97 Days of Clean Eating Day 55

Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk
• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ⅔ cup whole-wheat flour
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup toasted wheat germ, or cornmeal
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  Preparation

  1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
  2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ (or cornmeal), baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  3. Stir eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into the oat mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.
  4. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-fourths of the surface (about ⅔ cup for an 8-by-8-inch waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds

1 teaspoon minced shallots

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup rinsed and drained canned unsalted chickpeas

1 cup cooked quinoa

4 cups packed fresh baby spinach

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup chopped heirloom tomato

2 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seed kernels

3/4 cup thinly sliced ripe peeled avocado

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Preparation

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a small jar. Cover with lid; shake well.

2. Combine chickpeas, quinoa, and 2 tablespoons dressing; toss well.

3. Arrange 1 cup spinach in each of 4 quart-size containers. Top each serving with 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup tomato, 1 1/2 teaspoons sunflower seeds, one-fourth of avocado slices, 1/2 ounce goat cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons mint, and 1/2 cup quinoa mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Drizzle each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons dressing.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 pound chicken cutlets

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup uncooked couscous

3/4 pound zucchini (about 2 medium), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 pound yellow summer squash (about 2 medium), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

Chopped fresh thyme, for garnish

Preparation

1. Place the lemon zest and thyme in a small bowl; toss. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Sprinkle half of the lemon-and thyme mixture evenly onto one side of each cutlet. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook the chicken, herb side down, turning after 2 minutes. When the chicken is golden and cooked through (about 4 minutes), transfer to a cutting board. Cover chicken, and keep warm.

2. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; gradually stir in the couscous. Remove pan from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Cover couscous, and keep warm.

3. Sauté the zucchini and squash (in the same skillet used for the chicken) over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and tender (about 4 minutes). Stir in the remaining lemon-and-thyme mixture, chicken broth, and couscous.

4. Spoon the couscous mixture evenly among 4 plates; top each with a chicken cutlet. Garnish with thyme.