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Roasted Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale

December 2, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Butternut squash gnocchi

Roasted gnocchi and butternut squash with kale mixed in a creamy, healthy Alfredo sauce. A hearty, vegetarian dinner that is perfect for the winter months.

gnocchi and butternut squash

Everything about this dish, I just love. From the roasted gnocchi to the soft and tender kale to the healthier Alfredo sauce, I’m pretty positive you will fall in love with this meal. It’s the perfect family dinner for a cold winter night. Pour yourself a nice glass of wine or curl up under a blanket on the couch and enjoy this seasonal meal.

Roasting the gnocchi gives the pasta a slight crispiness, but if that’s not your thing, you can always boil them instead. Roasting them is just one less pan to wash! Using precut butternut squash is a huge time saver, which is what I did for this recipe. If you choose to use a whole butternut squash, just make sure to peel and cut into bite size pieces and adjust your baking time.

Butternut squash gnocchi

Almost every time I see a recipe that calls for traditional Alfredo sauce or heavy cream, I stay away. I prefer something lighter and healthier. That’s what makes this Alfredo sauce the perfect in between – you get the taste of the traditional sauce without the heavy cream. This sauce is made with milk; I used whole milk to make it a little richer.

If you really want to get fancy and make homemade gnocchi, find my recipe here! But for the sake of time, I used store bought gnocchi.

Gnocchi with butternut squash

Roasted Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale
 
Save Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Roasted gnocchi and butternut squash with kale mixed in a creamy, healthy Alfredo sauce. A hearty, vegetarian dinner that is perfect for the winter months.
Author: Meg's Meal Planning
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, separated
  • 12 oz butternut squash, cut into bite size pieces
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 17.5 oz package of gnocchi
  • 2 cups kale washed and chopped
  • Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast butternut squash on baking sheet with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
  2. Meanwhile melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat, whisk in flour for about 3 minutes.
  3. Whisk in chicken broth and milk, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened. It will continue to thicken once you let it sit and once poured over the gnocchi. Careful not to let sauce boil over.
  4. In large pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil over low heat, add gnocchi and cook 4-6 minutes or until tender. Transfer gnocchi to a plate.
  5. In the same large pan, add kale and cook until welted, add the Alfredo sauce, stir to combine.
  6. Add butternut squash and gnocchi to pan and stir well. Remove from heat.
  7. Top with parmesan cheese.
3.5.3251

 

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kale, butternut squash, gnocchi

Filed Under: dinner, Vegetarian Tagged With: butternut squash, butternut squash and kale, Roasted gnocchi, Roasted gnocchi with butternut squash

The Ultimate Foodie Guide to Mystic, CT

August 13, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

S&P oyster house

Mystic, CT is your quintessential New England town. It’s a small, seaside town in the Southeast corner of Connecticut. It’s charm and coastal vibes will leave you no choice but to fall in love with it! 

Being born and raised and still currently living in Connecticut, I know a thing or two about good restaurants. Mystic is developing into quite the foodie destination. With lots of farm to table or sea to table options, all with unique and delicious meals, it is hard to pick where to go!

Avocado toast from Sift

Avocado toast, egg and bacon sandwich, and an iced latte from Sift Bake Shop.

This ultimate foodie guide to Mystic, CT is a deep dive that will help you decide the best restaurant choices for you. Whether you are making a quick day trip, enjoying a family vacation, or celebrating a special occasion, this foodie guide has you covered! In no particular order, please enjoy reading about these top restaurants in the Mystic/Stonington area.

  • S&P Oyster House – Best for date night or a special celebration
    • A farm and sea to table menu with daily fresh seafood, S&P is one of the first restaurants you’ll notice when entering downtown Mystic. Located along the Mystic River, you can enjoy a glass of wine while relaxing on their large patio as boats of all sizes cruise under the historic drawbridge. Their lunch and dinner options are full of delicious seafood dishes and include both vegetarian and vegan meals. This is the perfect restaurant for a romantic date night or special celebration!
    • S&P oyster house

      Upper left – Wood grilled jumbo shrimp & sea scallops green chili lime sauce, pecorino romano poblano polenta, grilled asparagus. Upper right – Faroe Island salmon poke with Edamame, avocado, snow peas, carrots, scallions, pickled ginger, seaweed, jasmine rice. Lower left – Fish Tacos Lower right – Lobster blue corn fritters with roasted corn poblano salsa, lemon aioli.

  • Treehouse at Oyster Club – Best happy hour
    • Treehouse offers outdoor dining in a fun, unique atmosphere, as it is literally built in the trees above the Oyster Club. This spot offers a classic New England menu including fish and chips, lobster rolls, and fresh oysters for $1 during happy hour. Don’t forget about the drinks – whether it’s a crisp glass of rose, craft beer, or a local favorite (especially in my family) the Fishers Island Lemonade, you’re sure to have a good time!
    • At the time of this blog post, the restaurant is under renovation. Please check website for current status. 
Treehouse at Oyster Club

$1 oysters during happy hour

  • The Engine room – Best lunch spot
    • Well known for their burgers, beer, and especially bourbon, which they offer the most extensive selection in the area, close to three dozen varieties! From their local scallop roll to their hot fire burger, there is something for everyone! A good spot to bring kids, the menu includes your basic kid fare – grilled cheese, tenders, hot dog, etc, as well as a super cool restaurant interior that is sure to entertain a curious toddler.
  • Sift Bake Shop – Best quick bite or coffee spot
    • Grab your girlfriends or your hunny and hurry on over to Sift Bake Shop! This French-focused bakery is right in the heart of downtown Mystic. They offer artisanal breads, breakfast pastries and sweet and savory delights as well as coffee, teas, seasonal lattes (my personal favorite is the lavender vanilla), juices and smoothies. They have a large selection of tables to get comfy, including inside, outside, or upstairs on their new patio overlooking the Mystic River.
Sift Bake Shop

Upper right– Chicken Salad on an everything croissant, with cranberry, celery, apple, and mint.
Lower right– Chocolate Walnut Sea Salt Cookie

  • Dogwatch Cafe (Mystic location) – Best family outing
    • Dogwatch Cafe has two locations, one in Mystic and one in Stonington. Both are good for families – the Stonington location is right on the water and, while your waiting for your table, you can watch the boats or entertain yourselves with the games like corn hole or super-sized connect four. But if you’re looking to dine out with younger children, the Mystic location is the perfect spot! As a mom of two boys, I am always on the look out for restaurants with good outdoor spaces. At Dogwatch Mystic, there are plenty of picnic tables outside with lots of yard games and plenty of space for toddlers and adventurous four-year olds to explore. No need to have the kids sit still while waiting for your food!
dog watch

Lobster Mac and cheese

  • Sea View – Snack Bar–Best fried clam shack.
    • If you’re looking for traditional New England fare, then look no further. Sea View offers fresh whole clams, calamari, sea scallops, fish, crab cakes, lobster rolls and clam chowder along with fresh handmade burgers, long dogs, shrimp, chicken sandwiches, clam fritters, fresh salads and shakes. Yeah, if that doesn’t sound like New England, I don’t know what does! Order at the window, pick it up, and eat at one of the many picnic tables outside along the Mystic River. Afterwards, pop on over to Twisters next door for ice cream! Also, can we talk about this view!

Seaview snack bar

  • Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream – Best ice cream.
    • The best seat in town to watch the drawbridge open every hour on the :40! Sit on the porch while enjoying one of the over 30 flavors Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream offers, including original favorites like the Seaport Salty Swirl or the Island Coconut Coffee. They also offer milkshakes, sundaes, and smoothies.
Drawbridge ice cream

View of the drawbridge

  • Red 36– Best overall.
    • Red 36 earns my title of best overall for three reasons – food, location, and ambiance. Their seasonal menu always offers fresh seafood and an extensive raw bar. There is no bad seat in the restaurant, with walls of windows that opens up during the warmer months and it’s located right on the water. Want to arrive by boat, no problem! They have dock space available!
Red 36

View from Red 36

  • Saltwater Farm Vineyard –  Best Vineyard.
    • Technically located in Stonington, CT, this vineyard is a short drive from Mystic. There is a chance I MIGHT be a little biased on this place, since it’s where I got married, but if you check it out, I don’t think you’ll disagree with me. The vineyard is located in a restored airport hanger, giving off an incredible combination of rustic charm and modern design. The high wood beam ceilings and string lights highlight the interior, while the grounds have ample space for you to pack a picnic and enjoy the beautiful vines. During the summer months, they also offer live music! Rumor on the street is the owners are opening another vineyard in Spring 2021 for tastings only. Keep on the lookout!

Saltwater Farm

 

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Mystic foodie guide

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: CT, CT shoreline, Dogwatch cafe, Engine room, Mystic, Mystic drawbridge ice cream, Red 36, S&P, s&p oyster house, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, Sea View Snack Bar, Sift, Sift bake shop, Stonington, Treehouse, treehouse at oyster club

No bake healthy Cheerio bars

April 5, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com 1 Comment

No-bake, healthy peanut butter and honey Cheerio bars is an easy breakfast or snack idea for kids and adults. Add in dried fruit, coconut, or mini chocolate chips for a fun treat! 

We are just finishing the 3rd week of quarantine due to COVID-19. With no end in sight, I’ve been looking for more ideas to do at home with my kids. So far, we’ve done yoga and music class on YouTube, teddy bear “hunts” in our neighborhood, tons of outside time, too many arts and crafts to count, and lots and lots of fort building. If you’re like me and are looking for a new idea to do with the kids, try making these no-bake, healthy, Cheerio bars!

Cheerio bars have only three ingredients – peanut butter, honey, and of course, Cheerios! Three staples in our house, we’ve been making a batch every week. Another bonus is this is a guilt free snack! Who else feels like they snack all day long?!

honey cheerio bars

You can add any kind of dried fruit, dried coconut, or even mini chocolate chips for fun. We added dried blueberries to this batch. If you are keeping it simple with just the three main ingredients, you can cut back on how much peanut butter you use.

5.0 from 1 reviews
No bake healthy Cheerio bars
 
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
5 mins
Total time
10 mins
 
No-bake, healthy peanut butter and honey Cheerio bars is an easy breakfast or snack idea for kids and adults. Add in dried fruit, coconut, or mini chocolate chips for a fun treat!
Author: Meg's Meal Planning
Recipe type: Breakfast
Ingredients
  • 1 cup peanut butter (if not using any additional ingredients, use only ¾ cup peanut better)
  • ½ cup honey
  • 3 cups Cheerios
  • 1 cup dried blueberries (optional)
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot, heat the peanut butter and honey over medium heat together until melted, about 5 mins.
  2. Remove from heat, add in the Cheerios and dried blueberries. Stir together.
  3. Line a square pan with aluminum foil and pour Cheerio mixture into the pan.
  4. Press down and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3.5.3251

 

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3 ingredient no bake cheerio bars

Filed Under: Breakfast, Toddler food Tagged With: Cheerio bars, toddler finger food

Gluten and dairy free. Week Three

March 29, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

I feel like I’m getting in the groove with these meals. It does take a little more time to plan, but it’s well worth it. At the start of the week, we were still away, but I packed snacks and almond milk, so we were still able to somewhat stay the course.

Sunday– away

Monday

  • Breakfast – Avocado toast with Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend from Trader Joe’s.
  • Lunch – Sandwich with ham, lettuce, and tomato on GF bread. 
  • Dinner – Baked chicken thighs with butternut squash and a side salad. I didn’t use the entire squash, but I cooked all of it anyways and will use the left over squash another night this week. I also gave some of the squash to the baby since it was very soft. 
One pan chicken thighs and butternut squash photo by Let the Baking Begin

Tuesday

  • Breakfast – Gluten free waffles with blueberries and bananas. I used a store bought brand, Vans.
  • Lunch – Spinach salad with left over ground turkey mixture from the zucchini boats in week two.
  • Dinner – Boneless pork loin with garlic and free herbs. I roasted Brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes at the same time as the pork. Love those one pan dinners!
Boneless pork loin photo by Boulder Locavore

Wednesday

  • Breakfast – Shake: 2 cups kale, 1 cup left over zucchini from last week, handful of frozen strawberries, ½ banana, 1 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tbsp ground flax seed, water.
  • Lunch – Lemon herb Mediterranean quinoa salad.
  • Dinner – Turkey taco salad. Made this one again because it’s so easy and tasty! Originally made it in week one.
lemon herb salad
Lemon herb Mediterranean quinoa salad

Thursday

  • Breakfast – Egg sandwich with avocado on GF bread.
  • Lunch – Sorta just picked at things today because I took my older son skiing – carrots and almond butter, trail mix, and a banana. I’m loving the raw almond butter from Trader Joe’s. It is nice and creamy and easy to spread.
  • Dinner – Left over pork loin with spinach salad and the left over butternut squash.
Trader Joe’s Raw Almond Butter

Friday

  • Breakfast – Oatmeal by Bakery on Main. I like to add ground flax seed and cinnamon to my oatmeal. Topped with a sliced banana.
  • Lunch – Spinach salad with hard boiled egg, avocado, blueberries, and sliced almonds.
  • Dinner – Superfood salad with kale, quinoa, black beans, sweet potato and avocado.
Superfood salad

Saturday

  • Breakfast – Fried egg sandwich with slice of ham and avocado on GF bread.
  • Lunch – Mediterranean Quinoa salad. Held off on the feta cheese.
  • Dinner – A nice, fancy dinner tonight! – Skirt steak with roasted mushrooms and creamed spinach! The spinach was delicious!

Filed Under: Gluten Free

Gluten and dairy free. Week two.

March 2, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Zucchini Shrimp photo by Paleo Leap
Lemon Garlic Chicken photo by Anna Watson Carl

Week two of going gluten and dairy free. In case you missed week one, CLICK HERE. One week into it and I think we’re doing pretty good. One little mishap when I left the chicken out overnight in the crockpot, which resulted in having gluten free pasta two nights. Oh well, I’m human!

My thoughts from last week: Going gluten and dairy free is not as difficult as I thought it was going to be! The most noticeable difference compared to my normal diet is, on my day off, I usually eat a snack around 3 in the afternoon. Normally, I grab either a cheese stick or yogurt because they are quick and offer protein. If I eat just fruit, I’m hungry again in 30 minutes, so I grabbed some carrots with almond butter and that did the trick.

I bought a few pantry items to help with meals: almond butter, almond flour, almond meal, and ghee.

Without further delay, here is the meal plan for week two. This week gets a little dicey because we will be away for two nights visiting friends. That trip was already planned before we decided to go GF and DF for February, so it will most likely be a cheat weekend. However, I’m curious to see how I’ll respond to gluten and/or diary after being without them for two weeks. 

For this week I also prepped some grilled chicken ahead of time (link below) and used it with salads for the week. 

Week two

Sunday

  • Breakfast – Scrambled eggs and bacon.
  • Lunch – Grilled cheese (GF bread from TJ’s and cheese alternative also from TJ’s) with grapes, and gluten free chips. The cheese took longer to melt than regular cheese, so I kept the heat on low and covered the pan with lid. 
  • Dinner – Meatloaf with roasted Brussel sprouts. This was a very tasty dinner!

Monday

  • Breakfast – Shake with two cups kale, ½ cup riced cauliflower, ½ cup frozen strawberries, ½ banana, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tbsp ground flax seed, 1 cup almond milk, water.
  • Lunch – Quinoa fried rice with grilled chicken. (Instead of soy sauce, I used coconut aminos).
  • Dinner – Lemon garlic rosemary roasted chicken with Brussel sprout salad (I didn’t add parmesan cheese). We didn’t love the raw Brussel sprouts, so we ended up roasting them in the oven.

Tuesday

  • Breakfast – Mushroom, cherry tomato, and kale frittata. I followed the same recipe from week one, just with different veggies.
  • Lunch – Spinach salad with left over ground turkey/cauliflower rice mix from last week’s stuffed peppers, topped with guacamole.
  • Dinner – Garlic shrimp with zucchini noodles.

Wednesday

  • Breakfast – Gluten free oats. I buy Happy Quick Oats by Bakery on Main. I actually prefer these to gluten oatmeals. They come out nice and fluffy!
  • Lunch – Prepared salad from Trader Joe’s; my husband and I split the tahini, pepita, and apricot slaw kit. It includes shredded carrots, broccoli stalks, green baggage, and kale with a tahini orange dressing. He ate his with left over meatloaf and I topped mine with grilled chicken.
  • Dinner – Slow cooker “queso” chicken chili.

Thursday

  • Breakfast – Frittata
  • Lunch – Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich.
  • Dinner – Ground turkey zucchini boats. One of my favorite meals! Save the scooped out zucchini and use it in shakes for week three! We used vegan cheese.

Friday and Saturday – Away

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Meal plans

Quinoa fried rice

March 1, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Fried quinoa rice

Gluten free, paleo friendly, and dairy free quinoa fried rice with healthy vegetables like carrots and mushrooms. Pair it with grilled chicken or tofu for extra protein.

fried rice quinoa

I love making a big batch of quinoa to use for lunches for the week. Prep it over the weekend and you’ll find it helps control some of the craziness of what I call the “dinner rush” The time from 5-6:30pm when you cook dinner, feed the toddler, give the baby the a bottle, convince the toddler to eat dinner, feed the baby puree foods, start bargaining with the toddler to eat, give the baby a bath, then the toddler a bath because he has FOMO, put the baby to bed, do the dishes, put the toddler to bed, all while trying to eat yourself! Just typing that was exhausting.

Quinoa fried rice is an easy prep ahead meal, you can add chicken or tofu for some more protein. I followed this recipe for grilled chicken.

Quinoa fried rice

Quinoa fried rice
 
Save Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
25 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Gluten free, paleo friendly, and dairy free quinoa fried rice with healthy vegetables like carrots and mushrooms. Pair it with grilled chicken or tofu for extra protein.
Author: Meg's Meal Planning
Cuisine: Quinoa
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced, about 1 cup
  • 10 mushrooms diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 tablespoon coconut aminos
  • 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seed oil
  • 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
  1. Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. Set aside into medium bowl.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over skillet, add carrots and mushrooms, sauté for 8 mints or until soft.
  3. Make a well and add eggs and stir apart breaking up the eggs into small pieces, add the garlic and ginger and stir for about 30 secs.
  4. Remove from pan and add to quinoa. Let cool.
  5. Once cooled add coconut aminos, sesame seed oil, and green onions. Stir together.
3.5.3251

 

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quinoa fried rice and chicken

Filed Under: dinner, Quinoa Tagged With: gluten free, paleo friendly, quinoa fried rice

Gluten and dairy free meal plan. Week one

February 23, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

For the month of February, my husband and I ate gluten and dairy free, or at least we tried to. This was a new way to eat for us, and we definitely had some bumps in the road, but I wanted to try it after reading the book, The Walh’s Protocol. I heard about this book, which was written by a doctor who talks about how to improve symptoms of autoimmune disease through diet, from a patient of mine. My husband and I do not have any autoimmune conditions, but in the book she talks about how everyone can benefit from following her protocol and rebuilding your cellular health. If you have an autoimmune disease or food sensitivities, I highly recommend checking it out for yourself. Click here for the link for the book.

There are three levels to her protocol. The first and most basic level is what we followed. The criteria are the following :

  1. Gluten and dairy free.
  2. Eat 9 cups of fruits and vegetables daily. (Can adjust the amount of cups for your height/weight).
  3. Eat organic lean protein daily.

In the book she breaks down each criteria in more detail. The 9 cups of fruits and vegetables are broken down into three categories: 3 cups leafy greens, 3 cups of vegetables rich in sulfur, and 3 cups of bright colored fruits/veggies.

Paleo breakfast
Kale and red bell pepper frittata

If you know me or follow my blog, you obviously know I like to plan my dinners. However, to follow this protocol I also had to plan my breakfasts and lunches; I didn’t know how challenging this would be, but with a little time and effort we made it successful!

Week One

Monday

  • Breakfast- Shake with 1 cup spinach, kale, 1/2 cup fresh fruit (I used blueberries, grapes, and raspberries), 1/2 cup left over broccoli stems/leaves, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 1/4 cup water, and 1 tbsp ground flax seed.
  • Lunch– Mediterranean quinoa salad minus the feta cheese. I cut the recipe in half and we still got three lunches from it.
  • Dinner– Eggplant parmesan with vegan cheese, a side of chick-pea pasta from Banza, and roasted broccoli.
Quinoa salad 2
Mediterranean quinoa salad

Tuesday

  • Breakfast– Frittata with red bell pepper and kale and avocado toast with gluten free bread.
  • Lunch– Salad with romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and rolled up/sliced deli meat.
  • Dinner– Chickpea pasta and a spinach salad. This dinner was an “oops”, I planned for a whole chicken in the crockpot, but when I cooked it a few days in advance, I turned off the crockpot to let it cool and forgot about it during the dinner time rush! It sat out overnight, so we had to toss it.

Wednesday

  • Breakfast– Shake – 2 cups spinach, handful of fresh blueberries and frozen strawberries, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tbsp ground flax seed, half an avocado, 1 cup almond milk, and 1 cup water.
  • Lunch-Left over mediterranean quinoa salad.
  • Dinner– Asian chicken chopped salad. I added half an avocado and fresh mango to our salad.

Thursday

  • Breakfast – Two slices GF bread with avocado and a chopped hard boiled egg.
  • Lunch- Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich.
  • Dinner- Turkey taco bowls. We added vegan cheese, guacamole, and salsa to ours. This was my favorite dinner of the week!
smashed chickpea sandwich
Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich

Friday

  • Breakfast- Left over frittata.
  • Lunch– Kale, edamame, and quinoa salad. I added a hard boiled egg to mine for more protein.
  • Dinner– Pizza night. I used cauliflower crust from Trader Joe’s and topped it with tomato sauce and vegan mozzarella cheese (also from TJ’s)

Saturday

  • Breakfast– Banana cinnamon paleo waffles. I used almond flour instead of coconut flour because that’s what I had on hand. I also doubled it hoping to have left overs, but we didn’t. My waffle iron must be bigger because it only made six. P.S. Noah loved these, he had two whole waffles, which I definitely didn’t account for!
  • Lunch– Left over chickpea pasta and kale quinoa salad.
  • Dinner– Beef and rice stuffed peppers. I used ground turkey. The recipe calls for 5 bell peppers, but I only made three, and didn’t cut back on the rest of the ingredients. I used the left over stuffing for salads the following week.

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Filed Under: Gluten Free Tagged With: dairy free, gluten free

Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich

February 13, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

smashed chickpea sandwich

Vegetarian chickpea and avocado sandwich is a quick and simple lunch to throw together. Diary free, plus full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. 

smashed chickpea sandwich

Day four of eating gluten and dairy free in the month of February. Today was definitely the hardest to stay on course. I’m not getting cravings, but it’s because I’m home and not at work. Does anyone else find they snack more when they are doing stuff around the house? At lunch I wanted to reach for a yogurt or make a ham and cheese sandwich. I like to eat lighter for lunch – a salad or sandwich – so that’s why this smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich was the perfect choice.

This smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich is diary free, without any mayo or yogurt to bind the ingredients together; instead the creamy avocado does the trick. The cranberries and lemon add a fun tang and the spinach adds some healthy greens! The recipes makes two servings – I used gluten free bread which is much smaller than regular bread. If you aren’t using gluten free bread, it will make one serving.

Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich
 
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins
 
Vegetarian chickpea and avocado sandwich is a quick and simple lunch to throw together. Diary free, plus full of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
Author: Meg's Meal Planning
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup chick peas, drained and rinsed
  • ½ avocado, diced
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp dried cranberries
  • Four slices gluten free bread
Instructions
  1. Add the chick peas to a bowl, smash with a fork
  2. Add in the avoacdo and stir together
  3. Add the lemon juice and dried cranberries
  4. Toast your bread and add the smashed chick peas and avocado mix
  5. Top with your favorite toppings-spinach, sliced tomato, etc
3.5.3251

 

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Smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich

Filed Under: dinner, Vegetarian Tagged With: chickpea and avocado sandwich, smashed chickpea sandwich, smashed chickpeas

Paleo Breakfast Frittata

February 10, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Paleo breakfast

Paleo breakfast frittata is an easy and low-carb breakfast. It’s a great dish to make ahead of time to be reheated throughout the week. 

Paleo breakfast

This is one of the first recipes I’m sharing from my month of going dairy and gluten free. This paleo breakfast frittata has in it sautéed onions, red bell pepper, and kale. It’s quick and easy to whip up over the weekend and makes enough to give you a few breakfasts throughout the week.

I have a feeling I’ll be making this a few times during the next month; it’s also easy to substitute other vegetables you might have in your fridge, like mushrooms or spinach.

frittata with kale

Paleo breakfast frittata
 
Save Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
40 mins
 
Author: Meg's Meal Planning
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1.5 cups kale, washed and chopped
  • 12 eggs
  • Salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt ghee in a skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the onions and cook until they start to brown.
  4. Once done, pour the onions into a medium size bowl, add bell pepper, kale, and eggs. Stir, then season with salt and pepper.
  5. Grease a 8x11 baking dish with ghee, then pour the egg mixture in.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes.
3.5.3251

 

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Paleo frittata with kale and red bell pepper

Filed Under: Breakfast Tagged With: paleo, paleo breakfast frittata, paleo frittata

Week of February 3rd

February 2, 2020 by mbmccarrick@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Monday – 20 minute tortellini soup.

Tuesday – Steak buddha bowl. With broccoli, red pepper, and edamame.

simple sirloin buddha bowl

Wednesday – Oven baked pork Schnitzel.

Baked port schnitzel

Thursday – Chicken cashew stir-fry.

cashew chicken stirfry

Friday – Grilled cheese dippers. To make the original recipe, I used Trader Joe’s Autum soup, which isn’t currently in season, but you can substitute with tomato soup.

Trader Joe's Grilled Cheese

Filed Under: Meal plans Tagged With: 20 minute tortellini soup, chicken cashew stir fry, tortellini soup, week of feb 3rd

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Hi! I’m Megan.

MeganWelcome to Meg’s Meal Planning. I’m Megan, thank you for stopping by my blog! I am the meal planner behind Meg’s Meal Planning. My weekly dinner recipes are healthy, simple, and can be enjoyed by the whole family! More about me...

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Featured Meals

Roasted Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale

Butternut squash gnocchi

Roasted gnocchi and butternut squash with kale mixed in a creamy, healthy Alfredo sauce. A hearty, vegetarian dinner that is perfect for the winter months. Everything about this dish, I just love. From the roasted gnocchi to the soft and tender kale to the healthier Alfredo sauce, I’m pretty positive you will fall in love…

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The Ultimate Foodie Guide to Mystic, CT

S&P oyster house

Mystic, CT is your quintessential New England town. It’s a small, seaside town in the Southeast corner of Connecticut. It’s charm and coastal vibes will leave you no choice but to fall in love with it!  Being born and raised and still currently living in Connecticut, I know a thing or two about good restaurants….

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No bake healthy Cheerio bars

No-bake, healthy peanut butter and honey Cheerio bars is an easy breakfast or snack idea for kids and adults. Add in dried fruit, coconut, or mini chocolate chips for a fun treat!  We are just finishing the 3rd week of quarantine due to COVID-19. With no end in sight, I’ve been looking for more ideas…

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Gluten and dairy free. Week Three

I feel like I’m getting in the groove with these meals. It does take a little more time to plan, but it’s well worth it. At the start of the week, we were still away, but I packed snacks and almond milk, so we were still able to somewhat stay the course. Sunday– away Monday…

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