Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole (Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free)

Every Thanksgiving, I am first and foremost thankful for stretchy pants. I’m a big advocate for comfy-cute, because there is never anything nice about having to unzip your tight pants at the dinner table. I’ve been there.

But really, I do love this holiday. It forces everyone to come to together, eat and celebrate – which I think is one of the most important things we can do in life year-round! As well as give thanks for health, happiness, friends and family.

As far as food goes, I’d be lying if I said I was real concerned about eating healthy on Thanksgiving. I’m a big fan of the 80/20 rule, and when the Holiday’s come around, I am really stretching that 20%!

I do however like to make healthier versions of dishes by just swapping out a few ingredients here and there. This side dish is one of my favorites, but I grew up having it with marshmellows broiled on top and globs of butter in the filling. So this year, I decided to make a healthier version and I am never turning back!

Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole

serves 10

3 medium size sweet potatoes, 2 large yams

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

sea salt to taste

For the topping:

3/4 cup crushed pecans

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

2 tablespoons organic dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons almond meal

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and cube sweet potatoes and yams and place in boiling water. Boil until soft.

Remove them from the water and drain.

Place them into a mixing bowl. Add in honey, almond milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and sea salt. Blend together with a handheld mixer, until lightly pureed. (I like to leave it a tad chunky). Set aside.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together crushed pecans, brown sugar, almond flour and melted coconut oil. Mix well.

Spray (with olive oil) a standard size casserole dish or pan and then pour in the potato puree. Once spread evenly, crumble the pecan mixture on the top, covering the whole pan.

Place in oven and bake about 40 minutes (until the top is lightly browned).

Have a happy, happy Thanksgiving and ENJOY!

Creamy Fettuccini Alfredo with Turkey Meatballs (Dairy-Free + Gluten-Free)

a dish of creamy fettuccine alfredo that is gluten free and dairy free

I’m about to knock your socks off…

If you would have ever told me that a creamy vegan “alfredo” would have tasted as good, if not better, than a regular alfredo sauce, I would have laughed. But this made for the most perfect, tasty date night dinner with my husband.

Of course I had to top the pasta off with some fresh herbs from the garden. My italian parsley is coming through in an abundance!

Creamy Fettuccini Alfredo with Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

1 box gluten-free fettuccini noodles
1 box gluten-free turkey meatballs (about 12 small ones)

1 c. cashews (quick boiled or soaked overnight)
3 tbs. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 C. water
1/2 C. unsweetened canned coconut milk
1/2 lemon squeezed
1 tsp. white wine
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 shake of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tbs. chopped italian parsley

Directions

Begin cooking GF turkey meatballs (mine were from frozen and required baking)
Boil noodles according to the box directions

Meanwhile to make the sauce:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well.

*Taste the sauce and add in more salt or water accordingly. My first round of this came out a little sweet, so I added in more garlic, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast and water.

Warm the sauce in a stove top pan.

Once the noodles are ready, in a mixing bowl, combine noodles, parsley and the sauce. Serve on a plate and top with the turkey meatballs.

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker English Beef Stew (Gluten & Dairy Free)

I have wanted to make beef stew for a while now, but I am always hesitant to start since the cooking time is practically all day. Plus, there are so many different ways to make it. It gets a little intimidating!

Well, this weekend I decided to give my own twist a try and thank goodness I did. It was so simple to make and tasted delicious. Beef stew is really the perfect meal for a rainy day, so put a fire on, grab your cozy socks, and get cookin’.

Slow Cooker English Beef Stew (Gluten Free + Dairy Free)
serves 4

Ingredients

2 lbs stewing beef, cubed
1/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
1 teaspoon + 1/2 tsp if needed sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups organic beef stock
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon + 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
6 small (ish) red potatoes, cubed

Directions

Dice and prep all stew veggies.

In the crock-pot, mix flour, salt and pepper.

Add in beef and coat with flour mix.

Add in all other ingredients and give it a few good stirs.

Cook 4-5 hours on high or 10-12 hours on low.

Close to when it should be finished, give it a taste and see if it needs a bit more salt! Also, if you prefer more broth in your stew, add an additional 1/2 cup of beef broth.

Cheesecake Factory’s "Factory Chopped" Salad

a chopped salad with chicken, turkey bacon and veggies

Maybe you’ve already tried the factory chopped salad from Cheesecake Factory. And if you have, you totally understand why I crave this constantly. Every time I order it at the restaurant I always do the “skinnylicious” version of it (which basically just means it comes with a lighter dressing). I also usually get it without the blue cheese. It already has avocado, so it doesn’t really need the extra fat.

Here is the thing- people tend to order salads when they are trying to watch their figure. But honestly… you have to really substitute on most salads you order when you eat out if you are actually trying to have a healthy one. Most restaurant salads have around 700-900 calories. Yuck!

No thanks. I’d rather eat that juicy steak, personally.

Thanks to slimmed down options on menus these days, you are able to think twice about the meal you are going to order.

Oh, and one other point… you CAN eat out. Anywhere for that matter. And you can mastermind healthy dishes just by swapping out certain ingredients. I have another post on that coming up soon…

Okay, let’s make my homemade version of the best dang salad ever. This salad is brought to you by yours truly and everybody’s favorite grocery store, Trader Joes.

“Factory” Chopped Salad

serves 2

Ingredients:

2 Heads Organic Romaine Lettuce (cleaned and chopped)

1 Tomato (cored and diced small)

1/2 C. Corn

3 Slices of turkey bacon cooked and diced

1 Organic chicken breast cooked in stovetop pan and diced

1 Small organic honeycrisp apple diced

optional: add some avocado!

For the dressing:

(serves 8.. save some for later!)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (choose a good-quality, aged brand if possible)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 drops liquid stevia (or 1 teaspoon of honey)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Whisk together salad dressing and set aside.

To assemble salad, make sure all ingredients are finely chopped!

Combine in bowl with cracked pepper and add in the dressing (remember, a little goes a long way for the salad dressing).

Eat and enjoy! It is that simple!

Rosemary Flax Crackers

Every time I do yoga, I’m always inspired to eat more mindfully. Does that happen to you? I’m pretty sure I’ve never left a class craving a cheeseburger. But what I do crave is whole, simple foods- you know, foods that serve a purpose. After yoga, I used to always head to Prasad, one of my favorite places to eat in Portland, and I’d grab some of their flax crackers for a snack. I kept telling myself that I was going to try and recreate those crackers one day, and here I am. Only a year late, but I finally made some tasty crackers in my own kitchen (minus the raw part).

I like them with some spicy hummus or even just a few turkey slices. And you’ve got to love the fact that they are gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and vegan.

Homemade Flax Crackers

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons of oil (I use macadamia or olive)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

*Sea salt, garlic, rosemary and cayenne to taste (you can really play around with the additives).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Mix together all ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

Transfer mixture onto parchment paper.

With another piece of parchment paper, place on top of mixture (so the parchment paper is on both sides) and flatten or roll out mixture until almost paper thin

Place onto a baking sheet, peeling the parchment paper off the top.

Cook for about 8-11 minutes or until the top begins to brown.

Let cool, and then cut into cracker size pieces.

Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Bars (GF/Vegan)

I get frustrated with protein bars. They either have too many unnecessary ingredients, a poor fat-carb-protein ratio, or so much dang sugar you might as well be eating a cookie. And let’s face it, when you are short on time or just have no time at all, bars come in handy. So, have no fear. Make these bad boys in advance and keep them around all week. They are tasty, simple, and full of good-for-you ingredients. You’re welcome! ; )

Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Bars (gluten free/vegan)

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten free oats
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 heaping scoop of vanilla protein powder (brown rice/or hemp)
1/2 c. chopped/pitted dates
1 tbs. almond butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp (or 1 tbs) chia seeds
A few shakes of cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine the oats, almond flour, and protein powder. Blend well. Add in dates, maple syrup, almond butter and all other ingredients and blend thorougly. In a 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper, push mixture down pressing firmily into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool before cutting into bars. ENJOY!

Grain Free Snickerdoodle Cookies

Happy Sunday! How is everyone’s weekend going?

Well, clearly I did some baking, so mine is going well! Tyson and I were able to get a decent night sleep the last few days, so that is definitely helping my batteries recharge. We also got to head out on a date last night, leaving Parker with the Grandparents. We went to Edgefield, one of our favorite places around town. If you come to Portland, it is a place you have to visit!

Okay, let’s get to the cookies… So prior to our date night I whipped these up. I found the recipe on Delighted Momma’s blog and altered a few things. And wow, these are seriously good and made without flour. Here you go!

Grain Free Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 1/2 cups of almond meal

1 tbs of coconut flour

1 egg

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup of melted coconut oil

1/2 tsp of cinnamon + extra for rolling dough in

1/2 tsp of nutmeg

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp of sea salt

1-2 tbs organic cane sugar (for rolling and sprinkling on top)

Directions

Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Cover the cookie dough and place in the fridge to chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll the cookies into small balls and coat in cinnamon and sugar.

Use the bottom of a cup or mason jar to flatten them out.

Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Let the cookies cool and sprinkle them with more sugar!