Grilled Chicken

There is no plain meat that tastes as good as meat that is cooked on the grill! When you are trying to eat clean and healthy, being able to grill meat is a must! I live in Northwest Indiana and as anyone who knows this area can tell you, we have more winter than summer and the temperature can change by 20 degrees in one day! This makes using an outdoor grill difficult to do year round. This is what makes me so thankful for the invention of the indoor grill!

Hubby bought one of these for me and even though I was wanting one, I wasn’t sure if the results would be the same. Well, I came up with a way to season my chicken so that you wouldn’t know the difference whether it was cooked inside on an electric grill or on the outdoor grill! This grilled chicken can be eaten as is (it’s so good!) or used in salads or other dishes.

Amazing!

Grilled Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp liquid hickory smoke (I use Wright’s brand-it’s all natural, contains just water and liquid smoke concentrate)

1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

McCormick perfect pinch salt-free garlic & herb seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat grill

In condiment bowl (or other small bowl) add liquid smoke and olive oil

brush tops of chicken breasts with smoke mix using a silicon basting brush

Sprinkle seasoning generously over tops of chicken breasts

When grill is heated, arrange chicken breasts on it seasoning side down.

Brush the unseasoned tops with smoke mix and sprinkle generously with seasoning.

Cook thoroughly, flipping halfway through.

Enjoy! 🙂

Beef Fried “Rice”

This one is really gonna blow your mind AND your taste buds!!!! Yes, the “rice” is actually cauliflower but someone in my clean eating group posted that they made this and raved about how good it was and I figured since the Spanish rice turned out so well then this one just HAD to!

I really miss having Chinese food. But, you know that stuff is full of MSG and sodium and I am just not willing to knowingly put that stuff into my body any longer! I was resolved to the fact that I will never eat beef fried rice ever again….and then I tried this…yay! It’s delicious! I get my beef fried rice fix!

I didn’t use a recipe for this, I just made it the way I would make regular beef fried rice minus the bad stuff. I am a minimalist when it comes to beef fried rice. I know everyone likes their beef fried rice made with different ingredients so feel free to add what you want and subtract what you want. This is a great base to start you off!

Beef Fried Rice Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 tbsp wok oil (I use House of Tsang brand. It has no msg, preservatives, and salt added)

2 beef sandwich steaks cut into small pieces (1/2 by 1/2 inch or so)

1 head of cauliflower, riced

6 green onions, sliced

4 eggs, scrambled

handful of fresh bean sprouts

3-4 tbsp braggs (to taste)

Instructions:

cut stems off of cauliflower and pulse in food processor until it is the size of rice

In large skillet or in wok, heat wok oil over medium/high heat. Add beef and sautee until completely cooked, stirring often.

Add bean sprouts and sautee a minute to help soften them some

Add the rest of the ingredients and sautee another minute or two in order to heat thoroughly

This reheats well, too! Enjoy! 🙂

Shredded Beef Tacos with Green Enchilada Sauce

It’s simply amazing how good real food tastes! Who would have thought you could have enchilada sauce and it NOT come from a can?! This recipe is delicious and I usually eat it as a salad or in a lettuce wrap. I am not sure who posted this recipe in my group so I can’t give credit to the creator of this recipe; all I know is that it wasn’t me! Have I mentioned that I love Mexican food? 🙂 I will try to post recipes that AREN’T Mexican food, too!

The beef is cooked in a crock pot whereas the sauce is cooked on the stove (but doesn’t take long at all).

Shredded Beef Tacos with Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe:

Shredded Beef Tacos with Green Enchilada Sauce as an enchilada wrap

Shredded Beef Tacos Ingredients:2 1/2 lbs chuck roast

14 oz. low sodium beef broth

1 1/2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp braggs

1/4 tsp white pepper

Juice of 1 lime

Green Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

1 c low sodium chicken broth

5 medium tomatillos (husked and rinsed)

1 jalapeno (I left seeds in)

3 tbsp onion, diced

1 green onion

1 green onion

1 clove garlic

3 tbsp cilantro

juice of 1/2 lime

2 tsp xylitol (or stevia)

1/2 tsp cumin

Instructions:

Place beef taco ingredients in crock pot and cook on low until beef falls apart. Shred beef with fork.

In blender, combine sauce ingredients and blend a minute or 2 until smooth.

Pour sauce into saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Layer beef over shredded lettuce and top with sauce for a scrumptiousenchilada salad

Shredded Beef Tacos with Green Enchilada Sauce as a salad

or serve shredded beef topped with sauce in lettuce leaf (I like boston lettuce) for a yummilicious enchilada wrap!Enjoy! 🙂

Beef Stew

This recipe was one I was addicted to all winter long! It is so hearty and warm and comforting! I just couldn’t get enough of this stuff! This is another recipe that I adapted from one I received from the clinic I went to. You can either cook on the stove or throw it all in the crock pot and let the wonderful aroma torment you all day long! I’ve done both. This also freezes well so you can make a bunch!

Beef Stew Recipe:

1 lb beef stew meat (I always cut the chunks in at least half because they’re so big)

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 zucchini, diced

2 carrots sliced (I cheat and use frozen 🙂 )

2 celery stalks, sliced

1 c frozen green beans

2 red peppers, chopped

1 rutabaga, chopped

1 can no salt crushed tomatoes

1 can no salt diced tomatoes

1/2 c low sodium chicken broth

1-2 tbsp braggs (to taste)

1 tbsp parsley flakes

1 tsp red pepper flakes

white pepper to taste

Instructions:

Stove top:

Boil rutabaga until tender and drain. In large skillet, sautee beef, onions, and garlic. Add rest of ingredients. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender.

Crock pot:

Boil rutabaga until almost tender and drain. Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high for 4 hours or until veggies are tender.

Mushrooms are awesome in it too!  Enjoy! 🙂

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Here is a quick, easy, and tasty meal for you! This recipe was shared in my group by none other than our kitchen queen, Soraya Taheri McLaughlin. The best part is that you use your crock pot so you can start it in the morning and enjoy the delicious smell of it cooking all day long and anticipate eating up the yummiliciousness!  I hope you enjoy it!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Recipe:

By Soraya Taheri Mclaughlin

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

24 oz Salsa

Juice from 1 lime

1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp minced onion

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne

Braggs to taste

Instructions:

Place chicken in crock pot, add rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Enjoy! 🙂

Spanish Rice

I have to take you back to the Mexican food theme to finish rounding out your meal. Someone from my group shared this recipe and I tried it out and couldn’t believe my taste buds. Although it was good just the way it was, I of course had to add my own style to it. What is so great about this recipe is that you get to have rice without having the starch and carbohydrates that go along with it. What? You ask…how on earth do you do that? Well, it’s not really rice…it’s cauliflower! I know, that was my first reaction too. But, I just couldn’t help myself, I had to try it and let me tell ya, it could pass for the real deal. Give it a try, you’ll be surprised!

Spanish Rice Recipe: (Adapted from: Mexican Rice Recipe)

1/2 head cauliflower

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

8 oz can no salt tomato sauce

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

Instructions:

Remove stems from cauliflower and place florets in food processor. Process until rice sized.

In medium saucepan, heat oil and sautee peppers and onions until tender. Add riced cauliflower and sautee another minute or 2. Add tomato sauce and spices. Cover and simmer for five minutes stirring occasionally. This recipe makes a good amount for a few people

Enjoy! 🙂

Chicken With Tomatoes and Portobello Mushrooms

When I was on my spring break I cooked up a storm and froze everything I cooked for when I was busy with school or just too darn lazy to cook something. Well, the other day one of those cases happened. I was just too darned lazy to cook but I also was having a hard time figuring out what I actually wanted. So, I headed to the freezer and looked through my towering containers of food because I have no idea anymore what I cooked. One of the first things I grabbed was this and in my mind was an AHA! This is it!

Now, what do I serve it with? It’s saucy so I was thinking maybe brown rice but I didn’t think that flavor would be right. Then I thought quinoa. That’s better for you than rice but the texture is small and I wasn’t sure if it would get lost in all that sauce. Then it hit me….Quinoa noodles! Oh yeah! These things are gluten-free and low in carbs so that was the answer! I have not tried them before so I wasn’t sure how they would be but I’m telling you…they taste like the real deal! Go get some and try it with this dish!

I actually adapted this recipe from a Whole Foods recipe and it’s a keeper! Delicious!

Chicken With Tomatoes and Portobello Mushrooms (Adapted from Whole foods. View Original Recipe Here)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c arrowroot powder

Braggs to taste

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

1 lg onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15oz can no salt added crushed tomatoes

1 c low sodium chicken broth (I use Pacific Naturals 80mg sodium per serving!)

1 lb portobello mushrooms, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 tbsp dried basil leaves (May need to add another 1/2 tbsp, I’m not a big spice person)

1 tbsp parsley flakes

Instructions:

Heat oil in lg pan.  In medium bowl mix arrowroot and red pepper flakes. Coat chicken, shake off excess arrowroot, and sautee until brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to plate and reheat pan and sautee onion, garlic and mushrooms just until soft. Add tomatoes, broth, chicken, and braggs to taste (1-2 tbsp). Simmer uncovered 45 mins. Serve over a bed of cooked quinoa noodles. I garnished with some freshly shredded parmesan, asiago, and romano cheeses but again, didn’t really notice it and could be left out. Enjoy!

No Shell Tacos

Ok, we have the refried beans, the best salsa ever, and the guacamole. Now we need something to eat it all with! Yes, I’m keeping with the theme here of Mexican food because I LOVE this stuff! I know we Americans aren’t really making authentic Mexican food (although I wish I could) for the most part but it sure is delicious! This recipe was in the cookbook from the clinic I went to but I played around with the measurements and we love this stuff. It freezes very well so if this recipe is too large you can just freeze a lot of it instead of cutting the recipe in half. That way you always have something yummy in a pinch!

No Shell Taco Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground meat (I use 1 lb ground chuck & 1 lb ground round-I haven’t tried with ground poultry)

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 lg onion, diced

1 and 1/3 c no salt tomato paste

1 c water

2 tsp xylitol

2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tsp cayenne

2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp + 1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 tbsp braggs

Instructions:

Brown meat with onions and garlic.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5-10 mins. so flavors can develop.

Serve on a lettuce leaf-I love boston lettuce. It has large leaves and is mild tasting so it enhances not overpowers the other flavors- Layer refried beans, taco meat, the best salsa ever, and top with guacamole for the best tacos ever! You won’t even miss the shell, promise!

Warning! This is messy! Do not eat on first date or while wearing white!

Or, you can make a taco salad out of it by layering in a bowl: shredded lettuce, refried beans, taco meat, the best salsa ever, and top with guacamole. Delicious this way too!

Not Refried Beans

Ok, so I have a theme going here and I am just going to stick with it. I kinda winged this recipe because I wanted to have some of those yummilicious canned refried beans but because of the sodium content…no way. (Start reading labels, peeps, you’ll be amazed at what you find!) I think these turned out pretty good and I am not required to buy canned ones by my hubby because he loves my homemade version! YAY! I don’t fry them or refry them so I can’t really say they’re “refried” beans…can I?

Refried Beans Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 c dried pinto beans

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp Braggs

Instructions:

Soak beans over night and then cook until tender.

Drain beans reserving water.

Place beans, tomato paste, garlic, braggs, and small amount (1/8 c) of bean water in food processor.

Process adding more bean water as necessary until smooth.

Store in dish with extra bean water for reheating so they don’t dry out. I just reheat in the microwave. Enjoy!

Fiesta Salad

I absolutely love avocados. They make so many things taste better. I’m learning to be more creative with flavors and using them in ways I never would have thought of before. This salad is perfect for summer time. It is so fresh and green tasting.  I can already see that this will be a summertime staple in my house. I could sit and eat the whole bowl and make a meal out of it! It is so colorful with different textures and flavors that just meld together in your mouth into one big fiesta! (On no! I can hear the gabba characters singing…there’s a party in my tummy! So yummy!)  🙂

Fiesta Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 medium tomato, diced

2 avocados, peeled and diced

1 c frozen sweet corn

6 green onions, sliced

Black beans (1/2 c dried then cooked and drained)

1-2 handfuls chopped fresh cilantro (did I mention I love cilantro too?)

splash of lime juice (probably a tsp or 2)

Instructions:

Combine everything except avocado in bowl. Mix well

Add avocado and stir gently to mix so you don’t mash it.

Enjoy!