The Easiest Crockpot Recipe: Salsa Chicken

The Easiest Crockpot Recipe: Salsa Chicken

Every Saturday morning, I have the same routine – get in a workout, go to the grocery store, and clean up the house a bit. Usually, these tasks lead right up until lunch time, so I look to my crockpot to save the day and make a delicious lunch.
This past week, I made one of the simplest, most satisfying crockpot recipes that I just had to share it. It only requires three ingredients. Easy and hands-free! And best of all, for those on Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix, this is completely Fix approved.
Ingredients:

• 2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small jar of salsa (choose between mild or spicy)
• 1 can of Ro*Tel (or any brand of canned tomatoes and diced green chilies)

Directions:
Throw all of the ingredients into a crockpot, and let cook for 4 hours. Once it’s finished, grab two forks and shred up your chicken!
Serving Suggestion:
The Chipotle lover in me instantly turned this chicken into an ultimate salad bowl. I chopped up romaine, cherry tomatoes and scallions, and placed the hot salsa chicken right on there. Then, I topped it with shredded cheese and a dallop of Greek yogurt (you can also do fat free sour cream, if you’d like).
21 Day Fix Tally:
The 21 Day Fix count for this was 2 greens, 1 red, 1 blue and ½ purple container. Note: Any type of jarred salsa or tomato sauce counts as purple (a fruit) on the 21 Day Fix due to the sugars.


*** I have been following her blog http://rookierunninglife.com/ such great information

Skinny Chicken Parm Ingredients, from The SkinnyTaste Cookbook

Skinny Chicken Parm

Cooking spray

• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt, to taste
• 1-2 cups of Panko or whole wheat breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 jar of tomato marinara sauce (make sure it’s all natural, 21 Day Fixers)
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet or Pyrex dish with cooking spray. Slice your chicken breasts in half horizontally, to make 4-6 thin cutlets. Season with salt.
2. In a bowl, place the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Stir together to combine. Brush the EVOO on both sides of each chicken breast, then coat in the breadcrumbs dish. Place on your baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
3. Once golden, turn the chicken breasts over and cook the other side for about 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, start heating up your marinara sauce until warm.
4. When the chicken is done in the oven, place them right in the marinara sauce in your skillet. Most of the chicken’s top surface should still be visible, so sprinkle this with your cheese. Cover the skillet and cook until your cheese melts, or 5 minutes. SERVE!

Healthy Garlic Bread Ingredients

• 1-2 whole wheat sandwich thins
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Crushed garlic OR garlic powder

1. Divide your sandwich thins, so you have a top and bottom. Place in the over for a few minutes, until warm.
2. Once warm, take out and drizzle EVOO on top, followed by garlic or garlic powder to taste. Place back in the over for a few more minutes just to warm up the new toppings. Once done, cut into strips for the family.

21 Day Fix Tally: I counted one serving of my chicken parm and garlic bread as: 1 ½ red (chicken), 1 purple (tomato sauce), 1 blue (cheese), 1 yellow (panko and bread), 2 tsp (olive oil). Felt like a cheat meal! :)


I am so going to try this

Motivation

PIZZA

Flat-out Pizza

October 30, 2014 by Lisa Hovnanian 0 Comments

I’m officially addicted to using Flat-out flatbread’s as a pizza crust.  It makes for a quick and healthy lunch! And the variations are endless!

Directions

1.  Place Flat-out flatbread on cookie sheet and bake in oven or toaster oven at 375 for 3-5 min on each side to make it crispy.
2. Top with pizza sauce and desired toppings and cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Variations

1.   Veggie Pizza : Top with 2 tbsp of pizza sauce and raw onions and broccoli and mozzarella cheese.  *** 21 Day FIX containers: 1 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1 Green ***
2.   White Pizza : Mix Ricotta cheese, 1 garlic minced and Mrs. Dash Italian seasonings and place on top of toasted Flat-out.  Saute baby spinach, asparagus, broccoli and onions until spinach is wilted and place on top of ricotta mixture.  *** 21 Day FIX containers: 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Green ***

1.   Hawaiian Pizza: Top with 2 tbsp of pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Then add diced ham and diced pineapple chunks.  *** 21 Day FIX containers: 1 Yellow, 1 Blue, 0.5 Red, 0.5 Purple ***

4.  Pepperoni Pizza: Top with 2 tbsp of pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Then add turkey pepperoni slices. *** 21 Day Fix Container: 1 Yellow, 1 Blue ***

5.  Buffalo Chicken Pizza:  Mix cooked chicken breast that is cubed with Frank’s Hot sauce.  Top a flat-out with 2 tbsp of pizza sauce, buffalo chicken, mozzarella cheese and blue cheese crumbles.  *** 21 Day Fix Container: 1 Yellow, 1 Red, 1 Blue ****

Meatloaf Muffins

March 24, 2015 by Lisa Hovnanian 0 Comments

These yummy individual meatloaf muffins are tasty, 21 Day Fix-approved and fun for kids too!

Ingredients

Meatloaf Muffins

• 1 lb of lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup Italian style Panko Bread crumbs (or Ezekiel bread toasted, then placed in a ziploc bag and take a rolling pin to make 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and add Italian seasoning)
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 rib celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tbsp low-sodium beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 mozarella sticks, each cut into 4 pieces

BBQ Ketchup Glaze (optional)

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450. Line a 12-muffin tin with muffin liners and spray with Pam.
2. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic to your food processor/blender and finely chop.  Add to a large bowl along with all other meatloaf muffin ingredients and mix until combined.
3.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill measuring cup with meat mixture and add a mozzarella piece to the center and roll into a ball and place in muffin liner. Repeat 12 times.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together BBQ Ketchup glaze ingredients. and evenly top each meatloaf muffin (optional).
5.  Bake meatloaf 20-30 minutes and let stand 5 minutes then serve warm.

***21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme Containers ( per 3 meatloaf muffins with no glaze): 1 Red, 1 Blue, .5 Yellow and .5 Green**

Shepherd’s Pie

March 26, 2015 by Lisa Hovnanian 0 Comments

This was a great dinner that you can make ahead of time and just bake when ready to serve.

Ingredients

Potatoes:

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, diced
• 3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• salt and pepper

Filling:

• 1 lb 95% lean ground beef
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, diced
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans, baby lima beans)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup fat free beef broth
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Boil potatoes in a medium pot of salted water until cooked and soft. Drain and mash with chicken broth, sour cream, salt and pepper, set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. In a large saute pan brown meat over medium high heat, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When cooked, set aside on a plate.
4. Add the oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms and celery and sauté on medium heat about 6 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the flour, frozen vegetables, beef broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, cooked meat and mix well. Simmer on low about 8-10 minutes.
5. Spread the meat on the bottom of 9×13 casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, then place under the broiler 1 to 2 minutes until the potatoes turn golden. Remove from oven and let it cool 5 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 servings.

***21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme Containers: 1.5 Yellow, .5 Red, 1 Green ***

what to put in the containers

The 21 day fix is a popular workout program that focuses on workout routines and portion control. To achieve good results at the end of this program, it is important to follow a strict diet regimen where you only consume certain approved foods. We will look at these 21 day fix foods below, as we try and determine which items you should put into your grocery cart.

1. FRUITS (PURPLE CONTAINER)

Though it may seem fine to incorporate all types of fruits into your 21 day fix food list, some fruits have high concentrations of sugar and therefore require extreme portion control while others are not suitable for the regimen.
2 medium kiwi fruits
1 large pear
1 small apple
1 medium orange
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Cherries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
2 small tangerines
4 small apricots
Half of a large grapefruit
Grapes
Sliced mangoes
1 large nectarine
1 large peach
Pineapple
Half of a large banana
Papaya
Honeydew melon
2 small figs

2. PROTEINS (RED CONTAINER)

When it comes to the place of proteins in the 21 day fix foods list, lean proteins are favored.

Salmon
Cod 
Halibut
Tuna
Tilapia 
Catfish 
Trout 
Boneless and skinless turkey breast
Lean ground turkey
4 slices of reduced fat turkey bacon
6 slices of low sodium and fat free turkey 
6 slices of low sodium and fat free ham
Lean ground chicken
Boneless and skinless chicken breast
Flank Steak
Buffalo meat
Venison
Ostrich meat
Pork Tenderloin
2 large eggs
1 medium veggie burger patty
1.5 scoops of protein powder (rice, pea, hemp or whey)
7 medium sardines (fresh or canned)
Plain Greek yogurt
Plain yogurt
Lobster
Shrimp
Crab
Clams
Extra-lean red meat
Firm tofu
Tempeh
Light ricotta cheese
Cottage cheese

3. VEGETABLES (GREEN CONTAINER)

Cucumbers
Lettuce (excluding iceberg lettuce)
Celery
Asparagus
Chopped cauliflower
Broccoli
Green Beans
Spinach (raw or cooked)
Squash (summer squash and all winter varieties)
Peppers (sliced or sweet)
Onions
Kale (raw or cooked)
Collard greens (raw or cooked)
5 medium Brussels sprouts
Beets
2 medium Tomatoes
10 medium baby carrots
Half of a large artichoke
Half of a medium eggplant
Okra
Snow peas
Radishes
Mushrooms
Sliced jicama

4. CARBOHYDRATES (YELLOW CONTAINER)

Oatmeal (not instant oatmeal)- can be steelcut or rolled
Brown rice
Wild rice
Whole grain pasta
Cooked quinoa
Buckwheat
Barley
Amaranth 
Millet
Whole wheat couscous
Bulgar
Black beans
Nonfat refried beans
Pinto beans
Whole grain tortillas
Sweet potatoes
Red skin potatoes
Ezekiel bread
Yams
Lentils
Peas
Mashed potatoes
1 ear of corn on the cob
8 small whole grain crackers
Whole grain cereal
1 slice of whole grain bread
1 whole grain pancake or waffle 
1 small whole grain pita bread
English muffin

5. OILS AND SEEDS (ORANGE CONTAINER)

Extra virgin oil
Walnut oil
Flaxseed oil
Extra virgin coconut oil
Pumpkin seed oil
Sunflower butters
Pumpkin butters
Sesame butters
Peanut butters (All natural)
Almond butters
Cashew butters
Chia seeds
10 medium olives

A single teaspoon of the above 21 fix foods oils is recommended.

6. HEALTHY FATS AND CHEESES (BLUE CONTAINER)

Goat cheese
Feta cheese
Shredded mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, Monterey Jack and cheddar
Avocado
Hummus
Unsweetened coconut
Raw unsalted cashews
Raw unsalted almonds
Raw and whole peanuts, pecans, walnuts and pistachios