Chicken Burrito

I was really craving Chipotle yesterday, which isn't really different than any other day, but after some debating in my head and raiding of my fridge I decided to make my own burrito. Not only was it cheaper and just as delicious, I didn't have to leave the house! Since Mexican food is my favorite of all time, I knew I had to pack this burrito with delicious and nutritious ingredients.

Ingredients

• Two 4 oz chicken breasts

• 1 tbsp of Greek yogurt

• 1 Bell pepper (any color you want), cut into slices

• 1 Jalapeño, chopped

• 1/2 Yellow onion, chopped

• 1 cup Corn kernels

• 1 cup Black beans, drained and cleaned

• 2 tbsp Salsa

• 1 Avocado, cut into wedges

• 4-5 Cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2 WW Tortillas

• 4 leaves of Lettuce

Step 1: Clean up chicken breasts and cut into bite size pieces then drop into hot skillet with corn, pepper, onion and jalapeño. I added some oil and some Mexican seasoning to spice up the mixture. Cook until chicken is brownish and peppers, onions and corn is also browned.

Step 2: Get your tortilla ready by spreading the Greek yogurt on the bottom and pile on all your ingredients in any order you like. 

Step 3: Admire your beautiful work of art and devour!

This burrito was so packed with delicious ingredients, I could barely fold it hah! To save on some carbohydrates, you can ditch the tortilla and just combine all your ingredients into a bowl for a 'naked' burrito effect. I really liked the combination of all the flavors; Greek yogurt, chicken, jalapeños and salsa. I chose a pineapple salsa from TJs, it was about $2.50 for a jar and it is sweet, tangy with a little kick. For a more vegetarian option, you can opt for refried beans or mash up some black beans to make a kind of paste. This recipe makes about 2 of these bad boys, depending on how loaded you like your burritos. Overall, to construct this meal it took about 15 minutes. Feel free to sub anything in or out of this recipe, this is just what I like!

ENJOY!!

Are you Vitamin-Deprived?

Hi everyone!! Sorry for the disappearance and I KNOW that you all missed me :) but I am back!!! I read a fact the other day that made me do a double-take: about half of Americas are taking vitamin and other dietary supplements. The reason this concerned me is that people don't realize that majority of the vitamins and minerals their bodies need can come from the foods that they should be consuming. I actually take a multivitamin just about everyday so I fall under the vitamin-taking half of America.

Our bodies are a lot smarter than we give them credit for and they talk to us all the time. Whenever we are hungry, our stomach 'growls', we get sensations when we have to use the bathroom and even our taste buds, they tell us how sweet, sour or delicious food is. The same thing goes for knowing when your body is deficient in a specific vitamin or mineral. Processed and man-made products that we consume on a regular basis are virtually stripped of the nutrients and vitamins our bodies need to function properly, hence the huge number of supplements we take.

Below are some signs that your body is deficient in a certain vitamin or mineral!

1. Cracking at the corners of your mouth

What does it mean? Your body is deficient in iron, zinc and certain B vitamins, such as niacin, riboflavin and B12. Many vegetarians are deficient in iron, zinc and B12 because animal protein is a great source of these vitamins.

Solution: Consume more poultry, salmon, tuna, eggs, oysters, clams, Swiss chard, peanuts and legumes. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron in your body, which also helps infection. To boost vitamin C, you can eat more veggies like broccoli, red bell peppers and kale.

2. Red rash on your face and hair loss

What does it mean? You are deficient in vitamin B7 (biotin), which is also known as the hair vitamin. It helps make and break down fatty acids needed for healthy bones and hair. The body doesn't tend to store the water-soluble vitamins (B vitamins).

Solution: Cooked eggs, salmon, avocados, whole grains organ meats, soy beans and bananas. The body doesn't need much of this vitamin because some of it is made in the gastrointestinal tract.

3. Red or white bumps typically on cheeks, arms, thighs and buttocks

What does it mean? You are deficient in essential fatty acids and vitamins A and D.

Solution: Essential fatty acids are the acids that we need to ingest via diet and food because the body doesn't produce them. Cut back on the saturated and trans fats that come from processed foods and increase healthy fats. Some sources of healthy fats are salmon, walnuts, almonds, flax seed, chia seed, hemp and avocados. For the vitamin A sources, consume colorful veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes and red bell peppers as well as leafy greens.

4. Tingling and numbness in hands or feet

What does it mean? Your body is deficient in B6, B9 (folate) and B12.

Solution: B6 is responsible for keeping your nervous system healthy and helps breakdown proteins. Some sources are spinach, asparagus, beans (black, kidney and pinto) and poultry. Folate is responsible for cell development, prevention of birth defects and formation of red blood cells. Some sources can be found in grain products such as lentils, garbanzo beans and dark leafy greens.

5. Muscle cramps that feel like stabbing pains in toes, calves, feet and backs of legs

What does it mean? Your body is deficient in magnesium, calcium and potassium.

Solution: Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth as well as aiding in muscle function and cell communication. Some sources of calcium come from dairy products, broccoli, spinach, orange juice and soy milk. Magnesium helps bone formation and wound healing and is also an antioxidant. Some sources of magnesium can come from whole grain products, leafy green veggies, almonds, avocados and bananas. Potassium aids in nervous system and muscle function as well as maintaining a healthy balance of water in blood and tissues. Some sources can be broccoli, potatoes, OJ, bananas and tomatoes.

As you probably noticed, most of these problems can be fixed with all kinds of vegetables. Most people don't consume the recommended amount of vegetables per day and therefore have to turn to pharmaceutical drugs to fill the gaps that their diets don't fill. Even if you don't have any of these problems, it could never hurt to eat more veggies and to literally taste the rainbow--vegetables of ALL different colors!

Hope this was helpful!

ENJOY!!

Southwest Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Ever since I saw these for the first time on Pinterest, I have wanted to try. I always have quinoa in my cabinet usually along with a can of black beans. I bought fresh peppers a few days ago and I decided to give it a try. Stuffed peppers are great in that the stuffing possibilities are endless! Another things great about this recipe is that peppers are relatively cheap, especially the green ones which are usually under $1.00.

Ingredients

• Bell peppers (Different colors and as many as you want to cook at once, this recipe is for 6 peppers)

• 1 cup dry quinoa & 2 cups of water

• 15 oz can of black beans

• 15 oz can of corn kernels (I used a frozen bag from TJs)

• 1 jalapeño pepper (For some extra spice)

• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

• 1/2 yellow onion (OPTIONAL)

• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (OPTIONAL)

• Seasoning (I chose cumin and crushed red pepper)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook quinoa; 1 cup qunoa to 2 cups water. Bring water to a boil then turn heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. The quinoa should absorb the water and look fluffy and light.

Step 2: Prep your peppers by cutting off the tops and de-seeding the inside. Rinse and strain your beans and corn (in my case, cook corn then strain). Chop tomatoes into halves.

Step 3: When quinoa is ready, transfer into a big mixing bowl and add all the ingredients.

Step 4: Line a baking sheet or pan with tin foil and place empty peppers on it.

Step 5: Fill each pepper with about 1/2 cup of filling, then press down with a spoon and add another 1/2 cup.

Step 6: Bake peppers for about 25-30 minutes.

Step 7: Once peppers are cooled for about 5 minutes, feel free to indulge! At this point you can top your pepper with whatever cheese you would like or even sour cream or guacamole. 

If you chose to make more than 1 or two, you can save and store them for later. Allow peppers to cool before transferring over to a container otherwise they will condensate and be soggy, which I'm sure no one would want. These bad boys were delicious! Obviously a little messy but very tasty and I really enjoyed how well the ingredients complimented each other. I didn't top my first one with cheese, but I'm thinking for my next one I definitely will because...it's cheese!! Maybe even top with some Greek yogurt to serve as sour cream!

Some health facts about bell peppers:

• They are jam-packed with vitamins and minerals (Vitamins C, E, B6 and folate to name a few)

• Very low-calorie; a medium pepper is about 28 calories

• Red peppers are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits

• The capsaicin in bell peppers are shown to reduce the "bad cholesterol", control diabetes and brings relief from pain and eases inflammation

• The sulfur in them play a protective role against certain types of cancers

Definitely try this recipe out, try a different filling if you're not keen on spicy and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

ENJOY!!

Mango Banana Green Smoothie

I really can't get enough of these Green smoothies!! I have one at least 3-4 times/week. This week I wanted to use some of the frozen fruits I have before they get freezer burn. They're so tasty, nutritious and let's not forget so easy to make!!

Ingredients

• 1 Banana (medium-large)

• 1 cup Baby spinach

• 2/3 cup Mango (I used Trader Joe's Frozen Mango Chunks)

• 1 3/4 cup Almond milk

• 1 cup Ice (optional)

• 2 tbsp Chia seeds

Step 1: Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. 

(I have a cheaper blender, so I have to blend in shifts. I put the frozen mango, banana, Chia seeds and almond milk in first so that it all blends together. After it's blended I add the spinach and some water, if the consistency is too thick.)

This smoothie was super sweet from the banana and mango and I can't taste the spinach at all. The recipe made about 2 servings, I chose to have 1 as a snack and save the other for breakfast tomorrow morning. Everything in this smoothie is nutritionally healthy and is necessary daily. Try it out!!

ENJOY!!

Baked Popcorn Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

So many ways to make chicken, for dinner tonight I decided to cut it into small pieces and bake. Popcorn chicken from KFC or Popeyes can be upwards of 300 calories per serving, so I healthified it and instead of frying, I baked. 

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 1 lb Chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

• S&P for taste

• Seasoning (I chose a Garlic & Herb from Mrs. Dash)

• 2 Eggs

• 2 tbsp Water

• 1-1/2 cup Bread crumbs

• 3/4 tsp Seasoning

For the Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp Honey

• 1 tbsp Greek Yogurt

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 F and spray a foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray, set aside.

Step 2: Lightly season chicken pieces with S&P and seasoning then stir to coat. In a shallow disk whisk together egg and water. In another dish, mix together bread crumbs and seasoning.

Step 3: Lather chicken in egg mixture then bread crumb mixture and place onto baking sheet (repeat). Spray tops with olive oil or nonstick spray then bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on how big your pieces are), flipping halfway through.

Step 4: While the chicken is baking, combine ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until all mixed.

I really liked the way these bad boys turned out! You can also freeze the chicken if you don't want to have it all at once. Freeze on the baking sheet after breading, but before baking until completely frozen, then put in a freezer bag. Once you're ready, bake straight from the freezer, do not thaw first. The dipping sauce originally called for mayonnaise, but to make the recipe healthier, I chose to opt for Greek yogurt instead. I had to give some to my roommate otherwise I would have eaten the whole tray! In comparison to your KFC bites, a serving of these (about 10 pieces) is about 200 calories. This is a great meal for kids as well as adults, you can spicy it up by changing up the dipping sauce or season with spicier herbs. These little bites definitely won't disappoint!

ENJOY!!

Blueberry Banana Doughnuts

So I'm not really a big fan of baking, but sometimes my girlie instincts kick in and I just want to bake something; yesterday happened to be one of those days. I'm always looking for healthier versions of foods I like, so when I came across this recipe I decided to give it a try.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Mashed Ripe Banana (about 2 small bananas)

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt

• 1/4 cup Butter (melted)

• 2 Eggs (Room temperature)

• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

• 1/4 tsp Salt

• 1 cup Blueberries

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Step 2: Put mashed banana, sugar and yogurt into a bowl and using an electric mixer, mix until incorporated.

Step 3: Add melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract to the mix.

Step 4: Add flour, baking powder & soda and salt to the batter and mix until incorporated. Don't over mix.

Step 5: Using a spatula, fold in your blueberries. After mixed in, scoop batter into a piping bag (I used a plain Ziploc bag), snip the end (about the size of a dime).

Step 6: Grease your doughnut pan and pipe the batter until 3/4 full into each mold.

Step 7: Bake for 12-15 minutes. After, remove from pan and allow to cool before eating. 

So, the only doughnut baking sheet I have is heart-shaped, so that explains the weird shape. Also I added too much batter to my molds for the first batch, so that also explains why they look weird as well. Regardless of looks, they are delicious. Each muffin is only around 100 calories!! They are great as a snack or even part of your breakfast with some almond milk. My baking pan has 6 molds on it and the batter made about 4 whole batches with a few leftovers, so I have TONS!! For some extra sweetness, you can choose to top with some cinnamon sugar. Another way you can alter this recipe is by adding chocolate chips or other fruits. Try it out!

ENJOY!!

Falafel & Lentil Bowl

Sometimes I come home and I have no idea what I want, or I simply cannot choose what to eat. I'm sure I am not the only one who suffers from this problem on the daily. As you can guess, today was one of those days. I walked into the kitchen; looked in the fridge, the freezer and my cabinet. The more I looked, the more I wanted everything. I started with my lentils I made the other day for my Southwest Chipotle Tilapia and decided to add whatever I could find.

Ingredients

• Falafel (I used frozen ones from Trader Joe's)

• 1 cup lentils

• Handful of halved cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 cup edamame beans

• 2 cups spinach

• Sprinkle of feta cheese

• 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

Step 1: Put your falafels in your toaster oven for about 10 minutes, or pop in the microwave for about 5 minutes.

Step 2: If you are cooking your lentils from scratch, make sure you follow the instructions on the package but if you are just re-heating them, add your edamame and put in the microwave for about 2 minutes.

Step 3: Heat a skillet with some olive oil, add your garlic and your spinach. Cook the spinach down until wilted and a dark green color.

Step 4: Take bowl, add spinach and falafel. Top with halved tomatoes and sprinkle with some cheese.

Not only is this dish colorful, but it's also pretty damn delicious. Not going to lie, the falafel was a little dry, but you can pair it with a homemade dipping sauce made with Greek yogurt and some of your favorite spices if you want to liven it up. You can also substitute the lentils for quinoa or any carb of your choice. This dish was simple to make, and most of this stuff you already have waiting for you in your fridge, so if you are out of ideas, you can just throw it all in a bowl. Another way to save calories is to make your own falafel; just google it and find healthy recipes that way you know exactly what you are eating.

ENJOY!!

Southwest Chipotle Tilapia

Helloo followers!! I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE grocery shopping. I recently ventured to Trader Joe's and picked up a whole bunch of nutritious and reasonably priced items. For tonight's dinner, I decided to whip up some tilapia and some easy sides as well. I'm really happy with myself for incorporating fish into my diet because I never used to eat it before. The more and more I cook it, the more I wonder what took me so long!!

Ingredients

• 2-4 oz tilapia filets (I got mine from Trader Joe's for about $6.00)

• 1 cup green lentils (pre-cooked)

• 1 frozen package of frozen edamame beans

• Mrs. Dash's Southwest Chipotle seasoning

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Step 1: Cooking your lentils is the longest step for this dinner. Make sure to follow the directions on the package until cooked to your satisfaction (takes about 30 minutes).

Step 2: Bring a pot of water to a boil for your edamame, once the water comes to a boil add your beans. When beans start floating and turn a lighter green color, they are done (about 5 minutes).

Step 3: Season your filets with the seasoning (you can use WHATEVER seasoning you want). Add you olive oil to your skillet and after it becomes hot, add your filets. The filets do not take long to cook (about 4 minutes per side). 

Step 4: Plate your lentils, drain your edamame beans and when your tilapia is cooked, add it to the plate as well.

The tilapia was cooked perfect and flaky with some spice from the seasoning, which I loved! I also chose to salt my edamame beans with some sea salt, for a little added flavor. Some great things about tilapia are that it is a great source of protein, so you can change up your protein source, it is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for growth and development. Also, it is low in fat and can reduce your risk of heart disease. What a helpful fish! You can pair this fish with just about anything; rice, pasta, quinoa and unlimited amounts of your favorite vegetables. I will definitely be making more tilapia in the future!

ENJOY!!

Easy Chicken Tacos

Whenever I am at a loss for a meal or just want something that never disappoints, I always opt for tacos. Like I've said so many times before, they're so easy to make and you can put virtually anything you have inside. Just looking around my fridge I saw 2 chicken breasts, corn, salsa, shredded cheese, green bell peppers and Greek yogurt. I took this as an opportunity to whip up some delicious and easy chicken tacos.

Ingredients

• 4 oz chicken breast (cut up into bite size pieces)

• 1/2 bell pepper

• 1 cup corn (I used a frozen bag that I had already cooked)

• Greek yogurt

• Shredded cheese

• 1/4 yellow/red onion

• Tortillas

• 1/4 cup chunky salsa

Step 1: Cut up your chicken breasts into bite size pieces, chop your onion and bell pepper. Oil up a medium skillet and drop in your chicken, onion and pepper. Once your chicken is cooked thoroughly, add you salsa and corn to the mixture. Stir all your ingredients up for about 3 more minutes, until salsa coats everything. 

Step 2: Lay out your tortillas, grab a spoonful of Greek yogurt to act as sour cream and smooth onto tortilla. Spoon your chicken mixture over the yogurt and top with cheese.

I made about 3 tacos and still had leftovers for another day! Usually I have used flour tortillas, but after doing some research I discovered that corn tortillas have less calories, lower fat, and more real ingredients. Most packages of corn tortillas usually consist of corn flour and water, while flour tortillas have many more ingredients, most of which we have no idea what they are. Another switch I made was using Greek yogurt instead of the usual sour cream. Substituting the yogurt for sour cream can save you on excess fat and calories; the yogurt also supplies probiotics which helps your immune system run smoothly. The yogurt has similar texture and taste as sour cream, and I am definitely going to use Greek yogurt as a substitute more often. My tacos were yummy and super easy to make. You can also top with avocado or guacamole, use different protein sources (shrimp, steak, beans) or even make burritos instead of tacos. Try it out!!

ENJOY!!

Avocado Toast

I'm always looking for easy and tasty snack options and when I can also incorporate avocados, it's pure genius! Avocados contain monounsaturated fats, which are considered your "good fats" which reduces your bad cholesterol. They also contain numerous vitamins and minerals that your body needs to properly function. Since my avocados ripened today, I decided to try out this simple yet delicious recipe. 

Ingredients

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread

• 1/2 avocado

• Pepper

• Red pepper flakes

• 1/4 lemon

• EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Step 1: Toast your bread. While bread is toasting, mash up your avocado to a consistency you like.

Step 2: Spread avocado on bread, sprinkle on some pepper and your red pepper flakes.

Step 3: Drizzle a small amount of lemon and EVOO. 

Step 4: Devour.

I tried this toast for breakfast and paired it with two of my Egg Muffins and a nice glass of Almond milk. Avocados really are the best and can be suitable for any time of day. You can use this as a snack or pair it with eggs and bacon for breakfast, so versatile!! Try it out!!

ENJOY!!