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Paleo Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops
Growing up, pork chops and applesauce was a staple meal in my house. It brings back a lot of memories, but it is also a very simple flavored meal. When I saw some amazing cuts of pork chops at my local butcher I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. This recipe is a zhuzhed up version of my childhood applesauce and pork chops. Not only are the ingredients in season, which makes me super happy, but this recipe is Whole 30, Paleo, and Keto all rolled into one. It may look complicated, but it is ALMOST as easy as grilling pork chops and pouring applesauce on top. Keep…
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Quick Dinners & Pantry Staples
Now that school is in full swing, extracurriculars are consuming our lives, and germs are being passed around…quick dinners have become the norm around here. I definitely love pouring my heart into preparing meals for friends and family, but most often I just don’t have the time or energy during the week to be very elaborate. Healthy, yummy meals are still my top priority…but there are plenty of meals that can be prepared quickly and are still healthy. Quinoa, Jasmine rice, and various types of pasta are always in my pantry. Quinoa bowls are a weekly occurrence in my house. It is easy to cook and easy to flavor. Some of my…
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No Oats Oatmeal
Growing up my dad would fix us oatmeal and he would add raisins, which he called flies. While I wasn’t too fond of raisins growing up, I loved it when dad would add them and then tell us to make sure we ate all of the flies. Now that I am an adult, I still love the old school oatmeal my dad makes, but my tastes have expanded. I originally found this recipe here, but I’ve tweaked it a little. I like to make this in advance, but not more than a few days. The crispiness begins to change and the texture becomes funny. I also like to top it with several variations. …
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Loaded Roasted Cauliflower Bowl
I just love potatoes! Fried, mashed, baked, cubed, you name it…I’ll eat it. BUT…potatoes are full of carbs. While they are healthier carbs than that of white bread or a Snickers bar; they are still loaded with carbs. Thus, potatoes must be eaten in moderation. That’s where cauliflower comes in. I’ve riced it, I’ve roasted it, I’ve steamed it, I’ve mashed it…there isn’t much I haven’t done with cauliflower in recipes. This recipe though, I have to say was WAY better with the roasted cauliflower than with potatoes. My mouth was so happy with these flavors that I was rather sad when the bowl was empty. If you’d like to…
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Beef Street Tacos
First recipe of my meal planning series with shredded beef brisket cooked in the instapot. These street tacos are addicting! I had a hard time stopping myself at just 2 tacos…and I’m already looking forward to eating more tomorrow. This recipe is super easy and quick after you’ve already roasted the beef brisket in the instapot. Takes 30 minutes or less. The original instapot beef brisket recipe is linked below. Beef Street Tacos ingredients: Shredded beef brisket, at least 2 cups (click for link to brisket recipe) 2-4oz diced green chilies 1 cup low sodium beef stock Street taco shells Mexican blend cheese Mango Pineapple Salsa Fresco directions: Place the…
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Mango Pineapple Salsa Fresco
Mr. Man would do just about anything for fresh pineapple. If I have a fresh pineapple and need it for a recipe, I have to chop it up and prepare it before he knows what I’ve done. Otherwise, it disappears faster than a fart in a fan factory. So when I decided to refine my pineapple mango salsa recipe, I had to do it while he was at work. Don’t worry, I shared the end results with him…and he loved it. I loved it…no, cooking, a lot of chopping. AND…it’s heart healthy, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, whole 30, vegetarian…you name it…well except keto. This recipe is definitely now in our regular…
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Shredded Beef Brisket
Sometimes when I meal plan for a week, I like to make it as easy as possible. Which means cooking a large amount of a protein and then divvying it up between several meals. One of my favorites is to roast a beef brisket in my instapot. Whenever I do this I make sure I roast enough protein to be able to use in at least 3 meals. This last week we had a meal with brisket sliced up, roasted sweet potatoes, and fresh spinach and strawberry salad. The next meal I made with the brisket is Loaded Cauliflower Bowls, and the last one was Beef Street Tacos. I had…
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Roasted Heirloom Tomato and Garlic Marinara
I found gorgeous baby heirloom cherry tomatoes at my local Costco last week and just had to snag them. I have to say I am not a tomato lover…I seriously desire to like raw tomatoes, I will eat them on a salad, but overall I avoid them like the plague. I think my dislike stems from when my parents would stew and can tomatoes almost every year as I was growing up and that smell…that smell rivals baby poo. It…well it scarred me for life. BUT I love to figure out how to add them to recipes and spice them up so they don’t dredge up memories that I probably…
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Chicken Fried Quinoa
I’ve been wanting to incorporate quinoa into my diet, but I was afraid because the last time I tried to make something with it the taste was awful. I even soaked the quinoa before I cooked it and it still tasted like bug spray. That was several years ago, and now there are a lot more options when it comes to quinoa. Quite a few of them don’t require presoaking before cooking which is a huge win for me. Tonight I decided to do chicken fried rice, but with quinoa instead, and guess what…it was SO SO yummy. I will say, although I love me some cauliflower rice, I think I…
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Grilled Steak & Veggie Rolls
I am a carnivore at heart. I love a yummy salad, but not much can beat a really good steak. After dad’s heart attack and surgery, I was on the hunt for foods and recipes that still had the familiar flavors my dad loves but were heart healthy. While red meat isn’t the most heart-healthy protein out there, I wanted to show my dad that he didn’t have to give up everything he loved…that if prepared right and consumed in moderation he could still enjoy and indulge occasionally. I found some sirloin side tip steak, which happens to be one of the leanest cuts of beef, for a good price at the…
