Cookbok Club: Julia Child's Ratatouille

Julia Child is probably one of the very first cooking shows I ever watched. Her voice is one of the most recognizable ones ever and she is beyond respected in the food industry. Her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a staple in kitchens across America and has been for over forty years. Kitchen beginners and experts alike can find something to make within the pages of this book- and can learn to master the art of French cuisine. Now that I have made something from this book, I feel like I'm really winning in the kitchen. Ha! 

I'm a veggie lover and as much as we eat them, I've never made this classic dish. It's so basic, yet so much more than just sauteing or roasting your veggies- there's a real method here and that's how all of Julia Child's recipes seem to be. So simple, yet so complicated. That's the best way to describe this veggie side dish. 

Word to the wise- this isn't exactly a quick and easy dish. It takes time, and had I done some extra prep work, I probably wouldn't have had to take some short cuts. I'll definitely be making this again when I have a few extra moments to take my time and love it into existence (like risotto). Regardless, this is full of flavor and I love that it focuses on simple, fresh ingredients. I LOVE eggplant and although the recipe calls for peeling it, next time I will definitely leave the skin on. I also left the skin on my tomatoes and didn't seed them to save on time. 

This was wonderful served alongside my Oven Roasted Lemon Caper Cod. Let me know if you try making this classic French dish!

Julia Child's Ratatioulle
recipe from Julia Child

1 large eggplant
1 large zucchini
1 tsp. salt, plus more for seasoning
4-6 Tbsp. olive oil, divied
1/2 pound thinly sliced yellow onion (about 1.5 cups)1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
2 coves mashed garlic
pepper
2-3 roma tomatoes, peeled and then seeded and juiced
3 Tbsp. minced parsley

Peel the eggplant and cut lengthwise slices about 3/8" thick about 3" long and 1" wide. Slice the ends off the zucchini and cut into similar size slices as the eggplant. Toss the eggplant and zucchini in a bowl with some salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. Once it has sat, pat dry with paper towel. 

In a 10-12" inch skillet with 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, sautee the zucchini and eggplant for about one minute on each side, or until slightly browned. Transfer to another dish.

In the same skillet, cook onions and peppers and add additional oil if needed. Cook until tender, but not browned. Stir in the smashes garlic and add some salt and pepper to season.

Slice tomato into strips and lay it on top of the peppers and onions. Cover the skillet and cook for five minutes, or until the tomatoes have gotten juicy. Uncover, raise the heat and boil for several minutes until the juice has almost entirely evaporated.

Transfer all but 1/3 of the tomato mixture to another dish. Top the remaining 1/3 of tomato mixture with 1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley. Arrange half of the zucchini and eggplant mixture on top, then half of the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and top with the remaining tomatoes and parsley. 

Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip the skillet and baste with the juices. Raise heat and cook, uncovered, for about 15 more minutes, basting often.


Link up your Julia Child recipes below and don't forget- next month's book is Giada's Feel Good Food! We hope to see what some of you have been cooking!

An InLinkz Link-up

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! 

Oven Roasted Lemon Caper Cod

Fresh week- fresh menu and fresh fish recipe! I almost always do my grocery shopping on Mondays and we almost always have fish on Mondays. No special reason, it's just become habit! 

I posted last night's dinner on my Instagram stories and got tons of questions about my fish and how I cooked it. I always have hopes of having time to photograph dinners with my big girl camera but it almost never happens. I snapped this photo quickly before we ate so this is what we are rolling with. 

We LOVE cod in our house. It's a flaky and mild fish and it takes on pretty much any flavor you cook with it (it's also mu favorite fish for fish tacos!) This is wild caught fresh cod from Harris Teeter and it was delicious. I've done previously frozen fillets before and though they are a little more budget friendly, it's just not as good. This recipe couldn't be easier! I'm a lemon lover and it's my favorite flavor with fish. The capers get slightly roasted and crunchy at the end adding in the perfect salty bite. I served this with sauteed broccolini and roasted red potatoes. Easy, simple and healthy!

Oven Roasted Lemon Caper Cod

1 lb. fillet fresh cod
Salt + pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. butter (I like Kerrygold), cut into thin slices
2 Tbsp. capers
Olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.

Place fish fillet on prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Top with minced garlic, followed by butter slices and finish with the lemon slices on top. Add a quick drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and add capers on top, then cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flaky. 

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!

Easy Paleo Sunday Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs are the Hallmark of a proper Italian Sunday. When the weather gets cooler, a bowl of pasta is like a big hug and comforting in all of the best ways. Meatballs just taste better on Sundays. I posted a quick picture of these meatballs on my Instagram stories last night and got tons of comments asking for the recipe- so here you go! This is probably the most un-appetizing picture I've ever posted, but hope to update it next time I whip these up, which will likely be very soon since this a menu staple in our house.

This is my base meatball recipe and what I always go by. Turkey, pork, sausage, beef- it all works! I keep the ratio of meat to seasonings the same and tweak as I need depending on what I am making. One thing that always makes a big difference is browning the meatballs on the stove for a bit, and then finishing them in the oven. If you have time to babysit the meatballs for a few minutes on the stove, don't skip this step!

I LOVE meatballs mixed with breadcrumbs and parmesan, but I promise you won't even miss it with this recipe. The flavor is amazing, especially if you have fresh basil on hand. We had these with a simple marinara over spaghetti squash for a healthier Italian Sunday.

Enjoy!

Easy Paleo Sunday Meatballs

1.5 lbs. ground beef (I like 80/20 for these)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

handful fresh basil, chopped

1.5 tsp. salt

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with your hands until combined. (be careful not to over-mix!) Roll into ping pong sized balls and place on your prepped baking sheet. 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Place meatballs in skillet and brown for 10 minutes, rotating every 2-3 minutes. You may have to do these in batches. Once they are browned, transfer back to the baking sheet. Bake for another 10 minutes or so. 

Pumpkin Power Cookies

I am normally of the mindset "LONG LIVE SUMMER", but as soon as September 22 rolled around on the calendar I was ready to switch to Fall. Will has been super excited about the seasons changing over, well, since Summer started, and he told me that because Friday was the first day of Fall, all of the leaves were going to fall off of the trees at once. Cutest little kid comment ever. 

The season comes and goes so fast here and even though we are still hovering in temperatures around 80 degrees, I want to soak it up before Christmas is knocking at our door. Which is three months from yesterday. Whoah.

These power cookies are the perfect healthy snack, sweet treat and everything in between. My Paleo Snack Bites are my go-to pre workout snack, but I needed a change this week. The 5:15am wakeup call to hit the gym is never easy, but it's been a little easier this week to crawl out of bed knowing I can eat one of these. My kids LOVE them, too! They are packed with all kinds of good nutrients and filled with the flavors of Fall. They are also grain free and refined sugar free! What more could you want!?

Pumpkin Power Cookies
recipe from Primally Inspired

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup raw honey
1.5 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk pumpkin, coconut oil, honey, pumpkin pie spice, salt and eggs. Mix until combined. Stir in walnuts, pecans, cranberries and chocolate chips.

Using a spoon, drop about a tablespoon or two of the cookie mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes. 

Once they are done and completely cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge.

Taco Turkey Spaghetti Squash

It's been a whirlwind few weeks! The four of us went on nearly a week long trip to Florida and two days later I packed my bags back up and enjoyed a girls weekend in the mountains. I had the best time on both trips but it's nice to be home for a bit. After a week of indulging, I'm anxious to get back to my regular gym routine and back in the kitchen. We are keeping it light, easy and healthy this week. My body is craving ALL THE VEGGIES. 

This turkey taco spaghetti squash is a newer favorite around here. It's the perfect weeknight meal and comes together so fast. I LOVE the fresh pico de gallo that my Harris Teeter sells, making this dinner easier than it already is. It's loaded with fresh tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cilantro, lime, jalapeno, spices and ZERO junk. It's one of my favorite grocery store finds of all time. 

I was inspired by this Skinny Taste recipe, but adapted it a bit to make it my own. It's hardly a recipe- that's how EASY and fool-proof it is. This is also a great lunch to have on hand- packed with protein and vegetables and super filling to power you through the day. We all love this dinner and I hope you do, too. 

Taco Turkey Spaghetti Squash

1 lb. lean ground turkey breast
1 spaghetti squash, roasted
Fresh pico de gallo or salsa of your choice
avocado, thinly sliced
Taco seasoning (my homemade recipe below)

Taco seasoning:
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder

Roast spaghetti squash. See my fool-proof method here. 

In a large saute pan on medium-high heat, cook ground turkey. When the turkey is cooked all the way through, add taco seasoning and simmer for 3-5 minutes. To plate it all together, layer a pile of spaghetti squash and top with turkey and pico/salsa. Serve with avocado on the side. 

Arugula Pesto

I'm having a moment with Pesto. It's always been my favorite of all the condiments and lately I CANNOT STOP. We always, always, always had homemade pesto on hand growing up and I used to find the small spoons out of the silverware drawer and sneak tastes.

Pesto for breakfast, pesto for lunch and pesto for dinner please. 

For breakfast on eggs and avocado, for lunch on a lettuce wrap and for dinner on naked burgers with a giant slice of ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella. The main components are something green, something nutty (NUTS), a little garlic and a lot of olive oil. Many recipes call for grated parmesan but I've been leaving that out and not missing it one bit- making it Paleo and Whole30 friendly, too! This also makes it better for freezing if you make a bigger batch and don't sneak it by the spoonful straight from the fridge. 

Arugula gives this pesto a spicy and nutty punch alongside the usual suspects of basil and olive oil. I opted for walnuts and added fresh lemon juice to brighten it all up. Pesto forever!

Arugula Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 cups baby arugula

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

olive oil

juice of 1/2 large lemon

salt + pepper to taste. 

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic and nuts until finely chopped. Add the arugula and basil. While the processor is going, add the olive oil in a slow drizzle, until you reach the desired consistency. Finish with fresh lemon juice and pulse a few more times. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cauli Crust Skillet Pizza with Sausage, Mushrooms + Peppers

Pizza is our FAVORITE. Normally, I'm all about eating the real thing and just going all in on Fridays when we either make homemade pizza or venture out to one of our favorite local spots. But sometimes, I just can't wait until Friday and the craving hits hard. I'm all about clean and healthy eating but I've never really been into healthy pizza alternatives. If I'm going to eat pizza, I'd rather EAT PIZZA. 

I did, however, have a change of heart last week when my friend posted a picture of her cauliflower pizza crust on Instagram. My mouth was seriously watering and I saved the recipe. I've had cauli crust on my radar for quite some time and I was eager to give it a whirl. 

This cauliflower crust is AMAZING! I'm not saying that this should replace your weekly (real) pizza night, but I am saying that you should give this a try for when the pizza craving hits but you're trying to stay healthy. Mark was a skeptic and I totally won him over with this! If you're expecting this crust to hold it's own and act like a real pizza, it just doesn't do that. Know that you'll be eating it with a fork and just load on the toppings. 

Now, you can make this crust as easy or as complicated as you want. I ended up pulsing mine in the food processor and cooking for 15-20 minutes, then squeezing out some of the liquid, but I certainly don't think it's necessary. Next time I'm going to try just pulsing and mixing it raw, then cooking it in the oven before topping with my toppings. Skp the cheese (in the crust and on top) to make this Paleo and Whole 30 friendly! 

Make your Monday taste like a Friday. Kind of.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

recipe adapted from ifoodreal.com

1 small head cauliflower

1 egg

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. oregano

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Wash and chop cauliflower into florets. Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is finer than you would when making cauliflower rice.

In a bowl, combine cauliflower, egg, cheese and seasonings. Mix until combined. 

Form "dough" in a cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet, pressing it together. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Top with toppings of choice. (I did Italian sausage, peppers and mushrooms with marinara and mozzarella) Bake until cheese is nice and bubbled. Cut and serve!

Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

When I was younger, Hash was a joke in our house. I don't even remember the exact details of what happened but my mom (who is an incredible cook) made Hash and none of us liked it and from there on out we called it mush. It's been a long standing inside joke for years but I'm a grown up now and here I am sharing a recipe for hash. The truth is, I think it's a terrible name for a dish but it's what it's called so we are sticking with it.

I don't love eggs, but they are my go-to breakfast these days. They are quick and easy and always keep me full and satisfied. When I have extra time, a tasty bed of veggies like this one actually makes me excited for breakfast. Most mornings I'm not even super hungry, but skipping breakfast is not something I like to do and starting my day off with something nutritious and healthy ensures I'll make good eating choices the remainder of the day. 

This is really just one giant pile of sweet potatoes, peppers and sausage topped with two over easy eggs- just the way I like them. It's colorful, healthy and full of flavor. Make a bunch of this on Sunday to enjoy all week long and add your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand! Ignore the breakfast in the title of this post...I think this mush would be delicious to eat anytime of day! 

Sweet Potato + Sausage Breakfast Hash

1 large sweet potatoes, diced (the smaller they are cut the faster they will cook)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 links mild Italian sausage, crumbled
olive oil
salt and pepper 

In a medium/large cast iron skillet or saute pan, drizzle olive oil and heat on medium high. Add potatoes and onion, and saute until onions become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and let the veggies saute and sizzle, tossing occasionally. Cook until potatoes are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Season with salt and pepper. Smoked paprika is another tasty addition! Toss in sausage and cook until heated through. Top hash with two eggs anyway you like them! 

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream

I don't love calling a meal a "bake" but that's what this is and it's delicious and healthy so I'm just going to go with it. I've never been into casseroles but a hearty meal like this full of healthy things is something I can always get on board with. Especially when I only have one pan to clean up!

I couldn't love this recipe any more if I tried. It's the ultimate weeknight meal for the Fall- easy, healthy and all of the good Fall flavors. We had it on regular rotation in our house last Fall and it's made it's way back to our menu again. It's loaded with the good stuff- roasted butternut squash, Italian sausage and tons of kale. The coconut milk in the tomato cream is an unexpected twist and it all bakes up perfectly in the oven in my cast iron skillet. 

Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale + Tomato Cream
recipe from Paleo Running Mama

3.5 cups chopped butternut squash
olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
3-4 cups kale, roughly chopped
1 egg, whisked
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400. 

Toss squash with a Tablespoon or so of olive oil, and a little salt and pepper to season. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. 

In a large skillet (I use my cast iron), cook sausage and onions. When sausage is almost cooked through, add marinara and coconut milk. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer on low. 

Add kale and toss, allowing it to wilt and soften. Once butternut squash is done roasting, remove pan from heat and add squash to the sausage, tomato and kale mixture. Toss everything evenly. If you are baking it in a separate dish, pour into baking dish. Drizzle whisked egg mixture over everything and gently toss to combine. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until bake is golden brown on top and set.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Greek Turkey Meatballs

Meatballs are a weeknight dinner staple around here. I love throwing in different flavors and they make for delicious lunch leftovers. Bonus points because Will almost always eats them. These Greek Turkey Meatballs are so fresh and light for Summer. The lemon zest is an incredible addition to the meatballs and makes all the difference I think! Thanks to my friend Faith for passing along this yummy recipe! 

I prepped the chopped ingredients during naptime and just mixed the meat in and popped them in the oven, making for a dinner that was ready in 30 minutes. I served these on top of my favorite salad (arugula, romaine, green onions, feta and kalamatas with roasted lemon vinaigrette) and it was bright and delicious! Minus the small amount of crumbled feta in our salad, this meal was entirely Paleo and Whole 30 friendly. 

If I wasn't Italian, I would want to be Greek. 

Greek Turkey Meatballs
recipe adapted from Primally Inspired

1 lb. lean ground turkey breast
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Form meatball mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls. Line up  on prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until meatballs are firm and cooked through.

{What Will Ate} Baby's Paleo Pancakes

My sweet little eater loves every single meal time. When it's time to get into his high chair, he screams and laughs and smiles and pulls out all of his best tricks because he is just so excited about filling that belly! And much like me, he likes his food on a schedule.

Breakfast at 8am.

Lunch at 12:30pm.

Dinner at 6:30pm.

And perhaps a few snacks in between.

I know that I say it all the time, but I absolutely love cooking for Will. Knowing that he is eating well balanced meals made in my kitchen is so gratifying. I try to mix up his foods as much as possible so that he is not eating the same thing each day. He gets a great variety! Some of Will's favorite breakfasts are oatmeal with fresh fruit puree, greek yogurt with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and these delicious pancakes. With three simple ingredients, they are easy to make and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. AND HE LOVES THEM. Ripe bananas make these naturally sweet and I always add a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Don't be fooled by the title of this blog post. When Will gets paleo pancakes, I eat them, too. I just double the recipe and enjoy a pancake breakfast date. 

Baby's Paleo Pancakes

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 egg

2 Tbsp. unsalted almond butter

Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Put a small amount of coconut oil in a large pan and heat on medium heat, letting the oil melt and spread evenly. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter into pan. When pancakes start to bubble, flip, and cook on the other side. 

Dark Chocolate Coconut Bites

Easter candy is a slippery slope for me. Once I start, I can't stop, so it's just best to avoid it all together by making sure it doesn't make its way into the shopping cart! Peeps are my weakness and on Easter Sunday, I very well may polish off an entire package on my own. 

Here's a healthy-ish bite sized treat to sweeten up your Easter week. I made a batch to keep in the fridge last week and they were the perfect sweet bite at the end of the night. 

Chocolate Coconut Bites

recipe from Pinch of Yum

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

4 Tablespoons REAL maple syrup

5 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla

4 oz. dark chocolate for melting (I used Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips)

In a food processor, pulse coconut until it's a thick flour consistency. Transfer to a bowl and add maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla. Stir until you have a thick paste. Using your hands and a 1/2 Tbsp. as a scoop, form the mixture into balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and stick them in the freezer for 30-60 minutes to let them firm up. 

When you are ready to coat the coconut balls in chocolate, create a double boiler by placing the chocolate chips in a glass bowl sitting on top of a small saucepan filled with water. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl as it sits atop the pan. Slowly melt the chocolate.

Using two forks, roll each coconut ball in the melted chocolate until completely covered. Roll them off of the fork and onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Let chocolate harden and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

As soon as our salad challenge was over, I was ready for a giant bowl of pasta, but I still wanted to keep it healthy. Most of the time, it's the actual sauce that I'm really craving! Giada's simple bolognese is warm, comforting and just plain delicious. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet impresses dinner guests. It doesn't need to simmer on the stove all day and is full of wonderful flavor. 

Spaghetti squash isn't quite as good as real pasta, but covered in bolognese, it certainly does the trick if you're craving a bowl of saucy goodness. 

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

1 spaghetti Squash, cooked (good tutorial found HERE)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup flat leafed parsley, chopped

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt + pepper, to season

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become soft. Add the celery and carrot and saute for another 5 minutes. raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute and stir frequently breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens, Season with salt and pepper. Finish by tossing the sauce over cooked spaghetti squash and serve with pecorino romano and red pepper flakes.

Cobb Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This salad is, by my standards, perfect. Crisp arugula and lettuce topped with fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, creamy avocados and a bonus- crispy bacon. Tossed together with a light vinaigrette, it's a salad that leaves you feeling satisfied. 

Mark and I both LOVED this and agreed that it needs to make a regular appearance on our dinner menus! Chicken for me, bacon for him and everything else that we love all tossed together.

Here's a healthy salad recipe to start your week off in the best way!

Cobb Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
recipe from Against All Grain

Chicken-
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt + pepper

Basil Vinaigrette-
1/4 cup Pour Olive Aged Dark Balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/3 cup Pour Olive Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil or other good olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 basil leaves, chopped
salt + pepper

Salad- 
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Arugula
tomato, chopped
avocado, chopped 
artichoke hearts, chopped
hard boiled eggs, sliced
avocado, diced
bacon, crumbled
grilled chicken, sliced

Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill on medium heat on a grill pan for 8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees on the thickest part.

For the dressing, place all ingredients in a bowl, minus the olive oil and mix together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well incorporated.

Assemble salads individually. Serve sliced grilled chicken on the top and finish with a drizzle of dressing.

Grilled Zucchini Ribbon and Kale Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette + Crispy Almond Chicken Tenders

Here we go with the kale again. I seriously love this stuff! This time, I paired it with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette and it was divine. Using a mandoline, I cut a small zucchini into thin slices, brushed them with some butter olive oil (my newest Pour Olive obsession) and grilled them for a few minutes on each side. To finish off our salad, the protein of choice was simple chicken tenders coated in almond meal and baked until nice and crispy! 

There is so much you can do with this zucchini and kale combo. For a salad on the sweeter side, add dried cherries and pecans and Pour Olive's dark cherry balsamic. 

Grilled Zucchini Ribbon and Kale Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette + Crispy Almond Chicken Tenders
recipe inspiration found HERE  

1 bunch of kale, trimmed and chopped
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
Pour Olive Organic Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or other good olive oil), for brushing

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette-
1 clove garlic
2 roasted red peppers
3 Tbsp. good extra virgin olive oil (Pour Olive Picholine is my favorite right now!) 
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth. Toss with kale to coat and top with grilled zucchini and finish with chicken.

Crispy Almond Chicken Tenders-
6 chicken breast tenderloins
1/2 cup almond meal
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
salt + pepper, to taste

Pregeat oven to 500 degrees. 

In a small dish (a pie plate works well) combine almond meal, lemon zest, a little salt and pepper. In another small bowl, lightly beat an egg. Make a dipping station and dip chicken tenders in egg, and then in the almond meal, making sure each tender is nicely coated. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The tenders will be nice and crispy!