Foodie Friday with Beth: paleo

paleo

Showing posts with label paleo. Show all posts

This meal idea came to me in a moment of panic when we were delayed getting back from vacation and came home to a house devoid of food! No time to meal plan for the week, no grocery store trip planned, exhausted and tired of going out to dinner, I opened the pantry and freezer and hunted up some ingredients to see what I could throw together for dinner for the week. I found a bag of frozen chicken tenderloins, a couple sweet potatoes, and a bottle of clean BBQ sauce. I think we have a winner!

The next morning I tossed the frozen chicken into the crock pot and cooked for 3 hours. Around lunchtime, when the chicken was done, I microwaved the sweet potatoes till they were almost soft, shredded the chicken and added the BBQ sauce, all while my girls were eating their PB&J.

Dinner time came around and I simply cut the sweet potatoes in half, scooped the BBQ chicken on top, and baked till it was all toasty and the flavors had a chance to meld.

Sweet, savory, healthy, delicious comfort food!

Twice Baked BBQ Chicken Sweet Potatoes

makes 4 servings

21 Day Fix container fulfillment for 1 sweet potato boat:

1 YELLOW

1 RED

serve with a side of mini bell peppers (1 GREEN)

Ingredients:

8 frozen boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
3 large sweet potatoes
natural BBQ sauce, such as Famous Dave's

Instructions:

Toss chicken tenderloins tossed into the crock pot and cover about 1/3 of the way with low sodium chicken broth.
Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion power (powder, not salt!), fresh ground black pepper, and sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.
Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
Remove, shred, and add BBQ sauce.

Scrub sweet potatoes and stab with a knife all over. Place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on HIGH for about 15 min.

Cut in half, lengthwise, and fluff up the flesh with a fork.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a Pyrex dish with Pam with Olive Oil, and place the sweet potatoes inside.

Spoon the BBQ chicken on top.

Bake for 30-45 min.

Drizzle with BBQ sauce before serving.

TIP: This made enough for two dinners, so I divided the sweet potato boats into two small Pyrex dishes, 3 halves in each, so I could bake them individually on the day I needed them. This made them freshly baked instead of heated back up in the microwave.

Enjoy!

These creamy stuffed peppers are so sneaky! Why?? Because the source of the creaminess comes from protein-packed ricotta cheese! If you're following the 21 Day Fix nutritional plan, this is music to your ears! You get rich flavor without sacrificing!

Creamy Stuffed Peppers

21 Day Fix container fulfillment for 1 pepper:

1 RED

1 GREEN

1/2 BLUE

Ingredients:

6 large bell peppers of varying colors
1 lb turkey sausage
15 oz container ricotta cheese (about 1-1/2 c)
1 c spinach, chopped
½ c shredded Parmesan cheese
½ t garlic powder
¼ t crushed red pepper
Himalayan salt & fresh ground pepper
Shredded mozzarella to top

Instructions:

Brown turkey sausage over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain the excess fat and transfer meat to a medium mixing bowl. Add the ricotta and mix thoroughly to coat. Add the raw spinach to the mixture along with the Parmesan and seasonings.

Cut the tops off of the bell peppers, dump out the seeds, then reach inside and carefully tear out the ribs. I love using this tool to get a nice, even cut. It makes the job faster and easier!

Spray the inside of your crock-pot insert with Pam with Olive Oil and place the peppers inside. It will be a tight squeeze!

Spoon the mixture into the peppers, splitting it evenly between the six of them. Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the crock-pot and set on HIGH for 2-1/2 - 3 hours.

Top with mozzarella cheese and replace the lid for 5-10 min just to melt the cheese.

ENJOY!

You know those little 1 oz packets of Mexican seasoning? The ones loaded with tons of sodium and possibly a few other unwanted ingredients? Well, this recipe will rival anything you can pour out of a packet, but this time you'll know exactly what you're getting - a ton of flavor without all the salt! Whew!

The very best part of this recipe, besides the fact that it is a hearty comfort food, is that the butternut squash has the flavor of a sweet potato, but the nutritional values of a veggie! It's sweet, colorful, and delicious! Add in the convenience of the crockpot cooking method and this easily becomes a family favorite! Put it on before you leave for work, then toss in the veggies when you walk in the door! This is actually the first dish I have experimented with butternut squash, and that's all it took to get totally hooked!

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew (Crockpot version)

21 Day Fix container Fulfillment:
1 GREEN
1 RED

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs raw lean beef stew, boneless, 2″ cubes

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp black pepper

1 cup low-sodium organic beef broth

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 a butternut squash, cubed

Instructions:

Trim fat off meat and cut into 2” cubes. Add to crock pot with onion, garlic, seasonings, and broth. Cook on LOW for 6 hours.

Add bell peppers, tomatoes, and squash. [I cut the butternut in half, long-ways, then slice, then cut off the rind and cube the flesh.]

Cook on LOW an additional 1 – 1-1/2 hours.

Enchilada Spaghetti Squash
Makes 6 servings

21 Day Fix container fulfillment
1 GREEN

1 RED

1 BLUE

Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
3 whole, large tomatoes, quartered
1 tightly packed cup of spinach
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Starting with the garlic cloves, combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. [Will make extra!]

Ingredients For Casserole

1 spaghetti squash
1 lb ground turkey
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime Salt Free seasoning
2 cups of Enchilada Sauce (above)
½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt
shredded mozzarella cheese, spread on top of casserole

Instructions

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Spray a microwavable plate with Pam with Olive Oil, place the spaghetti squash halves on it, face up, and put it in the microwave for 8-9 min on High. Let it cool down enough to handle it, then shred the insides with a fork into a large mixing bowl. It will look like spaghetti noodles!

While the spaghetti squash is cooking/cooling, brown the ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, and Mrs Dash seasoning and stir well.

Combine spaghetti squash, ground turkey, Enchilada Sauce, and Greek yogurt together in the large mixing bowl. Stir well to evenly coat the spaghetti squash. I like to use a large serving fork for this.

Transfer to a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish sprayed with Pam with Olive Oil.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake on 375 for 30-35 min.

Top with Greek yogurt and fresh salsa!

Enjoy!

Chipotle is definitely the trending flavor these days, and man it packs quite a punch! But typically these sauces are full of yucky mayo and who wants all the fat and calories?! How bout if you could still get that amazing smokey flavor, but it counted as a protein instead?! Almost too good to be true, my friends! The secret is in the Greek yogurt. I was terrified of Greek yogurt for ages. I think I let carton after carton expire in my fridge for about six months before the light in my head clicked on and I realized I'd been thinking about Greek yogurt all wrong! It wasn't like candy-flavored yogurt that satisfied my sweet tooth...no, it was SOUR CREAM! Ding! Now I was ready to try it! And boy was it a game changer! I use it as a sour cream substitute now and get an extra dose of protein! Win!

CHIPOTLE MAYO

Ingredients

1 cup Greek yogurt
2 canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend

Instructions

Add the garlic cloves to a food processor or blender, and pulse until evenly chopped. Blend in chipotle peppers next, then all other ingredients and blend until smooth.

It is the most mild in heat immediately after, and will intensify the longer it sits so beware!

I love to make this dish on the weekend and have it for lunch all week long! It would also make a great dinner in the hot summer months. I am a big fan of the lighter style Italian dishes that focus on simple ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, and feta! Since I needed protein that would reheat well, I opted for a flavor-packed turkey sausage!

Italian Spaghetti Squash

Serving size: 1 cup

21 Day Fix container fulfillment:

1 GREEN

1 RED

1/4 BLUE

Ingredients

1 large Spaghetti Squash

1lb turkey sausage

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red pepper, chopped

1 can Italian style tomatoes, 14.5 oz

4 oz (1/2 cup) feta cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped – OR – 1 T dried basil

½ t crushed red pepper

Instructions

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Spray a microwavable plate with Pam with Olive Oil, place the spaghetti squash halves on it, and put it in the microwave for 9 min on High. Let it cool down enough to handle it, then shred with a fork into a large mixing bowl.

While the spaghetti squash is cooking/cooling, brown the turkey sausage in a large pan over medium heat.

Beat egg in a small bowl with garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the spaghetti squash and stir together. I like to use a large serving fork for this.

Pour egg mixture over-top and mix well to coat.

Transfer everything into a 9x13 Pyrex pan sprayed with olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.

If you don't know how awesome spaghetti squash is, you don't know what you're missing! I discovered it myself only recently and let me tell you, it is a game changer! I love noodly Italian dishes, but I don't love the carbs that come with them. With this dish you get that amazing comfort food quality , but you're fueling up on veggies galore! What could be better?! And seriously, I don't like summer squash. I'm not a fan and never have been. But spaghetti squash is different! It's so mild it just takes on the flavor of whatever you're cooking it with. And talk about easy! It's easier than boiling noodles. What does that tell you?!

This dish is simple to make and has all that yummy garlicky, cheesy, Italian flavor! It's sure to become a fast favorite of your entire family!

Spaghetti Squash Cavatini

21 Day Fix container fulfillment:

serving size - 1 cup

1 RED

1 GREEN

1/2 PURPLE

1/2 BLUE

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash
1 pound ground turkey sausage
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 oz turkey pepperoni, diced
32 oz all natural spaghetti sauce
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon basil
fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Cut spaghetti squash in 1/2 and scoop out the seeds.

Spray a microwave safe plate with nonstick spray and place the halves on it, facing up. This will prevent the juices from cementing to the plate. Trust me, you don't want to scrub that off...it only took one time to make me remember!

Microwave on high for 9 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Shred with a fork into a large mixing bowl.

While spaghetti squash is steaming/cooling, heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Spray with Pam with Olive Oil and saute the onions until translucent. Add the turkey and cook until brown. Drain any excess fat. Add onion powder and garlic powder.

Combine the ground turkey with the spaghetti squash, add the chopped bell pepper, and pepperoni. I use a large serving fork to mix everything together.

Lastly, add the spaghetti sauce, garlic and seasonings.

Transfer to a 9x13 Pyrex dish, sprayed with Pam with Olive Oil.

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 min.

I know, I know, it sounds strange! Sweet potatoes in chili?! Well, you're just going to have to trust me! I adapted this recipe from Skinnytaste, converting it to be CROCK-POT friendly, and adjusted the ingredients for a little more POW! I make this frequently when hosting a large group and it's always well received! In fact, I'm posting this now due to the many requests I got for the recipe! Like all good crock-pot recipes, this is put together quickly and easily with no fuss! Hearty and healthy, it's comfort food at its finest!

Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

Serving Size: 1 cup
21 Day Fix containers:

1 RED

1 YELLOW

1 GREEN

½ PURPLE
Season the meat!

1.25lb lean ground turkey

Pink Himalayan salt, to taste

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

Season the pot!

Pink Himalayan salt, to taste
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 red or green bell pepper, diced (I do ½ and ½)
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
2-3 diced poblano peppers in adobo sauce
1 28oz can natural tomato sauce (I like Dei Fratelli)
3/4 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 medium/large sweet potato, unpeeled, diced into 1/2-inch cubes

Garnish with fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese, and Greek yogurt

Instructions

In a large skillet, brown turkey over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks into smaller pieces and season with meat seasonings: salt, cumin, garlic powder, & chili powder. Drain meat. Add meat to crock pot along with all other ingredients.

Cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours.

This is such a fresh new take on how to eat that leftover Thanksgiving turkey! The turkey is probably the healthiest option on most Thanksgiving Day tables, so it's your best bet when bringing home leftovers. However, without all the traditional side dishes, the turkey just seems to lose some of its center stage appeal. This tomato, pesto, and mozzarella combo is just the ticket to bringing new life and flavor to your post Turkey Day sandwich! And the best part? Using tomatoes instead of bread means you aren't adding to the mess of carbs you gobbled down yesterday! This little gem is warm and melty and intended to eat with a fork!

Post Thanksgiving Turkey "Sandwich"

Ingredients

tomato slices, thick cut
pesto
mozzarella, shredded
turkey slices, thick cut

Instructions

Heat a small pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil mister.

Spread pesto over one side of each tomato slice.

Place one tomato, pesto-side-up, in the pan. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese, layer on the turkey, and top with the remaining tomato slice, pesto-side-down.

Heat until warmed through, flipping (carefully!) once. Look for signs that the cheese is starting to melt, and the skin on the tomato is blistering to know when it's ready to flip!

*Note: I recommend Bella Terra Organic Traditional Basil Pesto. It has some fun ingredients like cashews and cheeses!

Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Boats

These sweet potato boats have quickly become a favorite in my household and are frequently requested by my husband! They have a super fun mix of flavors, and are as hearty as they are healthy!

I tend to do my cooking in stages, so I'll start the chicken in the crock pot in the morning, then pop the potatoes in the microwave while my kiddos are having lunch. That way everything is done at the same time! I then assemble the boats, even topping them with the cheese, put a lid over my baking dish, and refrigerate till later in the week when I need an awesome meal after a long day at work.

Serving size: one boat

21 Day Fix container fulfillment:

1 YELLOW (sweet potatoes)

1 RED (chicken)

1/2 BLUE (cheese)

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes
6-8 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
1/4 cups olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole chipotle peppers, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
sea salt and pepper
5 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Greek yogurt, for serving

Instructions

Place frozen chicken tenderloins in your crock-pot, cover 1/2 way with chicken broth, and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion power. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours. Remove and shred with a serrated knife and fork.

Wash your sweet potatoes and prick all over with a knife. Place in the microwave and bake for about 20 minutes. When the sweet potatoes are done cut in half lengthwise.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium size bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a thick layer of flesh inside so that it can stand up on its own and place sweet potato boats in a baking dish.