Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love this time of the year. Seriously, it is THE best. Crisp air, crackling fires, jeans, sweaters, Halloween, my birthday.... It is fantastic!!

Anyway, I wanted something warm and filling last night, and this hit the spot.  I posted a picture to social media, and was blown away by the response! Apparently I'm not alone in my love of fall foods...

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Water

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

• 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 chopped yellow onion

• Salt and ground black pepper,  to taste

• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies

• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic crusher

• 1/4 cup green onion chopped

• 2 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 3/4 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup frozen corn

• Juice of one lime

•  chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

• Place chicken, onion, and enough water to cover both into a large pot. Bring to a low boil until cooked through and easily shredded. Most of the water should boil down.
• Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, garlic, green onion, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and coriander, along with black beans and corn. Let simmer covered for at least an hour to blend all the flavors.  Not long before serving,  add cilantro and lime juice, stir. 
• Serve warm with tortilla strips, cheese, plain greek yogurt or sour cream, or other any other ingredients you might like!

A couple of notes - My chicken was frozen, so that first step was necessary to get dinner finished in time! Later I had to add some water after simmering because I got distracted outside with the kids and it boiled down a little more than I expected. I didn't actually measure the green onion, corn, or cilantro... My three year old son ate his strained and over rice. Also, you could probably throw everything (except beans, corn, cilantro, and lime) in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Then add the last ingredients about 20 minutes before serving.  I may try this next time! 

21 Day Fix portions - I haven't officially calculated,  but the soup without toppings is roughly 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1/2 green.  Add a blue for cheese,  extra red depending on amount of Greek yogurt, extra yellow for tortilla chips.  You get the idea!  

Let me know if you like it!

If you'd like more information on the 21 day fix,  follow this link

Asian Style Meatballs with Healthy Fried Rice

It is not often that I cook something that the ENTIRE family likes.  In fact, this might be the first time ever (with the exception of homemade pizza because, let's face it, who doesn't love pizza?) We eat pretty healthy at the Perdue home, so sometimes, I get a little tired of chicken, veggies, and salad! This meal seriously hit the spot!  So different from our typical dinner.  Loaded with protein, veggies, and good carbs- what more could a mom want?!   So without further ado, here's the recipes for both!

Asian Style Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb extra lean ground beef (96/4)
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp sesame oil  (divided use 1/2 tbsp each)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (divided use 2 cloves each)
• 1 tsp ground ginger (divided use 1/2 tsp each)
• 3 scallions, minced (or half of 1 small onion)
• 1/3 cup, plus 2 tbsp Bragg liquid aminos (or reduced sodium soy sauce)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar 
• 2 tbsp honey

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray (preferably extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil).
2. In a medium sized bowl add ground beef, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tbsp liquid aminos, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, scallions/onions, Panko crumbs, and egg. Combine well using hands.
3. Form into approximately 36 one inch meatballs. Place on baking sheet and cook for about 15 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside. Let cool for 5 minutes.
4. While the meatballs cook, whisk together 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, honey and rice vinegar.
5. When meatballs are ready, pour sauce over them and stir gently to make sure they all get covered well.
6. Serve as appetizers with toothpicks or over fried rice as a main course. Garnish with additional sliced scallions if desired.

Note: I did not coat the meatballs with the sauce. I drizzled the sauce over the meatballs on top of the fried rice. It was perfect! 

  

Healthy Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups Cooked Brown Rice 
• 1.5 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
• 2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos, Tamari Sauce, or reduced sodium soy 
• 1 cup Fresh Green Beans, chopped
• 1.5 cups Fresh Broccoli, chopped
• 4 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 2 Medium Carrots, chopped
• 0.5 Sweet Bell Pepper, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat coconut oil in large wok and add onions, green beans, carrots, sweet bell pepper, and broccoli.  Stir often and cook until vegetables soften, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Remove vegetables from wok.  In small bowl, beat eggs with sesame oil and 1 tsp liquid aminos/tamari/soy. Cook in wok until cooked.  Break eggs into tiny pieces.  Add vegetables and brown rice into wok.
3. Add remaining liquid aminos/tamari/soy and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until warmed through.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes:  This makes about 4 one cup servings.  For those following the 21 day fix diet - 1 yellow, 0.5 red, 1 green, 2 tsp 

I hope your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine!  Let me know if you love it!  

If you are interested in more information about the 21 day fix, please follow this link

To sign up for a FREE TeamBEACHBODY membership, Click on this link

How to Enjoy the weekend without Sacrificing your Health

     We've all been there.  We stay on point all week with our diet and exercise.  Then Friday hits and a friend invites you out for dinner and drinks after work.  Saturday morning rolls around and you sleep in and don't really feel like exercising yet.  You head out to go shopping or run errands and next thing you know you're grabbing Panera Bread or Sbarro pizza for lunch.  You get home, maybe squeeze in a workout, but then, Crap, it's almost dinner time and you have nothing ready to cook.  Guess we'll go out to eat, maybe catch a movie and eat some popcorn/Twizzlers.  Everyone knows that we go out to lunch after church on Sundays. Lord help us if there's a bake sale going on.  Then it's grocery shopping time.  Oh no, my football game is on, I must sit down and watch it.  Well, shoot, it's dinner time again..  guess I'll just throw a pizza in the oven.    Any of this sound familiar??  Please tell me I'm not alone?!
     The key to avoiding all these diet sabotages is to PLAN.  I'm going to provide some hopefully helpful solutions for some of these weekend flubs!

1. When going to a party or picnic- make the event about the people not the food! ...When I first heard this, it was an eye opener. Duh! Focus on your friends and family and enjoying their company. Talk and be genuinely interested in people.

2. Pre-plan. For restaurant dining, look at the menu before you go. Find a healthy option and order first. Be an example to your friends. Be careful with salads- light on cheese and dressing on the side. No croutons.. Don't be afraid to ask your server for something your way. Ask for butter and sour cream on the side. Steamed veggies are best. Look for grilled options or lean cuts of steak. Some restaurants are now providing calorie counts and nutrition facts right on the menu! Pay attention to them.

3. Stay away from the bread/chips & salsa/chips and dip or really any appetizers... They will fill you up with no little to no actual nutritional value. It's tough to resist! If others are ordering an appetizer, order a side salad so at least you have something to munch on to hopefully resist the calorie bombs!

4. When going to a party or picnic at a friend's or family's house, ask if they would like you to bring something. I always ask if I can bring some fruit or veggies. If they tell me they already have some, I know I will have at least one healthy option when I get there. Lol! You can also just show up with one of your favorite healthy party foods. No host will ever complain over extra food.

5. Pre-eat! Have a shake before you leave for the party, or an actual meal. Then you can focus on the company once you get there.

6. On the weekends, exercise first thing in the morning and make it a good one! I'm talking full on sweatfest! It's really easy to get busy and then skip your workout when you get home.

6. Lastly, Save your yellows and/or pencil in a cheat meal or drinks. Plan for your indulgence so that you don't throw in the towel after an unplanned splurge. We all like to beat ourselves up after indulging. It's silly and does more harm than the actual treat. Enjoy your cheat meal and MOVE ON! One meal is not going to undo a week's worth of hard work. Repeated indulgences will.

Meal Planning 101

Raise your hand if you love meal planning?!??

(Insert cricket noises here.....)

I know, who in their right mind likes meal planning?!   Maybe those crazy anal retentive people who have a list for every aspect of their lives, but who has time for that? I used to be a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl, but I truly have found that if you have a plan and a goal, you will succeed. I've seen it in my own life and in many others.  I've also found that meal planning is extremely intimidating.  Sitting down with a blank calendar and trying to figure out where to start is tough! Today I'm going to give you a few tips that have helped me tackle meal planning. I've also provided some links to the 2 meal planning templates that my friends and I enjoy using. I hope they help you!  

 

1. KEEP IT SIMPLE: Don't stress about finding a recipe for every meal, each day of the week. Holy moly that would have us going crazy. If you like eggs, scramble them one morning and make an omelet the next. Like oatmeal? Make a big batch and have it 2 days in a row. Love your Shakeology? Drink it everyday for your snack. Do you enjoy fruit? Are strawberries in season? Have them as a snack every other day in the afternoon. Rather have carrots? Grab a bag and take that as a snack. Dinners can be as simple as grilled chicken with seasoning, broccoli, and an apple.  The point is... DO NOT treat your meal plan like a revolving gourmet restaurant.   Of course, please try new things occasionally! Pin a healthy recipe for a night you know you will have extra time and pencil it in!

2. REPEAT MAIN INGREDIENTS: If you plan it right, you can make a batch of your main ingredient for one night's dinner and then use the rest for the next day’s lunch. For example, we will have meatballs and spaghetti tonight but I'll make extra so we can have meatball "subs" tomorrow. I'm planning on BBQ Chicken wraps one night, and then using it again for a BBQ Chicken salad the next day for lunch. This makes planning and prepping faster. Or better yet, grill or bake several pounds of chicken with a multipurpose seasoning and use it for 3 different meals throughout the week!

3. PLAN AHEAD... BUT NOT TOO FAR AHEAD: 9 out of 10 times you'll need to make a mid or end of the week grocery run. For me that is either Wednesday or Thursday. I leave my plan "flexible" Friday through Sunday, because we may have leftovers that can be used or something may get planned and we won't be around on the weekend to eat it.. Instead of stressing about the food that might go to waste, don't plan those days until you need to. I do allot my containers for each of my unplanned meals.  That way when faced with deciding what to eat at a restaurant or family member's house, I at least can keep myself in check!

4. BE FLEXIBLE: For me, I aim to follow my plan 90% of the time. Let's face it, things come up and we need to have the flexibility to make changes. But here is the kicker, if you stray from the plan, DO NOT feel guilty about it for days.  Just jump back on track at the next meal and/or day.  Guilt is an ugly emotion and it can rip your diet and healthy lifestyle to shreds if you let it!

When I sit down to plan my meals for the week, I find it easiest to start with my dinners. Next I tackle leftover lunches. Then I check my schedule and jot in my shakeology. Finally I fill in the breakfast, snack, and lunch slots that are left. If trying to plan a whole week is just too challenging, start with the next 2-3 days only!

Simple 21 day Fix Meal Planning Calendar

Another Style of Meal Planning Template

Ok, your meal plan is complete?  Now what?   Grocery shopping of course!!   First, write down the ingredients you need to actually cook and/or prepare all of your meals and snacks.  Next go through your pantry and cross of the things you already have. Now you have your list.  Here's my top tips for hitting the grocery store. 



1. STICK TO WHAT YOU NEED, NOT WHAT YOU WANT: One of the BIGGEST traps when executing your plan is straying from your list while shopping at the grocery store. Most stores are going to set you up for failure by putting delicious treats up in the front, processed foods packed in every aisle, and candy at the checkout so it can stare you down while you are waiting for the cashier to hurry up! Go in knowing exactly what you need, and leave with ONLY THAT! It's too easy to be derailed throughout the week when you have food in the house that is NOT aligned with your goals. Don't even bring it in the house!!!

2. THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX: Did you know that the path you follow in the grocery store will greatly impact your ability to stay on track with your on your nutrition goals? It sure does! Rule of thumb, NEVER go inside the box unless you have to. Stick to the edges of the store and you'll stick to your healthy eating plan! 95% of all processed foods are located IN the aisles and 9 out of 10 times, you don't need anything in there so stick to your perimeter and you'll be golden!

3. DON'T GO SHOPPING IF YOU ARE HUNGRY! This needs no explanation. Just don't do it. I like to take my shakeology with me when I’m shopping. Curbs my sweet tooth and helps me resist the candy aisle!

Thanks for checking out my meal planning tips!   If you have questions or want more information about BEACHBODY products, email me here
Also, please feel free to visit my webpage
For more information about Shakeology, click here
And finally for a FREE TeamBEACHBODY membership, follow this link