Category: Kim’s Clean Kitchen

Sunday Night Food Prep

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If You Fail to Plan, You Are Planning to Fail!

 

Have you ever heard this famous quote?  It’s SO TRUE!

My health and goals are very important to me!  Your health and goals should be just as important to you.  Even when life is chaotic and hectic, you still have to find balance and blocks of time for your tasks.  I usually choose Sunday for my Food Prep Day.  It’s easier for my schedule and allows a good window of time at home.  If you’ve seen my previous posts, you know that we LOVE to grill!  Choosing Sundays allows quality time at home grilling out and cooking with my man.  Not only do we create some delicious meals, but it allows that much needed quality time.  I highly recommend including your significant other or family when prepping for the week.  Make it fun!  Get the kids involved!  Spice things up!

I like to choose meals that can easily chill or freeze for days.  We love to grill chicken, steak, veggies and even fruit.  I use a TON of spices to keep things from being bland.  The sky is the limit with spices and there are so many benefits.  For more information, I welcome you to check out my previous post about Spicing Things Up~Benefits of Herbs and Spices.

These Turkey Rounds are often made in our home.  They make a great snack or meal when paired with sides.  I make them several different ways.  If you want to choose a lower carbohydrate option, omit the cooking outs.  I love to use veggies, so shred up some yummy options for  a filler.  These freeze easily…if they last that long.  Delish!

Sunday Night Food Prep with recipe #foodprep

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Turkey Rounds

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey
  • 3 egg whites or 2 whites and one whole egg (depending on preference)
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground thyme
  • 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on preference)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves of garlic ( minced)
  • 1 small chopped onion
  • 2 finely chopped celery stalks
  • Hot Sauce (optional)

NOTE:  As you can see, I add in a lot of options based on preference.  I also grate zucchini (a towel helps to remove access water) and diced kale or spinach if I want more veggies.  Extra veggies are a great alternative if you want to keep out the oats.

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
  2. Spray muffin pan with a healthy oil option.  You can also use a cookie sheet with foil.  Make sure to spray the foil to avoid any sticking.  I also recommend folding up the sides of the foil.
  3. Mix all of your ingredients until evenly combined.
  4. Form into balls and place in your muffin pan or on foil (evenly spaced apart).  This can be done with a small ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop.  The rounds should be around the size of a racquetball.
  5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the meat is fully cooked.
  6. Sometimes I like to drizzle the rounds with hot sauce a few minutes before removing from the oven.  This is optional but a delicious choice.  Especially if you want some heat.  This step is definitely guy tested and approved!  YUM!

If you already food prep, please share some tips below.  If not, I would love to help answer any questions.  Contact  me or post your comments and questions below.

 

 

 

Healthy Honey Glazed Carrots

Oh. My. Carrots!

Every time I shop at the local farmers market or grocery store, I am always on the lookout for a beautiful bunch of fresh organic carrots. There is something so gorgeous about the color, stems and the way they bunch together.  The bright orange color shouts vitamins and health!

A lot of people prefer to eat carrots in the fall and winter, but I love them ALL year round.  This is a popular menu option in our home when we plan and prepare our Sunday Food Prep.  They reheat very easily and still hold the slightly firmer bite.  Don’t worry about a soggy vegetable with these babies.    You can also under-cook them a little if you plan on reheating them and want a harder vegetable.  It’s all about preference.

We LOVE to grill (all year), so that’s usually my first GO-TO option for preparing these beauties.  They are just as delicious when roasted and served fresh out of the oven.  There are so many additions that you can add to this side dish.  I keep my recipe simple, but you can try all kinds of spices and other root vegetables.  This dish pairs well with all kinds of meats and vegetarian dishes.

Honey Glazed Carrots #cleaneating #farmtotable

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Prep:

Preheat your grill while you are preparing your food.

If you wish to roast the vegetables, Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Thoroughly scrub your carrots with water.  After cutting off the leafy tops (I like to leave some green), scrub around the top of the carrot.  Make sure the carrots are thoroughly dried.

 

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Ingredients:

2 pounds of fresh, organic carrots

Extra virgin olive oil

1.5 Tablespoons of Raw Honey ( You can substitute a honey of your choice)

 

Let’s Get Grilling~

When we grill at home, we use foil for an easy clean up.  If you’re going to roast your veggies, I recommend a baking sheet.  You may want to oil the sheet or use foil.  The carrots may stick a little with the honey.  Once you prepare your choice, spread your carrots out along the sheet or foil.  They should lay next to one another and not stack.

First, lightly drizzle your EVOO over your prepared carrots.  Massage the oil into your carrots with your hands.

Once the oil is thoroughly coated on the carrots, drizzle the honey over top.  Massage them around the same way you did with the oil.  You want to make sure the carrots are thoroughly coated with both ingredients.  Some people like them with a little pepper, but I enjoy them as simple as this.

Spread them side by side on the sheet or foil.  Place on the grill (or in the oven).  Toss the carrots a couple of times while they cook.  This allows even cooking time and prevents additional sticking.  Cooking time is approximately 20 minutes depending on your desired texture.  You can test your carrots by piercing them with a fork.

 

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I love the blackened look and taste from the grill!  Simple, Healthy and Delicious!  Enjoy!!

What are your favorite ingredients to combine with carrots?  I welcome you to comment below.

 

Let’s Spice Things Up~ Benefits of Spices and Herbs

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Spices are a staple that I constantly have in my kitchen.  They can take a boring dish and turn it into a gourmet meal.  Spices are technically a dried form of seeds, fruits, bark, roots and vegetables.  They come from ALL over the world.  They contain SO MANY healthy phytonutrient compounds, including antioxidants.  These prep-free ingredients provide a powerful PUNCH to any meal.

I love to grow my own spices and herbs, but there are also many others that I purchase and have on hand.  I am very excited about the Spice Industry going more organic.  When shopping for spices, try to find a top quality product.  You don’t want to purchase and cook with a poor quality spice that’s been sitting on the shelf and possibly exposed to water or contamination.  When properly prepared and stored, spices can last a LONG time!

Let’s Spice Things Up: Benefits of Spices and Herbs #spicesandherbs

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Cayenne Pepper:  This HOT spice is a circulatory stimulant.  It also helps to eliminate toxins from the body.   High in capsaicin, cayenne pepper also helps to provide relief from joint pain.  This powerful antioxidant also helps to clear sinuses, increase metabolism (fat burning), promotes hearty-health and helps to fight allergies and colds.  Cayenne pepper is commonly combined with hot water and lemon for a detoxifying morning drink.  Cayenne Pepper can also be added to many meat and veggie dishes.

 

Cinnamon:  This powerful and sweet spice has been shown to lower blood sugar and blood triglyceride levels, reduce inflammation, alleviate nausea and aid in fat burning.  Cinnamon is often used in baking recipes, but there are so many other ways to use it.  I love to sprinkle cinnamon on my sweet potato fries before roasting.  I top my morning oats with berries, chia seeds and cinnamon for a delicious and nutritious meal.  I’ve even used it in chili recipes.  Cinnamon pairs well with several hot dishes by adding a sweeter side.  I encourage you to try cinnamon in your dishes.

 

Garlic:  Fresh is always the best option, but powdered and minced garlic provides a delicious flavor too.  Fresh garlic has been shown to provide anti-cancer benefits.  By assisting your immune system, garlic helps to fight against the common cold and other illnesses.  Garlic also reduces blood sugar, lowers cholesterol, helps prevent dementia, improves athletic performance, detoxifies heavy metals and strengthens bones.  I love to cook with Garlic!  It can be added to SO many dishes.  After chopping or dicing, allow the garlic to sit for 15 minutes.  This allows the active form of the protective phytochemicals to develop.

 

Ginger:  Commonly found in fresh and ground, Ginger provides great benefits to your health.   The root is packed full of vitamins, minerals and compounds that help your body grow and repair.  In addition to reducing the feeling of nausea, it’s also shown to help pregnant women with the effects of morning sickness.  Ginger helps to aid against muscle pain, ease osteoarthritis, fight infections, protect against Alzheimer’s disease, aids the fight against Cancer, reduces menstrual cramps, reduces ingestion pain and relieves pain and swelling associated with arthritis.  Ginger can be added to dishes that include vegetables and fruits.  I love to incorporate fresh ginger when I make a healthy juice drink.

 

Oregano:  An herb of the mint family, Oregano has been used for medicinal and culinary purposes for thousands of years.   It has the highest antioxidant activity of 27 fresh culinary herbs (USDA).  This powerful herb has many antibacterial and anti-fungal benefits.  It’s also high in vitamins and nutrients.  Cellular deterioration and the aging process has been shown to slow with this powerful herb.  Commonly used in medicinal forms, Organo can help improve health and fight illness.  This herb is commonly used in Italian and Greek dishes.  I love to add it to soups, stews and crock pot meals.

 

Rosemary:  Containing a high concentration of the antioxidant carnosol, Rosemary has been shown to stop gene mutations that could lead to cancer and also benefit treatment for cancer patients.  Many soaps and skin care products contain Rosemary because it helps to reduce puffiness, stimulates cell regeneration, increases firmness and fight against aging.  Other benefits include an improvement in memory, mood elevation, pain relief, anti-inflammation, hair growth, digestive health and liver detoxification.  Rosemary is commonly found in soups, stews and meat dishes.  I love to add Rosemary to my steak marinade before grilling.

 

Tumeric:  Often found in kitchens around the world, Tumeric is more commonly used in the US for medicinal purposes.  Associated with its anti-inflammatory properties, research has now shown that tumeric can help treat different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s.  Joint improvement, weight loss, improved liver health and improved eye health are some of the additional benefits.

The active component in tumeric is curcumin.  Research has found that consuming black pepper with curcumin increases its bioavailability.  This is an important note when trying to achieve maximum results from the plant.  For medicinal purposes, people will chew the plant while consuming pepper right after.  You can also make soups, meat dishes and sauces with this ground up ingredient.

Simple Spaghetti Squash

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Spaghetti Squash is one of my FAVORITE options for keepin’ it LOW CARB!  Not only is it easy to make, but there are so many ways to serve it.  I love to drizzle mine with oil and top with a yummy sauce.  You can also toss the “spaghetti” with vegetables and spices.  Have fun with it!  Shake up the Spaghettie Squash and create some awesome recipes of your own.

 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees

 

Preparation:  Please note the way to cut a squash open.  I almost ended up in the ER until I found a trick that actually works.  The squash will be pretty hard.  Even with a sharp knife, you have to be cautious.  I like to warm mine up first until it’s tender enough to insert a knife.  It will still be a little hard, but it’s less dangerous this way.  Warming the squash can easily be done in the oven.  Personally, I am trying to limit my use of the microwave.  Once the flesh is soft enough to cut, CAREFULLY slice the spaghetti squash in half (lengthwise).  I love you all and don’t want to see you injured, so please be careful! 😉

Once separated, drizzle the inside flesh part (both pieces) with oil, salt and pepper.  I personally choose to use olive or grapeseed oil.  There are many options.  It’s your dish, so have fun with it!

Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the flesh side down on the sheet.  Bake for approximately 45 min-1 hour.  Oven times may vary, so pierce your squash (flesh) three quarters of the way through your baking time.  Remove your squash from the oven once you can insert a fork into the flesh and it feels easy enough to pull apart.  Allow the squash to slightly cool.  It will be HOT!  It can still be warm to the touch, but again, be careful.

Once your squash has slightly cooled, take your fork and gently shred the squash in long strands.  Place your strands in a bowl and toss in your desired ingredients.  Olive oil, red pepper flakes, parsley and lightly sprinkled raw cheese (optional) is a great option.  For my dinner, I kicked it up with a delicious sauce and some fresh basil from my garden.  My side of choice was grilled asparagus.  YUM!  Once you try this, you may be coming back for more!

 

Kim’s Clean Mexican Salad

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The first of the New Year brings many things.  We all have New Year’s resolutions, health goals and questions about things we should rid from the past.  As we go into the New Year, let’s touch on something that SO many focus on.  Health and clean eating….

We should first focus on two topics.  Why do we fall off the wagon so fast and why do we give up so easily?

  1. There is too much emphasis on what you need to take out and less on what you need to add in.  Yes, you will get bored and give up if you are forcing yourself to consume foods that you have no desire to eat or even consider.  Here is where I can help!

 

  1. You don’t know how to transform your recipes into healthier ones. Better yet, you don’t know how to find foods that actually taste good.  Trust me, I love to eat!  LOVE to eat!!! I still find ways to make things healthy and nutritious while tasting good.

 

This is a classic example of eating what I love, considering convenience (another excuse) and altering a classic for a healthier version.  I don’t know about you, but I love Mexican food!  All of that sodium….Uhm, NO!  So I choose my “version.”  Yes, the idea of Mexican food may mean a greasy enriched flour tortilla covered in oils, cheeses, meats (from unknown sources) and who knows what else is in there.  Next please!!!

As you can see, I “spiced” it up a bit!  Instead of an unhealthy tortilla bowl filled with unhealthy ingredients, I chose to layer my “Mexican salad” with a bed of organic spinach.  Did I mention convenient?  I made two separate meals the other night.  One was turkey chili in the crockpot and the other was spicy chicken for fajitas.  I combined the small leftovers, sautéed some garlic and onions, and topped the mixture onto my bed of lettuce.  Delish!!!

Condiments?  Who loves condiments?  If you cannot make your own guac and salsa from fresh, organic ingredients, there are many options in the store.  I personally choose the organic version, but it’s a preference. I try to limit dairy, but when I have Mexican food, I love a dollop of greek yogurt.  No sour cream for this girl!!!  See….we can improvise!  Easy peasy!

This is just one of many recipes and tips/tricks that I will be sharing with you.  I want you to see that it doesn’t have to SUCK to eat healthy. You can still enjoy the dishes you love with a few adjustments.  This dish was simple, easy, and convenient.  It’s also loaded with nutrients.  A good balance of healthy proteins, carbohydrates, fiber and fat.  Did I mention that avocado??  YUM!