Healthy 21 Day Fix Approved Chicken Tortilla Soup

In Houston, we keep getting glimmers of fall...but then the temps climb to 90 and we take the kiddo to the splash pad AGAIN...in October. I threw a fit last night and stomped my feet and finally did something I've wanted to do for a while....make this amazing HEALTHY Chicken Tortilla Soup I'd heard SO MANY good things about. And y'all...alllllll the things were so true!!!

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
8 corn tortillas, divided use
EVOO
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, chopped
6 cups chicken stock (low sodium or homemade)
1 tspn chile powder
1/2 tspn chipotle chile powder
1/2 tspn oregano
2 1/2 cups shredded chicken (I made crockpot verde salsa chicken last week--worked great here!)
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (divided use)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Toppings: cheese (I loved feta on this!), avocado

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice tortillas into strips and lay on a foil lined baking sheets. Spritz with a little cooking spray and bake for 4-5 minutes, then stir to flip a bit. Bake for another 4-5 minutes (or until crispy).

Heat EVOO in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, poblano, and celery for 5-6 minutes (until softened a bit). Stir in garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have softened. Place tomato/onion mixture in a blender (or food processor) with 2 cups of the stock and half of the tortilla strips. Blend until smooth.

Return blended mixture to soup pan and stir in chicken, carrots remaining broth, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 15-20 minutes until carrots have softened. Stir in 1/4 cup of cilantro (save remaining for a topping) and green onions.

Serve topped with cilantro, avocado, cheese, and remaining tortilla strips.

(Serving size = 1.5 cups and according to the cookbook, equals 3 green--I don't believe that, lol--1 yellow, 1 red, and 1 1/2 blue (if topped with cheese and avocado)

{recipe adapted from Autumn Calabrese's cookbook, FIXATE}

Margarita Style Portobello Pizzas

You know those recipes you read and think, "OMG I can't wait for my husband to go out of town so I can make that???" ...what? That's only me?? Lol! The hubs HATES pesto. He will grimace if he even senses I may have used it on a dish. He tolerates mushrooms, but that's only been in the last ten years or so. FUN FACT: We've been together for more than half my life! Crazy, right???

Anywho, when I read this recipe originally I knew I would love it but for the two reasons listed above PLUS the fact that it was a vegetarian dish, I knew this was going to be a cooking-for-one sort of night. Who would have thought I would have two back-to-back posts about cooking for one??

This recipe is a great way to use up those end of summer tomatoes. It's also a really great way to satisfy the cravings for a hearty Italian meal when you are trying desperately to stay on track and be good (or...in the land of my 21 Day Fixers, you are trying to save a yellow container for wine!!). 

One of my FAVORITE successes EVER from a
21DF challenger!!!

Speaking of 21DF, I'm so PUMPED to start my next challenge group on Monday! It's a crazy time of year for our family with school starting back up, but that is all the more reason to have a fabulous accountability group making sure I get my workouts in and stay on track nutritionally. My last group just ended and the ladies lost an average of 5.5 inches each--and that's during the summer (aka the season of never ending pool parties and vacations!!). Everyone also reported some great "non scale victories" too--fitting in pants they hadn't worn in years, getting back into prepregnancy clothing, feeling confident, noticing the program become lifestyle not "diet."

 ...AND 21 Day Fix is on SALE through tomorrow. If you commit to giving Shakeology a shot for one month (and you know you're curious!!), you get 21 Day Fix for just $10. That's a no brainer, y'all!! Comment below if you want more info about the challenge group or the sale!! Ok, back to business!! I loved how quickly this recipe came together and how yummy my kitchen smelled! This recipe is a stretch on 21DF, but I would look at it as probably two green containers, a red container, a blue container, and 1-2 of your gray teaspoons. 

Margarita Style Portobello Pizzas 
(yields two servings)

Ingredients:
2 large portobello caps, stems removed and gills scraped out
2 tbsp prepared basil pesto
1 roma tomato
4 slices of fresh mozzarella (from the little ball; not a "Kraft" package ;) )
Salt and pepper
EVOO

Preparation:

You're going to LOVE everything about this.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. While over is warming prep mushrooms by wiping with a wet paper towel, removing stems, and gently scraping gills (the blackish part inside the cap). Rub each cap with a small amount of EVOO and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place caps gill side down on a foil-lined baking sheet (clean up is SO EASY this way!) and roast for 5 minutes. Flip mushrooms over (now gill side up) and roast for an additional 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, use a serrated knife to slice the tomato and mozzarella. Remove mushrooms from oven (if any liquid has formed inside the cap, drain this off in the sink before "stuffing" the pizzas). Top each cap with 1 tbsp of pesto, 2 slices of fresh mozzarella, and 2-3 slices of tomato. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top of each pizza, and return to the oven for 5-8 minutes (or until mozzarella has reached your desired state of melty goodness).

 Serving suggestion: I enjoyed my pizza over a bed of quick sauteed spinach to add some "green" to the plate...and my belly :) I just heated a small amount of EVOO in a pan with red pepper flakes and garlic. Careful not to burn the garlic! Add 3-4 handfuls of baby spinach and use tongs to turn it over in the oil. Add a few tbsps of water to the pan and allow spinach to wilt. This whole process seriously takes no more than 3 minutes!!

Dijon Pork Chops with Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Kale Salad

You know when you need a recipe to get you in the right frame of mind for something? No? Only I'm that crazy? Figures.

We are on the final countdown to the last few days of summer vacation. Being a teacher has lots of perks, but one thing I could do without is the annual feelings of trepidation as we lose the freedom of summer and welcome the anxiety of a new year. Don't get me wrong--there is nothing better than the fresh start of a new school year, but that same feeling you got in your belly as a kid the night before the first day of school never goes away!

This recipe was a great way to reintroduce the flavors of fall without the overwhelming pumpkin-spice-on-all-the-things mentality :) This was one of the featured recipes on my clean eating challenge menu this week. If you haven't been following my facebook page or the blog for long, I regularly host FREE five day clean eating challenges. Additionally, if you are looking for a bigger push to get healthy, I host longer fitness based accountability groups, too!

Alright--down to business. The original recipe (as posted below) calls for a full pork tenderloin. Hubby's work schedule didn't allow for him to be home for dinner last night, so I subbed a single boneless pork loin chop. Method stayed EXACTLY the same (quick sear in the pan then off to the oven for a bit)...so don't let cooking for one be a detractor for you!! Buying the single pork chop at the butcher counter yesterday for a whopping $2 allowed me to not wallow in mommy self pity and actually enjoy a delicious dinner after little went to bed.

Dinner for one doesn't have to come in a
cardboard box!

Dijon Pork Chops with Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Kale Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

6 oz bonless pork chops (as many as you need!)

2 T Dijon

1/2 tspn thyme

1/2 tspn ground black pepper

1 tspn raw honey

               

Salad (makes about 4 servings)

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tspn onion powder

1/2 tspn oregano

1/2 tspn chili powder

1 cup cooked quinoa

2 cups kale

4 tbsp water

1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp  extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tbsp honey

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss sweet potatoes with EVOO, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and chili powder until coated.  Spread sweet potatoes on baking sheet lined with foil in single layer and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, flipping once.  

While the potatoes are getting started, mix dijon, thyme and pepper together and coat pork chops. Sear chops over medium-high heat in EVOO until it’s brown on all sides (about 3 min per side). Scootch the potatoes to one side of the baking sheet and add pork chops to the pan. Roast for 15-25 minutes until internal temperature reads 145 degrees.  Allow pork chops to rest for 4-6 minutes before serving.

While sweet potatoes and pork are finishing up are roasting, wipe out the skillet and add a smidge more EVOO. Toss in the kale and water and saute kale till tender. Stir in cooked quinoa and potatoes. 

In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic through honey and stir into quinoa salad.

Serve pork over quinoa salad.

Clean Eating Sunday Supper: Spicy Chicken Thighs, Okra, and Sweet Potatoes

Ever have one of those meals that just screams Sunday supper? This one does it for me. Every. Single. Time. This is going to be a quick little post, so forgive the brevity, but had to share this with y'all after my clean eating challengers RAVED about the chicken. Those lucky folks got to enjoy the leftover two different ways also--quesadillas and BBQ chicken pit-zas!

Mama, daddy, and toddler approved!

I can't recall where I originally found this recipe, but it is my husband's absolutely favorite way to have chicken. The toddler...well, she's quite picky these days. I've made a concerted effort to have dinner ready early enough that the three of us can eat together to hopefully eliminate some of the dinner time stand-offs. When this meal popped up on the menu for the week, I decided to make her piece of chicken without the spices (just the yummy honey vinegar sauce brushed on at the end). That little stinker of course didn't tough her chicken....but instead ate ALL of the chicken on my plate. Well played, tiny boss, well played.

**21DFers: Sub chicken breasts for the thighs. Change preparation so that chicken is baked for 10 min per side at 425 degrees. Kick on the broiler, then brush with sauce and broil for 60 seconds a side.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Thighs with Roasted Okra and Baked Sweet Potatoes


Ingredients:

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (pardon the large amount--remember how I said we used this for THREE dinners that week??)

3 tspn garlic powder

2 tspn chile powder

1 tspn salt + some for sprinkling

2 tspn cumin

2 tspn parika (smoked paprika is super yummy!!)

½-1 tspn cayenne pepper

6 tbsp honey

2 tspn apple cider vinegar

EVOO

pepper

3 sweet potatoes, cut in half (enjoy ½ a potato with your dinner tonight. We need one full potato for another night’s meal, so add/remove potatoes based on your family size)

1 clamshell okra, sliced from tip to end (leave end in tact)


Preparation:

**Your oven will work overtime with this meal, but if you’re strategic it all comes together easily!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil to make clean up easy. Rub potatoes halves with EVOO and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Place on baking sheet, cut side up, in the oven for 15 minutes.

While potatoes bake, toss okra with a tspn of EVOO and a little salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl combine garlic powder through cayenne. Toss chicken thighs with spice mixture and leave in bowl to soak up the spices.

When the 15 minutes is up, scoot the potatoes to one side of the baking sheet, and place okra on the other half. Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn broiler on high. Set baked potatoes aside, but okra will return to the oven on the bottom rack.

Line the bottom of your roasting pan (you know the weird on that comes with your oven??) with foil for easy clean up. Spray the top rack with cooking spray. Lay chicken on pan.  Place chicken on top rack in oven (remember okra is on bottom) and broil for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over and broil for another 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together honey and vinegar. Brush mixture on chicken and return to oven for 60 seconds. Flip chicken again, brush other side, and pop back in oven for a final 60 seconds.

Serve up this yummy supper!! I enjoyed two small pieces of chicken, a half a potato (sprinkled with cinnamon), and 8-10 pieces of okra. Illegal not-so-clean tip: the okra is delish dipped in a little ranch!

Leftovers two different ways! That's what I call a #momwin!

3 Day Refresh Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Results!

The month May in teacher-land goes a little like this: treats in the lounge, teacher appreciation week treats, treats because we're tired, "Yes a latte sounds great," happy hours to celebrate the end of the year, luncheons to celebrate the end of the year, another happy hour to celebrate the last day...you get the idea. So with summer finally upon us and daily bathing suit wearing in my plans (pool in backyard = daily entertainment for toddler. Mom win!), I felt a little "fluffier" than I wanted to. Additionally, I had noticed myself giving in to cravings without being able to drum up an ounce of will power.

Enter the 3 Day Refresh.

I've done one round of 3 Day Refresh before. That was more of a "I want to know what this is all about" adventure." This time was "I need a reset like yesterday."

Day One meals! Fiber Sweep and yummy afternoon snack
not pictured :)

The Good:
-There's real food, y'all. Yes, the food is only in the form of vegetables and fruit, but this isn't juice cleanse or something radical.
-My days started with Vegan Chocolate Shakeology. You can't go wrong there.
-Fell in love with coconut sparkling water all over again. Perfect summertime drink!
-Forgot how much I really enjoy hot tea--was a relaxing way to end each day, and has wayyyyy fewer calories than the glass of red wine I had been sipping nightly before this Refresh.
-Dinner each night was followed with Vanilla Fresh (a protein packed vegan shake), so it was sort of like having dessert :)

The Bad:
-10AM Fiber Sweep drink. I will admit that this is 100% better than other fiber drinks I've gulped while doing things like a 10 day cleanse (why on earth did I ever do something like this for ten days when it can be done in three??????)
-Little hasn't been sleeping super great lately, so I really missed coffee on Day Two. Toughed it out and made it through the day thanks to some accountability from the husband and some friends!

The Results:
-Down four pounds
-Feel less "fluffy"...the perpetual teacher's lounge bloat is gone.
-Didn't go for coffee first thing this AM! I eventually had some because I love it, but I actually had enough energy to get my workout in first thing this morning.
-Got the slap in the face I needed. I do not need to eat every scrap that Little leaves on her plate. I will enjoy veggies with hummus as much as I would pretzels or pita chips.

I feel ready to dig in and cross some goals off my list now. It's almost like I needed this little wake up call to remind myself of why maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important to me. In fact, my lunch today was almost identical to the lunch I had yesterday on Day Three because that was what sounded good to me.

I needed this reminder!!

Check my facebook page (fb.com/fitfoodiefam) soon to see my hot husband's results! He's been such a trooper. I'm super impressed with how well he has stuck to the plan despite it being a really low calorie cleanse. He didn't even bat an eyelash when I reminded him we would be "refreshing" on our 8th wedding anniversary. Our toast to many more years just featured sparkling coconut water instead of prosecco this year :)

Interested in trying 3 Day Refresh? Follow this link, or comment below and I'll send you the deets and help you get back on track!

Hello Fresh Review!

If you've hung out on this blog long enough, you probably have a pretty good idea about how much I love to cook. I love preparing new dishes, I love making old favorites, I love sharing food with family and friends...I even love meal planning! Ha!

A friend recently shared her experience with the company, Hello Fresh, and I was intrigued. I'm not the best a bargain grocery shopping--but I can tell you that the cost of $69 for three meals that serve two people didn't feel like a steal. But...throw in a $40 discount on your first box with ZERO obligation to order another box? That felt just frivolous enough to hook me.

Individually wrapped, perfectly portioned dinners deliver to
to my door step? Yes, please.

Here's the premise: once a week, you log into your account and select three of the meals offered for the next delivery. So far, each week they have had a chicken dish, a pork option, a beef entree, and some sort of seafood to choose from. They deliver it the following week in a ridiculously well insulated box (with like a crazy layer of wool and MULTIPLE ice packs) sometime between 8a-8p. Each week our boxes have actually arrived after 8pm, but weather has been so nuts in Texas the past few weeks that I'm sure UPS is running like mad trying to stay on top of things.

First Hello Fresh meal: Pork al Mojo! Hubby's fave!

Week one we enjoyed:
-Pan-seared Chicken with Tomato-Barley Hash & Charred Broccoli
-Argentine-Spiced Steak with Couscous Salad and Cilantro-Scallion Chimchurri
-Pork al Mojo with Cuban Rice and Beans (hubby's fave of all the meals we've sampled so far!)

Mmmmm...the chimichurri was SO good.

Week two we've sampled:
-Cuban-Style Beef Picadillo
-Old Bay Spiced Salmon and Sweet Potato Cakes with Tomato and Arugula Salad (my fave--but I added some much needed heat with smoked paprika and cayenne)
-Tarragon Chicken and Wheat Berry Salad
***I actually forgot to select me preferred meals for this week, so I was on pins and needles waiting to see what we'd be sent!

As someone who cooks often and tweaks recipes instinctively, I found myself modifying the recipes a bit to adjust to our tastes, but overall each meal was delicious. I loved that we were eating things that while the recipes would have intrigued me when I read them, I doubt I really would have added them to the meal plan. The flavor profiles have been far out of my comfort zone, but have all been super yummy. The clean up has been a cinch each meal, too (HUGE plus!). Biggest downside has been that we don't have much on hand for leftovers after these dinners, and I am a BIG fan of leftovers for lunch (both hubby and I have no problem eating the same thing for a few days, haha!).

Overall thoughts? I think I'll keep Hello Fresh in my back pocket for weeks that look I don't want to think about what we're eating and can't get my act together enough to grocery shop. It's definitely a splurge, but thanks to my little Beachbody income, it's one I can justify every now and then :) I love that by helping others meet health and fitness goals, I can have some "fun" money to spend!!

So...if you've stuck it out this far, here's a referral code you can use to earn $40 off your first Hello Fresh box! Can't wait to hear what you think!!

http://www.hellofresh.com/?c=KSBELW

Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork and Green Apple Coleslaw

As the temps climb, it's funny how quickly my food cravings change. Out goes the soups and stews; in comes the BBQ, cold crisp slaw, and fresh summer veggies. This recipe has been shared a few times on my facebook page, but a recent request for it caused me to dig it out again. It's proof that A) BBQ doesn't necessarily have to mean stretchy pants for days and B) that your crockpot isn't only good at serving up deliciousness when it's cold out! And when you crave some BBQ deliciousness on a holiday weekend like this one, but the rain keeps your grill out of commission, this is a PERFECT solution!

Want to serve it up a little healthier? Skip the bun and serve the pulled pork either in lettuce cups or over half of a baked sweet potato (sounds weird, but the spicy-sweet combo is delish!)

And...y'all. Don't skip the slaw. I have dreams about this coleslaw. It is THAT good.

Perfect Memorial Day meal!

Crockpot Spicy Pulled Pork

(adapted slightly from Pioneer Woman)

1 onion, cut into wedges

1 pork roast (mine was about 3.75lbs)

Salt and pepper

1 can (11 oz) chipotles in adobe

1 20oz bottle Dr. Pepper

2 tbpn brown sugar

Line crockpot with a slow cooker bag, or generously spray with cooking spray. Drop onion wedges in bottom of pot. Add pork—generously salt and pepper whole roast. Pour chipotles (and the sauce—that stuff is money!) and Dr. Pepper over roast. Sprinkle brown sugar over everything, place lid on, and cook on LOW for 6-7 hrs (pork should be falling apart at end of cooking).

Then I removed the meat, and used a slotted spoon to remove onions and peppers from the cooking liquid. I returned the pork to the crock pot and shredded with forks. There is a lot of excess juice—to serve, I used the slotted spoon to remove the shredded pork, and served on a whole wheat bun, topped with BBQ sauce (I love Stubb’s—no high-fructose corn syrup!) and coleslaw (see yesterday’s post!!)

Leftovers are AWESOME—pork enchiladas, tostadas, nachos…you get the idea! Or freeze the leftovers and enjoy sometime in the next three months!

Even the coleslaw leftovers are delish!!

Green Apple Coleslaw with Poppyseed Dressing

(adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

¼ apple cider vinegar

¼ cup mayo (I know, I know…)

¼ cup Greek yogurt (now I’m back!)

1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ cup raw honey

1 tspn salt

½ tspn ground black pepper

2 tbsp poppy seeds

1 bag coleslaw mix

1 bunch scallions, diced

1 large green apple, cored and julienned

In a large bowl, whisk together apple cider through poppy seeds. I poured about ½ a cup of the dressing into a small container to set aside leaving about ½ cup of liquid in the bowl—you’ll want to dress the coleslaw to taste. Toss in coleslaw mix, apple, and scallion. Cover bowl with saran wrap and let rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.

21 Day Fix Approved: Baked Chicken Fajitas

I have a GREAT group of ladies in the middle of their 21 Day Fix journey right now. I'm always inspired by my challengers, but something about this group and their tenacity, dedication, and positivity has me pretty overwhelmed. Add in that each of them has a list a mile long (don't we all???) of reasons to NOT be taking care of themselves ("I have a small baby at home," "I work full time," "I HATE cooking."....I could go on and on!), and I'm even more inspired by their successes. After just ten days, here are a few of the victories (scale and non-scale!!) they shared with me...

-"I didn't skip a single workout!"
-"I...realized how much water I was not drinking. I'm carrying a water bottle now."
-"I think I'm more flexible."
-"I zipped a pair of shorts I haven't worn in two years, and my waist is down a 1/2 an inch!"
-"I'm just proud of myself for not giving up...I'm only down a few pounds, but I love how Autumn reminds me it is one pound at a time."

Y'all. That's the reason I do this. It isn't about a quick fix. And even though this program is only three weeks long and usually has pretty ridiculous results (one of my challengers is down 18 lbs after two rounds of 21 Day Fix!!!), it's not about the "get fit quick" scheme. You aren't ingesting anything that isn't whole food based and good for you. There aren't weird supplements or creams. If quick results are all you are after, you need to find a different blog to read because I'm more impressed with the little victories like the ones I shared. These women have committed to making LIFE STYLE changes. Is it always easy? No. Are there days that are harder than others? Yes. But are we making small changes that over time will have a lasting effect for the health and well being of both ourselves and those we live with and love? Absolutely.

OK. Stepping down from my soap box :)

Last night I asked my gals what had been their favorite meal so far. The first vote was for this quick and easy Baked Chicken Fajita dish...that I coincidentally was making as the comment was posted to facebook, lol! I LOVE that in the time that it takes for my oven to preheat, I have the whole dish ready to go. Heat up some tortillas and slice an avocado while the fajitas are baking, and dinner is served!

Warning...your home will smell like a fiesta!

Baked Chicken Fajitas
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 tsp chili powder (I usually opt for 1/2 chipotle chili powder and 1/2 regular...I like heat!)
2 tsp tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Rotel)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small green bell pepper, cut into strips

Sliced avocado (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Corn tortillas

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt.
Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are done. Top corn tortillas with chicken, vegetables, avocado, and salsa.

Clean Eating Sriracha Chicken Tacos with Asian Slaw

Don't call it a comeback...but dang is this recipe worth coming back to y'all! And with a new domain! Man, oh man. Feelin' all sorts of fancy now ;)

This recipe was originally shared with me by a good friend. A few little tweaks to make it "my own" and WOW is really the only accurate description. This was such a fun recipe to add to the meal plan for my clean eating challengers this week--the group really stepped it up a notch by committing to eat clean for five days...AND workout utilizing Beachbody OnDemand. It was so fun to mix up the workout schedule a bit and try a different program by a different trainer every day. It's so nuts that seriously THOUSANDS of dollars worth of programming is available on Beachbody OnDemand for the teensy fee of about $12.99 a month. Oh...and the nutrition guides are uploaded too! Good grief!
If you'd like to be a part of my next challenge, be sure to follow my Fit Foodie Fam facebook page to hear when we're gearing up for the next challenge!

This is the face of a girl super stoked about
leftovers for lunch....at 8pm the night before.

Sriracha Chicken Tacos with Asian Slaw
(serves 4-5)

Ingredients:

For the chicken

2 cups chicken breast, cooked, shredded (I love to cook shredded chicken in the crockpot!)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, diced

3 garlic cloves, diced

2 tbsp Sriracha

3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon paprika

For the slaw: 

1/2 cup carrots, shredded

1 bag "fiesta" coleslaw (I found it at HEB; it has cabbage, carrots, and some broccoli, too! You could sub any bagged coleslaw mix.)

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 poblano, thinly sliced

3 tbsn low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsn honey

1 tbsn sesame oil

1 tbsn rice wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 tspn black pepper

For serving: 
Whole wheat tortillas

Sriracha

Preparation: 
To make the slaw: In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce through black pepper. Toss in all remaining ingredients till combined. Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours in the fridge.

To make the chicken: In a small bowl, whisk together sriracha through paprika. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds (until fragrant). Stir in chicken and cook for 1 minute. Add sriracha mixture, and cook till warmed through. If it seems a little dry, add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen the mixture.

To assemble the tacos: Fill tortilla with chicken and slaw. Top with sriracha, if desired. Enjoy!

21 Day Fix Approved Pizza ... or "Pit-za"

Not sure I can count this as a recipe or if anyone will ever be able to recreate the delisciousness. Some times the best dinners are born out of an unexpected change of plans and a picky toddler ;)

Our girl has ALWAYS been a hearty eater. We’ve only had a few items be met with objections, and her favorites for a long time cracked me up—a kid who squeals at the sight of broccoli? You’re kidding, right? Somewhere in the beginnings of the (premature) “terrible twos” though, she’s developed a few new teeth and some seriously strong opinions. Two weekends ago, for example, homegirl subsided on nothing but Trader Joe’s cereal bars and mandarin oranges. This past weekend, if you wanted to serve her a banana, don’t you dare give it to her sliced, or it will be fed to the dog. But offer it whole? Devoured. Oye.

Kiddo approved cous-cous with
Italian seasoned ground beef, carrots, and spinach

I made our favorite, go-to chicken dinner Friday night, and discovered our girl LOVED it the next day when I cautiously attempted to serve it to her for lunch. Same thing happened the following day, so when I got home Monday evening I was intent on quickly throwing together a couscous dish that would sneak some protein and veggies in unbeknownst to the Boss Lady. So below is the “recipe” (if you can even call it that!) for C’s dinner…which then morphed into the most delicious thing I’ve made since I started 21 Day Fix again last month.

The last two rounds of 21 Day Fix have been WONDERFUL. The support of REAL women with REALLY busy lives. Delicious meals focused on portion control instead of calorie counting (ain’t NOBODY got time for that). An easy, go to super food shake to help meal prep be easy breezy and to really curb cravings throughout the day. And…fantastic FAST workouts—seriously finished in 30 minutes—that eliminate the jiggley bits and make you feel STRONG.

We’ve had so much fun and the results have been SO amazing that I’m gearing up to start a new group with new challengers on 3/16—leave a comment below with your email, reach out to me on facebook, or send me an email at fitfoodiefamATgmailDOTcom. You get accountability, support, and I share my meal plan and grocery list with you for all 21 days!

You could totally commit to a program that lets you eat this, right????

Saved a "yellow" container for some vino!!

OK—y’all forgive me on this recipe. It was the most off-the-cuff thing I’ve done in a while, but it worked so beautifully. I’m attempting to recreate the steps in my head (but you have to remember my brain works at about 97.56 MPH 24/7!). 21 Day Fixers: I counted one “pit-za” as one yellow, one red, one green, and a generous blue container. I wouldn’t have this every night while “fixing”, but it’s a great treat meal!

21 Day Fix Approved “Pit-za”

(Yields: 2 servings)

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp EVOO, divided

1 lb lean, organic ground beef

¼ cup shredded carrots

1 can petite diced tomatoes (divided)

1 ½  tspn garlic powder (divided)

1 tspn Italian seasoning

1 tspn oregano (divided)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup tomato sauce (add more if needed)

2 whole wheat pitas

Assorted veggies for topping (I used red and green bell peppers and sliced mushrooms)

½ cup mozzarella cheese

¼ cup feta cheese (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove, and add 2 tbsp of EVOO to pan to heat. Add ground beef and cook till brown and crumbly. Drain excess oil. Add carrots, 1 tspn garlic powder, 1 tspn Italian seasoning, ½ tspn of oregano, and half of the can of diced tomatoes to pan and stir to combine. ***At this point, I removed half of the beef mixture and stirred into a package of prepared whole wheat couscous with some finely chopped frozen spinach. This was the “toddler” version of dinner because for some unknown reason, my kid doesn’t like pizza. Go figure.***

Brush the remaining tbsp of EVOO on the pita bread and pop in the oven on a baking sheet or pizza pan to begin toasting up a bit. Keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn. I recommend 5-7 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, using my magic bullet, I puréed the remaining diced tomatoes with the remaining spices (1/2 tspn of oregano, ½ tspn of garlic powder, and pinch of red pepper flakes)—this was mostly because I didn’t want “chunky” tomatoes on my pizza. You could skip this step—but at your own risk ;)

Pull pitas out of the oven. Top each with a “red” container (for my 21 day fixers!) of the meat mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on both pitas. Top with desired veggies, then sprinkle with feta cheese if using. Pop “pit-zas” back in the oven for a few minutes to allow veggies to cook and cheeses to get melty (probably 5-10 minutes)

Crock-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

You know those work days where the LAST thing you want to do is prepare a meal for your family? This is my go-to when I glance at my calendar and know that by the time the little one and I get home we will both be beat. I adore that A) this tastes delish topped with avocado B) that I usually have most of the ingredients around and C) that it makes enough that I don't have to cook dinner the next day either ;)

The recipe that inspired this can be found here, but I made a few modifications to match our family's taste preferences.

Enjoy!

Crock-Pot Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:
~1 lb chicken breasts (I throw these in FROZEN!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
5-6 cups chicken stock
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tbsp chile powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tspn chipotle chile powder
1 tspn garlic powder
1/2 tspn onion powder
1/4 (+ 1 tbsp) cup cilantro, chopped
Avocado, diced (for topping)

Preparation:
Add all ingredients through onion powder to crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-7 hours. After cooking, remove chicken breasts and dice or shred; return to pot. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Serve generously sprinkled with cilantro and topped with avocado. Yum!!

Thin Mint Shakeology

Y'all, it takes a lot to shake this mama out of a routine--you know I love meal planning, but some meals aren't worth the extra time to think about to me. Breakfast and snacks fall into that category. And since I first gave 21 Day Fix a shot nearly a year ago (I lost 8 lbs--the last of the baby weight--with that first round!!), I have typically stuck with a five "meal" a day pattern. Thank goodness for Shakeology--taking the thinking completely out of one of those meals!!

Avoiding treats in the teacher's lounge...like a boss.

Well, when you are 21 Day Fix-ing when Girl Scout cookies get delivered, you seriously find yourself asking "What container do Thin Mints go in?" and that's when your daily, super-food delisciousness saves the day yet again :)

Thin Mint Shakeology
Ingredients:
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1-1 & 1/2 cups almond milk or water
1/4 tspn peppermint extract
1/2 banana
Ice to taste

Preparation:
Blend...and enjoy knowing you're still on track to be bikini ready for Spring Break ;)

Spaghetti *Squash* and Meatballs

Lately, our girl has been in an eating funk. I'm telling myself it's just a stage, but her "favorites" (read: MAC AND CHEESE) are getting shot down the same gusto as, I dunno, green beans? I'm fairly certain Saturday she subsided on nothing but Trader Joe's cereal bars, applesauce packets, manadarin oranges, and bananas (although, her new fave game is "You better give me that whole banana and not banana slices. Slices get fed to the dog."). Oye, If this is a preview of thirteen, we're going to need a major intervention.

Anywho, being a mom with a few tricks up my sleeve, I decided to whip up one of her faves--and mine too! This was the first meal that she actually had the EXACT same thing as the hubs and I for dinner. Huge victory over here for the Fit Foodie Fam! I could see the light at the end of the "I-cook-two-dinners" tunnel!

I adore the flavor the meatballs take on while cooking all day in a bath of yummy spaghetti sauce. But I equally adore that the whole meal comes together in the crock pot...even the spaghetti squash! But I MOST adore that this is definitely 21 Day Fix approved! I count the meal as one red (meatballs), 1-2 green (this may be a little off, but squash, sauce, and then bell pepper/onion in the meatballs. I filled my green container with shredded squash first, then loaded on a red container with the meat sauce combo), and a blue for parmesan cheese ;)

Enjoy!!

Everyone gets nestled in there real tight!

Spaghetti *Squash* and Meatballs

Final result is kiddo AND mama approved!

Ingredients:

1 M/L spaghetti squash, halved with seeds removed  (TIP!! Pop your squash in the microwave for five minutes before you try and cut it in half. Much less likely to make a trip to the ER that way!)
1 lb ground turkey or beef (your choice! Nitrate free/Grass fed/Organic)

½ yellow onion, finely diced

½ bell pepper, finely diced

2/3 cup oat flour (just put rolled or steel cut oats in the blender and grind into flour!)

1 egg

1 tspn garlic powder

1 tspn basil, dried

1 tspn oregano, dried

1 tspn rosemary, dried

½ tspn thyme, dried

1 tsp salt

1 jar tomato spaghetti sauce (sugar free! I found a brand called “Mom’s” that was DELISH!)

Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Preparation:

Spray crock pot with cooking spray, or use a crock pot liner (aka my BFFs). Mix all ingredients from meat thru salt together (you will want to use your hands for this) and form into golf-ball-sized balls.  Drop balls in bottom of crock pot. Cover meatballs with spaghetti sauce. Place spaghetti squash cut side down on top of meatballs (in my crock pot, one piece lay flat, the other was layered a bit; I've also had to cut the squash into quarters to make it fit). Cook on low for 6.5 hours (my crock pot stayed on the “warm” setting for an additional 4 hours and turned out just fine--although the meatballs lost their shape a bit)

21 Day Fix Approved: Balsamic Beef Stew

I've hosted several 21 Day Fix groups in the last year as a Beachbody coach. They're always fun. They're always full of great women that keep me motivated. But this month's group has seriously blown me away. Not only are their results ASTOUNDING--

 "I just had my second baby three months ago--and I can't WAIT for bikini season! ...I'm blown away by how my body has changed from day one. I am so beyond excited and pumped about round two. At this point, I have 0 cravings for junk food and NO desire to have a cheat meal; my only craving now is to see more and more results!"

 "I got into a smaller pair of jeans today! Woohoo!!"

"I'm so glad I did this for myself. You have made this process SO easy to follow!"

 Y'all. My cup runneth over. These are real people. Mamas with kiddos. Mamas with full time jobs. Mamas making their health a priority. When I started this journey almost a year ago, it was to get myself back in shape after having our daughter. My "WHY" was selfish--not a bad reason, but totally just about me. Now, each and every day I make sure I get a workout in; I make sure I plan and prepare quick, healthy meals for my family; and I "treat" myself to a super foods milkshake to get in all the nutrients I need as a busy working mama...but it's not about me any more. It's about making it a priority so other's can see that it is possible. I want to help other people reach goals, get well, and be proud of themselves for the changes they've made. And, I want it to be realistic for the average, crazy-busy mamas like me. Small goal--next year I plan to help TWICE as many people as I had the opportunity to this year. What are you waiting for??

Sappy soapbox aside, this week my gals enjoyed a DELISH balsamic beef stew that simmered away low and slow in the crock pots. It took me just 10 minutes before the little one and I loaded up to head out for our day to get this goodness ready. And...it's a totally new twist on "21 Day Fix Approved"--when you break it down, a serving counts as one RED (the beef), one GREEN (the carrots, celery, and onion), and one YELLOW (the sweet potatoes). I made a point to pull out each item and load up my containers to see if I would still get as generous a helping as I wanted, lol. And dang, y'all. It made for a LARGE serving! Enjoy!

21 Day Fix APPROVED: Balsamic Beef Stew 
Ingredients: 
2 lbs stew beef or venison (organic/grass fed if you can!)
2 cups beef or vegetable stock (low sodium preferred)
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tspn basil
1 tspn rosemary
1 tspn thyme

 Preparation:*This part is so easy I'm almost embarrassed to type it...* 

Place meat in crockpot. Add liquids, then add all other ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale

My spaghetti squash obsession has escalated to full scale crazy. Italian style with meatballs? Duh. Tex-mex inspired that packs some heat and hides leftover pulled pork? Absolutely. Comforting gooey lasagna boats? Well, sure! So when a friend shared this recipe from Love and Lemons, I knew I A) had to try it ASAP but that B) hubby would scoff at sun-dried tomatoes and an absence of "meat." So to the "test kitchen" I ran :)

Result was divine. Heat from the sausage, sweetness from the squash, crunch from the pine nuts...it was alllll good by me.

I've cook spaghetti squash before using my crock pot while I'm at work, and it turns out just fine. I didn't mind the oven time with this recipe, though, as it gave me a chance to get the filling ready. I can't be the only one that knows a spaghetti squash is going to be my reason for a dinner time visit to the ER. I pop the squash in the microwave for about five minutes, and then it seems to be a little easier to cut in half.

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Kale

Ingredients:
1 M/L spaghetti squash
1-2 tbsp EVOO
1 lb turkey italian sausage (we used HOT! But regular or sweet would be fine), casings removed
3/4 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 packed cups kale, chopped and stems removed
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup pine nuts
Grated parmsean for topping.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Although optional, I liked to add water to the bottom of the pan--just enough to cover the pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes; until flesh is tender enough to pierce and "noodles" form easily with the scrape of a fork.

While squash roasts, first toast pine nuts over medium heat in the skillet you intend to cook the turkey mixture in. Watch nuts carefully, as they tend to burn if left too long (or is that only in my kitchen??)
Remove pine nuts and set aside, and heat the EVOO in the pan. Add sausage to pan, crumbling while cooking. When sausage is cooked through, toss in chickpeas, red pepper flakes, and kale, stirring to combine. Add chicken stock and cook till wilted. Stir shredded squash in with mixture. Serve topped with pine nuts and sprinkled with parmesan!

Crispy Shrimp with Cannellini Beans (aka romantic and healthy aren't mutually exclusive!)

I've had the same valentine for 15 years. A little crazy for a 31 year old, right? We tried to recount how we celebrated each Valentine's Day this past weekend, but we could only dig up a few highlights. This year definitely took the title of best Valentine's Day ever....we took our girl to the zoo, enjoyed lunch out as a fam (complete with balloons for the little lady), took a glorious two hour nap, enjoyed the sunshine at the park, and mama and daddy got to enjoy a little romantic dinner in.

My valentines checking out the elephants!

Originally, I had planned to make a salmon dish that I do every so often; it's sort of "fancy" but nothing too out of the ordinary--but hubs voiced his opinion, and given he's been a trooper with me as I'm working through 21 Day Fix again, I thought I'd honor his request when he picked a recipe out of one of my cookbooks. Naturally though, I had to "Allie" it up a bit. While it wouldn't be an entirely perfect 21 day fix meal, I counted it as a yellow (beans and breading), red (shrimp), green (kale and tomatoes), and gray (EVOO). Some days you just have to give yourself a little flex room!

Crispy Shrimp with Cannellini Beans

Ingredients:

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

5 tbsp EVOO

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small shallot, sliced thinly

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

2-3 cups kale, chopped

1/4 cup chicken stock

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes with 1 tbsp EVOO and some salt and pepper on a foil lined baking sheet (makes clean up a breeze!). I like to make sure tomatoes are cut side up; I just prefer when they roast that way. Roast in oven for 10-15  minutes while you prepare everything else.

In a medium bowl, combine breads crumbs, rosemary, thyme, and 2 tbsp of EVOO. Toss shrimp in with bread crumb mixture to coat each shrimp. Spread shrimp on a foil-lined baking sheet. Remove tomatoes from oven and add shrimp, baking for 10-12 minutes until shrimp is cooked through and breadcrumbs are crispy.

While shrimp cooks, add remaining EVOO to a skillet and warm over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook for 2-3 minutes till softened. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in cannellini beans and kale, sauteing for a few minutes before adding chicken stock to help wilt the kale. Just before pulling the shrimp from the oven, I stirred in the roasted tomatoes. 

Serve shrimp over bean mixture....ideally with a delicious glass of wine, some candles, and a sweet valentine :)