Category Archives: Recipes

Recipe: Lazy Crock-Pot Pot Roast

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I thought about calling this my “easy” pot roast recipe, but what’s less work than “easy?”

Since it’s a one-dish meal that requires very little prep (less, even, than your typical pot roast recipe, which requires searing of the meat beforehand), it’s my lazy-man’s version that’ll still give you a healthy, piping-hot meal to top off a perfect fall day.

If you’re prepping this before you leave for work, you can leave it on low to cook all day (8-10 hours). But if you get a late start on a weekend, crank the Crock-Pot up to high to cut the cook time nearly in half (5-6 hours).

And don’t let the name fool you, though — just because it’s “lazy” doesn’t mean it’s not delicious!

Lazy Crock-Pot Pot Roast

Ingredients:

  • 2-lb chuck roast
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4-5 carrots, peeled & chopped
  • 4-5 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2-3 potatoes, peeled & chopped
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp celery salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 32 oz beef broth

Directions:

  1. Turn Crock-Pot on low. Wash and prep vegetables before adding them to the Crock-Pot.
  2. Place roast on top of vegetables in Crock-Pot, and sprinkle with spices.
  3. Slowly add liquids until both meat and vegetables are submerged.
  4. Cook until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork and meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
What’s your go-to meal for fall?

Recipe: Crock-Pot Apple-Pear Sauce

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While I’m on my apple kick, I figured I’d share another family-favorite fall recipe: Crock-pot apple-pear sauce, otherwise known as the gift that keeps on giving.

Not only do you get to have fun hitting up the orchard to collect bushels of fruit (or in our case, my in-laws’ backyard — thanks, guys!), but then you get to come home and reap the benefits of its deliciousness.

What I especially love about this recipe — well, besides the eating part — is that it’s practically foolproof. Three ingredients, loose directions, and in a few hours you’ll have some pretty amazing sauce to share (…or not).

Crock-Pot Apple-Pear Sauce

Ingredients:

  • ~20 small apples (your favorite variety)
  • ~10 pears (I use Bosc)
  • Cinnamon stick

Directions:

  1. Rinse, dry, peel and roughly chop enough of the apples and pears to fill your Crock-pot to the top. Add a stick of cinnamon.
  2. Turn Crock-pot on low and cook fruit until it starts to break down (a few hours), stirring occasionally.
  3. When fruit has cooked down (i.e. darkened up and gotten mushy), remove cinnamon stick and use spoon to break up any remaining large chunks.
  4. Let cool before eating. If desired, use an immersion blender to blend to a smooth consistency, but I like the rustic, chunky kind of sauce!

Hint: I like to have a few extra apples and pears on hand; as the fruit breaks down, it takes up less room in the Crock-pot (if you start with it full to the brim, you’ll end up with a half batch), so I’ll add more fruit as it cooks to end up with a full batch.

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Here’s the “before” — with fresh fruit and a cinnamon stick in the Crock-pot just as I turned it on. Resist the urge to add water or sugar (you’ll see why when you taste the finished product).

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And the “during” in which the fruit starts to brown up and break down. Be sure to stir regularly to avoid it sticking to the sides and bottom.

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And since I started this batch in the afternoon and added more fresh fruit before bedtime, I let it cook on low overnight so we’d wake up to a sweet surprise with breakfast the next morning!

Are you as apple-obsessed as I am in fall?

Recipe: Apple, Sausage & Cheddar Monkey Bread

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Fall means a lot of things, but perhaps the one I get most excited about is…APPLES! Squeezed into cider, drizzled with caramel or melted down into sauce in the crockpot, they’re delicious (and nutritious!) any which way you can get your hands on them this time of year.

This recipe stopped me in my tracks, though, as I was flipping through the latest issue of Real Simple magazine. Could my favorite fall-themed fruit also play well with biscuits, sausage and cheese?

Only a taste test would tell. So I made this dish one Sunday for a football-watching brunch with Ben. It says it serves 12, but we may have eaten half the pan by noon…using the excuse that it was good pre-workout fuel, of course.

Apple, Sausage & Cheddar Monkey Bread

(recipe adapted from Real Simple)

Ingredients: 

  • 16-oz. turkey breakfast sausage
  • 2 diced red apples
  • 16-oz. can biscuit dough, cut into 1-in. pieces
  • 1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Cook sausage in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until browned.
  2. Stir in apples. Cook until the apples are soft; transfer to a bowl. Stir in biscuit dough.
  3. Spread mixture into the skillet, and top with cheddar. Bake until golden, about 22 minutes.

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What’s your favorite out-of-the-box apple recipe?

Recipe: Farmer’s Market Salad

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Although I was off salads for most of the summer (ah, food aversions), I credit one special dish to getting me back on the fresh veggie bandwagon in time for fall: the Daily Cafe’s Sauvie Island Farm Salad. It’s a heavenly combination of chopped heirloom tomatoes, avocado, corn, cucumbers, sweet onions and arugula tossed with an apple cider vinaigrette.

I realized my new “habit” had become a full-blown obsession, however, as I was packing up to head home to Michigan a few weeks back and found myself wondering what I’d do without my usual lunchtime rendezvous. So I figured I’d take matters into my own hands with a little recipe redux for my family…plus a few small tweaks, of course (because I’m still off avocados…dammit).

Use it as a side dish to compliment your protein, as we did with some glazed salmon one evening. Or pile on some shredded chicken breast, and call it a meal unto its own. Either way, it’s a fantastic way to enjoy the final fruits of summer!

Farmer’s Market Salad

Ingredients: 

  • 4 heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 ear of fresh corn
  • Few handfuls of arugula lettuce
  • One ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup shredded chicken, optional

Directions: 

  1. Wash and chop tomatoes into 1/2-inch sized cubes. Place in a large bowl.
  2. Peel corn, and cut kernels off the cob directly into the bowl with tomatoes. Toss in a few handfuls of arugula (more, if you’d like).
  3. Cut mozzarella ball into small pieces, and add to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add shredded chicken (optional), and toss entire mixture to coat evenly with dressing. Serve and devour immediately.

Two quick tips: First, think out of the box and try using different kinds and colors of tomatoes. Red, green, yellow, brown, large, small — they’re all gorgeous and add more visual appeal to your meal. Remember, feeling satisfied and well-nourished means engaging all of your senses!

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Second, if you’re leery of soft cheeses (like me at the moment), I’ve got a super simple fix: Instead of fresh moz, buy some mozzarella string cheese to chop up. Sure, it’s got a slightly tougher texture, but it’s still delicious and a terrific source of calcium.

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Which recipes have you been craving this season?

Recipe: Peach Pecan Baked Oatmeal

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Now that the cat’s out of the bag about the bun in the oven, I’m excited to share some of my go-to recipes from over the past few months. The only non-negotiables have been that whatever we’re making is A) nutrient dense (because: brain food) and B) quick, easy and able to last a few days (because: exhaustion).

The good news? Those very same guidelines apply to anyone who is busy, active and health-conscious (i.e. you). So you don’t have to be expecting to enjoy these eats; you’ve just gotta want to put good stuff in your body and not spend too much time preparing to do so (because: hangry preggo).

My swaps included peaches instead of the original recipe’s nectarines, and I added a second egg and some nutmeg to up the ante on the protein and flavor. Not only does it smell fantastic while baking, but it’s even more delicious tasting — like a decadent peach cobbler!

Peach Pecan Baked Oatmeal

(recipe adapted from Full Belly)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups milk (I used almond)
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted, if solid, and cooled slightly)
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 medium ripe peaches, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tsp turbinado sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with about a teaspoon of the coconut oil.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir to combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla.
  4. Pour the liquid ingredients over the oat mixture and fold everything together with a large rubber spatula.
  5. Gently stir in peaches, and pour the oat batter into the pie plate. Scatter with pecans and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  6. Set the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes, or until it’s set in the middle (no wobble) and the top is crisp.
  7. Let sit for about 5 minutes after removing from heat to set before cutting into wedges and serving. Drizzle with extra maple syrup, if desired.
What are your must-haves when meal-planning? 

Recipe: Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

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Nuts are the quintessential portable snack with plenty of nutrients, good fats, fiber and staying power to hold you over ’til that next meal. When I’m in  training mode they’re a great option for keeping my energy up between workouts, but now that I’m training for two, so to speak, they’re a full-blown necessity for those moments when that panicked I-NEED-TO-EAT-NOW feeling hits.

Sometimes they need a little spicing up, though — particularly when we’re on the cusp of fall, and my thoughts are drifting toward cooler days filled with cider, pumpkins, apples and all kinds of comfort food. So after I devoured a packaged of the store-bought variety, I figured it was time to take matters into my own hands and make an all-natural version at home.

And bonus: It makes your entire house smell delicious!

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

(adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients: 

  • 1 egg white
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups unblanched almonds
  • 1/6 cup sugar
  • 1/6 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions: 

  1. In large bowl, beat egg white until frothy; beat in vanilla. Fold in almonds; stir to coat.
  2. Combine sugars, salt and cinnamon in separate bowl; add to nut mixture and stir to coat.
  3. Spread evenly into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until almonds are crisp, stirring once.
  4. Cool, and store in an airtight container. Yields about 2 cups.
What are you looking forward to this fall?

Recipe: Nutella Banana Protein Oatmeal

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Stuck in a breakfast rut? Yeah…me, too.

As much as I love my usual yogurt/granola/fruit or whatever egg frittata we whip up over the weekend, sometimes my taste buds need a little variety. If I’m being really honest, once in a while they also need something sweet. 

And when I want to venture into dessert-for-breakfast territory without totally throwing my system into sugar shock before 7 a.m., I experiment with oatmeal. With all the fixings, of course.

But where to start? Well, my lovely friend Corey, an RN and Arbonne Executive District Manager, knows I’m a supplement fan. So when a box of her very favorite Arbonne nutrition goodies arrived at my doorstep recently, I couldn’t wait to give the Chocolate Protein Shake Mix a whirl.

Not only does a serving of this stuff provide 20 grams of vegan protein (plus 20+ essential vitamins and minerals), but it’s also clinically tested and certified to have a low glycemic index, which has little effect on blood sugar levels and does not cause a spike in blood sugar.

A cure for my early-morning chocolate craving? Check. But one that won’t send me hurtling toward an energy crash? Yup. Let’s do this! 

Nutella Banana Protein Oatmeal

Ingredients:

  • 1 package plain, unsweetened instant oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/4 cup oat cereal (I used this one from Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 1 Tbsp wheat germ
  • 1/2 oz chopped hazelnuts
  • 1-2 Tbsp Nutella
  • 1/2 banana, sliced
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Arbonne’s)
  • 1/4 cup 2% milk

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mix the instant oats and hot water according to the directions on the package.
  2. Add oat cereal, chia seeds, wheat germ, hazelnuts, Nutella, banana and protein powder. Mix well to incorporate.
  3. Stir in milk (add more, as desired, to get consistency you like), and microwave for 30 seconds. Enjoy!
How do you get out of the dreaded ‘breakfast rut?’

Recipe: Fully-Loaded Zucchini Banana Bread

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Ever have a moment when you see a shot of a baked good, and it looks so tantalizing that it literally stops you in your tracks?

Ok, maybe that’s just me. 

When blogger friend Carleeh Mulholland posted pics from her recent Banana Zucchini Chia Bread baking session, I suddenly found myself at the grocery store on my lunch break to gather the ingredients.

She had tweaked the original recipe, doubling it, along with adding a cup of zucchini, 1/4 cup of chia and a extra banana for oomph. I figured I could take it a step further by taking out some of the sugar, playing with some “healthier” flours and packing in some more fiber with wheat germ.

The result speaks — or rather, shows, in the image above — for itself: a super-moist, super delicious bread that had hubby sneaking seconds (and thirds!) as a late-night snack.

Loaded Zucchini Banana Bread

(adapted from LittleBitsOf.com & special thanks to Carleeh for the heads up!)

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 4 overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 small zucchini, finely grated
  • 2 cups wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup wheat germ

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, beat together the egg, sugar, agave nectar and vanilla until combined. Add the butter and beat until smooth and the butter is fully incorporated. Beat in the buttermilk, bananas and zucchini.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and wheat germ. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the wet until all the flour is incorporated.
  3. Spray two loaf pans with non-stick spray, and pour half of the batter in each.
  4. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
How do you sneak healthy ingredients into your favorite recipes?

Recipe: Green Bean Salad with Seared Pineapple and Shrimp

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Sick of the same old same old when it comes to summer dinners? Spice things up a bit with this Sriracha-spiked salad.

I spotted this recipe in the July issue of O Magazine, and since it’s A) not too heavy on ingredients, B) chock full o’ nutrients, and C) ready in practically no time, it’s been what’s for dinner. Especially on weeknights when we’re pressed for time and creative meal ideas!

And, no, it’s not as spicy as you’d think. I’m not one for set-your-mouth-on-fire heat, but I love me some Sriracha; this recipe is more about flavor, though, than pushing the limits of your palate.

Green Bean Salad with Seared Pineapple and Shrimp

(courtesy of Marcia Kiesel via O Magazine)

Ingredients: 

  • ¾ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. salt, divided
  • 1 pound green beans, trimmed
  • 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1½ cups 1″ pineapple chunks
  • ½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • 1½ tsp. Sriracha

Directions:

  1. Bring a large nonstick skillet of water to a boil. Add ½ tsp. salt and green beans, and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
  2. In the dry skillet, heat ½ Tbsp. vegetable oil on high heat until shimmering. Add pineapple chunks in a single layer. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Add ½ Tbsp. oil to skillet. When hot, add shrimp, and season with ⅛ tsp. salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring a few times, until shrimp is just cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with pineapple.
  4. To skillet, add 2 Tbsp. oil and add garlic. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup tomatoes and cook 1 minute, crushing with a spoon to release juices. Add Worcestershire sauce, vinegar and Sriracha and stir well. Remove from heat and season with ¼ tsp. salt.
  5. To bowl, add reserved beans and the additional ½ cup tomatoes. Pour warm tomato-Worcestershire mixture on top and toss well. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Are you on Team Sriracha — yay or nay? 

Recipe: Thai-Style Noodle Salad

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As we creep toward our one-year anniversary of living in Oregon, we’re headed for a season of record-breaking temperatures. Not that I’m complaining. It’s going to take a lot more humidity to scare this Midwesterner who’s also lived through a few sweltering East Coast summers.

If I’ve noticed one thing, however, it’s that my desire to eat warm foods is inversely proportional to the number on the thermometer. So hot summer days call for a cold, protein-packed salad — and this one’s something I whipped up on a weeknight utilizing ingredients we already had on hand.

Because, if we’re being honest here, my willingness to hit the grocery store also plummets as the heat rises… 

Thai-Style Noodle Salad

Ingredients: 

Salad:

  • 1 package black bean pasta, cooked al dente
  • 1 bag matchstick carrots (approx. 2 cups)
  • 2 cups grilled chicken, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, halved lengthwise & chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onion, minced
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 bunch green onion, chopped
  • 1 small container roasted peanuts

Sauce:

  • 2 cups all-natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 TBSP fish sauce
  • 1 TBSP ginger (minced or paste)
  • Dash of salt

Directions: 

  1. Once pasta is cooked and cooled, place all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together all sauce ingredients.
  3. Pour sauce over salad, and toss to coat evenly.
  4. Serve immediately (with a sprinkle of peanuts), or refrigerate for an hour if you want to eat it cold.

Not only is the black bean pasta gluten-free, but it’s also a terrific source of protein — there’s a whopping 25 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber in every serving!

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This salad is super-versatile, too; I’d serve atop leafy greens for a more nutrient-dense main dish or as a side salad to accompany a meaty entree on nights when I’m looking for more protein.

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Do you adjust your kitchen habits with the weather?