Happy Friday, Friends! Whether your goal is eating healthy or eating food that tastes 🤤this recipe has got your back! Sweet potato sammies loaded with juicy pulled pork and cheese…there’s nowhere to go wrong! Happy almost-weekend!
First make your pulled pork. Put 1 diced yellow onion, 1 can tomato paste, 1/4c zero cal brown sugar replacer, 1/4c apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper into your crock pot. Add 2 c chicken stock and mix well. Add 2 pork tenderloins, and top with enough broth to fully cover the tenderloins (about 4 – 5 cups). Cook on low for 8h, then remove the tenderloins and shed with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the crock pot to allow the pork to absorb some moisture. Remove the pork, and stir in your favourite bbq sauce. I like to use a stevia-based one.
Slice 2 sweet potatoes on a bias into 1/4” thick slices, and roast at 425F for 30 minutes. Set the sweet potato slices on a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet to allow the slices to roast more evenly. Also, leave lots of space between slices on the tray.
Assemble your sliders by topping one sweet potato slice with the pulled pork, shredded cheese (spicy havarti, is a great choice, but use whatever you have), cabbage slaw and then another slice of roasted sweet potato.
Dinner
Greek Chicken Bowl
I love experimenting in kitchen and creating new dishes, but I also love my “go to” meals. Meals I never tire of eating and that go together super quick. Today I’m sharing one of these…Greek chicken salad with quinoa. I marinade chicken breasts with Greek/souvlaki flavouring and then grill them. I cook up a batch of quinoa, and then add these to a salad base of romaine, bell peppers, and cucumbers. Top the salad off with some black olives, feta and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I could eat this forever!
PS: I think cucumbers taste better peeled. Do you agree?
Salmon Avocado Wraps
As far as I’m concerned, a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese is the most delicious breakfast going. But, a bagel is pretty calorie dense, so not my best everyday choice. This past weekend I made these smoked salmon roll ups and they really have all the same flavours…without the bagel!
To make these yourself, lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Onto the plastic wrap, layout slices of smoked salmon to form a rectangle. Gently spread cream cheese onto the smoked salmon, then add a few matchstick sliced cucumbers and red onions along one edge. Tightly roll the smoked salmon starting from the same edge as you’ve put the cucumber and onion. Use the plastic wrap to help roll tightly. Once rolled fully, slice and sprinkle with @traderjoes everything but that bagel seasoning. Don’t skip the seasoning – it’s the best part! 😋
Squash Fries
Happy FRI-YAY! 🍟 🍟 🍟
I don’t really know if you can call it a recipe…but seriously, you need to do this. I reckon these are the healthiest fries you’ll ever eat! Cut a butternut squash into fry-style slices pop into your air fryer, and then once done, top with some salt and a little ketchup. 😍
Tips: the “neck” of the squash offers up perfect fry-slices. 30 minutes + 1/4c water is perfect in my my air fryer, but experiment with yours, as they’re all a bit different. No need to add any oil.
Chicken Parm Zoodles
Air Fryer Chicken Parm with Zoodles
Guys…this is amazing! I’m loving how quick and easy this is. And ssooooo satisfying!
First, grind some rolled oats into oat flour using your food processor. Next mix 1/4c ground oats with 1 1/2tbsp Italian seasoning spices, and as 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Dip a chicken breast in egg white, then coat with the oat mixture. Give the coated chicken breast a quick spray with your favourite cooking oil spray and pop into your air fryer (25 min in mine is just right).
While the chicken is cooking, peel and spiralize 1-2 zucchinis. Once the chicken is cooked, pop it into a casserole dish on top of about 1/4 tomato sauce (so it doesn’t stick to the dish), top with a little bit more tomato sauce, and some grated parm. Broil for a couple of minutes to get the cheese nice and melty.
While the chicken is broiling, gently heat your zoodles in a frying pan over medium heat, turning with tongs regularly.
Enjoy!
Paella
This paella is a healthified spin on a recipe I’ve been making for years. It’s one of my favourite winter dishes. Since it’s snowing today, it seems time to share!
Marinade 2 lb chicken thighs overnight in: 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1/3c chopped fresh parsley, juice of 2 lemons, 4 chopped cloves of garlic, 3 roughly chopped red onions, 1 sprig of rosemary diced, 1/2c water and salt and pepper.
Put the chicken thighs, onions, a pint of cherry tomatoes and 1 chopped green bell pepper casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes at 375F. During the last 10 minutes add 1 lb shrimp.
While the chicken is cooking cook 1c brown rice in chicken broth (instead of water) along with a pinch of saffron threads.
Scoop the chicken, shrimp and veggies out from the casserole dish and serve over rice. Use a little bit of the cooking liquid from the bottom of the dish to add additional moisture to the finished dish.
Enjoy! 😋
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Buffalo Chicken Wraps 😁
Add a little spice to your lunch! I’ve been bringing these with me all week this week for lunch and despite the fact that it’s Friday, I’m still loving them.
Slice 2 lb chicken breast into strips and then marinade overnight in 1/2c Frank’s Buffalo sauce, the juice of 2 fresh limes, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder and 1 tbsp onion powder. Grill the chicken strips.
To make a blue cheese sauce, mix together crumbled blue cheese, a couple of tablespoons of Greek yogourt and some lemon juice.
To make your wraps roll the chicken, blue cheese sauce, and romaine. Add a little extra buffalo sauce into your wrap too if you like things spicy.
I do all my prep ahead of time and then assemble at the last minute so that the wrap tastes nice and fresh.
Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad
Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad!
My air fryer and I seem to be having a love in these days. I marinated a few chicken breasts in: the juice of 3 fresh lemons, 1/2c water, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper. I finely chopped a handful of pecans and then pressed them into one of the chicken breasts. Air fried the chicken breast for 25 minutes and served it over a quick salad of field greens, roasted red pepper, green onion and sliced pear.
Super yummy!
Potatoes, Cheese & Steak
Well, hello delicious! Here’s a version of what I consider to be the perfect meal trifecta: Potatoes + protein + cheese.
One thinly sliced russet potato into the air fryer (45 min); 1 steak grilled as you like, topped with BBQ sauce, green onion and crumbled blue cheese. Stick it all under the broiler for about 2 minutes.
It doesn’t get any better than this!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Last week I shared with you Buffalo Chicken Wraps. Today I’m sharing a second way to use the same Buffalo Chicken. That means more mileage out of the same meal prep base, which is ideal when time is of the essence.
To make the chicken: slice 2 lb chicken breast into strips and then marinade overnight in 1/2c Frank’s Buffalo sauce, the juice of 2 fresh limes, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder and 1 tbsp onion powder. Grill the chicken strips.
To make a blue cheese dressing: mix together crumbled blue cheese, a couple of tablespoons of Greek yogourt and some almond milk. Use a fork to mix and add almond milk as needed to get the consistency you like.
Cook up a batch of brown rice.
To assemble the salad: gently warm up the chicken and rice, set over a bed of chopped romaine and top with the blue cheese dressing. Drizzle on top some extra buffalo hot sauce if you’re after a bit of extra zip!