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

Clean Chocolate Chip Brownie Muffins

Clean Chocolate Chip Brownie Muffins

So last night I wanted to make cookies, like really really wanted some cookies. But, I had just finished my T25 workout, and didn’t want to undo all that hardwork by the choices I made in the kitchen.

So I did a quick pinterest search for a healthier alternative to satisfy my sweet craving. I stumbled across a recipe for chocolate mini muffins. I adapted the recipe to fit clean eating standards and also because I don’t have mini muffin tins. So, after some adjustments, they became what I’m calling Clean Chocolate Chip Brownie Muffins. We took them to a friends house and they were a hit! Enjoy!

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Nutrition: Estimated 75 calories/muffin. Clean. No flour. No butter. No oils. No artificial sweeteners.
21-Day Fix Portion: 1 yellow substitute per muffin

Ingredients

• 2 small-medium bananas
• 1 egg
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips, plus a few more to put on top

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the chocolate chips into a blender. Tip: put the egg in first so that the liquid can help it blend more easily. The batter will be thick.
2. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
3. Scoop batter into paper-lined muffin tins- fill about ⅔ full
4. Press about 3-5 additional chocolate chips into the top of each muffin
5. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean
6. Allow to cool briefly before serving (best served warm so the chocolate chips are all melty and delicious, but don’t want you to burn your mouth here)

Brunch Burgers

For as far back as I can remember, I have always been a Rachael Ray fan. I have her pots and pans, her cooking utensils, her knife set. I watch her show everyday and subscribe to Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. Every single recipe she creates is delicious- every.single.one. She is basically my cooking idol.

So last month, her magazine did an entire issue dedicated to breakfast recipes. It was basically the best edition of her magazine ever- I’m saving the eniter magazine for future reference.

One recipe in the magazine was for Brunch Burgers, an ideal breakfast for dinner hybrid dish. I loved the concept and knew with a little tweaking I could make it 21-day fix approved. Here is the revised recipe- it is delicious and you can cook it all in one pan-easy clean up!

Brunch Burgers

Fix Portions (per burger- recipe makes 2 burgers): 1 yellow, 2 red, 1 blue

Ingredients

·         ½ lb ground turkey (93% fat free)

·         4 slices turkey bacon

·         2 eggs

·         2 teaspoons 100% pure maple syrup

·         1 tablespoon grainy mustard

·         1 whole wheat English muffin

·         2 slices cheese (cheddar or provolone)

·         Black Pepper

·         Onion powder

·         Garlic powder

·         Dried sage

·         Cayenne pepper

Directions

1.      Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high

2.      Cook turkey bacon on each side. Brush each slice with maple syrup and sprinkle with black pepper. Remove from pan

3.      Fry eggs until over-easy (leaving the yolk runny). Remove from pan.

4.      In a bowl, season ground turkey with sage, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and black pepper (I just eyeball it…probably about 1 tsp each). Mix into meat and form into patties (tip: make a thumbprint in the center of each patty- this allows for your patties to cook evenly because they rise in the middle when heated)

5.      Mix 1 tsp syrup with grainy mustard.

6.      Cook patties on both sides in cast iron skillet until cooked through. As they are cooking, brush each side with the maple-mustard mixture

7.      Place one slice of cheese on each patty. Cover with foil until cheese melts (about 30 seconds)

8.      Toast English muffin in toaster

9.      Spread remaining maple-mustard on English muffin

10.  Assemble your burgers: muffin, bacon, burger, egg. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and serve. 

Supreme Pita Pizzas

Sometimes when we try to eat healthier, we get this notion in our heads that our food options are limited to salads. This is definitely not the case. There are so many ways you can eat healthy and enjoy a wide variety of meals. In fact, during my first round of 21-day fix, I ate something different so every dingle dinner- not one repeat…

So, over the next few days I will be sharing some of the best fix-approved dinner recipes I have whipped up thus far. Enjoy friends!

Let’s start with one food everyone loves but no one would expect it could be eaten on a “diet”… pizza!

Homemade Supreme Pizzas
Yield: 2-4 pizzas 

Fix Portions (per pizza): 1 red, 1 blue, 1½  green, 1 yellow

Ingredients

·         1 whole wheat pita flatbread (per pizza)

·         1/2 pound lean ground turkey (93% fat free)

·         3 low sodium deli ham slices (diced), or 3 slices turkey bacon (cooked and chopped)

·         Mushrooms, chopped

·         Bell Peppers, diced

·         Onions, chopped

·         1 can san marzano tomatoes (without salt added) OR clean tomato sauce (the one with the best taste, best ingredient list, and best price is Classico Traditional Pizza Sauce- only costs about $2 a jar)

·         Mozzarella cheese

·         Dried oregano or Italian seasoning

·         Garlic and onion powder

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 400

2.      Place pita directly on the rack and cook for 5-7 minutes (this allows the pita to become crispy like a pizza crust)

3.      Meanwhile, brown ground turkey in a skillet. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper

4.      If you are using a prepared tomato sauce, skip to step 5. If not, keep reading: Mash san marzano tomatoes using a potato masher- it will become the consistency of pasta/pizza sauce. Tip: pour extra sauce in a freezer Ziploc and store in freezer- you can use this later for additional pizzas or pasta.  

5.      Once you remove the crust from the oven, spread sauce (about ½ a green container- or less if you prefer).

6.      Layer 1 red container of mixed ground turkey and ham or bacon

7.      Layer 1 green container of mixed vegetables

8.      Top with 1 blue container of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle dried oregano or Italian seasoning over top

9.      Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly

Bonus Variations

Instead of using a pita, you can always make mini-pizzas using a whole wheat English muffin, WW deli round, or WW bagel…or even a WW tortilla

I made a buffalo chicken pizza the other night that was delicious- sub Tabasco for the sauce, shredded chicken for the protein (tossed in extra tobasco and garlic powder), sharp cheddar cheese, and some green onions and peppers for the veggies- hit the spot!

And, if you're looking for another way to jazz up your pizza, make it Mexican! Use Mexican hot sauce (I used Cholula) as the sauce, top with shredded chicken or lean ground turkey (that has been tossed in your favorite, preferably clean salsa), diced bell and jalapeno peppers, black beans, and sharp cheddar or mexican blend shredded cheese. Get creative and top with shredded lettuce, avocado, extra salsa, or some plain nonfat greek yogurt (as a sour cream substitute)

P.S. If you are looking for a great take-out pizza, I recommend Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza. They have a whole wheat crust option for all pizzas and the following are fix-approved (and cost only around $10)...

1. Margherita
2. Wood- Roasted Vegetable
3. Wild Mushroom
4. Zucchini White
5. Chicken Florentine (minus bacon)
6. Rosemary Chicken and Mushroom

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