Thai Turkey Skillet (lettuce wraps)

If you like Thai food with hints of heat (spice) along with a slight nuttiness of nut butters, then you'll LOVE this! Josh made it last night for dinner and I seriously DID NOT want my serving to end!

It was spicy, nutty, tangy and colorful too!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Lean ground turkey

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. minced or grated fresh ginger (original recipe calls for 2 Tbsp)

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp. peanut butter (preferably natural)**

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

8 cups spinach (original recipe calls for 8 romaine lettuce leaves to use for lettuce wraps)

Brown the ground turkey in a large non-stick skillet or wok; drain the grease.
Add the peppers, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Cook over medium-high heat about 4 min, or until the peppers have softened slightly.
Meanwhile, whisk together the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the peanut butter mixture to the skillet; mix well.
Serve 1 cup of the meat mixture over a bed of spinach (2 cups).

**This dish would be considered paleo if you use an almond butter.

Recipe courtesy of: The book, FIT2FAT2FIT by Drew Manning p. 146

Chinese "Fried Rice"

We have enjoyed reading a book called, FIT2FAT2FIT

by Drew Manning and within this book are some amazingly delicious and clean recipes. Also, it's a book that describes Drew Manning's experience of being a fit, very lean trainer, to overweight and unhealthy, back to being fit again. It's quite an amazing story! Great book Drew!

We decided to try out some of the recipes from his book.
This one was a HIT! It honestly tasted like an indulgent and rich Chinese dish.
But, YOU be the judge.... I think it was a spectacular knock off dish.

Chinese "Fried Rice"

Ingredients:

10 ounces fresh cauliflower (about 1/2 medium head)

cooking oil, (we used coconut oil)

3 green onions, sliced (and roughly separated into green and white)

1 clove garlic, minced

dash of ginger, optional

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

Few drops of sesame oil, to taste

16oz. raw chicken, cut into 1 in. pieces

3 eggs beaten

(makes 4 to 6 servings)

Grate the cauliflower using either the largest holes on a hand grater or the grating blade in a food processor. The results should resemble cooked white rice--hence the recipe's name.
Weigh out 10 ounces of the grated cauliflower.
On medium high heat, heat enough oil to cover the wok or skillet.
Quickly stir fry the garlic and the WHITES of the onions. (Watch closely so as NOT to burn)
Add the cauliflower; fry about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it begins to color a bit. (Don't overcook or it will get mushy)
Stir in the Ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion greens and shrimp. Stir fry chicken until cooked through.
Push the "rice" mixture to one side of the wok.
Pour the eggs into the other side; scramble and cook until moist.
Mix the eggs into the "rice", breaking up any large chunks of egg.

Tip: This dish stores and reheats well.

Recipe courtesy of: FIT2FAT2FIT by Drew Manning p.140 (but we changed the protein to chicken, the original recipe calls for shrimp)

Butternut Squash Soup

Okay, okay.... Don't laugh. I was reading "RedBook" magazine 

and I stumbled upon the recipe section within the magazine. 

I quickly skimmed through the ingredients of "Kelly's Butternut Squash Soup"

and realized just HOW easy this soup could be. 

I also noticed the base was a vegetable stock and coconut milk. 

Even better!

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Olive Oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium onions, diced small

2 large butternut quash (2 lb), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 small yukon gold or russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 4 small yukon)

8 cups vegetable stock or water (I actually used chicken stock)

2 cups canned coconut milk (I used lite)

salt and pepper to taste

This recipe makes 12 servings. Each (1 cup serving): ~210 cal.

Heat oil in a large stock-pot over medium-low heat.
Add garlic, onion and a pinch of salt, stirring until translucent, 3 to 5 min.

Add squash.

Add carrots and potatoes.

Add stock.
Bring to a BOIL.
Lower heat to a simmer and cook 25-30 min,
or until vegetables can be easily pierced with a fork.
Remove from heat and add coconut milk.

Puree soup with a blender. 

Season with salt and pepper.

I garnished my bowl of soup with 4 oz. grilled chicken.
This is a great soup.
Easy. Simple and very delicious!

Recipe courtesy of: Redbook Magazine p.24; Kelly Osbourne, "Kelly's Butternut Squash Soup"

Chicken and Ham Creamy Parmesan Lasagna

Another one of OUR favorites. Go ahead, I dare you to not fall in love with this combination. 

The flavors are unexpectedly perfect together. 

Ham, fresh parsley, chicken broth..... go on, keep reading....or salivating.

Ingredients:

2 C. Chicken Broth

1/2 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper

3 1/4 C. Skim Milk

1/3 C. + 1 tbsp. Flour

1 1/2 C. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 C. chopped parsley

12 no-cook lasagna noodles,divided

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped up, divided (I've used rotisserie chicken in the past, but that increases the sodium, FYI)

8 oz. ham, divided

1 cup thinly chopped asparagus, divided

1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place broth and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large pot over medium high heat.
Bring to a boil.

In a blender, combine flour, milk and remaining pepper together.

Mix thoroughly.

Add milk mixture to broth in pan.

Stir CONSTANTLY over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil.

Let cook for ONE minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat,
Add 1 C. Parmesan cheese.

Add parsley.

Stirring until cheese melts.

You can use one 9x13 pan
or two 8x8 pans.
Be sure to spray PAM on your pans.

Spread a little sauce over the bottom of the pan(s). 

Layer the "oven ready" noodles over sauce.

Layer the Asparagus, Chicken, Ham & Pepper Jack over the noodles.

Noodles again.

Spoon a little more sauce over the noodles.

Add some chicken, ham, asparagus and pepper jack cheese.

Then noodles and sauce, again.

Last layer of Chicken, Ham, Asparagus and Pepper jack.

Follow up with the final layer of noodles.
Add a pinch of fresh parsley (if you still have some left over) and the rest of the Parmesan cheese on top.

Cover with foil that's been sprayed with Pam as well.
Cook for 30 min

Remove from oven and let it cool for about 10-15 min.
It allows the lasagna to set up.

Then, serve alongside a hearty salad or veggie of your choice.

It makes a great meal, and what do you know....green veggies are even inside!
Eat up!

This was for dessert!
Boy, oh boy....I love cooking for my little family!

Herb & Cheese Baked Chicken

I'm always looking for light and simple ways to create "WOW" 

chicken dishes that are secretly SIMPLE and pack flavor!

I just happened to be watching the Rachael Ray show today. She was making a very easy chicken dish! It looked sooooooo yummy (and "figure friendly") and as I was watching it, I realized I actually had ALL the ingredients. No grocery shopping trip for me. I was making this recipe....tonight.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 1 1/4 cups Panko breadcrumbs

1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese (a FAT handful)

2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tbsp. chopped rosemary

1 tbsp chopped thyme

1 tbsp. chopped sage

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast (only 3 are pictured)

Olive oil, for drizzling

salt & pepper

about 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

**for best results use FRESH herbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat

When butter gets bubbly, add minced garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

It will brown up beautifully.

Pour the panko breadcrumbs in a dish. ( I used a casserole pan)
Pour the garlic butter over the breadcrumbs.

Stir and let cool.

Add the cheese and all the FRESH herbs.

Mix well.

Place the chicken on parchment paper.
Rub a little olive oil on both sides.
Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Add a little squirt of Dijon mustard to each chicken breast.

Spread the mustard, covering only ONE side.

Then take chicken, mustard side down, and press into breadcrumb mixture.

Repeat for all pieces of chicken.

The breadcrumbs should only cover ONE side.
Once covered, I realized  the hefty amount of breadcrumbs that were left over.
So, I took an additional 3-4 tbsp of the breadcrumbs and placed it on top of the chicken.
Then, gently patted it down.

Cook at 400 degrees for 20 min. (or until juices run clear)

DONE!

It was scrumptious. It was tangy, garlicky and crunchy.
The panko breadcrumbs hold their crispy texture and add a nice crunch to the tender chicken.
I paired this with a lovely homemade Curried Cauliflower Soup.

WINNER! WINNER! Chicken dinner.
Ha!

Recipe courstesy of:http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/baked-chicken-herb-and-cheese-breadcrumbs/ 

**I added some slight variations to this recipe.