I’m baaaaccckkk …. And what better way to come back than with a bang? These Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps are pretty darn good, and the Coconut Peanut Sauce that accompanies them is perfect for a number of dishes. I’ve been trying to eat fewer carbs since it’s the only diet change that seems to work for me, and these lettuce wraps are perfect to bring to work for lunches. Now, it looks like a whole bunch of ingredients, but most of these are staples you should already have on hand!

These are super healthy since they just use chicken, vegetables and a light sauce. You might get the urge to use iceberg lettuce, but please find the will the resist the urge. Boston is where it’s at. Also, if you’re one of those people who pay attention to detail, you’ll notice those are cashews on that plate instead of peanuts (guilty). I simply didn’t have peanuts on hand, so cashews it was. Either works!

In other news totally unrelated to Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps … Google stinks. Just when I thought I was all cool with my Google Ads, the up and disable my account. Gggrrr. But, if there’s anything I’ve learned in life, it’s that you should never let Google ruin all your blogging fun. So, I’m back at it and determined to feed people with or without Google. SO THERE!

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Coconut Peanut Sauce

What You Need:

Chicken lettuce wraps:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes (buy the organic kind or you’ll break my heart)

1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

4 scallions, diced

Fresh cilantro, diced

Peanuts, for garnish

Boston lettuce

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon finely minced ginger

1.5 teaspoons ground cardamon

Coconut Peanut Sauce:

1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk (fat free or lite)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or honey)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (or to taste)

What You Do:

1. Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Prepare the marinade: whisk all ingredients together in a separate bowl. Pour about half the marinate over the chicken and massage the meat so the cubes are covered well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. Refrigerate the remaining marinade as well.

2. Cook the pepper and mushrooms in oil until the begin to soften, set aside. Cook the marinated chicken in the same pan until no longer pink.

3. When chicken is about half cooked, add in the vegetables and the reserved marinade. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Prepare the coconut sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This can also be done in the microwave)

5. Once chicken is done, add in the scallions and cilantro.

6. To assemble: Spoon some chicken mixture onto a lettuce leaf and garnish with peanuts. Pour coconut sauce on top or serve on the side. Enjoy!

 

Okay, this is the last pumpkin post of the season … Maybe. They’re just so perfect as a healthy Thanksgiving dessert because A. They can be made the night before and B. They don’t even require any baking!

As soon as I saw these vegan, gluten-free pumpkin bars by The Kitchn, I knew I had to try them. The crust is made of an almond and coconut mixture, and the pumpkin filling is chai-spiced, so what’s not to love? I’m pretty sure pumpkin is a vegan’s best friend because it tastes so good simply sweetened with a little maple syrup and spices.

If I made these again, I think I’d increase the amount of pumpkin filling I made so the ratio of crust-to-filling was more in favor of the filling. Either way, I thought this was a delicious dessert for those vegan and gluten-free friends. Or, if you’re simply trying to cut back on sugar, give these a try! Any dessert that uses natural ingredients and still tastes good is a good one in my book. 🙂

 

 

No-Bake Healthy Pumpkin Bars

What you need:

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup pitted dates, chopped — plus a few more if needed

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup maple syrup or coconut nectar (or to taste)
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

What you do:

1. Combine the oats, almonds, coconut, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and blend until fine. Add in the dates and blend until it’s sticky and holds together. If it’s too crumbly, add more dates.

2. Press the crust into an 8 x 8 baking ban lined with parchment paper. Place that in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

3. Combine pumpkin, syrup, oil, vanilla and spices in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add in the flour and blend until well combined.

4. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling over. Spread it evenly with a spoon. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

5. Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper edges. Use a chef’s knife to cut the bars, wiping the knife clean between cuts. Serve chilled.

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These tacos are drunk, and apparently so was the lighting in my kitchen when I was trying to photograph them. These may not look like much, but if you’re a tacoholic like me, you’ll love them. Plus, they’re made with beer, and beer makes everything better. Amiright?

The beauty of one pot recipes is that you have minimal dishes to do, and they’re super easy. Plus, this is perfect for when you forget to thaw chicken because it goes in the pot frozen! Just dump everything in and go work out while they’re cooking. (That’s exactly what I did, but I recommend having someone keep an eye on the flame).

One Pot Stewed Chicken Tacos

What you need:

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3 whole chiles
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of about 15 fresh cilantro stems
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Pale Ale beer
• small corn tortillas
• shredded lettuce, diced tomato, cilantro leaves and cheese for garnish

What you do:

1. Add all ingredients to a dutch oven or large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from broth and set aside. Pull stems from cooked peppers, remove bay leaves from the pot and transfer the broth to a blender in batches to blend the sauce. Add the sauce back to the dutch oven, bring to a boil and cook down to 2 cups of sauce.
2. While sauce is cooking, shred chicken with two forks or your fingers. Add 1 cup of sauce and chicken to a bowl and combine, adding more sauce if desired.
3. Warm small corn tortillas. Layer chicken, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro and whatever other toppings you prefer.

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Brussels sprouts are having a moment, and quite frankly, I don’t know why. Although the mini cabbages are one of the healthiest vegetables, they’ve always been one of my least favorite. But in the spirit of fall, I decided to give them another chance in this healthy Thanksgiving side dish. I have since decided that if brussels sprouts are mixed with squash, cranberries and apples, I’m a fan.

 

I love the colors of this Thanksgiving side dish. Not only will this side look perfect next to turkey (and stuffing and potatoes and rolls and green bean casserole and everything else) on your holiday table, it’s a vegetable side dish that tastes great! Curry powder adds a subtle flavor, brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness, and the combination of olive oil and balsamic vinegar gives the vegetables a nice glaze.

This is the perfect fall side dish for Thanksgiving, or for dinner any time.

What You Need:

• 1 1b. Brussels sprouts, trimmed & halved
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 apple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• kosher salt & fresh cracked pepper

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place Brussels sprouts, squash, cranberries, apple and onion in a medium bowl.

2. In a separate small bowl, mix together oil, vinegar and curry powder. Pour over the vegetable mix and toss to coat.

3. Spread the Brussels sprouts mixture onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar and season with salt and pepper.

4. Roast for 20 minutes, stir, and cook for another 20-25 minutes.

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I know what you’re thinking … ice cream in November?! All I have to say is YES. We had a warmer weekend here in the midwest, and I took full advantage of the above-freezing temperatures by making this super easy, healthy, 4-ingredient pumpkin pie ice cream. 🙂

I’ve also been gearing up for my family’s epic Thanksgiving feast. I’ll be spending the holiday in North Carolina, which happens to have ice cream-friendly weather almost all year. Since my mom eats mostly paleo, I thought this ice cream would be the perfect thing to make for her Thanksgiving dessert. It honestly tastes just like a pumpkin pie, but colder and creamier and much, much healthier.

 

I used a lot of pumpkin puree in mine, and it made it super rich and pumpkin-y, which is a good thing in my book. If you’re not so into it, cut down the pumpkin to about 1/2 cup.

You can’t buy happiness but you can buy ice cream, and that’s kind of the same thing.

What You Need:

4 bananas, cut into slices and frozen

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup maple syrup

What You Do:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Pour into any dish and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2. When you’re ready to enjoy, let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. ENJOY! (I know you will)

This was my lunch, mid-nom.

I’m one of those weird people who actually enjoys my job, and one of the most interesting elements to me is analyzing food trends. Each week we scour social media and other food sites to see what’s trending in the world of noms, and salted caramel came up on the list last week. Salted caramel is everywhere. Now, I’ll admit, salt + caramel did not = delicious in my mind before I tried it. But, I’m telling you, after trying this I decided that salting your caramel is always a good idea. Always.

Now, about this apple tart. It’s even more delicious than it is pretty. I don’t even really like pie, but I’ll definitely be making this recipe again.

Although it has its fair amount of sugar and butter, it’s definitely lighter than most apple pie recipes. Since it’s a tart, there’s no pie crust on top. I used a frozen whole wheat pie shell from Whole Foods (Wholly Wholesome brand), and it was unbelievably delicious. It didn’t taste “healthy” at all, it tasted different but better than a normal pie crust in my opinion.

Then there’s the filling. Instead of a goopy mess of apples, sugar and cinnamon, this apple tart is layered with thinly sliced apples, sugar and butter. That’s it! The texture of the thin apples is perfect.

Last (but DEFINITELY not least) is the homemade salted caramel sauce. It’s milky and sweet in the beginning with a calm salty aftertaste. As soon as I tried this salted caramel sauce I wanted to smother it on everything from raw apples, to oatmeal, to ice cream, and pretty much everything else I eat.

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity. The soft, thin slices of apples are just sweet enough and the salted caramel sauce on top makes it taste like a pie without making it too heavy. For someone who’s not crazy about apple pie, I’m definitely crazy about this Salted Caramel Apple Tart. *pats self on back*

Salted Caramel Apple Tart

What You Need:
1 frozen whole wheat pie shell
3 large or 4 medium apples (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small bits

Homemade Salted Caramel Glaze:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or salted, but then ease up on the sea salt)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or half as much table salt)
2 tablespoons vanilla almond milk, heavy cream or milk

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the pie shell (in its aluminum tin) on a baking sheet and let it sit on the counter while you prepare your apples.

2.  Cut your apples in half top-to-bottom and remove its core (I used a paring knife). Using a mandolin, slice the apples about 1/16 – inch thick. You can also use a knife, but try to get them as thin as you can. But PLEASE use a mandolin if you have one – it’s worth it.

3. Fan the apples around the pie shell in slightly overlapping circles — each apple should overlap the one before so that only about 3/4-inch of the previous apple will be visible — until you reach the middle. Sprinkle the apples evenly with the first two tablespoons of sugar then dot with the first two tablespoons butter.

4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the pie shell are brown and the edges of the apples begin to take on some color. If you sliced your apples by hand and they were on the thicker side, you might need a little more baking time to cook them through. The apples should feel soft, but dry to the touch.

5. Meanwhile, about 20 minutes into the baking time, make your glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt your last 1/4 cup sugar; this will take about 3 minutes. Cook the liquefied sugar to a nice copper color, another minute or two. Turn the heat off and quickly add the sea salt and butter and stir until the butter melts and is incorporated.

6. Add the heavy cream and return to the stove over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until you have a lovely, bronzed caramel syrup, just another minute, two, tops. This whole process should be done quickly so the caramel doesn’t become too thick.

7. Set the caramel aside until needed. If it thickens up, you may need to briefly rewarm it to thin the caramel before brushing it over the tart.

8. Once your tart is ready, pour or brush the caramel glaze overtop. Return to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Best Pie Ever.

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When life hands me pounds of butternut squash, I make soup. And I put jalapenos in it. I froze all the jalapenos from our container garden this summer and have been looking for healthy ways to use them. Since they lose their crunch after being frozen, I figured blending them into soup was the perfect solution.

What I REALLY wanted to do was make jalapeno gnocchi,  a dish that I tried at a restaurant last week that was possibly the best gnocchi I’ve had. However, I have officially entered into a diet challenge with my sisters for the holidays. And since there’s free swag on the line, no gnocchi for me. This soup is a close second.

The jalapeno doesn’t add too much flavor, but it adds just enough kick. I left the seeds in because I like it hot, but if you don’t then scoop them out. I’m telling you, just a tiny bit of kick adds something special to butternut squash soup.

(I spy with my little eye … myself. In a spoon. Hehe.)

Jalapeno Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

What You Need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-in. cubes
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, milk or sour cream (I used vegan sour cream)

What You Do:

1. Heat olive oil in a 4- to 5-qt. pot over high heat. Add onion and carrot and cook until the onions begin to caramelize.
2. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeño, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not yet browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cayenne and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add squash, broth, brown sugar, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. In an immersion blender or regular blender, purée the soup until smooth. Stir in cream and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve hot.

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