That Clean Life

That Clean Life is an awesome meal planner that I have become obsessed with over the last few months. I'm always looking for healthy and easy recipes to try, but sometimes feel overwhelmed by all of the choices that are out there online and have started to get away from using cookbooks. That Clean Life has become a lifesaver to provide super easy and delicious recipes, an awesome meal planner and done-for-you grocery lists.

There's something that I really enjoy about meal planning - it's probably the Type A in me. And because it's something that I enjoy, I didn't think That Clean Life would be valuable for me. And then I found out about its full capabilities and saw it in action, and realized how well it could fit into my life. It's been a total game changer.

That Clean Life Capabilities

That Clean Life is more than just a piece of meal planning software or a collection of recipes. Here's why I've fallen in love and use it each week:

• There are currently more than 800 recipes to choose from and search for, with new, seasonal recipes being added each week
• You can search by ingredient or category, and each recipe has a beautiful photo + comments from those who have made the dish before
• Each recipe can be adjusted for the number of serving sizes, big or small
• Most recipes are gluten and dairy free, with lots of vegetarian, vegan and paleo options
• All of these recipes can be added into a meal planner for the week, where you can also indicate leftovers
• That meal plan is turned into a grocery list with the click of a button, and you can indicate which items you already have on hand. You can even email the grocery list to yourself
• You can add your own recipes into your recipe box, which allows them to be loaded into your meal plan and subsequently included in your grocery list
• There are also a tonne of done-for-you meal plans that you can choose from, with individual focuses like kid-friendly, paleo or a spring tune-up
• Recipes can be saved into Collections, which means that you can easily find recipes you've saved to put them into a meal plan in the future

And have I mentioned that everything is delicious?!

I love that That Clean Life easily fits into my way of eating, and makes it so easy to prep tasty meals and snacks. Like this layered dip I made for us on a Friday night when I didn't really feel like cooking and wanted to enjoy something a bit more snack-y for dinner.

I also love to be a part of the community, as I get to see when new recipes are added and love to creep on the recipes that other members have been making. Each recipe also has a comment section where members share substitutions, questions or comments they have. It's a great way to learn more about other people's experiences with the recipes, and often people's comments have enticed me to try a recipe out if I wasn't sure.

That Clean Life has also done an amazing job of creating healthier versions of treats, classics and comfort food - like this chocolate chip cookie pie.

Each week I get really excited to see the the new recipes that have been added, especially because they seasonal ingredients are enticing and inspiring. I'm so glad that I got over my own idea that this wasn't a service that I would use, because That Clean Life has helped me to discover and enjoy so many amazing recipes. The convenience of the grocery lists has been a game-changer, and we're now in a place where some of the recipes have become absolute favourites in our house. (like this butter chicken!) That Clean Life has taken my enjoyment of meal planning to a new level, and it's become integral in the way I make food each week.

Wanna give That Clean Life a go? You can try a demo membership for free, play around with the meal planner and try out 25 recipes to start.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I'll make a commission if you click a link and purchase something I've recommended, at no extra cost to you.

From Scratch Cooking: 2016 Edition

From Scratch Cooking is an awesome yearly initiative from the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. It is a digital cookbook for a cause, and this year's edition is benefitting Pencils of Promise. I am so proud of the work that all of the graduates of the CNE Program do, and this digital cookbook puts together 44 of their amazing recipes. The cookbook is available with a donation of your choice and all money raised will go towards Pencils of Promise.

Since I was on the team who helped to put together the book, I had the pleasure of pouring over all of the recipes and photos extensively. The recipes are gluten free, nourishing and delicious with awesome photos. So far I have made Robyn's breakfast cookies and Sondi's halvah oatmeal. (I was on an oat kick it seems)

Both were awesome!! I'm looking forward to making my way through the book and trying some more of the recipes. (These veggie burrito bowls and chocolate almond butter cups are definitely on my list!)

While the recipes are wonderful, this digital cookbook is about so much more than that. Pencils of Promise does amazing work helping to provide education, educational tools and schools to children in Ghana, Guatemala and Laos. Through their programs, they're working to change learning experiences for children in need and it's incredible to play a role in that. 

Since launching From Scratch last Monday we've raised more than $5,000, which is enough to send 200 kids to school for a year. It's been a very exciting week in the kitchen as we've seen the orders come in! We would love to increase that number to make an even bigger donation to help even more children have access to education. 

You can learn more about the project and grab your own copy of From Scratch here. 

And to give you a sneak peek into the awesome recipes that have been included, I'm happy to share this Mediterranean Frittata from Vanessa Gilic! It makes for a great breakfast (and can be prepped in advance to enjoy throughout the week) or you can enjoy it as a protein-rich dish at any meal. 

Mediterranean Frittata

Recipe + Photo Credit: Vanessa Gilic

Prep Time:  5 minutes

Cook Time:  7-10 minutes

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil or ghee

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 handfuls baby spinach

¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives

½ red pepper, diced

4 large pastured eggs

1 tsp dried oregano

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ cup crumbled goat feta cheese, optional

Handful torn basil for garnish

Recipe Directions:

1. Preheat the oven broiler to high.

2. Heat olive oil or ghee in an 8-inch cast iron pan (or other oven-safe pan) over medium heat.  Add the red onion and cook until it begins to colour (add some water if it starts to stick).

3. Add the spinach, olives and red pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is cooked down.

4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a bowl with the oregano and pepper. Pour into the pan over the veggies. Sprinkle over the feta cheese, if using, and cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes or until the frittata begins to set.

5. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the frittata is golden and cooked through.

6. Let it sit for 5 minutes before garnishing with torn basil and slicing into thick wedges.

3 Ingredient Pancakes

Gluten free.
Dairy free.
3 ingredients.

Who says pancakes need to be a big production?

I was introduced to these pancakes when we were visiting friends in Ottawa this fall. Genevieve was so sweet in planning Ashley-friendly meals while we were staying with them. For breakfast one morning she made us a version of these pancakes and EVERYONE at the table fell in love with them!!

I've made them on my own a couple times since our visit and love that they're becoming a regular part of my breakfast rotation.

3 Ingredient Pancakes
Serves 1: Adapted from various sources

2 eggs
1 very ripe banana
1/2 tsp baking powder

• Add all ingredients to a large bowl. 
• Using an immersion blender, food processor or blender, mix ingredients until very well combined. 
• Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with oil of your choice (coconut oil works well here)
• Using a ladle, scoop pancake batter into the pan and cook in small batches until they start to bubble and hold their shape. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for 30-40 seconds more. 
• Serve with toppings of your choice! I opted for coconut cream and cinnamon last week, but also really enjoyed them with maple syrup & fruit previously

Tip: You'll need to play with the temperature of the pan to ensure that it's hot enough to cook the pancakes, but not too hot to burn them. My first batch were a little burn-y, but once I found the optimal temperature, they turned out perfectly! You'll just need to play a bit and gauge the heat on your stove. 

So easy! So delicious! And I love that you can make them with ingredients you've likely got on hand. They're a great use for any super ripe bananas. 

What are your favourite pancake toppings? Are you a classic maple syrup kinda person or do you like to branch out?

Cauliflower Pizza

The internet has gone nutty over the cauliflower pizza phenomenon. I'll admit that I was skeptical thinking, "How can cauliflower mush even pretend to taste like pizza crust?" anytime I saw another cauliflower pizza crust pop up on Pinterest.

Oh friends, I have crossed over to the dark side and it's DELICIOUS over here.

Not only is this cauliflower pizza crust super tasty, it's also really easy to make. We've already made it a second time and I think it will be a staple for dinners with us.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust 
(Gluten free)

Half a small head of cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded goat cheddar (or cheese of your choice)
1 egg
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Add roughly chopped cauliflower to food processor and blitz until all cauliflower is in rice-like bits. Cook / steam for 5-8 minutes.

In a medium bowl, add 1 1/4 cup cauliflower bits, egg, cheese, nutritional yeast, spices and garlic. Mix until well combined.

Prep a cookie sheet with parchment paper and a bit of oil. Place your "dough" on the sheet and pat to form an equally distributed oval, that isn't super thin.

Bake crust for about 15-20 mins until golden and edges are starting to crisp up.

Once the crust has cooked, top your pizza with your favourite things! We used tomato sauce, sautéed bell peppers and mushrooms, red onion, sundried tomatoes and a bit more of the goat cheddar.

 Place topped pizza under broiler until cheese has melted. Remove from broiler and serve.

After you've made the recipe once or twice, feel free to play around with the cooking time and toppings. The second time around, Corbin left the crust in the oven for a bit longer (closer to 18-20 minutes) and it was awesome.

Are you interested in more yummy, healthy recipes like this one? From October 20-24 I'm going to be running a clean eating group through Facebook with lots of recipes, tips and tricks for healthy, delicious, clean eats. If you'd like to be included in the group, send me an email or connect with me on Facebook! 

Catching Up on Summer Foodie Goodness

I’ve realized I’ve been hoarding a lot of food photos from the summer…Lots of fruit and veggie goodness… many salads and stir fries and simple things. It’s been too hot to cook anything elaborate so I’ve kept things pretty simple. The summer has also made me pretty social, so there have been meals out at lovely places like Fresh, Live and various sushi restaurants.

This weekend I also made a couple of raw soups as a part of Meghan’s green smoothie weekend. I had a lot of fun with an abundance of green smoothie goodness, but wanted to change things up a little bit. Both recipes were from Natalie Rose’s Raw Food Life Force Energy. The first was pumpkin pie in a bowl I opted for steamed sweet potato since I don’t have a high powered blender and it turned out beautifully. It truly was like pumpkin pie in a bowl and it made me really happy.

The second was the pineapple’s just peachy soup with pineapple, berries, spinach, mint and some sweet Ontario peaches. I fed some of this to one of my roommate’s and he inquired what made it a soup and not a smoothie? I said it was because I opted to eat it out of a bowl with a spoon rather than from a glass. I guess it could be a smoothie too, although I might add some additional liquid. I loved the fresh flavour and really enjoyed the pineapple and peach combo.

I’m hoping to get back to the farmer’s market today to pick up some more delicious summer-y goodies while they’re still fresh and delicious!

What are your summer staple foods? Are you looking forward to any particular fall foods?

I Love Rainbows, Especially Vegetable Ones

This month at Weight Watchers, we’ve been talking about working towards at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. We did a similar challenge last year with much success and last week we (once again) discussed incorporating a rainbow of colour into our meals.

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I love colour and making meals pretty by using a variety of colour is a lot of fun and tends to make food much more interesting. Summer is an amazing time for colour in the produce section with tonnes of amazing fruits and veggies that are just bursting with colour!! With this in mind, I headed to the East Lynn Farmer’s Market on Thursday to pick up some goodies. I was super impressed with the organization and the number of booths. I also learned later that members of the community take turns feeding the farmers and ensuring that they are well taken care of. Love that! I picked up some carrots, cauliflower, swiss chard, kale, peaches, eggplant and one of the farmers threw in some complimentary lemon basil – amazing!!

I had Lindsay over for dinner last night and made the cauliflower lentil curry from Veganomicon over some quinoa I left out the jalapeño and the parsnip and added in some Swiss chard in the last 5 minutes of cooking. It was such a yummy meal and a great use for the cauliflower and the chard! Later in the week I’ll be putting the kale to use in a salad (inspired by the one at Live) and the eggplants will be used in a dish inspired by Noelle at an Opera in the Kitchen.

How do you incorporate a rainbow of colour into your meals? What are your tips for getting in at least five servings of fruits & veggies each day?