Turkey Stuffed Peppers

What you need:

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 can red beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 can diced tomatoes

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked per package instructions

1.5 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp salt

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350.  Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Throw spinach in with onions for 1 minute. 

Place onions and spinach in large pot with red beans, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and salt.  Cook over medium heat.  While filling cooks, brown turkey in the pan you used to sauté onions.  Slice tops off of peppers, remove seeds, and rub with olive oil. Mix browned turkey with filling in pot. Add quinoa and mix.  Fill peppers and place in a small caserole dish.  Cover with a small bit of mozzarella if desired. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Black Bean, Lentil, and Chicken Tacos

What you need:

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup dried red lentils, cooked per package directions

1 cup chicken broth

1 large chicken breast

1 jalapeno diced

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

8 whole wheat tortillas

What to do:

Sauté onions in olive oil and prepare lentils.  Put all ingredients except lentils in crock pot.  Cook on low 4 hrs until chicken begins to fall apart.  Pull chicken apart with forks.  Add lentils to mixture.  Use for tacos and top with your choice of ingredients.  We used tomato, avocado, sour cream, and Ortega taco sauce.  We also added a side of fruit which went well with it.

Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash

What you need:

1.5 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes

1 chicken breast 

1 onion, diced small

1tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1 can chickpeas, drained

16 oz chicken broth

2 tbsp green curry paste

2 tbsp curry powder

1 carrot, chopped 

1 jalapeño, chopped 

1tbsp red chili paste 

What to do:

Place chicken broth, chili paste, curry paste, and curry powder in crock pot. Stir and add chicken, jalapeño, carrot, chickpeas. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic to crock pot.  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hrs, until chicken begins to fall apart.  During last hr of cooking add spinach and butternut squash.

Chickpea Spinach Burgers from LivingPlate.com

Turned out great.

Chickpea Spinach Burger

Baby Kale Egg Bake

What you need:

1 Tbsp olive oil

Cooking spray

5 oz baby kale

1/2 to 1 cup shredded mozzarella 

4 egg whites

4 whole eggs

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 cup mushrooms any kind (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Wilt kale over medium heat in olive oil for 2 minutes.

Spray caserole dish with cooking spray.

Spread kale in caserole dish.

Sauté onion and garlic in frying pan.  

Whisk eggs and egg whites together in separate bowl.  

Add mushrooms in with onion to sauté if you are using them.

When ready pour sautéed veggies over the kale. 

Pour eggs over the rest in caserole. 

Top with cheese. 

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.

Turkey Meat Loaf

What You Need:

1 lb lean ground turkey
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
3 tbsp worcestershire
3 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 large yellow onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
2 celery stalks diced
1/2 cup shredded carrots optional
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp tomato paste optional
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp ketchup

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375
While oven heats, chop and dice all veggies.
Saute veggies with the olive oil and garlic over medium heat.
While veggies are cooking, mix 2 eggs, worcestershire, seasonings, bread crumbs, and uncooked turkey in large bowl.
When veggies are soft mix into the bowl.
Pour into loaf pan.
Spread thin layer of ketchup over top.
Bake for 45 min to 1 hr.

I serve it with steamed carrots and broccoli.

Green Beans

These beans came out of the garden this morning, and made a great simple side dish.  We had so many we at a big plate each for dinner, and I wanted more.  Will definitely plant them again.

We just washed them and threw them in the crock pot for a couple hours with a cup of chicken broth, a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Grilled Eggplant Sandwich With Gruyere and Arugula

What you need:
1 loaf french bread, sliced into half inch slices and drizzled lightly with olive oil
1 handful fresh arugula
1 block hickory smoked gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
severa tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp salt
1 medium eggplant, sliced into quarter inch slices
balsamic vinegar

What to do:
First you need to brine the eggplant for half an hour.  To do this, stir one tbsp salt into a quarter cup hot water.  Then add the salt water with two quarts cool water in a large bowl.  Add the sliced eggplant to the bowl and use a heavy bowl to keep it submerged.  After half an hour, take the eggplant out and dry it off with a paper towel.  Put the dry eggplant in a dry bowl and add one tbsp balsamic vinegar and two tbsp olive oil.  Heat grill to 500.  Cook eggplant on grill for 4 or 5 minutes until good grill marks are visible.  Then flip the eggplant and toss the bread on the grill.  Cook another 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from grill, assemble sandwiches.

Remember Fruit For A Bright Side With Dinner

Fresh lemon balm on this red fruit salad adds an interesting depth of flavor.
I used watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, and grapes.

Cous Cous with Lemon Rosemary Chicken

What you need:
1 package thin sliced chicken breast
2 lemons
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary (4 inches)
1 package Near East garlic and olive oil Cous Cous
Salt and pepper
1 handful calamata olives, pitted
1 handful grape tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1 small package goat cheese
Parsley for garnish if desired

What to do:
Place chicken, olive oil, juice from 1/2 a lemon, and rosemary in 1 qt ziplock bag and put in fridge.
Boil 1 3/4 cups water in a medium saucepan.
Add Cous Cous and spice pack it comes with, then return to slow boil.
Slow boil for about 15 min, stirring often, until almost all water is absorbed or evaporated.
Turn off stove and let Cous Cous sit for a few minutes.
In large bowl, mix Cous Cous, cucumber, olives, and tomatoes
Squeeze in 1-2 tbsp lemon juice, cover and put in fridge for at least 1/2 hour.

While Cous Cous is chilling, heat grill to 500 degrees.
Spray grill with oil or cooking spray.
Cook chicken for three minutes, then flip, turn down heat and cook another 3 min.
When you flip chicken, slice a lemon in half and put both halves face down on grill for 3 min.
Remove chicken and lemon from grill and let rest for a couple minutes.

Take Cous Cous out of fridge, top with goat cheese, and lay chicken on top.
Squeeze one of the grilled lemon halves over chicken, and garnish with parsley.

Chicken and cabbage stew

What you need:

4 chicken breasts
1 onion
1 bag of baby carrots
1 green cabbage
1/2 Jar Eden Organics pasta sauce
Salt and pepper
1 tsp red pepper flake
1 cup organic chicken broth
2 tbsp coconut aminos
2 tbsp minced garlic

What to do:

Put carrots and chopped onion in crock pot.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken on top of onions and carrots, top with red pepper flakes.
Chop cabbage into 1/2 inch slices, place over chicken.
Pour pasta sauce onto cabbage.
Throw in garlic, broth, and coconut aminos.
Cook on high four to five hours.

Coconut Curry Chicken

What you need:
1 lb chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 fresh green chili, finely chopped
2 heirloom tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
2/3 large carton chicken broth
1 pinch cayenne powder
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

What to do:
Add olive oil to a large pot over med low heat.
Mix in the onion, garlic, and ginger.
Cook for 20 min.
Add in the tomato paste, cinnamon, chicken broth, cayenne, curry, salt and pepper, and coconut milk.
Stir well and cook another 20 min on med low.
Add in the chicken, tomatoes, lemon juice, and cilantro.
Let simmer for 1 hour.
Taste periodically and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips.

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken

What you need:
10 skinless chicken drumsticks
1 onion diced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, minced
6 cloves fresh garlic minced
zest of one lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
pinch of anise seeds
pinch of ground fennel seeds
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
3 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
Place the diced onion on the bottom of a crock pot and spread evenly.  Lay chicken over the onion.  Combine all other ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.  When chicken is done the meat should pull right off the bone.

Healthy Chicken Salad

What you need:
1 rotisserie chicken, pulled
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 cup baby carrots, diced
1/2 cup purple seedless grapes, diced
1 handful sliced almonds
Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

What to do:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Simple Healthy Spaghetti

Sometimes you just need some spaghetti.  To me this is every bit as good as the real thing, and you don't feel glued to the couch afterward.

What you need:
Two large spaghetti squash
1 lb lean ground turkey
One jar Amys premium organic pasta sauce (found at whole foods)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 bell pepper coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped baby portabello mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
Poke six holes in each squash with a knife, and put them in a large microwave safe casserole dish.
Nuke for twelve minutes.  Let squash rest for five minutes, then cut in half lengthwise.  Remove the seeds with a spoon, then take a fork and scrape the meat of the squash out.  The squash should come out in strands, much like spaghetti.  One squash will make enough for two people.  I use two so that I can have leftovers the next day.
While squash is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over med high and add the onion and bell pepper.  Cook for three or four minutes, then add the turkey and cook until turkey is browned.  Add the pasta sauce and the mushrooms, and cook over med for five minutes.

Serve sauce over the spaghetti squash.

Pulled Chicken Omelets and Stuffed Peppers

Pulled chicken is so versatile, you can eat it by itself, put it in rolls or tacos, use it in soups, etc.  I really like the way that pulled chicken retains a lot of moisture and flavor from whatever liquid you cook it in.  This was a crockpot recipe my wife found at Life as a Plate (really well put together website btw), we modified slightly. We decided to put the chicken in an omelet for dinner, and stuff some peppers for the next day.  Though it works great the other way around, peppers for dinner and omeletes the next morning.

What you need: 
1 lb organic chicken breast
6 eggs
2 large bell peppers
2 fresh jalepenos finely chopped
2 fresh tomatoes roughly chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used leftover from soup earlier in the week)
1/2 small red onion finely chopped
1 small bell pepper finely chopped
1 cup organic salsa
1 avocado
1 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

What to do:
Put everything except eggs, salsa, and the 2 whole bell peppers into a crockpot on low for 4 hrs.
Pull the chicken when it is ready
Hollow out the bell peppers, place in a small oven safe dish, fill with chicken, top with  the salsa, and bake for 30 min at 350.
While the peppers are baking crack the eggs and mix in a bowl with a little salt and pepper. 
Pour the eggs in a skillet (with a little butter or olive oil) on med high.  When the eggs are firm enough to turn, put the chicken on half and flip the opposite side over the chicken. Cook until brown on both sides, and top with avocado. 

Better Beef Jerky

 It's always good to have some easy protein around to get you through the day.  Making your own beef jerky is more cost effective, and you can control what you want in it.  This batch is way lower in salt than anything you will get off the shelf, but has a great flavor.

What you need:
3 lb of lean beef (I used 2 london broils), cut into 1/4 inch thick strips, across the grain
     Or have your butcher cut it (normally they are happy to do it and it saves a ton of time)

1 bottle coconut aminos
1 heaping tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed red chili pepper
1/3 tsp ground cayenne
1/2 tsp garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste

What to do:
Mix the coconut aminos and all of the spices in a mixing bowl.  Taste it and adjust spices if needed.
Place the sliced meat in a 1 gallon ziplock bag and fill with the mixture. Squeeze any excess air out of the bag and close it, then squeeze the bag a few times to make sure all the meat is covered.  Put it in the fridge overnight.  When marinating is done, place the meat on a drip rack and put that on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.  This amount of meat will require two racks.  You want to allow just a sliver of room between each piece of meat for air flow.  Put the meat into a 200 degree oven for 6 hours or so.  You will know it is done when the meat cracks but does not break when bent.  
When it's done I put it in a ziplock and put it in the fridge.  It should last for a couple months, but you'll never know because it'll be gone by then. 

Easy Turkey Burgers

What you need:
1lb lean ground turkey (99% fat free)
1/2 red onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
10 diced black olives
1/4 of a bell pepper, chopped
6 diced dried tomatoes (the really dry ones, "Melissa's brand")
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 pinch ground oregano
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

What to do:
Heat coconut oil in an oven safe skillet over med high heat
Heat oven to 400
Cook veggies and garlic in skillet until soft
Mix turkey with veggies and spices in a large mixing bowl
Form meat and veggie combination into small patties (we made 6)
Return patties to skillet and brown on each side over med high heat
Place skillet in oven to finish cooking over 5 to 10 minutes
Serve with mustard and a side salad

The idea for these burgers came from Stupideasypaleo.com

Salmon with Steamed Brocolli

What you need:
2 salmon filets (skin on)
2 cups brocolli, washed and cut into florets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 lemon

What to do:
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat
Place salmon filets face down (skin up) for five or six minutes until they get some color,
Flip filets and turn down heat to med, let cook for another six minutes or until meat is flaky but moist.  Garnish with lemon slices.
Steam brocolli in microwave for three minutes while fish cooks.
(Sometimes I will turn on the oven if the meat looks like it is going to burn before it cooks all the way. I'll throw the skillet in the oven for about ten minutes, usually turns out perfect.)

Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Baby Spinach and Pear Salad

What You Need:
4 thin sliced chicken breast cutlets
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 small handful fresh spinach per person
1 pear
pinch salt and fresh ground pepper
3 tbsp olive oil

What To Do:
Preheat oven to 400
Place the chicken in a glass casserole dish.
Mix together 1 tbsp lemon juice and 3 tbsp olive oil.
Pour mixture over chicken and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
Place two sprigs rosemary on top of chicken along with a few thin slices of lemon.
Bake chicken for forty five minutes.
While chicken is baking wash the spinach and cut the pear.
I also steamed some cauliflower in the microwave for a couple minutes.