Healthy Family Recipes

healthy family recipes

Whole 30 Zoodles Puttanesca (Low Carb) (Paleo)

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The flavor POW of puttanesca sauce meets the low-carb, Whole 30 friendly zucchini noodle. 

Zoodles alla Puttanesca

Zoodles alla Puttanesca

For those of you continuing Whole 30 from a January start, those who are starting anew in February,  or those whoi are just  keeping with generally paleo principles, this dish is a total pleaser. It happens to be low carb, paleo, gluten, grain and dairy-free, all the dietary superlatives (save for vegan, thanks to the anchovies), but really, it’s all about gorgeous flavors made with nourishing veggies (plus those aforementioned anchovies). You can put the whole shebang together in 20-30 minutes, or you can prep the sauce the night before to let (almost) all the ingredients do that magical meddling thing they do, then whip the zucchini noodles together when you reheat the sauce and toss in the parsley. Whatever your fancy, puttanesca is a perfect vehicle for zoodles – and vice versa.  …

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One Pot Breakfast Skillet: Italian Chicken Sausage, Peppers and More

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This One Pot Italian Chicken Sausage & Peppers (& Parsnips & Fennel) Skillet is both protein AND veggie packed. What a start to your day!

One Pot Chicken Sausage Breakfast Skillet #Paleo #Whole30 #Dairyfree #Glutenfree

One Pot Chicken Sausage & Peppers (& more) Breakfast Skillet

I love any recipe that incorporates a hearty helping veggies into my morning along with the usual breakfast proteins; eggs and sausages, etc. A recipe for an awesome Southwestern skillet in The 21 Day Sugar Detox Cookbook (that’s an affiliate link) inspired this variation. It is, of course, ideal fresh out of the oven, but if you don’t happen to have a crowd of 6 joining you for breakfast or brunch, don’t worry – it actually reheats quite well.

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Zoodles Puttanesca

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Zucchini noodles get the simply-wrought but intense flavor POW of puttanesca sauce.

Zoodles alla Puttanesca

Zoodles alla Puttanesca

Simple and satisfying. Happens to be low carb, paleo, gluten, grain and dairy-free, all the dietary superlatives (save for vegan, thanks to the anchovies), but really, it’s all about gorgeous flavors made with nourishing veggies (plus aforementioned anchovies). You can whip the whole thing together in about 20-30 minutes, or you can made the sauce the night before to let (almost) all the ingredients do that magical meddling thing they do, then whip the zucchini noodles together when you reheat the sauce and toss in the parsley. Whatever your fancy, puttanesca is a great vehicle for zoodles – and vice versa.  …

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Grilled Stuffed Peppers with Cauliflower Rice

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A summery version of stuffed peppers – on the grill, made light with turkey sausage, and made gluten and grain-free with cauliflower rice. 

Grilled Stuffed Peppers

Grilled Stuffed Peppers with Cauliflower Rice

I’ve been wanting to try making stuffed peppers with cauliflower rice for a while now, months really, and kept getting sidetracked. Before I knew it, here we are, smack dab in the middle of grilling season.  Why not try it that way? After making the filling on the stovetop, it took only 10 minutes for the peppers to cook through on the grill. Thumbs up.

I like any opportunity to use cauliflower rice, and I totally don’t mind making it myself, but Trader Joe’s recently did all of us grain-free folks a solid and came out with an organic frozen, ready-to-use, super affordable version. This is not a sponsored post at all, I just LOVE the stuff. Not only have I been using it in recipes that call for it outright, I’ve been (shhh) slipping it into my kid’s dinners here and there as well. She likes certain veggies, and will grow to like many more as she gets older, but hey, we can all use more in our diets, especially soon-to-be-second-graders.  Anyway, it fits perfectly here. I used turkey sausage, giving it an even lighter end result. I think you’ll love it.

Stuffed Peppers on the Grill

Aerial view.

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60 Second Fresh Tomato Sauce

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fresh tomato sauce

If you’ve got bushels of tomatoes in your garden right about now, I highly recommend this fresh tomato sauce. It’s a rare that a recipe can be incredibly easy and have deep, rich flavor all at the same time. This one does.

My taste testers (also known as my family) were licking their plates and asking for more. Once you have everything prepped, this only takes one minute to cook in a hot skillet. Really just so, so delicious.

Every summer I look for new ways to use up the garden tomato bounty. I had good success with making home made tomato paste, and last summer I made roasted tomato sauce for the freezer – both huge successes! Of course, there are few things better in this world than a fresh garden tomato, with or without dirt, and just a tiny bit of salt, eaten over a sink. Tomatoes are a fruit, after all.

Don’t you just love tomato season?

60 Second Fresh Tomato Sauce
 
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The flavor and depth of this sauce will shock you - since it is cooked for only one minute!
Author:
Recipe type: Vegan Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups finely diced fresh ripe tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons diced basil leaves (plus a little extra for garnish)
  • 2 tablespoons diced oregano leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil to medium high heat. Add in garlic and tomatoes (they will sizzle rapidly at first), and stir for a few seconds to release steam.
  2. Stir in the basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Let cook for just 30 seconds.

Other bloggers adventures with fresh tomato sauce:

Freezing Fresh Tomato Sauce, Vintage Mixer
Fresh Tomato Sauce, Everyday Maven (using cherry tomatoes)
Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce, Broke Ass Gourmet
No Cook Heirloom Tomato Sauce, Eats Well with Others

Slow Cooker Bolognese with Carrot Pappardelle Pasta

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A few killer key ingredients make this slow cooker bolognese amazingly flavorful – and the light carrot noodles add a fresh, naturally grain-free contrast.

Slow Cooker Bolognese over Carrot Pappardelle Noodles

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce (with a secret ingredient!) over Carrot Pappardelle Noodles

There are two parts to this post and I can’t quite decide which is my favorite. The bolognese sauce has a secret ingredient, which came by way of Bon Appetit, but I thought I’d adapt it for the slow cooker, and make it dairy-free while I was at it. It takes some prep, true, but is well worth it. The secret? Okay, I’ll spill right away: a mere 3 ounces of chicken liver that contributes so much depth on top of the dense nutritional punch it packs. The idea in Bon Appetit is courtesy of Chef Mike Easton, who also adds some peppery kick to round out the flavor mix.

But then the carrot pappardelle ‘pasta’ (or, as my housemate suggested, “caroodles”), they’re so simple and easy you won’t even believe it. I love some zucchini noodles as much as the next low-carb/paleo-ish type; I adore my spiralizer and use it often, but you don’t even need special equipment. A regular handheld vegetable peeler is all it takes.

Try these together, or in combination with other components, but do try them!

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One Pot Wonder Tomato Basil Pasta Recipe

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One Pot Pasta BEFORE

One Pot Wonder Pasta – BEFORE

Once in awhile a dish comes along and stuns you and makes you rethink the way you cook. This miracle throw-everything-in-a-pot pasta dish has done that for me.

You literally throw in all the ingredients for this dish – including the uncooked pasta – and then Flame On! You cook it all together and DO NOT DRAIN the pasta. You just cook it up and starch leaches out of the pasta and makes a rich, warm sauce for the noodles. The other ingredients cook right along  with the pasta. The tastes and textures of this dish are shockingly good. And the “sauce” made by the starch from the pasta combining with the reduced vegetable broth is truly remarkable.

I started with the idea from a photo I saw in this months’s Martha Stewart Living magazine, but I added some things to make this recipe my own and that I think make the dish even better: some crumbled oregano leaves and a little olive oil for richness. And Oh Yes! – I used vegetable broth, not water and salt as called for in the recipe. I used regular vegetable broth, not a low-sodium version, and this was the perfect seasoning for the pasta.

I was so nervous about cooking the linguine right with the other ingredients, but I took a leap of faith. This dish is a revelation, and I’ll make it again and again.

NOTE: This recipe and new technique just scream out for experimentation by passionate cooks, so please feel free to tweak as desired, and come back and let us know your favorite version(s)!

Happy Meatless Monday, all!

One Pot Pasta AFTER

One Pot Wonder Pasta – AFTER

— posted by Donna

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