Blog Posts

SIMPLE ONE-POT WONTON SOUP RECIPE

1/21/2020

Hi friends!

I hope your New Year is off to an amazing start. The end of the year and the holidays are always about family for me, but it's also a lot about food to be honest. (And I'm not mad about it :)) One ongoing project my mom has been working on for me and my younger brother is a family recipe book filled with all her incredible culinary delights. Now I don't know if I'll be able to recreate these recipes to taste "just like mom's", but it will be treasured for sure!

While I was at home this past Christmas, mom of course spoiled us with lots of the dishes we love, but she also shared a new one -- for a quick lunch one day -- that I just couldn't keep to myself! (Something to note about my mom... she is the type of person who has that special skill of being able to throw ingredients together and the end product comes out amazing. Always.) Keep scrolling to learn the SIMPLE ONE-POT WONTON SOUP recipe from my mom -- featuring some standard pantry and freezer staples, including one of our favorite Costco products!

SIMPLE ONE-POT WONTON SOUP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

1 carton (32 fl. oz.) low-sodium broth

2 teaspoons of miso paste

2 ounces of whole wheat spaghetti
~2 cups of frozen chopped spinach
~3-4 cups of bibigo fully-cooked frozen mini wontons
fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
green onion, chopped (optional)
sriracha or chili oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, bring the low-sodium broth plus 2 cups of water to a boil.
Add the miso paste and whole wheat spaghetti and continue to boil for 5 minutes.
Add the frozen chopped spinach and wontons.
Heat until wontons are cooked through and soup returns to a boil.
Serve with fresh chopped cilantro, green onion, and chili oil if desired! (Pst, we highly recommend it.)

I love that this meal can be made from just pantry and freezer ingredients, so if you're in a pinch or meal plans fall through (because it happens) then you can whip up this SIMPLE ONE-POT WONTON SOUP quickly!

Happy #SoupMonth all! Share one of your family favorite recipes you make from home with us in the comments below or tag us at @themealplanningmethod.

lindsey

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4 WAYS TO MAKE HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI HEALTHIER

1/2/2020

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Happy National Spaghetti Day, friends!

While January 4th officially marks this fabulous food holiday, I have to admit that my household enjoys spaghetti for dinner a couple times a month. Why so much spaghetti? This "master meal" is simple, hassle-free, and can easily be made healthier with just a few tweaks. Keep scrolling to find out how!

CAN SPAGHETTI BE HEALTHY?

100% spaghetti CAN be healthy! I truly believe that most meals can be made healthier if you're open and willing to make changes :)

HOW can spaghetti be healthy, you ask? It all comes down to the quality of your ingredients and the quantity of food you're enjoying. Check out these 4 ways you can make this family favorite a nutritious choice for any day of the week!

4 WAYS TO MAKE HOMEMADE
SPAGHETTI HEALTHIER

PICK A BETTER PASTA. Choose a more nutritious noodle by opting for: whole-grain spaghetti or a veggie-based option like Veggiecraft Farms (made with cauliflower) or Banza (made with chickpeas).
MAKEOVER YOUR MEAT. A healthier spaghetti doesn't have to be meat-free to be healthier.
1. I recommend using a lower-fat ground beef -- such as 90/10 or 93/7. (Learn all about the different ground beef grinds here.) Alternatively, you can also use a mix of leans meats if you'd like -- such as half ground turkey and half ground beef.
2. Our secret to keeping the meat mixture moist and flavorful however, is to blend in 1 package (~8 ounces) of finely chopped fresh mushrooms! Not only will this add in extra nutrition with Vitamin D and antioxidants, but you'll also work towards more servings of veggies in your day.
USE A SIMPLER SAUCE. While a homemade pasta sauce is ideal (so you can better control the ingredients that go into your sauce), it may not always be realistic or feasible for a busy lifestyle. So there's no shame at all in falling back on a store-bought sauce that contains little to no added sugar. Some of our favorite pasta sauce brands include: RAGU Simply or Rao’s Homemade.
START WITH A SIDE SALAD. Serving spaghetti with a pile of garlic bread may be standard protocol in your house, but I like to explain it this way -- when you get too much of one thing (in this case, grains), there's no room for other things your body needs (ahem, fruits and vegetables.) So next spaghetti night, sub that garlic bread -- which again, counts as additional servings of grain in your day on top of the pasta you're already enjoying -- for an Italian-inspired side salad. Have fun with topping your favorite salad greens with ingredients like sliced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, roasted red peppers, olives, and/or pepperoncinis.

Do you have other ways you make spaghetti night healthier at home? Tell us in the comments below!

lindsey

P.S. Interested in other January holidays? Check 'em all out over on National Today!

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HEALTHY HOLIDAY WAFFLES RECIPE

12/15/2019

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Hey friends!

The holiday season is no doubt filled with tradition, but none more anticipated than what comes Christmas morning. (Because gifts, duh.) But whether your family immediately tears into presents, finds the pickle ornament, or watches the Christmas Day Parade together, there's one other tradition I want to encourage you to start... CHRISTMAS MORNING WAFFLES!

But not just any waffles now... I've made this beloved breakfast food fun and festive by adding in natural red and green coloring and opting for a simple solution that will put fresh waffles on the dining table in minutes. Keep scrolling for my healthier holiday waffles recipe!

Are waffles healthy?

When you think of traditional waffles, the term "healthy" doesn't exactly come to mind. Waffles tend to be grain-heavy (ignoring the other essential food groups) and tend to be covered with added-fat (butter) and sugar (syrup). This is all good and fine in moderation -- remember, one meal or one snack does NOT define your regular diet -- but I took the approach of making this recipe just a little more balanced by getting in some protein. What's the secret? The solution is super simple... use a pre-made high-protein pancake/waffle mix!

HEALTHIER HOLIDAY WAFFLES

SERVING: per 1 cup pancake/waffle mix

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Protein Pancake Mix (we love Kodiak Cakes or Krusteaz)
2/3 cup milk or mylk (we love Original Silk Protein)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp Bare Organics Wheatgrass Powder
1 tsp Bare Organics Beet Root Powder

DIRECTIONS:

In medium-sized bowl, mix together the pancake mix, milk/mylk, cinnamon and vanilla extract.
Separate out half the mixture into another mixing bowl.
Add the wheatgrass powder to one bowl and beet root powder to another bowl to color the batter. (Add more milk/mylk if needed.)
Pour batter onto a lightly greased and preheated waffle iron.
Cook until waffles are golden brown or steaming stops.
Enjoy!