Paleo Diet ~ Week 3

Week 3 is done!! Only one more week to go! This past week was a little harder on me then the previous weeks. Even though I craved carbs super bad the first week, this week it was salt. It may have to do with me starting my running schedule back up. I don't know, but I'll track week 4's carvings with my workouts and see what I come up with.

We did have two meals this week that will for sure be in the monthly dinner rotation; Spaghetti w/Steamed Green Beans and Jambalaya. I'll be up front, I was very hesitant with the Jambalaya recipe because... it's Jambalaya! How in the world are you suppose to eat it without rice? Yum, Rice! But surprisingly it did turn out pretty good.

Spaghetti w/Steamed Green Beans

1.5 lbs ground turkey (ground beef of chicken is fine)

2 tbsp dry Italian seasoning

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 cups frozen carrots & peas

Fresh Green Beans (you can use frozen or canned)

~ Brown ground turkey with Italian seasoning. While meat is browning, mix spaghetti sauce and frozen veggies into your slow cooker. Once meat is done, drain excess fat grease and mix cooked meat into the spaghetti sauce. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Clean fresh green beans and cut off the ends. Steam green beans 20 minutes before you are ready to eat. Pour sauce over your green beans and enjoy dinner!

Jambalaya

1 lb spicy chicken sausage - sliced

1 1/2 cooked shrimp

1 green pepper - diced

1 red pepper - diced

1 small onion - chopped

1 tomato - chopped

1 head of cauliflower - finely chopped

2 small cans of El Pato tomato sauce

1 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp creole seasoning

~ In a large pan saute; green peppers, red peppers, and onions. In another pan, brown chicken sausage. Once the sausage is brown add to the saute pan. Also add tomato sauce, water, cauliflower, tomato's, and creole seasoning. On medium heat bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce heat for 20 minutes. Once ready, add shrimp and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until shrimp has warmed. Great with a side salad!

Paleo Diet ~ Week 2



So easy a caveman can do it? I'm really not sure if I would go that far because this diet is a pain in the ass! First off, since there is no processed food (yes, i'm still having withdrawals from my taco bell volcano burritos) that means weekly shopping trips to the grocery store for fresh produce. You try taking a gaggle of kids to the grocery store and see how you feel after. I'll bet you'll be hiding right next to me in the garage sneaking a beer. Which of course is NOT allowed on this diet! Then there is the prep work. Grant it, it does make the rest of the week meal making a lot easier. But it's still an afternoon of washing, chopping, dicing, and packaging. Pretty much what I've learned after week 2 is this... dieting is a pain in the ass!

A few things we ate during week two...

Beef Stir-Fry:
Tip Steak - sliced
Carrots - shredded
Broccoli - flowerets
Asparagus - diced
Bean Sprouts - 1 small bag (may or may not be allowed, i don't know)
Water chestnuts - diced
2 tsp Sesame Seed Oil

~ Saute carrots, broccoli, and asparagus in sesame seed oil. After about 5 mins add tip steak and cook until steak is at the temperature you desire. Add bean sprouts and water chestnuts, toss for a few more minutes over medium heat. Enjoy!

Pork Roast and Veggies (slow cooker):
3lbs Pork Tenderloin
15oz tomato sauce
2tsp basil
1tsp garlic powder
Cauliflower - flowerets
Zucchini - sliced
Asparagus - cut ends off

~ Mix tomato sauce, basil, and garlic powder in your slow cooker. Coat pork roast with seasoned tomato sauce. Add Cauliflower. Cook on low for 6 hours. After about 4 hours add zucchini and asparagus and cook until done. If you aren't able to add the zucchini and asparagus until after the cook time you can always steam them. 

Egg, Turkey, Veggie Scramble:
4 eggs - scrambled
1/4 cup red/green bell peppers - chopped
1/4 cup spinach - chopped
Turkey - diced
A couple dashes of hot sauce

~ Saute spinach and bell peppers for a couple minutes. Pour in scrambled eggs. Once the eggs are almost done to your liking toss in the turkey to warm. I have doubled this recipe and split in half to eat the next day.

Red Beans and Rice

Happy Fat Tuesday!

1 lb dry small red beans
4 cups chicken broth
1 can of beer (if you don't want beer use 2 cups of water)
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 or 3 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch of green onions, sliced (split in half)
2 1/2 tsp creole seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Cooked rice

~ Rinse dry beans in a colander and remove any deformed ones. In your crock pot combined; chicken broth, beer (or water), tomato sauce, onion, celery, bell pepper, green onions, creole seasoning, and garlic. Next pour in the dry beans and stir. Toss in the bay leaves and cover. Add the sausage and cayenne pepper an hour or 2 before you are ready to eat. Cook on slow for 8 hours or until the beans are done. Once you are ready to eat, mash some of the beans along the side of the pot and stir. This will give it a creamy texture. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onions.

Side Note: Start by using 6 cups of liquid and if more is needed then add a small amount at a time. If you end up with to much liquid at the end of the cook time then remove some. All crock pots cook differently so adjust accordingly. Just remember the "sauce" is the best part about this dish so don't make it to "dry". Now go find your happy medium! :)

Happy National Margarita Day!

I thought since it's National Margarita Day it was only fitting to share my favorite recipe for this yummy slushy drink!

6oz frozen limeade concentrate
6oz tequila
6oz beer
fresh orange
ice

~ Fill your blender pitcher with ice. Pour in half a can of frozen limeade; place the rest back into the freezer till your next batch. Add tequila and half a can of beer (light beer works well). Drink the rest of the can while blending. :) Slice the orange in half and squeeze one side into the pitcher; save the other half for your next batch. Blend until it reaches the consistency you like. Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, boiled
1 10.75oz can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 10.75oz can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 3/4 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen peas & carrot mix
Zatarain's Creole Seasoning for flavoring

Double Pie Crust Recipe
2 cups wheat flour
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
1/4 cup water

~ In a large bowl mix together soups, frozen veggies, and seasoning. Either shred or dice chicken; add to mixture. Set aside. In another bowl, combine flour and salt. Mix in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water and stir until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll one ball to fit a 9-in. or 10-in. pie dish. Transfer to pie dish. Trim pastry to the edge of dish. Pour chicken mixture into crust. Roll out second ball and cut slits in pastry. Transfer to pie dish positioning over filling. Seal edges. Bake at 375 degress for 45 minutes or until crust is a golden brown. ~

Side Note: You can always use a pre-made pie crust from the store! :)

Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes!

I ran across this recipe a few months back and with a few minor tweaks I have discovered my new FAVORTIE sweet potato side dish. You can mash these by hand, whip them with a mixer, or even use a food processor. Basically, use whatever your little heart desires. What are you in the mood for? Mashed, whipped, or pulsated? Yum! :)

4 large sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into chunks

1/4 cup & 2 tablespoons maple syrup (the real stuff)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 large sweet onion – thinly sliced

salt and pepper for taste

Heat oven to 375. In a bowl, toss together sweet potato chunks, maple syrup, and olive oil. Place in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until they are tender to a fork. 10-15 minutes before sweet potatoes are done, melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and remaining maple syrup. Cook onions till they are a golden brown, stir often. Once sweet potatoes are done transfer to a bowl you can mash them in. While mashing add browned onions, salt, and pepper. If your potatoes are not smooth enough add a tablespoon at a time of water until they reach the consistence you like. Enjoy!

Mexican Pork and Pinto Beans

I finally made dried beans in the crock-pot that turned out yummy. Yay! Not only did Adam enjoy dinner, so did the kids. Mason actually ate 2 burritos! This dish will defiantly be made again. And even better, it made enough for leftovers plus a container to freeze for dinner in a few weeks.

Mexican Pork and Pinto Beans: 

4lb pork roast (boneless is easier to shred
1lb dried pinto beans
8oz can diced green chilies
2tbsp salt
2tbsp ground cumin
2tbsp dried oregano
2tbsp garlic powder
1tbsp chili powder
Tortillas

In a bowl, mix together beans, chilies, and spices. Place roast into your crock-pot and pour the bean mixture around it. Using the same mixing bowl, fill with water and pour on top of the roast. This way you get out all the spices left inside. Put enough water in your crock-pot so the roast is almost covered. Cook on low for about 9 hours. Check half way through to make sure the beans haven’t absorbed all the water. If they have add a little at a time. Once it’s done, remove the roast and shred with two forks. Return the meat to the crock-pot and let soak while you get everything else ready for dinner. Enjoy!

*My beans never absorbed all the water and I actually ended up draining the dish once the shred meat cooked for a little bit*

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I made these for Mason’s Pajama Day and even though they tasted good, I still felt the recipe needed a little more tweaking. So I went back home and after 3 batches, I think I’ve  finally mastered my Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe! Let me know what you think. :)

1egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

3 ripe bananas

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup flour

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix (on a low setting) together egg, both sugars, vanilla yogurt, and bananas in a large mixing bowl. Next add your baking soda and baking powder. If you are using a KitchenAid, change your attachment to the flat beater. Then add the wheat and regular flour in on a low speed. If you are not using a KitchenAid, fold these remain ingredients in with a large wooden spoon. Last add your chocolate chips. Bake on 350 for about 21 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean from the center. Makes approx. 18 muffins.

Mason on Pajama Day

Maple Dijon Chicken

This recipe was YUMMY! I found it over at A Year of Slow Cooking. Even though three out of our five family members like sweet potatoes, I think next time I’ll make this dish with red potatoes. Then again, I’m one of the three that likes sweet potatoes so maybe the two that don’t care for them need to zip it. Just sayin’. :)

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

1 can chicken broth

2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp 100% maple syrup

6 cloves garlic (minced)

4 bay leaves

2 tsp rosemary herb seasoning

Rinse and pat dry chicken breast, cut any extra fat off. In a mixing bowl combine chicken, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and seasonings. Place the bay leaves on the bottom of your Crock Pot and then pour in your chicken mixture. Next pour in the chicken broth around the outside of the pot, trying not to rinse the coated chicken. Last, toss in the onions and sweet potatoes. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. There should be enough “sauce” left to pour over brown rice.

Pork Chops

Mondays always seem to be a frantic day for me. When Monday rolls around I never feel like I got enough checked off my list during the weekend. Which leads to me feeling rushed to finish before going to work. So needless to say, Monday night dinners normally don’t get a lot of thought put into them. BUT, pretty much anything that goes into my Crock Pot comes out tasting yummy anyways. :)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

5 or 6 boneless pork chops

chopped carrots (just depends on how much you want)

seasoning (i used a greek seasoning)

~ Season both sides of your pork chops and leave on plate. Pour in both cans of soup and spread along the bottom of your Crock Pot. Next, arrange your pork chops over the cream of mushroom soup. Then place carrots around the outside of your dish. Cook for 6 hours on low. Serve with a side of brown rice or green salad.

Enchilada Pie

I have to admit… this is more on the lines of a layered enchilada then a pie. But, since it’s my recipe I can call it whatever I please. And Enchilada Pie sounds a whole lot better then Enchilada Layer. :)

1.5 lbs ground beef

1 can (14oz) enchilada sauce

1 can (7oz) diced chilies

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup monterey jack cheese

12 corn tortillas

1 pack taco seasoning (i used burrito seasoning this time since i was out)

Brown meat with taco seasoning and drain. I personally don’t follow the directions on the back of the packet and add water. Because once done browning, I rinse the meat off in a colander to get rid of any extra grease. Once meat is rinsed off, pour into a mixing bowl. Add diced chilies and HALF of the enchilada sauce, stir well. Next layer 4 corn tortillas on the bottom of your Crock Pot. Spoon in half of your meat mixture, plus 1/3 of the cheeses. Layer again with 4 tortillas and half of the remaining enchilada sauce. Repeat steps with the remaining meat mixture, tortillas, enchilada sauce and cheese. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkey Spaghetti

The Crock Pot alone is a quick and simple way to make meals. But if you need something VERY quick and simple, here you go: Turkey Spaghetti!

2 lbs ground turkey

1 67oz jar of spaghetti sauce (the LARGE size)

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons italian seasoning

parsley

whole wheat spaghetti noodles (cooked of course)

Season ground turkey with 1 tablespoon of italian seasoning and brown. Drain and add to Crock Pot. Pour in spaghetti sauce, minced garlic, and the rest of your seasonings. Stir well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over whole wheat noodles and a green salad.

~ SIDE NOTE: This recipe makes a large amount of sauce, which I halve and put in the freezer to use within the next few weeks. If you would like to make a smaller serving, use 1 lb ground turkey and 1 48oz jar of sauce. Change seasonings accordingly.

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

I’m sorry to do this to you, my fellow Lent followers, but this recipe is to good not to share. Just to let you know, I did not make this today; I made it yesterday. So I have not committed any sins(since you can’t eat meat on fridays during lent). Meaning today. :)

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 jars of creamy alfredo sauce (i used classico)

your choose of seasonings (i used salt, pepper, and parsley)

whole wheat rotini (or any other pasta you desire)

~Rinse chicken breasts and remove any extra fatty pieces, pat dry. Pour in both jars of alfredo sauce. Season both sides of chicken and then place on top of alfredo sauce. Cook 6-8 hours on low. Once it’s dinnertime, boil your pasta till it’s al dente (firm but not hard). Drain pasta and stir into crock-pot for 5 minutes or so. Giving the pasta time to absorb some of the sauce. I served steamed asparagus with this dish. Enjoy!

 

~Side Note: I have tried making this with packaged alfredo sauce and it doesn’t turn out as well. The sauce becomes runny.

P.S. - I lied, I cursed at the jerk who cut me off on my way to work. So now I’ve sinned 2x day. Once for cursing and once for lying. Oops!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Or as my kids call it… Red Chicken. I don’t know what it is with my kids, but if I call a meal by it’s “real” name they won’t eat it. I’ve learned I must keep things as simple as possible for them. Along with fun! That’s why whenever possible, I use my crinkle cutter. Since carrots (or whatever i’m cutting at the time) taste SO much better when they are crinkled!

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 cans sweet and sour sauce

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3-5 carrots, peeled and diced (crinkled in my case)

~Rinse chicken breasts and remove any extra fatty pieces, pat dry. Pour in both cans of sweet and sour sauce, place chicken on top of sauce. Toss in your diced bell peppers and carrots. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Side note: If your a fan of pineapple, toss in a can of pineapple chunks (drained).

Cheesy Chicken over Penne

Let me first start with this… I normally make this recipe with broccoli instead of peas and corn. But since I didn’t have broccoli and no time to go to the grocery store, I needed to improvise. Adam said it still turned out very tasty.

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 cans of cheddar cheese condensed soup

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

your choose of seasonings (i used garlic slat, pepper, rosemary, and parsley)

whole wheat penne (or any other pasta you desire)

~Rinse chicken breasts and remove any extra fatty pieces, pat dry. Pour in both cans of soup. Season both sides of chicken and then place on top of cheddar soup. Toss in your veggies. Cook 6-8 hours on low. Boil your pasta when it’s dinnertime and serve your chicken and cheesy sauce over it.

Side note: When I make this with broccoli, I would normally add it half way through cooking. Or I’ll steam it while my pasta is boiling.

What’s for dinner tonight?

Whole Chicken, Asparagus, & Red Potatoes

For tonight's dinner I switched things up a little. I normally stuff my chicken (and turkey) with apples, but my girlfriend Allison told me she stuffs hers with oranges. So oranges it is! And now if Adam complains I’ll blame it on her. :)

1 4lb chicken

1 can chicken broth (i like to use low sodium)

2 oranges, peeled and separated

red potatoes (however many you want), washed and pierced

1 bundle of asparagus, ends cut at diagonal

3 bay leaves

2 cloves of garlic

your choose of seasonings (i used italian, grinded garlic sea salt, and paprika)

~Discard the insides, then rinse and pat dry. Stuff one peeled and separated orange into body cavity, along with garlic. Rub chicken with your seasons. Pour broth into crock-pot along with other orange and bay leaves. Place your chicken on oranges. Toss in red potatoes and asparagus. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

What do you think?

Beef/Turkey Enchilada’s

Surprise!! It’s NOT a Crock-Pot recipe!!

You can make this the night before, or in the morning before you leave for work, just don’t pour the last can of enchilada sauce on. Wait till you are ready to put it in the oven. That way they don’t get soggy throughout the day. Also, Adam isn’t a huge fan of ground turkey enchilada’s, but if I brown half beef and half turkey together he has no idea. :)

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey

1 can of diced tomatoes w/chili’s, drained

2 cans of enchilada sauce (or 1 large can, split in half)

chopped onion (just depends how much, if any, you want)

grated cheese (my theory: the more, the better)

6 wheat tortilla’s, small 8”

Brown meat and drain. If I’m using ground beef I normally rinse the meat off in a colander to get rid of any extra grease. Next put the meat back on the stove and cook on medium heat with diced tomatoes, chopped onions, and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Cook down till most of the sauce has been absorbed. Fill tortilla with meat mixture, add cheese, and roll. Place in deep baking dish. Repeat till meat mixture is gone. Pour other can of enchilada sauce over dish and top with more cheese. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.

*P.S. In the attempt to eat healthy, we’ve tasted numerous wheat tortillas. I’ve come to the conclusion I don’t care for Guerrero tortillas; they taste good, but don’t roll well for me (flour or wheat). And the Costco wheat brand taste like… BLEEP. So far the winner in our house is the wheat Mission tortillas.

Pork Tenderloin Roast

Yup, you guessed it… ANOTHER dinner in my handy dandy Crock-Pot. Tonight’s dinner is a pork roast with vegetables. Eat up!

 

Pork Tenderloin Roast:

1-2 lbs pork roast (i used pork sirloin tip roast from costco)

2 cans – cream of celery soap (cream of mushroom is good too)

2 handfuls of baby carrots

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 small onion, wedged

5 potatoes, washed and cubed (i like more potatoes since they are my favorite)

favorite season (to rub on your meat, LOL. sorry couldn’t resist)

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Pork's internal temperature should be right about 160 degrees. Serve with some warm bread or just a salad if your watching your carbohydrate intake. If your really hungry, serve both! :)

Quick and Simple Chicken "Chili"

Have I ever mentioned how much I heart my Crock-Pot? Will just in case I haven't or some how you missed it (which is what has happened, since i talk about my bff all the time)... I LOVE MY CROCK-POT! I make some of my best dinners in her! Seriously, what is there not to love about a Crock-Pot? You dump in whatever you like, set it on low and then go about your day. Eight hours later, VOILA, dinner! It can't get any easier then that. Will it could, but it would include some sort of fast food drive thru loaded with trans fat. GROSS!

Anyways... Last night I made a VERY simple chicken chili. Figured I would share it since  Adam and the kids seemed to love it. There was only enough left for Cody’s lunch today and a serving for myself for dinner tonight. :)

Crock-Pot Chicken "Chili"

4 boneless chicken breast

1 jar of chucky salsa (i like to use the southwest kind)

2 cans of black beans (low sodium, not drained)

1lb frozen corn

Pressed garlic

A couple hours into cooking I start to shred the chicken with a fork. If you’re not around to do this, you could always dice up the chicken beforehand. Top it off with some cheese when your ready to serve, throw some cornbread on a plate (no cornbread? eat it with a tortilla), and you got yourself dinner with very little prep time. Enjoy!