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!!