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Turn your Taco Tuesday in Crock-Pot Mexican Casserole Tuesday!… Not so catchy, but this casserole is THAT GOOD!

Requires very little prep time, and besides browning the meat and cooking the onions, this requires very little work on your part! So it makes an amazing dinner for any night of the week!

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Crockpot Mexican Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground turkey — or chicken, I used 93% lean ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion — diced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cans red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans — drained and rinsed
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup of corn
1 red bell pepper — diced
1 green bell pepper — diced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded Mexican blend
For serving: chopped fresh cilantro — diced avocado, chopped green onion, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add the turkey and onion. Cook and stir, breaking up the turkey as you go, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bottom of a large slow cooker.

To the slow cooker, add the quinoa, enchilada sauce, black beans, tomatoes, corn, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine, then cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours, until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

Remove the lid and stir. Taste and adjust any seasonings as desired. Stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Cover and cook on high until the cheese melts, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with any desired toppings.

This is perfect for that leftover turkey!

I’m a huge sriracha fan, and this is so bomb! If you have kids, keep the gravy on the side so the kiddos can enjoy as well!

ENJOY!! xoxo Jen

Turkey Fried Rice With Sriracha Gravy

INGREDIENTS:

1cup cooked chopped turkey
1/2 cup diced carrot
2 cups cooked leftover rice or instant rice
3/4 cups chopped scallions
1/2 cup corn
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup sriracha
1/2 cup gravy (or skip if you’d like a lighter version)

DIRECTIONS:

Dice and chop all the veggies. Mix the soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix the gravy with the sriracha. Heat a large pan to fry the rice, and another pan to cook the egg.

Once everything is ready to go, cook the turkey and carrot for about 5 minutes in oil.

Next add the rice and cook 2 minutes. Add in the scallions and corn and stir to combine. Add in the soy and sesame.

Cook 2 minutes and remove from heat.

Fry the eggs over easy.

Put the rice into 2 separate serving dishes or bowls and top with the egg followed by the sriracha gravy.

You can still have stuffing this Thanksgiving I promise! And you don’t NEED to have bread in it to make it amazing!

This version swaps the bread with Cauliflower, so it’s low carb and it still tastes soo good!

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Cauliflower Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsp. Organic butter
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped or thinly sliced
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
1 c. (8-oz.) package baby bella mushrooms, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp. freshly chopped rosemary
1 tbsp. freshly chopped sage (or 1 tsp. ground sage)
1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until soft, 7 to 8 minutes.

Add cauliflower and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Add parsley, rosemary, and sage and stir until combined. Pour over broth and cook until totally tender and liquid is absorbed 10 minutes. 

This Turkey Pot Pie soup is way too good not to share it with you guys! It is creamy and full of protein and vegetables, and sooo good!

Plus, it can be made dairy-free, and gluten-free if needed! Can be thrown together for a quick dinner during a weeknight, or even let it slow cook all day in the crockpot!

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Turkey Pot Pie Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup flour
2 cups organic turkey stock
4 cups fat-free milk – (I used unsweetened unflavored almond 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 the 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.

I’m a sucker for a good Vietnamese Pho! Here’s a delicious veggie option that I recently made!

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

INGREDIENTS:

Soup
Two 3-inch Frontier Co-op cinnamon sticks
3 Frontier Co-op whole cloves
2 Frontier Co-op star anise
1 large white onion*, peeled and quartered
4-inch piece of fresh ginger*, peeled and halved lengthwise
4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable stock or broth
4 cups of water
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
6 ounces (one large handful) rice noodles
1 tablespoon avocado oil, mild extra-virgin olive oil or your neutral-flavored oil of choice
5 ounces thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
Salt

Garnishes
Mung bean sprouts
Sprigs of fresh basil (use Thai basil if you can find it) or cilantro
Sprigs of fresh mint
Thinly sliced green onions (mostly green parts)
Very thinly sliced fresh jalapeño (omit if sensitive to spice)
Small wedges of lime

DIRECTIONS:

Warm a medium soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise and toast until fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, ginger, vegetable stock, water and tamari. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes to give the flavors time to meld.

In the meantime, prepare your rice noodles by cooking them according to package directions. Set them aside.

To prepare the shiitake mushrooms, warm the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and a few dashes of salt. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned, about 4 to 6 minutes, then set them aside.

Once the broth is done cooking, strain out the onions, ginger and spices (this is easiest with a small metal sieve, but you can also strain the mixture through a colander into another large bowl). Season it to taste with extra tamari and/or salt until the flavors of the spices really shine.

Ladle the broth into bowls, add cooked noodles and mushrooms, and fresh garnishes to your heart’s content (don’t forget the lime!). Serve immediately, with chopsticks and soup spoons.

This salad is so, so good and a totally different way to eat your sweet potatoes! Plus, it can be whipped up so easily for the perfect side to your protein!

Definitely try and switch up how you make things from time to time so that you don’t get sick of the same thing over and over again!

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Warm Sweet Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 lb.)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley

FOR THE DRESSING

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground paprika
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes and red onion in oil then season with salt and pepper. 

Distribute them evenly on the sheet in a single layer. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small bowl or in a medium liquid measuring cup, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, and spices. Gradually pour in oil, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. 

Toss sweet potatoes with dressing, cranberries, feta, and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

It’s Chili Season! And this Turkey Chili is insanely easy and is done right in the crockpot. It definitely is a go-to meal for football Sunday’s!

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Turkey Chili

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs cooked ground turkey breast
28 oz diced tomatoes undrained
6 oz tomato paste
1 packet mild chili seasoning
15 oz can dark red kidney beans drained
15 oz can black beans undrained
1 bag mixed frozen veggies
1 tablespoon minced garlic

DIRECTIONS:

Toss it all in crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours!

This not-so-glamorous, one-pan chicken and veg is as simple to make as it looks! Clean-up is nearly nothing either.

So that is WHY this makes the best weeknight meal to get your protein and your vegs all together with little to no effort. 

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Not So Glamorous One-Pan Chicken And Veg

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large chicken breasts about 1 1/2 pounds
• 2 cups broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 large carrots cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
• Olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Combine seasonings in a small dish and set aside.
3. Slice chicken breasts in half through the center to create two thinner pieces.
4. Arrange chicken in the center of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and rub into both sides to coat. Sprinkle about 2/3 of the seasoning mixture over both sides of the chicken, rubbing into each side.
5. Arrange vegetables on either side of the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil, toss gently to coat, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining seasoning mix.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and chicken is no longer pink.
7. Tent with foil and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

We all want to get in on some chocolate chip pancakes once in a while! So when you make them, why not make them in a way where you can get some protein into your meal! 

Try them this weekend! You’ll love em!! 

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Chocolate Chip Protein Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

2 egg whites
100g of bananas
1 spoon of chia seeds
30g of vanilla protein (I used Isagenix)
1/2 spoon of baking powder
1/2 cup enjoy life dairy-free chocolate chips
1 full spoon of oats

DIRECTIONS:

Mash the banana in a bowl and add all the other ingredients.

Mix until you smooth.

Heat the cooking pan and add some coconut oil or grass-fed butter.

Scoop 1/2 cup and cook until bubbles start to form, flip until cooked through.

If your kids are anything like my 3, then veggies are the LAST choice they will make when it comes to mealtime!

Check out these veggie muffins they HOUSED this weekend!

ENJOY! xoxo Jen

Vegetable Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound COMBINED zucchini & carrots
1/2 cup organic chocolate chips
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons coconut oil OR butter, melted & cooled
1/4 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup honey

DIRECTIONS:

Using a box grater or food processor, grate the zucchini and carrots.

Stir 2 tablespoons honey into shredded veggies, and place mixture in a large colander set over a bowl. As you prepare the rest of the batter ingredients, the sugar will draw the moisture out of the zucchini and carrots. Occasionally press down on them to squeeze more water into the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat two mini muffin pans with cooking spray.

Place chopped nuts on a sheet pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until toasted. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together chocolate chips, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, stir together coconut oil or butter, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend in honey.

Add liquid mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Press on shredded zucchini and carrots in colander one last time to extract any remaining water. Mix veggies into batter.

Scoop batter into mini muffin tins and bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

**You will probably have more batter than will fit in two muffin pans. You may bake the remaining batter in an additional mini muffin pan (or reuse a pan after the first batch of muffins comes out of the oven, allowing it a few minutes to cool off). Or you can scoop the remaining batter into small ramekins to make a couple of larger muffins (which will probably take 15 minutes or so to bake).