Red White and Blueberry Yogurt Pops

These tasty patriotic treats were a huge hit with the whole family!  My kids thought I was such a great mom because I even let them have them for breakfast.  Score with the mom points!! I mixed everything up and froze them in 8 store bought popsicle molds but you could freeze them in paper cups if you don't have popsicle molds on hand.  The measurements in this recipe aren't precise and because the size of your mold or cup will vary, they may need to be adjusted.  I'm excited to experiment with different fruit and yogurt combinations and come up with some new favorites.  I love finding healthy treats and plan to make these all summer long!

Ingredients
8 -10 large fresh straberries
4 cups Greek Yogurt*
2 cups fresh blueberries
honey, stevia or other natural sweetner, to taste
8 popsicle sticks

* If you're stricktly sticking to the 21 Day Fix program, use plain yogurt.  If not, you can use vanilla flavored.

Directions
Blend strawberries in a food processor until pureed.  If you want, you can add in some honey, stevia or other natural sweetener to make the strawberries a little less tart.  Pour into popsicle molds.  If you want a distinct line between the strawberry and yogurt layer, freeze for an hour or so before adding the yogurt layer.  Place blueberries in food processor and blend briefly, you don't want them to be pureed like the strawberries.  Gently fold the blended blueberries into the yogurt.  Mix as little as possible if you want to keep some of the white color from the yogurt.  Again, you can add a little sweetener if you want to sweeten it up a little (especially if you're using plain yogurt).  Pour into the popsicle molds over the strawberries.  Add in a popsicle stick and freeze until frozen through.  When frozen, run the molds under hot water to loosen the popsicle. Remove from mold and enjoy!

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are such a fun meal!  The peppers make such a cute, edible dish just waiting to serve up the yummy filling in it.  There are so many different things you can stuff them with and this chicken fajita mix is fabulous!  This filling is so great in fact, that I love to use it for other things as well.  It makes a great filling for tacos and burritos and even works as a stand alone side dish.  As is, the seasonings combine to make a wonderful flavor.  I like to keep my foods pretty mild but you could easily spice it up by adding in some jalapenos.  Be creative and make this pepper yours!

Ingredients
6 medium bell peppers, any color
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb chicken, shredded
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2/3 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400.  Wash peppers, cut the tops off and remove all seeds.  Place open side down, on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes.  While peppers are baking, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until golden about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, transfer onion mixture to a plate. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil skillet, and add chicken, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, the paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes, onion mixture, black beans, corn, cooked brown rice, remaining 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until heated through.  When peppers are done, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375.  Generously fill each pepper with rice mixture and sprinkle tops evenly with cheese.  Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Serve warm, topped with more cilantro and Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), if desired.

One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies

I love the idea of only getting only one pan dirty when I make dinner.  Who doesn't love minimal dinner clean up?  When I came across this One Pan Balsamic Chicken and Veggies recipe, I knew we'd be good friends.  This is one of my most shared recipes and everybody that tries it, loves it!  Instead of pasta, this recipe uses vegetables as a base, so makes for a lighter meal.   The recipe calls for fresh asparagus but fresh green beans work well too.  I like a lot of sauce, so I actually doubled the sauce.  If you're a saucy kind of person, I recommend doubling it for lots of flavor.  This is a quick and easy to make and clean up.  Oh, and it tastes fabulous too!

Ingredients
1/3 cup light Italian salad dressing
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut into strips
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb fresh asparagus
1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
1 cup grape tomatoes

Directions
In a mixing bowl whisk together salad dressing, balsamic vinegar, honey and red pepper flakes, set aside.  Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then place chicken evenly in skillet. Cook about 6 - 7 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking, until chicken has cooked through.  Meanwhile, trim asparagus of tough ends and cut and tomatoes in half.  Add half the dressing mixture to skillet and rotate chicken to evenly coat. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add asparagus and carrots to skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp tender, about 4 minutes.  Put meat back in the skillet with the veggies.  Pour remaining dressing over meat and veggies.  Stir gently to coat and cook for another minute.  Remove from heat and serve warm.

Source:  Cooking Classy

Honey Glazed Salmon

Last year I made a goal to try cooking seafood a little more.  I love seafood but the idea of cooking it really intimidates me.  I'm not ready to cook a fresh lobster but I've tried a few new things and have found this fantastic salmon recipe that I'm over the moon in love with!  We've had it a few times now and my family totally loves it too.  The salmon is so tender and the honey glaze is spot on.  I need to talk about this Browned Butter Lime Sauce for a minute.  It is in no way healthy or on plan with the 21 Day Fix program.  I thought about not posting it but I would feel selfish.  The salmon is FANTASTIC without the the sauce,  It is absolutely not necessary but every now and then I splurge and add a little because it is SO. DARN. GOOD.  So, I'm going to post the recipe for both the salmon and butter sauce and let you decide what you do with it.  This has got to be the easiest, most flavorful salmon recipe ever.  Definitely a keeper!

Salmon

4 salmon fillets

salt and pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons flour*

4 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

Zest of 1 lime

*If you're following the 21 Day Fix plan, use whole wheat

Browned Butter Lime Sauce

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon honey

Juice of 1 lime

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Season salmon with salt and pepper, to taste. Coat each salmon filet with a think layer of flour and drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey.  Heat olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add salmon to the skillet and sear both sides until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side.  I like to add a little more honey to each side before flipping it over.  Place into oven and bake at 400 degrees until completely cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.  While salmon is baking, prepare the Browned Butter Lime Sauce.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the foam subsides and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic, honey and lime juice, salt and pepper, to taste.   Serve Honey Glazed Salmon immediately with (or without) Browned Butter Lime Sauce and a little lime zest, if desired.

Source:  Damn Delicious

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

I love a good salad, especially in the summer!  It's a perfect quick lunch or light dinner.  My friend passed this one along to me a few years ago and I still love to pull it out and serve it for a filling, but lighter meal.  This salad is packed full of amazing and the dressing has just a little zip that will leave you wanting more.

Ingredients:
Dressing
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chicken, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup avocado, diced
1/3 cup red onion, thin slices
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained*
1 cup corn

*kidney or pinto beans are also good

Directions:
To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stir until well mixed.  To prepare salad, combine lettuce and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Optional topping - tortilla strips*. Serve immediately and enjoy!

* You can easily make 21 Day Fix tortilla strips by using corn tortillas.  Brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Use a pizza cutter to cut into thin strips.  Toast for a few minutes until lightly toasted.  2 corn tortillas count as one yellow.

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Fruit Dip

I'm always on the look out for yummy, kid and mom approved snacks.  This dip totally fits the bill!  In fact, it's so good that I totally eat it as  a dessert!!  My kids are all smiles when they get home from school and see this sitting on the counter.  Definitely kid approved.  It's so fast and easy to throw together and definitely puts a smile on my face too!  If you're doing the 21 Day Fix, just measure out the ingredients to fit your containers (e.g. 1 red container of Greek yogurt, 1-4 tsp almond butter, honey and chocolate chips).  Don't forget to count your purple containers with the fruit you dip.

Ingredients
1 cup Greek Yogurt*
1/3 cup organic almond butter (or peanut butter)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup of mini dark chocolate chips

*If you're doing the 21 Day Fix, use plain Greek yogurt to stay on plan.  Otherwise, vanilla Greek yogurt is great too.

Directions
Add Greek yogurt, almond butter and honey to a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and serve with fresh fruit.

Cheddar and Broccoli Stuffed Chicken

As a busy mom, I'm always on the look out for ways to make dinner prep quick and easy.  Like most of you, dinner time is the busiest time of the day at our house.  The big kids need help with homework, the little ones are getting tired and cranky and I'm trying to divide myself between meeting all of their needs, cooking dinner and trying to make the house look a little less like a tornado just hit.  Sound familiar?  I got together with some friends last week and we spent the morning putting together some meals.  Best. Thing. Ever. We all went home with six healthy, homemade dinners just waiting to be put in the oven.  It was amazing!!  Dinner time has been such a breeze.  I could totally get used to this.  Anyway, this recipe right here is one that my friend made.  If you aren't able to make it ahead of time, it still comes together fairly quickly and we all loved it!

Ingredients
4 very thin boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded*
1  cup broccoli, chopped into very small pieces
 Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika
1/2  tbsp olive oil
toothpicks

*If you are following the 21 Day Fix eating plan, use one blue container of cheese for each chicken breast.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a baking dish, make sure they are very thin.  Season chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over chicken breasts, save a little to add to the top after you fold them.  Place a scoop of chopped broccoli on top of the cheese. Fold your chicken breasts in half and secure with 2-3 toothpicks each.  Brush the tops of the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with additional seasoning.  Cover baking dish with tin foil and place in the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.  Remove tin foil and sprinkle chicken with the remaining cheese.  Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Source:  Dana Nicole Fitness