Getting in meal preps can be tedious and repetitive. Spice it up with a slow cocker meal. You can eat this as a main dish or make tacos! Easy peasy…and spicy.

RUB:

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp granulated onion

• ¾ tsp granulated garlic

• ¾ tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of cayenne

ROAST:

• 4-5-pound pork roast

• 3 TBSP coconut oil

SAUCE:

• 1 cup unsweetened apple juice

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 2 cups fresh blackberries

• 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ medium yellow onion, chopped

• 2 jalapeños, stems removed, sliced

• ½ tsp red chili flakes

Serves 4

-In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients.

-Sprinkle the rub over the pork roast, and rub it with your fingers to thoroughly coat all sides of the meat.

-In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.

-Place the roast in the skillet and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.

-Transfer the roast to a slow cooker.

-In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.

-Pour the sauce over the roast in the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

-With 2 forks, shred the pork while it is still in the slow cooker.

-Serve the shredded pork with the juices and berries spooned over the top.

NOTE: The blackberries leave behind seeds. If this is an undesirable texture for you, then I suggest using a cheese cloth in a strainer to remove from the liquid.

Banana and Chocolate Chip Protein Oat Muffins

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I found this recipe in my nutrition/recipe pamphlet from the #TeamChristmas challenge for Oxygen Magazine. This recipe was quite simple, easy to tweak, and very tasty.

Macros for 2 muffins (1 serving):  Calories- 220 / Protein- 11g / Carbs- 30g / Fat- 4g

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 Tbs coconut oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups gluten-free oats
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 scoops of protein
  • 1 Tbs dark chocolate chips

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Directions:

  • Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  • Coat muffin pan with cooking spray (make sure it is down well as the muffins will stick to the pan)
  • Mash the bananas and combine with the almond milks, and eggs.
  • Mix dry ingredients together (except the chocolate chips) and add to banana mixture.
  • Add the chocolate chips and stir until blended thoroughly.
  • Scoop evenly into muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes.

These muffins are good to freeze.  I usually pull one from the freezer before I leave for work and it is thawed by the time I am ready for my snack.

Happy eating!

MEXICAN-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS

MEXICAN-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS
For the past few week my boyfriend has been asking me to find a recipe for stuffed peppers. I wanted to try something new and I am a big fan of spice, so I went for a Mexican style stuffed pepper. I found this recipe in my nutrition/recipe pamphlet from the #TeamChristmas challenge (another post to come on the challenge). This recipe was quite simple, easy to tweak, and very tasty.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

  • 4 seeded bell peppers
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 red onion- diced
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 Tbs cumin
  • 2 Tbs ancho chili powder
  • 1 can of tomato paste
  • 2 tsp garlic- minced
  • 1 lime- juice only
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes- drained (~14 oz)
  • 1 can of black beans- drained

Directions:

  • Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  • Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
  • Add garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add ground turkey and cook thoroughly.
  • Add spices, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and black beans.  Cook for a few minutes to heat though.
    • At this time you can add extra spices after tasting.
  • Place the peppers in a 9 x 9 baking dish and fill each pepper evenly.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  • Top with sour cream and/or cheese.