Sheet Pan Fajitas

Here is a recipe we've found over the last few years that's become a family favorite.   We did keto for about 6 months to see if it would help with my daughter's seizure control.   It did, but ultimately she decided that it was too hard for her to stick to and we are back to just eating lowish carb, but nowhere near as strict as true keto.  This is one of those recipes we discovered during that time that we will keep on the menu no matter how many carbs we are eating.  It's easy and delicious!   I love how perfectly the chicken turns out every time...no fuss, no muss!     I make them as a fajita bowl over a cauliflower rice/cabbage mixture, but the rest of my family generally eats them in low-carb tortillas.   Of course, you can serve them in whatever you want and they'll still be delicious!  

Click here for printable recipe.    

The ingredients:

3 bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup oil
1-1/2 - 2 -lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
3 Tbs. taco seasoning (This homemade version makes the perfect amount)

Desired toppings:  sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, salsa,  guacamole
Cauliflower rice* or low-carb tortillas
( *I cooked some shredded red cabbage with my cauliflower rice.  I like the extra color and jolt of nutrition.)

Directions:   Preheat oven to 400º.   Toss together chopped peppers, onions, chicken thighs in a bowl.   Add oil and taco seasoning. 

Toss together and mix well. 

Spread into a single layer on a large cookie sheet. 

Bake for 22-25 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.   While chicken/veggies are cooking, prepare the cauliflower rice. 

Serve hot over cauliflower rice or in a low carb tortilla with desired toppings. 

Enjoy! 

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Turkey Wild Rice Salad

Contrary to popular belief, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. It's just that in addition to the normal busyness of life with five kids, my kitchen has been in the process of getting remodeled over the last few months and cooking anything, let alone recipe trying has gone totally down the tubes.  I still don't have a fully functioning kitchen, but at least I've got the basics now (countertops, sink, and stove), so we can stop eating frozen meals--YAY!   Now I'm just hoping that I'll be back up to full speed in the kitchen by Thanksgiving.  Stay tuned for before/after pictures and more yumminess to come!  

This recipe is one that I discovered several months ago and it has quickly become a family favorite....just as much for its quick and easy preparation as for how much the whole family loves it.  As a side bonus, it also makes for great leftovers the next day.  Serve with whole grain rolls and a smoothie and you've got a wonderfully tasty, filling, and healthy meal!  

Click here for printable recipe.  

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

2 cups cooked, cubed turkey (I used  nitrate/nitrite free  Kirkland turkey lunchmeat from Costco)

2 cups cooked wild rice, cooked as directed on package (I used a wild rice/brown rice blend)

1-1/2 cups red grapes, halved

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped pecans

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup cubed Swiss cheese (optional)

1/3 cup raspberry vinaigrette, plus more to taste

Directions:  

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with dressing.  Makes 4-5 servings. 

If making several hours in advance of eating,  stir together everything but the pecans and add those right before serving.

Enjoy! 

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Lemon Herbed Chicken and Veggies

This is a meal that my 12-year-old daughter made for me on Mother's Day.  She had attended a demonstration with other youth from church on how to make it and afterward she handed me a grocery list and did the rest herself.  I found it so sweet to see how excited she was about it and was delighted when it turned out legitimately very tasty.  We've since made it another four or five times and this recipe ended up being the catalyst for me to get out of my blogging rut and start posting again, because I was worried about losing the recipe that was typed up on a loose sheet of paper.  The chicken needs to marinate for a few hours, but other than that the whole thing comes together very quickly.  In fact, the rice will probably take longer to cook than the chopping and cooking of the chicken and the veggies.  I envision this recipe being a regular part of our meal rotation for a long time to come!    

I made a 1-1/2 batch for my family of 7.

Click here for printable recipe.  

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

MARINADE
1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. dried parsley

2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 pkg (8-oz.) mushrooms (white or cremini), quartered

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped into large pieces

1 red onion, chopped into large pieces

Directions: 

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings.  Add cubed chicken and marinate for 3 hours or longer.   

Spread meat and veggies in a single layer on a large cookie sheet with sides.  Pour marinade over the top.  Broil for 15 minutes.   Or you can skewer them and grill them outdoors. 

Serve over warm rice.  

Serves 4.  Enjoy!  

Recipe Source:  from my friend Julianne 

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Turkey Taco Casserole

We love Mexican food around our house, but recently needed a change up from our normal enchiladas or taquito routine.  This Turkey Taco Casserole is layered like a lasagna and totally hit the spot in our family!  It came together pretty quickly and filled an 8x8-inch baking dish to the brim with warm cheesy Mexican goodness.  The spiciness level was perfect for our family and we enjoyed it topped with plain greek yogurt, avocados, lettuce, and tomato!  Enjoy! 

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara. 

The Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cans (4-oz. each) diced green chilies, divided
1 can (15-ounces) diced tomatoes, drained (oops, I forgot to drain mine)
1 can (16-oz) refried beans
1-1/2 cups  Mexican blend cheese {or cheddar cheese}
2 flour tortillas, cut into 1" strips
1/2 cup salsa, plus more for serving
Desired toppings:  Sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), sliced avocado, additional salsa, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce

Directions:

Cook the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the turkey is almost cooked through, add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Stir well.   Then add one of the cans of diced green chilies and the can of diced tomatoes.  Stir and continue cooking until everything is well combined and the turkey is cooked through.  Remove from heat.



In a greased 8x8-inch square baking pan, spread about 1/3 of the turkey mixture along the bottom.

Then spread about 1/3 of the refried beans over the top of the turkey.  (I heated my refried beans briefly to make it easier to spread)

Then layer 1/3 of the remaining green chilies, 1/2 cup cheese, and four of the tortilla strips.

Repeat layers twice more, spreading salsa over the last layer just before adding the cheese.

Cook at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Allow casserole to cool and set for about 20 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with desired toppings.  We liked it with sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and more salsa.

Serves 6.

Enjoy! 


Recipe Source:  Eat, Live, Run

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Easy Cheesy Beef and Spinach Pasta

When our evening schedule gets really jam-packed like it is right now, cooking healthy meals for my family gets difficult .  I find myself falling more and more to either convenience foods or to a few quick and easy recipes that I can throw together with ingredients I have in the house (this, this, and this being among our family's favorites).  However, lately we have gotten a little tired of the same round robin of quick recipes and I have been on the hunt to add some more into the rotation.   This one was one that was a smashing success at our house.  It took about 5 minutes to chop the spinach and garlic and the rest of it came together in about 15 minutes!  Only 20 minutes of effort and it made a meal that the whole family loved.  The combination of cheese, tomato sauce, and pasta proved to be a winning combination and I will definitely be making this again soon!

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.


The ingredients:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 tsp. minced garlic (could use garlic powder)
1 can (15-oz.) tomato sauce ( I used pizza sauce)
1-3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
1-1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I used 3/4 tsp. basil, 3/4 tsp. oregano)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Directions: 
Cook pasta as directed on package.  Drain and set aside. 


Brown the ground beef or turkey.  Drain fat, then add minced garlic, tomato sauce (or pizza sauce), broth, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. 

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.   Add chopped spinach and stir. 

Add cooked, drained pasta and stir.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and stir.   Makes 4-5 servings. 

Serve hot. 

Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted slightly from Joyful Homemaking. 

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