Tag: healthy dinner

21 Day Fix Extreme Recipe: Turkey Meatballs

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Week 2 is almost a wrap and yes, I am still SORE!!!! I remember this feeling from when I first started my fitness journey almost a year ago and I know the sore muscles are worth the pain and simply a result of using different muscle groups!

Like Autumn always says:

“You can be sore today or sorry tomorrow!”

But all in all I am really enjoying this workout program and so are all my challengers!!!! One girl lost 4 pounds in just the first week…another 2 inches just around her waist…and most are feeling better and more energized (and sore!!!) than than ever before!!! I love surrounding myself with these like-minded people!!!

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We tossed the Turkey Meatballs into the rotation this week and they sure were a crowd pleaser! I love that they are gluten free, full of flavor and freeze well – extra bonus!!!! They also made the perfect lunch on the go when my little guy and I were hanging out in the waiting room during my daughter’s gymnastics class – much better option than goldfish!!!

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED:

1.5lbs raw 93% lean ground turkey breast

1 tsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt (Mineralize)

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 large egg

3/4 cup quick cooking oats

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

12 fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. tomato sauce, no sugar added

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C)

2. Lightly coat large baking sheet with spray; set aside

3. Combine turkey, salt, mustard, paprika, egg, oats, garlic, parsley and tomato sauce in a large bowl; mix well by hand. (confession – I totally dislike touching raw meat…so I used this little gadget from pampered chef that you use when browning meat and it worked PERFECTLY!)

4. Roll mixture into 30 1-inch meatballs. Place on prepared baking sheet. (Again…touching meat issue…I used a cookie scooper and packed it against the side of the bowl, scooped out and waahla – perfectly sized, evenly cooked meatballs!!)

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.

6. Serve with your favorite sides!!!

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NOTE: I doubled the recipe so I could freeze half for another week.

Let me know if you give them a try!!!

If you’re interested in trying out the 21-Day Fix Extreme or any other workout programs I invite you to join my next accountability group!

THERE’S POWER IN NUMBERS!

Butternut squash soup, Maegan Blinka, gluten free soup, dairy free soup, toddler approved dinner, clean eating, easy soup recipe

Butternut Squash Soup

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Butternut squash soup, Maegan Blinka, gluten free soup, dairy free soup, toddler approved dinner, clean eating, easy soup recipe

I was making good use of naptime on Sunday and while the gluten free brownies were baking I started prepping for my first ever attempt on Butternut Squash Soup! I think its the idea of knowing how darn hard those things are to cut up but I bought the squash a week ago and had yet to cut them open. And this isn’t the first time I ran into “needing” to use them up! I got a recipe for some delicious soup from my brother in law and made a few tweaks to create a delicious, healthy, butternut squash soup!

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 4 gloves of garlic
  • 1 butternut squash, cleaned, skinned, and sliced
  • 1/2 Granny Smith Apple, skin removed, chopped
  • 25-30 oz low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • Pumpkin or sunflower seeds (optional) 

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

  1. Sautee onion, carrots and garlic in olive oil, until soft.
  2. Add butternut squash and apples
  3. Add chicken/vegetable stock until just covered and bring to a boil. Then simmer until soft.
  4. Put all ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You may have to do this in two batches.
  5. Pour back into pan and season as desired***
  6. Serve topped with pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a little added crunch!

***I’ll be honest – I didn’t add anything else!!! Some things to consider would be salt, pepper and ground nutmeg! You could also add heavy cream depending on the consistency you like – but I was trying to keep it low cal! Plus it was DELICIOUS just the way I made it so I saw no need in adding anything else! 

This batch made about 10 cups – enough for two dinners and a few lunches!!! You could also freeze some into individual containers for a quick easy weeknight meal! I think its safe to say it was also toddler approved!!!

butternut squash soup_Colt

 

Day 4 and we finally finished it all up! I’ll be making this one again soon for sure – likely Thanksgiving Day!

 

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!

 

Colorful quinoa, veggie quinoa salad, meal prep, weeknight dinner, meal planning, Maegan Blinka, challenge group, Accountability group,

Rosemary Chicken and Colorful Quinoa

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Dinner in 30 minutes or less!

Sounds promising right?!?! I don’t know about you – but in my world, all dinners would be prepared in under 30 minutes. Once I start heading towards the kitchen my kids start that “need for a snack” request train and the last thing I want to do is give in to snacks to keep them happy while I’m cooking! I use my crockpot A LOT especially in the colder months, but you can only have so many crockpot meals! So in turn, I also use my freezer A LOT!!!! And I do A LOT of prep work early in the week so I can quickly make a delicious dinner later on!

 I started doing Wildtree freezer parties with my friends and I LOVE them! Sure any type of “Moms Night Out” is fun but with these parties not only do you get a night out you come home with a stockpile of fresh and healthy meals for your family all ready to be frozen and pulled out for a quick convenient meal during the week!!! One thing I’ve learned is although these parties come with a pre-made menu and suggested sides – I make them my own so they fit my lifestyle! I’ve found greek yogurt is a great substitute for any sort of cream cheese, sour cream or cream of whatever soup you traditionally would use!!! The seasonings are all organic and non GMO which makes for a healthy mama!!! On to tonight’s 30 minute dinner…

Rosemary Chicken and Colorful Quinoa

 Colorful quinoa, veggie quinoa salad, meal prep, weeknight dinner, meal planning, Maegan Blinka, challenge group, Accountability group,

A few weeks ago I had prepared two freezer bags – you could do this the night before and put in the fridge or weeks before to freeze and use when ready. By all means you could even do this the day of…but personally I rarely have that much time all in one day! Like I said…this is a  30 minute meal!

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

 

  • Chicken and Veggie Prepared Freezer Bags* – see below for instructions

  • 2 Cups Cooked Quinoa

  • 2 cups Fresh Spinach

  • Avocado (optional)

  • Crumbled Feta (optional)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

 

1. The night before: prep chicken and veggies or pull freezer bags out of freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge for approximately 24 hours. This is why meal planning is SOOO important…this was already done, no need to try to “quickly” thaw.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp garlic grapeseed oil or olive oil.

3. Remove chicken from marinade, cook through in pan, turning once.

4. There are two options with the quinoa. 1) While chicken is cooking, prepare quinoa** according to package instructions – OR – 2) Take pre-cooked quinoa out of the fridge. I like to cook a big batch of quinoa at the start of the week and then use for multiple recipes later in the week. It makes for a great carb to include with lunch, a topping on a salad or even in a wrap!

5. When chicken has cooked through, remove from pan and add precut veggies. (Be sure to drain any liquid from the veggies if prepared as a freezer meal.) Season veggies with salt and pepper, if desired, and sauté until cooked. Add cooked quinoa to veggies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When cooled slightly, add fresh spinach. Top with sliced chicken and garnish with avocado and/or feta crumbles, if desired.

 

And there you have it!  We had company and  this meal made enough for 4 adults and one (very hungry) toddler and we had enough for leftovers for one more dinner! Since I had prepped everything previously and the meal just needed cooked – I was able to have dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes exactly! It tasted fresh, was full of flavor and was something DIFFERENT from our normal weeknight meals! This was definitely one we’ll be repeating in the future!

Night 1:

Maegan Blinka, Rosemary Chicken and Veggie Quinoa, Organic dinner, Quinoa salad

 

Night 2: (I preferred the salad – great way to fill up on those greens for the 21-day fixers!!!)

Maegan Blinka, Rosemary Chicken and Veggie Quinoa, Organic dinner, Quinoa salad, Chicken Spinach and Quinoa

The freezer bags:

* Bag 1 – Chicken

2 lb chicken breast (thin sliced, butterfly style)
1/2 cup Wildtree Rosemary Garlic Dressing

Bag 2 – Veggies

  • 2 zucchini/squash diced 
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 tablespoon Wildtree Garlic Grapeseed Oil (could use Olive Oil and Fresh Garlic to taste)

** The recipe called for orzo but I chose to swap out quinoa for a healthier, higher protein option!

I used to struggle with meal planning and coming up with new and healthy ideas my entire family could enjoy! If you’re anything like me and you succeed when part of a group atmosphere join my upcoming Clean Eating Challenge group! We’ll share ideas, tips and motivation to come up with a plan that suits YOU and YOUR family! Just fill out the application for a spot!!!

Chicken and veggie pasta, 21-day fix approved dinner, healthy dinner, dinner in under 30 minutes

Chicken and Veggie Pasta

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Chicken and veggie pasta, 21-day fix approved dinner, healthy dinner, dinner in under 30 minutes

I had chicken breasts planned for the grill and a pile of broccoli from the Farmer’s market all chopped and ready to be steamed. Then my daughter requested “noodles” and I saw the box of pasta in the pantry and thought..Hmmmm…maybe I can whip up a pasta dish instead of our classic “grilled chicken with a steamed veggie and side of rice or quinoa”. I didn’t have any pasta sauce, which used to be a pantry staple, but I did have some olive oil, garlic, and lemon….Enter creativity here!

I started by heating  1 TBS of olive oil and 1 TBS of minced garlic in a large pan. In a separate sauce pan, I began boiling water for the pasta.

Next, I cut the chicken into approximately 1″ cubes and browned until thoroughly cooked through – about 8-10 minutes, stirring consistently. Then I added the pasta to the boiling water.

chicken and veggie pasta 1

Next I added the broccoli and juice from two lemons. But when I took a step back I didn’t think I had enough veggies…so I went back to the fridge.

chicken and veggie pasta 2

I found a jar of roasted red peppers and fresh spinach – PERFECT!!!! I sliced the red peppers up (actually my husband sliced the red peppers up) and we mixed everything together and topped with 3 cups of fresh spinach and placed a lid on top to steam.

 chicken and veggie pasta 3

After about 3-5 minutes I removed the lid, gave one last stir and we were complete!!!

chicken and veggie pasta 4

 

 

Much better veggie to chicken ratio and dinner was complete in less than 30 minutes and its all 21-day fix approved!!! I consider that a success!!!

chicken and veggie pasta 5

 

Chicken and Veggie pasta

(makes 6 servings)

21-day fixers: 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow and 1 tsp (olive oil) 

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 1.5 – 2 pounds chicken, cut into 1″ cubes

  • 2 cups chopped broccoli

  • 1 cup roasted red peppers, sliced

  • 3 cups fresh spinach (or approximately one cup frozen spinach)

  • 12 oz whole wheat or brown rice pasta cooked according to package directions.

  • 1 TBS olive oil

  • 1 TBS minced garlic or 3 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 2 lemons

  • Parmasean cheese (optional)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

  1. Heat  olive oil and garlic in a large pan.

  2. In a separate sauce pan, bring 6 cups of water to boil and add pasta when water begins to boil, cooked according to directions.

  3. Brown chicken until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

  4. Add lemon juice, broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes

  5. Add roasted red peppers and spinach, cover with lid to steam for 3-5 minutes.

  6. Serve over pasta and enjoy

Its clean, its fast, and it was DELICIOUS!!!!

 

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information about ways to enjoy clean eating and/or if you are interested in the 21-day fix workout program,  fill out the form below to join  my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support group! Together we can end the trend of obesity!

 

 

 

 

Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

Clean Turkey Meatloaf

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Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

So fresh and so clean clean ❤

I’ve been trying to add some new dinners to our weekly rotation. My husband never complains but one can only eat so much grilled chicken and turkey burgers!

When I sat down to do my meal plan for the week meatloaf quickly came to mind! Meatloaf has always been one of those meals my mom would make as I was growing up, when I was home for a weekend in college or still today visiting with my family. I’ve never been able to make it quite like her but I always try!!! I took bits and pieces from things I remember her doing and this time around tweaked it to make it clean, gluten and dairy free and still taste good – sound impossible?!?! Not at all!

Best part – I had this thrown together before my oven was even preheated to 350 degrees!!!

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • 2.5 pounds lean ground turkey
  • 4 Egg whites
  • 1.5-2 cups fresh salsa (I found mine at SAMs club, but most grocery stores have a fresh salsa – just check the ingredients! Mine was primarily  tomatoes, peppers, jalopenos, onion and garlic therefore I didn’t feel like I needed to add any additional ingredients/seasonings.)
  • 4 Cups fresh spinach, chopped

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

(note this can be cooked in the slow cooker or oven – see below) 

OVEN OPTION: 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. I started with all the meat and egg whites and kept adding the salsa and mixing until I got a consistency that looked like it would hold together. Then I folded in the chopped spinach. You can put in as much or as little as you like. I found its a great way to add in a few more veggies and it certainly looks prettier – and who doesn’t like their food to look as good as it tastes?!?! 🙂

Moving on…

I split the mixture into two loaves and put them on a double layer pan that allows any grease to drip down. I actually never use a meatloaf pan!! Plus, when I cook I almost always make enough for at least two meals. And with my grandparents visiting tomorrow I found this as the perfect opportunity to get dinner made ahead of time and be able to visit with them when they are here!

I put a small dent in the middle to make sure the center got cooked thoroughly, and baked for 30 minutes to brown the outside.

Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

Ready for the oven!

I removed the meatloaf from the oven, covered with foil, and cooked another 30 minutes, checking to make sure they were cooked through.

Turkey spinach meatloaf, clean eating, gluten and dairy free meatloaf, 21-day fix

One for dinner tonight – the other one for tomorrow!

I chose to serve mine with steamed kale tossed in lemon juice and a little sea salt. My hubs had his as a sandwich! Tomorrow I am planning a quinoa salad and asparagus with the leftovers.

For the 21-day fixers out there…I would just count this as one red, even though there is some greens and some purple with the salsa…your portion size will depend on how you slice it but using the container will ensure you don’t over or under do it! 

CROCKPOT OPTION:

For those days when you need to put dinner in, go to work or go run errands and have it all ready when you come home:

-Simply follow the mixing instructions above.

-Lightly spray the crockpot with olive oil and place the meat inside, leaving a 1/2 – 1″ space around the ends so the meatloaf isn’t touching the sides.

-Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours – and wahhhallaaa! Serve with your favorite veggie and some sweet potatoes for a complete meal!

Whether you’re new to clean eating or a seasoned pro – if you’re interested in more information fill out the form below to join one of my upcoming health and fitness accountability and support groups! Together we can end the trend of obesity!