21 Day Fix Kale and Sausage Pasta

I was totally craving a creamy pasta dish but I figured it was pretty much out of the question for the 21 Day Fix but I was wrong! This sausage and kale dish was everything this pregnant mama was craving and was hubby and kid approved!! And coming off of the picky, "I dont want dinner" streak my son was on that says A LOT!

Ingredients:

• ½ box whole grain penne pasta
• 2 links lean turkey sausage (I used Jennie -O)
• 2 green containers baby portobella mushrooms
• ½ green container sundried tomatoes (I used the ones in the bag in the produce section, not the one in the jar soaking in oil)
• 2  green containers kale
• 1½ green container spinach leaves
• 2/3 cup shredded italian blend cheese
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup almond milk

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions (save some of the cooking liquid to mix with the flour for the sauce)
2. In a skillet, saute all vegetables. Season with pepper, garlic and onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Once tender, remove from pan, and keep covered.
3. Remove the sausage from its casings and brown the meat in the skillet. Once cooked, remove from pan and drain any excess grease from the meat
4. In the same skillet, add the flour to the pan drippings and whisk to form a roux.
5. Gradually stir in milk and followed by the reserved starchy cooking water
6. Reduce heat, stirring slowly, and allow sauce to thicken.
7. Stir in shredded cheese, stirring consistently until the cheese dissolves into the sauce
8. Adjust sauce seasonings to taste, adding in garlic and onion powder and pepper to taste. Also, if the sauce gets too thick and pasty, add more milk or cooking water- you want this to have an nice creamy consistency
9. Add the noodles, sausage, and vegetables to the sauce and stir to coat evenly.
10. Use your green container.
     
    Made 6 servings.
    

    Fix Portions: 1 yellow, 1 green, 1/2 red, 1/2 blue
    Enjoy!

Pasta Puttanesca

A lot of times when people start to eat clean or healthy they assume that they have to go "cold turkey" with some of their favorite foods!! But let me assure you that you this doesn't mean you have to forgo your favorites. This pasta dish made with tomatoes, olives, and capers will satisfy your cravings, help you stay within your healthy guidelines and is packed with flavor!!

Total Time: 23 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 13 min.
Yield: 4 servings, about 1½ cups each

Ingredients:
8 oz. dry whole wheat spaghetti
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets, drained
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, no added salt
¼ cup pitted chopped Spanish (or Greek) olives
2 Tbsp. capers
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Preparation:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Set aside. Keep warm.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add garlic, anchovies, and crushed pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until anchovies melt into oil and completely dissolve and garlic is tender.
4. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano, red pepper, and parsley. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to low; gently boil for 5 to 8 minutes.
5. Add pasta to sauce. Toss gently to coat; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until heated through.

Margarita Spaghetti Squash

I love Spaghetti Squash, there are so many tasty dinners you can create!  Here is one that you really can't go wrong with.I also loved mixing it all up and serving it back in the squash shells! I paired this with half an artichoke, spinach salad and a large glass of lemon water.
Baked Margarita Spaghetti Squash - Not only is it healthy, but its gluten free as well!

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large Roma tomato, finely chopped
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. each salt & pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

Steps:
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
*Using a large knife or a cleaver, slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise down the middle.
*Use a spoon to remove the seeds and center strings.
*Drizzle the two halves with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
*Place the squash, open side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
*Remove from the oven, check to see if the squash is soft and easily comes up with a fork into a spaghetti like texture. If it’s too hard to remove, cook for another 10 minutes.
*Remove from the oven, scrape and fluff the stringy squash with a fork. Leave the squash in the skin.
*Turn the oven up to broil.
*Add the tomatoes and fresh basil into the squash, stir and top with the mozzarella cheese.
*Place in the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. *Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving the squash.

Meal Planning Monday!

Yup, this is getting out on Tuesday but my internet was down ALL day yesterday and a bit spotty today so bare with me ;)

This week I'm excited to try something new...and with time I promise it will improve! But I often get asked how I am able to make all my meals on one day or I get told that people just have trouble planning and executing a weeks worth of meals so I thought I'd share my meal plan for the week and include the recipes for you as well as make a quick (just kidding its REALLY long) video for you to see how I get it all done in under an hour and a half! Check out the video at the end of the blog...but keep reading for some awesome recipes!!

When I first started my clean eating lifestyle I wanted to be GREAT!! I wanted new, yummy dinners every night, fancy things that I read about on the blogs, but I quickly found that I was getting overwhelmed. I was stressing out over the prep time, still finding that I needed to put in a lot of time each night to "prepare", what the heck? I thought I did that SUNDAY?!?! So I stepped back and looked at how I could scale it down. Most recipes made 4-6 servings and with my husband and I drinking Shakeology for our lunches we were finding that the fridge was full of left overs at the end of each week. I personally don't mind left overs but I used to, so I know this is not for everyone, but it works for us.

When I created this week's meal plan I wanted to try a few new things, but like a said before, nothing that was going to send me into a tail spin trying to get in on the menu. Every time I purchase a new Beachbody program like Body Beast, TurboFire, Chalean Extreme, T25 etc they come with fabulous cook books!! But it occurred to me that I've never really utilized these while planning my menus so this week was fun!!

Breakfast for me is pretty simple. I need quick and easy. I either have to get my son off to the sitter or be ready for mommy and me time so I don't have time for any fancy souffle or something of the sort. I've typically been cooking up a big batch of oatmeal and just scooping out of it each morning what I need, but when talking to a friend a couple weeks ago she pointed out that even I could use some advice...make the oatmeal and put it into individual servings on my PREP day. That way I don't have to get out the measuring cups, pour the milk, scoop the blue berries etc each and every day!!

I'm really super excited about my snacks!! I prepped as much as I could for these but there are two that will require a few minutes of prep before I eat them...but no more than 5 minutes for sure. I'll check back in with you through the week to let you know what I thought and share the recipes for the Chalean Extreme Wrap n Roll Pinwheels and the T25 Hard Boiled Salsa Boats!! But I know for sure that the T25 Turkey, Avocado, pepper rolls are AMAZING!!!

With dinner I tried to keep it pretty simple and incorporate meals that had similar ingredients so I wasnt having to spend a fortune on ingredients that I would use once here and there at best. So I started with the chili in the Crockpot...I almost feel like its cheating using the crockpot, but I LOVE IT!! Dump it all in and let it work for you! I'm all about convenience and this way I can knock out 4 recipes but really only spend time on three :) Check back in through the week for recipes and reviews, but the TurboFire Chili is a hit hands down!! I usually will double it and freeze for later...just another time saving tip for ya!

So here I am in action...it's quite long but I wanted to show how I can prep snacks and meals while cooking 4 recipes at one time. I hope you enjoy and I look forward to any feedback you have. Also if you have any recipes that you'd like me to showcase I'd love the opportunity!! Send me a friend request on Facebook so we can chat!

Clean Eating Chicken Parmesan

This simple chicken recipe takes little preparation time and is totally satisfying to eat. This is one of our family's all time favorites! I love how we can take "restaurant menu items" and turn them into our own healthy dishes at home!  I usually serve it with steamed veggies like zucchini and squash!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I didnt have bread crumbs so I toasted 2 pieces of whole wheat toast and threw them in the blender when they cooled)
• 2 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp organic marinara sauce to top each piece of chicken
• 2 tbsp shredded cheese to top each piece of chicken

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees f.
2. Break open eggs into a shallow dish and scramble well.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, sea salt, black pepper
4. Dip each side of chicken breast into the egg and then into bread crumb mixture.
5. Place in a large baking dish.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, flip and cook 5 more minutes. Top with marinara sauce and shredded cheese and bake a few more minutes until cheese is melted.  

**21 Day Fix approved! - 1 red, 1.5 yellow, 1 blue, 2 green