Mexican Lasagna

This dish used to be a staple in our home when I was growing up. We loved it and it made such a large amount of food for very little effort, which is always a win in my book! I made a few tweaks to it this time and it turns out delicious!

Here's my quick and easy Mexican Lasagna recipe!  

Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 lb ground turkey  

1 T olive oil  

2 T taco seasoning  

1/4 cup enchilada sauce  

1 can fire roasted tomatoes OR 1 cup salsa 

2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese  

6 tortillas of choice

1 can refried black beans  

Preheat  the oven to 425 degrees F. 

Gather the troops.  

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the ground turkey and start breaking it up into small pieces.  

Then add the taco seasoning and mix thoroughly.  

Once the turkey is cooked, add the enchilada sauce and the fire roasted tomatoes. Turn off the heat. 

Grab a casserole dish and start assembling! Here's how my layers went! 

Tortillas  

Layer of refried beans  

Turkey mixture  

Cheese  

Tortillas  

Layer of refried beans  

Turkey mixture  

Cheese  

Tortillas  

Cheese  

I baked the Lasagna for 25-30 mins until the top got all melty and bubbly, like so!  

This was so easy to whip up and we are still living off the leftovers! We ate this with a southwest salad (courtesy of Trader Joe's) and it paired great together! 

If you are looking for a new dish to add to your routine, this one is definitely worth trying! Easy, delicious, and great as leftovers! 

Chocolate Chip Oat Bars!

I'm I have been craving chocolate and baked goods like no other. But I don't want to give in to all the cravings since I know how terrible commercially sold products can be! They are full of tons of sugar and sketchy trans fats! I'd much rather eat something more homemade and wholesome. So when I got home from work yesterday, I whipped up these delicious Chocolate Chip Oat Bars and they totally hit the spot! 

I ordered gluten free oat flour in bulk a while ago, but haven't gotten a chance to use some of it! I decided to use it in this recipe to make it gluten free and bulk up the fiber a bit! The bars were so cake-like and soft, they tasted just like the coffee cake at Starbucks!!

This recipe makes 16 long bars that I cut out in a 9x12 baking dish! Enjoy!

2 cups oat flour

1 cup plain greek yogurt

3 eggs

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

12 packets stevia (or equivalent of 1/2 cup sugar)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x12 baking dish, then set aside.

Mix all the ingredients together except for the chocolate chips, then fold those in at the end!

Pour mixture into the baking dish.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean!

Cut into 16 bars, then enjoy!! These tasted so good as an afternoon snack, and as breakfast this morning too! Chocolate chips for breakfast? YES please!

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I've always wanted to like Greek yogurt. I mean, with the probiotics and protein, why not right? I just can't seem to get myself to like it though! My husband swears by his yogurt, granola, and berry bowls, and I almost gagged when I tried a bite of his last week. And this isn't a pregnancy thing; I just have never seemed to like the tartiness of yogurt! Unless it's froyo...that's a whole different story...but I digress...

However, these pancakes, I can get behind! We were out of whole eggs yesterday morning, so I whipped up some pancakes with multigrain pancake mix, Greek yogurt, and liquid egg whites and they turned out delicious! Here's the recipe for the easiest pancakes ever! 

Makes 4 medium sized pancakes  (2 pancakes = 1 serving!) 

1/2 cup multigrain or gluten free pancake mix 

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt  

1/2 cup liquid egg whites 

optional dash of cinnamon!  

Mix all the ingredients together, then heat up a medium skillet, grease it, and pour 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake. Flip when it starts bubbling! 

I topped our pancakes with frozen berries that I microwaved to make a nice syrup, without the syrup! So delicious! 

Hope you all get to enjoy this recipe soon!  

Stuffed Peppers

This recipe turned out delicious and was so easy to whip up! There is so much flavor in these ingredients, so when you put them all together, magic happens! Plus it took under an hour to put together from start to finish, AND produced a ton of leftovers...win-win!

Here are the ingredients for my stuffed peppers recipe! 

Makes 8, 1/2 peppers, serving size is 2 halves

4 bell peppers (I did 1 each of yellow, orange, red, and green)

1.5 cups white rice

3 cups chicken broth

1 lb ground turkey

2 T taco seasoning

1 can black beans

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1/4 cup enchilada sauce

1/2 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

First things first, wash the bell peppers and cut them in half. Take out the pits and place them face down on a greased or foiled baking pan. Brush the tops with olive oil and salt, then bake on 350 for about 10 minutes.

At the same time, start cooking the rice in the chicken broth. In a separate pan, cook up the ground turkey with the taco seasoning. Once the rice and meat are done cooking, mix them together in a large pot. Then mix in the black beans, fire roasted tomatoes, and enchilada sauce. 

** Don't forget to take out the peppers from the oven! We are just partially cooking them at this point ;) 

Once the peppers are done and the filling is made, it's time to assemble the peppers! Flip over the half peppers and stuff them with the filling. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese...just enough to cover the top!

Once they are all covered in cheese, pop the peppers back into the oven for another 20 minutes, until the cheese gets melty on top!

How delicious do these look!? And even better, they TASTE amazing! I had 2-halves with a side salad and the meal completely hit the spot! Healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated. Plus, this meal is jam packed with vitamin C from the peppers, protein from the turkey, fiber from the beans, and lots of flavor from the cheese and enchilada sauce! 

I hope you all get to try this recipe soon! Let me know how you like it! 

Cilantro Thai Garlic Chicken

I have been wanting to share this recipe for so long and finally got a chance to sit down and do it! I love cooking different kinds of chicken because just plain chicken can get rather boring...and fast! The key to making healthy choices on a long-term basis is to change up your recipes and NOT get bored of your repetitive meals! And let's face it, long lasting and consistent changes are the only ones that make a true, positive impact on our health and overall well-being. Which is why I created this Cilantro Thai Garlic Chicken recipe that is so easy to make and helps your chicken stay flavorful, moist, and most importantly, healthy! This is a sure way to get all the nutrients you need while not getting bored of eating plain grilled chicken day in and day out. Enjoy!

Here is what you need:

Serves 2:

4-5 chicken tenders

1 tsp coconut aminos (great soy-free, gluten-free alternative to soy sauce! I found mine at Whole Foods)

1 T olive oil

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 cloves garlic

Optional: sugar snap peas, broccoli, toasted cashews

Place the olive oil, coconut aminos, garlic, and cilantro in the food processor and pulse until it forms a paste. Marinate the chicken in the cilantro mixture for about 20-30 minutes! Then cook on the grill, and enjoy! How easy is that!  I love adding some sugar snap peas or broccoli for some extra veggie goodness! As a fun, crunchy option, I toast a few cashews and mix it with the cooked chicken to add a little healthy fat and crunch to this dish! This meal goes great with some sweet potatoes or even a side salad.

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! :)

Mama's Chili Recipe!

Yesterday evening, I decided to ring in the first rainy day of fall with my family's famous chili recipe! My mom has been making this chili recipe for years and it is a hit every single time. This is a gluten/grain free recipe, and you can easily make it paleo by omitting the kidney beans and adding extra vegetables such as zucchini, squash, or even more bell peppers! This dish tastes great, is healthy, and leaves the house smelling amazing afterwards! Here is my Mama's Chili recipe!  

Makes 4 servings

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef (we used 96/4 from Trader Joe's)

1 cup kidney beans, canned and rinsed

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, or diced tomatoes with green chiles

2 T tomato paste mixed with 1/2 a cup of water

2 t chili powder

1/2 t salt

1 t cumin

Start by heating the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Chop up the onion and pepper and saute in the oil for about 5 minutes until they are browned and softened. Add the ground beef and cook thoroughly! Make sure you grind up the beef into as little pieces as possible to ensure it cooks well. Once the meat is cooked, add the tomatoes and beans. These are the brands we used! But you can definitely use whichever ones you love!

Once you add these, make a tomato "sauce" by mixing 2 T tomato paste with about 1/2 a cup of water. Add this to the pot as well.

Add the remaining seasonings (chili powder, salt, and cumin) and mix all the ingredients together. Set the burner on medium-low heat and let the chili simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally. Add some water if the mixture becomes too thick!

And here is the finished product! This was such a comforting bowl of goodness on our rainy night last night and is definitely on our menu almost weekly during the fall and winter seasons! I hope you all enjoy! Here is the nutrition info in case anyone is wondering :)

Serving size is 1/4 of the pot, or about 1.5 cups: 250 calories, 8g fat (only 2g saturated fat, the rest is from the healthy olive oil!), 17g carbs, 26g protein

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!

Blueberry Oat Bake

Good morning everyone! I had quite an interesting morning today, as my brain was in about 40 places at once. I have been wanting to bake a Blueberry Oat Bake recipe that I had thought up as a way to use all of the blueberries we have in the house! I brainstormed the recipe this week and finally decided to bake it this morning as a pre-workout snack before heading to the gym! After my morning quiet time, I headed to the kitchen and got to work:

Makes 16 squares (one 8x8 baking dish)

1/2 cup Gluten-free oats

2/3 cup Pamela's Gluten-free Pancake and Baking Mix

1/4 cup almond flour

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 T olive oil

1 whole egg

1/3 cup liquid egg whites

1/3-1/2 cup blueberries, washed and dried

16-20 packets stevia (optional)

I mixed all of the ingredients, first the dry...then the wet, then folded in the blueberries. In the meantime, I was separating laundry, and starting to make tea for my Mama. I sprayed my 8x8 baking dish, poured the batter into the dish, and stuck it in the oven. Then I changed into my workout clothes, continued separating laundry, and took the tea to my Mama. About 15 minutes later, I went to check on the bake and saw that it wasn't cooking! I was so confused and stared at the oven for about 30 seconds before figuring out that I had forgotten to turn the oven ON! Oh goodness, it was one of those mornings! I was definitely trying to do too many things at once, so it was inevitable that one vital component of baking would get lost in the process! I turned the oven on (350 degrees by the way) and decided to just scramble an egg while I waited for the bake in order to digest my food before my workout:

After 30 minutes, I pulled the bake out of the oven (and turned the oven OFF). I headed to the gym, resolving that I would just taste my bake when I got back. It looked so good, so I was definitely excited!

I can't wait to enjoy these little baked squares with my tea the next few days since we have some cold weather coming!

So, lessons for today: don't try to do too many things at once and always turn the oven ON when you are attempting to bake something. I hope you guys get to try this recipe soon!

Nutrition facts per square: 60 calories, 2g fat, 6g carb, 2.5g protein