Chicken Piccata

    I've been doing pretty good on my mission to eat healthier! I've taken little steps by eating at home instead of at work. Also, I've switched to using coconut sugar in place of regular sugar in my coffee, it's so good! I loved this chicken piccata recipe! Frankie and I had it for dinner this week with some fresh steamed corn on the cob and I whipped up some fresh coleslaw with greek yogurt and a little siracha. One thing I will say, you're going to want to use a non-stick or cast iron pan, I made the mistake of attempting it in a metal pan first and it didn't go so well, the parmesan stuck to the pan instead of the chicken. Round two in a non-stick pan went great. You're going to love this light lemony sauced chicken!

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

- 2 large chicken breasts, pounded flat

- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan

- 3 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1/2 cup of onion or shallot, diced

- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic

- 1 cup of chicken broth

- 2 tablespoons of capers

- juice of 1 lemon

- salt and pepper to taste

    Take two large chicken breasts and pound them flat with a meat pounder (I carefully used a full bottle of wine). Lightly salt and pepper each breast and then toss them in the grated parmesan cheese. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and cook the chicken until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Next, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for a few minutes, until the liquid has reduced to half. Toss in the capers, lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper. Add the chicken back to the pan heat for a minute, top with a little more parmesan, and enjoy.

Sweet Potato Turkey Meatballs

    It's been a rough couple weeks. I've been battling back problems and it looks like I'm going to have to clean up my diet a bit and loose some weight. So, here it goes! Who would have thought how good healthy meatballs could taste! You are going to want to cook and mash your sweet potato ahead of time. These would be great as an appetizer or served over pasta! You could even make a meatball sub with them! I made a batch and put half of them in the freezer for later.

Sweet Potato Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of mashed sweet potato
- 1 pound of ground turkey
- 1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste 
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients. Form into 2 inch meatballs and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake meatballs for about 35- 40 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

Walnut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

    I am so so so in love with this banana bread recipe! My secret to this moist bread lies in the prepping of my bananas. I freeze them first! Pop your ripe bananas into the freezer and let them get brown for a day or two before you plan on making your bread! When the time comes to bake your bread, take your bananas out of the freezer and let them sit out to defrost for about an hour. I like to add chocolate chips and walnuts to mine, but this recipe is still wonderful without them!

Walnut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients:

- 3 ripe bananas (frozen, thawed, and mashed)

- 3/4 cup of sugar

- 1/4 cup of vegetable oil

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 1 and 1/2 cup of flour

- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

- 1/4 teaspoon of salt

- 3/4 cup of mini chocolate chips (additional for topping)

- 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts (additional for topping)

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside. With a wooden spoon, stir together the banana, sugar, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and top with extra chocolate chips and walnuts if desired. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and run a butter knife around the edges of loaf before extracting from the pan. Serve warm with butter!