Category Archives: Entree

BBQ Pulled Squash

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BBQ Pulled Spaghetti Squash - guesswhoscooking.com

This recipe is vegan, but contains no fake meat analogs or anything weird. This recipe contains only 3 ingredients. If you prefer, you could use bottled BBQ sauce, but it will probably have more sugar and other undesirable ingredients. Spaghetti squash is not incredibly tender, so this recipe won’t be as soft as shredded meat, but throw it in a tortilla, a lettuce wrap, or a whole grain bun and it’ll be just fine.

Easy BBQ Pulled Squash (only 3 ingredients)

Print recipe
Serves 3 (about 1 cup each)
Cook time 45 minutes
Dietary Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish
Misc Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Hot
Occasion Barbecue, Casual Party
This recipe is vegan, but contains no fake meat analogs or anything weird. This recipe contains only 3 ingredients. If you prefer, you could use bottled BBQ sauce, but it will probably have more sugar and other undesirable ingredients. Spaghetti squash is not incredibly tender, so this recipe won't be as soft as shredded meat, so throw it in a tortilla, a lettuce wrap, or a whole grain bun and call it a day!

Ingredients

  • 1 small spaghetti squash (yield 3 cups cooked)
  • 8oz tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Salt to taste

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut spaghetti squash in half, then scoop out seeds and discard. Place the 2 halves cut side down in a baking pan. Optional: add about 1/2 inch of water to the pan to help steam the squash.
Step 2
Place pan in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until squash easily shreds with a fork or until you can pierce easily through the skin with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Step 3
Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to shred the insides. Heat a large pan over low heat. Add tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar and stir. Add shredded squash and stir. Cook until the squash reaches desired tenderness, stirring occasionally, about 10-20 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Breakfast Bites (Vegan)

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Breakfast Cookies - vegan, no added sugar, healthy. www.guesswhoscooking.com

These breakfast cookies are vegan and are healthier than most other breakfast pastries. Although there is no added sugar, there is still a decent amount of natural sugar from the fruit, so don’t overdo these! Pair a cookie or two for breakfast with a protein source for a quick and balanced breakfast.

Breakfast Cookies

Print recipe
Serves 12-20 cookies
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Total time 35 minutes
Dietary Vegan, Vegetarian
Meal type Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Misc Child Friendly, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
These breakfast cookies are vegan and are healthier than most other breakfast pastries. Although there is no added sugar, there is still a decent amount of natural sugar from the fruit, so don't overdo these! Pair a cookie or two for breakfast with a protein source for a quick and balanced breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 3 bananas
  • 1 1/2 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned)
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/3 cup raisins or other dried fruit
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon oil (such as virgin coconut oil) (for greasing)

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with oil, such as coconut oil.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, mash the bananas (using a potato masher, whisk, or fork).
Step 3
Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
Step 4
Drop cookie batter onto cookie sheet. Shape the cookies because they will not expand. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 5
Let cool for a few minutes, then move cookies to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Before baking
Before baking

 

Breakfast Cookies - vegan, no added sugar, healthy. www.guesswhoscooking.com

Nutrition Facts:

Serving size – 1 cookie (1/18th recipe)

Calories 61

Total fat 1g (1%)

Saturated fat 0g (1%)

Sodium 1mg (0%)

Total carbohydrate 14g (5%)

Dietary fiber 2g (6%)

Sugar 6g

Protein 1g

 

 

 

Kung Pao Chicken

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Kung Pao Chicken - healthy, clean, natural, low carb, gluten free, dairy free. https://guesswhoscooking.com

Kung Pao Chicken

Print recipe
Serves 6
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Total time 30 minutes
Allergy Peanuts, Soy, Tree Nuts
Dietary Diabetic, Gluten Free
Meal type Lunch, Main Dish
Misc Serve Hot
Occasion Casual Party, Formal Party
Region Chinese
This recipe isn't perfectly authentic, but it is tasty and uses pretty wholesome ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 1lb chicken breast (cut into 1-inch cubes)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 cups mushrooms (quartered)
  • 2 bell peppers (chopped)
  • 4-6 green onions (cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch (non-GMO and/or organic) (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 3 tablespoons reduced sodium tamari (divided)
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 10-12 dried red chiles
  • 1/4 cup nuts, such as peanuts or cashews

Directions

Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine chopped chicken with 1 tablespoon corn starch and 1 tablespoon tamari, Let sit for a few minutes while you chop the other vegetables.
Step 2
Preheat a wok over medium-high heat and add coconut oil. Add chicken and cook until all sides are opaque.
Step 3
Add mushrooms and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add green onions and dried red chilis and cook for about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Meanwhile, combine tamari, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and 1 tablespoon corn starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water. Add to the wok after you finish cooking the chicken and vegetables. Stir to combine and turn down heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Step 5
Top with nuts and serve.

 

Kung Pao Chicken - healthy, clean, natural, low carb, gluten free, dairy free. https://guesswhoscooking.com

Kung Pao Chicken - healthy, clean, natural, low carb, gluten free, dairy free. https://guesswhoscooking.com

 

 

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad

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Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com   

Ingredients

For dressing:

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons tamari

juice of 1 lime (1 1/2 Tablespoons) (or rice vinegar if you don’t have a lime)

2 teaspoons sambal oelek (or Thai sweet chili sauce)

1/4 cup water

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad Dressing - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com

1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped

1 cup carrots, sliced

2 cups red and yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1/2 medium avocado, diced

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced

Garnish: 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Optional: Baked tofu*

Thai Peanut Rainbow Salad - healthy, dairy free, gluten free. guesswhoscooking.com

Directions

Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender, food processor, or by stirring in a bowl. Combine all salad ingredients and top with dressing. Top with peanuts or other nuts (optional) as a garnish and serve.

 

*For baked tofu: slice 2 packages of firm tofu (non-GMO and/or organic) into blocks and press between 2 towels to squeeze out some of the water. Cut into cubes, toss with olive oil, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until golden, stirring once or twice.

Easy Tuna Lettuce Wraps without Mayo

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Easy Mayo-Less Tuna Salad - low carb, gluten free, dairy free, egg free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin or Pinterest @ www.pinterest.com/guesswhoscookin Tuna salad on lettuce is an easy way to increase vegetables and decrease bread, and is refreshing and delicious!

 

Time: 5 minutes

Serves: 1

 

Ingredients

1 5-oz. can tuna, drained (light tuna preferred, such as tongol or skipjack)

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

1 Tablespoon hummus

1 teaspoon capers (optional)

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 pieces of romaine lettuce

1/4 medium avocado, sliced (optional)

 

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine tuna, red onion, hummus, Dijon mustard, and capers. Stir to combine. Pile on romaine lettuce leaves and add optional avocado. Serve or refrigerate immediately (with tuna and lettuce separate).

 

Easy Mayo-Less Tuna Salad - low carb, gluten free, dairy free, egg free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin or Pinterest @ www.pinterest.com/guesswhoscookin

Mexican Zucchini Fritters

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Mexican Zucchini Fritters - Low carb, gluten free, grain free, dairy free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin and on Pinterest www.pinterest.com/guesswhoscookin

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup poblano pepper, diced

2 cups zucchini, shredded

1/4 cup green onion, sliced

4 eggs, whisked

1/2 cup almond meal

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil, such as grapeseed, canola, or coconut

 

Directions

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add about 1 teaspoon oil. When the pan is hot, add onions. Cook 1-2 minutes, then add garlic, and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add bell peppers and poblano peppers. Cook until vegetables are somewhat tender and onions are somewhat translucent. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, green onion, eggs, almond meal, cumin, salt and pepper, then stir in cooked pepper mixture. Preheat a nonstick pan (such as cast iron or ceramic, preferably not Teflon) over medium heat and add about 1/2 teaspoon  oil. Once pan is hot, add about 1/4 of the zucchini mixture. Once the edges are cooked and the underside is golden brown, flip the fritter. Cook until the underside is golden brown.

 

Note: If you don’t have almond meal, you could try coconut flour or whole wheat flour, but I haven’t personally tried it.

Mexican Zucchini Fritters - Low carb, gluten free, grain free, dairy free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin and on Pinterest www.pinterest.com/guesswhoscookin

Baked Falafel

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Baked Falafel - gluten free, grain free, vegan. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin

Ingredients

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 an onion

4 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons almond meal

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Dash black pepper

Baked Falafel - gluten free, grain free, vegan. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until combined, but it’s ok if there are some small chunks. Grease a large baking sheet. Form chickpea mixture into balls, about 1 inch in diameter, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 30  minutes.

Baked Falafel - gluten free, grain free, vegan. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin

Italian Chicken Stir Fry

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Italian Stir Fry in Marinara Recipe - Healthy, natural, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin. Have this entree for lunch or dinner!

This is basically a stir fry, Italian style. The beauty is that you can use any kind of protein and vegetables, which makes it a great way to use up whatever is in your refrigerator. Vegetables that work well with Italian flavors are mushrooms, eggplant, squash (especially zucchini), tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and spinach, but feel free to add whatever you like. Protein options that could work in this dish include chicken, pork, ground beef, white (cannellini or navy) beans and maybe even organic tofu or tempeh. I have listed the vegetables and protein options that I chose in this recipe, but you can alter it however you’d like.

 

Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 4-6

Italian Stir Fry in Marinara Recipe - Healthy, natural, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free. Follow guesswhoscooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin. Have this entree for lunch or dinner!

Ingredients

2 (or 1 1/2 pounds) boneless skinless chicken breast, previously frozen and somewhat thawed (fresh is okay too. Organic and free-range preferred)

1 teaspoon coconut oil

2 bell peppers, chopped (organic preferred – these are part of the dirty dozen)

about 6 ounces or half a bag of frozen green beans

half bag of frozen chopped spinach, organic preferred

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2/3 jar of marinara, or enough to reach desired sauciness

1/4 cup green olive tapenade, available at Trader Joe’s (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste, if needed

 

Directions

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces (it’s much easier when partially frozen). Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, then add oil. Add chicken, stirring occasionally, until it is almost thoroughly cooked. Add bell peppers  and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add green beans and cook 1-2 minutes. Add spinach and marinara, and cook until mixture is warmed throughout, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Top with green olive tapenade for a kick of flavor and/or crushed red pepper (optional).

Savory Oatmeal

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Savory Oatmeal with Poached Egg | guesswhoscooking.com | Healthy, vegetarian, dairy-free, and can be made vegan or gluten-free

Savory Oatmeal

Print recipe
Serves 4
Prep time 40 minutes
Dietary Diabetic, Vegetarian
Meal type Breakfast
Oatmeal is most often eaten with added sugar, so this recipe swaps out the sugar for healthy and delicious vegetables. Think of it as a hearty breakfast risotto!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion (about 1 cup)
  • 10oz mushrooms, such as button, crimini, or shiitake (sliced)
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard or other cooking greens, or 4-5 cups baby spinach (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • salt to taste

Optional

  • 4 large eggs (poached or pan-fried, organic, pasture-raised and/or cage-free preferred)
  • 2 green onion stalks (sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions

Step 1
In a saucepan, combine oats and broth or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, with the lid cracked, for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more liquid as needed, until desired texture is reached.
Step 2
Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil, then add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes . Add greens, turn down heat, and cook until greens are wilted. Combine cooked oats with vegetables, and top with optional toppings.
Step 3
Combine cooked oats with vegetables, stir in tamari, and top with optional toppings.

 

Savory Oatmeal | guesswhoscooking.com | Healthy, vegetarian, dairy-free, and can be made vegan or gluten-free

 

To make ahead: Prepare oatmeal and vegetables and store in separate containers. To reheat, add vegetables and 1-2 tablespoons of water or broth to oatmeal and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Add optional toppings and eggs if desired. A hard-boiled egg could be cut up into the oatmeal or eaten on the side as they are easier to make ahead.

 

Note: You can use whatever vegetables or toppings you like. Other vegetables to consider would be carrots, bell peppers, asparagus, or anything else you like. As toppings, you could add sliced almonds or other nuts or seeds.

Savory Oatmeal | guesswhoscooking.com | Healthy, vegetarian, dairy-free, and can be made vegan or gluten-free

 

Saovry Oatmeal - GuessWhosCooking.com - Savory oatmeal with sauteed veggies, chicken, and egg

Fishy Nuggets

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Fishy Nuggets - Low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy, easy. Follow GuessWhosCooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin

 

Ingredients

2 cans tuna*, drained (or canned salmon, or fresh fish, cooked)

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1/4 – 1/2 cup sautéed onion

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine tuna, egg, coconut, Dijon, and garlic powder. Heat a nonstick** skillet over medium-high heat, then add about 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil. Form tuna mixture into small nuggets, then add to pan. Once brown on one side, flip to the other side. Once nuggets are brown on both sides, place onto a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and bake for about 10 minutes, until the inside is fully cooked (contains raw eggs). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fishy Nuggets - Low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy, easy. Follow GuessWhosCooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin

*Tuna: When it comes to mercury content, it’s better to choose skipjack or tongol tuna over albacore. In terms of the environment, it’s best to choose troll or pole caught fish, or look for the blue Certified Sustainable Seafood label from the Marine Stewardship Council. “Chunk light” tuna may be skipjack tuna, which is good, but it can also be yellowfin tuna, which tends to be higher in mercury. For more information, visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch website: http://www.seafoodwatch.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx

**Nonstick skillets: I do not recommend Teflon-coating, which is traditionally used in most nonstick pans. I recommend a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a ceramic-coated pan.

Note: You could add other seasonings, or switch out the coconut for another type of filler (oats, almond flour, etc.).

Fishy Nuggets - Low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, healthy, easy. Follow GuessWhosCooking.com on Twitter @guesswhoscookin