Paleo Vegetable Beef Curry

Paleo Vegetable Beef Curry
Adapted from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 pound steak, diced
1 cup onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp green curry paste
2 cups broccoli florets, fresh/raw
¼ cup basil, diced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups cauliflower rice (cauliflower shredded through processor)
¼ cup water

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. When oil begins to smoke, add meat and brown on all sides, 3 minutes. Add onions, peppers and curry paste; saute for 3 minutes. Add broccoli and basil; saute for 2 minutes. Add broth, milk, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes covered; stir; cook 10 more minutes uncovered. When curry is almost done, add cauliflower rice and water in a large microwave safe bowl. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes to steam. Plate rice and serve curry over top. Add red pepper flakes and salt to taste.

Review: We really enjoyed the flavors, but had to add a lot of red pepper flakes to give it some kick, so I added this to the recipe. Also, it was more soupy than we like, so I reduced the beef broth a bit and think that will make it even better next time. It was more like a soup than a curry to me and very thin, so know that going in! All in all, we did really enjoy this and I loved how packed it was with  yummy veggies.

Shrimp Etoufee

NO! this is not paleo... but i'm still finding some recipes I never posted pre-paleo!

Shrimp Etoufee 
Adapted from Family Circle Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 cup onion, diced 
½ cup green pepper diced 
1 cup celery, finely diced 
2 tbsp mincd garlic 
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce 
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 tsp Cajun seasoning 
1 pound shrimp, peeled/tail-off 
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped 
1 cup Jasmine rice (dry) 
1 lemon, cut into wedges 


 In a large pot, whisk together flour and oil until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes until reddish-brown in color. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce, 1 cup water, Worcestershire sauce and Cajun seasoning; simmer 15 minutes until celery is soft. Cook longer if it’s still ‘crunchy.’ Add shrimp and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve shrimp over rice. Squeeze lemon wedges over each plate. 


Nutritional Information: 407 calories, 53 carbs, 9 fat grams and 28 protein grams. 


Review: Powerful dish! It had so much flavor and everything mingled together great! We used fresh shrimp and it was excellent. Shrimp dishes typically don't reheat well, but the heavy sauce made this one do well, just heat at 50% so that the shrimp doesn't become rubbery. I thought this dish was easy to put together, although my processor made it easy to dice up all of the veggies. Make SURE you dice the celery well - no one wants a crunchy bite in the etoufee! I still can't get over the calorie counts - it tastes much more calorific.

Baja Pork Stir Fry

Baja Pork Stir Fry
Recipe Adapted from Dinners for a Year and Beyond/Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp minced garlic, jarred
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 pound lean pork, sliced in strips
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sliced red onion
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 thinly sliced jalapeno
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups jasmine rice, cooked over stove per package instructions

First, prepare rice to cook and set for 15-20 minutes (so it cooks while you do the rest!). Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well and set aside. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add 2 tsp of olive oil. Add pork and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set on plate. Heat same pan over medium heat and add last tsp of olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper and jalapeno and stir fry for 3 - 5 minutes. Return pork to pan along with chicken stock mixture and toss to combine. Cook for 1 minute until sauce coats all the ingredients. Stir in tomatoes and cilantro. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information (per serving): 359 calories, 42 carbs, 7 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: So fresh and spicy! Loved all of the veggies and the chicken stock mixture really added a nice blend. The jalapeno was spicy, but tamed by the chicken stock, and I loved the cilantro combined with the pork. Overall, great, easy recipe ready under 20 (especially easy if you have a food processor!). Could do with or without the rice – for Paleo peeps- just leave the rice out and make it 2 or 3 servings!

Southwest Chicken Wontons

Southwest Chicken Wontons
Recipe inspired by Picky palate
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup white onions, finely diced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 12 oz. can chunk chicken, drained
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro, finely diced
¼ cup salsa (green or red)
2 tbsp light ranch dressing
32 wonton wrappers (half of pack)
1 egg white whisked with 2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minute and remove from heat. In a large bowl (or food processor), add onion mixture, chicken, cilantro, salsa and ranch. Mix (or process) until well combined . Lay out all 32 wonton wrappers on wax paper. Place 1 tablespoon chicken mixture in center of each wrapper. Dig fingers in egg white wash, fold over filling and press edges together firmly, forming a triangle. Repeat with remaining wontons. Lay each on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Brush tops with remaining egg white wash. Bake for 10 minutes, flip each over (brush with egg white wash again), then bake for 5 – 10 minutes or until crispy. Serve with salsa or ranch if desired.

Nutritional information (for 8 wontons not including dips): 311 calories, 37 carbs, 7 fat grams and 24 protein grams. To freeze, prepare as stated above (even cook them). Place wontons in freezer bag and freeze. To prepare after freezing, bake from frozen at 350 for 15 minutes.

Review: Um, YUM. I’m a huge fan of wontons of course, so these didn’t disappoint. I used my processor to mix the whole filling into a spoonable dip, and then spooned it on to each one, dipping into a tbsp of ranch. Fabulous! We each had 8 for the serving, then froze the last 16 to test the freezing. It froze wonderfully and tasted just as good as the first time. I’ll be making these again! Love that all 8 make a little meal, but you could also serve as an appetizer of course!

Before folding!

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers 
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef
Makes 6 Servings

½ tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup onion (chopped)
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup uncooked long-grain rice
½ cup water
6 green bell peppers
salt ( to taste)
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
4 oz. shredded 75% fat-free cabot cheddar cheese, divided

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic. Heat until fragrant, then add ground beef and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until beef is browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, rice, ½ cup of water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove the seeds, discard the tops, and place the bottoms into the boiling water; boil for 5 minutes. (you may need to do in batches) Drain and sprinkle salt inside each pepper. Once done, remove meat mixture from heat. Stir in half of the cheese. Preheat oven to 350. Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour the soup over the peppers. Cover with foil (spray inside with nonstick cooking spray) and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, top with remaining cheese and bake for 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 323 calories, 36 carbs, 8 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: Awesome! Loved the tomato soup topper and they reheated wonderfully - even brought them to work in a tub! I will say they take a while, between boiling the pepper to making the mixture to scooping it in, etc. - it can be a bit much. But I think it's worth it and fun for a weekend meal when you have a bit more time. We made it during the week and it took a bit too long for me! Regardless, great, yummy recipe and we'll absolutely have them again.

Pork Sesame Noodles

Pork Sesame Noodles
Recipe inspired by Stacey Snacks
Makes 4 Servings

½ tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
8 oz. spaghetti
16 oz. raw pork medallions, sliced thinly
Sauce:
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp siriacha sauce
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 carrots, grated
3 green onions (scallions), diced
handful of fresh cilantro (optional)

Cook pasta per package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds stirring constantly. Remove from heat and put garlic in a bowl. Add sauce ingredients and stir together with a whisk. Set sauce aside. Put pan back on heat (will likely have garlic/oil remnants – that’s great!). Add pork to pan. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, until no longer pink. Pour sauce over pork, and add veggies. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Then add pasta, stirring well with tongs, 1-2 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Nutritional Information: 463 calories, 55 carbs, 11 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: Easy, spicy, simple and filling! Love them - will definitely use this easy sauce again, with any meat or with rice instead of pasta. I also loved the veggie blend, and thought it was plenty of sauce for the dish. The cilantro was a nice to have but definitely not a must have. I think this would be a fun one to make your own - thrown in other peppers or onions - cabbage would also be good! Great stir fry - we're adding to the rotation! And FYI - my new food processor was AMAZING for this dish - threw the pepper, carrots and cilantro in there together - easy peasy!

Eggs & Sweet Potato Hash

Eggs & Sweet Potato Hash
Recipe inspired by Paleo Plan
Makes 4 Servings

2 tbsp coconut oil
12 oz. sweet potato, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 links Jenie-O Sweet Italian turkey sausages, sliced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
4 eggs
Dash of pepper
Optional side: mushrooms

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add onions and sweet potatoes, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the sausages and continue to cook until sausages are browned and sweet potatoes are slightly softened. Add bell peppers and 1 tbsp of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are completely soft; stir frequently to ensure it doesn't stick. Meanwhile, cook eggs in remaining coconut oil. Season eggs with black pepper and serve on the side of sweet potato hash.

Nutritional information (per serving): 301 calories, 23 carbs, 17 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: Amazing! Seriously - my first time using coconut oil and I will absolutely be using it again. It goes so well with sweet potatoes, and gave the hash an amazing, almost sweet, flavor. This reheated well, too - I just heated it for 1 minute on medium heat, then 30 seconds on high heat. I also had a steamed mushroom on the side, just for fun. :) Austins's mom gave me a steamer a while back, and i've been using it left and right for potatoes, veggies and more - good stuff.

Mini Paleo Muffins

Mini Paleo Muffins
Makes 6 Servings

12 eggs
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 Jennie-O Sweet Italian Sausage links, cooked and crumbled
¼ cup Red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup Mushrooms, diced
2 tbsp Sundried tomato, diced
2 tbsp Scallion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp water
Optional toppings: 2 avocados, divided into 4; salsa

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add garlic, sausage, vegetables, salt, pepper and water; stir to combine. Carefully pour into ramekins. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean.

Nutritional information (per serving; without toppings): 250 calories, 5 carbs, 16 fat grams and 22 protein grams. (per serving; with toppings): 325 calories, 10 carbs, 23 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: Fabulous! I served each of mine with 1/4 of an avocado and dipped it in salsa - yum! It was very filling and had a good kick from the spicy sausage. I liked how easy these were, too, and that you can easily make more (assuming you have the ramekins) or less. They reheated well, and were a great 'work' breakfast, too. I just brought one (wrapped in foil) to work (along with a bag of toppings!) and it was great. And note: It may be easier to put sausage and vegetables into the ramekins first, then pour egg over it.

Breakfast Wonton cups

Breakfast Wonton cups
Makes 4 Servings (12 cups)
Recipe adapted from Cooking with Mel

12 Wonton Wraps
2 oz. (56 grams) Cabot 75% reduced fat cheese, shredded (divided)
5 eggs
½ tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp hot sauce
½ tbsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup fat-free milk
½ red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, diced
½ tbsp minced garlic
8 slices turkey bacon
1 oz. Sargento Reduced Fat Mexican Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. Spray nonstick spray into muffin tins. Add one wonton wrap to each muffin cup and add all of the cabot cheese at the bottom (14 grams of cheese for each 3 cups/serving). Bake for 5 minutes. Combine eggs, garlic powder, hot sauce, onion powder, salt and pepper and milk. Whisk together. Dice pepper into small pieces and add to egg mixture along with parsley. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic. Stir for 30 seconds, then add bacon. Heat 2 minutes on each side until crisp. Remove from pan and dice. Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle 2 pieces of now-diced bacon each over each 3 cups/serving. Pour egg mixture evenly across each cup, and top with final ounce cheese across each cup. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes (or until the eggs are set).

Nutritional Information (for 3 cups): 262 calories, 14 carbs, 12 fat grams and 21 protein grams.

Review: Seriously?! I LOVED these little bits of fabulous. I loved that you could have 3, I loved the flavor. I hearted the crispy on the outside fluffy egg in the inside. I worried the spice would be too overpowering but it was JUST right. To make this easier, just dice up some ham and use pre-shredded cheese and/or pre-cut veggies. I think I am about to try a TON of variations of these – SO exciting!

Black Bean Fiesta Burgers

Black Bean Fiesta Burgers
Makes 4 large burgers or 12 mini burgers for sliders

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained, rinsed and given time to dry
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
1 egg
Taco seasoning packet
¼ cup salsa
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
(Sliders: 6 tbsp fat-free sour cream, divided; 12 small potato rolls)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick. In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Strain mixture. Then stir into mashed beans. In a small bowl, stir together egg, taco seasoning, salsa and hot sauce. Stir egg mixture into mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide into 8 small patties. Place patties on baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes on each side.

Nutritional Information: one large pattie - 205 calories, 38 carbs, 2 fat grams and 9 protein grams; one mini pattie – 66 calories, 12 carbs, <1 fat gram and 3 protein grams. For sliders, adding potato buns and sour cream, each: 161 calories, 30 carbs, 2 fat grams and 7 protein grams. I had two mini patties on two potato rolls which each had ½ tbsp fat-free sour cream. This comes out to: 322 calories, 60 carbs, 4 fat grams and 14 protein grams.

Review: Loved them! They tasted kind of like Amy’s breakfast burritos – so much so that Austin suggested we take the big pattie and use it to fill a medium-size tortilla for breakfast burritos! Great flavor, love the fiesta flavor, and truly think that you could take the breadcrumbs down if you want to reduce the calories a bit – up to you. I’m a huge fan and love that it was so filling, but yet had no meat. New favorite for us – so glad we tried it! We even reheated them for breakfast and I found two to be a great, filling breakfast - fabulous!

Inside Out Egg Roll Stirfry

Inside Out Egg Roll Stirfry
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
½ tsp siracha
½ tsp lawry’s seasoning salt
1/2 small head cabbage, shredded
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
4 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 cup beef broth
1 tsp ground black pepper
2.5 cups white microwavable rice, cooked with 2.5 cups beef broth and 1/2 tsp lawry's

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Sauté garlic for 5 seconds, then add ground beef, siracha and lawry’s. Stir-fry until beef is just brown, 5 minutes. Add cabbage and bell pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender, and beef is fully cooked, 7 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Season with pepper. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened.

Nutritional Information: 438 calories, 58 carbs, 8 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: This was unexpected! I'd never cooked with beef broth before, so to cook it into the rice and meat dish added a lot of flavor. The lawry's added a lot to both dishes. It tastes just like an inside out egg roll (original recipe name: Beef & Cabbage Stirfry). It had lots of sauce and if you'd replaced the rice with an egg roll wrapper, I swear it would have been an egg roll. The servings were large so it was super hearty. Between the rice, beef and cabbage it was filling - almost like a chili.

Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad

Southwestern Chicken Pasta Salad
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings

8 oz. pasta, short shape/dried
1 pound chicken, cooked with salt, pepper and lemon juice
2 oz. 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
½ cup green onion
½ red or green bell pepper, diced
1 small tomato, diced
¼ cup orange juice
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
½ tsp salt

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place in large bowl. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through tomatoes). Toss to combine. Combine orange juice and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.

Nutritional Information: 441 calories, 53 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Really tasty recipe - definitely best cold! It had plenty of flavor, the onions added a lot of crunch and the OJ combined with the adobo gave it a spicy after taste. The serving is very large and filling - a big serving for this amount of calories and fat grams makes me happy! We'll definitely make this again, I think it would be good for an event too. Note: if you don't like chipotle chiles in adobo sauce do not try it - I think this definitely made the recipe/sauce so without it I don't know that this recipe would have much flavor. Just a head's up!

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from Salt & Paprika

½ cup onion
1 small green bell pepper, seeded & quartered
½ tbsp minced garlic
1 small can tomato paste
1 can light coconut milk
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala
1 pounds chicken breasts, cut into big chunks
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp water
3/4 tbsp cornstarch
4 servings jasmine rice, cooked per package instructions

Place onion and bell pepper into a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add in garlic cloves, tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, curry powder and garam masala, then process until smooth. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Combine with sauce and cook in a crockpot on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, stir water and cornstarch together then add into the crockpot. Keep the lid cracked and cook on high for 10-15 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice.

Nutritional Information: 419 calories, 49 carbs, 9 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Okay, this is officially the best curry I've ever made. And probably one of the easiest too. Austin is a fan of thick curry, but that's still has a lot of sauce. A lot of curries are thick, but not saucy, or are saucy but thin. This one is PERFECT. And it has so much flavor - the garam masala with the curry powder adds a lot, and it's not too spicy (although you could make it spicier by slow cooking it with some dried red chiles.) It also had a nice creamy consistency; it tasted like it was cooked with whipping cream even though it wasn't. Next time I plan to double the recipe and freeze half of it - I have no doubt it will reheat fabulousness. If you want to try an Inidian recipe or a slow cooker one I strongly suggest this one - and yes, it's too bad it's not prettier in photos! :( **Edited to add: we froze half in a plastic container and a week later, just made rice and defrosted it - awesome!

Summer Vegetable Enchiladas

Summer Vegetable Enchiladas
Adapted from a Dinners for a Year and Beyond Recipe
Makes 6 Servings

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup flour
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 14 – ounce can vegetable stock, reduced sodium
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp canola oil
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
½ cup scallions, diced and divided
12 Mission small flour tortillas
2 oz. 75% reduced fat Cabot cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400. In a small saucepan, combine cumin, chili powder, flour, tomato paste and ¾ cup water. Whisk to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add in stock and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat a pan to medium high heat and add oil. Add bell pepper and zucchini and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl. Cool slightly. Add black beans, corn and half of the scallions and stir to combine. Spray a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Add enough sauce to cover the bottom (about ¼). Lay wax paper on the counter and top with 12 tortillas. Fill each with vegetable mixture. Then roll one at a time and place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining over the enchiladas, using the back of a spoon to spread, and top with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information (for 2 enchiladas): 396 calories, 67 carbs, 7 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: Okay, so I’m going to make my own enchilada sauce from now on – AMAZING. Seriously. So flavorful and thick – it really made this dish. Especially combined with the flour tortillas. Normally I use corn tortillas for enchiladas, but the flour really made it thick, almost like a burrito, and the vegetables just popped. Talk about another meatless dish where I didn’t miss the meat at ALL. I didn’t even need any toppings like sour cream or salsa – perfect as is! This has now knocked off one of the lasagnas to be in the top two for meatless recipes – filling, flavorful and will be made again – very soon! Seriously, I don't even know that the pictures do it justice!

whole pan - YUM

Chipotle Chicken and Rice

Chipotle Chicken and Rice
Adapted from a Dinners for a Year and Beyond Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 cup jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
¼ tsp chili powder
2 tsp olive oil
20 oz. chicken, diced
½ cup onion, diced
1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
½ cup tomato sauce
1/8 tsp salt
hot sauce to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely diced
1 tsp lime juice
4 large Romaine lettuce leaves

In a medium pot over high heat, add rice, chicken stock and chili powder. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat, cover pot, and simmer for 15 minutes. While rice cooks, heat a large pan to medium high heat. Add oil and then add chicken. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and cumin and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cook for a minute, then season to taste with salt and hot sauce. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Place lettuce leaf on plate. Divide chipotle rice and chicken into servings and add to each lettuce leaf.

Nutritional Information: 374 calories, 42 carbs, 4 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: We really liked it! The rice had a nice flavor with a hint of spanish rice, without the grease and calories. The chicken was flavorful, the onions added a lot and I liked the hot sauce blended in to give the tomato sauce a kick. The lime juice and cilantro also added a great flavor and after taste. I will DEFINITELY make this again - super easy and I have no doubt it would freeze well too since it's a soupier dish. Also, I wouldn't be scared to add even more hot sauce for more heat!

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls
Adapted from a Dinners for a Year and Beyond Recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp canola oil
1 large red pepper, diced small
1 10-ounce package baby portebello mushrooms, diced small
2 tsp minced garlic
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced small
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained, diced small
2 tsp teriyaki sauce
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
4 servings (190 grams) Jasmine rice, cooked per package instructions
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
sesame seeds to taste
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add red pepper and mushrooms and sauté for 5 - 6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add chicken and cook for 6 - 8 minutes or until cooked through. Stir chicken and red pepper mixture occasionally while it cooks. Add water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and hoisin sauce and stir to coat the chicken and vegetables. Continue cooking until heated through. To serve, line each plate with a large romaine leaf. Top each with a quarter of the rice, a quarter of the chicken mixture, and a sprinkle of the sesame seeds and scallions.

Nutritional Information: 433 calories, 62 carbs, 6 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: OMG. This tastes so light but it's very filling. I loved the sauce, the mixture of the rice with the mushrooms and peppers, and while I normally dislike water chestnuts, I LOVED this them in this. I liked the crunch they offered, along with the scallions and peppers. The hoisin and teriyaki also blended well, and I liked the jasmine rice over my usual microwavable rice. It helped make this dish and I will definitely be making it again!

Chicken Vindaloo

Chicken Vindaloo
Recipe adapted from a Cooking Light.com recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp chili paste
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
4 tsp canola oil
1 cup diced onion
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup basmati rice (dry)

Combine first 9 ingredients (through garlic) in a zip-top plastic bag. Marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours, turning occasionally. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add chicken mixture and bell peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly browned on all sides. Add broth and salt; simmer, uncovered, 12-15 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to chicken mixture; simmer 2 minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in cilantro. Divide rice into 4 servings (each 140 grams). Divide chicken mixture and serve over rice.

Nutritional Information: 375 calories, 48 carbs, 7 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: AMAZING. I mean it -that cardamom work was absolutely worth it and yes, I think it helped make the recipe. This dish has SO much flavor, and even tasted better second day, which we didn't think was possible. It's strong, not spicy, and really had a lot of focus on ginger, which I happen to love. I will absolutely make this again! And next time, i'll toss in some red pepper too (it called for it but I didn't have it so yellow it was!). I seriously can't believe the stats on this dish - it had enough flavor and 'soupiness' to where i'd easily assume it had at least double the calories and fat!

Whole pan

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Recipe adapted from a For the Love of Cooking recipe and a Self Magazine recipe
Makes 4 Servings

½ pound tomatoes, cut in ¼ inch slices
½ pound zucchini, cut in ¼ inch slices
½ pound yellow squash, cut in ¼ inch slices
½ red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch strips
½ yellow or green bell pepper, cut in 1 inch strips
¼ pound mushroom caps, cut in ¼ inch slices
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil
2 - 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 to 1 ½ cups spinach
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and black pepper, to taste
400 grams fat-free ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
130 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
3 cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce (1 28 oz. jar)

Preheat oven to 475. Toss tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, mushrooms, salt, garlic and oil in a bowl. Place vegetables on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray cooking spray over top of vegetables. Roast for 22 minutes, until golden brown. In a medium-sized bowl, add ricotta, egg, 60 grams of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Combine until mixed thoroughly. Layer an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with one cup spaghetti sauce. Lay two noodles on top. Spread half of ricotta mixture on the noodles. Then spoon half of vegetable mixture on top and finish by layering on spinach leaves. Repeat with one cup sauce, two noodles, remainder of ricotta mixture, remainder of vegetable mixture and remainder of spinach leaves. Top with last two noodles. Then top with remaining sauce and remaining 70 grams of cheese. Bake covered** in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

**This really fills the dish, so make sure you spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and place spray-side down over the top so that it doesn't stick to the cheese.

Nutritional information: 423 calories, 48 carbs, 13 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Seriously? I've never made this before?! What?! Loved it. Austin said it was fantastic, and he didn't miss the meat. It was a perfect blend of veggies and cheeses - it was OOZING cheese - fantastic. I loved the roasted veggies, too. It really added so much to this dish (over sautéing them, I think!). Next time, I could see myself doubling the veggies, then using half over quinoa and then half for this lasagna - I would just hate to not roast more now that I now how awesome they come out! And while this does occupy your oven for a bit of time between the roasting and cooking, if you're pre-cooking other meals you could easily be cooking on the stove or in a slowcooker, or prepping for your other meals on the cutting board!

pic of whole pan

Warm Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

Warm Quinoa and Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Fitness Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

1.25 cups dry quinoa
1 ¼ cup water
1 ¼ cup chicken broth
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
¾ tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp black pepper
2 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
20 grams slivered almonds, finely diced
1/2 large red bell pepper (100 grams), diced
2 cups wild arugula (60 grams), divided into 4 (use more if desired)

Add quinoa to pot, along with water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa can be fluffed with a fork. Meanwhile, add garlic, salt, lemon juice, black pepper and olive oil to a large bowl. Stir, then add chickpeas, almonds and bell pepper. Mix well. Once quinoa is done, add to bowl and stir. Divide mixture into four servings (each 228 grams) and serve each over 15 grams arugula.

Nutritional Information: 422 calories, 57 carbs, 16 fat grams and 12 protein grams.

Review: Wow. I was nervous about this. I love quinoa, but didn't know how I felt about a "warm salad." Well, I'm a fan! The quinoa and beans made a soft, almost creamy mix, but the nuts added a nice crunch, along with the arugula and peppers. It was a blend I would have NEVER put together on my own, but it tasted AMAZING. The original recipe called for 1/3 black olives too... I'm glad I left those out. I feel like they would have overpowered the dish. There is nothing else I would change about this - VERY happy with this rainbow, meatless dish! I will say, and I noted above, that more arugula would have been welcome (and clearly wouldn't have added calories!). And speaking of calories (and fat) I don't think I would have missed it if say 1/2-1 tbsp of oil wasn't in here - just saying!

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad
Makes 4 Servings

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
¾ tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp oregano, dried
¼ tsp basil, dried
1 tsp minced garlic, jarred
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ packet splenda
1 oz. fat-free feta cheese
1 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced

Other:
1 oz. fat-free feta cheese
8 oz. pasta, small shape
3 oz. fresh tomatoes, diced
2-3 cups spinach

Optional:
1 cucumber, deseeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
30 Hormel Turkey Pepperonis, quartered

Cook pasta per package instructions. Drain and set aside. Combine all ‘dressing’ items in a blender or food processor. Mix pasta with ‘other’ ingredients – feta cheese and tomatoes. Add ‘optional’ ingredients if desired. Toss with now-blended dressing. Serve on a bed of spinach.

Nutritional information (without pepperonis): 293 calories, 46 carbs, 8 fat grams and 11 protein grams.

Nutritional information (with pepperonis): 324 calories, 46 carbs, 10 fat grams and 11 protein grams.

Review: I think this one tasted best right after we made it. When we reheated it, it was a little bit dry. Probably because I didn’t use more oil. I added tomatoes in to the dressing part, and think it will improve the dryness. Or, I would suggest adding a 1/4 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt (like Fage). Regardless, this was a great, flavorful recipe – I love the dressing and it’s a super colorful and tasty dish. I think it’s going to make a great spring and summer staple around our casa. The pepperonis can be a fun add on, but of course no biggie to keep it meatless, which is what we're moving toward doing 1-2 days per week at our place!!