Low carb Avocado Chicken and Bacon Salad

This is what's for dinner tonight at my house! It's quickly become a favorite of ours. 

We are finishing up our low carb stretch and had to use up some bacon and avocado, so this was perfect. 

Which reminds me that I owe you all a little snapshot of my 3 shift, or low fat, days. I'll get on that tomorrow. 

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Avocado Chicken and Bacon Salad

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded 

2 avocados (I only had one so I added a 1/2 cup of mayo to substitute)

1-2 stalks of celery, chopped

1/4 cup chopped red onion

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp coriander 

1 tsp cumin

Juice from 1 lime

4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped (I had 6 to use up. Can't go wrong with a little extra bacon) 

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. 

Easy as that! 

Get outside and go for a walk on this gorgeous day! 

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken and Rice

Today is a 3 shift day, for those of you familiar with AltShift. Which means I get to eat yummy carbs like rice and sweet potatoes, both of which I've had today. Yum! 

Tonight for dinner I made a new favorite: Hawaiian BBQ Chicken 

I had to share this with you because I want to eat more and you will too. 

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Hawaiian BBQ Chicken 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

4 frozen chicken breasts (you can use fresh, too, just cut down on cooking time) 

Salt and pepper to taste

BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's) 

1/2 red onion, sliced

Pineapple, diced 

3 cups rice, cooked 

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line a baking pan with foil and place your fresh or frozen chicken breasts on it. 

If frozen, cook the chicken for 30 minutes

Remove chicken from oven, season with salt and pepper. 

Pour 3-4 tablespoons of BBQ sauce over each chicken breast 

Top with 1 Tblsp red onion and a few chunks of pineapple

Cook in the oven for another 25-30 minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. 

Serve with rice and a bit more pineapple and BBQ sauce if desired. 

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Guilt-Free, Low-Carb Mac and Cheese

Well, well, well... We meet again. 

It's been a busy couple months, as always. I'm in a new house, in a new city and I couldn't be happier! 

Moving is stressful. Everything is everywhere - including your brain. The best part of being in the new house is knowing where all of my stuff is. Well, most of it, anyway. 

The routine is back and swinging! I've got new things to share with you as I keep learning new things all the time. 

Today I want to share a yummy in your tummy recipe - a low carb, guilt-free version of Mac and cheese! 

I really love eating low carb. I feel my best, I eat more veggies and meat than I would otherwise. It's easier on my digestive system. And I lean out quite a bit when I don't eat the starches. 

However, if you are at all sensitive to dairy this is NOT the recipe for you. 

Mac and cheese has always been a favorite. My mom makes the best Mac and cheese, which I grew up having at least a couple times a week. But she made it with Velveeta and, of course, pasta, both of which are a no-go for me today. 

This is adapted from a Food Network recipe and I hope you find it a new comfort food for you and the kiddos. 

Low-Carb 'Mac and Cheese' 

Ingredients: 

1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 cup heavy cream

2 oz. cream cheese

1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste 

Dash of paprika 

Directions:

Spray or grease with butter a 13x9 glass baking dish

Place chopped cauliflower in the dish and microwave for 3-4 minutes until cauliflower is slightly softened 

In a small saucepan, simmer heavy cream 

Then add the cheeses, stir until melted 

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix 

Pour cheese mixture over the cauliflower

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. 

Enjoy! 

No-Pasta Chicken Alfredo

Eating low carb has its perks. Things like bacon, cheese, eggs, and butter are all fair game. And this recipe has most of those foods involved. Which makes this one of my all-time favorite meals! 

Ingredients:

3-4chicken breasts 

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp Dried parsley 

1 bunch fresh broccoli

2 tbsp butter

1 zucchini, made into zoodles (optional) 

3-4 slices cooked bacon, chopped 

Alfredo sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Put chicken breasts on a foil-lined pan, season with salt, pepper and parsley. 

Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. 

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt 1 tbsp butter and sautée broccoli until tender. Remove broccoli from the pan. 

Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan, reduce heat to low. 

Pour the cream into the pan. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer on low until sauce thickens. 

Mix all components together in the pan. Heat through. 

Slice cooked chicken breasts and serve on top or mixed in. 

Enjoy!! 

Chicken Salad

My husband and I are trying out a new lifestyle/protocol with our food that I will talk more about very soon. It has required us to cycle our nutrients and today is a low-carb, high-fat day (my favorite kind!). 

I have to admit that I'm missing my fruit and rice and oatmeal and potatoes ... but soon enough it will be back in my life for a little while! 

Anyway, tonight this is what I made for dinner and it was fantastic! 

It is a low-carb chicken salad that I ate a LOT of tonight. This plate is half-eaten.. Once I was halfway through I realized I needed to share it with you all, so I had to stop myself and snap a photo. 

[Low-Carb] Chicken Salad 

Serves 3-4 

Nutrition info: Protein= 32g Fat=21g Carbs= 5g (without the lettuce and tomato) 

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I put frozen chicken in the crockpot for 3 hours on high, then shred) 

2 hard boiled eggs, mashed

1-2 sticks of celery, diced

1-2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup mayo

1 Tbsp mustard

Small handful of chopped cashews

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. 

Yep, that's it! 

Serve over lettuce 

Add diced tomato on top of you like 

SO easy and SO yummy. It's a favorite around here. Bonus points if you make your own mayo! 

[Paleo] Pumpkin Muffins

So, this blog still exists, right? They don't like expire because you haven't touched it in about 5 months? ...whoops! I guess that's what happens when you have kids, time goes by a little faster. 

Now that the summer is over - enter your appropriate emoji icon here - I have a little more time to tend to this blog thingermajig. 

I personally LOVE fall, so I'm happy it's here! And tonight I made my first pumpkin recipe of the season. Everywhere you look right now there is pumpkin flavored this, pumpkin flavored that - but be cautious! That pumpkin spice frappuccino has almost as much sugar in it as 2 cupcakes!! 

Here's a pumpkin muffin to satisfy the fall flavor you may be desperate for without all the sugar (but it still tastes good, trust me). 

They're called paleo pumpkin muffins because they don't have any refined flour or sugar or dairy (unless you use butter, then technically it wouldn't be paleo..). However, a paleolithic human probably wouldn't bake themselves these silly 'paleo' treats we have made up in order to still eat things like muffins and cookies and brownies. But that's a whole other rant that I'll save you from for today. 

I really made these for my one year old to have around for snacks, but I like them, too. Of course the pumpkin is a great source of vitamin A, but they also have a ton of eggs in them and coconut oil which is so great for her brain development. These aren't the most budget-friendly baked good, but they're packed with nutrition, so it's worth it. 

[Paleo] Pumpkin Muffins
Time: 20 min prep / 30 min bake
Makes 20 muffins

Nutrition Info per muffin: Carbohydrate= 8.2g  Protein= 3.8g  Fat= 8.6g

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut flour 
• 8 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup pumpkin purée 
• 4 Tbs. pure maple syrup
• 2-3 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 20 muffin cups with liners.
2. Stir together the coconut flour and eggs until a smooth paste forms. Stir in the coconut oil, then the pumpkin pureé and maple syrup. Then mix in the spices, cider vinegar and baking soda.
3. Divide between prepared muffin pan. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed.

Hope you enjoy the recipe! Happy fall everyone! 

Chinese Chicken Chopped Salad

When we think of healthy meals, salad usually comes to mind. And, for me, it's usually a typical green salad that has some lettuce, tomato, cucumber and dressing. Pretty darn boring, if I do say so myself. 

However, I truly love a yummy salad, especially if it's an easy dinner for me and my family. 

Which is why I'm excited to share this recipe for Chinese Chicken Chopped Salad! I literally just made this for the first time today, and after a bite I knew you all needed to know about it. 

One of the best things to have around for easy dinners is shredded chicken. You can make easy tacos, soup, salads, and more with some on hand. Easy weekend prep for a week full of healthy meals. 

This recipe is pretty easy on the wallet. Another plus in my book! 

It's also gluten-free (if you choose a gluten-free soy sauce) and dairy- free. 

Chinese Chicken Chopped Salad: 

Ingredients

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white (or rice) vinegar

3 Tbs minced ginger

3 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs sesame oil

2 Tbs hoisin sauce

1 tsp Sriracha (or more to your liking)

2 cups shredded carrots

1 head cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup cashews

3 chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 Tbs sesame seeds 

Directions

Make the dressing, combining the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, oils, hoisin and Sriracha sauces. 

Mix the cabbage, carrots, and cilantro. 

I kept everything separate so that it would keep fresh throughout the week. 

Assemble the salad with a handful of the cabbage mixture, chicken, and top it with green onions and cashews, along with more cilantro if you like. I love me some cilantro. 

Pour dressing over your salad - trust me, a little goes a LONG way. 

This is a new favorite of mine, and it's fresh enough for springtime! 

Enjoy!