Farmers Market Inspiration

A trip to our local farmers market always brings me inspiration. All the pretty, colorful veggies displayed by the folks who grew them call my name. Music playing in the background. Colorful people walking around, purchasing, smiling, and enjoying their Saturday. It's one of my favorite Saturday things to do. It's still a little early in our part of the world as far as the growing season goes but there can still be lots of yummy things to find!

I decided to buy a bright orange squash that looked sort of like a pumpkin. I love squash and I love to try new ones so I gave this one a shot.

I washed it well. Then I carefully cut it in half (careful, they're somewhat hard to cut). Scooped out the insides and then sliced it into little crescents. I tossed them with about a half tbsp of olive oil, some sea salt, and cayenne pepper.

I preheated the oven to 425, covered my baking sheet with foil and put it in the oven while it preheated.

Then I placed the squash on the baking sheet and roasted for about 25 minutes. This was DELICIOUS. A little sweet, a little 'nutty' and a little spicy (thanks to the cayenne). One nice thing was that the skin was really thin and after roasting, you could just eat it. No need to peel. It was really tasty!





The next thing I bought was heirloom tomatoes. I don't think a trip to the market is complete without tomatoes. I also purchased local, fresh, organic basil. Yum!!

I decided that part-skim mozzarella would be my "lean" this night. Sliced it up with those tomatoes, garnish with basil, and voila' - delicious, healthy lean and green.





Then Sunday, my son, his girlfriend and I took a hike up at Crater Lake National Park. Absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking!! Here are a few photos:

love the blue of this lake. Spectacular

Plaikni Falls - a beautiful short, easy hike

wildflowers were in bloom everywhere

Phantom Ship 

Mt Scott

Hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Buffalo Chicken and Cauliflower Casserole

On Friday, I was craving some spicy wings and decided to make a buffalo chicken and cauliflower casserole. I found a recipe online and then of course adapted it to stay on plan. It was spicy, tasty, and a great substitute. Here's my version:

Buffalo Cauliflower & Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

6 tbs. Frank's hot sauce

1 tbs. paprika

2 tbs. garlic powder

1 tbs. freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles

1/3 cup minced green onion

Preheat oven to 400. Put hot sauce, spices and olive oil in a large bowl and mix. Add cauliflower florets and toss to coat.

Spread cauliflower out in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes, tossing once.

Meanwhile, add chicken to bowl with remaining sauce and seasonings. Toss to coat the meat. When cauliflower is done, remove from oven and scatter chicken on top. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Scatter with minced green onion.

I'm not a food photographer.
It was yummier than it looks

Like I said, this dish was amazing and I'll be making it again. I served it with a very small salad on the side because I liked the contract between hot and spicy and cool. 

Lemon-Oregano Roasted Chicken

A while back, I pinned a recipe for Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano. It was easily the picture that attracted me. . . made my mouth water. This weekend I decided to give it a shot. My apologies for not having mouth watering pictures but I just forget to do that. I did have to slightly modify the recipe to stay on plan. Here's my version:

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Oregano

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 4 large or 8 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs (original recipe called for skin on, I made it with skinless)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 3 sprigs oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (the original recipe called for wine but I didn't have any so I used chicken broth in two steps)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Very thinly slice half of lemon;discard any seeds.Cut remaining lemon half into 2 wedges. 
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
• Coat a large room-temperature skillet with 1teaspoon oil. I used my cast-iron skillet. 
• Add chicken.  Place skillet over medium heat and cook, letting chicken brown, and pouring off excess fat to maintain a thin coating in pan,until chicken is cooked halfway through, about 10 minutes. (Note: the original recipe showed a crispy skin, I of course did skinless but my chicken thighs still browned up nicely and gave me the same effect). 
• Scatter half of lemon slices over chicken and half on bottom of skillet (the slices on top of the chicken will soften; those in the skillet will caramelize). 
• Transfer skillet to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked through and lemon slices on bottom of skillet are caramelized,6-8 minutes.
• Transfer chicken pieces and caramelized lemon slices from bottom of skillet to a warm platter.(Leave softened lemon slices in the skillet.)
• Return skillet to medium heat. Add oregano sprigs, shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook,stirring frequently,until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Remove skillet from heat. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth; cook over medium heat until reduced by half,1-2 minutes.
• Add the 1/2 cup of chicken broth; cook until thickened, about3minutes.
• Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over and season sauce with salt, pepper, and juice from remaining lemon wedge, if desired.
• Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
• Return chicken to skillet to rewarm.Serve topped with caramelized lemon slices.

Delicious! This was one of my favorite things I've ever made! Served it up with a nice salad and a big glass of ice water. Give it a try - you'll love it. 

And remember, I got this recipe from Bon Appetit - you can view their recipe online. 

Asian Style Turkey Meatballs and Broiled Bok Choy

Last night I decided to find a recipe to use up my extra lean ground turkey breast and stumbled across various recipes for Asian-style Turkey Meatballs. Some had bread crumbs added, some had things that aren't on plan so I improvised. 

My Asian-style Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb extra lean ground turkey breast
• 1/2 scallion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fish sauce 
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Directions:

broiled bok choy

Mix together and form meatballs. You could bake them but I browned them and cooked them in a skillet with 1 1/2 tsp of canola oil. I cooked on medium low until done. After cooking, this equaled 2 green servings. 

Green

Then for the green portion of my meal, I broiled baby bok choy. Just cut the bok choy in half, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with a bit of salt and broil for 5-7 minutes. Serve. I drizzled a bit of Frank's hot sauce on mine. 

I also served mine with some steamed broccoli to get in my servings of green.

Delicious!

Orange Julius? Yes, Please!

What if I told you that you could have an orange julius and still stay on plan? Well, if you're like me...you'd say hell yeah, sign me up! Well you can....sort of. It's not technically Orange Julius but it's delicious and very close (oh and very simple). . . 

Take the Medifast Orange Blend drink (one of my favorites anyway) and pour the powder in a blender. 

Orange Blend Drink (pour the powder in a blender, don't add water)

Now throw in some ice. However much you like. 

Then instead of water, add a cup of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla. Delicious! 

Did you know that 1 cup of this counts as 1 condiment?

Blend and drink!

Delicious!! 

To Recap:

1 packet of Orange Blend drink

A handful of ice

1 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Milk

Blend. Enjoy! 

Remember to count one meal and one condiment:) 

Craving Nuggets

Do you ever just want something breaded? I go through that craving once in a while and lately I've been craving Chicken Nuggets. I make them for the kids occasionally and I prefer to make them from scratch so that I know they're real chicken and not some weird chicken leftover parts.

Until recently, I'll make them nuggets and bake plain ole' chicken breasts for me. Until now...I stumbled across this recipe from Sandy's Kitchen, an excellent resource by the way for lean and green recipes. These nuggets use Medifast Parmesan Puffs as the breading. A bonus - it gives me a chance to use those up as they aren't my favorite thing to eat. I have clients who love them but they're just not my favorite.

Here's the recipe:

Chicken Nuggets
from Sandy's Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 9 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast cut into cubes- should yield 6 oz cooked (1 Lean)
• 1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce (1 Condiment)
• 1 Bag Medifast Parmesan Cheese Puffs (1 Meal)
• 1 tbsp Reduced Fat Grated Parmesan Cheese (1 Condiment)

Optional Dipping Sauce:

• 2 tbsp Hidden Valley Light Ranch Dressing (1 Healthy Fat)
• 1 tsp Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce (0.33 Condiments)

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350. Finely crush the Parmesan puffs into a bread-crumb consistency - use food processor or just whack the heck out of the (already opened) bag with something heavy. Mix the Parmesan cheese with the processed Parmesan puffs and pour crumb mixture into a plastic Ziploc bag. Set aside.

Cut Chicken Breast into approximately 1 inch cubes/chunks. Combine chicken with 1 tbsp of Frank's Hot Wing Sauce, tossing until combined. Place the coated chicken (let excess sauce drip off chicken before placing in bag) into the Ziploc bag with the crumb mixture and shake the bag, making sure the chicken is completely coated with the crumbs.

Put the crumb coated chicken cubes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (etc.) and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on your oven, but I used my oven light and kept an eye on them to make sure they didn't burn.

Combine ranch dressing and 1 tsp Frank's Hot Wing Sauce and stir until combined. Serve with chicken bites.

1 Lean Serving with 2.33 Condiments, 1 Healthy Fat, and 1 Meal (Don't forget to add your Greens!)

Let me know if you try them. And remember - Sandy's Kitchen is a great resource. Lots of delicious Lean/Green ideas. Go there now! 

An Easter on Plan - Delicious!

I have always loved the holidays and all the food that goes with it. Meat, potatoes, desserts, dips, chips, butter, and sugar - delicious!

I decided to stay on plan for this Easter. I stayed on plan for Thanksgiving and for Christmas, I didn't see any reason to break that run of good health. Plus I'm SOOOO close to a goal that I just decided mashed potatoes, gravy, desserts, and bread just weren't worth it.

So I searched for delicious recipes and I have to say, I really enjoyed Easter dinner. And as a bonus, after eating, I still felt great. I didn't need a nap or stretchy pants and I didn't have any guilt over eating poorly.

My tip to surviving the holidays on plan....put a little extra effort into those veggies. It'll make your meal feel special.

Lean:
For the lean portion of my meal, I chose turkey breast. I was tempted to do ham or lamb but I decided turkey was the way to go. I could have six ounces.

Green:

Kale Salad

Easter Kale Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch kale - chopped 

1 red pepper - diced

1 tomato - diced

two turkey bacon strips - cooked and chopped

1 spray of olive oil (very little)

salt/pepper to taste

Directions
Lightly spray the kale with the olive oil spray and "massage" it with your hands for 2-3 minutes. I know this sounds silly but it makes all the difference in the world when eating kale raw. It'll turn dark green and look a little wilted - that's when it's perfect. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Add other veggies - toss and refrigerate until ready to eat. 

Optional Lemon/Balsamic Vinaigrette
This is a vinaigrette recipe I use sometimes on my kale salads but I personally think the above salad was also delicious without it. 
2 tbsp lemon juice
a bit of lemon zest
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper to taste 
1 tsp finely chopped shallot
Mix it up, pour it on. Voila!


I also love the fact that Take Shape for Life added mashed potatoes as one of the meals. It allows us to eat mashed potatoes on holidays! Don't forget to subtract it from your 5 replacement meals if you do this. If you haven't tried the mashed potatoes, they're delicious. 

Now for the kids, I made a few things not on plan. Roasted potatoes, Marc's favorite strawberry dessert, and deviled eggs. No one felt deprived. 

Confession:
I ate one "traditional" Easter item. In my family, it's a tradition to have pickled eggs that are pickled in red beet juice. These are by far my favorite Easter treat. You may wrinkle your nose but they are DELICIOUS! I ate just one. 

Hope you had a happy Easter!

Slow Cooked Pernil (Puerto Rican Pork)

Several months ago, I pinned a recipe for Skinny Slow Cooked Pernil that sounded amazing! After making it last night, I can say it most definitely was! Visit skinnytaste.com for the original recipe but I'm reposting here for your convenience:

yummy, simple ingredients

Slow Cooked Pernil

Ingredients: 

• 3 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed
• 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• 3 oranges, juice of (1/2 cup)
• 2 limes, juice of

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the pork and stuff holes with half of the crushed garlic. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Place in the ceramic part of the crock pot, cover and refrigerate, turning pork occasionally so the marinade covers all of pork.

Super good!

The next day, remove the crock pot and cook on low, 8 hours.

After 8 hours, remove pork and shred using two forks. Remove liquid from crock pot and add pork back to crock. Add about 1 cup of the liquid back and adjust salt, pepper and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

This was delicious. I served it with avocado, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos (I like it spicy) and cucumbers - oh and the kids liked a sprinkle of cheese and tortilla. Give it a try!

Chicken Cacciatore with Roasted Radishes

Moment of truth - I really dislike chicken. I know it's healthy and blah blah blah but I'd prefer a nice marbled steak. Because I know chicken is a good option, I'm always on the lookout for recipes and this week I decided to attempt a Chicken Cacciatore recipe. 

I scoured Pinterest for the perfect picture and came to this recipe from a blog called Proud Italian Cook. The photos had me hooked! I've never had this so I can't gauge the "authenticity" of this recipe but I can tell you it was AWESOME! To be "on plan" - I did make a few modifications so here is my version:

My Chicken Cacciatore simmering

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (note the original recipe called for whole chicken)
• 8oz. mixed mushrooms, like crimini and shiitake
• 1 onion, diced medium
• 1 small yellow and red pepper, diced medium
• 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, shaved
• pitted kalamata olives, a large handful
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup chicken broth plus 2 tbsp lime juice (this was my substitute for white wine in the original recipe)
• 1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes (no sugar added)
• 5 whole tomatoes chopped
• Assorted herbs, parsley, basil, oregano and thyme
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Season chicken with salt, pepper and sprinkled oregano.
• Heat a heavy cast iron skillet, drizzled with olive oil.
• Place chicken in pan and do not move it until it reaches a deep golden brown and it's easy to turn, brown other side for a few minutes. 
• Remove chicken and set aside.
• Add vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, a few twigs of thyme, saute for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and lime juice mixture and let it reduce.
• Add chicken broth and tomatoes.
• Toss in 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and chopped fresh basil.
• Place the chicken back into the pan and sink into the juices.
• Simmer on low uncovered on the stove top for about 45 minutes. (Note: I was in a hurry or I would have simmered this even longer so that the chicken would sort of falls apart. The original recipe said to cook until chicken falls off the bone.)
• Garnish with fresh parsley.

Of course, Proud Italian Cook suggested serving with cooked pasta, polenta or warm crusty bread and we know that's not on plan! I didn't necessarily need any more veggies but I like the feeling of having a "side dish" so I used the opportunity to try another recipe....another Pinterest find of course. Have you ever thought of roasting radishes? Me either - until this recipe crossed my path. I'd say this one is worth trying but it's a little odd. I'd make it again for something different but I don't know that it will end up in my regular rotation.

Roasted Radishes

Ingredients:

My roasted radishes

• 2 bunches radishes, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
• spray with Pam
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and toss together. Spray with Pam. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread radishes onto a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until radishes have crisped and browned around the edges and have become almost fork tender.
• Lightly adjust seasonings and finish with lemon zest, if desired. Serve.

Delicious dinner. Give it a try!

Asparagus-Bacon Frittata

Did you know eggs are allowed on the 5&1 plan? There are people who don't and sometimes I forget. The other night I wanted something different and I didn't want to go to the store. I looked through my fridge and found that I had turkey bacon, eggs, asparagus and decided a fritatta sounded delicious. For a "guidelines" I found this recipe on Pinterest. It was DELICIOUS! 

You can follow the link for the original recipe but here's my recipe with edits:

Asparagus Bacon Frittata

• 3-5 slices turkey bacon
• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• ½-1 lb. asparagus, sliced on the bias
• 5-6 eggs, beaten

To Cook:

• Cook bacon in a large cast iron or oven-safe, nonstick skillet until crispy. Remove from pan and let cool on paper towels.
• Warm a 2 tsp olive oil in skillet and add sliced onion. Keep heat at medium low and let onions cook slowly to get caramelized (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally.
• When onions are soft, add the chopped garlic and stir. Let cook one minute until garlic is fragrant.
• Add asparagus and turn heat up to medium. Let cook for 5-10 minutes, or until asparagus is cooked to desired doneness.
• Meanwhile, chop your cooled bacon into small strips. Turn on the oven to the broil setting.
• When asparagus is done, stir in chopped bacon. Then pour the eggs over the asparagus mixture and make sure it covers everything evenly.
• Let cook on the stovetop for about 2 minutes, then transfer to the oven (on a middle rack). Cook in oven for 5-10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through and no longer appear wet on top.
• Remove from oven and serve!

As you can tell from the photo, I did add a bit of low-fat mozzarella to the top near the end of cooking. It was delicious! I served it with a salad and fresh sliced tomatoes! Yum!

What to Do with Wilt-y Salad Mix

I eat a LOT of salad. It's easy, convenient, fast, healthy, and delicious. My favorite is the Earthbound Organics Herb Salad Mix. It has a variety of greens, herbs, and is a great price. I buy it for about $5 for a big giant tub of it.

my favorite salad mix

Buying it in a big tub has a drawback. Occassionally, the mix gets a little "wilty" before I eat it all and so I find myself throwing it out.

Last night, I was faced with throwing out more than half a container. Disappointing on two levels....

First, I haven't gone to the grocery store and so my choices are limited. There goes my plan to have salad - now what?

Second, I really hate throwing something I paid for out.

So I got "creative" - now I'm sure there are those of you who are going to think "duh" but I decided to cook it. DELICIOUS!

First, I took a tsp of olive oil. Added a bit of minced garlic and cooked it until fragrant (about a minute). Added some very thinly sliced onion. Cooked about another 2-3 minutes. Then added about 3 handfuls of the salad mix. Cooked it (tossing it a bit) for about 2 minutes. Put it on a plate and voila - an easy side dish.

Give it a try!

Spring = Asparagus

There are many things I love about Spring but one of them is asparagus. At close to $4/lb the rest of the year, Spring brings prices that are affordable. I recently picked up asparagus for just 99 cents a lb! Of course, I bought an insane amount of it and then have been looking for different ways to use it. Here's a recipe I found recently that is delicious! (Note: medifastcenters.com is a great resource for healthy delicious recipes)

Chicken and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½” slices (should yield two 6-oz cooked servings)
• 4 cups field or Italian salad greens
• ½ cup (6 medium or 12 small/thin 5-¼” to 7” spears) asparagus
• ½ cup (4 medium) cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Ken’s® Red Wine Vinegar & Olive Oil
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp Mrs. Dash® Original Garlic & Herb Seasoning Blend

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together salad dressing, lemon juice, Mrs. Dash®, salt, and black pepper. Trim asparagus ends, but leave the rest whole. Bring pot of water to boil; add asparagus and cook 7-10 minutes or until al dente (tender-crisp). Slice chicken and chop tomatoes; set aside until asparagus is cooked. Drain asparagus, then add, chicken, tomatoes, asparagus, and dressing mixture to pot and cook over medium heat until mixture is warmed through and chicken is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. To serve, line plates with 2 cups salad greens; add chicken and asparagus mixture over greens.

Nutritional info: 2 servings, 380 calories, 12 g total fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 145 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 11 g total carbs, 4 g fiber, 56 g protein

Delicious! Enjoy! 

Amazing Fried Rice Recipe

I'm always on the lookout for yummy recipes and a while back, I pinned this Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe. With everything in my pantry and fridge, I decided to attempt it.

It was DELICIOUS! Seriously, even if you think you hate cauliflower....you must try this.

Cauliflower Fried Rice 

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 5 slices thick cut bacon, chopped (Uncured Organic Bacon for Strict Paleo)
• 1 lb. organic chicken breast, sliced into thin pieces
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tb. freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped, greens and whites separated
• 1 cup shredded carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup chopped thai basil or cilantro
• 1-3 Tb. soy sauce 
• 1 tsp. sriracha or chile paste
• Lime wedges for serving
• Coconut oil for frying

Directions:

1. Chop the bacon, chicken and veggies so you can work quickly once you start cooking. Cut the cauliflower into florets and place in the food processor. Pulse until it roughly resembles rice.
2. Heat a large wok (or skillet) over medium heat. Place a rimmed dish to the side of the wok as a holding dish. Add the bacon to the skillet and fry until brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the dish.
3. Add the eggs to the skillet and quickly scramble. Use your spoon to break into small pieces, then move to the holding dish. If needed add a small amount of oil to the wok. Turn the heat to high and add the chicken, white onion pieces, ginger and garlic. Stir fry until the chicken is just barely cooked through, then add the carrots and cook another minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the holding dish.
4. Now add the cauliflower "rice" to the wok. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes until soft, but still firm. Add all the cooked ingredients back to the wok, along with the frozen peas, soy sauce to taste, and chile paste. Toss and cook until the peas are warmed through, then toss in the green onion tops and basil. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Copied from A Spicy Perspective