Hello, Spring!

Spring has sprung! The sun is finally shining and hopefully warmer days continue to be ahead of us. These sunny days are so bright and cheery and just make for all around better moods and extra happiness. Daylight savings time got the best of all of us this year and while waking up in the dark is still a challenge almost two weeks later, the longer daylight in the evenings is so nice. My birthday is this week and Easter is already next week! I just love this time of year. Also...the Easter Bunny needs to get his act together- ha! 

I've been extra inspired in the kitchen and making tons of new recipes. I keep a running list on my phone with recipes that I want to try and that's how I've been making my weekly menus. Here are a few of my faves from the past few weeks. 

These Jammy Eggs are as delicious as they look (especially if you love a runny yolk like I do). You can find the tutorial on her Instagram stories titled under "Jammy Eggs". I topped mine with Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning and fruit. So, so good.

This Radicchio Chick Pea Salad with Lemon Tahini Vinaigrette is going to be my new obsession. The dressing is to die for and the sweet bites of mint in the salad are the best. I served this with Greek Turkey Burgers and oven roasted potatoes. Or grab a rotisserie chicken and mix some meat in this salad. Easy and healthy weeknight meal!

Potato Leek Soup- another find from The Defined Dish. OH MY GOSH we loved this. So much flavor and so easy. The recipe makes a ton and I had enough for lunches all week long. It would be delicious with bacon added on top! 

And still riding the Defined Dish Train with this Paleo Sesame Chicken. Super easy for a weeknight meal and kid friendly, too! I served mine over cauliflower rice with roasted broccoli on the side. 

If you are into granola, make this now. I love it with Greek yogurt, coconut cream or just a handful as a snack when I need something sweet. I added cacao nibs to mine for a little chocolatey twist. This is the best homemade granola I've made!

And what's not to love about Guiness Brownies?! Seriously. The frosting is everything. A must make! And I'm definitely not waiting until Saint Patrick's Day to roll around to make them again.

Salmon Burgers

Salmon cakes? Salmon burgers? Salmon patties!? Whatever you want to call them, here's my new favorite recipe. I've scrolled right past these SO MANY TIMES but decided to finally give them a try. Why did we wait so long!? Mark asked the same thing after the first time I made these. We are loving these lately! The flavor is great and if you don't love that fishy flavor you are in luck because these burgers are super mild. 

It turns out that canned salmon is a thing and it's much less scary than it sounds. You could certainly use fresh salmon, cook and form into patties, I love the quick and easy route when using the stuff right out of the can. Bonus points because this also makes it a very budget friendly meal. Cannot get enough of these and they make for the BEST lunch the next day. Serve them on top of a salad with a side of sweet potato wedges and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. 

Thanks to my friend Allison for sharing this recipe with me! 


Salmon Burgers

2 6oz. cans wild salmon, drained
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt/herb mix (I used salt + herbs de provence)
2 tsp. whole grain or brown mustard
2-3 tsp. coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut oil

Combine all ingredients except coconut flour and oil in a mixing bowl. Add coconut flour in 1 tsp. increments until the mixture isn't "wet". 

In a large pan over medium heat, melt coconut oil. Form salmon mixture into patties and place in the pan of hot oil. Allow patties to brown before flipping- about 5-6 minutes on each side. Cook all the way through and serve. 

Paleo Asian Lettuce Wraps

Another Instagram post, another recipe. I love scrolling through all of the delicious dinner posts I see on Instagram and I've been posting our dinners on my stories more. I seriously get so many questions when I post pictures of our dinners so why not post them here with the recipes included!

These Asian Lettuce Wraps are from 2011 and were a favorite staple dinner in our Illinois kitchen. I loved the PF Changs version so much that I found a copycat recipe online years ago and always found myself wanting to make them. They are easy, fairly healthy and full of flavor. The addition of Hoisin sauce adds wonderful flavor but unfortunately, lots of added sugar and sodium. 

Several years ago, I cleaned up my lettuce wrap recipe for what I'm posting here. Lean turkey, lots of veggies and coconut aminos make this a wonderful Paleo and Whole30 alternative! Ground chicken and lean beef work equally as well with this recipe- I used good quality ground turkey this week and it was delicious. You can also add whatever veggies you have on hand! We love the combo of onions, carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts. Iceburg lettuce used to be my go-to for the wraps but lately I've been buying Boston bibb and it works so much better! If you want that slightly nutty flavor that you miss without the Hoisin sauce, a Tablespoon or two of almond butter in here gives it just that! 

These are delicious on their own, or served with an asian cucumber salad on the side! Just toss the cukes with some coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar and sesame seeds (another PF Changs recipe replica!)

Enjoy!

Paleo Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 can chopped water chestnuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup coconut aminos 
Olive Oil
Bibb lettuce, for serving

Coat the bottom of a large skillet/saute pan with a few swirls of olive oil and place on medium heat.

Add garlic, onions, carrots and ground ginger and saute until the vegetables start to get soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Adding the ground ginger early on allows for the flavor to get nice and toasted and really amplifies it! Add mushrooms and cook for an addition 5 minutes. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper and transfer cooked vegetables to another bowl. 

Keep heat at medium and add ground turkey. Break up the turkey as it cooks. Once meat is cooked through, add the vegetables back in and add the can of water chestnuts. Add coconut aminos and toss it all together. 

Remove from burner and serve in lettuce cups! 

Paleo-ish + National Margarita Day

Popping in on this gorgeous Thursday to say hi! The weather here has been insane this week and you would think we are in the middle of Spring. We are Olympics obsessed in our house and it's strange watching these Winter sports while wearing shorts and flip flops! I wouldn't be upset if Brad Panovich said that we were getting one more snow storm to round out the Winter next week but if it stays like this, I definitely won't complain. We all need a little more vitamin D!

Nearly two months into 2018 and we are crushing the dinner menus in our house! Our eating is by no means perfectly clean, but the majority of our dinners during the week are either Paleo or Whole30. This works well for us and is easy to stick to. We always have leftovers, too which is perfect for lunches. Breakfast for me us usually two eggs over easy with fruit. And my giant mug of coffee. I've tried tons of new recipes the past several weeks and am linking some of our favorites below. The salmon cakes were the surprise hit this week and I'll post the recipe next week. These would be a great item to make ahead and have throughout the week for lunches. I'm obsessed with them. 

Defined Dish Basil Thai Beef

Paleo Turmeric Chicken Meatballs with Green Tahini Sauce

Pan Roasted Greek Chicken Thighs

Paleo Chicken Piccata

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Pasta

SALMON CAKES!!! (posting my recipe next week but this recipe from No Crumbs Left is sure to be a winner)

And while we are on the Paleo kick, I've been using NutPods in my coffee and I have to say, I'm a fan! It doesn't add that thick and creamy consistency like my beloved half and half, but I'm getting used to it. With the NutPods and a scoop of my Collagen Peptides, I'm good to go in the mornings! I order both my NutPods and Collagen Peptides on Amazon (linked above).

Lastly, today is National Margarita Day! I can get behind this random food holiday. This recipe that we fondly refer to The Markarita in our house will always be our number one favorite drink to make. If you're celebrating today, try my recipe! It's so fresh and SO GOOD. 

Happy Friday Eve!

Hello, 2018 + First Meal Plan of the New Year!

Two thumbs up for a peppermint latte but two thumbs down for no more red cups. 

If I'm being honest, the end of the holiday season always leaves me feeling a little sad. We wait and wait and wait for this time of year and then it passes us by in a blink! We soaked it all in and truly enjoyed the season but I always wish it could last a little it longer. Our twinkly tree is still thriving and glowing and we are enjoying it through the rest of this week. I need a few more snuggly nights by my tree with a Hallmark movie playing in the background. I even made a "Winter playlist" to ease me back in because I can't stop with the Christmas music abruptly. 

I do love the fresh start of a new year, though! We have been in vacation mode for awhile now and it will be nice to get back to early mornings in the gym, routine and my favorite- MEAL PLANNING! We aren't doing a true Whole 30 in January but I'm trying to keep our meals mostly Whole 30. I've found Instagram to be a huge resource for meal ideas and I have so many friends who are on board as well so I always have people to recipe swap with. 

Here's what's on our menu this week:

Chicken Picatta + Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Salad

Cajun Salmon + Green Beans + Roasted Red Potatoes

Hawaiian Chicken Burgers + Roasted Sweet Potato Fries + Salad

Sausage + Greens Roasted Veggie Bowls 

Turkey Taco Spaghetti Squash

Sushi Takeout (I have been craving this for WEEKS!)

If you are looking for healthy recipe inspiration for the New Year, here are a few of my favorites to follow:

No Crumbs Left
Pretend It's a Donut
Ambitious Kitchen
Skinnytaste
The Defined Dish
Pinch of Yum

Also related to the start of the new year, I just jumped onboard with Emily Ley's 2018 Simplicity Challenge. I'm a few days behind but luckily, the past three days have been easy to catch up with. Today's challenge was to clean up your phone! It sounds a little silly, but it felt so good. I deleted apps that I don't use, turned off almost all notifications and organized everything into folders. I also deleted old contacts and moved time sucking apps to the last page of my phone. You can follow the challenge on Instagram by following @emilyley and #simplicitychallenge2018. (not sponsored- just loving the idea of incorporating this in January)

Cheers to a great 2018!

#EatMooreDinner, Vol. 5

(turkey taco salad bowl- one of our favorite easy weeknight staples!)

Popping in on this rainy menu to share our menu for the week. I was feeling totally uninspired yesterday as I made our meal plan and wrote out my grocery list but I rallied and came up with some yummy dinners. This week is looking excellent!

"Popping in" by the way...this is totally little term my mom always uses and now that I'm using it, I'm laughing to myself.

Mark is running a half marathon on Saturday here in Charlotte so on Friday night we will be carb loading- I'm thinking a favorite pizza or pasta and perhaps we will go out as a pre celebration. 

Here's what's on our menu this week:

Whole 30 Chicken Picatta + Zoodles

Lemon Garlic Salmon + Roasted Cauliflower, Chick Pea and Kale Salad

Chicken Avocado Salad with Peanut Dressing (I'm MOST EXCITED about this one)

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream

Grilled Skirt Steak, Avocado Chimichurri, Roasted Potatoes + Kale Salad 

Oven Fajita Quinoa Bowls

For more dinner ideas, search #eatmooredinner/@ninanmoore on Instagram! Or follow me on Pinterest. 

#EatMooreDinner, Vol. 4

My meal planning game has been strong lately! I've tried a lot of new recipes recently- many of which I cannot wait to make again. I have said it a hundred times before here, but meal planning really does keep us on track around here. When I meal plan, I usually plan for 4-5 dinners. We almost aways eat out at least one night each weekend, do leftovers another night and have a randomly put together meal based on what I have on hand in the kitchen. With two little ones in our house, too, I like to make things that can be easily "deconstructed" for them if need be. I also add in a few "extras". Egg muffins, paleo bites, healthy muffins for the little ones- plenty of extra things to have on hand.

Another rule I try to stick to is aside from pizza night, if I'm cooking at home, we are eating mostly Paleo friendly meals. This ensures that our weeknight meals are clean and healthy, leaving room for a few weekend splurges to enjoy.

I am LOVING cooking from the new Skinnytaste cookbook, Fast & Slow. Two of my recipes this week are out of this book! Everything I've made out of here so far has been DELICIOUS. We had the Cold Peanut Sesame Chicken and Cucumber Noodle Salad last night and it was beyond good. The dressing was drinkable and because we had ZERO leftovers, I whipped up a quick batch of it for my lunch salad today. 

Here's what's on our menu this week:

Cold Peanut Sesame Chicken + Spiralized Cucumber Noodle Salad (from Skinnytaste Fast & Slow

Salmon + Roasted Baby Potatoes + Grilled Caprese Vegetables (also from Skinnytaste)

Turkey Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats

Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

For more dinner ideas, search @ninanmoore/#eatmooredinner on Instagram for my food photos!

#EatMooreDinner, Vol. 2

It's a new week with a new menu and I'm already planning the next time I make some of the dinners we had last week. I cannot stop thinking about these meals!! 

The Paleo Moroccan Chicken Bowls were by far my favorite dish from last week. I'm so obsessed with the flavors and everything was so fresh and good. The leftovers just as tasty!! I passed this recipe along to so many friends! Thursday night was another new dish and I actually never got to photograph it OR taste it since I was eating fried chicken before the Zac Brown concert! I'm going to recreate it again soon. 

My Asian Beef Lettuce wraps are a staple around here. I've tossed the recipe aside really and just saute up ground beef or turkey with whatever veggies I have on hand and season it with Tamari and freshly ground ginger...and a heavy drizzle of Sriracha! When I crave these things, I really think it's that crazy spice I want. My original recipe is linked below! 

Here's what we ate last week:

Lemon Garlic Salmon with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

Paleo Grilled Moroccan Chicken Bowls

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Mexican Quinoa Bowls with Chorizo and Pico de Gallo 

Margherita Pizza

#EatMooreDinner

My menu has been made and our fridge is fully stocked! I'll call that a successful Monday! This makes me soooooooo happy. I'm making two new recipes this week, one of which I am totally winging because I saw it on an Instagram feed and am using it as inspiration. 

I'm going to try something a little different this week, and make an effort to take a photo of our dinners this week to post next week! If you follow me on Instagram, #eatmooredinner is nothing new. My creative, hashtag savvy friend Rachel came up with it, and I use this tag for all of our dinner posts. I'm carrying it over to the blog and will hopefully have some tasty photos and recipes to share next week! 

When I meal plan, I typically plan for 4-5 specific meals. We almost always go out for dinner at least one night during the weekend and one of our at home dinners is usually something I quickly throw together with whatever we have on hand or have to use up! On my meal plan list, I also have a section for Will, a section for Kate and a section for us. Here are my extras that I'm making this week.

For Will:
- Hummus + veggie whole wheat wraps (for school lunches)
- No Bake Energy Bites
- Baked Parmesan Zucchini

For Kate:
- Mango + Kale with Ginger
- Superhero Greens with Chicken (from the Little Foodie cookbook)
- Pump Some Iron Beef puree (also from the Little Foodie Cookbook)

For Us:
- Lentil Salad with Mustard and Tomatoes
- Mini Fritattas with Sausage and Veggies (recipe adapted from Skinnytaste)

If you are in need of more meal planning inspo, Real Simple has a daily e-mail that you can sign up for with a recipe of the day. It's a great way to try out new recipes or get out of a rut. Sign up HERE. (#notsponsored- just sharing a good resource because I love it!)

What We Ate

My food photos aren't always beautiful, but our meals are always fresh and tasty. All of our meals don't always make it to the blog in their own post, but we've had some great dinners that are worth sharing. Hopefully this will give you some ideas as you plan your meals as well. 

I've been trying a lot of new recipes over the past couple of weeks, many of which have been fantastic! I made it a goal at the beginning of 2015 to do less recipe searching online and more in the pages of my cookbooks. I have so many beautiful cookbooks that I forget about because it's so easy to search my most recent pins or saved blog posts from my weekly reads around the web. 

Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner from Cooking Light

Baked Wings, Crash Hot Potatoes and Ina Garten's Winter Slaw (from her newest cookbook- a new favorite on my shelf!)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Niman Ranch Burgers, Mashed Avocado with Lime + Fresh Salsa for dipping.

Pizza...my most favorite weekly splurge meal. I start with my Neapolitan Pizza Dough recipe and like to get creative with our toppings. This pizza is topped with roasted garlic, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, kalamata olives and mozzarella. 

Salt + Vinegar Roasted Chicken, Sauteed Broccoli Rabe and White Bean Salad with Crispy Pancetta that I could basically eat every day for the rest of my life. SO GOOD. 

Valentine's Day 2015 was spent at home and that's just how we wanted it. We grabbed steaks from the butcher at Block + Grinder and they were incredible. I served them with Mushroom Risotto and Roasted Asparagus. 

Chicken Picatta (my favorite way to cook chicken breast), Sauteed Chard + Another round of Crash Hot Potatoes 

Spicy Eggplant and Sausage Zucchini Pasta, from Inspiralized. This meal was beyond delicious. My spiralizer is my favorite piece of kitchen equipment right now and I can't seem to get enough. If you have a spiralizer, Inspiralized is one of my favorite resources for recipes and healthy eating in general. I just got her new cookbook in the mail last week and I can't wait to continue in my spiralizing adventures. 

I hope you all are making something delicious this week! 

Recipe Roundup

Unless I am baking, I have never been a recipe follower. I usually start with a recipe for inspiration and go in my own direction from there. This is how many of the recipes I post on my blog are born! Time spent in my kitchen is my creative time and I enjoy every minute. The hour I take each week to sit down and plan our meals is therapeutic for me. I scroll through Pinterest, flip through my cookbooks and look back in my recipe archives, making it a goal to make at least one new recipe a week. We've been enjoying a lot of new bites lately and there are several new recipes that I have followed to a "T". Here's a quick recipe roundup from my kitchen to yours!

::one/two/three/four/five/six/seven::

1. Healthy Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Oat Breakfast Bars- Another find from my sister, I love these breakfast bars! These are great for busy weeks to grab and go on the run!

2. New York Times Tuscan Kale Salad- Obsessed doesn't even begin to describe my feelings for this salad. It appears on our menu at least once weekly and I have been eating some version of it for lunches almost daily.

3. Margarita Cupcakes- These should appear at every celebration! My has made these a few times and they are always a huge hit. I made them last weekend for a Stock the Bar Party and everyone went back for more. 

4. Against All Grain Pumpkin Muffins- This recipe comes from the Against All Grain cookbook (my new bookshelf fave!!) If you google the recipe, it's published on several other blogs, although if you are looking for a Paleo cookbook to add to your collection, Danielle's cookbook is just wonderful!

5. Chicken Cacciatore- I made this during #snOMG and it was a warm and comforting meal. We ate this on top of quinoa and the leftovers were tasty! 

6. Whole Foods Black Bean Burgers- I have been on a black bean burger kick and these are another recent lunch staple. I actually did make a few changes to this recipe. I subbed 1/2 cup almond meal and 1/2 cup of cashew meal instead of the breadcrumbs. I also eat them plain without a bun and a little avocado and fresh lime juice on top!

7. Cauliflower Burrito Bowls- If you have never tried cauliflower rice, here's a perfect and delicious way to enjoy it. These burrito bowls are so tasty, fresh and incredibly healthy. This blog (The Roasted Root) is also full of TONS of great recipes. 

*photos 2, 3 and 4 are my own. The rest are credited appropriately underneath the photos

Health + Fitness Friday: Grocery List Staples

I have said it before and I will say it again (and again and again and again), meal planning and intentional grocery shopping are two of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's so important to stock your kitchen with healthy, wholesome items so that what you have available is good for your body. For Health and Fitness Friday this week, I thought it might be helpful to share some of my grocery list tips and some of the things that I keep our kitchen stocked with.

At the beginning of each week, I typically sit down and create a meal plan and grocery list for the week. I include what we need for our meals, plus lots of fresh produce. My grocery cart is usually 50% produce and full of color- which I love! When it to fresh items, I usually buy what looks the best and according to what's in season. Refrigerator items like almond milk and Greek yogurt always appear on the weekly list. For freezer and pantry items, I find that it's easiest to keep a magnetic notepad on my fridge so that I can keep track of things as we run out or are close to it. If we open a jar of almond butter, I make sure to write it on my notepad so that I can buy a backup! Many of the staple items in our kitchen not only make for healthy snack options, but also make it possible to whip up dinner on a whim when we have to veer from the meal plan or I just want to make something easier than what's on the list.

I've put together a list of our kitchen staples and foods that are always found in our kitchen. These items are broken down into four categories: FREEZER, FRIDGE, FRESH and PANTRY.

FREEZER

Frozen berries are great, especially when fresh berries are out of season! I find that Trader Joe's has the best prices. I add frozen berries to my protein shakes, greek yogurt or on top of a protein pancake. 

Frozen Tilapia & Salmon are a must to keep on hand! I buy most of our other meats fresh but since most fish is delivered to the grocery stores frozen already, this is a no brainer! Frozen fish thaws in minutes and makes for a quick and healthy dinner when roasted with some garlic, lemon & olive oil. All you need is a salad on the side!

Bananas are purchased fresh, and then I let them ripen, peel, break in half and freeze. Again, perfect for smoothies or pop in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir into plain Greek yogurt.

FRIDGE

Eggs (Eggland's Best or Trader Joe's Omega-3)

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Greek Yogurt (Fage 2% Total, plain)

Laughing Cow Cheese

FRESH

Greens are a must! I like to keep a variety on hand so that we can enjoy salads with dinner or for lunch, or throw spinach in a smoothie. Arugula, Kale, Spinach and baby greens are my favorite.

Garlic should go without saying.

Onions are another given. I always have both sweet and red.

Avocados can be used on top of salads, scrambled eggs or just as a snack with a little lime juice and salt. Healthy fats are good for you!

Apples make a great snack with a wedge of Laughing Cow or a smear of almond butter. 

Citrus in all forms! Fresh lemons, limes, and oranges freshen up water, marinades, dressings and smoothies. 

Berries when they're in season!

Fresh vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus or green beans can be roasted with olive oil and sea salt for healthy dinner sides. Vine ripened tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers are other favorites.

PANTRY

Canned beans to add to salads or make homemade hummus! I like cannelinis and garbanzos.

Almond Meal to use as a healthy substitute to breadcrumbs on chicken, fish and pork.

Nuts to snack on, sprinkle on Greek yogurt or add to salads. They also make a great "crust" on all types of meat when crushed.

Crushed tomatoes (unsalted) can be used in soups or to make quick marinara sauces.

Almond Butter/Peanut Butter does not need an explanation!

Dijon Mustard is something I add frequently to salad dressings and marinades.

Protein Powder so that we always have what we need for morning smoothies!

Dark Chocolate Chips for when the sweet tooth cries out for some love. Just a few of these satisfy a chocolate craving when necessary- the darker the chocolate the better! (at least 60% cacao)

To make planning and shopping easier, there are tons of free menu/grocery planning printables right at our fingertips! Jen's happens to be my favorite and I keep multiple blank copies in my Home Management Binder! Click HERE to download your own copy.

Wishing you all a fantastic weekend!