Easy Paleo Cilantro Lime Slow Cooker Chicken {recipe}

I have been dying for some sort of cilantro lime combination for dinner and I love my crockpot! So I went online and found this super easy recipe from All Recipes. I changed the ingredients just a bit to accommodate my foodie lifestyle. I put my chicken over thin sliced sauteed yellow squash and zucchini I picked from the garden just that morning and then topped with fresh homemade guacamole! For my family I replaced the squash and zucchini with green beans and everyone loved it! Hubby made sure to tell me after his second helping to add this recipe to the weekly menu. That is always a good sign :)

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 jar prepared organic salsa
• 4-5 garlic, chopped (optional but I LOVE garlic)
• Cumin
• Onion Powder
• Black Pepper
• Chili Powder
• Cheyenne Pepper
• Sea Salt

In the slow cooker add the wet ingredients, herbs, garlic and spices. Note: I did not add amounts for the spices because, I do these by taste and preference.

Add the chicken to the slow cooker and coat the chicken. Turn slow cooker onto High for 4 hours. Once the timer goes off I used two forks to roughly brake up the chicken while still in the slow cooker. I didn't "shred" the chicken because my girls prefer chunks. Stir up your chicken once more and set the temp to Low for one hour to cook all the yummy spices into all the chicken pieces. Serve hot.

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting {recipe}

 

Five months ago I changed my families eating habit's. Mostly for me and my girls but hubby gets thrown in the mix too reluctantly. For me it was to help manage my ulcer and IBS more effectively and without medications and for my girls...well lets just say right before my oldest turned 8 in June, she had a two week long "PMS freakout". That is the only way to describe it. Her mood swings were incredible and even had her first real pimples. No, no, no! I am not ready for this. I know girls are starting their cycles earlier and earlier then we did, but no! She doesn't even know how babies are made...how can I explain a menstrual cycle and panty liners to an 8 year old. This was my wake up call.

I have always made sure my family ate well rounded meals and always had a home cooked dinner, but I never really concentrated on what was IN the foods I bought and served to them i.e. GMO's, soy, hormones, ect. So right into research mode I went, and what I found scared me. This is also when I found out about the paleo lifestyle and I knew my family would benefit greatly from the change. I used the Fast Metabolism Diet to do a 30 day detox. No wheat, soy, sugar, dairy, nitrate free and nothing processed. After a couple weeks on the FMD I saw a difference not only in my own body but a huge improvement in my daughter. After the 30 days we went right into 80/20 Paleo. I made the 80/20 choice because every once in awhile we still enjoy Kerrygold butter, cheese, sprouted Ezekiel bread and brown rice pasta.

A few weeks ago I made another change, to go 100% Paleo. Which means to completely drop out all dairy, wheat, soy, refined sugar and legumes. Now my family is still 80/20 and that is okay. I just make sure whatever I do buy them is organic. I kinda just wanted to see what the difference would be. I still have good energy, I am more calm and collected, less hungry through out the day and a 10 lbs loss in a week isn't anything to sneeze at. I also noticed I do not crave sweets as much as I used too, until yesterday. Lucky for me I had just pinned a chocolate cupcake recipe a few days before. This was going to be interesting!

 Picture courtesy Google images

On my last shopping trip I found the Navitas Naturals Cacao Powder at my local store. I had heard this was the best product from all the Paleo, Whole 30 and clean eating pages I follow on Facebook. So with my cacao powder in hand I went to my Pinterest boards and found the recipe from Living Low Carb On Day At A Time for her Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Filling. I didn't want the filling so I followed the recipe for the cake and frosting using what I had on hand.  Being this was my first time making any type of Paleo baked good I was skeptical..especially about the avocado in the frosting..umm what?

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup organic cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Pinch of sea salt 

Frosting:
• 2 very ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup cup raw honey (adjust according to desired sweetness)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• chopped almonds

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a stand mixer combine the coconut flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking soda, and sea salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coconut oil, and lemon juice.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (mine made 8 cupcakes)

Fill cupcake liners with batter and bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Allow to cool before frosting.

For the chocolate frosting place the meat of the avocados in a stand mixer and mix until completely smooth. Add the cocoa powder and raw honey and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add the coconut oil and mix to combine. Frost cupcakes and top with chopped almonds.

Now my avocados would not blend completely smooth. Next time I think I will smash them through a fine strainer first. And my frosting once made was thinner than normal frosting so I put it in the fridge for awhile. It helped but it was still more like a pudding than a stiff frosting. However the flavor was A-MAZ-ING! I guess avocados in frosting is like mayo in chocolate cake. You can not taste it, but it gives it something special. The cake part was just like any from scratch regular recipe, delicious!!

Now, the true test of these cupcakes was the family. With my family I found that as long as I do not tell them what the actual ingredients are, there is no reason for distorted faces or an "ewww" from them. So hubby and the girls were working in the garage and I brought them a taste test (fingers crossed). Everyone LOVED them!! Hubby especially said he liked the frosting..bwahaha! If he only knew.

Paleo Baked Meatballs {recipe}

A couple weeks ago I won the best giveaway ever! A big box of paleo & gluten free items from The Healthy GF Life. The timing could not have been better because I had just decided to go 100% paleo instead of the 80/20 I was doing. This box of amazing goodies, cookbooks and more was just what I needed to start this new healthier lifestyle for me and my family.

Opened my box to find these wonderful treats!

 EPIC beef, turkey and Bison bars..

 Two boxes of Caveman Cookies

 A few CHOMPS snack sticks

 

Along with some Paleo Magazines and a few other books, shirts, GF/Paleo bars and more I received signed cookbooks from The Healthy GF Life herself Tammy Credicott!! I love cookbooks, I have more than I will ever need but besides my Kindle paleo cookbooks I have not had the chance to buy any hardcover ones so this was the best prize ever!

Last night I decided to crack open The Healthy Gluten-Free Cookbook because hubby wanted meatballs for dinner. Normally I would make mine with Italian bread crumbs but since cleaning out my pantry that no longer exists in my house. So what do you use as a substitute? Almond flour and coconut flour...perfect!

So I adapted her recipe to what I had in my kitchen and to what the flavors of the house are and came up with this recipe. I served the meatballs with an organic jarred butternut squash sauce. It was amazing and even hubby (the pickiest eater ever, went back for thirds!!)

Paleo Baked Meatballs

2 lbs ground grass feed beef

5-6 finely chopped garlic cloves

2 eggs

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh kale

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tablespoons mixed dried Italian seasoning (or you can use 1/2 - 1 tsp each oregano, thyme, and basil)

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp black pepper

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 350

In large bowl hand mix all ingredients until well incorporated.

Roll into 1 1/2 inch meatballs

Place meatballs side by side on a small lipped cookie sheet

Bake for 15 mins, turn meat balls and bake for an additional 15 mins.

Serve hot with sauce of your choosing.

The original recipe from The Healthy GF Life calls for pan cooking the meatballs. Normally I do but just didn't have the time so I baked them. They were just as delish and I didn't have to stand over the stove :)

 

Paleo Savory Zucchini Fritters {recipe}

Yesterday we went out to work in the garden and found these ginormous zucchini's. It had been a few days since we did a walk through but wow, they were a surprise. I can only assume it was the unnatural heat wave we had come though the past week. The humidity was horrid, thank goodness we have a cool down heading our way.

So with these super fabulous zucchini's it is time to think of delicious recipes! I love zucchini fritters (or cakes). A few years ago I posted a recipe for an Italian Zucchini Cake that is amazing. However now that I have switched to the Paleo lifestyle I had to revamp the recipe. I must say, you can not tell the difference in flavor from that recipe to the new Paleo recipe, it is delicious! Enjoy!

2 cups shredded zucchini

1/4 cup almond flour

1 egg

Italian seasoning

Sea salt

Garlic powder

Bacon grease

Shred a large zucchini and drain. I used paper towels to help squeeze out the moisture. Add remaining ingredients to the shredded zucchini except for the oil and mix.

Heat bacon grease in a large skillet. When oil is hot add large spoonful of mixture into pan and cook until brown and crispy on both sides.

Remove fritters to a paper towel lined plate. I served mine topped with uncured bacon and a egg that I fried along side the fritters. Delicious!!

Cabbage & Apples Pork Chops {Paleo Recipe}

"Pork chops and apple sauce". Anyone remember Peter Brady saying that? Every time I think of this delicious recipe, I always say it to myself in that same voice...lol This recipe is what turned my girls into lovers of sauteed onions and cabbage. The sweet of the apples with the tang of the balsamic... delightful! 

Ingredients:

4 Pork Chops, trimmed of fat

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 med Fuji Apple

1 lrg Yellow Onion

2-3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

Black Pepper

Sea Salt

Balsamic Vinegar (approx 2 tablespoons)

Preheat oven 350

Heat oil in a skillet over med high heat. Season chops with salt and pepper and browned in skillet 3-4 minutes on both sides. Transfer chops to a casserole dish.

Turn heat down to med. Add apples, onions and cabbage to the skillet. De-glaze pan with the balsamic vinegar and scrap up the bits from the chops. Cover and cook until cabbage begins to wilt approx 5-6 minutes.

Transfer apples, onions and cabbage to the casserole dish already holding your chops. Bake until chops are cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Serve hot!

FMD Week 3 {Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Healthy}

Breakfast

Eggs with homemade salsa

Week 3 of The Fast Metabolism diet is almost done. I went into the week very frustrated due to the number on the scale. Frankly, it hadn't moved since my 4 lb loss the first week. I have been running almost everyday plus doing extra abs, squats, ect and for someone who is a "number" person...not seeing the scale move kills me. Sure my pants are falling off and I feel hard muscle even when not flexed, but I need the number.

Snack

Turkey wrap (brown rice tortilla) and veggies with homemade garlic hummus.

So I realized I must have hit a plateau and how was I going to brake it? First I thought about doing a three day "master cleanse" fast, but I got so busy I never went to the store of supplies..lol So instead I changed up my eating. I didn't completely stick to the strict "FMB" diet this week. What I did was pretty much eat Paleo 5 times a day.

Dinner

Chicken with the best broccoli EVER!

Side Note: So I found this recipe from The Amateur Gourmet called "The Best Broccoli of Your Life" and let me tell you, it was amazing!! I never would have thought to bake broccoli but I am so glad I did. This is my new favorite way to eat these "trees". Served hot on my plate they were delicious but I had the leftovers for a snack the next day cold right out of the fridge and it was still fabulous! You have to try this recipe!!

Breakfast

Power smoothie - Vanilla Almond milk, frozen mango, pineapple, peaches and fresh spinach.

This smoothie was so perfect that even though it was green, even my girls had a glass full. I love how much more adventurous they are becoming with food.

Dinner 

Burger with an avocado cucumber salsa and steamed asparagus.

So 4 days into the week I finally broke the plateau, saw the number change and felt much better. I know it's crazy to let a number control my thoughts and actions, but when you have an eating disorder you have been fighting for longer than you can remember and it is banging at the door trying to convince you "it" is the better way, you have to hold onto something. I want to be healthy, I want to eat healthy...I do not want to open that door again and every day it is a struggle to keep it locked up. I am doing good and that is all I can ask of myself.

Oatmeal Carob Chip Cookies - Gluten, Dairy & Egg Free {recipe}

I made these cookies last night in anticipation of being able to have a delicious treat today. I was excited for the girls to get home yesterday and to try them because I can count on them for the brutal truth. I hoped they would be excited about them especially since I took a black garbage bag to the pantry a few weeks back and gutted their normal "special sweet treats" stash.

So when they got home and after the backpacks had been emptied I told them I had a special treat...mommy baked! I told them I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Okay so a little white lie, but unlike the way I grew up, my girls do not know what carob is. I realized how sad that was because I LOVE carob! That was our "chocolate" growing up and I forgot how much I loved it until I popped a few unsweetened carob pieces in my mouth while baking...heaven! Pretty sure that explains why I am not a chocolate eater. I have never been a fan of chocolate chip cookies, even warm out of the oven, and can only eat chocolate in very small doses.

Anyways, my girls loved the cookies...wahoo! Score one for mom! When I told them they were "healthy" it helped them to understood that just because I am cleaning up our diets does not mean that we have to live without the good stuff we enjoy.

I found this recipe from The Fast Metabolism Diet website. I added and deleted some items due to what I had on hand and my taste preferences. Enjoy!!!

Oatmeal Carob Chip Cookies:

Preheat oven to 400

1/3 cup raw nut butter (I used Almond butter)

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 Tbls. grapeseed oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup organic coconut sugar

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Spelt Flour

Pinch sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup oats

1/2 cup organic carob chips or unsweetened chocolate chips 

1/2 chopped raw walnuts

In a stand mixer (can also use a hand mixer) add the nut butter and oil, turn on Med to cream. Slowly add the almond milk and vanilla to the mix. Once incorporated and creamy add the coconut sugar and and mix on low until fully blended.

In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients...spelt flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. When the wet ingredients are ready add to the bowl.

Add the carob chips, chopped walnuts and mix and fold in. Once all ingredients have been fully mixed it will look like a thick, sticky batter. Drop by the teaspoon full onto a ungreased cookie sheet (like parchment paper)

Bake for 9-10 minutes until cookie looks dry but not over baked. Let cool and eat! Delicious!!!

FMD Day 8 & Awesome Facebook Sites To Follow

Lunch Monday 4/22/13

Monday is the start of week two! I had so much energy that I was literally doing squats and plies at my ironing board while working. My daughter C who was home sick walked in and started laughing at me. "What? It's called multitasking" I told her. She just though I was crazy and frankly I kinda did too. I just had so much energy I had to do something.

Monday breakfast is grain and fruit so I had a slice of sprouted bread with an apple. Snack is fruit and veggies and lunch is grain, protein, fruit and a veg. For lunch I found a leftover uncooked burger patty from last week and the leftover sauteed veggies from the night before so I decided to put it all together with a piece of sprouted bread.

I toasted up the bread, cooked the burger in a nonstick pan and when the burger was just about ready I threw in the veggies to warm up. Piled it all on top of the warm toast and enjoy! Super healthy and a great way to use up leftovers.

I have been finding some amazing FB pages that not only have great information but recipes that I have been pinning like crazy! So I thought I would share a few of my favorites..have fun :)

Just Eat Real Food

Clean Food Living

Girls Meets Nourishment

CHEESESLAVE

Traditional Foods

Civilized Caveman

Health Extremist

Day 5, 6 & 7 Healthy Eating / Fast Metabolism Diet {recipes}

Friday Dinner - Day 5

Day 5, 6 and 7 are all about eat everything! Protein, grains, veggies and fruit..all day long! Friday was Day 5 so for breakfast I had Ezekiel bread with almond butter and fruit. For lunch I had a tuna salad with sliced apples. Dinner was super yummy...burgers! We had a burger on Ezekiel burger buns with safflower mayo and I topped mine with red onion and red pepper slices.

Breakfast Day 6

Saturday I had a craft show. So for a quick breakfast I made a mango and almond butter with unsweetened almond milk. I wasn't sure how mango's and almond butter would taste together, but trust me..it was delicious! 

1 cup frozen Mango's

1 Tb Almond Butter

1 cup Almond Milk

Blend and enjoy!

I packed a roast beef sandwich, fruit, carrots and raw almonds and cashews for the craft show. It is pretty easy to pack healthy when you know what combinations of food you are having that day. For dinner hubby made chicken. He has been doing very well with the sudden change in foods and diet, so it was sweet of him to have dinner ready for me when I returned from a little birthday celebration I attended for a girlfriend that night.

Sunday Breakfast Day 7

On Sunday I wanted to make some pancakes for breakfast. I found a recipe for Buckwheat Pancakes on The Fast Metabolism Diet's website. I am so glad to find that earth Balance has a Soy Free spread. No dairy, no GMO, no Soy...perfect! I added cinnamon as the recipe states, but I also added fresh nutmeg. They smelled so good on the griddle. The girls had their with some syrup and ate them up, hubby was not as impressed. By not having a sweet batter and drowning it in syrup I wondered how he would like it. The buckwheat flour was dense. I actually didn't mind it, I found the flavor kind of nutty. Although I think it would be much better with a fruit compote of some sort, and I think the family would like it more too. 

Lunch 

For lunch I had organic turkey and roast beef on Ezekiel Sesame bread with safflower mayo and stone ground mustard. On the side was my fruit and veggies as usual.

Dinner

This was the family favorite dinner of the week. Grilled steak with wild rice and a medley of sauteed veggies. I literally grabbed every vegetable from my fridge and started slicing. Carrots, red onions, broccoli, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, portabello mushrooms and garlic. I sauteed them in a little chicken broth with Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning, black pepper and kosher salt. Delish!

Week One Results  -

This week could have went easier but when you have to sit in a hospital for 18 hours and your trying to take care of a sick kid, what can you do. I was surprised at how well we did with keeping to our eating schedule and never cheated. We packed food and water if we knew we had to be out for long periods of time and didn't give up.

I found that I lost 4.5 lbs this week and my energy is UP! My ability to handle stressful situations like an extended hospital stay was nothing like I have experienced before. Before I would have been tense, irritated, snappy, but I was calm, mellow and just taking it as it came. I even took my dog for a little job down our road Tuesday morning after I put the girls on the bus. We haven't ran together since we moved from San Diego, so it was nice and it felt great.

Hubby lost almost 10 lbs (grrr). We ate the same thing all week at the same times....what the hell...10 lbs!!! I still do not understand how that happens but whatever. He hasn't noticed a change in energy but I suspect that will come along this week.

I'm ready for week two...bring it!!

Day 4 More Muscle Building Foods

Thursday was Day 4, high protein muscle building foods...mega protein! For breakfast I made a turkey bacon "scramble" with some baby portabella mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, red onions, garlic and broccoli. The turkey bacon was so flavorful I did not even have to add seasoning tot he dish...yumm!

For lunch I had my usual tasty tuna cucumber salad but for dinner I made Stuffed Peppers! Now this is not my great grandma's delish meat and rice stuffed peppers covered in red sauce. This is a healthier version and just as tasty! Another fabulous recipe from The Fast Metabolism Diet book that is not only tasty but easy to make. The filling is ground beef, red onions, celery, garlic, dried herbs, cilantro and spinach. Stuff it in a red pepper (mine were wicked small so I filled them to the top) and bake for 30 minutes. I baked it for less than what the recipe called for because I still wanted some crunch left in the pepper.

I have noticed that in just these short 4 days, my stress level has decreased and when I do have stress (i.e. spending all day at the hospital) I was much more calm and mellow than I normally would have been. Coincidence? I think not. I feel great!

Day 2 & Day 3 Metabolism and Muscle Building Foods

Day #2 / Phase 1 Dinner (Tuesday)

Had a trip to the hospital yesterday with my youngest so I was unable to post about Day #2 yesterday. So today you will get Day #2 and #3..yay!

On Day #2 you are still in the metabolism building phase so my breakfast and lunch meals for Day #2 were the same as the previous day. However for dinner I had Chicken Sausage with Brown Rice Pasta and Veggies. It was delicious!

Adapted from The Fast Metabolism Diet

12 oz chicken sausage (I got the Italian because of the spices in the meat but make sure to check for Nitrate Free)

2 cups brown rice pasta cooked

2 Tb + 1/4c chicken broth

zucchini, broccoli, red onion, garlic, green bell pepper

Sea salt and black pepper

Prepare pasta, drain and set aside

Slice sausage, I cut mine into 1/2" pieces. Prepare veggies.

I didn't put an amount to use on the veggies, I just kinda winged it based on what we prefer.

Heat 2 Tb chicken stock in a skillet over Med heat. Add sausage, garlic and onions and brown sausage. Add the veggies and 1/4 c chicken stock. Cover and reduce to med low to steam the veggies stirring occasionally. I like my veggies with a little snap left in them, but you cook them until your desired consistency. Add the pasta, toss, cover and remove from heat. Let set for a couple minutes to warm the pasta. Season to taste and serve.

Breakfast Day #3/Phase 2 - Muscle building

Phase 2 which lasts two days is all about building muscle. So we will be eating protein and veggies for not only the 3 main meals but for our 2 snacks as well. 

So for breakfast I had a 3 egg white scramble with sauteed baby portabella mushrooms, red onions, garlic and bell peppers.

Lunch 

For the 20 minutes we were home between hospital trip and then having to go to the ER hubby and I had to eat something. So for me I made a salad with tuna, red onions and cucumbers over spinach. For the "dressing" I mixed a couple tablespoons of stone ground mustard with lemon juice and drizzled it over the salad. Yummy!

Hubby's Lunch

Hubby made his own creative lunch with sliced organic roast beef, red onions, fresh cilantro and mixed greens.

For dinner I had NY steak with peppers and onions planned for dinner. Since we were in the ER all day and night obviously we were not home for dinner. So instead I packed a cooler bag with sliced raw veggies and organic sliced roast beef and smoked turkey that we snacked on throughout our hospital stay. 

Building Up The Metabolism - Day 1, Phase 1

Breakfast 0700

So we made it through day number one, barely I think for my hubby. He must have called at least 10 times with questions about his schedule. See my hubby will drink coffee ONLY from wake up until he gets home at 1600. No food eaten all day except maybe an occasional bear claw from the vending machine...lol Then he comes home and raids the pantry only to then get his fill of dinner only an hour later. Not good for the metabolism. So having a schedule of what time to eat and what to eat was throwing him all out of whack. Plus he has to eat 5 times a day..what??? Like anything else, you do something enough and it becomes habit right?

For my wake up breakfast I had Oatmeal with diced apples, cinnamon and nutmeg. After I took the oatmeal off the fire I added the oatmeal and spices, covered it and let sit for 5 minutes. The apples were still crunchy but had started to release some of the natural sugars. Honestly I did miss my pat of butter and sprinkling of brown sugar on top, but it was still very tasty.

Lunch 1200

In between my breakfast and lunch I had an orange for snack. I cut some carrots thinking an orange might not be enough, but it was. For lunch I had a whole can (5 oz) of tuna mixed with diced apples, cucumbers and red onions on top of a spinach salad and finished with Balsamic vinegar. I was one the phone with my girlfriend Courtney while making my lunch and as I watched my plate grow I said "there is so much food here, I can't eat this all"!!

I then remember what I read in the book. The author wrote for the first few days your going to say to yourself  "this is too much", "I can not eat all this", "how can I loss weight eating all this food". When I read that I chuckled to myself thinking "yeah right, it can't be that much food"....I was wrong. Guess what though, I ate it all *gulp*.

Dinner 1800

For dinner we had Turkey Chili from the slow cooker. This recipe not only made enough for all four of us to eat for dinner, but also for hubby to take a serving for lunch today and one for the freezer for next week! This recipe was delicious! I had to tweak it for what I had on hand and the addition of fresh Cilantro put it over the top bursting with flavor!

Turkey Chili (1 1/2 c serving size)

(adapted from The Fast Metabolism Diet)

1 lb ground lean turkey

1/2 c diced red onion

1- 1 1/2 Tbl chopped cilantro

1- 2 Tbl chopped garlic

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Chili Powder (to taste)

Black Pepper (to taste)

1 heaping tsp Sea Salt

15oz white beans

15oz kidney beans

15oz black beans

15 oz pinto beans

32 oz diced tomatoes with green chilies *

Brown turkey and drain off any fat. Drain all beans and add to crockpot. Add browned meat, veggies and spices. Stir and cover. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8. Adjust seasoning as need before serving.

* The original recipe calls for organic bell pepper tomato soup or plain tomato soup as long as it is not milk based. I have tomato soup in the pantry but when looking at the ingredients I realized while it was not milk based, the second ingredient was corn syrup and it had wheat in it! So I opted to use the diced tomatoes b/c the only ingredients are tomatoes, water and green chilies.

Poor Man's Pasta - Leftover Heaven

My girls Nonna is Italian and boy can that woman cook! Years ago she told me about "poor man's pasta" and the concept behind it. Since then, it has been a staple in our house. I can not stand throwing away food, even just a few pieces of meat or letting my produce go bad. This is where this dish comes in and saves the day.

The other day I had leftover plain pasta and a container of grape tomatoes that were getting close to being tossed in the garbage. Instead of tossing the tomatoes and adding sauce to the pasta, I decided to combine them into a new meal.

Sauteed fresh (home grown) garlic in EVOO

Sliced my grape tomatoes in half

When garlic was almost golden I threw in the tomatoes to reduce. When the tomatoes were broken down the way I liked them I tossed the leftover pasta and garlic salt in the pan and let it all heat together.

Add some parm and voila!

The great thing about this dish is you can add anything. The next day I took this meals leftovers put it in a pot with a smidge of EVOO and added some leftover rotisserie chicken. Heated it all up together and it was amazing!

Save all your left over craps of meat and veggies from the week and Friday night throw it all together in a large high wall skillet with sauteed garlic. When heated, throw in some fresh cooked pasta (or leftover pasta), season to taste and you have a very easy, very tasty new meal and nothing went to waste!