• Tomato Sauce (15 oz. can)
• 1/2 cup Vegetable or Chicken Stock
• Carrots (chopped, 2-4 depending on size) 
• Chickpeas (15 oz. can)
• Red Pepper (chopped)
• Quinoa 
• Onion (diced)
• Garlic (1 Tbsp, minced)
• Chicken (optional)
• Greek Yogurt (optional)
• Coconut or Olive Oil
• Spices:
  • Turmeric (1/2 Tbsp)
  • Paprika (1/2 Tbsp)
  • Cinnamon (3/4 Tbsp)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)

PRODUCE & MEAT

• Kale (2 cups)
• Parsley (1/2 cup)
• Carrots (4 medium size)
• Celery (2 stalks)
• Leek (1 small)
• Onion (1/2)
• Garlic (4 cloves)
• Butternut Squash (1 small)
• Lentils (1/2 cup)
• Chicken Sausage (3 links, flavor of your choice)

Spices & Canned Goods

• Olive Oil (not shown)
• Diced Tomatoes (14 oz. can, fire roasted, or whatever flavor you want)
• Tomato Paste (6 oz. can)
• Vegetable Stock (4 cups)
• Paprika (4 tsp)
• Cayenne Pepper (2 tsp)
• Pepper
• Salt (not listed, to taste)

1. Find someone to be your sous chef, that will make chopping all that veg way faster and cooking far more enjoyable (I did it on my own and was unimpressed by how much chopping I had committed myself to). Tip: chop everything to about the same size! This will ensure that it all cooks evenly. 
2. Heat a medium sized pot, and drizzle in olive oil. Then add garlic, onions, carrots, celery, squash, sausage, and spices. Sauté that biz on medium heat for about 5 minutes. 
3. Add your diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, and lentils. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. 
4. Add tomato paste and greens (kale and parsley). Leave a bit of parsley out for garnish. Serve it up and eaaaattt!
5. (Optional) add cheese and eat with a hearty piece of rustic bread if you aren't watching calories! I added a bit of goat cheese to mine, so good! 

​A dietitian would give this soup an A+! You can probably guess why – this is what you call quality eating. No need to count calories; you can’t go wrong with the abundance of color, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (yes, you will find Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and potassium in that parsley!), all while including every food group.

Every food group? You bet. Your sausage and lentils give you protein.

Have you seen lentils and protein in the same sentence before? There are a surprising 18g per cup! Not to mention lentils have about 15g of fiber per cup. No more poor digestion for you. 

Compare your go-to choice for sausage to a few chicken sausage links and you will reduce saturated fat by as much as 60%.

It pays to read and compare food labels, while you're comparing fat content next time you're at the store, check the sodium as well. 

Finally, your butternut squash (and lentils) give you a mindful portion of carbohydrates. I need more fingers to count the number of vegetables that have been chopped up in the pictures above – way.. to.. go. 

Finally, the sprinkle of goat cheese not only makes my mouth water, but will help optimize your bone and teeth health coming from the dairy department.  ​

• 6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp oil (olive or coconut work best)
• 2 cans coconut milk (lite or full fat)
• 2 tbsp dried basil leaves
• 2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1.5 tbsp yellow curry powder
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp chili powder​
• 1 red onion
• 8 crimini mushrooms 
• 1 green or red bell pepper
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 1 jalepeno, seeds removed
• 1 to 2 tbsp cornstarch (depending on if you use lite or full fat coconut milk)
• 1 to 2 tbsp cold water (1:1 ratio of cornstarch to water)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1. Remove skin and fat from the chicken thighs if it hasn't been already. You can use chicken breasts, but typically using a meat that still has the bone infuses more flavor and nutrients into the food while it cooks. 
2. Season the chicken with eyeballed amounts of the salt, pepper, chilli powder, and basil. Sauté in olive or coconut oil 2 minutes each side on high heat until golden brown. 
3. Put cans of lite coconut milk into crockpot with all the seasonings and garlic. Chop mushrooms, green peppers, red onions and add them and the chicken into the crockpot. 
4. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours until chicken is shreddable. 
5. Remove chicken and place onto a plate after it has cooked and shred with a fork. Add cornstarch to cold water (to thicken sauce) and then add into the crockpot, along with the ginger. Cook 10 minutes longer.
   
6. Serve over quinoa/rice blend and garnish with cilantro. ​
   

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 can diced tomatoes w/            green chilies
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can black olives
• 1 lime
• Cilantro
• ​2 Avocados
• 1 ear of corn (or) can of corn
• 1 package corn tortillas
• 1 cup of salsa
• Cheddar cheese
• ​Olive oil
• Fajita seasoning
• ​Light sour cream

1. Heat a deep skillet or pot with a table spoon of olive oil and put in your chicken, black beans, tomatoes, salsa, corn, fajita seasoning, and about a half cup of water. Let this simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is shreddable. 

2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees once the chicken is ready to shred. Warm up your corn tortillas for about 30 seconds, this will keep them from crumbling when you put in the mixture. Scoop a small handful (but don't literally use your hand, you're not a barbarian) into a tortilla and roll it up, with the opening face down in the pan. Repeat this until the pan is full and pour over any extra mixture on top. Sprinkle some cheese on and then throw that bad boy in the oven for about 15-20 minutes!

3. While your enchiladas are getting cooked to baked goodness, squeeze some fresh lime into the light sour cream container, chop and add some cilantro, add a teaspoon of olive oil, teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix together and you have now made a healthier crema for on top. 

4. Once your timer has gone off, pull them from the oven and while they cool, slice your avocado, olives and then sprinkle those and the reminder of the cilantro on top. Drizzle the crema on and you have now created a less expensive and healthier version of a night out at your local Mexican restaurant! Ole! 

Serving Size: 2 Enchiladas

• 450 kcal 
• 19g Fat 
  
• 44g Carbohydrates,
  
• 30g Protein

• 1.5 oz.  Camarena Silver Tequila (95 kcal)
• 1 oz. J. Brandt Triple Sec (80 kcal)
• 2 tsp Rose's sweetened lime juice (20 kcal)
• 1 oz. each of lime and lemon juice (16 kcal)
• Lemon or lime flavored soda water (0 kcal)
• Total = 211 kcal  ​