21 Day Fix Approved Pesto

Dairy Free Zoodles and chicken pesto

The 21 Day Fix Extreme caused me to get creative with my food choices because it can be really easy and boring to just fall into a pattern. I am a creature of habit but I do think that getting creative every once in awhile is a great thing and keeps the momentum going. This was my “cheat” meal on the 21 Day Fix Extreme because I wasn’t allowed pasta in the evenings so this gave me my fix.  

Photo from Food Network

1 zuchinni for each person and spiralize each zuchinni

1 4-6 oz chicken breast sliced for each person. Get a pan and put 1 tsp oil in there let the oil heat on medium heat sauté until no longer pink inside.

1 bunch of basil, ¼ c walnuts, ¼ c olive oil mix in a blender to create the pesto. Add salt and pepper for your taste.

Mix your zoodles, pesto, and chicken together in the hot pan to incorporate and cook the zoodles a little bit and  put in a bowl and enjoy!

Bulletproof Coffee Recipe

I love the idea of bulletproof coffee but I wanted to come up with something that wasn't so laden with calories and fat and that I could actually drink. I am lactose intolerant and can't do dairy of any kind so I came up with my own Bulletproof coffee. HA HA here is the recipe!

1 C cold coffee of your choice
1 C Ice
1 scoop Shakeology
2 TBS coconut oil

This bad boy kept me full and satisfied.

I love the way that Shakeology keeps me full and I have gotten rid of my intense sugar cravings during the monthly time. I still get them but they are not as intense and I can fight them now. I also save money on probiotics ($40) and multivitamin ($20) and feel great! I am so happy to have found a nutrient dense way to keep me full and give me everything that I need in addition to a little caffeine boost!

Enjoy!

Pho Recipe PLUS make your OWN broth

I love pho, I can't eat onion for whatever reason so that leaves me with having to make my own food all the time. Which is ok because I am blessed to have the time to do it and it is more affordable but more on that later.

Pho was introduced to me by a friend and we went out to go eat it and I was so amazed that 1. There was a soup restaurant and 2. This soup was like nothing I had ever tasted. It became a bi weekly thing for us to do. I also introduced it to my husband and he feel head over heels in love with this soup as well. When we got stationed in Kodiak Pho was no longer and I set out to find a recipe for it. I found one in my Food Newtork magazine which is where this recipe is from but instead of broth from a can I am going to show you how to make your own broth and an alternative if you don't want to.

(I think this broth recipe came from the autoimmune paleo cookbook) I just have so many recipes memorized now I forget where they come from but I do want to give credit where it is due

Broth:

8 quarts of filtered water
1 bay leaf
2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
salt and pepper to taste.
2-3 pounds of marrow bones.

Throw in the crockpot for 8-24 hours and you are set.

2 carrot, celery stalk, 1 onion halved.
Throw this in the last hour that you are cooking your broth for the flavor.

Strain and there you have your broth! 

NOTE: If this is your first time making broth it does not smell so you may want to cook it outside or another room. My son hates it when I make it so I try to make a bunch to make it worth it.


Soup Ingredients

Soup Base:
8 c broth you can also use Better Than Bullion that is pictured.
5 star anise pods
1 piece ginger cut in half
1 cinnamon stick 
1 TBS fish sauce or low sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, or braggs (your choice)

Other:
1 sirloin steak 
1 package rice noodles or mung bean noodles

Add In:    (these will be optional but you put it in the soup when it is done)
1 bunch cilantro
1 onion sliced thin
green onion sliced
1 lime sliced
Siracha - to taste
Oyster sauce - to taste for broth

Directions:
Put broth, star anise, ginger, cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes or longer to let flavors meld. Add soy sauce or fish sauce and simmer for 10-20 more minutes. 

In separate pot boil noodles as per directions

In a separate pan heat up a small amount of oil and sear the steak about 2 min on each side and slice thin

Your steak will be rare but when you add your steak to the soup it will cook through. I usually cut mine and stick it in the fridge. 

When broth is done add noodles to your bowl, then steak, broth. 

You can dress your soup up with the add in ingredients that you like and make the soup special to you and your tastes I do think that siracha and oyster sauce are a must but the soup will taste fine on it's own. 


I hope you enjoy and come back and tell me how it tastes! XOXOXO

Turkey sausage, pepper, and potatoe

There are times when I cook dinner and I come up with a recipe well, not really I scour the internet for something and then make it my own or put my own spin on it. That's pretty much how I cook. I love mixing flavors and trying new things. Sometimes it doesn't work out but more often than not BAM I make my husband happy and as a chick who cooks healthy and can make her husband happy then you know very well that you have hit the jackpot right?!?!?! 

Photo courtesy of Hillshire Farms

So here it is! 

Turkey Keilbasa (the whole thing)
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
Garlic minced (as much as you would like) 
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2-3 potatoes depending on the size


I first boil the potatoes. Once those are done I slice the turkey keilbasa and the vegetables. I get the keilbasa going and then throw the peppers in and lastly the potatoes and seasoning with garlic. I toss that around and put it on low heat and let all the flavors meld together. After about 8-10 minutes I take it out and BLOOP you have a one bowl meal! I loved it and I will def add it to my rotation. I mean, it's not the HEALTHIEST thing that you could eat but if you want to make it healthier you can add some real turkey sausage in there or add chicken to it and you should be pretty golden!

I hope you enjoy!!!!

Paleo adventures!

Well I have been at this Paleo "thing" for awhile now and I have had some serious mis-steps like eating gluten yesterday because I did not prepare any food at a meeting that I went to. I now know that I am gluten sensitive for SURE. I was bloated, I got a super mega headache from hell, I was very very lethargic, and I just didn't want to do anything but sleep. I went to my bible study yawning and it is not really normal for the person that I have been. What did I eat? Oh ya know pasta and one hella good chocolate chip cookie and 3 mini eclairs. I am totally the kind of person that is like well if I already messed up might as well top it off ha ha. That is NOT the mentality to have trust me because I felt like garbage afterwards and SO guilty it wasn't even worth it!

It takes 2 weeks to get gluten out of your body so basically I have to start over......super fail right? To a degree yes, but I learned something that I am intolerant to gluten and I was able to FEEL what food actually did to me.  I know salt from processed food is killer on my weight and makes me gain at least 3 pounds in one sitting. That's terrible if you asked me! I am coming to a point where if my clothes fit I am fine though I don't really weigh myself until things start fitting me "not right" and I am typically right about my being heavier. Anyway back to the Paleo

I have found that through this process I have been more creative in the kitchen but I still make a lot of mistakes in regards to this new lifestyle and the choices that I make outside of my home. I think the grace period of trying it out is over and I have to decide if this is what I am going to do or not. Mostly for my sanity and I know that the answer is yes I am going to stick with it. I felt (before yesterday) that I was at my optimal health. I have made a few recipes on my own which I am super stoked about and I feel that I have dipped my toes in the water long enough to say that this is the way that I want to go and what solidified that for me the way BLOAT that I am carrying today and how I ballooned so bad that I had to unbutton my pants which is something I have not done in a very long time. 

Next week I am going to start the Whole 30. 

It is a "program" that helps you get your nutrition on track and help heal you from the inside out. I was going to start on October 1 and that makes a lot of sense to me but the sooner I do this and go through with it the better it will be for my sanity. Just be determined and get it done right? If you are interested in doing it let me know in the comments and I can hook you up with everything that you need to do it! I would be so excited to have some buddies around.

Kale, white bean and turkey Soup!

 I love a good recipe but I also love making it my own. The link to the original recipe is below if you are interested :) 

2 Cans white beans such as Great Northern, cannellini, or navy drained and rinsed
1 onions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 tsp Better Than Bullion "chicken" broth
5 cups water
1 bay leaf (not California)
1 lb ground turkey meatballs seasoned with pepper, onion powder, oregano, and basil
8 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb kale (preferably lacinato), stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped


Cook onions in oil in an 8-quart pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beans, bullion, water, pepper, bay leaf, and rosemary and simmer, uncovered, until turkey meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Stir carrots into soup and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in kale, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.



Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-and-White-Bean-Soup-106153#ixzz2QAHceJ30

P90X Island Pork Tenderloin

This was by far my most favorite recipe out of the whole P90X journey that I was on in 2011. I would like to share it with those of you that are looking for new recipes. 

16 oz Pork tenderloin,
.5 tsp salt
.25 tsp pepper,
.5 tsp chile powder
.5 tsp ground cumin
.5 tsp cinnamon
.25 c brown sugar
.5 tbs fresh garlic, finely chopped
.5 tbs Tabasco sauce

1. Preheat pven to 350
2. stir together salt, pepper, chile powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.
3. heat oil in a skillet over moderately high heat and brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes.
4. Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and tabasco and pat onto top of tenderloin. place pork in a roasting pan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes or internal temp of 170. 

Salad Tips

Recipe: Southwestern Black Beans

I got this recipe from the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook and I am in LOVE with it and eat if often! It is so yummy delicious I even make it for dinner at times. You can serve this with eggs and toast for a balanced meal.


1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 tsp pepper
dash of salt (to taste)

Throw all of the above items on a pan on low/medium heat and cook until they are throughly warmed up.


You can put this on the side with a "fried" egg, slice of avocado, and fruit for a balanced breakfast.

My daily diet

I often get asked what I eat and how I stay so slim. Now that I have been in maintence for over a year I feel that I can properly answer that question. I eat mostly the same things all the time and every few weeks add something new to the mix that I enjoy eating. I guess I go through phases but over all my dynamic is pretty much the same. So here is my daily TYPICAL diet.

Morning: 1 cup of coffee, non dairy creamer, 1 tsp organic sugar 2-3 egg whites, 1 turkey sausage patty with peppers, 1 slice of Ezekiel bread, 1 banana

Mid morning : Chicken, spinach salad, 1 banana, 1/2 c black beans

Lunch : Same sometimes a sandwich from my favorite deli

Mid-afternoon: Chicken, vegetable, rice and apple with peanut butter

Dinner : Chicken with broccoli with reduced sodium soy sauce

PM snack: Chocolate Vegan Shakeology. I typically crave LOADS of sugar at night for some reason and this is my cure all :)

Well there you have it my boring meal day! On the weekend I am more adventurous because I have the kitchen at my disposal but there you have it. I do not count calories I think that it is a waste of time and it is not accurate anyway, this plan here keeps me full and not hungry through out the day and my body responds well to it. I don't feel deprived and some days during the week I add snacks like pretzels and hummus and what not. i am not afraid of carbs and I eat them every day :)

If you have any questions or would like to join one of my Eat Clean Challenges I host monthly please let me know. Email me or facebook friend request me

jeannettealverio@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/jeannette.alverio

The BEST chili ever!

This is usually my go to recipe when I am feeling lazy and don't want to do anyting in regards to my kitchen. I can cook this on the pot and seriously I don't have to do anything but stir! Open up the cans and what not and pour and go! Can we say FAST FOOD! Seriously!!! I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I am thankful to Chalene Johnson's husband for making it! Ha ha!

Quick tip: Freeze whatever you have left over and eat later or use your Tupperware and eat for lunch the next day!

Serves 4




Turbo Fire Chili Recipe1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
8oz whole kernel corn, canned
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves
8oz black beans, canned
8oz pinto, chili, or kidney beans, canned
1tbsp tomato paste
1 pkg Lawrey's Chili seasoning
4 oz low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)


Brown turkey. Drain and discard any fat. Place all ingredients except cheese into a slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. Top with 1 oz. cheese, if desired. 

You can also cook on the stove top for 30-45 minutes when all flavors have come together.

My favorite salad dressing

When I went to Cathy Savage Camp I was so excited when I ordered my lunches and dinner. I mean who doesn't want healthy cooked for them. I know that I didn't want to worry about a meal plan when I went there all I wanted to do was to learn the whole competition process! I was so glad with my decision because I found THE best salad dressing recipe!

I am currently obsessed with my salad too which I will post below!

Dressing

1/3 c white balsamic
1/3 olive oil
3 TBS dijon mustard more if you'd like
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
dash of lemon juice
4 tbs honey

Mix it all together and enjoy you can adjust any portion of this to make it more to your liking but I would keep the vinegar and the oil the same :)

My salad:

4 oz chicken seasoned with garlic, pepper, and a little salt
1 cup spinach
cucumbers
1/2 avocado
1 plum tomato

Mix all of that with the dressing above and you have one of the BEST meals EVER!!!

Enjoy

Superbowl Salsa

I love the Superbowl but not really for the game. More for the commercials, kickoff, half time show and the FOOD. I am competing and I think my days of cheats are over :( SO I am going to go out with a bang because tomorrow starts my prep, but hey the sooner I get it done the sooner I can go back to my normal healthy life. I know that many are going to use this as their cheat day too and that's ok I mean come on who isn't going to eat wings or some healthy version of them! Ha! Anyway I decided that I am going to post my favorite salsa recipe along with my veggie pizza recipe but I will post that later once I am able to grab some pictures of it. Here is the recipe. This is more like the salsa that you would see at a traditional Mexican restaurant.

1 can crushed tomato
1 cup cilantro
1 onion
2 jalapenos you can also use the canned ones and make sure to add some of the juices into it.
3 cloves of garlic
1-2 tsp salt (to taste start slow and add more as necessary)

Blend all of these ingredients into a food processor and chill for about an hour before serving.

Enjoy!!!!

Recipe: Cookie Dough Hummus

There isn't too much outside of clean that I can eat while I am on this competition diet which is totally okay with me because it opened my eyes to exactly HOW much process unhealthy foods I was eating. Time for a reality check right?

SO I went digging and I found this recipe and I LOVE IT! I can eat everything in it and I would use it on a cheat day because of the sugar and the chocolate chips and graham crackers that you can eat with this and that my dears makes it all that much better! 

Don't be afraid to try it just because chickpeas are in there. It's really good and good for you! I DARE you to bring this to a party and not tell anyone that this is a healthy option and see how it is received!!!!

Since I have been on a healthy kick and I am trying to eat as mean and clean as possible, I have to adjust some of the things that I like to eat. There are certain times that I crave sweets like it is nobody’s business and this is one of my go-to recipes and I wanted to share with you guys this awesome recipe. Now trust me when you see the ingredients you are going to probably say seriously?!?!? Ha ha trust me it’s yummy and you will probably become obsessed.

• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can, drained) (250g after draining)
• heaping 1/8 tsp salt
• tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (You can get away with using only 3 tbsp. If you use peanut butter, some people say it has a slight “pb cookie dough” taste, so you can sub oil if you don’t want that.)
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp oats (You can omit if desired.)

• milk of choice as needed (depending on the consistency you want. I used a few tbsp.)

Add all ingredients, except chocolate chips, to a food processor (for best results, not a blender) and blend until VERY smooth.

I hope that you all enjoy this yummy snack!!!!

Les Mills Day 1 and Food

Well today was day 1 of Les Mills Pump. I did my before pics, measurements, and got my weight. I am still maintaining at 120.4 I am not looking to lose just tone some and loose a few inches on my abdomen and thighs my bigger trouble areas. I just want to get rid of the "muffin top" that comes from my extra skin. I also want a more toned overall look. Anyway I went ahead and did the workout it was called Pump Challenge and it was such a fun workout. They played Lady Gaga's Telephone and other more up to date songs. I really enjoyed myself and felt like Barbie Bad Ass after I got done the workout I sure did like lifting with the barbell it was something different and I really did enjoy it :D I also did 20 minutes on the elliptical, I would have run but I really didn't feel like going outside , it was cloudy and what not and I sure did not want it to rain on me so I opted to stay inside but then I got bored......maybe I should have invested in a treadmill............ OOPS FAIL!!!! I like the feeling that I am running, for now anyway. I change my mind all the time........


I got home this evening and I was going to make faux fried chicken tenders and my husband wanted tacos so tacos won, it was easier to make anyway. Who wants to cook on a week night after you have been at work all day, I didn't and we were in training for most of the day which made the day even longer...we seasoned and boiled the chicken tenders and then shredded the chicken and used this Frontera Grill and then I made a salad for myself and used the chicken and my husband used a whole wheat tortilla. I also made some zucchini but that was a fail too, the flavor profile did not mix with the tacos. I am also obsessed with cucumbers in cider vinegar. My mother in law turned me into it and I can't get enough of them and I hope they never run out of mini cucumbers! Ha ha! Anyway I took some pictures of dinner it tasted OK I guess I just had my heart set on the chicken tenders.....I hate when that happens!

Tomorrow is no Les Mills Pump but I have to train my co-workers and it is leg day for them so I am going to kick their legs bootays!!!! I love training people I am reallly totally excited about it! Well I hope all you readers have a better day with dinner or have eaten a better dinner than mine LOL.

For the zucchini I put 2 TBS of balsamic, 2 TBS of reduced sodium soy sauce, pepper, and garlic powder I marinated it for 30 and then sauteed it for 10 minutes or until they got brown and took them off and ate them. They are delish!!!!!!!!