Category: nutrition

#10/52 Pork Chops with a Sweet Rub

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We don’t eat pork chops very often, so I thought I would check out a new recipe. After searching for different ways to prepare your thick cut bone in chop, I settled on this yummy sweet rub from Hey Grill Hey. It’s not quite grilling temperature here, so I sear in a cast iron and pop it in the oven at 450°F.

This recipe was easy to make and gave the pork a wonderful flavor, I was a little generous with the cayenne and loved the spice it added. We paired with sautéed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes.

Do you have a favorite pork recipe you think I should try? Check this one out below

♧Ingredients♧
4 pork chops

Signature Sweet Rub
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper


♧Instructions♧
1.Make the rub. Combine all ingredients for the rub in a small bowl and set aside.
2.Preheat. Allow the grill to preheat to medium-high heat (around 400 degrees F) for two-zone cooking (one direct heat side and one indirect heat side).
3.Season. Season the pork chops with Sweet Rub on all sides and press the rub into the meat.
4. Sear. Place the chops on the hottest part of the grill and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5.Finish grilling. Move the chops to the indirect heat side of the grill and continue cooking for an additional 5-6 minutes per side until the internal temperature of the pork chops reaches 145 degrees F.
6.Rest and serve. Remove the chops from the grill and allow them to rest for 5-6 minutes before slicing.

#9/52 Mississippi Pot Roast

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I see Mississippi pot roast recommended a lot in different food groups and have never tried it. My dad brought it up in conversation 2 weeks ago and I thought maybe now was the time to try it.

Most all the classic recipes call for packets of seasonings and pepperoncinis. Something inside of me was saying no, just couldnt get into shopping for a packet of ranch and the rest. So I bought a roast and decided I would do it the usual way I do.

Then here comes Friday, when I took my daughter to a birthday party and low and behold a mom brings up making Mississippi pot roast. It sure felt like a coincidence, as she shared the recipe she utilized didn’t use seasoning packets and said she made a classic and this version side by side and honestly couldn’t taste a difference. What a win, I was stoked!

So without further ado, I encourage you to taste this recipe from The Jam Jar kitchen. It was divine and might be my new go-to every time I buy a chuck roast! We paired with yukon gold garlic mashed potatoes and green beans.

INGREDIENTS  

  • 3-5 lb beef chuck roast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp dried chives
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 6-8 pepperoncini peppers, whole
  • 1-2 tbsp pepperoncini pepper juice (from the jar)
  • 4 tbsp ghee
  • salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Take the chuck roast out of the fridge. Remove from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Generously season all sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.Heat a couple tbsp of olive oil over medium-high to high heat in a large skillet until hot and shimmering.Once oil is hot, place seasoned chuck roast in the skillet. Sear for about 1-2 minutes per side to a deep golden brown. Transfer chuck roast to the bowl of the slow cooker.
  • After removing the chuck roast, deglaze the pan over medium high heat with 1 cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half (doesn’t have to be too exact).Pour the liquid from the skillet over the chuck roast.
  • Sprinkle chives, garlic powder, onion powder, dill salt and pepper over the chuck roast. Arrange peppers around the meat and add a couple tbsp of juice from the pepper jar. Then top with 4 tbsp of ghee (or high quality butter).Cover with a lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.The meat will be fork tender when it is done. If it still feels a little tough then put the lid back on and cook for an additional hour or two.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, rice, mashed cauliflower or on its own. Enjoy!

#8/52 Homemade Hamburger Helper

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Have you heard of SuperCook? It is a website/app that gives you recipe ideas based on what ingredients you have. It has been a week and a half since I have been to the grocery store and let’s just say the pickings are slim. I headed over to the website and got the idea for a homemade hamburger helper. I then looked at several recipe ideas and decided to try out Natasha’s version from Salt & Lavender. Our family is a fan of lower meat ratios, so I opted for a half lb. of ground beef and added a half cup of chopped red pepper. It turned out delightful! Easy to make and quick to clean up. We paired it with a piece of garlic bread and some sautéed green beans.

INGREDIENTS 

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef (we did a half lb.)
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1 red pepper chopped (optional – we did half a red pepper with half lb)
  • 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Add the beef and onions to a soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef has browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking the meat up with your spoon as you go along. If there’s a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder.
  • Add in the beef broth and increase the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, add in the macaroni.
  • Reduce the heat so it’s not furiously boiling (a rapid simmer is good). I ended up cooking mine over medium heat. Let it cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 13-15 minutes). I stir it every couple of minutes.
  • While it’s cooking, grate the cheese (this saves prep time at the start of the recipe).
  • Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt & pepper as needed. I let it sit for a couple minutes prior to serving (soaks up the sauce and flavors more), but you can serve it right away.

Also I think I am going to start a “Tomato Paste Recipes” section because every recipe calls for 2 Tbsp and they do not sell it like that….WHY????

#7/52 Tuscan Chicken

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A little late posting this, but I made a damn good Tuscan Chicken last week and I’m excited to share the recipe with you!

I decided to try the Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe from downshiftology, and was so happy I did.

This recipe was very easy to prep, didn’t make a lot of dishes, and was ready to eat within 30 minutes. The flavors of sun-dried tomatoes are becoming a new favorite for me. I’m not sure why I haven’t cooked with them more to this point. We paired this delicious dish with rice and a vegetable mix of brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and broccoli.

Ingredients
● 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
● 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a mix of individual spices such as oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary
● 1 teaspoon kosher salt
● ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
● 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
● 4 garlic cloves minced
● ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
● ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes thinly sliced
● 2 cups baby spinach
● 1 ½ cups heavy cream
● ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan

Instructions
1. Prep the chicken. Season both sides of each chicken breast in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.
3. Cook the onions. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil and the onion. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion has softened.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and saute another minute, until fragrant.
5. Add the spinach, and saute another minute, until just starting to wilt.
Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stir together, and bring to a simmer.
6. Let it simmer. Place the chicken back in the skillet and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

#6/52 Sloppy Joe Cups

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I originally found these on the Instagram page of Delish, upon some other searching I also found the recipe on the Pillsbury website. Let me tell you it’s pretty tasty!

The recipe I have below is a bit of a blend of those two recipes. We used left over sloppy joe mix to make these and I can’t think of a better way to use it! My favorite topping for these was cut up claussen sandwich pickles, omg was it good. My husband decided he was going to start adding pickles to his sloppy joes after these cups!

They were advertised on Delish as a superbowl snack, and in my opinion would be good fresh, not sitting out. So if you have the technology to make that happen this Sunday, do it!

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • All-purpose flour, for surface
  • 1 (8-oz.) tube crescent dough
  • 1 batch sloppy joe filling (about 2 c.)
  • 1/2 c. shredded mixed cheddar and mozzarella
  • Sliced scallions, pickles, relish, and/or yellow mustard, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough and pinch together seams. Cut into 8 squares. Place squares into prepared muffin cups.
  2. Sprinkle a little cheese in the bottom of the cup and Spoon about 1/4 cup sloppy joe filling into each cup.
  3. Bake cups until pastry is golden brown and filling is heated through, about 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and top each with remaining cheese. Return to oven and continue to bake until cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes more. Let cool in pan 5 minutes.
  4. Carefully remove cups and arrange on a platter. Top with any toppings you prefer (scallions, pickles, relish, or mustard)

#5/52 Butternut Squash Chicken Chili

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We tried a new soup this week, Butternut squash chicken chili, recipe from paleo running momma

The flavors were pretty great, although I’m not sure how I felt about the Butternut squash. Knowing what I am eating is fairly healthy helps me just eat it, but I think in the future I would replace the squash with white beans. Or I would make sure the squash was peeled and cut into much smaller cubes and I wouldn’t use a whole one.

After we ate dinner, I went back through the soup and picked out all the squash and added half a can of great northern beans and froze it like that. The flavors and spices were amazing, but it will not be in our soup rotation. If you try it, drop a comment on your take of the butternut squash

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded*
  • 2 Tbsp ghee or avocado oil
  • 1 medium butternut squash cut into 3/4” cubes (about 4 cups)
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 2 Tbsp fresh jalapeños finely chopped
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 4 oz can diced green chiles
  • 3 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • Garnish: “sour cream” coconut cream see notes** avocado slices, cilantro

Instructions

  1. If your chicken needs to be cooked and shredded, do this first* and set aside. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
  2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the ghee or oil. Add the butternut squash and sprinkle all over with sea salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to brown and soften.
  3. Add in the diced onion and sauté for about a minute until translucent. Then, add in the garlic, peppers, jalapeño and spices, stir and sauté for 3 minutes, until fragrant and softened.
  4. Add in the green chilis, and broth , stir and bring to a boil. Stir in the shredded chicken, nutritional yeast cilantro and lime juice and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with coconut “sour cream” (see notes) sliced avocado, additional cilantro and sliced jalapeño if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Notes:

*if you don’t already have cooked chicken, season your chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until cooked through, then shred before using. You can also use a rotisserie chicken, just check ingredients for Whole30 compliance if needed.

** To make Whole30 compliant sour cream with coconut cream, mix 1/2 cup of thick, cold coconut cream with 2 tsp lemon or lime juice and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt. I like to use the 365 brand (Whole Foods) for this as it’s very thick and creamy. Feel free to adjust the salt and lemon to taste.

#4/52 Marry Me Chicken Tortellini

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A friend shared this recipe from Luke Brown on Facebook, who has an awesome video you can watch here.

It turned out fabulous! I always think recipes never have enough red pepper flakes and I am happy to report this recipe is perfect as is 🤩

Recipe
• 2 large chicken breasts sliced into cubes
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP butter
• 2 TBSP of minced garlic
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp each of oregano and thyme
• 1/3 cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes
•1 19 oz bag of frozen tortellini

• mix together flour, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika
• dredge chicken breasts into the flour/seasoning mixture(salt,pepper,paprika,garlic powder)
• in a skillet heat olive oil and butter on medium heat
• cook chicken 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and it reaches 165 degrees
• take the chicken out of the skillet and put aside
• add garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and chicken broth to the skillet
• lower heat and add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese
• add the red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme
• stir together well and let simmer
•add one bag of frozen tortellini, cover, and let cook for a few minutes
•once tortellini is tender add chicken back to the skillet and serve

Enjoy!

#3/52 Italian Stuffed Peppers

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This recipe from well plated was okay. We opted for ground turkey, and I’m pretty sure my husband didn’t notice it wasn’t beef. In my opinion, turkey doesn’t have much flavor, so I did HEAPING teaspoons of Italian seasoning, doubled the red pepper flakes (would do more next time), and added extra mozarella by accident.

Our peppers were on the thicker side, and I wish I would have cooked them for closer to 50 minutes instead of 35. All in all, these stuffed peppers are on my “OK” list. I think the next time I try stuffed peppers; we might check out a different recipe. Do you like stuffed peppers? What are your favorite ingredients to stuff them with?

Ingredients  

  • 4 large red bell peppers
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or up to ½ teaspoon if you like more spicy
  • 1 can no salt added diced tomatoes with juices, 15 ounces
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice farro, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or orzo (if using orzo, undercook it slightly)
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella provolone (or a mix)
  • ½ cup Parmesan divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the seeds and membranes then arrange cut side up in the prepared baking dish.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, then pour in the can of diced tomatoes and their juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the rice (or farro) and ½ cup of the Mozzarella and ¼ cup of the parmesan. Mound the filling inside of the peppers, then top with the remaining cheeses.
  4. Pour a bit of water into the pan with the peppers—just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil. Serve hot.

#2 of 52 New recipes in 2023 White Chicken Chili

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This week was packed with snowy mountain adventures that called for dinner to be finished by time we got back home. In steps this White Chicken Chili Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. It was so easy to put together my 3-year-old did most of it (huge win). We paired it with cornbread muffins, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and fresh cilantro. This will definitely stay in the winter soup rotation at our home!

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 3 to 4)

  • 1lb chicken breasts (~2 large chicken breasts)
  • 15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4oz can chopped green chiles
  • 1 – 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded then minced (use 1 made for a mild chili)
  • 1 shallot or 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • big pinch dried oregano
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • juice of 1/2 small lime
  • 1/4 cup milk, any kind
  • 1 Tablespoon gluten free flour (or AP flour if you don’t need to eat GF)
  • Toppings: green Tabasco sauce, verde sauce, lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream

DIRECTIONS


1. Add first 12 ingredients — chicken breasts through lime juice — into a 6-quart crock pot then stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken shreds easily.
2. Remove chicken then shred and place in the refrigerator. Whisk flour and milk together in a small dish then drizzle into chili and stir to combine. Cover then cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir shredded chicken back into chili then scoop into bowls and serve with toppings.

52 New Recipes in 2023, #1/52 Sublime Swordfish

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2 years ago, I started a journey to lose some weight in a healthy way, my New Year’s resolution was to make one healthy snack a week. Well, this year my New Year’s resolution will be to make one new recipe every week for a year. As a domestic engineer, meal planning multiple meals a day is exhausting. I have found that I am more motivated to cook when I am trying something new! So, please leave me some comments if there is a favorite dish you love and want me to try. I am really excited to embark on this culinary adventure and grateful to have you here for the ride! If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do so at the end of this blog post.

The first new recipe of the year is Swordfish. I decided to try the Best Grilled Swordfish recipe from Tasting Table, and I am so happy I did! This is definitely a recipe I will make again in the future; the taste was sublime. I decided to pair it with pesto spinach and cheese tortellini and sauteed green beans. If you try it, let me know what you think too.

Ingredients

  • 3 lemons
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup olive oil, divided
  • 4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 bunch fresh basil, coarsely chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry the lemons and fresh herbs.
  2. Zest and juice 1 lemon into a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Juice a second lemon into the cup, but do not zest it. Then, add the thyme to the mixture.
  3. Finely mince the garlic or paste using a garlic press
  4. Add ½ the garlic to the lemon and thyme mixture. Then, add ¼ cup of olive oil. Whisk to combine the marinade.
  5. Dry the swordfish with a paper towel.
  6. Using 1 teaspoon of salt, season both sides of the fish.
  7. Place in a zip-top bag and add the marinade.
  8. Place in a shallow dish and marinate in the fridge for up to 20 minutes.
  9. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Pick the fresh basil leaves and fresh parsley leaves from the stems, and coarsely chop. (You are looking for about ½ cup of each basil and parsley after the leaves have been chopped.)
  10. Add the leaves to a food processor. Add the juice from the remaining lemon, ½ teaspoon of salt, the rest of the garlic, ¼ cup of olive oil, and the red pepper flakes. Pulse until the herbs are finely chopped (do not process until smooth), about 5 to 7 pulses.
  11. Heat the grill using high heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Clean well with a grill brush. Then, reduce the heat to medium.
  12. Remove the fish from the marinade and place it on the grill.
  13. Grill the swordfish for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until it easily releases from the grill and the inside is flaky and opaque — or a probe thermometer registers 130 F in the thickest piece of fish.
  14. If desired, cut an additional lemon in half, and grill it for 3 minutes. Serve with the fish for a final squeeze of freshness.