Healthy Pad Thai

I began a new nutrtion program last week and I was really nervous because the plan I was using was working so well for me historically but after seeing that it not only helped people lose weight happily and was based off a lifestyle and a few principals I decided to give it a try! 

To my surprise I lost 3 lbs in 3 days even while fully participating in Cinco de mayo party I threw at my house! 

One of her suggestions was to not have carbs at dinner, I truly thought this would be a NO GO for me, I mean I LOVE carbs and specifically saved them for dinner. She explained that you should use your carbs for energy though the day. 

Think about it... what do you do after dinner, watch tv, get the kids to bed, wind down? YEP doesn't require much energy right. My favorite part of this program is the accessories! All the yummy things you get to put on your food to make it taste amazing. That is where I was won over. not to mention it is totally working! 

This healthy Pad Thai is not made with noodles, I used spaghetti squash. I HATE when people tell me " It tastes like pasta, you won't know the difference" wanna bet! Pasta is pasta and nothing is like it. 

What I can tell you is that this hit the spot and I did not miss the pasta. I don't wanna be that girl that says it is exactly the same it's not but this was fantastic so give it a try!  If you would like more info on the Food Freedom nutrition plan I have been loving just grab it here -> www.btyafitnessjourney.com/getfit

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INGREDIENTS 

  • 1 spaghetti squash about 3 pounds

  • 1 pound of boneless skinless thin chicken breasts ( Or if you are in a hurry rotisserie chicken)

  • 2 carrots sliced thin with a peeler

  • 1 red onion sliced thin

  • 1 red bell pepper diced into small pieces

  • 2 eggs

  • Olive oil

  • scant 1/4 tsp of garlic powder

  • scant 1/4 tsp of onion powder

  • 1 tsp sesame oil

  • 1/4 cup of soy sauce ( low sodium or liquid Braggs)

  • salt to taste

  • 1.5 tablespoons of Peanut butter or nut butter of choice

  • 1 -2 tsp of coconut sugar

  • 2 limes, Juice of 1 and save the others for squeezing over the top

  • Chopped salted nuts

DIRECTIONS

1.  First let's make the peanut sauce! place nut butter, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce a pinch of garlic powder and onion powder, lime juice, and coconut sugar, whisk till smooth set aside. ( if you like things a but spicy try adding a little squirt of siracha here yum!)

2. Season chicken to your liking and grill ( I like to use onion powder, garlic powder, salt, a bit of soy sauce and olive oil to season it up sometimes a bit of honey in the marinade before grilling. even if you just used salt pepper and olive oil it would be ok because of the peanut sauce! Grill till no longer pink and allow to rest on the counter slicing into thin slices when it is cooled

3. Poke a few holes in the spaghetti squash for venting and place in the microwave for 4-5 min set aside for to cool

4. While the chicken is cooking and the squash is cooling, warm a saute pan on medium heat add 2 tsp of olive oil to the pan cooking the veggies for about 3-4 min then add in garlic powder, onion powder 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce allow to cook another 3 minutes. 

5. Push the veggies to the side, use the extra space in the pan to scramble the 2 eggs. As the eggs cook open the squash and scrape the seed out of the middle scraping the squash noodles into the pan, stir to incorporate it all. Test seasoning and adjust as needed.

6. Add veggie mixture to a bowl, top with chicken, peanut sauce as desired and chopped peanuts. Serve with a lime to squeeze over before eating! 

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I did! 

 

BBQ Meatloaf

I LOVE BBQ everything, bbq chicken pizza, bbq southwestern salads and I just have not found a Bbq that is low enough in sugar but I FINALLY came across one and I have found a WINNER. This particular brand I got at wegmans so search your local stores and see if they have it! 

I got to work looking for a family friendly recipe to use this with and I came up with a BBQ meatloaf that the whole family loved! 

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Pound of lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup of plain gluten-free panko bread crumbs ( the whole wheat had sugar in it)
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 
  • 4 tablespoons of bbq sauce ( Dinosaur Bar-B-Que original)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  • pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat 350 degrees and in a large bowl mix ground beef, panko, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, and BBQ sauce with salt and pepper. Be sure to not over mix the meat
  2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper ( less clean up) and shape the meatloaf into a long log shape. 
  3. Mix the remaining bbq sauce, honey and Worcestershire sauce and pour over top the meatloaf
  4. bake for 45 min, slice and serve. if you need you can always add a touch more BBQ after it is done. 

If you use portion fix I counted 1 slice as 1 red, 1 orange ( I did not account for the panko because it is likely about 1 tablespoon per slice) 

 

COPYCAT Chick-fil-A Nuggets

OK here is the deal! I love chicken nuggests like a 5 year does but they KINDA gross me out not knowing whats really inside of them. When eating out we have a few go to places and Chick-Fil-A is one of those places. 

I came across a recipe on 100 days of real food and thought I would try it but OF COURSE I could not leave well enough alone and I adjusted the recipe to make them a bit crispier and I also found it VERY difficult to find a clean whole wheat breadcrumbs. 

So naturally I got to work and these beauties were born... the kids were elated that I said we are having chicken nuggets for dinner and yes they are clean and meal plan approved. 

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb chicken breast
  • 1 egg 
  • 1 cup Plain Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • dash of pepper
  • olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Dice chicken in to 1 inch peices
  2. Beat egg and leave in bowl
  3. Add panko, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika to small bowl and mix well. 
  4. Bread chicken pieces by dipping in the egg first, then into the breading to coat and set aside. I suggest breading all the chicken and then working in batches to cook them. ( another tip use 1 had for the egg and the other for the breading mixture so your fingers don't get so gunky! 
  5. Heat pan with a good pour of Olive Oil on Med low about 4.5 let heat well add chicken to pan allowing to brown on all sides cooking. (Pro tip, the first batch takes the longest to brown up but the second batch heats much faster, consider turning the heat down a bit if needed and do not walk away) 
  6. Transfer nuggets to a paper towel while the other batches are cooking. 
  7. Cut a nugget to ensure it is cooked through and continue with further batches till check is all cooked ( pro tip, I wipe the pan out between batches and add a bit more oil.
  8. serve with ketchup or condiment you enjoy! 

 

Instant Pot Tikki Masala

OH MY GOSH! You KNOW how much I have been enjoying my Instant Pot. I swear it is a tool that every woman needs in her life! Now that things are starting to cool down it is time to break out the comfortimg bowls of goodness and this is at the TOP of my list this year hitting the spot like no other! 

Josh was asking if there was enough for seconds after he took the first bite haha! I typically save some of our dinner for leftovers the next day but this made plenty for our dinner plus lunch and his second helping so we were all happy! 

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INGREDIENTS 

  • 1.25 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts ( you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs as well)
  • 1 tablespoon of butter 
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon of Garam Masala ( this is a powdered spice that you can find in most stores)
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon tumeric
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons of minced garlic 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger ( or grated fresh if you have it)
  • 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes 
  • 3 tablespoon of Plain Greek yogurt or 1/4 cup coconut milk canned 
  • 3 tablespoons of almond butter or Peanut butter or cashew butter
  • OPTIONAL LIME WEDGES
  • OPTIONAL CHOPPED SALTED PEANUTS 

DIRECTIONS

  1.  Press Saute button on instant pot, add butter and coconut oil along with the diced onion and sautee for 3-5 min
  2. In the mean time measure out all spices add them to onion mixture and stir well for 1 min
  3. Add Garlic and tomatoes 
  4. Add chicken breast to mixture and ensure that they are covered in the sauce
  5. Secure lid on Instant Pot turning it to Manual High 16 min and ensure the vent is closed 
  6. When done release the steam, remove the chicken and shred it. ( I prefer to transfer it to my kitchen and use the paddle attachment to shred the chicken quickly but you can also use 2 forks)
  7. Add shredded chicken back into sauce and stir.
  8. Serve just as is or over rice if desiered. I topped mine with a wedge of lime and some Salted peanuts for a crunch!  ENJOY!