salty sweet seasons

If there’s one thing I secretly LOVE, it’s Philly Cheesesteaks. When I first moved to Park City after college, there was a little ski shack that served THE best Phillies, pizza, fries — and everything deliciously horrible for you. And it was in walking distance from my job, our happy hour spot, and right down the street from my house so late night trouble. 

That being said, tonight I was determined to clean it up and make the best damn little clean(ish) Philly on my block 😉

Ingredients:

• 1lb. Organic, grass-fed, non-GMO stew-meat cut steak
• 3 organic bell peppers (green, orange, yellow). Chop one and slice the other two in half longways  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion, organic
• 2 tablespoons worchister sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon clean teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoons Sirracha 
• 1 small package organic, sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1/4 cup organic, shredded mozerella cheese 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• Steak seasoning 

  
Directions: 

1. Turn oven to 400 degrees F
2. In a large skillet, turn heat to high and add two tablespoons coconut oil
3. Add steak bites
4. When edges are browned, add onion, chopped bell paper, mushrooms and garlic 
5. Drain any liquid and add bell peppers
6. Wash 2 bell peppers and slice in half, removing the stems 
7. Sauté mixed steak + veggies until steak is medium, and add Sirracha, worchister and teriyaki sauce 
8. Stir until blended and turn off heat
9. Add steak + veggie blend to the peppers sliced longways and top with mozzarella cheese 
10. Top with steak seasoning and bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes 
11. Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy!

 Fare: “A range of food.”

If you’re a clean(ish) eater like me, the best part about this recipe is you most likely have everything lying around already. A few of my staples are sweet potatoes, broccoli (the one green thing besides peas and avocados Tanner will actually eat…thank you, Annalisa!), and cashews, so as I was looking through my fridge and pantry I decided to mesh those all. I also almost always have minced garlic, sesame seeds, coconut oil, bell peppers, spinach, and apple chicken sausage on hand as well. So when I was menu planning my week and craving pesto, I knew I was going to cook all of those things, throw them into a bowl, and poof – dinner was served. So this is basically a fridge clean-out veggie and protein grab-bag.

This recipe requires minimal prep (literally just washing and slicing veggies), cooks pretty quickly, and can be cooked in the same skillet, so barely any dishes! Helloooo, busy weeknight/mom/college student/not-great-chef/toddler/unconfident male or female responsible for dinner duty/keeps great and flavorful for leftovers/perfect for trying to impress someone by cooking for them/pretty much anything/anyone approved dish!

My goal this week is to eat pretty clean, and stay away from gluten and dairy. Dairy has been causing me indigestion issues lately, and gluten has been leaving me sluggish, irritable, and tired. With Tone It Up’s Fit for Fall Challenge starting tomorrow, my friends and I are trying to be good when it comes to meal decisions, and for me, that means minimal gluten, sugar, and let’s be real…dessert in general. So, back to my clean eating roots for the next 6 weeks, and back in the kitchen – trying to cook up and blog one new recipe a day until my retreat, the Koru Retreat, whisks me away Thursday through Sunday.

Nutrient Packed Fall Fare:

a veggie and protein loaded grab-bag, I mean, bowl…

Ingredients:

wash and slice all vegetables

• 4 handfuls organic, fresh spinach
• ¼ cup unsalted, raw cashews
• 1 head organic broccoli
• 2 medium or 1 extra large peeled and cubed sweet potato(es)
• 2 organic chicken apple sausages, sliced down the center, then cubed
• 1 organic red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
• Worchester sauce or clean equivalent/alternative
• ½ tablespoon minced or grated garlic
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 5 green onion stalks, sliced
• 2 tablespoons non-Pine nut pesto (homemade/fresh/as clean as possible store-bought brand; I used Trader Joes). Pine nuts pack a nutritional punch, so I have nothing against them besides the fact I’m just not a huge fan of their flavor, and the pesto I picked up didn’t have them. So that’s why I added cashews for a more mild nutty flavoring while getting extra protein).
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and slice/cube/peel all veggies
2. In a large non-stick skillet, add cubed sweet potato and coconut oil and cook on medium-high heat until al-dente
3. Add chicken sausage to sweet potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently
4. Add broccoli and bell peppers, and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Add spinach, garlic, sesame seeds, Worchester sauce, and cashews. Mix and cook until spinach wilts
6. Turn to low heat and add green onion, pesto, fresh ground pepper, and coat veggies + chicken sausage evenly. Cook a couple more minutes, or until pesto and green onions are warm, and serve.

*Leftovers tip: The next morning, scramble 2-3 eggs and add to Fall Fare ingredients. Or, cook eggs over easy, whichever you prefer. Pack your day with protein and this brekkie will be sure to keep you full and supercharged until lunch!

*Left

My last pancake recipe I was pleading to the gluten free gods to finally allow me to succeed in finding a flour substitute that actually worked. Well, the heavens shined down this morning, and poof! Trader Joe’s all purpose, gluten free flour with a dash of Perfect Fit’s vanilla protein powder was the winning combo. 

Now, my regular readers know I’m not a supplement person, and I believe in including vitamins and minerals in our diets from whole foods, but I received samples of the new and (much) improved Perfect Fit protein powder, and hadn’t tried baking with it yet, so gave it a shot. Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m still curious where the ingredients are sourced, but seeing stevia, as well as their other old ingredients, get the boot, I’m pleased to experiment with it in small doses on occasion. 

All last week I was a garbage disposal eating whatever I wanted WAY too often – including chocolate. Normally my go-to pancakes involve incorporating dark chocolate chips somehow, but I wasn’t feeling that this morning. Confession: it’s because I went to breakfast with Tanner and his dad yesterday (we don’t do that so chocolate was my comfort haha) and ordered chocolate chip pancakes #dietstartsMonday. 

Sooooooo, chocolate aside, I wanted to mix in berries and have these pancakes me slightly sweet, slightly tart. The secret ingredient to my pumpkin bread is orange juice, so that set the tone for these gems. Hope you enjoy these as much as Tanner and I did this morning!

  
Orangeberry Gluten Free Pancakes

Ingredients:

Use all organic/non-GMO when possible

• 1 cup Trader Joe’s gluten free all purpose flour 
• 1/2 scoop vanilla PF
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup pineapple orange Simply Orange juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons dairy free, unsweetened, vanilla coconut yogurt 
• Optional: add a little lemon and Orange zest 
• 1/4 cup raspberries and blueberries (add to batter after blending everything)

Directions:

1. Heat skillet to 250-300 degrees
2. Add all dry ingredients to a blender and mix. 
3. Add wet ingredients (everything but berries should be added) and blend well
4. Add berries to batter and mix into batter gently with a spoon 
5. Spray coconut oil on skillet
6. Add 1/4 cup sized amounts of batter to skillet, and flip every few minutes, when you’re able to remove cleanly from side to side 
7. Serve with fresh berries
8. Optional: top with a little orange and lemon zest or shredded coconut
9. Serve with 100% pure maple syrup, make an fresh berry compode, or too with unsweetened, dairy free coconut yogurt

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Fall — a time all basic b*%tches rejoice over the return of pumpkin errrrrrthang. It’s like a mid-summer’s night dream….where we’re lying on the beach covered in sand and sweat in a ‘kini with thoughts of boots, plaid, scarves, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, and crisp autum air running through our heads. 

Seeing that it’s 90 degrees and super humid here in San Diego right now, I had the calling to pretend it was fall. Even if that just meant for an hour in my kitchen this morning. Tanner climbed up into his high chair wide-eyed-and-bushy-tailed at 7:30am saying, “Snack!? Snack?! Snack?!” Okay, mini-me, I hear your snack and raise you pumpkin protein pancakes. #comingrightup

I’ve been trying to perfect these gems to make them gluten free, but this is probably the third time and I still haven’t nailed it. So after my first two pancake flip fails tired into a pumpkin scramble, I caved and added 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour to the pancake fail rescue. If you’re reading this and know the secret to a wheat replacement flour that actually works (don’t lie to me; far too much batter has been laid to rest or turned into muffins), please share your secret! Anyway, without further ado, from my “fall” kitchen to yours, I hope you find a weekend filled with FALLing in love with these pumpkin flap jacks as much as Tanner and I love them. The real favorite — the whipped topping, which is amazing spread between layers of pancakes, and/or a (large) dollop atop them. 

Pumpkin Spice Protein Pancakes 
Ingredients:

• 1 scoop chocolate Perfect Fit (if you’re an avid S&S reader, you know my usual stance on protein powders; however, I’m proud to see PF and TIU release a protein powder that’s clean, organic, and filled with wholesome ingredients. I’m still curious to know where the ingredients are sourced, but thank you, PF for the samples and love to Tanner).
• 1 1/2 cup almond flour 
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup 100% pumpkin seed protein powder
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup cashew milk
• 2 tablespoons plain, organic Greek yogurt
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin spice seasoning 
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Chocolate Glazed Donut Flavor God (or 1 tablespoon cacao powder)
• 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Original Sealand Birk (or 1 tablespoon coconut oil)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice 
• 1/4 cup Better Life dark chocolate chips 
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds or hemp seeds
• 1 tablespoon milled flax seed
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 

Directions

1. Heat an electric skillet to 275 degrees F 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all listed ingredients, starting with dry ingredients, and mix until well blended
3. Spray skillet with coconut oil
4. Add 1/4 cup scoops to skillet and let cool for approximately 2-3 minutes per side, or until browned enough to flip smoothly 
5. Once fully cooked, remove from skillet and set aside until ready to top with whipped “cream” and serve 

  
Whipped Pumpkin “Cream”

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (or 1/3 tablespoon vanilla extract)
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
• 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin spice 
• 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon 
•  1/4 tablespoon raw, local honey 

Directions:

1. Make this first before beginning pancakes
2. Mix all listed ingredients and refrigerate or freeze while making pancake batter
3. When pancakes are cooked and ready to serve, spread between layers of flap jacks and/or top

 *Shelley’s favorite – Top pancakes with sliced pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, or berries, whipped pumpkin “cream”, and a light amount of real maple syrup. Bon appetite and happy fall! 

  oooohhhh myyyyyy goossshhhhh. THIS.MOUSSE. I recently (finally) tried soaking cashews to make my own cashew milk, and after I did, I’m newly obsessed with soaking them to invent all sorts of things. This afternoon, I was on my way to making more milk, when I decided I NEEDED chocolate right meow – so my idea took a turn. I opened my pantry, spotted a few ingredients, then opened my fridge, and a lightbulb went off…..chocolate.mousse. boom. CLEAN. Chocolate mouse….oh yes, you heard me right!
  

Vegan Chocolate Mousse [dairy free]

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 48 hours
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or non-vegan) raw, local honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cacao powder 

 Directions: 

1. Rinse cashews and add to blender (I use my ninja single serve cup)
2. Add remaining ingredients, adding water last. Add half the 1/4 cup, try to blend, and if you need more liquid to blend, add gradually 
3. Blend on high until well blended and mixture is whipped, like mousse-consistency 
4. Serve with your favorite fruit and enjoy! I use strawberries, raspberries, and bananas it was AMAZE.

  
Vegan Vanilla Mousse [dairy free]

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for 48 hours
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or (non-vegan) raw, local honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water 

Directions: 

1. Rinse cashews and add to blender (I use my ninja single serve cup)
2. Add remaining ingredients, adding water last. Add half the 1/4 cup, try to blend, and if you need more liquid to blend, add gradually 
3. Blend on high until well blended and mixture is whipped, like mouse-consistency 
4. Serve with your favorite fruit or my favorite (cheat) graham crackers, and enjoy! 

  
Sealand Birk, my sweet little pride and joy of flavored ‘water’ (it actually comes straight from the tap of USDA organic birch trees), is my beach babe essential. 

I’ve written about Sealand Birk before, and if you follow me on Instagram, you know I take it everywhere; almost as many places as Tanner. 😉 With Birk, what you see is what you get – no sneaky ingredients. The only sugar is what comes from the sap itself, and the only flavoring in the flavored birch tree sap/water, is less than 2% and comes from organic fruits and plants. 

That being said, Birk is always a staple in my summer days (and non summer days), but fruity, summery cocktails and Birk are like peanut butter and jelly. Naturally low calorie, fresh, light, and delish! Like my new favorite, The Seashell. 

  
Ingredients:

Serves one, so double/triple/quadruple recipe based on how many guests you’re hoping to serve. Best when served immediately upon blending.

• 1/2 Ginger & Lime Sealand Birk
• 10 frozen watermelon chunks
• 6 frozen pineapple chunks
• 4 mint leaves or two drops of mint extract
• 2 frozen peach slices

Boozy version:

Use above ingredients and add your favorite rose or Prosecco. (1/2-1 cup)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high-power blender (I always use my Ninja), and mix until fully blended, like the consistency of a Slurpee
2. Garnish if desired, serve immediately, and enjoy with a straw!