Artichoke & Lemon Chicken

Here’s an easy and delicious healthy meal idea: Artichoke and Lemon Chicken. I used ghee to make this recipe Whole 30 compliant, but you can use butter, coconut oil, olive oil, etc. or whatever you prefer. Just start it on the stovetop in a cast-iron skillet and move the whole thing to the oven to finish.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 4 Tbs. cooking fat (butter, coconut oil, ghee, etc), divided into two Tbs. each
• Half of one onion, sliced
• 2 cups canned artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
• 1/2 tsp. dill
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 lbs. uncooked chicken breasts
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the cooking fat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add artichoke hearts, dill, and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine.

Place the chicken on top of the ingredients in the skillet, then top each piece of chicken with a small pat of the remaining 2 Tbs. of cooking fat.

Put the entire skillet into the oven and bake for 45 minutes (or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F).

recipe adapted from Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo

 

 

Healthy Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

Oh slow cooker recipes. How I love thee. Here’s a healthy meal that’s low-carb, low-fat, and high-flavor. It’s also Whole30 compliant. And super easy! Just make a homemade sauce out of a bell pepper, onion, tomato paste, garlic, and herbs in a food processor. Then pour it over chicken in the slow cooker, set it, and forget it! (Then shred it, and sprinkle with delicious fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro.)

Healthy Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken · recipebookandmore.wordpress.com · 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and rough chopped
• 1 onion, rough chopped
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp. sea salt
• 3/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 4 lbs. uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro

WHAT YOU DO:

In a food processor, combine bell pepper, onion, tomato paste, garlic, parsley flakes, cumin, salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and lime zest. Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. (I added a teaspoon or two of water to thin it out slightly.)

Line slow cooker (optional). Place chicken in slow cooker then pour the sauce over the top. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-6 hours, until chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked.

Before serving, shred with two forks. Sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro.

recipe adapted from The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Homemade Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce

Homemade Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce

I’m all about Whole30 recipes lately. They are healthy and delicious, full of clean eating foods, and fresh ingredients. Here’s an easy way to make a big batch of marinara sauce, perfect for spiralized zucchini noodles AKA zoodles, or baked spaghetti squash. The best part is you can freeze the leftovers in individual portions for later. Yay!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1  1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1  1/2 c. finely diced carrots
• 4-5 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cans (28 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 1  1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
• 1  1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1  1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 3 bay leaves

WHAT YOU DO:

• Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add olive oil, onion, carrots and garlic. Sauté veggies until carrots soften, approximately 5 minutes or so.
• Transfer the mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. (I use crock pot liners so there’s less mess to clean later)
• Add remaining marinara sauce ingredients to slow cooker then whisk to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally.

This makes a thick, somewhat chunky sauce, which I love. If you prefer a thinner sauce however, you can use an immersion blender to thin it out.

Freezing Instructions: Prepare as instructed above. Cool sauce to room temperature, then ladle into freezer-safe containers or ziplock freezer bags (in 1 or 2 cup portions, depending on how much you will need at a time). Before serving, thaw sauce in refrigerator overnight. Or, empty frozen sauce in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sauce comes to a simmer.

recipe adapted from Whole30.com

Avocado-Lime Mason Jar Salad Recipe

Our garden still runneth over with zucchinis. I made a batch of mason jar salads, using spiralized zucchinis instead of lettuce. I threw in some baked chicken breast and fresh veggies. Then put the jars in the fridge for a week’s worth of lunches. For the dressing I mixed up avocado, lime juice, fresh cilantro, garlic, and olive oil. Can you say delicious?!?

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci, and she uses a big fancy spiral cutter called “The Inspiralizer.” However I just use a tiny GEFU Spirelli Spiral Slicer. Anyway here’s what I came up with:

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 lb. cooked boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, diced
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3/4 c. sliced black olives
• 2 or 3 zucchini, spiralized into noodles
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 pint-size mason jars

WHAT YOU DO:

Make the dressing: In a food processor, combine cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, lime juice, and avocado. Pulse until creamy. Add some room temperature water a few teaspoons at a time then pulse after each addition of water, until desired consistency is reached.

Assemble the salads: Divide the ingredients and the dressing among the four jars: First the dressing (bottom layer), then the remaining ingredients up to the top. Place lids on the jars and refrigerate.

*I assembled everything in advance except for the dressing (just in case the avocado browned), so I prepared the dressing right before serving.

And here’s a link to an avocado scoop I hand-stamped; available at my Etsy shop!

Search NiftyNarwhalTM on etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/NiftyNarwhalTM

Italian Zucchini UNpasta Salad

Italian Zucchini UNpasta Salad

The zucchinis in our garden are growing like, well, zucchinis in August, ha. I love using my spiral cutter to turn them into noodles AKA zoodles. This recipe is simple, delicious, and is a great make-ahead option since the more it marinates in the dressing the more intense the flavors become. It has all the usual ingredients of an Italian pasta salad — red onions, black olives, oregano, basil, salami, olive oil, red wine vinegar, cheese — minus the pasta! It’s a great recipe to keep on hand for summer potlucks because it is sure to be a crowdpleaser.

This recipe is adapted from the cookbook Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci, and she uses a fancy big ol’ spiral cutter called “The Inspiralizer.” However I just use a basic GEFU Spirelli Spiral Slicer. No matter how you slice it (pun intended) spiral cut zucchinis are an awesome low-carb alternative to pasta.

Alrighty then. Here’s the recipe…

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 2 medium zucchinis, spiral cut into “noodles”
• 1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry
• 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved (I used a combination of red and orange)
• 5 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 3/4 c. sliced salami
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 c. sliced black olives
• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• fresh basil, minced, to taste (I used 4 large leaves)
• Parsley, chopped, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper, to taste

WHAT YOU DO:

In a large bowl combine zucchini, artichokes, tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, onion, and olives.

In a separate bowl, whisk these together to make the dressing: vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Pour the dressing on top of the salad ingredients and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until the dressing starts to soften the zucchini. Serve chilled.

 

 

21 Day Fix Veggie Toss with pasta. Or feta. Or brown rice. Or chicken.

Here’s a show and tell of my lunch 🙂 I sauteed fresh veggies in a teaspoon of EVOO, and added some red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and garlic. I added a serving of whole wheat penne pasta, but have done this with feta, chicken, brown rice too. I included the estimated nutrition information, WW points, and the 21 day fix container counts for each option.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 c. (which is 1 green 21 Day Fix container) fresh asparagus, cut into pieces

1/2 c. (1/2 green container) portabello mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c. (1/2 green container) cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

To taste: lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic.

Options:

• 1/2 c. (1 yellow container) cooked whole wheat penne pasta
• 1/2 c. (1 yellow container) cooked brown rice
• 3 oz. (1 red container) baked chicken
• 1/4 c. (1 blue container) crumbled feta cheese

WHAT YOU DO:

In a saucepan, saute the EVOO, veggies, and garlic. Add lemon juice and red pepper flakes to taste.

Mix in your pasta, rice, chicken, or feta to desired temperature, and serve.

Creamy Black Bean and Chicken Soup – 21 Day Fix

Healthy Eating: Creamy Black Bean and Chicken Soup

21 Day Fix

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1/2 red container of plain nonfat Greek yogurt (6 Tablespoons)

• 1/2 red container baked chicken breast, cut into chunks (approximately 3 ounces)

• 1 blue container of shredded cheddar cheese (1/4 cup)

• 1/2 yellow container of black beans (1/4 cup)

• 1/2 yellow container of frozen corn, thawed (1/4 cup)

• 1 cup organic reduced sodium chicken broth (8 oz.) – want to try your own broth?

• Mixture of spices, to taste:

chili powder

crushed red pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

sea salt

dried oregano

paprika

WHAT YOU DO:

In a pan, combine black beans, corn, broth, and the spices. Simmer for 10 minutes or so. Add in the chicken and stir.
Before serving add yogurt and cheese, then stir to melt.
21 Day Fix = 1 red, 1 blue, 1 yellow
* you could also add 1 green container of chopped tomatoes in with the beans and corn for added veggies, for a total count of 1 red, 1 blue, 1 yellow, and 1 green

Weight Watchers = 6 “old” points *or* 8 WW+ points

Estimated Nutrition Information

• 300 calories
• 9 grams fat
• 22 grams carbohydrate
• 4 grams fiber
• 40 grams protein

I am trying out a different approach to eating healthy: using 21 Day Fix portions. It’s similar to Weight Watchers in that you are allotted a certain amount of food each day, but instead of a certain number of “points,” with the 21 Day Fix you get a certain number of containers, which are color coded to the food. For example, proteins are measured in red containers, veggies are measured in green, fruits in purple, and so on. Here’s a recipe for homemade soup that I made: Creamy Black Bean and Chicken Soup. You don’t have to use the actual containers; I included the regular measurements too. Either way you end up with a healthy, filling soup. The plain yogurt makes the soup creamy without using actual cream. Yay!

Since this is just 1 serving you can always multiply it accordingly. I bet a big batch of this would be delicious in the slow cooker.

For this soup, I used chicken that was already baked. At the beginning of the week, I had a prep day to cook and divide up individual portions. I cooked a few pounds of chicken breasts (marinated in lemon juice with garlic, then baked at 400F for 25-30 minutes) and separated them into individual portions, made whole grain pasta then separated into servings, and froze for later, and I browned some lean ground turkey, mixed with homemade taco seasoning, and froze individual portions. Just some ideas if you’re a make-ahead junkie like me. 🙂

Amazon.com – Nessie Soup Ladle

Foil Packet Recipe: Baked Salmon with Dill Sauce

Looking for a low-fat, high-protein meal idea? Here’s an easy foil packet recipe: Baked Salmon with Dill Sauce.

I used nonfat Greek yogurt for the sauce, and the entire thing was only 125 calories, 1 gram of fat, and just 3 Weight Watchers Plus Points! The dill in our garden is growing nicely, so it was a great recipe for fresh herbs.

I made just one serving, but you could easily adjust the recipe to make more.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• One 4-ounce salmon filet (I used frozen and thawed it according to the package directions)
• 1/4 c. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• garlic powder, to taste
• onion powder, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. minced parsley
• 1 tsp. fresh dill, minced

WHAT YOU DO:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Spray a piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the salmon on the foil and season with salt and lemon juice.

Wrap up into a packet, and bake for 25 minutes.

While the salmon bakes, make the sauce. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to make the dill sauce.

After salmon is baked, top with sauce, and serve.

Serves 1 – Estimated Nutrition Information:

• 125 calories
• 1 gram fat
• 3 grams carbohydrates
• 0 fiber
• 30 grams protein

Chocolate Banana Avocado Smoothie Recipe

My blender is getting a workout because I’m on a smoothie kick! Here’s a super-filling and tasty smoothie recipe: Chocolate Banana Avocado. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 8 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 frozen banana (peel and cut into chunks before freezing)
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 individual packet Splenda

WHAT YOU DO:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix. Serve and enjoy.

Here’s an avocado scooper I hand-stamped, available at my Etsy shop!

Search NiftyNarwhalTM on etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/NiftyNarwhalTM

ESTIMATED NUTRITION INFORMATION:

Spinach Stuffed Turkey Burger Recipe

Here are some turkey burgers I made – stuffed with spinach, garlic, oats, and lemon juice. So easy! You just mash up all the ingredients and form it into patties. I used one pound of ground turkey and made 4 burgers but they were huge, so next time I will probably make 5 or 6.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 16 oz. ground turkey 93% lean
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach, torn into small pieces
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• pepper, to taste

WHAT YOU DO:

• In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Form into patties. (The nutrition info below is for servings of 4 patties)
• Spray a skillet with cooking spray, or mist with olive oil, and heat over medium heat.
• Cook until skillet until cooked through and browned, approximately 8 minutes on each side.

Estimated Nutrition Information: Per Serving (recipe makes 4 servings)

• 225 calories
• 9.9 grams fat
• 131 mg cholesterol
• 8.9 grams carbohydrates
• 1 gram fiber