21 Day Fix Approved Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Last night my menu said Fish, Couscous and Vegetables. The kids said, "We want pizza!" I thought, man, that sounds good. I just stared at my menu and finally said screw it. I just am not in the mood fish tonight. BUT, wasn't ready to throw in the towel and go hog wild. I had to come up with a comfort food that would satisfy. We just had pasta this week, and although that is a meal I could eat every day its an easy one to make on busy days. I had tried spaghetti squash chow mien a couple weeks ago and it was a total failure, but I thought I would give it a good old italian try this time! Hence, lasagna! It turned out delicious and was even more food that I could eat! Its a keep for sure!! 

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 small spaghetti squash
• 1 1/2 cup ground Italian Turkey Sausage
• 1 yellow onion
• 6 cloves garlic (you could use less based on your preference)
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
• Italian seasoning
• 2 cups Spaghetti sauce (with no or very low sugar and sodium)
• 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese
• Fresh Basil Leaves

Directions: 

1. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place upside down (skin up) in roasting pan in about an inch of water and roast for 45 minutes at 400. 
2. While Squash is cooking, chop onion and garlic. Heat  1tsp coconut oil on pan and sauté  onion and garlic for about 4 minutes. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink. Remove from heat. 
3. When squash is finished, remove from oven and turn squash over. Remove water from the bottom of the pan. 
4. Take two forks and gently pull squash away from the walls of the squash. 
5. Add a spoonful of sauce to each squash half and gently mix with squash. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. 
6. Divide the meat mixture between all of the squash. 
7. Top with another spoonful of sauce
8. Add Cottage Cheese and sprinkle again with Italian Seasoning.
9. Top with one more spoonful of sauce
10. Top with Mozzarella Cheese
11. Bake for 20 minutes.
12. Broil for about 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese on top.
13. Remove from oven and add fresh basil leaves to the top.

ENJOY!!

 ** If you are doing the 21 Day Fix 2 Squash Halves = 2 Green, 2 Red, 1 Purple & 1 Blue

Blueberry Protein Muffins

I always like to say Im going to get my kids to eat more protein for breakfast; help fuel their day. Cereal, Bagels and Oatmeal seems to be where we end up though. Mornings are chaotic and lets just face it; it's not that I don't have time per say to make eggs and omelets, but I don't wanna make them for everyone at 6:30am. I just don't.

I tried these little gems last night. There are only 9 on the tray because the girl had gone through 3 before I would even get them out of the pan. And the the rest of the 9 were gone with an hour. I WILL be making these again, probably TODAY! Maybe they will last a little longer? And then again, maybe not, but that OK. They are certainly better than junk!

And seriously simple. So simple!!!

Blueberry Protein Muffins

Serving size = 2 muffins **

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 2 bananas
• 1T honey
• Blueberries

Directions:

1. Mix eggs, bananas and honey in blender for about 45 seconds
2. Pour into 12 greased muffin cups
3. Add a small handful of blueberries to each muffin
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

ENJOY!

** If your following the 21 day fix plan 2 muffins = 1/2 red and 1/2 purple and 1T

21 Day Fix Approved Crockpot Chili

We all need easy meals, sometimes...OK, most of the time....Fine, ALL the time!!

And what is easier than a one pot crockpot meal? And since its winter Chili hits the spot.

I love my chili to be flavorful, so I made some alterations to the original recipe to make sure the flavors prevailed here. Nothing about healthy should be boring!!

Crockpot Chili

Serving Size 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 pound mild Italian turkey sausage
• 1 red pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 onion diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can no salt added corn
• 1 can low sodium kidney beans
• 1 can no salt added tomato sauce
• 1 32oz can no salt added crushed tomatoes
• 1 T cumin
• 2 T chili powder
• pepper to taste
• 1 can of beer or 1 cup of red wine (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop peppers, onion and garlic and add to large pan sprayed cooking spray with and sauté until tender. 
2. Remove sausage from casing and add sausage and ground turkey to pan and cook until cooked through. 
3. Add pan or meat and veg and all other ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.
4. Add some cheddar cheese and greek yogurt to top it off.

ENJOY!

** 21 Day Fix: 2 Cups = 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green

***If you choose to use cheese that is 1 Blue

21 Day Fix Approved Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This was a great meal that was easy to prep ahead and then throw in the oven later. And even better, it was totally kid approved! 

And for the sweet potatoes, I wrapped them in foil and threw them in the crock pot for 4-5 hours on high, or you could do longer on low.  I served them with a tsp of agave nectar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

serves 2

Ingredients:

• 4 4oz Chicken Breasts ,pounded out thinly
• One head of Broccoli 
• 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• garlic powder
• Italian seasoning 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Blanch broccoli in boiling water and then immediately put in ice water bath
3. Chop 1 cup of broccoli into small pieces and add 1/3 cup cheddar cheese and garlic powder to broccoli and mix
4. Season chicken with italian seasoning and spoon 1/4 of broccoli and cheese mixture to each chicken breast.
5. Fold breast in half and secure with toothpicks
6. Top with remaining 1/3 cup cheese
7. Bake for approx 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 185 degrees
8. While chicken is baking, take the rest of the broccoli and sauté with tomatoes and minced garlic in 1 tsp coconut oil. 

ENJOY!!!

21 Day Fix Approved Zoodles Chicken Parmesan

We LOVE Chicken Parmesan in this family, but its not always the healthiest...like when the chicken is coated in bread and fried in oil...yeah, not so much! Since we have made a lifestyle change, not just doing some diet for a couple of weeks, I needed to find a way to make chicken parmesan for an everyday meal, and not just a treat meal every once in a while.  

I went to a Pampered Chef party a couple of weeks ago. I haven't been to one in years and I L.O.V.E. their kitchen tools. They had a bunch of cool new things, one of them being a Veggie Strip maker...SOLD! I broke out this puppy and gave it a whirl to create ZoOdLes!! Every had them?!?! Yes, I can eat whole grain pasta, but I can have soooo many zoodles...and who doesn't need some extra greens too? We will be making this again. My only recommendation is to pat the zoodles dry to remove extra water before cooking. 

Zoodles Chicken Parmesan

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 zucchini
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• Basil
• 2 cups no sugar added marina or tomato sauce
• 4  4oz chicken breasts
• Italian seasoning
• 4 tsp EVOO or Coconut Oil
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice zucchini into strips and pat dry
3. Heat 2 tsp oil in pan and sauté zoodles, garlic and basil until al dente
4. Spread zoodles evenly into a 13 x 9 inch pan
5. Top zoodles with sauce
6. Season chicken with Italian seasoning
7. Heat 2tsp oil in same pan zucchini was just in.
8. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side to brown
9. Transfer chicken to dish and top with mozzarella and parmesan
10. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked to 180 degrees.

ENJOY!

Cucumber and Hummus Bites

I got up this morning with the plan to write a different recipe for you all, but after making these this morning and sharing on social media I have so many requests for this recipe...so change of plans! Its all about being flexible, right? 

Michael has his Christmas luncheon (yep, a little late) with his sales team today. The plan was to go out to dinner, but since everyone is on his or her New Years health kick it got changed to a potluck lunch-in. I struggled all week with what to make (and many times told him it's his thing, why am I the one having to decide and make it?!?!). But last night it finally came to me on my way to soccer practice.  

So this went down at 6:30 this morning. And honestly, it took maybe half an hour, if that. 

Cucumber Hummus Bites

Ingredients:

• English Cucumbers
• Hummus
• Peppers (for garnish)

Directions: 

1. Peel cucumbers so that some strips of skin remain (this is gives it a cool look- nothing else.)
2. Cut cucumber slices about 2 inches thick
3. With a small melon scooper or spoon and scoop out the seeds in the center about half way through the cucumber
4. Take a paper towel and dry the water from the center of the cucumber that will pool in the holes.
5. Add hummus to a quart size baggie and cut a hole in the tip.
6. Pipe hummus into cucumbers
7. Garnish with peppers if desired. I used 3 different types of hummus, so I used one pepper color for each flavor. Also, I garnished the Basil Pesto with a sprinkle of basil and topped the Roasted Pine Nut with a couple of pine nuts. 

 ENJOY!

Cheesy Eggs (21 day fix approved)

My kids love eggs, omelets, pancakes, oatmeal...pretty much any breakfast food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I would eat breakfast anytime too, how about you?  

When I first started drinking shakes, I was sad because I didn't get to eat breakfast. I felt like I was missing out. Then I thought, who am I kidding, I don't have to have breakfast at 8am. Most of the time I workout in the morning and have a shake right after and then at 11ish I have "brunch." I eat about 5 times a day, so who says it all has to follow the rules?

This is one of my favorite healthy breakfast meals. And it fit perfectly into the 21 day fix or any meal plan using the containers (I am following the Hammer and Chisel meal plan). 

Cheesy Eggs

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup 2% Cottage Cheese
• 3 egg whites
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Pepper (per your taste)

Directions:

1. Saute garlic, mushrooms and spinach in non-stick pan
2. Add egg whites and cook until mostly cooked
3. Add cottage cheese and stir until warm

ENJOY!