Zucchini Chicken Pillows

Missing pasta? Absolutely. All the time. Even in between bites when I’m actually eating it. Truth is, pasta is just one big carb bomb. More than bread and rice, pasta is filling, heavy, and only ends up sitting around your waist. But there are options that can itch that scratch without putting your diet in the danger zone.

Zucchini is very versatile. It can be manipulated in a variety of ways other than just cut up and fried. Here we have created zucchini pillows, a kind of “blanket” (see what I did there) term for either a ravioli or a dumpling.

Ingredients: 2 large zucchinis, 1 large cooked chicken breast, vegetable peeler

Directions: With the vegetable peeler, cut 2-3 strips to form the vertical strip as seen above. Repeat the same process to form the horizontal piece. The strips are frail and may need more than 3 to support the chicken.

Cut chicken into small pieces (what I have used is premade. Sue me:). Place in center. You can add any seasoning (garlic, pepper, etc) or even cheese to act as more of a binder.

The rolling process is best done by first selecting an end that is underneath the other zucchini strip. Then pick an end that is on top, followed by the remaining underneath end, and finally finished with the last strip. BE SURE TO BE DELICATE. They can fall apart at a moments notice!

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Then broil for an additional 10.

We have prepared these with a sort of Asian inspiration (more so dumpling than ravioli than) consisting of broccoli slaw, sugar snap peas, and rice with a drizzle of soy sauce/sesame oil.

These can also be done with cheese or any other protein in a red sauce as a ravioli substitute. Try them out, you won’t regret it!

Avocado Chicken Salad

As I’ve said before, even the most delicious of meals can get boring day in, day out. But, any protein can be spun a different way (#leftoverremix). And given the good feedback that was received for the Avocado Egg Salad, as well as the leftover roasted chicken, Avocado Chicken Salad just seemed like the perfect thing to share. First, every last morsole of chicken has been picked from the bones. I have spared the photo of the chicken carcass (very visceral and Game of Thronesy). Next, the shredded chicken has been seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper. For the cream factor, about 3/4 of a very large haas avocado was used. Also, to give it a little bit of a twist, yellow mustard and a pinch of hot sauce has been added, as well as onion and about 2 teaspoons of chia seeds. While chia seeds don’t exactly add any flavor, they do give a bit of extra moisture. When diluted in liquid, the seeds omit a gel (don’t freak out, you won’t even notice it) that is beneficial for your digestive tract. Why not include that in your meal?

Also, if you’re looking to avoid carbs, the chicken salad can work well as a dip with carrots or zucchini.

One Pan Meal: Roasted Chicken

Sunday is meant to be a day of leisure so don’t let meal prep consume it! There are plenty of meals that cook all together and don’t demand too much time. Above is roasted chicken with red potatoes and veggies.

One pan=one dish to wash=more couch time:)
The veggies chosen are Brussels Sprouts and Eggplant with Mushrooms and Onions thrown in. We have selected these because they make great absorbers and there’s a lot of fat (and flavor) to catch! They have been lightly seasoned with a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. Make sure to throughly clean and then season your bird. We used the same flavor assortment (EVOO+lemon+oregano). Also, position is key to make sure your veggies get maximum drip.

The rule of thumb is about 20 minutes per pound (this chick is about 6lbs). The end result is a delightful aroma, a quick cleanup, and meals for the week.

Watermelon Feta Kale Salad

Now, I will admit: I have not always been on board with inter-flavor pairings (call me old fashioned). I never got why people dipped their French fries in milk shakes or why salted caramel was so sought after. But, in discovering how real, natural food can compliment each other, I have grown to appreciate a little sweet with the tangy and that is exactly what this salad bring to the table.

Ingredients: One Cucumber; One half of a Seedless Watermelon (or a quarter of a regular); pack of Feta Cheese; 2 tablespoons of Chopped Walnuts; Black, Seedless Grapes; Few Bunch of Kale; Bunch of Mint Leaves

Directions: Finely chop mint leaves. Break apart kale and lightly sprinkle about half of the mint throughout. Ball melon and cut apart grapes. Add to salad. Add feta crumbles and walnuts throughout. Sprinkle the remaining mint on top. For the cucumber, we have “veggetti’d” (or spiralized) it and placed it on the bottom. This can also be chopped and added normally.

You’ll find that between the watermelon and cucumber, dressing is unnecessary. This salad is a friendly battle of flavors, while also being cool and refreshing. Remember, especially with temperatures going up, it’s not just water that can hydrate you.

Whole Wheat Lasagna

Lasagna is usually not a dish that comes to mind when thinking of healthy meal ideas. It’s normally heavy, filling, and generally speaking, you don’t want to move after a helping.

But there’s always a way to adjust a recipe to make it a bit more healthy, and lasagna is no exception. This whole wheat lasagne still has the delicious, full taste but doesn’t anchor you to the couch for the next several hours.

This recipe does take several moving parts and time, but it’s well worth the work and gives you plenty of leftovers.

Meat Sauce: 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb ground sausage, 24 ounce jar of Organic Tomato Sauce, half of a diced onion, cut up mushroom halfs,

Grease pan with olive oil. After a few minutes of heating, add onions and mushrooms. Give time to brown. In a separate bowl, mash together sausage and ground beef, adding oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and whatever other spices desired. Add to pan and allow time to brown. Add tomato sauce. Mash meat with spatula to decrease lumps.

Noodles: Boil water in a large pot. Add whole wheat lasagna noodles. Periodically move noodles around so they are throughly cooked. Your workstation should be a bit crowded like below:

Cheese: tub of ricotta cheese from skim milk, bag of shredded mozzarella, two eggs.

Crack both eggs in large bowl and mix. Mix in ricotta and then add mozzarella. Add oregano, salt and pepper.

Layering: After noodles have strained and cooled, begin the layer process. Place some tomato sauce at the bottom of the lasagna pan. Add layer of noodles, followed by meat sauce, then cheese, and repeat once again. The final top layer should be of noodles. Add desired amount of cheese on top (we’ve kept it light here).

Cover pan with tin foil. Bake for 30 minutes 360. Once done, remove foil and broil for 10 minutes.

You’ll find that the final product is still filling, but the whole wheat pasta (along with portion control) gives it less of a heavy feeling and won’t leave you feeling like something is sitting in your stomach.

Avocado Egg Salad

There’s a lot of talk about how some fats are good, and some not so much. Mayonnaise certainly falls into the category of “fat” but, 9 times out of 10, it lands in the bad category rather than the good. This is because it’s normally highly processed with partially hydrogenated oils, including Hellman’s, the brand that most associate with Mayo. This kind of oil is bad for both your waistline and your cholesterol.

But, if you are a fan of the creamy, flavorful taste that mayo brings to the table, try out a more healthy alternative in Avocado. Avocados contain both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are linked to lowering bad cholesterol and are a good substitute for saturated fat in your diet. And, because they’re a plant of course, they contain other phytonutrients and minerals that your body requires.

Not only is it a good substitute on a nutritional level, but on a culinary one as well. Pictured above are two hard boiled eggs, mashed with half of a small haas avocado (which I personally find are the best for mashing). Seasoned with salt and pepper, the taste is nearly indistinguishable from regular egg salad and provides the creamy fix with a helping of good fat. Can also fill in well with shrimp, chicken, tuna, or as a regular spread on a sandwich.

Stuffed Mushrooms

chickmush

After a while, even the most flavorful dish begins to warrant an audible sigh when the Tupperware lid is peeled off. But, to avoid ending up in the fast food window line around 12:15pm, its important to get creative with what you have. Pictured above are stuffed mushrooms, featuring the leftover Middle Eastern Chicken with some bell peppers, onions, and cheese. Any veggies that you are eager to use before they spoil can essentially be used as a “throw in”.

Stuffing- sautee leftover chicken with bell peppers, onion, and the extracted inside of the mushrooms. The chicken is already cooked, so only about 5 minutes or so is all it will take.

Mushrooms– after removing the stem and inside of the button mushrooms, lightly season with salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Fill inside with cheese and chicken/veggie mix from above. Cook for about 15-20 minutes at 350°.

The mushrooms go very well over rice or quinoa, or just by themselves as an appetizer. Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Chicken and Chickpea Salad

Let’s face it: chicken can be boring af. It’s the blandest of all the proteins, but also the most benign when it comes to your waistline. That’s why we will be coming up with some chicken options that provide flavor without any guilt attached (tap the chicken option tag to see all).

Trust me, this one will get your taste buds going and make you forget you’re eating healthy.

Chicken Breast-Chopped Parsley, Juice of Half a Lemon/2 Tbsp Olive Oil, Through Rub of Cumin, Salt and Pepper to Taste. Baked with Bell Peppers and Mushrooms at 360° for 45 minutes.

Chickpea Parsley Salad-One Can of Chickpeas, Half Chopped Red Onion, Half Chopped Green Pepper, Half Chopped Tomato, One Chopped Cucumber, Bunch of Chopped Parsley, Juice of Half a Lemon, 2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Tbsp of Stevia, Salt and Pepper to Taste

The dish doesn’t exactly fall into any one country’s culinary profile, but the lemon/olive oil marinade and use of cumin, parsley, and chickpeas slides right into the Mediterranean/Middle East area. Isn’t it funny how the food from other countries is so much healthier than America’s?

Roasted Kale Salad

One of the many things that makes kale different from all the other greens is that it can actually survive the oven. While iceberg, romaine, and spinach will wilt when heated, kale becomes a nice crispy product, opening the door for a variety of new dishes. Below is what I like to call a “roasted salad”. There’s only so many cold mixed salads one can eat day in and day out (fear not raw fans, their day in the box will come). Change it up with the right seasonings and get to toasting.