Cauliflower Fried Rice

This recipe is super easy and was a crowd pleasure for my entire family!  Oh, and did I mention it's healthy?  Nothing but veggies and protein are in this dish!  I know, WINNER!!!!  I hope you like it as much as we did! Now as you know, cooking (let alone taking fancy pictures) is not my thing...basic and easy are my thing so here is an easy to follow, not sure about measurements but throw it all together and I know it will still taste good Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe!  =)

 First saute an onion and garlic glove in coconut oil.

Then add cauliflower rice (about 2 cups) and continue to saute.

You can shred a cauliflower head but I get this bag from Costco and the work is already done for you! 

Add carrots and peas.  You can use frozen or I used 1 can of them mixed.

Add 4 eggs and scramble them in the middle then stir everything together.

Season with 3-4 Tbsp. of gluten free soy sauce, salt and pepper.

Add shrimp, chicken, or beef and...

ENJOY!!!!!

Honey Veggie Mix

You know those nights when dinnertime is approaching and you have no idea what you're going to fix?!  Surely I'm not the only one...right?!?

Ok, well that happens to me often!  The days are busy and by the time we get home from one of the kids practices after school, they're ready to eat!  Yesterday was one of these days that I didn't plan for and I had nothing made.  We could have made sandwiches or something else super easy but I wanted to feed us some VEGGIES!!  I had some ground meat cooked in the fridge that was extra from a baked ziti dish I made for a friend the other night and I needed to use it!  So my wheels started turning...I'll just make bakes ziti!  The kids weren't having that!  They giggled as they yelled, "NOOOOO!!" in unison!   Apparently I make that a lot!  So a concoction it was!

I looked in the fridge and grabbed some things, looked in the pantry and did the same and got busy.

Can I just tell you that my thrown together meal was a hit with all 5 members of our family!  So delicious, so easy, and I made it with things I already had in the kitchen...WIN, WIN, WIN!!  The kids helped name it...Honey Veggie Mix.  Genius! ;)

Here is the recipe below.  I hope you enjoy!!

Disclaimer: I am not a chef (that just made me laugh out loud!) or remotely close to being an expert.  AT. ALL.  So if you don't see a measurement it means I just added a "normal" amount...so cilantro, honey, olive oil... I just added enough to saute the veggies!  If I had to guess on the honey I would say 4 Tbsp.?!  Anyway, it's not a science..add as you want!  =)

Ingredients

1. rice (brown rice or quinoa would be even better!)
2. olive oil
3. honey
4. 1 yellow bell pepper
5. 1 red bell pepper
6. 1 orange bell pepper
7. 3 cups spinach
8. cilantro
9. 1 pound lean ground meat
10. 1 can black beans
11. 1 can Amy's Chunky Tomato Bisque
12. salt
13. pepper
14. seasonings of your choice- I used Tony Chachere's
15. cheese

Directions:

1. Start cooking rice in a pot per directions on bag.
2. Pour your olive oil and honey into a large pan and begin heating.
3. Dice your peppers and put into a pan with spinach and cilantro.  Saute until veggies are soft and spinach is cooked down.
4. Pour in cooked ground meat, black beans, and Tomato Bisque.  Stir it all together and add your seasonings. 
5. Rice should be finished so they you scoop some rice into a bowl, dish your meat mixture on top of the rice and top with cheese!  ENJOY!!!!  

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers...I see them everywhere and they're a great idea but once they're made how the heck do you eat them?!  We just cut them up which then made me wonder why we stuff them in the first place instead of just chopping the peppers from the beginning but I guess that's because the peppers would get too soft?!  Something to think about but regardless they were delicious and my 7 & 5 year old actually gave me a hug and thanked me while they praised how yummy they were! =) I was pretty shocked and made a mental note that I will keep this recipe on the list of regulars!  I actually made this recipe up...  I've seen lots of different recipes out there that I've wanted to try but last night my daughter had gymnastics and I didn't have a clue what I was cooking for dinner.  I got home and decided I would throw some things together to make a healthy dish and this is what I decided on!  I'm pretty proud of the spinach addition because nobody would EVER know it's in there!  So healthy and so yummy!!   Try them yourself and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

• Quinoa
• 6 Bell Peppers
• 2 pounds lean ground turkey or I used venison from our freezer (perks of a hunter husband!) which is super lean.
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 TBSP coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped spinach (I chopped fresh spinach in my food processor) 
• 2 tomatoes, diced OR you can use 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 3 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning (it's salt free!)
• pepper to taste (a little salt is delicious but if you're doing the 21 Day Fix then don't add it!)
• grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook Quinoa according to box.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the top of each bell pepper and rinse out seeds. If you need to trim some of the pepper on the bottom so it stands up on the pan you can! 

Place foil on a pan or casserole dish and place bell peppers inside.

Heat coconut oil in large skillet and add onion, garlic, and chopped spinach and saute for 5 minutes or until soft.

Add the ground meat and cook through.

Add the tomatoes and spices and mix well.  

Once Quinoa is finished, mix it in the skillet and blend.

Tightly stuff the mixture into the peppers and then top with shredded cheese.  

Bake for 30 minutes.  ENJOY!!!!  Please share or pin this recipe with someone you think would like it!  How do you eat your stuffed peppers?  

Day 15 of the 21 Day Fix

I woke up early this morning feeling on FIRE!  I have rocked these first 2 weeks in my opinion and I am feeling fantastic!  I have energy, feel tighter/thinner, and who POPS out of bed ready for their workouts at 5:00?  Not the old me, but apparently the new me does!  I LOVE it!!

So today started my last week and I chose to do the DOUBLE week! I started by drinking my E&E and then pushed play to Total Body Cardio Fix and killed it!  I can tell that I'm getting a lot stronger and I actually had to buy some heavier weights (I was using 5 lbs, so I bought some 8 lb.).  After that I did Pilates Fix which was a great stretch and "Active Rest" compared to the cardio!

I did change my regular Banana Nutter Shakeology up today and made this delicious Cinnamon Roll recipe!  My kids loved it too so I made them one to enjoy as well!  

Today was a holiday and 2 of my kids had playdates scheduled so I took my middle daughter to the movies to see Annie.  I used to think to enjoy myself at the movies I had to experience everything by ordering a large coke, popcorn, sneaking in my box of Hot Tamales, and enjoying them during the movie.  This time I had water and brought in a pear plus a handful of my daughters popcorn.  Sounds boring but it was still really good and I was proud of myself for sticking to the plan.  Obviously we really enjoyed our time together so I am learning I don't have to indulge to experience something or enjoy myself!  Again, thinking about what I CAN have and not what I CANT!  =)

For dinner we had grilled chicken, mushrooms, and veggies!  We used salt free Mrs. Dash to season it with and everyone in the family enjoyed it!  My husband has seen how I've changed over the last 2 weeks (inside and out) and decided today that he wants to start THE FIX too!  I am so excited and happy for him!  So we took his before pictures and started planning.  We prepped chicken, fish, veggies, fruit, eggs, seasoning, and a bag of Shakeology for him to take to work and have on hand for snacks and lunches!  After we cooked it, we measured it with the containers and bagged it all up!  He did his workout and his journey has begun!  So excited to watch it change him like it has me!  I will update on his journey on my blog too!

Dinner is served!

 

Day 15 down, 6 more to go!

My Version of Goulash

What is Goulash?  

I looked it up and here is the definition: a soup or stew of meat and vegetables, seasoned with paprika and other spices.  So I guess I really can call this Goulash, right?!  Sounds legit to me!  =)

There are so many different versions of it but this is mine and it was GOOD!  I'm talking, not one complaint from my 7, 5, or 3 year old good...just silence and slurping as they ate!  Now, that's saying something!  =)

I like to cook with what I have at home and I've been known for just throwing a bunch of things in a pot and hoping it tastes good.  Sometimes it's downright awful but sometimes it's a keeper like this soup!  When a meal is easy, healthy, delicious AND all 5 members of my family love it...JACKPOT!!  

Here's my recipe and if you have a favorite Goulash Recipe I'd love to hear about it in the comments!  

ENJOY!!  XOXO

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of lean meat (I use venison/beef because our freezer is full of lean meat from my husbands deer but you should use lean beef or you could try lean ground turkey).
• 1 bunch of celery
• 1 sweet onion
• Carrots (I used baby carrots and just kept slicing until desired amount!)
• 6 red potatoes (again you can add as many or as little as you like)
• 3 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 can of corn
• water
• 4 Beef Bouillon cubes
• salt to taste
• pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese to garnish with

Directions:

• Peel your potatoes and then dice/chop your celery, onion, carrots and potatoes.
• Press your garlic if it's not already minced.
• Cook your meat, garlic and onion in a pot until it is brown
• Add all your vegetables to the pot
• Add your can of corn, undrained
• Pour in enough cups of water to rise slightly above all the ingredients
• Bring it to a boil and then add your cubes, salt, and pepper
• Steam/Boil in covered pot until all vegetables are soft then let simmer on low.  Make sure you watch it while it's boiling so it doesn't boil over!
• Dish into bowls and garnish with cheese!

I'm already hungry again! =)