Southwest Chipotle Lime Chicken

SO FAST. SO EASY.

Ingredients

• Rotisserie Chicken, shredded chicken or raw chicken
• Limes - freshly squeezed, or lime juice iFf you have a bottle
• Chicken Broth (optional if you don't have any available, but strongly encouraged)
• Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning (SALT FREE!)
• or homemade chipotle seasoning
• Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt and Pepper if needed, to taste

Directions

1. Combine Chicken broth, couple splashes of lime juice, chopped cilantro, and Southwest Chipotle seasoning into a container - bowl, tupperware, whatever you will marinate your chicken with - and whisk together with a fork or whisk
    - you need enough broth and lime juice  to coat the chicken, you don't want the chicken swimming in marinade as it can absorb too much liquid and get mushy
   - if you are not using chicken broth, do not over compensate with the lime, dilute with water if you need to or rub a small amount in with your hands. Don't make the mistake of using too much citrus!
2. Add the chicken and toss, ensuring every piece is coated
3. Marinate chicken (cooked or raw) for 20-30 minutes. We all know to marinate raw chicken, BUT its very important to marinate cooked chicken (like rotisserie or shredded) in order to impart much needed moisture and flavor.
   

   It makes a world of difference

4. After the 20-30 minutes are up, check on the chicken and transfer to a new bowl/serving dish or drain the excess liquid from the marinating container and close with lid.

Garlic Parmesan Popcorn

Yep, here I go again... cheese, garlic and popcorn!

Ingredients

• popcorn kernels
• grated parmesan cheese, fresh
• garlic powder
• italian seasoning (optional, but encouraged!)
• misto - olive oil
• sea salt, kosher salt, himalayan salt - your choice

Directions

1. Air pop popcorn in microwave, or with air popper
2. light spray of olive oil with misto
3. take two pinches of grated parmesan cheese, rub and grind into small pieces between two fingers as your sprinkling. Rub hard! you want to distribute it as much as possible
4. garlic powder - not garlic salt - to taste
5. top with a sprinkle of italian seasoning if you like!
6. salt - easy cowboy! 

Enjoy!

Grilled Vegetable Kabobs

Summer : Grilling

Look at these colors!

Okay so this one's pretty explanatory, but I did one thing a little different - infused olive oil

Ingredients

• veggies of choice
• olive oil
• rosemary, leaves and stems
• basil, leaves and stems
• garlic, 1 clove halved

Directions

1. Pour some oil in a small, dish.
2. Add Rosemary and basil leaves and stems. Stems whole and leaves finely chopped
3. Add a clove of garlic, halved
4. Heat the oil in the microwave to infuse flavors
5. Brush vegetable skewers
6. Skewer mushrooms with two skewers so that they do not twirl and spin, and fall off the skewer in the grill

Baked Italian Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

• ground turkey
• spinach
• sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
• basil, finely chopped
• rosemary, finely chopped
• garlic, minced
• italian seasonings
• onion, finely chopped
• egg
• salt & pepper
• olive oil
• bread crumbs (optional)
• tomato paste (optional) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 340
2. begin sauteing onion, garlic, and rosemary in a pan on medium to medium high heat
3. add spinach and basil and cook this mixture down until it caramelizes and the liquid is evaporated
4. set aside and let cool.
5. Combine turkey, egg, tomato paste, and optional bread crumbs in bowl and mix, but do not over handle your ground turkey at any point or you will end up with tougher meatballs
6. Add in the caramelized mixture
7. Form into small meatballs no bigger than 1.5 inches
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160. If you care making these meatballs for meal prep, or will freeze them, feel free to cook to 145ish because they will finish cooking when you reheat them. This tip will help keep the moisture of the meatballs intact.

Notes:

Sometimes, I like to use a combination of 94-96% fat free beef and ground turkey for added flavor and moisture. I usually use more turkey than beef.

Nutrition Label - Sodium: Information and Numbers

Let's talk about salt baby...

Nutrition labels have %DV (percent of your daily value, based on a 2,000 calorie diet) in ONE serving. So the first step is to look at how large the serving size is (on the box), and then decide how large your portion should be (how much you eat). If you eat two servings, go ahead and also double the calories, sodium, fat, etc.

100% of your daily sodium intake should be under 2400 mg per day - most Americans consume much more than that. The surprising thing is, the majority (~75%) of our daily intake of sodium does not come from salting our own food, but rather from packaged and restaurant foods. 

The fact that we need to moderate our sodium intake is pretty well known, but I don't think many people know about the numbers. I decided it was time to look a little deeper and get an idea of what numbers I should be looking for.

So here they are:

100% DV  =   2400 mg Sodium

Something low in sodium will have:         %5 DV or less                          120 mg

Something high in sodium will have:       %20 DV or more                       480 mg

Sometimes packaged food will have little stamps or labels making certain claims, here is what they mean:

"No Salt/Sodium”	0.2% DV or less	less than 5 mg
"Very Low Sodium"	1.46% DV or less	less than 35 mg
"Low Sodium"	5.83% DV or less	less than 140 mg

            for these next few, you would need to compare to the original product. It is not a "set" value, but rather a comparison of one product to the other.

"Reduced Sodium"	at least 25% less sodium than the original product, read labels
"Light in Sodium"  "Lightly salted"	at least 50% less than sodium than the original, read labels
"No Salt added" "Unsalted"	No salt added during the processing of the product, however, it does not mean that the product is salt free! You must check the label to see how much sodium is in the product.

Boom! Those are the numbers!

Now here are some more...

More than 40% of sodium intake comes from the following 10 types of foods, so limit your intake or check the labels to make sure you are getting the lowest amount of sodium possible.

• Breads and rolls
• Cold cuts and cured meats (such as deli or packaged ham or turkey)
• Pizza
• Fresh and processed poultry
• Soups
• Sandwiches (such as hot dogs, hamburgers and submarine sandwiches)
• Cheese (natural and processed)
• Mixed pasta dishes (such as lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, and pasta salad)
• Mixed meat dishes (such as meat loaf with tomato sauce, beef stew, and chili)
• Snacks (such as chips, pretzels, popcorn, and crackers)

Here are 10 tips the FDA recommends for regulating your sodium intake

Learning about the sodium in foods and new ways to prepare foods will help you to achieve your sodium goal.  And, if you follow these tips for reducing the amount of sodium you are consuming, your “taste” for salt will gradually decrease over time – so eventually, you may not even miss it!

1. Read the Nutrition Facts Label to see how much sodium is in the foods you are considering. All Americans should consume less than 100% of the Daily Value or less than 2400 mg of sodium each day. Check the label for lower sodium choices and compare sodium in different brands of foods — like frozen meals, packaged soups, breads, dressings/sauces, and snack foods — and choose those with lower sodium.
2. Prepare your own food when you can.  Don’t salt foods before or during cooking, and limit salt shaker use at the table.
3. Add Flavor Without Adding Sodium. Use herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor to your foods. Try rosemary, oregano, basil, curry powder, cayenne pepper, ginger, fresh garlic or garlic powder (not garlic salt), black or red pepper, vinegar or lemon juice, and no-salt seasoning blends.
4. Get fresh when you can. Buy fresh or frozen (not processed) poultry, pork and lean meat rather than canned, smoked or processed meats like luncheon meats, sausages and corned beef. Fresh foods are generally lower in sodium.  Also, check the package on fresh meat and poultry to see if salt water or saline has been added.
5. Watch your veggies. Buy fresh, frozen (without sauce), or low sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables.
6. Give sodium the “rinse.” Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as tuna, vegetables, and beans before using. This removes some of the sodium.
7. Examine your dairy products. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, such as milk, yogurt, cheese and fortified soy beverages (often called soymilk) in place of processed cheese products and spreads, which are higher in sodium.
8. “Unsalt” your snacks. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds, and snack products such as chips and pretzels, that are marked “low sodium” or “no-salt-added” – or have a carrot or celery stick instead.
9. Consider your condiments. Sodium in soy sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, and seasoning packets can add up. Choose lite or reduced sodium soy sauce and no-salt-added ketchup, add oil and vinegar to a salad rather than bottled salad dressings, and use only a small amount of seasoning from flavoring packets instead of the entire packet.
10. Speak up at restaurants. Ask to see the nutrition information in restaurants and choose a lower-sodium option. Ask for your meal to be prepared without salt and request that sauces and salad dressings be served “on the side,” then use less of them. You can also reduce your portion size – less food means less sodium! For example, ask the server to put half of your meal in a take out container before it comes to your table or split an entrée with a dinner companion.

        
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm315393.htm

Hibiscus Tea

Ahhh, So Refreshing...

This is a great drink for detoxing and getting rid of water weight. I like making a very concentrated stock that way I can just dilute from there and I won't have to make it as often. 

Beware! This will STAIN your beautiful, beautiful clothes... there is no mercy, trust me. So just be careful!

These are the dried Hibiscus Flowers, which will make the tea!

Ingredients

• Hibiscus Leaves (75 g ~ 2 cups)
• Water
• Stevia/Ideal/Sweetener of choice

Directions 

Fill a 4 qt pot with water and boil

Throw in a handful to two handfuls of hibiscus leaves

Allow to boil for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Let leaves soak for 10 more minutes. This is your concentrated "stock", it will be concentrated, but it's all up to taste.

Add desired amount of sweetener

Use a colander to pour into a pitcher

Remaining leaves can be used again immediately if you have not filled up your pitcher.

I usually store my "stock solution" and then add half a pot of water to the used leaves, boil, and serve the tea you just made in a big glass to drink. 

When ready to serve, dilute with water

I do 50/50, but its personal choice

CAN BE  SERVED HOT OR COLD :)

Mini Zucchini Pizzas

Guilt Free Snackable Pizza

Pseudo Bagel Bites! Great snack for everyone, regardless or not if they want to eat healthy. I brought these to a girls night once and the girls loved it.

This is a great carb free, gluten free, and paleo excuse to snack on pizza. SOLD!

Ingredients

• Zucchini
• Homemade Marinara, or store bought
• Low Fat cheese of choice (Mozerella, Swiss, Parmesean, etc)
• olive oil in misto spray (optional)
• turkey pepperoni, cut into smaller pieces (optional)

Directions

1. Turn broiler on high
2. Slice zucchini into medallions or longer ovals, place on baking sheet lined with foil and broil for a couple minutes. Option two is to quickly saute in skillet on medium heat. (It's not entirely necessary to cook the zucchini medallions, so you can skip this step if you like)
3. Place a dollop of marinara sauce on the zucchini
4. Top with cheese
5. Broil for a few minutes or place in oven at 400 F

Notes:

If you do not have marinara sauce made, or any on hand

• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• ground celery seed
• salt and pepper
• little bit of cumin and paprika if you like

Just Right Mushrooms and Onions

Ingredients

• Adam's Reserve Just Right Burger Spice (1 tbsp)
• yellow onion (1), sliced thin
• Mushrooms (1 cup), sliced
• Wyatt's Finishing butter - any flavor (2 tbsp)

Directions

1. head skillet over medium - medium high heat
2. add and melt Wyatt's Butter
3. add muhrooms and onions and saute for 4-5 mintues. 
4. season with Adam's Reserve Just Right Burger Spice
5. Pour over burgers, grilled chicken, steaks or on baked potato

Scotch Rocks

Seriously, though... 

Scotch. Get used to it. It's delicious and it's diet friendly.

Ingredients

1. Scotch, -single malt, you heathen! 
2. Whiskey Stones or Ice
     -- (Both are links, choose one and buy it, you'll thank me later)

Directions

1. Man up.
2. Just drink it already..
3. It'll start to grow on you after a while.
4. See it's GOOD right!?

Enjoy that shit.

Hard Boiled Egg Snack

Quick Protien. 

This is a great protein snack that I like to pack in my lunches. A little bit or a lot of seasoning is up to you! Today I was definitely feeling the seasoning, however, even a little bit goes a long way. Try any of your favorite seasonings,  I personally do not like hard boiled egg yolks for some reason, so I take them out. 

Today, I used paprika, rosemary, thyme, and a salt free Italian seasoning blend  (Mrs. Dash).

For convenience, I use hard boiled eggs from Costco. Saves me the trouble of making them myself and makes meal prep a little bit faster!

Ingredients

• Hard boiled eggs (prepared and bought from Costco)
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil, sprayed from a misto (optional, but light!)

          options include:

• Ground Rosemary (a favorite of mine)
• Dried rosemary, whole
• Italian seasoning
• Paprika 
• Celery seed / celery salt
• Curry
• Lemon pepper

Directions

1. Cut hard boiled eggs in half
2. Punch out egg yolk, if so desired
3. Season moderately, lightly, heavy.. whatever you are feeling today
4. Pack in snack sized bags for on the go snacks!

The Absolute Best Basil Pesto Sauce & Paste

Pesto might be the best thing to happen to food, ever.

Okay so, I love pesto. I really, really love pesto. I love basil, I love garlic, and I love parmesan cheese - and together it's pretty much my favorite thing to put on anything. I used to buy store bought pesto, but they were always so high in calories that I had to stop. I can not control myself with pesto, God help me with pesto and pasta.

Anyways, I was tired of 150-200 calorie per tbsp pesto, so I started making my own. Each time I would buy basil from the store and it just became  inconvenient. I'm serious, I love this stuff, so I need it on hand at all times. I use basil just as often, and in almost literally everything, so I started growing my own basil. Last year - my first time growing and tending to a plant of any kind - I utterly failed. Bought another plant. Failed again. I will definitely have to write a post about my learning experience with growing basil, and the do's and don'ts. I digress... this summer I decided to give it a try again and I bought two basil plants at my grocery store for a total of $4 - which is pretty awesome considering a small portion is sold for just as much. They were on sale and they looked amazing so, I went for it. I did my research and faithfully watered my plants this time. Low and behold, it's pretty damn easy and you get so much basil. I mean, I didn't even know what to do with that much basil. I gave away mason jars full of pesto on the regular. So yeah, this is definitely beyond worth it. And your pesto will taste amazing. 

Pro Tip # 1

Grow your own basil. It's easy, cheaper, and always on hand

I've made pesto so many times I couldn't possibly count. If you love pesto, like me, then you know that there is good pesto, and great pesto. Like, the kind that leaves you speechless (because you can't stop eating) and testing the limits and boundaries of your expanding belly. I also love to experiment so I've done a lot of research and tried different recipes and techniques.

Pro Tip # 2:

Toast the garlic and the pine nuts. Raw garlic pesto is good, but it has nothing on toasted/roasted garlic. Same goes for the pine nuts. If you are short on time, then I gueeessss you can skip this step. But only in the most dire of circumstances, you're really cheating yourself if you don't.

Be super careful with this guys. I've had my share of burned pine nuts... Actually, I've had my share of pine nuts on fire. Literal fire. Huge flames. I thought I was going to burn my house down. DO NOT PUT THEM IN A TOASTER OVEN AND FORGET ABOUT THEM, EVEN FOR JUST A MINUTE! I smelled them burning, and when I opened the door to the toaster, oxygen ignited the pine nuts and HUGE FLAMES came lapping out of the oven. Also, don't put your toaster oven under your wooden kitchen cabinets. I was seriously lucky I had a bowl next to me because I ran to the sink, filled it with however much water I could get in literally 2 seconds, ran back, and threw it on the flames. I barely had enough water. The flames almost didn't go out. I literally almost burned my whole house down. I don't think I can express how large these flames were, and how QUICKLY they grew even bigger. And they were hungrily lapping at my wooden cabinets. It was TERRIFYING.

Anyways, so toast them on your stove and keep an eye on them. These suckers burn so fast.

Pro Tip #3
Release the oils in the basil by bruising the leaves. Throw them in a Ziplock and press on them lightly with your palm or with some sort of flat object. I softly use a meat pounder. 

Next issue is the process. I've made pesto by hand, and it is incredibly time consuming. It is also probably the best tasting I've ever had. The harsh reality is that its just not practical. You have to finely chop the garlic, pine nuts, and basil and it can be just as physically taxing as it is time consuming. As I've mentioned, toasting the garlic is recommended, however doing so will change the consistency of the garlic and will make it much softer.. so chopping toasted garlic isn't going to be fun. You may have to make a sacrifice. 1) and use raw garlic 2) use toasted garlic then put it in the food processor with the oil, sacrificing some of the hand made integrity. We can't have it all, can we? Despite all the struggles, do it by hand at least once. You'll see. Its magical. Here's some great instructions: How to Make Pesto like an Italian Grandmother. So the reason that this way is better, is because the flavors are together, but remain independent - unlike emulsified pesto made with a processor or blender. You can separately taste basil, garlic, and parmesan and I swear it is like a party in your mouth. 

Pro Tip # 4

Chop everything by hand if you have the time: do your best to avoid using machines, or use the ones that do not emulsify as well as a processor/blender.

For me, this would be the processor attachment of my immersion blender. The blades are placed higher up from the bottom of the container, and therefore do not actually liquefy/emulsify my pesto. This is the ideal ratio of greatness to time consumption that I have found. This is it right here!

It gives me the perfect consistency. 

Pro Tip #5
Use as little oil as possible. You can always add more. This saves you on tons and tons calories. A lot of the time when I cook I find that whatever I am adding pesto to already uses oil in the cooking process, to add additional oil from the pesto is just senseless extra calories. 

Pro Tip #6
Use what you need for today, and freeze the rest in ice cube trays - 1 tbsp or 2 tbsp in each depending on your ice cube tray and your personal preference. For pesto, I personally like 1 tbsp cubes. You will need to add more oil in order to freeze. 

You will make too much pesto. You will always make too much pesto. You will forget to freeze it, and you will waste the pesto. Which is a sin in my book. Unless I'm cooking a huge meal, I never get to use it all, and I always forget to freeze it later.  I always think to myself, "No, I'll wait to freeze it... I love this stuff, I'll always find something to eat it on." No. It never happens. I am far too busy to make food on a daily basis and this is why I tend to cook in large quantities or meal prep. I'm assuming most of us live the busy life, so just freeze it as soon as you make it. Save yourself the pain of throwing pesto away because it sat in the fridge for too long.

Freezing methods:

The execution is up to you, its merely a matter of personal preference and usage.

1. Add a little more oil to the whole batch - add just enough so that it will freeze in a cube
2. Portion out the pesto into the tray, and then top it off with oil. 

Usually when you top off with oil you will be using more of it. Adding oil on top can be useful for something that needs to be (briefly) cooked in oil anyways, and you want to impart the pesto flavoring as well. However, do not use this method if you will be adding this at the very beginning of the cooking process. The basil will lose its flavor if it is heated too much.

Adding a small amount of oil to the entire batch is preferred when you've already been cooking with oil and only want to add the pesto flavor. This is the healthiest option.


Well kids, that's it so far. I will probably constantly be updating this and adding more tips.

Next time, I want to try it shallots!

 Ingredients

• Fresh Basil, from your basil plants if you're a boss, ~1 cup
• Garlic, whole or chopped, ~1 - 1.5 cloves
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp, note: add more olive oil to make a sauce. Or add less if you really want. See note below
• Parmesan Cheese, 0.35-1.0 oz weighed, measure by filling a 2 oz ramekin half way 
• Toasted Pine Nuts/Almonds/Hemp Seeds (whatever is on hand) - 0.5 oz weighed, or measure by filling a 2 oz ramekin halfway

Note:
This makes a very dense pesto, it's more like a paste than a sauce. I like to keep my sauces dense, and low calorie because its very easy to go overboard and forget just how many calories you are using. You can always add more olive oil later.
This particular recipe is a total of about 263 calories in 2.20 oz, give or take depending on how much oil, cheese and nuts you used. Because its so dense it only requires A LITTLE per recipe, start with a touch and add more if needed, just be mindful of calories when you season to taste.
Add up to 1/3 cup of olive oil if you wish, or are not afraid of/ not watching your calories.

Directions:

1. Break off a couple cloves of garlic - peels still on - and toast them on a pan on the stove. The peel will allow the garlic to toast without burning
2. After about 6 minutes, or whenever the garlic peel starts to get darker, throw in the pine nuts and stir or shake the pan around often. Keep a very watchful eye because the pine nuts will toast much faster, they will be done in a couple minutes. 
3. Combine basil pesto sauce ingredients in food processor, Vitamix/Blender, of finely chop by hand
4. Store whatever you need today or tomorrow in fridge for use in the immediate use
5. Freeze the rest in ice cube trays until solid, pop the cubes out of the tray, then store in freezer safe Ziploc bags. Remember to add oil in one of the ways mentioned above.
6. No, seriously, freeze it now. You will not finish it!

Cilantro Pesto Sauce

Ingredients to taste

• Fresh Cilantro,  roughly chopped
• Limes, squeezed
• Olive Oil
• Garlic, whole or roughly chopped
• Parmesan Cheese
• Almonds/Pine Nuts/Hemp Seeds (whichever is on hand)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor or Vitamix/blender 
2. Store in refrigerator 
3. Or Freeze in ice cubes for over an hour, and then seal in freezer Ziploc bags

Sauteed Kale with Garlic and Onions

Savory, Filling, Fresh

This is as simple as it gets. It's a great filler, and doesn't take much effort. You could even add quinoa if you wanted.

Ingredients

• Kale, torn into slightly smaller pieces
• Onion, sliced with mandolin into strips, or diced. Preference
• Garlic, finely minced
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Turn the stove on to medium - medium low and warm a skillet
2. Use Misto for a light spray of olive oil
3. Start with the onion and garlic until slightly browned
4. Add in kale stir, and take off heat as soon as you feel kale is about to reach the consistency you want. I like to aim for a firmer kale because I will usually reheat.

Enjoy

Cheesy Garlic Popcorn

Cheesy, Garlicy, Salty

I, for one, love garlic. That being said, the one thing I love more than garlic is cheese. Well, my go to seasoning on pretty much anything used to be garlic salt, but, I switched to garlic powder now that I know better. Garlic salt, although deviously delicious, is terrible for your body.

Anyways, once I started eating healthy, I started popping popcorn in brown paper bags. At this point I didn't really season much since I didn't know any better and hadn't really seen popcorn seasoned with anything other than butter and salt. One day I must have automatically just gone for the garlic powder and then had to roll with it. I ended up adding nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor and I added a touch of salt, because I am not a savage.

I freaking loved it. This is my go to popcorn recipe and now popcorn almost tastes weird without it.

My family sees me do it and thinks its kind of weird to put garlic on popcorn... but I'm not sure if they've tried it or not. Honestly, I haven't really made any effort to let them try some because I don't like to share my popcorn anyways!

The way I see it, is it's just more grown up popcorn. Gourmet maybe? Who cares, its good, I'm putting it on here for anyone who cares!

Okay so there are several easy methods to popping popcorn

• Brown paper bag

• Microwave popcorn maker: Joie (this is what I use now), Nordic Ware, Presto

• Air popper

• Stove top (not recommended since you have to use a lot of oil)

Easy peasy.

Ingredients:

• Popcorn
• Garlic Powder
• Nutritional Yeast
• Salt, easy on the salt there tiger
• Olive Oil, keep in mind we're trying to be healthy here! LIGHT sprays!
     -- or Pam

Directions:

1. Make popcorn, as mentioned above there are several different ways. If you have some sort of popcorn maker, then I'm sure you know the drill or have access to the instructions and measuring cups on the machine, etc
2. Brown paper bag:
• grab a handful or two and toss in the bag
• fold over brown paper bag a couple times (leave as much space for popping as possible)
• Put in the microwave for 2 minutes, or until you can't hear popping for 2 seconds!
3. Use Misto to spray olive oil lightly / spray Pam lightly (it doesn't really have zero calories!) 
4. Season with garlic liberally
5. Season with nutritional yeast moderately (it has more calories, fat, etc)
6. Season with salt LIGHTLY

Enjoy!

Baked "Fried" Rosemary Zucchini

Crunchy, Cheesy, Savory

Those are the three magic words. 

Baked Rosemary Zucchini Fries have always been a hit at my house. My brother, my mom, my dad, my grandparents, and my friends always love when I make these. They take a little bit of time since they are battered.. but it is worth it, my friend.

They are crunchy on the outside and warm, soft zucchini on the inside. This savory recipe will definitely be a repeat, and there will (usually) be no left overs - no matter how many you manage to pump out. I have made too many before and had to control myself a couple times for the sake of my waistline, so that's almost 100% true.

Got cravings? These fries really hit the spot when you're craving something fried or battered. They're oven baked though, so you know the drill. Tastes like it should be bad, but it really isn't anywhere near bad! So that's good, right?! This is where it's at.

Oh and just a head's up.. This recipe uses a specific cracker that I found at Costco called La Panzanella Croccantini Rosemary Artisan Crackers. I use these because each sheet of cracker, yes I do mean a sheet of cracker, is 100 calories. Its thin, its crisp, and its beautifully seasoned. If you need to use something else, don't be afraid, be creative!

Ingredients

• Zucchini, julienne into fries. I sliced mine into 8ths but it is as desired.
• Eggs
    -- or egg whites
• La Panzanella Croccantini Rosemary Artisan Crackers (I get mine at Costco), crushed as fine as desired.
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese, chopped
• Garlic, super finely minced with zester
    -- or garlic powder 
• Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
• Onion powder
• Ground Rosemary

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Combine Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh rosemary, and cracker crumbs together on a plate
3. Combine eggs / egg whites, ground rosemary, garlic, and onion and stir each time before dipping zucchini in
4. Dip zucchini in eggs, then coat in crackers/cheese
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes

Creamy Mashed Broccoli

Okay, I know it sounds weird.
Okay okay, I know it looks weird too.
Stop giving me that face and just try it.

This is one of those dishes that sounds weird, and looks weird, but tastes great. I'm sure mashed potatoes would look weird if you had never seen them before.. right? Okay doesn't matter, either way this recipe is great. It definitely hits the spot when you are craving mashed potatoes and its much healthier. Obviously, try to use as little of the cheeses as possible!

Ingredients

• Broccoli (1 head), steamed
• Ricotta Cheese, low fat (I used 2 spoonfuls, and will try to use less next time)
• Parmesan cheese
• Garlic, minced
• Onion, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Milk of Choice, just a splash or two if needed (I use almond milk)
  or Chicken broth if you have some on hand
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Steam broccoli until tender. I did this in the Ziploc steamer bags for a little over 2 minutes since my microwave is very powerful
2. Saute garlic and onion in pan with light spray of olive oil
3. Add both cheeses until warm and melted
4. Combine cheese with broccoli in Vitamix and blend until desired consistency. Add milk of choice if needed
5. Season to taste! 

Cheesy Vegetable Tian

What is a tian you ask? Glad you did! It's basically the the most impressive easiness to deliciousness ratio ever.  A tian is a mix of vegetables that are roasted in a shallow dish (which is where it get's its name) and is usually severed with melted cheese/au gratin. The dish I mentioned is a cooking pot from France, but obviously, that's not what is important here..

So. My mom was pretty unimpressed with this as I was making it, and then was blown away by w how much she loved it. Sounds simple enough... cheese and vegetables, and well, maybe that's the beauty of it.

It's AMAZING. Eat it now.

Ingredients

• Garlic, finely minced 
• Onion, sliced into medallions with mandolin
• Zucchini, sliced into medallions with mandolin 
• Squash, sliced into medallions with mandolin
• Tomatoes on the vine, sliced into medallions with mandolin
• Parmesan Cheese
• Olive oil
• Ground Rosemary
• Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Lightly pray the inside of a 2.2 Quart / 2 Liter baking dish with the Misto filled with olive oil
3. Randomly layer the vegetables on their side until the dish is full
4. Sprinkle the finely minced garlic all over. Make sure it gets everywhere - in between the slices, around the edges, etc. 
5. One more light spray of olive oil over the veggies
6. Sprinkle the ground rosemary, and Italian seasoning very liberally
7. Cover with Parmesan cheese, use as little as you can to make it as low calorie as possible
8. Season lightly one more time with Italian seasoning
9. Cover with aluminum foil, bake for 30 minutes (a tad less if making for meal prep). 
10. Optional to bake uncovered for another 15 - 20 minutes but not recommended if making meal prep.

Low Carb Garlic Chicken and Pasta

This dish is half quinoa pasta, and half vegetable pasta so it is super low carb and very healthy. I also used quinoa pasta instead of regular pasta but you could also use multigrain/whole wheat pasta.
 

Ingredients

• Zucchini, spiralized 
• Squash, spiralized
• Carrots, julienne
• Quinoa Pasta
• Chicken
• Olive oil
• Garlic, minced
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa pasta in boiling water for 6 minutes. Be careful because this kind of pasta overcooks fast
2. Drain cooked pasta and put back in pan. 
3. Add vegetable pasta
4. Add chicken
5. Boom, done!

Turkey and Kale Stuffed Zucchini

This is more cheesy goodness brought to you by the easiest way to cheat cheese ever! Those low calorie cheese wedges - laughing cow or store brand always come in clutch.

Ingredients:

• Zucchini, halved and hollowed out with small spoon or melon baller 
• Ground Turkey
• Kale or Spinach, chopped
• Salt & Pepper
• Laughing Cow

           Options:

• Italian Seasoning
• Pesto
• Poblano
• Cilantro
• Cumin and paprika
• Curry 

Directions

1. Scoop out the flesh of the zucchini. Make sure to keep the integrity of the zucchini boat 
2. Turn the stove top on medium - medium low heat, and warm skillet
3. Chop up the zucchini flesh and cook the turkey in the pan together
4. Add the kale or spinach after the turkey has browned
5. Season liberally
6. Add Laughing Cow and mix
7. Add to Zucchini boats and serve

Note: You can cook the zucchini boat if you do not want it raw. If you are making this for meal prep, it will cook enough in the microwave when warmed.

Chicken and Kale Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

• Zucchini, halved and hollowed
• Chicken
• Kale or spinach, chopped
• Cumin, and/or desired spices
• Laughing Cow Cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Use a small spoon to hollow out zucchinis by removing the fleshy seedy part.
3. Turn stove top on to medium, or medium low, and warm skillet
4. Put Zucchini boats in oven for at least 10 minutes, maximum 20 
5. If chicken is frozen or cold, add chicken to the skillet
6. Warm chicken and kale together, but make sure to add kale/spinach when chicken is almost finished warming through - do not overcook kale/spinach or chicken. Remove pan from heat when needed.
7. Add in laughing cow cheese and melt 
8. 
   

Fiesta Breakfast Sandwich

Ingredients

• 100 Calorie Sandwich Thins
• Eggs or Egg Whites
• Cilantro, finely chopped if mixing, or coarse if topping
• Poblano Peppers, finely chopped if mixing or in strips if topping
• Onion (optional)
• Parmesan Cheese/Mozzarella low fat Cheese, not a lot!
• Bacon/Turkey Bacon (optional), don't get excited!

Directions

1. Turn stove top on low or medium low and warm pan
2. if you want a mixed omelette style sandwich, start with bacon pieces, add poblano, onion, bacon etc
3. If you want layered sandwich start with bacon strips, remove, cook poblano strips, remove, cook egg, remove -- layer sandwich

Quinoa Stir Fry

Keep in mind that quinoa has quite a bit of calories, so try to keep the servings on the lighter side. This is definitely a recipe that helps you get rid of all the left over vegetables you have laying around in your fridge. Super handy.
I use a rice cooker for my quinoa. Its way easier than the pan, although my mother would like to differ. For every 1 cup of quinoa, add 2 cups of water.

Ingredients

• Onion, chopped
• Garlic, finely minced
• Broccoli, chopped
• Zucchini, sliced/chopped
• Any other vegetables you have in your house, throw them all in here.
• Quinoa (probably only need 1/2 cup uncooked)
• Olive oil - in moderation woman, control yourself!
• Eggs (optional)
• Nutritional Yeast (optional)
• Curry Powder (optional)

          Optional

• Chicken, if you want to make it an entree instead of a side

Directions

1. Turn stove on medium to medium low, warm up pan
2. Add 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup water plus a tiny bit of olive oil to rice cooker. Set to "quick rice"
3. Spray olive oil with Misto (just enough so garlic doesnt burn and stick), toss in onions and garlic first
4. Shortly after go ahead and toss in broccoli and zucchini. 
5. Eggs which are optional are next
6. Season with whatever you like
7. Add quinoa and a tiny bit more oil if you didn't already use a bunch
8. Boom, stir fry.

Spinach Dip

Satisfying, Cheesy, Savory 

This is a very useful recipe. It can be used as a dip for almost anything and it can also be used as a spread on sandwiches, wraps, etc.

Ingredients:

• Spinach, chopped
• Laughing Cow Wedges

          Cauliflower Rice Ingredients

• Cauliflower, finely grated into rice
• Garlic, very finely minced
• Onion, very finely minced

          "Chips"

• Zucchini, sliced into medallions with mandolin
• Squash, sliced into medallions with mandolin
• Artichokes
• Broccoli

Directions:

1. Turn stove top on low for a saute pan
2. Set up a double boiler: a pot of boiling water + a glass or metal bowl that sits on top 
3. Break up cauliflower into florets and blend in Vitamix or food processor until it looks like rice
4. Garlic and onion may be chopped by hand, mandolin, zester, or food processor - dealers choice
5. Combine cauliflower rice, onion, and garlic on stove top for a few minutes
6. Combine spinach, rice, and Laughing Cow cheese in the bowl and stir occasionally until it melts. Note: make sure to adjust the temperature of the boiling water to make sure the water does not over boil into your dip. 

Notes:

You may also want to see:

Chicken and Vegetable Sandwich

Chicken and Vegetable Sandwich

This sandwich is awesome! I made it over and over again.

Ingredients:

• 100 Calorie Sandwich Thins
• 100 Calorie Hummus (1/2 or less)
• Rotisserie Chicken

           Veggie Fries

• Carrots, julienne with mandolin or handheld julienne
• Zucchini, julienne with mandolin or handheld julienne
• Squash, julienne with mandolin or handheld julienne
• Onion, sliced with mandolin
• garlic, finely minced

          Optional

• Spinach Dip as Spread

Directions:

1. Julienne all veggies and saute for a few minutes until softened, but still crunchy
2. Toast Sandwich Thins, use both sides if you want, or use an open faced sandwich for less calories
3. Spread on the hummus, lay on the veggie fries, top with chicken

Green Juice

I like to double this recipe. I pour 8 oz into mason jars and place enough for a few days in the fridge, the rest will freeze well. 

Ingredients:

• Cucumber (1)
• Granny Smith Apple (1)
• Handful of Kale 
• Handful of Spinach
• Lemon (1/2)
• Ginger Root (1 inch)
• Celery (4 stalks)
• Hemp Protein - optional (1 to 2 scoops)
• Chia Seeds - optional (1 tsp to 1 tbsp depending on preference)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients, whole, in Vitamix  (chop into smaller pieces if using a different blender)
2. Pour into mason jars
3. Freeze extra if necessary

Notes:
I have frozen these after pouring in mason jars with good results.
Other options include:

• freezing in mini muffin trays, then storing in Ziploc bags
• freezing the raw ingredients - mixed, and portioned out into Ziploc bags

Pico de Gallo and Zucchini Chips

Spicy, Tangy, Fresh

Heellooooo game day munchies! Hellooo mindless snacking! 

I hate watching sports with people when I am watching what I eat, or having company over at all.. because we all know this means food. Lots of food. The fattier and least healthy the better. I hate having to say, "Oh no thanks, I'm not hungry" because we all know what happens when you tell other people you are watching what you eat. Instead of support, you get the opposite.. 

"You look great! You don't have to watch what you eat"
"Oh please one chip/mozzarella stick/fried you name it wont hurt!"
"Live a little!"

Those of us who watch what we eat know that there are times when we have the strength to have literally just one and run in the opposite direction. Other days, most days, just 1 turns into just 15... just 20... etc and it's a slippery slope from there. 

Its great to have an alternative right there in front of you so you can (more) easily ignore the chip monster rattling around in its securely locked cage. Enter: zucchini medallions. Zucchini is so clutch. I use it in almost everything because it is so versatile. Here, its my chips.


What's so great about this recipe is that you can prepare a typical "game day" or "party" food and have a regular option and a healthy option for the chips! No more feeling left out and looking at everyone with hangry eyes, and people generally pressure you less when they see you enjoying something. Problem solved. Your guests can much on chips and you can grab the zucchini. Honestly, you don't even miss the chips! This is an easy snack to bring to parties too! Bring enough zucchini to bail someone else out of a jam just in case ;) you might save someone else who is trying to watch what they eat.

Its also an amazing snack for munching while watching TV or studying. Satisfies chip cravings and munching cravings. 

Ingredients:

• Zucchini for "chips" , slice to an appropriate thickness with mandolin

          Pico De Gallo Recipe

• Tomatoes on the vine (1 or 2), roughly chopped
• Onion, roughly chopped, or diced with mandolin
• Cilantro, roughly chopped
• Limes, squeezed
• Chile Serrano, roughly chopped, add to taste!
• Garlic (optional), roughly chopped or whole

Directions:

1. Roughly chop tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and chilies to food processor
2. Slice zucchini into medallions 
3. Serve!

Basil Pesto Chicken

Ingredient List

• Rotisserie Chicken

For the Basil Pesto Sauce

• Fresh Basil, from your basil plants if you're a boss
• Garlic, whole or chopped
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan Cheese
• Pine Nuts/Almonds/Hemp Seeds (whatever is on hand)

Directions:

1. Debone chicken while warm
2. Combine basil pesto sauce ingredients in food processor and chop
3. Combine chicken and pesto together in healthy amounts. Keep the amount of pesto to a minimum to ensure a low fat and low calorie meal
4. Marinate in Ziploc bag in the fridge
5. If there is left over Basil Pesto, store in fridge for use in the immediate future, or freeze in ice cube trays for at least an hour, remove from tray, then store in freezer safe Ziploc bags.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Fresh, Bright, Light

This recipe is so easy, its insane. It's made using rotisserie chicken so it can be put together in a pinch. 

Ingredient List:

• Rotisserie Chicken

                 Cilantro Lime Pesto - ingredients to taste

• Fresh Cilantro,  roughly chopped
• Limes, squeezed
• Olive Oil
• Garlic, whole or roughly chopped
• Parmesan Cheese
• Almonds/Pine Nuts/Hemp Seeds (whichever is on hand)

Directions:

1. Debone chicken while warm
2. For cilantro pesto, combine all ingredients in food processor or Vitamix/blender 
3. Combine chicken and pesto together in a plastic bag. Keep in mind in healthy doses of pesto. Do not use too much pesto to keep the chicken low calorie and low fat. 
4. Marinate chicken in Ziploc bags
5. If there is left over Cilantro Pesto, store in refrigerator and use for another recipe to be used soon or freeze in ice cube crays for an hour, then remove from ice cube tray and store in freezer Ziploc bags.

If needed, use these recipes for some inspiration or exact measurements 

http://www.ateaspoonofhappiness.com/cilantro-pesto/

http://www.freshbitesdaily.com/cilantro-pesto/

Meal Prep 1

Meal Prep 1

June  01, 2015

This is my first meal prep ever! Lets see how this goes. I am keeping a log of all my recipes and meal plans so that future meal plans will be much easier. This blog is for myself so that I don't keep loosing my recipes, however, if someone else happens to stumble up on it, feel free to use what you need and leave any comments!

This week I am starting off at 164, I think my goal will be 140.

1. Sauteed Kale with Onions and Garlic

• saute onions and garlic until about 1/2 way done
• add kale and lightly mix, may want to take off heat so that the leaves dont wilt too much
• take off the heat when leaves are just starting to soften, remember you will be reheating so you do not want to overcook

2. Quinoa:  1/4 cup per meal

3. Rotisserie Chicken 3 ways 

• debone chicken asap 
• separate equally into three parts

Cilantro lime Chicken

• cilantro pesto 
• cilantro
• garlic
• lime
• olive oil
• Parmesan cheese
• marinate in plastic bag

Basil Pesto Chicken

• Pesto 
• basil
• garlic
• olive oil
• Parmesan cheese
• pine nuts/almonds/hemp seeds (which ever is on hand)
• marinate in plastic bag

Marinara chicken

• used left over marinara sauce
• marinate in plastic bag

4.  Veggie Noodles

• spiralized zucchini
• spiralized daikon

5.  Egg Muffin Cups

• made them in cupcake liners, stuck to paper liners, look for wax next time.

6. Hard Boiled Egg Snacks

• cut hard boiled eggs in half
• take out the yolk because its gross and you hate it 
• sprinkle with ground rosemary, pepper, and salt
• grab a few and put in snack sized bags

7. Zucchini Pickles

• spiralized zucchini
• white vinegar
• balsamic vinegar
• salt 
• pepper

8. Zucchini and Pico de Gallo (amazing chips and pico subsitute) *great snack for TV*

• use a mandolin to slice zucchini into either round medallions or into longer ovals for better scooping
• Pico de Gallo - chop ingredients in food processor 
• chile serrano
• tomato
• onion
• cilantro
• (give garlic a whirl)

9. Sliced Apples from Costco