OAMM blog partner Amee is a Southern girl who loves to transform her family favorites into healthy, family-friendly meals. She loves to help others get started with healthy eating on her blog Amee’s Savory Dish.
Original: Slow Cooker Mango Salsa Chicken (GFDF, Whole Foods, Traditional)
Freezable: Slow Cooker Mango Salsa Chicken (log in required)
Original: Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce (Whole Foods, Traditional, 30 Minute Meal)
Freezeable: Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Yogurt Sauce (log in required)
Connect with Amee on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more delicious recipes. Here are a few others you can find as a Pro Member in our Menu Builder database.
- Blueberries and Creme Baked Oatmeal (original, freezer)
- Mini Beef and Quinoa Meatloaves (original, freezer)
- Sweet and Spicy Crockpot Chicken (original, freezer)
- Mediterranean Steaks (original, freezer)
How long have you been blogging about food?
I started Amee’s Savory Dish in 2010 as a hobby to share my favorite recipes. I’ve been fortunate to grow my blog into a part-time business doing something that I really enjoy.
Have you always loved cooking, or was it a skill that you learned to love? Who taught you to cook?
I didn’t do a lot of cooking and baking when I was growing up (with the exception of my Easy Bake Oven), but I was always paying attention to my mom and my grandmothers. They each had their own cooking style and culinary talents. I got a lot of great tips from them over the years. My diet in college consisted mainly of pizza, sugar-laden cereals (I had a Fruity Pebble obsession), instant oatmeal and sub sandwiches. I cringe when I think of my diet back then, lol. It’s a good thing that I’ve always been into fitness and physically active. I cleaned up my eating habits in my 20’s and learned how to enjoy whole foods and refine my cooking skills. When I realized how good that I could feel eating a clean diet, there was no looking back. I became a mindful eater and made choices based on what food did for my body, not just my taste buds.
What is your favorite meal to serve to family and friends? What is your favorite treat to make for yourself?
I’m constantly trying new recipes and reinventing old ones, so we don’t eat many of the same dishes over and over again. One family favorite that I do make often is Zucchini Spaghetti. It’s a great comfort dish without being too heavy. My favorite sweet splurge is a made-from-scratch cupcake. My daughter has become quite the cupcake artist, so she loves to do the frosting. It’s fun to spend time with her in the kitchen and teach her new skills. It’s all about balance, ya’ll, you can have your cake and be fit too. Moderation is key. 😉
What is your favorite kitchen tool or gadget? Tell us a little about how you fell in love with it and how you use it in your kitchen.
One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is my spiralizer. I couldn’t make my favorite “zoodles” without it!
When you are meal planning or looking for new recipes, what kind of guidelines do you follow for choosing them? Or what inspires you in the kitchen?
When looking for new recipe inspiration, I often look through cookbooks and browse food blogs. I have a massive cookbook collection. It’s a bit of an obsession. I love to buy cookbooks when I travel or visit new restaurants. Cookbooks are my favorite souvenirs. I love the challenge of reinventing recipe classics and making them more nutritious. It’s easy to be a good cook/baker using indulgent ingredients (hello delicious butter and cream!), but the true test of a great cook is making healthy food taste incredible. That’s a challenge that I love to embrace.
What items are ALWAYS on your grocery list? What items will you NEVER put on your grocery list?
When grocery shopping, I try to shop the perimeter of the store as much as possible. I try to avoid the prepackaged foods as much as possible. Things that are the exception are whole oats, healthy oils, brown rice, quinoa, etc. I don’t buy prepackaged sweets. If we are going to enjoy a dessert splurge I like to make it from scratch. I don’t want to waste my splurge calories on processed foods.
Tell us the best kitchen tip or trick that you’ve ever discovered.
I’ve got this really great food prep hack for cheese lovers out there. I use a salad shooter to shred a block of cheese in about 5 seconds. It’s the greatest thing ever. Seriously.
What do you like to do when you aren’t cooking or blogging?
When I’m not slaving away in the kitchen, you can find me at the gym coaching or lifting really heavy things. I love CrossFit, weightlifting and trying to improve my flexibility. I coach a few classes a week and help people improve their eating habits as a certified nutrition coach.
Have you ever freezer cooked? Share some of your favorite recipes or tips.
I’m a big fan of meal prep for healthy eating success. Planning out freezer meals in advance is a great way to make sure that you don’t run through the drive-through when you’re starving. Keeping nutritious meals handy on busy days is essential in my house. My favorite freezer meals are chili, hearty soups and pre-made mini meatloaves. It’s simple to quickly prepare vegetables, so I recommend keeping cooked meats in the freezer to keep meal prep short and sweet.
