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!

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)

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.

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 :)

21 Day Fix Approved: Ginger Lime Beef Stir Fry

Hello long lost friends of the interweb :) It's been a painfully long time since I posted anything. Forgive me?? I guess the ghost of self-doubt crept in my head and said "No one actually looks at these recipes"...but he was wrong!! It's been SO FUN to have some of you reach out to me via email or FB (fb.com/fitfoodiefam) and share with me how much you've enjoyed these recipes.

So here's a quick one for you that is JAM PACKED with flavor. You could totally sub in other veggies--it's kind of a "clean out the veggie drawer" sort of stir fry!

For you 21-Day-Fixers, I would count this meal as 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green, and one spoon :) You could double-down on some containers and enjoy a large portion too!

Ginger Lime Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients

Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp white or rice wine vinegar
2 tsp raw honey
2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1   tbsp sesame oil, divided
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, diced (remove ribs and seeds)
1 package green onions, diced and divided
2 tspn minced fresh ginger, divided (optional, but worth it! Dried ginger would work too!)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
16 oz beef, cut into 2 1/2-inch strips (I found an organic strip steak cheap, and used that. Pick a cut of meat you like!)
2 cups brown rice, prepared (follow box directions for 4 servings—want some for leftovers! Can add 1 tsp of ginger and lime zest to cooking liquid for extra flavor
2 tspn minced fresh ginger, divided (optional, but worth it! Dried ginger would work too!)
1 small zucchini, sliced in half moons
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 head bok choy, chopped

Preparation:

 In a large bowl, whisk 1/2 cup lime juice, vinegar, honey, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tbsp water. Stir in 2 cloves minced garlic, minced ginger,  jalapeno, ½ green onions and cilantro. Add beef, toss to coat and set aside to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet on medium-high, heating 1 tbsp of oil (I used coconut). Add beef and  marinade and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, remaining green onion and zucchini and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add bok choy and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.

Divide rice among serving plates and top with beef mixture. 

Healthy Chicken Enchilada Stack

I have been SO proud of the gals in my current 21 day fix group--almost all of us juggle full-time jobs, many have kiddos running around (and some even have sweet little bitty babies!), and ALL have committed to taking 21 days to make significant changes for themselves.

While I'm certainly no nutritionist, I do offer to put together a weekly meal plan and grocery list for my challengers--heck, I'm eating that way too, so really I'm just sharing what's happening at our house :) One of my gals sent me a hilarious text last week when I asked her what kind of meals she'd like to see next week--"Less insalata, more enchilada!"

While the 21 Day Fix is SO super forgiving and flexible, I had never, ever imagined putting together an ENCHILADA recipe for it! I accepted the challenge whole-heartedly though...I want my gals to be successful and to NOT feel like they are sucking the fun out of their food. I did a bunch of "research" this weekend reading recipes galore, and finally settled on combining a few different ideas.

Out of sheer laziness, this turned into a "stacked" enchilada, but could totally be rolled up to make it appear more traditional. I feel obliged to say this is a teensy, weensy bit of a cheat meal--the use of a small tablespoon of butter and flour to make the sauce thick is a tad outside of Autumn Calabrese's nutrition guide, but it feels SO much more decadent than it is.

Here's the "before"!

Healthy Chicken Enchilada Stack

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 small can diced green chiles
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tspn garlic powder
Salt and pepper, pinch each
6 corn tortillas, halved
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken (I made a batch of crock pot salsa chicken!)
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded cheese (I mixed cheddar and mont jack)

Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and spray a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray.

Melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add flour to melted butter, and whisk for about 60 seconds (until color ahs changed slightly). Add half of the stock, and whisk till combined. Stir in remainder of stock, green chiles, and spices and cook for about 3 minutes till thickened. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt till combined.

Layer four of the tortilla pieces on the bottom of the pan. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over tortillas. Then create a layer of chicken (1/2 cup) and sprinkle with 1/3 of the black beans and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers till you've created three layers.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

21 Day Fix-ers: It's a teensy stretch, but I divided the pan into four servings. I counted my serving as one yellow, one red, one green, and a blue. We enjoyed this alongside a side salad for another green container.

Hellooooo Fall! *Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash*

We've had a couple of "chilly" mornings (one even prompted me to put the babe in a cute little hoodie!) recently. Mind you, it's still 90 degrees by the time I get in the car after work, but I'll take what I can get. There's a whole heck of a lot I like about fall--football, the holidays (y'all get ready for C and Scoot's Halloween costumes this year!), daylight savings time (#momprobs)....but definitely the FOOD. Even though we aren't quite to sweater weather yet, it's hard to ignore the growing varieties of squash available at the store.

I stumbled across this recipe on The Kitchn, and made some teensy changes to fit our tastes. Hubby laughed when I handed him a plate with half a spaghetti squash on it...but then he devoured every last bite. I prepped the four squash pieces, but wrapped up two pieces to deliver to a dear friend. She waited a day, and baked them for just ten minutes longer than the instructions and they turned out just as delicious.

What's your favorite way to enjoy spaghetti squash??

Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash


Ingredients:
5 pounds spaghetti squash (2 medium-sized squash)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced 
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage (casings removed, if present)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tspn dried basil
1/2 tspn dried oregano
1/2 tspn dried thyme
2 cups ricotta, whole or 2%
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped 
7-8 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Chopped parsley or basil, to garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the squashes in half and scoop out the seeds. Lay them cut-side down in a roasting pan or other baking dish, and add about an inch of water. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes, until soft when poked with a fork. Transfer to a cooling rack until cool enough to handle.

While the squash is roasting, heat EVOO in a saute pan.  Stir in the onions and cook until translucent,  about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and sausage and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until well-browned, breaking up the beef into small crumbles, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering the sauce until the squashes are ready, 5 to 20 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt if desired.

Use a fork to shred the inside of the squash, leaving about a half-inch of squash left in the shell. Mix the shredded squash into the tomato sauce. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs.

Wipe out the roasting pan and arrange the squash shells inside, like bowls. Divide half of the ricotta mixture between the shells, using a spoon to spread the ricotta evenly over the bottom of the shells. Divide half the tomato sauce between the shells, spooning over top of the ricotta. Top with another layer of ricotta and tomato sauce. Sprinkle mozzerella and remaining parmesan over the top layer of sauce.

Bake the shells for 25 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Sprinkle parsley or basil over the tops and serve immediately. Leftovers are delish :)

(21 day fixers--this would count as a red, prob two greens, and a blue)

Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops...aka Daddy Does Dinner

In our house, there is a pretty equittable split when it comes to chores. I do laundry; he washes cars. I cook dinner; he cleans up. But every now and then, the lines get a little blurred. And usually the results are pretty dang delicious.

I stumbled across this recipe several years ago--I distinctly remember the first time I made it...it was our first "meal" in the camper after we purchased it. Funny how food memories stick so well sometimes!! I can't recall where to give credit for the original recipe, but I'm sure I've changed things enough over time to probably call this one my own, lol!!

Tonight we served this alongside baked sweet potatoes and my FAVE kale and cranberry salad. The hubs is in charge of the grill in our house, so I set up the brine last night and have done my best to type his cooking directions here. He's a bit like me about cooking..sometimes it's hard to really spell out how you got dinner on the table, but you just know you liked it :)

I'm working on the meal plan for my next go at 21 Day Fix...and the lightbulb definitely went off as I looked at this plate tonight...it's totally 21 Day Fix approved!! It would count as one red, one yellow, and a very delicious green :) I'm looking for a few fab folks to help me stay accountable--if you've got 5-10 lbs to lose the RIGHT way, and are up for getting it done in three weeks, I'd love to have you join me!! Comment below with your email and I'll get back to you ASAP!

As David said, there's a "daddy" sized pork chop and a "mommy" sized one :)

Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops


Ingredients: 
2-4 thick, bone-in center cut pork chops (boneless could be used I suppose, I just love the flavor of bone-in!)
1 quart water
2 Lipton iced tea bags
1/2 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tspn ground coriander (or 1 tspn coriander seeds)
2 tspns whole black peppercorns
1 tspn kosher salt
1 bay leaf
6 whole cloves
1 tbsp molasses (I've subbed honey or maple syrup in a pinch!)
2 cups ice

Preparation:
In a large pot, combine water through the molasses. Bring mixture to a boil, and then remove from heat. Stir in the ice, and allow to sit till room temperature (I sometimes speed this part up by putting the mixture in the fridge). Place pork chops in a container with a lid and pour brine over chops. Let sit in fridge overnight (or up to 24 hours).

According to David, preheat the grill to high (he thinks his grill gets up to 650 degrees). Sear the chops for about two minutes on each side. Move chops to top rack and lower the heat to low (about 275 degrees). Place chops back on the low grates, and cook for 4 minutes on each side (longer if needed depending on the thickness of the chops).

Check temp of chops using a meat thermometers, and allow chops to rest for a few minutes before serving.

1. FYI: The USDA recommends that pork be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The federal agency says it is lowering the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 degrees to 145 degrees and adding a 3-minute rest time.