Clean Eating Fish Quinoa Rice Bowls

I am limiting my carbs and upping the protein and veggies because I am doing a MMA style workout program. I am working so hard and don't want to mess up my results with my food choices. Sometimes you NEED comfort food. I have found this to hit the spot. It is refreshing, but also filling and comforting. I don't miss the shell one bit. I do a blend of quinoa and brown rice for my one carb and it is yummy all while adding extra protein.
Enjoy!

Clean Eating Fish Quinoa Rice Bowls
For the cilantro lime crema:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
a pinch of salt

For the avocado cucumber salsa:
1 red onion, diced
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 small cucumber, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
the juice of 1 lime

For the fish:
1 lb snapper fish fillet or other white fish
2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
To assemble:
1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup shredded cabbage
Optional:
fresh cilantro, finely chopped
lime wedges
Instructions
Cilantro lime crema:
Combine all the ingredients for the crema in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the crema in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Avocado cucumber salsa:
Place the cucumber, avocado, red onion and cilantro in a bowl. Drizzle with lime juice and season to taste. Mix it gently and set aside.

Fish:
Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels. Combine the flour and spices in a shallow dish.
Dredge each piece of fish in the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the fish from the skillet and shred with a couple of forks.
To serve, divide the rice between 4 bowls then add the toppings: fish, shredded cabbage, and avocado cucumber salsa. Drizzle the cilantro lime crema, sprinkle the chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Healthy Asian Lettuce Cups

Hello my faithful friends! I hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far. I have been extremely busy with the pre-release of my book. If you haven't heard, my new book; 

"Nourish - the beginner's guide to eating healthy and staying fit", hits the shelves next month. It is available for pre-sale at Barnes and Noble, Books and Things, Cedar Fort, Amazon and many other great bookstores

Reach your health and fitness goals with this ultimate guide to eating right and staying fit. Learn how to cook for yourself and how to plan nutritious meals-without processed foods-step photos for exercises, and Pilates and yoga poses. Great as a graduation gift or for anyone who wants to make a fresh start, this book will help young and old alike start healthy habits to last a lifetime.

I am just as excited to tell you that the book tour and workshop is underway starting in 2 weeks! The first one is focusing on kids and family! Please see the description below:

I am looking forward to seeing you at the workshop! 

Today I am sharing one of the recipes in the book. I have been making all things healthy in this house, and I have never felt better. I started training 5 months ago and I am on cloud 9! I think as long as you have things to eat that you like, you won't splurge on things that are bad for you. One easy way to cut down on calories is to use lettuce as your wrap, rather than a carb. 

This is a lightened up version of the PF Changs lettuce wraps. To make sure they are gluten-free use my recipe for gluten-free hoisin sauce.

Healthy Asian Lettuce Cups

Serves 4

1 lb. Chicken Breasts, chopped.
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
12 Butter lettuce leaves
3 Tbsp gluten-free hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce -or- braggs amino acids
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp. roasted red chili paste
1/8 tsp. pink himalayan salt

Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for about 6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

Combine chicken .mixture, onions and chopped water chestnuts in a large bowl, stirring well, and set aside.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and roasted red chili paste and drizzle over the chicken mixture. Toss to coat completely.

Add about 1/4 cup chicken mixture to each lettuce leaf, serve and enjoy!

Clean eating egg salad wrap

So I will be giving you a glimpse into how this Clean Eating Challenge is going. I have 33 participants and I could not be more thrilled. Doing this challenge together helps us stay motivated. It holds us accountable and we feel like we aren't in this alone. Plus we are making amazing comfort food that leaves us full and satisfied.

I will be doing another clean eating challenge next month so stay tuned for more peeks into what's going on! You can follow me on Instagram: @momwhatsfordinner for more views of the FREE recipes I provide. In fact the Clean Eating Challenge is completely free. It comes with a FREE grocery list, FREE recipes, and FREE meal planning for breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks per day. The dinners feed a family of 4 The breakfast and lunch options serve one, because everyone has different dining needs in the morning. It also comes with me as a FREE coach. Nothing costs. We believe in sharing not selling. I get points for participants, so I would love for you to join me in December!! This group is now closed. But I am going to redo another one December 1st for those that missed out on this one. 

If you want in on the next one, simply email me momwhatsfordinner@yahoo.com and I will make sure to invite you to the next group.

So on day one here was the lunch recipe:

Clean eating egg salad wrap

2 hard boiled eggs (whites only if you are being really good)

¼ cup cottage cheese

1 Tbsp yellow mustard 

½ tsp dried dill 

sea salt and pepper to taste. 

1 cup lettuce or raw veggies of choice (cucumber is great too)

Organic gluten-free whole grain wrap/tortilla

Peel your hard boiled eggs. Chop them up. 

Add cottage cheese, mustard, dried dill, sea salt, and pepper to the eggs and stir. 

Lay out your wrap and line it with your lettuce and/or veggies. 

Top with your egg salad and wrap closed. 

Serve immediately.

 If you are taking it on the go just keep the egg salad separate from the lettuce and wrap/tortilla. Store in the fridge until use. 

Raw Pad Thai Salad

I recently was blessed to review Raw Food French Style by Delphine de Montalier

This fabulous book contains 115 recipes for the curious omnivore from a new generation of French chefs. This stylish and accessible take on the next big trend in food includes soups, salads, juices, seafood, raw and seared meat, and deserts. This book made me want to rush to the farmer's market so I could get busy making the scrumptious healthy dishes. 

Wanting to tell you all about the book I quickly picked a recipe that I knew we would love. Raw Pad Thai. "Traditionally, Pad Thai calls to mind the fried rice noodle dishes commonly served as street food in Thailand. A typical Pad Thai also includes some simple raw ingredients - such as radish, herbs, and bean sprouts, which are available on the day. This flexibility extends to the Pad Thai here. Depending on season and taste you can vary the vegetables at will." -Delphine De Montalier  The salad was so easy to make and is full of thai flavor. We all loved it. Enjoy!

Raw Pad Thai Salad

adapted from Raw Food French Style

8 ounces baby spinach

1 small sweet onion

11 ounces asparagus

1/2 green pepper

2 green onions

1/2 bunch cilantro

Dressing: 

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove

juice and zest of 1 lime

1 tsp gluten-free soy sauce -or- braggs amino acids

2 pinches chili pepper

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Crushed nuts for garnish (cashews or peanuts)

Wash and prepare all vegetables. Everything needs to be thinly sliced, grated, or cut julienne style.

Toss all ingredients to combine them, set aside while you make the dressing. 

For the dressing, mix together in a small bowl the olive oil and the vinegar. Add the garlic, stirring to blend smoothly. Stir in the lime juice, zest, soy sauce, and chili pepper. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss well to coat the ingredients evenly. Chop the cashew nuts coarsely and either scatter the on top of the salad or offer them separately.

Quinoa Mango Cabbage Salad

Hello my fellow foodies. I have exciting news... Mango's are in season! I was so pleased when my local grocer had organic mango's for $.99 a piece. Just like Kenny Chesney said: "Mango's and Marley, you know, fit me like a glove." Their sweet and tart flavor sends my taste buds into heaven.

Being on my healthy lifestyle quest, I wanted to combine my other favorite healthy food and make a salad. Folks, this is a seriously good salad. I am shocked because I just made it up. I was so glad that I wrote down what I did, because this will now be my new go to meal for lunch. I keep cooked quinoa in my fridge at all times, so this salad took me 10 minutes to make. So easy and trust me on the flavors. I knocked it out of the park. Enjoy!

Quinoa Mango Cabbage Salad

recipe by: Christi Silbaugh

serves 4

3 cups of shredded cabbage and carrot (coleslaw blend)

1 mango, peeled and diced

2 cucumbers, peeled and diced

1 red pepper, seeds removed, and diced

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/4 cup bragg's amino acids -or- gluten-free soy sauce

Balsamic Vinegar to taste

Add cabbage, mango, cucumber, and red pepper to a bowl and toss. 

Add your cooked quinoa and bragg's or soy sauce to a skillet and fry, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Add salad to serving dishes. Drizzle with balsamic. 

Top with cooked quinoa and serve. 

Tequila Chicken with Avocado Black Bean Salad

Sometimes I make something and just cross my fingers that it will turn out to be a good recipe. This was one of those times. I am so thankful I gave this one a shot. I really really love this dish. It is tangy, spicy, and makes my taste buds dance. Not only that, best of all it is healthy. Full of God given nutrients, protein, and healthy fat. I just wish this dish pictured well. Take my word for it. This dish will rock your world. Make it, enjoy it, devour it. 

Tequila Chicken

with Avocado Black Bean Salad

adapted from: Barbells and Bellinis

For Chicken:

4 chicken breasts or 12 tenders

2 oranges, juiced

2 limes, juiced

3/4 cup of tequila blanco

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, sliced

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

4 slices of jack cheese -or- pepper jack

For Avocado Black Bean Salad:

3 avocados, diced

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 jalapeno, diced

2 limes

1 teaspoon of cumin

Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large Ziploc bag or bowl, combine orange juice, lime juice, tequila, cilantro, jalapeno and salt and mix well. Add chicken breasts and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to broil, or you can also make these on the grill. I used a grill pan in the oven. 

Combine olive oil and minced garlic cloves in a small bowl and set aside. 

To make Avocado Black Bean salad, combine avocado, diced grape tomatoes, red onion, black beans, jalapeno, juice of 1 1/2 limes and cumin to a bowl and mix to combine. Don't over mix, you want the avocado to remain chunky. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove chicken from marinade. Brush olive oil and garlic mixture on chicken breasts. Broil on high for 5 minutes, 

then add cheese slices to the top of the chicken. 

Bake for another minute to melt cheese. 

Pepper to taste. Serve Tequila Chicken over Avocado Black Bean Salad and garnish with cilantro.

If you like my recipes, please support my work and get my cookbook! Featuring 150 recipes, 100 of which are not on the blog. That's right! 100 new recipes! Gluten-Free Made Easy is the perfect guide to your new lifestyle! Learn dozens of tips and tricks for avoiding gluten and over 150 tasty, simple recipes. Going against the grain has never been easier!

"Gluten-Free Made Easy" is available for sale at Barnes and Noble, Books and Things, Cedar Fort, Amazon and many other great bookstores.

Lemon Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad

I used to think that whenever I served a salad, it had to be lettuce. I am not sure why, it was just how I grew up I guess. Since then I have learned how much I love cabbage. I prefer it to lettuce really. Especially if making a salad ahead of time. 

This salad is lite and refreshing. Perfect for a make ahead salad. I like to make it the day before and serve it for lunch the next day. That way all of the flavors have married. The cabbage keeps it crisp. Best served cold. 

Lemon Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad

1 Chicken breast

1 head cabbage 

1/4 cup olive oil 

2 drops lemon sweet drops

1/4 cup sesame oil 

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar (white wine vinegar will do in a pinch) 

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds 

In a blender add; olive oil, sweet drops, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and fresh ginger. Blend until fully blended. This will be your dressing. Set aside. 

Shred the cabbage, and set aside. 

Cook your chicken breast your favorite way, You can also use leftover chicken or pull the meat off one of the rotisserie chicken they sell at stores. 

Toss cooked chicken, cabbage and dressing.  

Top with sesame seeds and serve. 

Shaved Brussel Sprout and Bacon Salad

 

My husband has always told me that he can't stand Brussels sprouts. He also said it is a waste of time for me to make them, because he has never had a Brussels sprout he liked. So I listened to him for the longest time. I passed them up over and over again. I was never that fond of them either, so I had no issue leaving them out of our diet. With us trying to eat a huge amount of veggies, I started to get curious. So I dove in and bought a pound from our local organic market, and set out to make a Brussels sprout my husband could tolerate.

I figured the key was to keep it raw. As much as people rave about caramelized Brussels sprouts, you would think we like them too, but that is not the case. We have very similar taste in vegetables. If it is soggy or mushy, we won't like it. I like texture. So I settled on shaving them, to give them more of a cabbage flavor, and it worked! We both enjoyed this salad. Suitable for a main meal, or a side salad, and very easy to make. I think it tastes even better the next day which makes this a very good lunch idea that you can make ahead of time and pack the night before. Enjoy!

Shaved Brussels Sprout and Bacon Salad
adapted from Pinch of yum

1 lb. Brussels sprouts
6 slices bacon
⅓ cup almonds
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

For the dressing:
1 shallot, chopped
juice of one orange
juice of one lemon
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
⅓ cup oil

Fry the bacon over low heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels; crumble and set aside.
Shred or slice the Brussels sprouts. Slice them super thin and then break the layers apart with your hands. Fluff it up a little and you’ll get a delicate shredded texture.

Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Toss the Brussels sprouts, bacon crumbles, almonds, and cheese together. 

Place all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and pulse until creamy. Add the water as needed for consistency. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately.

Taco Salad

I recently joined forces with Goya Foods, America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, in collaboration with The First Lady's LetsMove initiative and the USDA, to promote the MyPlate / MiPlato cookbook, Healthy, Tasty, Affordable Latin Cooking. This book is part of the national MyPlate campaign designed to help educate Americans on healthy eating.

The bilingual book has 10 complete meal ideas (no more last-minute meal planning while driving home), with 30 recipes from around Latin America and Spain, and some healthy Latin twists on American classics. Each of the meals has the USDA stamp of approval and incorporates all five food groups (that’s right, all of them). For curious minds, each recipe also includes nutritional information, cooking tips, and estimated costs. There’s even a cheat sheet showcasing all the Goya ingredients you can use to keep your diet healthy.

For more information about Goya, please visit Goya.com For a copy of the cookbook, consumers can download the cookbook online at Goya.com. For special giveaways, please visit Goya's Facebook fan page, Twitter and Pinterest Page.

The book inspired me. Instead of sharing one of the wonderful recipes, I want to share with you what I made with my goya products. A healthy vegetarian taco salad. You can leave out the chips for an even healthier salad, but I used wholesome organic, non-gmo corn chips to scoop that salad into my mouth and it was scrumptious. 

Goya products I used: Goya Refried black beans, and Goya Pico De Gallo Authentic Mexican Salsa Mild

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Makes 4 salads

2 cups refried beans 

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Goya Pico De Gallo Authentic Mexican Salsa Mild

plain Greek yogurt 

guacamole

*optional non-gmo corn tortilla chips

Divide the following directions between 4 plates:

Heat up your refried beans. There should be 1/2 cup of refried beans in the center of each plate. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the beans.

Surround the beans with lettuce. Each plate should have 1 cup of tightly packed chopped romaine lettuce. 

Pour the Pico De Gallo around the beans using the amount you desire. Top with guacamole and plain Greek yogurt.  If you are like me and desire a crunch, surround your plate with non-gmo corn tortilla chips. 

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

 

Things have really been picking up for me in the food and writing world. My other blog Gourmet Cooking for two was just picked up with a book deal! So I am writing for about 10 publications now, and I am writing another book! My book Gluten-free is easy is still coming out June of 2014. My job on that is finished, and now we are just waiting on the publishing company for printing and editing. So this opened the door for me to get busy on some other projects I have been doing on the sidelines. I am about halfway done with my second book that I started writing about a year ago. This book focuses on meals for two. Recipes tips and tricks that will teach you how to please your man in the kitchen. 

With having so much going on, it is harder and harder for me to make time consuming recipes. I am still on a health food mission. Cauliflower is almost always my solution for tasty low calorie food. I absolutely LOVED this recipe. I had made my husband and daughter a scallop dinner and I am not much of a scallop fan. So I made a big batch of this cauliflower for me to share with them. I quickly got greedy and said "Hey! This is all I am eating! Back off!". Said with a smirk of course. I always share, but it was that good. 

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Parsley Dressing

adapted from Bon Appétit | November 2013

This is a wonderful side dish that is light and bright with flavor.

1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets, including tender leaves

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower and 4 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with salt and pepper. Toss cauliflower with lemon-parsley mixture and top with lemon zest.

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up

I don't want you to panic, but Thanksgiving is one week away. Have no fear. I have got you covered. Here is a list of the items I like to serve on or around Thanksgiving. All the recipes are gluten-free and your guests won't even notice. Bookmark this page. I have all the recipe's you need to provide your family with an amazing Thanksgiving feast! 

Just click the link of each recipe and it will take you to the free recipes. 

Deviled Eggs

Cucumber cups
Cucumber Dill Tomato Wraps
Gluten free stuffed mushrooms
Gluten Free French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms
Pumpkin Pancakes
Gluten-Free Stuffing
Gluten Free Pumpkin Soup
Potato Gratin
Lemon Garlic Green Beans
Cranberry Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Traditional Sweet Potatoes
Gluten-Free Gravy
Pumpkin Spice Butter
Roasted Stuffed Red Onions
Latkes
Gluten-Free Baguette
Traditional Roasted Turkey
Honeybaked Ham
Crock Pot Hawaiian Ham
Sweets:
Pumpkin Bread With Pumpkin Buttercream
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
Pumpkin Pie
Homemade Whipped Cream
Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
Pumpkin Spice Bread
Apple Crisp
Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Crisp
Amazing Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
Gluten-Free Berry Pie
Gingerbread Cheesecake Cups
Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Gluten Free Caramel Tortes
Toffee
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Pumpkin Glazed Doughnuts
Pumpkin Struesel Muffins
Pumpkin Crepes
Drinks:
Pumpkin Spice Martini
Pumpkin Hot Toddy
Cranberry Mint Spritzer

If you like my recipes, please support my work and get my cookbook! Featuring 150 recipes, 100 of which are not on the blog. That's right! 100 new recipes! Gluten-Free Made Easy is the perfect guide to your new lifestyle! Learn dozens of tips and tricks for avoiding gluten and over 150 tasty, simple recipes. Going against the grain has never been easier!

"Gluten-Free Made Easy" is available for sale at Barnes and Noble, Books and Things, Cedar Fort, Amazon and many other great bookstores.

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