protein-packed breakfast blueberry bake (microwaved!)

it took me futzing with several iterations of this until i landed on this one which is tasty, fills me up and can be done in the microwave. a couple notes: you cannot substitute egg white in this recipe. also, don't worry if there is some liquid left--it comes out of the berries as it cooks. unfortunately, i just took a picture of a reel i saw, so i don't know the source...but honestly, i tweaked it a bit so i guess it's technically my own recipe now. this makes one serving.

ingredients

2/3 C cottage cheese

2/3 C blueberries

1 egg

2 T almond flour

1/2 scoop protein powder

splash of vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon and salt

directions

microwave for 3 minutes.

hummus bowls with chicken shwarma

the mix of flavors in this dish work so incredibly well together. it's delicious AND healthy! from playswellwithbutter.com.

ingredients for the bowls:

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless thighs (see Recipe Notes for plant-based substitute)
• 1 cup hummus (see Recipe Notes)
• 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa (½ cup dry cooked according to package directions)
• ¼ cup feta, crumbled
• for serving, as desired: thinly sliced cucumbers, shredded cabbage, extra virgin olive oil, lemon wedges, thinly sliced basil, pickled red onions, warm pita or naan, etc.

ingredients for the marinade:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey (or pure maple syrup or agave)
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
• optional: ¼ – ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, as desired
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

directions:

Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken in a large Ziplock bag or baking dish. Add the olive oil, honey (or maple), lemon juice, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, turmeric, cayenne, kosher salt, & ground black pepper. Toss to combine, coating the chicken evenly in the shawarma marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, arranging the oven racks such that one is in the center of the oven & one is 4-6 inches under the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up & set aside.

Roast the chicken shawarma: Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet, shaking off any excess marinade. Bake on the center rack for 15-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken thighs. The chicken should be nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven, meanwhile preheat the broiler. As the broiler preheats, thinly slice the chicken. Transfer the sliced chicken back onto the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet under the broiler. Broil 4-5 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the chicken shawarma is browned & caramelized.

Assemble the hummus bowls: Add a large spoonful of hummus to the bottom of a large, shallow bowl. Use the back of a spoon to swoop the hummus across the bottom of the bowl. Add in the quinoa & chicken shawarma or veggie shawarma. Finish with pickled red onions, thinly sliced cucumbers, shredded cabbage, crumbled feta, and a sprinkling of fresh basil, & other toppings as desired. Serve immediately with a spritz of lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil as desired. Enjoy!

juicy turkey breast in the crock pot

this has been the recipe for crock pot turkey breast i have liked the best so far, after having tried a few over the past few thanksgivings. from recipetineats.com

ingredients

• 2 kg / 4 lb turkey breast, skin on, bone in or boneless (if using frozen, thaw it) (Note 1)
• ▢1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
• ▢1 onion (brown, yellow or white), unpeeled, cut in half
• ▢5 sprigs of thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme leaves)

Rub

• ▢1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ▢1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• ▢1 tsp paprika
• ▢2 tsp salt
• ▢5 grinds of black pepper
• ▢1 1/2 – 2 tbsp olive oil

directions

• Place Rub ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine, it should be a wet paste.
• Pat the turkey dry all over with paper towels. Slather with the Rub, using most for the side and top.
• Place the garlic, onion and thyme face down in the slow cooker. Place the turkey breast on top so it is elevated.
• Slow Cook on LOW for 6 hours (do not use high) or until internal temperature reads 165F/75C when thermometer is inserted into the middle. Check internal temperature at 5 hours if you can. (To roast, follow this recipe). 
• Remove turkey from the slow cooker (do not leave in slow cooker on Warm setting) and let it rest for 20 minutes before crisping the skin.

Crisp the Skin

• Preheat gril/broiler to high.
• Place an oven shelf 30cm / 1 foot from the heat source.
• Remove turkey breast from the slow cooker into a heatproof serving dish.
• Place on the oven shelf and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the skin is crispy. Keep an eye on it – it browns very quickly!
• Serve immediately with gravy on the side.

creamy tomato basil soup

super delicious tomato basil soup. i do almost everything like it says on tastesbetterfromscratch.com except that i roast fresh tomatoes first and i think it makes a big difference. since it takes quite a long time to make, i usually triple the recipe so that i can freeze some for later.

ingredients

 2lbs fresh tomatoes, coated in olive oil and herbs and roasted at 450 for 30 minutes

2 carrots, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

3 ribs celery, finely diced

2 T tomato paste

4 C chicken broth

1 t dried oregano

1 1/2 t dried basil

1/2 C butter

1/2 C flour

1 C freshly grated parmesan

1 1/2 C half and half

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 C chopped fresh basil

directions

• Add oil to a large soup pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add carrots, onions, and celery and sauté them for a few minutes.
• Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and dried basil. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for several minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• Use an immersion blender or regular blender (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your blender is) to puree the soup until smooth. (This step is optional, if you like a smooth soup). Return it to the soup pot.
• In a separate pot, prepare the roux. Add butter to the pot over medium low heat and allow to melt. Stir in the flour and whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color.
• Add a big ladle full of the soup to the roux--it will start to form a thick paste.  Add a few more big scoops of soup to the roux and stir well until smooth. Add the roux mixture to soup pot and stir to combine.
• Stir in the parmesan cheese, half and half, salt, pepper and basil. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cook for a few more minutes until warmed through.

chicken taco seasoning

this is everyone's favorite seasoning for chicken that will go in fajitas or on taco salad, etc. from joyfilledeats.com

mix together the following:

1 T onion powder

1 T garlic powder

1 T smoked paprika

1 T cumin

1 T chili powder (i never put this much and i use cayenne instead)

1 T dried oregano

2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

chicken marsala

i love this recipe from onceuponachef.com. it always turns out amazing. the whole family loves it. i like serving it with roasted herbed broccoli. i double it for my family of 7.

ingredients

1 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins

3 T flour

1 T olive oil

3 T butter

8oz mushrooms

5 green onions

2 cloves garlic

2/3 C chicken broth

2/3 C white cooking wine

2/3 C heavy cream

2 t fresh thyme

directions

put 1 1/2 lbs chicken tenderloins (these because they are usually thin), 3 T flour, 3/4 t salt and 1/4 pepper in a gallon bag and shake until coated.

next, prep all other ingredients by slicing 8 oz mushrooms, chopping 5 green onions, mincing 2 cloves garlic, picking 2 t thyme and measuring out 2/3 C each of chicken broth, dry white cooking wine and heavy cream.

heat 1 T oil and 2 T butter in a large skillet over medium heat. place chicken in the pan and cook 2.5 minutes on each side. set aside.

in the same pan, melt 1 T butter and cook the mushrooms until almost done. add green onion, garlic and 1/4 t salt and cook for 1 minute more. add broth, wine, cream, thyme, 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper, stir well, reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. the sauce will be thin.

add the chicken and any of it's juices to the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes more, or until the chicken is warmed through.

homemade bleu cheese dressing

this is alton brown's recipe. it's really important that you make it with gorgonzola as called for. regular bleu cheese is too strong.

blend the following in a blender:

4 oz gorgonzola

1/3 sour cream (i use greek yogurt)

1/3 C buttermilk

1/4 C mayo

1 T white wine vinegar

1/4 t worcestershire 

1/4 t freshly ground pepper