Tag Archives: Gluten-free diet

Butternut Squash Noodles with Chicken Sausage & Kale

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Every time I make something outside of the box, my husband gives me a snarl. Then, he tries it and 9 out of 10 times goes back for seconds and thirds. This was one of those. We literally ate the entire pot and my 1-year-old ate the chicken sausage like it was Apple Flavored Puffs (her favorite).

I wanted to venture away from zucchini with my Vegetti and when I saw butternut squash at our local produce stand, I knew I had to experiment! Thus, this new little dish was created and will be duplicated!

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Butternut Squash Noodles with Chicken Sausage & Kale

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1lb chicken sausage (could use pork or turkey)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 chopped sweet onion
8 oz. of baby kale
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground fennel
2 dashes of nutmeg
2 tsp ground sage

Remove the sausage casings if using links – I just squish it out of the ends. Heat a large wide and deep pan over medium heat. Add the oil, then brown and crumble the sausage, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Add the chopped onion and cook until the onions soften and become translucent.

Add the kale, and stir until it is wilted. It will look like it won’t fit in the pan, but it will shrink!

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, and spices. Stir and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes to reduce a bit of the liquid.

Add the “noodles” to the pan and toss until will mixed.Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

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Oh my ya’ll, I just love this one! Whenever I break out my Veggetti, I get weird looks from my hubby, but then he always gobbles up whatever I put on the table. This is just another one of those recipes. While I do use my Veggetti to make sweet potato noodles, you could just dice the sweet potatoes if you don’t have a spiralizer. By using sweet potatoes in place of the normal tortillas or pasta, the amount of calories, carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats that are typically found in casseroles is significantly reduced. I would say that gives you every right to have 2 servings! 🙂IMG_3023 (2)

Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

1 lb  chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*
2 cups red enchilada sauce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
salt and pepper, to taste
2 medium sweet potatoes, spiralized
6 oz Mexican cheese blend, shredded
Optional garnishes: avocado, sour cream, green onions, salsa

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Add the shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, black beans, and corn to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with coconut oil. Add the sweet potatoes. Then, pour the shredded chicken mixture over the sweet potatoes and top with shredded cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil (this is important to keep cheese from burning like mine in the picture!!).

Bake for 50 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Allow the casserole to rest a few minutes before serving.

*I just boil my chicken, then shred with a fork.

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Roasted Veggies & Sausage

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As my pregnancy is in it’s last month, I’m starting to think how hard it is to lose this pregnancy weight if I don’t start eating more whole foods. While I typically do a good job, I’ve had my fair share of pasta and bread during this pregnancy. I know I can’t keep this up after the pregnancy, so I’m trying to go more towards more protein and veggie based meals. This one is so simple and delicious.

Roasted Veggies & Sausagesweet potatoes

1lb of chicken or turkey sausage (andouille style) cut into 1-inch slices
2 sweet potatoes cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large carrots, chopped into small rounds
1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
1/2 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 tsp garlic powder (or 3 cloves)
2 tbs of olive oil
1 1/2 tbs of Italian seasoning
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, add all sliced veggies and cut sausage links.
Next, add olive oil, seasonings, and toss to coat.
Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil and spread out the veggies and sausage.
Place uncovered in oven and bake 35-45 minutes turning once during cooking.
Bake a total of 35 to 45 minutes, turning veggies and sausage twice during cooking.

Pork & Plums: An Unusually Delicious Pair

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I would be lying to say that I wasn’t a little weary of making this for my husband, as he has a weird thing with fruit. He doesn’t venture past bananas, so anytime I try to sneak fruit into a meal he snarls his nose. When I say this recipe on Martha Stewart, I was immediately drawn into the colorfulness and uniqueness of the meal. I thought, “if Martha made it, it HAS to be good.” It was! It turned out to be somewhat of a gourmet dinner. I served it alongside of mashed sweet potatoes and a mixed vegetable medley.You have to give this one a whirl!

Plums aren’t a “common” fruit and are often forgotten about. However, these little guys are a force to be reckoned with! One medium-sized fresh plum contains 113 mg of potassium, a mineral that helps manage high blood pressure and reduce stroke risk. Also, plums rank low on the glycemic index, which means eating them can help you control your blood sugar and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes making it a SAFE fruit for diabetics.porkandplums

Pork & Plums

1 lb pork tenderloin, boneless chops, or boneless ribs – pounded thin
1 red onion
4 plums
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
sea salt
black pepper
coconut oil
unsalted butter

Slice pork tenderloin and season with salt and pepper.
Brown pork in coconut oil and butter over medium-high heat then remove from pan and set aside (leave juices in pan).
In the same pan, saute plums and red onion over medium heat. Add vinegar, and stir until bubbling. Return pork to pan and toss. Voila!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

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There are so many ways you can jazz up a boneless, skinless chicken breast. It can be one of the leanest proteins out there, but it has a tendency to get old fast. This recipe is so easy, but makes it look like you spent hours in the kitchen. So, sike your husband out and make this tonight!

As a side note, this chicken calls for bread crumbs. When I pulled out my jar of store bought bread crumbs that I’ve had for quite awhile, I turned it over to read the ingredients. There was a long list of probably 100 ingredients, so I immediately said “NOPE!” to the bread crumb idea. I pulled out some organic, gluten-free crackers and crunched them up and they worked as a great alternative! Target has a new line of organic products called “Simply Balanced.” The products are affordable and tastey!

Parmesan Crusted Chickenchicken collage

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 egg
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon crushed gluten-free crackers (or whatever alternative you choose)
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a baking pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper.

2) In a shallow bowl, whisk egg.

3) On a flat plat, mix spices, cheese, and crumbs.

4) Dip the chicken in the egg, then roll your chicken until well coated in the spice mixture, then place chicken on baking pan.

5) Bake chicken for 20-25 minutes.