Clean Eating Pumpkin Pie

Excited to share this yummy CLEAN holiday classic with you!
You can have your pumpkin pie... eat it... and forget the guilt! Most importantly... NO artificial ingredients!! This recipe is brought to you by the Gracious Pantry.

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared pumpkin
1/2 cup honey
4 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk (you can substitute unsweetened soy, almond or rice milk)

 

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly.
2. Pour mixture into pie crusts (I used this recipe)
3. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for 45 additional minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

This Pumpkin Cookie Recipe from Mouthwatering Foods is a healthier way to splurge!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin
1 flax "egg" or 1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup raisin puree (can replace with more maple syrup or honey)
1 1/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup oat flour (grind oats in a blender or food processor until they form a fine flour)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup chocolate chips
 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a small bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients.
3. In another large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry until a thick dough forms.
5. Form dough into cookie shapes on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
6. Bake 10 minutes.
7. Let cool for 3 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.  

 

Yields:
16 cookies

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe Spotlight: Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Dishing the Divine has this excellent pumpkin soup recipe! I'm just loving all things pumpkin right now! 

Ingredients:
3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup butter (or substitute apple sauce) 

1 1/4 cups chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

4 cups beef broth or chicken broth

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (or two cups homemade pumpkin puree)

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp all spice

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 pound cubed cooked ham (optional)

fresh chopped cilantro and sour cream for garnish

 

Directions:
1. Pour 2 cans of black beans into a food processor or blender along with the tomatoes. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion is softened. Stir in the bean puree, remaining can of beans, 3 cups of the beef broth, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, all spice, chili powder, and cumin. Mix until well blended, then simmer for about 25 minutes. Add additional beef broth as needed to reach the desired consistency. Stir in the ham and heat through before serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe Spotlight: Pumpkin Granola

Liv Life's Pumpkin Granola is healthy, delicious, and made for such as great cause (you can read the background story at the attached link)!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
3 Tbs ground flax meal
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
pinch ground cloves
pinch allspice
1/4 tsp salt 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2-3 Tbs grape seed oil (may substitute your favorite oil)
2-3 Tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 handful dried cranberries or golden raisins
1 handful whole raw almonds
2-3 Tbs salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325º.
 2. Measure the rolled oats and flax meal into a large bowl. Over the top sprinkle the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pinches of cloves and allspice. Add salt and stir to mix evenly.
3. In a smaller bowl, add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Whisk well until the mixture is smooth.
4. Pour the whisked wet ingredients over the spiced rolled oats and stir until the oats are evenly coated. Add the whole raw almonds and stir to incorporate.
5. Pour the coated oats onto a silicone mat (or parchment paper) lined baking sheet using a spatula to spread the mixture evenly.
6. Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Stir the granola and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Stir again and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the granola is golden. Note: the granola will crisp up as it cools.
7. Remove the golden granola from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the cranberries or raisins and pepitas, stirring once again to incorporate.  Allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container.
8. Serve granola with milk or over yogurt, or simply enjoy as it is!

 

Note:
Your house will smell divine after backing this granola!

Pumpkin Pie Greek Yogurt Dip

Nibbles & Noshes gets it right with this Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Pie Spice recipe!

Ingredients:
¾ cup of canned (or fresh!) pumpkin puree
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves (or just a pinch!)
¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat the pumpkin filling over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until it becomes fragrant, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the spices and allow the puree to cook for about 1 additional minute.
3. Remove the pumpkin from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.
4. Combine the pumpkin mixture, yogurt, and vanilla in a blender, food processor, or even a mixer and process until everything is fully combined. You may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure there are no pockets of yogurt or pumpkin!
5. Transfer the dip to a container or bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
6. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Banana Bread

Kelly Hutchinson's Pumpkin Banana Bread is healthy, vegan, and yummy!

Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

¾ c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)

½ c maple syrup

2 tbsp agave or honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

¼ c unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

2 tbsp ground flax meal

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 c white whole wheat flour

3 tbsp quick oats

3 tbsp pecan pieces

2 tbsp chocolate chips (or other chips or toffee bits)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and coat loaf pan with nonstick spray (or line with parchment paper).

2. Combine bananas through flax in a mixing bowl, stirring until smooth.

3. Add baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir until just combined.

4. Spoon into loaf pan and smooth the top.

5. Combine oats, pecan pieces, and chocolate chips in a food processor. Process until smooth.

6. Sprinkle oat mixture over top and press into loaf using the flat side of a knife, making 3 stripes.

7. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

Notes:

The top will be a little sticky if you opt for chocolate chips.
If serving to vegans, opt for agave if they do not consume honey.

 

 

 

 

Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes

I love October and all things pumpkin! This great pancake recipe from The Frugal Farmwife is healthy and delicious!
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup pumpkin, sweet potato, or other winter squash, puréed
3 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger - a few shakes of each
Or
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
Beat eggs until foamy. Add pumpkin and mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Pour about 1/4 cup to batter onto a medium-hot griddle. Bake until brown on bottom, flip, and repeat.

Note: I encourage you to keep these pancakes relatively small as the larger they are, the more difficult they are to flip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Banana Blueberry Bread

I love bread. Love it! But it's not always the healthiest. I buy Ezekiel bread in the freezer section of my local Kroger, but I also love dessert breads. So I've modified Mrs. Crocker's delicious bread recipe to create a healthier version that's packed with a few of my favorite super-foods...bananas and blueberries!

Ingredients:
(I'll show you what she uses, and then what I substitute)
1 1/4 cups sugar (substitute with 1 teaspoon stevia & 1/4 cup sugar OR 1 1/4 teaspoon stevia... make sure to use all-natural stevia and follow the substitution directions on the package)
1/2 cup butter, softened (substitute with 1/4 cup applesauce & 1/4 cup butter OR substitute with 1/2 cup applesauce)
2 large eggs (I usually do not substitute, but can replace with 1/4 cup applesauce per egg)
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium bananas) (no substitution necessary)
1/2 cup buttermilk (substitute 1/2 cup 2% milk mixed with 1/2 Tablespoon vinegar OR 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice, let sit for 5 minutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (substitute with 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries (I use 6 oz of blueberries)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the bottoms of two 8x4 inch pans. Bread should cook in the center of the oven - adjust racks accordingly.
2. In a large bowl, mix sugar and butter until well mixed. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla & beat until smooth. Add flour, baking soda, and salt just until moistened. Add blueberries. Divide batter evenly between the two 8" pans.
3. Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack.
4. Loosen sides of loaves from pans, remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken Tacos with Beans and Quinoa

I love this quick, healthy, low-calorie, filling recipe from the TurboFire workout series!

Ingredients:
Two 6-oz. chicken breasts, grilled and then diced
5 Tbsp. pico de gallo
1Tbsp. low-fat sour cream
4 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1/2 avocado peeled and sliced
5 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 cups of black beans cooked
2 1/2 cups of quinoa cooked

Directions:
1. Assemble chicken taco ingredients on tortillas.
2. Top with avocado slices.
3. Serve with 1/2 cup of black beans and 1/3 cup of cooked quinoa, seasoned with cilantro, salt and pepper.

Yields: 4 servings

My Food: Mexican Shrimp Tacos

We made these the other day and they were delicious, not to mention, they took very little time to prepare and cook!

Yields: 4 tacos

Ingredients:
12 oz medium, pre-cooked shrimp (thawed if frozen)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 tomato (chopped)
1 avocado (chopped)
Cheese (if desired, light sprinkle)

Directions:
1. In a skillet, cook the shrimp in the olive oil and sprinkle on the spices in the last few moments of cooking.
2. Mix well.
3. Sprinkle the lime juice over the shrimp just prior to serving.
4. Serve on whole wheat tortillas with tomato, avocado, and cheese

My Food: Baked Italian Ziti (Clean Eating)

 

When we are craving Italian Food, this is our go-to clean eating recipe!  The Gracious Pantry does it right!

Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta, cooked
1.5 pounds lean, ground turkey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup water
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, no sodium
1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet, cook the turkey meat in the olive oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, honey, vinegar, water, and tomato sauce
3. Add the cooked pasta and the cooked meat to the tomato sauce and mix well.
4. Transfer to a baking dish and top with parmesan cheese,
5. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

My Food: Balsamic Pear and Portobello Mushroom Slow Cooker Chicken (Clean Eating)

 

 

 

This is such an easy recipe from The Gracious Pantry.  You can serve it alone, over brown rice, with a salad, or on top of a slice of Ezekiel Bread.

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 raw, large chicken breasts (about 7 ounces each)
1 medium pear, cored and sliced thin
¼ pound Portobello mushrooms, sliced or chopped
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the chicken easily falls apart when stirred.





 

My Food: Chicken Avocado Salad (Clean Eating)

 

 

If you're looking for a quick, healthy, summery recipe, this is it!  I love this recipe from The Gracious Pantry!

 

Yields: 2 servings

Salad Ingredients:

½ cup cooked, shredded chicken
¼ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup minced, raw, red onions
2 avocados
Dressing to taste

Dressing Ingredients:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon yellow mustard (no sugar added)
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the salad ingredients until well mixed
3. Pour the dressing over your salad and serve as desired.

My Food: Fruit Popsicles

 

 

Healthy Popsicles! I made these for us now that the weather has started to warm up!

Yields: Approximately 12 popsicles

Ingredients:
3 cups watermelon puree (seedless if possible)
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 peach or nectarine, diced small
Handful of fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Directions:
1. Cut the watermelon into chunks and puree in a blender until smooth. Set aside.
2. Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds (amount needed will vary depending on size of molds).
3. Fill each one with the shopped fresh fruit.
4. Pour in the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top.
5. Place a popsicle stick into each one. Please into your freezer and freeze for 6-8 hours.

Note: When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds and pull each one out.

 

My Food: Slow Cooker Southwestern 2 Bean Chicken (Clean Eating)

 

This delicious recipe from The Gracious Pantry fulfills my need for a Tex-Mex flavored dish while allowing me to eat clean!

Yields: 10 cups

Ingredients:
4 raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (rinsed and drained) or 1 1/3 cup home cooked beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained) or 1 1/3 cup home cooked beans
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice (low sodium) – or you can dice your own fresh tomatoes
1 pound frozen, thawed organic corn (avoid GMO corn)
1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa (no sugar added)

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour the tomatoes and salsa over the chicken, then layer on the beans and then the corn.
2. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until the chicken falls apart when the pot is stirred.

Clean Eating Chicken Stuffed Pears

 

I'll admit - mine didn't turn out quite as pretty as these from The Gracious Pantry, but they were so delicious!  We made them for dinner one night, and I used the leftovers the next day for lunch.

 

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

12.5 oz home cooked, shredded chicken (or can chicken)
1.5 teaspoons fresh, chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons juice sweetened, dried cranberries
¼ cup walnut pieces
2 large, perfectly ripe pears

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chicken, rosemary, cranberries and walnut pieces
2. Cut your pears in half and scoop out JUST the seeds and middle section, being sure to leave as much of the flesh in tact as possible.
3. Now scoop out some of the flesh from the pears and add that to the chicken as well. Leave at least 1/4 - 1/3 inch thickness in the pear halves.
4. Stir until well combined
5. Fill the pear halves with chicken salad and serve.

 

My Food: Clean Eating Chicken Tex Mex Alfredo Pasta

  

Yum! We loved this recipe from the Gracious Pantry!  When I looked at the ingredients, I wasn’t too sure about it, but it really was delicious. A clean twist on a Tex-Mex dish… so good!

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

½ pound cooked whole wheat pasta
3 cooked, large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shred or cubed

Sauce Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) container plain, low-fat cottage cheese
½ cup salsa, no sugar added
1 dash cumin (optional)
1 dash chili powder (optional)

Topping suggestions:
Chopped, fresh tomatoes
Chunks of avocado
Fresh cilantro
Olives
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a double boiler, liquefy the cottage cheese. With some brands, this may not happen completely. You’ll still have chunks of cottage cheese left, but that’s ok – you’ll be blending it anyway.
2. Put the warm cottage cheese and the rest of the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you feel the sauce is too thick, feel free to add a splash or two of milk until you reach your desired consistency
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine your pasta, chicken, and any toppings you’d like to add. Mix well.
4. Put your pasta mix on a plate and pour some sauce over the top to serve. Serve quickly as the sauce cools fast.

Note: If using avocados, you may want to top the sauce with the avocado, as mixing it in can make it rather mushy.  In fact, when I made mine, I added all of the toppings at the end rather than combining them in step 3.

My Food: Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken Verde

 

 

I just love this EASY crock-pot recipe from The Gracious Pantry!  It takes almost no time to prepare, so it’s great for days when I’m super-busy.

Yields: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:
2 raw chicken breasts (about 7 ounces each)
1 cup crushed pineapple, no sugar added, packed in pineapple juice
½ cup clean chili verde sauce (or verde salsa)

Directions:
1. Place the chicken breasts in your slow cooker.
2. Pour ½ cup crushed pineapple over each chicken breast.
3. Pour ¼ cup chili verde sauce over each chicken breast.
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the chicken easily falls apart when poked with a fork

Serving Suggestions: Serve over brown rice or quinoa and with a green side salad.

My Food: Clean Eating Chips And Guacamole

Another great recipe from The Gracious Pantry!

 

Yields: 6 servings

Guacamole Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados 

Juice of 1 lemon or lime 

1 tablespoon garlic powder 

1 tablespoon onion powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt

Tortilla Chip Ingredients: 
1 package corn tortillas (Traders Joe’s Corn Tortillas are the cleanest) (Please check the ingredients on the tortillas you buy. Not all tortillas are created equal!) 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 tablespoon garlic powder 
Lemon juice (at least 2 lemons worth if you like “zing” on your chips) 
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:
1. Remove skins, and place avocados in a large mixing bowl, along with all other ingredients.
2. Mash all ingredients together until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Take one bag of small corn tortillas and cut them into 4ths or 8ths.

4. Cover a cookie sheet with a VERY light spray of olive oil.
5. Lay out your tortilla pieces so that none of them cover each other.
6. Spray your tortilla pieces with a VERY light spray of olive oil.
7. Sprinkle with lemon (or lime) juice, garlic and salt.
8. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F. until crispy (About 15-25 minutes, depending on your oven).

My Food: Chicken Stir-fry With Peanut Sauce Over Rice

I really like this stir-fry recipe.  It’s easy to make and uses mostly “clean” ingredients. I got this recipe from self.com.  I know you’ll enjoy it too!

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

Stir-fry:
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3 ½ cups of your favorite vegetables, chopped

Peanut sauce:
1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Hot chile sauce (to taste)

Directions:

For the stir-fry:
1. Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray
2. Sauté chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through. Remove from pan.
3. Add oil and sauté garlic and ginger until garlic is golden.
4. Add vegetables; cook until tender.
5. Return chicken to pan; stir-fry 3 minutes.

For the peanut sauce:
1. Whisk 1 1/2 tbsp hot (not boiling) tap water into peanut butter to blend.
2. Add soy sauce, vinegar, and hot sauce and mix.
3. Divide stir-fry and sauce onto 2 plates.
4. Serve each over 3/4 cup brown rice.