Cucumber Salad (i.e. PICKLES)

Cucumber Salad (i.e. PICKLES)

Someone wrote that they miss pickles. Well, that made me realize that I pretty much make pickles all the time, and they taste better than your average pickle....

INGREDIENTS

2 - 3 cucumbers (Please note, you can also use the ingredients below to make a Kale Salad...the longer it soaks, the better it tastes!!)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt and pepper

Fresh Cilantro

OPTIONAL ADD-INS: fresh dill, fresh mint, or any other fresh herbs

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice up the cucumbers as thin as possible (I used a mandolin to get them very thin)

2. Add ingredients

3. Shake up in a container and let sit overnight. Keep shaking whenever you want to let the juices soak in!

Serving - 1 cup

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

ALERT THE MEDIA - there is such a thing as a healthy ice cream. I never believed that a frozen banana could turn into something so tasty. It has the consistency of soft serve and you cannot get enough of it. 

PLEASE NOTE: THIS RECIPE IS PLANT DAY, FAST DAY, and EVERY DAY APPROVED!!!!!

INGREDIENTS

1 Large frozen banana (be sure to take the peel off before you freeze)

optional add ins:
- Any other frozen fruit, but you want the banana as a base

- 1 tbsp cocoa powder

- Raw nut butter (Meal B)

- Baked apples with cinnamon (Apple pie ala mode - it's legit)

- Any other baked fruits with cinnamon (peaches are good)

- Blueberry compote (simmer blueberries with water until it reduces to a sauce...drizzle on top of ice cream)

- Raspberry compote (same way as above)

DIRECTIONS

1) Peel the banana

2) Cut the banana into pieces and freeze for at least 2 hours

3) Place the banana (and any other frozen fruit you are using) in a food processor

4) Begin processing - keep going for about 20 seconds (add nut butter or cocoa powder or both now) - keep going - keep going...eventually the mixture will become creamy and smooth. It takes a little longer than you would think it would....just keep going until you get the right consistency....it should look like soft serve ice cream.

5) Place in a bowl and enjoy!!!!

Yes, it is really that simple! Eat this and feel guilt free whenever you are in need of something sweet! I am an ice cream fan and this is legit. Every time I eat it I am amazed that I made it myself AND how good it tastes!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

THESE ARE AWESOME!!!! Super easy and it doesn't get much healthier than all natural ingredients in a cookie! Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

3 large bananas

3 cups gluten free oatmeal (I used Red Mill Gluten Free Instant Oats...see below)

If you want to change these up feel free to add any of the following:

Cinnamon

Vanilla extract
Cocoa Powder

blueberries

raspberries

For mine above, I added blueberries and vanilla extract. Here is the Oatmeal...

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place oats in blender or food processor and blend until oats become the consistency of flour

3. In a bowl, mash the bananas and add in any of your add-in ingredients. I used blueberries and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

4. Add the oat flour to the mashed mixture and stir until it becomes consistency of a batter.

5. Spray a cookie sheet with coconut oil spray.  Spoon cookies onto cookie sheet into 18 round cookies. You should flatten the cookies to make them all roughly the same thickness. 

PLEASE NOTE: These cookies do not rise or expand...there is no leaven in these to cause this. Therefore, you can place the cookies relatively close together on the cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Cookies can be frozen and reheated or stored in an air-tight container.

Serving size - 3 cookies

Chinese Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chinese Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lettuce wraps have become my new favorite thing. You get the crunch from the lettuce just like eating a taco and it is, of course, super healthy! These are some simple chicken lettuce wraps. The ground ginger is the key ingredient that gives these wraps a little asian flare!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1lbs organic ground chicken

1 whole tomato chopped small

1 bell pepper chopped small

1tsp ground mustard

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Penzey's salt-free chinese five spice

2 tbsp ground ginger

DIRECTIONS:

Brown chicken in sauté pan on medium high heat. Once browned, add remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Mexicali Chicken

Mexicali Chicken

Bored of ground turkey tacos???  Give this shredded chicken a try and it will not disappoint!! Crockpot cooking is my favorite in the winter months. Inspired by my good friend and fellow challenger, JoAnna, I set this chicken to cook, ran my errands for the afternoon and came home to a savory Mexican-inspired chicken dish. I recommend serving over my Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Couscous or have it for meal 5 on your salad with some salsa! you will NOT be disappointed!!!

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup Organic Low Sodium Salsa

1 cup water

2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

(Optional) 1 jalapeno (with or without seeds for spice)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Clean chicken breasts by removing all excess fat pieces

2. Add chicken to bottom of crockpot

3. Add salsa, water and dry ingredients on top of chicken and mix well

4. Let sit BEFORE turning crockpot on for 30 minutes

5. Cook on low for about 4 hours (because you are using just chicken breast, you shouldn't need any longer than this even on low).

6. Using tongs and a fork, shred chicken, and add back into remaining juice.

Serve over cilantro-lime cauliflower couscous or on top of a salad!

Makes 5 servings

Tuscan Kale Soup

Tuscan Kale Soup

Kale is a powerhouse superfood that I am determined to make part of my regular eating. At just 33 calories, one cup of raw kale has: 

• Nearly 3 grams of protein
• 2.5 grams of fiber (which helps manage blood sugar and makes you feel full)
• Vitamins A, C, and K.

With the winter weather finally showing its head this year, I have been craving soup all the time. This morning, I saw a "kale soup" while watching the Food Network (Trisha Yearwood's home southern cooking show). When I looked at the ingredients in her original recipe, it was super easy to come up with a challenge-friendly version....

The result: I've finally found a way to really enjoy eating kale! Give this one a try.....you will NOT be disappointed.

Ingredients:

1 lbs ground chicken/turkey
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp black pepper
16 oz carrots
5-6 celery stalks
2 whole tomatoes
16 oz. kale (cleaned and cut)
10 cups water
3 tbsp sodium-free bouillon (OPTIONAL...not Challenge Approved)
coconut oil/spray

Directions:

1. Mix meat with all dried spices listed above (except bouillon) using your hand. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a large stock pot on medium-high heat, spray bottom of pan with coconut spray. Brown meat in bottom of pan, breaking in up into small pieces as it cooks.
3. Once meat is almost cooked, add chopped carrots and celery and let cook slightly for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add water, tomatoes (chopped up small), bouillon, and  extra salt to taste. Bring to a boil and let simmer covered on low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Add kale and let simmer covered on low heat for 20 more minutes.

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups
Makes roughly 8-10 servings

Veggie Chicken Meatballs

Veggie Chicken Meatballs

These are great for a snack on the go! They taste great cold or you can warm them up for a meal. Veggies and protein are incorporated, so have 2 of them in your bag with an apple and your meal is set!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken
1 egg
6 cups fresh chopped spinach
3/4 bell pepper diced
1 tsp Himalayan Salt
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with your hands. Spray baking pan with coconut spray. Form meat into balls roughly 1.5-inch diameter. Place on baking pan spread evenly. Bake on 350 for 22 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

Turkey Tacos with Cauliflower Tortillas

Turkey Tacos with Cauliflower Tortillas

In honor of Cinco De Mayo tomorrow, I bring you my very own turkey tacos with homemade cauliflower tortillas. To say these were AWESOME is an understatement. The tortillas are like a soft shell. Also, please note that the seasoning in the turkey taco meat is salt free. It is impossible to find any store bought taco seasoning without any salt....guaranteed you can't taste the difference! Enjoy!!!

Turkey Taco Meat:

1 lbs ground turkey

2 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp water

Brown turkey in sauté pan on medium high heat. Once browned, add remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

 Makes 6 servings

Ciliantro Lime Cauliflower Tortillas:

1 medium head of cauliflower

3 eggs

1 lime

½ cup cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In food processor, pulse cauliflower florets until it looks like couscous or rice. Add cauliflower to microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through. Using a kitchen towel or cheese cloth, squeeze out as much water as possible from the cauliflower to make flour (*NOTE: the cauliflower and water will be very hot…kitchen gloves are recommended for this part). In a medium bowl whisk the eggs. Add cauliflower powder, lime, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. On a baking sheet sprayed with coconut cooking spray (or using parchment paper, which works best if available), shape 4-inch diameter small, thin tortillas. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully flip each tortilla and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes. 

Makes 6-8 tortillas

Frozen Banana Nut Bites

Frozen Banana Nut Bites

Quick and simple meal #2....

Ingredients:

1 banana

2 tbsp raw almond butter

Slice banana into even amount of slices. Spread raw almond butter on half of the banana slices. Cover with other half of the banana slices. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Ginger Jalepeno Chicken

Ginger Jalepeno Chicken

This week marks week #10 since I started the Transformation Center's #6weeks20pounds Challenge on January 5, 2015. I'm down over 45 pounds and over 6 inches in my waist. The coolest part is I've been eating some really tasty, clean and healthy food along the way.  

This week, I recommitted for myself to go back to basics with my food. I have 4 weeks left to lose as much weight as possible. I'm going to have to be disciplined and really stick to the nutrition program.

My mantra of the week: BACK TO BASICS does NOT mean BLAND!

My plan was to stick to grilled chicken breasts and salad for my final meal of the day after my workout. In order to stick to this plan, I knew I had to come up with a chicken marinade that is so good, I wouldn't get sick of it by the end of the week. This was really good...

 Ingredients:
2 pounds organic boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Jalepeno Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp pink himalayan salt
1.5 tbsp ground ginger
1.5 tbsp Mrs. Dash Table Blend
1 diced jalepeno with seeds

Combine all ingredients over chicken in a bowl and mix well by hand.  Cover and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours, stirring about 12 hours through. Grill, broil or bake.










The flavor of this chicken was AWESOME!  It went so well with my salad and side of spinach for meal #5. Super easy, back to basics, but still DELICIOUS! Here's to a successful week!!

Mexican Fried "Rice"

Mexican Fried "Rice"

I needed a quick meal #4 today so, here's what I came up with....it was so good!

Ingredients:

1 cup of my Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Couscous

1 egg and 2 egg whites lightly scrambled

Cholula Hot Sauce

In a hot non-stick frying pan sprayed with coconut oil, "fry" couscous for 3-4 minutes on high heat stirring regularly.  Create a hole in the middle of the couscous and drop egg in it.  Let egg set slightly and then begin to fold egg into couscous until cooked through. Top with Cholula hot sauce.

It was quick, easy and tasted great!

Pumpkin Pie Sweet Potato Pancakes

Pumpkin Pie Sweet Potato Pancakes

My friend and co-challenger JoAnna asked if anybody had a good sweet potato pancake recipe.  Although I really didn't have one, I immediately thought to myself, "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!" Here's what I came up with...

Ingredients:

4 oz. baked skinless sweet potato

1 whole egg*

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon

After baking potato, peel skin off by hand. Mash potato with fork in bowl and mix in remaining ingredients to make your batter. Spoon batter onto hot griddle or non-stick frying pan sprayed with coconut spray. Cook until underside is firm and then flip.

Makes 3-4 small pancakes

I can't wait to try these tomorrow for meal 3 with some berry balsamic drizzled on top!

*PLEASE NOTE: since this is for meal 3 and you are adding an egg to your pancakes, be sure to reduce your protein item slightly for that meal since you are getting  6 grams of protein from the egg...

Homemade Applesauce

Homemade Applesauce

Did you know it is nearly impossible to find any canned item in your grocery store that doesn't have some kind of preservative in it?  It makes sense....how else would the item be able to stay "fresh" on the store shelves for so long without adding preservatives? Applesauce is included in that category as a healthy food item that is usually loaded with added sugar and preservatives...

Homemade applesauce is super easy to make and tastes so great!.  Enjoy it hot on a cold winter night or cold on a hot summer day! Either way, it's bound to be delicious.

Ingredients:

3 pounds apples (I like macintosh)

1 1/2 cup water

cinnamon (if desired)

Peel and core apples.* Cut into chunks and add water (there should be about an inch of water at the bottom of your pot). Cover and cook on medium-high until apples become soft and tender.  Mash with a potato masher or blend with an infusion blender. Add cinnamon to taste.

*Some say you can leave the skins on, others don't enjoy the texture it creates. Since I don't have an emersion bender, I typically peel the skin off the apples. You can do it either way.

The end result (YUM!):

Spicy Turkey Vegetable Chili

Spicy Turkey Vegetable Chili

This winter has been the coldest on record.... Because of this, I really wanted to come up with a good chili that is challenge approved...I made this and it came out GREAT! The flavor was out of this world (I only had 1 taste since it is fruit day). I honestly never would have thought that a chili with only 5 main ingredients could taste so good.  Remember, eat this for meal 5 and don't use the tomatoes on your salad (since they are used in this dish).

 Ingredients:
2 lbs. Spicy Turkey Sausage (same recipe from my stuffed peppers)
3 cups chopped carrots
3 cups chopped celery
2 red bell peppers
5 tomatoes off the vine
2 jalepeno peppers (I kept the seeds in for spice)
3 tbsp organic tomato paste (see product below)
1 tbsp pink himalayan salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 cup hot chili powder
3 cups water

Brown turkey sausage and breakup into small pieces. Combine browned sausage, carrots, celery, peppers, and 2 diced tomatoes in stock pot. Puree 3 tomatoes with 1 1/2 cups of water in high-powered blender or food processor. Add to stock pot with remaining 1 1/12 cups of water, tomato paste and spices. Stir mixture. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Makes 8 servings

Here's the end result:

For the tomato paste, this is the ONLY brand I found in the Wegmans organic section with no added sugar or other preservatives:

Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries

water (as needed)

Peel bananas and place them in freezer for at least 24 hours. Place bananas and strawberries in a high-powered blender or food processor. Begin processing. If mixture stops moving, add a little water and push mixture closer to blades (using a rubber spatula). Continue processing until the mixture is blended to a soft-serve/frozen yogurt consistency.

Place back in freezer for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 2 servings

*****Please note....you can use any frozen fruits that you want to make this....try out as many as possible, especially on fruit days! Also think about adding raw walnuts or almonds (post challenge, of course)...

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 whole chicken (roughly 6 pounds...I used a Wegmans fresh roaster chicken...cut in half and you can freeze the other half for more soup later on)

3 cups carrots chopped

3 cups celery chopped

3 tomatoes off the vine chopped

6 cups spinach

1 tbsp pink himalayan salt

Put chicken in stock pot and fill pot 2/3 with water (being sure chicken is completely covered). Bring to a boil, then put on low heat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 2-3 hours (the longer the better). After at least 2 hours, remove chicken from broth and remove meat from bones. Put meat back in the soup and add spinach for last 30 minutes of cooking.

Makes 6-8 servings

Green Pancakes

Green Pancakes

**I have made this recipe a few times...it is a GREAT change of pace. I stole these directions from Kate Michele to make it easier for this blog**

Ingredients:

2 Eggs
1 Banana
1 Cup Fresh Spinach (you will not taste this, I promise)

Optional add-ins:

1 tsp vanilla extra
cinnamon to taste
Fresh blueberries

1) mix all ingredients in a blender (minus blueberries)
2) Prep pan with cooking SPRAY (oil is a no no!)
3) pour ingredients into pan
4) add in blueberries
5) cook & flip just like regular pancakes
6) Enjoy!!

Egg White/Spinach Breakfast Muffins

Egg White/Spinach Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients:
3 cups eggs whites
6 cups spinach chopped
4 oz homemade spicy turkey sausage
1 tbsp Mrs. Dash original seasoning
1 tsp pink himalayan salt
1 tsp crushed black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix egg whites, spinach and spices together in a bowl. Brown the turkey sausage and break up into small pieces on the stove with a little coconut spray. Spray muffin pan (12 muffins) with coconut spray).  Fill muffin pan with egg whites/spinach equally between the 12 muffin spots. Top each muffin with turkey sausage pieces.

Bake on 350 for 25 minutes or until eggs are set.

Makes 6 servings (2 muffins per serving)

Spicy Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Spicy Turkey Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Spicy Turkey Sausage

2lbs Ground Turkey
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pink salt
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. fennel seeds
1 egg

Mix all ingredients above by hand until mixed through. Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for 24 hours. 

It's now ready to be cooked however you want to use it (I used 4 oz in the stuffed peppers and the remainder I added to my Egg White/Spinach Breakfast Muffins)

Tomato Sauce

8 tomatoes on the vine
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp pink salt
2 tbsp dried basil

Blend tomatoes in food processor. Bring to boil in pot and add all spices except basil. Simmer on low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 45 minutes, add basil. Continue to simmer for another 30-45 minutes.

Bake peppers at 350 degrees for an hour (covered with tin foil for the first 45 minutes)

Chicken Curry Stew

Chicken Curry Stew

Ingredients:
20 oz chicken (I use organic boneless skinless thighs)
2 cups carrots
2 cups celery
1 bell pepper
2 medium Hungarian peppers
3 tomatoes puréed in blender with a little water
1 tbsp each of tyme, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, Himalayan salt
2 tbsp of hot curry powder

Add all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Makes 6 servings