Family Favorites

I had a couple of friends ask about what some of our favorite family recipes are so I decided to share some! I had posted some of our vegan favorites when we were trying out that lifestyle, but I have since found many new favorites that also include meat.

If you are like me, it is hard to find a recipe that is filling, affordable, healthy, and satisfies both my husband (who tends to be more of a "meat and potato" kind of guy) and my children. I am so blessed to have children who eat a broad variety of foods, but they also have their typical, kid-friendly favorites that I like to fix and will include below!

When in doubt as to what I should fix for dinner, I often turn to www.passionatehomemaking.com and www.heavenlyhomemakers.com. I have also started referring to www.awholenewmom.com frequently as well. I highly recommend these sites! I also turn to Google. . . A LOT. Now that I am more familiar with healthy living, quality ingredients, and cooking from scratch (notice I said "more familiar" and NOT an expert!), I can often Google an ingredient or a dish and weed through the results to find a winner!

Here are some of our favorite meals that also help us get more of the healthy vegetables we need!

*Homemade chicken pot pie: There are several different recipes that include making your own cream of chicken soup (from flour, butter, milk, chicken, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper) or that just call for chicken broth, flour, and butter to make it thicker. I use a variety of frozen veggies and make my own biscuit topping. Here is one example.

*Pakistani Kima (Beef Curry): My whole family LOVES this recipe and I am not even a fan of curry. This is a mild, comfort-food type of curry that satisfies our taste buds and our tummies!

*Grilled Chicken Salads: This is an easy, healthy meal that is especially tasty (and cheap) during the summer months with lots of fresh produce! We throw healthy greens, carrots, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, cold peas, peppers, celery, and more in a bowl and top with grilled chicken (from the grill or from a grill pan). I have also found some really easy homemade dressing recipes online.

*Smoothies and Juice: No, this is not a meal, but both are great ways to get a large serving of fruits and veggies in one glass! We use our juicer to make all kind of combos. My favorite is probably orange, apple, carrot, and kale. I also love to stock up on frozen fruit at Trader Joe's and make smoothies with kefir, a little water or juice, honey (to sweeten it if you buy the plain, unsweetened kefir), and kale or spinach.

*Winter Lentil Soup: This is a new recipe in our house and a very healthy, delicious one too! It is vegan and also very satisfying! My husband is not a fan of lentils but will eat them in this soup. I like to make cheese quesadillas, grilled cheese, or homemade cornbread to go with it. This is the cornbread recipe I use. I use whole wheat flour and about half the sugar that it calls for.

*Tortillas with veggies: I found a great recipe in my Forks Over Knives cookbook that is a great way to do tortillas without meat. If I have chicken on hand, I will saute it in a little olive oil and homemade taco seasoning and throw it in also. For no meat, I mix a can of fat-free re-fried beans (no lard or bacon), 1-1 1/2 cups frozen organic corn, and 1/2 cup of salsa and heat on the stove top. I serve this mixture in a warm tortilla and top with peppers, lettuce, or any other favorite Mexican toppings. I also added a little nutritional yeast to give it a nutty, cheesy flavor. I JUST learned about what nutritional yeast was last month.

*Baked Chicken Nuggets with Annie's Organic Macaroni and Cheese and a veggie: This is one of Micah's favorite meals and this recipe is one of MY favorites! It is easy and definitely healthier than any chicken nuggets you can buy.

*Stir Fry: This is definitely a "go to" recipe in our house! I fix it with and without meat. I usually just stir fry fresh veggies (carrots, zucchini, squash, cabbage, broccoli, onions, etc) in a little bit of EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir fry a chicken breast (already cut into bite sized pieces) in a separate pan. When both are done, combine and add a mixture of ginger dressing and teriyaki sauce or this recipe of homemade teriyaki sauce. This can be served over rice or noodles. (On a side note, I ordered the soy sauce that she recommends in the teriyaki sauce recipe and it is really good!)

*Grilled Chicken with quinoa and a vegetable: Yet another easy, go-to meal. I even serve this for lunch sometimes on days that David is home for lunch. I simply marinate the chicken in homemade Italian dressing or any combination of EVOO and herbs/spices and grill in a grill pan. I cook the quinoa in my rice cooker with homemade chicken broth and serve a green vegetable like green beans or asparagus.

*Eggplant Parmesan: We just had this last week for the first time in a while and we all devoured it! Eggplants used to intimidate me but there really isn't much to it. I cut off the ends, peel the eggplant, and cut thin slices (about 1/4 of an inch thick). Layer the slices on a cookie rack (or paper towels if you don't have a rack) and cover them with a decent amount of salt. Let them sit for about 30 min to allow the salt to draw out the bitter juices and then layer the slices in a colander and rinse REALLY well. If you have time, it helps to let them lay out for an hour or more so that they dry as much as possible. When they are dry (or close to it), dip them in egg and then into a mixture of bread crumbs, Italian seasoning (basil, garlic powder, oregano, etc), and Parmesan cheese and fry in 1/4 inch EVOO. I usually serve the eggplant on top of spaghetti with marinara sauce.

I hope these recipes are helpful or will at least help to guide you in a helpful direction. I am still learning so much and trying new recipes all of the time! Please pass along your favorites also!

I also had a couple of friends ask about where I grocery shop and what I buy at each store. I will try to post a general list about what I have found to be the best buys for healthier food options at each store where I shop. I owe a lot of this knowledge to friends who have either lived in this area longer than I have or who have been living a healthy lifestyle for much longer!

I want to end with this passage of Scripture as my heart has been more burdened with eternal things today:

"23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost[b]those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." Hebrews 7:23-25