Category Archives: protein

protein, recipe

Moroccan Turkey Meatballs

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Every Monday morning I make my lunches for the week. They usually consist of some variation of ground turkey with a bunch of vegetables. I go between Mexican flavors and Italian. Sometimes I do Asian lettuce cups. Today I tried something different!

Here’s a great weekday lunch recipe for you- Moroccan turkey meatballs! They’re delicious with curried cauliflower.

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Ingredients:
for the meatballs
1 lb ground turkey (or beef or chicken or lamb)
1 big handful fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbs paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

for the sauce
1/2 tbs coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c tomato paste
1 c chicken stock
1 big handful fresh parsley, chopped

1. Mash up all meatball ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Form 1″ balls using wet hands and set aside on a baking sheet in the fridge while you make your sauce.

2. Sauté onion in the coconut oil until translucent in a large, deep stock pot. Add the garlic and spices and sauté just a moment longer. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, and parsley. Bring to a boil and dissolve the tomato paste. Reduce heat to simmer.

3. Carefully place the meatballs into the sauce in a single layer. This might be tricky, so use a spatula to gently push the meatballs to make room for all of them. Cover the pot and simmer for 40 minutes. Take the cover off and simmer for another 15-20 mins to allow the sauce to thicken.

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Love this dish! The base recipe came from the book Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan. I simply halved the recipe and made some minor adjustments. Whether you’re eating paleo or not, I highly recommend this cookbook for flavorful recipes!

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protein, recipe, vegetables

Shepherd’s pie – tasty, easy, healthy

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A few weeks ago one of my coworkers made a brilliant shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash. I decided to make my own shortcut version:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb, turkey, chicken, or beef
2 cups frozen diced vegetables
1 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1 head cauliflower
1/2 c shredded white cheddar
1 egg
1-2 tbs butter (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break the head of cauliflower into florets and stream in a steamer basket until tender (approx 10 mins).

2. Make the meat filling by sautéing onion in the olive oil. Add garlic. Once fragrant, add the ground meat. Once browned, add the frozen veggies, tomato paste, and seasonings. Spread the mixture in a large casserole dish or a series of small ones.

2. Purée the cauliflower and egg in a food processor or blender. Add salt, pepper, and butter (if desired). Top the meat in the casserole dish with this cauliflower mash. Sprinkle cheese on top.

3. Bake for about 20 minutes and broil for a few mins longer at the very end. Serve with sliced chives on top.

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Yum! This recipe is husband approved.

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protein, recipe

Grain Free (paleo) Chicken Cordon Bleu

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After making grain free eggplant parmesan last week, I decided to try the breading out on something else. This time I made a tasty variation on chicken cordon bleu. I used what I had on hand for the stuffing- spinach, parmesan, mozarella, and BACON!

Ingredients:
Several spinach leaves
2 chicken breasts, skinless
2 slices of bacon
2 tbs shredded mozarella
2 tbs shredded parmesan
2 tbs almond flour
2 tbs ground flax
Coconut flour (for dusting)
1 egg
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Paprika
Garlic
Toothpicks

1. Make PERFECT bacon by placing the slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and setting in a cold oven. Turn the temperature to 400 degrees and pull the bacon out after 15-20 mins.

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2. While the bacon is in the oven, pound the chicken breasts very thin (1/4″) by sealing in a ziplock bag and pounding with a mallet.

3. Prepare the breading by combining almond flour, ground flax, a sprinkle of thyme, garlic, and some salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with a bit of paprika.

4. Place spinach leaves on the chicken breast, followed by bacon slices, then shredded cheese. Roll the chicken and fasten with toothpicks. This is the most frustrating part. If you over stuff the chicken, it will be a nightmare to fasten.

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5. Sprinkle the chicken “packets” with salt, pepper, and a dusting of coconut flour. Dredge the chicken in egg, then coat in the breading mixture. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 mins, or until the chicken is no longer pink when sliced open.

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Hooray for juicy stuffed chicken!

protein, recipe

Chicken lime soup with avocado

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I bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco last night just before the warehouse closed. Unfortunately, all they had left were the “reject” chickens that nobody else wanted- the small ones with broken skin that were beginning to get dried out from sitting under the heat lamp so long :(

I took one of those poor chickens home and gave it a tasty makeover with this fresh tasting soup recipe:

Ingredients:

2 rotisserie chicken breasts
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 white onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1 tbs olive oil
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, diced
1/4 c lime juice
Salt, pepper to taste

1. Sauté onion and bell pepper with olive oil in a large saucepan. After a few mins, add the garlic and jalepeno. Sauté for a minute longer.

2. Add the chicken stock, water, lime juice, oregano and bring to a boil. As the soup is heating up, shred in the chicken breast.

3. Season with salt and pepper until you like the flavor. Place 1/4 of a diced avocado in each bowl and pour soup over it. Serves 4.

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I typically avoid hot soups in the summer, but this one was particularly light and fresh. It’s a great dish to enjoy on your porch or balcony on a breezy summer evening!

protein, recipe

Turkey Lettuce Cups & Homemade Hoisin Sauce

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Hoisin sauce is easy to make at home! This recipe beats the bottled kind with stabilizers and artificial ingredients:

Combine:
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
1 tbs almond butter (or peanut butter)
1/2 tbs agave or honey (or leave it out)
1 tbs sambal olek (chili paste)
1 tsp sesame oil

Begin by browning 1 lb of lean ground turkey in a pan. Add 1 can diced water chestnuts, 1 tbs minced garlic, and 1/4 cup chopped green onions. Stir in the hoisin sauce. Serve in lettuce or cabbage cups.

This dish is easily packed for weekday lunches- just store the lettuce leaves separately from the seasoned turkey.

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Ugh- what a terrible picture! I hate fluorescent lighting. I’m excited to work on improving my food photography in the coming months. For now, trust that these recipes taste better than they look!

breakfast, food, protein, recipe

Scramble with zucchini and sausage

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Good morning, mountain paradise! This place is unbelievable.

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Can you imagine a more stunning view with breakfast?

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Everyone was cooking up a storm this morning.

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They made a huge batch of eggs and bacon.

I’d like to share a recipe for this delicious sugar detox mountain breakfast with you:

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1. Sauté sliced zucchini and chicken sausage in a bit of olive oil. Set aside once golden.

2. In the same pan, scramble eggs to absorb the flavor from the sausage and veggies.

3. Serve with paleo toast and sharp cheddar cheese.

protein, recipe

Southwestern turkey stew

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Today is Day 3 of the sugar detox and no cravings yet! I’ve had a good amount of energy for working out, too.

I teach an exercise class at work every day. It’s nice to have a break from seeing patients to lead the class for our employees. I’m always pretty hungry after class.

Here’s what I usually pack for lunch:

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It’s a recipe I came up with after buying a ton of ground turkey at Costco. I call it southwestern turkey stew- it’s similar to chili.

1. Brown 1 lb ground turkey in a pan and season to taste with taco seasoning or chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic.

2. In a separate pan, sauté 1 chopped onion with 1 chopped green bell pepper in a bit of olive or coconut oil.

3. Add a can of diced tomatoes and a can of roasted green chilis to the onion and bell pepper and simmer until bubbling.

4. Add the browned turkey to the vegetable mixture and cook through.

This recipe makes 4-5 servings and is ready in 20 minutes! It’s a great weekday lunch because you can whip up a whole week’s worth on a Sunday night in no time. Serve with a dollop of plain greek yogurt and shredded cheese!

protein, recipe

Perfect grilled chicken breast

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Day 2 of the sugar detox is officially over! No major cravings yet, but I’m bracing myself for days 3-5. I hear those are the tough ones.

After a long day of filming a cooking video at work and meeting with a group of ladies from church after, I was exhausted and didn’t feel like cooking. Luckily, this dish is healthy and comes together quickly.

To make perfect, juicy grilled chicken breast, start by pounding it out nice and thin. Doing this will help it cook evenly.

Next, place the chicken breast in a ziplock bag with salt water (about 1 tbs salt for 1 cup water). This will further tenderize the chicken breast. Allow it to soak for about 5 minutes, then remove and pat dry with paper towels.

Preheat your grill, grill pan, or foreman. If you want to keep your grill clean, seal the chicken breast in an aluminum foil packet with your favorite seasonings.

Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Turn down the heat and allow the chicken to rest and reach a final internal temperature of 165 degrees. Do not overcook- nobody likes dry chicken! Don’t undercook either- nobody likes food poisoning ;)

I served my chicken with some cheddar cheese and a side of baby heirloom tomatoes. It’s amazing how sweet tomatoes taste after just 2 days of cutting back my intake of sweet foods! Enjoy!

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protein, recipe

Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Mash Recipe

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My coworker made the most amazing sugar detox meal! I’m pretty excited to share this genius idea of hers.

Over the weekend, she went out to Cheesecake Factory and really wanted to try the shepherd’s pie, but decided to make her own healthy version at home. Here’s the result!

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This dish is so good, I could eat it every day! Thanks for letting me have some and for sharing the recipe:

1. For the cauliflower mash: steam cauliflower florets until tender. Mash them with 1/4 cup of cream and butter to taste. Add a bit of shredded mozzarella and one egg to get the mixture to bind. Season with a bit of garlic.

2. For the base: brown 1 lb of ground turkey in a pan. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a separate pan, sauté shredded carrots, shredded green beans, shredded onions, and shredded tomatoes. All this shredding can be done in a food processor! Combine the turkey and veggies in a casserole dish.

3. Top the meat and veggie mixture with cauliflower mash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Broil to get the cheese golden and bubbly for the final 2-3 minutes.

Can’t wait to make this! It’s so satisfying and you won’t even miss the potatoes.