Sweet Potato Waffle Grilled Cheese

I was craving a sandwich for lunch yesterday, so I made this fun waffle sandwich using spiralized sweet potatoes instead of bread.  It held its shape nicely and was pretty tasty too. 

Sweet Potato Waffle Grilled Cheese
Recipe from Inspiralized & Beyond

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and spiralized into spaghetti noodles
salt and pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1 or 2 slices cheese

Directions:
Preheat a waffle iron.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the noodles, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the noodles are warmed through.

Transfer the noodles to a bowl and add the egg, tossing to coat.

Spray the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray and pack in the noodles.  Cook the waffles until done.  Repeat if second batch is needed.   Put half of a waffle back in iron, top with cheese, and set other half on top.  Close waffle iron as much as possible and cook until cheese is melty.

Honey Garlic Salmon with Brussels Sprouts

This was a super easy, fast, and tasty meal from a recipe I found online at How Sweet Eats.  I loved the sweetness the marinade gave to the sprouts. The salmon was good too.  One-pan cooking is a winner in my book.

Honey Garlic Salmon with Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, ~6-8 oz each
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
freshly cracked black pepper
~1/2 pound Brussels sprouts
lemon wedge for spritzing (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425º.   Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.  Place the salmon fillets on the pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, soy sauce, and honey.  Generously brush sauce over the salmon.  Add some freshly cracked black pepper.

Remove stems from the Brussels sprouts and cut sprouts in half.  Toss sprouts with the remaining sauce and arrange on the pan around the salmon.

Roast for 15 minutes until the salmon easily flakes and the sprouts begin to caramelize.   Serve with a spritz of lemon.

Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Chili is a winter comfort food for me.  I used ground turkey instead of beef for a leaner alternative, and sneaked in some extra veggies.  I didn't notice a huge difference in taste from classic chili at all.  It was still delicious.  I cut this recipe in half when I made it because I only had one pound of meat to use, but next time I think I'd make the full recipe and freeze half.   Chili is fun because you can customize it before you eat it-- Jeremy chose to mix his with macaroni.  I chose a pinch of shredded cheese and green onions.

Turkey Chili
Adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 onions, minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
1/2 zucchini, minced or grated
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
2 (15-oz) can chili beans (red kidney beans)
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
1&1/2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (optional)

Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic, raw veggies, herbs, spices, and tomato paste and cook a few minutes until veggies are softened.   Stir in the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes per pound.   Stir in the tomato sauce.  Transfer to slow cooker.

Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir.  Cover and cook for 4 to 6 hours on low.

Serve with whatever accompaniments you enjoy. 

Flourless pancakes with Nut Butter and Raspberries

Yum.  I've made these "pancakes" once before, and they're so easy.  Although they're not as fluffy as a normal pancake, they still taste good to me.  It's just 3 eggs and a banana.  This time, I added some cinnamon to the mixture.  After it was cooked, I spread a packet of RX Nut Butter,  mashed up a raspberry, and tada!-- a low-carb Peanut Butter and Jelly Breakfast Sandwich!

Flourless Pancakes
Serves 1 to 2.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 banana
(pinch cinnamon-optional)

Directions:
Spray a pan with cooking spray and heat over medium.   Blend the eggs and banana in a blender until smooth.  Pour batter into pan and cook like you would a pancake. Flip and cook until done.

Add whatever toppings you want.  I recommend mashed raspberries.  Their natural sweetness comes through without needing sugary syrup and stuff.

Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

It's a new year, so like millions of others, I made a resolution to eat healthier and control my portions.  Both Jeremy and I enjoyed this dish.  And it was EASY--bonus! The lemon flavor came through as did the garlic.  The chicken was juicy which is how I like it.  Chicken thighs are ideal because you get just the right amount of meat.  And when we re-heated leftovers the next night, it was still good.  The photo is of the leftovers because I forgot to take a picture the first night. 

Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
4 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless, skinlesss chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (about 4 thighs)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
lemon wedges and parsley for garnish, optional

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic.  Pour into a large resealable plastic bag and add the chicken.  Toss to coat, seal, and let marinate in the fridge for at least one hour.

Spray an 8x8" baking dish with cooking spray.  Place chicken in dish and pour marinade over the top.  Season with salt and pepper.   Bake at 425º for 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is done, basting once or twice during that time.  Serve chicken with lemon wedges and parsley if desired.