Slow Cooker Chiken Enchilada Casserole

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
I looooove enchiladas! And this sounds yummy! To make it less damaging with the carbs 💛💛💛 I would cut the tortillas in half. Use 5 corn tortillas vs 10, add a little more chicken and maybe some onions, mushrooms and tomatoes for extra veggies 😉

Here's the recipe as is though!

PREP TIME
10 mins
COOK TIME
9 hours
TOTAL TIME
9 hours 10 mins

Serves: Serves about 7

INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs. boneless skinless raw chicken breasts
1 28 ounce can Red Enchilada Sauce (I use El Pato Brand)
Add these ingredients at the end
10 corn tortillas
3 cups grated cheddar cheese (divided)
1 3.8 ounce can black olives (divided)

INSTRUCTIONS
Put the chicken breasts and the enchilada sauce in your slow cooker.
Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
Cut the tortillas into strips, add to chicken and sauce.
Stir.
Add 1 cup of cheese and half the olives into the sauce and chicken mixture.
Stir again.
Flatten the mixture slightly.
Add the rest of the cheese and the olives on top.
Cook on low for about 40 - 60 minutes longer.
Top with sour cream/ Greek yogurt (optional)

Recipe via The Magical Slowcooker 

A Healthy, Flourless Hummus Based Cookie!

Healthy cookies? Yup they are! And they're hummus based! The other good thing is that you can call the batter hummus and eat it all before baking lol! They’re also  totally flourless and made with chickpeas soooooo you’re basically eating beans AKA they’re basically health food like I said above haha. 

Recipe type: Snack/Dessert

Prep time:  10 mins Cook time:  12 mins Total time:  22 mins

Serves: 16 cookies

Peanut Butter Banana Chickpea Cookies 

Ingredients

1-15oz can chickpeas, vey well rinsed and drained

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1 small, very overripe banana

2 tsp vanilla extract

⅓ cup coconut sugar*

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

⅓ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper or Silipat) and set aside.

Make sure to rinse the chickpeas well so they don't taste beany. 

Shake off the excess water before dumping them into a large food processor. 

Add in the rest of the ingredients (except chocolate chips). 

Process for a full two minutes, or until batter is very smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides. Stir in chocolate chips.

With wet hands, spoon batter onto cookie sheet. It will be very wet and sticky (like hummus). You can use your wet hands to pat them down into smooth cookies. You should have about 16.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Store cooled cookies in the refrigerator.

*Recipe via Alexis at Hummusapien

Low Carb Cheesy Bread

Love cheese but hate carbs?

TOTAL TIME: 0:50

PREP: 0:15

LEVEL: EASY

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium zucchini, or about 4 cups grated zucchini
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. Freshly Chopped Parsley
• Marinara, for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with parchment. On a box grater or in a food processor, grate zucchini. Using cheesecloth or a dish towel, wring excess moisture out of zucchini.
2. Transfer zucchini to a large bowl with eggs, garlic, oregano, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, and cornstarch and season with salt and pepper. Stir until completely combined.
3. Transfer “dough” to prepared baking sheet and pat into a crust. Bake until golden and dried out, 25 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella, crushed red pepper flakes, and parsley and bake until cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes more.
5. Slice and serve with marinara.

Recipe via Realhousemoms.com

Lemon Garlic Shrimp + Zoodles

Delicious, low carb, clean & keto friendly! 

• INGREDIENTS 
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole medium/large zucchinis (spiralized)
• 1 small/medium lemon (juiced with seeds removed)
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt (more to taste if desired)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan (if desired)
• 20 Cooked, peeled tail off shrimp (amount optional, I prefer a LOT of shrimp!)

ZOODLES DIRECTIONS

You can either buy zoodles premise or purchase a spiralizer & make them yourself with zucchini squash. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan and add garlic, stirring and heating for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Add zoodles and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until noodles are softened, about 3-5 minutes. Gently sprinkle in salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes then toss to combine. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

SHRIMP DIRECTIONS

I like to take shortcuts when I can so I get the Costco cooked, peeled tail off shrimp. I defrost them overnight the night before in the fridge or just run them through water (although the bag directions discourage this... but if I forget to defrost prior to, oh well). Then I cook them in a skillet for just a few minutes for flavor and to heat them up while making the zoom does as well. I use a little olive oil (1tsp), oregano, basil & garlic as I do with the zoodles. 

When both are done, top the zoodles with the shrimp & ENJOY 

Link for the spiralizer I use

Spiralizer Ultimate on Amazon 

Includes 7 different blades + 4 recipes books 

Sweet Potato Crust Spinach, Feta & Egg Frittata

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°, then peel and slice sweet potatoes. I sliced mine using a mandoline, but a knife works great as well. The mandoline speeds up the process significantly and gives you even slices. Coat a pie dish with cooking spray, then fill the bottom of the dish with a layer of sweet potato slices. Cut the sweet potato rounds in half and fill around the edges of the pie dish; round side facing up. Once the entire dish is filled, coat one more time with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn heat up to 375°.

2. For the filling, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.

3. Combine milk and next 5 ingredients in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Arrange spinach mixture in crust; pour egg mixture over spinach. Sprinkle with feta. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into 4 wedges.

Each serving( 4 total) contains the following:
CALORIES 196 FAT 8.5g (sat 3.5g, mono 3.2g, poly 1.2g) PROTEIN: 12g CARB 18g FIBER 4gCHOL 197mg IRON 2mg SODIUM 562mg CALC 155mg
Via Cooking Light 

Zucchini Grilled Cheese

These are amazing! Zucchini Grilled Cheeeeeeese! Delicioussssss! And low carb!

SERVES: 3-4

INGREDIEditENTS

2 c. grated zucchini
1 large egg
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. cornstarch
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for cooking
2 c. shredded Cheddar

DIRECTIONS
Squeeze excess moisture out of zucchini with a clean kitchen towel. In a medium bowl, combine zucchini with egg, Parmesan, green onions and cornstarch. Season with salt and pepper.

In large skillet, pour enough vegetable oil to layer the bottom of the pan.

Scoop about 1/4 cup of the zucchini mixture onto one side of the pan and shape into a small square.

Repeat to form another patty on the other side.

Cook until lightly golden on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Remove from heat to drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining zucchini mixture.

Wipe skillet clean.

Place two zucchini patties in the same skillet over medium heat.

Top both with shredded cheese, then place two more zucchini patties on top to form two sandwiches.

Cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side.

Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

Broccoli Cheese Protein Muffins

Easy peasy way to get your protein in! Egg white, broccoli & cheese muffins! Grab and go, I don't even heat 'em up!

Ingredients
2 pints of egg whites
2 cups steamed broccoli
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chunky salsa of your choice
No salt seasoning if your choice
Smoked paprika (optional)
Non stick cooking spray
12 count muffin tin

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Spray muffin tin with non stick cooking spray
3. Pour egg whites into it leaving a small amount of room in each one for other ingredients
4. Add broccoli. I buy frozen broccoli, steam it and have it ready to go in the fridge
5. Sprinkle cheese on top
6. Add about half to a full teaspoon of salsa
7. Sprinkle seasoning and smoked paprika on top
8. Bake until golden brown. Test them before removing them. If they come out of the tin while and are fully cooked all the way around, they are ready to go. I like my eggs very well done so I wait until they are very golden brown.
9. Let cool and enjoy!  I eat them cold but you can reheat in the microwave if you wish. I sometimes add a slice of baked sweet potato on top OR you can bake them with the sweet potato on the. Ittom, adding it before you add the egg whites to the tin. TONS of options with these

Food Swaps: Shrimp Scampi Pasta vs Shrimp Scampi Zoodles

Food Swaps! They’re so important to learn when it comes to getting HEALTHY and this Shrimp Scsmpi comparison is one of my faves!

Low Carb vs High Carb! Comparing Zucchini Noodles & Pasta - Shrimp Scampi recipe included also ⬇

A simple swap can make ALL the difference in your carbs! I love pasta but rarely do I just have it. Most typical pasta plates look like the right pic (around 2 cups pasta) and 88+ grams carbs

On the left is what I usually do! There's around 6 oz of zoodles (about 3+ cups) which is only 10 grams of carbs. This means more volume for less cals.  It's important to remember though that carbs are NOT bad - You NEED them! Just be mindful of portion sizes when meal planning depending on your goals AND the types of carbs you eat! Pasta tends to be very heavy, causes bloat and raises insulin leading to cravings

Quick Shrimp Scampi
3-4 zucchini squash
2 bags raw peeled shrimp (about 400 g each)
1-2 cloves of garlic (preference)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp butter OR 1 tbsp coconut or olive oil

Use a vegetti or similar to spiralize the noodles. Put zucchini noodles into a colander and salt liberally let sit for 20 minutes (very important!) After 20 minutes, rinse and pat dry with a paper towel
Melt butter/oil and the 1-2 garlic cloves in a skillet or saute pan. Saute noodles over med-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Sautee shrimp in butter/oil then add spices + lemon juice and simmer until cooked through (usually no more than 5 mins). Add on top of zoodles. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese if desired and ENJOY 😋

Mason Jar Quinoa Chicken Salad

LOVE mason jar salads! And this is one of my faves because I love the quinoa in it! Keeps me full and that takes care of that carb craving

 Prep Time 20 mins
 Cook Time 0 mins
 Total Time 20 mins

Ingredients
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil extra virgin
2 cups cooked quinoa
4 cups sliced cucumbers
4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
3 cups grilled chicken breast boneless, skinless, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions
To make dressing, combine vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.

Add mustard; mix well.

Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well. Evenly divide dressing between 4 one-quart Mason jars. Set aside.

Evenly layer quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken, and cheese on top of dressing in jars.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Shake before serving.

Variation (Add 1 green container per serving): Add 4 cups fresh baby spinach.

Portion Fix Containers
2 Green
1 Red
1 Yellow
½ Blue
1 tsp.

2B Mindset Plate It!A great lunch option. Replace quinoa with more veggies for dinner.

The Best Low Carb Pizza

Guilt free pizza without giving up the taste!
If you love pizza, and come on, who doesn’t, you HAVE to try his low carb, gluten free, guilt free option!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken thigh (more flavor/fat than ground chicken breast but you can use breast or all ground chicken also)
1/2-3/4 cup grated (powdered) Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Mozzarella
1/4 cup frozen spinach (optional)
Salt, pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In large bowl mix ground chicken thigh, cheese and seasoning

Thaw spinach and remove excess water with paper towel or cheesecloth, add to mixture

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and press chicken mixture into even thin layer

Bake for 20 minutes

Remove from oven and top with desired toppings (ideas: red onion, cilantro, chicken, bacon and sugar free or low sugar bbq sauce!)

Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and brown
notes

If using ground chicken breast, reduce cooking temperature to 375 and reduce cooking time to 15 minutes or until cooked through. Add additional time after toppings until cheese is melted and golden, being careful not to overcook.

Once pizza cools a bit, it can be picked up like regular crust

If mixture seems too wet, add more grated parmesan. I used freshly ground chicken thigh so there was less moisture. If you’re using a roll of chicken, it could be more wet and need extra cheese

Personalize it with your favorite toppings and seasonings in the crust as well

Separate into 4-6 and freeze chicken crust (no toppings) individually for quick meal

Serving Size:
1/4 Pizza
Calories: 193
Fat: 8
Carbohydrates: 0
Protein: 27

SUPER Easy and Delicious Baked Salmon

I swear this has to be the EASIEST recipe EVER for lunch or dinner! And it's SOOOOOO good!!  I bought the salmon from Costco.  It was about 3 lbs of it.  Made it for dinner and Monday and have been having it for lunch all week! The kids loved it too!

Ingredients

Salmon
Kirkland No Salt Seasoning
Parsley
Lemon or lime juice

1.  Place the salmon on a cookie sheet with a baking rack on top. I like to make it on the rack because most of the fat falls into the cookie sheet and the salmon doesn't cook in it.  I leave the skin ON while cooking.   Make sure you spray the rack so it doesn't stick.

2.  Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on top of it.  As much or as little as you'd like.

3.  Sprinkle with Kirkland no salt seasoning and parsley.  Rub it in.

4.  Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes.

5.  Remove, let cool and ENJOY! We ate it with baked sweet potato and steamed Normandy veggies topped with Gorgonzola cheese.