Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

(image source because I didn't get a 

chance to take the picture on my own)

Anyone who knows me knows that I DESPISE cauliflower. My parents thought they could force me to eat cauliflower when I was young, but little did they know that I would hide it in the trash as soon as they turned around (Sorry mom!) But, something in my head today thought "hey, what if I was the one who cooked it the way that I think would be tasty?" in hopes that I make something tasty out of cauliflower... Lo' and behold... something that I was able to swallow... AND ENJOY!

Ingredients
I head of cauliflower
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of lime juice
2-4 tablespoons of coconut oil or ghee (or butter)

Directions
1. Shred cauliflower either on a grater or pulse in a food processor to make "rice"
2. Melt coconut oil in a large pan
3 Add cauliflower and sautee for about 5 minutes until it softens up (you  may have to work in batches depending on how big of a pan you have and how much cauliflower you grate)
4. Place cauliflower in a bowl. Once it's all done, mix in the cilantro and lime juice
5. Enjoy!

How I meal prep for the week

This special dedicated post goes out to my BFF, Katya. She asked me what I do to meal prep, and this week happened to be a great variety week to share, so here we go...

I start by prepping my snacks first. They're the easiest to pack up. Above are Archer Farms nut mix, unsalted. Find it at Target. 

I also love Quest bars, Bear Naked energy bars (for those extreme cardio nights), Greek yogurt (also good as a "dessert" for after lunch), and some energy drinks. 

I'll also chop up some cucumber and portion out baby carrots to grab and go for me and the husband. 

Next is figuring out what my proteins are going to be. I wanted to finish off my giant pack of turkey burgers, so that's for some of my meals. 

I also had some chicken sausage, so that was used for some others. I bought a 2-pack of salmon patties at the grocery store today, so I had one for dinner and one I'll have for lunch tomorrow. The husband decided on grabbing some chicken meatballs. Once it gets a little cooler outside, I'll make my own.... It's just running the oven for longer than a hour makes the house unbearably hot. 

Next I worked on my veggies. Green beans were on sale, so I popped them into the steamer and worked on chopping the other veggie portions....

Yellow and zucchini squash, also on sale. Seasoned with some salt and herbs de provedance. These ended up going on the grill to help with over heating the house. 

The final step is the starch/carbs. First we quartered potatoes, sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil, and seasoned with seasoning salt. Pop in the oven at 375* for one hour, flipping halfway through. 

The other starch I went with was whole wheat rotini. Boil 2 cups until done. Then stir in 2 laughing cow cheese wedges while it's still hot and add some Walden Farms sauce (or sauce of choice. A bag of frozen cheesy broccoli works well, too). Sorry I don't have the final picture of this. 

The final product.  5 days of lunches and dinners for me, and 5 days of lunches for the husband.

Hope this gives you some ideas for meal prep. It doesn't have to be complicated. 

Avo-Cobb-O salad

One of my favorites!

Ingredients

Salad mix of choice

Tomatoes

Crumbled cheese (I used feta, but goat cheese or blue cheese would be good alternatives)

Sliced red onion

Sliced olives

1/4 diced avocado

Hard boiled egg whites

Crumbled bacon (regular or turkey)

Grilled chicken, seasoned to taste

Ranch for dressing (Walden Farms has awesome 0 calorie ones that actually taste good!!)

Greek Salad

Well, it's been a while folks. Different shifts in priorities. All sorts of life events. Anywho... I've been on a recent salad kick and figured I'd share some of the salad ideas I have per week. 

This week is a Greek inspired salad. 

Ingredients:

Spring salad mix with kale

Cucumber

Mini tomatoes

Crumbled feta

Red onion

Grilled chicken

Greek hummus dressing

Dressing:

1/2 c hummus of choice

1/4 c lemon juice

2 T olive oil

1/4 t paprika

Dressing Makes about 6 servings.

Enjoy!

Also, on the menu:

Greek yogurt

Quest protein bars

Baby carrots with babaganoush

Cherries

Lemon Glazed Blueberry Baked Donuts

Ingredients

1 1/4 C whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh blueberries

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Donuts

1. Preheat oven to 375*

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. 

3. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. 

4. Add the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla and combine. 

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined. 

6. Gently fold in the berries. 

7. Spoon into a greased and floured donut pan, filling 3/4 full. 

8. Bake for 14 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. 

9. Cool before glazing. 

Glaze

1. Stir together all glaze ingredients until smooth. 

2. Dip cooked donuts in glaze. Allow glaze to harden before serving. 

3. Donuts are best served fresh, but if you need to store them, be sure to cover them loosely in a container. 

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs in Tomato-Spinach Sauce

Mmm, this one is a keeper! Can work well as a soup or by omitting the water, can make a great sauce topping on zucchini noodles.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 lb ground turkey
1 white onion, finely diced
1 lb chopped spinach (that's the equivalent of a large clam shell)
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes, no salt added
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes, garlic
1 T sea salt
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t paprika
1 t oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 C water (optional)

Instructions
1. Heat cooking spray in a large pan. Form the turkey balls and try them on all sides until they are browned but the middles are still raw. Don't overcrowd the pan, but rather work in batches. Remove the meatballs from the pan and place into the slow cooker.
2. Add a bit more cooking spray and add the diced onions. Remove from pan and place into slow cooker.
3. Saute the chopped spinach in the pan until it begins to wilt.k Remove from pan and place into slow cooker. You may have to work in batches as well.
4. Pour the cans of tomatoes into the slow cooker and add the spices and water. Stir the mixture gently, being careful not to break the meatballs.
5. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve hot over zucchini pasta.

Slow Cooker Bacon Ranch Chicken

Ingredients
3 strips of turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 t minced garlic
1 (1oz) packet of dry ranch dressing mix
1 (10.75oz) can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 (8oz) container fat free sour cream
1 lb chicken breast
8oz of your favorite pasta, cooked

Directions
1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray and place chicken in the crock pot.
2. Mix the bacon, garlic, ranch dressing mix, soup, and sour cream together and pour over the top of the chicken.
3. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6 hours. Shred chicken with 2 forks.
4. Cook pasta as directed on package and serve chicken over pasta.