Unwrapped Cabbage Rolls

This little ditty started because of two reasons. 1. I have a HUGE head of cabbage my mom gave me from her garden. 2. My gal, Andrea, posted a pic of hers on Facebook the other day and my mouth started watering! So she sent me over a pic of the recipe (which is wonderful as it stands) but y'all know me: I can't do anything according to the original recipe. The original has a small can of tomato paste added to it and was about twice the size (which is great if you want leftovers) but the hubs isn't a fan of "tomato" in the form of paste. So that got dropped ASAP.

I have to say, this totally tasted like hamburger helper (to me) but with cabbage which is 10000 times more awesome than pasta. Also, you can easily use ground turkey or chicken. I suggest adding extra cumin and maybe paprika if you do that during the browning stage. I stayed with a super lean ground sirloin (again, playing to the hubs "wants"). 

If you need a carb: add an extra cup of water and cup of brown rice when you put the tomotoes and cabbage in the pan to cook. I found this filling enough without it!

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Unwrapped Cabbage Rolls

3/4-1 lb. of lean ground sirloin

1 small red onion - diced

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 tsp. garlic powder

OR 1 clove of garlic - minced

1 small head of white cabbage - chopped (about 2-3 cups-ish)

1 can diced tomatoes (I used organic and green chile flavor)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 c. Water

In a deep frying pan, heat the EVOO and add meat, onions and garlic. Brown those puppies. 

When brown, add the can of tomatoes, more garlic (if you're into that), salt, pepper, cumin. Stir first, THEN add the cabbage and 1/2 cup of water. Cover and reduce temp to a simmer. Stir every 5 minutes to help incorporate the cabbage as it cooks down. Cook for 25-30 minutes. 

Eat that awesomeness!

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SUPER SIMPLE. Clean and easy and filling and flavorful! And Alice didn't try it. BOOOOOOO! I think she would have liked it.

Challenge-Friendly: YES! Great for Cleanse and Max.

Broccoli Salad

Continuing with my holiday nostalgia, broccoli salad was one of those dishes from my past that still rocks my socks when I think about it. So how do we make it healthier? Again, ditch the mayo and go Greek!

This is lovely and tastes delicious because the cranberries add that sweet while the almonds and broccoli have that crunch. I surprised myself a bit because I actually like this flavor MORE than the past versions!

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Broccoli Salad

2+ cups broccoli florets

1/2 c. Dried cranberries

1/2 c. sliced or chopped almonds

2 strips turkey bacon - cooked and chopped

Dressing:

1/2 c. Greek yogurt

1 lemon - juiced

1/4 c. White vinegar

1 tsp. dried ground mustard

1 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

1/8 honey mustard dressing

Cut stems off florets and make sure pieces are small and bite sized. Mix dry ingredient together. 

Combine dressing ingredients and pour over dry ingredients. Stir and serve or cool in fridge.

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I actually didn't want to open a package of turkey bacon his for two pieces so I chopped up some salami pieces we already had. Still tastes awesome! The honey mustard dressing I used is Brianna's Organic which I love to the money. You need the sweet of it to balance out the vinegar. You could also use Dijon and honey if you don't have the dressing around. My mouth is happy!

Challenge Friendly: Max Phase only. Y'all know I suggest going easy on the dairy during your challenge so just keep that in mind!

Avocado Potato Salad

With the summer season approaching and Memorial Day Weekend bringing back memories of cookouts, potato salad and outdoor grilling, I once again found myself craving several dishes that spark that nostalgia. Even though I'm not a heavy potato person anymore, potato salad was one of the first that came to mind. But, dude, I can't bring myself to buy and eat the huge jar of Miracle Whip anymore! As good as Mom's potato salad sounds, I needed a life hack to get my kicks.

Enter in Greek yogurt. We know the wonders of using it as a creamy replacement so it was just a matter of spicing it up and making it taste reminiscent enough to hit the sweet spot. And it worked for me! Even Alice has been devouring it (and now claims she likes avocado ... But we'll see about that).

While not as healthy as it possible could be, I say it's healthy enough for me to feel okay indulging in this traditional dish! Also note that I love a mustard version so adjust your mustard to your tastes. Enjoy!

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Avocado Potato Salad

5 large russet potatoes - skinned, diced

1/2 red onion - diced

2 celery stalks - diced

1 avocado - chopped

1 lemon - juiced

1/2 cup bread and butter pickles - chopped

6 hard boiled eggs (yolks for dressing)

Dressing:

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt

1/8 c. Milk 

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. yellow mustard

1 tbsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

Black pepper

Yolks from eggs

Dash of sea salt

Soak the avocado in lemon juice to help keep from browning (about 45 minutes to an hour) and add juice and avocado to the bowl. Boil potatoes until soft. Boil, peel eggs and chop the whites while adding the yolks to the dressing. Combine all top ingredients in a big bowl.

In a separate bowl, add all dressing ingredients and combine well. Pour over potato bowl mixture and gently combine until everything is coated and lovely.

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You can't screw up potato salad! Just add more or less of the seasonings contingent on taste. Even add a bit of the pickle juice if you need it sweeter. I love the variety from one person to the next when I try new people's versions!

Challenge Friendly: NO. But it sure beats a mayo heavy dish!

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

HOLY SPICY-NESS BATMAN! I've been dying to make this since I pinned it on Pinterest and finally did. Now, I'm not a super awesome-can-handle-spicy-gal but I like a little hot here and there. Needless to say that my addition of a full serrano pepper was NOT the little spice I wanted ... but I ate it anyway ... as fast as I could ... because that's what you do with spicy food once you start mowing down!

I love love love this recipe from Pinch of Yum but I didn't add everything she did since I didn't have it on hand. My green onions I thought I had DIED. I totally forgot to get fresh cilantro from the store so I used my cilantro paste instead (can be found next the real herbs in the produce section). And I couldn't find a green mango or papaya so no fruit in this bad boy. I do like her suggestions of chopping and adding other crunchy veggies like cucumber or zucchini. I think yellow peppers might even make a good addition.

So here is how I made it today. Honey instead of sugar. No green onions, so I used red onion. Very thinly sliced and diced my cabbage (because who wants to eat a big leaf of raw cabbage? That stuff hard to chew!). The kicker is the dressing. HANDS DOWN. Throw whatever you want into the salad, the dressing is what makes it. Also: thank goodness again for my slap-choppy-thingy because getting my baby carrots, onions, hot pepper, and peanuts diced down was a snap. And life hack today: natural canned chicken in water. You gotta do what you can as you can.

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Chopped Thai Chicken Salad

• 1 Chicken Breast (boiled and chopped/shredded OR 1-20 oz. can natural chicken in water)
• 1/4 head of a big white cabbage - sliced thin or grated
• 1 large carrot or 1 c. baby carrots
• 1 green papaya (if you can find it!)
• 1/2 c. fresh cilantro
• 1/2 c. onions - diced
• 1/2 c. peanuts - chopped

Dressing:

• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 serrano pepper - minced
• 2 tbsp. liquid aminos
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or white)
• 1 tbsp. raw honey
• 1/2 a lime - squeezed
• 1 tbsp. EVOO
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce (found in the Asian section)
• ¼ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup water

Slice, dice, shred, grate and make a happy salad with the crunchy stuff and chicken.

I put all the ingredients for the dressing in the processor and blended them until combined. You can use a blender for that too.

Pour over the salad and mix everything together.

Made 4 portions.

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I was prepping this at lightning speed trying to get it done so Dave could take some with him but that didn't happen. It still took me about 10-15 to throw together so prep is minimal.

I seriously would cut back on the hot pepper if you can't handle spice. If you don't have a hot pepper sitting around, you could use pepper flakes instead.

Also the honey: it offsets the vinegar and makes it more palatable so for as small of an amount as it is, I'm calling it ok for this dish!

I would love to have it with the papaya so if anyone sees a small green papaya around, tell me!

Challenge-Friendly: YES. I'm on Day #5 of my cleanse and this was awesome!

Chicken Chili

Buried deep, waiting on Polar Vortex Episode II, I CRAVE COMFORT FOOD! But I'm also on my first full 24-Day Challenge post-baby. Must eat clean and I sure as heck don't need to fall back into making cornbread, using cheese, or lathering sour cream on my comfort food. So the Pinterest perusing began as I looked over white chicken chili recipes. For the most part, they all had some things in common, so I took those ideas and ran with what was in my kitchen. The biggest flavor factors for this are definitely the combination of chili powder, cumin and jalapeño. And please don't leave out the jalapeño! I can't deal with a ton of heat so I only used one, but at least use a half. It just helps warm it up just a touch! I'm not calling this "white" since I had veggies and kidney beans, but dang this is good chili!

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Chicken Chili

2 chicken breasts

1 1/4 c. Dried bean/lentil/veggie mix

1 can pinto beans

1 c. peppers, diced (any or all colors)

1/2 red onion, diced 

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. Extra water (add as it cooks)

1 c. corn

1 jalapeño, diced (more or less to taste)

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1-2 tbsp. oregano

2-6 cloves of garlic, diced

For chicken:

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

Throw everything but the chicken and bottom 3 spices in the pot, stir together. Take bottom 3 spices and rub on chicken. Place chicken just in the water and let cook for 2-3 hours before stirring the pot. 

Cook in the crockpot on high for 4-6 hours.

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I'm in love! Better than ground turkey chili by far and lots of flavor so I didn't need toppers for it. New favorite stew by far. And it was THICK. So add more water if you need to! Why was I wasting my time trying to perfect turkey chili when this was waiting for me???

Also note: I used my no-msg chicken stock starter and 3 cups of water for the broth. But low-sodium broth should be just as flavorful!

Challenge-Friendly: YES. Full of protein. Pair with a side salad or extra veggies for more natural fiber.

Jerk Salmon and Garlic Spinach

O.M.G. So, I had my one experiment with jerk seasoning awhile ago and I haven't revisited the "jerk" realm until now. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG??? Am I really that crazy to put off finding an awesome flavor?? Yes. Yes, I was.

Enter Pinterest - because face it, us recipe whores find everything on Pinterest. Google recipes? Are you insane? Go look on Pinterest like a good girl, now! Pinch of Yum's Caribbean Jerk Salmon Bowl with Mango Salsa caught my eye. (http://pinchofyum.com/caribbean-jerk-salmon-bowl-with-mango-salsa)

I had every intention of making this as a bowl ... And then in my rush I forgot. For me that's not a big deal because I'm the classic "mix it all together and eat it" girl, anyways. My friends dread going to a Mexican restaurant with me because I'm prone to cutting and mashing my burritos into their equivalent of visual "baby poop." LOL I'm off topic ...

THIS WAS AMAZING. And amazingly, no garlic for once. Yes, you heard me right. It didn't need it. It was fabulous on salmon, but I think any white meat or fish would hold up to the flavor. And next time, I plan on marinating for a few hours because the flavor of the leftovers today was even more insanely awesome from sitting.

Wait there was garlic! The spinach had garlic, DOH. The spinach is super fast side that's still full of flavor and a green for your plate.

As for the mango salsa I added to mine, I will post that recipe at some point. It's super simple!

Please remember that all the measurements are general. If you get more less of something, it won't kill the flavor. Just try to keep everything fairly equal and you'll be fine!

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Jerk Salmon

2-4 Servings of Salmon Filet

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. hot madras curry powder (or regular curry powder)

1 tsp. all spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

Dash of sea salt

Mix the dry spices together, then add the oil. Mix well and pour over the salmon filets. Rub all over to coat them well. Let marinade or cook right away in a hot pan. 3-5 minutes each side. Serve!

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Garlic Spinach

4 handfuls fresh Baby Spinach

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp. EVOO

Heat the oil in a pan. Mince in garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add Spinach and cook until wilted. Serve.

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I added Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice for my grain (super fast, not too processed ... But fast was the key term here: http://seedsofchangefoods.com/our_foods/product.aspx?c=rth&p=285) and my homemade mango salsa. DELICIOUS!!

Challenge-Friendly: YES. This was dinner on Day 1 of my Cleanse this time.

Crockpot Freezer Meal: Fajita Steak Taco Filling

Last month - in preparation for the arrival of Baby #3 - I went into full nesting mode one week and mass produced enough food to fill my freezer. I ended up with 9 crockpot meals, 5 dinners of turkey veggie pasta sauce, 6 meal sides of mango salsa, 4 bags of sweet potato hash and 4 jars of lemon garlic sauce - all so I wouldn't have to think or prep too much with the inevitable lack of planning that comes with having a new baby in the house.

This Fajita Steak mix is the first I pulled since #1: I knew Dave would dig it for his first cleanse day; and #2: because the extra prep was easy with the "toppings" I had in the fridge.

I truthfully can't find the original recipe I pulled this from as I was in overdrive on Pinterest and writing down recipes as I found them. So, if this is based off of yours, please feel free to take the original credit!

We prepped this tonight as "burrito bowl" style. This included making rice in faux-chipotle style (which I will also list below) with lettuce, guacamole (I would have used plain avocado but I had this on hand), organic salsa and jalapeños for Dave. This also works for lettuce wraps or as taco filling.

I love bowls at Chipotle and if I've ever coached you, we've probably talked about making "healthier" Chipotle choices if you are on the go and have no other choice but to grab something on the run. My normal suggestions for Challengers include: half rice (go brown not white), no beans (unless you are coming from a workout - extra protein), veggies, meat, salsas, lettuce ... Forgo the cheese and sour cream, of course. Guac is overkill for their bowls since all the nutrition you usually need is already there ... Plus the extra sodium from their prep.

Love this! Turned out great! I went no sodium when I prepped it for the freezer and did end up adding a couple of shakes of sea salt after I pulled the steak apart for a flavor kick just FYI.

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Fajita Steak Taco Filling

2 lbs. Flank/Lean Steak

1/2 yellow onion

1/2 red onion

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 fresh jalapeño (optional) chopped

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

To freeze:

Chop and slice all veggies to your preference. Combine all veggies and meat in a gallon size freezer bag. 

Mix spices in a separate bowl. Spread as evenly as possible over contents in the baggie. Shut Baggie and mix ingredients to ensure spices get coated over as much as possible.

Mark on Baggie: "Add 1/2 c. water."

Freeze 4-6 months in a standard freezer.

To make or do fresh: defrost contents for a day in the refrigerator. Place in crockpot with 1/2 cup of water. Cook for 6-8 hours covered. Shred steak and combine with all ingredients in pot for final filling. 

If cooking for 8-10 hours on low, I would add 1/4-1/2 c. extra water to make sure your mix doesn't burn dry while you are at work!

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Cilantro Lime Rice

1 1/2 c. Brown Rice (I used instant)

2 c. Water

1 lime - squeezed

3 tbsp. cilantro

Combine line juice into the water while bringing to boil. Add rice. Cook down. Add cilantro after rice has set.

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Things I would do for next time: MORE VEGGIES and real garlic. :) Probably add another pepper or two.

Challenge-Friendly: YES. Serve it clean with a simple carb and added greens for the best results!

Taco Pizza

So, being 25 weeks pregnant with my 3rd kid, I FINALLY get around to being able to post food of some sort ... again.

I have to say, this has been a very different preggo experience from my previous ones and finding the balance between eating and eating healthy is not an easy road to follow when incubating a human life-sucker. For my first trimester, I lived on green smoothies; eating was not something my mouth or stomach wanted to do. As a non-consumer of milk for the previous year, we now find foods creeping back into the house like cow milk and cheese on a regular basis because sometimes they are palatable for me. Don't worry: post-pregnancy these items will once again be phased out as I hit my normal Advo-regime and can finally eat and prepare all my favorite healthy dishes without gagging or becoming nauseous.

Yep, right now I eat what I can and make it from scratch as often as I can so I know where my ingredients are coming from.

A lot of my cravings this time around are for foods I loved in high school. Why am I channeling my high school tastes buds??? I have no clue, but so far the choices have been deeply satisfying! At least I haven't started wearing "curtains" for pants again, so I'm not channeling my entire HS self! LOL 

Today was the Taco Pizza that I used to get from Mancino's back in the day. I'm sure ordering it from the store down the road would have been easier, but where's the fun in that?

This CAN be made healthier and I'll give suggestions at the bottom of the page. Also, make sure to use FRESH, ORGANIC or natural ingredients when possible. The less processed interference, the better your bowels will fair when you TREAT yourself to the dish.

And don't fret at the "Steps." I organized it this way so your workflow goes smoothly. It really only took 10-15 minutes total in prep and that was while other parts were in the oven. You'll even have time to wash your cutting boards while it finishes cooking!

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Taco Pizza

Step 1

1 Pillsbury Thin Pizza Crust

Step 2

1 Can Refried Beans (with green chilis)

1/4 C. Salsa

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. red pepper (optional)

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Step 3

1/2 lb. ground turkey (previously made with Mexican flavors if possible - leftover ground turkey works great!)

Step 4

1/2 c. Diced tri-colored peppers

1/4 c. Diced Onions

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Step 5

1/2 c. Salsa

Small Can of Black Olives

1 c. Taco/Mexican Shredded Cheese

Step 6

Shredded/Chopped Lettuce

Diced Tomatoes

Greek Yogurt/Sour Cream

Salsa

Directions:

Step 1: Make up the pizza crust as told on the container. Oven at 400 degrees. 5 minutes to start. 

Step 2: While your crust warms up, add all ingredients from Step 2 in a small pot and warm up so it's spreadable.

Step 3: I had leftover ground turkey from another meal and that was the easiest to use. Heat it up in the microwave real quick so it's not going on the pizza cold.

Step 4: Heat up oil in a small frying pan and sauté veggies and garlic.

Option for combining Step 3 and 4: do up your meat and veggies in a pan together. Add cumin, paprika, pepper, onion powder and make it all yummy together if you don't have leftover meat to use.

Step 5: Pull out the pizza crust. Spread refried beans mixture like a sauce. Put meat, veggies, olives on top of sauce. Gently spoon/spread salsa over everything. Add cheese to the top.

Cook the pizza for 10 minutes or until crust gets golden brown and cheese is melted thoroughly. Chop up Step 6 toppings while you wait.

Step 6: top with what you want! Add things like lettuce, fresh tomatoes, more salsa or jalapeños or even banana peppers. Do it up like you would your fav taco.

ENJOY! Two pieces were enough for me! (It yielded about 15 pieces when cut - 3 across and 5 down)

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I loved this as I did it, but lets talk about options!

Crust: Make your own low carb or whole grain crust. I'm wondering how whole grain flatbread might hold up as well. 

Refried Beans: How can you make beans healthier?? Maybe smash up your own black beans! That would be yummy! Add in some spices and chili peppers and even more yummmmy.

Salsa: Homemade is the way to go, of course! Just try to keep some of the liquid/juice out so it doesn't get too runny.

Meat: Lean turkey or chicken is always best. Don't forget beans are a protein, too.

Cheese: This is the toughy. What is a taco pizza without cheese? I say go low fat, skim, cut down the portion even more, use sharp cheddar for more punch with less ... I did say this is a TREAT meal so just keep that in mind! You don't need to be eating this masterpiece once a week and a little cheese goes a long way.

Challenge-Friendly: NO as I have it here. Let's forgo the cheese for 24-days and use this as a fun-treat meal once in awhile!

Grilled Southwest Chicken and Avo-Corn Salad

Nothing beats cooking on the grill on the middle of winter. Which in turn makes you wish for summer, sunshine, warm days, lake time and BEACH weather ... sooooo it might be a bit bittersweet! BUT grilling in Indiana in the dead of winter is just a basic, seasonal rite-of-passage us Midwesterners enjoy. And mah belly enjoyed this CHICKEN!

Spicy, still moist and totally perfectly grilled. Plus we threw the veggie mix in foil and dropped it on the grill to warm, too. Heck, if the grill is on, you might as well utilize the heat!

The original recipe came from Martha Stewart but again, I had to make some changes and updates as usually. I RAN OUT OF CAYENNE! Yep ... talk about being prepared *eye roll for my lack of planning*. SO the little dash I had was used and then I broke out the Southwest Chipotle Seasoning so I could get some spice and smoke into the flavor. The avocado salad got an upgrade with corn for some added bulk (can you tell we've been digging on corn as our single carb for this round of the Cleanse?). Yummy and the leftovers were great in salad the next day.

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Grilled Southwest Chicken and Avo-Corn Salad

2 tsp. Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small lime juiced


2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 medium red onion, finely diced
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks
1 c. corn (frozen or can)
Black Pepper


In a small bowl, combine all the seasonings. Dredge chicken through to coat and place on a plate. Let sit 30 minutes before grilling.

Combine corn, onion, avocado with the leftover seasoning mix. Place in foil and sprinkle with black pepper. Fold down foil, toss lightly and ready for the grill.

Place marinated chicken on grill; 5-8 minutes each side on medium to high heat. Place veggies on top rack or lower-heat grill-side to cook along with the chicken.

Plate and SERVE.
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Yes, I added a TOUCH of BBQ sauce to my chicken ... so sue me! But dang it was good! We even convinced Alice to eat some chicken, so we are rockstars :)

Challenge-Friendly: YES.

Juevos Mexicano

I was in HEAVEN last night with this dish!

#1 I love breakfast for dinner, so eggs were exactly what I needed.

#2 FLAVOR!

#3 And it wasn't even too spicy for me. Perfecto!

Anyone who knows me has seen me eat "Mexican" food before. I'm that girl who mixes EVERYTHING together ... the most common comment I hear is, "OMG! It looks like baby poop!" after I finish getting all the flavors combined. BUT I do it so I have the combo of the flavors all mashed up in my mouth and exploding my taste buds at one time! As a flavor bonus last night, I added diced mango and avocado into the mix and created that perfect blend of spicy and sweet. SERIOUSLY in love with this dish!

I adapted the recipe from Closet Cooking with a couple of differences. I didn't have chipotle chili powder so I used my regular Southwest Chipotle Seasoning mix I have on hand. Also, I baked the eggs at the end like they did ... but it took more like 25 minutes for them to be done instead of 5-8. *SADNESS* Dave didn't like the egg results even after baking so he pouched his and added them, so that is the method I'm going to suggest in the recipe because it takes LESS TIME and the result is about the same. Also added in corn for a carb (you could do rice if you wanted) and a little less jalapeño which made it perfect spiciness for me. Never be afraid to add more veggies! In fact, I added spinach to get more "green" into the dish and you couldn't even notice a taste difference.

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Juevos Mexicano

1 tbsp. EVOO
1 small red onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chipotle seasoning
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
2 10-oz. cans diced tomatoes (with green chilies) or 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 12-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. frozen corn
1 tsp. oregano

1 handful cilantro, chopped
1 handful fresh baby spinach

2 eggs per person

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender. Add the garlic, cumin, chipotle, and jalapeño and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, black beans, oregano and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. At the end, throw in cilantro and spinach and warm until wilted.

Pouch your eggs or pan fry sunnyside up (all you need is a squirt of cooking spray to keep them from sticking to the pan). Two eggs per person should be enough protein along with the beans in the sauce for a meal.

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Again: I paired my awesomeness with mango and avocado for extra flavor and fell in love! I'm a huge yolk person so this is a perfect meal for me.

Challenge-Friendly: YES.

Spicy Salmon and Veggies

Soooooo I was looking at the recipe I took this from and realized I actually totally changed the flavor and spice and made a super spicy version!!! Lol But hey, we are cleansing right now and I needed something full of flavor and filling and this more than hit the spot. Please note: it is SPICY!!!

I adapted the recipe from Fitness Magazine: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/dinner-in-20-easy-healthy-dinner-recipes/?page=3

Differences? I used red pepper instead of chili powder. I also added some cilantro because it rocks and I wanted a "cooling" factor to the spicy marinade.

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Spicy Salmon and Veggies

Nonstick cooking spray

1 big lime squeezed
4 garlic cloves - minced
2 tsp. red pepper
2 tsp. cumin
1/8 c. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. olive oil
2-4 skinless salmon fillets

1 1/2 c. frozen corn, thawed
1/4-1/2 Red bell pepper, sliced thin
1/4-1/2 Yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1/4-1/2 Orange bell pepper, sliced thin
1 Serrano pepper, sliced thin, seeds removed
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
Dash of onion powder and garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover a big baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. (Easy clean up, for the win!!)

In a small dish, mix the lime juice, garlic, red pepper, cumin, cilantro and oil. Dip the filets in the mix and place on the baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, toss corn, peppers, and onion. Pour the rest of the marinade over the veggies, toss, and spread on the baking sheet. Dash some onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper over the veggies for some extra flavor.

Place baking sheet in oven for 10-15 minutes until fish is cooked through and veggies are starting to brown. Serve and salivate!

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Much hotter than I expected but I ate it and liked it! Heck, we even convinced Alice to eat some ... With the promise of a Muscle Ball for dessert. It worked and she ate it! I'm good with that!

Challenge-Friendly: YES!

Santa Fe Crockpot Chicken

This is by far one of my favorite throw-n-go crockpot recipes lately! I will admit I tried it on the stove top to save time one night and it was totally sub-par in comparison. There is something about letting it simmer all day that adds that extra to the flavor of the chicken. Take the 5 minutes to throw it together before you head out the door and your taste-buds will be loving you later!

I adapted this from Skinny Taste: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html?m=1

Ah how I love Skinny Taste! But I generally forgo the cheese and, even though brown rice is a perfectly acceptable option, this is going over spinach tonight so I'm not doubling up on carbs (since, yes, corn is a carb!). I think most of you know I'm pretty carb conscious when I eat at home. Now, dinner out with any of you and you might see me opt for stuff I generally don't eat everyday so don't give my cheeseburger the evil eye since I probably haven't had one in a few weeks! LOL Let's get cooking ....

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Santa Fe Crockpot Chicken

2-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or 2 large tomatoes diced)
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 Red Onion - diced

14 oz. of water mixed with 2 tsp. chicken broth starter (or use 1 can low sodium chicken broth)
2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2-4 cloves of Garlic - minced
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Optional: chop up peppers like jalepeno or Serrano. The original calls for cilantro which is an awesome addition if you have on hand.

Season the chicken with the onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Set aside. Mix everything else in the bottom of the crockpot. Place seasoned chicken on top (submerge a little if possible). Set in High 6 Hours or Low 10 Hours.

Shred chicken in the pot an hour before serving and crack lid so some moisture cooks out. Serve with brown rice or lettuce wraps. Warning: will be wet!

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I love this stuff! And it freezes well, makes a great salad the next day with a little hot sauce ... Simple and easy! If you need it spicier, add more cayenne or some red pepper flakes.

Challenge-Friendly: YES! Mmmmmmm

Shrimp Stir Fry

I sooooo fail at getting recipes up lately so please forgive me! After posting this pic on FB and realizing I have like 2 minutes while watching crazy monster children run around my living room, I thought I would try to accomplish the impossible and type this out real quick.

Recipe is adapted from Skinny Ms.: http://skinnyms.com/shrimp-stir-fry/

I didn't have hoisin sauce and cornstarch so those weren't even necessary IMO. I cut down the honey amount, added stir-fry veggies and mushrooms when I added the snow peas. The flavor was exactly what I wanted tonight! Perfect!

Note on honey: Honey and I have come to an understanding. Many friends have turned me on to the allergy relief benefits of ingesting local honey so I'm feeling pretty good about my use of honey over agave for most things again. Healing properties! Can't beat that!

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Shrimp Stir Fry

2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 Tbsp honey (local and raw if possible)

1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
(I used water and added 1 Tbsp of my broth starter)

8-10 oz. medium frozen shrimp

4-6 green onions - sliced
1/2 pound fresh snow peas (trimmed, and ready to use)
(Optional: stir-fry veggies, mushrooms, ect.)

2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 Tbsp minced fresh gingerroot (I started buying the tube kind from the herb section at the store!)

Red pepper flake for garnish

(optional) Serve over cooked brown rice, Soba noodles or brown rice noodles.

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In a small bowl, combine first 3 ingredients whisking until smooth; set aside.

In a wok or large non-stick skillet, stir fry shrimp in 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth; about 5 minutes for frozen shrimp or until shrimp turn pink.

Remove shrimp with spoon an add directly to the mix you just made up. Set aside.

Add green onion directly to liquid in skillet/wok and stir fry for about 3 minutes.

Next add the snow peas (and other veggies) and stir fry for 3-5 minutes until peas are crisp-tender.

Add garlic and ginger root; cook a few more minutes.

Add sauce/shrimp mixture to the wok/skillet, bring to a simmer. Sprinkle with red pepper flake and serve.

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Loved it! Light and easier than I thought is was going to be.

Challenge Friendly: Max only. Unless you use chicken or fish, and then eating for Cleanse with brown rice and veggies (no mushrooms) is perfect!

Crockpot Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I was totally not feeling it today but I was motivated enough by a clean kitchen counter to make my family food for dinner! So I took the easier route and dragged the crockpot out, chopped veggies, defrosted chicken and let it go. Yummy yummy yummy! The house was smelling awesome and it tasted pretty awesome.

My quicker trick today: Tastefully Simple's Toasted Sesame Teriyaki Sauce. Now, I never just pour a full bottle of a sauce into anything anymore so note that a bottle of this awesomeness will last me through 4-8 meals depending. And why am I ok with using TS pre-made "stuff?" Because they use all natural ingredients and no craptastic preservatives ... So using a little of this leaves me with very few qualms!

BTW I totally preferred this over the other Sesame Crockpot Chicken I had made a few posts down. More flavor even with using just a little of the TS sauce. Plus I didn't add grains to this so that helped.

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Crockpot Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2-4 big boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
Dash of Red Pepper

2 cups tri-colored peppers chopped
1/2 red onion chopped

1/8 c. Tastefully Simple Toasted Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 c. Water

1/8 c. peanuts (non-salted)
1-2 tbsp. sesame seeds

4-6 big lettuce leafs of your choice

Set the crockpot to low cook 8 hours. Chop up the veggies and place in the pot. Sprinkle the spices generously over the chicken breasts and place on top of the veggies.

Mix the teriyaki sauce with the water and pour into the pot. Sprinkle in the peanuts and sesame seeds. Cover and cook. No reason to really stir. You may need to add a touch more water towards the end to keep it moist and move everything around to keep it from sticking.

Shred the finished chicken with two forks while in the pot and mix everything together. Serve in big lettuce leafs. I added broccoli-cut cole slaw mix and rice noodles for some texture and crunch!

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Yummy for sure! I made the mistake of thinking I picked up organic lettuce but instead picked up organic white cabbage ... Needless to say I dumped the stuffing out, added regular lettuce and enjoyed LOL Note to self: don't go grocery shopping for dinner essentials when you aren't having a "with it" day!! Ugh, yes next time it will be lettuce or big ole romaine or something ... Not cabbage leaves. It looks pretty but the cabbage leaves are tough.


Challenge Friendly: Yes. No rice noodles, especially on the cleanse.

Suz's Awesome-Sauce Pumpkin Pie

Sooooooooo it's Thanksgiving! And as much as I would LOVE to give y'all a "healthy pumpkin pie" alternative ... yeah, that's not going to happen. Maybe next year when life isn't in 100% overdrive I might stop, think and PLAN just a bit better, but, this year, there was no room for TIME. So you get my awesomeness in the form of good-ole-not-so-good-for-you-pumpkin-evilleness!

My stepmom asked me to bring pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. No biggie. I've made it before. BUT I can't just MAKE any old pumpkin pie (i.e. right off the label recipe). I have to THE BEST PUMPKIN PIE EVER. Because that's how I roll. So I meander on over to my Pumpkin Board on Pinterest to find what I would assume to be the most awesome recipe ever ... and out of the 73 pumpkin inspired recipes I have pinned, not ONE was a pumpkin pie. Oh, the irony! So I had to search Pinterest and found some awesome ideas. The best being adding brandy to the filling (mmmmmm alcohol!) and plenty of ideas for spices, etc. This is what I ended up with.

(Pic to come ... when I cut and "dollop" for presentation!)

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Suz's Awesome-Sauce Pumpkin Pie


2 Pillsbury Deep Dish Ready-to-Bake Pie Crusts

2-12 oz. cans Evaporated Milk (Used fat and cholesterol free version)

4 large eggs

1-29 oz. can Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. all spice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. raw (Michigan) clover honey (thank you, Mom, for the reminder!)
2 tbsp. Brandy

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Put frozen pie crusts on counter to thaw while you mix the filling.

Mix everything from the Pumpkin down to the Brandy together in the bowl.

Crack eggs and mix in separate bowl. Slowly pour and mix eggs into the Pumpkin mix bowl.

Crack open cans of Evaporated Milk and slowly stir into the Pumpkin/Egg bowl. Mix well until fully incorporated. Pour into pie crusts until full. (I always pour the extra filling into a Pyrex bowl and cook it as my "test bowl" ... because I hate waste LOL)

Place pies in oven and cook for 15 minutes on 400. Turn heat down to 325 degrees and cook 40-50 minutes until done.

Cooking Tip: Wrap aluminum foil around and over the edges of the pans to help avoid "burning" that happens on the outside. I had no clue! That was a Pinterest suggestion! I cooked them with the foil on for about 45 minutes and then removed for the rest of the cycle.

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As it is Thanksgiving I feel it neccessary to give thanks for all those things I do and don't give thanks for while everyone else verbal-vomits graciousness all over FB (not really because I actually do love reading the daily thanks; it gives me perspective!).

This year I am thankful for my little family whom I am working to secure the future of everyday. I'm thankful I found work that I love and loves me back without limitations, condemnation or restraints. I'm thankful for those two monsters who rule my waking and evening hours because they have changed me in enormous ways. I thankful for my success driven partner who may rant and rave BUT I know we both are moving towards greatness side-by-side and without his passion (and his ass-kicking) I would never be where I am today. I am thankful for all my families; both friend families and blood families because everyone who touches my life influences my vision of the future and without that vision I would not be moving towards my true self. I am thankful for learning to DREAM again after all these years. I am thankful to have each and everyday to wake up to and KNOW it has the potential to be GREAT because I know I am capable to make it great.

Enough gush, let's get to the pumpkin goo! I AM IN LOVE! Seriously I have never made a better mix EVER. I hope my family feels the same tomorrow <3

Challenge Friendly: HELL NO. Because sometimes I just need to enjoy the holiday ... with one slice of pie instead of three.

Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Pasta

Omg omg omg I'm in love! This turned out sooooo much better than I expected! I think next time I might add some extra red pepper for more kick, add the shrimp in later (as I reflect in the recipe below) so to not over cook it, and definitely add more baby spinach. This was a hit with everyone but Birdie (who is slowly becoming an undeclared vegetarian boooooo).

And sorry for the craptastic pic but I wasn't planning on making this a Forktacular recipe until it turned out so freaking awesome!! And it was Awesome ... and now I want more ... like right now.

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Garlic Lemon Shrimp and Pasta

2 cups small pre-cooked/shelled shrimp, thawed

Marinade:
6 cloves of garlic, pressed/minced
Juice from 2 lemons
1/4 red onion diced
1/8 c. EVOO
1 tsp. coriander
1 tbsp. sweet basil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. agave

2-4 servings of whole grain spaghetti or pasta of choice
1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach

Put all the marinade ingredients in the processor or blender and mix well. Pour over shrimp and let set 2-24 hours.

Remove shrimp from marinade. Place marinade, pasta and a cup of water in pan and cook until pasta is almost done. Add in shrimp and cook until done. Add spinach and cook until warmed and limp. Serve. Add Parmesan for some extra flavor.

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By now, I would think y'all who read my recipe ramblings understand I like combining steps when possible; like adding the pasta directly to the marinade to cook! Not only does it save a pan and a step, but it flavors the pasta, which I love.

This time I cooked the shrimp from the beginning ... Not the best move as I overcooked the shrimp ... But it was still yummy! Next time: doing it this way AND adding more red pepper for sure!


Challenge Friendly: NO. Shrimp are bottom feeders so definitely not for Cleanse. As a healthy-eating meal, yes, this is a good alternative. A friend suggestion chicken today and I say go for it! Keep your pasta serving in check!

Sweet, Tangy Sesame Crockpot Chicken

So I found this recipe via Pinterest and The Comfort of Cooking Blog.  I am allllllll for yummy Asian dishes. I'm also allllllll for crockpot meals because I can prep that sucker and not have to worry about trying to create dinner out of thin air at 5pm when the kids are starving, Dave isn't home yet, and I haven't had time to do the dishes!

(Side note: I want a freaking dishwasher ASAP! I'm tired of living without one.)

Of course, I couldn't do just as the recipe told me to ... because that would mean I wasn't sticking with a "healthier" version AND I hate extra steps like making rice later so I threw everything together to cook AND I wanted to be good since I have 3 days left in my 24-Day Challenge. So I did good! And don't judge, but yes, I used raw honey ... life will go on! I couldn't justify using a whole cup like the original recipe so what I did use was my compromise.

I have to say, after making the "sauce" I am totally reminded of Asian BBQ and OMG we aren't telling Dave it's BBQ (since he hates BBQ) BUT he is going to eat the crap out of this ... I hope. I'm totally excited to dive in to this later.

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Sweet, Tangy Sesame Crockpot Chicken

2-3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Shake of Sea Salt on each side and Black Pepper. I also threw Garlic Powder on the meat for good measure.

Sauce:
1/2 c. Diced Onions
1/4 c. Raw Honey
1/4 c. Liquid Aminos
1/4 c. Organic Tomato Paste (about 3 oz. so half of a little can)
3 cloves Garlic - pressed
1 tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil (or EVOO)
1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Base:
1 c. Brown Rice
1 c. water
Any frozen veggies you have left in the freezer. I used about 2 cups of Stir Fry Veggies I had sitting around and waiting to be used.
1 tsp. Ground Ginger

Throw your Base ingredients into the crockpot and sprinkle the ginger powder over it. There was no ginger in the sauce recipe so I added some to the base just because I LURVE ginger.

The seasoned chicken goes on top of the base.

Mix up the "sauce" and spoon on top of the chicken. That's it! I'm cooking on High for 4 Hours because my chicken was still partially frozen but cook it alllllll day for even better results but add extra water so it doesn't dry out.

Garnish with diced green onions.

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The verdict? Good but I should have taken the extra step of doing everything separate. Since it all cooked together, the sauce ends up mixed in with rice and veggies which is fine but it doesn't look as pretty as my predecessors. LOL The flavor is fine but slightly unexpected due to the tomato paste addition. I can't imagine it would be better with ketchup though. I think I might either cut the tomato paste to 1/8 cup and maybe up the honey to 1/3 cup. Not too shabby! Next time I will definitely do the rice and veggies right before I serve so the chicken gets the whole sauce flavor!


Challenge Friendly: YES but only for Max. You don't need the extra sugars during Cleanse. In fact, you probably don't need the extra sugars anyway ... so let's list this as a MAYBE ... only if in dire need of a dish ... and you happen to have everything you need sitting around ... LOL

Cleanse Friendly Chicken Soup

It's fall! Time for comfort foods! And, specifically, time for those foods that make you warm inside when you aren't feeling up to par. My friend is sick right now so I promised her some chicken soup. She is on the Cleanse Phase of the Advocare 24-Day Challenge, currently, so I can't just go throwing in a bunch of noodles and sodium rich chicken stock because her body would NOT respond well to the salty, carb overdose when it's trying to detox. Challenge: Make a cleanse friendly chicken soup that isn't going to make her body cry more! Yep, I can handle that!

In an effort to keep the stock natural and super low sodium, I bought plenty of veggies to throw in to help "stew" for the broth. I also picked up some fresh herbs since they are more savory and fragrant. This is a labor of love with all the rinsing, cutting and prepping so make sure you have time to be chopping all these veggies. Everything smells great so far (as it is cooking in the crockpot, currently) so I can't wait to taste it later! Let's get this list started ....


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Cleanse Friendly Chicken Soup

The "Meat:"

2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast trimmed of fat and diced - Add some Garlic Powder directly to the chicken before you put it in the pot

1 c. Wild Rice Mix (I used Lundburg Wild Rice Mix)
1 large Leek or 2 small
1/2 Sweet Onion
8 Stalks of Hearts of Celery
1 c. Baby Carrots

The Seasonings:

2 Rosemary Twigs - strip the leaves and cut up
2-4 Basil Leaves - cut up into pieces
1 Bay Leaf
4-6 Cloves of Garlic - diced/sliced
1 tsp. Majorum
2 tbsp. Natural Chicken Stock Starter
1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. coriander
Black pepper

7 c. water (for a large crockpot; add more for a thinner soup)

Rinse, chop, slice, dice everything and throw in the crockpot or in a stew pot on the stove. I cooked mine on 4 Hours High in the crockpot, stirring every hour. Usually I would cook on Low for 8 hours but I was under time constraints. On the stove, set on the lowest setting and let stew away all day.

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Leek Preparation

(because I had to YouTube it since I had never cooked with leeks before!)
 
Chop most of the green head off so you have mostly white showing. Chop the root off. The leek is from the onion/garlic family so it has layers inside. Slice it once longways so you have 2 long halves. take off the outermost layer (like an onion). Rinse under cold water between the layers to get out dirt that has gotten trapped (you don't have to take it apart to do this; rinse from one side first and then the other). Let sit to drain and then chop like you would celery or green onions.

YouTube Leek Prep Video

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VERY LOW SODIUM. The Natural Chicken Stock Starter I use hardly has any salt and no MSG. It was flavorful, for sure, but for those of you needing a bit more "sodium" kick, you might want to use a can of chicken stock and fill the rest with water. I, personally, was fine with the flavor and the sodium level but Dave added Frank's Red Hot ... because that's just Dave LOL

Note on majorum: Majorum makes soups thicken. If you are looking for a "clear" broth, leave out the majorum! I love thick soups so I actually added another teaspoon towards the end to help that along.


Challenge Friendly: YES! Success was mine! My friend and her family ate it like crazy.

Mustard Marinaded Grilled Pork and Eggplant

Sometimes you have to cave and go with what you have on hand and this time ... it was pork tenderloins while on a cleanse. Boooooo me! BUT they were REALLY GOOD! Just a couple of warnings: 1. Um, oil on meat on a grill makes flames; 2. Flames make things charred ... I like charred.

I paired my "grill"-awesomeness with grilled eggplant which I desaturated beforehand, basted with EVOO and sprinkled garlic and black pepper over before I put them on the top rack in the grill. My only regret was not having MORE to make because they were DELICIOUS off the grill! The pic makes it looks all bland and one-colored ... but I say the flavor is multifaceted!


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Mustard Marinade

1/4 c. EVOO
2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp. Organic Dijon Mustard
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 clove Garlic - minced
Black Pepper
1 tsp. Agave

Mix and incorporate well. Use as a marinade or as a salad dressing.

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Make up the awesome sauce above. Grill, bake or pan cook. Cook some veggies while you are at it and go to town! I will say I still loved the pork the next day with this sauce made up for my salad dressing .... mmmmmmm!


Challenge Friendly: UM ... only if you aren't adverse to eating meat that roots in mud for it's food ... so NO ... but the sauce can be used for chicken, too ;)

Jerk It Out No. 1

So I decided to try my hand at Jerk Chicken, finally. Found a simple jerk mix at The Way to His Heart blog.

Note: par my usual, I did add garlic because you know I love my garlic!

Things I can do different next time:

1. Next time, I will let the marinade set for a good few hours and then probably pan seal then bake ... Or grill!

2. I might try adding a few other spices that I'm seeing on other recipes like ginger and maybe molasses. (Actually I'm stealing a mix my friend has and basing my next attempt on their ingredient list!)

3. Next time I bake, I'm going to throw a touch of water in the bottom of the pan so I have more "sauce" when I mix it all up.

All in all, I'm super happy with this flavor and the hot spice was just enough for me. I'm sure Dave could have used even more red pepper!

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Jerk Seasoning

1 tbsp. Thyme
1 tbsp. Minced Onion
1 tbsp. Minced Garlic
2 tsp. All Spice
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Black Pepper

1 tbsp. EVOO
2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Combine all the spices. Coat the chicken with the EVOO and pour the spices over them. Work the spices over the chicken with your hands until everything is coated. Cover and cook on 375 degrees for an hour.

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Pair with a slaw or, like I did, warm corn salad with matching spices. Yummmmmmy!


Challenge Friendly: YES. Pair with roasted veggies or brown rice with spicy flavors.