Baked Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3/4 cup steel cut oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)

1 egg

1/4 cup applesauce

3 Tablespoons honey

1 large apple, peeled and chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl mix together oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl mix together milk, egg, applesauce and honey. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix well. You can bake right away, or let mixture sit overnight. Place peeled and chopped apple at the bottom of a baking dish and pour mixture over top. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool and serve with Greek yogurt. 

*Can use a 8 x 8 inch baking dish, individual ramekins, or a 8 inch round baking dish (what I used).

Sweet Potato & Turkey Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes

3 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)

1/2 lb ground turkey

1 medium onion

3/4 cup frozen mixed vegetables

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

few dashes Worschestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Peel and chop sweet potato into large chunks. Boil for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Chop and saute garlic over medium heat. Strain potatoes and return to pot or large bowl. Add garlic, Greek yogurt, and milk. Mash until smooth, add salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cook ground turkey over medium-high heat with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add a pinch of salt & pepper. Set aside.

Saute chopped onion until translucent. Add frozen vegetables, chicken stock, tomato paste, Worschestershire sauce, flour and turkey. Cook for a few minutes, or until frozen vegetables are thawed.

Evenly distribute turkey & vegetable filling into 3 ramekins. Top with mashed sweet potatoes. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are golden.

*Double recipe for 6 ramekins or one 9 x 13 baking dish.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch of broccoli

1/2 medium white onion

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2/3 cup honey Greek yogurt (or mix plain yogurt with 1-2 Tablespoons honey, to taste)

2 Tablespoons either apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

Instructions:

Chop broccoli and onion. Mix broccoli, onion, cranberries and sunflower seeds together in a large bowl. Mix dressing in a small bowl. Combine dressing and salad. Let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour. Enjoy!

Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

2 cans light coconut milk

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons ginger powder

cayenne to taste

2 chicken breasts

1 can bamboo shoots

1 cup frozen vegetables

salt & pepper

1 cup jasmine rice

Instructions:
Start by cooking the jasmine rice to package instructions. I did mine in my rice cooker which called for 1 cup rice and 1 1/2 cups water for about 30-40 minutes.

Chop chicken into bite size pieces and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little bit of turmeric. Saute in a medium pan over medium-high heat for just a few minutes or until done, set aside.

In a medium pot bring coconut milk to a simmer and add curry powder, turmeric, ginger powder and cayenne. Add more or less cayenne depending on how spicy you prefer. Add the chicken, bamboo shoots and the frozen vegetables and simmer for 5-10 minutes. The sauce with thicken slightly. Serve over jasmine rice.

Apple Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1-2 pound pork tenderloin

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 apple (used Braeburn), peeled and sliced

1 cup beef stock

1/4 teaspoon Trader Joe's South African Smoke (basil, paprika, garlic, salt)

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon thyme

pinch of cinnamon

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat tenderloin in salt, pepper and South African Smoke seasoning blend. Bring a dutch oven to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, add the tenderloin. Sear each side for 2 minutes. Add chopped garlic for the last minute. Add stock, apple and the rest of the seasonings. Bring to a boil then cover and place in the oven for 20-27 minutes. The pork should reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

Remove the tenderloin and let rest for 3-5 minutes. Mash the apples with the broth until mostly smooth. Slice the tenderloin and serve with sauce.

If you want the apples to still be firm instead of mashed into the sauce, add to the dutch oven during the last 10 minutes of baking.

Lentil Salad with Sweet Potato & Pomegranate

Ingredients:

1 cup dry lentils

1/2 medium sweet onion

1 medium sweet potato

2 pomegranates

1 bunch of green onion

2-4 tablespoons fat free popyseed dressing

Instructions:

Peel and cut sweet potato to small cubes. Coat with salt, pepper & cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until tender.

Rinse lentils. Add lentils and 2 cups water to a pot. Bring to a rapid simmer (small bubbles, not large). Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Remove all seeds from the pomegranates by cutting in half and submerging in a bowl of water. The seeds with sink to the bottom and the membrane will float to the top, making it easier to separate the two.

Chop 1/2 sweet onion and use raw or saute with salt and pepper just until it begins to sweat.

Chop green onion.

Add all ingredients together in a large bowl, mix in dressing. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more if desired. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

8 chicken breast tenderloins

4 sweet potatoes

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

2 teaspoons BBQ rub seasoning

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe's South African Smoke seasoning (or 1/4 teaspoons basil and 1/4 teaspoon paprika)

Instructions:
Add chicken, BBQ sauce, BBQ rub, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke and South African seasoning to the crock pot. Turn on low for 4 hours for fresh chicken and 6 hours for frozen. During the last hour, remove the chicken, shred it and bring it back to the crock pot for the remaining hour. Either microwave your sweet potatoes for 4-5 minutes for first potato and 2-3 more minutes for each additional potato or bake for 45-60 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Slice potato and fill with BBQ chicken, shredded cheese and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. ENJOY!