Meal planning is a huge part of being successful with your nutrition. On weeks which I don't meal plan it is so much easier to reach for easy and unhealthy foods and little by little it adds up to a lot. When we are eating healthy as a family we have more energy, better moods and for me my skin is better too! This weekend we didn't have much time to meal plan but I've put together really quickly 5 grain free dinner recipes so we could get the groceries this evening and plan ahead for success.
I found two new recipes that we will try and modify this week that I'm sharing in this post and 3 others that we have tried and shared before. I've included the recipes for each as both a reference for us this week and a resource for you as well.
Here are our 5 dinner recipes for the week:
Cauliflower Mini Chicken Pot Pies (itscheatdayeveryday blog)
Ingredients
For the cauliflower base:
1 medium head cauliflower (4-5 cups cauliflower rice)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 egg
pinch of salt and pepper
For the pot pie filling:
1/2 onion, diced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
8 oz cooked chicken, diced
1 tbs onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbs cornstarch + 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add the cauliflower to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you achieve a rice-like consistency. Transfer cauliflower "rice" to a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. Set aside and allow cauliflower to cool for approx 10 minutes.
Add the cauliflower rice to a cheesecloth and squeeze out as much of the juice from the cauliflower as possible. If you don't, the bases may end up soggy. (The key here is to really get as much of that juice out as you can. Once you have done a round with the cheesecloth. Repeat with another dry cheesecloth to ensure you have removed a majority of the liquid. I managed to get 1 1/2 cups of cauliflower juice).
Add the dried cauliflower rice to a bowl with the egg, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Using your hands, combine all of the ingredients thoroughly. Spray a large muffin pan or 4 ramekins and gently press the cauliflower mixture to the sides, creating a cauliflower bowl. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the centers are dry and the edges are golden brown.
While the cauliflower bases are in the oven, spray a medium saucepan with cooking spray and saute the diced onion on high heat until slightly tender. Reduce heat to medium and add the chicken broth, almond milk, mixed vegetables, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Stir and cover for approx 5-8 minutes or until frozen vegetables are soft.Mix the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry and add to the sauce with the cooked chicken. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and increase heat to high and cook until sauce begins to boil. Remove from heat.Fill each cauliflower base with the pot pie filling and serve!
Sweet Potato Cheeseburger Casserole
This grain free casserole fuses your favorite cheeseburger fixings with fresh veggies for a lighter, healthier meal. We added a sprinkle of cheese to the top and the whole family LOVED it! Certainly will be making this again.
Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes, spiralized
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 t dried oregano
½ t garlic powder
1 t smoked paprika
½ t chili powder
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Chopped tomatoes. grated white cheddar cheese and green onion to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent and veggies are softened.
Increase heat to high and add ground beef. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking meat up as it cooks, until beef has browned and is no longer pink. Add oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Stir in the chicken stock and the crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; add spiralized sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes until sweet potatoes are slightly softened and sauce is reduced. Remove from heat and top with grated cheese, chopped tomatoes and spring onions. Serve warm.
Tip: Take this cheeseburger casserole recipe up a notch and add your favorite burger toppings like pickled jalapeño or crumbled bacon. The variations are endless!
Original recipe source: Paleohacks
Thai Peanut Chicken & Zucchini Noodle Bowls
Thai peanut chicken & zucchini noodle bowls are easy to make, healthy, and incredibly tasty!
Ingredients
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
Sea Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 medium zucchini, spiralized (AKA Zoodles)
1 large red or orange pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
¼ cup chives, cut up into tiny peaces
¼ cup peanuts, roughly chopped
Lime wedges, for serving
Peanut Sauce
⅓ cup creamy natural peanut butter
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame or olive oil
2 teaspoons Coconut Palm sugar or Brown sugar
¼-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (Optional)
Instructions
Drizzle a large skillet with oil and bring to medium heat on stove. Season chicken on both sides with sea salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken to pan and cook 4-6 minutes on each side until browned on the outside and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest.
Whisk together all sauce ingredients.
Steam or boil zucchini noodles and pepper til just tender (you can also put them in a large bowl and microwave them for about 2-3 minutes for a shortcut!)
Assemble bowls with zucchini noodles and peppers on the bottom. Dice chicken and assemble on top of zucchini and peppers. Drizzle sauce over the top and sprinkle with chives and peanuts. Serve immediately. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing on top if desired.
* Left overs can be taken for lunch and they actually do reheat nicely in a microwave safe bowl. Reheat the zoodles and peppers separately and then top with your peanut sauce and toppings.
SWEET POTATO SKINS WITH CHICKEN
3 Servings
3 baked medium sweet potatoes, cut in half
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
6 oz. shredded cooked chicken breast
1 tsp. all-natural taco seasoning, no salt added
1/3 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup chopped fresh green onion
1. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. Scoop flesh out of the sweet potatoes and reserve for another use.
3. Place skins on baking sheet. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt. (Optional)
Bake for 10 minutes, or until crisp.
4. While skins are baking, combine chicken and taco seasoning in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
5. Top each sweet potato half evenly with, chicken mixture, and cheese.
6. Bake for a further 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with Greek yogurt, and cilantro.
*white potatoes can be used in place of sweet potatoes
Cheesy Cauliflower Nachos
Total Time: 55 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 40 min.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tsp. olive oil
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
¼ tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ cup shredded Monterey jack (or pepperjack) cheese
¼ cup chopped tomato
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped orange bell pepper
1 to 2 medium jalapeños, seeds and veins removed (optional), sliced
½ cup mashed avocado
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
2. Place cauliflower on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with cumin, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder; toss gently to blend. Spread evenly on baking sheet.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender crisp and golden.
4. Top evenly with cheese. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
5. Top evenly with tomato, onion, bell pepper, jalapeños, avocado, and cilantro; serve immediately.
