Jambalaya

I found this recipe on my computer I had written nearly a year ago for 21-Day Fix but never posted it- aahhh! So I made it the other night for dinner and figured now would be a good time to share it with you- Better late than never, right? :)

I personally love this recipe because it gives you tons of flavor- who says eating right has to be bland?!? Plus, you can customize it to your liking- you can choose the proteins and control the heat level. And, everything cooks in ONE pan, so it makes for easy clean-up!

This one is definitely going back on our regular meal rotation now that I’ve rediscovered it! Hope y’all enjoy it too.

Jambalaya

Yield: 4-6 servings

21 Day Fix Portions (per serving): 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green

Ingredients

• 1, 8-oz package of  Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Ready Rice (You can use regular brown rice too- I just like that this cooks in 90 seconds)
• 4 red containers protein of choice (mix-and-match as desired): diced chicken breast, shrimp, and/or all-natural turkey or pork sausage)
• 1½ green container (1½ cup) bell pepper (any color), diced
• 1½ green container  (1½ cup) fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 green container (1 cup) onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (or grated)
• Original hot sauce (to taste)
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce (I recommend Lea & Perrins becuase its all natural ingredients and not made with corn syrup- read your labels!)
• 2 tbsp pre-made or homemade cajun seasoning (2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper, plus ½ tsp salt)

Directions

1. In a saute pan, brown protein over medium-high heat (I would do sausage first, then chicken, then shrimp). Be sure to season the chicken and shrimp with cajun seasoning. *You might need to add a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil to your pan in between meats*. Remove proteins from pan and place in a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm
2. In the same pan, drizzle a little more EVOO and reduce heat to medium/medium-low. Saute onions, peppers, and garlic until tender. Season with hot sauce as desired.
3. Add the tomatoes into the pan and allow the tomatoes to heat through.
4. Cook the rice according to package instructions, then add it to the pan.
5. Add the cooked protein back to the pan as well
6. Give it a good stir so that everything is evenly combined. Add more hot sauce and worcestershire to taste.
7. Use a GREEN container (or 1 cup) to scoop out each portion

Lasagna

You can have lasagna on 21-Day Fix??? Yes, yes you can!

I have a favorite lasagna recipe I always make for dinner parties, potlucks, taking people meals after they have babies, etc. It just needed a little modifying so that I could enjoy it myself, while keeping in line with the 21-Day Fix eating plan.

Enjoy!

21-Day Fix Portions:

Okay, so here’s what the official eating plan tells you to do when eat a meat lasagna- It says to portion it using a green container but count it as 2 yellow, 1 red. With this particular recipe, it seems more logical in my head to still use the green container for portion control, but instead count 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue- that’s what I would personally count, but I think you will be fine checking off either of these portion recommendations.

Ingredients

1. Whole wheat lasagna noodles (8 if you want 2 layers, 12 if you want 3 layers)
2. 1 lb lean ground turkey
3. 1½ jars clean pasta sauce (I like Classico. If you want it extra saucy, use 2 full jars. If you like less sauce, you can get by with 1 jar)
4. 1 carton cottage cheese
5. 1 8oz. package shredded mozzarella or italian blend cheese
6. ¾ cup real shredded parmesan cheese
7. 1 egg
8. 1 green container (combined) finely chopped celery, onion, carrot
9. 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
10. ¼ cup red wine (optional, for pan deglazing)
11. ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
12. Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Boil water for noodles (add a splash of extra virgin olive oil so they don’t stick together). Cook noodles according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, brown ground turkey. Season with italian seasoning and remove from pan.
3. Add a drizzle of EVOO to the same pan. Saute vegetables and garlic until tender.
   
4. Return the ground turkey to the pan. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and allow wine to reduce.
   
5. Stir in pasta sauce and parsley and simmer until heated through. Feel free to adjust sauce seasonings to taste (you can use garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, etc.)
   
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until well beaten
   
7. Add the cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, and a generous sprinkle of italian seasoning. Stir to combine with the egg until everything is well blended.
   
8. When the noodles have finished boiling, rinse with cold water and pat dry completely using kitchen towels.
9. Begin the lasagna layering process in a lightly-greased 13x9 pan: Sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, repeat.
   
10. Once you have added the final layer, pour any remaining sauce over top. 
    
11. Then sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan on the top.
    
12. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese on the top is bubbly.
    

ONE PAN Roasted Chicken and Veggies

Ever just feel at a loss for what to do with chicken breast? They are a staple of healthy diets as a lean protein, but plain chicken breast definitely gets old.

I was scrolling through pinterest trying to find some chicken inspiration that didn’t involve drowning it in cream of chicken soup or frying it in flour and breadcrumbs, and then it hit me: just keep it simple- and simple doesn’t have to mean flavorless.

And I had every ingredient I needed on hand already. I whipped up this delicious, 21-day fix approved dinner in about 20 minutes.

This can be adjusted to suit 1 person or a whole family (just alter the amount of chicken and veggies used) and can be customized to whatever flavor profile you desire (see optional variations below).

Plus, dishes are a breeze afterward because its only ONE PAN! That makes this momma happy!

Fix Portions: 1 red (per chicken breast), 1 green (per veggie selected- you can adjust this to however many you have/need), 1 yellow (optional- count if using potatoes or sweet potatoes), 1 orange (for the salad dressing).

Ingredients

1. 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (per person)
2. Veggies of choice (Suggestions: squash, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, carrots; Red potatoes are good too, but remember these aren’t counted as a veggie on 21-day fix)
3. CLEAN salad dressing (I suggest using one of the dressings in the 21-day fix book or this Bragg brand Vinaigrette is excellent)

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in vinaigrette (at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours… If pressed for time, you can skip this step, but the marinating yields more flavor)
2. Place chicken and veggies in pyrex baking dish
3. Drizzle chicken and veggies with 1 orange container of vinaigrette of choice
4. Bake on 450 for 20-25 minutes (until chicken is cooked through)

Optional Variations

For an asian twist, use the asian citrus vinaigrette recipe in the 21-day fix book and pair with veggies like carrots, broccoli, and zucchini. Would be great served over some brown rice!

Interested in trying the 21-Day Fix for yourself? For more information, please click here or visit www.beachbodycoach.com/melheywardfitness

Pumpkin Pecan Banana Bread

Pumpkin-Pecan Banana Bread

Of course, on Thanksgiving Day, the dinner takes center stage. But what do you eat for breakfast Turkey Day morning? I know my husband likes to “hold out” for the feast, but I HAVE to eat breakfast… I need something to compliment my Thanksgiving Blend coffee while I (religiously) watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I whipped up this recipe a few weeks ago and I think it will be perfect for Thanksgiving morning. (Tip: Make the bread the day before Thanksgiving to keep your oven free on Thanksgiving Day.)

This bread is made with only clean, healthy ingredients so you can save your calories for later in the day (just keepin it real), plus it will fill your morning in the most festive way.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Ingredients

• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup organic unsalted butter, softened (can also substitute coconut oil)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp each pure almond extract and vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp each salt, baking soda, baking powder
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar in the raw
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream butter, eggs, extracts and honey in a large bowl using a mixer
3. Add pumpkin puree and mashed bananas and beat until smooth
4. Combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and 1 tsp cinnamon) in separate bowl and gradually add to wet mixture
5. Fold in pecans
6. Pour batter into (greased) loaf pan
7. In a small bowl or ramekin, combine 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp raw sugar. Then sprinkle this mixture on the top of the bread
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes (or until center comes out clean with a toothpick)
9. Remove from pan and allow to cool before slicing

Freezing Tomatoes

Last weekend, we visited a pumpkin patch and farm to kick off the fall season. They had a big tomato sale going on- 25 pounds of tomatoes for $10- wow! So we bought a box and for the first time ever, I tried my hand at preparing and preserving crushed and diced tomatoes.

The process was surprisingly simple. It made a big mess in my kitchen, but it was worth it! I I ended up with about 25 cups of tomatoes, so I should be set for awhile for pasta sauces and soups to come!

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of water (I actually boiled 2 pots of water to maximize my productivity)
   
2. Place tomatoes in boiling water (don’t overcrowd the pan)
   
3. Allow them to boil 30-60 seconds (you will see the skin start to peel away- remove them when you see this happening. If the skins aren’t peeling yet, leave them in there a little longer).
4. Remove the tomatoes with a ladle and IMMEDIATELY place them in a large bowl of ice (tip: you might want to buy a bag of ice in advance of this process- the ice maker in my fridge ran out of ice)
   
5. Peel the skin off the tomatoes (this is super easy since they have been boiled) and discard the skins
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the excess seeds and juice (I then placed them in a colander over a bowl to allow excess moisture to drip out)
   
7. Crush or dice the tomatoes as desired (I diced the ones that were a little firmer and crushed the softer ones. You can use a potato masher or your hands for the crushing)
   
8. Transfer the tomatoes into freezer ziplocs (I measured with a measuring scoop first). Be sure to press out any extra air and lay flat. Then freeze. These will stay good for up to 12 months!
   

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

#pumpkineverything! But really!

Fall is my favorite season. I get a pumpkin spice latte the day its released, my house gets converted into a pumpkin patch (well, just touches of harvest decor here and there), and I stock up on pumpkin yankee candles.

So, accordingly, I needed to bake something that incorporated the spirit of fall. I found a recipe on pinterest for the worlds best pumpkin bread...and I was determined to make it better- healthier, cleaner, and yummier...plus in muffin form!

Despite modifying almost every ingredient from the original recipe, these turned out really well! My husband said they were amazing!

They are perfect for breakfast with a rich cup of coffee or great for dessert too. I like them slightly warmed so the chocolate chips are all melty inside. Delicious!

Yield: 2 dozen muffins

21-Day Fix Portion: 1 yellow substitute per muffin

Ingredients

1. 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin (about ½ a regular can)
2. ¾ cup honey
3. ½ cup coconut oil (melted but not hot)
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 tsp vanilla
6. ¼ cup milk (I use organic)
7. ¼ cup water
8. 1 ⅔ cup whole wheat flour
9. 1 tsp each:
• ground cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• salt
• baking soda
• baking powder
10. ½ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients (ingredients 1-7). I recommend using a mixer.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (ingredients 8-9)
3. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix til combined
4. Fold in the chocolate chips
5. Scoop into lined muffin tins (about ⅔ full)
6. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes