Chicken Broccoli in Cashew Alfredo Sauce

Quick and tasty; my favorite! And I love how easily my cashew cream sauce doubles as a creamy, rich alfredo sauce. Plus it's a cinch to throw together. Enjoy!

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped

        1 head of broccoli, chopped

        1/2 onion, sliced

        4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

        2 to 3 teaspoons coconut oil (for coating chicken and veggies)

        For Cashew Alfredo

        1 1/3 cups cashew cream

        1/3 cup water (add water to your desired consistency)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 450F

    2.    Coat chicken peices with a little oil and place in a large (3 qt) casserole dish

    3.    Coat broccoli and onions in a little oil too, and add to casserole dish (keep them separate so chicken is easy to scoop out later)

    4.    Bake 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through

    5.    While it's baking, steam the spinach for a couple minutes in a frying pan with a little water - set aside and pat dry

    6.    When chicken is done, remove from dish and return veggies to the oven for 5-10 more minutes, until tender

    7.    While the veggies are finishing up, stir the water into your cashew cream

    8.    When veggies are done, toss the broccoli, spinach, onions and chicken in the cashew cream and serve

Chicken Sausage, Kale & Potato Soup

Hearty and delicious, I think you'll really enjoy the flavors of this soup.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 chicken sausage links, precooked

        4 small potatoes, diced (no need to peel)

        1/2 bunch kale

        5 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

        1 cup carrots, peeled & chopped (about 1 large carrot)

        1 cup celery, chopped (about 1 large stalk)

        1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (to taste, depending on how salty your stock is)

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        1/2 teaspoon cumin

        6 cups liquid (depending on how much chicken or veggie stock I have, I just supplement with water and adjust salt accordingly)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Add 2 diced potatoes to stock, along with salt, pepper and cumin, cover and bring to a boil

    2.    Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and keep covered for 5-10 minutes, until potatoes are soft enough to blend

    3.    At this point, what I do is take the pot off the burner and carefully use my immersion blender right in there. If you're worried about getting splashed or don't have an immersion blender, just transfer to a regular blender and do it that way.

    4.    Once the broth is blended and silky, return to simmer and add garlic, kale, carrots and potatoes - cover and simmer for another 5 minutes

    5.    In a skillet, sauté celery and sausage rounds until sausage is nicely browned

    6.    Then toss in tomatoes, celery and sausage, simmer until veggies are tender

Fish Fingers

Oh, these are so tasty! Whip up a little tartar sauce and you're in for a treat.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound mild white fish, cut into strips

        1 1/2 cups almond flour

        1 1/2 teaspoons salt

        1/2 teaspoon pepper

        1 teaspoon paprika

        1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

        3 eggs

        Oil to coat skillet (coconut is my favorite, but if you use olive oil, just make sure the heat doesn't get too high)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Oil and heat skillet on medium

    2.    While the skillet is heating up combine almond flour, salt, pepper and spices

    3.    Beat eggs in a separate bowl

    4.    Pat fish dry, dip into eggs, allow excess to drip off and dredge in almond mixture

    5.    Fry fish on each side 3-5 minutes, or until fish is opaque and flaky (I use enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan - I find that's quite enough, and I don't need to deep-fry)

Slow Cooker Sausage Eggplant Stew

Another slow cooker gem! Big flavors and easy prep make this another one of my favorites. And the eggplant soaks up all that flavor, while adding it's own subtle sweetness. Love it.

* I used spicy pork sausage for this recipe, but if you're not into spicy, feel free to substitute with something milder. Keep in mind though, if you sub chicken sausage you'll be getting less fat. It will still be yummy, but will affect the richness of the stew.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound uncooked spicy pork sausage

        1 medium eggplant, cubed

        1 medium onion, chopped

        4 medium tomatoes, chopped

        1 bell pepper, chopped

        1 tablespoon butter

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1/2 teaspoon coriander

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/2 black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Prepare your vegetables and toss into the slow cooker with the butter, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper

    2.    If your sausage is still in the casings, carefully slit them open, peel off, and break the sausage up, combining it into the contents of the slow cooker

    3.    Cook on high for 3 hours or until sausage is completely done

Slow Cooker Chicken Potato Soup with Apples

Thad's dubious. "We're having apple soup for dinner?" Yeah, that's fair. Putting apples in soup sounds like a ploy to use up the rest of our bumper crop of backyard apple tree apples. Which, alright fine, it totally is. But a girl can only freeze so much apple sauce. So here was my shot at a savory apple dish, and I've gotta say, it's SO so good. The apples give a lovely, smooth balance to the onions and garlic. And I promise it's not even a little weird. Just all yummed up with hearty potato, chicken, apple tastiness.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound skinless chicken breast, chopped

        4 medium potatoes, cubed (no need to peel)

        2 small/medium apples w/ skin on, cubed (I used ginger gold for an even balance between sweet and tart)

        1 large sweet onion, sliced

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 tablespoon ghee or butter

        1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

        1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        1/2 teaspoon coriander

        1 teaspoon thyme

        1 1/2 cups water

        Green onions, chopped (optional, for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Combine all ingredients (except green onions) in crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours

    2.    About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, fork the chicken to shred it (it should fall apart easily and soak up lots of the yummy broth)

    3.    Allow to finish cooking and serve

Flatbread Pizza

If I need a meal in a snap, this is one of my first choices. And it's so delicious, cheese or no cheese. I often have a batch of cashew flatbread in the freezer, so then it's as simple as pulling them out, topping and baking for 5-10 minutes. If you need to make a new batch, you could still get this done in about 35 minutes, start to finish. And what's fun about these is that they make little personal sized pizzas, so everyone can just top their own. Quick, simple and yum.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        Cashew flatbread

        2 cups marinara

        Your favorite pizza toppings (remember if you use mushrooms, they need to be sautéed before topping)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    If the flatbread needs to be made, it doesn't take long at all!

    2.   Top each piece with marinara and toppings

    3.   Bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes, on until center is hot and cheese is melty, if you used cheese. These bake best on a silicone baking mat. If you don't have one, make sure you hit the tray with some non-stick cooking spray or oil.

Chicken Sausage, Onions and Peppers over Cauliflower Rice

I love this dish; simple and tasty. Sausage pairs so well with sautéed peppers and onions, because of the wonderful combination of salty with sweet. Add a bit of jalapeño heat and it's something pretty special. As well as a great excuse to whip up some yummy cauliflower rice. Win, win, win.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 links chicken sausage, sliced (pre-cooked)

        1/2 medium onion, diced

        1 bell pepper, chopped

        1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños, diced (optional)

        1 small head cauliflower (for rice)

        Salt and pepper to taste

        Oil for sautéing (coconut is my favorite, but if you use olive oil, just make sure the heat doesn't get too high)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Prepare cauliflower rice and set aside

    2.    Sauté onions on medium-low in a bit of oil for a few minutes, until nearly translucent

    3.    Add peppers and cook for a few minutes

    4.    Next add cauliflower, jalapeños, salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes, until cauliflower is as tender as you prefer

    5.    Set this mixture aside for a bit while you prepare the sausage

    6.    Keep the pan warm and toss the sausage in - cook as package instructs, or until thoroughly heated

    7.    Serve sausage over veggies and cauliflower rice and enjoy :)

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Fingers

Such a simple, 6 ingredient, 4 step recipe. And who'd ever know it was grain-free? It's too tasty for anyone to care.

* You can find my non-dairy alternative here.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        12 to 16 chicken tenders

        1 cup grated parmesan or parmesan blend

        3/4 cup almond meal/flour

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon pepper

        2 to 3 large eggs, beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 350F

    2.    Mix almond flour with cheese, spices, salt and pepper and set aside

    3.    Pat chicken dry, dip in the eggs (allow excess to drip off) and dredge in parmesan almond mixture

    4.    Place in an oiled baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown