Lemon Garlic Tilapia

You are in for a treat (if you like fish) This is one of my absolute favorite go-to recipes, it is packed with flavor and super quick/easy to make.  When hubby & I decided to get fit in 2009, I stumbled across this recipe somewhere and have been making it ever since.  

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets
1 TB olive oil
1 TB butter
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
dash of salt
cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place tilapia inside pan.
2. Melt butter in microwave (10-15 seconds).  Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, & parsley flakes.  Saute for a few minutes and pour over tilapia. Sprinkle cayenne pepper (optional)
3.  Bake for 13 min. Broil for 2-3.
***Note, I've been using the larger tilapia fillets sold at Costco, and have been baking for 20 minutes***

...

As you can see in the pic, I usually accompany this with quinoa (with lemon juice, salt/pepper) and a veggie.  Even my daughter loves this recipe (light on the cayenne pepper)

Enjoy!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I found one of my new favorite recipes. Can you say YUM?  Here is where I found the recipe.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 TB olive oil
1 pound ground chicken(or turkey)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 TB soy sauce
1 TB rice vinegar
1 TB freshly grated ginger

1/2 C carrots, diced
1 tsp Sriracha,(or to taste)

1 -8-oz can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced 

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 head butter lettuce

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the chicken as it cooks; drain excess fat.
2. Stir in garlic, onion, carrots, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha until onions have become translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chestnuts and green onions until tender, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style.


Managed to have enough for lunch the next day too, which is always a plus.

Don't forget to use your favorite hot sauce!  Cholula anyone?

Until next time,

Lex

Tilapia with Kale and Tomato

You know I love me some Shaun T. ♥

This recipe is straight from the T25 recipe booklet. It's not only healthy and full of flavor, but super easy and quick to make. Yesssssss!

Tilapia with Kale and Tomato

Ingredients(for 2 servings):

2 (6 oz) raw tilapia filets

Sea salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 cups fresh kale, chopped

1 can of diced tomatoes, with juice

Directions:

1.  Season both sides of tilapia with sea salt and pepper.  Set aside

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and kale, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes with juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

5. Place tilapia on top of kale mixture and cover to cook for about 1 minute. Gently turn tilapia over and cook for additional 2-3 minutes (or until cooked through and flakes easily with a fork)

6.  Remove from heat and ENJOY!

We always make a side of quinoa to compliment this amazing dish, and usually end up using diced tomatoes with green chiles to add a little kick (and maaaaybe some cholula)

And yes, even my *almost* 2 year old loves it.  This makes me super happy, because I'm always worried about her getting enough healthy fats.

That does it for today's post, until next time!

Lex

Quinoa Fried "Rice"

I will be posting two recipes this week, since I forgot last week.  Sorry! My time management wasn't the best as I prepared for our trip this past weekend.

I love incorporating our staple "grain" (it's actually a seed) Quinoa. Pronounced KEEN-WAH.

Now you can ask your supermarket attendant with confidence...

..you're welcome!

 Hehe, sorry. I can be a litte sassy at times.

We buy ours in bulk at Costco, yay!

One of my favorite "cheat" meals is good ol' Chinese takeout.  If you live in the East Valley, you need to go to J&K Chinese Gourmet on your next cheat night. ;)  We just took Sofie for the first time and all she kept saying was "Mmm!" & "Yum yum yum!"  & "Num num, nom nom" Hahaha, that girl.

Here is a healthy version that we make at home.  Top it off with your choice of protein (chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, etc). Yum yum, delicioso!  Here is where I found the recipe.

Quinoa Fried "Rice"

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (or 2½ to 3 cups leftover cooked quinoa)

1 ½ cups water or low-sodium chicken stock

 ¼ small onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 scallions, chopped and divided

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs, lightly scrambled (still raw)

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

Sauce:1 ½ tablespoons teriyaki sauce

2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

¾ teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

1.  Rinse quinoa a few times in cold water.

2. Bring quinoa and water or chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, and then reduce to a simmer. Season with salt.

3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until quinoa is fluffy and cooked through. Remove from heat and let set for five minutes or so. Fluff with a fork.  Cool and store in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4.  Mix teriyaki, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

5.  Heat ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large sauté pan over a high heat. Add onion and carrot, cook about two minutes. Add 2 scallions, garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook another two minutes. Add in the rest of the olive oil and the quinoa. Stir-fry about two minutes. 

6.  Add sauce and stir-fry until incorporated, about two minutes. Make a well in the center of the quinoa pour eggs in, scramble. Throw in peas, then toss everything together until the peas are warmed through, add remaining scallion and serve.  ENJOY!

This is an awesome recipe to make ahead of time and great for leftovers.  Unlike rice, quinoa keeps in the fridge very well for a few days.

 Yay for recipes!

Time to get back into the groove of clean eating after this weekend.  Holidays like the 4th of July will always have temptations for lots of fried food and yummy(sugary/caloric) drinks.  We attended our friend's wedding in Gallup, NM.  I will confess that I indulged in some cocktails, pizza, and other not-so-healthy foods.

Hubby & I in Gallup, NM

Ya gotta live a little right?  Don't dwell on the not-so-healthy choices you make, just start fresh and focus on the new day in front of you.  Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

  Lex

Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Cauliflower Mash

TGIF my friends!  As promised, here is my weekly recipe.  It's one of my favorites! Full of flavor and seriously makes me feel like an amazing cook. Here is where I found the recipe, the instructions below are also from there with a few tweaks.

  Bonus: it's gluten-free! (yes, I know it's all the rage! haha) We began eating gluten-free a few months before I got pregnant, and now we tend to steer clear from gluten by habit.  

I will be honest, I don't make it that often because I usually forget that it involves marinating the shrimp for a few hours.  Eek! You want to marinate for at least 1 hour. I usually do for 2-3.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp over Cauliflower Mash

Shrimp Marinade Ingredients:

Zest from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined

Cauliflower Mash: 

1 head of cauliflower, cut into large-ish florets
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, ground black pepper, & oregano to taste
1-2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Lemon Garlic Shrimp:
Marinated shrimp (from above)

6 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices turkey bacon
2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup white wine
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
pinch or two of dried oregano
juice of 1-2 lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix up the marinade ingredients for the shrimp.  Put the shrimp and the marinade in a resealable bag, mix it up well so all the shrimp have some marinade on them, and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400F.  Place the cauliflower and garlic in a shallow roasting pan.  Toss with enough olive oil to coat the pan and the vegetables.  Season lightly with salt, pepper, and oregano.  Cover loosely with foil, and roast for 15 minutes.  Remove foil, and shake to mix up the vegetables for more even browning.  Roast uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until cauliflower and garlic are soft and lightly browned.  Remove from oven.

3. Using a food processor (Yay Vitamix!) puree cauliflower with a couple tablespoons of butter (or more).  Add the Parmesan cheese and mix well.  You want to end up with the cauliflower having the consistency of mashed potatoes or grits (fairly thick, not runny).  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Place in a heat-proof bowl and keep warm.

4. Cook turkey bacon until crispy, as desired(If in a pan, use the drippings when during next step).  I usually microwave them.  Chop into bacon bits.

5. In large saute pan, add two tablespoons and heat until melted over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook until softened.  Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano, and saute for about a minute, stirring frequently.  Stir in wine.  Cook until liquid is reduced by half (will only take a few minutes), then add the shrimp.  Cook, stirring frequently to turn the shrimp, until shrimp are pink and opaque on both sides.  This should only take 3 or 4 minutes; do not overcook the shrimp or they will be rubbery!  Stir in the lemon juice and remove from heat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Serve the shrimp and sauce over the mashed cauliflower.  Garnish with chopped bacon.  ENJOY!!


 The first time I made this, Rob told me it tasted like it should be from a restaurant (and I am not the best cook).  I was very impressed with how delicious it turned out, especially because I was not sure the cauliflower mash would live up to my expectations.  I absolutely love mashed potatoes, and would eat them every day! Le sigh, gotta limit those starchy vegetables.

Well that does it for this post. It's Friday, can I get an AMEN?!

Hope you have an amazing weekend!

Lex

DIY Burrito Bowl

Do you love Chipotle as much as I do? Yum, yum, yum.  When you have a toddler, it is a luxury to "go grab dinner." It's like you're packing for an overnight trip, right?  So, we like to copy our favorite restaurants and make similar dishes in the luxury of our own home.

This is a quick, last minute recipe that we make when we are short for time and forgot to prep dinner.  You can use chicken, steak, tofu, shrimp, etc. That is why I call it the "DIY Burrito Bowl."  It literally took 5 minutes to throw together, because of the already cooked chicken burgers we love from Costco.

DIY Burrito Bowl

Ingredients(feeds 2):

2 Chicken Burgers (or your choice of protein)

1 bag of Quinoa & Brown Rice (also found at Costco)

1 can of black beans

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 Avocado, diced

Lime

Onions, chopped & sauteed (optional)

Diced tomatoes from Wal Mart, Quinoa/Brown rice & black beans from Costco.

Chicken burgers from Costco!

Directions

1. Prepare chicken according to instructions (grill or microwave)

2. Prepare Quinoa & Brown rice; only 90 seconds in the microwave

3.Warm up diced tomatoes and black beans in side dishes

4. Mix together and add avocado, lime, salsa, whatever-you-like

We always have canned black beans, diced tomatoes, & Quinoa/Brown rice packages in our pantry.  That is how we avoid making last minute, rash decisions to eat fast food or takeout.  So important to "prep" your pantry to have healthier options available.

 Did I mention this makes for great leftovers for lunch?  Even the hubby agrees! If you know him, he can be a picky eater when it comes to leftovers.

Thanks Chipotle for inspiring this recipe! ;)

Until next time,

Lex

Quinoa & Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Eek, I am slacking on my blog updates lately.  Sorry!  Here is one of my absolute favorite meals.  It can feed the masses or make awesome left overs.  Best of all, Sofie loves it!  Here is where I found the recipe.

Quinoa is a staple in the Hegarty household.  We have replaced dishes that use pasta or brown rice with this awesome seed.  Yup, you heard it right.  Though it is cooked like a grain, it is actually a seed.  So all my peeps that like the "Paleo Diet aka Caveman Diet" will love this!

Quinoa & Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Here is what the website says about how to cook Quinoa:

"Quinoa must be washed in a strainer before cooking because it is covered with a layer of saponin. This natural coating has a slightly bitter flavor. When you rinse quinoa, it looks a bit frothy in the water. This is the saponin washing away. Quinoa is versatile in the kitchen. After washing, place 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water or vegetable stock in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and lower the heat to simmer. It takes about 20 minutes to cook until tender.  When cooked, the quinoa has a rich nutty flavor." (citronlimette.com)

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
 ½ cup chopped onion
½ cup diced carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground turkey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup tomato sauce
2 large bell peppers, washed
2 cup cooked quinoa
½ chicken broth
¼ cup shredded 2% reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

 Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to instructions.  It takes about 15-20 minutes.  While it cooks, cut the peppers in half, lengthwise & remove seeds. 
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 TB olive oil.
3. Add onion, carrot, garlic and cook 2 minutes.
4. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper, garlic powder and brown several minutes until cooked through.
5. Add parsley and tomato sauce.
6. Mix well. Combine cooked quinoa and meat together.
7. Place in a baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper half.
8. Pour ½ cup chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. Cover tight with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes. Top with cheese. (optional)

 Ta da! We also love to top it off with some hot sauce (Cholula please!)

Our little health nut!

My goal is to post one recipe each week on my blog and will eventually have them all on my FITspiration Mom Pinterest page.

Hope everyone is having an amazing week so far!

Grilled Chicken Pita with Avocado Spread

You'll come to notice that avocados are a staple in the Hegarty household.  We love us some avocado!  It's my favorite type of fat, haha. Well...it is a healthy fat, of course, and has so many other great health benefits. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber content.  It is a great food choice that is considered to be nutrient-dense, meaning it provides substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients with relatively few calories. (read more at Avocado Central)

I hafta admit; I am not the main cook in our house( I can cook, but Rob loves to cook and is really great at making up new recipes) So, this is one of the many recipes Rob has thrown together. It is so full of flavorful and filling.  Who says eating healthier has to be bland or boring?

*note* This recipe feeds 2 (we eat smaller portions)

Grilled Chicken Pita with Avocado Spread

 Ingredients: 

1 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast

1-2 avocados

1/2 lemon

1-2 TB Olive oil (for sauteing) 

1/2 onion

1 stalk of Kale, chopped (sub Spinach)

1 bell pepper, chopped (long thin pieces)

2 pitas

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Garlic Powder, to taste

Lawry's, to taste *optional

Directions:

1. Chop onions and Kale (and Bell Peppers, we didn't have any this go around) and saute over medium heat with Olive oil.

2. Flatten chicken breast with mallet and sprinkle each side with spices. We use salt, pepper, and garlic salt.  Sometimes we use Lawry's too.  Grill chicken for about 10 minutes. Chop or shred.

3. Put avocado in a bowl and use a fork to mash it up.  Squeeze lemon juice, to taste (maybe 1 tsp?) and mix.

4.  Optional: Use low/medium heat with Olive oil to warm up pitas. Spread Avocado mix onto pita and add all the yummy ingredients.  Add another squeeze of lemon (if you want) or your favorite hot sauce (we love Cholula) and ENJOY!

Our little healthnut enjoyed herself some pita bread, grilled chicken, and avocado too!

When Sofie was weaned off of her bottle, it was impossible for me to get her to drink more than 5 oz of milk per day (according to her doc, it was recommended that she consume an average of 16-24 oz of whole milk) Fortunately, she came around to liking avocado and that's where she gets the majority of her healthy fat intake.

Welp, that does it for this post, until next time my friends!

Lex

Avocado-Mango Salsa

OMG, is it dinner yet?  We absolutely love this recipe in our house.  It can be used as a snack, appetizer, or a side.  I get all my produce for this recipe at Sprouts, and it only takes 10 minutes to prep.  Ready?

 Ingredients:

1 mango, diced
1 large avocado (or 2 reg), diced
1 TB of chopped cilantro
1 TB chopped onion
2 limes
Sea salt to taste

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together and ENJOY!

*side note* I use a potato peeler to get the skin off the mango before dicing.  

I'm thinkin' we are gonna have some grilled chicken tacos(corn tortillas!), topped with this yummy salsa.  You will seriously want to make this once a week, it is that good.

Can't wait to share more recipes!