Chicken Taco Stuffed Peppers

• 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced in half
• 1 yellow bell pepper. seeded and sliced in half
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced in half
• salt &freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese

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Toppings:

• Shredded lettuce
• sliced avocado
• sour cream
• salsa
• sliced black olives
• sliced pickled jalapeños

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and add the onion.  Cook until tender, 5 minutes.  Add garlic and stir to combine.    Add ground chicken and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.  Drain any fat from the pan.  Add spices and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, place the halved bell peppers in a sprayed baking dish, cut-side up.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Spoon the ground chicken mixture into each pepper cup and top with shredded cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and peppers are crisp-tender, 20 minutes.

Enjoy topped with your favorite taco toppings, such as lettuce, avocado, sour cream, salsa, olives, jalapeños.

ENJOY!

Saucy Shrimp & Peppers over Creamy Polenta

For the Shrimp:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 - 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained of juices
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. sour cream
• 1 tbsp. Cholula hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper, and sauté until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, wine, sour cream, hot sauce and salt and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Season with freshly ground black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, 8-10 minutes.  Add the shrimp, raise heat to medium, and cook until they are bright pink and cooked through, 4-5 minutes.

For the Polenta:

• 1 cup uncooked polenta
• 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 tbsp. butter

Bring the broth to a boil, add the polenta, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently until done, about 20 minutes.   Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan and stir to combine. Cover to keep warm until you're ready to serve.

Spoon the shrimp mixture over the polenta.  Enjoy!

Cauliflower Toast CBAT

For the cauliflower toast:

• 1 - 16 oz. bag cauliflower crumbles
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup cheddar jack cheese
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. minced fresh parsley
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cook cauliflower in the bag, microwave according to the directions on the bag.  Use paper towels or a dish towel to remove all liquid from the cooked cauliflower.  Add egg, cheese, onion powder and minced parsely to the cauliflower and stir to combine.  Generously season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Use a wooden spoon to form the cauliflower mixture into 5 toast shapes and place onto the lined baking sheet.  Bake until starting to get golden, 15 minutes, flip and bake another 5 minutes.

For the CBAT:

• Canadian bacon slices, browned
• Avocado, mashed and seasoned with seasoned salt
• Tomato slices, seasoned with salt & freshly ground black pepper

Cover the cauliflower toast with Canadian bacon, avocado and tomato and enjoy!!

Paleo Friendly Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Meat

• Olive Oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1.75 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large breasts)
• 3 tbsp. taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic 
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
• 1 cup salsa

Drizzle your crock pot with olive oil.  Place the sliced onion and bell peppers into the crock and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Pour the petite diced tomatoes with juices over the top.

Put the taco seasoning into a bowl and dredge the chicken in it.  Place the seasoned chicken on top of the veggies in the crock.  Sprinkle the garlic and cilantro over the top and pour the salsa over to cover the chicken.

Cover the crock and cook on low for 8 hours.

Use two forks to shred the chicken, stir everything to combine.  Make taco bowls with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Egg Cups

• 12  slices thinly sliced smoked ham
• 12 tbsp. shredded cheddar jack cheese
• 12 large eggs
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly minced parsley

Preheat oven to 400F and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Line each muffin cup with a slice of ham, top each with a tablespoon of cheese and crack an egg into each.  Season with salt & freshly ground black pepper and lightly garnish with freshly minced parsley.

Bake for 6 minutes, cover the pan with foil to prevent ham from burning and continue to bake for 7 more minutes, until eggs are cooked through.

Great to make ahead to reheat on busy weeks!

Paleo Friendly Cauliflower "Dirty" Rice

• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 - 16 oz. package chopped cauliflower crumbles
• 1 - 12 oz. package chicken andouille sausage, sliced into half moons
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 - 14.5 oz. can reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, until starting to get translucent.  Add the garlic, celery and bell pepper and continue to sauté for 5 minutes.  Add the sausage and continue to cook for about 7 minutes, until the sausage is browned and the veggies are tender.  Stir in the spices, bay leaf and broth and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low, allowing it to simmer for 12 minutes, until the liquid reduces by 75%.

Meanwhile, heat another tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat in a second large sauté pan.  Add the cauliflower and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until it is cooked but not mushy.

Transfer the veggie, sausage mixture into the pan with the cooked cauliflower and stir to combine.  Remove the bay leaf, stir in the fresh parsley and mix well to coat.

Enjoy!

Mini Pizza Bites

• 1 can Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough
• Coconut flour 
• Classico traditional pizza sauce 
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Shredded Italian cheese blend
• Hormel turkey pepperoni minis
• Freshly minced parsley

Heat oven to 400F.  Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.

Sprinkle flour on work surface and roll the dough out into a thin rectangle.  Use a water glass or small, round cookie cutter to cut out 20 small pizza dough circles, laying them out on the parchment paper lined pan.  Pre-bake the crust for 8 minutes and remove from the oven.

Top each par-baked mini crust with about a tablespoon of sauce, a teaspoon of grated Parmesan, a tablespoon of Italian cheese blend, and 4-6 mini pepperonis.  Sprinkle each with freshly minced parsley.  Return to the oven and bake for 7-9 minutes, until cooked through.

Enjoy!