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.

Slow cooker whole chicken and sweet potato

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

4 t salt

2 t paprika

1 t cayenne pepper

1 t onion powder

1 t thyme

1 t white pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t black pepper

1 large sweet potato

1 1/2 T butter (I like Brummell & Brown yogurt based butter)

Directions:

1. Combine all dry seasonings in a small bowl and rub all over chicken. 

2. Place chicken in a ziplock container overnight. 

3. Dice sweet potato and place in a foil pack. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and scoop out the butter.

4. Seal foil and place in bottom of slow cooker. 

5. Remove chicken from container and place on top of the foil pack. 

6. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. The chicken will be so tender once it's done that it'll fall off the bone. 

7. And now to make some slow cooker stock!! Discard all bones and skin into the slow cooker with any of the sweet potato juices. Pour 8-12 cups of water into the slow cooker and set on low for 12 hours. Strain the stock and discard the chunky pieces. 

Clean Chocolate Granola

Ingredients

2 1/2 C oatmeal

1 C chopped raw almonds

1/4 C sesame seeds

1/2 C shredded coconut

1/2 C honey

3 packs stevia

2 T unsweetened cocoa

1 scoop protein powder (chocolate)

1 T chia seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F

2. Mix all ingredients together

3. Spread out on cooking pan

4. Bake for 30-40minutes, stirring every 10 minutes (for the first 20 or so minutes), and then every 5 minutes until done. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.

Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash w/Ground Turkey

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
1can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 T chopped garlic
1/2 T dried minced onion
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t black pepper
3 wedges laughing cow cheese wedge
9 oz bag baby spinach, sauteed and wilted (or 10oz frozen spinach, thawed and dried)
7 oz canned sliced mushroom
3/4 C shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1.2 lb ground turkey

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Microwave squash for 3-4 minutes, until soft enough to cut. Halve lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds.
3. Fill a 9x13 baking pan with 1/2in of water and place squash halves in the pan, cut side down. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes.
4. Brown ground turkey.
5. Remove pan but leave oven on. Use a fork to scrape squash strands. Place strands in a strainer to drain excess moisture. Pat dry, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
6. Drain water from the baking pan and place the hallow squash halves back in the pain.
7. In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix soup, garlic, minced onion, Italian seasoning, pepper, and cheese wedges, breaking the wedges into pieces as you add them.
8. Add soup mixture to spaghetti squash strands. Add spinach, mushrooms, and turkey, and thoroughly mix.
9. Evenly divide mixture between the hallow squash halves. Sprinkle with mozzarella.
10. Bake until filling is hot and cheese has melted, 15-20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Ground Turkey and Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients
2 Small/medium eggplants, sliced length wise
1 container (approx. 1.25lbs) of ground, lean turkey
4-5 chicken sausages, wrapping removed and ground up in processor
3 carrots, grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 onion, diced
14oz can tomato sauce
14oz can diced tomatoes
1 T italian seasoning
8oz mushrooms
1 T (or less) of minced garlic
Coconut oil
Salt & pepper to taste
2 C Soy shredded "cheese" (or regular cheese if you prefer)
(I know the ingredients list looks scary, but it's SO easy!)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Lay eggplant slices in a single layer on 2 pan sheets. Brush both sides with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes. Cut away the eggplant skin.

Lower the oven temperature to 350°.

Saute the mushrooms in a teaspoon of coconut oil until all of the liquid is evaporated and they begin to slightly brown, about 7 minutes. Season with a little bit of salt & pepper. Right before you're about done with the mushrooms, add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes. Place into large bowl.

Mix the turkey, sausage, carrots, zucchini, and onion. Brown in a skillet.

In the same large bowl that you placed the mushrooms in, mix the turkey mixture with tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Grease a square baking dish. The first layer will be the turkey mixture. Then add the cheese. Followed by the eggplant. Continue this cycle until you're done and all you have left is cheese to sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese begins to bubble and brown.

Makes 8 servings
Cals: 298; Carbs: 19; Fat: 13; Protein: 29; Sodium: 842 (you can reduce this by using low sodium canned products and/or freshly diced tomatoes); Sugar: 8

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

Ingredients
4 chicken thighs
8 slices of bacon
1/2 T chipotle powder
1/2 T smoked paprika
1/2 T salt
2 t black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375*F

Mix the spices together.

Sprinkle the thighs with half of the spice blend.

Wrap each thigh with 2 slices of bacon.

Sprinkle the remaining spice blend.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Nutrition
Cals: 186 (per thigh); Carbs: 0; Fat: 12; Protein: 19; Sodium: 357