You made it back for week two! I hope this means you’ve tried some recipes and are ready for another baby step to a healthier family. The “Clean Eating” phase is sweeping the nation right now and it can seem a little overwhelming, especially if you’re feeding a family. Basically, clean eating is eating things closest to their natural state. For example, eating a raw tomato is best, eating it cooked with other natural ingredients in a sauce is good, eating it mixed with high fructose corn syrup is worst. The key to slowly starting clean eating is reading food labels. If there is no label, like on a head of broccoli, it is probably best for you. If the label has a 6 or less ingredients and you have had those ingredients in your kitchen, it’s probably ok, and if there are chemicals, huge words, or artificial anything, it’s probably bad for you.

I know what you’re thinking. “I don’t have time to make everything from scratch.” You may be thinking, “I don’t know how to cook well enough cook from raw ingredients.” I understand! I didn’t say you can’t get help. Generations back, canning and curing was used to keep fresh things from going bad. Canned veggies are a great inexpensive way to start you on the cleaner eating path. Watch out for super salty canned items. You can also rinse canned beans and veggies to remove some of that salt. But keep in mind, salt is natural. Unless you have a high blood pressure or another issue that requires you to watch you salt intake, salt is not a bad guy. This week’s menu uses several jarred or canned items. Check what you buy and make sure that there aren’t tons of additives. Pasta sauce is a great example of that; it should be tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, salt, etc. If there is high fructose anything, food dye, or hydrogenated something, don’t get that one.

I have a bunch of parmesan because it was on sale so you’ll notice I used it a lot this week. Plus, I love cheese, lots of cheese.

Day 1 - Meatless Meal
Clean Bean Chili

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
(use with peppers, if you like it hot)
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. chili powder

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

In a soup pot, sauté garlic and onions in oil. Add everything else. Let heat through, about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Day 2 – Salad, sort of!
Grilled Chicken Breast with Roasted Asparagus Rafts

You’ll love the simplicity of this meal plus it’s figure friendly.

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill. Marinate chicken in your favorite Italian dressing. Place chicken on grill and cook turning once until chicken is no longer pink. Take chicken off grill and cover with foil to keep it warm. Place lightly oiled asparagus on grill and cook until bright green and crisp to the bite. Place a “raft” of asparagus on plate, season with salt and pepper to taste, and top with chicken.

Day 3 – Crockpot Lasagna (with or without meat)

1 lb. ground beef (this can be omitted or switched for sausage, chicken, or turkey)
2 jars of pasta sauce
8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, uncooked (whole wheat, if you can find them)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups spinach or kale, chopped

Spray the inside of the crock-pot with cooking spray or use a crockpot liner. Brown the ground beef, if you’re using it. Stir the tomato sauce in with the ground beef. Mix egg, ricotta, cheeses and greens together. Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crock-pot. Arrange 1/3 of the uncooked noodles over the sauce (I usually break them up so they fit better.)
Spoon 1/3 of the cheeses over the noodles. Repeat these layers twice. Top with remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. (I've heard that you can start the crock-pot on high in the morning before leaving for work and then put it on warm when you leave and it's perfect when you get home.) Let the lasagna stand in the crock-pot with the lid off for at least 10 minutes.

Day 4 – Chicken Bake
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, or regular breast
4 teaspoons dry bread crumbs, whole wheat if you have them

Preheat oven to 425. Mix first three ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. I use foil on mine to make for easier clean up. Spread sour cream mixture on chicken tops. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 20-35 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. You want it to be cooked through, no pink in the center of the thickest piece. I also roast veggies like broccoli or Brussels sprouts sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper with them in the same oven, just put them in when the chicken has been in for 10 minutes and they both should be done at the same time.

Day 5 – Snack Supper
This is a go to Sunday lunch.

Fruit, sliced, (We use apples and pears.)
Grapes
Pineapple, cut into chunks or spears
Cheeses several types
Cracker, whole wheat

Make a large fruit and cheese tray. Enjoy while watching a football game or movie. It also makes a great date night light meal.

Day 6 – Saturday Breakfast
Whole Wheat Biscuits and Scrambled Eggs
This recipe uses coconut oil. It’s one of those miracle natural ingredients that when you start using it, you wonder why everyone doesn’t use it.

Biscuits
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole wheat organic flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup coconut oil ←This is the new item you may not have!
1 cup milk (any kind, whole, 2%, buttermilk, whatever)


Preheat oven to 450. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well with fork. Mix the coconut oil into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then pour in the milk and mix it all together. Knead the dough with your hands 8 to 10 times and then turn out onto a counter or cutting board.
Pat it out flat with your hands until the dough is a somewhat even ¾-inch thickness (sprinkle with a little flour if necessary).
Turn a drinking glass upside down and cut out biscuit rounds.
Then put them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned. 


Scramble eggs to make biscuit sandwiches or serve it on the side. I put out butter, jelly, honey, and sorghum syrup. These also can be frozen before baking and then baked a few at a time. Just add a few minutes to the baking time.

Day 7 – Left Over Remix!
If you have left over biscuits and chicken, you can make a chicken and biscuit skillet. It’s so good, you can serve it to company and they’ll never know you’re using left overs.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 bag frozen mixed vegetable
2 cups cooked chicken

Melt butter in ovenproof skillet. Add flour and cook for one minute until flour is complete incorporated into butter. Add the chicken stock and cook until sauce thickens. Add vegetables and chicken and cook until it’s all hot and bubbly. Turn on broiler to high. Split biscuits in half and place on top of the chicken mixture. Place in oven to toast biscuits. Serve immediately.


With clean food and full tummies,
Brooke