Chili-Lime Glazed Ham {21 Day Fix Approved}

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The trouble with cooking a glazed ham is that the recipes often include brown sugar and some sort of fruit juice. If your goal is to reduce sugar intake then a traditional glazed ham is not really a part of your meal planning… until now.

The holidays left me with a sugar hang over and frozen hams just begging to be cooked up. So after searching the internet for hours, I couldn’t really find any recipes that met my need for reduced sugar and only used the minimal amount of spices I happened to have on hand. Therefore, I had to do some creative thinking and came up with the following Recipe

Chili-Lime Ham

Because this recipe only uses a minimal amount of REAL maple syrup, there is NO refined and meets those 21 Day Fix clean eating recommendations. It’s also important to note that unrefined natural sweeteners like maple syrup contain higher levels of beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals than white table sugar or high fructose corn syrup. This glaze has so much flavor and isn’t sticky sweet.
The proportions here are not hot spicy and my kids gobbled this one up.

Ingredients

1 Tbs dark real maple syrup (not Mrs Buttersworth but the REAL stuff. The darker you can get it, the more nutrients)
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp red pepper powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp Adobo sauce and half of an Adobo chili sliced (use more if you like it spicy)
1 tsp fresh lime juice
Fresh lime zest
These are the measurements I used to glaze a 3.5 pound ham so increase measurements for a larger ham.

Directions

Bake the ham according to packing instructions. In the last hour of cooking begin to glaze the ham with your glaze mixture. I like to mix the glaze with the ham juices that accumulate in the roasting pan as well and pour that over the ham. Cover ham and continue cooking. Also, I leave my ham uncovered for the last 15 minutes or so of cooking to get a nice “crust” on the ham.

Butterfinger Shakeology

That left over Halloween candy can be enticing. Good thing there is Shakeology with its benefits of reducing cravings, boosting the immune system, and improving digestion to help give you strength to stick with your health and fitness goals. Here is a great Shakeology recipe to have instead of that guilt of eating the rest of that candy.

1 Scoop of Chocolate Shakeology
1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 1/2 Tbsp of Butterscotch Pudding Mix

1 1/2 Tbsp of Peanut Butter

Add ice and blend to taste.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

What I love about this recipe is that it is sooo simple but packs big flavor. I also love to make this soup because it’s gentle on the wallet. Many of the ingredients I typically already have around in my pantry anyway so if I’m in a pinch, I throw this recipe in the ol’ slow cooker.

PchickentortillasoupIngredients

2 tsp olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 15oz can no salt added black beans
1 14oz can fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp ground oregano
1 pound chicken breast

For serving:
Tortilla strips or tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
Diced avocado, diced roma tomatoes, sour cream (optional)

Instructions
Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic, stirring until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add all ingredients to slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove chicken from soup and shred,
Return to slow cooker.
Allow to cook until heated through.
Serve warm with tortilla strips and cheese and other optional ingredients.

chicken enchilada soup

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Pork carnitas are so versatile. They’re an easy and filling meal you can enjoy all year round. Sometimes when meals are cooked in the slow cooker all day they can end up bland and mushy. The chipotle peppers, spices, and juice come together nicely to create a slightly spicy and sweet heat that isn’t overpowering. After the first time I made these, they quickly became a family favorite.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder, trimmed (I substitute pork loin cause I can get those packages of two for one at Sams)
  • 10 garlic cloves, sliced (Substitue 1 and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce, drained and chopped
  • Fresh Salsa, pico de gallo, lime wedges, and Carb Smart tortillas for serving

Directions:

  1. Combine garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Place roast in a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle pork on all sides with spice mixture.
  2. Combine juices and chipotle chiles. Pour juice mixture over pork. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until pork is tender.
  3. Remove pork from slow cooker; shred with 2 forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid (if you use pork loin there will be no fat and very little cooking liquid). Combine Shredded pork and 1/2 cup cooking liquid; toss well.

Spoon pork into Carb Smart tortilla, top with salsa, pico de gallo, fresh lime juice. Serve with black beans, brown rice, or a sauté of corn and zucchini.

Adapted from Cooking Light Slow Cooker Tonight
Adapted from Cooking Light Slow Cooker Tonight