Weekly meal plan

In no particular order, here's what will be made (or eaten) in my kitchen this week:

Pesto pasta
Gluten-free pizza
Sweet potato samosas
Taco bowl with leftover cilantro-lime quinoa
Chicken-salsa-rice with black beans (slow cooker)
Teriyaki salmon from Clean Eating Magazine, with brown rice
Salt and pepper shrimp from the latest Clean Eating Magazine
Homemade chicken nuggets to freeze for an easy little guy meal

Summery salmon salad

Last year when I got the July/August 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine, I put this meal on my mental to-try list. Buying salmon isn't something I do often, thanks to The H's allergy and my desire to purchase small portions of wild-caught fish (the co-op requires a 2lb minimum), so it's something I have to plan ahead for since I don't often have fillets in the freezer.

Today my restock-the-pantry travels led me right to the door of one of our favorite local meat places, and I made it a point to grab a few small ones--mostly for this recipe, and to have a spare.

Arugula, Asparagus, & Salmon
from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 4
serves 4

12oz wild salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
Olive oil cooking spray
2 cups asparagus tips
2 cups blackberries, divided
2 tsp raw honey
4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
6 cups arugula
4 large scallions, sliced on the diagonal

1. Preheat the ovven to 400* and spritz a baking sheet with oil. Divide the salmon into four pieces, place on baking sheet, and bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

2. Set a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and steam asparagus for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Rinse with cool water and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, mash 16 of the blackberries, then add honey, soy sauce, oil, and orange juice. Stir to combine.

4. Divide arugula among four plates, then top each with asparagus, scallions, a piece of salmon, and reserved blackberries. Drizzle each portion with blackberry dressing and serve.

I subbed cranberry juice for the orange, used organic spring mix (which was surprisingly arugula-heavy) instead of the arugula, and omitted the asparagus because I forgot it was called for and didn't have any.

This was a light, fresh lunch that I didn't feel one bit guilty about eating after my many errands this morning, like I would have if I'd dashed to Buffalo Wild Wings... The salmon I used was 8oz (I halved everything else); once it was cooked, I packaged up half of it with half of the blackberry-honey sauce for tomorrow's lunch.

Beef & Snow Pea Stir-Fry

Ever since we bought a half-of-a-half of beef this past winter, I've been thrilled to find new clean-eating ways to use it. This stir-fry from Clean Eating Magazine (March 2011) appeared in front of me at just the right time!

Beef, Snow Pea, and Shiitake Stir-Fry
from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 3
serves 4

1 cup brown rice
12 oz top sirloin beef, trimmed of fat and sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 cup low-sodium tamari sauce (if you are gluten-free, make sure your sauce is, too!)
1/4 cup water
2 tsp tapioca starch (I used arrowroot powder)
1 Tbsp raw honey, local if you can find it
1 Tbsp coconut oil, divided
2 cups sugar snap or snow peas
2 cups small fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (I used baby portobellos)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
8 sprigs fresh cilantro (optional--for garnish, or chop and add to dish before serving)

1. Cook rice according to package directions; while it is cooking, prepare the rest of the meal.

2. In a medium bowl, combine beef, salt, and five-spice powder until evenly coated; set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk tamari, tapioca starch, honey, and 1/4 cup water; set aside.

4. Using a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat half of the coconut oil on medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Transfer beef to a clean large bowl. Add remaining half-tablespoon of oil to wok, followed by peas, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Saute 2-3 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Add veggies to beef bowl.

5. Heat tamari mixutre in the wok over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened--about 30 seconds. Return beef and veggies to wok and stir to coat.

6. Divide cooked rice between serving bowls and top each portion with beef-veggie mixture. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve hot.

I've mentioned before that soy sauce is not one of my favorite flavors, and it is fairly prominent in this dish, so next time I make it I will decrease that slightly; perhaps using some beef broth in its place would lend a rich, but not as salty, flavor.

Menu plan

The H is jetting off to sunny Florida for work this week, so my meal plan this week is based on things *I* want to eat that he may not be able to, as usual. Some of these things may be made as lunches and eaten whenever.

Unlike most of my meal plans, I'm not assigning a day to any of these. I am just planning to make what sounds good when I have the time for it. All the components (or reasonable approximations that I need to use up!) are already in the house. I like to shop ahead when The H is traveling so I know I'm ready to prep and cook when the mood strikes.

Grilled cheese and broccoli soup from Chef Mommy
Italian shrimp salad (Clean Eating Magazine)
Lemon chicken with bulgur (Clean Eating Magazine)
Cellophane noodles with shrimp (a Clean Eating Mag favorite!)
Orange beef stir-fry (Clean Eating Magazine...so what if I so handily happened to have an issue on me when I made this plan and went shopping?) :D

What we're eating this week

Sunday lunch - Spaghetti (GF corn-quinoa pasta) with meat sauce, made with local ground beef

Sunday dinner - SuperBowl party with friends

Monday - Chicken tikka masala over brown rice (probably plain chicken + rice for the little guy); The H is traveling so I may resort to the convenience of a Trader Joe's simmer sauce this time

Tuesday - Leftover pasta with meat sauce after running group

Wednesday lunch, if I'm feeling ambitious and/or bored - Coconut curry chickpeas (a Clean Eating Magazine recipe)

Wednesday dinner - Lasagna (meatless and gluten-free) and a spinach salad

Thursday - Spaghetti squash casserole, done the right way this time

Friday - Steak and potato salad

Saturday - Out with friends for a Valentine's dinner

Lunches not specified will consist of leftovers, in preparation for a fridge clean-out before traveling with The H next week.

Happy eating!

CHALLENGE: Clean eating from the corner market

Next week, I am challenging myself to shop only at one store--a little family-run place called Ken's Fruit Market, a mere half-mile from where we live.

Too often I hear or read of people who are hesitant to try clean eating because it requires "weird" ingredients, or things that can only be found at specialty grocery stores. My goal for the week, starting next Sunday the 16th, is to bust open that misconception by doing all of my clean-eating shopping at this no-frills corner market.

Ken's Fruit Market is not an organic grocer, a health food store, farmers' market, or co-op. It is, however, a local business run by, essentially, my neighbors. They stock quality produce, many canned foods and dry goods, and they have a fully operational meat counter with a delicious and not-always-mainstream selection.

For this week-long experiment, I will not rely on any health-food-store pantry acquisitions. I plan to create my week's worth of dinners using only what I buy at this local market, with the exception of my spice cabinet.

The recipes I will make all come from the January 2011 issue (Volume 4, Issue 1) of Clean Eating Magazine. The H will be out of town when I attempt this, giving me a chance to make things like curries and fish that he doesn't care for or cannot eat due to allergy. This will let me focus on my challenge of shopping at one store without altering the recipes to accommodate his needs.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a shopping list to make...

Merry Christmas!

The H was a wonderful elf this year. In addition to many running-related goodies, he also got me The Best of Clean Eating Magazine Cookbook, AND a cookbook holder to keep kitchen messes off of it. :) Sweet, huh? I'm so excited to snuggle up with it and a pack of sticky notes and start planning some new menus.

We started the day with coffee while we opened presents with the little guy, then made the 2-mile trip to the in-laws' where we had gingerbread waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon before opening more presents. With a little downtime in between, we then trekked out to The H's aunt and uncle's house for an early dinner; my plate was loaded with turkey breast, wheat-free cheesy potatoes, green beans with slivered almonds, two deviled egg halves (I made these, using plain Greek yogurt, yellow mustard, and horseradish for the filling), and a scoop of green Jell-O something-or-other with pineapple and pistachios, which I was told was a staple for that side of the family. Oh, and then I indulged in dessert(s)...

Today was pretty busy for us and not very typical food-wise. But I enjoyed everything I ate and don't regret a bit of it, and I'm thrilled to have spent the day with loved ones. I hope you had a warm and relaxing holiday, too.



Stay tuned for some tasty new recipes!

He did it again!

The H, that is... he made dinner again! This time it was a Clean Eating Magazine recipe that he started on (the mag was open on the kitchen counter) while I was at the grocery store. Pretty nice, huh? :)

We modified the recipe into a sort of "Mexican beef lasagna" rather than the chicken enchiladas it is written for. I had planned it this way to use up the last pound of local-farm ground beef and the massive stack of corn tortillas I'd bought and frozen.

Unbelievably Delicious Low-Fat Enchiladas
from Clean Eating Magazine, Nov/Dec 2010
serves 5

5 medium whole-wheat tortillas (5-6" each)
1 cup shredded extra sharp low-fat cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, for garnish

Chicken mixture:
3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast
4 oz green chiles, chopped
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt



Sauce:
15 oz all-natural tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350*.

2. Combine all chicken mixture ingredients in a large nonstick pan over med-high heat and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove mixture from pan and set aside.

3. Combine sauce ingredients in the nonstick pan; set over medium heat and cook until warm, about 10 minutes.

4. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Fold sides over and place seam-side down in the casserole dish. Top enchiladas evenly with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in center of oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley when serving, if desired.



Nutritional information per 1-enchilada serving:
Calories - 350
Fat - 7g
Carbs - 36g
Fiber - 4.5g
Sugars - 6g
Protein - 37g
Sodium - 561mg
Cholesterol - 76mg

Whole Wheat Flubber

This was my first attempt at bread-from-scratch in at least 10 years. I do have a bread machine, but I've been making The H's gluten-free bread in it and I don't want to risk cross-contamination. I've also been purchasing wheat and/or multigrain bread from a local baker, but I ran out before payday/shopping day and thought I'd attempt it on my own.

I used this recipe from the Clean Eating Magazine website. Seems simple enough... flour, yeast, water, honey, oil, salt, all of which I have readily available all the time. (Well, my wheat flour was "readily available" because it's been ages since I've used it. And though it gets stored in the refrigerator, I did not have high hopes for its level of freshness.) After the initial 30 minute rest period as I was beginning the first knead/rise cycle, two things caused me slight concern:

1. The dough smelled like cupboard.

2. It was the texture of Flubber.

When I went to knead it the first time, I seriously feared it would glom over the edges of the board and onto my kitchen floor.

Back into the bowl it went. I whipped it around with a spatula to incorporate the other ingredents. I did the same for the second knead/rise cycle and then let its rubbery self flump into my olive-oiled loaf pan for the last rise.

I'm glad I had the foresight to put a baking sheet underneath the loaf pan for the final rise...

And although I may have killed the end result in the process, I decided right then to split the loaf between two pans. There's no way I wanted *that* cooked onto my oven, thankyouverymuch.

The loaves came out short (duh) but tasted fine enough. I still think my flour is too old.

The texture is lovely; airy and light but substantial enough to not fall apart when buttered. I tried some with SmartBalance 50/50 blend, that's how I know.

But there was a nagging voice in the back of my head, asking, "What if you DIDN'T split the loaf? Would it have really overflowed the pan?" Wanting to be sure, I decided to make another batch. Seriously, the ingredients are so minimal and it only takes about 2 hours from start to finish. The H's gluten-free loaves take 2 hours and 39 minutes, and while that is hands-off time thanks to the machine, most of this recipe is pretty hands-off, too. Besides, if nothing else, making another batch would help me use up the bag of flour so I can buy a fresh one. If it ends up tasting funky, I'll let the little guy feed it to the ducks on our next run through the park.

Here is the second loaf on its final rise:

Yep, overflowage. It had the same rubbery-elastic texture that the first batch had. There is no kneading of this recipe, folks. Don't even try. Stick with old fashioned stirring. This time, rather than freaking out and dividing it, I carefully folded the escaping edges back over the top and gave it a few gentle pokes to deflate it a little, but not flatten.

Only a few minutes after it went into the hot oven to bake, I could see it crowning smoothly above the top of the pan--not awkwardly climbing over the sides. Hooray! The top was a bit more rounded before I opened the oven to peek. Oops.

Now that's more like it!

Happy sandwich-making to me! I really love how simple the recipe is: flour water yeast, honey oil salt. Clean AND cheap.

Burn-the-house-down tofu

My poor baking sheets will never be the same. This is the first Clean Eating Magazine recipe in a long time that I can recall not enjoying. Did I choose the wrong tofu again? Have the wrong kind of broiler? Either way--it was passable but not a keeper. And since I'm not about only showing you the good/pretty/successful recipes, here's how it turned out.

Broiled Tofu

from Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2010

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

4 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 lb mushrooms (white, cremini, shiitake, or a combination of your choice), halved (remove stems if using shiitake)

Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler. Position one rack 4 inches below heating element, and another rack in the bottom third of the oven.

2. In a small bowl, whisk broth, vinegar, mustard, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the sauce. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms with remaining sauce. Arrange mushrooms on a large rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

3. Cut tofu lengthwise into 6 slices and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each slice in half diagonally, making 12 triangles. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange tofu on baking sheet and brush the top with half of the reserved 3 tablespoons of sauce.

4. Place sheet with mushrooms on bottom oven rack, and sheet with tofu on the upper oven rack. Cook for 6 minutes. Remove tofu (leaving mushrooms in the oven), turn pieces over, and brush with the last of the reserved sauce. Return tofu to top rack and continue cooking until tofu is dry and browned and mushrooms are tender, about 6 more minutes.

5. Divide tofu among plates and top with mushrooms. Drizzle with juices from baking sheet, and serve.

Umm, as you will observe, my sheet(s) have next to no juices with which to drizzle. I did the best I could.

Had the pieces not been partially charred, I imagine they would have tasted all right, but there was an odd *crunch* to every other bite that I couldn't place and didn't want to continue enduring. So I pitched the rest of my serving.

Please note, I thoroughly enjoyed my side of fresh mango. :)

Nutrition information per serving (3 triangles tofu, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1 Tbsp sauce):

Calories - 180

Total fat - 7g

Sat. fat - 1g

Carbs - 11g

Fiber - 3g

Sugars - 4g

Protein - 18g

Sodium - 230mg

Cholesterol - 0mg

Cherry Chocolate Smoothie

Today, instead of my usual post-run chocolate protein shake, my "second breakfast" was the Cherry Chocolate Smoothie from the two-week meal plan in the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. What a nice change! It was refreshing, pretty, and incredibly tasty. Also very filling! It reminded me of strawberry cheesecake. It was so dessert-like that had to remind myself that it really *is* designed for clean eating. I've never claimed to be a big fan of fast-food ice cream to begin with, but I'm going to go so far as to say this was better than a Wendy's Frosty.

Cherry Chocolate Smoothie

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 2, or 1 really hungry person

instructions written by Kate

8oz low-fat milk

4 frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen cherries

1/4 cup chocolate protein powder

4 ice cubes

1. Pour milk into blender and add protein powder. Begin blending on low speed.

2. When liquid forms a vortex, increase speed and slowly add frozen fruit. Allow to fully incorporate between additions.

3. Continue blending until your desired consistency is reached, and smoothie is a pleasant pink color. Pour into two glasses and enjoy--with a straw or without.

I use three ice cubes, and it was plenty thick. I had half immediately after my 5-mile run, and put the other one in the fridge to enjoy later. An hour after I made it, it was still delightfully cold and creamy. This would be an excellent summery dessert alternative.

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

This recipe, from the March/April 2010 Clean Eating Magazine (are you noticing a theme this week? This issue is fantastic!), is written for the stovetop, but since tonight is our running group night, I modified it to work in the slow cooker. I also cut it in half, not wanting a zillion portions of soup around to haunt me and The H for months, especially if it didn't turn out well. The original recipe follows.

Lentil Soup

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 16

Ingredients:

2 cups dried green (French/Puy) lentils

3 quarts vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic, about 2 cloves

1/2 cup tomato sauce (canned or homemade)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp crumbled oregano

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 lemons

Instructions:

1. Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh strainer and pick through to remove any bits of stone or dirt. Drain well.

2. Place lentils in soup pot with the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30min or until lentils are no longer hard in the center.

3. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato sauce, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Continue simmering another 30min or until lentils are tender.

4. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature and store covered for up to five days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Since I adapted this for the slow cooker, I just piled everything into the crock at once, and cooked it on low for about 6 hours. We did not use the lemon juice. I kept the quantities of veggies the same, for the most part, and used 6 cups of stock/broth.

This was my first experience with French/Puy/green lentils. I found them at my local health food store. They taste the same as regular old (brown?) lentils. In fact, I even tossed in about 1/4 cup regular lentils that I found in the pantry. It wasn't enough to do anything else with but they went perfectly in this soup.

The end result could've used some more pepper, but that's my fault and not the recipe's, since there is no quantity listed. When serving, we grated some fresh Parmesan into our bowls. We ended up with enough soup for dinner, plus three leftover portions. The H will have one for lunch, and I froze the other two for later.

On the side, we had a fresh spinach salad (spinach, strawberries, crumbled local nitrate-free bacon, mushrooms, goat cheese, pine nuts, HFCS-free Ranch dressing) on the side. If we hadn't done this--if I had muffins or fresh bread to go along with the soup--I would have wilted some spinach into the soup before serving.

Nutrition information for an 8-oz serving:

Calories - 120

Total fat - 2.5g

Saturated fat - 0g

Carbs - 0g

Fiber - 4g

Sugars - 3g

Protein - 8g

Sodium - 450mg

Cholesterol - 0mg

Chicken with Olive-Tomato Relish

This recipe from the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine was a perfect choice for our after-church Sunday lunch. It came together incredibly quickly because I used two pre-cooked chicken breasts (from my massive food-prep day!) and pre-cooked quinoa from when I made tuna nicoise casserole last week. I served green beans--whole, frozen, thawed in microwave--with Earth Balance and fresh cantaloupe on the side. I halved the recipe for me and The H since I knew the little guy wouldn't care for it. He was happy with his picnic-esque plate of turkey, cheese, melon, and edamame.

Chicken with Olive Cherry-Tomato Relish

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 4

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided

4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, vinegar, oregano, oil, and 1/4 tsp peper. Set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve topped with tomato relish.

We subbed grape tomatoes for the cherry called for, because that is what was on sale this week. Because my chicken was already cooked, I simply heated it through in a hot skillet with olive oil to give it a touch of color, and added the salt and pepper directly to the tomato relish instead of the chicken. I also used just 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano in the relish and it was extremely flavorful.

Altogether, this made for a delicious and lightning-fast meal. It was very filling! I loved the flavors of the relish; for only marinating a few minutes while I threw everything else together, it was very well-rounded.

I would like to do as the magazine suggests, and use the topping on a fish fillet or roasted/grilled portobello sometime. This recipe is part of a mix-and-match feature of this issue, so it doesn't suggest a carb outright, but the quinoa was delicious mixed with the relish, so I'm glad I opted for that. Besides, using it up gives me back one of my leftover containers. Bonus!

This would even make a decent cold salad if you chopped the chicken and mixed it all up, so if you don't have access to a microwave at work (or time to reheat it at home--I know how life gets with a little one) don't be afraid to try it anyway.

Nutrition information for 1 chicken breast and 1/2 cup relish:

Calories - 250

Total fat - 5g

Saturated fat - 1.5g

Carbs - 7g

Fiber - 3g

Sugars - 3g

Protein - 36g

Sodium - 350mg

Cholesterol - 95mg

Meal plan!

I feel like it's been ages since I've posted one of these. There are so many things I want to make! Whatever I don't get to will get bumped to next week.

Sunday lunch - Chicken with kalamata-tomato relish from Clean Eating Magazine, quinoa and green beans

Sunday dinner - Roasted beet frittata with mushrooms, goat cheese, shallots, and beet greens from Cara's Cravings, fresh pineapple

Meatless Monday - Black bean burgers (on a whole-grain sandwich thin for me) with tomato-cucumber-feta salad, grilled fennel, fresh fruit

CrockPot Tuesday - Lentil soup in the CrockPot, with gluten-free muffins if I get around to making them

Wednesday - Beef and broccoli orange stir-fry from Clean Eating Magazine, over brown rice

Thursday - Veggie pizza (homemade sauce, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, red/green onion, whatever cheese we have left in the fridge)

Friday - Pre-race pasta dinner with friends (I think I might bring a gluten free spinach lasagna for The H)

Saturday - Cheetah! or whatever I feel like pulling together...

Lunches for me - Roasted beet and feta salad, broiled tofu with mushrooms, korma or tikka masala simmer sauce over veggies and brown rice

Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole

This recipe is one of the first on my "to make" list from the March/April 2010 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. It looked colorful and easy to make--i.e., very short--and the ingredients are things I usually have lying around anyway. I made it for lunch today because The H is out of town (again, I know!) so he and his fish allergy would not be endangered. I'm nice like that.

Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups couscous

8 small red potatoes, cut into halves, or 4 large red potatoes, quartered

2 6-oz cans or pouches water-packed tuna

1/2 lb frozen green beans, thawed

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

Juice and zest of one lemon

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp white onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Cook couscous according to package directions.

2. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; cook potatoes 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl, mix tuna, green beans, olives, and potatoes. Add couscous once it is cooked.

3. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice and zest, Dijon, onion, garlic, vinegar, oil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over tuna-couscous mixture.

4. Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat and spritz with olive oil spray. Saute the tuna-couscous mixture about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately.

My changes:

Quinoa for the couscous

Used a rice cooker for the quinoa

Lime instead of lemon

Shallot instead of onion

Doubled the garlic, even though I halved the recipe

Did not mix ingredients in bowl before heating in the skillet

I could have done without the potatoes, or at least made them much smaller. The flavor of the quinoa/beans/olives was fantastic, but getting a mouthful of plain, blah potato kind of killed the moment. Everything else had a delightful, well-rounded flavor and texture.

I'd say this would be good with chicken, or at least without the tuna, but I really think the tuna adds a subtle (very subtle, if you use canned like I did, since it breaks up so small) extra touch that would be missed if you subbed another protein. The magazine lists the cost of this recipe at $10.00 for the whole shebang, which comes out to $1.25 per serving. Not bad, especially for something so flavorful, fresh, and clean. Tell your friends--clean eating doesn't have to be expensive!

Travel day!

The clean eating machines have made it to their travel destination, where we'll be hanging out (ok, The H is working) for the next week and a half. We had a great travel day--weather-wise and otherwise--and are now settled into our hotel. The little guy is such a rockstar when we fly. I'm putting that in writing, because even though we know it's true and he continues to blow us away by his awesomeness and flexibility, we still have rough moments here and there and need to remember that, overall, he does *so* well. What follows is a long-winded description of our day--focusing, of course, on what we ate.

The morning started with a wheat-toast-and-chocolate-peanut-butter breakfast (the regular pb was gone, in my quest to eat through the pantry before we left, and I didn't want to open another jar) before my 4 mile run. The H and little guy ran some errands (in the car) while I was out. After my run I refueled with a chocolate protein-powder shake and finished up our packing. Lunch was leftover gluten free veggie pizza (The H was a master chef last night!) with some odds and ends from the fridge--cottage cheese for The H, strawberry Chobani for the little guy, a small chunk of smoked gouda for me, and edamame all around. With our bags packed to near bursting, we were ready to set out for the airport. The little guy fell asleep on the 10 minute drive! Serves us right for choosing a flight that required us to be at the airport at naptime.

While we waited for our first flight, the little guy and I munched on (not clean) Snyder's honey mustard and onion pretzel pieces and made sure our water bottles were filled up. The three of us also shared a Nature's Path choco-peanut granola bar. I recently read in Clean Eating Magazine that they are one of the most recommended/CE approved premade granola bars and was excited to see them on sale at our health food store this week. On board, the little guy had some airline pretzels and fruit snacks while The H and I had Coke and water respectively.

Our first flight landed with an hour between connections, so we grabbed two chefs salads and a fruit salad from one of the few snack stands available (why are the good restaurants never where you want them in an airport?) and shared those amongst ourselves. The little guy ate most of my cheese, turkey, ham, and one of my tomato wedges, as well as some goodies from The H's salad. I ate a lot of lettuce. :) My dressing was a creamy garlic Caesar, which I chose over the honey mustard due to its lack of high fructose corn syrup. The H suffered with HFCS because the Caesar had anchovies in it, and that's no good for someone with a fish allergy. Our fruit salad had pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon in it. I was starving after finishing my lettuce and fruit, so I devoured a PowerBar brand chewy energy bar--toffee crunch flavor--from my carry-on bag.

This time The H and I opted for coffee on board (why does airline java always smell SO much better than it tastes?) and the little guy swigged some orange juice before settling down to read a new story and the SkyMall magazine with me. We were fortunate enough to have short flights both times, and each time we touched down in less than an hour. We were even early to our final destination! Rock on, Continental.

By this time, it was dangerously close to the little guy's bedtime, and while he was still holding up remarkably well considering the day's activity, we knew he was on the verge of crumbling. We got to our hotel 45ish minutes later and I quickly pawed through our bags to find an envelope of EasyMac (Trader Joe's brand) I'd stashed in there for just this moment. While I fed him and started getting him ready for bed, The H went out to hunt and gather for the two of us. Our first plan--Jimmy John's sandwiches--was a bust since the place was closed so he ended up at Whole Foods practically next door to the hotel and brought home a delicious spread.

My dinner was a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast with sauteed Japanese zucchini and onions, and a side of mashed potatoes. I did not eat the skin. The H chose turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans for himself, and bought a large bottled water for us to share. I feel like we'd been munching all day, but for some reason we were ravenous for dinner, and felt like refugees huddled on the floor (that's another story... one that requires photos), stuffing our faces with food, glorious food! We ended the evening with a few Reese's peanut butter cups and lots of water.

Tomorrow I'm going to get lost in Whole Foods during naptime. Cheap thrill? Maybe... but not for someone who doesn't have one at home! I'm a sucker for grocery shopping. It's probably a good thing we don't have a car this week. Walking everywhere--pushing a jogging stroller, no less--will help even things out at the end of the day. :)

Red Pepper Tabbouleh

OK, so the recipe card this is printed on spells it "tabbouli" but I've grown up with it spelled the way I wrote it in the subject, so that's what I'm going with.

This is another clip-and-keep recipe from Clean Eating Magazine. It appealed to me for several reasons:

1. We love tabbouleh

2. It calls for tons of veggies that I happen have

3. I get to use up several odds and ends before going out of town

To make it safe for The H, I subbed cooked, leftover quinoa for the bulgur (cracked wheat). This meant I could skip Step 1 altogether. I also added some green onions--to use them up, and because my mom's recipe calls for them--to Step 4.

Red Pepper Tabbouleh

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgur

1 tsp olive oil

2 red peppers, diced (2 cups)

2 stalks celery, diced (1 cup)

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch parsley, minced (1 cup)

For the dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. In a medium sized heatproof bowl with lid, pour 2 cups boiling water over bulgur. Cover and place in refrigerator for 45 minutes.

2. Pour oil into a large nonstick skillet. Add peppers and celery, sprinkle with basil and salt, and saute on medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. In another small bowl, stir together dressing ingredients.

4. When bulgur is finished soaking and water is absorbed, spoon it into a large bowl with the sauteed vegetables. Add parsley. Pour dressing over and stir gently.

I love watching a pile of fresh parsley go from this

to this. It makes such a satisfying crunchy sound, and smells so fresh!

The recipe states 1 cup of celery, so that is what I was going for--it took me four celery hearts to get there.

I snacked on some with Food Should Taste Good buffalo tortilla chips this afternoon. While it's different than what I'm used to, it was very good. Never would I have thought to add celery, balsamic vin, or basil to my tabbouleh--let alone cook some of it--but it was a nice change from the usual. There is no difference (in my humble opinion) between using quinoa or bulgur for the grain portion.

How do *you* spell tabbouleh/tabbouli?

Nutrition information for 3/4 cup serving, minus chips:

Calories - 93

Total fat - 2g

Saturated fat - 0g

Carbs - 17g

Fiber - 4g

Sugars - 2g

Protein - 3g

Sodium - 89mg

Cholesterol - 17mg

Chicken and rice... with mushrooms!

This super-fast recipe is from one of the tear-out cards in Clean Eating Magazine. Sorry, I don't remember which issue. It really came together quickly and was surprisingly delicious given the short cooking time. Usually when I make lemon-flavored chicken, it ends up dry and overly tart. Not this one! We'll be having it more often for sure. Another variation on The H's beloved chicken and rice!

Skillet Chicken Cutlets with Mushrooms

from Clean Eating Magazine

serves 6

total time 21 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb chicken cutlets (I used two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I split in half)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used frozen sliced mushrooms, thawed lightly)

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

2 tsp whole capers

Lemon slices, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 Tbsp lemon juice.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and mushrooms and cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and mushrooms are softened. Add remaining lemon juice, parsley, and capers and cook 2 more minutes. Garnish with lemon slices before serving, if desired.

When the chicken and mushrooms were done, I removed them from the skillet to keep warm, then boiled 1 cup chicken broth with some cornstarch to make more of a sauce--it took about 6 minutes to thicken up, after which I poured it over the plated chicken. We served this over brown rice (see first picture) with a side of steamed (frozen) broccoli topped with shredded cheddar. Hey, we do have a toddler to please. :)

Nutrition information per 4oz serving, not including rice, broccoli or cheese

Calories - 140

Total fat - 4g

Saturated fat - 1g

Carbs - 1g

Fiber - 0g

Sugars - 0g

Protein - 23g

Sodium - 170mg

Cholesterol - 65mg