Spicy Asian Tilapia w/ Mixed Veggies

I typically prep 80% of our lunches and dinner.  However since we have gotten back from our cruise (another post, another day), I have tried to mix things up a bit! I decided to throw some fish back on the menu, I can't tell you the last time I bought Tilapia, cooked it at home and actually enjoyed it! Usually it is way too fishy for me but this was so good! And it was the EASIEST meal to throw together ever, especially on a week night! 

No prep work, just out of the package & into the pan! I even used the same pan for the tilapia after I cooked the veggies to save myself (er...Aaron) the hassle of washing more than one pan! Yes, you read that right, he does the dishes around here too. 

What you need: 
2 pkg precut veggie mix from Trader Joe's (pictured) 
1 lb Tilapia (farm-raised fresh tilapia from TJ's, pictured)
San-J Szechuan Sauce (or other flavor you like), this one is spicy! 

1. Spray a large pan with olive oil cooking spray. Warm it up & throw in the veggies! Sauté them to your liking, I cook mine for a while because I prefer them softer. 
2. Once they are done, set them aside, covered in a bowl or container. 
3. Spray a tad more olive oil in the pan & place the tilapia in there. 
4. Salt & pepper the fish. Cook 2 minutes & flip. 
5. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the fish. (About 1-2 tsp total) 
6. Cook another 5 minutes. Fish will flake when done. 
7. Place 2 cups veggies on a plate with 1 piece of fish. Top with 1 tbsp of the sauce (or less if you can't handle spicy), serve immediately and devour! 

You can add brown rice if you want or even turn it into tacos but it is perfect with just the veggies!

Enjoy!

Margaritas for Cinco De Mayo!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!! (or at least, I hope it is Cinco De Mayo, I wrote this post and scheduled it ahead of time since I am cruising the ocean with my hubs right now) 

If you know me, you know I love tequila...especially margs.

When we went to Disney this past summer, I found a version at our hotel that I drank....everyday (oops). It was so good that when we got home my husband decided to recreate it so we could enjoy it when we wanted without the guilt! 

What better day to share this recipe than today and if you are going to celebrate, why not celebrate the drink that gives me the giggles...

What you need: 
TEQUILA! Preferably Patron.
Cointreau
Agave Nectar
Fresh Limes

Yes, that is all you need to this fabulousness. 

Recipe (1 skinny margarita): 
Juice of a lime
1 tbsp of Agave Nectar
1 shot Cointreau
2 shots of TEQUILA (yes, I am yelling when I type it)
A ton of ice, put it all together in a cup and shake well!! Enjoy. 

Warning!! You may only need one...just saying. I mean, not that I know that from experience or anything.  

Deconstructed Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

So, I made this recipe which came from the Team Beachbody blog, however, 1) It wasn't enough protein me for in 1 serving so increased it and 2) It was BLAND, nothing a little Frank's Red Hot Sauce can't fix (or Sriracha if you prefer)....

I also preferred taking it apart and throwing in brown rice, making it into a bowl vs a wrap. This is a recipe I would recommend doubling so you can throw some in the freezer! You know I love to do that.  This is a perfect meal for lunches throughout the week! You can precook it and eat the meat cold in your bowl or warm it up, whichever you prefer! 

Total Time: 19 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 9 min.
Yield: 4 servings, 2 wraps each or 1 bowl

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 lb. raw 93% lean ground turkey breast
½ medium red onion, chopped
½ medium red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 green onion, chopped
⅔ cup chopped water chestnuts
1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 large head of lettuce, I use romaine (no iceberg folks, has no nutritional value whatsoever), roughly chopped up
4 cups cooked brown rice (I use Trader Joe's frozen brown rice, precooked, all I do is heat it up) 

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add turkey, onion, and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through and onion is translucent.
3. Add garlic, green onion, water chestnuts, soy sauce, and vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Add cilantro; mix well. Remove from heat.
5. Put 2 cups of lettuce, 1/2 cup brown rice and 3/4 cup of the meat mixture together in a bowl, drizzle with the hot sauce of your choice & dig in! 

Wraps! This was before I discovered the hot sauce gave it more flavor, I tried extra reduced sodium soy sauce (Trader Joe's brand of course) and it didn't even do the trick! Gotta go w/ the heat! 

Turkey Chili

Alright guys, I attempted my first recipe video! I hope you liked it. There is some room for improvement for sure but I have to start somewhere, right?! 

Anyways, if you stumbled across this post, this is by far my most FAVORITE Chili recipe EVER. It is a modified version from a meal plan of a program I have done in the past and has become a staple in our house! 

This recipe makes 6 servings at 1 cup each however in the video, I made double, so 12 servings total at 1 cup each.  I prefer to double any recipe I can so that I can portion it out and put extras in the freezer for those busy weekdays or weeknights! Work smart, not hard! 

Turkey Chili

1 tsp. olive oil
1.5 lbs. raw 93% lean ground turkey
1/4 med onion, chopped (you can use one whole onion, we don't)
1 med green bell pepper, chopped
1 cloves garlic, finely chopped (you can use 3 cloves, again, we don't) 
1.5 tsp. ground cumin
1 Ttbsp chili powder
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste; optional)
2 (15oz) cans black beans (or pinto beans) drained & rinsed (I prefer to use one of each)
1 (15oz) can all natural diced tomatoes, no sugar added (do not drain)
12 fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, I prefer to use my dutch oven! 

• Add turkey, onion, bell peper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally for 5 to 8 min or until turkey is no longer pink (this time will be longer if you doubled the meat) 

• Add cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly for 1 min.

• Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 min, or until thickened.

• Serve warm, sprinkled w/ cilantro.

PB + Coconut Oatmeal Recipe

I ate this snack 4 times this past week...no lie. 4 times.  And I could eat it 4 more times...right now.

It is SOOOO good! I am on a specific meal plan for my workout program that uses color coded portion controlled containers based on different types of food. Earlier this week I had some random containers left for the day which led me to this concoction. 

We shall call it "Hawaiian" Peanut Butter Oatmeal 

Recipe:

1 packet instant oatmeal (I use plain Quaker) cooked
1/2 tsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
1 small sliced banana
2 tsp natural peanut butter (almond butter would be good too) 

Put all the ingredients together, stir and enjoy!