{Clean Eating} Pecan Crusted Chicken

Happy New Year! This blog of mine has definitely been neglected over the past year.
 I have close to 50 recipes to share with you and am determined to make that happen. 

Today, I'm sharing something I recently cooked for dinner. One thing I have accomplished this year is cooking more clean eating recipes. Last week I spent a good amount of time planning out a months worth of clean dinners, all of which require less than a half hour in the kitchen. Below, you'll find the recipe for pecan crusted chicken. It was a recipe delivered through my eMeals clean eating subscription. The meal took less than a half hour. The chicken had the right amount of flavor and I enjoyed the texture of the pecans with the panko crumbs. I paired it with steamed broccoli and brown rice. Enjoy! 

Pecan Crusted Chicken 

an eMeals recipe

Ingredients: 

3⁄4 cup pecan pieces (to get fine piece, I put the pieces in a bag and used the bottom of a cup to smash them, your could also use a food processor)
1⁄2 cup whole-wheat Panko breadcrumbs
1⁄4 tsp cayenne pepper
11⁄2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in
half lengthwise
3⁄4 tsp salt
2 large egg whites
3 Tbsp olive oil

Directions: 
1. Combine pecans, Panko crumbs and pepper in a bow. I used a lot bowl that would be good for dipping the chicken 
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt
3. Beat egg whites until foamy. 
4. Dip chicken in egg whites then cover with pecan mixture. 
5. Heat half of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 3 chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes per side or until done. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken. 

One Pot Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta

One pot pasta dishes have been a recent favorite around here. I don't have as much time to cook with a toddler getting into everything and an infant who likes to be held a lot during dinner time. This particular dinner doesn't have much prep time, cooked in less than a half hour and was enjoyed by the entire family (including the toddler and my parents.) There wasn't any left over but if there was I'm sure it would have been just as good the next day for lunch. Enjoy! 

ONE PAN CHICKEN APPLE SAUSAGE PASTA

Adapted from Inspired by Charm 

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 package chicken apple sausage, sliced (about 1lb)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 apple, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes 

1/2 cup heavy cream

10 ounces penne pasta 

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

sliced green onions for garnish 

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. In a large skilled cook the sausage on medium high heat, until brown. 
2. Add in garlic and apples, cook for another minute.  
3. Once apples and garlic are cooked, add in chicken broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Once it's at a boil, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked. 
4. Once pasta is cooked, add the cheese. Stir to combine. 
5. Once cheese is melted remove from heat and add the green onions. 

Honey Mustard Mozzarella Chicken

I have to admit I haven't been the best with meal planning lately. We're living with my parents while our house is being finished and I'm also 9 months pregnant. After chasing around my two year old all day, I don't really have the energy or desire to spend a lot of time on dinner. 

The other night my mom had taken chicken out for dinner. Everyone was on their way home from work and I wanted to have dinner ready when they got home. It was a rare day of extra energy and I took full advantage of it! Anyhow, I immediately turned to my Pinterest Recipe board and started searching for something quick that I could make with ingredients we already had. Did I mention grocery trips with a two year old who doesn't like to stay in the cart no matter how many cookies you bribe her with are no fun? 

My search ended with this recipe. I had all of the ingredients and not a lot of time to get dinner on the table. This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. The recipe took less than 10 minutes to prep and about 35 total to bake. The entire family was impressed with this chicken. My mom kept asking how I made it. We served it with baked red potatoes and broccoli. Enjoy! 

Honey Mustard Mozzarella Chicken

Adapted from All Recipes 

Ingredients: 

4 skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup dijon mustard

1/2 cup bacon bits (more if desired)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

lemon pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.	Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish, and drizzle evenly with honey and mustard. Sprinkle with lemon pepper.
3.	Bake chicken 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Top each breast with bacon bits and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Continue baking 10 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear, bacon is crisp, and cheese is bubbly. *The original recipe said to use chicken breast halves. I used regular breasts and they turned out great. They were cooked through in the amount of time listed above and were unbelievably juicy*

{One Pot} Italian Sausage and Tortellini Skillet

I made this last night for the third time. It's a big hit with my family, a quick and easy weeknight meal. Perfect for back to school dinner planning. The entire meal takes 20 minutes, start to finish. Plus there are only five ingredients. It doesn't get much easier than that! The one thing I will probably do next time is lighten it a bit. I will use italian turkey sausage and whole wheat tortellini. I cut the cheeses in half, just sprinkling it lightly over the dish. 

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Skillet

Courtesy of  Yellow Bliss Road (with slight changes)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground Italian Sausage
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 240-24 oz package of fresh cheese Tortellini
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce (1-24 oz jar)
•  

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in an oven safe skillet. Crumble in sausage and cook through, until no longer pink.
2. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tortellini.
3. Bring mixture to a boil, turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes or until tortellini is tender. 
4. Remove from heat. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over tortellini.
5. Place the lid back on and let the cheese melt for about 5 minutes. 
   
   

{Clean Eating} Mexican Quinoa Bowl

Today, I'm sharing one of our favorite new dinners. This meal takes about 25 minutes to make. It's one of the meals I will throw together when I am running late getting dinner started or am looking for a quick and healthy meal. It also makes a perfect lunch. Hubs adds chicken to his, I personally think this is filling just the way it is. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa 

1 can of black beans

1 can of diced tomatoes (or a cup of fresh quartered)

1 can of corn or a cup of frozen

1 avocado, diced 

1 lime 

Directions: 

Cook quinoa according to the package directions

Once it's finished add it to a large skillet (turned to low heat)

Drain the black beans and corn 

Add them to the skillet, along with the tomatoes (undrained)

Mix ingredients and leave on the stove until everything is heated through. 

Once it's heated, add the juice of a freshly squeezed lime and the diced avocado

You can also add cilantro if your would like 

Chicken Apple Sausage Skillet II

This recipe is very similar to one of our recent favorite summer dishes I posted about last week. All I did was change up the veggies I used. Another meal done in less than a half hour, using two pans and a cutting board. It gives us a good amount of leftovers and the toddler devours it. Can't think of a better, healthier summer recipe. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 
1 package of chicken apple sausage, sliced
1 red pepper cut into 1 inch pieces 
1 green pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
2 small sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces 
2 TBS coconut oil 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
All you have to do for this recipe is sautee all of the ingredients. I used a medium skillet for sautéing and then a larger skillet (more of a wok style) to combine all the ingredients   I did the sweet potatoes with a little coconut oil first because they take the longest. When they're finished I put them in the large skillet on low. Next, add a little more coconut oil  in the medium skillet and did the peppers. Once they're cooked through, I add them to the wok. Last is the sausage, it doesn't take long.  Once everything is cooked, I combine it all in the wok and season it. 

You can eat it as is or serve over brown rice or quinoa. 

Click here for the printable recipe

Chicken Apple Sausage Skillet

Looking for a healthy, clean eating, quick dinner?  This is it. 

Fresh summer veggies with sweet chicken apple sausage is our go to summer dinner.

This dish took me less than 20 minutes to make. 

It was full of flavor and filling. 

Husband and toddler approved. 

Add this to your summer menu today! 

Ingredients: 
1 package of chicken apple sausage, sliced
1 squash cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini cut into 1 inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces 
2 TBS coconut oil 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
All you have to do for this recipe is sautee all of the ingredients. I did the sweet potatoes with a little coconut oil first because they take the longest in a medium skillet. When they're finished I put them in a large skillet on low. Next, add a little more coconut oil to the medium skillet and sautéed the zucchini and squash. Once they're cooked through, I add them to the large skillet. Last is the sausage, it doesn't take long.  Once everything is cooked, I combine it all in the large skillet and season it with salt and pepper. 

You can eat it as is or serve over brown rice or quinoa. 

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

The reason I picked this recipe was because of the onion soup mix.  A few nights before I had just made sticky chicken in the crock pot.  One of the few ingredients in that recipe was dry onion soup mix.  When I bought it, there were two in the pack. So I went in search of a recipe that called for onion soup mix.  If I didn't find one within the week there is a strong change the mix would have gone into the pantry and I would have forgotten about it until I did a pantry clean out. 

Meatloaf is a great family recipe. It only takes a few minutes to prep. While there is a longer cooking time, it's hands off time. Add some veggies and you're good to go. The mini usually will eat meatloaf without an issue. This particular recipe was great. I always rate my recipes on what the husband thought. Mainly because I'm not picky and I think most of the things I make are pretty good. It took a minute for him to realize how much he enjoyed this meal. He didn't say much in the beginning but as he kept eating he started to rave. He even went as far as saying this was one of the best meatloaf recipes I've made. My favorite thing about this particular meal is how moist the meatloaf was. It wasn't too sweet thanks to the onion soup mix, all of the ingredients meshed well together.  

If you're looking for a family friendly recipe, this will surely pass the test! 

Brown Sugar Meatlaof

Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you use)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan or casserole dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Divide evenly among three separate bowls; set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine garlic, Worcestershire sauce, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, soup mix, ginger, bread crumbs and one bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture. Add ground turkey to the mixture and mix to thoroughly combine.
4. Shape into a loaf and spoon one bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture onto the top of the loaf.
5. Place the meat loaf, brown sugar/ketchup side down, into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until juices are clear or until thermometer inserted into the loaf reads 160 degrees F. 

7. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

parmesan pork chops with lemon caper sauce

I fell in love with capers when my husband and I honeymooned in St. Lucia.  There was an italian restaurant on the resort that used them in a dish I fell in love with.  I remember coming home and searching for recipes that used capers.  The only problem was, hubs didn't like them.  So after making a few meals that he wasn't impressed with, I stopped using them.  With this pregnancy I have crave salty things, not sweets. Completely different from the first time around! Anyhow, I've been eating olives and pretzels like they're going out of style.  When this recipe popped up in my inbox from Emeals, I decided to add it to the menu.  I figured hubs could eat the chops without the sauce if he didn't want the capers.  

Results:  What I loved the most about this meal is how quick it was to make.  20 minutes was all I spent in the kitchen from start to finish. My favorite part of the meal was the lemon caper sauce.  It satisfied my salty craving, while not being too over the top. I served it with quinoa and steamed broccoli.  Enjoy! 

Parmesan Pork Chips with Lemon Caper Sauce

Courtesy of Emeals 

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 boneless pork loin chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon capers

Directions: 

Combine panko and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add pork chops. Cook pork 4 minutes on each side or until done; remove pork and keep warm. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits from bottom. Cook for 3 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup. Add capers to skillet and spoon sauce over pork.  

 eMeals is a subscription service that sends weekly meal plans to your inbox based on information you provide. We've been very happy with the recipes so far! 

Sign up in just 4 simple steps:

1. Pick your meal plan (I have the clean eating plan)

2. Recipes for the WEEK along with sides will be emailed to you.  

3. They even give you a grocery list to take shopping.  

4. Enjoy an easy dinner that your husband will think took hours to make! 

{crock pot recipe} Sweet Glazed Pork

This recipe reminds me of the sweet and sour meatballs my mom makes every year for our Christmas Eve party. They cook all day in the crock pot and are always a hit at the party.  When I came across the same ingredients with pork chops for dinner, I knew they would be good. The only change I made to the recipe was adding a few teaspoons of minced garlic.  I served the pork chops with jasmine rice and broccoli. I'll definitely make this recipe again, next time putting a twist on it using jellied cranberry sauce instead of grape jelly. 

Sweet Glazed Pork

Courtesy of Six Sisters' Stuff 

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless pork chops
1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce
1 cup grape jelly

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place pork chops at the bottom. In a bowl, mix together the chili sauce and the jelly; pour on top of pork chops. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (do 8 hours if your pork chops are frozen) or HIGH for 3-4 hours (I prefer the low and slow method for these).

Easy Baked Ravioli

I made this dinner last week and couldn't wait to share it with you.  The ingredients are inexpensive and it took me 10 minutes to prepare. That was it.  Ten minutes in the kitchen, a few items in the trash and dinner went into the oven. My kind of meal.  The fabulous thing was how delicious it was. Not only for dinner but leftover for lunch the next day. This would also be a perfect meal to freeze or make for friends who could use a home cooked meal. Save this recipe, you'll thank me later! 

Easy Baked Ravioli

Courtesy of Betty Crocker

          Ingredients

1 jar (26 to 28 ounces) pasta sauce (I used tomato basil)

1 package (25 to 27 1/2 ounces) frozen cheese-filled ravioli

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp italian seasoning 

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of rectangular baking dish 13x9x2-inches, with cooking spray.

2. Spread 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce in baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in single layer over sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and italian seasoning.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered 15 to 20 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in center

Almond- Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Mustard Glaze

I have to admit, most of the pork chops I've made recently have been in the crock pot.  With a little one climbing all over the kitchen, I have been looking for quick and easy recipes. Which usually means another crock pot dinner! 

Now that the new year has arrived, I've set some new goals.  One of which is eating more clean.  Not only do I want to do this for myself, but I want to do this for my daughter. I want to know everything that is going in that little body of hers and teach her the importance of eating healthy at an early age.  

When I received my weekly eMeals menu (yes, directly to my inbox!) I knew this was one of the first recipes I would make.  It reminded me of one of my most popular recipes, pretzel chicken but a much lighter version! 

It was easy to make, even with a little one pulling out all the pots and pans at my feet.

  

Almond Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Mustard Sauce 

Courtesy of eMeals 

20 minutes prep time, 10 minutes cook time 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

3/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 egg whites

6 pork loin chops (boneless)

2 TBS olive oil

1 can (14.5 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth 

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 TBS cornstarch 

3 TBS Dijon mustard

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream 

Directions: 

Place breadcrumbs, almonds and garlic in a shallow dish: beat egg whites in a small bowl until foamy. Dip pork ships in egg white, dredge in panko mixture. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add pork chops. 

Cook 10-12 minutes, turning once, until browned and done- remove from skillet and keep warm.   

Whisk together chicken broth, wine and cornstarch, add to skillet, and cook, whisking often, over medium high heat until thickened. Stir in mustard and sour cream until blended; serve sauce over pork chops.  

 eMeals is a subscription service that sends weekly meal plans to your inbox based on information you provide. We've been very happy with the recipes so far! 

Sign up in just 4 simple steps:

1. Pick your meal plan (I have the clean eating plan)

2. Recipes for the WEEK along with sides will be emailed to you.  

3. They even give you a grocery list to take shopping.  

4. Enjoy an easy dinner that your husband will think took hours to make! 
USE CODE DINNER15 to save 15%

Mexican Meatballs

Looking for a twist on traditional meatballs?!?  If so, you've come to the right place.  

Everyone in our house is a fan of Mexican food, even the little one.  

I make it once a week.  Often I find myself looking for recipes beyond the easy tacos.  

These meatballs took no time to make.  I served them over brown rice, corn and black beans.  I topped them off with fresh mango salsa (from the grocery store).  Enjoy!

Mexican Meatballs

Adapted from Mix and Match Mama

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey (or beef)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup breadcrumbs 

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 package of taco seasoning 

2 eggs, beaten

2 splashes milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a medium bowl, combine ground turkey, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, taco seasoning, eggs and milk.   Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and placed on a lightly greased baking pan (I usually use a broiling pan). Roast in the oven about 20 minutes or until brown. 

BBQ Chili

I guess I'm on a bit of a BBQ kick lately.  Maybe this Texas living is rubbing off on me...

Chili is a staple in our house during the fall and winter months.  

I make it once a week, usually on Sunday or Monday so that we can enjoy leftovers for lunch throughout the week.  I've been making the same chili recipe lately and was ready for a change.  I pinned this one on Pinterest recently and decided to give it a go. 

Results:  This was exactly what I was looking for.  A recipe that wasn't your typical chili but still hearty enough to fill you up.  It reminded me of a sloppy joe.  Even my one year old ate the beans, meat and corn.  She is super picky so this is definitely a win in our house!  Enjoy! 

BBQ Chili

Adapted from I Heart Eating 

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground turkey (or beef)

1 onion, finely chopped (optional, we don't use onions)

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained

3 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

1 (16 oz.) bottle of barbecue sauce (sweet baby rays is our go to)

2 tsp. chili powder 

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. cumin

1 T. brown sugar

Directions

1. Brown the ground meat. Drain.
2. Return the cooked meat to the pot.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  

BBQ Joes

I'm always on the hunt for new dinner recipes. 

Especially ones that don't take me a long time to cook. 

When I came across this one on the Mix and Match Mama, I added it to my menu. 

Not only did it seem simple, but it is perfect for the cooler rainy weather we had last week.  

Results:  A meal we will be making again.  Hubs exact comment was "with beef, bread, and cheese you can't go wrong".  I didn't add the cheese to mine and it was still good.  The only thing I would change is draining the beef after it's cooked, before you add in the tomatoes and BBQ sauce.  Enjoy! 

BBQ Joes

Courtesy of Mix and Match Mama 

Ingredients:

2 pieces of  frozen Texas Toast per person, toasted in the oven per package directions

1 pound of ground beef 

1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce (your favorite)

1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

Pickled jalapenos to garnish, optional

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt and Pepper

Directions: 

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown your ground beef in a splash of EVOO.  Once brown, sprinkle in a little S&P and reduce heat to low and stir in your tomatoes and BBQ sauce.  Simmer uncovered about 8 to 10 minutes.

Take your toasted Texas toast and spoon your Sloppy Joe mixture down over the top.  Sprinkle a little cheese on top and garnish with your jalapenos.