Marin Mama Faves

Popovers with Rosemary and Sea Salt

We’re a total popover loving family. We love the traditional popovers, sugar-crusted popovers and now these rosemary and sea salt popovers. Popovers are my carb of choice because they’re SO easy to make up and require a few simple pantry ingredients. They may look all fancy and formal with their big puffy tops and seem difficult to make, but let me tell you, they’re one of the easiest recipes to make. They even have an exact cooking time which makes them even easier to make up.

October 23, 2013 43 Comments

Homemade Almond Joy and Mounds Bars

There’s no better way to steer your kids away from all of the store-bought Halloween candy than to make up a healthy homemade alternative. For years, my family has been making healthier versions of classic candy favorites like homemade peanut butter cups, homemade dark chocolate bark and these no-bake, vegan Almond Joy bars. These bars are an easy and fun recipe to make with the kids. For parents concerned about nut allergies, you can make the classic Mounds bar, because as they say, “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t” These bars are vegan, no-bake and take about 30 minutes to make. So come on, let’s make up some bars!

October 1, 2013 58 Comments

Citrus marinaded chicken- three pieces on the table.

Citrus-Marinated Chicken

Ok, I have to say that this is one of my favorite chicken recipes ever, and Zoe and Eli both agree with me. We tried this the other night, gave each other the thumbs up, and said that this chicken was totally blog worthy and need to be posted sooner than later. The chicken is SO moist and full of flavor from the citrus marinade, and the skin gets all crispy and yummy from cooking under the broiler. This is seriously going to be one of my new go-to recipes for chicken, and the best part is that it can be made year round because it’s cooked under the broiler. Yippee! You could also grill it up, or even sear it in your cast iron skillet and then bake it off in the oven. Hey, it’s a flexible chicken recipe! I can see paring this chicken with some 5-minute roasted cauliflower or 5-minute roasted Brussels sprouts in the fall and kale mashed potatoes in the winter. This chicken is total comfort cooking anytime of year.

August 6, 2013 43 Comments

Grilled Bruschetta with Heirloom Tomatoes

I’m sure you’ve all seen the cover for the July/August edition of Martha Stewart Living in either a book store or your grocery store. If you’ve seen it, then you know why I just had to run out and make up this bread. I opened up my mailbox last week and saw the cover showcasing this beautiful assortment of heirloom tomatoes on top of this toasted bread. I immediately went to the grocery store, bought me some heirlooms and made this up for lunch. I have to say that I was in food heaven. This bread is crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside from the juicy heirlooms and olive oil. The crunchy sea salt and fresh basil just give it another punch of flavor and texture. John and I split half a loaf up for lunch one day and paired it with my lacinato kale salad and drumsticks another night for dinner. I also brought this to a friend’s house and served it up as an appetizer. Let’s just say it was a hit with everyone. It’s truly the perfect summer bruschetta!

July 9, 2013 12 Comments

Buffalo Apple Burgers with Sage-Jalapeño Pesto

4th of July is around the corner and it’s time to fire up the grill. Here’s a great burger recipe that celebrates the American West. This is a lean mean tasty burger. I say lean because buffalo has 70 to 90% less fat compared to beef, and 50% less cholesterol. Buffalo is also leaner than both pork and chicken, and has fewer calories to boot. On top of that, buffalo is higher in protein, iron and all the omega and amino acids. We’ve been fans of buffalo meat for years, going back to the mid 90’s when we were introduced to our first buffalo burger at Joe’s Garage in Minneapolis. You can pick up buffalo pretty much at any grocery store or Whole Foods. Because buffalo is high in protein, it’s also very filling, so 1-pound is perfect for a family of 4. We serve these burgers up on mini brioche buns and they’re the perfect size.

June 25, 2013 22 Comments

Easy Overnight Steel Cut Oats

So most of you know that I was a cereal addict since the age of 17. I literally ate a bowl of cereal everyday, usually grape-nuts topped with some other kind of fiberish cereal and granola. I’m one of those people that wakes up hungry and can’t sit around and wait a 1/2 hour for breakfast to cook, so cereal was the breakfast of choice, or should I say breakfast of convenience. Steel cut oats were reserved for those fancy hotel vacations or breakfast out with the family, as I was under the assumption that steel cut oats were a labor intensive and timely breakfast to whip up. I changed that way of thinking though when I cooked up my hot quinoa and oat cereal for the first time. I learned the trick to a quick breakfast of steel cut oats, and that was to bring them to a quick boil and then let them sit out overnight. I still eat cold cereal on occasion, but lately I have been devouring these steel cut oats, my 5 minute quinoa cereal and my quinoa and oat cereal. I would have to say that my breakfast routine has changed for the better!

June 6, 2013 209 Comments

5 Minute Hot Quinoa Cereal

Want a hot and healthy breakfast in 5-minutes? Well, here you go, this quinoa cereal takes 5 minutes from start to finish and will leave you feeling healthy and satisfied! I love my other quinoa and steel-cut oat cereal, but I have to plan ahead the night before in order to make it, and sometimes I just want to wake up and have some hot cereal, like NOW! I’m not the type of person who likes to fuss a lot when it comes to breakfast. I like to have my coffee and cereal ready within 10 minutes of waking. That’s just how I roll.

April 3, 2013 55 Comments

Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad

Anyone who knows me knows that I love lacinato kale. I mean it just tastes so good, yes, you heard me right, it really tastes good. It’s not just me who feels that way, my kids prefer a kale salad over an arugula or spinach one any-day, and John, well he likes all types of salads, he’s not a picky guy. Kale is uber healthy, and if stored properly the leaves can last for about 2 weeks in the fridge. Kale is also a great make-ahead salad. It’s one of those salads that you can make ahead, like the morning of an event, and have it taste great at dinner. Kale salads make great leftovers. I love that I can make up a salad on Monday and then eat leftovers on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it tastes great all three days. I will have to say that lacinato kale is the kale to try first if you are new to kale. Lacinato kale really tastes more like a lettuce, especially when you massage the dressing into it. Curly kale on the other hand, tastes bitter and can leave a chalky aftertaste in your mouth. I think most people who have tried kale have tried curly kale, and that’s why kale has gotten the bad reputation. Please, just try a salad with lacinato kale (sometimes called tuscan or dinosaur kale) and you might be converted.

March 6, 2013 21 Comments

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes make people happy, at least everyone I know. I can still her cute little raspy voice and see her big grin every time we went to a birthday party and she saw cupcakes. She would jump and down saying, “happy cakes, happy cakes.”

February 7, 2013 37 Comments

Hot Quinoa and Oat Cereal with Goji Berries

This is one of my go-to overnight breakfasts and I make this at least 2 times a month. It only takes 5 minutes to prep the night before and 6-8 minutes to heat up in the morning. I love that this breakfast is gluten-free and dairy-free, and I can add in healthy fats and pair it with season fruits and chia seed to give me energy to do all that I have to do in a given day! It’s the perfect breakfast to serve up on a fall and winter morning.

February 5, 2013 36 Comments

Nourish your inbox

What I'm eating this week

Browse

Dairy free green goddess dressing. This is my dairy free, vegan take on a green goddess dressing. I wanted to create a tasty dairy free version, while focusing on keeping the ingredients ultra clean, so I used a coconut based yogurt @cocojune_organic that doesn’t contain gums, or other ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Comment “green” and I’ll DM you the recipe link.

The result, we love this dressing and have been making it on repeat. I love how creamy and vibrant this dressing is and how it coats each piece of lettuce. I also love how interchangeable the herbs are. You can truly use what you have on hand.

This dressing isn’t just for salads, you can use as a dip for veggies, sweet potato fries, or drizzle over grilled or roasted chicken. The possibilities are endless. 💕

#greengoddessdressing #greengoddesssalad #greengoddess #healthyfood #saladdressing #dairyfreesalad #dairyfreerecipes #vegandressing #vegansalad #salad #healthysalad #healthysalads

Open

I want to share with you guys a simple lesson about reading ingredients. Here’s my favorite brand of coconut milk, Native Forest. As you can see, they have 2 kinds of the full fat unsweetened coconut milk, one is called simple, and one is classic. The difference here is in the ingredients, one contains guar gum and one doesn’t.

You really want to look at the labels and the ingredients, and not just trust the brand is the same across all products.

I love this Native Forest, Simple, because again it clearly states no quars, and if you look in the ingredients, you’ll see organic coconut milk, organic coconut, filtered water. Simple whole food ingredients, no added fillers, gums, or flavors. You always want to look for a BPA free cans and the USDA organic stamp, which means its certified organic, so there’s no GMO’s, pesticides etc.

What is guar gum, and why is it bad?

Guar gum, which is derived from the guar bean is a thickening agent that can wreak havoc on your digestive system by causing bloating, gas, and discomfort. It can disrupt the delicate balance of your gut microbiome, leading to inflammation and impaired nutrient absorption. It’s also seen a lot in non-dairy creamers or milks.

Was this helpful? If so, let me know in the comments below, 👇 as well as what else you would like to see, or know more about?

#readlabels #readfoodlabels #guargum #guthealth #guthealing #inflammationrelief #antiimflammatory

Open

Easy buckwheat porridge. If you’re looking to switch up your morning bowl of oats, then give buckwheat a try. It has a chewy texture and mild flavor, that pairs with just about anything.

Comment ‘easy buckwheat’ and I’ll send you the recipe.

This buckwheat porridge is SO EASY to make, and is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan to boot, and the bonus is it takes under 15 minutes to whip up in the morning.

This breakfast is hubby approved. Steve tried this the other day and kept saying, “this is the best breakfast,” “man, this is SO good.” So if I can get my mountain biking, carb loving hubby to happily eat of bowl of this, then I think your family might love this too.

I love topping mine with blueberries, @socotahini and bee pollen!

#buckwheat #buckwheatporridge #buckwheatrecipes #porridgebowl #porridge #porridgelover #breakfastideas #breakfast #healthybreakfast #healthybreakfastclub #healthybreakfastideas

Open

Rosemary & thyme turkey burgers. These are not your typical dry turkey burgers. The rosemary and thyme paired with the sautéed red onion give these burgers a pop of flavor, and the Dijon and avocado oil pump up the moisture. These burgers are also gluten-free and dairy-free.

Comment ‘turkey burger’ and I’ll DM you the recipe link.

I love topping these burgers on a big green salad and pairing them with my oven roasted sweet potato fries. Delish! #turkeyburger #turkeyburgers #burger #dairyfreeglutenfree #burgers #healthyfood

Open

These vegan Mexican quinoa bowls have become a weekly staple in our house. They’re naturally vegan, but are full of flavor from the avocado tahini, and spicy chipotle tahini sauce.

Comment ‘vegan bowl’ and I’ll DM you the recipe.

These bowls are also great for those that are on the candida diet.

I ❤️ these bowls because they’re jam packed with plant protein, as quinoa is a complete protein, and beans when paired with the quinoa, make a complete protein too. This bowl is balanced and satisfying from the slow burning carbs, healthy fats, plant protein, and will honestly sustain you for hours.

These bowls are a great weeknight meatless dinner option, as I typically make the sauces ahead of time, (they literally take 5 minutes) so when it comes to dinner time, all I have to do is make the quinoa (takes under 20 minutes) and roast the sweet potatoes. I hope you give these a try, and that they become a go-to meatless dinner.

#candidadiet #candidacleanse #veganbowls #veganbowls #veganrecipes #veganrecipe #vegandinner #vegandinnerideas #healthyfood

Open

Here’s the perfect snack for those of you trying to cut back on refined sugar. These healthy no bake cacao oat bars are super addicting, once you have a bite, you just can’t stop.

Comment ‘oat bars’ and I’ll DM you the recipe.

The great thing is you don’t have to feel guilty, as these are made with pretty healthy ingredients and are GF, DF and refined sugar free. I love having these on hand for that afternoon, or post lunch craving. They hit the spot perfectly. #healthy #healthysnacks #healthysnackideas #healthysnack #refinedsugarfree #norefinedsugar #healthydesserts #healthydessert #healthydessertrecipes #healthysnackrecipes

Open

Follow on Instagram

Marin Mama Faves

Nourish your inbox

What I'm eating this week

Browse

Jump to recipes