Pretzel Encrusted Chicken Nuggets



A simple meal that is delicious & healthy!

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• Pretzel Crisps (really you could use any flavor or any type of pretzel).
• 1 package of chicken breasts
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

• Cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces.
• Pre-Heat the oven to 350 degrees
• Beat the 2 eggs.
• Crush a couple handfuls of pretzels (you can crush them any way you desire)
• Dip each piece of chicken into the egg and then into the crushes pretzels.
• Take the dipped pieces of chicken and put onto a wax paper covered baking pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked fully.
• Enjoy!

These are something your spouse and even kids would enjoy! You can serve with ranch, ketchup, chili sauce, and the list could go on. They taste just as good without any dipping sauce also!

You could also make these for an appetizer dish! 

Healthy Egg Muffins

These are easy, and you all know I like easy!
Sometimes in the mornings when I am running around getting myself ready, Hadley ready, Daisy fed, etc etc, I just wish I had pre-made something the night before to eat for breakfest. This way I do not have the temptation to go purchase a donut. So, last night, I made these Healthy Egg Muffins.

{Sorry, the picture is not the best, but trust me they were delicious.}

Ingredients:

• 12 Eggs
• Broccoli (I just used left over broccoli from dinner the night before), and you could use any vegetable you would like.
• 1/2 Cup Onion, chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to Taste
• Couple splashes of Almond Milk
• I added a 1/2 piece of bacon to 6 of them for my husband (not pictured)

Instructions:

• Slice all the vegetables.
• Pre-Heat the oven to 350 degrees
• Beat all 12 eggs
• Mix in vegetables and spices
• Pour into greased muffin tins
• Cook for 20 - 25 minutes
• Enjoy!

You really could add any kind of vegetables or spices to these muffins! You could even add turkey sausage if you wanted.

 

Fat Blasting Baked Egg Casserole

Ahh Friday! So glad you are back!! Here's another recipe for the books.

They say breakfast is the MOST important meal of that day, and for whatever reason it is the hardest for people to eat.  I know for me, making something the night before helps me out A LOT! Especially when I want it to be on the healthier side. I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day (I can't seem to find the link where I found it, sorry), and thought it would be the perfect morning casserole!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth or water (I recommend the broth for a little more flavor)
• 6 oz (2 cups) sliced Crimini Mushrooms (really any kind will work)
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons All Purpose Seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash's, but you could also use Simply Organic)
• 2 teaspoons fresh jalapenos (optional)
• 2 1/2 cups packed fresh spinach, chopped roughly (oops, I forgot to chop mine, but it still worked)
• 4 oz turkey bacon, cooked & chopped
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• 9 egg whites
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line 7 x 11inch baking dish with parchment paper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of broth or water, mushrooms, red peppers, seasoning & jalapenos.

• Cook stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add spinach, cook down until bright green, about 1 minute.

• Remove pan from heat.
• Stir in the turkey bacon & season with sea salt and pepper.
• Spread the spinach mixture evenly on bottom of the baking dish.

• Whisk egg white, then pour over the spinach mixture. Scatter green onions on top.

• Bake until egg whites are set, 25 minutes.
• The casserole should be moist in the middle, not liquidy.
• Let casserole sit for 5 minutes & serve

I really did enjoy this dish for the AM! I even ate a half portion for some snacks! DELISH!

One of these days I will get it so there are printable versions of my recipes. 

 

Garlic Chicken and Vegetables over Quinoa

Hello all! Happy Friday! I am going to be cheering on my Iowa State Cyclones tonight!!         #cyclONEnation.

Another recipe just for you...

I have found another super tasty and easy recipe! I absolutely love my Fast Metabolism Cookbook. It keeps me on track. I get sick of eating the same foods, so I like that I can look at the cookbook, and be able to find a recipe with the ingredients I have in my fridge (for the most part). This recipe is for Phase 1.

Ingredients:

Quinoa

• 2 cups quinoa
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup sliced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions), white and green parts

Chicken

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 2 cups sliced bell peppers
• 2 cups sliced zucchini
• 2 cups sliced yellow squash
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons diced red onion

(Missing from the picture: Zuccini, Yellow Squash and Coconut Aminos)

Instructions:

• In a medium pot, combine the quinoa, vegetable and chicken broths, onion, and green onion. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the quinoa is cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chicken and cook, stirring continuously, until the chicken is browned. Add the bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, coconut aminos, red pepper flakes, and red onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Serve 1/2 cup of the quinoa topped with 1 cup of the chicken and vegetables. 
• Serves 8

(Quinoa before boiling)

Gingered Shrimp and Veggie Stir-Fry

OH MY LANTA, this has to be the BEST yet. If you like spicy food, you will enjoy this recipe! I love to try new recipes for the reason of finding one that will be a staple in my house hold. Another great thing about this recipe, it freezes really well. In my book, that is important especially when 75% of the time I am cooking for one.

 Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 pounds shrimp, cleaned and deveined
• 2 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped bok choy
• 1/4 cup sliced asparagus 
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 minced ginger (I used ground ginger)
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon sea salt herb mix (I used regular sea salt, and then Mrs. Dash Herb and Onion Mix)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups cooked wild rice

 Instructions:

• Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet or wok over medium head and when hot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, tipping the pan to coat it. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until pink. Remove from the pan and set aside. Re-coat the pan with the remaining oil and add the squash, mushrooms, bok choy, and asparagus. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly tender. Add the tomatoes, coconut aminos, ginger, sesame seeds, salt mix, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan, mix with the other ingredients, and cook just until everything is headed through. Serve over rice. (I think if you wanted you could serve this over brown rice instead of wild rice.)
• Serves 8

This was the first time I've cooked with bok choy, and I want sure what to expect. Bok Choy is basically Chinese cabbage. When I was looking for it at the store, it was HUGE, so I just tore off a couple leaves. That worked out very well.

I give this recipe 5 STARS! It is from The Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook (Clearly, my favorite cookbook).

Seriously, try this recipe out friends!

Long and Slow Beef Stew

So, I've been debating for days if I was going to even share this recipe, only for the fact that my pictures are terrible. It doesn't look appetizing, but if you trust me, it was delicious! I present to you Long and Slow Beef Stew! This stew has some GREAT flavor!

I've never attempted at making a stew before, but am loving being able to make something like this, and then freeze it into single portions.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef stewing meat (preferably grass fed)
• 1/4 cup arrowroot
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup green beans, cut in small pieces (I forgot to add this..oops)
• 1 cup quartered mushrooms
• 1/2 cup diced onions (scallions), white and green parts
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups organic beef broth

I decided to cut up all of my ingredients the night before. This way I could just pour them all into the crock pot right before I ran out the door in the morning. It was then was ready for me at lunch time.
Instructions :

• Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker with 2 cups of water and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Remove the bay leaf and serve piping hot. 
• Serves 8

How simple and easy does this look? I am all for crock pot meals, especially healthy ones!
Again, this recipe is from The Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook. If you've checked our information on The Fast Metabolism Diet, this recipe will work for Phase 2.

Hard-Boiled Egg Whites Stuffed with Minced Veggies

Last night I spent a while preparing meals for the next two days (I finally was able to go to the grovery store! I really do enjoy cooking, baking and making recipe's into ones I enjoy! I am currently on Phase 2 of The Fast Metabolism Diet, which means lean proteins and vegetables. (This really is not a diet, more of a way to eat lifestyle)

My week usually looks like this:
Monday & Tuesday: Phase 1
Wednesday & Thursday: Phase 2
Friday, Saturday & Sunday: Phase 3

I am usually one that does not give enough time to myself to make breakfast before I need to walk our the door and head to work, so I do a lot of preparing the night before. Last night I decided to make these Hard-Boiled Egg Whites.

Ingredients:

• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 1/2 cup cooked, minced veggies (I used Mushrooms, Onion, Garlic and Celery)

Instructions:

• Peel the eggs, cut them in half lengthwise, and discard the yolks. Fill with the minced veggies and serve right away. (I boiled my eggs and cooked my veggies the night before, so this morning I just heated up the veggies, and filled the eggs this morning. I think they turned out well, and I felt full after)

This recipe I also found in the Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook.

This is really easy to prepare the night before, and then take 2 minutes in the morning to put together. I know a lot of people are guilty of missing breakfast in the AM, but it is very important to start your day out with a meal, and of course keeping it healthy. Indulging in Cinnamon Rolls (homemade ones are sitting upstairs at my office, and it has taken a lot of will power not to dig into one today).

You really can add any kind of vegetable to the mixture, pepper, asparagus, cabbage, and the list could go on. Using left over vegetables from the night before will always work well.

I think this recipe is considered Gluten Free and Paleo? Maybe I am wrong, because I do not follow those.

Currently cooking in my crockpot is a Phase 2 stew! Can't wait to share that recipe!

 

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

After this past weekend, where almost every meal seemed to be pizza at the bar, we decided we are going back on our health kick. This means back to the Fast Metabolism Diet eating plan. There are 3 different Phases in this plan, and basically it just is a clean eating way of life.

This recipe is husband tested and approved!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils (I substituted this for 1 pound of ground beef. I usually use Grass Fed, but we only had the 85% lean in our freezer)
• 3 large or 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch cubes
• 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 4, only because we love garlic)
• 1/4 cup organic vegetable broth
• 2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (As you can see from the picture above, I used frozen green beans)
• 2 teaspoons tamari (this is basically a gluten free soy sauce)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk

Serving Size: 4

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a medium skillet start to brown your ground beef.
3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the sweet potatoes and boil for 10 minutes. , or until tender. Meanwhile, cook the carrots, onions and garlic in a large skillet with the vegetable broth until the carrots begin to soften. Add the green beans and cook for about 5 minutes more. Add the cooked ground beef, tamari, thyme, salt and pepper. Still well to combine.

4. Pour the mixture into a large 10 cup casserole dish. Drain and mash the potatoes with the rice milk. Top the mixture with the mashed sweet potatoes and bake for 30 minutes.

It actually turned out delicious. My husband usually says I try to hard to make to many different kinds of recipes, so this one was right up his alley. I got this recipe from The Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook by Haylie Pomroy. I am trying a new recipe for each phase this week, so of course I will blog about each one!

From the back of the cookbook about each phase:
"In Phase 1 you will cook to unwind stress and support your adrenals with hearty, nourishing breakdests"
"During Phase 2, you'll be cooking to unlock stored fat and feed the liver with huge, leafy salads"
"Then in Phase 3, it is time to use your kitchen to unleash the burn and ingite the Fast Metabolism hormones with a savory, high- healthy fat dishes"

Also, because we could actually be outside, without freezing, we decided last night was a perfect night for a family walk! The air was so fresh! I don't know about you, but I am ready to open the windows in my house and get some fresh air circulating!

 

Baked Cashew Chicken + Happy Valentines Day

First, want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! Give those loved ones lots of hugs and kisses today! I know a lot of people think this holiday is silly, but I love it! I can't wait for many more years of love, hugs and kisses from my favorite Valentine!

This is one of my favorite recipes I've made lately! It was so flavorful! It might become a staple recipe at my house!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (hormone free is what I would use)
• 1/2 cup ground cashews
• 2 tablespoons diced onions (red or white)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon cashew butter (I used peanut butter, only because that is what I had)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro (I used 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (I used 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• Put the chicken breasts in an oven-safe baking dish large enough to hold the breasts in a single layer. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the berries and spread over the chicken. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

I found this recipe in The Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook by Haylie Pomroy.

Turkey & Spinach Meatballs

Along with my Crossfit challenge this month, I am also doing the 10 day Advocare cleanse. This means for the next 10 days, I am going to be eating super healthy and clean. Over the weekend I made Turkey & Spinach Meatballs. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of ground turkey meatball recipes, so I found 3 different ones that I liked, and combined different ingredients from the three recipes. One of the recipes I found here.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground turkey (93% lean)
• 1/4 cup onion
• 1 egg (optional)
• 1 packages frozen spinach (Make sure you thaw it and squeeze all the liquid from the spinach)
• 3 garlic cloves (use less if you do not want a strong garlic flavor)
• 1 can Rotel (or an All Natural can of tomatoes and chili's)
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions:

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees
• Mix all ingredients together.
• roll into large sized meatballs
• bake on a non stick baking sheet for 25 minutes or until turkey is cooked through.

I did enjoy these. They were of course, easy to make!