Winter food = comfort food, but this doesn't mean we have to give up eating clean and making progress with our goals.
Why is it so many meals that are supposed to be "comforting" end up making us feel like crap?
With recipes like these, we can enjoy warming and satiating dishes and still feel great after having them.
EGGPLANT PIZZA MINIS:
Ingredients: 1/2 large eggplant, sliced into thin rounds 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup tomato sauce 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions: 1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2.) Arrange eggplant rounds on a baking sheet; lightly coat with olive oil. 3.) Bake eggplant rounds in preheated oven until hot, about 5 minutes. 4.) Flip the eggplant rounds; top with parmesan cheese in an even layer to cover. Return eggplant to oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. 5.) Drop a dollop of tomato sauce into the center of each eggplant round; top with cheddar cheese.
6.) Bake until cheese is bubbling, about 5 minutes more. Season with sea salt and pepper to serve.
SWEET POTATO NACHOS:
Ingredients: For the sweet potato chips: 1/4 cup coconut oil 4 sweet potatoes 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt Guacamole (make your own or buy)
For Nachos: 1 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt 2 teaspoons chili powder 2 cups salsa
Instructions: 1.) For the sweet potato chips: Preheat oven to 250F and position oven racks in the center of the oven. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan. 2.) Rinse and dry your sweet potatoes and slice them into rounds. Use a mandolin slicer if you have one - it will make for much crispier chips. 3.) Toss slices in melted coconut oil to lightly coat, then sprinkle with salt. Lay out in a single layer on parchment paper and gently transfer the sheets directly onto the oven racks. 4.) Bake for a total of 2 hours. After about 1 hour, rotate parchment so that the front and back get more even cooking and flip chips. 5.) Remove once crisp and golden brown. Some may feel a little tender in the middle but take them out and let them rest for 10 minutes or so to crisp up more before serving. 6.) Brown the ground beef in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with cumin, sea salt and chili powder. 7.) .) Place the sweet potato chips on a plate, and serve topped with the prepared ground beef, guacamole, and salsa. Enjoy.
STUFFED PEPPERS:
Ingredients: 1/2 cup raw cashews 8oz red enchilada sauce 4 large bell peppers 2 cups spinach 1 cup cooked quinoa 1-15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup grated sweet potato (about 1/2 medium sweet potato) just use a cheese grater.
1/2 cup chunky salsa 1/2 cup corn (I use frozen) 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Instructions: 1.) Preheat oven to 375F. Spray an 8x8in baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2.) Place cashews in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Set aside.
3.) Trim the tops off each pepper (try to cut near the top) and gently remove the white membranes inside the peppers. Save tops. Place peppers cut side up in baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
4.) Meanwhile, gather the tops of the peppers and chop leftover pepper (excluding stem) into small pieces. Set aside 1⁄2 cup and discard the rest.
5.) Drain cashews. Place in blender/food processor (I used my Nutribullet) with enchilada sauce and 1⁄2 cup chopped peppers. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
6.) In a large bowl, combine spinach, quinoa, black beans, grated sweet potato, salsa, corn, salt, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne, stirring to combine. Stir in cashew enchilada sauce.
7.) Divide mixture evenly into bell peppers. Bake for 25 minutes.
VEGETABLE KEBOBS:
Ingredients: 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch squares 1 orange bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch squares 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch squares 1 zucchini, cut into half and then 1/2 in pieces 1 small sweet onion 15 cherry tomatoes
Marinade: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tbls tamari 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (hard to find, so optional) sea salt and black pepper
Instructions: 1.) Toss all the vegetables in marinade and let sit overnight if possible. 2.) Place marinaded veggies on soaked skewers and cook either on a grill of under a broiler.
PESTO SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
Ingredients: 1 1/2 spaghetti squash 2 ounces parmesan cheese 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts 1 cup pesto 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375F. 2.) Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Grate cheese. 3.) Place squash face down in baking dish and add small amount of water. 4.) Bake for 45 minutes, until tender. 5.) Place chicken breasts in pan and season with salt and pepper. 6.) Bake along with spaghetti squash until cooked through, to 165F. 7.) With a fork, scrape inside of squash into bowl. 8.) Dice chicken and add to squash pasta. 9.) Drizzle with olive oil, add pesto and toss. 10.) Serve with Parmesan cheese.
For more help navigating health goals in the winter, let's work together. I can help you take your wellness visions and make them a reality. We'll set goals, make a plan and I'll hold you to it ;)
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The Author:
Hi! My name is Sarah. I'm into clean eating, traveling (beach please), helping folks eat and feel better, gardening (not very well), and bopping around my neighborhood with my dog. Thanks for reading!
