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Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins!

I found this recipe and absolutely will be making these for the Superbowl!

Enjoy! xo jen

Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins
Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes
3/4 pound (about 2 small) boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 cups olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
3 whole chipotle pepper, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
salt and pepper
2 (half a 10oz bag) cups spinach
5 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
chopped cilantro, for garnish
greek yogurt, for serving
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place in
the oven and bake for 50­60 minutes or until fork tender. Place your chicken in a baking dish and rub
with a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and peper. Place in the oven with the potatoes and bake for 25
minutes. Allow to cool and shred the chicken with a fork or your hands. When the sweet potatoes are
done cut in half and allow to cool for 5­10 minutes.
In a medium size bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili
powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and wilt the spinach (this can also be done in the microwave).
Toss the spinach and shredded chicken together, set aside and keep warm.
Turn the oven up to 400 degrees. Scrape the sweet potato out of the peel, leaving a medium size
layer of flesh inside with the peel so that it can stand up on its own (I reserved the remaining flesh, for
another use) and place in a baking dish. Brush the skins with with a little of the chipotle sauce and
bake for 5­10 muntes until nice and crisp. While the skins bake mix the spinach, chicken and chipotle
sauce together. Remove skins from the oven and stuff with the chicken mixture, top with shredded
cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the skins are hot and crisp. Serve
with fresh chopped cilantro and greek yogurt if desired.

My kiddos LOVED this!!! Enjoy! xo Jen

Healthy Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1¾ cups skim milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose wheat flour
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (I only used 1 cup to cut back on fat)
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne
Directions

1
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
2
Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
3
Heat 1½ cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining ¼ cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4
Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
5
Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sooo these are my new Saturday night favorite treat!

Enjoy! xo Jen

INGREDIENTS

4 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 c. white chocolate chips, melted
3/4 c. caramel, warmed in microwave
1 c. chopped pretzels
2 dark chocolate bars, broken into pieces
DIRECTIONS

On a large plate, arrange apple slices on top of one another.
Drizzle half the melted chocolate and caramel.
Top with pretzels and Heath bars.
Drizzle with remaining melted chocolate and caramel.
Serve immediately

This is BOMB! I needed a change and premade a couple to heat up quick in the am!

Enjoy! xo Jen

Cheesy Oatmeal Bowl with Fried Egg

Ingredients
1/4 cup dry quick­cooking steel cut oats
3/4 cup water
salt and pepper
2 TBS (15g) shredded white cheddar cheese (add more if you like)
1 tsp coconut oil, divided
1/4 cup diced red peppers
2 TBS finely chopped onions
1 large egg
chopped walnuts
sliced green onions

Instructions
Stove Top Method: Bring water to boil. Add oatmeal, reduce heat a little and let it cook for about 3 minutes, until
all liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat and stir in cheese, a small pinch of salt, and pepper.
Microwave Method*: Place oats and water in a microwave­safe bowl. Line microwave dish with paper towels to
catch any spills. Microwave at a high setting (but not the highest, about 8/10 power setting) at one­minute
intervals for a total of 3 minutes. If you want a softer texture, continue microwaving at 30­second intervals. Give
the oats a little stir between intervals. When the oatmeal is done, stir in shredded cheese, a small pinch of salt,
and pepper.

Heat a non­stick pan with 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium­ high heat. Add vegetables and cook for 2 to 3
minutes, until they soften. Spoon vegetables over cooked oats. Reduce heat to medium.
Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil and fry egg. Cook until the whites are no longer translucent and serve over
oatmeal.

This was so good and so easy!!!

Enjoy!!!

CHICKEN & SWEET POTATO STEW

Ingredients

6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed, trimmed of fat (I used Chicken Breast)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into spears
½ pound white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 large shallots, peeled and halved
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1½ tablespoons white-wine vinegar
Directions

1
Place chicken, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine, rosemary, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the potatoes are tender, about 5 hours. Before serving, remove bones from the chicken, if desired, and stir in vinegar.
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
For easy cleanup, try a slow-cooker liner. These heat-resistant, disposable liners fit neatly inside the insert and help prevent food from sticking to the bottom and sides of your slow cooker.

Soooo if youre anything like me, I have a weakness for candied nuts!

Check out my healthier version of this treat!

Enjoy! xo Jen

5 ­Minute Candied Pecans
3 tbsp (40g) Truvia or Stevia
½ tsp ground cinnamon, or to taste
⅛ tsp salt
2 tsp water
1 cup (112g) pecan halves, left whole or chopped
1. Cut a large sheet of foil, and place it on the counter.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the Truvia, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the water until all of the ingredients are
incorporated.
3. Add the pecans to a small pan, and cook over medium­high heat, stirring frequently, for 2­3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the cinnamon mixture. Stir constantly with a spatula until the pecans are completely coated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared foil, and let the pecans cool completely to room temperature and the coating has hardened and turned crunchy.

On these snowy days my body is calling for Chicken Soup!

This is sooooooooooooooo good for the body and soul!

xo jen

Healthy Chicken Veggie Soup

Ingredients

Whole chicken or a few chicken legs or a few chicken breasts
3-4 ribs of celery
3-4 large carrots
2 medium onions
5-6 garlic cloves
1 package frozen spinach or 1 bag fresh
1 head broccoli or 1 bag frozen
1 package sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
any other vegetables you have around and want to add
5-6 eggs, beaten in a bowl
turmeric
curry
oregano
basil
cayenne pepper
parsley
sea salt
pepper
garlic powder (optional)
Other herbs to taste (rosemary, thyme,etc.)
Instructions

Boil chicken in large pot until cooked. (note: if using chicken breast instead of whole chicken, chicken broth can be used in place of water). Remove from water and chop into small pieces.
Add chopped celery, carrots, onions, garlic cloves to boiling water. Add turmeric, curry, oregano, basil, cayenne, parsley, sea salt, pepper and garlic or herbs to the boiling water. I add 1-2 TBSP of each except cayenne, which I add about ½ tsp or to taste.
Boil until vegetables are cooked. add spinach, mushrooms and broccoli. While stirring, add beaten eggs slowly so that they distribute (it will look similar to egg drop soup). Boil 2 minutes until eggs cooked, remove from heat and serve.

Let’s face it- Its the holiday’s & everyone’s eating dessert everywhere you look- SO why not make your protein shake taste like a dessert and still be a clean and delicious choice!?

Apple Pie Protein Shake!!

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 apple (skin removed)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 cup ice

BLEND & ENJOYYYYY!

xoxo Liz 

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flour
2 cups turkey stock
4 cups fat free milk
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
8 oz sliced mushrooms
fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
8 oz frozen peas and carrots
2 medium (12 oz total) potatoes, peeled and cubed small
16 oz cooked turkey breast, diced small or shredded
Directions:

Create combining 1/2 cup of the cold broth with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Pour remaining broth and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, parsley, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables, salt and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add turkey, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes about 10 1/3 cups.

Perfectly Healthy Crockpot Squash Soup (Kid Approved)

YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS
SLOW COOKER BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
This slow cooker butternut soup is rich, creamy, and full of delicious butternut flavor. It’s also naturally vegan and gluten-free.

PREP TIME: 15 MINS COOK TIME: 4 HOURS TOTAL TIME: 4 HOURS 15 MINS
INGREDIENTS:

2 cups vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
1 medium (uncooked) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 sprig fresh sage
1 white onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup canned (unsweetened) coconut milk
optional garnishes: extra coconut milk and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper (or smoked paprika)
DIRECTIONS:

Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to a large slow cooker. Toss to combine.

Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender, and puree until smooth, being very careful when working with the hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne if needed.

Serve warm, with optional garnishes if desired.

*A medium-sized butternut squash should weigh around 2 lbs or so, or about 2 1/2 cups, (so you would need about 32 ounces if buying pre-cut butternut squash).
DIFFICULTY: EASY CATEGORY: VEGAN

Here’s a link to the video http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/