Recipes

Ok, I’ll admit it. I’ve always been a pumpkin pie hater. I think it’s because, historically, they’ve always had too much spice and not enough of the things that bring me joy, butter and sugar. Then, eight years ago, when I was pregnant with my son, I discovered this recipe full of all the things I love, and I was converted. This year, since I’m not pregnant, and never will be again (SWEET!), I adapted the recipe to make it a bit lighter. It still has my favorite things, just a bit less of them, and it’s still seriously tasty.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

♥ Erin

I know, I know, lasagna isn’t exactly part of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but I’m half-Italian and my grandma (who came over from Italy when she was a kid) always made pasta for every holiday.  We also just had a big Italian feast yesterday for the staff at my big kids’ elementary school, so I have Italian food on the brain. We usually do a Thanksgiving themed lunch, but this year I thought it could be cool to change it up, and the teachers loved it! I made my all-time favorite lasagna that I adapted from this awesome recipe by John Chandler. If you feel like changing it up this Thanksgiving, please try this recipe. You won’t regret it!

Mangia Bene!

♥ Erin

Good morning,

I don’t know about you all, but I’m getting excited for Thanksgiving. Who doesn’t love a holiday that’s all about stuffing our faces until we pass out in a turkey-induced coma? I love trying new recipes each year, so this week I decided, why wait until Thanksgiving? Here is my weekly meal plan, as well as five new recipes we’ll be taste-testing this week:

The Plan:

Monday– Grandpa’s Sauerkraut and Kielbasa, Spinach Salad

Tuesday– Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini

Wednesday– Fish Taco Bowls

Thursday– Date night, Spaghetti and Meatballs for the kids

Friday– Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry

Saturday– Leftovers/Takeout

Sunday– Red, White and Bean Minestrone with Parmesan Crisps, Salad

Monday-Healthier Grandpa’s Sauerkraut and Kielbasa with spinach salad- This was always one of my favorite dinners when I was a kid. I’m lightening this recipe up by using turkey kielbasa, purple potatoes (which are even better for you than sweet potatoes) and subbing a tablespoon of olive oil for the 1/2 cup of butter.

Tuesday– This Crispy Parmesan Garlic Chicken with Zucchini looks really delicious, doesn’t it? The cheese and garlic combo is something my whole family will love.

Wednesday– This Fish Taco Bowl recipe is a great way to enjoy the flavor of fish tacos in a healthier way.

Thursday– My husband and I have a regular, bi-weekly date night every Thursday, so I’ll be making the kids some spaghetti and meatballs. I’m making lasagna with this amazing recipe for a PTA event at their school, so the kids will actually get leftover homemade sauce instead of my usual Kroger brand.

Friday–  This Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry will be just perfect for this chilly November weather. My friend made this a few weeks ago and the flavor was on fleek: sweet, savory and delicious. Can on fleek describe food? Idk, but I’m old, so I’m sticking with it.

Saturday– When you have three picky eaters, there are bound to be lots of leftover food. I will most likely make my kids grilled cheese sandwiches while my husband and I eat all the food that grossed our kids out this week. Oh joy of joys.

Sunday– Red, White and Bean Minestrone is one of my mother-in-law’s recipes that she has been kind enough to share with me. It’s so full of flavor and can easily be adapted to your tastes.

Meal planning can be a real bitch, so I hope this helps! Happy (ugh) Monday!

♥ Erin

Good morning,

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend The Mama Retreat here in Richmond. It was an entire day just for moms. We were pampered and cared for, and I left feeling refreshed and inspired. It was the first event of its kind, but they are planning three more for 2018. Get more info here and read all about my experience during the event.

One of the hosts of the event was Alex Cenname, a Certified Health Coach, specializing in personal health coaching for expecting mamas as well as those trying to conceive and women postpartum. She is an expert at planning, prepping and preparing healthy meals and snacks. As one of the gifts from the retreat, Alex sent us a meal plan for a week of simple and delicious recipes, complete with shopping list. Lucky for all of you, she gave me the okay to share the plan here. Check it out!

I loved this meal plan! Not only were the meals delicious and kid-friendly, but they were simple to prepare and I already had most of the ingredients on hand. I made all of the dinners and the lunch for my family last week and they loved them all too, without exception. I did sub real pasta for the spaghetti squash when making dinner for the kids, but, other than that, I stayed true to the recipes. My son raved about the sheet pan chicken, saying it was one of the best dinners he’d ever eaten. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Let’s be honest, we all know that most of us will be consuming just as much sugar as our kids this week. What better time to try out these healthy recipes? You’ll be able to steal those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups from your kids after bedtime and still feel like a virtuous parent. Let me know how it goes in the comments! Happy Halloween!

♥ Erin

So I just got back from my carb-filled, booze-fueled couples trip to Punta Cana, and I am in full detox mode. I’d seen this recipe on Pinterest a few weeks back and decided it was just the thing I needed to get back on the road to clean eating. It’s packed with leafy vegetables, fiber and iron, but the tuna salad mixed in still makes it creamy and delicious. My husband has already begged me to make another batch and my picky five-year-old told me it was the best salad she’s ever had. Score! Check it out below:

Only 10 ingredients and 10 minutes to crunchy, tangy glory!

So deliciously easy, guys! Enjoy!

♥ Erin

It’s time for Chorizo Seitan Sheet Pan Supper. Dang, that’s a mouth-full isn’t it! #thatswhatshesaid. This is a delicious, vegan dinner that I put together at the last minute. I had planned to make crockpot chicken, but I was too lazy to wash the crockpot, and so this recipe was born. It is tangy, full of protein, includes healthy cultured veggies and is just a bit spicy. I got my seitan at Whole Foods, but my favorite vegan, Christy, told me it’s also available at Wegmans. Seitan, not to be confused with Satan, is sometimes called wheat meat and is made from rinsing and cooking wheat dough to remove the starch. It doesn’t sound too appetizing, but I promise you, it’s good. If you just can’t wrap your head around that, feel free to sub seitan for any kind of spicy sausage.

I wasn’t sure if my kids would be down with the spicy chorizo flavored seitan, but my picky five year old said it was yummy “chicken” and my son asked if I would make this for his birthday in February. Victory! Hope you’re all having your own tiny victories so far this week!

♥ Erin

PS-Sorry, not sorry, for the that’s what she said hashtag. I’m a 37 year old mom with the sense of humor of a 15 year old boy.

I’ve been loving creating new recipes out of the giant bag of frozen mahi mahi I bought at Costco. Each piece is individually wrapped, so I only need to remember to take it out of the freezer, a feat in itself, and defrost it in the fridge the night before. This recipe has become a part of our weekly dinner rotation. It’s quick, full of lean protein, healthy fat and veggies.

This dish is healthy, but the pesto makes it taste creamy and indulgent. Store-bought pesto is awesome, but I like to use this recipe and freeze it in ice cube trays for later. When I need it, I can just take it out and use it in dishes like this one. Don’t worry if you have to improvise the ingredients. Last night I ran out of pine nuts and realized I had no parmesan. I used some pistachios and shredded some sharp cheddar cheese, and no one could taste the difference. Score!

Happy eating!

♥ Erin

This quickie is so easy, and requires almost zero prep and cleanup. Divide the butter, slice up the lemon, remove the shrimp from the freezer, and you’re good to go. You can serve the shrimp over anything you want, but I prefer angel hair pasta or zucchini noodles because they’re both ready to eat in five minutes or less. Each foil pack serves two. You can prepare a bunch of them, fold them up and then keep them in the freezer for up to two months. Go grab some foil and start cooking!

Print

20 Minute Shrimp Scampi

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen uncooked large peeled and cleaned shrimp (21 to 25 count)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided into 4 pieces
• 1 lemon sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic divided
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound dry angel hair pasta or 3 cups zucchini noodles
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves optional
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more as needed

Instructions

To Prepare the Shrimp Packets:

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. Tear 4 (16-inch-long) sheets of aluminum foil. Stack the first two sheets on top of each other, and do the same with the other two sheets. Divide the frozen shrimp evenly into the two foil packs, leaving space on the sides and the top.
3. Place 2 pieces of butter on top of each pile of shrimp. Divide the lemon slices and garlic over the two packs, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold over the sides of the foil and then the top and bottom to completely cover the shrimp.
4. Place the packets seam-side up and side-by-side on a rimmed baking sheet. Open up them up just enough to pour in the divided 1/3 cup of white wine and then close them again.
5. Cook shrimp for 20 minutes, or until they are completely cooked through.

To Prepare the Angel Hair or Zucchini Noodles:

1. To cook angel hair: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. To cook zucchini noodles: Place a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the 3 cups of zucchini noodles and cook for around 3 minutes or until heated through.
3. Carefully open the shrimp packets, and add the entire contents to the pasta or zucchini. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water (if applicable), parsley, and 1 teaspoon of salt; season with pepper; and toss until combined.

To Freeze For Later:

1. Complete the first two recipe steps, leaving out the white wine drizzle until you're ready to cook.
2. Stack the packets on top of each other and slide them into a gallon freezer bag. Remove all air from the bag and seal. Freeze for up to 2 months.
3. When ready to cook, complete remaining steps above.

Recipe Notes

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Recipe adapted from thekitchn.com.

Check back later this week for more quick, tasty dinner recipes! Happy eating!

♥ Erin

Come back for another quickie, eh? Glad you’re here! This meal is one of my favorites because it’s not only fast,  but you can also make it with whatever you have on hand. I like to add frozen edamame,  asian stir-fry veggies, and some scrambled egg. You can personalize this dish however you want and it’ll still taste great!

This tastes like take-out, but it’s chock full of veggies and protein, so you can eat it without the guilt! Happy eating! ♥

Who doesn’t love a quickie? These days I don’t have the time, or the energy, for much else. Sorry, husband. Seriously though, quick dinners (I’m talking fifteen minutes or less!) are the way to go.

This dish has it all:

Meatless Monday idea- √ 

Full of Protein- √

Full of Fiber- √

Full of Vitamins- √

Kid-Friendly-If your kids don’t dig zucchini, just swap it for whole wheat pasta- √

Print

Vegan Bolognese Over Greens and Beans

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen veggies-carrots, onion, celery, green beans optional, but adds to the healthy factor
• 1 bag Beyond Beef meat-free crumbles can sub for 1 lb. ground meat of your choice
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup garbanzo beans
• 1 tsp. of your favorite seasoning-smoked paprika, garlic powder,turmeric, etc.
• 2 cups spinach
• 2 cups zucchini noodles can sub any pasta here
• 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Add the jarred sauce, the chopped veggies and the vegan "meat" crumbles to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for five minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium heat.

3. Add 1/2 a tbsp. of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

4.  Next, add the 1/2 cup of chickpeas and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of your favorite seasoning. I like smoked paprika. Cook for 1-2 minutes. 

5. Add the zucchini noodles to the mixture, sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice and salt and pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

6. Divide the zucchini noodle mixture into bowls, top with the bolognese sauce and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• To speed up cook time, you can place all of the sauce ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, (I use these glass containers.) in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, depending on your microwave.
• You can always add pasta noodles or ground meat to this recipe. but it will, of course, add to the cook time.  You can brown the meat in a separate skillet, and then add the chopped veggies and jarred sauce to that instead of cooking them separately. If you're like me, the less dirty dishes the better!
• The Beyond Meat meat-free crumbles are soy and gluten free and I buy mine at Kroger.
• The skillet I'm using in the pictures is awesome! Nothing sticks to it and it was pretty cheap. Check it out!

This is a tasty, healthy dish that my whole family enjoys, so I hope yours will too! Stay tuned for more quick dinners to simplify your September! ♥