Tag: weeknight dinner

Maegan Blinka, weeknight dinner, Spicy Chicken and Rice bowls, 21 day fix, 21 day fix meal plan, fast dinner, easy dinner, 4 ingredient dinner, rotisserie chicken dinner, rotisserie chicken meal options, meal planning, meal prepping, healthy dinner options,

Spicy Chicken Rice Bowls

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Maegan Blinka, weeknight dinner, Spicy Chicken and Rice bowls, 21 day fix, 21 day fix meal plan, fast dinner, easy dinner, 4 ingredient dinner, rotisserie chicken dinner, rotisserie chicken meal options, meal planning, meal prepping, healthy dinner options,

Ok, ok, want to know my secret to the fastest weeknight dinner – USE A ROTISSERIE CHICKEN!!!! In an ideal world, I would grill my chicken every week…but with the colder weather approaching, heating up the grill seems to take FOREVER and some nights…that little rotisserie chicken is simply perfect!!!

I started buying them when my little guy started on “real foods”. A friend of mine suggested it because the meat is so soft and easy to chew, especially when the teeth are limited! And although my little guy can pound the chicken, he couldn’t always finish it before it would go bad – so I started coming up with other uses.

No joke – this dinner went from the fridge to the table in about 5 minutes! But this was all in the advanced prep!

WHAT YOU NEED:

(makes 2 servings)

  • 2 cups broccoli
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
  • 1.5 cups shredded chicken*
  • 2-3 TBS of Hot Sauce (I prefer red hot)

*If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken you can make your own shredded chicken! I like to make big batches periodically by simply cooking several chicken breasts in the crockpot with about a cup of water or chicken broth and some garlic and fresh lemon slices. Once its cooked, shred it, let it cool and then freeze into smaller batches to add into meals like this or soups, salads, sandwiches, etc…! If its only lightly seasoned the possibilities are endless!!!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Mix all ingredients in a pan until thoroughly heated – and voila! Dinner is ready!!!

Maegan Blinka, weeknight dinner, Spicy Chicken and Rice bowls, 21 day fix, 21 day fix meal plan, fast dinner, easy dinner, 4 ingredient dinner, rotisserie chicken dinner, rotisserie chicken meal options, meal planning, meal prepping, healthy dinner options,

Since the chicken is already flavored and there is some salt in the red hot I don’t add anything additional seasonings. This makes for great, fast dinner and you can easily double for a quick lunch later in the week!

BONUS –> You can also make this fit your 21-day fix meal plan! Each serving would equate to one green (broccoli) 1 yellow (rice/quinoa) and 1 red (chicken). The hot sauce adds some additional salt but otherwise would be a “free food” so I usually count this as 1 teaspoon and my orange. You could also top with some avocados (1 blue).

If you’re looking for other uses for a rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken try one of my favorites – CHICKEN AVOCADO EGG SALAD or BUFFALO SPINACH QUESADILLAS –fast, easy and delicious meals!

Don’t let a busy schedule leave you limited to fast food, take out or other unhealthy dinner options. If you plan prep and focus – eating clean and healthy can be fun, delicious, and save you money $$$. 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!