Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
I must admit… I’ve never had cashew chicken at a restaurant so I don’t know what it is “supposed” to taste like. I saw a lot of pictures of cashew chicken going around Pinterest, and they looked good. Rather than clicking on the link to discover that the recipe probably called for a can of …
Salads are one of my favorite summer foods since there are so many delicious ingredients in season and they don’t have to be heated to prepare. I’ve always had a thing for Mexican food, and while I love the restaurant fajita salads, they aren’t usually the healthiest or most frugal option. This salad is a …
This Greek inspired meatloaf reminds me of the Gyro meat I often ate during my time in Europe. It uses flavors such as lemon, fennel, and mint to make a fragrant and delicious meatloaf. You can also make a meatball version that cooks more quickly and makes a wonderful appetizer. I pair this meatloaf with …
If you aren’t already making bone broth regularly, I’d encourage you to start today! It is an incredibly healthy and very inexpensive addition to any diet, and the homemade versions beat store-bought broth in both taste and nutrition (although there is some amazing homemade organic broth you can buy pre-made now). This is the one nutrient …
We don’t eat chicken very often because my husband prefers red meat, but I’m always looking for new ways to cook chicken besides our usual slow-cook a whole chicken and make broth with the bones routine. I had chicken Marsala at a restaurant in college and loved it. I decided to create an easy at-home …
Chicken pineapple kebabs are a popular dinner with my kids because of the sweet pineapple and the color of the pepper. It is easy to make, and if you don’t have a grill, it is easy to adapt to cook in the oven. These are actually really good cold since the flavors of the pineapple …
My criteria for a recipe that goes into our meal rotation is that it must have a good source of protein, contain more than one vegetable, be easy to make in under 30 minutes, and preferably only need one pan to prepare from start to finish. It must also be a favorite meal for at least …
This is a really easy slow cooker fajita chicken recipe that makes a versatile meal. It tastes very similar to the chicken used in Mexican restaurants in their chicken taco salads. My kids will eat it plain, but I like it on a large salad with avocado and sour cream! This recipe also freezes and …
This is an easy and fast Moroccan chicken stir-fry that I often make on busy nights. It has a lot of contrasting flavors and colors and we’re especially enjoying it now that our broccoli is in season in the garden. If your family isn’t used to these types of spices, start with half and work …
This is one of those super-easy, but really impressive chicken recipes that even kids seem to enjoy because of the hidden ingredients inside. It’s also an easy chicken recipe to adapt and make grain free. My kids ask for “Blue Chicken” often, and I hope you’ll enjoy it too! It takes a while to cook, …
Chicken pot pie was one of those dishes I didn’t love as a kid (store-bought version) and then loved as an adult (homemade version) and had to say goodbye to when we switched to a grain-free, real food diet. Flour and vegetable shortening crust…not so much! I just recently attempted a healthy version of chicken …
I’ve been on an Italian chicken variation kick lately. I absolutely love chicken piccata and finally figured out a great recipe for it which inspired a lot of chicken cooking around here lately. I’ve made healthy variations of chicken cacciatore, chicken Florentine, chicken Marsala, and chicken carbonara. In restaurants, this is often made with an extremely …
In the early days of my marriage, when I was pregnant with our first child, I had a daily ritual of cleaning the entire house each day from baseboards to ceiling (nesting, anyone?) and then watching the food channels for dinner inspiration. My husband is Italian, so I learned how to cook from Giada, Emeril, …
One of my favorite ways to prepare chicken is to to slow cook a chicken in the Crock-Pot. If you haven’t roasted a chicken in your Crock-Pot yet… try it! Not only is slow cooker chicken the easiest and least expensive way I’ve found to prepare it, but you get a couple quarts of chicken broth from …
Ever had spinach artichoke dip in a restaurant? This recipe is similar to that but with more protein and no chips. I had a craving for spinach artichoke dip one night and decided to turn it into a whole dinner: spinach artichoke chicken in a slow cooker. Spinach Artichoke Chicken The chicken is topped with spinach, …
This is my latest healthy Italian dish variation. I never really liked chicken Parmesan until I had it at a friend’s bridesmaids luncheon. It was the most grain free item on the menu, and it was wonderful (I later found out it was breaded in some type of potato starch and not flour!). When I …
If you are as busy as I am, a meal that requires little attention and only needs one pan to cook makes life a little simpler. This recipe is also a delicious way to introduce Brussels sprouts (aka baby cabbages in our house) to your family if they haven’t had them before. Oh, yeah, and …
A light and fruity chicken salad that can be made on the go, this salad is a reminder of summer, even when there is snow on the ground. I often make a salad like this for lunch at least a few times a week. A bed of leafy greens topped with citrus chicken, cucumber, apple, …
So…. I married an Italian who loves pasta and then researched my way into being mostly grain-free. Needless to say, he wasn’t thrilled when I stopped making pasta and I wanted to find alternatives. While there are gluten-free pastas now, like rice and quinoa pasta, I wanted to find a truly real-food version and turned …
After much trial and error, I present to you my perfect chicken salad recipe. Why is it perfect, you ask? Besides tasting great, it is gluten free, mayo free, low carb, and packed with nutrients. It uses probiotic rich yogurt in place of mayo for a unique twist. Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe… The only chicken salad …
Confession… I am a lazy cook! That is why most of the recipes in my cookbook take 15-30 minutes and one pan to make. It is why I absolutely love stir-frys and let my children learn early how to help prepare and cook them. My chicken vegetable stir-fry includes chicken, onions, summer squash, and broccoli, …
