SiMpLe ReCiPeS

21 Day Fix - Creamy Herb Dressing
So good and so healthy! Great replacement for ranch!
Ingredients:
1 medium avacado
1.5 cups nonfat plain greek yogurt
4 tbsp finely chopped herbs (tarragon, parsley, mint, cilantro)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/3 cup EVOO
Season with salt and pepper
Put all the ingredients in a blender except the oil! Then slowly add the oil as you continue to blend.
This picture below is BEFORE the oil.
I added hot sauce on my salad with it to get a ranch and buffalo sauce type of flavor!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

In blender: 2 tomatoes, 1/8th jalapeno, 1/4 onion, 2 cloves garlic, italian seasoning, fresh basil, pepper, red pepper flakes
BLEND
This is the simplest version of this recipe, haha. I like it that way! You can probably add tomato paste and fancier ingredients if you want :)

(this is with spaghetti squash - clearly it is not as red or vibrant as canned tomato sauce - this might be a sign!)


Seasoned Chick Peas
I tried these before by putting them in the oven and I found them to be dry and chewy. I finally found a way to make them that is GOOD and EASY!
Spices: 1tbsp chili powder + 1tbsp cumin + 1tbsp garlic powder + 1tbsp pepper + 1tsp red pepper flakes
1. Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas
2. Cook on high for 2 minutes in frying pan
3. Add half of spice mixture
4. Cook on high for 2 more minutes
5. Add the rest of the spices
6. Cook on high for 2 more minutes
7. I added a little bit of lime juice and cooked a little longer!!

ADD these to salads, wraps, soups, or eat them plain as a snack! YUM!

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
I found this recipe on pinterest, but it was so good, I had to share it here as well! I also learned how to make spaghetti squash from this recipe... I made extra to put in the fridge for later in the week :)
Message me for the recipe - it's not working on this site for some reason!

Lime-Mint Snap Pea & Lima Bean Salad
YUM!

1   small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons  lemon juice

2 tablespoons  chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon  Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon  sugar

1/4 teaspoon  salt

1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper

1 pound  sugar snap peas, trimmed

10 ounces  frozen baby lima beans, thawed

1. Whisk shallot, oil, lemon juice, mint, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

2. Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Steam snap peas and lima beans until the snap peas are tender-crisp and the lima beans are heated through, 5 to 7 minutes. 

3. Toss with the vinaigrette.

Sweet Potato Salad
 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
8oz frozen corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 avocados, pit and skin removed, chopped
Juice of 3 limes
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and boil until slightly softer than firm.
2. Transfer sweet potatoes into a large frying pan and cook on high with the corn.
3. Season the potatoes and corn with garlic powder, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, and lemon juice. Cook until charred.
4. Stir in potatoes, corn, black beans, red pepper, green onions, cilantro, and avocado into a large bowl.
5. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and stir until combined.
6. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.

 

Shakeology Energy Balls
This recipe should be in the dictionary next to the word, EASY and YUMMY!
1. Add together & mix
1c oats
0.5c peanut butter
0.5c coconut flakes
0.5c ground flax seeds
 1 scoop chocolate shakeology
1/3c honey
1tsp vanilla
2. Form into small bite sized balls!

Veggie Pizza
You guys already know, if it's here, it's EASY, FAST, & HEALTHY.
1. Add water to a pizza crust packet (cheap and easy, try to get the whole wheat powder). Follow crust instructions.
2.  Add taco/pizza/spaghetti sauce! Whatever is in the fridge.
3. Put red pepper flakes, garlic power, hot sauce, and italian seasoning on top of the sauce.
4. Add veggies. In this picture I used onions, squash, mushrooms, and peppers. I also LOVE olives and pineapple on the pizza.
5. Lay raw spinach on top
6. Add small amounts of fresh parmesan cheese on top of the spinach.
7. Cook until crush is crunchy and cheese is melted!!

Taco Egg Whites:
1. Add 1 cup of egg whites to a frying pan (spray with cooking spray first!)
2. Add 1/4 cup salsa and cook until liquid is gone
3. Add seasonings. I added black pepper, red pepper flakes, and sriracha sauce.
4. Eat with guacamole!

Goat Cheese & Vegetable Quesadillas (< 300 calories!)
Super fast and healthy!
1. Chop 1 squash or zucchini, 0.5 Onion, 0.5 red pepper (or any vegetables you want!)
2. Add chopped vegetables to a wrap (in this case I used a 100 calorie flat bread)
3. Add garlic powder, pepper, red pepper flakes, and sriracha sauce on top of the veggies
4. Top with light goat cheese (or any cheese)
5. Bake at 400 degrees to melt the cheese
6. Eat with salsa and guacamole!
Because I used 100 calorie flat break + 100 of goat cheese + 30 calories of vegetables = < 300 calories (before the guacamole)! I also made another one for lunch tomorrow!! Planning = Success! Enjoy!

Zucchini Pasta Salad
So easy!
1. Peel and shred about 4 small or 2 large zucchini per person. They say to use a mandolin to get the right texture and thickness of the "noodles" but I just used a regular shredder and made long firm strokes.
2. Add sundired tomatoes and cherry tomatoes
3. Add garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper

Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
This was so much easier than I thought!! And soooo yummy!
1. Scoop insides out of zucchini halves
2. Boil zucchini halves for 1 minute
3. Fill zucchini with any taco meat filling
4. Top with cheese
5. Bake at 400 degrees until cheese melts and zucchini is cooked through (about 15 minutes)
6. Serve with salsa and chives!   

Black Bean Quinoa Chili

 (compliments of the best roomie ever!)

This is a very quick and easy way to make vegetarian chili! No more simmering all day to get the right texture!Ingredients: 2 cans of black beans, 2 cans diced tomatoes (16oz each), 3.5 cups vegetable broth, 0.5 cup quinoa (garlic flavored!), 1 diced sweet potato (uncooked), 3 tbsp chili powder, 0.5 tsp cumin, some cayenne pepper, 1 chopped onion
1. Saute onion and sweet potatos with some olive oil
2. Add in seasonings
3. Add rest of the ingredients
4. Boil for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are cooked
5. Let sit for 30 minutes to thicken


Edamame

For the longest time, I would wait until I went to sushi restaurants to eat this. I now make it at home for a healthy snack!
Just buy a bag of frozen edamame and heat it up! Add salt!

This is the brand I recommend (the others can be mushy):  

Easy Baked Fish
There are 2 amazing and healthy ways to do this.

First one: 
1. Place fish in baking dish and spray with cooking spray
2. Season fish as desired (I use pepper, blackening seasoning, or herbs) 
3. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and fresh garlic to the pan (I also like to add cherry tomatoes and green beans)
4. Bake at 400 degrees  until cooked

Second one:
1. Place fish in a large piece of foil (make a foil boat)
2. Poor marinade over fish (lemon & garlic, salsa, honey mustard...)
3. Bake in foil boat at 400 degrees until cooked (usually 10 minutes for tilapia or 20 minutes for salmon)

Herb Seasoned Quinoa
I love Quinoa, but it can be plain if you eat it alone. I learned how to season it in a healthy way today!
1. Cook 1.5 cups (dry) of Quinoa using directions on the bag
2. Put the following in a bowl:
- 2-4 tbsp of butter (I use veggie butter) or margarine
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest 
- 3 tbsp of each: parsley, thyme, and basil (as fresh as you can, it is still good with dried and bottled herbs)
3. Warm up in the microwave so the butter melts and the herbs warm up
4. Mix in the quinoa
5. Season with pepper, salt, and garlic powder

Easy peasy queasy!!!! I added chicken and veggies to mine!

Fat Free Italian Dressing Uses
Healthy salad dressings are hard to find and usually don't taste very good.

My recipe: fat free italian dressing + lemon + orange juice + crushed pepper

Look at all the ways I use of fat free italian dressing!!!
1. Salad dressing
2. Saute veggies/meat (instead of high calorie oil!!)
3. Marinate meat
4. Mix with other more fattening dressings
5. Roast or season vegetables
6. Bake fish with it in foil (no butter needed!!)

Easy Chicken & Veggie Fajitas
(compliment of my bff Karie!)
This could not have been easier or tasted better. We ate it plain with brown rice, but this would be perfect for fajitas!!

• Chop vegetables that you like! I chose peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and onion.
• Season vegetables. I chose fat free italian dressing (so good!), garlic, curry, pepper.
• Chop chicken breast (2)
• Place chicken in bottom of 9*13 baking dish, pour vegetables on top, bake at 400F for 30-45 minutes.
• Stir every 10-15 minutes and stop when chicken is cooked through!!

TVP (meat substitute)
I am not a full vegetarian or vegan, but this stuff is GREAT! It is dry in your cabinet so you can store it forever, it is CHEAPER than ground beef, and it has all the same protein as ground beef without the fat. I use it for taco meat, stuffing peppers, lettuce wraps, spaghetti, or anything! Sometimes plain with veggies!!

• Soak dry TVP in equal amounts of cold water
• Saute like any other meat (may want to season more though!!)

Banana Ice-cream

• Put 2 frozen chopped bananas with a small amount of agave nectar in a blender and BLEND
  

Black Bean Burgers
(Compliments of Brooke Nowak - The best sister ever)

• Drain 3 cans of black beans, rinse, DRY (drying is important!)
• Place beans in blender or food processor with 2 chopped green peppers and 1 chopped onion, blend
• Once blended, poor contents into a bowl, and add seasoning (bbq sauce, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, basil, hot sauce... up to you!)
• Once seasoned, add traditional oats or bread crumbs to get to a consistency that you can form
• Form into medium sized patties, place in fridge to chill for 1-2 hours
• Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes on each side (or until hard enough to handle on a burger bun!!)
• Makes about 24 burgers!! YOU CAN FREEZE EXTRA :)
  

Quinoa sweet potato salad

(Compliments of Brooke Nowak - The best sister ever)

• Cook 2 cups of quinoa (follow directions on bag)
• Cook 2-3 chopped sweet potatoes (not fully cooked, like potato salad consistency)
• While the potatoes and quinoa are cooking:
• Chop 1 red pepper, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, and saute in vegetable broth or olive oil
• Heat 1 can of corn (optional)
• Add quinoa, cooked chopped sweet potatoes, sauted onions, pepper, and garlic, corn, and a couple handfulls of spinach into a large bowl and mix
• Make sauce: equal parts of maple syrup (1/4 cup), soy sauce (1/4 cup), lemon juice (1/4 cup)
• Add sauce to mixture
• Chill in fridge for 1 hour