Hi! I'm Jess..have we met?

I almost passed out when I saw that my last login was in AUGUST? What have I been doing for the past few months? Oh yeah....getting married! :) Well I may have been taking a little hiatus from blogging but I have still been sticking to my eat clean ways (at least 80% ha!). I have been feeling a little more lax in the clean department, but for the most part I am staying true to my roots. I do feel like i need a little switching up here and there (definitely STUCK in a food rut). I do have some yummy recipes to add!

Eat Clean Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup 
(Borrowed from The Kitchen Table (eatclean.com))

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 Can Diced Tomatos
• 2 Cans Black Beans Rinsed
• 1 Chopped Onions (red or yellow)
• 1 Jar Clean Tomato Sauce
• 4 C Chicken Broth
• Salt, Pepper & Red Pepper Flakes to Taste
• 1 Can Corn
• I Jar Salsa (large or small)

Throw everything into a crock pot and cook for either 4 hours on High or 8 hours on low. When it's done.... take the chicken out and shred then put it back into the mixture and stir.

I sliced up some whole wheat tortillas with a pizza cutter to make thin strips. I sprayed some olive oil on the stirps, sprinkled some sea salt and stuck in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 mins or so. They turned out YUMMY! The whole dish was fantastic! Dustin had seconds and took some for lunch!


Vegan Banana Cookies
(Borrowed from Food.com and "Clean Food" cookbook)

• 2 bananas
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup rolled oat
• 2/3 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes , unsweetened
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips , vegan

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In bowl, combine mashed bananas, oil, liquid sugar and vanilla, or stevia vanilla. In separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda and coconut (if using). Stir the wet mixture into the dry until just combined. Add your choice of "fun yum" for final stir, i.e., coco chips, raisins, dried fruit, or anything your taste desire with banana!
3. Drop onto prepared cookie sheet. They will not change from the dropped shape, so it is up to you if you wish to have round, drop cookies; or thinner, oblong cookies. Bake for about 18 minutes, until golden. Place 'em on a rack and then test the moment they are cool enough!
4. Yields about 16 cookies, but depends on drop size!
5. ****** substitutions******.
6. maple syrup = 2tbsp agave and 2 tbsp maple.
7. oil = 2 tbsp canola /1 tbsp almond butter / 1 tbsp coconut butter.
8. vanilla= 8 drops NuNaturals vanilla stevia.
9. cacao chips= raisins or your choice of chocolate chips or dried fruit.
10. coconut= sliced almonds (adds bulk).

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/vegan-drop-cookie-445654#ixzz1g4DB7ziu

This recipe was SO GOOD! I love the substitutions! I used agave nectar in place of all of the maple syrup. I subbed almond butter and 1 tbsp of coconut oil, I also used raisins and flax in place of chocolate and coconut. They turned out YUMMY!

Two new recipes to add!

It's been a busy busy month, but I HAVE made a few delicious eat clean meals!

General Tso's Chicken (from Crockpot365)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch chunks

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons agave nectar

1 teaspoon dried ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use La Choy because it's gluten free)

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more to taste at the table if you'd prefer more heat)

1 (16-ounce) package stir-fry vegetables (to add later)

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken into the bottom of your crockpot and then add the garlic, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Toss the chicken to fully coat with the sauce ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, then add the frozen vegetables. Re cover and cook on high for an hour, or until the veggies are fully hot and the chicken has reached desired tenderness.

Serve with white or brown rice.

I used this as filling for lettuce wraps! SUPER YUMMY! I would have cooked it for less time though, the chicken was a little dry.

Salsa Chicken

boneless skinless chicken breasts ( I used three large ones)
16 oz jar of salsa

Place chicken breasts at the bottom of the crockpot, cover with salsa, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours!

This is so good! We used it for taco filling in whole grain flax tortillas from trader joes. It's so easy to make and it's really really good! You can add in a bag of frozen corn (roasted corn from TJ's is awesome), some peppers and a can of beans if you want to as well.


No Bake Protein Bars (taken from Oxygen Magazine)

2 cups oats
1/2 cup natural nut butter (I used peanut butter but almond butter would be DELISH)
4 scoops of protein powder (I used chocolate)
1 tbsp ground flax
1/2 cup water
handful of dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, spread mixture into a lined baking pan (9x9 brownie pan is what I used). Freeze for 30 mins and cut into bars.

These were really good, but the dough was so sticky! I added some wheat germ to the mixture to make it less gooey. I am going to make these again with vanilla protein powder and almond butter! YUM!

Protein "Ice Cream" (From Oxygen magazine)

1 scoop protein powder (I used vanilla for mine and chocolate for Dustin's)
1 tbsp nut butter
1 tsp cocoa powder (optional)
1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Mix all ingredients together and freeze in a bowl for 30 mins. This is so good! I add a little agave nectar (literally like 1/4 of a tsp) to top it all off. Such a delish treat for a hot day!

Dear Crockpot...

...I have missed you! Why did I stop using my crockpot? It is only the BEST invention ever. I cannot tell you how many times I eat something boring for dinner because after a long day I just don't feel like cooking. The crockpot solves all that! I can throw something in hours before dinner time and when I walk in the door the entire apartment smells like delicious food! I made Eat Clean Chicken and Dumpling Soup (thank you graciouspantry.com!) It turned out REALLY good. The dumplings were kind doughy and so soft. YUM!

Clean Eating Chicken And Dumplings
(Makes approximately 5 quarts)

Stew Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth (no sugar/dextrose added)
1 tbsp. marjoram
1 tbsp.. garlic powder
1 tbsp. celery seed
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into small chunks
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion – peeled and diced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced

Dumpling Ingredients
(This is a recipe redo. Find the original here.)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (you can use regular milk instead.)

STEW DIRECTIONS

Step 1 – Pour the broth into your crock pot (or into a large soup pot if cooking on a stove top)

Step 2 – Add the marjoram and garlic powder to the broth and turn the crock pot to high (stove top, bring to a slow boil)

Step 3 – In a pan, combine the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and celery seed . Saute until the onions are translucent.

Step 4 – Add the veggies and cut up chicken to the crock pot (or soup pot).

DUMPLING DIRECTIONS

Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to blend well.

Step 2 – Pour in the oil and milk and mix with a wooden spoon.

Step 3 – (Be sure the broth is hot before adding the dumplings to the pot) Using two teaspoons, scoop up and round off your dumplings and scrap into your pot. (Just like making drop cookies)

STOVE TOP – Boil until the dumplings and chicken are cooked.

CROCK POT – I cooked this on high for about 3-1/2 hours. But if you need to cook it longer because you are leaving for the day (or cooking overnight), turn the crock pot to the lowest setting and cook until the dumplings and chicken are cooked through.

Rockin' bod...

In my constant quest to kick my own butt I have come across something REALLY awesome. BodyRockTv. Seriously. Check it out! These workouts are ridiculous. Sometimes just watching them makes me sore. I like them because they are short! Absolutely perfect for those days when you have 20 minutes and you need a good workout. For most of the workouts you need a few items. They use a sandbag, dip station, and interval timer. There was a post a few weeks ago about what people use if they don't have the fitness gear. Two chairs and a broomstick for the dip station, a duffel bag filled with magazines or sand or beans or weights etc, for the sandbag. It's easy to make it work!

Butt kickin' workouts!

Do at your own risk!!!!

http://toughmudder.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/TrainingPrep.pdf

Yum Yum!

It's Dustin's birthday tomorrow! We are going out tonight to celebrate so that we can stay out late without having to work the next day. Honesty though, who am I kidding? I am guessing we will both be asleep before midnight ha! Tomorrow I am going to whip us up a delish birthday dinner complete with birthday treats!

Clean Eating Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken (From Graciouspantry.com)
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 (12 oz.) jar of clean salsa
4 small raw zucchini, halved, quartered, then sliced (shredding works too)
1/4 medium, fresh pineapple

Directions

Step 1 – Turn on a crock pot to the low setting and put in the chicken and salsa. Cook for about 4-6 hours. Crock pots vary, so base the time on that. The chicken should pull apart easily with a fork when finished.

Step 2 – Shred the chicken using two forks and mix in your raw zucchini and fresh pineapple.

Due to my squash allergy, I will be finding a substitute for zucchini or just leaving it out altogether. I am going to serve this with a side of beans and rice (and of course a skinny girl margarita :) )

Sweet Potato Cinnamon Brownies (from eat clean magazine)

INGREDIENTS:

Brownies

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 6 egg whites
• Olive oil cooking spray

Icing

• 1/2 cup low-fat plain cream cheese ( I am going to use Fage greek yogurt)
  
• 3 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tbsp water (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare brownies: Combine flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a food processor, combine sweet potato, agave, oil and vanilla. Purée until combined and smooth.
3. Gradually mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, until just combined; do not over-mix.
4. In a separate dry bowl, whisk egg whites until fluffy. Then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter.
5. Lightly spray sides of baking pan (9 x 9 x 2-inch) with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and place into oven. Bake for about 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and allow brownies to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
6. While brownies are cooking or cooling, prepare icing: In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, agave, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Whisk until incorporated, adding 1 tbsp water if mixture is hard to whisk. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
7. Loosen brownie and turn slab out onto a cutting board or platter. Cut into 16 pieces, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8. To serve, divide icing evenly over each brownie and serve immediately. Leftovers may be kept refrigerated in a resealable container for up to 2 days

Working out...facts, fiction, and rules to follow

I am definitely a self proclaimed workout queen! I love working out. It is such a part of my life that there is a noticeable difference when I am not working out for any extended period of time (uh...grouchy and STRESSED much?!). I will be the first to admit that there was a time in my life when I worked out TOO MUCH. What is that you say? There is such a thing as working out too much? Oh yes my friends, this is very true. I have collected a few articles on the do's and don't's of working out and how to tell if you are working out too much.

The first article I came across talks about the do's and don't's of exercise from beginners to fitness freaks. I think that the most important thing that you can take away from this is that finding balance and listening to your body are vital to success when it comes to an injury free workout career.

The second article that I came across talks about the warning signs of overexercising. I think that EVERYONE from beginners to fitness fanatics (ESPECIALLY fitness fanatics) need to read this article. It's so easy to get caught up in workouts and not notice what your body is telling you.

This article is one of my favorite articles! I am definitely more prone to cardio. Getting into a strength routine is really tough for me. I have always had trouble with this aspect of fitness because I have this weird thought that if I am not sweating my butt off, it's not workin ha. This is a go to article for me to remind myself how important strength training really is.

Chocolate protein goo and new lunch recipe!

I attempted to make some homemade protein bars...I must say that the taste is delightful, but the texture...is goo. I am not sure why they came out so gooey and sticky. I will have to play around with the recipe next time. Instead of cutting these into bars, I rolled them into protein balls and rolled them around in a little flax to make them more manageable. :)

This is the Base Recipe that I used for the bars. I tweaked it a little by using chocolate protein powder, I left out the raisins and mashed up a banana. I wish I could say that is why it was gooey...but it was gooey before the banana. I added some oat bran in hopes it would absorb some of the moisture. No such luck. Maybe I should have added more protein!

I also made a new yummy lunch this afternoon! It's so simply, but man...it tasted really good! It could have been because I was STARVING! I heated up a whole wheat pita (from Trader Joe's) and topped it with 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese, slices of avocado, pepper, and drizzled with EVOO. This was so good! Seriously! The pita was warm and had a little crunch, it just went really well together. I would encourage you to try! :)

Insanity...and new fitness finds

Insanity- doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Sigh. That definition strongly pertains to my continuous poor timing for hiking/trail running. I end up going at noon EVERY TIME! And every time I am out there in the 115 degree desert I tell myself that next time I will never do this again ha! Honestly I don't mind hiking in the heat. I don't mind hiking at noon at all, but it does take a toll and it is exhausting by the time I am done! To make myself feel better about my hiking habit I have decided that the reasons it's good to hike at noon is A) I am the only one on the trails...even the crowded trails. Unless of course you count the roadrunners and jackrabbits and large scary lizards. B) I am less jumpy at the prospect of snake attacks. It is miserably hot, they would definitely be too lazy and hot to strike, they most definitely are sleeping in a shady spot far away from me. I am not certain if this is true, but it does make me feel better. It's a good thing I drink like a camel because IT'S HOT out there.

On the topic of hiking and outdoor activity. I have to give a shout out to my FAVORITE shoes of all time, Brooks Cascadia 6. I love these shoes. I am all about the tread ( I am terribly clumsy so good tread is important to keep my from falling head first off a mountain) and these shoes have some mean tread on them. I am a big fan of Brooks as they give me lots of arch support and don't seem to aggravate my tendinitis as much as other shoes do. Check these shoes out! They really do rock!My most important outdoor fitness find is my new favorite sunscreen! I have interesting skin, it's super sensitive and acne prone. I also sweat, I don't glisten, I POUR sweat so it's important to me to not have a runny sunscreen that stings my eyes and that I can taste (EW!). I bought Neutrogena Ultimate Sport SPF 70. I was drawn to it because of the "won't cause breakout" claim on the side of the bottle. It's also water resistent, sweat proof and oil free. All very important to me in a sunscreen. I have been using it for about a month now and I am definitely a fan! My skin looks great, I feel protected and I have never had any burning eyes or gross taste in my mouth while I am out on the trails.

Eat clean item of the week!

I just wanted to share one of my recent Eat Clean finds!

My FAVE find right now is my Misto! I love it! Cooking spray always made me a little nervous so it is so nice to be able to fill up my misto with healthy olive oil and make my own spray!!!

Some new recipes!

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while but I have some new recipes to add. Nothing MAJOR but I promise to be better about blogging my clean creations.

Clean Cucumber Salad

I cucumber sliced up, sea salt and pepper to taste, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar - mix it alllll together and enjoy

Banana Molasses Bran Muffins

• 1C wheat bran
• 1 1/2C whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 C buttermilk
• 1/2 C Molasses (honey works and gives a milder flavor)
• 1/2tsp salt
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1tsp baking soda
• 1/8C vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 mashed banana
• eat clean cooking spray

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl (the orignial recipe calls to mix the dry first, then the wet ingredients and then mix all together...I never do this and it turns out fine). This makes about 12 muffins (spray muffin tin with cooking spray). Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Clean Greek Salad

Spinach (washed and ready to go!)
Grape tomatoes (washed and cut in half)
1/2 cucumber sliced into thin slices
Kalamata olives (buy pitted olives to make it easier, you can add them whole or slice them into pieces)
Cheese (feta or parm would be good, I actually use cottage cheese)
Chicken breast or shrimp (optional)

Mix all salad ingredients together first and add cheese of your choice, in a small bowl mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil (depending on salad size usually I do twice as much balsamic as olive oil) and add fresh ground pepper to the top. ENJOY!

Another dressing option is to mix 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar with 1 tbsp deli mustard, mix together and pour over salad. This is especially good if the salad has chicken breast.

Uh...Hi :)

Hello there, my name is Jess and I am a clean eater. I thought I might need to introduce myself again after my month long hiatus! I am desperate need of an eat clean overhaul. I feel like I am doing pretty well, but I also feel like I am stuck in some what of a rut. I am definitely eating like the same five things every day...all day long ha! I have also been a little sweet toothy. So I think I just need to be more mindful. One piece of dark chocolate every once in a while is not so bad. But a piece everyday makes me just crave sweets all the time!

Last night I made southwestern pizza. I have made this pizza before, the only difference is this time I used cottage cheese. It was interesting. It actually did taste really good, it was just...well juicy. The recipe is quite simple.

Crust

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 package of yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
1/4 cup cornmeal (optional)
1 cup warm water

Mix together and knead for a few minutes, let sit for at least 5-10 minutes to let it rise.

Toppings

Organic salsa
about a cup of cottage cheese
chicken strips (frozen, I microwaved them before adding them to the pizza)
Pepper strips (also frozen and microwaved)
2 handfulls of mexican blend cheese to top it off

Bake on 400 for 10-15 minutes and ENJOY! :)

Turkey Meatloaf

I need to get back on the bloggin wagon! Dustin just asked me last night how the blog was going....uh...well...it's going slowly. I can3/4 honestly say that I haven't been whipping up any innovative recipes lately. But last night I did finally make something new and exciting. Meatloaf. Okay so maybe it's not that exciting, but it is new, and it was pretty good!

Turkey Meatloaf

1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup onion diced
1/2 cup green, red, or yellow pepper
3/4 cup yogurt cheese (I used greek yogurt as I didn't have time to whip up yogurt cheese)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
dried oregano and basil to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together with clean hands and place in a loaf pan (sprayed with clean cooking spray). Bake for about an hour, let stand for 10 mins before serving.

This was pretty good! It could have used some sauce or gravy. Dustin said it wasn't quite worth the wait. I agreed. It was good, but when you are starving and waiting for an hour for yummies, it was not quite up to par. Dustin compares everything that requires an hour of bake time to lasagna, and this was no lasagna! It was good though! I will make it again.

A few delish recipes to add...

Dear Blog, I have not forgotten about you! I promise! I realized I haven't actually posted a recipe in quite some time ha! I need to get on the ball! In the past few weeks I have thrown together some recipes that have turned out REALLY well!

Southwestern pizza

Crust
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flax meal
1 tsp agave nectar
1tsp active yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm water

Mix all ingredients together and kneed the dough for a good five minutes. Cover and let the dough rise for an hour. Knead the dough for an additional few minutes before rolling out onto the pizza pan.

Toppings
Salsa (I used natural chunky salsa from costco). Use as much as you would like on your pizza.
1/2 cup corn (I used trader joe's roasted corn...soooooooooo good!)
Shredded chicken breast (Again...trader joe's! I always buy the frozen chicken strips to have on hand, they are lightly seasoned and delicious).
A few handfuls of low fat mexican style cheese

Toss in the oven (preheated to 450) for 12-15 minutes. This pizza was GOOOOOOD! Dustin and I were both big fans!

Black Bean Brownies (beware, you are going to want to eat the entire pan)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 egg whites
2-3 tbsp coconut oil (or any other clean vegetable oil)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used a little more than this)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 8x8 baking pan. Throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour batter into baking pan and smooth with spatula. It's optional to top with dark chocolate chips (I had semisweet chocolate chips that I used). Bake for 30 mins and let cool completely before cutting into them. These are so good! I put them in the freezer so I can just pop them out whenever I am getting a chocolate craving!

Eat clean items...costco style!

I haven't posted an edition of eat clean item of the week in...oh...forever! So I was thinking about what I have been munching on lately that I could add. I felt this was a good time to pay tribute to Costco and their eat clean BULK items that I keep buying over and over! Here is a list of my faves...

- HUGE bag of organic baby carrots
- Big jar of natural almond butter
- Big bag of flax meal
- 2 pack of agave nectar
- big container of fage yogurt
- big container of low fat cottage cheese
- big bags of salad
- frozen brown rice
- organic vanilla soy milk (dustin uses this stuff!)

I am sure I could keep adding to the list! Costco is definitely the place for some healthy goodies! I have also been meaning to buy their whole wheat spaghetti and organic spaghetti sauce, both of which are so cheap for how much you get!

Energy drinks.....oy!

I will be the first to admit that I am not 100% eat clean all the time. Energy drinks are my new "unclean" habit. Working nights is a little rough and these magical cans of energy really do the trick. I know that I need to work on this habit of mine, but for the time being I think they are here to stay! I have just been trying to make up for them by making sure my snacks and meals are EXTRA clean! :) I haven't really been making too many awesome recipes lately! I gave a go at some ginger cookies that turned out terribly! I also made some protein bars that turned out pretty good! I took my previous recipe for chocolate protein bars and just left out the chocolate and added some wheat germ. They are more like protein cake ha! They are good though! Tonight I am going to make chicken paprikash. We shall see how it stands up! I am hungarian afterall and have had my fair share of ridiculously rich and full fat paprikash! :) I found the recipe on The Kitchen Table at eatclean.com

Eat Clean Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients

* 1/4 cup EVOO
* 1 medium onion diced
* 3 thick chicken breasts - cubed
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
* salt + pepper
* 3 tablespoons good quality Paprika- this is the KEY ingredient!
* 1 can no salt added diced tomatoes
* 1 cup water
* 1 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your heat levels)
* 1 clove garlic diced
* 2/3 cup 0% plain greek yogurt

Instructions

Add EVOO into a medium size stock pot over medium heat. When warm add the diced onions and cook about a few minutes until almost translucent. In the meantime, put whole wheat flour and a sprinkle of S + P in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and toss around to coat evenly. Push onions aside in pot and add all of the flour coated chicken. Lightly brown the chicken all over. Add in garlic and GOOD QUALITY PAPRIKA. Toast the paprika a few minutes by constantly mixing the chicken- onion- paprika mixture. Be careful not to burn the spice. Next add the diced tomatoes, water, and red pepper flakes (optional). Bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer , covered about 30 minutes.

Ladle about a cup of the tomato broth into a heat safe small container (glass measuring cup). slowly whisk in yogurt. add more sauce as needed. (mixture should be like a thick soup) Pour sour cream mixture into large pot with the rest of the sauce and chicken. mix to combine.

Serve with brown rice or whole wheat egg noodles

Yummy Enchiladas!

Enchiladas are nice because they are a way to use up lots of leftovers! I was searching for a recipe that would use a bunch of leftover chicken we have, and also leftover tofu. I Made a YUMMMMMY recipe last night.

Ingredients
-clean cooking spray (I have canola oil in my misto)
-crushed garlic
-chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
-3/4 pound of chicken (mine was just shredded from a whole chicken we had leftover)
-12 oz of tofu crumbled
-chili powder
-cumin
-Salt/pepper
- 1 can natural tomato sauce
-1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
-1 4 oz can green chilis
-6 oz container greek yogurt
-coupe handfuls of cheese
-8 whole wheat tortillas ( I used whole grain flax tortillas from trader joes)

Spray skillet with oil, throw in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, throw in the onion and cook until tender. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and mix well. Add in tofu and more spices to taste ( I like to leave a little of the tofu juice in the skillet to keep things moist). Remove mixture from skillet and put off to the side. Return skillet to heat, add sauce, diced tomato, and chili. Heat for a few minutes and then add in the yogurt. While sauce is heating, fill the tortillas with the mixture (it helps to heat the tortillas for a bit in the microwave before filling them), roll and place seem down on a sprayed casserole dish. Covver enchiladas with sauce and sprinkle with desired amount of cheese. Cook at 400 degrees until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

These were really really really good! I have lots of leftovers so that Dustin can help himself while I am sleeping off the night shift! :)

Vday Menu!

My hubby to be and I decided that instead of fighting the crowds and going out to eat, we would stay in and make dinner together. Dustin made an absolutely delicious chicken. Mmmm it was great! I don't know the specifics of his recipe, but it involved lemons, mint, shallots, chicken and veggie broth. To compliment his fabulous roasted chicken I whipped up some wild rice pilaf. I bought brown wild rice at trader joe's (BUY THIS!IT'S GOOD!!!!). I sauteed some chopped celery, a little onion and mushrooms for a few mins. I added in 2 1/2 cups of veggie broth (bring to a boil) and 1 cup of the wild rice. Bring everything to a boil again, cover and then turn the heat down so that it simmers for 35 mins. Turn off heat and let it sit for an additional 10 mins until everything thickens up. This was really really good!

Baking machine!

Alright...so I have three recipes to add...three delish baking recipes! Two are clean, one is kinda clean...well more like not a super dirty splurge! :) I have also whipped together some dinners lately but I am not in the mood to post those recipes ha! so I will come back later...for now enjoy these baked goodies!

Raisin Bran Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup Fiber One
1 cup bran
1 cup raisins
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp pumpkin spice
2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 egg and 1 egg white
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

I know that you are supposed to mix wet with wet and dry with dry and then add but I just throw everything together and mix it up! Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins on 400! I made 12 muffins, but I could have made a few more had I made them smaller (I tossed out some of the batter...it was late and there was like enough for two or three more...)

Chocolately goodness protein bars (I stole the base recipe for this, but did some tweaking)

Cooking oil spray
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup almond milk
2 egg white
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 scoop (1/3 cup) protein powder (Chocolate would be best, I only had vanilla)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup flax meal
1 tbsp whole wheat flower
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used like quadruple that much to make it chocolatey)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons natural peanut butter

Mix everything from the oatmeal to the salt together. I needed to add a little water to the mix (I think it was due to the large amount of cocoa I added ha). Spread the mixture into a 9x13 baking dish (sprayed with cooking spray). Melt the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. Pour peanut butter on top of chocolate mixture and swirl it around with the tip of a knife. Bake for about 10 mins at 350 degrees. These are gooey and GOOOOOD!

Guinness brownies

Alright so these might not be "clean" but it uses whole wheat flour, I used organic sugar, and some seriously delish 70% dark chocolate. These turned out soooo good.

http://www.bitemekitchen.com/2010/03/guinness-dark-chocolate-brownies.html

I will just direct you to the recipe...considering I made no changes! :) Make these ONLY if you have other people to help you eat them, otherwise...you will seriously eat the whole pan.

Nothing too original

I have no awesome original recipes to add to my blog...sigh. I have a made a few things here and there but nothing that really deserves it's own recipe post! I did make some eat clean fajitas the other day! It was super easy and super super delicious! I cooked up two large chicken breasts on the george foreman grill. I spiced them up with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Meanwhile in a skillet I heated up a little olive oil and added some pepper slices (I had frozen pepper slices that I thawed in the micro) and roasted corn (also frozen from trader joes). After the chicken was done (and yes it was still hot and I continued to singe my fingers because I lack patience)I cut it up into pieces and added it to the veggies. I added some more chili poweder, pepper, and a little agave so that things would kinda caramelize. I threw the mixture into whole wheat tortillas and added a little cottage cheese and salsa. YUM! This was super super easy. Dustin was a fan because he covered his with cheese and he really loves anything with cheese. :) I also whipped up some peanut noodles! I feel like it's been forever since I made those nutty noodles. They are definitely a fave of mine! I have leftovers that I can eat for lunch today! Mmmmm! I added pepper slices and edamame and called it a meal.

In other news...I am feeling like things might be a little "sluggish" digestively speaking. I feel like certain times of the month lead up to this little problem, and I am also on a medication that can add to that as well. So I have decided to work up some recipes that pack a fiber punch! Tonight for dinner I am going to make oatmeal and bran cereal pancakes. I used to make this all the time. I am going to play with the recipe and report back how it turns out! I love fiber. In case you guys haven't figured that out yet I am pretty much a fiber freak. While others may keep track of their protein or carbs, I am always on top of my fiber intake. I just feel like it makes a huge difference in how I feel!

Two new additions...

In response to my two strikes I have come back strong with two solid recipe winners! I am pleased to say that I have mastered a protein ball recipe. I felt more comfortable making protein balls than protein bars, but honestly...they could easily be shaped into bars ha. I also made a very yummy lasagna recipe that I took from fitness magazine and tweaked a little.

Protein "ball" Recipe (I tweaked the recipe a little)
- 1 cup of almond butter
- 2 cups vanilla protein powder
- 1/2 cup agave nectar
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup wheat germ
- 1 cup bran
- 1 cup cranberries

I am sure there are better ways to mix this. But I just threw everything together and stirred! The recipe says it makes about 16 balls, but I formed mine into 24 or so. So mine must not have been as large! Just stick em in the fridge until the firm up and then you are good to go! These are good! They taste like a treat. :)


Chicken Spinach Lasagna
- spray skillet with cooking spray ( I have a misto with canola oil in it)
-1 pound ground white-meat chicken
- red pepper flakes to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- garlic clove, chopped
- tablespoon dried basil
- 1/3 cup egg substitute ( or 2 egg whites)
- 2 15-ounce containers low fat cottage cheese
-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
- I used 1 1/2 jars of sauce because I didn't precook the noodles
-9 cooked lasagna noodles
-1 bag spinach, steamed and drained

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the ground chicken with the red pepper flakes and salt and black pepper to taste. Add chicken and the garlic to the skillet; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Combine the basil, eggs, cottage cheese and Parmesan in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. Mist a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce and top with half of the mixture mixture, half of the chicken mixture and half of the spinach; top with 1 cup marinara. Repeat layers, ending with noodles and remaining marinara.

4. Cover and bake 60 minutes ( I added extra time for my noodles to cook). Let lasagna stand 10 minutes.

Two Strikes....

I struck out TWO, count 'em TWO times yesterday. I invented my own protein bar recipe based on a few recipes stuck together. I made some changes, cut some things out, put some things in. They smelled absolutely DIVINE while they were baking! The batter was soooo good! It tasted like a cliff bar! Mmmmm! I went wrong somewhere along the line though and they came out so dry! They absorb the moisture in your mouth and are just a struggle to eat ha! Dangit! I think that I will try my recipe again and this time add more applesauce! Strike two happened not even an hour later! I was making this delicious stir fry (I'll be posting the recipe below) and I burnt the dang brown rice! UGH! I really am blaming this one on the crappy pot I was using! Oh well...not everything I make can turn out alright I guess!

Honey Garlic Stir Fry (got this from The Kitchen Table on Eatcleandiet.com)

About 2 dozen shrimp (50-70 per lb, mine was pre-cooked) Feel free to switch it up to chicken or beef or whatever!
1-2 cups veggies per person ( I used broccoli and sliced peppers and didn't really measure the exact amounts)
Chopped onion
Crushed garlic
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp agave nectar

Turn the stove on Medium heat. Put a little oil or cooking spray in a skillet. Add garlic and onion and cook until tender and fragrant (stir often). Add in veggies and stir for a few mins, add in shrimp and turn up the eat. Add soy sauce and agave nectar and stir constantly until veggies and shrimp caramelize (should take a few mins). Serve immediately over grain of choice. I used brown rice but I think this would be delish with quinoa or soba noodles! YUM!

Added some pizazz!

I whipped up some recipes today to add some pizazz to my normal cycle of food. In a previous post I made a vow not the eat the same things over and over day in and day out. I admit that I ate the same old snacks today, but I did switch up my meals. For lunch I had a salad but I added some edamame and whipped up a soy dressing! It was good! I will definitely be using it again! The recipe is not precise...

Soy balsamic dressing

low sodium soy sauce ( I used 1 tbsp originally and felt like it was too much, I will cut it in half next time)
balsamic vinegar ( added a dash, probably about 1 tsp)
squirt of honey honey
sprinkle of curry powder

For dinner I filled a pita with chicken (trader joe's frozen grilled chicken strips-warmed in the microwave) and spinach. I also whipped up a spicy yogurt sauce that I was iffy about but that tasted so delish with the chicken...mmmmm. I will be making this again for sure!

Spicy Yogurt Sauce

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
squirt of hot sauce (to your liking)
dash of curry powder
1/2 tsp olive oil (I add olive oil to everything for a little flavor and healthy fat)

Stuck in a little rut folks...

I am in an eat clean rut! I need some new material here people! I am a creature of habit and I truly do eat the same thing everyday sometimes. I need to create some new yummies that I can work into my meal cycle! The other night I made a really yummy fish recipe. It was so easy! I will definitely be making it again! I also made grilled sweet potato slices which are def one on of my fave ways to eat sweet potatoes!

Dijon Baked Fish

4 fillets of fish (I used mahi mahi)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix mustard and honey in a small ball and coat fish. Pepper fillets to taste and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until fish is flakey.

Grilled Sweet Potato

This may not warrant a recipe but I will throw it in there anyway...it is so good!

Slice sweet potato into thin slices (probably about 1/4 in thick). Heat up the George Forman grill (you could use a grill pan as well ) and spray with cooking spray. Places slices on the grill and let them cook for 20 mins or so. You can flip slices over with a fork halfway in between if you are using a grill pan. Remove from grill and drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste.

I really wish I didn't get into these ruts in the first place, but once I like something...I usually really like it and continue to eat it or some form of it over and over and over ha. The goal for this week is to switch things up more. I am going to try and not eat the same thing two days in a row...that should at least help a little! :)

Cheat Sheet!

Everyone loves a good cheat sheet! There are so many do's and don'ts out there that it can be hard to keep track of what we are supposed to do in terms of healthy eating. I am a very firm believer that food heals and that what we put in our body really does make a difference. One thing that was frustrating in the hospital was the poor food choices that I was given. I truly felt like if I were to have been given some nutritious REAL food (not previously frozen, preservative packed stuff) I would have felt much better. When I got out of the hospital I was determined to really concentrate on getting the most healthful food for my family. I can never remember which foods should be bought organic and which ones don't really matter too much. I have included a cheat sheet for you guys (and for me to refer back to).

It is not only important to buy organic produce, it is also important to be mindful on where your meat, dairy and grain come as well. I hate to keep bringing up the E. Coli incident but it was a truly life changing experience for me. I am dead set on buying meat that isn't filled with junk and there are types of grains that are important to buy orgincally as well. It is always more beneficial to buy your meat organically (meat and poultry, not so much fish). It ensures that what you are getting is thoroughly regulated and not filled with junk. Dairy is also important to pay attention to. Look for dairy products that are organic and state that they do not contain hormones. As for grain...the only grain that has been shown to contain pesticides is rice. I am not saying that organic food is packed with more nutrients or will instantly make your body look and feel better. I am encouraging organic foods because there are strict regulations on what goes in and on them. It is important to be confident that your food is chock full of hormones or covered in pesticides. I feel that we owe that to ourselves and to our families.

Somethin new for dinner

I wanted to whip up something yummy for dinner last night. I have tons of shrimp, lots of frozen broccoli and a bottle of white wine that I had been meaning to use in a recipe (it had been open to long to drink). I looked a recipe that I had made a few months ago and I tweaked it a little (by adding broccoli and greek yogurt for some creaminess). I used this recipe as a base and then just changed things around to my liking.

Shrimp and pesto pasta

• 1 box whole wheat pasta (I used penne)
  
• 1 bag frozen broccoli
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound raw shrimp, (21-25 per pound), peeled and deveined
• 1 clove garlic crushed
  
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 6 oz greek yogurt (optional)
  

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions specify. Stir in pesto and yogurt and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and broccoli, stirring until broccoli is no longer frozen. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, about 3 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to high and continue cooking until the shrimp are curled and the wine is reduced, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pasta; toss to coat. Season with pepper and serve immediately.

I have made this recipe without the greek yogurt and it was delicious! Truly yummy! I added the greek yogurt in hopes it would make the sauce a little creamy. Well, it kinda did...but it also kinda curdled because I added it to the sauce pan instead of stirring it in the pasta along with the pesto.

A few recipes for ya!

Yesterday morning I was compelled to make Dusty something yummy for breakfast. I thought of my usual french toast, or pancakes. Nah...I needed something NEW in honor of the NEW YEAR! So I decided that I hadn't made banana bread in a long time. He just bought me new cookware for christmas so I thought I would put my new loaf pan to good use! I found a recipe from Tosca Reno and tweaked it to my liking. It smelled absolutely SINFUL while it was baking and it really tasted great!

Cranberry Bran Banana Bread

2 medium ripe bananas (smashed) 2 egg whites
1/2 c. Agave Nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. applesauce
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. bran
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 c. cranberries
oats to sprinkle on top before baking

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine banana, Agave, vanilla and applesauce. Add egg whites. Beat together well.
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and powder, bran, pumpkin spice, and sea salt. Mix well and add to banana mixture.
5. Fold in cranberries.
6. Pour batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle oats over top.
7. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle of bread comes out fairly clean.
   

I have another recipe for ya! This one I have not made yet, but I intend to make it very soon. Especially since it's FREEZING here right now and unforts I seem to have developed a cold. Ugh. I think you remember my search for a potato recipe. Well I found the PERFECT one in a store magazine from Sprouts and I found it online on Deliciousliving.com. I have a bunch of pesto I need to get rid of too AND I have been wanting to use my crockpot! YAY!

Garbonzo Bean and Potato Soup with Pesto

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 pounds small red or white potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes

8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or stock

1/2 cup premade pesto

1. Combine all ingredients except pesto in slow cooker. Cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 5–6 hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl approximately 1 tablespoon pesto into each bowl. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 284 cal, 34% fat cal, 11g fat, 2g sat fat, 5mg chol, 9g protein, 38g carb, 7g fiber, 340mg sodium

Happy New Years!

Happy New Year to everyone! I barely made it past midnight! I am officially getting old! Dustin and I went to Picazzo's for some organic pizza and wine. It was absolutely perfect! We ended the night back at home with a bottle of wine, some popcorn and a few episodes of Dexter. I don't think we could have planned it any better! We had an interesting conversation at Dinner. We were talking about New Year's resolutions. I am pretty avid about choosing resolutions that A)you can really stick to and are realistic and B) are actually meaningful. I know that for many people they say things like, well I'll loose 50 pounds or go to the gym for an hour 6 days a week or quit smoking or drinking or gambling and swearing..etc. I think all those are great goals, but I think that people need to be specific and to make their goals attainable! I mean the reason most people forget their resolutions before the end of January is because it's daunting when you feel like you are sooooooo far away from reaching those goals!

I have a list of things that I would like to achieve/work on this year...

1) I want to try a new Eat Clean recipe at least once a week. Even if it's just putting a little twist on a tried and true recipe to switch things up and try something new.

2) I want to run a 5k with Dustin this year.

3) I want to find a home church that I feel comfortable in

4) I want to keep reading. I have been reading a lot lately and I want to keep that up because I truly love it.

5) I want to practice yoga/meditation/positive thinking/journaling so I don't let myself get stressed out this year (especially with wedding planning! ).

I think that those five things are a pretty good start! I always feel like it's alright to add things as they come along, but it's so nice when you can actually work on a goal and not feel like an instant failure because it's seems so unattainable.