21 Day Fix Dinner: Mexican Turkey Burgers

Day one is in the books, y'all!! It feels like such an accomplishment to set a plan and actually follow through with it. With a very-soon-to-be 7 month old (WHERE HAS TIME GONE????), I can't say that I always am able to cross off all my "to-do" list, but today worked beautifully.

Couple of notes about day one:

• First time making Shakeology with only water and ice. Was scared I'd hate it (which would stink considering it's my go-to breakfast on workdays), but it was surprisingly good!! Today was chocolate, so I'm excited to try other flavors this way soon :) 
• Sweet tooth *almost* got the best of me after lunch (when we usually bust out cookies in the teachers' lounge), so I went ahead and had the banana part of my afternoon snack early. Rice cake and PB was still awesome after school!! 
• Dinner was delish! And ready to eat in about 25 minutes!! Here are the details...

Mexican Turkey Burgers with quinoa-black bean side 
*This made enough for two adult servings, with lots extra of the quinoa-black bean side dish. Plan to use that later in the week!

Ingredients:
2 pre-shaped turkey burgers (I used Jennie-O patties that came in a six pack. They're super conveniently packaged in two patty freezer bags, so I can easily thaw enough for dinner for D and I. Since he's busy with work this week, I'm using the second patty for lunch tmrw) 
3 teaspoons cumin, divided
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (regular chile powder would be A-ok as well!) 
1-2 teaspoons EVOO, divided
1 each red and green bell pepper, sliced thin
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
1/2 avocado, sliced thin
1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lime (will use zest and juice!)
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (totally forgot this during the grocery store trip yesterday. I blame the little one for causing distractions. She's just too cute for me to focus sometimes!!)

Start quinoa first--mix water and quinoa together in sauce pan set to medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of cumin, garlic powder, and lime zest to mixture. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook time will be about 15 minutes (you're looking for the little white pieces to spiral away from the seed). Stir in black beans and remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, if using.

Sprinkle remaining cumin and chipotle chile powder on both sides of the turkey burgers. In a saute pan, heat a teaspoon of EVOO over medium heat. Add turkey burgers. Mine were very thin and cooked super fast--maybe 3 minutes per side. Watch for ALL pink to disappear (USDA recommends turkey burgers be cooked to an internal temp of 165 degrees!). Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Using the same saute pan (because let's be real...I hate doing dishes), add the remaining EVOO and the bell peppers and onions. I like to crank the heat way up so they get a little black on the edges, but medium/medium high will give you a more gentle cook. To plate, make a cozy bed of the onions and peppers, add your turkey burger, and top with a few avocado slices. Serve the quinoa-black bean mix along side and squeeze a lime over everything for good measure!!

Notes: If following 21 Day Fix, use a GREEN container for the onion/pepper mix, and a yellow container for the side dish. The turkey burger contains as red, and the avocado (I only used 1/2 of Autumn's guidline at dinner so I could have some at lunch, too!) counts as a blue.

21 Day Fix Chicken Stir Fry

I've just finished the meal prep for the first few days of 21 Day Fix...I'm going to need a bigger lunch box for school tomorrow--there is SO much food!! I posted my weekly meal plan earlier this weekend, but throughout the week I'll share my progress and a few recipes to go along with the plan. Tonight I want to share my super healthy, super yummy chicken stir fry! The meal's components would be the equivalent to a red, yellow, and green container + both of your "teaspoon" allotments for a meal on the 21 Day Fix. This preparation makes 2-3 servings. Greatest thing about this recipe is the versatility--don't like mushrooms? Swap them out for something you do enjoy. Have asparagus you need to use? Throw it in!

**I will admit freely that this is the first time I'm typing and "publicly sharing" a recipe...I wasn't super diligent in taking notes as I prepared this last week, so there may need to be minor modifications as you cook. I'll make edits on Saturday after I prepare it this week.

 Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you're brave!)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 container white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups bok choy, chopped (I chopped a full head of bok choy, so amount is an estimate)
2 servings prepared brown rice, cooked (my box says 1 cup rice + 1 cup water for 2 servings...forgot to measure the cooked amount!)
1/2 cup green onions, chopped few splashes of soy sauce (this is a teensy cheat on 21 Day Fix, so feel free to omit!)

Preparation: 
Heat large saute pan over medium high heat. Add EVOO to pan. Toss chicken in carefully, and stir fry for 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and add sesame oil to heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for about 30 seconds--careful..garlic burns easily!! Add mushrooms and carrots and stir fry for 2-3 minutes before adding the bok choy. The bok choy will wilt down quickly into the veggie mix. Once veggies are done, add chicken and rice to pan, stirring to combine. Add soy sauce if using, and stir in chopped green onions to finish. Super yummy with siracha if you like your food a bit spicier :)

21 Day Fix--Week One Meal Plan

Getting excited to start the 21 Day Fix on Monday! I spent C's morning nap time planning out the meal plan for the first week. While I usually plan out a week's worth of dinners for us at a time, I have never planned out every single snack and meal, so it was an interesting process. It really feels like each day I will be eating a TON of food--not something you can usually say when you're trying to shed a few pounds and tone up!! The hubs is on board and totally supportive, which will certainly help...although I don't think he's ever turned down a meal I've made him!! Here's what we'll be having next week:

I'll be posting recipes for a lot of the items included on the meal plan soon, so be sure to check back!!

Homemade Baby Food

Littlest has quite the appetite these days. I'll chalk it up to a six month-ish growth spurt. Whatever the reason, she hasn't met a fruit or veggie so far she hasn't liked! We started rice cereal around 4 1/2 months, but threw "solids" into the mix on her 6 month birthday. Nothing says party like a bowl full of pureed sweet potatoes!

What we've tried to date: sweet potatoes, bananas, butternut squash, peas, pears, and avocado.

Method has stayed the same. If the veggie requires steaming, I've pealed and diced as necessary. Thrown about 1/4 cup of the veggie into a small Magic Bullet container with a tablespoon or so of water. Slap on the "steam" lid and let the microwave do it's thing for a few minutes (2-5 min depending on the veggie, but we have a super craptastic microwave.) Drain water, add 1 oz of formula (breastmilk would be appropriate also--love knowing I'm sneaking just a little more into her day), and puree using the Magic Bullet. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve up to the eager babe :) (Hopefully this is obvious, but the banana, pear, and avocado did not require steaming. Just into the Magic Bullet with formula and puree!)

Last weekend, I threw together some larger batches of some of her favorites to have on hand for nights where time is tight. Simply increased the amount steamed to about 2 cups. Once pureed, I dropped large tablespoons into ice cube trays. Let the trays cool to room temp on the counter, and then threw them into the freezer. Once solid, the cubes can be popped out, and stored in freezer bags. When you're ready to serve, just pull out a few cubes (three seems to be good for our girl) and either thaw in the refrigerator or zap a bit in the microwave (I've tried thirty second intervals, and checked on the thawing. Want to avoid them getting too hot/overcooked).

First freezer storage attempt

**Note about avocado--there is mixed information about whether or not this item can be prepared in advance and frozen. Many posts mention excessive browning/discoloration. Our experience has been that just the top layer of the cube browns, just as it would if you put guacamole in the fridge due to oxidation. Once thawed and stirred, the mixture was still a normal, pale green color...and homegirl still inhaled it :)

Clearly...she's a fan.

Getting started!

This first post has been a long time coming. Heck, this journey to a healthier me has been a long time coming! Looking forward to sharing some recipes, tracking progress on fitness goals, and sharing entertaining stories about our crazy little lady. Super excited to get started on my next fitness goal--the 21 Day Fix! I'll be posting food pics here as well as any recipes that are shareworthy, so stay tuned!

If you're interested in making some healthy changes in your life, ask me how!