OH EM GEEE... Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Holy Moly, these are good! But spicy, so eat at your own risk :)  Ok just kidding but seriously have some water in arms reach with this meal.  If you don't like spicy dishes, I suggest cutting down the chili paste in the sauce and the amount of jalapenos.

Recipe Feeds 3 to 4 ( including 2 very hungry boys)
Total Prep and Cook time: 20 minutes!! Woohoo!


Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breast (chopped in small cubes)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlice
3/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
sliced almonds (for topping)
green onions (for topping)
Romaine lettuce for the wraps

Topping Sauce:
4 Tablespoons of Hoison Sauce
1 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 tsp honey
1 tablespoon Siracha

I started off with more ingredients but did not need the Tapatio or the coconut oil.

Directions:

Step One:  Prep all of your veggies and Chicken; chopping jalapenos, onions, and chicken in small size cubes.

Step Two:  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the rice vinegar, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Toss in the chicken and sauté until almost completely done (about 5 - 7 mins).

Step Three:  Toss in the water chestnuts, onions, and jalapenos. Stir for an additional 5 minutes until chicken browned.  

Step Four:  When all is done, top with avocado, sliced almonds, green onions, and red pepper flakes.

I hope you all decide to make these. They were so simple, clean, and worth every minute.

Let me know what you think!!

Turkey Meatballs and Sauteed Veggies!

Well... Hello there. Its Wednesday night but I feel like it should be Friday! What the heck is up with this week.... It may be the butt-kicking I am getting at boot camp! If you're as tired as I am then you will appreciate this quick and tasty delight. 

Try this recipe for those days when you are in a hurry!  Make a batch of these at the beginning of the week & grab them as you need a quick, clean meal. I like mixing Siracha and mustard together as a spicy dip for them!

Ingredients:
1 lb ground organic ground turkey 
1 egg 
1 cup of quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dry yellow mustard
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 celery stalk, finely chopped (approx 1/2 cup)
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (approx 1/2 cup)

Directions:

Step One: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheet with foil or muffin tins (although the muffin tins got a little messy so I suggest the baking sheet and foil method).

Step Two: Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Step Three: Roll the mixture into balls & place on the baking sheet or in your muffin tin. (Have fun with this... its the nasty sticky part!)

Step Four: Bake for 40 minutes (This may vary depending on your oven.  I would suggest using a meat thermometer to ensure your meat is fully cooked).

Makes approx 12 muffins

We had sauteed peppers, onion, and zucchini as our side. Veggies were sauteed in a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of garlic. It was so simple and a delicious filing dinner. 

Clean Turkey Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken

So I don't know if I have been hiding under a rock or not but I recently discovered something that I wanted to share in my recipe tonight....Arrrowroot powder. Its used in place of cornstarch which, as you know, has a bad reputation for a good diet.  Due to its derived from corn, most of the time its genetically modified into processed starch that our bodies are designed to digest.
Well, we are going to use Arrowroot in this recipe.  Arrowroot is a powder that our bodies easily digest and is an all natural healthy substitute, especially for people with dietary restrictions. It is low in calories at 10 cals a tablespoon, and 0 fat!

Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken
Feeds 4- 5
Prep and Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2-3 Chicken Breasts cubed (depending on the amount of people eating)
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 green and red bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1/2 cup organic chicken stock
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup cubed pineapple
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Step One: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and cook chicken until completely done.

Step Two: In a separate pan, saute bell peppers, onion, and jalapenos with a touch of coconut/olive oil until veggies are tender.

Step Three: In a separate bowl mix the vinegar, arrowroot powder, pineapple juice and honey.

Step Four:  Combine the chicken, pineapple and bell peppers into the same pan. Add the chicken stock and let boil.

Step Five: Stir in the vinegar, arrowroot mixture and cook for approx. 3 minutes. Be careful not to cook for too long. When arrowroot is overcooked it gets too runny and the texture of the dish will not turn out correctly. It should be a thicker, gel-like texture.

Step Six:  Add some red pepper flakes over top if you'd like and serve hot. Tastes best when freshly made!

Team[FIT] Pineapple Chicken

What a colorful, tasty dish!! 

Black Bean Fish Tostadas

It's a great Monday, Team[FIT]ers!
Anybody in the mood for a little bit of Mexican food?  I am, but then again I always am... eeek.  Not always a good thing, but when you can turn it into a homemade healthy dinner....  We are there!!!
We are steppin' it up a bit on these tostadas by adding some sauteed fish, feta cheese, and homemade salsa. Maybe one day I will share my salsa recipe, but for now it's my little secret ;)

Fish
Step One:  In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Once heated, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a teaspoon of chili paste. 
Step Two: Mix thoroughly over heat, then add the fish of your choice. We had sole (it was on sale).
Step Three: Add red pepper flakes over top of fish (to taste). Continue cooking chicken, flipping over after approximately 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish). Fish should piece apart when done.

Tostada Shell
Step One:  In a medium non stick pan heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil on high heat. Place your tortilla in pan and let it fry until the uncooked side bubbles slightly, should be golden brown. Flip to other side until it is dark golden brown
Step Two: Move cooked shell to a paper towel to soak up access coconut oil.

Toppings:
In order of assembly; black beans, shredded romaine lettuce, tomato, chopped jalapeno, onion, feta cheese, and Tapatio hot sauce. 

Enjoy!!!

Dinner Menu for the Week

It has been a super quick weekend full of football talk, great company, and tasty football season treats. We hosted our Fantasy Football draft, our favorite part of the year! What a great time but it's back to business, healthy dinner planning, and prepare for some more tough workouts this week!

Menu

Monday: Black Bean Fish Tostadas
Tuesday: Spicy Pineapple Chicken
Wednesday:  The oven is fixed!!... Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with sauteed peppers and veggies
Thursday: PF Changs style Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Friday: Dinner with the Parents!

Our Grocery List

Dairy
  Feta Cheese

Meat & Fish
  3.75 boneless, skinless Chicken breast
  16 oz Ground turkey  

  12 oz of Fish of your choice (cod, mahi, sole)

Fruits & Vegetables  

  1 Green bell pepper

  1 Red Pepper

  3 Jalapeños

  Romaine lettuce head

  1 bag of frozen pineapple

  1 bunch of scallions/green onions

  2 Red Onions
  1 Zucchini
  1 Roma Tomato

Other  

  1 15 oz. can Refined Black beans  

  Hoison Sauce

  Soy Sauce

  Mini tortillas (we bought the organic uncooked corn tortillas)
  Dry Mustard
  Dijon or Honey Mustard

***Note: For spices, sauces, etc. that is not on the above list, you may need to add for your shopping:
 salt, pepper, coconut oil, sriracha or tapatio, garlic powder, mustard, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, chili powder.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Hey Everyone, Happy Wednesday Evening! It's been a beautiful day in AZ (well for summer anyways) and I was held captive in the office all day. However, from everyone's facebook posts I trust it was!
So I know the meal tonight might come as a surprise as I did not have this on the menu for this evening. Our darn oven broke and decided it was not going to cook us any Turkey muffins. Rest assured, my trusted side kick, the Crock Pot, stepped up to the plate and is making us some tasty chili right this very moment. And Seriously... prep time was 5 minutes, Boom!

I am so glad this household likes sweet potatoes or I'd be in trouble.

Ingredients:

1 small yellow onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (1 tsp minced garlic)
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes with juice
1 15 oz can black beans
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb turkey breast, ground
1 bayleaf
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coarse grind pepper
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper  (depending on how spicy you want this sucker)
1.5 cup water

Directions:

Step One: Put your black beans, onions, potatoes, and fire roasted tomatoes in the bottom of the crock pot.

Step Two: Layer with ground turkey breast (piecing it apart).

Step Three: Sprinkle all of your spices, seasoning and water over top.

Step Four: Place the lid on the crock pot and cook on low for eight hours, or like I did because I was not prepared for this, set the crock pot on high for 4 hours. (Tip: 1 hour on high equals 2 hours on low)

Step Five: Carefully remove the lid and stir chili. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Step Six: Replace lid, cook for an additional 20-30 minutes on low. Serve hot
Perfect for preparing this before jetting out the door for work in the morning. There are so many great reasons to love a crock pot; easy clean up, you can create your own recipes, healthy alternatives, meals are affordable, leftovers.. duh!, and to top it all off... it makes your house smell good! Yummmm.

Paleo Skillet Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Spinach Hash

Happy Towel Tuesday! 
Sweet potatoes is always something I tend to gravitate to for some reason. I just love them.
This recipe has moved to one of my top favorites for Paleo recipes. I found this recipe a while ago when I was trying out the whole Paleo way and after taking one bite I was so excited to not only keep on eating it but to also share with all you.  It’s my new food crush. 

Courtesy of multiply delicious

Ingredients

 2 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
 1 apple, peeled cored and diced 
 2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (or one large)
 2 Mild Italian chicken sausages, removed from casing
 2 to 3 large cups of baby spinach
 1/3 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
 1 1/2 Jalapenos diced
 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
 salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step One: In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Once heated, add diced sweet potatoes, jalapenos, and apples.  Add a pinch or two of sea salt and cinnamon to the pan.  Cook sweet potatoes and apples until cooked and softened.  I prefer my sweet potatoes to be slightly browned.

Step Two: While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat.  Add to skillet, the chicken sausage and onion making sure to break the sausage up in small pieces while it cooks. 

Step Three: Once the chicken is no longer pink in color and completely cooked, add spinach to the skillet.  Don’t worry the spinach will wilt down when cooked.  The spinach should wilt down within 1 to 2 minutes.  Once spinach is cooked add the sweet potato apple mixture to pan and stir to combine all. 

I made my own little twist to it by adding some jalapenos because in this house... a meal is not complete without a jalapeno. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Paleo Orange Chicken

I am sure everyone craves some Chinese food from time to time. Here is an easy recipe for anyone to follow that satisfies your craving without all of that crazy madness most take-out places and restaurants add that haunt your dish and add that unwanted weight you have been working your butt off at bootcamp!  Try this one out and let us know what you think.... 

Ingredients

                  1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite size pieces)

                  3 T fat (coconut oil works well here)

                  juice of 2 oranges*

                  zest from 1 orange

                  1 t fresh ginger

                  3 T coconut aminos or wheat-free soy sauce

                  1 t chili garlic sauce or sriracha

                  3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Step One: In a medium size sauce pot, add the orange juice, zest, ginger, coconut aminos and chili garlic sauce or sriracha. Set over medium heat and let simmer to reduce and thicken while the chicken cooks.

Step Two: In a saute pan, heat 3 T of the coconut oil (or olive oil), over medium high heat. Add the chopped chicken thighs and cook until a nice brown crust has developed on the chicken pieces, about 6 minutes.

Step Three: Add the chicken to the sauce pot and stir to coat with the orange sauce.

Serve topped with sliced green onions or chopped white onions ( We forgot to pick up my green onions at the store.. Grrrr!). We are also going to add a chopped jalapeno because we like the extra spiciness in our dinners.

*** Note: Taste your oranges. If they don’t taste orange-y enough, then neither will your meal. Use tangerines if you need to, or add a little bit of Stevia to sweeten up the chicken for the orange-y flavor!

As our side, we lightly sauteed some peppers (red and green) with the other half of the bunch of asparagus I bought the other day and a zucchini. All was sauteed in a tablespoon of olive oil.

Enjoy your dinner and PLEASE SUBSCRIBE to the blog so you get your updates directly. Meal updates will soon stop on the Team[FIT] Group wall and only be posted here. See you at our Towel Tuesday tomorrow!!!

Menu and Grocery list for the week!

 Hey Everyone!  I have planned a quick and tasty menu for the week. Should you decide to partake, which... I highly suggest ;) Get ready for some tasty, feels-like-you-are-eating-out meals. We are trying something new this week but also adding in a couple of our favorites.


Menu
Monday:  Paleo Orange Chicken with asparagus
Tuesday: Skillet Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Spinach Hash (this will make up for Towel Tuesday... I promise!!)
Wednesday: Turkey Meatloaf Muffins with sauteed peppers and onion
Thursday: Clean Crock Pot Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili   (It's supposed to rain on Thursday... Fingers crossed.  We love chili on a rainy day!)
Friday:  Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos


Grocery List

Meat & Fish
  1 lb boneless, skinless Chicken breast
  3 lbs Ground turkey  
  1 lb Italian Chicken sausage
  12 oz Mahi Mahi  
  3 egg whites

Fruits & Vegetables  1 bundle Asparagus
  1 Green bell pepper
  1 Red Pepper
  3 Jalapeños
  3 small yellow Onions  3 Sweet potatoes
  1 apple
  fresh spinach (enough for 3 large cups)
  2 oranges
  3 green onions, chopped
  2 celery stalks (approx 1 cup chopped)

Other  
  1 15 oz. can Black beans  
  1 14.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes with juice
  Soy Sauce
  Fresh ginger

***Note: For spices, sauces, etc. that is not on the above list, you may need to add for your shopping:
 salt, pepper, cinnamon, coconut oil, sriracha, garlic powder, mustard, cumin, chipotle pepper spice, minces garlic, oregano, sea salt, cayenne pepper, chili powder.

Salmon with Asian Quinoa

So, I have been very impressed lately with the dedication, hard work, and results I have seen in workout lately. I just wanted to say Thank you to all the members who make this program so amazing.... and worth waking up at 4:30 am every morning,  just sayin'. That is quite an accomplishment for me to stick to for so long AND I just love it. Wait....yep, I just felt my forehead and it feels normal!!! No temperature. :)

OK, we are here to talk about food right?!?  Here is what's on the menu over at casa de Team[FIT]....

Feeds 3

Ingredients

12 oz Wild Caught Salmon

1 cup Quinoa

3/4 cup frozen vegetable medley

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 tbsp minced garlic

cajun seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups Chicken broth or water for Quinoa

Prepare Quinoa as directed on package or follow below:

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and preheat your grill for the salmon. Stir in quinoa and allow to toast for 2 to 3 minutes, then add chicken broth (or water) and half of your soy sauce. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. 

2. Simmer until all liquid has been almost absorbed, then toss in your vegetable medley. toss in the rest of your soy sauce and add salt and pepper to taste until the liquid is fully absorbed and you can fluff your quinoa with a fork.

3. While your Quinoa is simmering, prep your salmon. Spray lightly with olive oil and rub your minced garlic over top. Then sprinkle your desired amount of seasoning over top; cajun, pepper, etc. ** NO salt.  Added sodium is unnecessary to out diets!

4. When your grill has reached the necessary heat, place your salmon on the grill for about 5-6 minutes on each side. ** Don't forget to spray your grill with olive oil before you place your salmon down so it doesn't stick.

Added bonus: as you can see, I added a little bit of extra to my quinoa. We had some leftover veggies from last night's dinner; I tossed in some extra broccoli and asparagus!!

Enjoy!!!

Grilled Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken and roasted veggies

 Today was a great Monday! Everyone is back in the swing of things.  Boot camp was AWESOME today; full of focused and sweaty people working their booties off.

On top of that, I have been very pleased and impressed with the body fat testing results I saw today from the members. Everyone is staying focused and getting results!!! Funny how focus, dedication, and hard work provides results… Who’d a thought??

Here’s another great simple, healthy recipe to throw together for the family! 

Feeds 3

15- 20 minutes cook time.

Ingredients

1lb Chicken Breast

1 tablespoon Spicy Garlic Sauce

½ cup lime juice

1 tsp Cajun spice

1 Avocado

1 small bundle of Asparagus

1 small bunch of broccoli crowns

1 tbsp Coconut oil (or olive oil, I prefer coconut. It tastes better!)

Pepper
Red pepper flakes (if desired)

Directions

Step 1

I like to marinate my chicken for awhile before I grill it. So I suggest prepping it about an hour before you're ready to cook it. Place your chicken breast in a baking dish and cover it with the lime juice. Sprinkle desired amount of Cajun spice over it. Then add the spicy garlic sauce generously over the chicken.

Step 2

While the chicken is marinating, I like to prep my veggies as well. Cut your broccoli crown and bunch of asparagus into bite size chunks for sauteing. Set in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook the dinner.

Step 3

After the chicken is done marinating, preheat your grill. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil (or olive oil) in a skillet over medium and stir in the cut up broccoli and asparagus chunks.

Step 4

Place your chicken on the grill, flipping every 6-8 minutes. Chicken should be done within about 15 minutes (no pink but nice and juicy!). While your chicken is cooking, sprinkle the veggie mix with the desired amount of pepper. I also tossed in a little bit of red pepper flakes. Cook veggies  until bright green, it should have a nice crunch to them! ** As you can see, I added a couple slices of avocado to the top of my chicken. Because, let's face it.... a little avocado never hurt anyone, right? When I say a little, I mean NOT the whole avocado!! :) I hope you enjoy this light, easy meal! Add your own healthy twist and let me know how it turns out!

Grocery List for the Week

Hey Guys and Gals,
 I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! We had a peaceful weekend indoors away from the miserable heat, which gave us plenty of time to plan our dinner menu for the week. Check it out!

Monday:   Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken with roasted vegetables
Tuesday: Wild Caught Salmon over Asian Quinoa
Wednesday: Our Favorite Black Bean Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
Thursday to Sunday we will be in California!!!  Finally, a vacation that is much needed! Should I pack my running shoes??

My Shopping List:

Dairy
  Feta cheese

Meat & Fish
  Chicken breast 1 lb
  Ground turkey 1 lb
  Salmon fillets  1 lb

Fruits & Veget.
  1 bundle Asparagus
  1 Broccoli crown
  1 Green bell pepper
  2 Jalapeños
  Lettuce wraps  (Romaine lettuce or whichever you prefer)
  1 Red Onions
  1 Sweet potatoes
  1 Yellow bell pepper
  1 lemon

Frozen Food
  1 small bag Vegetable medley

Other
1 12 oz. can Black beans
Quinoa

***Note: For spices, sauces, etc. that is not on the above list, you may need to add for your shopping:
 lime juice, salt, pepper, coconut oil, cajun seasoning.

Honey Jalapeno Chicken Skewers!

This is a special recipe for Shannon. I have a feeling she's been wanting to make these :). So we found a tasty recipe for chicken skewers but of course, I had to put my little twist on it. We like our foods spicier than most people because as an added bonus, spicier foods rev up your metabolism! YAY. So I made Honey Jalapeno Chicken Skewers... Feast your eyes on these beauties...

Serves	3
Total time	25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1lb Chicken Breast (Cut into cubes)
• 3 tablespoons Soy Sauce (Low Sodium)
• 2 tablespoons Natural Honey
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Siracha (desired amounts may vary depending on spiciness )
• 2 Jalapeños (Sliced in 1/4 inch rings)

Directions

Step 1

Add Honey, Soy sauce, Siracha, and Garlic into a mixing bowl and stir thoroughly. Once sauce is fully mixed, place small amount of the mixture aside (in a separate container) for finished skewers.

Step 2

Add Cubed Chicken and Jalapeños to mixing bowl with sauce and marinate for 1 hour.

Step 3

Make sure BBQ is heated to desired temperature. Place marinated chicken onto skewers with jalapeños between every few pieces of chicken.

Step 4

Lightly coat BBQ grill with Olive Oil and place skewers directly on grill.

Step 5

Close grill and rotate skewers every couple minutes until chicken is fully cooked.

Step 6

Pour remaining sauce you set aside over the top of the finished skewers. Note: As you can see, we added a green pepper and red pepper to the skewers because I love me some grilled peppers! If you're not a fan, the chicken skewers are still mighty fine without them. So, hopefully your are watching some pre-season football right now and enjoying your Thursday night!  I highly recommend making these sometime because they are one of my favorite dinners to make for the Fam! Have a great night and hope to see all of your shining faces at workout tomorrow.