Italian Pasta Soup

Fall is the season of apples, chili, and soups!!! As the weather finally starts to feel like fall, I've been looking for some of those comforting foods as the air gets a little more brisk.
I have always said how I enjoy taking class or traditional dishes and cleaning them up. Soups themselves are hearty and typically healthy, so this is a great option that can provide you and some family and friends a delicious meal.  This recipe provides at least 12 servings, so I sent some home with my brother-in-law and ran some over to our neighbors.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• 1 cup of onion, diced
• 2 cups of carrots, shredded or cut baby carrots
• 2 cups of celery diced (5-6 stalks)
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 28 oz can reduced-sodium diced tomatoes
• 28 oz can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
• 2 – 14.5 oz cans reduced-sodium beef broth
• 15 oz can kidney beans, drained + rinsed
• 15 oz can northern beans, drained + rinsed
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning ( I made my own. I use the recipe here http://www.food.com/recipe/italian-seasoning-82770)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 8 oz ditalini pasta ( I couldn't find this so I used whole wheat elbow macaroni. I found that 8 oz of it is about 2 cups dry, BUT I would use less next time as I had to add more liquid to the recipe because of amount of noodles)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brown the turkey in a large  pot. Season with salt and pepper. Drain fat. Remove turkey and set aside.
2. In the same pot, add onion, carrots, celery and green bell pepper. I used a food chopper for the vegetables. It saves a TON of time.  Saute on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
   
3. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, both beans, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and browned turkey. Stir well and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
4. Boil water and cook pasta according to package instructions.
5. Drain pasta and add to the meat mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes and serve!

**Tip: You can make this recipe ahead of time and then reheat it on the stovetop whenever you would like to enjoy it! 

**I added water and a little butter to make it have more of a broth consistency since I didn't have anymore beef broth! 

FIXERS: I would fill up a green container for measuring purposes. Container equivalents: 2 yellows (pasta & beans), 2 green (peppers, carrots, celery, and onion), and 1 red (ground turkey)

Yum, yum, eat it up!!

Happy Eating! 

XOXO, 

Kynslee

Chili Mac Bake

I guess my husband's way of telling me to make some different recipes is sending me an email with the subject line, "recipes." haha! Well, point taken dear. I am always up for making new recipes, especially when I am not the one searching for them. I've been using the Fixate cookbook a lot lately, and I found some great staple meals to include in our weekly meal plan--mmm....pancakes!

INGREDIENTS:

*1 cup dry whole grain/wheat rotini

*1 lb. of lean ground turkey

*small onion, diced

* 1 tbsp of minced garlic

*16 oz can of chili beans (pinto or kidney)

*14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

*6 oz. can of tomato paste

*1 tbsp of chili powder

*1 tsp of cumin

*1 tsp of black pepper

*1 tsp of sea salt

*1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

*1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Add olive oil to the skillet and heat at medium.

3. Add onion, garlic, and turkey to skillet. Brown the turkey.

4, While browning meat, cook pasta according to instructions. Add the sea salt to the water.

5. Once the meat is browned, add in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper.

6. Mix all the ingredients together on low heat.

7. Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the turkey mixture.

8. Mix all the ingredients together and then transfer to a casserole dish.

9. Top it with the cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

FIXERS or CIZERS: One serving (green container portion, about 1 cup) is Two yellow (pasta and beans) ONE red (ground turkey) 

**I really enjoy this meal because it is very hearty in a small portion! Pair it with a salad for some additional greens. :) It is nice that the entire recipe only calls for one cup of pasta, so it is not overwhelmed with it. The beans are a nice starchy carb to include in your nutrition.

With fall being about a month away, this meal reminded me of those "sweatshirt" weather kind of days!

Yum, yum, eat it up!
Happy eating,
XoXo
Kynslee

Enchilada Noodle Bake

I usually have a picture of the final product plated, but I must have been really hungry ( or tired) because I forgot, ha!

Another day...Another new recipe :) Two new recipes in a row is pretty good for me. It is nice to see my family enjoying delicious, healthy food! Our 2 year old, who typically eats everything in sight, is going through a bit of a phase it seems and not eating much of it, BUT our usually picky 4 year old has eaten her entire bowl for the last 2 evenings. Perhaps one day they will both be on the same page. :) My husband scarfed down his portion of it before moving on to his dinner salad.

INGREDIENTS:

*12 oz of whole grain egg noodles

* 6 oz of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt, divided

*10 oz of red enchilada sauce

*2 cups of Mexican shredded cheese blend (reduced-fat preferred), divided

*2 cups of frozen corn

*1 lb lean ground turkey

* 1/2 cup of diced onion

2 tsp of minced garlic

1 Tbsp of chili powder

*1 tsp of cumin

*1/2 tsp of sea salt

*1/2 tsp of pepper

**optional ingredients: avocado and extra Greek yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray( I use olive oil spray) a 9x13 pan.

2. Cook the noodles according to the directions.

3. In a LARGE bowl ( you don't think you need a big one now, but will need it later!), mix 2 oz (about 4 Tbsp) of Greek yogurt, enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and corn.

4. In a pan, cook the turkey for about 8 minutes and drain fat. Add the onion and minced garlic. Cook until onions are tender. Add the the spices and remaining yogurt. Mix until yogurt evenly coats the turkey.

5. Take the large bowl and add the turkey and noodles to it, combining all of the ingredients well.

6. Pour it into you lightly greased pan . Top it with the remaining cheese.

7. Cook for about 15 minutes.

**8. You can add chopped avocado and Greek yogurt to the top as we did!

THIS MAKES A TON!!! I am giving some to my brother and sister-in-law to enjoy! We will have some leftovers later in the week. :)

Fixers: I counted it as ONE red, ONE blue, and 2 YELLOWS- I used the green container as my portion size. :)

Happy Eating!

XoXo 

Kynslee 

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Chicken Stroganoff

While lying in bed last week (resting from kidney stone surgery), I saw my husband was surfing the web, as he often does. He wasn't looking at houses or properties, which he enjoys;rather, he was looking up recipes. I suppose he was sending me a little or quite obvious hint really to change up what we have been eating.

I could truly eat the same thing day in and day out. I look forward to my one treat meal per week that changes it up. I live for consistency in my life. He detests leftovers and the same meal over and over again.

He bookmarked some of the recipes, so I figured I would give them a try. I "cleaned" it up a little bit, and we enjoyed a nice Sunday dinner after I got home from work.

INGREDIENTS:

* sea salt

*black pepper

* about 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( I used 3, thin cut ones)

*1 tbsp of olive oil

*1 small onion, diced

*2 tsp. of minced garlic

1 tbsp of whole-wheat flout

*1/2 cup of white cooking wine

*1 cup of milk

*4 tbsp of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt

*6 oz (1/2 bag) of whole wheat egg noodles, dry

*parsley flakes

INSTRUTIONS:

1. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan.

2. Cut off any excess fat from chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cut into cubes.

3. Add chicken to pan and cook for about 3 minutes per side. It doesn't have to be completely cooked at this point. 

4. Put chicken on another plate and keep off to the side.

5. Put the remaining oil in the pain and add the onions and garlic (You can also add sliced mushrooms at this point-I didn't because we don't like them.) If using mushrooms, cook on low for about 12 minutes. If only the onions and garlic, then cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

6.  Sprinkle to flour over the vegetable mixture and coat evenly.

7. Take the pan off the burner and add the cooking wine. Allow it to cook for a few minutes. Use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan while the wine is cooking.

8.  Add the chicken back into the skillet with the yogurt and milk and cook until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through-about the amount of time it takes to cook noodles-low heat--add more flour if sauce isn't thick enough for you

9. While the stroganoff is cooking, cook the pasta as directed on the package.

10. Serve and garnish with a little parsley flakes.

FIXERS: I did 2 Yellow containers of noodles and 1 Red of the stroganoff mixture. You can do more or less depending on your nutritional needs.

I paired mine with a cucumber and tomato salad! Delicious.

My husband quickly ate his entire plate, and our oldest finished all of hers as well. :)

Happy Eating!

XoXo

Kynslee

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No-Bake Energy Treats

Our oldest daughter, Kynsten, was on an electronics hiatus in June. (negative consequence for a poor choice). Truthfully, I was a little nervous about it because she would get some screen time when her sister napped, which gave me some time to get some work done. She really started reading even more than she normally would. We made several trips to the library for new material. Our latest trip, we found this book.

Good old Curious George! I loved him when I was a kid. At the end of this book, there was a recipe shared for a really healthy snack. How cool is that?! We decided to give them a try. Yum! :) 

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 1/4 cups of old-fashioned oats or quick oats

*1/2 cup of natural peanut butter

*1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips

*1/3 cup of honey

*1 tsp of vanilla extract

**Their recipe also suggested 2/3 cup of coconut flakes BUT I hate coconut so left that out. :) I actually have the other ingredients on hand at all times. :) 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Take all of the ingredients and mix into a medium sized bowl.

2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

3. Take out and roll in balls.

4. ENJOY!! 

**Keep them refrigerated**

FIXERS: 2 of these bad boys=1 yellow :)

Happy Eating!!

XoXo

Kynslee

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken is a go to option for us. I know it is better than red meat options, so I have been trying to make some new recipes to share with my family. My husband LOVES Mexican food.  Chicken..mmm...spices..mmm...cheese...mmm...sour cream...mmm- delicious

I have been finding it easier and easier to make traditional, enjoyable meals with healthier ingredient options.

INGREDIENTS:

*Whole grain tortillas-I used Aladdin's whole grain tortillas-My recipe made 4

*Chicken- I used chicken breast tenders- split a package- used 3 of them for this recipe (other 2 from this half of package used for my salad and the dog :) 

*16 oz. can of red enchilada sauce (only use about half of it)

*1/4 tsp. of garlic powder

*1/2 tsp of chili powder

*1/4 tsp of black pepper

*1 cup of shredded cheddar

* 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook your chicken accordingly. I cooked the 5 chicken breast tenders for about 30 minutes.

3.  Put the chicken in a medium sized bowl and mix in the spices. 

4. Add 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well.

5. Add some of the mixture to the middle of the tortilla and roll up. 

6. Spray the crock pot with cooking spray.

7. To prevent the tortillas from becoming soggy, broil the enchiladas for about 10 minutes (I did it on HI) before putting them in the crock pot.

8. Add the tortillas to the crock pot, seam down.

9. Combine the other 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt in a bowl. It should not be very thick.

10. Pour it over the top of the tortillas. Add some extra shredded cheese. 

11. Cook on low for about 2 hours.

FIXERS: One yellow, One blue, and One red (chicken and Greek yogurt)

Happy Eating!

XoXo

Kynslee

Avocado Quesadilla

SO, it has been a while since I've tried a new recipe. Honestly, I am a creature of habit and can eat the same thing over and over again. It makes my meal planning and grocery shopping easier. :) My husband has been making some health changes over the last 5 weeks. He has always pretty much embraced my dinners since they are what he is familiar with -sloppy joes, chili, burgers, fries, mac n' cheese, taco casserole, steak, chicken...just made with better ingredients, BUT he is NOT a fan of eating the same thing OVER and OVER again. Me, LEFTOVERS make me so happy! No prep, just heat, and the dishes are already done from when it was originally prepared!!

I went searching for some different recipes for this week's meal plan, and we tried the first one yesterday. AMAZING! and SIMPLE!!!

This only took about 10 minutes to prep and cook!

INGREDIENTS:

*Whole grain wrap or pita- I used Aladdin's whole wheat pita-few ingredients :)

*1/2 avocado per quesadilla

*tomato

*onion

*spices of choice- I used garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and pepper

*shredded mozzarella

*OPTIONAL - chicken (which we used- had leftover from rotisserie the night before and always need more protein :)

*OPTIONAL- salsa and Greek yogurt for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Spread avocado on your wrap/pita.

2. Add tomatoes, onion, spices, and optional chicken

3. Top it off with cheese

4. Spray a pan with cooking spray and fold wrap/pita in half.

5. Brown on both sides. I enjoy mine crispier whereas my husband doesn't, so just cook until your quesadilla is how you like it!

6. Serve with salsa and Greek yogurt ( for sour cream substitute) for added flavor!

We enjoyed ours with a salad as well. This was packed with veggies, protein, healthy fat, and great carbs!

FIXERS: 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 red (including Greek yogurt), and little bit of green with tomato and onion. 

Happy Eating!

XoXo

Kynslee

Clean Eating Tortilla Chips

We all like a good crunch every once in a while, right?! Since starting The 21 Day Fix Extreme, I have been changing some of my habits since I've gotten a little comfortable with where I have been. Changing one's exercise and nutrition routine every 4-6 weeks is very beneficial. Completing the same workouts and eating the same foods ALL the time can surely put you in a plateau.

I used to make these chips ALL the time! They really hit the spot, especially when paired with some salsa or guacamole! Mmm! I really enjoy eating what people call "normal" foods but making them with much better ingredients that leave me satisfied as opposed to overstuffed and bloated.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Whole wheat tortilla/pita- I use Aladdin's whole wheat pitas because they have FAR less ingredients than most tortillas or pitas. I purchase them at my local Giant Eagle. 

2. Olive oil

3. Garlic Powder

4. Grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Take a pizza cutter and cut the pitas into triangular pieces. Separate the triangles in half so it is 2 thinner pieces as opposed to one thicker chip. 

3. Place the pita pieces on a baking sheet and use a basting brush to rub olive oil over them.

4. Generously sprinkle garlic powder and sprinkle a little bit of grated parmesan on each.

5. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. I typically do 8. They may not seem hard like a chip, but they will harden once out of the oven.

*They store well in a Ziploc bag. 

**21 Day FIXERS: 1 yellow= 14 chips!! :) 

Make these for a party to serve with salsa or chips. They make a great appetizer, which my kiddos LOVE! My husband really enjoyed them yesterday with guacamole. :) 

Happy Eating!!

XoXo

Kynslee

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan Soup

Chicken Parmesan is a favorite dish of mine. Chicken, noodles, sauce, cheese-Mmm! This cold weather makes me crave soup as well. Being able to just put some ingredients in the crock pot and do what I need to do is pretty awesome.

INGREDIENTS:

*3 minced garlic cloves

* 1 green bell pepper, chopped

* 1 (14.5 oz) can of crushed tomatoes

*1/2 RAW chicken breasts ( I buy chicken breast tenders and break them up into packs of 3-4) I used one of the packs. 

* 3 cups of chicken broth ( I used low sodium.) **I added extra cup at the end.

* 1/2 cup chopped onion

*1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese **extra need to garnish

*1 Tbsp. of basil

* 2 tsp. of oregano 

* 1/8 tsp. of red pepper flakes

*4 oz. of UNCOOKED pasta ( I used whole grain penne)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In your crock pot, add and mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT the noodles and cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 1/2. 

2. After 7 hours, remove the chicken and shred it.

3. Return chicken to crockpot and add the UNCOOKED pasta. Cook on high for 30 minutes. 

4. Add extra chicken broth if you feel the consistency is too thick once noodles have been added.

5. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese.

FIXERS: I filled a green container as my portion size and deducted ONE red and ONE yellow container per the guide on Pg. 72. 

This went really well with a salad. I was quite full after this meal. My daughters actually enjoyed some of the chicken that I shredded as part of their meal. Since they are not quite 2 and 4, soup would be a bit of a challenge; however, they enjoyed the whole grain noodles and chicken separately. :) 

Happy Eating!!

XoXo

Kynslee