It's All ABout Balance

My sweet husband always eats everything I cook and never complains... he appreciates that I care a ton about nutrition for our family and he does most of the grocery shopping for me too, so when he asked for a good/ not so healthy meal this week ... of course I agreed:)

So I made chicken tetrazzini ... definitely not low in calories, but real food and packed with nutrition. Not something we eat regularly but still pleased that the kids will be eating organic chicken, organic mushrooms, onion, garlic, parsley, real cream, semolina pasta and real butter.

Now for the rest of the week, mini turkey meatloaf with cauliflower tots, apple bake muffins, lean meat and tons of veggies and fruit .

This week I could a little each day because we want to see Beauty and the Beast and it was so incredible seeing my sweet girl light up with all the magical scenes.  

 

Apple Muffins 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (125 grams) blanched almond flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs (50 grams each, out of shell), room temperature
• 5 tablespoons (70 grams) refined coconut oil, melted (if you use unrefined coconut oil there may be some coconut taste to the muffins)
• 1/3 cup (106 grams) pure Canadian maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) coarsely grated Granny Smith apples
• 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) Granny Smith apple chunks (about 1/4")

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin pan with 8 muffin liners.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (almond flour through nutmeg). Set this aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, pure Canadian maple syrup, and vanilla.
4. Add the dry mix to the wet and mix just until combined.
5. Gently fold in the grated apples and then the chopped apples.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling them almost full, and bake for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerate for up to 4.

 

 

Ingredients for Chicken Tetrazzini:

12 oz thin spaghetti or linguine
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 lbs), trimmed
1 lb button mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups half and half (or sub with equal parts milk & heavy cream)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions then rinse to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven pot, melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Once oil is hot, saute chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through (about 4 min per side). Remove to cutting board to cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.
3. In the same pot (no need to wash it), add 3 Tbsp oil then add sliced mushrooms and saute 2 min or until softened. Add diced onions and cook until onions are soft and golden, 5-7 min. Add minced garlic and sautee another 1-2 min. Remove to the cutting board with chicken.
4. In the same pot, melt 4 Tbsp butter and whisk in ⅓ cup flour until lightly golden (1½ min). Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper or season to taste and whisk until smooth. Add 1½ cups half and half and bring to a simmer.
5. Return chicken, mushrooms, onions and pasta to the pot then season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle in ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley and stir to combine. Sprinkle the top generously with shredded mozzarella, cover and bake at 350˚F for 30 min then remove lid and continue baking 15 min.

 

Mini Turkey Meat Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 cup Ketchup
• ½ cup organic coconut sugar
• 1 Tbs Olive oil
• 1 cup Onion, diced
• 1 Tbs Garlic, minced
• ¾ cup Carrot, grated
• 1 cup peeled and shredded zuchinni 
• Pepper, to taste
• Kosher salt, to taste
• ¼ cup Parsley, chopped
• 1 cup almond meal
• ⅓ cup Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1 Egg White
• 1 pound lean Ground Turkey
• Parsley, for garnishing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9-12 muffin tins
2. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, sugar and 1 tbs. Set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet and saute the onion, garlic, zucchini and carrot until the onion and carrot are soft. Stir in the pepper, salt, and transfer the mixture into a large bowl.
4. Pour the breadcrumbs, milk, and parsley into the bowl.
5. Add in the eggs, turkey, and 2 tbs of the ketchup mixture. Mix everything together until well combined(I prefer to use my hands).
6.  Form  into 9-12 balls and pat down into a greased muffin tin, filling the tin with the mixture.
7. Spoon a bit of the remaining ketchup mixture on top of each muffin and spread evenly. Reserve the remaining sauce to serve along side the meatloaf.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until turkey is fully cooked.
9. Remove muffins from tins using a greased spatula so they will not break apart
10. Add whipped mashed cauliflower on top of each muffin and garnish with a bit of parsley.
11. Serve along with the remaining sauce.

 

 

Baked Cauliflower Tots

Ingredients

• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup onion, minced
• ¼ cup bell pepper, minced (optional)
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ minced cilantro or parsley (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray or oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray or lightly grease with oil. Set aside.
   
   Steam cauliflower in hot water for 3-5 minutes or until nice and soft, drain and chopped with a knife or blend in the food processor ( just a few seconds.)
2. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small oval shaped tots.
4. Place on the cookie sheet ½ inch apart and bake for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking until golden.