Crockpot Pesto Chicken

Adapted from: Picky Palate
http://picky-palate.com/2012/09/20/pesto-ranch-crock-pot-chicken-thighs/

Ever since I found crockpot lemon chicken, I have be keeping my eye out for easy crockpot recipes that can be served over a bed of spinach. Eating paleo and the crockpot don't often mix but I got lucky with one! As we finally get some summer like weather here in the mid-west, I'll be looking for ways to avoid using the oven and I think this meal will make a regular appearance! We topped ours with a little bit of grated parmesan cheese and served it over a bed of spinach. I'm thinking mash potatoes would be great too!

The Fixin's
1-2 lb Chicken Breasts
6 oz Pesto
1/2 Chicken Broth
1 Packet Ranch Dressing Seasoning (or 1/4 cup homemade)

Let's Cook Dinner
Grease crockpot
Add pesto, chicken broth, and ranch seasoning
Stir until well combined
Add chicken to pot and coat in sauce
Cook for high for 4 hours
Shred chicken and stir in sauce
Serve over spinach (or mash potatoes!)

BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from: Food.com
http://www.food.com/recipe/couldnt-be-easier-bbq-pork-tenderloin-crock-pot-317152

This meal was a life saver! We have been so busy this week and will be every week until finals are over...or I collapse which ever happens first! It was nice to throw this in the crockpot right before class and have it ready when I got home. It is super simple and perfect for when you have no idea what to cook for dinner!

The Fixin's
2-3 lb Pork Tenderloin
2 Cups BBQ Sauce
1 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Pepper
3 Cloves Minced Garlic

Let's Cook Dinner
Spray your crockpot with cooking spray
Place pork tenderloin in the bottom of the pot
In a mixing bowl combine water, bbq sauce, pepper, and garlic
Pour sauce over pork
Cook on high for 4 hours

Sausage Eggs Cups

I am in love with egg cups. Since finding them on pinterest I have made ham egg cups, turkey egg cups , and bacon egg cups but these might be my favorite! Egg cups are so awesome because you can eat them on the go and are the perfect single serving! I normally grab two on Monday morning and eat them after I get to work! Be creative, there are so many ways to serve these!

The Fixin's
1 lb Crumble Sausage
12 Eggs
1 Cup Fresh Spinach
Garlic Salt
Pepper

Let's Cook Dinner
In a skillet cook the sausage and drain the fat
Grease a muffin tin
Preheat oven to 350
Chop spinach into small pieces
Place spinach in the bottom of each muffin tin
Spoon the sausage over the spinach
Crack one egg into each cup
Top with pepper and garlic salt
Bake for 25 minutes

Paleo Coco-Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted From: What Runs Lori
http://www.whatrunslori.com/2011/12/purely-paleo-pumpkin-muffins/

After my long run today I needed a snack and nothing was doing the trick. Sometimes I just really miss bread! We have had lots of success with other types of muffins (apple, sweet potato, banana) and I had a can of pumpkin the fridge that was screaming to be eaten. I added coco powder mainly because what I really wanted at that moment was a snickers bar but it did add a nice flavor. Next time I think chocolate chips would really do the trick! These are not too sweet and best served with some honey or almond butter on the side!

The Fixin's
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
4 Eggs
1/4 Cup Honey
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
1 Tablespoon Coco Powder
1 Tablespoon Flax Seed
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Let's Cook Dinner
Preheat oven to 400F
In a mixing bowl whisk eggs
Melt coconut oil and add to eggs
Stir in pumpkin and all dry fixins
Mix until well blended and there are no clumps
Grease 12 muffin tins
Spoon mixture into pan
Bake for 20 minutes

Sweet Potato Muffins

Adapted From: TGI Paleo
http://www.tgipaleo.com/2012/07/28/sweet-potato-muffins-2/

The other night we both had a sweet tooth and really wanted to make sweet potato brownies...but we didn't have enough coco powder or any chocolate chips! So if we were going to keep ourselves from going to store and buying ice cream, we needed to be creative! These are super yummy and best when topped with nut butter or honey. They are sweet but not too sweet and totally could be eaten for breakfast! Next time I am going to try adding chocolate chips or raisins!

The Fixin's
2 Large Sweet Potatoes (cooked & peeled)
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Ground Flaxseed
1/4 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Nut Butter (almond or sunflower)
6 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

Let's Cook Dinner
Preheat oven to 350F
Whisk eggs
Add in sweet potatoes and mash together
Add in all other fixins
Grease the muffin cups and spoon mixture into the pan
Bake for 30 minutes

Spicy Turkey Burgers

Adapted From: Homemade By Holman
 http://homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com/2010/06/spicy-hawaiian-burgers.html

This was yummy! I am always looking for burger recipes because it is so easy to just drop the bun and call it paleo! I'm sure it would be good with a bun too though! I am really looking forward to the summer when we can make these on the grill and not in the oven!

The Fixin's
1 lb Ground Turkey or Chicken
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Clove Mined Garlic
1 Pineapple or Can Pineapple Slices
4 Slices Pepper Jack Cheese

Let's Cook Dinner
Preheat oven to 400F
In a mixing bowl combine meat, soy sauce, paprika, chili powder, seasoning salt, cumin, and garlic
Mix until well blended
Form into 4 burger patties
Place on a baking sheet
Bake for 10 minutes
Flip
Bake of 10 minutes
Top each with a slice of cheese
Bake until cheese is melted
Serve with pineapple on top