Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

My mom ran across this recipe and we decided we had to make it... right away! We made it for dinner last Sunday and the boys and us included absolutely loved it! We made a few modifications from the original recipe here. So below is our version (and it was doubled from the original recipe)! We definitely recommend this recipe!

1 1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup milk

1 cup grated white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Directions: 

• Cook pasta according to instructions, drain and don't rinse
• While pasta is cooking, put butternut squash in a bowl with a little water and microwave about 10 minutes. You want it to be tender before you add it to the pan. You can also use pre-cooked and frozen butternut squash in this recipe, but I prefer fresh. 
• When squash is tender, add to a large pan with the chicken stock, milk, cheddar cheese, parmesan and bring to a boil.
• Simmer and start to let the sauce thicken, breaking down the squash as much as possible. 
• When everything is cooked down, add the spices and then put everything in a large blender to make as smooth as possible. This is an optional step, but I found it made the dish WAY more creamy. 
• Pour the sauce back in the pan and add the chicken. Let it cook and get warm about 5-10 minutes. 
• Add the sauce to the noodles. 
• Garnish with parmesan!

Pregnancy Power Food

Just had to get a snap shot of the dinner we had tonight - sooo yummy!! Steak, sautéed asparagus and mushrooms with garlic and a delicious spinach salad with homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette!

The Hubby's Lettuce Burgers

These were SO delicious! Just look at the spread Stephen had for our burger night! Of course, no buns required (or allowed) so we used butter lettuce to wrap these babies up. The sauteed jalapeno and mushrooms were an amazing addition. Not to mention the side dish of BBQ broccoli and asparagus.

Ground beef or turkey

1 lb bacon (1/2 for crumbled inside burgers, 1/2 for stacking on top)

mushrooms, sauteed with garlic and clarified butter

red onions

tomatoes

salsa

sauteed jalapenos

butter lettuce

mustard

avocado

Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We are doing the Paleo-ish challenge again at the gym, and although I am pregnant and NEED my toast, I am trying to participate as much as possible. My mom, dad and Stephen are all doing it, so I am helping support them and cook some meals throughout the week! This one turned out really yummy. I made a TON, or what I thought was a ton, and there was some left over for us to all have for lunch the next day. I kind of made this up as I went, so I tried to estimate the amounts of everything I used. Definitely one we would all eat again! This recipe is great because you could keep the seasonings the same and add different veggies that you have in your fridge. It has an "asian" like taste.

4 lbs ground turkey

1 yellow pepper, diced small

about 20 baby carrots, diced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1/4 cup liquid aminos

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1/4 cup sesame seeds

3 tablespoons chili powder (it might have even been closer to 1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon coconut flour (to thicken)

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

butter leaf lettuce

red peppers, sliced

avocado

2-3 green onions

arugula 

Directions: 

• Add meat, onion, yellow pepper, mushrooms, and seasonings to the pan and brown the meat, about 15-20 minutes. 
• If you have a lot of liquid at the bottom of the pan, drain the meat. 
• Add the liquid aminos and red wine vinegar.
• Add the coconut flour and stir to start to thicken the sauce. 
• When you are about 5 minutes away from the meat being done, add the carrots, you want them to have a slight crunch. 
• Serve in a butter leaf lettuce cup and top with some avocado, red peppers, green onions and arugula!

Paleo-Ish Chicken Parmesan

With my mom and dad trying to stick with a lower-carb diet, and me needing to attempt to stick to a lower carb diet, behold the Paleo-ish Chicken Parm. Although, I will be honest... about 10 minutes before we were about to eat... I succumbed to my weakness and make some rotini. Only a little though :)

I had purchased some ground cashew meal at Traders like 3 months ago and never opened them, figured this was the perfect opportunity. I call it Paleo-ish because I did use a teeny bit of Parmesan cheese - duh its parm chicken how can you not? It was really yummy, I think this version will be a staple. The below fed the 4 of us...

3 chicken breasts, pounded thinner

1 1/2 cup ground cashews

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese + additional 2 tablespoons

salt and pepper
garlic powder

3 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

Favorite no sugar added spaghetti sauce

Directions: 

• Mix cashews, seasonings and Parmesan in a shallow dish
• In another shallow dish, add eggs, milk and season with salt and pepper - then whisk
• Pound chicken breasts slightly if they are thick season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Dip in egg mix, then into cashew mix. 
• Put in a lightly greased baking dish
• Bake for approximately 15 minutes, then flip in oven and cook another 10-15 minutes until the chicken is firm to the touch. 
• Turn on the broiler for about 3 minutes to get chicken brown and crispy, then flip again and do it another 3-5 minutes. 
• Serve under your favorite homemade or jarred spaghetti sauce!

Hot Italian Sausage & Veggie Pasta

I always crave pasta, it is definitely my biggest downfall, so with this Challenge, it has been especially difficult. I found this pasta at Traders and it only has brown rice, quinoa flour and water in it! I of course had to try it out. It is delicious. It is very similar to brown rice pasta if you are familiar with that. The recipe I cam up with was super easy and we both loved it!

1 package of Hot Italian Sausage

1 container of diced pancetta

1 yellow pepper

1 can of artichoke hearts in water

large container of cherry tomatoes

2 cups fresh basil, chopped

1 package of brown rice & quinoa pasta

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried minced onions

Directions:

• Chop up veggies so they are all about the same size, and cut tomatoes in half.
• In a large pan, brown the sausage, when it is done, add the pancetta. You could drain the grease if you wanted, but the pasta needs some sort of sauce, so I just left it. It really wan't that much anyways. 
• Boil and cook pasta according to instructions, then drain (do not rinse)
• Then add all veggies and basil to the sausage, add seasonings and let cook about 5 minutes. 
• Add pasta to the sausage and veggies and stir it up!
• Serve it up with some basil over the top. 

Green Olive Sole

We wanted fish for dinner, and I had some Dover Sole in the fridge. I got home, stared in the fridge for about 5 minutes trying to figure out how I was going to make the fish (since typically I really rely on butter for fish like this) and came up with this. Seriously amazing! Stephen LOVED it and we both wish we had more.

2 sole fillets (or other white fish)

1 cup green olives, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup olive juice

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

garlic powder

Directions:

• In a large pan, put olive oil and saute onions until they are tender and start to become translucent. 
• Add olives, parsley, olive juice, and pepper (don't add salt yet). 
• Season the sole on both sides with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Go VERY light on the salt, the olives and juice add a lot of salt to this dish so you don't want to over do it. 
• Add the fish right on top of the onion and olive mix and let cook about 4 minutes, then flip the fish and let cook through. The fish cooks very fast and you don't want to over do it. 
• Serve the fish up over some quinoa cooked in vegetable or chicken stock! I also garnished with some parsley and served up some sauteed kale on the side. Delicious!!!

Pork Tenderloin Stir Fry

I was in the meat section of Traders last week, looking for some inspiration. I am embarrassed to even say it, not sure if it was the shape of the tenderloin or what, but it grabbed my eye and I decided it was the piece of meat for me :)  This is what I came up with! I made this last week - a little late on the post, but better late than never on this one!

1 pork tenderloin, cut into medium sized cubes

2 cups carrots

2 cups snow peas

1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup green beans

Sauce:

1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons coconut flour (to thicken sauce)

1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced**
4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
juice of one lime

salt and pepper

Directions: 

• Cut up the tenderloin into either medium size cubes or thinner sliced rounds. If you want to cut thinner, and you have time, placing the pork loin in the freezer for 20-30 minutes really helps make that process 100 times easier.
• Season the pork with salt and pepper.
• In a pan with 1 tablespoon oil, saute the meat until it is mostly opaque and browned. Remove from the pan and drain. 
• In the same pan, add the veggies and cook about 5 minutes. I prefer my veggies to be very crisp still when I eat them- leave those nutrients where they belong!
• Then mix up your sauce and add to the pan, then add back in your meat right away and cook about 5-10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. 
• Serve up alone or over some quinoa or brown rice!

** Another tip with ginger. I always keep mine in the freezer. When I go to grate it, it goes SUPER fast and is way easier!

Paleo Bacon, Pancetta & Chicken Alfredo

Got this recipe from PaleOMG and OMG it is amazing. Seriously what I have been craving! Definitely a super easy must try. I made several modifications from the original, and I think it was pretty dang good, really I might even make this over normal alfredo from now on. One modification that I LOVED was my addition of Jalapeno Bacon!! We will see how it is for leftovers the next day! I made a BUNCH so I could have leftovers, plenty for dinner, and take a friend some for lunch too :)

2 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed

1 larger acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed

6 chicken thighs (or 3 chicken breasts)

6 slices of Jalapeno bacon, diced
1 small package of diced pancetta
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

2 cans light coconut milk
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon oregano

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:

• Preheat your 450 degrees.
• Cut spaghetti squash & acorn squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and excess threads. 
• Place all squash open side down on a baking sheet (use aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up) and cook for 20-25 minutes. 
• Just place chicken on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet, sprinkle some olive oil over the chicken (or other kind of fat), salt and pepper it and add some garlic powder. Cook about 15 minutes in the 450 degree oven, turning 1/2 way through. . 
• Once your squash is done cooking, pull it out of the oven, dethread the spaghetti squash into a large bowl with a fork. 
• Now throw your diced bacon and pancetta into a skillet and cook until done. Use a slotted spoon to pull out your cooked bacon, but leave behind the grease (remove some if it happens to be a lot.
• Take your acorn squash and hollow it out. Just use the insides and dump them into your warm skillet filled with bacon grease. Then add your coconut milk. You may need to add a little bit more coconut milk depending on how runny you like your sauce. Mix thoroughly with a ladle to break up the squash a bit.
• Add seasonings to the mix and salt and pepper as needed. Mix thoroughly and cook on low for about 5 minutes to simmer.
• Now dice up your cooked chicken and add the chicken and bacon back into the pan. 
• Pour sauce over spaghetti squash serve up!
• Next time I make this I will add some mushrooms too!

Pork Chops & Pear Quinoa Salad

This is a great weeknight meal - speedy & good! I made a lot of extra so we could have lunch the next day too (and we ended up with a little left for the next night)

1 1/2 cups quinoa

3 green onions

4 cups chicken stock (make sure no sugar added)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup spinach roughly chopped
1 cup kale roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped almonds

3 pears, cut up into small pieces
1/2 cup kale salad mix**

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup oil (whatever you prefer, I used coconut)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
salt and pepper

Directions: 

• Cook quinoa according to directions (I use the chicken stock instead of water to give it a lot more flavor). 
• Chop up onion, parsley, spinach and kale and put in a bowl. 
• Chop almonds, and in a dry pan, saute them for about 5 minutes. You will smell them when they are ready, you just want to get some heat on them to bring out their great flavor. Once they are done. Roughly chop them. 
• Mix all the ingredients of the dressing together
• Let the quinoa cool a big and then add the quinoa to the salad mix, then add cut up pear and dressing mix. 
• Serve up next to some amazing sauteed pork chops seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder!

** The kale salad mix is optional. It was a bagged kale mix that had Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and a couple different kale types!

Crock Pot Thai Chicken

I had been wanting Thai food, but wanted to make sure there wasn't a ton of sugars and other stuff I couldn't eat in it. So I came up with this recipe! Best thing about this recipe is that I pretty much always have all the ingredients on hand, just had to run to the store for some limes and fresh ginger!

Small jar salsa

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup light coconut milk

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon garlic chili paste (no sugar added)
2 teaspoons salt

3 chicken breasts 

chopped peanuts, green onion and cilantro as garnish

Red pepper cut very thin
bean sprouts

Brown rice or quinoa

Directions: 

• Mix all of the ingredients (minus the last 5) together in a bowl. 
• Put the chicken in the crock pot and cover with the sauce.
• Cook on low for 8 hours. 
• When it is done and you are about to eat, mix in the thinly cut red pepper and the bean sprouts. You want the pepper to be very fresh. You can also add other veggies at this point too if you want!
• Make some brown rice or quinoa to serve it over. 
• Garnish with chopped peanuts, green onion and cilantro. 
• Salt a little more if you need it. I also served it with more garlic chili sauce. 

Balsamic Brussels & Beets

This is my favorite way to eat beets and Brussels. A coworker made this for a party several years ago, and I have loved it ever since! This dish is packed with flavor, so I typically pair it with a protein that is a little more mellow. Tonight I made Italian Panko breaded chicken strips!

2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 bunch of golden beets

1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds

1 cup beet leaves

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar (optional but amazing)

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions: 

• Prepare the Brussels sprouts and peel and chop beets into quarters
• Chop beet leaves
• In a large pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil) and saute Brussels and beets for about 5 minutes. Then add garlic, beet leaves, balsamic, seasonings and brown sugar. 
• Cook about 10 minutes until the veggies have softened and slightly browned. Add almonds and cook another 3-5 minutes.  I like my veggies to still have some firmness to them, but you can cook them to whatever you like!
• Enjoy!

For the chicken, all I did was get chicken tenders and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dredge in flour, then an egg/milk mix, then the Italian Panko. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, then turn over and cook another 10 minutes! Done!

Easy Crock Pot Turkey Breast

A friend posted a recipe for what looked like an amazing turkey breast recipe in the crock pot. Of course, when I went to make it, I couldn't find the recipe anywhere. I tried to remember everything that was in it and made this turkey recipe. Believe me, its seriously delicious! The turkey is so incredibly moist and the gravy that is makes is great - its like Thanksgiving Dinner all rolled into one.

1 (5-6 pound) turkey breast

1/4 cup orange juice

1- 14 oz can whole cranberry sauce

1- 1 ounce package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

For gravy
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

• Let turkey breast thaw (I had mine in fridge 2 days before)
• Add turkey to the crock pot
• Mix all the other ingredients together and then pour over the turkey
• Cook on low for 8-9 hours. 
• Remove the turkey and shred or carve!
• If you want, make a BOMB gravy with the juice left in the crock pot. Simply put the juice in a pan on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry. 
• Bring the juices to a boil and slowly add the corn start mixture. Let it cook and it will begin to thicken. 
• This gravy is great because it has a tiny bit of sweetness from the cranberry. 

Ancho Chipotle Chicken Fajitas

Fajitas are a go-to meal for us. Low in carbs, great flavor and so easy. I found some pre-marinated Ancho chicken at Vons over the weekend and thought it would make perfect fajitas. I was right- so delicious. They came out a little watery with the marinade, but just drain before adding to your corn tortilla and it will be fine. I had a corn tortilla for one, but then just put the mix over fresh baby spinach. It was perfect!

1 package of Ancho Chipotle Chicken *

2 pasilla peppers

1 red pepper 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion

salt and pepper

Directions:

• In a dutch oven or normal pan, add olive oil and onions cut into thin long pieces and saute for about 4 minutes. 
• Add peppers and mix all together. Then add salt and pepper to your preference.
• Add chicken thighs and get them all mixed in with the veggies. 
• Cover the dutch oven and let cook about 15-20 minutes. 
• Remove the chicken and cut into strips, then add back to the veggies and stir. 
• Serve it up on your favorite warmed corn tortilla or over a bed of spinach!

* I am not sure if the chicken is only available and Vons and Safeway. If you don't have or can't find the pre-marinated chicken, from eating the chicken, I think the following would be a good substitute for the marinade. Mix 1 tablespoons ancho chili powder, 1/2 cup chili sauce, 5 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons coffee and the zest of 1 orange.

Taco Soup

Stephen requested this meal after he had it at one of the coaches houses after a game last week. Super easy, kind of like my Pantry Chili but a little more like a soup and less like a chili- if that makes sense? Stephen actually found all the ingredients for the Taco Soup and was going to make it for me... but I kind of took over. Sorry Stephen! It was really good - I give him all the credit :)

1 lb of ground turkey

2 cans of corn

1 can of black beans

1 can of white beans

1 medium size can of hominy

1 large yellow onion

1 can of green chilies

2 cans vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 cup jar jalapenos (we didn't have this but thought it would be a good addition)

Optional ingredients to add when you serve: 

cilantro

Green onion

more yellow onion

cheese 

Seasoning mix (or you can use store bought taco seasoning):

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

Directions: 

• In a large pot, cook turkey and add seasoning mix.
• Add onion and saute until it starts to get tender. 
• Add the vegetable broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the little bits off- that is all flavor! 
• Dump in all the other ingredients and let it cook about 20 minutes for all of the flavors to join together.
• Serve up and top with your favorite toppings!

Chicken & Sweet Potato Hash

Had some chicken in the fridge I needed to use and some sweet potatoes that were definitely in need of preparing since they had been sitting on the counter forever. This was a great dish that was super filling and satisfying... not to mention SUPER easy! This is a perfect dish for dinner, but could also be served up for breakfast too. This dish could easily serve 4 people, or 2 with some leftovers.

2 chicken breasts

2 sweet potatoes

1 yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 tablespoon olive oil 

4 eggs (2 eggs per person)

salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

garlic powder

oregano

Isn't the prettiest dish, but sure tastes amazing!

Directions: 

• Dice up the chicken into small cubes. 
• Dice up the sweet potatoes into cubes, about the same size as the chicken (1/2 inch pieces roughly)
• Dice up the onion and garlic. 
• Start by sauteing the onion in oil for about 2-3 minutes. 
• Then add garlic and sweet potatoes and cook about 5-8 minutes. The sweet potatoes will just start to get tender. Season with a little salt and pepper and garlic powder. 
• Season the chicken with some salt and pepper, oregano and garlic powder. Then add to the pans!
• Add the curry powder to the hash and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked all the way through and the sweet potatoes are tender but still have some firmness (you can also substitute whatever you favorite seasonings are here, but the curry surprisingly added something great)
• In a separate pan, fry up an egg (however you like it - I recommend over-easy)
• Place your cooked hash on a plate and serve the egg over the top! 

Stuffed Acorn Squash Bowls

Went to Avila Barn today with my friend and her 3 &4 year old and my mom. Had a great time on the tractor ride and seeing all the goodies Avila always has to offer. I decided the acorn squash looked so cute, couldn't resist making something with them. This is what I came up with! This dish could also be made into a vegetarian/vegan dish by omitting the chicken and just do all water or veggie stock!

2 Acorn squash *

3 medium shallots

5 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon cilantro

2 green onions

1/2 cup craisins

1 rotisserie chicken **

juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon

1 cup quinoa

3/2 cup water

1 can chicken broth

1/4 cup roasted and chopped almonds

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds
• Place in a baking dish and brush olive oil all over the inside and outside, season with salt and pepper. 
• Roast for approximately 30 minutes until you can easily pierce the squash with a fork.
• Chop 
• While squash is cooking, in a pan on the stove add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute shallots and garlic. 
• Add rotisserie chicken (chopped) and cook for 3 min just to get warm. Add quinoa and let cook for about 2 minutes just to toast the grain. 
• Add 1 can chicken broth and 3/4 cups water. 
• Cover and let cook, stir occasionally with a fork. 
• When quinoa is cooked remove pan from the heat, add 3 cups fresh spinach, cilantro, craisins and green onions. 
• Juice the lemon and mix everything together. 
• Put the quinoa mix in the acorn squash bowls and put the squash bowls back into the oven and cook about 10 more minutes. 
• Remove and sprinkle with almonds.
• Serve!

* This could serve 4 people. Stephen and I each ate 1/2 of an acorn squash.
** You can substitute the chicken for sausage if you want too!

Crock Pot Spaghetti Squash

I love this meal for its simplicity. It is so easy and always tastes delicious. This is a perfect weeknight meal (don't mind my extremely messy picture below)! This meal served Steve and I, as well as left us with tons of left overs!

1 large spaghetti squash

6 cups favorite spaghetti sauce

1 - 2 pounds ground turkey (or your favorite ground meat)

You are all thinking it.... booooobs

Directions: 

• Cut spaghetti squash in half (hamburger style)
• For the spaghetti sauce, I always make tons of extra meat sauce when I make spaghetti so I can freeze it and use it at times like this. If you don't have a pre-made sauce, put 3 -4 jars of your favorite store bought marinara sauce in the crock pot and then add 1 - 2 pounds (depending on how meaty you like it) to the crock pot. Break up the meat a little in the crock pot and stir it into the sauce. Don't worry about cooking it first. You want the sauce to go up the spaghetti squash an inch or 2 in the crock pot. 
• Then add your halved spaghetti squash, cut side down, to the crock pot. 
• Cover and cook on low for 7 hours 
• Shred the squash right into the spaghetti sauce and stir. 
• Serve it up!

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

Thanks to "Just a Taste" blog for this recipe. It is awesome! Perfect Monday dinner to come home to after a long day. Many times "Asian" type chicken dishes in the crock pot lack flavor. This one was packed with flavor. I did add A LOT more garlic and onions to the recipe, I highly recommend it. This dish was also really good with some sriracha lightly drizzled over :) I served ours over brown Jasmine rice (even though it looks white in the picture), but it is definitely not necessary.

3 large chicken breasts, skinless

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup blackberry jam

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

7 cloves garlic minced

1 diced onion

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch

scallions & sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

• Put chicken in the slow cooker
• In a small bowl, mix together hone, soy, jam, hoisin, olive oil, garlic, onion and crushed red peppers. Then pour the sauce over the chicken
• Cover and cook the chicken on low for 5 hours until the chicken is fully cooked. 
• Remove the chicken and shred, then put in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.
• Transfer liquids from slow cooker into a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat and whisk. Add the cornstarch slurry.
• Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until it reduces and has thickened slightly - 3-5 minutes. 
• Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss. 
• Serve the chicken topped with scallions and sesame seeds. 

.

Chicken Ravioli with Kale and Peppers

Here is what my schedule regularly looks like: Wake up at 4:30 am, get to the gym by 4:50 to set up and workout from 5:15 -6:15 am, run to work and be working by 7:00 am, work until 4:00 pm, rush home, change and get back to the gym by 5:30 pm (trying to get some sort of dinner prepped before I go to the gym), work at the gym until 8 - 8:30 pm! Long day! So when Stephen and I get home at 8 - 8:30 we are starving and I am always looking for something quick to make. This is a dish I will regularly go to. DELICIOUS and uber simple!

1/2 container of Costco Chicken & Mozzarella Ravioli

Italian Meatballs (mine had mozzarella in them)

1 orange pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper. diced

1 cup of Kale, diced

2 cups fresh spinach

salt and pepper

garlic powder

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Meatballs

Directions:

• Boil your water and cook the ravioli according to the instructions, drain and set aside - reserve about 1/4 cup of hot cooking liquid
• Cook meatballs in a pan until they are browned
• Add Peppers, kale, and spinach and cook about 5 minutes, until everything is softer. You still want everything to taste fresh and have some crispness. 
• Season the vegetables
• Add the ravioli to the veggies and meatballs - add a little bit of the pasta cooking water to the pan and stir, careful not to add to much (only need about 3 tablespoons). 
• Devour!