Hummus Crusted Chicken

This was super easy and very yummy. It came together in no time and it made the house smell awesome. The added flavors on the zucchini really spiced them up, I think that may have been my favorite part! I must admit, I do love a recipe that includes both the protein and the vegetable for the meal. One less thing to think about! ;) This recipe is from gimmesomeoven.com.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup hummus, homemade or storebought
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 lemons
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika or sumac

Heat oven to 450.  Prepare one large baking dish with cooking spray.

Season the chicken breasts with generous pinches of salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, squash and onion with olive oil until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.

In the baking dish, place all of the vegetables on the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Lay the four chicken breasts evenly on top, then cover each chicken breast with the hummus so that the entire breast is covered. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the chicken and vegetables. Then sprinkle the pan with smoked paprika or sumac.

Cook for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake

This was even better than it looks! It's the perfect meal to make ahead and freeze for lunches for the week or to serve a big group. And honestly, it was a very much appreciated break from chicken. ;) This recipe was found at Two Peas and Their Pod.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed, diced
• 1 orange pepper, seeds removed, diced
• 1 cup corn frozen kernels
• Juice of 1 small lime
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups red enchilada sauce (A good clean recipe can be found here: Enchilada Sauce)
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
• Toppings: Sliced green onions, avocado slices, sour cream, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Saute the onion, jalapeño, peppers and corn in the olive oil for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, lime juice, cumin, chili powder and sauté for another 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, stir together the black beans, quinoa and cilantro. Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl and mix in the enchilada sauce and half of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Put mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Top with optional toppings and enjoy! 

Balsamic Fish Tacos

These taco's were a nice change to my typical baked fish. They were light and easy, and kiddo approved! 

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 Tilapia Fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces (you may substitute any other firm, white fish)
• 2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning (I used Emeril's Bayou Blast)
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 head red cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 3 green onions, diced
• 1/2 cup Balsamic Dressing (I used Panera's brand)
• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 6 small tortillas, warmed

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Season the fish with the Creole Seasoning and cook in the oil for about 5 minutes. Season the fish with the salt as it cooks. While that's cooking, cut up the cabbage and green onions and pour the dressing over the cabbage. Add the cabbage mixture to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes or so until cabbage is soft and fish is cooked through. Assemble the tacos with the cheese and tomato and enjoy! :)

Pesto Salmon

Hands down, my favorite salmon recipe! We eat this twice a month, although I could eat it weekly!

Ingredients:

• 2 6-oz Salmon Fillets
• 1/2 package dried pesto mix (I like Simply Organic) Be aware that many of these mixes contain MSG, so stick with an organic brand!
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place each fillet on a separate piece of foil big enough to create a pouch around the fish on a pan. Mix the pesto with the olive oil and put half of the mixture on each fillet. Close the fish in the foil by bringing the sides of the foil together and folding to create a seal. Make sure the ends of the pouch are closed as well. Bake the fish in their packets for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Easy clean up and perfectly cooked salmon. Can't beat it!

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

This is the most satisfying mushroom soup I've ever had. Don't be scared off by the cashews, they only add creaminess. I made the cream in my NutriBullet (if you don't have one, you should get one!!), and it took only seconds!

For the Soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 tablespoons soy sauce (I used Bragg’s Amino Acids)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (vegan please)
• about 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• salt to taste

For the Cashew Cream:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water

Over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent (5 min). Add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms, stir for one minute, then add soy sauce, worcestershire, salt, pepper, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until mushrooms are cooked through. 

In the meantime, make the cashew cream by blending cashews and water in a blender until completely smooth. Set aside cream. Don't bother cleaning the blender just yet! Once the mushrooms are cooked, blend 1/3 of it in blender (be careful, hot soup expands in the blender!) and then return it to the pot. Add cashew cream and stir! A fancy tasting soup made in about 20 minutes! 

The Leap of Faith I Took that Changed My World

When I decided to start my Beachbody adventure, I only had one goal: to lose weight. I had been carrying an extra 30+ lbs for many years and I was sick of the way I felt about myself. Little did I know this commitment would transform my entire life.

Not only did I end up losing 10lbs and 2 sizes with my first Challenge Group, it opened my eyes to an opportunity that I otherwise wouldn’t have known existed. Beachbody provides the products and training to start your own business of health and fitness coaching! Becoming a coach is the single best decision I’ve ever made. It has literally changed my life and my entire perspective of the future.

Before I joined Beachbody, I was a stay at home mom Monday-Friday and I’m going to be honest, I was LONELY! I love my son dearly, but parenting is not a replacement for adult interaction! Once I entered the Beachbody world, I suddenly had an entire family of like-minded moms right at my finger tips! I became FAST FRIENDS with so many people! We are all as much friends as we are co-workers. Its truly the best situation I could ask for. These ladies support me in my business, my personal life, and they keep me accountable every day to strive to be my best. I love these people like family!

I didn’t go into the business to become rich quick. Truthfully, the money has never been a thought to me, until recently anyways. I live on one income, I own a house, a car and have HEFTY school loans I’m paying back. I have always lived paycheck to paycheck, and honestly, dollar to dollar. If I were to go over budget on my groceries or a surprise expense came up, it really set me back. But over the last few months as a coach, I have seen my bank account steadily grow, and now I have the freedom to make those extra purchases at Target or the grocery store and not worry! No more guilt for the splurges, and that feels AWESOME. I get to buy myself nicer things and treat my son more often. I feel like I can BREATH again and I’m not just waiting for the next thing to set me back financially. I am finally gaining financial momentum!! For those of you that have lived paycheck to paycheck, you know just how much mental and emotional freedom that would provide you!

I think the biggest blessing that has come from coaching is the ability to touch people’s lives, all from my own home. To know that my hard work inspires other people to find their best self is the MOST REWARDING FEELING I can imagine. I get messages regularly now letting me know that my posts are motivating people to believe in themselves, and my recipes are helping families eat healthier. We live our lives without ever knowing the true potential inside of us, and it is my HONOR to be able to help people dig a little deeper to find that potential and create a bigger and better life for themselves.

I am so happy that I took the chance to try something new by signing up for a challenge group and then becoming a coach. It has turned my life upside down and I am a happier and healthier than I ever thought would be possible. I wake up each day EXCITED to work because this job brings so much to my life!

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

This was one of the first chicken recipes I made when I started really cooking in 2008. Did anyone else get the Everyday Food magazines from Martha Stewart? I was obsessed with them! They, along with Food Network, taught me how to cook. I miss that awesome little magazine so much!! This was from their January 2008 issue. Before this, I had been leery of cooking chicken because I was raised vegetarian, but this recipe won me over because of it's simplicity, bold flavor, and healthy ingredients. It's a little spicy for the kids, so  just save a breast for them and stick with salt and pepper or maybe a little paprika on theirs. :)

Ingredients:

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

Brownie Batter Overnight Protein Oatmeal

I am totally in love with overnight oats. And brownies. And most batters of sweet origin. I got a thing for protein, too. Winning.....

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Unsweetened almond milk (or low fat milk of choice) 
• 1/2 cup Plain low fat Greek yogurt (or mashed banana, or pumpkin) 
• 2 tbs Unsweetened cocoa powder (or more, to taste) 
• 1/8 tsp Salt 
• 2 tbs Baking stevia or 1/4 cup sweetener that measures like sugar 
• 1 cup Old fashioned oats 
• 1/4 cup Protein powder or Chocolate Shakeology

Mix all the ingredients together and divide into two mason jars or bowls with lids. Let sit in the refrigerator over night and enjoy cold in the morning, or microwave for 30-60 seconds to warm.

Turkey Burgers

I've looked around in my local grocery stores and I can't find an organic turkey burger. I was enjoying the Jennie-O frozen burgers, but I try very hard to make sure my meats are organic, so I had to make a change. This is a simple as a homemade burger gets. And truthfully, it tastes WAY better than Jennie-O. :)

Ingredients:

• 1lb organic ground turkey, as lean as you can find
• 1/2 C salsa
• Additional spices optional: garlic powder, chili powder, italian spices, salt and pepper etc.

Mix the ingredients together well. Shape into 4 patties and cook on medium heat for 8 minutes per side until cooked through. 

Eggs-n-Oats

The foundation of a healthy clean eating breakfast is a wholesome carb paired with a protein. I'm sure most of you can relate when I say I just don't have the time to cook oatmeal and eggs and then proceed to sit down and eat said oats and eggs!! So here's a little combo dish. Its as easy as microwaved oatmeal but it includes the eggs right in the same bowl. Don't be weirded out, its totally awesome and you don't taste the eggs!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C quick oats
• 1 C water
• 1/2 C egg whites from a carton or 3 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Stevia to taste (optional), I used one packet of Truvia
• optional: 1/2 chopped apple, maple syrup (if you don't use stevia), chopped walnuts

Pour the oats, water, egg whites, cinnamon and stevia in a bowl. Microwave for one minute. Add the apple if you are using it and stir. Microwave another minute. Stir again. Continue to microwave in 30 second spurts, stirring in between until the desired fluffiness is achieved. (I usually go 2 rounds of 30 seconds). Add additional toppings now, and feel free to get creative (above I used pomegranate seeds)!

5 Ingredient White Chicken Chili

This soup (yeah, it's really more of a soup than a chili) is the bomb. As easy as it gets and delicious to boot. The recipe comes from Gimme Some Oven.

Ingredients:

• 6 C chicken broth
• 4 C cooked, shredded chicken
• 2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 C salsa verde 
• 2 tsp ground cumin

Bring all the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Top with avocado for some healthy fats. :)

P.S. I also did this in the slow cooker....I placed two big raw chicken breasts at the bottom of the slow cooker and dumped the rest of the ingredients on top. I cooked it on high for 3 hours or so. I shredded the chicken once it was cooked through. So stinking easy!!