Raise your hand if you used to get Chinese take out growing up. Ok sure, I won’t actually see you raising your hand, but I am guessing that most of you reading this raised your hand. As children of the 90s with parents who worked, or equally exhausted stay at home parents, it is likely that they succumbed to pizza or Chinese take out every once in a while. Or late night in college, as I did many times.

My favorite dish was always the kung pao chicken. Perfectly spiced and sticky. I always went for the white rice and scooped up extra sauce for each bite.

I wanted to recreate this childhood and college favorite of mine, but without the food hangover. Enter my healthy kung pao chicken dish! It is so freaking good. I couldn’t be happier with how this turned out!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound chicken breast (cut into 1-inch pieces)

2 cups chopped broccoli 

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

2 tbsp. tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos

3 tbsp. rice vinegar 

2 tbsp. coconut sugar 

4 tsp. arrowroot powder

1 tbsp. sriracha 

3 cloves garlic, chopped 

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger 

METHOD:

Heat a bit of oil in a nonstick pan on medium-high and add the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until done. Set aside. In the same pan, cook broccoli on medium heat with the garlic, ginger and a bit of oil and a few splashed of soy/tamari/coconut aminos and cook until tender (you can steam the broccoli for a few minutes before to cook faster in the pan). 

While you cook the broccoli and the chicken, combine the tamari, rice vinegar, coconut sugar, arrowroot powder and sriracha to a bowl and stir to combine. 

When the broccoli is done, add the chicken back to the pan on low heat and stir in the sauce until it thickens. Serve with the peanuts over a bed of white rice.

ENJOY!

We have all had those days – the type that feels like you need more hours to get everything done, or where it feels like the day drags on and you are beyond exhausted by the time you hit your mattress to sleep. The type of day where you are running a mile a minute just to check a few things off of your to-do list only to pile on 10 more things. A report is due at work, the kids need to be picked up or you are so immersed in a project that you look up and somehow it is already dinner time.

Then panic mode sets in. What do I make for dinner? I am so hungry, but I don’t feel like cooking. I don’t have time to go to the grocery store and pick up anything healthy or nourishing.

Thankfully there is a solution. This super simple and nutritious dinner is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free and can be made in 30 minutes all while answering work emails, helping the kids with homework or taking a moment of self-care instead of cooking.

I am so happy I discovered Open Nature® products that are available exclusively in my area at Albertsons and Safeway, especially this Gluten Free Cornbread Mix. It is the perfect partner in crime for a lazy weeknight dinner with O Organics® Three Bean Chili & Kale Bowl when you don’t have time to cook, let alone think about what you want to make.

If you remember how much I loved the brownies I made in this post, I am equally loving the Open Nature Gluten Free Cornbread Mix. It cooks up perfectly, isn’t too dry or too sweet. Honestly, in my opinion, it is the best gluten free cornbread mix I have ever made. I’ve slaved over making my own from scratch and I will never need to again now that I know how easy and fluffy this cornbread comes out.

I usually don’t eat frozen meals because of the added preservatives in most that you find, but this Plant-Based Chili from O Organics doesn’t have any processed ingredients. Perfect for when you can’t make that trip to your grocery store and you want to grab something healthy from your freezer to heat up.

Here’s how you can make this nutritious dinner come together. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:
1 Box Open Nature Gluten Free Cornbread Mix
1 cup O Organics Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 egg
1/2 stick of vegan butter (or regular butter), melted
1 O Organics Three Bean Chili & Kale Bowl
Shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions to top

Method:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you combine the cornbread mix with the almond milk, egg and vegan butter with a whisk. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove to cool for 5 minutes while you make your chili. Follow the directions on the package to heat up your chili, place into bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions.

If you are eating more plant-based or gluten-free for health reasons, your local Safeway and Albertsons stores have thousands of products to choose from. I especially love O Organics because they are USDA certified I can find all my favorites at affordable prices and Open Nature makes products with simple ingredients and great quality.

In the San Francisco area Open Nature products are available exclusively at Albertsons and Safeway. You can also find them at the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets and Carrs/Safeway.

Try any of these clean, free-from Open Nature products and USDA certified organic O Organics products exclusively at stores and online.
VISIT www.albertsons.com/exclusivebrands
VISIT www.safeway.com/exclusivebrands

This is a sponsored blog post in which I received payment for my opinion on all products.

---

This recipe is definitely one of my favorite pasta dishes to make on a weeknight. Or really any night of the week, because let’s be honest they all kind of blend together during home quarantine in this pandemic. Not only can you whip it up in under 20 minutes but it's also an impressive and flavorful dish to share with those you are sheltered in place with. Something about the combination of the lemon with the artichokes is absolutely divine.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package brown rice pasta

1 can of artichoke hearts

1 package of chicken sausage, sliced

1/2 cup shredded fresh pecorino or parmesan cheese

1 head of broccoli, chopped

A handful of spinach

Olive oil

Juice and zest of one lemon

METHOD:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Sauté your sausage, artichoke hearts and broccoli in olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Add everything to your pot of drained pasta. Melt in your cheese, wilt your spinach and add a few glugs of olive oil plus lemon juice and zest.

These salmon tacos have become one of my favorite dishes to make for my 10-day detox, The 10-day balanced gut reset. I even had two friends who bought my reset kick it off by making these tacos for a reset party! These tacos (and a few variations) are a part of my gut reset recipe packet but I thought I would share with you so you can join in on the fun too. 

The best thing about these tacos is that they cook up in 10-15 minutes depending on how thick your fish is.  Great option for a quick lunch, or a dinner when you come home from work hangry and want something delicious and healthy.

Detox Salmon Tacos
(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
-       One packet Siete Foods Tortillas (any flavor, or corn tortillas if not on my gut reset)
-       1 lime
-       2 tbsp. coconut or avocado oil
-       1 avocado
-       1 pound wild or sustainably farmed salmon*
-       Salt + Pepper

* You can also use cod, red snapper or halibut. 
If you are a vegetarian or want to mix it up, use these ingredients instead of fish:
-       1 can garbanzo beans
-       1 head cauliflower
-       1/2 tsp. turmeric
-       1 tsp. cumin
-       1/4 tsp. chili powder
-       1 lime
-       2 tbsp. olive oil or avocado oil

Cole Slaw:
-       1/2 cup dairy free plain, unsweetened yogurt
-       juice of one lemon or lime
-       handful chopped parsley or cilantro (ok to omit if you don't have)
-       1/2 head of green or purple cabbage
-       salt and pepper

Thinly slice cabbage into ribbons and combine in large bowl with remaining ingredients.  Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

Method:
For fish: Add a generous amount of salt and pepper to fish of choice.  Cook in a cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of avocado or coconut oil with skin on flipping once after 4-6 minutes. If your fish is a thicker piece, finish in the over at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes until cooked through. Or if you are like me, I like my salmon a little pink in the middle. Squeeze with half of lime when done cooking and use the other half for garnish. 
For veggie: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chickpeas, chopped cauliflower, spices and a glug of oil in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour onto baking sheet into one layer. Roast 20 minutes and flip/stir halfway through with squeeze of half of lime.  Squeeze other half of lime when done roasting.

Serve with Cole Slaw and sliced avocado on tortillas of choice. Happy eating!!

HOW TO EAT FISH RESPONSIBLY
The salmon I used for this recipe is sustainably farmed. As our population grows and salmon becomes a more popular source of Omega 3's, we can't all possibly eat only wild fish or else we would eventually deplete our resources. Contrary to popular belief, you CAN eat farmed fish that is sustainable, safe and good for you!

Be careful when shopping for salmon that has had "color added."  A lot of health food stores, including Whole Foods, don't always carry naturally farmed fish and often add dyes and colors. 

Here are some resources that have helped me when choosing salmon and other fish:
https://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations/groups/salmon
http://www.seafoodwatch.org/
https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/eating-values-five-questions-ask-fishmonger/

---