Healthy lunch Archives

Crock-Pot Chicken Chili

November 24, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

You ready to get your Crock-Pot on again?

Crock-Pot Chicken Chili #healthy #fitfluential #glutenfre

Seriously people, that is how I’ve been feeling about cheese lately. I CAN NOT get enough of it! I love all kinds of cheese: goat, feta, bleu, Colby jack, mozzarella, you name it! I made a giant batch of chicken chili and realized i didn’t have any shredded cheese.

No fear.

I slapped on an entire square! Just one though

I have a feeling that the crock-pot (CP) is going to be making a weekly appearance in my kitchen and on the blog for the next few months. I haven’t ever been an avid user, but ever since I made the sesame chicken crock–pot dish, my CP pretty much hasn’t left the counter!

Easy preparation and easy cleaning. Plus- there are gajillions of recipes around the blogosphere. Just search crock-pot recipes on Pinterest and you will be set for life.

Today’s recipe is in my opinion, an All American Classic. My mom made chili all the time growing up in the crock-pot and it never gets old. This is THE perfect recipe to make for game day or eat on a crisp Fall night. Speaking of Fall…

Highs are only in the upper 60’s for the next few days. My bittersweet summer, don’t leave me.

Along with my chicken chili, I made a pan of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread. I didn’t have any already made quinoa or that would have been thrown in there to make my Quinoa Cornbread. Instead, I followed the package and added a scoop of Designer Whey Plain Protein Powder for some extra protein. Why not right? I couldn’t taste it at all and I got me some protein!

Ingredients for Crock-Pot Chicken Chili

chicken breasts
salsa, mild
water
black beans
white northern beans
diced tomatoes
fresh jalapeños, diced
chili powder
cumin powder
garlic powder
onion powder
smoked paprika
lemon or ground black pepper
milk
flour, any kind

If you could choose any meal to be made in a crock-pot, what would it be?

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Crock-Pot Chicken Wings

November 24, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Crock-Pot Chicken Wings

I told you I would be back with 19 more crock-pot recipes. The crock-pot is that one invention that I wish I would have thought of. It’s genius. Pure genius. Everyone is “busy,” and some people claim to be “too busy to make themselves dinner at home.” Well- they probably don’t own a crock pot! It makes cooking in general so simple. Throw a bunch of stuff in a pot, turn it on, and 3 hours later…viola!

Like chicken wings for example. You can make chicken wings in your crock-pot.

This time I experimented with different ingredients to make a sort of sweet and sour tasting version, but your options for flavor are endless!

I’m thinking this recipe is going to become: “Lee’s classic game day recipe.”

The flavor actually reminds me of my Crock Pot Sesame Chicken. I wonder why… I used many of the same flavors .

For this recipe I acutually mistakenly purchased full chicken wings instead of the already separated wings and drumsticks. Either works just fine…it’s just more work to separate the full chicken wing into bite size pieces.

I strained the sauce before serving, but you could always add a thickening agent like corn starch if you are a “sauce person.” In my opinion, these wings had a TON of flavor just from sitting in the marinade for 3 hours, so the extra sauce wasn’t necessary for my preference.

I am thinking about doing a crock-pot series every Sunday. I say this now and I already know I’m not going to post one next Sunday because the wonderful Lindsay from the Lean Green Bean will be taking over while I am in Florida for the Anytime Fitness Conference Thursday-Sunday. It will just have to wait until October.

Ingredients for Crock-Pot Chicken Wings

chicken wingettes and drummettes
red wine vinegar
soy sauce
ketchup
honey
hot sauce
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
green onion
water

Check out some of my other Crock-Pot Recipes…

Happy Sunday I have a busy ACE work with the Anytime Fitness Conference happening this week.

I also have some tubular (yes I said tubular) recipes coming up that I’ve already scheduled!

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Chicken Quinoa Soup

November 24, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Chicken Quinoa Soup recipe

It is officially fall here. Leaves are changing and leaves are falling. I have a love hate relationship with fall. Fall means chili and layering and pretty colors and perfect temperatures. But it also means winter is right around the corner. sigh.

Speaking of Chili…FFF’s Black Bean and Quinoa Chili was featured a couple times the past few days…

BuzzFeed’s 24 Extremely Delicious Slow Cooker Dinners
Huffington Post’s Warm Up this Fall with 12 Chili and Cornbread Recipes

Today’s recipe is classic, simple, and delicious (and Blake approved!).

Not much work has to go into this recipe…or ingredients. I love how hearty it is. Plus- it’s gluten free and there’s quinoa in it. #winning

This recipe is one of those…that I thought of in the shower. I swear I think of the greatest ideas either in the shower or on a run. TMI?

Ingredients for Chicken Quinoa Soup recipe

quinoa
chicken breasts
chicken stock
carrots
celery sticks
parsley
minced garlic
salt
bay leaf
sliced green onion

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Muenster Apple and Maple Bourbon Bacon Grilled Cheese

November 20, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Muenster Apple and Maple Bourbon Bacon Grilled Cheese

This post is sponsored by Pure Canadian Maple Syrup. I was compensated, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Hey grownups, do you eat grilled cheese?

Uhhh- you should!

My friends at Pure Canadian Maple sent me a giant package with lots of maple syrup involved and I knew what I wanted my first recipe to include….BACON! Maple + Bourbon = insane flavor, that’s all I have to say!

I started off by creating a little marinade: half maple syrup + half bourbon. Then, I let the bacon soak for about 30 minutes, so that it would become infused with flavor. On to my pan they went to cook and get crispy.

Of course the alcohol is burned off during this process, but luckily the bourbon flavor stays.

Maple + Bourbon = Love.

Now for the fun part. I made this bacon around 10:15 in the morning. I wasn’t in the mood for breakfast, but “I could eat lunch.” Yes, I sometimes I eat lunch before 11AM (don’t judge!). Grilled cheese sounded just fab.

No words can really describe the party that will happen in your mouth if you make this recipe!

Ingredients for Muenster Apple and Maple Bourbon Bacon Grilled Cheese recipe

uncured bacon
bourbon
Pure Canadian Maple Syrup
multi-grain bread
muenster cheese, thinly sliced
apple, thinly sliced
Maple Bourbon Bacon, cut in half
butter

I’ve been putting maple syrup on/in everything lately. We’ve already had a couple fall-like days here in Minnesota (sigh), so honestly, maple syrup is a perfect addition to pretty much anything! There are a few reasons why I am a maple syrup lover. Let’s discuss…

1 ingredient
Pure
No artificial additives
Excellent source of magnesium and zinc
Vegan and paleo-friendly
Gluten-free
Most importantly, it tastes good!

Maple Sugar Alternative Infographic #MapleSyrup #Vegan #GlutenFree

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Muenster, Apple, and Maple Bourbon Bacon Grilled Cheese

Author: Lee Hersh
Total Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients

Scale

For the bacon:1 pound uncured bacon
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons Pure Canadian Maple Syrup

For the Grilled cheese 2 pieces of multi-grain bread
2 pieces of muenster cheese, thinly sliced
4 pieces of apple, thinly sliced
1 piece of Maple Bourbon Bacon, cut in half
½ tablespoon butter

Instructions

For the bacon:First, place bacon in a medium sized bowl. Then, pour in Pure Canadian Maple Syrup and bourbon. Toss to make sure everything is evenly coated. Let sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Next, heat a non-stick frying pan to medium/high heat. Then, place bacon strips on pan (I did four at a time). Cook for a few minutes or until you can see the edges turning golden brown. Use a fork to flip and cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until it reaches your desired texture.
Place cooked bacon on a plate lined with paper towels. Pat with another paper towel on top to remove excess grease.
To finish cooking the rest of the bacon, pour existing bacon grease from pan into a small container and wipe clean with paper towels. Note: There will be black residue from the bourbon and maple mixture, it should wipe clean with paper towel if you are using a nonstick pan.

For the Grilled cheese:Prepare your grilled cheese by lining a piece of multi-grain bread with thinly sliced muenster cheese. Then, add on the apple slices and bacon. Place 2nd piece of bread on top.
Heat a nonstick pan to medium heat and rub with butter or coconut oil. Place sandwich on pan and cover. Let cook for about 3 minutes or until the bread begins to brown.
Flip and cover again. Let cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the bread begins to brown.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Olive Oil Parmesan Grilled Corn

November 18, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Olive Oil Parmesan Grilled Corn

Spice up your corn with olive oil and parmesan cheese for the most flavorful, EASY summertime side that can be made right at home on your grill!

If you are anything like me, you love grilled corn. Growing up in the midwest has given me the luxury of living near hundreds of farm fields filled with this knee-high love.

There’s nothing better than State Fair’s roasted corn stand. A little dip of butter and some salt. Ohh baby. Speaking of the state fair, growing up that was one of my summer jobs! I’d help run the Wisconsin State Fair’s apparel booth. Fun stuff.

For this recipe, I wanted to get a little bit more creative than the classic butter + salt combo. Insert —> EVOO + parmesan cheese + basil.

It’s so easy to make and I almost guarantee that you have all of these ingredients in your kitchen already! You’ll for sure need a piece of tin foil, so that you can wrap your corn and seal in some moisture as it’s cooking on the grill. It only takes 5 minutes to prep and you’re on your way to corn on the cob heaven.

ENJOY!!!

Basic Ingredients

4 ears of corn
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup EVOO
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste

How to make Olive Oil Parmesan Grilled Corn

Preheat grill to 400ºF.
Prep corn by shucking and placing all 4 on a large piece of aluminum foil. Set aside.
Make your Olive Oil Parmesan mixture by mixing together grated parmesan, EVOO, dried basil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
Next, dress up your corn by rubbing them down with your marinade. Wrap the corn in your aluminum foil, so that they can properly steam/cook on the grill.
Place aluminum foil pack on grill for around 30-35 minutes, or until the corn is cooked all the way through.

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Olive Oil Parmesan Grilled Corn

Author: Lee Hersh

Print Recipe

Save Recipe

Description

Spice up your corn with olive oil and parmesan cheese for the most flavorful, EASY summertime side that can be made right at home on your grill!

Instructions

Preheat grill to 400ºF.
Prep corn by shucking and placing all 4 on a large piece of aluminum foil. Set aside.
Make your Olive Oil Parmesan mixture by mixing together grated parmesan, EVOO, dried basil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.
Next, dress up your corn by rubbing them down with your marinade. Wrap the corn in your aluminum foil, so that they can properly steam/cook on the grill.
Place aluminum foil pack on grill for around 30-35 minutes, or until the corn is cooked all the way through.

Crock-Pot Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Soup

November 17, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Crock-Pot Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Soup

Whip out that crock-pot and pile in all of your favorite ingredients to make this stupid-easy Crock-Pot Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Soup!

One of the first series I ever did on FFF was One-Pot Sundays. Each Sunday during the fall/winter, I would post a meal that could be prepped in a single pot. Ie: Crock-Pot Maple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats, Cashew Chicken Quinoa Bake, and Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa Chili. I loved the series, you loved the series, so I decided that I was going to amp up my one-pot meals this winter…just for you.

And me. Duh.

My inspiration for this recipe actually comes from my good friend Abbie! We do dinners together often and the other week she made a very similar rendition to this Chicken Quinoa Enchilada Soup, except for hers was made on the stove top. Abbie and I are alike in that when we are cooking for ourselves (or our families), we NEVER write anything down or measure. Add a little bit of this and a little bit of that and maybe some more of that and voila. Dinner is served!

I tell you, Abbie is one of the best non-measuring cooks I’ve ever met.

crock-pot-chicken-quinoa-enchilada-soup-6

You pretty much throw all of the ingredients, RAW, into a big ol’ crock-pot and let it simmer. That’s one of the reasons why I love quinoa so much. It’s such an easy seed to throw into crock-pot soup or chili because it will for sure cook AND give the dish a boost of protein and texture. Ancient Harvest Quinoa’s Tri-Color Harmony Blend is definitely my fav. I’ve always got like 3 boxes in my cabinet at all time.

Once the chicken is fully cooked (about 3 hours in on high) you remove it, shred it, and put it back in for a few more minutes of simmer time. This recipe is actually difficult to mess up. If you are looking for a healthier enchilada sauce, I recommend Frontera Foods because the ingredient list is pretty short. Or…you can make your own!