Paleo Chicken Meatballs and Eggplant Bake

This was one of those recipes that I came up with on the fly. I opened my fridge and pantry, took a quick inventory and decided I had a lot of produce to use up. The eggplant bake is a little like ratatouille.  It pairs well with pretty much any protein (fish, chicken, beef, etc.) and take very little prep.

You could also make the chicken meatballs into larger patties and puree the eggplant bake (to form a sauce). Think of it as an open faced burger with a nice veggie sauce. Add a little feta cheese (if you'd like) and you've got another great meal! Throwing veggies in the blender to make a puree is a great way to sneak extra veggies into a picky eaters' diet!


For the Meatballs…

Chicken Meatballs:

-1 lb ground chicken breast
-1/8 c. egg whites
-1/4 c. coconut flour
-3/4 tsp minced garlic (or more if you like it garlicky)
-1 tsp. dried parsley
-1 tsp dried thyme
-1/2 tsp pepper flakes

Step 1

Mix until well combined. This will be kind of sticky but you can slightly dampen your hands with water to prevent them from sticking when you roll.

Step 2

I rolled them into golfball sized balls and put them into a lightly oiled non sticky skillet on medium high. Let brown on each side (5-8 minutes).

Step 3

Then flip over and let brown again. You can continue to bake here but since I'm adding them to my eggplant bake I pulled them off the stovetop to finish cooking in the oven.














Eggplant Bake:

-1 whole eggplant (small-medium) diced

before baking

-1  orange pepper diced
-1 yellow pepper diced
-1/2 large yellow onion diced
-5 strips turkey bacon diced
-1 carton crushed tomato sauce
-1 T. minced garlic
-1 T dried thyme
-1 T dried parsley
-Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 Degree.

Throw all ingredients into a ceramic baking dish. Add meatballs from above (or not if you are making this solo). Mix together and bake for 30-45 minutes (until eggplant fork tender and meatballs fully cooked). You can enjoy this plain or on top of spaghetti squash.

Paleo Carrot Cake Bread

Clearly I'm loving fall bread creations! They take very little prep work and last all week. These bread recipes are a great way to add an extra vegetable or fruit into your diet. Keep in mind, this shouldn't be considered your vegetable serving for the day but it's always nice to get a little extra boost!

I have not been using any added sugars (honey, agave, sugar, etc) so this recipe does not include it. Please feel free to add honey or coconut sugar to make it sweeter. I'd suggest starting with 2 T up to 1/4 c. but try to use as little as possible. I think the ripe bananas add enough sweetness.


Carrot Cake Bread

-2 1/2 c. almond flour
-3 eggs
-3 ripe bananas
-1 pouch pureed carrots
-1/4 c. shredded coconut
-1/4 tsp ground ginger
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 c. raisins
-2 T coconut oil
-1 tsp. baking soda
-2 T honey (I do not had honey to my bread but if you like it sweet I'd go ahead and add some sweetener of choice)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Add all ingredients into the food processor and pulse until well combined. You can keep the raisins out and add them last but I don't mind them getting mixed up.

Grease your loaf pan. I used coconut oil spray for this. Then pour mixture into the pan and give it a little shake or smooth it out.

Bake for about 1 hour, depending on your oven. You'll know it's done with you stick a fork or knife in the center and it comes out clean.

After it's cooled dig in! If you try to cut this warm you won't get a clean cut. I usually cut it into 8 slices. Just a quick note, feel free to add crushed pineapple to make it even more like your typical carrot cake. Make sure if you add pineapple that you squeeze all the juice out first!

Butternut Squash and Chicken Sausage Saute

 Fall flavors are in full bloom. I threw a few of my favorite fall flavors into a skillet and let them cook up. I must say, the end result was pretty tasty! This would be a great make ahead meal or the week but it also comes together in 20 minutes or less, making for a great weeknight dinner. I used precut butternut squash but you could use frozen or buy a whole squash. If you don't have carrot juice feel free to swap it out for orange juice but it will come out a little sweeter.


Butternut Squash and Chicken Sausage Saute
-1/2 small yellow onion, diced
-1 apple, diced (I used pink crisp)
-2 cups chopped butternut squash (fresh or frozen)
-1 package apple chicken sausage
-1/4 tsp ground ginger
-dash sea salt
-3 T 100% carrot juice
-1/2 T champagne vinegar (optional, gives a little tang)



1. Chop all ingredients and set aside each individually.
2. Use cooking spray or 1/2 T oil (of your choice) to a skillet. Turn onto medium high heat.
3. Add onions and sea salt to skillet, saute until translucent.
4. Add butternut squash and ginger to skillet.
5. Once squash is fork tender add apple and chicken sausage.
6. Cook another 5-10 minutes, until sausage browns (they are already pre cooked).
7. Add a carrot juice and vinegar to deglaze pan and let liquid simmer.

EAT! :)

Plantain Chips with Guacamole and Salsa

Tell me that doesn't look good. Oh wait, you can't! This would make a great snack for tailgating or a casual get together. It also pairs really well with spicy tuna salad, that's how I chose to eat it last night. I didn't go fancy here, I bought some mango/pineapple salsa from whole foods and mashed up an avocado with a few spices. I was in need of a simple meal with little to no prep work. These chips were super easy to make. I will say you need to use a green plantain. Brown plantains are great but they won't crisp up the way green ones will. You'll need to use a knife to peel back the skin of the plantain and you may lose a little of the flesh, that's ok. I sliced them about an 1/8 of an inch thick. The thinner you slice them, the quicker they will bake.

Baked Plantain Chips

-1 green plantain (peeled and thinly sliced)
-coconut spray or olive oil spray
-sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Spread out plantain slices and spray with olive oil or coconut oil lightly.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes (until browned) then flip and bake until other side browns (about same time)
5. Let cool (if you can) and serve!

Pumpkin Pr-oatmeal

It's all around us... pumpkin.  Sugar-laden pumpkin flavored coffee drinks, muffins, candy, pumpkin butter, and even pop-tarts can be found at every turn.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I do LOVE the flavor of pumpkin... as well as the nutrient punch it packs.  Pumpkin is high in fiber, potassium and magnesium to name a few.  The deep orange color tells you it is a rich source of carotenoids, a powerful antioxidant to help you ward off chronic disease. 

The problem with the plethora of pumpkin during this time of year is the amount of added sugar and fat that accompanies many of these fall favorites.  So, how do you get the wonderfully warm and spicy taste of pumpkin, while still minimizing added sugar and fat?  Your make your own, of course!

The clients who have come to see me for sports nutrition or weight management counseling have undoubtedly heard me preach the power of protein.  Including a source of protein at meals helps increase satiety, while also preserving or building lean body during weight loss or extensive training.

My clients also hear me constantly remind them of the importance of planning meals and possibly even prepping meals ahead of time.  For a quick breakfast meal, I suggest making a big batch of a whole grain dish like oatmeal and having it ready to go for a nutritious start to each day of the week. 

This isn't just any oatmeal, but includes eggs, the superior source of protein.   One batch made on Sunday, and Sonny and I have breakfast ready to go for multiple days during the work week.  Steel cut oats do take a bit longer than your rolled oat variety.  This is because they are in a less-processed form.  The great thing is that you will be making one big batch, so will be saving time in the long-run.

Disease fighting whole grains... check. 

Antioxidant-rich & tasty pumpkin... check.

Lean body mass supporting protein... check.

Breakfast ready to go when you're running late on Monday... check!

Here's what you need to do...

Pumpkin Pr-oatmeal
6 servings (about 1 1/4 cup each)

1 1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
4 eggs
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 Tb chia seeds
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cook the steel cut oats in water according to package directions.  While oats are cooking, prepare the rest of your ingredients. 

Whisk together pumpkin, almond milk, eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  (Alternately, you can use 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice if you have this available). 

 

When oats are ready, whisk in your pumpkin mixture.  Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens up and eggs have had time to cook thoroughly, about 8-10 minutes.  Stir in your pecans, raisins, and chia seeds.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Enjoy your healthy, filling, and delicious homemade pumpkin treat!

Nutrition information per serving- 354 calories, 13gm fat, 2gm saturated fat, 124mg cholesterol, 67mg sodium, 52gm carbohydrate, 7gm fiber, 10gm sugar, 11gm protein.