Holy moly did I really enjoy every part of this meal! I am not sure it's the quickest meal prep recipe, but if you have the time or can prep a few things the day before then this one is definitely a must-try. I already have a couple go-to BBQ chicken recipes that I cycle through every so many weeks, but I decided to give this new homemade one a try. It turned out like no other BBQ I have tried before! I was surprised and really enjoyed the taste. It was not sweet whatsoever, but more light tasting with a very slight kick from the Chipotle and chili spices. I read the note for the Italian dressing swap and used that option instead. Now for making everything easier on myself, I prepped the sauce the night before so I could just throw the chicken in the Instant Pot in the morning. The recipes gives three ways for making the BBQ chicken based on what you have and preference, so don't be steered away if you don't have an Instant Pot. I also prepped the sweet potato the night before, but you can purchase pre-diced sweet potato or frozen diced sweet potato at most stores to help save you time there as well. You can clearly see I skipped out on the pickles, but that is only because I don't like them. Let me know if you try this recipe with them and how they turned out! If you don't have the time to make your own BBQ sauce, a few whole-ingredient ones that I'll purchase off the shelf are Tessemae's or The New Primal, both can be found at Wegman's or Amazon. Now for the coleslaw, what an easy vegetable side to prep. I used Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo, but only half of the amount the recipe calls for because we aren't big mayo people. I honestly loved how it turned out and enjoyed eating every crunchy bite. On days that I took this to work I just ate everything cold and still loved it. When I was home I could add the coleslaw after I heated up the chicken and sweet potatoes and enjoy it that way. Once the stay-at-home orders are lifted I'll definitely be making this one for family and friends! 

BBQ Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potatoes, Coleslaw, and Pickles
Ingredients:
BBQ Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/4 pounds
• 3/4 cup Whole30 BBQ sauce (see recipe below for making your own)
• 2 tablespoons Italian dressing (see note)
• salt to taste
• or about 2 1/2 cups shredded BBQ chicken or pork

Sweet Potatoes

• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon avocado or refined coconut oil

Quick Dill Pickles:

• Sprig fresh dill
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 English cucumber sliced thin
• Pinch yellow mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup white or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• OR 1/4 cup sliced cold dill pickles (see note)

Coleslaw:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon white apple cider, or white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 14- oz bag shredded coleslaw mix (see note)

Garnish:

• Fresh chopped parsley
• Dry BBQ seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
2. Make sweet potatoes: On a baking sheet, toss all ingredients and roast for 20 m. After 20 minutes, stir well, then return to oven. Bake another 10-15 minutes or until browning on edges but not too crunchy or crisp.
3. Make BBQ chicken: Next, combine all ingredients in an Instant Pot. Seal and cook at High Pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release when time is up then shred chicken breasts with two forks or use a hand mixer on low speed. Turn on Sauté mode and heat for 5 minutes until chicken is coated in sauce. If you do not have an Instant Pot, see Note for regular shredded chicken or slow cooker directions.
4. Make the pickles: While sweet potatoes roast, combine all pickle ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
5. Make coleslaw: Mix all ingredients besides coleslaw mix in a small bowl. Place coleslaw mix in a medium bowl and pour dressing over. Combine well, using hands if desired.
6. Assemble bowls: Divide sweet potatoes, BBQ chicken, and coleslaw evenly among 4 bowls. Top with a couple pickle slices. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

Notes:

• Cooking chicken in a Crockpot: Combine all your BBQ chicken ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook covered on High for 3 hours or Low for 5 hours.
• To make without a slow cooker or Instant Pot: Shred 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts with two forks, then place in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover with 3/4 cup of BBQ sauce and stir until chicken is heated through and sauce is absorbed. Add more sauce if desired.
• Whole30: Make sure you are using Whole30-compliant BBQ sauce.
• If you don’t have Italian dressing for BBQ chicken: Substitute 1 1/2 tablespoon oil, 1/2 tablespoon white or white wine vinegar, and a small pinch of Italian seasoning.
• Using store-bought pickles instead of homemade: Use high-quality cold pickles, not the bright yellow sort from the aisles.
• To save extra coleslaw: Drain excess liquid and save for another use in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.

Original recipe found here

Whole30 BBQ Sauce with Chipotle (Paleo, Vegan)
​Serving: 1 Cup
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil (use coconut oil for vegan)
• 1 cup Vidalia onion , diced
• 7 tablespoons coconut aminos (1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegan)
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat ghee or coconut oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Notes:
If desired, for a smoother texture, gently transfer sauce to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt.

Original recipe found here

Another super delicious one that I'll be saving to make again real soon! Just like the Pineapple Ginger Chicken I recently posted, this one is a really simple homemade sauce that can easily be used with any meat and grilling combo. Note that the chicken does have to marinade for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, make the sauce the day before or the morning of to allow the chicken to marinade. This also makes for an even simpler and quicker cooking time later. Anyways, I especially loved the hint of curry, and the extra sauce to mix in with the cauliflower rice also made for an extra tasty meal. Similar to the instructions below, I first grilled the chicken on an indoor grilling pan, then moved all the chicken over to bake for the remaining time. I would have used the skillet to finish cooking the chicken, but I doubled the recipe and had too much chicken to put into one skillet. Other then that I made the recipe as-is below. Not much to this one at all and it seriously turned out tasting so good. I definitely recommend giving this one a try! 

Whole30 Thai Chicken Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
Sauce

• 2/3 cup dates pitted
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoon red curry paste (Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste is a compliant one!)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• lime juice from 1 lime

Other Ingredients

• 4 large chicken breasts
• 32 oz cauliflower rice
• 16 oz broccoli rabe

Directions:

1. Puree ingredients for sauce in a blender until smooth.
2. Marinate chicken breast in 1/3 the sauce and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Cook chicken on either a grill pan or skillet (I did both!). Place chicken on a well greased pan, cover with a lid, and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until cooked through (there should be no pink on inside when cut open).
4. Once the chicken is cooked, remove, and add broccoli to cast iron skillet and cook in leftover juices until it's soft, but not mushy.
5. In the cast iron skillet, pour the rest of the sauce over the cauliflower rice and cook for about 10 minutes until soft (stirring on occasion to prevent sticking to the pan). Then serve with chicken and broccoli.

​Original recipe found here

This one is a must try! It seriously turned out so delicious and will definitely be thrown into the meal rotation in our house. I ended up tripling this recipe to get enough meals, so I bought a couple containers of pre-diced onions, carrots, and celery to make prep even easier. I used cayenne pepper instead of a red chili, which must have been the reason this beef ragu had a slight kick to it. I also opted for using a cup of beef broth instead of the cubes since I couldn't find any that did not have added sugars. Not much to the recipe at all. Just saute the onions, carrots, celery, and chili, then throw the rest of the ingredients in and set the Instant Pot to cook on manual for 30 minutes. The final step revealed a new cooking hack to me as well! Using a potato masher to shred or mash the beef into smaller pieces was a game changer. Pair with pasta, vegetable noodles, or rice and you've got yourself a seriously tasty and nutritious meal. 

Instant Pot Beef Ragu
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 large carrot, diced into small cubes
• 1 celery stick, diced into small cubes
• 1/2 long red chili, diced (or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or cayenne pepper)
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 large cloves of garlic, finely diced
• 1 1/2 lb diced beef steak (stewing steak, chuck steak, rib eye)
• 1 teaspoon black or white pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder (mild or sweet)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, thyme or basil
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder (optional, but adds warmth and depth)
• 1 star anise (optional)
• 1 x can chopped tinned tomatoes (400 g/ 1 + 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos 
• 1 cube of beef stock including water (I ended up using 1 Cup Beef Broth instead)

Directions:
In the Instant Pot

1. Turn on the Instant Pot and press the Sauté function key. Add the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, chili and salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened.
2. Add the beef and the rest of the ingredients and stir through. Press Keep Warm/Cancel.
3. Place the lid and lock. Set to Manual, High pressure, and set for 30 minutes. After three beeps the Instant Pot will begin to build up pressure and start cooking. Once the cooking finishes, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes before using quick release to let off the rest of the steam.
4. Then open the lid and press the Sauté function again. Use a potato masher (that’s the easiest way) to shred or mash the beef into smaller pieces. You will get something like shredded beef consistency. Cook for 10-15 minutes to thicken the sauce, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Serve with pasta, vegetable noodles or rice.

On the Stove Top

1. Repeat the first two steps as above using a saucepan over medium heat. Once the beef and tomatoes are in, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered with a lid for 2 hours. After 2 hours, shred the beef, and cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce if needed (you might not have as much liquid when cooking on the stove).

Original recipe found here

Finally found a non-Instant Pot chicken meal that was simple and easy for meal prep. I've made similar recipes before, but this one is definitely the easiest and turned out so flavorful and delicious. While you cook the chicken, put all the pineapple ginger sauce ingredients in your blender, and that is really all the work you need to do. Big note on those medjool dates is to make sure you get them pitted! I did not and totally forgot to take the pits out before blending, and that ruined my first batch of sauce. Since I had to start over I was also left without any extra pineapple for topping, which was a bummer too. Other then that mishap, everything was smooth sailing with this recipe. I heated up some frozen plain cauliflower rice to pair with it since there was plenty of delicious sauce to top with at the end. I also opted for baking the chicken breast in the oven since I quadrupled everything below to get enough meals for the week. I thought that option worked out just as great if you'd rather do the same. I tend to shy away from a lot of "sauce" recipes because they usually involve so many ingredients, but this one literally has 5 ingredients! Even if you don't make the chicken part, I definitely recommend saving the sauce recipe for some grilling recipes this summer.

Pineapple Ginger Chicken
Ingredients:
Chicken

• 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• salt & pepper

Pineapple Ginger Sauce

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
• 5 medjool dates, pitted
• 1 to 1 1/4 inch knob of ginger

To Finish

• 1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
• fresh parsley for topping, chopped

Directions:
Chicken

1. Add olive oil to saute pan or cast iron skillet. Heat pan to medium high heat.
2. Add chicken to hot pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and dried parsley on top of each breast. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip. Cook other side until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken over so your herbed side is facing up. Turn off heat.

Pineapple Ginger Sauce

1. Peel your ginger knob. (You don't need to dice it as it will blend just fine once peeled.) It should be between 1 and 1 1/4 inches in length.
2. Add all sauce ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth.

To Finish

1. Pour blended sauce into the pan with your chicken. Add cup of chopped pineapple around chicken. Reduce heat to medium low or low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Sauce will reduce a bit.
2. Top with fresh chopped parsley and serve!

Notes:
Why medjool dates versus other kinds of dates? Medjool dates are picked early which means they tend to be very soft. This makes them awesome for blending and creating sauces. Yes, it does matter what kind of date you use!

Original recipe found here

I hope everyone is staying home and healthy, and also considering trying some new recipes or meal prep with this extra time at home we all have! I am finally going through a list of recipes I had saved to try for quite some time now, including this one that turned out absolutely delicious! This recipe is Instant Pot and Slow Cooker friendly, and did not have much prep to it whatsoever. Although I bought frozen cubed sweet potatoes and pre-cut onions and peppers, which left me with only having to cut the chicken. Either way, this recipe is definitely one of the simpler ones that I have tried. I also loved that there were peppers, green beans, sweet potato, and cauliflower rice with this meal. ALL the colors and nutrients! I had to almost quadruple the ingredients below to get enough meals for our house, so I also increased the cooking time in the Instant Pot to around 30 minutes. This was definitely over kill and my sweet potatoes paid the price, unfortunately. Just pointing this out in case you enjoy eating those chunks of potatoes instead of it getting cooked into the sauce. I would also suggest removing the potatoes and chicken while you saute the sauce at the end. Paired with some cauliflower rice and topped with raw cashews and this meal was a hit all week long. Let me know if you give it a try! 

Sweet Potato Chicken Curry (​Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. ghee or coconut oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ lbs. chicken breast, cubed
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, cubed (~2 cups)
• 1 red pepper, sliced or diced
• 2/3 cup chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• ½ tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 can (14 oz.) full fat coconut milk
• 2 cups frozen green beans
• Cashews, cilantro & cauliflower rice for serving

Directions:
For Instant Pot

1. Set your Instant pot to the saute setting. Add the ghee, onion, and garlic and saute until onions are translucent.
2. Then turn to manual setting and set temp to high. Add the chicken, sweet potatoes, red pepper, broth, curry, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and sea salt. Seal the instant pot and set time for 12 minutes.
3. Once time is up, release the pressure by switching from seal to vent. Once pressure is released, remove lid and turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Stir in the coconut milk and frozen green beans and let cook for an additional 2-3 minute or until the green beans are heated through.
4. Meanwhile, saute cauliflower rice in a skillet on medium heat with 1-2 tsp. of ghee. Saute until warm and cooked through. Length of time to saute cauliflower rice will depend on if it is in a fresh or frozen state.
5. Serve over cauliflower rice and top with cashews and fresh cilantro.

For Slow Cooker:

1. In a slow cooker, add the sautéed onions and garlic, chicken, sweet potatoes, red pepper, green beans, chicken broth (1¼ cups), spices, salt, and pepper. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Add coconut milk and cook on low for an additional 30-60 minutes or until hot.

Notes:
For a thicker curry – mix together 2 Tbsp. of water with 1 Tbsp. tapioca starch. While instant pot is on the saute setting, stir into curry after the coconut milk is heated through and let set for a few minutes to thicken.

Original recipe found here

This kind of recipe really reminds me of my mom. Anyway I could sneak vegetables into the meal for her to eat I would try and do it. These Loaded Veggie Turkey Meatballs were spot on down to the food processor making sure the veggies were finely chopped. Great recipe for kids or adults that have trouble eating their vegetables. Plus, you can't even tell there are veggies in the meatballs when eating them. Winning. The recipe below is tripled from the original recipe, and the only parts I changed were using just a little bit less ghee then recommended, and using spinach instead of kale. The recipes suggests using a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet to cook the meatballs, and I really wish I had those to test that method out. Ground turkey always leaves fat and juice behind that you sometimes have to scrape it off when cooking on a baking sheet. So if you end up making these using a cooling rack, please let me know how it turned out. I paired this with my own version of Garlic Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash and absolutely loved the meal. Making a blended mash like this one is another way to add some more vegetables into your life. With the garlic and sweet potato, you can't even tell there is cauliflower in there. All around, a delicious and nutritious meal that I definitely recommend trying. ​

Loaded Veggie Turkey Meatballs 
Ingredients:

• 3 pound ground turkey (preferably thigh meat)
• 1 1/2 cup lightly steamed broccoli florets , finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cup kale, finely chopped (or any other green)
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 6 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (or basil, parsley, or dill)
• 3 egg, beaten
• 6 tbsp butter or ghee, melted
• 3 tablespoons coconut flour **see note
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400′ F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper OR place a cooling rack on top of baking sheet.
2. Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl until well incorporated.
3. Roll into small meatballs (I use a small cookie scoop to get uniform balls) and place onto prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until baked through and slightly golden.

Notes:

• I highly recommend using a food processor to chop you veggies.  This makes for a super nice texture in the meatballs.
• I prefer to steam the broccoli before adding it to the recipe.  I’ve tried grated raw broccoli and don’t love the texture.  Simply steam broccoli in a steamer basket for 3-4 minutes until slightly soft and still bright green. Be sure to finely chop for best texture.
• Most people bake meatballs right on the baking sheet (lined with parchment paper), which works fine.  I find that my meatballs cook a bit more evenly if I place them on a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet.
• I used coconut flour as a binder.  You can sub any flour that you have like almond or cassava, but you will have to use at double the tablespoons of any other flour.  Start with 2 and add another if mixture seems too sticky to roll.

Original recipe found here


Garlic Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower head, chopped into florets (I used 2 bags (16 oz) of frozen cauliflower)
• 3-5 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp ghee (you can also use coconut oil)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Place the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, garlic cloves, and salt in a pot, and cover with water.
2. Place the pot over medium-high heat, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let bubble until the vegetables are fork tender. This usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and drain the vegetables.
4. Place the vegetables into a medium bowl or back in the pot, and add the ghee, black pepper, and salt (to taste). Mash the ingredients together with a potato masher or lightly blend with a hand mixer to combine. (You can also use a food processor to make the mash smooth.)

Notes:

• If you have an Instant Pot, you can easily steam all the vegetables and garlic in there. Personally, I opted for this and did the sweet potatoes separately from the cauliflower and garlic to make sure everything steamed thoroughly. 

This meal is the real deal! I ended up quadrupling just about every ingredient, except the chili powder and hot sauce since I was afraid it would be too spicy for my liking. I also opted for making the sloppy joes in the Instant Pot on saute mode rather then the stove top because I had such a large quantity of food then the original recipe. Both ways are suitable options though and get the job done quick! I have never heard of Rao's Homemade marinara sauce before, but I found it at Whole Foods, Wegman's, and Harris Teeter, and thought it tasted delicious. Seriously impressed with that sauce option for the Whole30/Paleo/whole-food ingredient crowd and recommend trying it if you find it. Now I couldn't find spaghetti squash at my grocery store for some reason, so I went with sweet potato glass noodles instead, which actually provided the carbs I needed anyways. Feel free to pair this with any kind of noodle or vegetable noodle you like though. This meal was a huge hit in my house and will definitely be made again soon! 

Whole30 Sloppy Joe Bowls
Ingredients:
Sloppy Joes

• 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 1 lb grassfed ground beef
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2/3 cup compliant tomato sauce or marinara sauce (Rao's Homemade is an option)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp dijon or yellow mustard (Annie's Organic Dijon Mustard, Woodstock Foods Organic Dijon Mustard,  and Wegmans Traditional Dijon Mustard are all good options)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp hot sauce (Frank's RedHot Original Hot Sauce‎ is a good option)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Spaghetti Squash

• 1 large spaghetti squash

Broccoli

• 1 16 oz package broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:
Spaghetti Squash

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut a large spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at for 35 minutes. Use a fork to remove the spaghetti strands and serve with the Sloppy Joe mixture and broccoli.

Sloppy Joes

1. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in onion and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add in ground beef and stir until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in remaining Sloppy Joe ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until ready to serve.

Roasted Broccoli

1. Mix the florets, oil, and salt well with your hands. Spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and add to the oven when the squash has about 13-14 minutes left. Serve with the Sloppy Joe mixture and squash! Enjoy!

Original recipe found here

Its officially time for all the fall foods, and this recipe did not disappoint! The prep work is really all that you have to do with this one, making it pretty simple for the non-cooks out there. If you want to minimize some of that prep work I recommend purchasing already cut brussels sprouts, and/or marinading the chicken the night before. Since I basically tripled this recipe below to get enough food for meal prep, the cutting and chopping did take up some time for me. Once all that prep work is done though, all that is left to do is throw everything on the sheet pan to bake. I actually ended up having to do this in two batches with all the food that I had. My only note I had with this recipe was that next time I'd roast the brussles sprouts and bacon for 10-15 minutes first before throwing the apples and chicken on top. That is just my preference though because I love brussels and bacon together and much prefer is to be well-roasted. That note aside though, all of these flavors together still came out tasting delicious and comforting, as expected. I will probably be making this one a few more times this fall! 

Rosemary Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken with Bacon and Apples
​Ingredients:

•  1.5 lbs chicken breast
•  1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
•  1/3 cup olive oil
•  Juice of 1/2 lemon
•  2 cloves garlic crushed
•  1/4 cup chopped rosemary
•  10 oz brussel sprouts stem cut off and cut in half
•  2 apples cored, peeled, and chopped
•  6 slices of bacon chopped
•  Salt + Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut your chicken breast into smaller chunks or pieces. Set aside.
2. Make your marinade by blending balsamic vinegar, oil, lemon, and garlic. While motor is running, add chopped rosemary. Continue blending for at least 1 minute or until rosemary is well incorporated. Place chicken into a bowl or container with marinade. Marinade for at least 5 minutes, but up to 12 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil. Place brussel sprouts, apples, and bacon on the sheet. Add chicken. Brush any reserved marinade over sprouts and apples.
4. Bake for 15 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken). Bump up the oven to 425 degrees, and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes of cooking to get everything extra crispy!
5. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Salt and pepper to taste.

​Original recipe found here

I recently stumbled upon this Asian-inspired Paleo blog where I found this amazing recipe, and plenty of other delicious looking ones as well! This Chicken Stir-Fry with Cabbage and Shiitake turned out tasting like a true Asian stir fry and was actually pretty simple to make. I purchased matchstick carrots and bagged cabbage slaw to help minimize prep time. I also threw the shiitake mushrooms in the food processor to dice up real tiny, just so they would get lost in the stir-fry and the people I am cooking for didn't notice ;-). The only items left to prep are slicing the green onions, slicing or mincing the ginger (I preferred to mince), slicing the chicken and tossing with the seasonings. This is actually a step I goofed on - although the olive oil is listed under the chicken seasonings, that ingredient is just for when you are ready to cook in the pan. I accidentally threw it in with the marinade instead, not that I think it changed the flavoring that much. Anyways, I found that the chicken cooked much better in a wok then it did in my dutch oven, so I cooked in batches in the wok and used the dutch oven to prepare the rest of the stir fry. I only did this though because I increased the serving size to 15 for this recipe and had plenty of cabbage and carrots to cook. You can change the serving size of this recipe to your needs as well by going to the original recipe link below and adjusting the serving size amount up or down. Again, I thought this meal turned out tasting perfectly and was a delicious Asian stir fry! You will most definitely be seeing me post more recipes from this blog.

​​Paleo Chicken Stir-Fry with Cabbage and Shiitake
Ingredients:
Chicken seasonings

• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, thin sliced
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1.5 tsp arrowroot powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ⅛ tsp black pepper + ¼ tsp coarse salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Other Ingredients

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, matchstick shape
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 6-7 bulbs scallions, sliced diagonally (separate white & green parts)
• 1 to 1 ¼ cups carrots, sliced to matchstick shape (or use shredded carrots)
• 5-7 oz. fresh shiitake
• 7-8 cups napa cabbage, diced to about 2-inch sections (separate stems from leafy parts)
• Small dash of chicken or vegetable broth

Stir-fry Sauce (stir-well with no lumps)

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tsp aged balsamic
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder

Directions:

1. Prep: Thin slice chicken breasts and mix well with coconut aminos, arrowroot, baking soda, and salt and pepper. Set aside in the fridge while preparing ingredients listed under “other”. Mix well “Stir-fry sauce” and set aside.
2. Chicken: In a well-heated 12-inch large stainless steel skillet or wok, add 2 tbsp cooking fat of your choice, sear the chicken breasts without disturbing over medium-high heat in one thin layer so to not overcrowd the skillet. Sear until golden brown. Do the same thing for flip side until they are almost cooked through. Cook in separate batches if need be. Set them aside.
3. Combine: Use the same skillet add 2 more tbsp cooking oil. Add garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions. Season with a pinch of salt and saute until fragrant. Add cabbage stems and carrots. Season with little salt and keep stir-frying until the stems turn slightly softer. Add leafy parts of the cabbage, shiitake, and a dash of broth to lightly deglaze the skillet. Lightly toss the veggies then lower the heat to medium/medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook until the cabbage turns softer but not mushy (about 3-4 mins). Add sauteed chicken and give the stir-fry sauce another stir before adding to the skillet. Toss everything together and serve hot or in room temperature.

Original recipe found here

​This meal was the bomb! Since I made this for meal prep, and also need at least a cup of sweet potato per meal, I opted for roasting the potatoes separately in the oven. I then doubled the rest of the recipe (minus the black pepper and olive oil, there was no need for that much) to get me about 10 meals. I actually may have used closer to 3lbs of steak now that I think about it. Either way, the recipe itself was super simple and easy to make after you have all your ingredients diced and prepped. I paired this recipe with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, which is also super easy to whip up if you have the time. If not, another idea is to throw some plain cauliflower rice in with the peppers to cook. You can also throw the plain cauliflower rice into the same pan you cooked the steak bites and peppers (once you remove everything) to soak up the remaining flavors. I definitely over complicated this meal by roasting sweet potatoes in the oven, and separately making Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, so don't feel like you need to do all of that. The steak bite recipe as-is below was extremely simple to make and is all done in one-pan. Most importantly, this is a meal you will truly enjoy eating all week long!​

Whole30 Steak Bites with Sweet Potatoes and Peppers
Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (about 12 ounces) diced into 1" pieces
• 1 tsp sea or kosher salt
• 1 lb flat iron steak diced into 1" pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil divided
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 bell peppers seeded and diced into 1" pieces
• 4 green onions thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Place the diced sweet potatoes into a microwave safe bowl, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Cover with a plate and microwave on high until just barely tender, 4-6 minutes. Stir once halfway through. The potatoes are ready when you can piece one with the tip of a knife and meet just a bit of resistance. Take care not to overcook at this stage or they'll turn out mushy later.
2. Heat a 12” skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the steak in a single layer. Cook, turning every two minutes, until the pieces are browned and the center is medium, about 10 minutes. Remove the steak from the skillet using a slotted spoon and set aside onto a plate. 
3. Add the third tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the sweet potatoes, toss to coat in the fat and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3-4 minutes.
4. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the garlic. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the bell pepper and scallions and toss with the potatoes. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are bite tender, 3-4 minutes. 
6. Add the steak and juices back to the pan along with the coconut aminos. Toss all ingredients and cook an additional 1- 2 minutes until the liquid has evaporated.
7. Add the pepper and cilantro, toss, and remove from heat. Portion onto plates, top with additional fresh cilantro if desired, and serve immediately.

Original recipe found here


​Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower (I used two bags of frozen cauliflower rice)
• 2 limes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. (If making own cauliflower rice) 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