Homemade Spinach Basil Pesto (Nut Free!)

I like to sneak veggies in anywhere I can. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes I have to get a little creative. One of my favorite easy recipes is Spinach Basil Pesto. This time of year Basil is easy to come by, so I get a few plants, and make a batch to keep in the freezer. Before we started our "real food lifestyle" easy mac was my go to food on my lazy mom nights. Now, I just add some Pesto from the freezer to whole wheat pasta, and my boys are happy! They have no idea they are eating spinach either. I'm not gonna tell.
I've also used this as a base for homemade pizza, rather than tomato sauce. Now, the hubby and I prefer it!
This recipe is so easy to throw together in the blender, and have fresh pesto sauce in minutes. You can use some right then, and then freeze the rest in ice cube trays for later!

So grab the blender, an empty ice cube tray, and go!
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh spinach leaves

2 cups fresh basil

1/4 cup parmesan blend

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup Olive oil

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

Place all ingredients in Blender (I use my Ninja), and blend until all the leaves are finely chopped. This only takes a minute or so.

 Once it is the right consistency, you can spoon it out into ice cube trays. Place in freezer, and leave until its fully frozen. Usually I just leave it overnight.

Once it is set, you can place the individual "Pesto cubes" into a ziploc freezer bag. These usually keep for about 6 months in the freezer. 

When I make pasta for the kids, I typically add two cubes to boiled, drained whole wheat pasta. You can dress it up with some fresh tomato, and even add some diced chicken for a big kid meal! ~ C

Strawberry Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Pizza - Using RawMio's Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

We got a new patio set last weekend, and of course we felt the need to break it in immediately. We decided to make our first night dining al fresco with the new set a little extra special by grilling out with family. Thanks to some inspiration from some good friends of ours, we decided to skip the usual cookout suspects and went with a variety of gourmet grilled pizzas, including a dessert pizza, instead.

My husband is the pizza chef and the grill master in our house, so I left this all up to him; as usual, he did not disappoint. He made his signature Southwestern barbecue chicken pizza, a kid-friendly margherita pizza, and the fan favorite - Strawberry Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Pizza. Our friends that inspired our gourmet pizza cookout actually made a very similar strawberry dessert pizza for us recently that we enjoyed so much we wanted to re-create it using RawMio's amazing Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. ---Seriously, if you try any of their spreads you cannot go wrong with this classic - it is good enough to eat straight off a spoon; in fact, I'm pretty sure that would have been its fate had hubby not used it for the pizza.---

Today I am sharing the super simple Strawberry Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Pizza recipe; this one was the biggest hit with both the adults and kids, and it was also the simplest to make. Don't worry, though! I will keep working on hubby to write a blog post, so he can share his amazing Southwest barbecue chicken recipe in the future; that one is a bit more involved. 

Strawberry Chocolate Hazelnut Dessert Pizza

The Finished Product!

Ingredients:

Dough (makes enough for 2 small thin crust pizzas)

1 cup all-purpose flour 

2 cups white whole wheat flour (We're partial to King Arthur's)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp active dry yeast

1 Tbsp honey (or sugar to make vegan) 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup flax meal or other whole grain (optional) - the flax meal adds a great texture to the dough

Toppings

1 jar (6 oz) RawMio Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

1/2 pint sliced strawberries, more if desired

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Directions: 

6-12 hours before cooking time: Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl. You can use a stand mixer if you'd like, but the dough will be so wet that it won't knead well so I just use a wooden spoon. As soon as everything is mixed in, cover the bowl with a towel and leave it alone in your kitchen for 6-12 hours. If you want to do this the night before, just throw it in the fridge after mixing. The small amount of yeast and long rise time helps the flavors develop and makes it easy to roll out into thin pizza crusts.

30 minutes before cooking time: Warm up the oven or grill as hot as you can get it, ideally to about 550°.

Sprinkle a large flat surface with corn meal or flour. Place half of your dough on the surface and dust with flour. It will still be sticky, so you may need up to another half cup of flour to roll it out. Flip and knead the dough for 2 minutes, adding a dusting of flour as you go, until it doesn't stick to your hands anymore. Make sure the surface still has a dusting on it as you go too, so you can easily pick it up and flip it over. With a rolling pin, roll it into a pizza crust shape (about 10-14" diameter) as thin or thick as you want it; we prefer a thinner crust for the grilled version. If needed, keep adding flour so it doesn't stick to the surface.

If you're using a pizza pan, add a dusting of corn meal or flour to the pan, then flip your crust onto it.

5 minutes before cooking time: With a spoon, add the hazelnut spread to the crust, like you would for pizza sauce. I microwaved it for 20 or 30 seconds to soften it up and make it easy to move around. Add strawberry slices as a topping.

Put the pan in the oven or on the grill for 5-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your crust and how thick the dough is. When it starts to brown, you're done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar immediately before serving.

You can do this directly on the grill without a pan. After the crust rests, put it directly on the grill grate for 1-2 minutes. Flip it over, quickly add the spread and toppings, then cook covered for another 2-3 minutes.

RawMio Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Thanks, again, to RawMio for providing me with your amazing Hazelnut Spread. I'm hooked, and I can't wait to try some new flavors! 

Note: While the RawMio spread was provided free of charge, the opinions and idea reflected in this article are solely mine. This stuff is seriously DELISH! 

Grain Free Cauliflower Pizza Casserole!

I came across a pin of a healthy "Pizza Casserole" on Pinterest,  but could never find an actual recipe for it. (Isn't that the most annoying thing ever? Why pin it if you're not going to tell us how to make it??) Ok, rant over... It looked like it wasn't that difficult, so I threw this together for supper tonight, and was very pleased with the simplicity of it. The best part is that my boys are eating their veggies, without even realizing it!
--C

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces.
1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup of your favorite marinara or pizza sauce
Toppings of choice. I used Boars Head Pepperoni

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl mix the cooked cauliflower, marinara and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.
Pour into a 2.8 liter (3 quart) casserole dish.
Top with remaining cheese and any additional toppings.
Bake uncovered for approximately 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Creamy Spinach "Alfredo" Chicken Sausage

I have been thinking about making this all day. It's cold, and I want some creamy comfort food! Trying to accomplish creamy, and stick to real food can have it's challenges. But, I was on a mission, and I was determined to be successful!! And, I was! This turned out exactly how I pictured it would! It was pretty easy, and didn't take too long to make, even though I had several things cooking at one time. You could easily add more seasonings to the sauce, according to your tastes. I probably will next time, but this time I was focused on creaminess! (Is that a word?)
Yum, just yum!!!

Ingredients:

1 box (13.25 oz) cooked pasta of choice. I used 100% Whole Wheat
8 oz block of shredded white sharp cheddar
1 cup fresh or frozen spinach (I buy the bagged frozen so I can use as little as I want to)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp tapioca powder/flour (you can sub corn starch or arrowroot powder)
1 1/4 cup plus 3 tsp milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of Bilinski's Organic Spinach & Feta Chicken Sausage** (or sub meat of choice)



For the Meat:
Just heat and slice! I heated in a skillet while everything else was cooking.
For the Pasta: 
Boil as you normally would, then drain and place in a medium bowl that you can add the rest of the ingredients to as they get done.
For the Spinach:
While you have your pasta boiling, heat the olive oil in a skillet then add the minced garlic. When it is just starting to look toasted, add your spinach and saute until it is done. Add to the cooked pasta.
For the sauce:
Combine the 1 1/4 cup milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small saucepan on low heat. While that is heating, have your shredded cheese close by. In a small bowl combine the 3 tsp milk and tapioca flour and mix until all the lumps are out and it forms a paste.
When your milk is heated, slowly add the cheese, stirring constantly to help it to melt and to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once you have all the cheese melted, add the tapioca paste and continue to stir over the heat until you reach a creamy consistency. This should only take a few short minutes. If you do not think it is thick enough, you can make another paste 1 tsp at a time, equal parts tapioca powder and milk.
Once you get the creamy texture you are looking for, pour it over your cooked pasta and spinach.
Add the meat, and stir.
That's it, you are ready to eat it up!

**Here is the Sausage I found at our local Harris Teeter. For a sausage, it has a pretty minimal ingredient list. It also tastes fantastic!!

Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Vegetarian Stew

I put this recipe together the other night while trying to figure out something to do with the dozens of sweet potatoes we keep getting from our vegetable CSA. I think my whole family is a little burned out on chili, so I decided to skip the meat and serve this one-pot meal over rice. 

You could easily add chicken, ground beef, or andouille to this one to change up the flavor. If you do, just brown it, cut it up, and mix it in when you add the chicken stock.

Chipotle Black Bean & Sweet Potato Vegetarian Stew

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
3 medium carrots, chopped
¼ - ½ red onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped (add a tbsp of the adobo sauce for smokier flavor)
1 tsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup vegetable stock (or any stock for non-vegetarian)
sour cream (omit for vegan) & prepared rice for serving 

Instructions:
In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Once oil is heated, add cubed sweet potatoes, chopped carrots, and red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly softened. Add minced garlic, and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for 30 seconds – 1 minute. Add rest of ingredients through salt & pepper, stirring to combine. Add stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are completely softened and liquid has reduced. Serve over prepared rice, and top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. 

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Bowls

Time to redefine Taco Night! This dish is easy, and can cook while you work, making dinner prep a breeze! 

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless thighs1 Can Rotel tomatoes 1 cup shredded zucchini (hidden veggies!!)***1 tablespoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Lime Juice, squeezed from 2 limes

8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese ( or white cheddar)

1/2 bunch cilantro

2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry + 2 cups water or broth)

Place chicken in slow cooker (I throw it in frozen) and top with Rotel, seasonings, and lime juice. 

Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. About an hour before serving, add the cilantro and zucchini and shred the chicken with a fork to mix it all well. 

Prepare your quinoa, and shred the cheese. Serve with quinoa at the bottom, top with chicken, then top with cheese! Enjoy!! 

*** You could always add corn or black beans, too! We don't eat either due to food allergies, but they would be a great addition if you like them!  

adapted from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/07/taco-chicken-bowls/

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili- kid friendly!

It is Chili season in North Carolina! Cooler temps mean it's time to break out the Crock Pot and let it do all the work for me. I love chili this time of year!

My 3 year old has a bean/pea allergy so we avoid all legumes and lentils. I came across a recipe for sweet potato chili last year, and tried it, but omitted the beans the recipe called for. I've made it several times since then, tweaking the recipe a little each time. I finally got the perfect chili that we will all eat. 

Try it, you will not be disappointed! The sweet potato is the perfect bean replacement, but still gives you a similar texture. I actually double this recipe in my large Crock Pot so I have extra for the freezer.  --C

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground (beef, venison, turkey, chicken)

2-3 sweet potato, peeled and diced into cubes

1- 15oz can of organic diced tomatoes

1- 8oz can organic tomato sauce

1 Homemade Chili seasoning recipe (below)

Chili Seasoning*:

1 TBSP Chili Powder

1.5  TBSP minced onion

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground pepper

Instructions:

Line your slow cooker with a liner to reduce clean up, if desired. (Totally worth the money to get these!)

Put meat in bottom of cooker (I put it in frozen, no need to thaw ahead of time!)

Top meat with seasoning, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and diced sweet potatoes. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

About an hour before eating, take a spoon and mix everything well, making sure to crumble the meat.

**I don’t add cayenne pepper to my chili seasoning, because my hubby and kids don’t like spicy foods. If you do want it spicy, add ¼ tsp cayenne, or more to taste.  I usually just sprinkle a little on the top of mine and then mix it up!

100 Days of Real Food and Against All Grain COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY!!!

We're doing a cookbook over on our Facebook page! Head over to Confessions of A Real Food Mom's Facebook page to enter. 

Need a little help getting back into a healthy eating routine after overindulging on a little too much Halloween candy and before the chaos of the holidays? Then head over to Confessions of a Real Food Mom's Facebook page to enter this cookbook giveaway, and check our blog regularly for easy, family-friendly, healthy recipe ideas. 

**This giveaway is in no way sponsored by Facebook, Blogger, Against All Grain, or 100 Days of Real Food. 

Sweet Potato & Ground Bison Sloppy Joes Recipe

Sloppy Joes are such an easy, quick, and kid-friendly weeknight dinner. While I always have these great aspirations to try something new with ground meat, 9 out of 10 times I come back to Sloppy Joes. ... and why wouldn't I? I know that they are nearly impossible to screw up even when left unattended for 15 minutes while I change a diaper or break up a fight, and  I know my kids will actually eat them, which is most often not the case for dinner at our house these days. 

I like to change them up by adding different root veggies or beans to the mixture. Not only does it add a little fiber and another veg to their plates, it also stretches the meat a little further. 

We currently have a whole bunch of sweet potatoes from our CSA farm share (read about what a CSA is here), so I took some inspiration from a Martha Stewart recipe and 100 Days of Real Food recipe to come up with this fantastic new Sloppy Joe recipe. This is my first time making "Real Food" rules approved Sloppy Joes and I will definitely be using this recipe from now on. 

Note: We like our Sloppy Joes to have a smoky flavor with a hint of heat; if you prefer a sweeter mix, you'll want to cut the amount of chili powder and cumin used. 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped (OR ½ small onion & 1 clove garlic, finely chopped)
1 pound ground bison (or any ground meat)
1 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce (no sugar added)
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons cumin
Dash of cinnamon
salt & pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sweet potato, cook for about 3 minutes. Add shallot, and continue cooking until both sweet potato and shallot soften, 2-3 minutes.

Add ground meat to skillet and brown until no pink visible, breaking up meat with wooden spoon while it cooks. Season with salt & pepper.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, honey, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon. 

Add sauce to browned meat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, simmer for   5-10 minutes until most liquid has evaporated and mixture has thickened. 

Serve Sloppy Joes on whole wheat buns. 

*Adapted from 100 Days of Real Food Turkey Sloppy Joes & Martha Stewart's Turkey Sloppy Joes.*

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Recipe

We love making pizza in our house. Until we switched to real food we always started our homemade pizza with Trader Joe's pizza dough. Unfortunately, the Trader Joe's crust uses all-purpose flour for the base, which means we don't buy it anymore. We've tried Trader Joe's whole wheat dough, but we were underwhelmed. In the end, my very talented husband came up with his own very simple whole wheat dough recipe.

Note: This recipe makes a thicker, chewier dough - like hand-tossed thickness - if you want thinner, crunchier crust cut the flour by 3-4 oz or ½ - ¾ of a cup.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Ingredients
26 oz (~5 cups) whole wheat flour (we use King Arthur's white whole wheat) 
1 packet active dry yeast
1¾ tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1¾-2 cups WARM water

Directions
Using stand mixer bowl, whisk together flour, active dry yeast, and salt. (Note: you can 'proof' yeast by soaking it in the warm water, but this step is unnecessary unless the yeast is old and you are afraid it will no longer work.) Using the stand mixer with the dough hook at a medium speed, slowly add water, olive oil, and honey. Continue mixing for 5-10 minutes at a medium speed until dough is well kneaded. 

Remove mixing bowl from mixer, cover bowl with dishcloth, and let it rise on the counter for ~30 minutes. Separate dough into two equal sized balls. The dough is now ready to use, refrigerate, or freeze. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

If refrigerating, store in airtight container for up to 16 hours. Remove from refrigerator ~30 minutes before using to bring to room temperature. If freezing, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Remove 4-5 hours before using, or thaw in refrigerator overnight.