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Lemon Butter Chicken with Artichokes and Capers

Post author:Melanie
Post published:April 7, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Recipes
Post comments:7 Comments

Hello, hello my friends!

Today I am giving a major shout-out to my dear dear friend Caroline over at Trendy Trainer. Because of her, I was able to cook up an insanely delicious meal for Dana and myself on Saturday. The best part about the whole thing? It was SO darn easy! Not only that, it is totally clean! Yes yes yes!

So let’s get right to it.

Let me introduce you to Lemon Butter Chicken with Artichokes and Capers.

Chicken, lemon juice, butter, onions, capers, artichokes, and some seasoning. Simple ingredients making an exceptional dish.

Here is the link to Caroline’s recipe: Lemon and Artichoke Chicken

I used butter (the recipe said either coconut oil or grass-fed butter) and I used onion (other options were shallots or leeks). The only changes I made to the recipe were I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder before baking it. Other than that, I followed the recipe and couldn’t have been happier with the results!

It’s slightly salty from the capers, the chicken is perfectly tender from the the lemon and butter, and the artichokes, oh the artichokes….need I say more?

Put this on the menu plan for the week. It is so easy and you and your family will love it!

Thanks Caroline for this simple, clean, and healthy dinner! Muah!!

Some Good Eats: BBQ Beef, Tacos, Tilapia

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 27, 2014
Post category:Breakfast / Dinners / Gluten-Free / Lunch / Recipes
Post comments:4 Comments

This post was meant to go up yesterday but sleep trumped the blog, SO here you get it today!

Even though I’m a day late with this, I’m still going to link up with Jenn’s WIAW. This of course is my version of WIAW, called What I’ve Been Eating Lately. This is an overview of some of my eats over the last week or so.

Let’s get started.

We celebrated Dana’s birthday with his parents and had one of my all-time favorite meals. Tacos. Ever since I was a little girl, when my mom would always ask me what I wanted for my birthday meal, I’d say 90% of the time my response would be tacos. Although it wasn’t my birthday this time around, Dana chose very wisely.

Before tacos though we noshed on some appetizers…

And then came the tacos…

So good! I was disappointed in myself for loading up on so many crackers and cheese. I wasn’t able to enjoy too much of the tacos before being completely stuffed.

I prepared a semi-homemade meal made witg Annie’s gluten-free mac n’ cheese, sautéed broccoli, peas, salt and pepper, and one chicken, apple, and gouda sausage.

Fairlife, a lactose-free, protein-rich milk company, sent me some samples of chocolate milk, 2% milk, and skim milk. They also sent their core power protein drinks which I told them I would give to Dana and my brother to use as post-long run refuel.

I wasn’t actually planning on drinking the milk (I was going to give it all to Dana), but once I tried the chocolate milk, my plans changed. I couldn’t get enough of this stuff! Just like any chocolate milk, you still have to be careful with the sugar content, but I enjoy a half a cup here and there and it’s a great treat!

To read more about Fairlife: www.fairlife.com

A quick and simple lunch: black bean and cheese quesadilla with salsa and avocado. Is that not a perfect bite taken out of there? Didn’t even try. 😉

Dinner at mom and dads: tilapia, red beans and rice, and asparagus. I always forget how much I enjoy tilapia until my mom makes it for me. Then I remember. Num.

Eggs with spinach, mushrooms, red bell pepper, cheese, avocado and salsa. On the side, a super old hard (from the freezer) Udi’s gluten-free bun with jam. At least the eggs were good.

Amy’s organic split-pea soup. I really enjoy split-pea soup but never make it. I should really get on that, right Hannah?

Goodie plates: hard-boiled egg with mustard, pickle, veggies and cottage cheese.

And another Pinterest win. BBQ pulled beef with coleslaw courtesy of MyBakingAddiction.com. I followed the beef recipe to a T but not the coleslaw.

There you have it. Another look into some of my eats lately.

What have YOU been eating lately?

White Bean, Avocado, & Caramelized Onion Quesadilla

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 25, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Lunch / Recipes
Post comments:12 Comments

I felt like a bit of a genius in the kitchen last night. I pulled together quite the outrageous quesadilla and you’re going to hear about it.

It was a White Bean, Avocado, & Caramelized Onion Quesadilla and it rocked my socks off.

First, I pureed together one can of white beans (rinsed and drained), one avocado, one chipotle in adobo pepper, a sprinkle of cumin, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Next, I caramelized one small onion.

Then, I spread the prepared bean dip all over a brown rice tortilla (about 3 tablespoons or so). I then topped it with the caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, organic spinach, and banana peppers.

I warmed up the saute pan on the stove, folded over the quesadilla and got to cooking. It probably cooked for 4-5 minutes on each side, just long enough for the toppings to get hot and for the outside of the tortilla to get a little crispy.

Next, remove the quesadilla from the pan and place on plate. Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut into three triangles.

Take some photos….

And my favorite step, devour that bad boy.

So easy, kind of random, and so delicious. A fun meatless Monday meal!

Side note: Spell check was all over this post. Apparently it doesn’t recognize quesadilla, caramelized, adobo, or pureed. Who knew?!

Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 18, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Recipes
Post comments:6 Comments

I just have to share a super Pinterest find that I made last night.

Yesterday, I mentioned how I don’t usually get into St. Patty’s Day but how I’d like to get into it more some day. Then I shared a photo of Skinny Girl’s corned beef and cabbage soup and said that I would like to make that soup some day. Well, all of this some day talk turned into yesterday. I was going to make that soup. I hit up the store for the ingredients and got to work in the kitchen.

Check out the recipe: Skinny Girl’s Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup

The only changes I made:

red bell pepper instead of yellow
one leek and one onion versus two leeks
I left the skin on the potato versus peeling it
I used 3/4 of a head of cabbage versus the whole thing

I love this soup! Such a comforting, delicious and healthy dish! Serve it with some whole grain bread and call it a meal!

Thank you Skinny Girl for yet again creating a delicious and healthy recipe for the world to enjoy.

Have you had any “wins” with Pinterest recipes lately?

On Air with Fox 9: Blueberries!

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 11, 2014
Post category:Events / Gluten-Free / Misc. / Recipes / Snacks
Post comments:11 Comments

Back in January, I had the opportunity to go back to Fox 9 for another on-air show featuring Driscoll’s blueberries. I have put off this post for a while because I was hoping that Fox 9 would post the recipes on their site and maybe even the clip from my segment, but neither was ever posted. After that never happened, it all kind of fell to the wayside and I just forgot to share it. Until today.

To read about my last visit to Fox 9 and see my video from my last show, head on over here: On Air with Fox 9: National Oatmeal Day

I arrived nice and early to the set and felt like an old pro.

It didn’t take me long to set up which gave me time to relax, look over my notes, and chat with the Fox 9 crew.

The news anchor I worked with this time was Tom Butler. He was so kind and made me feel incredibly comfortable. I was a bit nervous, but did my best to hide it and he definitely helped put me at ease.

Once the cameras were rolling, we were live.

The segment was really great. It was all about healthy snacking and how blueberries can be a super healthy and delicious snack to add to your day.

The best part though was at the end of the segment I got to take part in the Friday Dance-Off. They put on a fun song, the whole crew dances and it is shown live just as the rest of the show is. I don’t know if all of you know this, but this is right up my alley. I love to dance! I killed it with some super corny moves and I’m pretty sure I won the dance-off. 😉

I shared three Driscoll’s recipes with the viewers. On the segment, I put together the spicy trail mix. Feel free to check out the recipes.

Blueberry Cocoa Bites: think Larabar with a sweet blueberry filling.

Recipe: http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/10152/Blueberry-Cocoa-Bites

photo source

Spicy Blueberry Trail Mix: I devoured this mix. The sweet and spicy combo really got me!

Recipe: http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/10113/Gluten-Free-Spicy-Blueberry-Trail-Mix

photo source

Gluten-Free Blueberry Macaroons: not my fav for some reason but that’s not to say you won’t like them! You could use any flour you have on hand I am sure.

Recipe: http://www.driscolls.com/recipes/view/10099/Gluten-Free-Blueberry-Macaroons

photo source

For the most part, the whole segment went very smoothly. I had a lot of fun once again!

I was incredibly honored to have had the chance to work with Driscoll’s and Fox 9 again. These are memories that I won’t soon forget! I hope they are more of these opportunities in the future!

Now, go make yourself some spicy trail mix!

Disclaimer: Driscoll’s compensated me for the segment as well as the products needed for the show however all opinions expressed are my own.

Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal

Post author:Melanie
Post published:March 6, 2014
Post category:Breakfast / Gluten-Free / Guest Post / Recipes
Post comments:6 Comments

Hi, Beautifully Nutty friends! I’m Kim from Hungry Healthy Girl, where I share my love for all things food and fitness. My recipes range from vegan to gluten-free to every once in awhile splurges. There’s something for everyone! Melanie’s blog is so much fun and I’ve been reading it ever since I met her at the Healthy Living Summit, this past September. I can honestly tell you, Melanie is just as much of a sweetheart as she comes across on her blog!

Picture from the Healthy Living Summit…. I’m in the front, second from the end on the left. Melanie’s in the middle in pink.

I was so honored and excited when Melanie asked me to guest post for her. And I’ve got a REALLY delicious recipe to share with you guys. If you’re anything like me, breakfast is your favorite meal and a warm bowl of oats is the best, especially in the winter. And what’s better than a bowl of oats? How about cheesecake oats? Yes, please! The cottage cheese gives these baked oats the most wonderful cheesecake-like taste. I’m pretty sure Greek yogurt would work just as well, if that’s your thing, but I haven’t tried this.

Baked oatmeal is such a handy breakfast too. I made this Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal on Sunday and it made enough for 6 breakfasts. Each morning, I just heated up my baked oatmeal with almond milk and added a drizzle of nut butter. I also experimented with adding in blueberries one morning and granola another morning…. both lovely choices.

Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free if desired
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups milk, I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup maple syrup, honey would work too
1 tablespoon vanilla extract¾ cup cottage cheese, Greek yogurt may be a good substitute
16 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced (reserve about ½ cup for topping your oats before baking)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with a natural cooking spray. If you would prefer your baked oatmeal thicker, use a smaller sized baking dish.
Combine dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt) in a large bowl. Toss in sliced strawberries (reserve about ½ cup for topping).
Beat eggs in a medium bowl and then stir in the rest of the wet ingredients (milk, vanilla, maple syrup, cottage cheese).
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Transfer oatmeal to baking dish and top with the reserved sliced strawberries.
Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
Serve with your favorite oatmeal toppers. I enjoyed my baked oats with added almond milk and coconut cashew butter.

I really hope you get a chance to give this Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal a try. If you’re an oatmeal fan, you won’t be disappointed!

Be sure to come visit me over at Hungry Healthy Girl. I would also love to connect on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Thank you, Kim for the delicious guest post! This would be a huge hit in my house!

How to Steam and Eat Artichokes

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 26, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Misc. / Recipes
Post comments:9 Comments

Artichokes. The beautiful yet intimidating vegetable. A vegetable Dana and I both thoroughly enjoy but don’t eat too often. Most of the time it’s just because we forget about them, but also because they are some work to prepare and eat.

So let’s talk about the preparation shall we?

How to Steam an Artichoke

Step 1: Fill large pot with two inches of water. Add lemon juice to flavor the water if you wish.

Step 2: Place the steaming basket on top of the water.

Step 3: Pull off some of the small bottom leaves. Use scissors to to snip off sharp ends of the leaves (optional). Use a knife to cut off the bottom stem leaving just one inch of stem as well as about 3/4 of an inch off of the top of the artichoke. Sorry this is a long step.

Step 4: Rinse the artichokes and place on top of steaming basket in the pot. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.

Step 5: Reduce to simmer and let simmer for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size of the artichoke). You can test if it is done by pulling off one of the outer leaves. If it is easy to pull off, it is probably done. Remove from pot and get ready to eat!

How to Eat an Artichoke

Step 1: Pull off a leaf…

Step 2: Dip the whitish looking end in melted butter, salt or mayo (I prefer straight up salt).

Step 3: Use top or bottom teeth to pull the artichoke meat off of the leaf. Dana prefers to use his bottom teeth, I prefer my top. Probably because I have a permanent retainer in the bottom of my mouth (fun fact :smile:). Throw away the petal when done.

Step 4: Repeat steps 1-3 until you get down to the core. Don’t eat the spiky things.

Step 5: Use a knife to cut off the spiky part of the artichoke.

And you are left with the heart! The best part of the artichoke. I realize this photo below is far from appetizing but I promise you it is delicious. It is buttery and meaty and tender. It’s worth all of the effort of eating through the artichoke leaves! I cut mine into pieces and dip in butter or salt.

So yes, they do require a bit of work, but they are worth it. Besides their delicious flavor, they are also a source of folate, fiber, vitamins C and K, and are an incredible antioxidant to boot!

Don’t be shy! The beautiful artichoke is waiting for you!!!

Food Network’s Cupcake Wars & Asian Chicken Slaw

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 11, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Friends / Gluten-Free / Home Life / Recipes / Sweet Treats
Post comments:17 Comments

It’s time for Treat Yourself Tuesday hosted by the one and only Becky!

1. I’ve had one too many sweet treats this past week, and it all started last Thursday. I mentioned last Friday briefly that I went to a pastry shop called “Cupcake” to celebrate a co-worker’s retirement. The shop splits is split up into two areas: the Cupcake side and the restaurant side which is called “The Mason Jar.”

When we arrived to celebrate, my co-worker (and friend) Mary, had bought a bunch of cupcakes for each table to enjoy.

My table had the brilliant idea to split all of them into sevenths so that we could all get a taste of all of them!

There was lemon, raspberry, mocha, vanilla, peanut butter, german chocolate, red velvet, and some type of marshmallow one. After we tasted all of these, we actually got to try a few more still! Talk about sugar-load, but seriously how much fun to sit around eating cupcakes with your girlfriends?!

As we ~~mowed~~ chatted over our cupcakes, the owner and winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Kevin VanDeraa came by our table and greeted us! He was incredibly humble and just wanted to see how we were enjoying our time at Cupcake. Very cool!

I didn’t love every single cupcake I tried but I did enjoy a lot of them! I especially liked the lemon-filled one which is definitely not like me. The peanut butter one was pretty awesome too (duh, right?)!

I think that Cupcake would be a perfect place to go for a date or to meet up with friends and I will more than likely be making my way back there at some point. The cupcakes range from about $2.75-$4.25 a piece (don’t quote me on that).

2. I’ve been treating myself to caramel coffee at home as well as lots of veggie and fruit loaded smoothies!

3. On Sunday morning, I treated myself to a relaxing morning: reading the newspaper (and my new favorite section!), looking through weekly ads, watching Olympics and sipping on my café con crema!

4. On Sunday I made an amazing dish I found on Pinterest for Asian Chicken Slaw. Link: Asian Chicken Slaw. I cut down on the peanut butter, omitted the basil, and only used 3/4 head of cabbage, but other than that I followed the recipe and holy cow…so good! Make this.

5. The Valentine’s decor is finally up! I totally forgot about it until yesterday when I was organizing some ~~crap~~ gift bags in the basement and stumbled upon them! They make the house look so much more fun and festive! They may have to stay up past Valentine’s Day.
Side note: when you get married you get loads of gift bags. Keep all of them and you will never have to buy a gift bag again! Win!

I am really starting to feel the lovey in the air. How about you?

Questions of the day:

Any good Pinterest recipe finds lately that you’ve tried?
If you were to order any flavor of cupcake, what would you choose?

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 10, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Recipes
Post comments:14 Comments

On Saturday night I had some serious motivation out of nowhere to make something creative. I perused through my fridge and kitchen, noticing that I had a sweet potato on its last leg as well as some frozen grated zucchini in the freezer. We had spaghetti sauce and cheese, plenty of veggies…

sweet potato + zucchini + cheese = pizza?!

In my world, YES!

In a large bowl I mixed together grated sweet potato, grated zucchini, almond flour, egg, parmesan cheese, ground flaxseed, water, a touch of olive oil, and spices. Then I smoothed the dough onto a well-greased baking pan and let it bake for 50 minutes.

Next, I removed the crust from the oven, added sauce, cheese and toppings and let it bake for another fifteen minutes.

For toppings I used: banana peppers, olives, tomatoes, and onion.
For cheese: I used monterey jack because that’s what I had on hand, but you could use mozzarella. I used cheddar cheese as well. I love cheese.

To finish it off, I turned the oven to broil and let the top crisp up to perfection.

Dana and I finished this pizza with no problem.

It was seriously delicious! I was wondering if the sweet potato would make for a sweet crust, but I think all of the cheese counteracted any possibility of that! I loved how it made the house smell too; like a quaint little pizza shop!

I will warn you though, I had to use a fork to eat it because it fell apart in my hands a bit.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Print

Serves: 2

Ingredients

basil
oregano
black pepper
1 egg
1 Tbsp flax seed
3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp parmesan, grated
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp olive oil
garlic powder
¼ cup zucchini, shredded and squeezed to release water
1 heaping cup sweet potato, shredded
favorite pizza toppings
no-sugar added spaghetti sauce
monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella)
cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 9 x 13 cookie sheet with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Spread onto prepared pan until diameter is ¼-1/2 inch thick.
Spray the top of the crust with olive oil.
Bake for 50 minutes. Add as much sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you like and bake 15 more minutes. I finished it off under the broiler to crisp up the top too.

Happy Monday and happy eating!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake

Post author:Melanie
Post published:February 5, 2014
Post category:Dinners / Gluten-Free / Recipes
Post comments:10 Comments

Healthy comfort food. Does that sound like an oxymoron to you? Well it’s not, and I’m here to prove it to you.

Winter time screams warm and hearty casseroles and I’m not talking tater tot hotdish (although there’s nothing wrong with that every once in a while!). Instead of the cream soup casseroles, how about diving into something a little less processed. I’m talking about a cheesy, protein-rich gluten-free dish.

It doesn’t involve dirtying up ten pans. It’s easy. It’s belly-warming. It’s delightful.

It’s a Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake!

There were no cream of soup cans involved in this recipe, only good wholesome foods.

Chicken, broccoli, quinoa, natural cheddar cheese, fresh parmesan, chicken broth, almond milk, garlic, onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Umm…yea. Simple ingredients and an incredibly delicious end result.

Bake this up for yourself tonight! You could substitute brown rice for quinoa, cow’s milk for almond milk, whatever hard cheese you have on hand, peas or cauliflower for broccoli. See, no excuse not to make it tonight!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake

Print

Serves: 2

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup almond milk
½ cup onion, finely diced
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 small chicken breasts
2 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan (grated would be fine too)
dash of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a 9 x 9 oven-safe baking dish, combine quinoa, broth, milk, onion, broccoli, and cheddar.
Set chicken breasts in the middle of the pan, pressed down into the mixture.
Season breasts with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
Top the whole dish with almond flour and parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the center of chicken reads 165 degrees F. ***note baking times will vary!***
Optional: finish under broiler to crisp up the top of the dish.
Serve warm!

Enjoy the comfort foods without interrupting your waistline! Simply delicious.