Healthy Chicks

Tis the season of cocktail parties, holiday gatherings and all the comfort food! During this time, it’s quite common to feel like you’re “screwing up your diet” and “being bad” by indulging a little bit more than you’re used to.

Last week after Thanksgiving, I overheard a woman ordering her green juice. She was coming from the gym, and said “I was so bad this weekend. I need to start eating healthy again!”

Sound familiar? I hear you. But if you truly want to feel better after a weekend of indulging, punishing yourself is not the answer.

It’s time to ditch the labeling.

You know what I mean…

“I was so bad this weekend, so I need to eat good.”

“I ate super clean today and had a kale salad so I can cheat and eat a brownie for dessert.”

“I’m being such a fatty today!”

“I need to go on a diet.”  

“I’ll start fresh in the new year.” 

“That’s good/bad/healthy/unhealthy/clean/dirty/detox-friend/fatty.”

Sound familiar? This type of thinking does more harm then good, and in fact instills fear i.e. If I eat bad, I am bad. But here’s the thing: food is 100% neutral, so we must take all the … Read More!

Cold weather calls for cozy meals on the regular. Hubby and I have been enjoying lots of scratch-made recipes at home lately — from casseroles to soups. This easy 20-minute Chicken Pad Thai is perfect for evenings you’re craving authentic Thai food, but it’s too cold to leave the house.

Bust out those chopsticks and enjoy!

20-Minute Gluten Free Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients:

• 1 box Thai rice noodles (I’m loving Lotus Foods from Thrive Market)
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in small chunks
• 1 package bean sprouts (may substitute shredded carrots)
• 1 package sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 3 TB fish sauce
• 2 TB red curry paste
• 1 TB coconut sugar
• 2 TB sweet chili sauce
• 1 bunch scallions
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 farm-fresh eggs
• large handful cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 c. chopped peanuts (I use Raw Amazon Jungle Peanuts from Organic Living Superfoods)
• coconut oil

Note: You’ll save lots of time if you prep all of your ingredients ahead of time, like chopping veggies and herbs, and preparing chicken! 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and I can’t get enough of all the savory, seasonal foods. While my body doesn’t love gluten and dairy, I’m addicted to warm, gooey “cheesy” comfort food.

Appetizers are a fun way to contribute to a holiday party, especially when you’re attending as a guest. These crispy bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers are a big hit, and they’re 100% gluten and dairy free. The secret? Kite Hill’s Cream Cheese Style Spread, which is made from artisanal almond milk. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family…just warning you to make more than you think you need! 😉

Dairy Free Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

*makes 32 poppers

• 16 jalapeño peppers
• 1 package natural bacon
• 1 container Kite Hill Cream Cheese Style Spread (I’ve made them with plain, chive and jalapeño flavor)

Preheat oven to 425. Slice jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Stuff each half with a dollop of cream cheese. Slice all the bacon in half, and wrap each popper with half of piece of bacon (covering the width of the pepper and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake on 425 for about 20 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. … Read More!

If you know me well, you know I’m a big fan of bone broth. Any given day, you can find me either talking about it, drinking it or writing about it. In fact, I actually dedicated a whole post confessing my love for Five Way Foods bone broth over here.

While I covered the health benefits of bone broth in my previous post, today I wanted to talk about my favorite ways to consume and cook with bone broth!

First things first, you need to find a bone broth you absolutely love. While health perks matter, it also has to taste good! Be weary of shelf-stable broth, which often has additives and isn’t truly bone broth. Instead opt for a broth that either comes refrigerated or frozen, keeping the good stuff in tact.

Five Way Foods Bone Broth

My all-time personal favorite is Five Way Foods, a local Boston company that sources their ingredients locally without any preservatives. Their broth is simmered for hours, extracting all the good-for-you vitamins, minerals and proteins i.e. the good stuff I was talking about. It comes in four delicious flavors — beef, chicken, fish and vegetable — stored in glass bottles instead of … Read More!

There’s nothing that beats Sundays in the fall. I’m absolutely in love with cozy mornings spent inside with a hot cup of coffee, crisp fresh air, and watching football with hubby and friends during the afternoon.

While I love getting together with my besties for Game Day, I don’t love that your typical tailgating snacks are filled with sketchy ingredients, and typically loaded with gluten and dairy (two oh-so-dreamy things I can’t have). The thing is I love the taste of Game Day comfort foods, so I often try to healthy up my favorite recipes using clean ingredients made from real, whole foods to get my fix.

This Spinach & Artichoke dip is one of my creations, and I gotta say it’s been a hit! Made with just a few simple ingredients, this app has all the warm gooey flavors you know and love without processed ingredients, gluten or dairy. Plus, it’s 100% vegan! Win, win, win. Grab a bag of your fave tortilla chips or sliced veggies, and dip away as you cheer on your team!

Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip 

• 1 bag frozen artichoke hearts (thawed & drained)
• 1/2 bag frozen spinach (thawed & drained)
• 1 container Kite

OK, don’t get mad at me but I’ve been ready for fall for like a month now.

While everyone else is soaking up the last bit of summer, I’m over here scooping up pumpkins and playing around with hearty, autumn recipes in the kitchen.

And now that the first day of fall is officially tomorrow, I think that lets me get away with sharing this super cozy, Thai soup recipe. My husband and I absolutely love this chicken soup from our local Thai restaurant, but unfortunately they’re not 100% clear on the ingredients and the jury is still out on whether it’s really gluten free or not. Unfortunately, that means I have to avoid it to be safe.

On a cooler, rainy night this week, I was craving Thai food in a big way. That’s when I got the genius idea of attempting to make it myself. And that I did!

This Thai Chicken Noodle Soup is perfect for cozy fall evenings, or when you sense a bit of a cold coming on. It’s super simple to make, flavorful and packed with healing, heart-warming ingredients good for the bod and soul.

I hope you enjoy it as much as … Read More!

Last August, my husband and I journeyed to Greece for a friends wedding, traveling from Athens to the magical island of Lesbos to celebrate with my dear friends. While there, we were lucky enough to see the Acropolis, swim in the clear blue Aegean Sea, take a private boat ride to dive for sea urchins, dance the night away under the stars and sip on ouzo infused with fresh figs from their family farm.

But one of the things I miss most about Greece is the incredible food. From fresh feta cheese and Spanakopita to Moussaka and Stuffed Grape Leaves, it’s safe to say we ate our way through exploring this beautiful country.

One of the Greek staples hubby and I missed most when returning home was our daily dose of gyros. For just a couple bucks, we indulged in the incredible stuffed pitas with juicy meat and scratch-made tzatziki sauce on the regular. Most of the time they were loaded up with french fries too, which hubby especially loved!

Ever since going 100% gluten and dairy free, it’s been difficult to enjoy Greek-inspired food. After all, most of their dishes are made with bread and cheese!

When … Read More!

Happy (Fish) Taco Tuesday, friends! With summertime in full swing and hot, hot, hot weather, there’s nothing quite like Taco Night that gives me all the feels (especially when paired with a fresh-squeezed marg. 😉 )

These gems are made with pan-seared cod, scratch-made slaw and a to-die-for avocado mint lime sauce for the perfect amount of zesty cool-down. Enjoy!

Fish Tacos with Slaw & Avocado Mint Lime Sauce

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen cod (may use other white fish of choice)
• 1 lime (1/2 will be used for the sauce, other half for fish)
• 1 package slaw mix (I chose one from Trader Joe’s with organic carrots & cabbage)
• 1 avocado
• handful fresh mint leaves
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
• corn tortillas
• cilantro, optional
• Sir Kensington’s mayo (I love the original or avocado oil)
• salt & pepper

1. Cut cod into bite-sized square chunks. Heat skillet with olive oil on medium heat, and add the fish. Stir, then add seasonings of choice. I did salt, pepper, cilantro and the juice of 1/2 lime. Stir until fish is cooked through and flaky. Cover and set side.
2. In the meantime, blend together avocado, garlic, fresh