Pumpkin Puking Guac!

Ingredients:
Recipe of Guac
Carved pumpkin

Healthy Ranch Chicken Skillet

This was uber YUMMY!!!  Ross said "this is a new fav of mine".  It was a little running because I put more chicken broth then asked for, so stick to that measurement!!!  YUMMY :)

4 serving 1 ½ green,1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 pound thin sliced chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 large zucchini, chopped

1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup instant brown rice (uncooked) OR 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed (uncooked)

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

ranch seasoning

1 tsp Dill

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried minced onions

1 T parsley

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

In a 12" skillet, heat oil on medium high. Add chicken, onions and ranch seasoning blend. Saute and stir often for 2 minutes.

Stir in bell peppers, zucchini, beans, tomatoes, rice and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover. Simmer on low for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and rice is tender.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over skillet, cover and let stand for 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.  Top with Cilantro and serve!

Bacon Egg Cups

YUM!!!  "Da bomb" as one challenge team member said!  So easy too :)

Ingredients:
5 slices of bacon
5 eggs

Preheat oven to 400.  Wrap a strip of bacon around the diameter of a muffin cup, laying the end of the strip across the bottom of the cup.

Crack an egg into the cup.  Season it with salt and pepper.  Repeat these steps with as many bacon you would like.

Bake for 12-15 minutes for runny eggs, 15-20 minutes for fully cooked egg.

Power Turkey Meatloaf

I made this up for lunches this week since we have a busy week - it was YUMMY, FAST, and was great for leftovers and uses ingredients on hand!!

Yields about 8 serving (1/8 meatloaf/serving: ½ yellow, 1 ½  red

Ingredients:
2 lbs. raw 93% lean ground turkey
1 cup all-natural mild salsa
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
Ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish; optional)

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine turkey, salsa, bread crumbs, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper (if desired) in a large bowl; mix well with clean hands or a rubber spatula.

Shape mixture into shape of a loaf and place on ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until center is no longer pink and meat is cooked through.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve garnished with parsley.

Baked Moroccan Chicken

I thought this was going to be spicy at first, but the boys even liked it!  So yummy!!

Yields about 4 serving ½ green, 1 red

Ingredients
4 (4-oz.) raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 Preserved Meyer Lemon, pulp removed, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 thin slice fresh ginger, finely chopped
1½ cups frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 cinnamon stick (or ½ tsp. ground cinnamon)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. whole cloves
1 large pinch saffron

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Combine chicken, Preserved Lemon, oil, garlic, ginger, artichoke hearts, cinnamon, pepper, cumin, paprika, red pepper, cloves, and saffron in a large bowl; mix well.

Arrange chicken mixture in a baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Serve chicken with couscous if desired.

Tip: To use preserved lemon, wash lemon and remove pulp. Thinly slice or chop rind

Sweet Potato Hash

We made this with turkey breakfast sausage and it was still really yummy!!  Both boys just gobbled it right up -- so great!

4-6 serving : 1.5 green, 1 yellow, 1 red

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of Coconut Oil

2 sweet potatoes

2 packages of chicken breakfast sausage

2 handfuls of kale, ripped into bite sized chunks

1/4 cup of water

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the breakfast sausage into bite sized chunks.

Heat a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Place the coconut oil in once the pan is heated and swish around.

Place the sausage in the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes or until most pieces are slightly browned.

While the sausage is cooking, peel and cut the sweet potatoes into bite sized chunks.

Once the sausage is done, place it into a bowl to rest.

Dump the sweet potatoes into the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes or until they can be punctured by a fork (this will really depend on personal taste).

Once the sweet potatoes are done, put the sausage back in the pan.

Place two handful of kale into the pan and the 1/4 cup of water.

Mix everything together until the kale starts to wilt (approximately 2 minutes).

Remove from heat and serve.

Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner

This was a one pan meal, which was nice - but it was eh taste for the amount of work.  Ross said "let's not make this again"  haha

1 red, 2 green, 1 yellow

Nutritional Information: 1 chicken breast and 3/4 cup potato and bean mixture: Cal: 342, Fat 8.6g, Protein: 46 g, Carb: 23g, Fiber 4g

Ingredients

12 ounces baby red potatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 (6 ounce) chicken breast halves, pounded to 3/4-inch thickness*
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced or quartered
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup whole milk
5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves**
1 can low-sodium chicken broth- divided
6 very thin lemon slices
8 ounces trimmed haricots verts (French green beans)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

*If your chicken breasts are particularly thick, consider slicing them in half instead of pounding.
** If you are using ground thyme, start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken over and cook for 1 minute.  Transfer chicken to foil-lined pan and place in oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

While chicken is cooking, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Add potatoes, cut sides down to one side of the skillet, and the mushrooms and garlic to the other. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned, stirring mushrooms and garlic.  Remove vegetables from pan and set on a plate to the side.

Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add  flour mixture and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the skillet and whisk until smooth.  Bring sauce to a simmer, and add beans.  Simmer 2-3 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Add lemon slices, potatoes and mushrooms, and chicken.  If sauce is too thick, add small amounts of chicken broth to thin.  Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and then sprinkle with parsley.

Dr. Pepper Pork Tenderloin

This didn't taste like Dr. Pepper hahah  It was good though!!!

1 red

Ingredients

12-ounce can Dr. Pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup liquid aminos (aka gluten free soy sauce)

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

5-6 cloves garlic, smashed or roughly chopped

2 green onions, chopped (plus green ends for garnish, if desired)

1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

2-3 lb. pork tenderloin

Pierce pork tenderloins several times with a fork and place in a Ziploc bag. Set aside.

Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over the pork. Marinate for at least four hours, not longer than overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat grill over medium high heat. Set one side of the grill to high and the other to low. Lightly oil grates. Place the tenderloins on the side set to medium-low and cook for 7 minutes. Flip and cook for 6 minutes. Leave the lid closed, turn off heat, and allow to stand for 5 more minutes (an internal temperature should read at least 145 degrees F.) Slice into 1/2" slices and serve with veggies and rice if desired.

Zucchini Noodles and Chicken Sausage

YUMMY!!!!  This was uber easy and so good!

Serves 2 - 1 Red, 1/4 Blue, 2 Green

Ingredients
2 pre-cooked chicken sausages, cooked according to package directions
2-3 medium/large zucchini (it shrinks down a lot!)
1 1/2 teaspoons Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
6 jarred marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon reduced fat feta

Prepare chicken sausages in pan, set aside.   Cut or spiralize zucchini noodles and set aside.  Heat a large saute pan to medium heat.  Add olive oil and garlic and saute 20-30 seconds.  Add zucchini, sauté about 2 minutes, add spinach and stir to wilt slightly.  Remove from heat and add artichokes and sliced sausage.  Divide onto 2 plates and top each with feta and pine nuts.

Fresh Sweet Corn Salad

Yields about 6 cups salad (3/4 cup per serving) 1 yellow, ½ blue, ½ green

Ingredients
4 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed
1 10oz clamshell grape tomatoes (about 2 cups)
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (reduced fat is fine)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add corn and return to a boil, cooking for about 5 minutes.  Note that very fresh corn will cook quickly (5 minutes or less) and corn that is a few days old will take a little longer (6-8 minutes).  To avoid tough corn, never exceed 8 minutes.  When corn is done boiling, immediately plunge in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to stop cooking.

Use a sharp knife to remove corn kernels from cobs and place corn in a mixing bowl.   Cut tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl along with the green onions and basil.  Add olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and toss to coat.  Add feta and very gently toss salad to distribute cheese.  Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour or two, but for best results, 4-6 hours or overnight.

Texas Cowboy Shrimp

Ross found this recipe and it was SO amazing!!!

Makes 4 servings : 1 red

Ingredients: 

2lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 24 shrimp)

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small onion, peeled and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno peeper, seeded and finely minced

1 cup Traeger Texas Spicy BBQ sauce

fresh cilantro leaves

Wash the shrimp under cold running water, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.  Transfer to a bowl.  Gently mix the shrimp with 2 tablespoons of the oil, then season well with salt and pepper.  Set aside while you make the sauce.

Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat with 1 tablespoons of oil.  Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper.  If desired, and sauted until softened.  Stir in the BBQ sauce and keep warm.

When ready to cook, start the traeger grill on smoke with lid open until the fire is established (4-5 minutes).  Set the temp to 450 and preheat, lid closed, for 10-15 minutes. 

Arrange shrimp on grill grate and grill, 2-3 minutes per side, until the shrimp is firm and opaque and cooked through.   Quickly add the cooked shrimp to the warm sauce, along with the cilantro,.  Stir gently to coat.  Turn onto a platter or into a large bowl and serve immediately.