ONE PAN BALSAMIC CHICKEN – EASY
For a VIDEO tutorial, click here
8 oz sliced mushrooms
12 oz fresh green beans
1 ¼ lb chicken breast tenderloins
¼ C Italian dressing
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ C sliced cherry tomatoes
Sauté mushrooms for a bit and add green beans, continue to sauté until green beans are tender. Remove to a plate or shallow dish.
Sauté chicken turning to brown both sides, cook through. Remove and set aside with green beans and mushrooms.
Add the Italian dressing to the pan with the honey and balsamic and cook down a bit, add the green beans and mushrooms back to the sauce and stir, add the chicken and stir, add the tomatoes and stir.
RECOMMENDATION:
Eat a nice hearty salad full of raw veggies before this meal is served. I suggest having the salad pre made and when you are done adding in all the above items, turn off the heat, cover the chicken dish with a lid and enjoy your salad. Sorry, no bread, you will not even miss bread after a while trust me. If you love bread then I suggest sourdough, one slice, and only twice per week.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH – Med
I already have a page to demonstrate how to make this quick and easy dish. Click the link below:
https://thingsthatwarmtheheart.net/food-recipes/quick-delicious-paleo-spaghetti-squash/
Make it alfredo?? Replace the red sauce with the creamy alfredo recipe below.
Try it with added chicken or shrimp.
Not a fan of spaghetti squash? Try it once before you decide. But, if you REALLY don’t like it, try shredding some zucchini, green, yellow or both and lightly saute until just tender and make my creamy alfredo sauce below.
CREAMY ALFREDO
¼ C butter melted in a saucepan
1 C heavy cream – add to melted butter and simmer 5 mins
1 clove of garlic crushed – add to the cream
1 ½ C grated Gruyere Cheese – add to cream mixture and whisk until melted and creamy
¼ C fresh chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
RECOMMENDED:
Add shrimp or chicken if desired for a heartier meal.
Add a hearty big salad full of fresh raw veggies. Include nuts, dried cranberries, avocado and strawberries. It makes for a very healthy and colorful salad. Use an olive oil, lemon and balsamic dressing. Sorry, but no bread tonight either.
CROCK POT CHILI (No beans) – Easy
- 2 lbs. of ground beef or turkey
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, both diced
- 1 cup of carrots, finely diced
- 1 cup of celery, diced
- 1 jalapeno, minced
- (1) 28-ounce can of crushed or stewed tomatoes
- (1) 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- (1) 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 3 Tbsp. of chili powder
- 1 Tbsp. of oregano
- 1 Tbsp. of basil
- 2 tsp. of cumin
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. of cayenne
- About 4 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 or 2 avocados, diced
Instructions
- Sauté onions and garlic together in a large saucepan over medium heat
- Add in ground beef (or turkey) to the saucepan and cook just until browned. Drain excess fat
- Transfer the cooked onions, garlic and meat to your crockpot/slow-cooker
- Add all the above vegetables and spices (except garnish ingredients) to the crockpot
- Give the pot a good stir
- Set crockpot to LOW, cover, and slow cook for about 6 hours
- Spoon into individual bowls. Garnish with crumbled bacon and avocado slices
- Serve hot and enjoy!
If it does not seem like a big bowl (or two) of this will fill you up, have a side of broccoli or zucchini prepared to go along with it.
FISH PICCATA
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 small white fish fillets (such as sole WILD CAUGHT), about 1 lb.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup white wine
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
There is a video link on this page. Click Watch how to make this recipe.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, blot the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess. Saute the fish in the oil until just cooked through, about 4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the fish to a platter. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, whisking for about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and capers and stir. Add the butter and stir or whisk to incorporate to bring the sauce together. Pour onto the fish and garnish with the chopped parsley.
Recipe courtesy of Melissa d’Arabian
Suggested sides:
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
Courtesy of sharedappetite.com
- 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting oil
- 1 small to medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 or 2 limes
- ⅓ cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, season generously with Kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring to avoid burning.
- Reduce the heat to low and add rice. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, the zest and juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of salt. Raise heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is done as per the directions on your bag of rice (my brown rice took 40 minutes to cook, but different brands and types of rice have different cooking times).
- Once liquid is completely evaporated and rice is cooked, fluff rice with a fork and stir in cilantro. Taste and add the juice of the second lime if needed. Mine did not need the second lime because the first one was really juicy.
BALSAMIC GARLIC CHICKEN
6 cloves of garlic peeled and set aside
2 Tbl flour in a shallow plate
Add salt and pepper to taste – mix with a fork
4 skinless and boneless chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper
Dredge in flour mixture coating all sides.
2 Tbl olive oil in a pan and heat
Add chicken breast and garlic cloves, brown on all sides
Add to the pan:
¾ lbs sliced mushrooms
¼ C Balsamic Vinegar
¾ C chicken stock
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp thyme
Cover tightly and simmer for 10 mins. Turning occasionally then transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
Turn heat up and cook for 7 minutes Add 1 Tbl butter and discard bayleaf and pour the mushroom sauce over the chicken.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Serve over some quickly stir fried green beans or broccoli. Try some baked Acorn Squash or a mix of green and yellow zucchini.
Make a nice leafy green salad to eat prior to eating the main dish. Remember, eating a large salad full of lots of raw veggies will help you not to over eat on the heavy main dish.
SHOPPING LIST
PRODUCE:
Salad fixings, lettuce, etc
Avocado for chili and a few more for salads and snacks
12 oz sliced mushrooms or more for snacks and salads
12 oz fresh green beans or more for snacking
1 C cherry tomatoes or more for salads and snacking
Spaghetti Squash
Green and Yellow Zucchini
Garlic
Flat leaf Italian Parsley
2 onions or more for salad
1 red bell pepper or more for salad
1 green bell pepper or more for salad
Strawberry for salad and snacking
Whole Carrots
Celery
1 – 2 Jalapenos
Broccoli
Cilantro
2 Limes
2 Lemons
GRAINS:
Short grain brown rice
DAIRY:
Butter
Heavy Cream
Gruyere Cheese
MEAT:
3-5 lbs chicken breast
2 lb ground beef or turkey
1 lb wild caught white fish such as sole or halibut
Optional: Shrimp or extra chicken to add to the Alfredo or red sauce for Spaghetti Squash.
MISC:
Chicken broth
Italian dressing
Honey
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Chili Powder
Oregano
Basil
Bay Leaf
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Onion Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Flour
White Cooking Wine
Capers
1 Can (28 oz) crushed or stewed tomatoes
1 Can (15 oz) tomato sauce
DON’T FORGET YOUR SNACKS, LUNCH and BREAKFAST
For healthy snack, lunch and breakfast ideas CLICK HERE