Crock Pot Italian Chicken

This is the easiest, most delicious Italian meal you will ever make!

1 package organic chicken thighs (6-8 thighs or 4 breasts)
1 can organic diced tomatoes (with juice)
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup Italian seasonings
2 tsps sea salt
1 tsp pepper
3 tablespoons oregano, basil, parsley, etc (all or just one)

Place all ingredients in your crock pot, cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Serve with warm pasta.

Lasagna Soup

Ok- so, I have been dairy free for quite some time now, and let me tell you how much I MISS lasagna!!! I saw a recipe for this and I danced. And it was just as good as I expected it to be! I, obviously, did not use the cheese mixture garnish, but you can if you want to. :)

for the soup:
2 tsp. grapeseed oil
1-1/2 lbs. organic grass fed ground beef
1-2 chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I used Muir Glen)
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
4 lasagna noodles (wheat. rice, etc.)
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
8 oz. organic ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 c. shredded organic mozzarella cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add beef, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and cook until brown. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings:  8

**You can easily do this in your crock pot. Just brown the meat first and add the rest to your pot. Cook on low for several hours, adding the pasta for the last 1/2-1 hour. 

Basil Broccoli Pasta

1 bag Rice pasta cooked according to package

2 heads of fresh broccoli or 1 bag frozen broccoli

1 onion, chopped

1 cup fresh basil leaves

4 tbsps minced garlic

1 package organic chicken thighs

grapeseed oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in about 2 tbsps grapeseed oil. Add chicken and cook until just done. Then add broccoli (chopped), pasta (cooked), salt, pepper, and mix. Cook until heated through. Drizzle with extra oil, if desired.


 If you can have dairy, you can also sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Do you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving? Try this yummy dish :) Can be gluten free! I guess it should be categorized as "easy" if I can make it with an 8 month old on my hip?

1 tsp grapeseed oil
10 ounces sliced organic white mushrooms (optional)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp each sea salt and pepper
3 tbsps whole wheat flour or tapioca starch for gluten free
2 1/2 cups free range chicken broth
1 cup raw milk
2 cups cooked organic turkey
1 package organic frozen peas
1 package wheat or rice pasta

Heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions and mushrooms until tender. Add seat salt and pepper. Add flour or starch and stir. Add broth, mixing for a few minutes and add milk. Mix in peas and turkey and heat until warm. Serve over cooked pasta.

PESTO!

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I used walnuts)
  
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices. Yummy!

Healthy Baked Ziti

Everyone loves Italian!

1 box whole wheat ziti (or whatever really)

1 lb free range beef

1 onion, minced

4+ cloves of fresh garlic

Tomato sauce, homemade or bought (Muir Glen is a great brand)

1 small tub of organic ricotta or cottage cheese

About 3 cups shredded raw mozzarella cheese

Italian seasonings

pepper

sea salt

Basil

Garlic powder

Boil pasta according to package. Drizzle some grapeseed oil in a pan and saute chopped onions and garlic. Add beef and season with spices (don't be shy!). Cook until done and remove from heat. In a baking dish, add cooked meat and pasta, ricotta or cottage cheese, tomato sauce and mix well. Spread mozz on top and bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Mmm!

Super Easy Hamburger Stroganoff

So easy, so yummy. Next time you're tempted to reach for hamburger helper, try this instead!!! The picture is of the leftovers...not a great shot but we were too busy gobbling this up to take one!

1/2-1 lb free range ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 container of fresh organic mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsps organic butter
2 tbsps whole wheat flour
2 cups low sodium organic free range beef or chicken broth
2 tbsps MSG free soy sauce such as San-J Tamari
1 cup organic sour cream
sea salt and pepper
1 bag whole wheat egg noodles or elbow pasta cooked

Boil pasta according to directions. Brown meat, onions and mushrooms (may need a drizzle of grapeseed oil). Remove from pan, set aside. In same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and mix, cooking for a few minutes. Add broth and stir until thickened. Stir in Braggs and sour cream, season to your taste with salt and pepper. Add meat/onion/mushrooms & cooked pasta to sauce, stir well. Simmer for a few minutes and serve with your favorite veggie.

Yummy Guilt Free Alfredo!

Thanks to Rachael Ray for this recipe, of course I changed some of the ingredients (and added chicken and broccoli!)...

Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves 6

(Sorry the picture is not that great!)

1 package whole wheat fettuccine pasta, cooked

2 boneless skinless free range chicken breasts, cut in cubes and sauteed in grapeseed oil and pepper in large skillet

1 head of broccoli, cut up and cooked (or 1 16 oz bag of frozen broccoli, cooked)

3 tablespoons refined coconut oil

1 cup organic or raw whole milk, half and half or heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used raw cheese, not very budget friendly but at least no additives or MSG!)

sea salt and pepper

wheat flour

Boil pasta according to package directions. Boil broccoli until tender, drain. Cook chicken until done, drain extra juices and oil. Add pasta and broccoli to chicken pan.

In a small saucepan or skillet, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Sprinkle with pepper and sea salt. Add milk/half and half/heavy cream and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened. If too thin, sprinkle top with a teaspoon or two of whole wheat flour. Once at your desired thickness, pour over chicken, pasta and broccoli and mix in well.

Sprinkle parmesan over top and serve hot!