Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I needed a quick and healthy dinner that would appease both my husband and my picky toddler.  I'm a huge fan of cashews and lettuce wraps, so I thought, "Hey, let's try Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps!".   It only took about 20 minutes to make, and everyone gobbled the wraps right up.  Success!

15 Minute Spaghetti Squash Curry

A few months ago, my brother and sister-in-law came over for dinner and we each made our favorite Asian-style recipes to share with each other.  I made my Asian Lettuce Wraps and they made a Spaghetti Squash Curry.  I was astonished that such a tasty meal (and boy was it tasty!) was so quick and easy to prepare!  You can jazz it up with your favorite sautéed vegetables and/or proteins (I like tofu, red bell pepper, and mushrooms), or you can keep it simple and just serve it as is.   The simplicity of this delicious recipe, has made it into one of our regular family dinners.

Thai Coconut Curry

I love Thai food, particularly curry.  It's just so flavorful and hearty, yet at the same time, somehow still light and healthy. I always feel pretty great after eating a big bowl of curry, instead of feeling groggy and heavy like I do after most hearty meals.  What I love most about curry is that it is so flexible.  You can play around with the spices, use whatever vegetables are in season, and add in whatever protein you have on hand.  Furthermore, you can dress it up with garnishes if you are feeling fancy, or keep it simple if your are feeling lazy.  I do recommend you have Sriracha Sauce nearby if you like your curry to have an extra kick.

Slow Cooker Sriracha & Honey BBQ Chicken

I remember the first time I laid eyes upon Sriracha Sauce, a spicy garlic chili sauce sent straight from heaven.  It was almost a decade ago, and I noticed bottles of it sitting on every table at the Dekalb Farmer's Market's cafeteria. Feeling adventurous, I squeezed a little bit onto some roasted eggplant I was enjoying.  I fell immediately in love.  It's spicy and garlicky, and adds the perfect amount of heat to pretty much any entree or side dish you can think of.  So when I saw a recipe for Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken from Foodie with Family, I made it immediately.  I altered the recipe just a tad, and I changed the way it was served in order to make it healthier and lighter.  The result?  A sweet and spicy barbecue that is easily made in your slow cooker.  Made with Sriracha AND easy to make? Score!

Slow Cooker Garam Masala Chicken

Most slow cooker recipes are basically the same old boring chicken or beef recipe, so I'm always on the lookout for more original and creative slow cooker recipes.  I recently found a recipe for Crock Pot Garam Masala on a blog called Peanut Butter Fingers, and I was intrigued by the seasoning it utilized. I had never cooked with Garam Masala before, so I didn't know quite what to expect. Turns out that Garam Masala is an intense mixture of Indian spices; an aromatic blend that really jazzed up the normally bland ingredients of chicken and cauliflower. The dish was easy to make, delicious, and healthy. I felt like it needed a little heat, so I stirred in a generous amount of Sriracha Sauce, and it was just perfect.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I stumbled upon a recipe for Asian Lettuce Wraps last week and realized that I have never tried lettuce wraps before! This particular recipe, from Iowa Girl Eats, is meant to be a lighter version of P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps.  Since I have never eaten them, I can't say whether they were similar to them or not. I can, however, say that they were absolutely delicious.  I changed the original recipe around a bit, and I used PB2 instead of regular peanut butter to save on calories.  I served the Asian Lettuce Wraps with a side of Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, and it ended up being one of the best meals I've had in a while. Bonus? It took under 30 minutes to make.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry

My husband's fall garden yielded a huge amount of sweet potatoes this year, and I've been trying to come up with recipes that will utilize them.  This is not a difficult task, as our family loves sweet potatoes.  The weather has finally turned chilly, so I decided to make a chicken curry and swap out the regular potatoes for the nutritionally superior sweet potatoes.  I'm glad I did, because it turned out fantastic.  This dish is easy, inexpensive to make, and has the added benefit of being healthy and diet friendly.  Plus, it makes your belly warm and happy on these cold winter evenings.

Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Stew

I love slow cooker meals.  You can throw a bunch of inexpensive ingredients in a pot, turn it on low, leave the house, and come back to a delicious meal.  However, most of my go-to slow cooker meals are kind of boring.  Tasty, but not very adventurous.  So when I saw Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Stew on Pinterest, I pinned it immediately, knowing it was going to be one of those pins I actually make.