Easy Margarita Pizza and Asperagus

It's summer. We all need easy and dare I say it...we all need pizza. Here is a quick and delicious summer dinner for under 400 calories. 

This is a great family meal as well. The kids will love to help you make homemade pizza and its easy to make as many or few servings as you need. 

**note: lavash bread can be found at most grocery stores. It is usually wherever pita bread and flat breads are sold, not in the bread aisle. This brand was purchased at Walmart near the deli meat counter**

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees 

Pizza:

Brush one lavash bread with 3/4tbsp olive oil and dust with garlic powder. 

Place the "crust" in the oven for 5-6 minutes until it is crispy and golden. 

Remove the crust and top with 2tbsp 100% natural tomato paste, basil paste (ground fresh basil in a squeeze tube available near lettuce & herbs in produce section) or fresh basil, 1/2 c thinly sliced cherry tomatoes, 1/2 c 2% mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and dried  Italian seasoning. (Meat optional- just make sure it is thoroughly cooked)  

Bake 5-7 min until bubbly and cheese begins to lightly brown.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with 1 tbsp reduced balsamic vinegar.

Asparagus: 

Wash and trim asparagus, place
on foil lined pan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Roll them around on the foil so all sides are coated with the oil, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt. 

Bake in 400 degree oven (with pizza) 7-10 minutes depending on the size of your spears.

Yea, yea...you can thank me later...and you will, it's that good.

Ingredient list:

Lavash bread

Olive oil

Garlic powder

Tomato paste

Basil paste or fresh basil

2% mozzarella cheese

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Cherry tomatoes

Italian seasoning

Asparagus 

Weeky Lunch Prep and Roasted Vegetable Quinoa

I've mentioned before that I'm a big believer in lunch-time food prep whether you are eating at home or out with friends. I tend to get into food cycles for lunch where I eat the same thing for a few weeks just because it tastes good or the fresh vegetables in the recipe are in season. Better get them while you can, right? After a few weeks I move onto the next thing that sounds good. I know it sounds boring, but I don't look at it that way.

For a longtime lunch was the most stressful meal of the day for me.  My workouts usually end right at lunchtime and by the time we get home my kids want to eat and they want to eat RIGHT NOW. I would find myself making their sandwiches and stuffing the crust of their PB&J in my mouth because I had no idea what I was going to eat or when I was going to get the the chance to sit down and eat it.

With my meals prepared and waiting in the fridge, I can walk in the door, stick my food in the microwave to warm up while I make the girl's sandwiches and then we all get to sit down at the table together...I won't say we eat together since lately most of our meals consist of me tying to eat while trying to convince  begging the older kid to "just eat three bites" and picking up all the food the little one is joyously and repeatedly throwing off her tray.

I've been asked several times if I prep for the whole week or just a few days. The answer is all week. I've never had a food safety "incident" that being said, if you aren't comfortable eating something you cooked on Sunday for lunch on Friday, I can understand. Just plan to prep on both Sunday and Wednesday.

For the most part my protein is always either 3-4oz of baked chicken breasts (1lb chicken breasts drizzled with olive oil, seasoning, bake 400 degrees 35-40 minutes) or two spicy turkey meatballs. (See mini meatloaf/ meatball post. Reduce recipe by half to make 10 meatballs/ 2 per meal.)

For side dishes I've been having either brown rice and broccoli, half a sweet potato and green beans or Roasted Vegetable Quinoa salad. The quinoa has been my staple for about 3 weeks now because I've been able to get awesome broccoli, peas, asparagus and onions at our local farmer's market. To those veggies I add whatever looks good at the store that week. Its usually zucchini and bell pepper...occasionally carrots.

The quinoa salad is easy to make and a great source of protein and fiber, plus its really filling. You can also easily modify this recipe into a main dish by coarsely chopping 2-3 baked chicken breasts and one 15oz can of rinsed black beans to the quinoa and veggies. You may also want to add an additional 1-2tbsp of olive oil or a splash of chicken broth to moisten the salad as well as some additional seasoning blend.

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Roasted Vegetables
4 to 5 cups of the vegetables of your choice. My suggestions are:
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 zucchini, cut into strips 3in long and 1/2in wide
1-2 cup fresh broccoli. broken into florets
6-8 asparagus spears, in 2in pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped into strips 3in long, 1/2in wide
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
1 tbsp garlic-based seasoning powder such as Mrs. Dash or McCormick Italian seasoning grinder-- really, it can be whatever seasoning blend you enjoy.

Place all your chopped veggies to a gallon-size ziploc bag and pour the 1/4c olive oil over the top. Next add half your seasoning to the bag, close it and shake it. After all the veggies seem to be coated, open the bag and add the rest of the seasoning. Close the bag and give it one more good shake.

Next, spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a large foil-lined baking sheet.

Place your veggies in oven and bake for 5 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 7 minutes.  It is tempting to continue to cook your vegetables, but remember you will be microwaving this meal to reheat it which will continue to cook them. Unless you like your vegetables very soft, you don't want to overcook them off the bat. If you are making this as a side dish for dinner or main course to serve right away, roast the vegetables an additional 3 minutes.

Quinoa
1/2 c organic quinoa
1/2 c 100% natural chicken broth
1/2 c water
1/4 tsp sea salt

Bring water, chicken broth and quinoa to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Don't add the salt to your pan yet.

When your quinoa is done pour it into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt.

When vegetables are done roasting, move them from the baking sheet into your bowl of quinoa and toss. Taste and add additional seasoning if you think it needs more.

This recipe should portion out perfectly as the side dish for 5 lunches. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles

Something about the word "truffle"...sounds...well, delicious. And so much tastier than Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls. Call them whatever you want. These are good.




Step 1:

Add all the ingredients, except for water and chocolate chips to the food processor bowl. Use the pulse button to combine. The mixture will be dry. Add about 1/4 cup of water and continue to pulse. The mix should begin to come together. The dates will hold all the ingredients together, but depending on the moisture level of the dates and the absorbancy of your oats and protein powder, you may need to add more water. My batch needed about a 1/2 cup total. You don't want to it to be runny. It should be very sticky and thick. **A note about Madjool dates. They have pits that you must remove! If you forget your food processor will not thank you, either will your teeth should you bite into one**

Step 2:
Remove the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. It will make it easier to roll into your truffles.

Step 3:
Roll dough into 20 golf ball sized truffles. I only got 18 out of mine, but that is because I ate the dough right out of the food processor.

Step 4:
Refrigerate your rolled truffles for 10-15 more minutes. While your truffles are chilling, melt about 1/3c of dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl. I prefer to melt them in the microwave because it the easiest. Just put them in for 20 seconds at a time until smooth. It took 40 seconds total.

Step 5:
Dip the bottom half of each truffle into the melted chocolate.

Step 6:
Once the chocolate hardens they are ready to enjoy. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Peanut Butter Cookie Truffles

12 pitted Medjool dates
1 c Old Fashioned Oats

1/4 c PB2 or natural peanut butter
1 c almonds
1/3 c unsweetened dried coconut flakes
1.5 scoops vanilla whey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c water (Approx- maybe more or less) added gradually

1/3 c dark choc chips, melted (optional)

Crock Pot Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

This yucky weather we are having had me craving something warm and comforting for dinner. This chili totally fits the bill. I adapted this recipe from another awesome blog called He and She Eat Clean. You should all check out. You can see it here.

The seasonings give it some good heat while the sweet potatoes give it a little sweetness and a yummy texture. I hope you love it! Here we go:

Get out your crock pot and set it on high while you get ready to add your ingredients. I also can't say enough great things about crock pot liners...use them people! It will make your life easier. They are in the same aisle as zip lock bags and make clean up basically effortless.

First cube up two large sweet potatoes. And add them to the crock pot.

Next, dice a medium onion and add it as well.

Now pop open those cans and pour in the fire roasted tomatoes and black beans and give the whole mixture a little stir...no need to drain either one of them.

Next you'll layer in the turkey. Ground turkey is already pretty crumbly if you don't smash it too much getting it out of the package, which is good for this recipe. You don't have to be very careful...just disperse the meat evenly over the top of your vegetables.

To finish up, sprinkle your seasonings evenly over the turkey and pour the beef broth over the top of all of it. No need to stir...this chili makes itself!

I like to cook on high for 3 hours, give it a good stir and then cook one additional hour on low. If you'll be out of the house all day, 6-8 hours on low will be just fine.

Recipe:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 med onion, diced
1 can organic fire roasted tomatoes
1 can reduced sodium black beans
1 lb lean ground turkey
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp sea salt- or more if desired
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp dry chipotle chili pepper powder
2 c 100% Natural Beef Broth, organic if available (I used Swanson's)


Got questions? Comments? Let me know. I'd love to hear from you!

Welcome to Dinner in Gym Clothes

When I started posting a picture here and there of what I was eating for breakfast or had made my family for dinner on my Facebook page, I never expected to get the response that followed. That response is what inspired me to begin "Dinner in Gym Clothes." I hope to show you that eating in a healthy, nutritious way doesn't have to be hard, time consuming, or bland. And likewise, the gym does not have to be tedious, painful or boring. In my personal experience, making the time for both of these in your life will change more than your pant size. Although I would be lying if I said weight loss was not a major motivator in this journey toward a healthier life.

 Here is a little back ground: I have never been a particularly thin person. As a child I always remember being the "big" girl. Although I was athletic and kept busy with softball and bike riding, I more than made up for it in brownie eating and Dr. Pepper drinking. By junior high, I knew I wanted to make a change, but I didn't know how. It was so difficult, as a 13 year old, to be so proud to have made the cheerleading squad only to realize the very real fear that there may not be a uniform to fit me. I never felt the stinging words of bullies, but I did feel the shame of watching my mother sit behind a sewing machine trying to figure out how to move buttons and alter uniforms to get them to fit. I spent my junior high years always on the bottom of the pyramid but I was on the squad and that was what was most important to me.

In high school I lost weight and was finally happy with my body. What I failed to learn during that time of weight loss was how to lose weight in a healthy way. I ate a severely calorie restricted diet often consisting of one small bowl of cereal for breakfast, half a sandwich for lunch, and a can of green beans for dinner all while keeping up a hectic schedule of high school softball practice and games, cheerleading practice and games, and daily trips to the gym. I think I always knew I needed to be eating more, but I was constantly scared more food would mean I would once again become the "big" girl. If only I had known then what I know now, right?

After high school, I fully indulged in college life and loved every minute of it. I was able to keep my weight under control despite living in a sorority house with a cook whose favorite meals always included gravy. Hello, Chicken Strip Tuesday! Thankfully, I made good use of the university's gym facilities and long walks across campus to my classes.

The real problem began after I got married and became what many folks call "fat and happy." Except I was far from happy. I told myself I was being a good wife by putting three course meals on the table every night and making pancakes every weekend, but the truth is I wasn't doing either of us any favors. I had let my weight get to a point where I could no longer button my “fat-day” jeans. I couldn’t go on telling myself the pants in my closet were fresh-out- o-the-dryer-tight...these jeans were just too small. My husband and I went on the South Beach Diet, which was huge at the time, and quickly lost weight. It worked, but living la vida low-carb was tough and it wasn't a permanent solution for us. We both gained a few pounds back but we were both happy enough with our weight to try to go back to "normal" eating, whatever that is.

Fast forward four years to the birth of our first daughter. I gained 60+lbs by eating a steady diet of burgers and fries, cookies and my favorite custard ice cream filled with Oreos and heath bars. Was it delicious?...of course! Was it incredibly hard to lose?...absolutely.  I was able to keep my weight gain down with our second baby, gaining under 30lbs. Losing the weight the second time wasn't any easier, but with 30 less pounds to lose than the first pregnancy, it didn't seem as daunting.

Seven months after my second baby I had lost my pregnancy weight, but it was abundantly clear that my body needed a tune up. I had been back to the gym since the baby was 8 weeks old, but I wasn't putting much effort into my workouts. I would climb on a cardio machine, Kindle in hand, and do the minimum it took to break a sweat then go home and make a convenient dinner. These meals weren't completely devoid of nutrition, but we were eating far too much pasta, boxed/processed meals and fried restaurant dinners.  I was tired, stressed, hungry and worst of all, not getting the results I wanted.

The holidays and my birthday had the scale creeping back up but I refused to let it ruin the holidays. I did what so many of us do and vowed to make a change...after New Year’s, of course. I've made plenty of resolutions in my life, but this time I vowed to keep it…and you know what? I did.

That brings us to today. In the past months I have developed a passion for working out and a new love of cooking.  My number one goal is to raise a happy and healthy family, but I fully believe you cannot take care of the ones you love if you are not taking care of yourself. That has to include getting your body moving, but like I talked about before: getting a workout is important, but no amount of working out will take care of a bad diet. Eating Clean does require some effort, but the rewards are amazing. I rarely, if ever, need ibuprofen or Tylenol now which is a big change for me. I have far more energy which allows me to push harder in my workouts. I feel like I can handle stress better. And lastly, the little fact I am most proud of…I have lost 20+ pounds since January 1^st. I truly feel that changing my food intake has been the catalyst for all these changes and that motivates me to stick with it.

Now, the disclaimer: Am I a nutritionist? No. Am I a personal trainer? No. What I will share with you in this blog is simply what is working for me and my family right now. Will it change and evolve? I hope so. That being said, let’s be realistic. I am a mom of two little ones. Life can be crazy. It can get hectic. Kids get sick and I may eat an entire bag of Cadbury mini eggs. Life goes on. I start each day striving to do my best, but realize balance is the key. While I’ll try to give you the best advice I can, there will still be Easy Mac in my pantry and I’m sure there is a pizza somewhere in my near future.  Eating well and working out is something I strive to do, but it is not more important than being the best mom, wife, sister and daughter that I can be. This is my journey to living a healthy, happy life.  I hope you enjoy reading it. Welcome to Dinner in Gym Clothes.