Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 tablespoon turmeric

1teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sweetener

(I use monk fruit but any sweetener is fine)

2 cans of coconut milk

3 cups chicken broth

1+ tablespoon red curry paste

soy sauce - a few shakes

carrot, grated

chicken, cooked 

(I love the Trader Joe's frozen grilled chicken strips)

cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Saute garlic, onion, and ginger in oil

Add turmeric, salt, sweetener, coconut milk, broth, curry paste, and soy sauce. 

Simmer for a few minutes, then add the grated carrot and chicken. 

Bring to a boil and simmer until the carrot is tender.

Garnish with cilantro. 

Enjoy!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Raise your hand if you're in need of a quick and easy dinner idea! Just the other day I was reminiscing about the years gone by when I had time to bake bread and fancy dinners. I remember  spending the day with my two little ones at the beach and come home, clean house while the kids napped, and make a nice dinner. Ah, the good old days. Ha! Life moved at such a slower pace 15 years ago.

While I wouldn't change anything, there's definitely not the amount of free time in my day anymore. Working multiple jobs, running kids to school and back, and taking Zachary to therapy and doctor appointments literally daily don't really allow time to bake bread let alone clean the house and make a fancy dinner. And don't ask me about the laundry situation around here! :) 

This Costco creation is delicious and tastes like I spent all day cooking a savory roast when in reality it was 10 minutes until it was on our plates. The closest thing to homemade today was the barbeque sauce and that's just because we ran out.
(The sauce really is delicious and uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Let me tweak and perfect the recipe a bit then I'll share!) For the bread, we are currently loving the Canyon Bakehouse gluten free 7 grain bread but you could totally pick up some buns to put this on as well. Let me know if you give this a try! Here's a picture of the package of meat to look for.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Costco Shopping List

Sweet Kale Gourmet Salad mix
Slow-Cooked Pork Carnitas
BBQ sauce
Bread (or buns)

That's it! The meat cooks in 6 minutes in the microwave.
We toasted the bread and topped it with the meat, salad mix, and bbq sauce.
Serve your sandwiches with that affordable veggie tray from Costco and call it a meal!
So flavorful and easy peasy. Let me know if you give it a try.

PUMPKIN SPICE OATMEAL

Here's the thing...my husband has hidden talents you may not know about. Peter is amazing in the kitchen and has mad dishwashing skills. He's frequently offering to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen while I take care of Zachary or do other household chores. Yes, I know I lucked out with that guy. 😍 While I could continue to gush about Peter for plenty of paragraphs, instead I'm here to share the most recent Fall recipe that he has been working on perfecting. Peter and I have oatmeal literally every other morning for breakfast. With the Pumpkin spice craze right now, we wanted to make a good breakfast twist on a Fall favorite.

Let me introduce you to Peter's Perfect Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal! 

Yep - we had to get his name in the title. Here's why. Peter said it's finally time to redeem his name. 

For instance - have you seen the Peter Potty at your store? Yep. HAHA! It's a flushable toddler urinal! :) 

Or our most recent discovery that our kids thought was hilarious? 

The new game on Amazon or at your local Walmart - Pimple Pete. 

So to redeem his name - here is Peter's most AMAZING oatmeal that is PERFECT FOR FALL.

Peter's Perfect Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

"Peter Peter pumpkin eater..."

Shopping List

(Makes 2 servings)

1 3/4 cup water

Large pinch of salt

1 cup oats

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

Bring water and salt to a boil. Once boiling - add oats, turn down to medium heat and cook for 5 minutes.

While cooking, add spices. With 1-2 minutes left, stir in pumpkin.

Here's our favorite oatmeal toppings:

Nonfat plain greek yogurt

A sprinkle of brown sugar or sweetener of choice 

(Peter prefers brown sugar, I use this sweetener from Trim Healthy Mama)

Nuts of your choice (pecans would be especially tasty!)

Enjoy! And feel free to share this recipe so my husband can have his name remembered for an amazing 

Fall recipe and not toilets or pimples! :) 

Happy Fall, 

Grandma's Best Zucchini Bread

Peter's Grandma Jo holds an extra special place in my heart. Our family had the privilege to live with and care for Grandma for the final 3 years of her life. I'll never forget caring for Grandma on that final day of her life and sitting next to her as she took her last breaths. I still miss her terribly and not a day goes by that I don't think of her and smile.

Grandma and Grandpa were known for their gardening skills. Grandpa could grow tomatoes better than anyone I know and Grandma was known for her delicious zucchini bread. She made a TON if it! Here is Grandma's famous zucchini bread recipe that she had written in the back of her worn and delicate 1943 edition Joy of Cooking cookbook.


INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven ot 325 degrees.
Blend together the wet ingredients (first 5).
Gently stir in the dry ingredients and place in a greased loaf pan.
Bake 40-50 minutes or until done.

Happy Baking!

Egg Roll Stir Fry Bowl

I am always looking for quick and healthy lunch recipes. Peter works nearby and shows up at home for lunch daily but he doesn't have a ton of time. We have both fallen in love with this quick and easy lunch that takes literally minutes!

The last time I made this stir fry I used fresh cabbage from our garden, but typically I just keep a bag of  shredded cabbage and carrots on hand. 

 For the chicken, I usually keep a bag of shredded rotisserie chicken in the freezer. Sometimes I shred my own, and sometimes I just buy it pre-shredded in the freezer section of the grocery store. It's already cooked and thaws so quick and easy in this dish. I literally just throw the already cooked chicken into the pan frozen!

INGRENDIENTS

Shredded cabbage and carrots

Chicken (cooked and shredded)

Chinese 5 spice powder

Soy Sauce

Sesame Seeds

DIRECTIONS

Drizzle a tiny bit of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sesame oil is always great in this recipe but sometimes I just use whatever oil is the quickest to grab.

Place the chicken and cabbage in the skillet stirring frequently. I drizzle a little soy sauce in while it's cooking. Once the chicken is heated through and the cabbage is wilted, I drizzle in a little more soy sauce and throw in the spices and sesame seeds.

That's all there is to it. Quick, easy, and tasty!

Enjoy!

LEMON & GARLIC SALMON

This recipe is a keeper, folks. This is another recipe that has definitely earned a spot in our bi-weekly rotation. Not only did Peter ooh and ahh the entire time he ate, all of our kids loved it too. A healthy meal the kids also love? Winning!

Lemon & Garlic Salmon

Ingredients:

Salmon

Asparagus (or really any fresh veggie would work)

1/2 Roughly Chopped Red Onion

1 Lemon

2-3 Garlic Cloves or 2-3 T. minced garlic

Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Spray a sheet pan and place the salmon in the center. 

Rub the garlic ALL over the salmon. I spread it on pretty thick!

Drizzle a little lemon juice on the fish.

Sprinkle parsley, salt, and pepper on top and arrange lemon slices last.

Arrange your vegetable of choice around the salmon and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. 

Broil on low for around 20 minutes until done, depending on the thickness of your salmon.

Once I took it out of the oven I drizzled a little more lemon juice on top and served with a side of brown rice. Easy peasy and healthy!

GRILLED BRUSCHETTA CHICKEN

This has been one of my more requested recipes to post. During the spring and summer months, we make this recipe about every other week. It's definitely a keeper! We love to grill and definitely grill the chicken, but you could easily marinate the chicken and bake it in the oven. After baking you would top the chicken with the Bruschetta before serving. 

I won't keep you waiting any longer - here's the Newland family's favorite grilled chicken recipe!

Chicken & Marinade:

1 T. Chopped Oregano

1 T. Chopped Basil

1/2 tsp. Chopped Thyme

1 tsp. Chopped Parsley

2 T. Lemon Juice

2 T. Balsamic Vinegar

1 T. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

1/4 tsp. Salt

4 Chicken Breasts

Combine all of the marinade ingredients into a ziplock bag. Add chicken, mix, and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

*I frequently assemble the marinade and chicken while I'm making lunch and let it marinade in the refrigerator all afternoon until it's time to grill.

Bruschetta:

6 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp. Salt

1-2 Cloves Minced Garlic

1 T. Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

1 T. Olive Oil

Combine all of the ingredients and refrigerate. 

**When ready, grill or bake chicken and top with bruschetta before eating. So easy and so delicious!

SAUSAGE & VEGETABLES SHEET DINNER

Are you ready for the easiest dinner ever? If you can hold a knife and chop a few veggies and sausages you can make this dinner. I'd call this dinner extremely fool proof!

Hate doing dishes? This meal is for you! All I had to wash was a knife, a cutting board, and the pan I cooked on. I'm so excited I discovered "sheet dinners." We may be experimenting with sheet dinners weekly. It's so easy!

Sausage & Vegetables Sheet Dinner

Ingredients:

Sausage - We used Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage and some Turkey Sausage but you could use whatever you so choose.

Vegetables - Tonight we did sliced zucchini, asparagus, and red onion.

Spices - Experiment! We went with a little salt and pepper and then a rosemary herb seasoning. 

Olive Oil - Spray the pan and we also sprayed the veggies with a little olive oil before putting on the spices.

You can't go wrong here. Cut up your sausage and vegetables, spray with a little olive oil, season, and bake!

350 Degrees for about 20 minutes. 

That's it! Isn't it pretty?

Meal Planning Monday

Hello Monday! I'm not quite sure I'm ready for the week to start yet. That weekend went WAY TOO FAST. But alas, it's here - and its' my birthday week!  I'm trying to use what I have on hand, so lots of chicken recipes this week because it's what I have in the freezer!

Here are 5 healthy and simple recipes I’m cooking this week. When meal planning, my goal is always healthy but also quick and easy. I don’t have time to make elaborate dinners. Those days are long gone! 

1. Bruschetta Chicken (I have our family recipe coming in a post later this week but until then, we do love this Six Sister's version.) 

2. Salisbury Steak (We love the Trim Healthy Mama recipe from their cookbook. It's insanely good + healthy!) 

3. Honey Mustard Chicken

4. Pizza-dillas (Kid-food night)

*Every Thursday night is what we call "Kid Food Night" at our house. This recipe from Mix and Match Mama was a HUGE hit and we'll be making it again this week!

5. Grilled Thai Chicken Skewers

Snacks: Apples & natural nut butter, Hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt with frozen berries

What's on your menu this week?

Grilled Chicken BLT Salad :: BJ's Brewhouse Copycat Recipe

Peter and I are late night regulars once a week at our favorite restaurant BJ's Brewhouse. It's a blessing to have a 17 year old son who can babysit! We put the kids to bed and sneak out for a late night date night.

Tip: DON'T stop dating your spouse! I can't recommend it enough to make date nights a priority - even if you have to hire a babysitter.

Since it's late, we don't need to spend the money and eat a whole meal. Tip: Secret way to make date nights affordable - go late when you're not starving and just split something! 

We LOVE to get a BJ's BLT salad. The spicy and sweet vinaigrette is so so good! Tonight we decided to make our own copycat version at home and added sliced grilled chicken to make into a more hearty dish. It turned out just like BJ's version if I dare say so myself!

Salad Ingredients

Grilled Chicken - sliced
Baby Spinach
Tomatoes - chopped
Bacon - cooked and crumbled
Hard Boiled Egg - chopped
Blue Cheese Crumbles

Honey Siracha Vinaigrette

Blend together...

1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Siracha
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Garlic Clove

It's pretty self explanatory. Assemble the salad, drizzle with dressing, and enjoy!

This is literally our new favorite salad.

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Raspberry Good Girl Moonshine

I have fallen in love with Good Girl Moonshine.

This amazing drink has become my afternoon go-to. It can be made it in about 2 minutes and is crazy inexpensive.

When I sip on my moonshine all afternoon, I feel like I'm being super healthy but I also feel like I'm enjoying a soda! There are incredible health benefits to apple cider vinegar and ginger. So sip away!

You can find the original recipe here on the Trim Healthy Mama website. With a couple extract variations, I have a drink I won't be getting sick of anytime soon. In fact, I have started making one each day to send back to work with Peter after he comes home for lunch. It's a great pick-me-up for the long afternoon hours.

I make my moonshine in a quart jar and it's just so pretty with a bright cute straw. The fun is getting creative with different extracts! I have used orange extract for quite a while but I recently bought raspberry extract and LOVE it. I've heard people have used different extracts like peach, lime, caramel, you name it.

Why not mix and match? Today I did a dash of orange AND raspberry. I know, I'm getting a bit wild over here!

Raspberry Good Girl Moonshine

Ingredients:

2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar (I now use vinegar with the mother in it)

1 tsp. Ground Ginger

2 tsp. Super Sweet Blend (Trim Healthy Mama brand) or a Pinch of Stevia 

          -just enough sweetness to your liking

Splash of Raspberry Extract

Ice Cubes
Water

Directions:

1. Place vinegar, ginger, sweetener, and extract in a quart jar.

2. Add about an inch of water into the jar and stir. This just helps make sure everything is dissolved.

3. Completely fill jar with ice and then add water to fill jar.

4. Stir and enjoy!

I'd love to hear if you give it a try!

Beef Pot Roast :: 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals

This is comfort food at it's finest. Maybe it's because the leaves are golden and falling from the trees but I am so ready for a good pot roast. This meal always makes me think of Sunday afternoon dinner growing up. To stay on track with my heathy eating I tend to skip the potatoes when I eat this, but my kids LOVE the potatoes so I throw them in.

Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 chuck roast (3-4 pounds)

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut up

2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut up

1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters

1 cup beef broth (for cooking day)

2 T. steak seasoning blend

1 T. salt

1 T. thyme

1 T. rosemary

Directions:

Combine seasoning in a large freezer bag. Add meat, close the bag, and rub seasoning onto meat.

In a separate bag combine the vegetables and freeze.

Thaw and throw both the meat and vegetables into a slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth.

Cook 6-8 hours or until done.

Serve with a salad and fresh bread for the kids and call it good!

**Missed a recipe? Catch up HERE!**

Chicken Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce :: 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals

• 
  
  
  
  
  Chicken Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce
  
  
  Ingredients:
  
  
  1 lb. chicken breasts
  Salt 
  Pepper
  Soy sauce
  
  
  1/4 cup peanut butter
  2 tsp. lime juice
  1/4 cup soy sauce
  1/2 cup water 
  
  
  Directions: 
  
  
  Cut chicken breasts into thin strips and weave onto wooden skewers.
  Sprinkle skewers lightly with salt and pepper.
  Place skewers in a large freezer bag. (You’ll probably want to double bag these in case the skewers try to poke through.)
  I throw a couple dashes of soy sauce in the bag with the chicken and then freeze
  
  
  Make the peanut dipping sauce on cooking day. Combine the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and water into a bowl and mix well. Add more water if necessary if you prefer a thinner dipping sauce.
  
  
  Thaw and grill skewers, serve with peanut dipping sauce.
  
  
  
  
  

Lemon Pepper Chicken :: 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals

This recipe is super quick to prep and freeze and super quick to cook once thawed! You could cook this in a skillet, grill pan, or even grill.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning

1 tsp. paprika

2 T. olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

4 chicken breasts

lemon - for garnish

Directions: 

Mix together all the ingredients in a large freezer bag and freeze.

Thaw and grill (or cook in a skillet on the stovetop) for 5 - 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve. 

Throw together a fresh veggie salad and steam some broccoli and have the perfect meal ready in minutes.

**Missed any of the 31 freezer meals? Find them all HERE!**

Slow-Cooked French Dips :: 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals

Oh how I love this recipe. The aroma of the beef cooking all day is amazing and it tastes just as good as it smells! If freezing, I thaw this meal the day before so it's completely thawed before throwing it in the slow cooker in the morning. I will say though that this recipe is easy enough that I don't always freeze it in advance.

Ingredients:

1 chuck roast (3-4 pounds)
1 onion, sliced
3/4 cup soy sauce
10 whole black peppercorns
1 T. rosemary
1 T. garlic, minced
2 tsp. beef broth concentrate *

Whole wheat buns
Cheese, sliced **

   * Lets talk about this "beef concentrate" for just a second. Several different recipes I have seen for French Dip use a beef bouillon cube. I've used it before but I instead like Kitchen Accomplice brand of reduced sodium beef broth concentrate. It's low in salt, non-gmo, and all natural. If you can find a healthier alternative to a bouillon cube use it, but using the cube is fine too.

   ** I personally don't typically use cheese, but family loves to put pepper jack cheese on theirs.

Directions:

If you are freezing this recipe place the soy sauce, peppercorns, rosemary, garlic, and broth concentrate in a freezer bag. Mix together in the bag and then add the roast and onions. Freeze.

If not freezing, place the roast and onions in a slow cooker. Mix together the soy sauce, peppercorns, rosemary, garlic, and broth concentrate together and pour over meat. Add enough water to cover the roast.

Cook on low 8-10 hours, until you are able to shred the meat with a fork.

Shred the roast and serve on whole wheat buns. Top with onions and cheese if preferred.

We put the remaining juices from the slow cooker into little bowls for dipping.

**Want more recipes? Find all of the October freezer recipes HERE!**

Cuban-Style Pork Chops :: 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals

Cuban-Style Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 pork chops

1 small onion, cut into eights

2 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

3/4 c. orange juice

3 T. lime juice

1 T. lime zest

1 t. oregano

1 T. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 cup cilantro, chopped (Add to the freezer bag on the day you thaw this meal.)

Directions:

1. Place pork chops, onion, and garlic in a freezer bag. Whisk remaining ingredients except the cilantro and pour over the pork chops. Freeze.

2. When ready to make, remove from freezer and thaw. Add 1 c. chopped cilantro to the bag as it thaws and marinates.

3. When thawed completely, grill 8-10 minutes per side, or until cooked completely through. Let rest about 5 minutes before serving.

**Missed any of the 31 days of freezer meals? Head HERE.**

Chicken Chili :: 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals

Chicken Chili

Supplies:

2 freezer bags (Because this recipe gets pretty full, I recommend 1 freezer bag for the chicken and 1 freezer bag for everything else.)

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breast, cubed

1 onion, chopped

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 10oz package frozen corn

3 10oz cans diced tomatoes with chilies 

1 package Taco seasoning (I prefer to pull out some homemade taco seasoning)

1 T. chili powder

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except the chicken and cilantro into one freezer bag. Mix it well in the bag.

2. Place cubed chicken in the second freezer bag. Label and freeze.

3. Thaw. Place both chicken and tomato ingredients in slow cooker. Cook about 6 hours on high. 

4. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro, cheese, avocado, plain greek yogurt, and tortilla chips on the side.

Chicken Enchiladas :: 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals

Okay. Here's the deal. I know the title of these 31 days of recipes includes the word "healthy." But...I'm changing things up just for today because my kids have been BEGGING for this recipe. The conversation literally went like this.

Child: "Remember when we used to each those yummy enchiladas - before we started eating all healthy?"

My mind went to those enchilada days quickly and my mouth began to water. Yep - my son was right. Those are delicious. I wondered if I could tweak the recipe a bit to make it even slightly healthier. I substituted plain greek yogurt for the sour cream, used low carb tortillas, and still had a delicious version of our former favorite meal.

Will we eat this recipe once a week? It's easy enough I'd love to, but this cheese loaded recipe will only make the cut once in a while.

This recipe is a "partial freeze" recipe. We'll talk about prepping the actual enchilada part of the recipe ahead of time and freezing but the sauce is still made the day you bake it. Don't let that fool you. It's SUPER EASY. This used to always be my quick go-to recipe when last minute guests were coming for dinner.

Here it goes... Day 15 of 31 Days of Healthy Freezer Meals - with a little added kid friendly fat for a special night! :)


Chicken Enchiladas

10 Tortillas (I love the low-carb version)

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (You of course can cook your own chicken but pick up a rotisserie chicken for a SUPER EASY way to get this done fast! Costco rotisserie chickens are so affordable for a pretty big bird.)

2 cups shredded cheese (We're getting lazy with the chicken but not with the cheese. Shredding your own is a must!)

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 4 oz. can of green chilis (This will not make your recipe hot. Just adds great flavor!)

Directions

Freeze ahead:

1. Combine shredded chicken and cheese in a large bowl.

2. Fill 10 tortillas with chicken and cheese mixture, place rolled tortillas in a 9x13 metal baking dish or disposable baking tin.

Baking day:

1. Thaw frozen enchiladas.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute.

3. Slowly add the chicken broth and cook until thick and bubbly.

4. Remove from heat and add the greek yogurt and green chilis.

5. Pour over tortillas and top with desired amount of shredded cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Garnish with salsa, cilantro, green onions, whatever you want!