This is a quick, flavorful way to cook chicken. Pair it with some Mexican-spiced rice or quinoa for a perfect weeknight meal!
Ingredients:
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 3 small limes (1 zested and juiced, 1 additional juiced, 1 cut into wedges)
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tsp cumin
- 1-2 tsp chili powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- Avocado for topping
Pour olive oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the chicken and let it cook undisturbed until it is nicely browned on the bottom. Sprinkle the chicken generously with cumin and chili powder. Let chicken cook for 1-2 more minutes, until it is white halfway through the pieces.
Turn the chicken and cook for 2-3 more minutes until it has browned. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle on the lime zest and garlic. Stir lightly and cook for 2-3 more minutes, making sure the garlic does not burn.
Once the chicken is cooked through, add the lime juice and stir up the browned bits from the pan. Place chicken in a bowl and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with sliced avocado and lime wedges. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Our Life in the Kitchen.
This is my favorite way to prepare asparagus. It makes the perfect side dish for almost any meal. Plus asparagus is amazing for your health! Did you know it has more folic acid than any other vegetable, is good for urinary health, and prevents depression? AMAZING!
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, washed & patted dry
- 3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
- Ground pepper
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large glass baking dish, toss the asparagus with the olive oil and garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss. Bake until the asparagus are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the stalks. Stir twice during the cooking process.
Remove from the oven and toss with the lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy!
I’ve already confessed my love for savory, crunchy snacks. I made these roasted chickpeas tonight and they are so addicting! I wish I would have doubled the recipe. These are a healthy, tasty alternative to corn nuts or Cool Ranch Doritos. I can’t wait to experiment with other sweet and savory flavors on my roasted chickpeas!
Ingredients:
- 2 cans organic garbanzo beans/chickpeas
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain and rinse garbanzo beans. Place in a medium-sized bowl, and toss with nutritional yeast flakes, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried dill. Make sure all beans are coated nicely, then pour onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the garbanzo beans are crunchy all the way through. Stir beans every 20 minutes during the cooking process. Enjoy!
This recipe adapted from one shared on Vegan Yack Attack.
I made this recipe up this afternoon because I had a bunch of produce in my fridge that needed to be used within the next couple of days. It turned out to be very tasty, plus you get the added bonus of lentils which provide you with fiber and protein!
Ingredients:
- 4 cups organic chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups cooked green lentils
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 stick grassfed unsalted butter or 4 tbsp ghee
- 1 pound of carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 turnip, peeled and chopped
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped for topping
Steam carrots, turnip, sweet potato, and parsnip until soft.
Heat up butter/ghee and add minced garlic, ginger, garlic powder, turmeric, cumin, and salt. Cook on medium-low, adding fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage after 2-3 minutes. Continue cooking until garlic becomes fragrant and begins to brown.
Place steamed root vegetables, broth, water, and spiced garlic butter into a blender or Vitamix. You may need to do this in batches, as this recipe makes a pretty large pot of soup. Blend thoroughly until everything is pureed.
Pour pureed broth into a large pot on the stove and add cooked green lentils. Heat, and season with additional salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, or turmeric, if needed. Enjoy!
Tip: This recipe yields a lot of soup, so I recommend freezing half of it and enjoying it later!
I never thought I would like Brussels sprouts…now I can’t get enough of them! This recipe is so simple, but the ingredients really shine! You can add minced garlic, garlic powder, lemon juice, or other spices if you want to change them up a bit.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 3 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the Brussels sprouts by washing them, cutting of the tough brown ends, removing any brown yellow outer leaves, and cutting them in half. Mix the halved Brussels sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 30-35 minutes, until crisp on the outside. Shake the pan 2-3 times while cooking to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more salt (if desired), and serve hot. Enjoy!
Tip: If you want to add fresh minced garlic, do so about 10 minutes before the sprouts are finished cooking.
This meatloaf is so, so tasty! It may seem weird to add fish sauce, but trust me it gives it the perfect little boost! The leftovers make delicious meatloaf sandwiches (on gluten-free bread, of course)!
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds ground turkey (I prefer to use a combo of light and dark meat)
- 1 yellow onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, small dice
- 1 stalk celery, small dice
- 4 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp dried red chili flakes
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Organic, sugar-free ketchup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery in oil for five minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking until veggies are soft. Mix in chili flakes, thyme, and salt. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and combine with bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix ground meat, sautéed vegetables, soaked bread crumbs, and fish sauce. Place mixture into an oiled, glass loaf pan or non-stick loaf pan. Bake for about 1½ hours. Cover the top of the meatloaf with organic ketchup for the last 15 minutes of baking. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Whole Journey.
Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love chips! This recipe is my answer to my need for a healthy alternative to those big-name brands that are packed with chemicals and additives that shouldn’t even be allowed to be ingested. These brown rice tortilla chips are crunchy, delicious and versatile! You can add any spice combo that you would like to mix it up.
Ingredients:
- 1 package gluten-free brown rice tortillas (Food For Life is my favorite brand)
- Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
- Organic extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Using a pizza cutter, cut the round tortillas into triangles just as you would cut a pizza. Place the triangles in a single layer on a baking tray and brush both sides of each chip with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Bake in the oven until crunchy, checking frequently to make sure they do not burn.
Serve with fresh guacamole or pico de gallo. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 package organic brown rice fusilli
- 1 package organic cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 bag of organic baby spinach
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes (for topping)
- Fresh basil, chopped (for topping)
Boil water and cook brown rice pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to pot (turn stove off).
Place oil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add in tomatoes, salt, dried oregano, dried basil, and crushed red pepper flakes and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add handfuls of spinach to the pan, stir and allow to wilt before adding more. Add more extra virgin olive oil as needed to create enough sauce to coat all veggies, as well as the pasta. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed/desired.
Pour the cherry tomato and spinach sauce over pasta. Mix gently combine the pasta and sauce. Serve topped with fresh basil and cheese or nutritional yeast flakes. Enjoy!
This goes great with my Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Meatballs!
Have you ever wondered why it can be so difficult to maintain a sense of faith and a belief in a higher power as an adult? It always seems that children don’t have this problem. They can believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and God without ever having seen them with their own eyes (characters at the mall don’t count!).
As adults, most of us tend to rely on information that we can validate. We need proof, evidence, something tangible to make us feel that something is real. What happens between childhood and adulthood that makes us so jaded and skeptical?
I want to make sure that everyone reading this does not feel like I am preaching to them. I am not here to make anyone uncomfortable, and I am definitely not trying to convince anyone to feel or believe what I do. I am simply trying to share my journey to finding my spiritual side. I am open and accepting of all people and all beliefs. We all have our own paths, and I promise that no judgements or discrimination will ever be found on this page.
After my little boy passed away at only 13 months of age, I began to feel more connected to my spirituality than I ever have before. I was raised Catholic, but never truly felt a connection to my religion until now. I thought I would be angry at God after Bubba died, but much to my surprise the opposite happened. This fresh connection to my spirituality and God is what is driving me to be the best person I can be. I am determined to be the best possible version of myself while I am here on earth, so that I can one day hold my baby again in Heaven.
Recently, my best friend’s mom was kind enough to give me the book, Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. It is the story of a 4-year old boy’s journey to Heaven and back after he came close to dying from complications from a burst appendix. In the book, Colton shares incredible details about Heaven and the people he met there (some of whom he had never met or even knew about). He describes his experience with a sense of belief and certainty that only a child can have. He makes you want to believe the way he believes: without questions…just acceptance.
This book is a quick, easy read. While it may not make you an insta-believer, it will make you wonder if Colton’s account of Heaven is giving you a glimpse of what we have to look forward to after we pass away. I already know that I have a sweet angel waiting for me when it is my time to leave this earth. That knowledge alone makes me certain that there is a beautiful place waiting for us; a place more beautiful than we can even imagine. What could possibly be more beautiful than my sweet Bubba with angel wings?
Are you ready to challenge yourself to go beyond what you can see and experience hope on a spiritual level? Open yourself up to a child’s sense of belief and read this book.
This soup is so easy and so yummy, even my picky daughter loves it! It makes a wonderful lunch or comforting dinner on a cold evening. Helpful tip: double the recipe and freeze half for later. I will never make chicken noodle soup again after eating this gem of a recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 32-ounce container organic low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded OR rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 celery stalk with leaves, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 tsp cumin (add more to taste, if desired)
- salt and pepper to taste
- dash of cayenne
Combine broth, garlic, and veggies and cook over medium heat until veggies are soft. Add quinoa, chicken, parsley cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir and heat through; add more salt/cumin/pepper if needed to deepen the flavor of the soup. Enjoy!
This recipe was adapted from Christa Orecchio’s Easy Quinoa Veggie Soup. You can find her at The Whole Journey.
The Mindful Mommie 