Healthy Chicks

I’ll let you in on a little secret: my go-to requested birthday meal is Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken Parmesan. Yes, the two of them together. But it has to be homemade by my mother. And it only tastes that good on my birthday. It is my birthday meal, after all. I simply adore the combination of a hearty, homemade marinara with the creamy white Alfredo. Not a likely combination, but it’s genius.

Sometimes I think I could eat that meal every day for the rest of my life, but then again it wouldn’t taste as good that way. Since it isn’t my birthday every day (and no one should consume that amount of cream & cheese 365 days of the year), I’ve created my own health-i-fied version. The Healthy Chicks version.

Using avocados in place of cream and just a pinch of optional parmesan cheese, you can feel a bit more confident indulging. I’m not saying you should eat this meal every day of the year either, but you can feel a little better about it (as will your tummy) when you do prepare it. Enjoy!

Healthy Chick(en), Broccoli & Avocado Fettuccine “Alfredo”

Makes 4 to 5 servings

What Ya … Read More!

When I was on vacation with my family in Clearwater Beach, Florida I pretty much ate the same thing for lunch every day: the Spinach Berry Salad served pool-side at our hotel. It was light enough for a sunny dine-in-your-bikini lunch but hearty enough to tide me over until dinner. Plus, it had crunchy BACON in it. Not too much….just enough. Some days I enjoyed as is, while others I topped with fresh grilled grouper, chicken or shrimp.

Seeing as though I’m a salad fanatic (especially when it comes to making my own) I knew I needed to come up with some sort of variation to take with me back to Boston. And so I did. Enjoy this Strawberry, Avocado & Bacon Spring Greens Salad when you’re looking for a little sun-shiny boost.

In the Mix

Makes 2-3 large servings

For Salad:

• 5 oz. package mixed greens of choice (I used Oliva’s Organics Spring Mix with Herbs)
• 6 large strawberries, stemmed and sliced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced into thin circles
• 1/4 c. chopped green onions
• 1 hardboiled egg, chopped
• handful of alfalfa sprouts
• 3 strips crispy all-natural bacon, chopped

For Dressing:

• 1/4 c.

It’s no surprise that The Boy and I like to make our own creations in our tiny box kitchen! We’re always playing with different greens, oils, herbs, meat, seasonal produce and garlic (lots and lots of garlic) to tantalize our taste buds.

Then we have our classic dishes, our staples if you will. The Boy’s include soup (particularly his heart-warming Potato Corn Chowder), Breakfast Frittatas and his famous meatloaf (which he literally won’t stop talking about…he keeps telling all my friends and family to “Ask Rach about my meatloaf!”)

Classic Rachel dishes include Almond-Crusted Coconut Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries/Mashed Sweet Potatoes, fancy salads, and an apartment favorite: Warm Quinoa & Veggie Bowls which The Boy just dubbed “The Bowl of Goodness.”

The original inspiration came from our favorite local organic cafe Live Alive, as we are absolutely addicted to their warm grain bowls. That’s when I decided to get my experimenting — and my apron — on!

I never make one bowl exactly the same, but all are vegan and free from gluten and dairy ingredients. Sometimes I add in raisins or curry powder, while other times I load up on the garlic and create a more … Read More!

The Boy & I have been trying to severely cut back and/or eliminate both gluten and dairy from our diets. While gluten is something I’ve learned to eliminate over the years (due to personal digestion issues and bloating), I occasionally indulge in a tasty snack or fresh-baked slice of bread made with real ingredients. I know my limits, and I’ve pretty much learned to live without it. I guess I’m lucky because I’ve never really had a sweet tooth so fresh bread is really my only temptation.

However, dairy is a completely different beast. You see, I love cheese. Nothing beats a slice of fresh mozzarella, hard cheese paired with fruit, or local feta from the farmer’s market. That being said, this past year I’ve also come to the conclusion that my love for cheese may have some sort of connection  to my skin issues. So I’ve been trying to cut back as much as I can to experiment. Again, this is just my own personal experiment and I’m not saying everyone should give up dairy for clear skin. After all, we are all different and what works for one may not work for another (see: bio-individuality).

I’m … Read More!