Roasted Salsa

 

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     What’s better on a lazy Saturday afternoon than throwing together a batch of Salsa!  Especially when it comes together like a breeze.  With just a little chopping this can  be yours as well, …why buy bottled when you can make fresh!?  This recipe has a fun little twist with charring the veggies first to seal in the flavors.  And, BTW, I don’t limit my Salsa, I put it on everything.  Today we used it on our Swordfish, with boiled Potatoes and steamed Green Beans.  (No Complaints)  See how creative you can be, and take your meals to the next level with a few easy ingredients! 😋

Ingredients~

24oz carton of Cherry Tomatoes

1 chopped Onion

1 chopped Jalapeño 

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Salt to taste

2 Tablespoons Lime Juice

Cilantro to taste

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Swordfish Steak squeezed with fresh Lemon, bake at 400 for 20 min

Baby New Potatoes, boiled for 25-30 minutes

Fresh Green Beans, steams with 2 Tablespoons of Water in microwave for 10 minutes

     Add Tomatoes, Onion, Jalapeño, Garlic, Oil and Salt to parchment lined cookie sheet, toss to coat well with Oil, broil on Hi for 10 minutes or til charred til desired.  Add to heavy duty blender and blend to desired consistency, then add in Juice and Cilantro to incorporate to desired consistency.  Serve as desired, keeps well in the fridge for a week.  Enjoy 😉 

Protein Chicken Salad

 

     If you are ready for a “glow up” to your standard Chicken Salad, then keep reading!!!  My Protein version takes it to the next level, this is comfort food that loves you back!!!  With just a few simple ingredients, you can have lunch all week.  Plus,  you are going to love all my tricks I perform to keep it healthy and delicious all at the same time!  BTW, no measuring on this one, feel free to edit according to taste, my suggestions are simply that.😉

Ingredients~

2 pounds Chicken Breast

1 chopped Onion

1 chopped Jalapeño 

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

16oz container of Cottage Cheese

1/4 cup Brown Mustard

1 head chopped Celery

2-3 chopped Carrots

2 cups Purple Grapes

1/4 cup sliced Green Onion

     Add Chicken to lined Crockpot, along with Onion, Jalapeño and Garlic, heat on low for 3 hours or til fork tender.  First tip, shred with beaters for a quick and easy process, drain any excess juices, add to large mixing bowl.  Second tip, add Cottage Cheese to blender and whip til silky smooth, add to Chicken mixture, along with remaining ingredients, stir til fully incorporated, season as desired.  Third tip, enjoy! ☺️ 

Oven Sun Dried Tomatoes

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     It's good to have daughters out there always on the prowl for fun new ideas. (shout out to Courtney)  Thanks to my oldest girl, she shared a creative way to add high pitched flavor to any dish, and with a few short hours in the oven, your mouth can be brimming with smiles.  These Oven Sun Dried Tomatoes will make you do a happy dance in the kitchen, plus super simple and you just let the heat do most of the work.  Definitely on the to do list today!  :)

Ingredients~

Cherry Tomatoes (desired amount, the more the merrier)

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic (more to taste)

Salt (desired amount)

Pepper (desired amount)

Olive Oil (desired amount)

     Rinse and pat dry your Tomatoes, slice in half and add to parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with chopped Garlic, and season with Salt and Pepper.  Lastly spritz (or drizzle) with Olive Olive and toss til well coated.  Bake at 300 for 2.5 hours, stirring a couple times for even cooking.  Enjoy, these are magical!!!  ;)

Everything But The Kitchen Sink Soup

 

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     Have you ever gotten to the end of the week and found several stragglers left in the fridge!?  Whelp, there is only one solution to that dilemma...make a big pot of soup!!!  Such was the case this week, and the star of the show was the fresh garden grown Asparagus my friend gave me, (shout out to Karen).  As long as you have a good base, you can turn about anything into soup.  My big secret is to start by sauteing an Onion in Olive Oil with Garlic and a dash of Cayenne Pepper.  Then you build the masterpiece from there!  What's your favorite soup that can be served all year round!? ☺️

Ingredients for one Pot~

1 chopped Onion

1 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

Dash Cayenne Pepper (optional)

4 cups Broth (less for thicker soup)

1 or 2 diced Potatoes

1 or 2 large trimmed, peeled and diced Carrots

Asparagus, trimmed and diced (desired amount, reserve some for garnish if desired)

1 diced Red Bell Pepper (reserve some for garnish if desired)

1 can Coconut Milk

Seasoning as desired

     Add Onion, Oil, Garlic and Cayenne to pot, heat on low til golden brown, this step may take awhile but worth going low and slow.  Add in Broth, Potatoes, and Carrots, bring to boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes or til vegetables are fork tender.  Lastly, add in remaining ingredients and simmer another 10 minutes.  When done, use immersion blender or add to heavy duty blender and whip to desired consistency.  Enjoy 😋

No Noodle Lasagna

 

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     How does the idea of a No Noodle Lasagna appeal to you!?  Let me stop you right there, because I like the idea and I don’t want you to harsh my mellow.  That being said, you gotta try it before you knock it.  It’s interesting how when you add all the spice, it covers the loss of the pasta (I’m being serious).  So this is basically a deconstructed Italian Dish, void of flour.  Once you experience my homemade roasted Red Sauce, there will be no more complaining.  #promise Once you mix this with ground Beef and serve with Cottage Cheese, there will only be smiles at the end of your fork!😉

Ingredients for 8 servings~

10 on the vine Tomatoes

1 chopped Onion

2-3 large Carrots, trimmed and diced (sub with Baby Carrots, and adjust quantity to taste)

1 diced seeded jalapeño or dash of Cayenne Pepper (optional)

2 Tablespoons chopped Garlic

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (more to taste)

Handful of fresh Basil Leaves (more to taste)

Salt, optional

2 pounds 96% lean Ground Beef

2-3 large heads Broccoli trimmed and diced

2-3 Tablespoons Water

Cottage Cheese

     Dice Tomatoes and add to parchment lined pan, along with half the Onion, Carrots, half the Garlic and Jalapeño or Cayenne Pepper, toss with Olive Oil.  Bake at 425 for one hour.  Meanwhile, add Beef to skillet with remaining Onion and Garlic til well browned and crumbled, drain any excess fat.  Add Broccoli and Water to microwave safe bowl, and heat according to your microwave, usually 5-10 minutes depending on how much you have.  When Tomatoes are done roasting, remove from oven, cool slightly and add to heavy duty blender along with desired amount of Basil, reserve some for garnish if desired.  Next, pour Tomato Sauce into Beef and stir til well combined, season with Salt if desired.  Serve with Cottage Cheese and Steamed Broccoli for a high protein, completely satisfying meal.  Ciao 🇮🇹

Coconut Aminos Chicken

 

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     Raise your hand if you love one pan dishes!?  Tricked ya…I already know the answer!!!  Well you are gunna really be happy about this beaut, cause not only will clean up be easy, but it’s off the charts D-Lish!  And to make life even better this is so simple with minimal ingredients, and comes together in a flash.  So far, I can’t think of one single reason not to try it…can you!?  So put this in your rotation, and watch the smiles spread across your families faces…(or just forget them and have it for lunches all week like me).😉  PS. Thank you Becca for the inspiration, I am grateful when people share their ideas!♥️

Ingredients for 6-8 servings~

3 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs 

1 chopped Onion

1/4 cup Coconut Aminos (sub with Lite Soy Sauce)

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

2-4 cans of Green Beans (according to desire)

Wild mixed Rice, prepared according to directions, if desired (I cook mine in Bouillon and chopped Onion)

     Add Chicken to parchment lined pan and top with Onion, Aminos and Garlic, stir to incorporate.  If the pan you are using does not have sides, then stir in a bowl, then transfer to pan.  Bake for 20 minutes at 400, remove and add drained Green Beans to pan, return to oven for another 15-20 minutes.  Check Chicken to make sure it’s done.  Serve with Rice and Salad if desired.  Enjoy ☺️ 

Weeklong Salad

 

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     For those that know me well, it is no surprise that I am a freak when it comes to food prep.  Organization is my best friend, and the number one thing I do to keep myself safe when it comes to health, and quite frankly a gift in every area of my life!  One of my non negotiables is keeping a daily prepared salad on hand...you know why!?...because they get consumed if they are prepped and ready, duh!  There ain't no way I am going to that much trouble and expense to let one little leaf go to waste!... and they really aren't that much trouble, I was just being dramatic.  #shocker (Hot Tip:  To make the taste a breeze, try and multitask by catching up on your latest Netflix guilty pleasure, or the latest episode of the Real Food Recovery Podcast while chopping!) 🥗

Ingredients for 7 one pound Salads~ (or about that)

1 large head Romaine, chopped

10-16oz chopped Kale

2-3 large heads of fresh chopped Broccoli, including the stems (the best part)

2 pounds Carrots, trimmed, shaved and diced

3 Bell Peppers (I like to do a mix of colors, and reserve one to cut up for the last two days of Salads)

12-16oz container of Cherry Tomatoes

7 glass containers with BPA free lids (please avoid plastic if possible)

Note: feel free to add or subtract any of these ingredients, however, these are tried and true when withstanding the test of time in the fridge, non of these get soft or wilt in a week.  With exception of the Bell Pepper, which is why I wait to cut the last Bell Pepper for Days 6 and 7.

     Clean and chop Romaine, place equally in glass containers, do the same with the Kale.  Next clean, trim and chop Broccoli heads, BUT reserve the stems, place Broccoli pieces equally in each of the containers.  Now, for the fun part, finely chop each of the Broccoli stems (they are the best part, love me some crunch), and distribute equally among containers.  Finish by trimming and chopping Carrots and 2 of the  Peppers, distribute evenly.  Reserve last Bell Pepper to add to Salads 6 and 7 on the last two days of the week. Add lids to each container, store in fridge for 7 days.  You will be amazed that your Salads will be as fresh on the last day as the first.  Enjoy ;)  😉