Brandon’s boss got to spend some time at the Biggest loser resort in California where she learned about exercise and eating habits that fit her lifestyle. She was so excited to come back and share her experience with Brandon. We are so lucky to have her encouraging us- she was so kind and gave us the Biggest Loser cookbook edition 1 and 2. I have been browsing through and turning a few recipes into ones that fit our meal plan.
Tonight we were hosting some friends and needed a quick meal while we cleaned the house and prepared for our guests. I thought this sounded like a great night for some Meat on a stick and I happened to have all the ingredients for this easy recipe. They take 25 minutes to prepare, cook and clean. And you can walk around and munch on them while you multi~ task!!! These would also be great appetizers for a get together with friends. I can’t wait to try them on the grill in the spring/ summer. Along with tonight’s quick dinner, I managed to try a new cookie recipe to share with my friends. The cookies were a huge hit among friends who eat like we do and friends who eat “SAD” (Standard American Diet). These were our favorite cookies by far. I used the same batter and turned them into cookie bars- the cookie bars were good but the regular cookies were better. It is amazing how the same batter tastes so different in just a different baking method. (must perfect cookie bar) This recipe is a variation of bakergal.
Sweet and Savory Skewers
Ingredients:
5 Skewers
1 pineapple
½ Red pepper and ½ Green Pepper
¼ Red Onion
2 Chicken Breasts
Cherry Tomatoes
1tsp Sea Salt
1tsp Black Pepper
1 TBS Balsamic Vinagarette
Process:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Chop each ingredient into chunky biteable pieces (About a 1in. by 1 in. piece)
Assemble Skewers by starting with chicken and then add the other ingredients to your liking. Place them in a baking tray and sprinkle with Salt, Pepper and Balsamic.
Bake for 20-25 min (until Chicken is finished).
You could also grill on medium heat for 20 min. (rotate skewers every 5 minutes)
Brandon doesn’t like peppers, onions or tomato so his was just chicken and pineapple. When doing this recipe, I would marinate the chicken in some salt or maybe a little garlic and rosemary. Without the vegetables- he thought the chicken didn’t have enough kick compared to the sweet from the pineapple. While he still loved them, I could tell he wanted his chicken seasoned more.
When using all of the vegetables- you do not need to season your chicken because all of the flavors blend so well together. YUM!
Primal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ¼ C. Almond meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 C. raw honey
2 TBS. Grass fed butter (original recipe calls for Macadamia nut oil but I didn't have that handy)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C. Dark Chocolate chips. (the darker the chip the less sweet it will taste. If you are Primal- you should try for a 72% or higher dark chocolate)
Process:
· Heat oven to 325.
· Mix almond flour, salt, and baking soda well. In a small bowl, mix agave nectar, butter/ oil, and vanilla. Combine wet and dry ingredients, mixing well. Add dark chocolate chips. Batter is very sticky and should be thick enough that you can roll a small ball between your palms and set it on the cookie sheet without it drooping or losing shape.
· Make small balls of cookie dough and space them evenly on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press the cookies down as flat as possible with the palm of your hand. The cookies will not spread out on their own.
· Bake about 6 minutes. Watch closely and remove when the edges start to brown. Place on rack to cool.
· Cookie bar option- Line 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper. Spread batter thinly across pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until top is lightly browned. DO not over-cook and check them every 4 minutes. (If you are paleo/primal- these are great. If you are not use to the dark chocolate- they may not be sweet enough for you.)
