Clean Chocolate Chip Cookies

C is for cookie and my goodness are these addicting!  I have an ENORMOUS sweet tooth!  (Thanks, Dad!)  I broke out my orange Kitchen Aid mixer today and catered to my sweet tooth and WOW is this recipe a keeper!  They were so soft, so easy to make, and because you just can't have enough chocolate, in my opinion, I added cocoa to the mix too!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup unsalted Almond Butter
• 2 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 tsp. chia or hemp seeds
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

*Optional - I was feeling rebellious and added a little bit of unsweetened cocoa powder, which is why they are a darker color in the picture.

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.

3.  Spoon onto prepared baking sheet.

4.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let cool.

As simple as that!!

Chicken and Mushrooms in a White Wine Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 lb. baby bella mushrooms or white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. Greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and paprika into a Ziploc bag.  Add the chicken and shake well to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan and sear chicken until lightly brown on both sides.  Place the browned chicken on the bottom of the crockpot.
3. Saute the onions and garlic in the same pan until lightly brown.
4. Add the wine and chicken broth and stir in the mustard and cook for 1 minute.  Spoon the onion mixture over the chicken in the crockpot.
5. In the same pan, saute the mushrooms until softened, approximately 2 minutes.  Add them to the crockpot.
6. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (or on high for 2 1/2-3 hours).
7. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and stir in the Greek Yogurt.  Put the chicken back in and cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  *The chicken might fall apart during the process, which is OK!*
8. Serve over brown rice or quinoa.

Sweet Potato Hummus

Sweet potatoes amazing for you and delicious!!  Dip your veggies in this and be prepared to be in heaven!!  I am a big fan of easy recipes and this is exactly that!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt or salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
• Sliced green onion (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Prick skin of sweet potato.  Microwave on high for 4 to 6 minutes or until tender.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Cut potato lengthwise in half.  Use spoon to scoop pulp from potato.

2.  In food processor combine potato pulp, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, water, garlic, salt, paprika, cumin, and red pepper.  Cover and process until nearly smooth.

Breakfast Casserole

Typically a breakfast casserole is filled with full fat cheese, sausage, whole eggs, and grits.  This version is stripped of much of the fat, but not stripped of flavor!  It is equally as delicious and easy to make!  I was amazed at how much flavor this had!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 large leeks, white and light green part, chopped and well rinsed
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) goat cheese
• 4 cup tightly packed chopped fresh spinach
• 1 quart egg whites (from about 16 eggs), lightly beaten

**This was my first time ever using leeks for anything and I had no clue what to do, but a quick visit to youtube helped me out!  It was super easy and here is the tutorial I used!


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix the oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, and nutmeg.  Add the turkey and mix with a spatula or your hands.
2. Slick a large skillet with the olive oil and heat it over medium heat.  Add the turkey mixture and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
3. Add the leeks and cook for another minute; then add the cottage cheese and goat cheese.  Keep cooking and stirring over low heat until the goat cheese just begins to melt.
4. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Spread the spinach on top and then pour in the beaten egg whites.  
5. Use the spatula to make sure the egg whites are distributed evenly in the dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake the casserole for 45 minutes to an hour - until a knife stuck into the center comes out clean.

Zucchini Pizza Boats

This is an awesome substitution for regular pizza...and it's just as DELICIOUS!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 medium zucchinis
• 1 can (8 oz.) of tomato sauce (reduced sugar/organic)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:  sauteed veggies, turkey pepperoni, turkey sausage

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Wash zucchini well, then slice lengthwise
3. Scoop out the zucchini flesh from each half using a spoon, leaving the halves about a centimeter thick.  Save the cooped zucchini in a bowl and place to the side.
4. Place the hollowed zucchinis on a baking sheet
5. Chop or mash the zucchini in the bowl you set aside, then mix in the tomato sauce, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning
6. Refill the zucchini halves with the mixture, then top with Mozzarella cheese and other optional toppings
7. Place the tray in the oven and bake for approximately for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned

**The longer the zucchini is in the oven, the softer it gets.  So if you want firmer zucchini, feel free to take them out of the oven sooner.