Happy New Year!!!
Last year was truly a blessing of family. We enjoyed our new little boy and expanded our "friend" family. I'm excited to start this new year with a focus on health. I honestly believe that one of the best gifts, besides a relationship with Christ, that we can give our children is the gift of wellness. Many of you know that I became nationally yoga certified this year and have let my girls experience this wonderful practice. It's a joy for me to practice yoga and I encourage all of you to find an activity that you love to do and share it with your kids. They don't have to love it, they just need to see you loving physical activity.
Now about my new and improved blog. I'm still going to post a week's worth of recipes that are Slamkova tested. There will be at least one meat-free meal and on crockpot meal. Everything else depends on what we ate or tried that week. It may be breakfast or grilling out. Most will be healthy options and hopefully some tips to get the kids and maybe more importantly, the hubby, on board. My first tip on getting them to eat new things is this. Make the new meal and have NO back-up plan. That's right. Don't have chicken nuggets at the ready. Don't tell them to eat a bowl a cereal. They must eat what you made. They don't have to like it. They don't have to eat all of it but it is the only meal that you have.
Day 1 Meatless Monday-
Cauliflower Hot "Wings" with homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 cup buffalo sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
celery sticks
Preheat oven to 450. Place milk, flour, and garlic salt in large bowl and mix well. Dump in all the cauliflower and toss to coat. Place on baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Mix butter and hot sauce. Take out cauliflower and drizzle with sauce and place back in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Enjoy with celery sticks!
Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup mayonnaise or plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1 scallion finely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Mix all ingredients in bowl with a fork breaking up large pieces.
Day 2 -
Grilled Chicken and Avocado Bowl
Ingredients
Chicken breasts
1 cup olive oil
3/4 cup soy (or light soy)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (can substitute brown sugar)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon minced garlic
3 teaspoon salt
generous dash of pepper
Mix all ingredients in a plastic bag in the morning or at least 4 hours and refrigerate. Grill outside or on a grill pan until juices run clear. Make extra to use in salad later this week.
Avocado Bowl
Ingredients
Avocados
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Cut avocados in half and remove the pit. Keep in skin and brush with flesh side with olive oil. Grill flesh side down until grill marks appear. Turn over and fill pit well with salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Close grill and let the salsa get hot and the cheese melt. Serve with chicken.
Day 3 Crockpot -
Smothered Lentils
Ingredients
2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
1 onion chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup country ham or left-over ham, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon coriander (optional)
1 teaspoon oregano
Couple shakes of red pepper flake
Salt and pepper to taste
Water
Bunch of kale or spinach
French bread, toasted
Olive oil
Place all ingredients except greens in crockpot and cover with water about an inch over beans. Cook on low while at work. You may need to add more water if beans soak it all up. Stir in greens about 30 minutes before serving. When you ladle it into the bowl, drizzle it with olive oil. It's a chef secret to great soup. Serve with crusty bread toasted.
Day 4 Low Carb Meal-
Fast and Easy Portobello Mushroom Pizzas
Ingredients
Large portobello caps, gills scrapped out
Olive oil
Marinara sauce
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Pizza toppings of your choice
Preheat oven to 400. Rub mushroom caps with olive oil. Place on cookie sheet. Fill caps with sauce, top with cheese and toppings. Bake until the cheese is melty and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Day 5 -
Oldie with a New Twist - Black Beans and Pumpkin Polenta with Chorizo or Shrimp
I love this recipe from Rachael Ray. I've made it 20 times and everytime, it turns out great. I was telling my favorite pescatarian, Ginger, about it and she made the statement that it would be great with shrimp instead. I totally agree! Instead of starting with chorizo, begin with the onions and garlic. Add the shrimp with the black beans and the dish is perfect.
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/pumpkin-polenta-with-chorizo-and-black-beans
Day 6 Breakfast Idea - This will make you breakfast on the go for the week.
Baked "boiled" Eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Place eggs in your muffin tin, shell on. That's right, shell on. You can make as many as you'd like. I usually do at least 6 but sometimes 12 since I have 2 tins. Bake for 30 minutes. Place hot eggs carefully in ice cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel eggs and store in a plastic baggy. Eat these for an easy breakfast on the go or add to salads for a protein punch.
Day 7 Left-over Redo -
Grilled Chicken Salad with Better than Football Dressing
Salad Dressing
2 ounces olive oil
2 ounces balsamic vinegar
1 ounce honey
1 ounce mustard (I use dijon but I've used all different kinds and they work great.)
Mix all ingredients in a jar or bottle with tight lid. Shake until well mixed. Use on salad greens of your choice and top with grilled chicken. Don't be afraid to add different veggies that are hanging out in your fridge. Throw in some celery from the wings, carrots from the lentils, sliced mushrooms from the pizza night, and baked eggs from breakfast. Now, that's what I call a salad!
Have a great week and joyful new year. Let me know how these work out for you. I'd also love feedback, requests, or even a good challenge. I love to hear from you.
With health and veggies galore,
Brooke
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