Condiments

This kid friendly, week night easy mango marinade and sauce is perfect for fish, chicken, veggies and more!

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Frog hunts, sunshine, and fresh, fast dinners!

That pretty much sums up the last few weekends in our house, enjoying some steadier spring temperatures, and the scheduling fun that comes with the month of May and three kids in school! What is it about May?! All the trips! All the concerts! All the after school fun! And you know what? My girls love it ALL. May is so fun. But just because we are busy doesn’t mean I can set meal planning on coast…in fact just the opposite.

Brain fuel for busy kids

When things get busy, it can be easy to pull out easier meals, and we absolutely do healthier hot dog dinners, and grilled burgers in the warm months of the year when we want to be outside versus in the kitchen all day. But with just a few minutes of prep, you can have just as quick of a dinner, that tastes just as fun for the kids, and packs some big time brain fuel for growing kids. While this mango marinade and sauce will work for chicken, and tastes amazing with mineral rich veggies that we all need too, I like to use it with wild caught fatty fish – brain fuel!

Two minutes to fresh mango marinade!

If you have a blender, you can make this marinade in 2 minutes flat! Just dump it all in and puree! It’s so fast, that you can prep it in the morning before everyone heads out the door for the busy day, or do it before you go to bed the night before. It only needs about 30 minutes to marinade your fish, but up to a day is even better. Then all you have to do when you get home is a quick pan sear of your fish or chicken!

Double up!

Because this mango marinade also makes an amazing sauce for your sides of veggies, rice, or as a dip for your fish or chicken! If mangos are on sale or in season near you, double up for a meal, and then freeze some for another time as well.

Print Recipe

5 from 36 votes

Mango Marinade & Sauce

Author: Renee Kohley – Raising Generation Nourished

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango pitted
• 2 tbsp coconut milk or raw milk/cream
• Juice of ½ lime or lemon
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic peeled
• Pinch to ¼ tsp red pepper flakes to your heat preference

Instructions

• Everything into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.

Ok, I’ve got my marinade! Now how do I make dinner???

Simply pour the mango marinade over the top of your favorite wild caught fish or chicken, and let the meat marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to a day. You can marinade veggies in this for kabobs too. See the recipe below for very basic dinner – change things up based on what you have in house and what is in season near you.

Quick sides?

Because whats a quick dinner idea if the side dishes are fussy and long to prep? Here are some great side dish ideas for your mango fish!

• Roasted veggies (Recipe below. You can chop the veggies the night before so you just have to dump them on the tray and roast while you cook the fish)
• Slaws (here is a great Paleo coleslaw, or a dairy based slaw here)
• salads (here is a great olive garden copycat dressing, or Asian dressing. This post has 5 popular dressings like Ranch, Thousand Island, and French that most kids are big fans of)
• Instant Pot potato salad
• Parmesan zucchini spears
• And don’t forget an easy pot of rice or quinoa always make a great side – you can even make that up in advance the night before and just warm it back up.

Print Recipe

5 from 36 votes

Mango White Fish with Roasted Veggies

Author: Renee Kohley – Raising Generation Nourished

Ingredients

• 1 recipe of the above Mango Marinade you can double the sauce recipe if you want extra for mixing into the veggies or rice, or for dipping the fish
• 1 lb wild caught white fish such as Mahi Mahi or Cod
• 3 tbsp ghee butter, or olive oil to cook the fish in (I like to use ghee)
• 1 lb brussel sprouts halved or quartered depending on the size (broccoli and asparagus will work here too – use what is in season)
• 1 lb carrots cut on the bias
• 3 tbsp butter for the veggies
• Sea salt and pepper for the veggies to taste

Instructions

• Marinate your fish anywhere from 30 minutes to a day in advance. Pour 1 recipe of the mango marinade over the fish in a bowl or freezer bag. I like to cut the fish into the size portions that my girls eat. Seal the bowl or bag and set the fish in the refrigerator to marinade until you are ready to cook it.
• When the fish is done marinating, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and toss the veggies on a sheet pan with the butter, sea salt, and pepper. Roast the veggies at 400 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes depending on how big the veggies are cut.
• To cook the fish, heat up a large skillet and the cooking fat over medium high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the fish directly from the marinade. Don’t scrape off the marinade – in fact I dip it in and scoop some of it out onto the fish while it cooks. Cook the fish 2-3 minutes on each side. Cook time will depend on the size and thickness of your fish. If your fish is larger/thicker than what is pictured here, you will need more like 5 minutes each side.
• Plate your cooked fish over long grain white rice, or with a side of sweet potato or baked potato, and the roasted veggies. You can toss the roasted veggies and/or the rice with another batch of mango sauce.

More real food recipes you might like ::

• Orange Ginger Salmon
• Fresh Pesto with Salmon Meatballs
• Paleo Sheet Pan Fish ‘N Chips
• Mahi Mahi Fish Taco Buddha Bowls
• Paleo Coleslaw

Learn how to make soy free and refined sugar free teriyaki sauce, and a bonus 20 minute beef teriyaki stir fry recipe for those busy weeknights!

Product links in this post are affiliate links. It does not cost you anything and helps maintain the free information on this site, as well as answer the questions of “what brand do you use?” Please know I never personally recommend any product I wouldn’t use on my own family. 

Season transitions…

While most that are unfamiliar with Michigan think we are buried in snow most of the year, the reality is…we have just about the most amazing summer you’ll find anywhere on the planet! And while that snow *is* our reality about 3-4 months out of the year, having distinct seasonal changes is what keeps me in love with this place we call home.

We are hanging up our body boards and swimsuits and welcoming the new school year with open arms!

Season changes and new school routines

The new school year brings a different kind of busy to our house. With 3 young children, we kept pretty “busy” all summer long, but the school year type of busy is just a little different. There are places to be *on time*, lessons and practices to be *on time*, and bedtimes that are not as flexible as the lazy days of summer.

Which brings me to dinner…

Efficient but nourishing is the name of my game!

I know many of you picture this foodie blogger momma floating around the kitchen all day preparing elaborate meals for her family. That is just not my reality! This house is about as real as it gets, and as a work at home mom with kids that need to be taken to and from school, as well as still has a little one that isn’t in full time school yet…well, dinner needs to be efficient.

But how do we make a quick dinner, and still meet those goals of using real food instead of convenience foods?

My veteran momma school year dinner prep tips!

Well, maybe not veteran, but I do have a few years under my belt with school aged kids, and I have learned a few things about dinner time during the school year that I hope will help you.

• Make weekend meals stretch into the weekdays. Plan your big roasted chicken for Sunday dinner, and use the leftover meat for a stir fry on Monday. Plan a doubled up stir fry on Saturday or Sunday and use the leftovers for dinner on Tuesday. You get the idea. Take a good 1-2 days out of that 5 day work week to use leftovers, and the week of dinners will feel less daunting.
• Prep “the little things” ahead of time. Salad dressings, dips, sauces (like this teriyaki sauce!) may take just a few minutes to make, but that few minutes on a crammed out Wednesday night of activities will rush you. Every Sunday I like to make some “little things” like salad dressings, mayo, or a sauce for dinner and just stash it away for the week. Repeat after me…one. less. thing. (!!)
• Take 5-10 minutes before bed to prep anything for dinner the next day. Again, it doesn’t take long to chop veggies, but that 5 minutes of time is precious on a school night. Chop your veg, slice meat (or get it marinating!), peel garlic, and make that dinner prep fly by the next day. You can even do things like make the rice for this dinner meal the night before. This could be considered one of those “little things” from the above point. If you know you eat rice 1-2 times per week, make that rice up while you are having your prep time in the kitchen over the weekend.
• And a quick tip for work at home or stay at home moms! I know this isn’t everyone, but since I fall in this category, I do have a tip to share for my friends in this place. Make dinner before school gets out – or at least have it ready to go, on a sheet pan, chopped, half way made, etc. I don’t know about you, but my kids are starving after school, and a lot of times we just go ahead and have dinner when they get home around 4pm. Most days, I make dinner when I put my toddler down for her nap so it can run quick without interruption, and I’ll just warm it back up when the kids get home from school. Again, I understand this is not do-able for every momma. If you are a work outside the home momma, we would absolutely love to hear your tips and tricks for dinner time in the comments!

Naturally sweetened teriyaki sauce {made in 5 minutes!}

Sticky and sweet teriyaki sauce will make just about any hesitant stir fry eater in the house change their minds! Most teryaki sauces you find on the market or in restaurants are loaded with corn syrup or sugar. In just about 5 minutes, you can make your own teriyaki using natural sweeteners, and it seriously tastes like anything you would love right out of a restaurant!

Print Recipe

5 from 14 votes

5 Minute Teriyaki Sauce

Learn how to make soy free and refined sugar free teriyaki sauce.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: gluten-free teriyaki sauce, how to make teriyaki sauce, sugar-free teriyaki sauce

Servings: 16 tablespoons

Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos Most health food stores carry this now. It tastes just like soy sauce, so you can avoid the soy!
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup raw honey
• 2 tbsp blackstrap molasses
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ½ tsp ground ginger more if you want some heat – this is very mild kid friendly
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp arrowroot mixed with 1 tbsp water for the thickening slurry tapioca starch would work, or if you can tolerate grains, you can use GMO free cornstarch

Instructions

• Put everything except the arrowroot slurry into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes.
• Add the arrowroot slurry and whisk until the sauce thickens. This will take less than a minute.
• Pour your sauce over any stir fry! You can freeze your sauce in ice cube trays or small freezer containers too. This recipe makes a little over 1 cup of sauce – enough for 1 family sized stir fry.

So I’ve got my 5 minute teriyaki sauce made…now what???

Well…you make a stir fry with whatever is in season near you! Here’s a quick template recipe, but it is really forgiving. If you have chicken instead of beef, use that. If you have different veggies on hand, swap them out!

20 Minute Beef Teriyaki Stir Fry

For the beef ::

• 2 tbsp potato starch (arrowroot or tapioca starches would work, but I like the crispy finish that potato starch lends)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ lb grass-fed swiss steak, cut into strips
• 2 tbsp friendly fat to cook in such as tallow, butter, ghee, or coconut oil

For the stir fry ::

• 2 tbsp friendly fat to cook in such as tallow, butter, ghee, or coconut oil
• ½ large white onion
• 2 small or 1 large bell pepper (I used orange)
• 1lb frozen broccoli, thawed (or 1 head fresh broccoli. I get large bags of frozen organic broccoli at Costco)
• 1 large carrot peeled into strips (I use this Y-peeler to make the cool, noodle like strips!)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 recipe of the teriyaki sauce above
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions :: 

1. Make the teriyaki sauce, and set aside. See the above instructions for the 5 minute teriyaki sauce!
2. Make the beef strips: Whisk the potato starch, sea salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss the beef strips in to coat. Melt your fat in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the beef, and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Set the crispy beef aside.
3. Make the stir fry: Melt the friendly fat in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, pepper, and broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. You can cook this for an additional 5 minutes if you prefer your veggies softer. Add the garlic and carrot strips and cook another 3 minutes. Add the crispy beef and teriyaki sauce and simmer 3-5 minutes. Sea salt and pepper to your taste.
4. You can serve your stir fry as is, or over a bed of cauli rice, bone broth cooked white rice, veggie noodles, or gluten free rice ramen.

More real food recipes you might like ::

• How to Make Balsamic Reduction, Plus a Quick Sheet Pan Dinner!
• DIY Sweet & Sour Sauce
• 20 Minute Ginger Almond Crispy Chicken Stir Fry
• Orange Skillet Salmon

Sweet and sticky, this balsamic reduction sauce is the perfect, kid friendly compliment to any meal!

Ladies and gentlemen, we made it to the beach last weekend!

I’m not real sure what is going on with the cooler late spring temps around here, but we just couldn’t help it! Because I have 3 big time water bugs, I decided to go with the bathing suits despite the 60 degree weather, and 54 degree water temps (!!), because inevitably they are like a moth to a flame when it comes to the big lake.

I bundled them up in sweatshirts on top of their suits and off we went…my oldest and youngest flung their sweatshirts off the second their feet hit the sand…and yes my dear friends they did the polar plunge and totally swam in the icy water!

Three extremely busy kiddos, means 3 extremely hungry kiddos!

Summer time beach days sometimes call for light, snacky suppers, but more often than not, that doesn’t fly with my kids! They burn through everything so fast – they really need meals that count when they are so active. And I’ve got a super quick one for you today that will still give you enough time to spend the whole day at the beach if you want!

One sauce, multiple possibilities!

I am not sure that balsamic reductions are the first sauce that comes to mind when it comes to kid friendly meals, but I’m telling you – my kids ask for this over ketchup any day of the week! Sweet and sticky, it makes any dinner meal that I drizzle it over completely disappear.

Balsamic reduction sauces are so versatile, tasting amazing over everything from chicken and fish, to steak or even salads and roasted veggies. It’s a great sauce to keep in your back pocket when you want to dress something up a little bit and need a little change up.

So here’s the balsamic reduction sauce recipe!

Use your sauce however you like! If you are stuck on a whole meal idea, keep scrolling for the sheet pan dinner idea to use your sauce with!

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

How To Make Balsamic Reduction Sauce

Sweet and sticky, this balsamic reduction sauce is the perfect, kid-friendly compliment to any meal!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: balsamic reduction recipe, balsamic reduction sauce, how to make a balsamic reduction

Servings: 1 cup

Author: Renee - www.raisinggenerationnourished.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup white wine
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 Tbsp mustard
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

• Put everything into a small sauce pan and bring to a low boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium/medium-low and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half, stirring occasionally along the way. This will take about 15 minutes. It will be viscous and sticky when finished. You can fix the rest of your meal or bake/roast a sheet pan meal while the balsamic sauce is simmering.

So what about that “quick” meal you were talking about?!

I promise I’m not going to leave you hanging. This sauce sounds amazing, but how do we make it work into a meal idea that is not only kid friendly, but do-able on a time crunch?

I’m so glad you asked!

Sheet pan dinners to the rescue!

I’m all about these hands free cook methods, dear friends! Pile up that sheet pan with whatever veggies are in season and let the oven do the rest. While your veggies and meat are roasting, you can simmer your balsamic sauce up on the stovetop (recipe above!). Start to finish the sauce just takes 15ish minutes so it is perfect timing for a sheet pan meal!

Balsamic Glazed Salmon & Roasted Veggies:

Ingredients:

• ½ large onion, sliced
• 2-3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias
• 1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
• 3 medium red potatoes, cubed
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp avocado oil (or other friendly fat to roast with)
• 1 tsp sea salt (to taste)
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 3-4 salmon filets (If you have little ones like I do, you can cut the filets in half for smaller portions – I use 3 filets and half them to make 6 total servings.)
• Avocado oil to brush over the salmon
• Sea salt/pepper to taste to sprinkle over the salmon
• 1 recipe of the balsamic reduction sauce from above

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss all of the veggies with the avocado oil, sea salt, pepper, parsley, and dill on a large sheet pan. Spread them out evenly and roast for 10 minutes while you get the balsamic sauce going and prepare the salmon.
3. While the veggies are roasting you can get your balsamic sauce simmering on the stove (see recipe above). You can also brush each salmon filet with avocado oil and sprinkle sea salt and pepper to your taste on both sides of each filet.
4. After the veggies have roasted 10 minutes, take them out and stir the veggies around. Place the salmon fillets on top of the veggies and roast another 20 minutes until the veggies are bite tender and the salmon is cooked through to your liking. If you like your veggies softer, you can cook them longer than that first 10 minutes. The salmon will only need the last 20 minutes of cook time.
5. Spoon the balsamic reduction sauce over each salmon filet and drizzle over the veggies as well before serving.

More real food recipes you might like ::

• Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Crusted Salmon with Roasted Veggies & French Fries
• Paleo Fish & Chips
• Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Grassfed Meatballs with Brussel Sprouts and Butternut Squash Noodles
• Skillet Fast Orange Ginger Salmon