Sunday, November 8, 2015

Clean Eating Pasta Sauce

I am looking to spice up my meal plans for the upcoming week!  I am looking for quick easy meals!!!  And I absolutely love my crock pot so this is a must!
So this is one that is going on the list!!!! 

Who doesn't love a great Italian Dinner?!?!

This recipe is just as easy but a few ingredients are changed/added to give it an Italian flair!!!  You can add some extra pasta sauce, sliced veggies, and/or quinoa pasta noodles to have a deliciously healthy spaghetti dinner ready in minutes!


Ingredients:
3-4 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 medium tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped onion (we use Vidalia/Sweet)
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey



 
 
 
 
Dry Ingredients/Spices:
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp thyme
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp bay leaves
 
 


 
Directions:
1.  Mix all ingredients (not including the chicken breasts) together in a blender/food processor (must hold at least 5 cups) and blend for about 30 seconds until ingredients are mixed well.

2.  Place blended pasta sauce in sauce pan and simmer on low/medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until sauce takes on a thicker consistency and a dark shade of red.

3.  Mix chicken breasts and pasta sauce in crock pot and cook on low heat for at least 7 hours.

4.  After 7 hours, you will notice the sauce looks very runny, this is normal.  Remove crock pot from heating base, shred chicken with a wooden spoon or spatula and as it cools, the shredded chicken will absorb the juices from the pasta sauce.


Macros (based on a 6 oz serving):
Calories: 160
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 2g
Protein: 36g


  Tips:
  • I like to make my own pasta sauce at home so that I can avoid the added sugars and other unwanted ingredients.  You can use the store-bought pasta sauce but try to avoid the brands with a lot of added sugar, preservatives, etc.  Muir Glen is usually a pretty good choice if your store carries it.
  • This recipe is very versatile so we sometimes add chopped zucchini, celery, red bell pepper, and sliced onion.
  • I haven't tried it yet, but you can add some red wine to the sauce.
  • You can simplify this recipe by adding 3-4 Tbsp of Italian seasoning rather most of the individual spices listed above...I just like to experiment with different ingredient amounts.
 
Enjoy and keep it clean!
 
Renee Smith
Independent Diamond BeachBody Coach

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