Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe:

8 Chicken thighs, with bone (and skin)

1 bell pepper, red or green, or both!

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, sliced

1/2 C red wine

1/2 C chicken broth

1/2 C water

15 oz. can diced tomatoes, no added salt

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt

1 spaghetti squash

Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Turn it on low, and walk away for 5-7 hours! That's the beautiful part! 45 minutes before you're ready to eat, bake the spaghetti squash: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce several holes in the spaghetti squash, and put the entire squash in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the squash and slice it in half (the oven makes it soft and easier to cut). But be careful... it will be hot!!! Scoop out the center pulp and seeds. The flesh will still be too hard, so put both halves back in the oven, face down on a baking sheet, with about 1/4 C water. Cook for an additional 20-25 minutes. Use a spoon and scrape out fleshy part from the shell of the spaghetti squash, it scrapes out very easily! It will work magic as a spaghetti/pasta substitute! Place 1-2 chicken pieces on the squash and spoon some sauce over the top.

Enjoy!

Recipe posted by Kelly Greco of CFSCC

Great Superbowl Option with Southwestern Paleo Sliders



Slider on Portobello and Slider on Lettuce

You can still WOW the crowd with these healthy sliders! The secret ingredient is a Chorizo sausage (wheat-free, dairy-free). Serve them up 2 ways – 1 on a roasted Portobello cap, and the other on a lettuce leaf.  Sauté some mushrooms, red peppers and onions in olive oil to put on top.  These also taste amazing with guacamole. 

Ingredients (makes 12 mini burgers)
- 1 lb of lean ground meat (I used Venison – choose something lean)
- 1 Chorizo Sausage (wheat-free, dairy-free) You could probably use some bacon to substitute or omit completely.
-  1/4 onion – minced
- 1 jalapeno – minced/finely chopped
-  2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp pureed chipotle pepper (optional)
- 1 egg
- 6 Tbsp olive oil (for the skillet)
- 1 Head of iceberg lettuce – leaves separated and washed in cold water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, remove the chorizo from its casing.  Add all other ingredients (except olive oil) and mix together well – use your hands.
2. Take small handfuls of the meat and shape into 12 mini burgers.  Set aside on a piece of wax paper or plate for frying.
3. In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil and once heated, put 4 burgers in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes per side (or until cooked through).  Repeat with 2 other batches.  If you have a large skillet, then do more at once!
4. Serve on lettuce or roasted portabello cap with yer fixins!
5. Enjoy!

Frying away...mmmmm

Roasted Portobello (roast at 400 in oven for about 20-25 min)



 

Adapted From cosmopolitanprimalgirl.wordpress.com

Coconut Chicken Nuggets with Curried Mustard

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 egg yolk
1 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 c + 1/2 c almond flour
1/2 c unsweetened coconut
1/2 c coconut oil
Salt & Pepper to taste 

Method:
In a bowl combine 1/4 c almond flour, 1/2 c dessicated coconut and some salt & pepper. Mix it around with your hands. In a separate bowl, combine the ground chicken, 1/2 c almond flour, onion & garlic powders, egg yolk and some salt & pepper. Mix it with your hands until everything has been incorporated.

In a saute pan, melt the coconut oil on medium heat.

Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the chicken mixture and in the palm of your left hand, roll it into a ball. Drop it into the almond/coconut mixture and roll the chicken ball around with the fingers on your left hand. Make sure it’s completely coated. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. Place in the saute pan and cook on each side until nice and brown.

Curried Mustard Ingredients
1/3 c yellow mustard
1 T mayo
yellow curry powder, to taste
handful of cilantro, chopped
squeeze of honey
Mix together and serve as a dipping sauce with the nuggets.
From Health Bent - Paleo/Caveman Friendly Recipes

Healthy Beef Stew

Ingredients:
1 large onion
1 clove garlic
16 oz boneless beef
2 medium carrots
1 cube beef stock
4 cups canned tomatoes
1 5 fl oz serving red wine
1 tsp leaves oregano
1 tsp leaves basil
Instructions
Soften onion and garlic in pot, add beef and allow to brown.
Add diced carrots, allow to sweat to soften. Add spices and season.
Add stock and canned tomatoes, red wine (preferably not cooking wine because of too much salt).
Put lid on and leave on a low heat for at least one hour.
Makes 4 servings
From Paleo Plan http://www.paleoplan.com/

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sirloin Burgers

Want gourmet grub without steakhouse prices and calorie counts? This easy-to-prepare recipe will dazzle your guests' taste buds so much, nobody will even notice it's actually healthy. But vampires, beware!

· 1 whole bulb garlic, roasted, with papery skin removed

· 1 lb. ground sirloin

· 1 zucchini, ends trimmed, coarsely grated

· 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

· 1/2 tsp. salt

· 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

· 4 whole wheat hamburger buns

· 4 slices tomato

· 4 leaves lettuce

· 4 slices red onion

Preheat grill or broiler. Combine roasted garlic, sirloin, zucchini, rosemary, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Mix well to combine. Shape into 4 equal patties. Grill or broil (if broiling, use a baking sheet) 5 minutes per side for medium burgers, a bit more or less for well-done or rare.

Arrange burgers, tomato, lettuce, and onion on buns. Makes 4 servings.

To Roast Garlic:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap garlic in foil, place in oven and roast 45 minutes until tender. When cool enough to handle, peel away foil and squeeze cloves from papery skin.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes (add 60 minutes for garlic-roasting process, including preheating and cooling)

Cooking Time: 5 minutes (for medium burgers)

Nutritional Information (per serving): 293 Calories, 31g Protein, <.5g Fiber, 26g Carbs, 7.5g Fat Total, 2.5g Saturated Fat
Recipe source: Beach Body®

Blueberry Buckle

Here's a delicious yet sensible dessert recipe that contains the healthy fiber of oats, the antioxidant properties of blueberries, and the crunchy goodness of almonds . . . plus it tastes great!

· 2/3 cup uncooked steel-cut oats

· 1/2 cup raw blueberries

· 1 Tbsp. slivered almonds

· 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

· 1/2 cup water

· Optional: 1 tsp. honey or raw sugar, or a pinch of stevia.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a glass baking dish and mix well. Bake for 20 minutes (or microwave on high for 1-1/2 minutes). Makes one generous serving.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Nutritional Information: (per serving, without sweetener) 291 Calories, 10g Protein, 9g Fiber, 51g Carbs, 8g Fat Total, <1g Saturated Fat
Recipe source: Beach Body®

Miso Veggie Stir-Fry

Know your ingredients Native to India and China, ginger also grows in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Called a root, it is actually an underground stem, and has been used to treat stomach upset in Asian, Indian, and Arabic herbal traditions for more than 2,000 years. In Western Europe during the Rensaissance, it appeared on every table, like salt and pepper, and was also used against the plague. Today, ginger is believed to help treat the common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and even painful menstrual periods.

Miso Veggie Stir-Fry

Sauce

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

¼ cup grated ginger, fresh

½ cup mellow white miso

¼ cup agave nectar

¼ cup low-sodium tamari

2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup water

Stir Fry

3 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil

1-½ tsp. minced garlic

1-½ tsp. grated ginger

½ cup red bell pepper, chopped

½ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped

¾ cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup chopped bok choy

1-½ cup chopped broccoli

½ cup chopped carrots

½ cup mushrooms, chopped

1 cup shredded cabbage (optional)

Sesame seeds

Sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Or place in a bowl and blend with a hand blender.

Stir fry: In a large wok or sauté pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the vegetables and stir to combine. Continue to sauté, about 5 to 10 minutes or until desired doneness. If vegetables start to stick, add a small amount of water. Add the ginger miso sauce and continue to stir-fry for a few more minutes to incorporate flavors. Serve hot over brown rice or quinoa. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired, before serving.

NutritionFacts Calories 210.7 Total Fat 10.1 g Saturated Fat 1.5 g Poly­unsaturated Fat 4.4 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.6 g Cholesterol 0 g Sodium 1,511.0 mg Potassium 366.6 mg Total Carbohydrate 26.3 g Dietary Fiber 4.0 g Sugars 12.1 g Protein 6.3 g

Grilled Dijon Chicken

We love the lean protein of skinless chicken breasts, but let's face it: we're always looking for new ways to make them taste great. Here's a tasty—yet simple!—way to prepare chicken breasts that works especially well on your summer BBQ grill.

• 2 fresh skinless chicken breasts

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs—parsley, thyme, etc.
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt (to taste)
• Ground black pepper (to taste)

Preheat grill or broiler. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Mix garlic, mustard, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in flat bowl or casserole dish, then coat chicken liberally with mixture on both sides. Grill or broil chicken for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, or until center is no longer pink. Makes 2 servings.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 20 minutes

Nutritional Information (per serving): Calories: 314, Protein 38g, Fiber 4g, Carbs 6g, Fat 15g, Sat Fat 2g

Herb Spiced Tuna Steaks

When you're recovering from an injury, one thing your muscles definitely need to help them rebuild and grow strong is some high-quality protein. Here's a quick, flavorful recipe for tuna steaks that are high in protein and low in fat.


• 2 12-oz. fresh tuna steaks (each 1 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, fresh
• 2 Tbsp. rosemary leaves, fresh
• 2 to 3 tsp. lemon zest (about 1 lemon's worth)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt ( to taste)
• Ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat grill, grill pan, or skillet. Rinse tuna and pat dry. On a cutting board, pile parsley, rosemary, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper together and mince until combined. Drizzle both sides of tuna steaks with oil and rub herb mix into fish. Set aside for 5 minutes to let flavors marry.

Grill steaks 2 minutes on each side for rare or 5 minutes on each side for well done. Cut each steak into two pieces. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 to 10 minutes
Nutritional Information (per serving): Cal 244, Protein 38g, Fiber 0g, Carbs 1g, Fat 9g, Sat Fat 2g
Recipe source: Beach Body®

Herb-Coated Halibut with Zucchini and Whole Wheat Couscous

Not only is this meal delicious, it's also incredibly healthy. A tangy herb paste coats both the fish and zucchini, which roast on the same pan. The entire meal is ready in 30 minutes - perfect for busy weekday dinners.

Servings: 4

Here's what you need:
• 6 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup packed fresh mint
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon chopped, peeled fresh ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 zucchini, cut into spears
• 4 skinless Halibut fillets (or other firm white fish)
• 1 cup dry whole-wheat couscous

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Throw the scallions, cilantro, mint, oil, ginger, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a food processor and pulse until a coarse paste forms. Season with pepper.

2. Toss zucchini with 3 tablespoons herb paste in a bowl. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 5 minutes.

3. Rub remaining herb paste onto both sides of fish fillets. Push zucchini to edges of baking sheet, and arrange fish in center, leaving about 1/2 inch between each fillet. Roast until fish is opaque and semi-firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare directions. Serve fish and zucchini over couscous.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 354 calories, 10g fat, 29g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 32g protein.

New Year, New Ideas

I often get asked for ideas on healthier versions of recipes, what I eat to fuel my day and workouts and how to make eating healthy a little more interesting.

I'm a collector of recipes and food ideas. I have kept about 60lbs off for over 20 years with better food choices and exercising. I don't like the word "diet." Lifestyle changes always last longer!

Oh, and I absolutely love food!

So, I hope you enjoy the recipes, links and other info on these pages.

You can also visit me at fitvixen.blogspot.com or contact me at fitvixen@msn.com for personal training, boot camp and kettlebell class information.

Enjoy!