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Tasty Tuesday: Amazing Roasted Acorn Squash with maple-garlic glaze. 

10/2/2012

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Yum.

Fall is my favorite season, partly because I adore all the flavors that prevail this time of year. Last week we were fortunate to find this incredible recipe for acorn squash, courtesy of Chef Kirsten Helle at Mesa de Vida. You should head to her site and read her amazing story, she has had a personal wellness journey that is super inspiring! You can also sign up for a subscription to her meal planning service, which is where this recipe came from. Every week, I receive a plan with recipes and shopping list for 5 dinners. It has made our menu selections more interesting, we are eating out less and throwing away less food. And the recipes all just happen to be nutritious and health-conscious. Perfect.

This amazingly simple recipe has been declared by my husband as the "best thing ever made out of squash." I hope you like it as much as we have!

Roasted acorn squash with a sweet-garlic glaze


2 acorn squash (or 4 small), halved and seeded
Olive oil 
1 pinch Kosher/sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste (**I am not a pepper fan so I used cinnamon)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. After you cut each squash in half and remove the seeds, lay them cut side down on the cutting board. Slice across into 1" thick slices. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil to coat. (**I put aluminum foil on the sheet first to speed clean up). Lay the squash slices evenly on the sheet pan, season with salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes.

Combine the garlic and maple syrup. Flip the squash slices and glaze with the maple syrup/garlic mixture, tossing evenly. Bake another 20 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy as a side dish or serve with quinoa and a green salad for a delicious vegetarian meal.

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Tasty Tuesday: Protein-packed Quinoa pancakes with extras!

8/21/2012

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It was raining HARD this morning: pancake weather. Of course, in our house, sunshine is pancake weather too. So is snow. If we had the time, or if my son got to vote,  every morning might just be a pancake morning.  Leftovers are a great on-the-go snack or addition to lunch boxes, too.

Nutritionally, my problem with pancakes has always been the carb-heavy and protein-light nature of these lovely little things. Solution: Quinoa flour, milled from a complete plant protein. Quinoa is something of a wonder-food, and if you have yet to make the acquaintance of this seed it is high time.   I will not say you can’t taste the quinoa flour, because I can. I happen to like it, but even if you don’t like it the addition of spices and other tasty extras make these pancakes a hit.

This recipe makes enough for our family of four with leftovers; if my husband isn’t home for breakfast we usually have enough leftovers for another breakfast!

Quinoa spice pancakes with options

  • 1 cup quinoa flour (I buy in the bulk bins at Natural Pantry, you can also find pre-packaged Bobs Red Mill brand but it is a lot more expensive!)
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • ¼ cup ground flax seed (1/2 cup if you prefer not to use eggs)
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt (or regular table salt; sea salt has valuable trace minerals!)
  • ½ cup rolled oats or a pack of instant oatmeal (optional)

Spices: all optional but lovely to add!! Feel free to vary based on personal preference
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • dash of cloves

Mix the dry ingredients. If you give them a whisk and some supervision, the kids might enjoy helping with this part! Mine also like to dump pre-measured flour etc. into the bowl before the mixing starts. Most of it ends up in the bowl. It helps to start with really clean counters so you can scoop the spilled part back in the bowl with no worries.

In a separate bowl or 4-cup measuring container, whisk together:

  • 2 cups milk of your choice (dairy, almond, coconut, soy, whatever suits you)
  • 2 eggs (optional – can also use increased flax as listed above)
  • 2 TBS maple syrup
  • 1 TBS coconut oil, melted (can substitute olive or canola oil)

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mix, and stir with as few quick strokes as possible. Note: you can also let the kids do this, and it will NOT be quick strokes, and it will NOT be a few strokes, and it will still be delicious. When I let both of mine help this takes quite a while and they still always turn out.

The fun part: Optional additions to fold in at the end, pick one or two:

  • ½ - 1 cup chocolate chips (use the mini version if your kids try to eat the chips without any bites of the surrounding pancake – trust me on this one)
  • 1 banana, finely chopped
  • 5-6 dates, finely chopped
  • ½ c – 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup pureed pumpkin or sweet potato
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries, or chopped strawberries or pears

Heat your skillet or griddle until a drop of water will dance on the surface. Spoon out ¼ cup for each pancake, flipping when the bubbles come to the top and pop cleanly, leaving a hole through the goopy batter. They should be firm on the edges.

Top with your choice of fresh fruit, real maple syrup, or your standard favorite pancake fixings.

Enjoy!

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Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Caprese

7/10/2012

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A fast and tasty dinner option from the Body Back program: Baked chicken topped with a tad of fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. The whole family enjoyed this one! The recipe calls for 1 sliced tomato, but Alaska grocery store tomatoes make me sad with their lack of flavor. Try slicing a bunch of grape tomatoes instead - much better flavor, and easier for kids to eat. Or, if you are lucky enough to find garden fresh tomatoes - tell me where!!!

Chicken Caprese
Serves 4
4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup bread crumbs (whole wheat if possible - can make your own!)
2 TBS garlic powder (seems like a lot but it works)
1 TBS other dried herb of choice - I used Herbes de Provence. Yum.
2 egg whites or about 1/2 cup egg substitute
1 tomato - or a few handfuls of grape tomatoes - sliced
Fresh basil leaves - we used about 5-6 per serving
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
Balsamic vinegar to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken breasts thin (or don't - I skipped this step since we don't have a mallet and I didn't want to spend $20 for one!). Coat chicken in egg whites and then dredge in mixture of bread crumbs, garlic powder and herbs. Bake until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees - without pounding the chicken flat they took around 40 minutes, it would be quicker if they had been flattened. Top with cheese, tomato, basil and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar to taste.

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Tasty Tuesday: Healthy Spinach Dip

6/26/2012

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A great way to get in some veggies and protein! Serve with raw vegetables for dipping (celery, carrots, peppers all work well). As a snack, this recipe will make 3 servings.

Spinach Dip
Serves 3

10 oz box frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 c fat-free sour cream
1/2 c fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs chopped red onion (more to taste)
3 canned chili peppers, chopped finely (optional)

Thaw spinach and squeeze out water very thoroughly, it works well to press between some paper towels to really get the water out. Mix with remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. With my older, less powerful blender it works best to do the sour cream, cream cheese first, then add peppers and onions, then add in the spinach a little at a time.

Happy Snacking!!
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Tasty Tuesday: Kale Chips!

5/24/2012

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It isn't really Tuesday... But I have time and a great recipe to share, and I really like the sound of "Tasty Tuesday" - so here we are.

Kale is a leafy green and a fantastic source of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants and is considered by many to be a "superfood". You can find more on the reasons to eat this lovely plant here.

There are a lot of kale chip recipes out there, but most of them are at a higher temperature and can be tricky. This one is at a lower temperature, basically using the oven as more of a giant, hot dehydrator. My kids LOVE these, we will eat an entire batch for an afternoon snack. My 5-year-old enjoys helping me make them - the process of massaging in the olive oil is one of the few times that I actually *encourage* her to play with her food.

We usually make these plain, with regular olive oil and a pinch of salt. For extra trace minerals, try some Real Salt or other natural or sea salt! You can also try using flavored olive oil or add in some spices of choice - curry kale chips are fun, we also enjoy some cumin and garlic powder sometimes.

All you need is an hour or so when you are home and able to check the oven once in a while. Moment of truth: I put in a batch of these, went to put my kids to bed for their naps, laid down with my daughter for just a minute and woke up an hour later to the smell of kale. They were pretty crunchy - but survived their extended cooking without stirring. Not recommended procedure, but it does prove that this method is pretty fail-safe :-)

One last thing: Please choose organic! Kale is on the "dirty dozen" list of produce that is conventionally grown with the highest amounts of persistent pesticides.

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Kale Chips: low and slow

1 bunch organic kale
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
pinch salt (literally - my measuring spoon says "pinch" - this is about 1/16 tsp), more to taste

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Wash and dry the kale. Tear into pieces - they will shrink as they dry, so a bit bigger than you want your final chips to be. Discard the tough inner ribs of the leaves.

Put the torn kale in a layer on a cookie sheet with edges (this will help prevent it from spilling out when stirring). Drizzle on olive oil. This is the fun part - use your hands to work the oil into the leaves, massaging to ensure that the kale is evenly coated. You can just rub any extra oil into your hands when you are done :-) Sprinkle with salt.

Put in 250 degree oven and check back every 20 minutes to give it a stir. Depending on the moisture content of your kale, it may take 40 minutes to over an hour. When done, the kale will be crispy and light with no soggy pieces.

Enjoy!
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Tasty Tuesday: Edamame Dip healthy snack option

4/10/2012

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Looking for an easy, tasty snack option? This can be made ahead in just a couple minutes. If you are going to be at work or otherwise out and about, throw a 1/3 cup container of dip and a big container of cut-up veggies in your bag so you are not caught unprepared in the face of vending machines and drive-through windows.

Edamame Dip: makes 1 cup (three servings)

1 cup shelled and cooked organic edamame, defrosted
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (can omit or sub basil)
1 garlic clove (more to taste)
1 tsp red chili paste (I found it in the fridge section of Carrs)
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs lime juice or water

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Enjoy with your favorite crunchy veggies or a handful of baked chips. Also makes a great addition to a lunchtime wrap with sprouts, greens and roasted red peppers.

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Tasty Tuesday: Going Green!

3/13/2012

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In honor of St Patricks day this coming Saturday, we are Going Green this week! We are hosting a 2nd birthday party for one of our favorite little leprechauns this weekend and have devised a fun party menu with a lot of green and no artificial dye. As the parent of kids with sensitivity to artificial dyes in food, I give this a lot of attention, especially around holidays when brightly colored treats are everywhere - most of them tinted with artificial dyes including Red 40 and Yellow 5, both linked to behavioral problems and aggression in children.

More on that another day.... For now, here is a fun GREEN party menu without a drop of dye!

  • Mixed salad made with organic spinach, finely chopped organic chard (leaves and stems), tiny broccoli florets, sprouts, snow peas, and some other veggies for visual appeal such as carrots and radishes.
  • Asparagus spears wrapped in sliced lowfat havarti and smoked ham
  • Spinach pasta with meatballs (see last week's Veggie and Spinach Meatball post)
  • Green fruit tray including sliced kiwis, organic green grapes, organic granny smith apple slices, honeydew melon. Make a fast and yummy dip - take one container of natural, dye-free yogurt (read the label - I like Brown Cow and Stonyfield) of any flavor and mix with an equal amount of whipped cream.
  • Veggie tray: zucchini, organic green peppers, snow peas, broccoli, green onions, edamame. Serve with Ranch with some fresh basil added with a food processor.
  • Guacamole and chips!

And last but not least, the Cake. This recipe is modified from one originally found on Weelicious, a fun site with lots of ideas on healthy eating for parents and their kids. These are impressively green and, believe it or not, do NOT taste like spinach. Try it.

Lime and Coconut (oh yeah, and spinach) Muffins (Makes 24 Mini Muffins)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

¼ cup Greek yogurt (nonfat)

1/3 cup coconut milk, or milk of choice (almond, rice, soy, cow…)

¼ cup egg substitute or 1 Large Egg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Fresh Spinach, packed

Zest and juice of one ORGANIC lime (especially important to buy organic and scrub it well since you are eating the outer skin)

2 Tbsp Coconut oil (melted) or Canola Oil

1 Cups All Purpose Flour

½ Cup coconut flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp sea salt (or regular salt; sea salt has healthy trace minerals though!)

1/8 tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place applesauce, yogurt, milk, egg, vanilla, spinach, coconut oil, and lime zest and juice in a food processor (or a really good blender if you have one) and puree for a couple minutes, until the spinach is pureed into small flecks.  Place the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and combine. Pour the spinach puree in a large mixing bowl.  Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined. Using a tablespoon, Scoop batter into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup. I had a little bit of leftover batter that I put in a sprayed baking dish and baked for a few minutes longer than the mini muffins.

Bake for 14 minutes.


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Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Cookie Dough Dip

3/6/2012

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This is taken directly and exactly from a blog called Chocolate Covered Katie, a dessert blog with some awesome ideas for delicious and NUTRITIOUS desserts. To go the the original post and check out more of this fun blog, please CLICK HERE.

Now that credit has been given where credit is due, let me rave about this for just a minute. This recipe is basically a sweet twist on hummus - a garbanzo bean dip for those looking for a healthy and satisfying dessert option. I made the sugar-free version this morning (sweetened by the naturally high sugar content of dates soaked overnight in water) and it is AMAZING. I really, really like cookie dough and now I can get all the flavor and fun with no eggs, butter, or flour.

Have fun - leave out the chocolate chips and this can definitely be shared with toddlers and older babies since it has a good squishy consistency. There are other dessert dips on the blog including a chocolatey brownie batter dip.. I have a feeling our garbanzo bean consumption is going to go up dramatically in this house!

This is going to be our afternoon snack, dipped up with apple slices and celery sticks. Mmmm...

Copied straight from Chocolate Covered Katie: 

"Cookie Dough Dip

Inspired by this awesome recipe.

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained) (250g)
  • 1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
  • tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup nut butter (You can get away with using only 3 T. If you use peanut butter, it’ll have a very-slight “pb cookie dough” taste, so if you don’t want this, you can sub oil.)
  • up to 1/4 cup milk of choice (Start with 1 T, and add more as needed)
  • Sweetener (see note below, for amount)
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips
  • 2 to 3 T oats (or flaxmeal) (You can omit, but also omit the milk if you do)
Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a good food processor (not blender), and blend until very smooth. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

See the following link for a Sugar-Free Version.

Sweetener Notes: I used 2/3 cup brown sugar when I first made this for the party. Liquid sweeteners (agave, maple, etc.) are fine as well, as is evaporated cane juice. You can easily get away with less sugar– some people will be perfectly fine with just 3 T for the whole recipe! And if you don’t want any sugar, be sure to check out the “no-sugar” version linked above. (You can also use stevia, if you like the taste of stevia-sweetened desserts. Try 2-3 packets of NuNaturals stevia, and add more sweetener if needed. I wouldn’t recommend serving an all-stevia version to party guests, though.)"

Thanks, Katie!!

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Tasty Tuesday: Spinach and Veggie Meatballs

2/28/2012

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In the never-ending quest to add more veggies to our diets, here is a winning meatball recipe with veggies built right in! Any type of ground meat will work here - turkey, chicken, beef, or Alaskan game (we have tried caribou, bison and moose and they are all delicious). Serve with some whole grain pasta and your favorite tomato sauce and you have wonderful dinner for a snowy evening!

Spinach and Veggie Meatballs
Serves 6 (serving size 4 meatballs)

1/2 c egg substitute OR 2 egg whites OR 1 egg
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c bread crumbs (I like Panko crumbs for the texture)
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed OR 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning (more to taste)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (squeeze it!)
1/2 c grated zucchini
1/2 c grated carrots
1/2 small onion, chopped

If you plan to bake these, turn the oven to 375 and spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray. Alternatively you can  saute them... read on.

Saute the onion, zucchini and carrots in a medium non-stick skillet with 2 tsp olive oil.
Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well... if it doesn't gross you out, using your hands is the best way to get everything mixed together. Add in the cooked veggies and mix well.

Shape into meatballs, about 1.5 - 2 inches across. You can saute these in a pan sprayed with cooking spray or use some olive oil. Brown meatballs on medium high heat and keep them moving so they don't stick! Cook on low for about 15 minutes til cooked through. OR you can use a mini muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray and place a meatball in each cup. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until done.

Enjoy!
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Tasty Tuesday: Snack time

2/21/2012

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This week's focus of the Get Fit Challenge 2012 is snacking! Planned, nutritious snacks throughout the day keep your metabolism active and help prevent overeating at the three main daily meals. Most moms plan snacks for their little kids, but many forget their own snack needs! Great options to have in your purse, desk drawer or diaper bag include non-perishable bars (think Luna Bar, Lara Bar, Kashi TLC chewy granola bar, etc.), nuts and dried fruit (almonds and apricots are a great combo).

Here are a couple of fun and quick options you can put together at home using a blender or food processor, and pack along with you for the office or on the run wherever your day takes you! These recipes are from the Body Back program food options. Enjoy!

Surprise Smoothie

1 banana
1 cup frozen chopped kale**
1 Tbs ground flaxseed
1/2 cup blueberries or raspberries, or mix
1 cup non-fat milk of choice (cow, soy, rice, almond... the list goes on and on!)

Blend all ingredients until smooth! Lots of kids love these and it will work with a Sili Squeeze, though not with a conventional sippy cup as the pieces clog the valves.
**Kale is on the list of produce you should try to buy organic (the "Dirty Dozen"); if you can't find it, you can substitute spinach or chard. Buy fresh, chop the whole bunch and freeze in 1-cup portions.

Baked Chips and Edamame Dip
Makes 3 servings of 1/3 cup each
Dip:
1 cup shelled, cooked edamame (thaw if frozen)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
1 tsp red chili paste (optional but adds a nice touch)
1 Tbs olive oil

Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Tortilla Chips:
Whole grain or low-carb tortilla
Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Cut tortilla into 6 triangles, place on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake until brown and crisp, about 12-15 minutes.

Happy Snacking!!!
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    Chandra is the owner of Alaska Mighty Moms LLC, proudly serving AK families since 2009.

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