Rosemary Garlic Chicken

I always dry out chicken. To the point where I don't even want to make it anymore and have been making ground turkey our meal staple for 5 months. But, I told myself to try one last attempt at a baked chicken recipe, and it was a hit! The secret is to put some broth in the casserole dish, and enough butter/oil to keep the chicken moist. Here is my recipe for Rosemary Garlic Chicken that is easy to make, could be doubled or tripled to always have on hand, and goes with practically anything! Enjoy!

Rosemary Garlic Chicken

1.5 lbs chicken tenders

2 T grass fed butter or ghee

1/2 T rosemary

2 T lemon juice

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 - 1/3 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make sure your butter is softened. Then, add the rosemary, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to the butter and mix until it becomes a paste.

Rub the butter mixture onto the chicken tenders and place in a greased casserole dish. Pour the chicken broth into the dish.

Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until there is no pink in the chicken.

I've had this chicken with potatoes, atop a fresh salad, and even with some marinara and steamed veggies! It is so versatile and tasty, I hope you enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

I have been craving baked goods lately, like WHOA. I'm 37 weeks pregnant today and until now sweets weren't really my thing (except for a small bout with brownies in my second trimester). But lately, I've been all about the sweets. I really like baking my own treats and sweets because it's fun for me and I get to control what goes in them. So I decided to whip up some banana chocolate chip bread over the weekend, and it turned out delicious! Super easy ingredients and ready in under an hour!

Makes 1 loaf

4 bananas (the browner the better!)

3/4 cup gluten free pancake and baking mix

3/4 cup almond flour

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

10-12 packets stevia

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2-3 T chocolate chip morsels 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Then, place the bananas in a mixer and blend them up until they are mashed and smooth. Then, add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips and mix thoroughly. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips!

Spray or grease a standard loaf pan. Then pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean! 

Enjoy on its own or smeared with some peanut butter! So delicious! 

Tabbouleh & Soujoukh

This meal is one of my all-time favorites, which is why I am so excited to be posting it today! My mom and I made this last night for dinner and it totally hits the spot when you want something delicious, nutritious, and light, yet filling! Let's start with the yummy tabbouleh recipe :) 

Makes about 4-6 servings:

2-3 bunches parsley

1.5 cups diced tomatoes

3 stems green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fine bulgar wheat (or quinoa if you are gluten intolerance...or you can omit the grain all together to make it grain free, paleo, whole30, etc...I've tried this salad all 3 ways and it tastes delicious each time!)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 t salt

1/4 t red pepper

Pinch of black pepper

Pinch of all spice

Chop the parsley and place in food processor. Pulse until the parsley is minced. Place parsley in a bowl along with the chopped green onions and tomatoes. I usually pour the bulgar on top of the tomatoes at this point and let the juice from the tomatoes soften up the bulgar for about 5-10 minutes. While you wait for this to happen, you can season and start cooking the soujoukh (or Armenian sausage).

Makes 15-18 patties

1 lb ground beef (we used 96/4 from Trader Joe's, but make sure that when you use a meat this lean, you add some olive oil to the pan before grilling the sausage patties!)

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t cloves

1 t cumin

1 t all spice

1 t salt

1 t black pepper

1 t red pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

Mix all the seasonings in with the meat and form little sausage patties. Heat a skillet with 1 T olive oil and start grilling! These sausages cook up pretty fast so be sure to watch them!

While the sausages are cooking, you can mix in the seasonings, olive oil, and lemon juice into the tabbouleh salad. You can eat this tabbouleh on its own, with pita bread, or with lettuce leaves, which is how we did it last night!

 nce the sausages are done, your meal is ready to go!

There you have it! One of my favorite dinners EVER. The leftovers taste amazing too! The tabbouleh gets better the next day, and you can always use to leftover sausages in an omelet or rice bowl with some steamed veggies! Hope you all enjoy this meal!

Chicken & Sweet Potato Casserole

My mom used to make this dish at least once a week while I was growing up. I absolutely love the flavors, seasonings, and even the scent of this dish baking in the oven. We made it again a couple of days ago, but this time, I used sweet potatoes instead of our usual white potatoes. Once I discovered sweet potatoes a few years ago, I have rarely turned back to white potatoes! Here is our Chicken & Sweet Potato Casserole recipe that is gluten-free as well as Whole 30 and paleo approved! I am sure you will love it just as much as I do! Makes 6 servings (or enough for a 9x13 inch casserole dish)

3 sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch disks

1 T olive oil

1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 T tomato paste

3 cloves garlic

1/2 t salt

1/2 t red pepper

2 T olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 green bell pepper

Preheat the oven on 450 degrees. Heat a skillet over medium heat on the stove with 1 T olive oil. Wash the sweet potatoes and cut them into about 1/4 inch disks. Brown the potatoes on the skillet for 5-10 minutes to start the cooking process. This helps the potatoes cook faster in the oven and helps them stay moist and not dry out.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, marinate the chicken breasts with the olive oil, tomato paste, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl. Leave some of the marinade in the bowl and evenly place the chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Place the semi-cooked sweet potatoes in the rest of the marinade and coat evenly. Place the sweet potatoes disks over the chicken. Lastly, wash and slice the green bell pepper and place these slices over the potatoes.

Cover the dish in foil and bake the casserole in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked evenly.

And here is the finished product! You can eat this meal on its own, with a side salad, or with some brown rice. This dish goes a long way and also makes the perfect leftovers! Enjoy! :)

Cashew Chicken Fried Rice

This is definitely one of those recipes that I made up as I went along, and it came out incredible! I love Asian foods and have loved using coconut aminos as a substitute to soy sauce since the aminos do not contain gluten. I knew I wanted to make a chicken stir fry, and decided to add the coconut aminos and some toasted cashews to give this dish some Asian flair! At the last minute, I added an egg and some brown rice and turned this dish into a fried rice sort of creation! I used simple ingredients and whatever veggies I had on hand! This dish could easily be made whole30 or paleo by simply omitting the rice! Here is my quick and easy cashew chicken stir fry/fried rice recipe! Makes 2 servings

4 chicken tenders

1/2 T olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic

6-8 baby carrots

1/3 cup sugar snap peas

1-2 sweet bell peppers

2 T coconut aminos (I buy mine at Whole Foods!)

1/2 t Aleppo red pepper OR 1 t cayenne pepper

1 whole egg

2 T cashews

Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet. Chop the chicken into cubes and add to the heated oil. While the chicken is sizzling, chop the carrots, snap peas, and bell peppers, or whatever veggies you have on hand that you would like to use up. Once the chicken is cooked, add the veggies to the skillet. Once the veggies soften up, add the coconut aminos and red pepper.

Let this mixture cook on the pan on medium-low heat so the sauce can thicken up a bit, which should only take about 5 minutes. Once the chicken and veggies are glazed by the sauce, move the ingredients to one side of the pain. Crack the egg on the other side and scramble the egg until it is cooked. Then, mix the scrambled egg with the rest of the ingredients.

To toast the cashews, simply use a smaller pot over medium heat and put the 2 T of cashews into the pot. Stir the nuts for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are nice and brown! Once they are browned, add the nuts to the chicken, veggie, and egg mixture as well! And that's it!

You can eat this dish on its own or with a side of rice, spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, or more veggies! I hope you all enjoy this tasty and healthy Asian dish!

Nutrition facts for 1 serving without rice/sides (1/2 the recipe): 240 calories, 10g fat, 11g carbs, 26g protein, and about 50-75% of your daily need of vitamins A and C!

Mujedereh (Bulgar and Rice)

Happy Monday everyone! I don't know about anyone else, but the time change really hit me hard today! But not until about 10am. I still woke up at 5am per usual, went to the gym, got ready, headed to work, and felt super energized! Until 10am hit...and then I felt like I just wanted to find the nearest bed and knock out! Thank God I made it through the work day and finally got home! My mom made one of my favorite dishes for dinner tonight, so I thought I'd share it. It's called Mujedereh but it is basically a type of lentil rice, but with bulgar wheat! Bulgar has a ton of fiber and nutrients, and pairing it with the lentils makes this a nutritious and filling meal! You can also substitute the bulgar with rice or quinoa to make this gluten free! I've tried both versions in addition to the original one and all taste incredible! Mujedereh (makes 5-6 servings)

1 cup lentils

1/2 cup bulgar

3 cups low sodiumchicken broth

salt to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup sliced onions

2 T pine nuts

Start by bringing the chicken broth to a boil. Add the lentils and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Then, add the bulgar, cover the pot, and let the lentils and bulgar cook together for another 20 minutes, or until the mixture is mushy and soft. Add salt to taste.

While the lentils and bulgar are cooking, heat up the olive oil in a skillet. Add the sliced onions and pine nuts and sauté until they are browned. Once everything is done, serve up the Mujedereh and top with the sautéed onions and pine nuts!

And that's it! This is a pretty simple recipe that is easy to make and is great for leftovers! Have a great night everyone!

Oatmeal Breakfast Biscuits

Before limiting my gluten intake, I used to love spreading peanut butter on whole grain toast or tortillas as a pre workout meal. I looked forward to it nearly every morning! Well now, I have a gluten-free option for this as well! These oatmeal biscuits are healthy and delicious and are perfect for spreading peanut butter, jam, or anything else you may want to! They taste great fresh out of the oven and can be reheated in the toaster for a few days after!! Here is my recipe for Oatmeal Breakfast Biscuits!  

Makes 9-10 biscuits

3/4 cup gluten free pancake and baking mix (I use Pamela's...the BEST!)

1 cup gluten free rolled oats

1/4 cup almond flour

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

1/2 cup applesauce

1 whole egg

1 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

stevia if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry, then wet ingredients into a mixing bowl. The batter should resemble a muffin-type drop batter consistency.

Drop the batter onto a lined and sprayed cookie sheet. Make sure to leave enough room between the biscuits because these spread!!! Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. These turned out sooooo huge and unbelievably delicious!

I stored them in a tupperware container and have been reheating them in the mornings in my toaster, then spreading some peanut butter on top! YUM-O!

I hope you all get to try this recipe soon! It's easy, delicious, and the perfect pre workout treat!!!

Nutrition facts per biscuit: 125 calories, 4g fat, 17g carb, 8g protein

*Don't fear the fat people! It comes from the egg and almond flour...both good sources!! :) And the combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrate in this biscuit makes it the perfect fuel before your workout! I hope you all get to try out this recipe soon! Have a great Monday!

Cajun-style Chicken & Rice

The creation of this recipe was one of those "throw-everything-in-the-pot-and-hope-it's-delicious" type of experiences...and I was definitely NOT disappointed! And the best part...it only took 30 minutes to put together! I was in a huge rush on Monday morning to put together a meal that would last me the week for lunches at work. I usually do my meal prep Sundays, but since I had quite a busy weekend (I got engaged woooo!), I had to scrounge something up on Monday morning. I had bought some of my favorite prepared lemon pepper chicken from Trader Joe's, and definitely wanted to use it in a meal that would not only taste great but would make an easy lunch for the week! This recipe was so simple and delicious, I'm excited for you all to try it! Here is my Cajun-style Chicken & Rice Recipe!

Makes 4 servings:

1 package Lemon pepper chicken (or about 12 oz of cooked chicken)

2 Spicy Jalapeño Chicken sausage links

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup broccoli

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup sugar snap peas

1 T olive oil

1-2 t cajun seasoning (or to taste)

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t salt

Start by cooking your chicken. The lemon pepper chicken cooks easily in the microwave, just follow the instructions on the package! Once your chicken and sausage is cooked up, chop them up. Meanwhile, sauté the snap peas and peppers with the olive oil over medium heat. I steamed my broccoli. While you are cooking your veggies, cook the brown rice according to the instructions. I used 1/2 cup dry rice with 1 1/4 cups water. Once the rice is cooked, add the veggies to the pot!

Add the sausage and chicken to the pot as well.

Once all the ingredients are mixed up, you can add the cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. I used the Cajun seasoning from Whole Foods that my cousin bought me...it's my favorite!

Mix the seasonings throughly, and then you are done! The smell of this meal was so amazing!

This recipe provides the perfect mix of nutrients: protein, healthy carbohydrate, veggies, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fat from the olive oil! Check out the nutrition facts below!

1 serving (about 1 cup): 280 calories, 10g fat, 23 g carbs, 26 g protein, 90% daily need for Vitamin C!

I hope you all get to enjoy this dish soon! It was prepped in 30 minutes, has been making the perfect lunches for my week, is healthy, and most importantly, IT IS DELICIOUS! :)

I wish you all a happy Wednesday!!!

Paleo Banana Bread Bars

This is my first time trying a paleo baking recipe. I've tried making a few grain free ones in the past, but they always included whey, which has been disagreeing with me lately. I decided to try this all paleo (except for a bit of stevia!) and it turned out incredible!!! I can say it's even better than typical baked goods!! I hope you all are able to try my paleo banana bread bars soon!

Makes 24 bars

3 bananas, mashed 1 cup almond flour 1/3 cup coconut flour 1/2 cup almond milk 1 t baking powder 1 t baking soda 3 eggs 1 T coconut oil 1/2 cup almond butter 1 cup stevia 2 T enjoy life dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with coconut oil and set aside. 

Mash the bananas, then add the coconut oil and almond butter. Place in microwavable bowl and heat for about a minute, until it is easy for all of the ingredients to melt together.

Wait for the mixture to cool a bit, then add all the rest of the ingredients! Mix together, then pour into your greased pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

And there you have it!!! This is suchhhh a delicious recipe, you would never know that there was no wheat in it!! I am definitely going to be experimenting with more paleo baking soon!! :)

Sweet Potato Butter Fries

I have really been into grass fed butter lately. I absolutely love it! It has such a rich yet light flavor and tastes good with pretty much everything! It is also a healthy fat choice, which makes it even better! I decided to make some sweet potato fries the other day, but instead of using olive oil, I used some Kerrygold grass fed butter. Oh man, it was amazing!! I will definitely be using this method for my sweet potato fries from now on! I also added some Parmesan cheese to the fries for some added kick, and they turned out delicious! Here is my recipe for sweet potato butter fries!

Makes 1 big pile of fries :) and yes I ate it all! 

1 white sweet potato 1/2 T grass fed butter Garlic salt to taste 1 T powdered Parmesan cheese 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice up the sweet potato in long strips. In a separate microwaveable bowl, melt the grass fed butter. 

Place the sweet potato strips evenly on a baking sheet lined with foil. Pour the melted butter over the strips. Sprinkle the garlic salt and Parmesan cheese over the taters. Then mix everything until the butter, salt, and cheese are evenly distributed over all of the strips. Spread them out evenly again on the foil, then bake for 15-20 minutes. Check the fries at this point and flip them if you notice they are cooking unevenly. Then bake for about 10 more minutes until they are nice and crispy! I ate them with a few hard boiled eggs for breakfast and they were delicious!

Such an easy and yummy recipe! And a great supplement to any meal. Have a great day everyone!