dinner – Page 3 – The Clean Eating Mama

Raw Summer Salads

July 5, 2013July 5, 2013 CleanEatingMama

As the hot summer sun shines down on me, I crave and eat more raw food than any other time of the year. As my passion for clean eating deepens, it only makes sense to eat most, if not all, of my meals in its most natural state: RAW.

When I coach clients to start incorporating a clean eating lifestyle, I promote eating a diet that is 80% raw food. The most commonly asked question is: How do I eat that much raw? Individuals are afraid that they will become bored and not feel satisfied by eating so much raw food. However, once people start eating a diet high in raw food, they are even more satisfied than before, and they have a greater appreciation for food in its most natural state.

Here are some wonderful salads that you can not only eat in the summer, but these salads are great to serve all year long! They are full of variety, color and nutrients, and they will have your taste buds jumping for joy!

Shaved Carrot Micro Green Salad – Kitchen Apparel

Baby Kale Strawberry Avocado Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing – Pickles & Honey

Rainbow Raw Pad Thai – Oh She Glows

Raw Empanadas with Chili Macadamia Filling – Young and Raw

Watermelon Jicama Mint Salad – Rawmazing

MoRAWccan Salad – Raw Food Recipes

clean eating, dinner, gluten free, Maninis, recipe

Rigatoni with Turkey Meatballs

May 15, 2013May 15, 2013 CleanEatingMama

You all know that I eat fairly simple. I do like to add several spices to jazz up my dishes but the ingredient list is normally small and to the point. This dish is not only simple but it’s family friendly, clean and satisfying.

This recipe can be created to your liking. When I create my turkey meatballs and turkey burgers I don’t really measure my ingredients – it’s been one of those things that I make so often that I know how it’s supposed to look so I just eye ball it. Just remember that they need to be moist and full of flavor!

Turkey Meatballs:

I combine Organic ketchup, Organic mustard, basil flakes, garlic powder, dried oregano, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix until well combined. ( I used the leanest grade of turkey so I added a bit of olive oil to a large pan to cook them in. ) Roll meat in to small meat balls – about 1-2 inches. Cook until well done.

Sautéed Vegetables:

In a sauté pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add a cup of diced yellow onion, sliced bell pepper ( I used an entire orange bell pepper ) and 4 cloves or minced garlic. Add a pinch of sea salt and some fresh ground pepper. Sautee until the veggies are soft. At the very end, add a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves and cook until soft and wilted.

Maninis Gluten Free Rigatoni:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add your rigatoni and cook for 3 minutes. Drain. in a large bowl toss pasta with dried basil, a pinch of sea salt and a teaspoon of olive oil. Add your sautéed vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly.

Now you are ready to dish! Simple, clean and very family friendly! I love cooking with turkey as it is very versatile and takes the place of greasy hamburger and sausage.

dinner, life, lunch, Uncategorized

HOT HOT HOT

May 7, 2013 CleanEatingMama

Seattle has been HOT!

We tied with Arizona today! Crazy for this time of year!

Today was spent inside, cleaning the ENTIRE house from top to bottom! Every nook and corner was swept, vacuumed and mopped. What was once a dusty, dog hair zone is now a sparkling home once again! I have been walking around barefoot all night and it feels sooooo good! I love clean hard wood floors!

I did have some lunch at about 11:30 – I skipped breakfast. Ooops!

Have you guys heard of Better Bean? They are a Portland based company that specializes in BEANS! I first came in contact with them a year ago and then I met Meagan, one of the owners, at the Seattle Veg Fest this year. Such a sweetheart! I gave her a big hug and congratulated her on this amazing journey she is on!

Their products are fantastic! I love me some beans and no matter what you are craving, they have you covered!

I bought the Cuban Black Beans and ate them straight from the container today. I didn’t even heat them up!

And just look at the ingredient list – super simple, very clean and packed full of goood stuff!

I finally showered at 2:45! I was a hot mess after scrubbing the floors, 3 loads of laundry, vacuuming and organizing.

I also made myself a refreshing iced coffee – first iced coffee of the year!

I used my Keurig and brewed a K-Cup over ice. Then I added a splash of unsweetened almond milk and a few drops of stevia. So refreshing and good!

Jordan LOVED his first day at his new school! He was naming his new friends, sharing his play time adventures and letting me know how much he enjoyed it! I made him a simple snack of Chobani yogurt and apple slices.

I too had some apple slices and CB’s Nuts Peanut Butter.

The rest of the afternoon was spent outside, riding bikes and enjoying the sunshine!

Dinner was light and so good! We grilled up a piece of salmon seasoned with a little garlic power and pepper and I made a fresh spinach salad to go with it.

I sprinkled some dried basil, oregano, more black pepper and spritzed some fresh lemon juice on top of my piece.

My salad contained spinach leaves, red onion, kalamata olives, goat cheese, a splash of olive oil and some pepper.

It was exactly what I was craving!

Before it got too dark we all took a nice walk around the block. It was such a beautiful night out! The lights were reflecting off of the lake and there was a nice, cool breeze. Perfect!

chili, clean eating, dinner, vegan, vegetarian

Vegan Chili – Clean Eating, Fast and Delicious!

February 28, 2013 CleanEatingMama

I know what some of you might think… to eat clean you have to spend hours in the kitchen!

Totally not true!

Tonight I created a super simple yet clean, healthy and FAST dinner!

Let’s get cooking, shall we?!

Simple Vegan Chili

2 cans of organic beans – I used a can of white beans and a can of garbanzo
1 six inch zucchini, cubed
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
10 large cherry tomatoes, halved and quartered (improvise here! I had larger cherry tomatoes and just guessed – I would say it was about a cup or more fresh tomatoes)
handful of sundried tomatoes
handful of chopped cilantro
1 cup of water
a tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
chili seasoning – I used a half a packet of Trader Joes taco seasoning (no MSG) but you can use a combo of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.

Heat a soup pot on medium heat. Add olive oil. Once hot, add onion, zucchini, salt and pepper. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes. Add everything at this point – tomatoes, beans, water, seasonings and cilantro. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or so.

I boiled some fresh gluten free noodles and placed a few scoops of chili on them.

Dinner is served! Simple, healthy and oh so good!

The Clean Eating Mama

dinner, recipe, vegan, vegetarian

Ratatouille

January 8, 2013 CleanEatingMama

I never really knew what this dish was until I watched the Disney version of Ratatouille. Slices of zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes… served in a platter by the most adorable little mouse ever.

However, there will be no mouse assisting me in my kitchen. Those furry little rodents aren’t THAT cute…

But bring me the veggies! I made this dish into a stew type dish. I saw pictures of neatly sliced vegetable rounds all laying perfectly perfect… but where is the fun in that?! Just chop some veggies, add some herbs, cook and eat!

This is a very easy recipe and very easy on the pocket book. There is no protein in this dish but you could serve a small side of your desired protein if you would like (turkey, chicken, tofu, legumes). Tonight I heated up some leftovers after the gym and had wilted spinach and chickpeas mixed in. Super yummy! And the flavors intensified from yesterday making this dish my new go-to comfort food dish.

I will be making this again soon – I am not a huge eggplant fan so I might make a non-traditional version with more squash and red bell pepper.

Ratatouille

3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers, cut into large pieces (about 1 inch by 1 inch)
3 cups of cubed zucchini
2 cups cubed eggplant
3 large tomatoes, cubed
1/2 cup dried tomatoes, chopped
assortment of herbs – thyme, oregano, parsley ( I used whole sprigs of thyme and pulled them out once it was done cooking)
salt and pepper to taste

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and heat. Add garlic and let soften for a minute – don’t let it burn! Add eggplant and a pinch of salt. Let cook down for about 2 minutes. Add red bell pepper, salt and pepper and cover. Cook for 10 minutes on medium low heat.

Add tomatoes and zucchini. Gently stir. Add herbs and stir. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. You might have to add a little water if it is too thick.

Serve in a big bowl with fresh crusty bread and a nice bottle of red.

breakfast, clean eating, dinner, lunch

Clean Eats

January 3, 2013 CleanEatingMama

I thought I would take a moment and share what I have been eating. I used to do this on a daily basis and not only did it help me becoming more aware of what I was consuming but it also helps those that need a little inspiration in their own daily eating.

Breakfast was a simple organic egg cooked in a little olive oil and an extra egg white, steamed spinach with salt and pepper, half of a small avocado, grilled sprouted toast and black coffee.

I was cleaning pretty much all morning so I didn’t end up eating breakfast until 11 or so. Christmas has been cleared out and put away until next year. I was a little sad at first but it feels a bit less cluttered now.

Afternoon snack / lunch consisted of nibbling and snacking.

I had about a half of a cup of homemade vegetarian chili.

I also added more bags to my shop, too. These bags are great for shopping tips to the produce stand!

I ended up going t the gm around 6:30 tonight and when I got back home I heated up bowl of more chili topped with fresh cilantro. I love homemade chili. It’s been really cold here in Seattle and nothing warms my bones more than hot soup or chili.

dinner, lentil, recipe, vegan, vegetarian

Vegan Lentil Loaf

November 27, 2012 CleanEatingMama

I was never a fan of meat loaf. Even before I became vegetarian the thought of a large loaf of mixed meat, spices and crusty ketchup turned my stomach. Almost as bad as creamed green bean casserole. But I do love lentils. Maybe a little too much.

Nah… you can never love lentils too much.

This recipe is relatively easy and simple. You can make it in a traditional loaf pan or use a casserole dish like I did. It’s hearty, filling, comforting and vegan… feel free to add other vegetables as it would only enhance the flavor profile. The next time I make this I will probably add red bell pepper, cilantro and corn for a tex-mex feel.
Enjoy kids!

Vegan Lentil Loaf

1 1/2 cups uncooked lentils – either green or yellow
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 large yellow onion, or 2 medium – it’s better to have too much than not enough
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped baby tomatoes
assorted herbs – dill, thyme, Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder or 3 cloves chopped garlic
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat to 375 degrees
In a large pot, cook lentils in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and mash slightly. In a large sauce pan, add olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add onion, tomatoes,a pinch of salt and let cook down for 10 minutes. Add garlic powder (or garlic) and the remainder of the herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 3-5 more minutes.
In a large pan, mix lentils, rice, onion mixture, ketchup and hot sauce. Taste and season to your liking.
Transfer lentil mixture to baking dish of choice. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Check and see if the top of crunchy. Depending on the depth of your pan will determine the cooking time. I baked mine for 35 minutes but it could have baked for a bit longer for a crustier finish.
You can always top your loaf with ketchup, too.
Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing.

I received some emails stating that it fell apart when it was cut. I have made this loaf 2 or 3 times and I admit there was a time or two that it did fall apart. It still tastes amazing… just may be more like a lentil pile instead of a slice.

dinner, gluten free, life, recipe, vegan

Sunday Supper

April 30, 2012January 19, 2015 CleanEatingMama

What a perfect day.

Jordan and I took a very much needed drive outside of the city for some vegan and gluten free cupcakes and bread from this amazing bakery, Guilt Free Goodness. Dawn, Queen Baker and owner, is very talented! Not only does she serve baked goods, she also has a small lunch menu that I will have to try next time I am there.

I was pleased to see the amount of vegan sweets she has to offer…

I follow her on Facebook and she was stating how much raisin cinnamon bread she had in the bakery today. I knew I had to finally make the trip to visit her. I ended up buying a half loaf of the raisin bread and a whole loaf of her vegan, gluten free bread. The BEST gluten free bread I have ever had. Super airy, soft and the flavor was mild yet distinctive.

I think she should rename her logo to Guilt Free Goddess!

This is going to be a weekly staple – a nice country drive to buy my bread for the week. Perfect.

I am also planning on writing a formal review of Guilt Free Goodness here very soon, too. I am needing to go back and do some more “sampling”. 😉

Afterwards, Jordan and I were listening to the Beatles while driving through the back roads viewing nature at its best. I really do miss living in “the woods”. I am starting to realize city living is not for me. I feel my best when I am surrounded by trees, water and nature.

I have to leave town for business next week and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any food go to waste so I had my parents over for a relaxing Sunday Supper.

Lentil Loaf

Raw Kale Salad

Brew

Bread

Warmed and ready to serve

And my Mom made snickerdoodle muffins for dessert. I am a sucker for cinnamon.

I hope each and every one of you had an amazing weekend.

XxOo

dinner, jordan, life

Movie Date

March 27, 2012 CleanEatingMama

I had a VERY special evening tonight.

It included some popcorn…

And my very special, handsome, loving date…

There is nothing more I love than snuggling with my little Bubba on the sofa watching a movie. Tonight we watched UP. Can I just say… I always get choked up while watching this movie. It’s a happy / sad movie. Yet 100% cute!

Before my date, I ate a bowl of fresh fruit – strawberries + mango + apple – with yogurt topped with peanut butter, chopped dates and Grapenuts. I also brewed a pot of green tea.

My favorite part about popcorn? The half-popped kernels! They are money! I purposely scoop my popcorn out of the bottom of the pot JUST to have the un-popped kernels. And it’s generally where the sea salt is hiding, too. Mmmmhmm…

Remember to sign up for my Sokenbicha giveaway by the end of the week, too!

dinner, vegan

Dinner Idea – vegetable sandwich + bok choy

July 13, 2010 CleanEatingMama

I wanted to share tonight’s dinner with all of you. It was not only satisfying, but it was loaded full of flavor and 100% vegan.

I started by grilling two pieces of bread with some Earth Balance on one side. After they were good and hot, I spread one half with avocado, and the other half with cashew spread.
I grilled some onions until they were soft, sweet and hot. I also had a jar of roasted red peppers that I wanted to try and it was literally staring me down every time I opened the pantry. I added the onions, pepper and lettuce and layered each ingredient in between the grilled slices of bread.

I served it with a side of steamed baby bok choy sprinkled with salt, pepper and some shoyu.

So many people think in order to have a mouth watering, memorable meal it has to be elaborate with numerous ingredients. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Simple flavors are just as good, if not better!