Teriyaki Chicken, Veggie & Rice Bowls

Teriyaki Chicken, Veggie & Rice Bowls.. oh my!!

I found this recipe on pinterest earlier in the week to share with the women in my online accountability group (shout out to the gals in my February Virtual Fit Camp). While I was typing it up to share with them, I decided to try it out THAT night because it sounded so good!

I mean, having defrosted chicken already laid out in the fridge just seemed like a sign also.

Right!??

First of all, this was SO darn easy to make.

It seriously took me 30 minutes or less to get EVERYTHING together.

Secondly, this recipe was flavorFULL & guilt free.

There are several substitutions that can be made from the original recipe to tweak it to your taste!

Lastly, you could absolutely make this in bulk for meal prep to eat on the whole week.

And no.. it would NOT get old & boring.

Okay, so the original recipe can be found HERE via GimmeDelicious

These are the instructions from that blog post, but I'll drop my own tips & modifications at the bottom!

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 12 mins
Total time: 17 mins

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 bell pepper, sliced into strips
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
2 cups cooked brown rice
4 meal prep containers

For the teriyaki sauce:

¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

Instructions:

Heat a large pan to medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink 2-3 minutes.

Whisk all the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a small bowl.

Add the teriyaki sauce to chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes or until sauce is thick.Remove chicken from heat.

Add the broccoli florets and bell pepper to the same pan. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the bell pepper is slightly softened.

Divide the chicken and broccoli into 4 meal prep containers. Add ½ cup of brown rice into each container. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and cover. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

My PERSONAL modifications & tips..

For me personally, recipes are more like guidelines.

I'll peek at the list, see what I have & WING it.

Occasionally I'll substitute based off what I have at home OR just leave things out & hope for the best. Let's just say I'm not a fan of making multiple grocery store runs throughout the week & that fuels my creativity.

Let's start with the chicken!

To cut down on cook time, we chopped the trimmed breasts into SMALL bite-sized pieces. I seasoned them on the cutting board with himalayan sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder & some red pepper flakes for heat. For the actual cooking, I browned up those little "nuggets" in coconut oil - I prefer it usually over other oils.

Now, for the veggies.

I went with what I had. And NO. I am not above frozen veggies - I can buy them inexpensive & in bulk at SAMs. I always prefer fresh produce, but use frozen veggies as a secondary option on the regular. This week, I had frozen broccoli florets that I steamed in the microwave with fresh carrots & onion that I minced up & mixed in. Once those veggies were all steamed, I seasoned them a bit & put to the side until everything was done. I then mixed the veggies IN with the chicken & sauce so they too were lightly glazed.

For the sauce, I only made a couple of tweaks.

I used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce (same measurements) & agave nectar instead of honey (same measurements).

As a side/carb, I whipped up a quinoa + brown rice blend. It was a perfect little bed for the teriyaki combo!

Both hubby & I were big fans of this recipe!!

In the future, I'd try a few modifications:

adding green onion or cilantro

using shrimp or lean beef instead of chicken

leaving out meat if I want a lite, ALL veggie meal

subbing peppers, snap peas or cauliflower into the veggie mix.

or tossing some chopped water chestnuts on top for crunch

I really think you could customize this completely to your taste!!

Give it a try & let me know what you think.

Happy, healthy eating, friends.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai Recipe SHARE

Recipe & Photo Source: Beachbody Blog

Need a low-carb healthy recipe to add to your lunch or dinner menu this week?

Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs.)

2 Tbsp. tamarind paste (or rice wine vinegar)

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. raw honey

2 to 4 Tbsp. water

12 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes

3 Tbsp. cornstarch (preferably GMO free)

8 tsp. peanut oil, divided use

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¾ cup fresh bean sprouts

4 medium green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts

Lime wedges

Cilantro sprigs

Crushed red pepper

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350° F.

-Place squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Poke squash 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Scrape flesh into stringy noodles. Set aside.

-To make sauce, heat tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add additional water is sauce is too tart. Set aside.

-Coat tofu in cornstarch in a small bowl; mix well.

-Heat a large wok (or skillet) over high heat.

-Add 2 tsp. oil, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add tofu; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until all sides of tofu are brown. Remove tofu from pan and place on a large plate. Set aside.

-Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add onions; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion are light golden brown. Remove from pan; place on plate with tofu. Set aside.

-Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add eggs; cook over medium heat. Do not stir. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath, creating a very thin omelet. When eggs are set, cut them with your spatula. Remove eggs from pan and place on plate with tofu and onions. Set aside.

-Add remaining 2 tsp. oil to pan, swirling to cover surface of pan.

-Add garlic; cook, over medium-high heat, for 1 minute.

-Add spaghetti squash, spreading squash into a single layer; cook for 30 second, stir and make another single layer. Repeat this 3 to 6 times, cooking for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until squash is warm and golden brown.

-Add sauce; mix well.

-Add bean sprouts and green onions; mix well.

-Add tofu mixture; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed and heated through.

-Transfer to a large serving platter. Top with peanuts, lime wedges, cilantro, and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.

Tips:

If you can’t find tamarind paste you can substitute rice wine vinegar.

Thai fish sauce is Nam Pla, but you can use another kind if you have it.

*Feel free to share, y'all*

‪#‎HealthyRecipes‬ ‪#‎LunchRecipes‬ ‪#‎DinnerRecipes‬‪#‎SpaghettiSquashRecipes‬

Fix APPROVED, Healthy Avocado Dressing

I LOVE a good salad, especially when I'm on a meal plan requiring lots of veggie intake- like the container system that's a part of the 21 Day Fix, Hammer & Chisel and even similar to that of 22 Minute Hard Corps (releasing March of 2016).

HOWEVER, I do most definitely get tired of just using a simple vinegar or vinaigrette day in and day out.. I mean, I'm a recovering Ranch-aholic, y'all.. #thestruggleisreal

Fortunately, this recipe came in my 21 Day Fix meal plan/cookbook and I'm sharing it today with YOU as a tried and true delicious concoction!

What the portion fix meal plan refers to as Creamy Herb Dressing, I refer to as a Healthy Avocado Greek Yogurt dressing because of the star players in this mash up.

Ingredients:

1/2 C Plain Greek Yogurt

1 Ripened Avocado

3 Tsp Lemon Juice

1/4 C EVOO

S&P

Dried OR Fresh Herbs

(all I had was dill, tarragon, garlic, parsley & basil)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients but olive oil in blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add in EVOO until you achieve creamy consistency. And that's it.. really, y'all!

This recipe makes about 10+ servings and if you're following a meal plan using the color coded container system I mentioned above, one serving is considered an ORANGE container.

I put this on top of a salad yesterday with grilled chicken, mixed greens, organic salsa and shredded cheese & it was just UH-mazing.

FYI: If you have avocados at home to make this dressing, but they aren't ripe yet... hop on over to THIS post where I explain HOW to ripen those puppies up asap!

Beat the Binge, Stop the Starving: Find Balance in Portion Control

Because having a plan when it comes to nutrition doesn't mean you're on a diet. Because portion control doesn't mean you're starving.

..

A Plan = Guidelines = Discipline = Results

..

When I started the 21 Day Fix meal plan, I learned so much about what my body needed in order to be properly fueled.. How to structure my meals and really food prep. How to make this truly a lifestyle.

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I've been able to overcome bad habits like skipping meals, starving my body with calorie counting to lose weight & having emotional binge eating sessions.

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Could you use a system, support and guidance?

📧👉 lindseykollar@yahoo.com

#portioncontrol #mealplanning #foodprep

Best Kept Protein Secret: Cottage Cheese

Okay peeps... I tried cottage cheese for the first time today & I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised!

I knew the health benefits were spot on, but was curious what the taste/texture would be & if it would be something I'd want to eat regularly.

Let me break it down for ya, friends.

Nutritionally:

It's rich in protein!

It's recommended for expectant mommies and athletes because of the essential nutrients it contains.

 It's an excellent source of B12 vitamins that aid in various metabolic activities within our bodies.

It also contains lots of other vitamins and minerals that:

 help with digestion

aid and improve various biological functions

decreases stress and even cramps (thanks potassium)

maintains blood sugar (magnesium)

&

strengthens bones (calcium)

Taste/Texture:

 It's thicker, like Greek yogurt.. With some chunks like feta cheese. It's a mild taste that can be used for sweet or savory combos.

Serving suggestion (for newbies especially):

Go sweet. Pair with granola for crunch and fruit for a natural sugar.

For my folks with no heart.. I mean SWEET TOOTH 😂 go savory: serve with tomatoes, cucumber and avocado- season with pepper!

Cost:

Cottage cheese is CHEAPER than Greek yogurt. So add another protein option to your fridge and you wallet with thank you ✌️

Try new foods that FUEL your body.. You might even realize that you like them. ..

Mint-Chocolate Shakeology

This time of year, Americans experience 75% of their annual weight gain. SHEESH!!

Shakeology, my secret weapon, helps me prevent icky weight gain not just during the holidays, but every day. Shakeology fills my nutrition gaps, keeps me from getting sick like I used to EVERY winter, fuels my body with natural energy, curbs my salty-sugary cravings & is the most healthy/convenient meal of the day.

Most days, I stick to the SAME recipe.. what can I say? I keep it classy & SIMPLE. But this time of year, I enjoy making things festive. Say hello to this mint chocolate Shakeology recipe!

To learn more about WHAT Shakeology is and how it's changed our lifestyle, click here.

OR maybe you've heard me preach long enough. Click here to try it risk free for 30 days. 

21 Day Fix Meal Plans

The 21 Day Fix (& Extreme) is BY FAR one of my all time favorite programs; Not just because of the awesome workouts & great results I got, but because the meal plan is SUSTAINABLE.

It's not a diet. You don't feel starved.

It's a simple, portion based system. Colored coded containers to teach you how MUCH of each "approved" food category to eat.

Your custom container requirements are determined by using a formula which takes into account your current weight, daily activity level and goals.

I understand that opening that first "challenge pack" box can be intimidating. The Shakeology and the workouts? Easy to process. The concept of meal planning around the container system? A little more tricky.

So where do you start??

I decided to provide a couple of my SAMPLE meal plans for you be INSPIRED by or use exactly even! I created these for two of the most popular calorie brackets for women: 1200 & 1500 calories.

Be sure to let me know what you think! OH, and download the app to help you track through the day!

Caprese Chicken: A Simple, Monday Night Meal

Yesterday I created a meal plan for the week & then broke it down into my grocery list. The hubby & I ran to the store and were out in a record breaking time of about 30 minutes- it's amazing how quickly you can shop when you mostly avoid the center isles! #truth

One of the recipes on our weekly meal plan is from a cook book I have called "Fixate," which is a compilation of 101 recipes that follow the nutrition plan I'm using with the 21 Day Fix (read more about that here). This super easy recipe is called "Caprese Chicken" and got two thumbs up from the hubby & myself for both flavor and quick preparation.

The recipe was simple. Fully cook two seasoned & trimmed chicken breasts. Top with pesto, sliced tomato & fresh mozzarella- allow some time over heat for the cheese to begin to melt. Serve with veggies &/or a healthy carb (like quinoa or brown rice). Yummmmmm!

Bon Appetit, friends!

Tiny Kitchen Diaries: Food Prep Sneak Peek

So my hubby and I have been in a mega state of transition the past couple of months. Let me paint a picture for you::

He came home from a 7 month deployment

We renovated for a week straight (after spending only one day together)

Listed our home for sale- under contract in 3 days.

Traveled for about 2.5 weeks+ to see family

House contract fell through

Hubby left for another month on the day our AC broke (womp womp- typical murphy's law)

I showed house alone (with two giant pups) for 3 weeks before getting another contract on it

Hubby came home and we packed/moved out in a week

whirlwind..--> PHEW. glad that's over!

welllllll almost.

We then moved into a hotel room where we are currently residing for 27 days, while my hubby completes a month long, strenuous & extremely time consuming work process; however, it's over next Wednesday and we get to FINALLY move to the sunshine state.

#hallelujah 

We have been waiting 6 years for the chance to be closer to my family, soak up some beach rays and just relax down south for a few years of deployment-free bliss!

Reminding myself of ^^^ makes this temporary madness all worth it. Plus, I know that one day, these will be stories we share with laughter and maybe a fond memory or two. Oh and honey, there's no one I would rather be doing this all with {insert smoochey face here}.

In the mean time, it's mega entertaining for people to partake in our shenanigans. SO, today I bring you a food prepping sneak peek from my teenie weenie kitchen.

Here's what I've decided is totally doable with two baby burners, one microwave, a couple of super sticky pans & one whacked out spatula!

Breakfasts:

Shakeology /or/ coconut greek yogurt + granola

Lunch:

Shakeology /or/ plain greek yogurt tuna salad with sliced peppers /or/ pre-assembled green salads

Dinner:

Quinoa // Turkey Sausages // Chicken Burgers // Sweet Potatoes // sautéed kale // zucchini + onion stir-fry // steamed broccoli 

Snacks:

cubed pineapple /or/ hard boiled eggs /or/ sliced peppers

Not too shabby, right?

I also snagged strawberries, nectarines, cheese sticks, unsweetened almond milk, fig newtons, KIND bars, granola, pop chips, wheat thins & frozen yogurt + chocolate covered pretzels.

All things considered, we have pretty darn healthy choices for a whole week with a few tasty treats thrown in the mix. And this whole order took me about an hour (had to wash pans in between uses!).

Btw, I spent like $7 on baggies + minimal tupperware to use for our month here. 

__________________________________________________________________________

I hope this inspires you to stay health & grounded in your routine while you're on the go. Hotel living isn't always easy and it's certainly not the most convenient. BUT -> It's totally possible if your goals are important to you!

Need more tips? I'd love to chat!

Find me on Facebook.com/LindseyKollarGhoens

/or/

email me at lindseykollar@yahoo.com

Let me share with you the food guide that rocked my nutritional world.

If you've never heard of shakeology before & want to know why I love to drink it every.single.day for breakfast or lunch, check out my experience HERE. 

For all you beachbody lovers out there:: yes, everything prepped above is 21 Day Fix approved! 

Can't believe I cooked in this kitchen for the last time. Time for a mini glass of wine to celebrate :)

Cheers!

XO

What LINDSEY Eats: A Peek into My 21 Day Fix Food-Genda

As most of you know, I'm a huge advocate of the 21 Day Fix {original & extreme} because of the results I felt and saw in just 3 weeks. Check out my journey HERE.

The secret sauce with this program is the NUTRITION, which is most people's down fall when it comes to achieving results or even maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Within the 21 Day Fix meal plan, you have your categories, the recommended foods within each category and the appropriate serving size of each. Based on a formula that calculates your caloric needs from your activity level, current weight, etc you will be told how many portions of each food category you should be ingesting on a daily basis.

The gist is: portioned whole foods + shakeology + 30 minute workouts = results

..and it's legit.

So let me show you the food list that I created when I started the 21 Day Fix, which made my life mega easy and straightforward when it came to selecting food items.

On the list- YES. Missing from the list- NO.

I do very well with black and white boundaries, so if you're the same I hope this helps!

After really just a week, I figured out which foods I like the most and what was easiest to prep --> I cook ONCE a week. I believe that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. My nutrition is no exception. Sundays are my day to prepare & the rest of the week is HEAT & EAT.

From this list, here is what I found myself eating most often.

PROTEINS

Chicken, Ground Turkey, Turkey Burgers, Eggs and Greek Yogurt.. oh my! 

There are so many different ways to season, mix, and prepare these proteins that they just don't get old for me!

*Food Prep Tip:: When selecting meals to cook each week, try to stick with recipes that use the same 2-3 proteins to save $ and time!*

GREEN VEGGIES

Romaine for salads, Snap Peas for a snack or stir fry, Cucumbers to munch on and Roasted Broccoli as a dinner STAPLE. Of course, I might wash and chop carrots, zucchini, onion and tomato too- but you get the gist. These are veggies I can interchange for various meals and use in multiple ways!

FRUIT

I like fruits that can be eaten alone as a snack, mixed into my breakfasts or serving with a nut butter. I also like fruits that don't cost a bunch of money, since I get two large servings every single day. 

CARBS

Oh my precious carbs. Going with HEALTHY options that are a blank canvas: Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes and Steel Cut Oats. I mix my oats in the morning with berries and a side of greek yogurt ALL.THE.TIME. The quinoa can be served plain as a side, mixed with veggies as a salad dish OR serving steamy on top of a bed of greens with taco meat or something! Seriously, y'all.. give quinoa a change. It's SO so good! Lastly are my beloved sweet potatoes. You can microwave and half these bad boys OR cube and roast them for a side. Serving tip: roast cubed sweet potatoes with carrots and top with goat cheese (yellow+green+blue) . HOLY HEAVENS.

Healthy FATS

Avocado, Cheese and Hummus.. need I say more?

SEEDS & DRESSINGS

For my salads, I make my own 21 Day Fix dressings directly from the meal plan! Usually, I make one new dressing each week or two. Instead of getting multiple seeds and nuts on hand, I get a medley of unsalted nuts to use as a snack or to top a salad.

 OILS & Nut BUTTERS

Typically, I cook with olive oil and bake with coconut oil. I also like to blend in a half TSP. of coconut oil into my coffee.. so darn tasty. And the only nut butter I ALWAYS keep stocked is an all natural crunchy peanut butter. I eat it with fruit, on it's own or mixed into my morning oats/greek yogurt.

So I'm guessing you're wondering how the amazing Shakeology fits into this meal plan? Besides perfectly, these are the appropriate categories!

One scoop of shakeology counts as one protein serving. If you like to mix your shakeology with a splash of unsweetened almond milk, it would count as a part of a carb serving.

Seasonings

It's important to me to spice things up a bit, so that the foods I like to eat often don't seem boring and overly redundant. It's amazing how a little cinnamon on apple slices, red pepper flakes on green beans and cumin on ground turkey can make a world of difference. There are TONS of approved spices in the meal plan, as well as fresh herbs. These just so happen to be my favorites.

Condiments

Only because hard boiled eggs are LAME without hot sauce and my turkey burgers would be lonely without dijon.. these are two approved condiments that are ALWAYS stocked in my fridge.

No-Guilt Sweetener

I understand that plain greek yogurt can be a little shocking if you've never eaten it that way before. Sprinkle a little trivia or stevia on top to take the sharp sour edge off. If you're on the traditional 21 Day Fix meal plan, you are allowed to use honey, I believe. On the extreme version's meal plan, this is as good as it gets- and it works for me!

Creative Hydration

Hydration is SO important for anyone, but the way I keep my water intake from becoming dull is with a daily La Croix and with lemon or lime infused water!

Thanks to Autumn Calabrese, the creator of the 21 Day Fix, writing her new cookbook called "FIXATE" (check it out, HERE) I can switch things up even more!

Follow my blog as I cook through some of her new recipes including what's pictured here: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (1 purple + 1 orange), Pumpkin Pie Energy Bites (1/2 yellow) & Almond Chocolate Protein Squares (1/2 red + 1/2 yellow).

I'd love to answer any of your questions about the program and see if this might be a good fit for you.

Off to get my Plyo Extreme Fix on. Happy Monday, friends!

Lindsey