Korean Beef Rice Bowls →

Hey everybody! It's been a while again, I know. I know. Sorry about that.

Today I want to share a recipe with you that I tried out last night that took me only 30 minutes to make and tasted like something I could have gotten at a restaurant. Delicious! If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you have already seen the picture of it.

Every one of my family members enjoyed this recipe. I left the chili flakes out and just put them on the table to be added to everyone's liking. My three and five-year-olds ate the entire serving that I gave them without any chili flakes added. My five year old who is typically the more picky of the two actually thanked me for making this for dinner! Melt a momma's heart!

Also, I couldn't find Gochujang sauce at my grocery store, so I just omitted it. You could probably use Siracha if you really want that spice though.

Give this one a try on a busy weeknight. I doubt you will be dissapointed.

Roasted Ratatouille

I came across this recipe in the "King George Farmer’s Market Fields to Table Cookbook". I fell in love with it the first time that I made it. It is a great way to use up many of your summer garden harvest and to eat lots of veggies at once. This is so yummy! I didn’t expect this to taste sweet, but roasting the vegetables brings out their natural sweet flavor. I served this hot over penne pasta. DELICIOUS!

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 cups cherry tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Directions:
Combine eggplant, onion, pepper, zucchini, and garlic in a large bowl. Add olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer vegetables onto a baking sheet. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and set oven to 425 degrees. Place baking sheet into preheating oven. Roast about 20 minutes, until vegetables are golden brown on bottom. Remove pan from oven. Stir in cherry tomatoes, Continue to roast for about 15 minutes, stirring once more until tomatoes start to release their juices. Serve hot or cool to room temperature.

Healthy Banana Pancakes

I love pancakes! And as I have mentioned before, my family has pancakes for breakfast every Saturday morning. It is a well loved tradition! Most of the time I use a gluten free mix that we all like and add some vanilla, cinnamon and either grated carrots or zucchini. A couple of weeks ago I tried this recipe that I ran across on facebook instead and we all loved it! I like that it is made of whole ingredients and nothing is processed. We top ours with a smear of peanut butter and some real maple syrup. Yum!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats →

Yes, I hopped on the overnight oats bandwagon! They are so easy and make getting breakfast ready in the mornings so quick! If you haven't tried them, you should. Do you need to have a jar? No. I mix mine up in a tupperware container. It's not as picture-worthy, but it works just fine. I have to admit upfront that I have someone in my house that won't eat them...my husband. Apparently he thinks that oatmeal should be cooked and always eaten hot. The rest of us love this recipe. I have tried other recipes that haven't gone over so well. So my advice is to find a few recipes, try them out and keep the ones you like. The ease of these recipes make them worth experimenting with. Don't forget to click on the title of the post to get the recipe!

Smoky Maple-Mustard Salmon →

I found this simple recipe for baked salmon a few weeks ago and have made it several times already. My whole family loves it! Tonight I served it alongside steamed broccoli and sweet potatoes roasted in coconut oil with a sprinkle of cinnamon. It was devoured. I love when my family loves what I cook! Give this recipe a try. It makes for a super quick and easy weeknight meal. (Remember: click on the title of the post to get the recipe!)

Coconut Flour Pumpkin Bread Recipe →

I was looking for something to make to use up some pumpkin that I had cooked and these were just the thing! They are low in processed foods and sugar, and high in nutrients. I and both of my girls ate one just as soon as they were cool enough to handle. These are also another great grab-n-go breakfast because of how high in protein they are (5 eggs per recipe!). Between the quality protein and healthy fat that they contain, they should help keep you feeling full until your next meal.

PB&J Morning Muffins →

Here is another Grab and Go Breakfast (or snack) muffin for you! This one is packed with protein and healthy fats too! I have been making these muffins for several years and can not find the original post that I got them from. So, to whomever created this recipe: THANK YOU! I love it!

Healthy Applesauce Oat Muffins →

Here is another quick grab-n-go breakfast or snack food. I have made these twice now and my kids (and I) devoured them! The second time I made them I reduced the sugar to 1/4th cup and used three steamed and puréed carrots and one steamed and puréed apple in place of the applesauce. They tasted like carrot cake muffins! Yum! With my changes they only have one teaspoon (four grams) of added sugar per muffin as long as you don't use sweetened dried fruit. Low on added sugar, high on whole grains plus some veggies thrown in...what else could you ask for in a muffin?

Grab-n-Go Egg Muffins →

I love grab-n-go breakfast foods. However, I despise sweets disguised as quick and easy on-the-go breakfasts that are highly marketed and highly coveted by our young children (and many adults). So, I am going to give you a few healthy, make-ahead, grab-n-go breakfast ideas over the next few weeks. I hope that they help you stay healthy and sane in the back to school madness that is sure to ensue! Today's recipe is so simple! I made these just last night with a few pieces of bacon that I had left over, some green bell pepper and onion. Both of my girls ate them right up this morning. It always puts a smile on my face when I can start their day with some veggies in their breakfast! I use silicone bakeware, so I don't even need to use oil to coat my pans. The only thing that I don't like about the recipe in this linked post is that she uses something that says "egg product". I used whole eggs. One large egg per muffin to be exact. If you want to go with eggs in a carton, that's fine, but be sure to get the kind labeled 100% eggs or 100% egg whites.

Golden Pancakes

I have started my figure contest preparation diet and wanted to share one of my go-to breakfast recipes. It's a clean, protein packed pancake recipe. It's not one that I found online, but rather in the book Eating for Life by Bill Phillips. I am going to give you the recipe as written, however, I omit the sugar substitute and syrup (I don't use any type of artificial sweetener, ever, but more on that later) and, of course, I don't use fat-free cottage cheese. I use reduced-fat cottage cheese instead. I usually just spread them with a thin layer of peanut butter and top with sliced strawberries. Yum!

Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked whole-grain oats (non-instant) 6 egg whites 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 2 packets sugar substitute 1/2 cup sugar-free maple syrup 1/4 cup mixed berries

Directions: Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray; place over medium heat.

In a blender, combine oats, egg whites, cottage cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar substitute. Blend on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour batter, about 1/4 cup at a time, onto hot skillet. Cook pancake until bubbly on top and dry around edges, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook other side until golden brown, about 2 more minutes.

While pancakes are cooking, microwave maple syrup until warm, about 20 seconds.

Place a portion of pancakes on 2 separate plates. Top with warm maple syrup and mixed berries. Serve and enjoy!

Oatmeal Zucchini Snack Bars →

I found these granola bars last week while searching for a recipe that my children would eat that contained zucchini. These were a huge hit! I did not put coconut in my version, but otherwise I followed the recipe as written. They are moist, flavorful and have a vegetable hidden in them. What's not to love?

By the way, I have had several people tell me that they can't get to the recipes that I am posting about. If that is true for you, just click on the title of the post. It is a link to the recipe. Enjoy!