Favorite Recipes (clean of course)

Crock Pot Ziti

What you need:
 •1 (1 lb. 7.8 oz.) jar marinara (no sugar added) look for sauce with the fewest ingredients.
•3 cups penne shells (whole grain, dry)
•2 cups fat free cottage cheese
•2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
•1 large zucchini (1/4” slices)
•1 tablespoon fresh oregano (finely chopped)
•1 tablespoon fresh basil (finely chopped)
•1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How to get it done:
1.In a large mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, oregano, basil and black pepper. In the Crock Pot, spoon 1/4 of marinara onto the bottom, add 1 cup penne shells, 1/3 of zucchini slices and top with 1 cup cheese mixture. Repeat until you have 3 layers. Top off with the remaining marinara and lastly, cheese.
2.Note: Keep penne shells and cheese away from the edges by about 1”. Pasta tends to get hard and cheese burns if allowed to touch the sides while cooking.
3.Cover and cook on low for approximately 2 hours or until penne noodles are Al Dente (firm but not hard). Not all crock pots cook the same so be sure that the penne is done before serving. The cook time is recommended based on the crock pot used when preparing this recipe. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
4.Tip: If you prefer your ziti a little more on the thick side, allow to cook an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

5. I added chicken to this meal by boiling 4 chicken breasts until just cooked and then cutting up into chunks and layering with the pasta. That way I got my serving of protein.

 (Makes 13 servings)

Turkey Chili                

What you need:

  2 lbs 99% fat-free ground turkey

1 yellow onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, no-salt added

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, no-salt added

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tsp. hot sauce 

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, no-salt added, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Pinch of pepper

1 packet Stevia

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp. oregano

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

How to get it done:

1. Drizzle olive oil in a large pot and saute onion and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until crumbled and brown, draining excess liquid as necessary.

2.  Add all the rest of the ingredients and cook on medium/low heat for about an hour. Enjoy

Homemade Pasta Sauce (I serve over Quinoa Pasta)

What you need:

• 2 pounds fresh, organic, ripe tomatoes (or 2 cups canned plum tomatoes with juice)
• ⅔ cup chopped carrot
• ⅔ cup chopped celery
• ⅔ cup chopped onion (I have to make it as fine as possible, I can't see it)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1 to 1 ½ pounds cooked whole-wheat pasta
• I like to add lean ground turkey as well 1 lb

How to get it done:

1. If using fresh tomatoes drop them into boiling water for 1 minute. Drain them and peel off the skin (when they are cool enough to handle). Once they have been boiled the skin comes off very easily (pictured). Cut canned or fresh tomatoes into coarse piece and reserve juice.
2. Add the tomatoes with juice, chopped carrot, celery and onion to a large saucepan on low heat. Cook uncovered at a slow simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the olive oil and bring sauce to a slightly stronger simmer for 15 more minutes. Stir frequently and mash tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
4. Taste and add salt as needed. I usually add a bit of salt myself.
5. Combine with cooked ground turkey and/or fresh or dried herbs if desired and serve over pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

What You Need:

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon of local raw honey
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 bananas, smashed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus some additional butter for frying if you need it
• Pure maple syrup (when served)

How to Get it Done:

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. In the center of the mixture, pour in the honey, milk, eggs, and 2 tbs of melted butter - whisk dry and wet ingredients together thoroughly.
3. Fold the mashed bananas into the batter (spatula works best)
4. Heat your griddle (or pan) to medium-high heat and spread some butter to prevent sticking. 
5. Make sure to flip the pancakes when the bottom begins to brown.
6. Serve with the 100% maple syrup.  I personally don't like syrup on pancakes and they were definitely sweet enough for me.
7. Whatever pancakes you have left can be frozen for another day. I have always done this when I made Lily pancakes.