Super Taco Salad

Super Taco Salad is a great lunch or dinner if you want something quick, filling and delicious.  I like to use Spinach for my greens because they are full of vitamins (A,C,E & K), antioxidants and minerals.  Spinach has been shown to prevent cancer and improve the health of your heart and bones. Many other lettuce greens, especially those in the cabbage family, have substances that can slow down your metabolism.  Since my goal is to continue losing weight, spinach is my top choice for salad greens. 

Ingredients

1 lb of Trader Joe's All-Natural Ground Beef

1 can of Trader Joe's Organic Black Beans

1/2 medium Vidalia Onion

1 medium tomato diced

Easy Guacamole*

Spinach

Worcestershire Sauce, Garlic Powder & Cajun Seasoning to taste

Organic White Corn Chips (optional)

Preparation

1.  Saute the onions until tender.

2.  Brown the ground beef with the onions. 

3.  Season with Worcestershire, Garlic Powder and Cajun Seasoning to taste.

4.  Add the drained, black beans to the pan and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. 

5.  Top the spinach with the ground beef mixture.

6.  Add diced tomatoes and a scoop of Easy Guacamole.

7. Enjoy with a few corn chips. 

* Click on the link to my recipe for Easy Guacamole.

Southern Sausage Bake

This great dish is easy to make and a healthy way to get your summer started.  There are two great protein sources in this dish, All Natural Chicken Sausage and Lima Beans.  If you have never tried Lima Beans, you need to get over your fear.  In addition to the buttery texture, they have a taste similar to potatoes.  Lima Beans also contain loads of minerals that are important to heart heath, weight loss and regulation of blood sugar. 

Ingredients 

4 cups of Lima Beans - cooked, rinsed and drained

12 oz of Trader Joe's Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

1 large Vidalia Onion diced

1 cup carrots diced

1 cup celery diced

2 medium tomatoes diced

Oregano, Garlic Powder and Cajun Seasoning to taste

Preparation

1.  Add 1 cup of water to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add the Lima beans, and gently stir until the water boils again.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3.  In a large skillet, saute the onions, carrots and celery until tender.

4.  Add the fully cooked sausage, tomatoes and seasonings and cook until bubbly.

5.  Rinse, drain and add the Lima beans to the skillet and cook for a few minutes.

6. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a 2.5 qt baking dish, cover and cook for 30 min.

7.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.  Enjoy with your family.

Trader Joe's All Natural Chicken Sausage is  a great healthy alternative.  They are free of preservatives, nitrates, nitrites, MSG and fillers.  They have 70% less fat that traditional pork sausage and have no casing.  Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage comes in several flavors including Sweet Apple, Spicy Italian, Andouille, Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach & Feta, and others.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I really love peppers. Sweet or Hot, they are my favorite fruits. Fruits? Yes, peppers are fruits. Unfortunately, my family does not share my affinity for the spicier varieties, but this recipe is one the whole family enjoys! Peppers are full of vitamins and photochemicals: Lutein, Beta-Carotene, and Lycopene.  These nutrients have been linked to weight loss, pain reduction and cancer prevention.

Ingredients

1 pound of all-natural ground beef (90% lean)

1/2 cup of uncooked brown rice

6 bell peppers

1 can of Trader Joe's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

4 oz of goat cheese

Worcestershire sauce

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook the rice per the directions. (Trader Joe's Quick Brown Rice)

3. Brown the ground beef.

4. Remove the tops of the peppers and seeds.  Rinse and place in a baking dish.

5. In a bowl, mix the browned beef, rice, diced tomatoes, goat cheese & season to taste.

6. Fill each pepper with the mixture.

7. Cover and bake in the oven for one hour.

I hope you enjoy this great, healthy meal with your family!  A special thanks to Rachel Carter for her inspiration and ideas!

Easy Guacamole

Easy Guacamole

The best food to me is easy to make, delicious and healthy.  It cannot get any easier than this south of the border favorite.  Avocados are considered a healthy fat and they are full of beta-sitosterol, which has been shown in clinical studies to be most helpful for reducing cholesterol, increasing metabolism and improving prostate health.

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados

1/2 of a lime

1/2 of a tomato

Cajun Seasoning

Cilantro

Peel the avocados and remove the seeds. Dice the avocados and tomato.  Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lime and season to taste with any Cajun seasoning and a little cilantro.  For a spicier version try adding a diced jalapeno.

Guacamole is great in salads, on a burrito, with a burger, in a taco or with a few chips.


What is your favorite meal with guacamole?

New Twist on an Old Favorite - Apple Mango Stuffed Chicken

Apple Mango Stuffed Chicken

My family loves this meal, but we all need a little variety.  It's the spice of life!  I struggled to find another way to cook this meal without losing any taste or family enthusiasm.  My inspiration came from some of my favorite chicken sausages.  Apple and Mango are a great taste combination.  Enjoy!

8 Boneless Chicken Thighs

4 slices of Trader Joe's Fully Cooked Uncured Bacon

8 oz of Trader Joe's Silver Goat Log

1 organic Gala Apple - peeled and cut into 8 slices

8 teaspoons of Trader Joe's Mango Butter

• Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
• Rinse each thigh and place inside 1 apple slice, 1 oz of Goat Cheese, 1/2 piece of bacon.
• Pull the sides of the thighs together and secure with a toothpick.
• Place the toothpick side down in a shallow baking dish.
• Top each thigh with a teaspoon of Apricot Preserves and spread slightly.
• Bake for about 35 minutes or until the chicken is 165 degrees. Cooking time may vary slightly.
• Serve with your favorite veggie. We used a spinach salad with red grapes or strawberries.

Chicken thighs are used because they have more flavor and are the perfect shape for stuffing. There is no need to pound the thigh flat in preparation for stuffing. If you do not have Trader Joe's in your area, you can substitute with other brands. The Trader Joe Silver Goat log is a plain, Chevre goat cheese that can likely be found at Kroger or other grocery stores. A little Benton's Bacon is my only thought to improve this recipe.  If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, lucky you, because they are awesome and much less inexpensive than other healthy grocers.

My Favorite Meatloaf

My Favorite Meatloaf

One of my favorite meals...hearty, healthy and delicious.  Better than Grandma's, this has been a family favorite at my house for years.  Re-designed for a more healthy lifestyle, this meal will leave your kids asking for more.  We ate this on Sunday afternoon paired with a simple spinach and strawberry salad.

Ingredients

2 lbs of Trader Joes 90% Lean All Natural Ground Beef

One bunch of celery stalks diced

3 green onions diced

One orange pepper diced

1 cup steel cut oats

1/3 cup Heinz Ketchup

2 eggs

L&P Worcestershire Sauce to taste

Trader Joes All Natural BBQ Sauce

Coconut Oil

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add celery, onions and peppers. 

Cook stirring until tender, about 7 - 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.

Grease two 9x5 pans and fill each with mixture.

Create an indention in the top of the loaf and fill with BBQ Sauce.

Cook at 375 for 1 hour.

The Go-To Cheat: Pizza

The Go-To Cheat! Pizza
Now that I have been staying away from wheat for the last 3 months, I only have eat pizza about once per month.  One thing that I have recently noticied is that I gain at least five pounds every time I share this pizza with Gretchen.  It is amazing what wheat does to your body. Is it worth it?  You make the call!

1 Trader Joes Pizza Crust

Your Favorite Marinara

Pepperoni

Spinach

1 Yellow Pepper Cut into Slices

8 oz Trader Joes Goat Chedder

Grease the baking sheet with some coconut oil.  Spin the crust to the desired thickness.  Trader Joes crust is the best crust next to homemade!  Top with Marinara.  Shred about half of the cheese and place it on top of the pizza.  Add the pepperoni, peppers and spinach.  Top with the rest of the cheese.  Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes.  It's dangerously delicious!

Apricot Stuffed Chicken

I tried the Apricot Stuffed Chicken for the first time Monday, and it is already a family favorite!  This dish is short on preparation and long on deliciousness.  It is the perfect combination of creamy, sweet, salty and smokey! 

8 Boneless Chicken Thighs

4 slices of Trader Joes Fully Cooked Uncured Bacon

8 oz of Trader Joes Silver Goat Log

8 Dried Apricots

8 teaspoons of Apricot Preserves

• Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
• Rinse each thigh and place inside 1 apricot, 1 oz of Goat Cheese, 1/2 piece of bacon.
• Pull the sides of the thighs together and secure with a toothpick.
• Place the toothpick side down in a shallow baking dish.
• Top each thigh with a teaspoon of Apricot Preserves and spread slightly.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is done.  Cooking time may vary slightly.
• Serve with your favorite veggie.  We used a simple salad with spinach and red grapes.

Chicken thighs are used because they have more flavor and are the perfect shape for stuffing. There is no need to pound the thigh flat in preparation for stuffing.  If you do not have Trader Joes in your area, you can substitute with other brands.  The Trader Joe Silver Goat log is a plain, Chevre goat cheese that can likely be found at Kroger or other grocery stores.  If you have a Trader Joes in your area, lucky you, because they are awesome and much less inexpensive than other healthy grocers. 

Best Cheat Ever! - Stuffed Peppers

We ate these on Saturday night, my typical cheat night.  This is one of my old favorites that has been recently updated since I can no longer eat cow's milk dairy.  Warning:  These stuffed peppers are addictive and  disappear fast! So easy!

8 banana peppers

8 oz of Trader Joes's Silver Goat Log

8 slices of Trader Joe's Center Cut Uncured Bacon (Uncooked)

 

 

Cut off the top and de-seed the banana peppers.  Rinse.

Stuff each pepper with 1 oz Goat Cheese

Wrap each pepper with one slice of bacon.

Cook in the oven at 375 for 40 minutes or until the bacon is cooked.

Easy Jambalaya

1 PKG Trader Joe's Chicken Andouille Sausage
1 Can TJ's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
3/4 Onion chopped
1 Yellow Pepper ciced
2 Jalepenos chopped
1 cup Celery chopped
1 cup uncooked Brown Rice
2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Garlic, Cajun Seasoning, Hot Sauce to taste



Combine all ingredients listed above in a large pot. Bring contents to a boil. Cover and Simmer on Low for 35 Minutes.


Add 8 oz of Raw Shrimp, tails removed & deveined. Cover and cook for 6 minures. Enjoy!