Don't Judge A Meal By Its Picture

Seriously, because this one looks kind of gross...but it was SO FREAKING GOOD!

These are the ingredients. I made this one up as I go along (as I usually do...) so the measurements are at your own discretion.

Basically:
- Leftover Quinoa
- Almond flour
- Spinach
- Bell Pepper
- Green Onion
- Black Forest Bacon
- Chicken Breast
- Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Almond Milk
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Red Pepper Flakes
- White Wine
- Eggs (not pictured)

I didn't use the garlic or onion that's pictured because I was in a time crunch so powdered was easier in the moment.

The meal looked like this:

Green spinach, black-ish bacon, and red tomatoes make yucky green-brown btw

The Quinoa Patties were easy. I mixed the leftover quinoa with about a cup of almond flour ( there was a little more than a cup of quinoa), some chopped green onion and bell pepper, and some spices. Then I added whole eggs until it got doughy (2-3). When you can form it into balls it's the right texture. Simply make patties and fry in your choice of oil until nice and brown on both sides!

I rinsed the chicken breasts and did a fast dredge in the almond flour (about 1 cup with the garlic, onion, salt, and red pepper). Then I fried those in a teeny bit of oil until they were almost done (a lot of the breading comes off and that's no big deal). I ended up putting them under the broiler to finish those last few degrees to done while I made the sauce.

I put a handful of spinach, a few sun-dried tomatoes, and 5 pieces of (chopped) bacon in the blender. I added enough almond milk to blend it.

While the chicken was out of the pan I deglazed with white wine (just enough to scrape it) and then poured the flour in and stirred it around until it combined. I added about half a cup of almond milk and the mixture from the blender and stirred frequently. I ended up adding more almond milk to make it more "sauce" consistency but that's just me!

I sliced the chicken and poured the sauce over it. Serve it with the patties.

Super yummy and high protein!!

Yummy Surprise Burgers!

A good friend brought us venison but you could do this with beef or ground turkey if you wanted!

First I chopped half an onion and 3 mushrooms. Saute until cooked through and set aside. Add a handful of cheddar cheese!

I seasoned the meat in a bowl with garlic, onion, salt, and cumin. Just a general sprinkle of each and then mix well (I used my hands).

Form into a patty and set on a clean surface (I put down aluminum foil to keep my counter clean) Do this for as many people as you are serving (I used 2lbs of meat for 4 people...but these are HUGE burgers so you could easily share) Use half of the meat for this step.

Put a spoonful of the veggie mix in the center of the patties. Take what meat is left and form a patty and place it on TOP of the patty with the mixture so the mix is inside. Press to seal the edges.

Cook in a hot pan! I found that putting a lid on helped it cook a bit more evenly. You'll want to cook over lower heat because these are THICK and take longer to cook through.

I did cheese on top as well. :)

This can also be GLUTEN FREE!

Shrimp Veracruzana Kas Style

This is the recipe I used as a jumping off point for my meal: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/shrimp_veracruzana.html

I bought the shrimp on sale AND I bought it will shells ON. Several times I've had to devein it myself but it's worth it when the price difference is $5/lb or something.

So anyway, the recipe calls for onion, garlic, jalapeno, and tomato. I saved time and just dumped a drained can of rotel tomato in it! (Yes, canned...I rarely used canned anything except tomato products anymore) I picked the store brand with chipotle spices.

I served it over quinoa! Super yummy and lots of protein. I do believe that this recipe is gluten free as well! You can make it as spicy as you want by adding more jalapeno or leaving it out all together.

Top 10 Chocolate Shakeology Recipes

These are my favorite Chocolate Shakeology Recipes! Yes, I've tried them all and they're all fantastic! I love that Shakeology gives me variety!

Click to learn more about Shakeology!

All are made with one scoop/packet of Chocolate Shakeology in a blender. All include ice to taste!

1) Peanut Butter Cup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 Tbl peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2) Chocolate Minty

1 tsp mint extract

1 cup water

3) Chocolate Bananas Foster

1 banana

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp rum extract

1 cup milk

4) Mocha Chiller

1 cup cold coffee

1 tsp cinnamon

5) Post Workout Recovery (my own recipe)

1 cup water

1/4 tsp sea salt

6) Cheeky Monkey (my own recipe)

1 banana

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

7) Salted Caramel

1 cup milk

1 tsp caramel extract

1 dash sea salt

8) Maple Buttercup

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 cup milk

9) Cinna-Nutter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 cup milk

10) Straight Up!

Just add water or milk!

Linking up!

Breakfast Sausage Spaghetti Sauce

This is my own recipe. Yes, I pulled it out of thin air. 

Start your water boiling for your pasta.

28oz of diced tomato

8 small sweet tomatoes (I had a bunch going bad)

1 slice of onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1/2tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Basil

All of that goes in the blender. Blend until smooth. 

Meanwhile, brown 1lb of breakfast sausage in a pan.  Drain. Strain the tomato sauce (trust me on this) and add to the meat.

Mix and turn heat to low-med. Simmer.

See the excess liquid? This is why you strain the sauce.

Add your pasta and start your timer.

After you drain your pasta add a small can of tomato paste to the sauce and mix until it thickens.

Serve!

Sausage/Egg Muffins

I originally got the recipe from Heavenly Homemakers.

We LOVE this recipe!
8 eggs
1 cup spinach
1 red bell pepper
3 stalks green onion
4 small mushrooms
1lb hot breakfast sausage

Preheat your oven to 350F

Put just enough water in a pan to skim the bottom. Heat over medium heat. When it starts to steam add your spinach and stir around until it wilts. (It will shrink up)

Take out and set aside to drain on paper towels. Pour off water.

Add a splash of oil (I used olive oil) and your veggies. Stir until they start to sizzle.

Add your sausage to the pan and break up into smaller pieces.

Meanwhile, beat your eggs into a large bowl.

My son was helping me

Keep breaking up the sausage until it's cooked through.

Drain and add the mixture to your eggs. Chop the spinach you set aside and add that too.

Spoon into a muffin tin and place in the oven (I had some leftover and put it into a bread tin as well)

Bake for 15-20mins or until the egg is firm. Wait until it cools and remove from the tin.

Enjoy! These are low carb and full of protein. It's also a great way to get veggies into your food. My kids gobbled them up (as did my veggie-picking husband).

Dessert!

Today for dessert I had:
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Peas
- Red Radishes
- NonFat Yogurt
- Wheatgrass
(Oh, and all of the veggies were RAW)


Gross, right?

Actually....it was chocolate flavored...

I made a chocolate Shakeology pie!
- 1 graham pie crust
- 15oz of cream cheese (I used vegan because my son can't have the dairy)
- 2 scoops of Chocolate Shakeology
- Enough milk to make it easy to pour

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor (If you're using a blender do half at a time or make sure you have an awesome blender...or you'll be there awhile!) Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate until "firm." (I added the quotes because I couldn't wait until it was really firm!!)

Seriously. All of the benefits of Shakeology in a PIE?! Yes please! It's sweet just like a fattening chocolate pie. Make this for your holiday party and everyone will love it and you won't ruin your diet!


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