Who Says That Fried Rice Can't Be Healthy?

One of the best things about this recipe ..... besides the fact that it is good for you ..... is that you can use up your refrigerator's leftovers!

And, you basically just throw everything into your slow-cooker.

This makes for an easy, family-friendly dinner, that covers all of your macronutrients, too.

 

Healthy Clean Eats Slow-Cooker "Fried Rice"
Approximately 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups leftover brown rice (you could also sub quinoa instead of brown rice)
2 tbsp. organic coconut oil
2 tbsp. coconut aminos or Bragg's liquid aminos (soy sauce substitute)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt
1/2 of a diced yellow onion
2-3 cups of leftover vegetables (I used carrots, onions, celery, and asparagus)
2-3 cups of leftover cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
1-2 eggs (with no shell)

 

 

Mix everything together, and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or on low for 3-4 hours.  You are simply cooking the egg(s) and heating everything up.  This is SO good and I love having the leftovers in the fridge afterwards, too!

 

 

(21 Day Fixers, count 1/6 of this recipe as: 1 yellow, 1-1/2 tsps., 1 green, and 1 red.)

If you would like to participate in one of my monthly 21 Day Fix online accountability groups, get in touch with me here, or email me directly at chrispechulis@gmail.com!

If you give this recipe a try, please let me know!  I would love to hear how it went, and if you came up with any variations as well!

ALL THE BEST,

Quick No-Cook Chipotle Sauce for Chicken

I love the chipotle taste, but these flavorful peppers tend to be used in small doses. I often find myself buying a can of the chipotles in adobo sauce, and only needing a small amount for the original recipe. So I was eager to find another use for what I had on hand this week, and hit upon this quick and easy sauce. Just a few minutes to whip it up, and it was very tasty served over plain baked chicken breasts. The next night I added some to a refried bean burrito and that was good, too. This is a handy one to have in your repertoire if you are a chipotle fan.

Here's the simple ingredient list:

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tsp cumin
pinch cinnamon
1 clove garlic

Simply place all these items in a food processor, puree, and voila! You've got a tasty sauce that's a nice flavor boost to your meal. I served this with a bit of cheese, a tortilla and a side of kale with bacon. If you find another way to use it, I'd love to hear about it!

Super-Quick Pasta with Tomato Onion Sauce and Leftover Chicken

This dish is so simple I almost wasn't going to post it. But perhaps you, too, find yourself with a bit of leftover cooked chicken on hand and are looking for a little inspiration. The combination of onions, tomato and chicken, with some feta and olives tossed in, came out very nicely. You might want to duplicate this or make up you own version.

I started by chopping one sweet onion and sauteeing it in some olive oil until it started to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Added two cloves garlic, minced, and sauteed for another minute. Then in goes a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes and a tsp of dried oregano, simmered on medium heat. I started cooking the small pasta shells at the same time I started cooking the tomatoes. After the tomatoes simmered for about 10 minutes, I added the leftover chicken breast along with a handful of sliced kalamata olives. I had about 8 ozs or so, cut into bite sized pieces. I just wanted the chicken to get heated up but not really cook any more.

Once the pasta was cooked and drained, it gets tossed with the tomato/chicken sauce, along with a 1/2 cup or so of feta cheese. Then you've got a quick, tasty meal ready to enjoy!

Linguine with Turkey and Mushrooms

You have probably come across Turkey Tetrazzini at some point in your culinary travels. If, like me, your experience of it is mostly from your college dining hall days, you'd probably join me in not being eager to replicate it. But I did take away from that dish the notion that turkey and mushrooms can go well together. So when I had a lot of leftover turkey breast on hand, I set about making this pasta dish--much lighter than the creamy casserole dish I was served back at Winthrop House!

2 to 3 cups cooked turkey leftovers, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
12 ozs sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup red wine
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
12 ozs linguine
2/3 cup pecorino romano cheese
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste

Begin boiling the water for the linguine. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and saute. When the onion has softened, after 5 minutes or so, stir in the garlic and cook for another couple minutes. Add 1 tbsp of butter, and when melted, stir in the mushrooms, and add the rosemary, thyme, and salt & pepper to taste. Cook until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, and cook it down for about 5 minutes. Start cooking the pasta according to package directions around the time you add the wine.

After the wine has cooked down, finish the mushroom preparation by adding the other tbsp of butter. Then stir in the leftover turkey and heat until the meat is warmed up. Keep on low heat until the pasta is done.

Drain the pasta when it is done, then toss with the turkey and mushroom mixture, then stir in the cheese.

Wine Pairing: Turkey and mushrooms sure said Pinot Noir to me. Went with the Pennywise Pinot Noir and wasn't disappointed with this good value.