Pesto Shrimp

Pesto: 3 tbsp basil paste (you can find this in the produce section in a small tube, normally near the salads), 2tbsp minced garlic, 1/4 cup evoo, 1/4 cup reduced fat parm, pepper to taste. Marinated shrimp for a few hours, throw on skewers and grill for a few min each side! Healthy protein packed dinner thats oh so yummy!!

Guilt free apple pie

Clean apple pie?!?! oh yes i did!!! I have a huge sweet tooth and i love to bake. Im always trying to come up with a healthy version of my favorite guilty pleasures. Apples have been super cheap and we have been picking pecans from the trees across the street so this was fairly inexpensive. 

The crust: 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 c dates, 3/4 cup almonds or almond meal, 1/4 c flax, 1 tbsp melted coconut oil, 1 egg. Process all dry ingredients together then add oil and egg, mix. Spray a baking dish with coconut spray and bake @ 375 for 10min. Remove and add 

FILLING : 3 apples peeled and sliced thinly, 1/4 c unsweetened apple sauce, 1 tbsp cinnamon (we like our cinnamon!), 1/4 c honey, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp lemon juice. Top with a mixture of 1/2 cup oats, 1/4 c chopped pecans, 1 tbsp coconut oil, sprinkle of truvia. Bake again for 25-35min. Serve warm with Greek yogurt.

You can omit the topping or leave out the extra pecans in the topping if you're watching your fat intake, since there is a good amount of nuts in the crust. 

Pesto Crusted Chicken

If you dont already know, i have a thing for pesto! I love experimenting with it anything from stuffed chicken, pasta, pizza, sandwiches, etc. I LOVE IT! Especially when it's homemade. 

Cut chicken breast in half and place in a plastic baggy, pound with a meat mallet until thin. In a bowl combine 1 tbsp basil paste, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/3 cup 2% Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream, 1/4 cup low fat Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella cheese. Spread on chicken, roll them up and secure with toothpick. Coat with egg wash and roll in panko. Bake 20min at 375. Served with mashed sweet potato and roasted asparagus.

Granola Bars!

Seriously, these are better than any store bought granola bar and WAY better for you. Next time i am going to make them without the protein powder so that the kiddos can snack on them (they def dont need 30grams of protein in one snack!)

2 cups rolled oats
6 scoops protein powder
1/2 cup chopped almonds (i used dark chocolate roasted)
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds (or any other nut of choice)
3 tbsp melted peanut butter(i used 1tbsp white chocolate wonderfall, 1tbsp dark chocolate dreams, 1tbsp peanut butter)
3tbsp honey
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
water (i used about 1/4cup)

mix all ingediants and add water until slightly doughy, press into a baking dish and bake at 350 for 15-20min. I cut into 10 squares and each bar has over 30grams of protein!!

Sugar Free Sugar Cookies

NO, these are not 100% clean. BUT they are sugar free and a whole lot better for you than the traditional sugar cookies that have over a cup of sugar. I found the recipe on Dashing Dish, she has lots of healthier alternatives for sweet treats that you dont have to feel horrible about. My kids LOVE these and i love knowing that I made them and that they are way healthier than buying packaged cookies at the grocery store.

I used REAL unsalted stick butter. I would much rather use real butter from cows than fake processed crap made from chemicals.

1/4 cup butter - softened
1/4 cup truvia or stevia
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separate. Slowly add the dry to the wet. Flour your counter top and roll out the dough. Mine made about 18 mini cookies :) Bake @350 for about 8-10min.
**If your dough is too soft after mixing, place it in the freezer for a few minutes until its easier to work with**

I will continue to experiment with this recipe to make them even better for you (minus butter) and better tasting. My kids love them the way they are but im determined to make the perfect cookie! 

Shoyu chicken

Shoyu (soy sauce) Chicken is a popular dish in Hawaii. Although it's not totally "clean" because of the amount of soy sauce and sugar, it is super tasty and something different to do with chicken. You can usually find drumsticks for $1/lb so this is a very inexpensive meal. You could certainly try doing this with boneless skinless chicken to cut back on the fat but having the bone-in chicken really gives this the flavor. We only eat this every few months. 

1 pkg (5-6 pieces) chicken drumsticks or thighs

water

5-6 garlic cloves

2 thumb sized pieces of fresh ginger - peeled

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

sesame seeds

Place chicken, garlic and ginger to a pot and add just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and cover slightly with the lid (you want some steam to escape). Let this boil for 30min. Then, add the shoyu and sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 3+ hours (the longer the better) keep the lid slightly ajar. Serve over ice and top with sesame seeds. 

Pumpkin protein muffins with cream cheese frosting

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry four
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 small can of pumpkin
1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbsp vanilla
2 eggs 1 egg white
1/2 cup agave nectar

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl then combine all of the wet ingredients in another. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. The batter will be thick. Pray muffin tin or loaf pan with cooking spray and bake at 350 for 20-30min keeping an eye on them.

Cream cheese icing

4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp agave nectar

Combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Add agave until you get the texture you're looking for.
Since these are topped with cream cheese i stored mine in the fridge and microwaved them for 20 seconds before enjoying. I cannot believe i came up with the recipe on my own! It turned out great. These are an awesome "clean" snack or dessert, even my children like them!