Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken

Ever since I bought a crock-pot, I never want to eat chicken any other way! It comes out so tender and falls right apart with a fork- no knife needed! The other great thing about crock-pots is you don't have to baby-sit your food -  just throw it in the pot and let it work it's magic.

I always recommend crock-pots to busy clients who want something quick and easy to make when they are prepping their meals for the work week. Here's another one of my favorite and super simple crock-pot recipes.

Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken 

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast (2 large)
2/3 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)

Directions:

1. Place the chicken in the crock-pot. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour onto the chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from the crock-pot and place on a plate. Pull apart with two forks. Add back to the sauce and stir to combine. Serve!

Popular Sugar Substitutes: Which Ones Are Healthy?

There is conflicting research around the use of artificial sweeteners. While real sugar is fine in moderation, too much can contribute to the development of diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease, obesity, and more. Furthermore, too much can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash very quickly which will not leave you feeling your best. Sugar has no nutritional value, and is highly processed and refined. Below, I've listed some of the most popular sweeteners that may (or may not!) be a healthier alternative to white sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar is made from fresh coconut tree sap. The sap is heated to remove moisture, resulting in the crystal form of sugar. The taste is similar to brown sugar with a hint of caramel. Unlike table sugar, coconut sugar contains several nutrients including iron, zinc, calcium and potassium. Some studies have shown that coconut sugar has a low glycemic index than table sugar, meaning that it does not cause your blood sugar level to spike rapidly and drop rapidly after consumption. Although it is less refined than white sugar, it still has the same amount of calories and should be consumed in moderation.

Pure Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. The sap is tapped in the winter, then condensed and evaporated to reduce the water content and create its thick consistency. It takes about 40-50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup! Maple syrup contains more nutrients than honey, sugar, brown sugar, and agave. It is an excellent source of manganese and riboflavin, and a good source of zinc which plays an important role in keeping the immune system healthy. When purchasing, be sure you are buying pure maple syrup. Most syrup in stores, like Aunt Jemima's and Log cabin, are just corn syrup sweetened with sugar. As with all sweeteners, use sparingly. Or, try cooking down fresh or frozen fruit as a substitute for syrup on waffles or pancakes!

Agave Syrup: Agave is liquid sweetener derived from the agave plant- the same plant used to make tequila! It is slightly sweeter than sugar, with a taste similar to honey. It is made from the starchy agave root (not the sap), so it is highly processed resulting in a fructose content of about 70% (higher than high fructose corn syrup!). Overall, it is not a healthier choice.

Honey: Honey is made by honey bees from the nectars of flowers and plants. It consists mainly of sugar and water, but also nutrients such as B complex vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. Raw honey also contains antioxidants, which helps fight off damaging free radicals. It contains more calories than table sugar, but less honey is needed since it is sweeter. Keep in mind that refined pasteurized honey is no better than table sugar, so be sure to buy raw honey.

Stevia: This sugar substitute comes from the leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant, native to South America. Stevia has NO artificial ingredients, contains little to no calories, and is 200-450 times sweeter than sugar. It does not have any effect on blood sugar making it a healthier alternative for diabetics (versus Equal, Splenda, and Sweet and Low). If the powdered form is too bitter tasting for you, try the liquid stevia drops (I recommend SweetLeaf!) Check out this link for Vitacost to purchase some of these healthier sugar alternatives. They have the best prices!! 

Keep in mind: If you are only consuming one to two packets of sugar a day because you enjoy it in your coffee and tea (and you're not diabetic), that's totally fine!! A packet of sugar is only 16 calories, so it will not make or break your day.  

Any other sugar alternatives you want to learn more about? Comment below!

Healthy Cookie Dough

Cookie dough that's actually good for you! Slightly modified the recipe from PopSugar. 

So easy to make, and a great way to get a good source of fiber, protein, and manganese.

Healthy Cookie Dough

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and pat dry
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey
Optional: Add 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder  

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Bacon. Enough said.

Yes, this is turkey bacon, but it crisped up and caramelized in the oven and was absolutely delicious.

I was looking for a good recipe for bacon wrapped chicken, and a lot of them included brown sugar and chili powder. I didn't have any brown sugar, so I substituted honey. I wound up using way less sweetener than other recipes called for, and this still came out delicious!

Turkey Bacon Wrapped Chicken 

Ingredients:

3/4 lbs chicken breast, cut into 4 tenders (my tenders were 3 ounces each)
4 slices turkey bacon
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon chili powder
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. Mix the honey, water, chili powder, and salt in a small bowl (until honey has dissolved).

3. Wrap each chicken tender with a piece of bacon. Dip them in the honey mixture (get it all in there!) then place on the baking pan.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until bacon is crispy and the chicken is cooked through. 

Cauliflower: Pizza'd, Riced, and Bun'd

I had leftover cauliflower from my pizza experiment, so I decided to make Cauliflower Fried Rice! It’s amazing how much it really resembled the texture of rice- and it was SO easy. I grated my cauliflower in my Ninja. Next, I beat a whole egg and “fried” it on a pan coated with cooking spray. I put the egg aside then sautéed some baby bell peppers, onion,garlic, and lots of grated ginger. Once the veggies were soft, I added some chopped steamed broccoli. Finally, I added the cauliflower “rice” and let it cook for a few minutes. Splashed the whole thing with some sake and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (could use soy sauce), then sprinkled it with a  little stevia and BAM- Cauliflower fried rice!!!