Chicken Quesadillas

I have been doing so well with mixing up our dinners & trying out new recipes. I have been CRAVING quesadillas for the past week and had to find a good, but different recipe that we haven't tried before.

This is a QUICK and easy recipe. Remember, I am not the best chef so this was perfect for us. 

Loaded with approximately 37 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber, these Quesadillas are delicious!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz skinless chicken breast

• cumin

• oregano

• garlic powder

• salt and fresh pepper

• cooking spray

• 1/2 small onion, cut into strips

• 1 bell pepper (red or green) cut into strips

• 1 clove minced garlic

• 1 tbsp. oil

• 1-1/3 cup Weight Watchers Mexican blend shredded cheese

• 1 cup avocado-mango salsa

• 8 low-carb whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

1. Slice chicken breast in half so you have 4 cutlets.  Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder.

2. Lightly spray skillet on medium heat with oil and cook chicken until cooked on both sides.

3. Remove from  heat and cut chicken into strips (set aside).

4. To the skillet, add 1 tbsp. oil and cook onions and peppers, season with salt and pepper.

5. Cook about 2 minutes, add garlic and continue cooking until vegetables are soft (be careful not to burn the garlic!).

6. Heat another skillet on medium heat and lightly spray with oil.  

7. Add tortilla, top with cheese, chicken, onions, peppers, and pico de gallo or avocado-mango salsa.

8. Top with the other tortilla.  Cheese should be melted and the bottom of the tortilla should be golden brown.  

9.  Put a plate on top of the quesadilla to flip it over onto the plate. Then slide the other side onto the skillet.  Cook another minute and remove with a spatula.  

10. Cut into wedges and enjoy!  

Recipe from: skinnytaste 


ENJOY!

XOXO,
SB
Independent Beachbody Coach 

Honey Dijon Chicken with Steamed Garlic Parmesan Broccoli

This dinner is sure to please! It is easy to make and very tasty.

Four 6 oz, chicken breast halves
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
Salt, to taste

4 cups broccoli
4 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Garlic salt, to taste

Directions: Mix Dijon mustard with honey, add parsley flakes and salt.
Coat a 6-oz, chicken breast half in the mixture. Cook on a grill for about 7 minutes on each side(or until chicken is fully cooked) can put in oven for 20-25 at 350 degrees. 
Steam 4 cups of frozen or fresh broccoli and top with 1 Tbsp, olive oil, 2 tsp, garlic salt and 4 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 servings
Nutrition Info: Calories 349/ Protein 41g/ Carbs 21g
                         Total Fat 12g/Fiber 1.5g

ENJOY!

XOXO,
SJB

Zucchini Lasagna Clean Eating

Zucchini Lasagna Clean Eating

Ingredients

 1 large onion

 2 cloves of garlic

 2 Zucchini, Large - sliced into ¼ " thick pieces

 10 oz Lean Ground Turkey

 1 24 oz jar of tomato sauce

 1 egg

 2 c low fat Cottage Cheese

 1 tsp whole wheat flour

 ½ cup Finely Shredded Mozzarella

 2 tbsp Grated Parmesean and Romano Cheese

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350*

2) In a large non-stick frying pan, saute onion and garlic over medium heat until tender. Add tomato sauce and ground meat, and bring all ingredients to consistent heat for 10 minutes (until browned). Season with salt & pepper, to taste. Remove from heat.


3) In a small bowl, slightly beat the egg. Stir in cottage cheese, flour, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.


4) Pour 1/2 of meat-tomato sauce mixture into a 1 1/2-quart roasting pan. Top with 1 1/4 cups zucchini slices and cottage cheese mixture.Then cover with remaining meat-tomato sauce mixture and zucchini


5) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.


6) Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 10 minutes longer


7) Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


*You can use a mandoline to slice zucchini  and also you have to salt the zucchini and let the water sweat out of it and then rinse it, otherwise it will be soupy. Also, in step 2, you can use the ground turkey and let it brown first and then added the sauce.

EMJOY!

XOXO, 

SJB
Independent Beachbody Coach 

Clean Baked Ziti

This is to die for. Quick and easy recipe, my husband even made this for dinner one night. 

Ingredients 

•   1 box of Whole Wheat Penne Pasta

•   32 oz jar of clean marinara sauce ( I use one from Costco that literally has 6 ingredients in it, yes, I'm sure it would be better for me to make my own, but I don't have time for that!)

•   1 lb of ground turkey, browned

•   1.5 - 2 cups of shredded low-fat mozzarella (divided)

Directions:

Cook the pasta for about 7 minutes ( you want it a little under cooked), brown the ground turkey, mix all the ingredients together, (ground turkey, marinara sauce, pasta, 1/2 of the cheese).

Place in a 9x13 baking dish, sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Bake for 25 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees.

Let me if you tried it!

XOXO,

SJB

Independent Beachbody Coach 

Stuffed Zucchini

I always like to seek out new recipes on Pinterest and found this one. As you know, i really DISLIKE trying new things but this is a KEEPER!! 

 

INGREDIENTS:

•3 tsp olive oil, divided

•1 clove garlic, diced

•1 small yellow onion, diced

•8 oz mushrooms, diced

•1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

•3 tbsp whole-wheat bread crumbs

•2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

•2 zucchini, halved, seeds and pulp removed (I did use some of the pulp to mix in with the other vegetables)

•1 Red, Yellow, or Green Bell pepper (I used a combination of all three!)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.Prepare stuffing: In a large pan on medium-high, heat 1 tsp oil. Add garlic, peppers, onion and mushrooms. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining 2 tsp oil, vinegar, bread crumbs and Parmesan. Mix thoroughly.

3.Spoon an equal amount of stuffing into each zucchini half. Bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

XOXO,
SJB
Independent Beachbody Coach

Green Bean, Walnut, and Feta Salad

 Ingredients:

Kosher salt (dill)

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups toasted chopped walnuts

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

1 cup feta, crumbled

Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season with a large pinch of salt. Add the green beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until tender but still crisp. Transfer to a boil of iced water to cool and then drain and pat dry.

Add the green beans, onions, and walnuts to a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the vinaigrette over the green beans, onions, and walnuts and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter and top with crumbled feta and freshly cracked black pepper.

This is an awesome side that is just so simple to make!  I like to use dill instead of salt, and it still has an awesome taste! Enjoy, and share this recipe with friends and family, its great for holiday parties or even for a sit down dinner!

Quinoa Salad Recipe

This recipe is brought to you straight from the Ultimate Reset. It is perfect for lunch or dinner. I ate it for dinner and doubled the recipe for 2 lunches. The Quinoa is a great source of protein. It is high in protein, calcium, and iron, quinoa is a great alternative to rice. It is found in the grocery store near the rice.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Himalayan salt or Bragg Liquid Aminos to taste

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley

1 tbsp finely minced fresh mint leaves

1/4 large ripe tomato, diced

1/4 large cucumber, peeled and diced

2 tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives

 

Toss quinoa with olive oil, salt or bragg liquid aminos, and lemon juice, mixing well. Gently fold in parsley and mint, followed by remaining ingredients. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serves 1.

 

Enjoy this lunch with 1/3 cup hummus and a raw vegetable plate. For example, 10 baby carrots, 8 to 10 grape tomatoes, 10 slices red bell pepper and 5 string beans.

ENJOY!

XOXO,
SJB
Independent Beachbody Coach

Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Bell Peppers

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Watch out! This is was an amazing meal we had the other night. I found this on another coaches blog and had to give it a try.

This is a healthier take on the classic Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.   This isn't a dinner that I would make weekly, but it's a nice change every once in a while. I made a couple extra for us to have for leftovers

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients: 
* 8 oz. thinly sliced roast beef
* 4 slices of Provolone cheese
* 2 large green bell peppers
* 1 medium sweet onion
* 6 oz Baby Bella mushrooms
* 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
* 1 Tbsp garlic - minced

* Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds.
3. Slice the onion and saute it, as well as the mushrooms on medium heat with olive oil, minced garlic, and a little salt and pepper.
4. Slice the roast beef into thin strips and add to the onion/mushroom mixture.  Allow to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Place each pepper half in a baking dish, open side up.  Spoon the meat/onion/mushroom mixture evenly into each pepper.  It will be nearly overflowing.
6. Top each pepper with a slice of cheese.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown.

ENJOY!

XOXO,
SJB
Independent Beachbody coach

Clean Eating Parmesan Chicken

This simple chicken recipe takes little preparation time and is totally satisfying to eat. I was not a cooker when I made this and it was very simple for a beginner.  I serve it with steamed veggies like green beans or broccoli!!
 

Ingredients
2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/4 cup gluten free bread crumbs or whole wheat panko crumbs (not gluten free)
2 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp lemon pepper

1/8 tsp oregano

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.

Break open eggs into a shallow dish and scramble well.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, sea salt, black pepper, lemon pepper and oregano.

Dip each side of chicken breast into the egg and then into bread crumb mixture.

Place in a large baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

 

ENJOY!!

XOXO,
SJB
Independent Beachbody Coach

Crock Pot Ziti

Ingredients

 

•1 (1 lb. 7.8 oz.) jar marinara (no sugar added) look for sauce with the fewest ingredients.
•3 cups penne shells (whole grain, dry)
•2 cups fat free cottage cheese
•2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
•1 large zucchini (1/4” slices)
•1 tablespoon fresh oregano (finely chopped)
•1 tablespoon fresh basil (finely chopped)
•1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1.In a large mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, oregano, basil and black pepper. In the Crock Pot, spoon 1/4 of marinara onto the bottom, add 1 cup penne shells, 1/3 of zucchini slices and top with 1 cup cheese mixture. Repeat until you have 3 layers. Top off with the remaining marinara and lastly, cheese.

2.Note: Keep penne shells and cheese away from the edges by about 1”. Pasta tends to get hard and cheese burns if allowed to touch the sides while cooking.

3.Cover and cook on low for approximately 2 hours or until penne noodles are Al Dente (firm but not hard). Not all crock pots cook the same so be sure that the penne is done before serving. The cook time is recommended based on the crock pot used when preparing this recipe. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

4.Tip: If you prefer your ziti a little more on the thick side, allow to cook an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.

5.  I added chicken to this meal by boiling 4 chicken breasts until just cooked and then cutting up into chunks and layering with the pasta.  That way I got my serving of protein.

Nutritional Content: (Makes 13 servings)

Serving Size: 3/4 cup Calories: 168 Total Fat: 8 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Trans Fat: 0 Cholesterol: 21 mg Sodium: 476 mg Carbohydrates: 25 g Sugars: 4 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Protein: 15 g

 

ENJOY!!

 

XOXO,

SJBIndependent Beachbody Coach

Sirloin Beef Wraps

I got this recipe from another coach. We had this for dinner last night and it was amazing!! We mainly eat chicken dishes at home so this was great to mix it up.

 

 

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 6 Minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• 12 oz boneless sirloin steak, trimmed of visible fat
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp safflower oil
• 4 Whole-Wheat Tortillas
• 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots2 oz thinly sliced red onion (about 1 medium red onion)
• 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 packed cup chopped cilantro leaves

 

Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 tsp raw honey
• 1 packet stevia
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

 

Directions:

1. Place steak on a dinner plate, spoon 1 tbsp. vinegar over top and turn several times to coat.  Let stand 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: In a small bowl, whish together all sauce ingredients and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.  Tilt skillet to coat bottom lightly.  Cook steak for 4 minutes per side or to desired doneness (you can also grill the steak).  Place on a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before thinly slicing.
4. Warm tortillas according to package directions.  Top each tortilla with equal amounts of lettuce, carrots, onion and cucumber.  Divide stead among tortillas and sprinkle with cilantro.  Spoon sauce over top, diving evenlin.  Wrap to serve as a sandwich or serve open-faced.

 

 

 

Enjoy!!



 

XOXO,

SJB

Independent Beachbody Coach

 

 

 

 

Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole wheat pasta
• 1/2 zucchini, sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 bag fresh mixed precut carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
1. Boil water and cook pasta.
2. In a second pan, steam zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli until heated through but slightly crisp.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and sauté garlic.
3. Add red bell peppers and peas to garlic and cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat.
4. Drain pasta and vegetables.
5. Add both to frying pan and toss. 
6. Sprinkle with cheese.

**I add a little bit of all natural pasta sauce to give it some more flavor!


ENJOY!

XOXO,
SJB

Independent Beachbody Coach