Pumpkin Chili

This recipe was DELICIOUS and kid friendly (at least in my house!). I adapted it from Katie Farrell's, "Devotions for a Healthier You." She is the author of a lovely cookbook called, "Dashing Dish!" I follow both Katie and her sister Sarah Robbins on Instagram!

I chose the slow cooker option and made it with ground chicken.  The original recipe calls for lean ground turkey or lean ground beef so if you have other preferences then go with what you enjoy! I personally try to limit my red meat intake to only 2-3x per week.

I did double the batch so that I can have some to freeze for a later date. I found this recipe so light!  Even if you aren't a pumpkin fan, I think you would like this dish.  It was like a lighter, creamier chili. The only complaint I had from my hubby was that it could have had a little more chili powder but I didn't want to over do it for my 4 year old son's sake.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
1 (15oz) can of pumpkin
1 (15oz) black beans
1 (14.5oz) can of diced tomatoes, drained (I actually forgot to drain them and it still turned out delish!)
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
1 small-medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper ( I chose red! Original recipe calls for yellow)
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 tsp fresh chopped garlic)
1/2tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp honey **optional ( I did add this!)

Directions:
Add ground chicken to slow cooker and make sure to break it up with a spatula.
Add additional ingredients to the slow cooker and stir until everything is well combined.  Put the cover on the slow cooker and cook for 4 hrs on high or 8hrs on low heat.

Garnish with mozzarella or cheddar cheese if you wish! Enjoy!

Shrimp Tacos

Two of my favourite clean eating cookbooks I purchased at Costco.  They are written by Sarah Fragoso and the titles include, "Everyday Paleo and Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook." Shrimp Tacos is a recipe that I have adapted from the   Everyday Paleo Cookbook and it is truly delish!  This is a family favourite in our household!  Hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients
1 bag of medium shrimp, shells and tails removed and deveined (I tend to by the frozen bags at the Superstore and thaw them the night before in the fridge).
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 small red onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 c. fresh or jarred salsa (restaurant salsa "verde")
10-12 large romaine leaves (rinsed and dried off)
2 cups purple cabbage
Green Yogurt
lime wedges
Optional: 5 radishes, halved and sliced
           
Method
1.  In a frying pan, heat the coconut oil over low-medium heat and sauté the garlic, onions, and bell peppers until tender.
2.  Add the shrimp and sauté until the shrimp have turned pink in colour.
3.  Turn the heat down to low.
4.  Mix the chili powder and salsa and add to the mixture in the frying pan and cook until simmering.
5.  Place the lettuce leaves on the serving dishes so they are open faced.  Add the desired amount of shrimp mixture to the leaves.  Garnish with red cabbage, sliced radishes and a dallop of greek yogurt on top.  Serve with lime wedges on the side!

Prep time: 15-20 mins

Cook Time: 7-10 mins

Serves: 3-4

21 Day Fix Approved!  1 green (lettuce, cabbage, green pepper), 1 red (shrimp, greek yogurt), 1/2 purple (salsa verde)

Clean Chicken Quesadillias

After a lunch date with a friend to a Mexican Restaurant I have been craving quesadilla's like crazy!  I wondered how I could make these the cleanest way possible and discovered it IS possible!  For starters, I invested in the smaller sized whole wheat tortilla (approx. 7") to avoid making something so big that I of course would have to eat it.  I went online to find a recipe that would work with the ingredients that I had at home.  Allrecipes.com is a great website with a variety of recipes for any taste bud.  Not all the recipes are clean however, depending on what you want to make they can be adapted.  Most proud of myself was the fact that I made my own fajita seasoning!  No more packaged seasonings for this girl!

Chicken Quesadillas (Makes approx. 10)

~3 large chicken breasts

~1 white onion

~1 Green Bell Pepper

~1 Orange Bell Pepper (any colour would work, this is just what I had)

~1 c. white mushrooms

1 TBSP olive oil

Fajita Seasoning
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp chili powder
1tsp salt
1 tsp paprika (for a smokey flavor Victorian Epicure sells a Smoked Paprika)
1 tsp raw sugar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to how hot you want your fajitas)
1/2 tsp cumin

1.  Cut chicken into small strips.  Toss chicken strips and fajita seasoning in a ziploc bag and place on a lightly greased foil lined cookie sheet. Use a fork to separate the chicken so it isn't all in a big clump.

2.  Broil chicken for 5 minutes until no longer pink.  Add to frying pan with vegetables and saute for approx. 10 minutes.

3.  Place open tortilla on cookie sheet and fill each half of tortilla with chicken mixuture. About 1/4 cup.

4.  Put small amount of shredded Montrey Jack & Cheddar Cheese on the mixture. 

5. Fold the tortilla over the mixture and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

6. Serve with fresh salsa, jalapeños and a small amount of greek yogurt if you desire.