Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot!

 Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot!

 





What You Need

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup BBQ sauce,  either store bought or quick DIY version below pairs nicely!
• ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
• ⅛ cup lemon juice, fresh or from a bottle
• 5 small apples, peeled and chopped, I love the tartness of a Granny for cooking but Gala works well too.
• 8 slices bacon

What You Do

1. In a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, coconut palm sugar, lemon juice and peeled/chopped apples.
2. Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon and place in a greased slow cooker.
3. Pour BBQ-apple mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is done.

Maple BBQ sauce
 
What You Need:

• 1 cup ketchup (homemade ketchup using Epicure Chai Ketchup blend)
•  3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1.5 tablespoons molasses 
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

What You Do: 1. In a medium saucepan mix together all ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.
2. Simmer for 20minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally.
3. Makes 1.5 cups of sauce. Pour and unused sauce into a glass jar and refrigerate for future use with a lovely BBQ hamburger option.

Serve with a side of your choice ... I opted for a lovely spinach and cabbage salad with a  Balsamic vinaigrette ... perfect dinner specially this past weekend with the wet weather we were having making using BBQ outside less palatable! 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

Homemade Tomato Sauce

I will admit that for the most part I tend to just purchase 'store bought' pasta sauce because the cost of fresh tomatoes often makes making my own seem less cost effective. However sometimes when tomatoes are on sale or I luck into a friend who has loads extra from their garden I will whip up a batch of homemade pasta sauces. It really is so easy and makes me long for a green thumb and the space for a garden so I could grow my own tomatoes and make enough of this to freeze through the winter season ... no added salt or sugar just fresh natural ingredients!

 

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Makes approximately 4-5 cups

What You Need

• Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut oil 
• 1 cup onions, chopped extra-fine
• 1 cup celery, chopped extra-fine
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4-6 large fresh tomatoes or 1 jar of Tomato Sauce
• Handful of fresh Italian parsley and basil, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp each Italian seasoning or Epicure's Marinara Seasoning
• 1 tsp each black pepper, roasted red pepper flakes, paprika

What You Do

• In a saute pan add a drizzle of oil of choice and saute onions, celery and carrots with garlic.
• While sauteing wash tomatoes and purred in food processor and strain to remove as much of seeds as possible or 1 jar of tomato sauce
• Once veggies are tender add in the pureed tomatoes or prepared tomato sauce. Add herbs and seasonings. 
• Simmer over low heat or in a crockpot on low for 4-6 hours until all flavors have combined.
• If you do not like 'chunks' use an immersion blender to puree smooth consistency or of making ahead for freezing can let cool and add to your food processor for a final puree.
• Use as is or add meat and combine with your favorite pasta dish! 
• Freeze unused portions for up to 3 months. 

Cooks Tip
To aid with meal planning ~ I like to measure out in 1 cup servings into Ziploc baggies and than I can grab as needed to use for my lunches or in other recipes.
  
Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

Paleo Inspired Pad Thai

We were in the mood for some Pad Thai ~ so playing with our old favorite and how to make it Paleo Inspired this week ... I have to say the stepson had two helpings so that was a sign that it turned out tasty. Myself I had to add some extra 'hot chilies' to mine at the table mostly because I am fighting a cold this week and think my taste buds were just shrouded by that so I needed the extra heat to clear my sinuses so I could actually taste the creamy delight that this actually was!

 Pad Thai Pork in the Crockpot

 Serves 6

What You Need

• 1 lb. boneless pork loin
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup prepared grain free Teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - more of less to taste depending on how spicy you like
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 4 tablespoon nut butter (peanut, almonds, cashew)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion

What You Do

• Place pork, Teriyaki sauce garlic, and red pepper flakes in crockpot.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Stir nut butter into the liquid until evenly distributed.
• Shred meat with two forks right in the sauce of the crockpot.
• Add sliced peppers, and return meat to crockpot.
• Cook approximately 30 minutes until peppers are slightly cooked, but still crisp.
• Just before serving, stir in green onion and cilantro.
• Can be served over spaghetti squash pad thai below, or with rice, in lettuce wraps, or on top of salad.

 Nutritional Breakdown 

So if you are fixing it would be 1 red for pork, 1/2 green for peppers/onions and 1 tsp for peanut butter ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai 

serves 4

 What You Need

• 4  cups of Cooked Spaghetti Squash
• 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
• 1/4 cup Green Onions
• 2 Garlic Cloves ~ minsed
• 1 tablespoon Minced Ginger
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup  Bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons of prepared grain free Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 tablespoon of nut butter
•  Cilantro and Almonds or Peanuts (optional for garnish)

What You Do

• Melt coconut oil in a pan and saute onions, garlic, ginger and carrots for about 2 minutes.
• Add egg scramble until cooked through. Then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
• Mix together teriyaki sauce and peanut butter ingredients in a small bowl.
• Warm spaghetti squash in the pan over low heat and stir in the peanut sauce. Then add in the onion/carrot mixture and bean sprouts.
• Serve your “noodles” on a plate with pulled pork from above over top or as a 'solo lunch dish' or omit the egg add tofu to it to make it 'vegan'.
•  Top with cilantro and nuts.

 Nutritional Breakdown  

So if you are fixing it would be 2 green for squash, carrots, onions and 2 tsp for peanut butter and coconut oil and 1/2 blue if you top with the nuts I personally would not count the egg cause its such a small amount mixed in ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Over all this was six thumbs up around the dinner table last night ~ I found mine so filling I did not even finish so have leftovers to have with my lunch today!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much!

Totallyawake4-life

 

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

I love my crockpot ~ mostly because with 5 children under the age of 4 in the house all day long having any energy left at the end of the day to cook something for the family let alone cooking from scratch, healthy and grain free can sometimes be a feat in itself. 

I love recipes like THIS below because the prep in the morning is SO EASY and it is one of those dishes that can be easily adapted to meet the dietary needs of everyone in the house ... served on a big glutenous kaiser for those without allergies, served on a gluten free bun for those with gluten intolerance and served with a grain free side of cauli-rice for myself and a nice side salad with a balsamic themed dressing and we are all set with a balanced dinner! 

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin 

What You Need

• 2-3 pound boneless pork tenderloin
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce - gluten free if required
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Amino ~ or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Epicure Balsamic Seasoning
• 1 small finally diced onion

What You Do

• Rinse your pork tenderloin and place into slow cooker. 
• In a bowel, mix together all remaining ingredients.
• Pour over pork 
• Cook for 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high ... low yields a much tenderer result
• Once pork tenderloin has cooked ~ use a baster or ladel to remove the liquid/gravys.
• Than use two forks to pull apart and shred the meat in the crockpot ~ add the liquid back until you have 
• Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use - tastes yummy as a beet marinade!

 ETA the nutritional information breakdown for a follower

 


Do you have a favorite crockpot recipe to share?

Have an amazing day

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

My boys love a good pulled pork sandwich for dinner ~ me I love the SMELL of pulled pork cooking in the crockpot and am happy to eat it all one its own! In the past we've always used a recipe that was full of ketchup (so lots of sugar) and than you added even MORE brown sugar and than it had gluten free soy sauce (so lots of sodium) so while it was so very TASTY as someone who has glucose intolerance it was not really a 'regular choice' we could have on the menu despite the boys love for it. So I have been playing with our recipe to try to make it 'cleaner' and think we've found one that got consistent thumbs up around the table last night.

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork 

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

What You Need:

For the Pork

• 1 Pound of Pork Tenderloin (chicken breasts work too)
• 1 sweet onion finely chopped (tiny enough it 'disappears' when cooked especially if you have teenagers who will pick out onion if they find it but do not mind the flavor)
• 1/2 cup of organic low sodium chicken stock or for more control over sodium use homemade stock
• Seasoning - so you can create your own season combinations if you have a preference such as 1 teaspoon of each of the following ground black pepper, ground mustard, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of cayenne pepper etc. Or take the guess work out ~ we used the Epicure Pulled Pork seasoning blend and a 'half package' is plenty unless you are doubling the recipe so you have lots of leftovers!

For the Sauce 

• 12 ounce can of Tomato Paste - ideally a low sodium
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup Pure Maple Sugar

What You Do:

• In a large crockpot, place finely chopped onions and chicken stock in the crockpot.
• Measure out half the Epicure seasoning or mix together your seasonings in a small bowl and rub on the pork gently massaging in the flavor.
• Place the pork, fat side down, into the crockpot on top of the onions. Sprinkle in any leftover seasoning on top.
• Cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours. I like to 'baste' any meat that is above the stock level every few hours to keep it all moist
• In the last 1/2 hour before wanting to serve pull the pork apart using a fork directly in the crockpot with the 'juices' from cooking as your sauce. It should shred nicely.

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

For the Sauce

• We like our sauce 'mixed right in' to our pulled pork so we add it directly to the crockpot however if you prefer it served over the top of your pulled pork so you can control how much or if any it can also be made in a separate sauce pan. 
• Add 12 oz can of Tomato paste - ideally low sodium, both vinegar and maple sugar and stir to create your 'Pulled Pork sauce' directly in the crock pot. In a saucepan you will want to bring it to a low boil long enough to reduce some of the liquid and thicken it up. Takes about 10-15 minutes.

Spicy Maple Pulled Pork

Serve on a bun with your favorite side or if you are like me serve sans bun with a side of your favorite balsamic drizzled veggies and if your my spouse serve with a side of Hot Sauce from Hell Devil's Revenge sauce for an additional kick in the pants! 

If you are 21 Day Fixing a Red container of the pulled pork with sauce added equates to 1 red for the pork, 1/4 green and an orange for the sauce. Plus whatever sides you choose.

Have an amazing day!
Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life