21 DAY FIX INSTANT POT MAPLE BBQ CHICKEN

Ha!  Pic doesn't do it justice but this was YUMMY :)  Quick way to make chicken breast too!!

SERVES 4

• 1 to 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup tomato paste

·         1/3 cup water

·         1/4 cup of coconut aminos (or sub low sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free)

·         3 Tbsp pure maple syrup

·         2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

·         1/4 tsp garlic powder

·         1/4 tsp onion powder

·         sprinkle of sea or Himalayan salt and black pepper

·         optional – thickener of your choice (arrowroot, tapioca, cornstarch, etc)

1.     Place chicken thighs in Instant Pot.

2.     Mix together the remaining ingredients (besides thickener). Pour sauce over chicken.

3.     Set to manual for 10 minutes. After cook time, switch to quick release. Open the lid carefully once it is unlocked. Remove chicken thighs with slotted spoon and set aside.

4.     To thicken the BBQ sauce, set Instant Pot to saute. Stir as it simmers. If you need to thicken it more, add in your choice of thickener, one tsp at a time until desired thickness. Taste and adjust seasonings and add a touch more maple syrup for a sweeter sauce. Cover chicken with sauce and enjoy!

5.     For the slow cooker: Place thighs and ingredients for BBQ sauce in crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours. After cook time is through, simmer sauce in a small saucepan over medium low heat until desired thickness. Enjoy!

Instant pot egg roll bowl

I borrowed my Dad's instant pot about a year ago and have never made anything in it yet...we tried tonight and it was great success!!  This meal was DELICIOUS!!!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork or any other meat you would like
• 1 bag pre-shredded cole slaw mix found in the produce section near the bagged salads
• 1/2 cup bone broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder or to taste
• 1 tbsp ground ginger or to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Wonton Chips

• 1 pkg egg roll wrappers cut into strips
• vegetable or olive oil

Instructions

1. Place Instant Pot on saute. Wait until it's hot and then add pork (or meat of choice). Add seasonings and soy sauce and brown meat. If you are using a lean meat (like ground pork or turkey) you will not need to drain it when its done. If you are using a higher fat meat (like ground beef) you will need to drain when browned.
2. When meat is browned, turn Instant Pot off and add the 1/2 cup bone broth. Add bag of cole slaw mix on top and DO NOT stir. Place lid on and turn knob to sealing position.
3. Set Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 0 minutes. If you have a newer model Instant Pot, you select the pressure cook button instead for 0 minutes. And, yes 0 minutes is totally a thing. Just keep hitting the - button until the timer reaches 0.
4. When timer is up, preform a quick release. When pressure is released, open carefully and give everything a quick stir.
5. Spoon into bowls and enjoy!

Wonton Chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees while Instant Pot is preheating on saute.
2. Cut egg roll wrappers into strips and bush with olive or veggie oil. I use egg roll wrappers because they are more sturdy then traditional wonton wrappers when you are trying to scoop, but you can use whatever you have (even tortilla chips).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes until bubbly and brown. WATCH these carefully because they go from brown to burned very fast!
4. Let chips cool and enjoy with your egg roll bowls!

SW Spaghetti Squash Black Bean Bowls

This was DELICIOUS!!!  Super healthy :)  I made the squash ahead of time to speed up the prep time of the entire meal - but so great!!

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
parchment paper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
sea salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 cans (15oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons diced green chilies
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup low-sodium organic veggie broth
1 medium avocado, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup cilantro

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut squash lengthwise into quarters - discard seeds.  Place squash, cut side up, on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Drizzle evenly with olive oil - sprinkle with cumin and salt.  Turn cut side down.  Bake 45-60 minutes or until tender.  Cool for 15 minutes - scrape into stringy noodles - set aside.

While squash is baking, heat 1T olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add onion and pepper; cook for 4-6 minutes until onion is soft.

Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.

Add beans, chilies, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, chili powder, and broth.  Bring to boil - reduce heat to low; gently boil for 10 minutes.  Set aside.

To make avocado salsa - combine avocado, red onion, lime juice, tomatoes, cilantro in bowl and toss to blend.

Cheesy Steak Skillet

This was a new recipe from Fixate and it was delicious!!!  So YUMMY!!!  AND it was a favorite of Ross's cause it has his favorite meat!!!

Serves: 4 (approximately 1.5 cups each)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. grass-fed butter
1 lb. raw beef skirt steak
1/2 tsp. + 1 dash sea salt, divided use
1.5 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup dry long-grain brown rice
1 2/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground paprika
1.5 cups cut green beans
1.5 cups chopped carrot
1 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese
Heat 1 tbsp. butter in large heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until wisps of smoke begin to rise.

Add steak; sear for 3 minutes per side. Remove steak from skillet and place on a plate. Season both sides of steak lightly with a dash of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tsp. butter in same skillet over medium heat.

Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

Add rice; cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, or until rice begins to brown.

Add broth, turmeric, paprika, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, remaining 1/2 tsp. pepper, green beans and carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; gently boil, covered, for 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is almost completely absorbed

Slice steak thin, on the bias, against the grain.

Remove lid from skillet; lightly fluff rice with a fork. Place sliced steak on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Replace lid and let rest for 10 minutes.

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Sauerkraut and Apples

This was super easy and tasted like it took forever :)

Makes 10-12 servings: Nutritional Information (per 4 ounces pork loin roast, plus 1/12 of the sauerkraut/apple mixture):
Calories: 188
Fat: 7
Protein: 22
Carbs: 10
Fiber: 2
Sugars: 7
Weight Watchers Points Plus: 5

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 2.5-3-pound pork loin (loin, tenderloin, or sirloin)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 32-ounce package/jar of sauerkraut, undrained
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon brown or mild coarse grain mustard
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium apple, sliced

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the pork roast with salt and pepper on all sides, then brown it on all sides in the hot skillet. When the roast has been evenly browned, place it in a crock pot.

In a large bowl, combine the sauerkraut, chopped onion, sliced apple, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Spread it evenly over the pork roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours (or until the meat is very tender and flavorful). Shred or slice and serve with plenty of the sauerkraut mixture on top. Serve with your favorite potatoes and a green salad or steamed vegetables. 

Chicken Breast with Feta and Artichoke

This was amaze-balls!!  The boys just inhaled them too!!!  SOOOO good!!  For sure making over and over agaim!!

8 servings: 216 calories

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt

3T chopped fresh oregano

2T fresh parsley

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

1 tsp pepper

8 4(oz) chicken breast, bone/skinless

1 cup crumbled feta cheese (5oz)

1 medium tomato, chopped

½ cup canned artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained

½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped, reconstituted in hot water for 10 min drained

Combine yogurt, garlic, 2T oregano, 1T parsley, lemon juice, and pepper in medium bowl; whisk to blend.

Place chicken in a glass dish.  Top with yogurt mixture.  Marinate in the refrigerate, covered, turning once, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Preheat grill or broiler on high.

Combine cheese, tomato, artichoke heart, sun dried tomatoes, remaining 1T oregano, and remaining 1T parsley in large bowl; mix well.  Set aside.

Grill chicken 4-5 min on each side or until no longer pink.  Set aside.

Heat oven to 350.  Place chicken on baking pan lightly coated with spray.  Top each piece with 1 rounded T of cheese mixture.  Bake for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Hawaiian style salmon

 So I'm not a fish person so anything that can cover it up - I'm all for it :)  This was AMAZING!!  I LOVED it!!  We all loved it :)  Such a great dish and oh so healthy!!!

 

Ingredients:
4(4oz) salmon steaks, rinsed and patted dry

Sea salt

½ cup chipped pineapple

2 medium shallots, finely chopped

¼ cup cilantro

Preheat oven to 400

Cut parchment paper into 4 circles about 12 inches in diameter each.  Fold each circle in half.  Place on baking sheet.  Place a salmon steak in the center of each parchment half circle.  Season with salt and pepper.

Top salmon with pineapple, shallots, and cilantro.  Fold other half of parchment paper over ingredients and crimp edges to seal.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.  Be careful when opening poaches as steam will be released.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

This was super yummy and easy to make!!  Have to make this again soon!!

Serves 6: 1/6th of the 9x13 pan= 1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Blue

Ingredients

1 cup yellow onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup zucchini, diced (about 1 medium)

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp oregano

1 (14oz) can crushed tomatoes

3 cups spaghetti squash, cooked and scraped (about 1 medium)

8 oz part skim Ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 F

Cut your spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Place face down in a microwave safe dish with a small amount of water and microwave about 12-14 minutes or until fork tender.

Spray a 12" skillet with a light coating of olive oil, saute the onions, garlic and zucchini on medium high heat, add the ground beef (or turkey) and break it up as it browns. Add Italian seasoning and oregano.

Stir in crushed tomatoes

In a 9x13 pan, layer half of the following: spaghetti squash, meat and tomato mixture, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, repeat. Top with Parmesan and sprinkle with parsley.

Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted, uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes until bubbly.

Amazing Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

8 servings: 1/2 red, 1/2 blue, 1/4 yellow

Ingredient:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk

2 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel

1/3 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese

Salad oil

Mix up your flour, your sugar, your baking soda, and your salt in a large bowl, making sure that everything is perfectly and evenly combined together. In a separate bowl, you’ll want to whisk together your buttermilk, the egg yolks, and the lemon peel that you have graded up – again mixing everything until it is pretty evenly combined.

From there, beat up your egg whites until you get these tiny little white mountains to form, and then gently fold these beaten egg whites into your batter mixture.

Once all of that is taken care of, simply slap your favorite nonstick griddle or a 12 inch frying pan on your stove (cranked up to medium-high heat) and pour out appropriately sized pancakes.

Teriyaki Rice Casserole

1 Red, 1 Green, 1 yellow

Ingredients

3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water

2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 (12 oz.) bag stir-fry vegetables (Can be found in the produce section)

3 cups cooked brown or white rice

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove lid and cook for one minute once boiling.

Meanwhile, stir together the corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once sauce is boiling, add mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.

Place the chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Pour one cup of the sauce over top of chicken. Place chicken in oven and bake 35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and shred chicken in the dish using two forks.

*Meanwhile, steam or cook the vegetables according to package directions.

Add the cooked vegetables and rice to the casserole dish with the chicken. Add most of the remaining sauce, reserving a bit to drizzle over the top when serving. Gently toss everything together in the casserole dish until combined. Return to oven and cook 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with remaining sauce. Enjoy!

Black Bean & Avocado Chicken Salad w/Cilantro

1 Red,  1 yellow, ½ blue, 1 green

Ingredients

1 can black beans

2 chicken breast grilled (rough chopped)

1 avocado chopped in chunks

1 tsp pink salt

Sprinkle crushed red peppers

¼ tsp lime zest

Lime juice to taste

Lettuce wraps

Mix gently in a bowl eat as is, serve lettuce wraps (2)

Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

4 Servings: 1 Red, 1/2 Green, 1 blue

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast very thin

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped broccoli fresh or frozen

 sea salt

 ground black pepper

 garlic powder

 paprika

1/2 tbsp olive oil

 toothpicks

Preheat over to 350 degrees. If you're chicken breasts are not already thin, pound them with a mallet until thin. This makes the chicken easier to fold in half. Place them in a baking dish.

Coat chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly on top of the chicken breasts. Save a little bit to add to the top after you fold them.

Sprinkle chopped broccoli evenly on top of the cheese. The smaller you chop your broccoli, the easier it stays on when you fold it.

Fold your chicken breasts in half and secure with 2-3 toothpicks each.

Brush the tops of the chicken breasts with olive oil.

Cover baking dish with tin foil and place in the over. Cook for about 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Remove tin foil and sprinkle chicken with the remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Quinoa Taco Bake

I'm not a fan of quinoa a lot of the time, but in this dish - it's super yummy!!  You can also make it with brown rice!!

4 Servings: 1.5 Red (if use greek yogurt), 1/4 Green, 1 yellow, 1 blue

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 cup uncooked quinoa or brown rice

4 oz no salt added tomato sauce

1 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2.5 tablespoons chili powder

2.5 teaspoons cumin

3 garlic cloves minced

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/2 jalapeno chopped

 greek yogurt and green onion for topping optional

Prepare quinoa as directed on package.

In a skillet, brown turkey with minced garlic. As it starts to brown, add your seasonings, chopped onion, jalapeño and tomato.

Add cooked quinoa, tomato sauce and 1/3 cup of the cheddar cheese to skillet.

Stir well and transfer to a greased baking dish.

Top with remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Divide into four equal servings. You can top it with greek yogurt and chopped green onion.

Healthy Stuffed Shells

Um wow -- how is this clean eating?!  Even our kiddos inhaled the food!!

Serves 6: 1 serving = 4 shells (1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green ,1 blue)  457 calories

Ingredients:
1 box jumbo shells
3 teaspoons oil
1lb ground turkey
3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 package frozen spinach, defrosted, liquid squeezed out
2 eggs
3 cups pasta sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook shells for 9 minutes, drain and set aside.

While shells are cooking heat oil in skillet over medium heat

Saute garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant.  Add ground turkey tyo skillet and brown, breaking up with salt and pepper.

While turkey browns, mix ricotta, spinach, and eggs in a mixing bowl.

Once turkey is browned, set aside to cool.  Add cooled turkey and garlic to ricotta mixture and mix well.

Pour 1 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish

Stuff 24 shells with about 2 tablespoons of ricotta turkey mixture and place in  prepared baking dish.

Pour remaining 2 cups of pasta sauce over shells and stop with mozzarella cheese.

 Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes (1 hour if frozen), remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes.

Chicken/Cheese Tortilla

This was AMAZING!!!  So easy and so yummy!!!

1 red, 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 purple

Ingredients:

Whole wheat tortilla

Grilled chicken

Shredded cheese

Avocado

Salsa

Whole wheat tortilla with cheese, chicken, smashed avocado, and salsa on top!!

Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

Super easy and tasted amazing -- like it took forever haha

Serves 4: 1 red, 1 green

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 onion thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

½ cup balsamic vinegar

2 - 14.5 oz cans crushed tomatoes

Drizzle olive oil into the slow cooker. Place chicken breasts on top of oil and season each breast with salt and pepper. Top chicken breasts with onion slices, garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over seasoned breasts and pour tomatoes on top

Cook in the slow cooker set to High until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 4 hours.

Slimming Spaghetti

1 yellow (or green if zoodles), 1 green, ½ blue, 1 red

Ingredients:

8 oz brown rice spaghetti also can replace with zucchini noodles

 Olive oil

2-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, rinsed and sliced

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan chees

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 lb shrimp

Cook pasta according to package, reserving one cup of drained water

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan. Saute garlic until fragrant, but not brown. Add brussels sprouts and nutmeg to pan. Cook until sprouts become brighter in color, about 5 minutes.

Add reserved cooking liquid from noodles, cheese,red pepper flakes, sea salt and pepper to pan. Cook 5 more minutes over medium heat.

Add drained pasta and shrimp. Mix to combine and heat through.