Green Curry & Cauliflower

Mar 14, 2020 | Dishes, Meal Prep

First, I learned this curry and cauliflower recipe from a friend in Alabama and it is one of her easiest and most frequently served recipes, and will be added to my list of favorite right now dinners as well as meal prep recipes. And second, I am convinced yet again that there is nothing bad that can come from the holy land of Trader Joe’s. 

Our friend makes this curry and cauliflower recipe with Hope Hummus Thai Coconut Curry, and if you’re blessed to find a grocery store near you that sells it, lucky you. I was unsuccessful in finding that specifically, but substituted Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce and was just as pleased with my results.

On another note, I served this with some homemade naan bread. Both the curry and the bread were delicious and simple to make, however, if you are short on time or space I would recommend maybe not doing both at the same time, especially if you are looking for a quick easy weeknight dinner haha.

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground turkey or chicken
• Turmeric
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder
• Red pepper, chopped into small pieces
• Curry sauce or hummus from above
• 2 heads of cauliflower*
• Olive oil
• 1 C rice
• Cilantro or chives

* With 2 heads of cauliflower, this served 4

Now you make it:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Cut cauliflower into florets and spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (so the turmeric doesn’t stain) and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and tumeric. Bake for 30-35 min
3. Cook rice according to directions 
4. Add ground meat to a pot or deep pan and cook through with salt, pepper, garlic and tumeric. Once fully cooked add red pepper and container of hummus or curry
5. When sauce is fully heated, serve over rice and cauliflower, topping with fresh herbs 

Enjoy!

Check out more meal prep recipes here!

Meatballs & Zoodles with Pesto

Mar 10, 2020 | Dishes, Meal Prep

Basically anything stuffed with jalapenos and cheese are great, so these meatballs and zoodles are definitely a win. They’re quick and easy to whip up, and the recipe can be used almost exactly to form into burgers- once this rain clears up they’ll be perfect to toss on the grill. 

Zucchini are fresh, cheap,  and readily available (and are helping me feel like one day it might be spring!!), but feel free to substitute for whatever kind of noodle or base you like! They are easily found at most grocery stores these days, but they’re so easy to make with a spiralizer yourself- either with my food processor kit or with a hand spiralizer. 

Also, I promise making the pesto is not that hard, you can do it!!! Fresh basil and herbs- what could be better?!

Ingredients:

Meatballs: 

• 1 lb ground beef (or turkey or chicken, I have used either and they all work great)
• ½ C italian blend cheese
• 1 C shredded spinach
• ¼ C italian breadcrumbs
• 1 jalapeno
• ½ red onion
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Italian seasoning

Makes 24 meatballs

Pesto: 

•  1 C basil
• 2 C spinach
• Olive oil
• Juice from half a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp garlic
• Italian seasoning
• ¼ C pine nuts*

Now you make it:

Meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine diced onion, jalapeno, cheese, spinach, breadcrumbs, egg, spices, and ground beef into a bowl and mix well, honestly using your hands is the easiest tool for this
3. Line a baking tray with foil (plz do not forget this step) and if you have the option, set a wire baking rack in the tray and spray with cooking spray to prevent the meatballs from sticking*
4. Form mixture into about 1-1 ½ in diameter balls and line in baking tray, cook for 20 min

Zoodles:

1. If you are serving immediately, flash cook them in a skillet on the stove with a little olive oil and spices to heat through, but remove in just a few minutes before they become soggy 
2. If meal prepping- I put the zoodles raw directly into the tupperware, reheating later removes the step of heating them now

Pesto:

1. In a food processor, add in 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 C basil and combine first
2. Add in second tbsp of oil and 1 C of spinach and combine, before then adding the remaining spinach and final tbsp of oil (this helps for them to combine easier and not get clogged up)
3. Combine remaining ingredients in mixture, adding more pepper to taste, and adding more olive oil as needed to create a thinner texture

Toss zoodles in pesto and serve with meatballs, topped with cheese!

*I did not have pine nuts left so I didn’t add them this time, as I prefer it with them, but if you don’t have any you will be fine without!

*I like having a baking rack to have the meatballs up off the foil to help cook evenly with heat underneath but it also allows for any fat on them to drain off and stay separate from the meatballs as it cools

Obviously, use either of these recipes together or by separate with different meals!

Enjoy!

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Mar 2, 2020 | Dishes, Meal Prep

Truth be told, I despised enchilada night as a child. After many years of avoiding the dish, my mom made salsa verde enchiladas and I was immediately obsessed! And thus, my homemade salsa verde chicken enchilada casserole was born, and we can’t get enough of it!

I think my childhood enchilada trauma was caused by the jar of the red pre-made sauce. It gives me chills to think about. Now imagine a fresh zesty sauce full of lime juice, cilantro, hearty salsa, sour cream, and fresh queso. Suddenly, enchiladas are sounding pretty dang good.

Since I am anything but a pro, my enchilada rolling skills are poor at best. I use white corn tortillas, but they kept breaking every time I tried to roll them. Solution? Layer it up like a lasagna. I figure we’re just going to scoop out a portion and devour it anyway, so I’m ok to skip the aesthetic of a perfectly rolled enchilada.

This salsa verde chicken enchilada casserole recipe is easily one of my favorite meals to prep up for the week and take to work. I can easily find all my ingredients at Aldi and I am a big fan of how quick and easy this recipe is. For other quick and easy healthy meal prep, check out my Italian veggie stew or chicken tortilla soup.

Print Recipe

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Fresh, easy, and delicious salsa verde chicken enchiladas are bursting with flavor and take less than an hour to make

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: chicken enchiladas, enchilada casserole, enchiladas, meal prep, salsa verde chicken enchiladas

Servings: 6 people

Equipment

• 9×9 baking dish

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 lb chicken breast cut into strips or cubes
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• pinch salt
• 1 lime- juice
• 1/2 c minced onion
• 10 oz can of tomatoes and chilies Rotel or something similar
• 16 oz salsa verde
• 1 c shredded Colby jack or Mexican blend cheese
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1/2 c queso fresco block
• 1/4 c fresh minced cilantro
• 8-12 6" corn tortillas

Instructions

• Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper, cumin, and paprika. Add to a large skillet or medium heat with olive oil, lime juice, minced garlic, and chopped onion. Once the chicken has cooked halfway and is ready to be flipped for the first time, add an undrained can of tomatoes and chilies
• Once the chicken is fully cooked and the tomatoes and onions are cooked down, turn the heat to low and remove the chicken, moving it to a large bowl. Shred the chicken with two forks
• Preheat the oven to 400
• In the skillet with the tomatoes and onions, stir in the jar of salsa verde, chopped cilantro, sour cream, queso fresco, and half of the Colby jack. Stir until everything is melted and well combined
• In a 9×9 baking dish, scoop out enough sauce to just cover the bottom of the dish. Make your first layer of tortillas, covering the dish evenly
• Add the chicken back into your sauce on the stove and mix well. Add a layer of enchilada filling on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with extra cheese if desired. Repeat the layering of tortillas, filling, and cheese until the filling is gone- there should be enough to make 3 layers of filling
• On top of the last layer of chicken filling, add one last layer of tortillas and cover with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes
• Once removed from the oven, top the enchiladas with fresh cilantro. Serve with avocado, sour cream, salsa, or topping of choice

Enjoy! 

Taco Stuffed Peppers

Feb 24, 2020 | Dishes, Meal Prep

I’m a huge fan of taco stuffed peppers- they’re easy to cook up for a lot of people, can easily be reheated, and you can pretty much fill them with whatever you like!

I made this up with a whole cup of quinoa which might have been a little overkill, so it made a LOT of filling, so I recommend just using the half cup for it. However, if you have extra filling, stuff another pepper, or save it to eat on the side- I’m guilty of putting a fried egg on it for breakfast, if you’re into that kinda thing. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed ground beef (or meat of choice- I usually use ground turkey)
• 6 bell peppers, halved
• Olive oil
• ½ C dry quinoa (or rice) 
• 1 can black beans
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tbsp garlic 
• 2 tsp chili powder
• ½ c shredded taco blend cheese, plus extra for topping
• 1 lime
• Taco toppings of your choosing

Now you make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cut peppers long ways in half and pull seeds out. Line baking sheet with foil and place pepper halves open side up. Coat lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes (time to cook and prep rest of ingredients)
3. Cook quinoa or rice according to package
4. Add ground beef to a deep skillet on the stove, cook fully, and drain excess grease
5. Add lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, garlic, and chili powder and simmer. Mix in black beans, onion, quinoa, and cheese
6. Take peppers out of the oven and stuff with filling
7. Add cheese on top and put back in oven for another 15-20 min, until peppers have softened and cheese is bubbling 
8. Top these toasty taco stuffed peppers xwith salsa, sour cream, or guacamole (loving Aldi’s Pineapple Poblano right now!!)

Enjoy!