I'm always pleasantly surprised when cookies made without any grains somehow can turn out just as chewy and delicious as traditional cookies. Even MR. KISS in the Kitchen is loving this recipe and he's more of a "gluten-full" cookie man, if you know what I mean ;).

It's no secret that it's pumpkin spice (and pumpkin spice latte) season and this month's The Recipe ReDux theme is all about pumpkin spice! Some of my favorite dietitian bloggers have some pretty creative pumpkin spice recipes so make sure to check out their recipes at the end of this post!

With only 5 ingredients, these cookies are incredibly simple to make. Simply mix almond butter, coconut sugar, egg, baking soda and pumpkie pie spice together, roll into balls and bake. It really is THAT simple. And the result is THAT delicious. And although there aren't any grains in this recipe, I'm not trying to pass it off as a "healthy cookie". There's plenty of sugar in this recipe to disqualify from any sort of light cookie experience, but who's really into diet cookies anyway ;)?

If you bake these cookies for about 8 minutes they turn out chewy (how I like them), but if you are more of a crunchy cookie person then bake for about 10 minutes!

KISS Tip #1: You may want to double this recipe because in my experience, the cookies go FAST!
KISS Tip #2: Make sure to use raw almond butter that doesn't have any added ingredients. If you choose one that has added sugars, oils, etc., it may alter the baking process or final texture of the cookie. I use the almond butter that is actually ground at the store and is only 100% almonds! 

KISS Grain Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 20 cookies
 
Ingredients
1 cup almond butter*
1 cup coconut sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
 
Instructions
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.) In a medium bowl combine almond butter, coconut sugar, egg, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.
3.) Using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop batter (heaping) and roll into a ball.
4.) Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart and using a fork, create criss crosses on the ball, flattening them slightly.
5.) For chewy cookies, bake for about 8 minutes. For crispy cookies, bake for about 10.
 
*As mentioned in the post, make sure to use raw almond butter that doesn't have any added ingredients. If you choose one that has added sugars, oils, etc., it may alter the baking process or final texture of the cookie. I use the almond butter that is actually ground at the store and is only 100% almonds!

Sheet pan meals are basically a survival method during high stress seasons. I recently made my 8 Minute Citrus Shrimp and Zoodles Sheet Pan recipe on the air at Great Day SA and it was such a hit! If you haven't tried it, I promise you'll love how fast, easy and delicious it is! It inspired me to brainstorm more sheet pan meals and I knew I wanted to create one with chicken tenders. The slightly sweet and tangy marinade plus the sweetness of sweet potatoes make this one delicious and flavorful meal!

I'm shooting real straight with y'all and sharing what I learned while creating this recipe in a short and sweet version (because the baby is asleep and I need to be packing for a trip and get some Z's!!).

1.) The flavor on this dish is bomb, but I really think the chicken needs to marinate for 6 hours or overnight.
2.) I would use skinny tenders or pound the chicken to less than 1/2 inch thickness.
3.) The green beans need to be cut in small pieces than what you see in the photo. I love al dente, but they were a bit too crunchy if you leave them that long. Cut them in half or even thirds.

This is the perfect year-round meal and definitely one that will make the whole family happy. From little eaters to teenagers eating you out of house and home, this sheet pan supper is sure to satisfy! Like that alliteration, huh?

KISS Tip: If you're craving more of a creamy sweet potato, I would substitute a baked sweet potato by either roasting some sweet potatoes ahead of time or microwave a couple while this is baking. These swoodles are delicious, but they definitely have more of a slightly al dente texture instead of creamy sweet potatoes.

Maple Balsamic Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Sheet Pan
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes hands on, 25 minute cook time (overnight marinade for chicken recommended)

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless tenders, pounded if more than 1/2 inch thick
1 10.7oz package or about 5 cups spiralized sweet potatoes
1 1/2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half or ~2 inch pieces
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Marinade:
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp avocado oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions
1.) Mix all the marinade ingredients together and if chicken tenders are more than about 1/2 inch thick, use the flat end of a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken to about about 1/2 inch thickness.
2.) Either place chicken in a gallon resealable bag with marinade OR place chicken in a glass baking dish and cover with marinade. I prefer the resealable bag for easy cleanup, but your call!
3.) Let chicken marinade overnight or for at least 6 hours
4.) Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with oil.
5.) Toss spiralized sweet potatoes in 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil and place on center of the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the cinnamon on top.
6.) Place chicken on top of the sweet potatoes.
7.) Toss cut green beans in 1 Tbsp avocado oil, dust with salt and pepper and spread out green beans in the space above and below the sweet potatoes and chicken.
8.) Add in the cherry tomatoes on top of chicken. You can add a lot more if you enjoy roasted tomatoes!
9.) Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until the chicken reads 160° when checked with a meat thermometer.
10.) Serve immediately and enjoy!

I owe way too many people an apology for not posting this recipe sooner. I may have teased it one too many times on social and then every time something would happen and I didn't get it up. #momlife #tiredmom

But alas, it's here and I promise it's worth the wait! This Lemon Chicken Zoodles with Spicy Sesame Oil is a game changer for your weeknight menu.

I'm a pretty big zoodle fan, but mainly because I love vegetables. If I'm in the mood for pasta, substituting zucchini spirals doesn't usually satisfy that craving, so I would recommend using your favorite pasta if that's what you have the hankering for. Otherwise, the flavors and textures of this dish really work with the zucchini!

This is a light dish with lemons, sage and walnuts incorporated into grilled chicken, tomatoes and zoodles. The finishing touch is a generous drizzle of spicy sesame oil and the flavors marry so well. If you make dish once, I feel pretty confident you'll make it twice ;).

It tastes just as good as it looks and is pretty simple to put together. I also think it would go nicely with shrimp if you're wanting a break from chicken or just enjoy shrimp more!

Apologies again for taking way too long to get this recipe up and I hope you don't wait as long to make it as I did to post it!

Lemon Chicken Zoodles with Spicy Sesame Oil
Serves: 4
Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts (about 2 large)
6 cups zucchini spirals
1 Tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp fresh minced garlic (dried works fine also)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
4 fresh sage leaves, torn
1 lemon, sliced in half
3 Tbsp Chosen Foods Spicy Sesame Oil

Instructions
1.) If you have a favorite way to cook chicken breast, feel free to do it your own way. MY personal favorite is to season with salt and pepper then use an indoor grill with a press, but if you don't have one of those, here are the simple steps to successfully cooking chicken breast that I first learned from The Kitchn!
2.) While your chicken is cooking, chop the tomatoes and walnuts.
3.) Once your chicken is almost done cooking, in a medium skillet heat the avocado oil. Add the zoodles, garlic and pepper and saute for about 3-4 minutes. Squeeze the lemon halves over the zoodles and stir.
4.) Add in cherry tomatoes and cook for additional 2 minutes until they soften slightly. 
5.) Slice chicken and place on top of zoodles and tomatoes, followed by the walnuts and torn sage pieces. Squeeze additional fresh lemon juice on top, if desired, then drizzle with Chosen Foods Spicy Sesame Oil and enjoy!