Bruschetta Pasta (or no pasta)

This is a simple meal but my family loves it and we can adapt it to meet everyone's needs.  I make it for my kids with gluten-free brown rice/quinoa pasta and I usually enjoy mine with "zoodles" (zucchini noodles) or spaghetti squash.

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 package Organic Grape tomatoes (these were ripest and most flavorful)
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
Handful fresh Basil
Parmesan
Butter
Sea Salt
Pepper
Garlic

Pasta
Zucchini
Spaghetti Squash

Dice tomatoes and basil and combine in a bowl and refrigerate to join flavors together.  In a large saucepan, saute thinly sliced chicken breast, mushrooms and garlic in the butter and season to taste with salt/pepper.  Add Tomato/Basil mixture and bring to low to simmer for a few minutes.  Prepare noodles of choice and serve sprinkled with Parmesan.  Simple, tasty and a family favorite!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

4 large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup shredded zucchini (I used one green, one yellow)

Combine the wet ingredients with a hand mixer until well combined.

1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
sprinkle sea salt
1/2 cup enjoy life chocolate chips

Add dry ingredients into wet and mix well with hand mixer.  Finally, fold in chocolate chips and place evenly into 12 muffin tins.  Bake at 350 for 22 minutes then let cool for 10+ minutes.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

1.5 lbs beef stew meat
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 tomato, diced
2 medium red potatoes, diced (sweet potatoes would be good too)
1/4 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced (or powdered garlic)
Sprinkle Thyme
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Sea Salt
Pepper
Any other spices you like
1 cup beef broth (or veggie broth would likely work as well)

Place in freezer bag or crockpot for 5-7 hrs on low.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Apple Rosemary Chicken

1 Chicken Breast, 2-3 Chicken Thighs (I forgot to buy thighs so used all breasts)
2 apples, peeled and diced
Squirt of lime juice
1/4 sweet onion diced
2-3 Fresh Rosemary Spriggs
Sea Salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp water (to help liquify a bit so we could seal the bag)

1.  Dice and place all in a freezer safe gallon bag (or right in the crock pot).
2.  Cook on low 6 hrs or high 4 hrs.

I served this with brown rice on the side and some steamed green beans.

Homemade Lara Bars

Enjoying the new Ninja and had to try these with the processing attachments.  You could really add/omit anything here using basic mixture of 1/2 cup pitted dates/raisins and 1 cup dry nuts/seeds/granola/oats, 1 Tbsp water and any other add ins...here is what I used!

1/2 cup Medijol Dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/3 cup 70% dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp water (more or less to consistency)

Blend until the consistency you would like then mash into a parchment paper lines dish (mine is about 4 x 8 inches).  Later, I will cut and place in single serve baggies for easy snacks on the go!  Yum!

Banana Pancakes Two Ways

Here are two delicious ways to make banana pancakes (quick and cheap too), one is grain-free and the other is simply gluten free but both are healthy and tasty (and filling)!

Paleo Pancakes:
2 ripe bananas
3 eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1 Tbsp chia seed
1 tsp cinnamon
coconut oil (for cooking in hot skillet)

1.  Using an electric mixer, mash the bananas and mix in the eggs.  Combine until frothy.
2.  Add in remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
3.  Let batter sit for 5-10 minutes then cook (you need to cook extra on side one so they flip nicely).  Serve hot with pure maple syrup (or raw honey as my daughter and husband prefer)!

Gluten-Free Rice Flour Pancakes:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 Cup Coconut/Almond Milk
1 egg (two if you prefer pancakes a bit fluffier)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle sea salt
1 cup Organic Brown Rice Flour (cheap at all stores)

1.  Using electric mixer, mash the bananas and combine wet ingredients until smooth.
2.  Add dry ingredients then mix well again until batter is smooth.
3.  Add in berries, chocolate chips, nut butter or prepare plain.
4.  Use more coconut oil to cook 3-5 minutes each side.
Serve hot with pure maple syrup or raw honey!

These were both tasty!  The coconut flour version was tougher to flip and a bit more cumbly and did not store batter well for leftovers, but the rice flour blend was like a "normal" pancake and great left over as well!

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

Chipotle Mexican Grill is one of our favorite places to eat out!  I typically get the salads and love the dressing so I found and tweaked a recipe for that dressing and we made homemade salads of our own!  They were awesome!  I made the adobe dry rub first, used part for the dressing and used the rest as a dry rub on my chicken (steak would have been great too) before grilling it.

Adobe Seasoning:
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Tbsp. Chipotle Powder
1 tsp ground pepper
3/4 tsp Onion Powder
3/4 tsp Dried Oregano
3/4 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Chili Powder

Dressing:
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
less than 1/4 cup raw honey (I used just under and mine was almost too sweet so use sparingly)
1 Tbsp. Adobe Mix (from above)
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh Oregano (or a sprinkle of dried)
3/4 Cup Olive Oil (more or less to taste)

Mix together in a blender, food processor, or shaker bottle.  This made a full bottle of dressing and tasted great that night and even better left over the next day! 

21 Day Paleo Challenge

My husband and I decided to follow up a rough eating month (January holds both our daughters birthdays, plus we had guests visit and several big Football celebrations) with a 30 day Paleo Challenge.  We are trying to make it a positive change, so not being extremely legalistic, just no grains, no refined sugar (we will allow small bit of honey or maple syrup to sweeten but try not to do much), and no desserts (even healthy ones, haha).  I am typically a person who will work out 6 days/week but then enjoys some treats throughout the week but I am going to try to continue my workouts but skip those treats for a month!  So, I plan to blog the journey and keep updating this post every few days with what we ate each day plus what my workout was.  Keep in mind, we are very busy so some of the meals might seem a bit 'repetitive' but here we go!  PS-our daughters (3 and 6) will eat mostly paleo as well but I will let them eat occasional brown rice pasta (they both dislike spaghetti squash that I love), crackers/pretzels, or a treat if they earn something special but overall they will also participate!

Day 1:

Bfast-Smoothie
Lunch-Grilled chicken with side salad made with mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers (balsamic/olive oil dressing)
Dinner-Stuffed Peppers and Squash and Mushrooms
Snacks-Carrots, Apple, Cucumber slices
Workout-3.5 mile run with puppy

Day 2:

Bfast-Protein Shake
Lunch-Sliced Chicken roll ups (chicken with lettuce and avocado rolled up), carrot sticks
Dinner-Roasted Chicken, Coconut Flour Biscuits, Green Beans, Sauteed Carrots with basil
Snacks-Carrots, Apple with peanut butter, Organic Fruit Strip, Homemade latte with coconut milk, espresso and a touch of raw honey
Workout-5.5 mile run with jog stroller while my older daughter biked

*using the roasted chicken to make chicken stock for soup this weekend

Day 3:

Bfast-Scrambled Eggs, diced avocado
Lunch-Chicken Salad with cucumbers, carrots, and mixed greens topped with avocado dressing (using leftover chicken from roasting last night)
Dinner-Chicken Basil Curry, Roasted Mixed Potatoes and Carrots (the curry was a new try from another healthy site-I might make again and tweak a few things but overall tasty)
Snacks-Organic Fruit Strip
Workout-T25 Speed 1.0

Day 4:

Bfast-Smoothie
Lunch-Salad Bar from Whole Foods (read ingredients)
Dinner-Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce (sugar free) and eggplant lasagna for my hubby
Snacks-1/2 apple, Homemade latte with coconut milk
Workout-T25 Cardio

Day 5:

Bfast-Smoothie
Lunch-Grilled Chicken Sausages, roasted mixed veggies
Dinner-Homemade Grilled Chicken (Chipotle style) Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots and homemade chipotle vinaigrette and topped with diced avocado
Snacks-1 piece sliced turkey wrapping lettuce, homemade latte with coconut milk
Workout-T25 Upper Body Circuit

Day 6:

Bfast-Smoothie, rest of family had scrambled eggs
Lunch-Grilled chicken with steamed broccoli, with a side salad (olive oil/vinegar dressing)-ate out and just read ingredients and specified order
Dinner-Leftover spaghetti squash with meat sauce from day 4
Snacks-Organic Fruit Strip, ½ apple
Workout-day off

Day 7:

Bfast-Smoothie, rest of family had eggs
Lunch-Beef Little Smokies with non-sugar made BBQ sauce, Kale Salad (added cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and red peppers)
 Dinner-Zucchini Boat Enchiladas, with homemade guacamole
Snacks-Apple with peanut butter
Workout-T25 Speed 2.0

Day 8:

Bfast-Shake
Lunch-Turkey Roll Ups, Cherry tomatoes, Sugar Snap Pea Pods
Dinner-Tacos with lettuce for shells
Snacks-Hard boiled egg, organic fruit strip
Workout-T25 Rip’t Circuit

Day 9:

Bfast-Smoothie
Lunch-Salad with Grilled Chicken, tomatoes, and cucumbers
Dinner-Fajitas (with chicken, onions, red peppers, and mushrooms) served with Romaine lettuce shells
Snacks-Apple with peanut butter
Workout-T25 Ab Intervals

Day 10:

Bfast-Smoothie
Lunch-Grilled chicken sausages, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on side
Dinner-Bunless burger with sautéed mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers
Snacks-Hard Boiled Egg
Workout-T25 Upper Body

Day 11:

Bfast-Smoothie, my family all had eggs
Lunch-Grilled chicken salad
Dinner-Taco Salads with tomatoes, mixed greens, olives, and homemade guacamole
Snacks-Cheat Alert:  I cheated and bought some Organic Corn Chips and had Chips/Guac
Workout-3 Mile Run

Day 12:

Bfast-Hard boiled egg with strawberries
Lunch-Leftover taco salad
Dinner-Banana Coconut flour pancakes with chicken breakfast sausage (Heart shaped pancakes)
Snacks-Homemade coconut milk latte
Workout-T25 Core Cardio

They are not allowing me to add/edit this post but I will keep trying.  Until them, check out the new recipes!

Sauteed Carrots with Basil

This is not much of a recipe, but sure was tasty.  Very quick and simple!

Butter or Coconut Oil
Sliced Carrots
Sea Salt
Diced Fresh Basil

Simple melt the butter or oil in a skillet and saute' the carrots with sea salt until browning and starting to soften.  Then as you serve, toss some of the diced basil on top for garnish and sweetness!  Yum, they looked pretty and taste great!

Coconut Flour Cheddar Biscuits

Okay, so they are not Red Lobster quality but they were tasty and filling!

1/4 coconut oil or butter, melted (I think butter is better for this one)
1/3 coconut flour
4 organic eggs
Sea Salt
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Baking Powder
1/3 cup shredded organic raw cheese

1.  Combine Eggs, melted oil, sea salt, onion and garlic in a bowl and whisk together well.
2.  Add in the coconut flour and baking powder and whisk until combined and not lumpy.
3.  Fold in the cheese until combined.
4.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes (makes about 8 biscuits).

I served these with chicken and veggies for dinner but they might be good with eggs for breakfast!  Also, you could skip the spices and sweeten with raw honey for a sweeter biscuit.

Pulled Barbeque Chicken

Crockpot Meals are so simple and easy when you have a busy schedule, however, my daughters are not big fans of them usually but this one they liked!

1 can organic tomato sauce
1/2 small onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sweetener (agave, honey, maple syrup)
2 Tbsp organic tomato paste
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1-2 lbs chicken (thighs or breast would work, boneless)

Stir ingredients (except chicken) together until well combined.  Add chicken and cook on low for 5-6 hrs.  Then, shred the chicken and return to sauce.  Serve at sandwiches, in tacos, over rice, and or just plain with vegetables!

Veggie Crumble

I found a similar version of this as I searched for some different side dish ideas and this fit the bill!  We actually had it for lunch today with some grilled tilapia, which made a light and tasty combo.  I also think this would be awesome by precooking and adding some sliced chicken breast to make a full meal!

Veggie mixture:
3 medium zucchinis, wash and chopped
2 cups mushrooms, diced-I used a mixture of regular and portabello
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp coconut oil
Thyme
Sage
Sea Salt
Pepper
-all to taste
(you could add or omit any of these veggie ideas)

1.  Melt the coconut oil in a large saucepan then add the onions and saute' for about 5 minutes or until beginning to soften.
2.  Then, add the zucchini and all seasonings and continue to saute' until flavors blend.
3.  Add the mushrooms and mix together well.  Then, cover and cook on medium low for 5-10 minutes or until veggies soften and become a bit juicy.
4.  Pour prepped veggies in a baking dish (I used a 8 x 11) and prep the topping.

Topping:
1 cup almond flour (I used trader joe's brand)
1/4 cup diced almonds
2 Tbsp. cold diced butter
Sea Salt
1/4 cup organic parmesan cheese shreds

1.  I used my hands to mash it all together until combined and crumbly, almost like a breadcrumb mixture.
2.  Spread with hands or a spoon onto the vegetable mixture.
3.  Bake at 325-250 for about 30 minutes or until the crumble on top is browning and a bit crispy.

*I think you could really do this in a lot of ways, different veggies, adding chicken or fish, more or less cheese, etc.  I also think you could add a bit of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, coconut sugars, xylitol) to make this a crumble for a sweet, fruity dish!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Every year for Thanksgiving, I make some version of an apple pie for dessert (caramel apple pie, apple crunch pie, apple crisp, etc.).  This year, we made apple cinnamon coffee cake for breakfast and tried a new pie, grain-free pecan pie!  Yum!  And it was simple to make!

Pie Crust:
2 cups almond meal/flour (I used Trader Joe's brand but I am sure others would work too)
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 organic egg
sprinkle sea salt

*My food processor broke so this was the fun part, where my daughter and I squished the dough and mixed into a ball.  Then, press the dough into a 9 inch pie dish (do not go up to high on the sides).

Filling:
3 organic eggs
1 cup coconut sugar (I used a bit less actually)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 cup chocolate chunks (I used Enjoy Life brand)
2 cups whole, raw pecans

*Using a hand mixer, combine the eggs, coconut sugar, and coconut oil until well blended. 
*Stir in the chocolate chunks and pecans using a spatula.
*Pour filling into unbaked crust and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-50 min. (mine was 45 minutes exactly).
*Allow to cool before devouring (and try not to sneak any of the sweet pecans off the top)!

This was so simple to make, using healthier ingredients and so tasty!

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

This recipe is similar to a taco soup, regular chili, or my crock pot chicken black bean salsa soup but a bit different and I liked the differences!  Great flavors and so simple!  Plus, you could alter and add more/less veggies, more/no beans, and any toppings you like.

1 can Organic kidney beans, rinsed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 cups favorite Organic Salsa (I am currently enjoying Publix Greenwise Organic Salsa-medium)
2-4 carrots, peeled and diced (the original recipe called for corn but I enjoyed the carrots)
1 can diced organic tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning (or make your own, I used Simply Organic brand)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 tsp dried Oregano
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Pepper
3 frozen chicken breasts (you could do more or less and use fresh if you wanted)

Toppings ideas:  Shredded raw organic cheese, cilantro, diced avocado, tortilla chips, onions, etc.

Add all ingredients except chicken to crock pot and stir until well combined.  Place the chicken breast on top and cook on high for 6 hrs, or cook on low for 10 hrs.  About 30 minutes  before serving, remove chicken breast and shred, then place back in crock pot and stir well and let sit on warm until ready to serve.  This is perfect for football nights or just cook Fall/Winter evening meals and is great left over as well!  

Cilantro Lime Chicken

This is not much of a recipe but it is yummy!  I grilled this chicken and served it on Udi's gluten-free buns (my daughters wanted it by itself) and then had fresh veggies and hummus on the side!

Juice of 2 limes
1-2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. honey
Handful fresh cilantro, diced
3 chicken breasts

Place all the marinate ingredients in a large ziploc bag and add chicken and toss!  Allow to marinade for 10-15 minutes then grill until done!  This is light and refreshing!

Zucchini Bread

So, many of you saw that was doing Whole 30, well, I had to give it up for a few reasons but I have still been doing mostly paleo when I can so grain-free and refined sugar-free.  This Zucchini bread was moist and tasty!

1.5 cups almond flour/meal (I get mine for only $3.99/bag at trader joes)
1.5 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup grated zucchini
3 eggs
1/3 cup unsweet applesauce (the original recipe called for one mashed, ripe banana but I was out so I tried this and it was great)
3-4 Tbsp. raw honey
1 Tbsp.melted coconut oil (I am sure olive oil or butter would work as well)

1.  Mix together all wet ingredients using a hand mixer until frothy and well mixed.
2.  Add in dry ingredients and blend until well combined (my batter was fairly thin).
3.  Pour into loaf pan (I did 3 mini-loaves this this and added good life chocolate chips to one loaf for a treat).
4.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Enjoy!

Turkey Stuffed Squash and Peppers

I am not a big squash fan or a pepper fan but I do love to try new things and eating grain-free is always a healthy option so here's a new one.  My daughters and I liked it a lot, but my husband LOVED it and said I can make it every week!  I actually think next time I might try peppers for hubby and buy some giant mushrooms to stuff for me!

Acorn Squash-halved and seeded
2 peppers (hubby said yellow was awesome)
1 lb ground turkey
3 large carrots, shredded in the food processor
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1 apple, cored and diced in tiny pieces
1 egg
"breadcrumbs"
-1/2 cup almond meal
-1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal
-1 tsp. garlic (either fresh diced, powder, or I used dried)
-1/2 tsp. onion powder
-1/2 tsp. Thyme
-1/2 tsp. Oregano
-1 tsp. sea salt
-1/2 tsp. ground pepper
-1/2 tsp. ground sage
(all approximate)
optional: Parmesan (I did not use)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the cut, seeded squash face down in 1/4 inch water in large baking dish.  Bake for about 40 minutes or until slightly soft.
2.  While the squash is baking, brown ground turkey, mushrooms, and shredded carrots in a large saucepan until browned and veggies are well cooked.  You can season this if you like, but the breadcrumb mixture adds lots of flavors.
3.  When the meat/veggies are almost done, add the diced apples for the last 3-5 minutes.  When done, remove from heat.  Cut open the tops of 2 peppers during this time as well (they do not need to precook.
4.  Add the "breadcrumbs" mixture into the pan as well as 1 egg and mix thoroughly.
5.  Once the squash are done, flip right side up and dump water our of pan.  Fill center of each squash with meat/breadcrumbs mixture, then using leftover...
6.  Fill the two peppers with the mixture as well.  Place all face up in a baking dish and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until brown and slightly crispy on top.
Enjoy!

Another way to make this, same inside, stuffing portabella mushrooms and green peppers!

Coconut Almond Pancakes

I am on day 4 and needing a "treat" so I made these pancakes and topped them with blended berries that I warmed up!  They were tasty, and my family had them with chocolate chips and loved them!

2 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp coconut water
1/8 cup coconut flour
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/8 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
coconut oil (for frying)

1.  Whip eggs with an electric mixer until frothy, add the rest of wet ingredients and combine well with hand mixer.
2.  Combine all dry ingredients and add to the wet, using the electric mixer until thoroughly mixed (batter is thin)
3.  Using a cast iron pan, make small pancakes-I used a 1/8 cup scoop and made several smallish pancakes.
4.  For the berries, I simply blended a berry blend then simmered over med-low heat until warmed!

Avacado Herb Dressing

I am in the early phases of the Whole 30, which is 30 days of no grains, no dairy, no legumes, and no sugar (not sweetener whatsoever) so salads are a popular dish.  Here is a "creamy" dressing for you!

1 ripe avacado
1/3 cup fresh parsley
1/3 cup fresh basil
4 Tbsp. olive oil (or more/less depending on thickness you like)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. mustard, dijon would be good
Sea Salt
Pepper
(any other herbs you like)

Blend in a food processor until creamy, if you added less olive oil it could be more of a veggie dip and more makes it a salad dressing!  Enjoy

Chicken veggie(no) Pasta

(on the left is with spaghetti squash and the one on the right is with brown rice pasta)


I was craving a pasta dish, so decided to make a simple sauce of butter, garlic, sea salt and organic Parmesan then realized I had some yummy spaghetti squash so I changed my mind...I did use brown rice pasta for my husband and daughter who do not enjoy the spaghetti squash as I do!  Obviously, this recipe does contain dairy and in some cases, grains if you use pasta but still a healthier version of a "comfort" food that was super yummy!  This also made enough for leftovers.  You could add or omit any vegetables, next time I might try to add diced tomatoes!

1 medium spaghetti squash
2-3 chicken breasts, diced in bite-sized pieces
4 Tablespoons organic butter
1 cup diced mushrooms
1 cup whole spinach leaves
4-6 garlic cloves
Sea Salt
Pepper
(any other seasonings you like)
1/2 cup organic Parmesan cheese

1.  Prep spaghetti squash-cut in half the long way and remove seeds.  Place face down in a glass baking dish filled with a bit of water (I only baked half and saved the rest for another meal of spaghetti squash with tomato meat sauce).  Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes (or until the outer side slightly pushes in when touched or when you flip you can fork the "spaghetti" out easily).

While that is baking...

2.  Place the butter in a large saucepan and melt, then add garlic and begin sauteeing.

3.  Add diced chicken and mushrooms, as well as Sea Salt, Pepper, and any other seasonings you enjoy and cook until chicken is cooked all the way through.

4.  Add Spinach and saute flavors together for about 5 more minutes before adding the Parmesan and mixing together well.

5.  Add the stringy "spaghetti" squash (or pasta if you must) to the mixture and mix together well, then serve!

I know this isn't super creative, but it was tasty and satisfied the craving!  Enjoy!