I was out of town this past weekend, so I ended up ordering Power Supply lunches for the week and made this crock pot recipe for another meal. Although I normally would have paired this type of chicken recipe with a cauliflower rice, I really needed a sweet potato/carb meal, so I whipped out the sweet potato rice again. I thought it actually paired pretty well and tasted delicious! To make the sweet potato rice I simply pulsed about five sweet potatoes in the food processor, then added them to a frying pan with bacon fat and salt, and heated until soft. The crock pot chicken was incredibly simple and an awesome chicken recipe to have in your back pocket for when you don't have a lot of time to meal prep. The only notes I have about the recipe was there was a ton of extra sauce, which I did not end up using, but I did pour some back over the chicken and sweet potato rice. Also, I suggest just slicing the red pepper as the recipe says to do. I am too used to dicing everything that I accidentally diced the peppers and took more time in the kitchen then needed. Anyways, a bit random of a pair, but this southwest chicken over sweet potato rice turned out awesome!

Slow Cooker Creamy Southwest Chicken
Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 1.5 cups chicken broth
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp arrowroot starch*
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ cup coconut cream or coconut milk (full fat)
• Fresh cilantro to garnish

Directions:

1. Begin by heating a large skillet to medium high heat. Use a non-stick spray or olive oil to lightly grease the pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix together all spices. Rub each chicken breast or thigh on both sides with rub. Place each piece of chicken on to the pan, and sear for 1-2 minutes per side (inside will be raw).
3. Bring chicken to the slow cooker, top with chicken broth and lime juice. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is very tender. Mix together arrowroot with water, and add to the chicken broth mixture. Also add in coconut cream or milk. Cook on low for another 15-20 minutes until mixture is thickened and creamy.
4. Serve hot on top of vegetable noodles or rice.

Original recipe found here

Talk about an easy meal prep weekend. This was another easy one dish and low maintenance recipe. I only used about 1.5 lb top sirloin, so I cut the ingredients in half and roasted for only 35 minutes, which I think was a little too long. Also, the original recipe came with instructions for a sweet potato mash, but I made my own version. I boiled about 4.5 lbs of sweet potato (you can also steam or bake the potatoes), then drained and added them to the food processor. Next, I added the thick part of the coconut milk from the can, some dried sage, cinnamon, and salt and mixed until everything was blended well. If you want to check out the original recipe's version of sweet potato mash though, check out the link below. Nothing too special about this meal, just another delicious bacon wrapped steak with a simple sweet potato mash.

Bacon Wrapped Roast Beef
Beef Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 lb top sirloin roast beef
• 6 slices bacon (I used 5 slices)
• ¼ cup cooking fat
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of Dijon or homemade mustard
• 1 tbsp good quality or homemade horseradish (I omitted)
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1 3/4 cups homemade beef stock

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the butter or other cooking fat, garlic, mustard and horseradish. Mix until smooth.
3. Rub the roast all over with the mixture.
4. Lay the bacon pieces out flat so that they are slightly overlapping. Then place the roast on top of the bacon and wrap the pieces around the roast. If needed, use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place.
5. Place the roast in a roasting dish and cook at 400 F for 20 minutes.
6. Once the roast has been in for 20 minutes, add the wine and stock to the roasting dish. At the same time, adjust the heat to 350 F.
7. Roast for about 70 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your meat. 20 minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb for a medium rare to medium well roast. There is a good reference chart included in the cookbook to know the exact roasting times of the different cuts of meat.

​Original recipe found here

This was such a low maintenance recipe. Very little preparation, throw everything into a baking dish, and you're done. I decided to make the Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice while the chicken was baking and I had this meal done in under an hour. This pairing was perfect and the meal turned out awesome! The spices in the chicken dish were unlike anything I have tried before and really seemed perfect with pumpkin and spice season arriving. This is a definitely a perfect meal prep recipe to make now while fresh pineapple is still in the grocery store!

Caribbean Jerk Baked Chicken
Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into thick slices
• ½ Fresh Pineapple, cut into ½ “ thick slices
• 1 T. Arrowroot Starch
• 1 t. Cinnamon
• 1 t. Allspice
• ¼ t. Nutmeg
• ¼ t. Pepper
• 1 t. Real Salt
• ½ T. Chopped Garlic
• 1 T. Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 T. Honey
• ¼ C. Coconut Aminos
• Cilantro, chopped, to garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a 9x13” baking dish. Place the chicken breasts and bell pepper and pineapple slices in the dish, keeping plenty of pineapple and peppers between each chicken breast.
3. In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot starch, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, pepper, and salt.
4. Stir in the chopped garlic and lime juice to make a paste.
5. Add in the honey and coconut aminos, whisking to make a sauce.
6. Pour the sauce over the chicken, pineapple, and peppers, coating all surfaces.
7. Bake for about 35 minutes (if chicken breasts were cut in half). For whole breasts, bake the dish for 50-55 minutes
8. Serve garnished with a little chopped cilantro.

​Original recipe found here

​Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower (I used two heads)
• 1 lime
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, and cut the head in half. Remove the cauliflower from the core so you only have the florets. Place half the cauliflower into the processor and process until only small pieces remain. Remove from the processor and place into a pan. Process the remaining cauliflower repeating the steps.
2. Mince the garlic and add to the cauliflower in the pan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. When cauliflower is slightly toasted, and garlic cooked, remove from heat.
3. Toss with cilantro and juice from the whole lime.

Original recipe found here

This recipe was as simple as it looks. If it's 7pm on a Sunday night and you still haven't meal prepped, this is the kind of recipe for you. I even bought already shredded cabbage and carrots, so the only preparation I had to do was slice the onions and grate the ginger. I used ground chicken instead of pork and also added some sliced green onions on top and this meal turned out delicious! I will definitely be making this in the future on weekends where I don't have much time to meal prep. I also want to try the recipe using ground pork and added crushed cashews as well. If you want to serve with Sweet and Sour sauce as the original recipe suggests, try this Paleo and Whole30 approved recipe for the sauce. If you are ever in need of a delicious, one-pot, easy, and fast recipe, this one is a winner!

Paleo Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil 
• 1 large cabbage, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 cup chopped carrots, about 3-4 medium 
• 1 inch ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or diced
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos 
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork or chicken 

Directions:

1. Add the oils to a large skillet or wok and heat over medium heat. 
2. Add the cabbage, onion, and carrots and cook until tender, stirring often- about 15 to 30 minutes depending on how big your pan is. 
3. Add the ginger, garlic, and coconut aminos and cook for 5 more minutes. 
4. Add the ground pork, break up with a spatula and cook until fully cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Stir regularly to evenly distribute. 
5. Serve with sweet and sour sauce if desired. 

​Original recipe found here

This recipe had me sold as soon as I read plantains! The pulled pork instructions are in a separate link below and was a quick and simple crockpot recipe. Making the smashed plantains was also pretty simple. I could have smashed mine down a little more, but they still turned out tasting amazing. To note, I used 3 plantains and all of the pulled pork (not just 3 cups) to make six meals. I also paired this with my roasted sweet potato fries, which made for an extremely delicious meal. This was the bomb and so worth trying out if you enjoy plantains!

Smashed Plantain Pulled Pork Sliders
Ingredients:

• 3 cups pulled pork
• 2 plantains
• 4-6 tbsp avocado oil (I used coconut oil)
• Salt, to taste

Directions:

1. First, prepare pulled pork according to instructions.
2. Next, prepare plantain buns. Start by scoring plantain peels lengthwise with a knife, and then removing the peels. Slice plantains into 1 inch pieces (each plantain will make 5-6 pieces).
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in 4 tbsp avocado oil to cover the pan.
4. When the pan is hot, add in plantain pieces. Cook plantains on one side for approximately 2 minutes, until browned on one side. Flip plantains to cook on the other side. Plantains are somewhat shaped like a triangle, so you will need to flip them twice to cook all three sides. Cook approximately 2 minutes per side so each side is browned. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.
5. Allow plantain pieces to cool for a few minutes until you are able to handle them. Smash plantain pieces with the bottom of a plate or other flat object to flatten.
6. Once all pieces are flattened, heat skillet again to medium and add in more avocado oil if necessary to cover the pan. Cook flattened pieces 1-2 minutes per side, until browned and crispy but not burnt. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
7. Make sliders by using the plantain pieces as a bun. Place some pulled pork between two pieces of fried plantains and dig in!

Original recipe found here


My Homemade Sweet Potato Fries
(Basically just roasted sweet potatoes)
Ingredients:

• 4-6 Sweet Potatoes (Depending on how much you want to make. 5 medium sized sweet potatoes usually gets me 6 oz of sweet potato fries for 6 meals. I think my idea of medium sized is bigger than most though.)
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt (I actually use Garlic Sea Salt on everything I cook)
• Optional: Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Skin and cut the sweet potatoes into whatever shape you want. I either do fries, wedges or circles.
3. Spray baking pan with olive oil. Lay down sweet potato fries flat (please do not just dump a pile on the pan).
4. I fill my Misto with olive oil and lightly spray the fries, then add some sea salt (sometimes cinnamon too).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Take out of the oven and move them around or flip them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Keep an eye on them, if they are thin bake for less time, and vice versa. Key is to move them around or flip them over half way through baking them. I usually make mine thicker, so I bake them for at least a total of 40 minutes.

With a busy Labor Day weekend, finding a recipe as easy as this one was a huge win for my meal prep Monday. Plus, I had an extra bottle of Tessemae's BBQ sauce that I bought from Whole Foods for this exact occasion. The Whole Foods by me also started to sell Steve's PaleoChef Peach BBQ again, so I will have to stock up on that for the next time I need a simple and quick BBQ recipe. I doubled the meat on this and also roasted three large sweet potatoes for about an hour and a half to complete the meal. Not much to say about this recipe other then it turned out delicious, as expected, and was super easy, simple, and quick (despite the sweet potatoes roasting in the oven, but you can at least do other things while waiting on those). Anything with BBQ sauce, bacon, or sweet potato is amazing in my book!

Paleo Barbecue Beef and Bacon
Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon (nitrate free)
• 1 large onion
• 1 pound grass-fed beef (I doubled this)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Paleo Barbecue Sauce (I used one bottle of Tessemae's BBQ sauce - Paleo, Dairy Free and Gluten Free, and Whole 30 approved)
• ⅓ cup coconut aminos

Directions:

1. Cut bacon into small pieces. I find that scissors work best for this.
2. Place in a cold frying pan and cook until crispy.
3. Scoop out all bacon pieces and set on a plate, leaving all the bacon grease in the pan.
4. Cook the onion in the grease until it starts to soften- about 5 minutes.
5. Add the beef and salt and cook until browned.
6. Add the barbecue sauce and coconut aminos and stir until warmed through.
7. Stir in the bacon right before serving.
8. Serve over a baked potato and top with additional bacon and green onions if desired.

Original recipe found here

This recipe turned out so incredibly amazing! I am usually not a fan of using flour when cooking, mainly because I don't want to buy it, but I already had a bag of Arrowroot Powder so I gave this recipe a try. I ended up using chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs and the meal still turned out great. Since this recipe had extra sauce, I paired the chicken with some really simple cauliflower rice - pulsed two heads of cauliflower in the food processor, threw it on medium heat in a frying pan with some bacon fat, and added some garlic powder and salt. I am so happy I gave this recipe a try because it really came out being so delicious! Note, you do need an oven-proof frying pan or ceramic coated dutch oven to make this recipe. Also, make sure to use a normal full-fat can of coconut milk; those lighter coconut milks never quite do the job right. You will not be disappointed if you try this recipe! 

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken
Ingredients:

• ¼ C. Unmodified Potato Starch or Tapioca Starch (I used arrowroot powder)
• 1 T. Coarse Real Salt
• 1 t. Freshly Ground Pepper
• 8 Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed (I used 2lbs chicken breast)
• 3 T. Olive Oil, divided
• 1 Yellow Onion, Sliced thinly
• ¾ C. Sliced Sun-dried Tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• 1 T. Garlic, minced
• 1 t. Italian Seasoning (oregano, thyme, parsley)
• Large Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 Can (13.5 oz.) Coconut Milk
• 1 C. Chicken Stock or Broth
• Basil, shredded, to top

Directions:

1. Mix together the potato or tapioca starch (I used arrowroot powder), salt, and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Toss the chicken thighs in the mixture until fully coated.
2. Heat 2 T. of the Olive Oil in a large oven-proof frying pan or ceramic coated dutch oven. Add the chicken, four pieces at a time, and brown on each side. When the chicken is all browned, remove it and set it aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 T. of oil to the pan and heat to medium/high. Add the sliced onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian Seasoning, and red pepper and saute for another 30 seconds.
4. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. Add the chicken back into the sauce, scooping the onions and tomatoes over the top of the chicken. Try to fit the chicken in a single layer, if possible.
6. Cover pan with a lid(make sure it is oven safe) and place it in the oven. Cook for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. After 45 minutes, reduce the heat to 300 and cook for another 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and top with shredded basil just before serving.

​Original recipe found here