original (not as healthy) recipe here.

Prior to baking - smelled so good!!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked quinoa

1.5 cup of your favorite pasta sauce - homemade or organic if you can!

1/3 cup greek yogurt

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

3 slices mozzarella, divided

1 can stewed tomatoes, low sodium, divided

1 can kidney beans, low sodium, rinsed and drained

1 Tbsp Basil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup feta cheese, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Once warm, stir in yogurt, parmesan, and crushed red pepper. 
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the quinoa. Add half of the mozzarella, half of the tomatoes, and the basil. 
4. Once combined, spray an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire quinoa mixture into the dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and tomatoes. Sprinkle feta cheese on top, if desired.
5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and then turn the broiler on and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Blackened Chicken w Avocado Sauce

Steve enjoys a good blackened chicken salad so I thought I'd give this recipe a try. He didn't like it!! WHAT?! He said it was too spicy...yet I had two servings!! I thought it was delicious. :)

Find the recipe here. The only changes I made was the amount of chicken (I used four smaller chicken breasts) and I used a whole avocado instead of half.

Ingredients:

• 4 — 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice, divided
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 avocado
• ½ tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

1. In a medium size sauce pan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add quinoa, turn heat down to low, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, covered. When it’s finished cooking (no liquid left), stir in scallions and a 1/2 Tbsp of lemon.
2. In a small bowl, mix paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt and pepper. Rub all over chicken breasts.
3. Spray a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, cook chicken for 7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Tip: cover the pan while cooking.
4. Meanwhile, mix Greek yogurt, remaining lemon juice, garlic powder and avocado in a food processor.
5. To serve, place the chicken on a bed of quinoa and drizzle the sauce on top.

I had tons of quinoa left over that I used for my next recipe!

Quesadillas

Cinco de Mayo!! We celebrated the American-Mexican holiday by eating quesadillas for dinner. We love all kinds of ethnic foods in our house! Of course I had to make them with a healthy twist. :)

Ingredients:

• 6 Ezekiel Tortillas
• 1/2 pepper, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 2-3 cups spinach
• 4-5 chicken tenderloins
• 1-2 Tsp taco seasoning (I made my own)
• Salsa
• Avocado, diced

Directions:

1. Add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms to a pan over medium-high heat. 
2. While the vegetables are cooking, grill the chicken and sprinkle the taco seasoning over it.
3. After the veggies are tender, remove them from the pan and add the spinach. Cook just a few minutes until the leaves are wilted. 
4. In a clean pan and hot pan, add 1 tortilla round, sprinkle with cheese, add the spinach, veggie mix, cut up chicken, a little more cheese and the other tortilla round. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat and then flip.
5. Top with salsa and avocado.

Enjoy!

Homemade Granola

I tried making a healthy granola bar per Steve's request but it didn't stick like it was supposed to but it turned out to be his favorite cereal ever. My mom likes it, too!! I enjoy it with my yogurt. Check out the original recipe here.

Ingredients

• 11/2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2/3 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 11/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1-2 cup puffed rice cereal
• 1/4 cup raisins or crasins
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.
2. Spread the oats, walnuts and almonds onto prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 7 minutes. Add coconut and toss well, then place back in the oven to cook about 6-8 minutes more. Keep an eye on it towards the end; you want the coconut to turn golden but not burn.
3. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir with a whisk until the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off heat and set aside.
4. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Combine the the oat mixture, honey mixture and rice cereal in a large bowl and toss well. (Reserve aluminum foil.)
5. Use the reserved foil to line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, then spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Turn granola bar mixture out into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly, being careful not to press down too hard. Bake for 20 minutes (be sure heat is reduced to 300 degrees). Remove from the oven and cool completely, about 1-1½ hours. 

If you used only 1 cup of cereal it may become more of a granola bar. I use more so it's more of a granola for cereal. The last time I made it, I had to break it apart a bit but still had the same great taste!

Crock Pot Pasta - Healthy!

My kids love noodles so I knew they'd enjoy this meal. They think they are eating normal noodles, little do they know that its actually rice. :)

I had a busy day - one fitness class, assisting in Colton's classroom, two clients, and t-ball practice. Not much time to prepare a healthy meal. I found this recipe and made a few changes. The whole family LOVED it.

Look at all that is leftover after serving four of us!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 chopped peppers
• 2 chopped celery stalks
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained
• 1.5-2 cups of veggie or chicken broth
• 1.5 Tsp oregano
• 2.5 Tsp parsley
• 1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 cup organic Spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz noodles (I used Hodson Mill Brown Rice Pasta - Gluten free)

Directions:

1. Brown meat with half of the garlic.
2. Put all ingredients, except for the noodles, in the crock pot and stir.
3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
4. During the last 30 minutes, add the noodles. Or you can cook the noodles separately and add if you want it to be more like a soup. 

Breakfast Muffins

Colton had Muffins for Moms on Wednesday and I am "that Mom" who takes her own muffins. I am happy to know that my child and I had a healthy version of a muffin - and they were delicious! I made the batter the night before and threw the muffins in the oven after my morning run then continued to get ready for work. Made me feel like Super Mom. HA!

Here is the original recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs or flaxseed meal/water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups applesauce, unsweetened
• 1 chopped apple (with or without skin)
• 2 bananas, mashed
• ½ cup honey
• 5 cups quick oats
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 3 teaspoon baking powder
• 2¼ cups unsweetened almond milk
• Optional toppings: raisins, cranberries, walnuts, chocolate chips, coconut, etc. 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix eggs (or egg substitute), vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
3. Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients.
4. Finally pour in milk and combine. Mix in chopped apple.
5. Spray a 12 and 6 capacity muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners. Pour mixture evenly into muffin tin cups.
6. If using toppings add them onto the tops of muffins now. If using fresh or frozen fruit, drop it right into the batter.
7. Bake 35 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean.
8. Cool and enjoy or freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken

I made this recipe a long time ago. I don't know I don't make it more often. It's super simple...and it's in a crock pot!

Clean Eating Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite clean salsa (See my salsa recipe here)
• 4 small raw zucchini, halved, quartered, then sliced (shredding works too)
• 1/4 medium, fresh pineapple

Directions:

1. Turn on slow cooker to the low setting and put in the chicken and salsa. Cook for about 4-6 hours. Slow cookers vary, so base the time on that. The chicken should fall apart easily when finished.
2. Shred the chicken using two forks and mix in your raw zucchini and fresh pineapple.

Salsa

One of my favorite snacks, and often part of my meal, is salsa. I love it! I haven't made my own salsa but I claim I do. I cheat and use "Simply Salsa" by Tastefully Simple (I know a cool consultant if you need one!).

• 1 cap full of Simply Salsa
• 1 can of no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped pepper
• 1 can of low sodium black beans (rinsed)

Let it chill for an hour. It's that easy! It's low in sodium and has just enough kick.

Sundried Tomato Spaghetti Squash

This meal was awesome! Colton ate it but wasn't happy about it. Next time I think I'll cut the sundried tomatoes for the kids. It was not super high in protein so I would either add some chicken or maybe fish. Check out the original recipe! I only modified a few items. 

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, deseeded and scraped from the skin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ cup loosely packed sundried tomatoes
• 28 oz can of diced tomatoes - well drained!
• ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 5 cups mixed leafy greens
• sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Microwave the spaghetti squash (after cut and deseeded) for 6-8 minutes. 
2. Sauté the olive oil with garlic and sundried tomatoes on medium-low until they are fragrant but not burning, about two minutes.
3. Grab your strained tomatoes, milk, and tomato paste, and mix them into the pan. Make sure you really get the liquid out of the tomatoes. Now salt and pepper it and taste it Let it all cook together for 5 minutes, thickening up slightly.
4. Add in the sprinkle of cayenne and the green leafy vegetables, and allow them to wilt and then incorporate into the sauce. At this point, you are done! You can now stir in all of the spaghetti squash at once, or you can serve it on different pastas individually. Feel free to add a protein as well, of course!

Kitchen Sink Soup

If you follow me on Facebook then you know I love following Registered Dietitian, Emily Fonnesbeck. She posted a recipe today and I immediately put it in the crock pot! I did make a few adjustments but it's pretty similar. Below is the original. Check her out!

Kitchen Sink Soup
1 carton tomatoes (I use POMI brand or could substitute 1 can diced tomatoes)
2 cups water
2 - 15 oz beans (I used Eden Brand no-salt added lentils and black beans)
2 cups frozen organic corn
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 bunch mustard greens, washed and chopped
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cayenne red pepper, or to taste
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours. 

Feel free to substitute any bean, vegetable or leafy green. Pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, red beans, bell peppers, carrots, fennel, zucchini, squash, swiss chard, cabbage, kale and collard greens are all items I have used on the past. Again, just whatever is on hand! Seasonings are easily adjusted to taste preferences too. Really, this can be more like a formula than a recipe with endless options!

Also, you may find that the slow cooker isn't big enough for all those greens. Use your muscles to squish it down, put the lid on and once it heats up it will wilt down and you won't have any problems.  

Easy Salmon - Yum!!

My husband isn't a huge fan of salmon. We had it WAY too much during my first pregnancy. Since then I don't think we had it more than 10 times. This recipe makes me want it again next week! I made it about a year ago and followed the original recipe and LOVED it but today I had to change it up with what I had on hand. The original recipe includes a veggie. I made a veggie/bean soup to go with this meal tonight.

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 salmon fillets, wild 
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons almond slices

PREPARATION

1. Season salmon with half the rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon salt at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour before cooking. 
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wide saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add raisins and almonds; toss to coat with oil. Cook, stirring, until the pine nuts are fragrant and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Set mixture aside.
3. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the salmon over, remove the pan from the heat and let stand until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
4. Spoon raisins,onion, & almonds over the salmon.

TIPS & NOTES

• Tip: Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (preferably Alaskan) is considered the best choice for the environment because it is more sustainably fished and has a larger, more stable population. Farmed salmon, including Atlantic, should be avoided, as it endangers the wild salmon population. For more information, visit Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch at seafoodwatch.org.