The BEST Chicken Marinade EVER! Great for meal prep!

 Let's make the BEST chicken ever. It's the best because it is a super quick marinade. 2 hour minimum marinate time but you can also let it sit in the marinade in the fridge for up to 2 days. It's also super juicy and flavorful. But the best part is- it's super versatile. You can add this chicken to salads, make a grilled chicken sandwich, nourish bowls, make chicken salad out of it, buffalo chicken wraps, caesar salad topper, the list goes on and on. I make this chicken every week for a reason: simple, fast, and delicious. 

The best chicken marinade ever:

1.5 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano OR Italian Seasoning

1 tsp paprika

Trim your chicken and halve lengthwise any extra thick pieces to ensure even cooking. 
In a resealable plastic bag (or a large bowl) add in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add in your chicken, turning to coat. Then add in the other 1 tbsp of olive oil and coat the chicken as evenly as you can.  In a small bowl mix together all of your dried spices and the salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until they are well combined. Add half the spice mixture to the chicken and mix well coating the chicken. Then add in the rest of the spice mixture and mix to coat. 
Marinate in the fridge 2 hours or up to 2 days. Then, cook however you choose. Bake it, grill it, pan fry it, air fry it, grill pan it, the sky is the limit. 
Enjoy! 

Watch me make this recipe int he video below!

LOW CARB, HIGH PROTEIN Vanilla Fruit Smoothie

 This smoothie has become an obsession. By obsession I mean I'm eating it 5 out of 7 days per week to break my fast and I LOVE IT! It's super creamy like a milkshake and my recipe makes a BIG smoothie. Like 32 ounces, big! It's nutty and fruity and smooth with a touch of sweetness. Plus it packs a big protein punch at 58 grams of protein! This smoothie keeps me full for HOURS. Highly recommend if you are looking for a low carb, high protein lunch or breakfast. Try it and tell me what you think!

Exact ingredients I used

Low carb Vanilla Fruit Smoothie- Serves 1 

6-7 ice cubes

2 scoops of low carb protein powder, I use ISOPURE protein powder

1/2 cup frozen fruit blend (pictured above)

2 Tbsp hemp hearts

3 Tbsp unsweetened coconut

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

Add ingredients to your blender and blend for 60 seconds or until all ingredients are incorporated together. Enjoy!

Nutritional Facts for entire smoothie:

468 Calories

10g Net Carbs

58g Protein

The BEST low carb Chicken Marsala EVER!

 Chicken Marsala has always been one of my favorites. I find that a good quality marsala wine from the wine section of your store really elevates this meal and the one I buy is only $7.95 and allows me to make 4 meals! Definitely worth it. I hope you enjoy this low carb marsala as much as our family. I like to serve mine over zucchini noodles or hearts of palm noodles but you could also do cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash to keep it low carb. Or simply serve with some sautéed broccoli and a side salad. Perfect for a special occasion or a Tuesday night!

low carb Chicken Marsala- serves 4 

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp flour*

salt & pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

3 Tbsp salted butter, divided

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced- I use shiitake, white, or baby Bella (or any combo of those will do)

3/4 cup Marsala cooking wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

Prepare the chicken by slicing it lengthwise. Season with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Then take 1 tablespoon of flour (if using) and dust over the chicken. 

Heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken until it is golden brown on the first side, about 5 minute. Then flip and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. It might not be done cooking yet- that's ok. It will finish cooking in the sauce. 

Then add in the 2 remaining tablespoons of butter on medium/medium high heat and brown up the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes. 

Then add in the marsala wine and allow to come up to a bubble. Scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits of mushroom and chicken. Allow this to bubble for 3-4 minutes and reduce slightly. 

Next, add in the heavy cream. Stir well to incorporate. Then add the chicken and any juices from the plate back into the pan. Cook for about 5 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Taste for seasoning and add in more salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

*If you're not eating flour you can sub almond flour OR leave out the flour altogether and just use the spices as a rub. This will affect the nutritional facts and lower the carbs too :)

Nutritional Facts per serving:

529 Calories

9.4g Carbs

0.6g Fiber

8.8g NET CARBS

42g Protein

low carb Zucchini Tart

I'm obsessed with quiche and I wanted to create a low carb version with all of the flavor and none of the guilt! This zucchini tart is just SO delicious! Light and fluffy, the perfect almond flour crust and fresh zucchini. It really is perfection. Serve with a fresh green salad and you have a meatless meal that will not disappoint!!

 low carb Zucchini Tart- Serves 4 

Crust:

1 3/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp almond flour

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt 

5 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling:

1 medium zucchini, sliced thin (about 5-5.5 ounces)

1 Tbsp green onion, sliced thin

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

3 large eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 Tsp garlic powder

2 tsp fresh dill, chopped

Salt and pepper

Topping:

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 

Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and add to a colander, sprinkle with salt and allow the zucchini to release its moisture. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime let's make the crust. 

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the butter. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine. Then add in the melted butter and mix together until it is well incorporated. The texture should resemble wet sand. 

Greased a 9 inch, glass pie pan and add the crust ingredients. Push down to form an even crust layer making sure to go all the way to the top of the pan around the entire circle (watch the above video for reference).

Bake the crust for 15 minutes at 325 then allow to cool for 15 minutes before adding the filling. 

For the filling combine all of the ingredients except the zucchini. 

Whisk together well so everything is well incorporated. 

Take the zucchini and pat it dry to catch all the moisture. 

Then add in 3/4 of the zucchini to the filling, mix slowly to combine. 

Once the crust has cooled, pour in the filling. Then top with the remaining zucchini slices. Then cover the top with the parmesan cheese. 

Bake for 60-65 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info

Per serving:

455 calories

10g net carbs

24g of protein

low carb French Onion Meatloaf

Comfort food to the max! There's no reason sticking to a lifestyle way of eating should feel hard, depriving or not taste good! I hope I'm proof that living a low carb lifestyle can be delicious and easy. This recipe fits right into what I love- yummy comfort food with minimal ingredients that's easy to prepare and FUN to eat. 

French Onion Meatloaf- serves 4 

1 medium white onion, sliced thin

4 Tbsp of butter, divided 

1 lb ground turkey or ground beef

4 Tablespoons Almond Flour

small sprinkle of dried Thyme

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

3/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1 Large Egg

3oz Gruyere Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil 

For the Gravy:

1 head of Garlic

2 cups Stock (chicken or beef depending on which type of meat you're using)

3 Tbsp butter

In a large sauté pan heat 2 Tbsp of butter and a tsp of olive oil over medium/ medium low heat. Add in the sliced onion. Add in a small sprinkle of salt and allow them to cook for about 20-25 minutes until they are soft and cooked down. Set aside. 

Cut the head of garlic about 1/4 from the top. Place it on a piece of tin foil and drizzle on 1/2 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close up the tin foil and roast on the same baking sheet as the meatloaf. Allow to cook for 30 minutes.

For the meatloaf: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl add in the ground meat, almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, sprinkle of salt and pepper, and another sprinkle of dried thyme. Then add in the egg and about half of the cooked onions. 

Mix well and form into a loaf on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees. 

Then top the meatloaf with the rest of the cooked onions and the shredded gruyere. Put back into the oven under the broiler, watching it carefully for the cheese to melt and brown, about 5 minutes. 

Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing into it. 

For the gravy:

When the meatloaf timer has 20 minutes left bring the beef broth and butter to a rolling boil on medium high heat. Remove the garlic head from the oven after it has been cooking for 30 minutes and remove the cloves with a knife (see video for how I do it) and add them into the stock.  Let this reduce down for 20 minutes whisking every few minutes breaking up the garlic cloves. 

To serve cut the meatloaf and spoon some gravy over each slice. Enjoy! 

Nutritional Facts 

Per Serving:

417 Calories

31g of Protein

8.6g of Carbs

1.6g of Fiber

7g of Net Carbs