One of the biggest steps to getting healthy is nutrition. You have to
get your eating going in the right direction if you want to get
results. Believe me you can't work off a bad diet. It's not possible, I
know I've tried it. On Thursdays I sit down and plan what we are going to be having for
dinner the following week. And then I'm not scrambling around, throwing
hands up in the air and going to McDonalds. I try to make a variety of
different dinners. Fish and lean pork at least once a week. Switch
between lean ground beef (93/7) or ground turkey, and of course lots of
chicken. A good stir fry with plenty of veggies is always good too.
Wednesdays are leftover day. Fridays I do my grocery shopping.
Saturday: Out of town. This was the last night of my trip to San Antonio for my Zumba Instructor certification. So I didn't have anything planned for dinner. We got home and I decided to have Subway for dinner. Also Monday was my first Zumba class as instructor. I didn't take a picture of my Subway sandwich so here is a picture of my class!
Sunday: Burrito Night and home made salsa, but for me...chicken tostadas! My husband loves burrito
night, but I LOVE chicken tostadas. For the tostadas I also use my
toaster oven. Preheat it to 375.
Line the baking pan with foil, and spray it with Pam. Warm up two corn
tortillas in the microwave. Place them flat on the baking sheet and
then spray the tops with Pam. Bake for about 10 minutes turning once
until light brown and toasty. Keep on eye on them because they will go
from being perfect to burnt in a blink of an eye. I know, it's happened
to me. Once they are done. I split one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese
between the two corn tostadas. Then spread black beans, divide 6 ounces
of diced warmed chicken and pile it on top, add salsa, sour cream, and
devour. You can add any kind of salsa and guacamole as well. For my
husband's
burritos, I cook lean ground beef. Then for his toppings he like
olives, onions, tomatoes, and cheese.
Salsa
4 medium red tomatoes
2 serrano peppers
6 jalapeno peppers
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Wash all the vegetables. Chop the onion in half and remove the outer layers. Place onion, tomato, serrano peppers, jalapenos and garlic on a cookie sheet. Roast the vegetables for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic, turn the vegetables over and roast for 10 more minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Remove the seeds from the jalapenos and serrano peppers. Place vegetables, lime juice and chopped cilantro in a food processor and pulse (you can do this in batches). Add salt to taste.
Note: If you like it hot then leave all the seeds on the jalapenos and serranos. If not then remove the seeds. You can use more or less peppers depending on your heat tolerance.
Monday: Cheddar Burger Bake, black beans, and green beans. The cheddar burger mashed potato bake is pretty much a rift on Shepard's
Pie. A cheesy rift. And this one doesn't have any vegetables added.
Also you don't have to make your own mashed potatoes, you can use the
powdered stuff, but nothing beats homemade.
Cheddar Burger Mashed Potato Bake
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups mashed potatoes
2 tsp dry mustard
16 oz double cheddar sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 425. In a skillet, brown ground beef over
medium-high heat. Drain. Add onion and
cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
Stir in cheese sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and if desired salt
and pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes
or until heated through. Pour meat
mixture into a 2-quart casserole and evenly top with mashed potatoes. Bake 25 minutes or until potatoes are lightly
golden.
If you want to make your own mashed potatoes here is my recipe:
Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs white potatoes
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Mrs Dash
1 tsp ranch dry dips mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge
Cut peeled potatoes into large chunks. Add potatoes and
garlic to a large pot filled with water. Boil 18-20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Place the potatoes and garlic back into the empty pot. Add milk, butter,
cheese, salt, pepper, dry ranch mix and seasoning to the pot. Mash until
desired consistency. Serve.
Note: if you
want your potatoes to be creamier then add a few more tablespoons of milk until
desired creaminess is achieved.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the green beans, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Tuesday: Chicken and Rice dinner, black beans, and broccoli. A quick dinner for those busy nights. All you need to do is add a side
vegetable and dinner is done in no time. My husband really like this
dinner. He told me it reminded him of a chicken soup that he used to
eat as a child.
Chicken and Brown Rice Dinner
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 1/4 cups water
1 (10.5 oz) can Campbell's Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
Spray a large skillet with Pam. And heat on medium high heat. Add
chicken; cover. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Remove chicken from skillet, and cover to keep warm. Add water and soup
to skillet. Stir in rice. Bring to boil reduce heat, cover and simmer
for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or
until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork. Top with chicken and serve.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the broccoli, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Wednesday: Leftovers. Chicken Tostadas and cracker chips. Yup twice in one week. This is one of my most favorite dinners! And, you can have chicken tacos if you
want but it's so much better in
tostadas. And your filling won't fall out the back when you are eating
them. For this dinner I also use my toaster oven. Preheat it to 375.
Line the baking pan with foil, and spray it with Pam. Warm up two corn
tortillas in the microwave. Place them flat on the baking sheet and
then spray the tops with Pam. Bake for about 10 minutes turning once
until light brown and toasty. Keep on eye on them because they will go
from being perfect to burnt in a blink of an eye. I know, it's happened
to me. Once they are done. I split one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese
between the two corn tostadas. Then spread black beans, divide cooked
chicken between the two pile the chicken on top, add salsa, sour cream,
and
devour. You can add any kind of salsa and guacamole as well!
Thursday: Beef Stroganoff, garlic mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies. This is a super simple and quick dinner for those nights where I'm in a rush. And yes mashed potatoes are making another appearance this week.
Beef Stroganoff
1 package stroganoff mix
8 oz light sour cream
1/2 tsp parsley flakes (optional)
1 cup water
1 lb lean ground beef
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and
cook stirring until browned and no longer pink.
Stir in sauce mix and water. Bring
to boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Sprinkle
parsley flakes, if desired and serve.
Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs white potatoes
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Mrs Dash
1 tsp ranch dry dips mix
1/2 tsp salt
1 light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge
Cut peeled potatoes into large chunks. Add potatoes and
garlic to a large pot filled with water. Boil 18-20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Place the potatoes and garlic back into the empty pot. Add milk, butter,
cheese, salt, pepper, dry ranch mix and seasoning to the pot. Mash until
desired consistency. Serve.
Note: if you
want your potatoes to be creamier then add a few more tablespoons of milk until
desired creaminess is achieved.
For the mixed, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Friday: Herbed Orange Chicken, black beans, and mixed veggies. Such a wonderful flavor combination of citrus and herbs!
Herbed Orange Chicken
1/2 tsp. orange peel
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tsp. canola oil
1 1/2 lb. or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. Lawry's 25% less sodium seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
In a small bowl combine orange peel, orange juice, minced garlic and oil. Place chicken breast in a large Ziploc bag. Pour orange juice mixture over chicken in bag; seal bag. Marinate chicken in fridge for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in small bowl combine; sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken on a plate or tray. Sprinkle spice mixture onto both sides of chicken breast halves. Heat a large nonstick skillet to medium high heat, spray with Pam. Add chicken; cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. Serve.
I always have black beans in my fridge. It's one of the foods that I prep along with chicken. I buy a
can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones. Rinse
them in a
colander. I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.
Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans. Then I
season them with garlic
powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin,
hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt. Stir it all up and then
mash them. You can add more water if you want them to be bit more
runny. And all the seasonings are to taste. Just depends on your taste
buds. I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low. And then after they have cooled
down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a
side.
For the mixed veggies, they are the frozen ones. You can
steam them right in the bag. Just follow the directions on the
package. Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl. Add
1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Then toss to coat and serve.
Cheddar Burger Mashed Potato Bake
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