This meal turned out absolutely amazing!!! It was seriously so comforting and delicious! The sauce was certainly not an overwhelmingly mustard flavor at all, and even Robbie, who hates mustard, loved this one. There is not much to the recipe in terms of ingredients or difficulty. If you don't have an Instant Pot you can simply sear the chicken in a stir fry pan then throw everything in a slow cooker. Since I tripled the ingredients to make enough meals for our needs, I had to brown the chicken in three batches before throwing everything in the pot to cook. I increased the Instant Pot to 20 minutes and that was more then enough cook time. Most of the chicken thighs stayed together, but would easily pull apart. This is one recipe that I would not skip out on thickening up the sauce with some added thickener. I usually do a 1:1 when using arrowroot starch, so I stuck to that conversion instead of what was recommended in the recipe. I thought the chicken paired especially well with the roasted sweet potatoes and shaved brussels sprouts. Definitely a meal we will be eating again soon! 

Honey Mustard Chicken in the Instant Pot
Ingredients:
Chicken:

• 2 lbs bone in skin on chicken thighs 4-6
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbsp ghee or other cooking fat
• Chopped parley for garnish if desired

Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp chicken bone broth
• 3 Tbsp raw honey melted, OR date paste for Whole30*
• 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

To thicken sauce:

• 1 tsp arrowroot starch
• 2 Tbsp bone broth

Directions:

1. Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth, set aside
2. Turn your Instant Pot to “saute” and allow it to heat meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with sea salt and black pepper on both sides.
3. After pot reads “hot”, swirl ghee around the bottom to let it heat. It’s important to add the ghee AFTER the pot heats to prevent the chicken from sticking!
4. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown (about 2-3 mins) then flip chicken with tongs and repeat on second side.
5. When both sides are golden brown, sprinkle garlic around the chicken and allow it to cook about 30-45 seconds, until softened, then press “cancel”.
6. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken, secure the lid, place steam release to “sealing” and set on high pressure for 10 mins.
7. Once time is up, quick release the pressure and remove lid. Using tongs, remove chicken to a plate and set aside while you thicken the sauce.
8. Cancel the pressure cook, press “saute” and whisk together the 2 Tbsp broth and arrowroot, then add to sauce and stir. Cook about 3-5 more minutes or until sauce is thickened to preference. Return chicken to pot with its juices and coat with sauce. Turn off pot and serve chicken with desired sides, enjoy!  

Recipe Notes
*To make date paste for this recipe, place 1/4 cup pitted medjool dates (about 3) in 2-3 Tbsp of very hot water to soften. After 5 minutes you can stir to make sure they'e soft, then blend the mixture in  a high speed blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth and add water if needed to get the right consistency.

Original recipe found here

The most simple-ingredient and delicious recipe I have tried in a while! Very similar to the Egg Roll in a Bowl recipe, but with more of a variety of vegetables. Carrots, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, fresh grated ginger and garlic, plus salt and pepper (omit for AIP), coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute), and apple cider vinegar. All made in a stir-fry pan, unless you are like me and enjoy using the big Instant Pot on saute function to cook massive amounts of food. To make this even easier you can purchase matchstick carrots, fresh coleslaw or cabbage mix in the salad section, and pre-cut broccoli florets and zucchini. I actually found some fun coleslaw and cabbage mixes that had carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, so I used a couple bags of those. If you are not a huge cabbage fan, I still recommend giving this a try - just make sure you cook down the cabbage plenty and you won't even recognize it's in there. Shredded and cooked down cabbage with some ground meat is seriously underrated. Give it a try! We devoured this all week and I know I will be making it again plenty. 

Ground Beef Stir Fry
Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
• 1 thumb ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 small zucchini, chopped into half moons
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 1/2 cup green cabbage, shredded
• 3 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp green onion, sliced

Directions:

1. Using a large deep skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and use a wooden spoon to thoroughly crumble. Set the ground beef aside and drain the excess fat, leaving about 2 tbsp in the pan.
2. Using the same pan, saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
3. Add the carrots, zucchini, and broccoli and cook for 5-6 minutes or until lightly crisp and softened, adding more fat to the pan if needed.
4. Incorporate the cabbage and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the cabbage has wilted and softened.
5. Add the ground beef back to the stir fry along with the coconut aminos apple cider vinegar. Stir to cook for another 2 minutes to reheat and allow the flavors to combine.
6. Serve topped with sliced green onion.

​Original recipe found here

It is extremely difficult to get a decent picture of any meal that is tinted orange. I feel like I have to point this out because the picture does not do the meal any justice. This meal was so simple and packed with all the flavor! The chicken is your simple oven bake with a mix of spices and olive oil, which can also easily be thrown onto the grill as well. The Garlic Rosemary Sweet Potatoes is a separate recipe that I had saved for quite sometime and finally decided to try out. This recipe also calls for using the oven, so not the best use of time for meal prep. If you are short on time I'd say definitely throw the chicken on the grill while the sweet potatoes are roasting in the oven. Now I love plain roasted sweet potatoes with just some oil and salt, so adding in the rosemary and garlic was like a treat! What a delicious and easy way to add some more flavor to your meal. Both recipes below turned out tasting great together, but would be great on their own or with another side or protein as well. If you are someone who enjoys a quick and classic meal prep, both recipes below are a tasty upgrade to the classic baked chicken and veggie.

Juicy Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp garlic olive oil (or combine 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Mix together the garlic olive oil and spices.
3. Place the chicken breast on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
4. Spread half the olive oil spice rub on the chicken breast. Flip and coat the other side
5. Bake the chicken in a 375F oven for 25-30 minutes (depending on thickness)
6. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes
7. Slice thin.

​
Original recipe found here


Garlic Rosemary Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 3 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 5 to 6 cloves of garlic 
• 2 to 3 stems of rosemary
• 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350. 
2. Wash, scrub and cube your sweet potatoes. 
3. Chop your garlic and rosemary. 
4. Put your cubed sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the chopped garlic and rosemary, then add the melted coconut oil. Mix all together until every sweet potato is covered.
5. Cover a baking pan with parchment paper and lay your sweet potatoes out evenly. Salt lightly over the pan. 
6. Pop it in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.   
7. Serve in a bowl – eat and enjoy! 

Original recipe found here

This might be my new favorite homemade curry meal! I made this in the Instant Pot, but there are directions for making this on the stove top as well. The recipe below serves four, so I as I usually do, I increased the ingredients to get enough meals for our needs. However, with sauce recipes like this, I usually significantly increase the meat amount and only double or triple the other ingredients. That is just my preference though since I don't like a lot of extra sauce and end up using the saute function at the end to help reduce the sauce anyways. The only other changes I made was using coconut oil to saute the onion, garlic, carrot and ginger, and then I used some chili powder instead of red chilies since the stores were out of those. I put the carrots and onions through the food processor to dice up real tiny and thought that was an especially smart move since I have someone in the house who doesn't enjoy cooked carrots. The only other note I have is that I might try this recipe with a can of full-fat coconut milk next time to get a little more fat into this meal. Though that move would probably alter the taste of the curry sauce some, which is probably why the recipe called for using a light coconut milk to begin with. Anyways, the sweet potato curry sauce really turned out so delicious and paired pretty well with the sweet potato glass noodles. I also threw in some plain cauliflower rice to add some more vegetables. This recipe is Whole30 compliant, a homemade curry, and an overall pretty simple meal to whip up! We will definitely be eating this one again soon. 

Coconut Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry 
Ingredients:

• 700g/24.5oz Chicken Thighs (all visible fat removed)
• 1 small sweet potato (approx 350g/12.5oz)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots chopped fined
• 4 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
• 1 tsp of ground ginger
• 1-2 red chillies, chopped (can add more or less depending on your preferred spice level)
• 1 tsp of turmeric
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of coriander
• 240ml/1 cup of light coconut milk (canned) 
• 240ml/1 cup  of chicken stock
• cooking oil spray (I used coconut oil instead)
• Fresh Chopped Coriander
• salt to season

Directions:
Stove Top:

1. Pierce sweet potato with a fork, place in microwave and cook for 5 mins (should feel soft to touch)
2. Set aside to cool slightly
3. Spray a frying pan over medium-high heat with cooking oil spray
4. Add onion, garlic, carrot and ginger and fry till softened
5. Cut sweet potato in half and scoop out all flesh, add to frying pan along with all the spices
6. Mix well,  mashing sweet potato into all the spices as you do. 
7. Add the chicken thighs, red chilli, coconut milk and chicken stock
8. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 mins. (pan should slightly bubbly still so that sauce reduces and thickens as it cooks)
9. Roughly Shred chicken into the sauce
10. Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander
11. Taste and season with salt as needed.
12. Serve with your choice of sides

Instant Pot:

1. Pierce sweet potato with a fork, place in microwave and cook for 5 mins (should feel soft to touch)
2. Set aside to cool slightly
3. Set instant pot to saute mode
4. Spray pan with cooking oil spray
5. Once hot, add onion, garlic, carrot and ginger and fry till softened
6. Cut sweet potato in half and scoop out all flesh, add to Instant Pot, along with all the spices
7. Mix well,  mashing sweet potato into all the spices as you do. 
8. Add chicken thighs, chilis, coconut milk and chicken stock
9. Set to manual high pressure for 15 mins
10. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 mins, and then release any remaining pressure. 
11. Shred chicken into the sauce
12. Can set to saute mode and bubble for a few minutes to thicken sauce after cooking, if you prefer a thicker sauce.
13. Taste and season as needed with salt.
14. Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander
15. Serve with your choice of sides

Original recipe found here

Another I Heart Umami recipe that did not disappoint! If you can purchase sirloin steak I definitely recommend trying this one out! I ended up using a chuck roast and that was not the right cut of meat for this type of recipe whatsoever. The meal still turned out delicious, but I spent a lot of time cutting out fat to try and slice thin cuts of meat. The seasonings and homemade Worcestershire sauce were on point though and seriously made this into a true tasting Chinese Pepper Steak meal. Also, the Worcestershire sauce recipe makes extra sauce that you can save and use for making steaks another time. All around, this was a relatively simple and one skillet recipe that turned out tasting delicious!

Chinese Pepper Steak
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. sirloin steak, thin sliced against the grain
• 1 green + 1 red bell peppers, sliced to thin strips*
• 3-4 garlic cloves, thin sliced
• 1 large shallot, sliced to thin strips

Beef seasoning:

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp arrowroot flour
• Less than ½ tsp baking soda
• Coarse salt and pepper to taste*

Paleo Whole30 Worcestershire sauce: (makes about ⅔ cup)

• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 3 tbsp tomato paste, no salt and sugar added
• 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Prep: Thin slice the beef against the grain. Add beef seasonings. Mix well and set aside in the fridge. Thin slice bell peppers*, prep aromatics, and combine (stir-well) ingredients under Worcestershire sauce.
2. Beef: In a well-heated large stainless steel skillet, add 1.5 tbsp cooking fat of your choice, pan sear the beef until they’re slightly charred. Do this in separate batches. Set aside along with the juice in the skillet.
3. Combine: Add a bit more oil to the same skillet, add sliced garlic and shallots. Season with a bit salt, saute until fragrant (about 8-10 seconds). Add bell peppers. Season with a bit more salt, saute until the peppers turn slightly softer yet still crunchy. Add ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, add beef back to the skillet. Give a quick toss to coat the sauce over. Taste and see if more salt or sauce is preferred.
4. Serve hot and immediately with cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes, or simple salad.

Notes

• For AIP version, swap bell peppers for carrots and/or celery. Slice them to match stick thin. Omit black pepper.
• For thicker Worcestershire sauce texture: bring the sauce to simmer over stovetop, let it simmer and stir frequently for about 1 minute. Cool and store in the refrigerator.
• To make ahead - Season thin sliced beef. Store in fridge (for serving next day) or freezer. Pre-make worcestershire sauce. Store in glass container in the fridge. Finish within 3 weeks for best flavor.

Original recipe found here

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