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.

Crockpot Whole Chicken Dinner

I guess you can say things have gotten a little busy for our little Fit Foodie Fam...Little started her year in the "Eeyore room" at school (which loosely translates into "your baby isn't a baby anymore"), I started my 8th year of teaching, and the hubby...well football season started, so I'm a widow for the next few months.

All those things are usually what I turn to as excuses for not eating well or not working out.  With a little planning and a GREAT accountability group at school, neither has suffered too much surprisingly. My teacher fit club has been awesome this year--we've been great about meeting for a 30 minute sweat sesh about four days a week. We've tackled some Focus T25, a little PiYo, and even some 21 Day Fix Workouts. It's been super fun varying what we're going each day, but even more fun to have folks to laugh and chat with while we burn a few hundred calories.

Seven versions from seven different kitchens...all delish!

As for eating right, I've really leaned on my clean eating challengers for keeping me focused. August's group really killed it--and pushed me to think outside the box to come up with ways to make clean, healthy eating exciting while still not taking more than thirty minutes a night. September's group really upped the ante though--we ate clean crock pot dinners for four straight nights. Recipe testing was a bit ridiculous--the hubby was traveling a lot for work, so it meant I was pawning off leftovers on unsuspecting coworkers or stocking our freezer with some quick, clean dinners (neither of those are really a bad thing, are they??). Overall, the four day challenge was a great success and SO fun!! 

After some prodding from friends, I've decided to share one of the faves--a whole chicken dinner in the crockpot :) I hope y'all enjoy this as much as we did!! And even if you aren't cooking for an army, my oh my the things you could do with the leftovers!!

Crockpot Whole Chicken Dinner

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds

3 stalks of celery, cut into thirds

7-8 small red or yellow potatoes, halved

2 tspn smoked paprika (regular is ok, too)

½ tspn cayenne pepper

1 tspn onion powder

1 tspn garlic powder

1 tspn dried thyme

½ tspn ground black pepper

½ tspn salt

1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs), rinsed and patted dry

Preparation:

Spray crock pot with a little cooking spray (just be on the safe side J). Throw all veggies into crock pot. Combine all spices, and rub over entire chicken (make sure to sprinkle some in the cavity also). Wiggle chicken into the crock pot, rearranged veggies as needed to nestle it down in there. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Preheat over to 475. If your crock pot has a removable ceramic “pot”, place whole pot in oven and bake for 10 minutes. If you don’t have a ceramic pot, move chicken and veggies into a casserole dish and bake as planned to give skin a crispy, delicious finish!

*My crock pot holds 6-7 quarts; smaller crock pots may not be able to fit this whole meal.

**Chicken should be cooked to an internal temp of 160 degrees (you want that to register in the thigh, not the breast). Always check temp before eating!!

Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Summer Peach Salsa

Y'all. It's August 7. Which means in exactly one week I'm back to work. Summer time with the little has been a blast. Her little personality is just hilarious. She is currently obsessed with:

 -Standing. Like whoa.
-The red bars at Little Gym. Don't you DARE try and suggest any other activity.
-Poking the dog in the eye.
-Eating. All. The. Things.
-Her daddy :) She gets so excited when she hears the gate open in the evening.
-Scooting. She crawled for approximately five hot minutes and then switched to scooting on her bum. It's my fave.
-Barking. Usually when she sees the dog; sometimes when she sees something she likes. Whatev.

Anyway, with all the summer fun, we've really been trying to soak up all the delicious fruits and veggies that come with summertime as well. C loves zucchini, so I will definitely plant a zucchini plant next spring to keep up with her demands. She's really loved watermelon and peaches as well. We had some peaches on their last day, so I whipped up a "cheater's" peach salsa to serve with this yummy pork tenderloin. Hubby approved, so here's the recipe!

Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Summer Peach Salsa 

Ingredients:
1 lb pork tenderloin
1 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn chile powder
1 tspn cumin
¼ tspn salt
1/4 cup peaches, skins removed and diced
½ cup pico de gallo (store bought or homemade!)
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
Lime, halved
1 tbsp honey
½ tspn sriracha

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with foil, and set baking rack on top of baking sheet. While oven warms, mix peaches with pico de gallo so the flavors can combine. In a small bowl, combine spices. Rub over the entire pork tenderloin. Set meat on the rack, and bake for 40-45 minutes (New pork guidelines allow pork to cook to 145°, if you prefer it cooked well, cook it until the internal temp reads is 160° with a meat thermometer). While pork roasts, mix together 1/2 lime juice, honey, and sriracha. Brush over pork during last ten minutes of roasting.

We served this alongside a brown rice/black bean mix that I jazzed up with HEB's "That Green Sauce" (I would take a bath in that stuff it is SO good!).

21 Day Fix Dinner: Buffalo Style Turkey Burger Wraps

A few things strike me as unbelievable this morning....

1. Summer break is nearly over :( I've really enjoyed my time with my little this summer. She's at SUCH a fun age.

2. We're in new house!! The transitition period between selling our previous home and closing on our new home was a bit rough for the whole fam (I think the dog took it the hardest, lol!), so it's nice to settle in.

3. I'm on day 3 (aka THE LAST DAY!) of my first round of 3 Day Refresh! I've really not hated ("loved" felt a tad too strong, haha!) this cleanse. It's SO different from any others I've done. And y'all, we eat pretty well most of the time. As a rule, I try to make as much of what we eat as I can and avoid overly processed alternatives when possible. But in the summer time....hot dogs just smell too good on the grill. And a cold beer on a patio? Umm I'll have another. So this has been a good mid-summer reset for me. Despite lbs not really being a focus for me, the scale is showing three lbs less today than it did on Monday. Ain't nobody gonna be made at that!

4. I've never blogged my fave recipe! I've shared this with a few of my clean eating challenges, and even posted it on the Fit Foodie Fam facebook page, but never here! So here you go!

Buffalo Style Turkey Burger Wraps

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey

½  zucchini shredded (use your cheese grater)

1/2 cup shredded carrots (chop a little to make pieces smaller)

½ cup green onions, sliced

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp EVOO or coconut oil

½ cup Frank’s Red Hot or Frank’s Buffalo sauce

Lettuce (for “buns”)

Carrot sticks

Celery stalks

Preparation: 

In a large bowl, combine turkey and next four ingredients till mixed (careful not to over mix, or you’ll end up with tough burgers!). Form into four patties. Heat oil over medium heat in nonstick skillet. Cook burgers for 4-6 minutes per side, until cooked through (inside no longer pink and/or reached internal temp of 165 degrees). Pour sauce into pan, and flip burgers to coat. Turn temp to low and let sauce “cook” into burgers for 2 minutes.

Serve wrapped in a lettuce leaf with carrots and celery.

**If you NEED/absolutelycan’tlivewithout ranch or blue cheese with wings, limit yourself to 1-2 tspns with your burger and only use the brand with the least number of ingredients you can find. 21 Day Fixers--try a dollop of greek yogurt to satisfy the need for something cool and creamy with the firey buffalo sauce!

Healthier Shrimp and Grits

I'm from the south. Born and raised in Texas. That means a few things are absolute truths:

1. When I say, "Would you like a Coke?", I prob mean Dr. Pepper :)
2. "Y'all" is a contraction I teach in my Language Arts class.
3. Football is a religion. When we planned our wedding, stern instructions were given that it was not to take place during football season (the husband neglected to give the same directions for babies though....lol!)
4. Our regional cuisine isn't always the most figure friendly (but I triple dog dare you to find one that is tastier!)

Moving to Houston after spending 3 years in Michigan meant that we were returned to the land of sweet tea and Tex-Mex. We weren't as familiar with cajun cuisine, but it sure didn't take long for us to warm up to it....or to notice that jeans weren't buttoning as easily as they once had.

I included this meal as a part of a clean eating challenge I hosted this week, and it received RAVE reviews; so I'm glad to share it with y'all. The pic isn't the best, so my apologies for that one...I didn't really intend to post this recipe, but peer pressure is fierce!!

If you're bummed you missed my clean eating challenge this month, you still have a chance to join in on my upcoming 21 Day Fix challenge--we will combine three fiercely important components to achieving long lasting results...
     *FITNESS (thirty minute workouts done in the comfort of my living room? Yes, please!)
     *NUTRITION (a clearly outlined nutritional plan that focuses on portion control, rather than calorie counting and incorporates Shakeology once a day as a dense--and delicious--nutrition boost!)
     *SUPPORT (a super positive, super pumped-up accountability group where we will share meal plans, recipe ideas, and keep each other focused and motivated)

If you want to join our challenge, comment below and I'll send you the details!!

Red Pepper Shrimp (aka lighter Shrimp 'N Grits!)
Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

For the grits:

1/2 cup quick-cooking grits

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

¼ cup  + 2 tbsp (for serving) shredded cheddar cheese

For the shrimp:

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

12 oz peeled & deveined shrimp

1 tbsp  EVOO or Coconut oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

Pinch of cayenne

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

2 medium scallions, diced finely

Preparation:

1.       Prepare grits: In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil on high heat. Stir in grits and return to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in garlic powder, Worcestershire, cayenne, salt, and cheese; cover and set aside.

2.       Meanwhile, prepare red pepper shrimp: Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add oil to pan to heat, then add peppers and lightly coat pepper with cooking spray. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until pepper begins to lightly brown on edges. Set aside on a plate.

3.       In a medium bowl, combine shrimp with remaining ingredients, except scallions and cheese, and stir until well coated. Add mixture to skillet in a single layer and cook on medium-high, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes, until shrimp is opaque in center. Remove from heat and stir in red pepper and scallions.

4.       To serve, divide grits among 4 dinner plates and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Spoon equal amounts of shrimp mixture over top.