Salsa Chicken

Ingredients
- 4 - 5oz chicken breasts
- 2 cups of salsa
- salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Instructions
1) Place chicken in crock pot
2) season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and any other seasonings you may like.
3) cover with salsa
4) Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 until chicken shreds easily with a fork
5) Shred chicken in crock pot and split into 4 servings - enjoy! 

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

This is one of my fave meal prep recipes!  I got it from Jamie Eason - yum! 

Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dry yellow mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp chipotle pepper spice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 – 2 tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp ground coriander (optional)
- 1 tbsp McCormick Rotisserie Chicken spice (optional)
- 1tsp Herbes De Provence spice (optional)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 celery stalks (finely chopped)

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Spray muffin pan with olive oil.
3) Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
4) Roll the mixture into 12 even sized balls and place in muffin pan.
5) Bake 40 minutes or till done.
6) Serve warm or freeze in a Ziploc freezer bag.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

(inspired by "Kalyn's Stuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole" found on http://www.skinnytaste.com)

It was a Saturday night and I was searching for a new recipe to try... I wanted a casserole type dish that would provide leftovers for Sunday night as well, since the weekends is when I tend to fail with planning and making dinners!  I came across this recipe on skinnytaste.com and knew that I had to try it!!  I love cabbage rolls - but to not have to worry about actually "rolling" them up?  bonus! lol!  This was a real hit with my whole family - even my 6 year old daughter LOVED it... Like she was actually excited for leftovers on Sunday!  She's never excited for leftovers lol :) 

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 
• 1 large head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) seasoned diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups cooked brown rice 
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used the mozza-cheddar)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large glass casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until it’s browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground beef and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it’s hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
4. While it simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage coarsely into 1 inch pieces.
5. Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
6. When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine.
7. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and the layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges.
8. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese (if using.) Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to slightly brown. Serve hot.

Freezer friendly if you have leftovers. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then either microwave until hot or heat in the oven in a glass dish covered with foil.

Quick & Simple 10 Minute Omelet

Ever have those days where you just have no clue what to have for lunch and you have limited time to prepare anything?  Happens to me like... more often than it should :/ But sometimes, something wonderful comes out of my disorganization! :)  

Ladies and gentlemen - I introduce to you the 

QUICK & SIMPLE 10-MINUTE OMELET

Yep... 10 mins from start to finish is all you need to whip this bad boy up!! 

What you need:

• 2 eggs, scrambled
• 1 cup kale (or spinach), chopped 
• 3/4 cup red peppers, diced
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• no salt added seasoning of your choice (I love the organic no-salt seasoning from costco)
• 2 tbsp shredded light cheese

What you do:

1. Place a pan over medium high heat and spray with non-stick spray
2. add the red peppers, onions and kale (or spinach) and cook for 3-4 mins, until kale (or spinach begins to wilt)
3. remove the veggies from the pan, spray with non stick spray again and add the 2 eggs
4. season the eggs with your no salt seasoning and let cook for a couple minutes until just a bit white underneath
5. add the veggies to the eggs and let cook for 1 minute
6. add the cheese on top of the veggies and let cook until the egg is fully cooked - about 3-4 minutes
7. Serve and enjoy! 

If you are doing the 21 day fix this would count as 2 greens, 1 red and 1 blue!

If you are calorie counting it is 304 calories!

One Pan Turkey Taco Brown Rice Skillet

Wanna know one of my BIGGEST pet peeves??  

Dirty dishes and a kitchen that is a lot of work to clean up after eating a delicious meal.

So, I always appreciate those recipes out there that have you dirtying as FEW dishes as possible!  

One pan?  DONE! 

I came across this delicious One Pot Spicy Taco Rice Skillet recipe and decided it sounded way too good to NOT try!  So I made a few more health conscious adjustments and here's what I came up with! 

One Pan Turkey Taco Brown Rice Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of salsa
• 1 cup of brown rice
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup of water (if using "Minute Rice" omit the water) 
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup light shredded tex mex cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pan, brown turkey.
2. When turkey is lightly browned, add diced onions and peppers.
3. Cook until turkey is fully cooked and the onions and peppers are soft.
4. Add can of tomatoes - no need to drain.
5. Add salsa, rice, water and stock.
6. Stir well to combine.
7. Add in spices and mix, cover.
8. Let simmer on low until rice is soft and liquid has cooked off.
9. Top with cheese, stir in until it melts.
10. Serve!

"Clean" Melt-in-your-mouth Chicken

This is another super simple (are you noticing a theme here with my recipes and being simple? haha) super DELICIOUS chicken recipe... It tastes like you are eating something that is just awful for you and high in fat and calories, but it's really not! 

"Clean" Melt-in-your-mouth Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 - 4 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• pink himilayan salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit
2. Lay foil in a baking dish and spray with non-stick spray and place chicken in dish
3. Combine greek yogurt, cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl
4. Coat each chicken breast in greek yogurt mixture
5. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through

Noodle-less Lasagna

Who doesn't love lasagna??  I know I do!!  It is definitely one of my favourite comfort foods, however it is so high in calories that it's definitely been forever removed off my menu (except for maybe the occasional treat night).

Well, I introduce to you - NOODLE-LESS LASAGNA!  That's right... it's all the deliciousness of lasagna with NO pasta!

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 medium Zucchini's, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• 1/2 a medium yellow onion
• 2 tsp diced garlic
• pink himalayan salt, black pepper and garlic powder to taste
• pasta sauce of choice
• 24 oz of cottage cheese
• shredded mozza cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degress Farenheit
2. In a skillet on medium-high heat add ground turkey, onion, garlic and seasonings and cook until turkey is browned and cooked through
   
3. add about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce and mix into the turkey mixture
   
4. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and lay the first layer of zucchini "noodles" just like you would lasagna noodles
   
5. add half of the turkey mixture on top of the "zoodles"
6. add half of the cottage cheese on top of the meat mixture
   
7. repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 ending with a third layer of zucchini noodles on top
8. spread about 1/4 cup of pasta sauce (just a thin layer) on top of the zucchini
   
9. sprinkle your cheese on and cover with tin foil
10. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is a bit browned
11. Serve and enjoy! 

Couple things I will change for next time... 

It was quite watery from the zucchini... I googled how to help that and I read that if you "salt" the zucchini"noodles" for about an hour before hand it will pull the moisture out of the zucchini!  Basically just put the zoodles into a colander, sprinkle salt on top and toss it around until they are evenly covered... leave the colander over a bowl to collect the water that gets pulled out... after about an hour place the zoodles on paper tower to wipe away any moisture left... I will update this post once I try this :) 

Otherwise though, the taste was PHENOMENAL!  It was so very delicious!!!  The water wasn't that bad of a thing, just made it a bit more difficult to cut and scoop out regular pieces :)  I actually showed me making it in this vlog too :)

Maple Salmon

This is a super simple clean eating Salmon recipe that I just LOVE!  If you haven't been able to tell yet, I like simple and this recipe is just that!   

(Makes 4 servings)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 salmon fillets (about 4 oz each)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium preferred) 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• pepper
• sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray
2. Arrange salmon fillets on baking sheet
3. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and salt
4. Brush salmon fillets with mixture until evenly coated
5. Place in oven and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork... ENJOY! 

Lemon Chicken with Thyme

(from Eat Yourself Skinny)

This is one of my favourite go-to clean eating, simple chicken breast recipes!  It's super simple, not a lot of ingredients are needed and it's clean! 

(Makes 4 servings) 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 chicken breasts
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of fresh Thyme
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp of sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper
3. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour mixture over top making sure to completely coat them
4. Bake for about 40 minutes (depending on size of chicken), until juices run clean.  Enjoy!  

Grilled Honey Cumin Chicken

Grilled Honey Cumin Chicken

Spice up your chicken with a touch of cumin.

Total Time: 25 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. raw honey
2 Tbsp. 100% orange juice
4 4-oz each raw chicken breast, boneless, skiness
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)

Preparation:
1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Combine honey and orange juice in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
3. Brush each chicken breast lightly with oil. Sprinkle both sides evenly with cumin, salt (if desired), and pepper (if desired).
4. Place chicken on grill; cook, without turning, for 5 minutes. When chicken releases easily from the grill, turn and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
5. Reduce grill heat to low. Brush chicken evenly with honey mixture. Be careful, honey will burn if exposed to flames. Grill until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of each breast reads 160° F. Remove from grill. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Note: The FDA suggests cooking chicken to a temperature of 165° F. Chicken will continue to cook after it is removed from heat, so we recommend that it be removed from the grill at 160° F to prevent drying out.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 184

Fat: 7 g

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 67 mg

Sodium: 439 mg

Carbohydrate: 10 g

Fiber: 0 g

Sugar: 9 g

Protein: 23 g

Hearty Beef Stew

Hearty Beef Stew

For a quick, healthy meal in the middle of winter, try this hearty beef stew, or our vegan-friendly version.

Total Time: 1 hr. 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 1 hr.
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1½ lb. raw lean beef stew meat, boneless
1½ medium onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
½ to 1 cup low-sodium organic beef broth (or vegetable broth)
1 bay leaf
½ medium green bell pepper, chopped
½ medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
3 cups cooked quinoa, hot

Preparation:
1. Place beef, onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, hot sauce, 1/2 cup broth, and bay leaf in large saucepot.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 40 minutes, adding additional broth as needed.
3. Add bell peppers, carrots, and potatoes; cook, covered, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened and beef is fork tender.
4. Serve with quinoa.

Vegan Variation: Substitute beef with same amount of tempeh. Use only ½ cup vegetable broth instead of beef broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Add vegetables and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 346

Fat: 7 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 75 mg

Sodium: 626 mg

Carbohydrate: 40 g

Fiber: 6 g

Sugar: 5 g

Protein: 33 g

Grilled Chicken Dijon

Grilled Chicken Dijon

Grill it or broil it, this lean chicken recipe is a fantastic, healthy dinner you can make in 15 minutes or less.

Total Time: 15 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 10 min.
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 (4-oz.) raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
6 fresh parsley sprigs (or thyme, marjoram, or rosemary), finely chopped 
1 dash sea salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
1. Preheat grill or broiler.
2. Combine garlic, mustard, parsley, salt, pepper, and oil in a small bowl; mix well.
3. Brush chicken breasts evenly with garlic mixture.
4. Grill or broil chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 199

Fat: 10g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 73g

Sodium: 397mg

Carbs: 2g

Fiber: 0g

Sugars: 0g

Protein: 24g

Nutty Butter Shakeology

Nutty Butter Shakeology

Peanut butter and banana combine in a super yummy way in this smoothie.

Total Time: 5 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:
½ cup nonfat milk
½ cup water
1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
¼ medium banana, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped raw walnuts
1 cup ice

Preparation:
1. Place milk, water, Shakeology, banana, peanut butter, walnuts, and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 340

Fat: 15 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 7 mg

Sodium: 264 mg

Carbohydrate: 31 g

Fiber: 5 g

Sugar: 19 g

Protein: 26 g

Pita Pizza

Pita Pizza

Pitas make an ideal pizza crust! This is topped with basil, peppers and onion, or you can substitute your favorite vegetables.

Total Time: 18 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 8 min.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 (6½-inch) whole wheat pitas
¾ cup all-natural spaghetti sauce, no salt added
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (½ cup)
¼ medium onion, sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced into rings

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Top pitas evenly with spaghetti sauce, basil, cheese, onion, and bell pepper.
3. Place pitas on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information: (per serving)

Calories: 248

Fat: 5 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 8 mg

Sodium: 569 mg

Carbs: 43 g

Fiber: 6 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 11 g

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

For an easy, romantic dessert, try strawberries dipped in dark chocolate.

Total Time: 41 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 1 min.
Yield: 10 servings, 2 strawberries each

Ingredients:
20 medium strawberries (about 1 lb.)
9 oz. dark chocolate morsels (or chopped semi-sweet chocolate)
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Preparation:
1. Wash strawberries; dry completely. Set aside.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or waxed) paper. Set aside.
3. Place morsels and oil in microwave-safe container. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds; stir; microwave for an additional 30 to 45 seconds or until just melted. Do not overcook. Set aside.
4. Hold a strawberry by leaf, dip into melted chocolate; lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberry on parchment paper. Repeat with remaining strawberries.
5. Set strawberries aside for 30 minutes, or until chocolate hardens.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 147

Fat: 9 g

Saturated Fat: 6 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 0 mg

Carbohydrate: 18 g

Fiber: 1 g

Sugar: 16 g

Protein: 1 g

Brussel Sprouts with Roasted Grapes

Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Grapes

Enjoy these Brussels sprouts hot or cold. They develop a mellow nutty flavor that goes perfectly with sweet grapes.

Total Time: 35 min.
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half (about 6 oz.)
1 cup red grapes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
1 Tbsp. sliced raw almonds (for garnish; optional)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Combine Brussles sprouts, grapes and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired; mix well.
3. Arrange Brussels sprouts mixture with Brussels sprouts cut side down, on metal baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until Brussels sprouts are golden brown on the cut side. Stir; continue baking for 10 to 15 additional minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Top with sliced almonds (if desired). 

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 148

Fat: 6 g

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 166 mg

Carbohydrate: 23 g

Fiber: 4 g

Sugar: 14 g

Protein: 4 g

Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

Sweet Potato Salad

This salad is topped with hearty sweet potatoes--a superfood that is high in beta-carotene, potassium, and manganese. Pumpkin seeds add extra crunch!

Total Time: 1 hour 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min.
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 dash Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
1 tsp. chopped fresh herbs (like basil, oregano or parsley) (to taste; optional)
1 medium baked sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium green apple, diced
½ medium red bell pepper, diced
1 stalk green onion, finely sliced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups fresh arugula
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seed kernels, toasted (or chopped raw walnuts)

Preparation:
1. Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and herbs (if desired) in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. 
Set aside.
2. Combine sweet potato, apple, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl; mix well.
3. Drizzle dressing over sweet potato mixture; toss gently to blend.
4. Place even amounts of arugula on two serving plates; top each with sweet potato mixture and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Tip: Bake fork-pierced sweet potato at 450° F for 30 to 40 minutes or until just tender. Do not over bake; cool.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 236

Fat: 11 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 194 mg

Carbohydrate: 32 g

Fiber: 6 g

Sugar: 16 g

Protein: 5 g