Avocado Pasta

Avocado and pasta go so well with one another. It was delicious! Super, super easy to make.

Ingredients

Whole wheat spaghetti
2 large ripe avocados
1/4 teaspoon finely grated garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt
Black pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes (plain)
Green onions

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box

2. Reserve 1/2 cup of hot pasta water, while the pasta is cooking

3. Cut the avocado into small pieces. Place the avocado in a large bowl

4. Then use a fork to mash it into a chunky paste

5. Add the diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, garlic, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper and mix

6. Add the drained cooked pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water

7. Use two spoons or tongs to toss. The avocado mix will turn into a thin sauce that coats the pasta

Paleo Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

So simple, yet so delicious! Definitely a fan. I cooked half of the patties on a grill and half in a frying pan. I put chipotle hummus on my burger and ate it with a fork and knife. It hit the spot!

Ingredients

Ground turkey (I used both 1lb of lean turkey and 1lb of white lean turkey and mixed them together)

1 cup white onion, diced

1/2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, diced

2 teaspoon dried cumin

2 teaspoon dried paprika

2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Using clean hands, mix together ground turkey, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, ground cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl

2. Divide mixture and form into patties

3. Grill patties over medium-high heat until burger is cooked through.  Flip when bottom side of burger no longer sticks to the grill grates

4. Or spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook patties over medium-high heat until burger is cooked through. Flip when bottom side of burger no longer sticks to the pan 

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken with Rice Noodles

This was so good! I love cooking Asian inspired dishes because I do not like them from restaurants. Way to oily and greasy and makes me feel ill. This was pretty simple but time consuming. I definitely recommend making it though instead of ordering take-out. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Chicken breasts

Rice noodles
Sesame seeds
1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp cold water
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used ginger paste)
½ teaspoon black pepper 

Pineapple

Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

2. In a small saucepan combine together the cornstarch, cold water, soy sauce, sugar, apple cider vinegar,  minced garlic , ground ginger, black pepper and whisk until all the ingredients are well blended

3. Cook on low heat, stirring often, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Remove from heat and set aside

4. Wash and dry the chicken breasts. Cut the chicken into pieces or cubes

5. Place chicken cubes on a greased baking dish.  Brush the chicken with the sauce. Make sure to coat all of the pieces evenly

6. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes, and then take the dish out and brush with sauce. Bake for another 15 minutes 

7. While the chicken is cooking follow the directions on the box of rice noodles

8. When the noodles are soft, drain them and place in a large bowl. Pour the remaining sauce from the saucepan onto the noddles and mix well

9. When the chicken is done, place the pieces of chicken (and whatever sauce is left in the baking dish) into the bowl of rice noodles and mix

10. Sprinkle with sesame seeds

11. Add chopped up pineapple to the chicken/noodles

Taco Chicken Breasts

This recipe is very simple. I added a few more things to it in order to spice it up a bit. 

Ingredients

1 package of low sodium taco seasoning
Chicken breasts
Salsa
Green onions
Hot sauce
Avocado
Dairy-free pepper jack cheese 
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Place the chicken and taco seasoning in a large zip lock bag and shake well. Makes sure that each piece of chicken is coated well
3. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and place the chicken in the dish
4. Bake the chicken for about 20-25 minutes
5. Then take the chicken out top each piece with salsa, green onions, and cheese. Place the chicken back into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes
6. Once done, place chopped up avocado each chicken breast and sprinkle with hot sauce

Homemade Croutons

The only way I'll eat croutons at home or at a restaurant is if they are homemade. It is so simple to make homemade croutons. Take any stale bread and cut it into small cube pieces. Then, place them on a cooking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, and bake at 350 degrees until crispy. Done!

Fruit Bar

This is a yummy, simple treat! The only ingredients are apples and pears. There are no preservatives, no GMOs, gluten free, kosher, vegan, and raw. If you are not a fan of eating fruit, i would recommend this. Its chewy and delicious.

Mexican Casserole

I basically took a bunch of ingredients, combined them, and ate it. This Mexican casserole turned out very tasty!

Ingredients

Lean ground turkey
Green onions (scallions)
1 can pinto beans, drained
Sweet potato tortilla chips
1 10 oz. can of Ro-tel tomatoes, drained 
2 cups of salsa 
Shredded dairy free pepper jack cheese
Guacamole 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. In a large skillet, brown meat with green onions 
3. Stir in beans, tomatoes, and salsa.
4. Simmer over medium heat until everything is well combined and heated through. Do not drain or discard the extra liquid 
5. Grease a casserole dish (I used earth balance soy-free butter)
6. Put down a layer of tortilla chips, followed by a layer of the meat/bean mixture, then a layer of cheese, then add one more layer of remaining ingredients
7. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes
8. Top with guacamole

Maple Honey Glazed Chicken

Simple, simple recipe! It turned out good and not overly sweet. I think the little kick from the dijon mustard and red wine vinegar overpowers the total sweetness of the honey and maple syrup. Definitely worth making.

• Ingredients
• 3/4 cup of dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup 
• 1/2 cup of honey 
• 1 tablespoon of rosemary
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• Pepper
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Chicken thighs and drumsticks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray it with cooking spray

3. Mix together the dijon mustard, maple syrup, honey, and red vinegar in a bowl

4. Dip chicken in the mixture and coat each piece well

5. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and sprinkle each piece with pepper and rosemary

6. Back for about 40 mins or longer--make sure the chicken is cooked through

Apple Quinoa Smoothie

I had previously tried this quinoa smoothie in blueberry flavor. I decided to give the apple one a try. It was just as delicious! It provided me with the perfect snack to hold me over until lunch. It is dairy, soy, and gluten free. It has no refined sugars and is non-gmo. Give it a try.