21 Day Fix Spaghetti Soup

So quick to throw together--this will be an instant family favorite!

1 lb ground beef

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3-4 celery stacks, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots (or diced)

½ tspn salt

¼ tspn pepper

1/2 tspn basil

1/2 tspn oregano

1/2 tspn rosemary

1 tspn Italian seasoning

2 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 jar sugar free spaghetti sauce

3-4 cups beef broth

6 oz spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces

Heat a little EVOO in a large soup pan. Add veggies, and saute till onions are translucent. Add beef, breaking apart with the back of your spoon. When beef is cooked through, stir in spices. Stir in tomatoes, sauce, broth and simmer for 10 minutes or so. Stir in broken spaghetti, and cook till noodles are al dente. Top with parmesan if desired.

And that’s it! Ha!

21 Day Fix Approved Mediterranean Salmon

Quick, easy and tasty--this salmon feels SO much fancier than a normal #21dayfixapproved dinner!

 2 4-6 oz salmon filets
2 tspn EVOO
1 tspn minced garlic (about two cloves)
½ cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tspn dried basil (could sub leftover fresh basil if you have any! Increase amount to 1 tbsp)
1 tspn capers
½ cup garbanzo beans
¼ tspn black pepper
Broccoli, steamed or roasted (let me know if you want roasting directions!)

 In a small saucepan, heat 1 tspn of EVOO over medium heat. Add garlic to pan, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and next four ingredients to pan and reduce heat to low. In a separate saute pan, heat 1 tspn EVOO over medium heat. Add filets to pan, skin side down and cook for two minutes. Flip filets over, and cook to desired doneness (2-5 minutes). Serve alongside steamed broccoli!

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!