Recipe Recap and Menu Planning

Remember this post last week about the meals I planned on making? Well, I'm back to tell you about a few of them that were big hits. Disclaimer: every meal on this menu was delicious, some were just extra amazing.

First, the Slow Cooker Chicken:

I seriously had my doubts about this...I'm not usually a chicken thigh person. I do boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and that's about it. The recipe was incredibly easy though so it wasn't like I was dreading making it...just eating it. 

You put a little oil in the bottom of your crock-pot, slice an onion and place the rings to line to the entire bottom. Toss your skinless chicken thighs (you'll most likely have to remove the skin yourself) with a little more oil, 2 heads worth of smashed garlic, salt, pepper and some thyme. Toss all that on top of the onions and cook on low 7ish hours. And...delicious.

Served this with oven roasted green beans and baked sweet potatoes. But seriously, those onions and smashed garlic cloves are SO GOOD, trust me, this will change your life!

Ok, how about some soup for these chilly winter days? I've never been a big fan of chicken tortilla soup but I think I've just changed my mind. This soup is easy to make and incredibly flavorful, even without any of those pesky carbs. Side note: we aren't huge on spicy here so I only used one poblano pepper and a few jalapeño slices finely chopped and I added a diced bell pepper as well.  

Bake some chicken with taco or fajita seasoning (I make this blend) meanwhile cooking up some veggies with chicken broth and you're done! Top with some chopped avocado...BOOM! Delicious!

Next, I attempted zoodle pasta for the first time. What's a zoodle, you're asking? Use a spiralizer to turn any veggie (in this case a few zucchinis) into "noodles" for any pasta dish. This recipe calls for a big mix of sautéd veggies, I also sliced up some turkey breasts that were leftover from a previous meal, and the zoodles. Easy, super healthy and tasty. You can seriously eat a TON of this because there is nothing, at all, unhealthy about it and it's super low in calories...it's ALL veggies!!! Side note on using the spiralizer: I pull the zucchini away from the blades every four or five turns, otherwise your noodles will end up a mile long...trust me...the first time I used it I spiralized the entire zucchini as one continuous noodle...oops! 

I added everything it suggested...mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts as well as a few handfuls of spinach...we also topped it with a sprinkle of pistachios for a little texture and crunch...brilliant idea Mama Cindy!

Next up is one of my favorite go-to snacks...Monkey Salad. I eat this when I'm really craving carbs, like oatmeal or cereal.  Simply chop a banana anyway you'd like, and sprinkle with toasted nuts. Here I used pecans and almonds as well as some toasted unsweetened coconut ribbons. Not fancy by any means, but it does the trick. I also enjoy Mango Salad in spring and summer...simply swap out the banana for a chopped mango...fresh and delicious.

Ok, for this week, I'll be cooking up these meals. Be sure to check back the following week to see what's worth trying and what to skip!