I made this deliciousness last night. Caprese anything is SOOOO good and simple! Add another quick clean eating meal to the books!
You’ll Need
Fresh Mozzarella
Fresh Basil
Sliced Tomato
Chicken Breast
Directions
Grill or Broil Chicken for 10-15 minutes depending on how thick your chicken cutlets are. Lay sliced mozzarella on top and let it slightly melt. Add basil and tomato on top. Walla!
Any meal I can throw in the crock pot and leave it is a winner in my book. After a long day at work and a long drive home in the heat the last thing I wanna do is stand over the hot stove for an hour. I've absolutely added this slow cooker to my recipe book!
You’ll Need
4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Pour the olive oil on bottom of slow cooker, add chicken breasts, salt and pepper each breast, put sliced onion on top of chicken then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves. Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes.
Cook on high for 4 hours, serve over whole wheat pasta
I LOVE healthy meals that taste good – who doesn’t!? I also love any recipe that uses my mom’s Million Dollar Dry Rub too. =] This is an awesome quick weekday meal you can throw together in under 15 minutes. Pair it with some steamed veggies and quinoa for a meal the whole family will enjoy.
4 (6 ounce) Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon fillets
1 tablespoon canola oil or coconut oil
Dry Rub
1 TBS Pepper
1 TBS Garlic Powder
1 TBS Chile Powder
1 TBS Oregano
1 TBS Paprika
1 TBS Cumin
1 TBS Salt
1 TSP Brown Sugar
Directions:
Combine spices in a small bowl.
Brush each side of salmon with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Evenly distribute seasoning on both sides of the salmon. Set oven to broil on High, cook salmon 5-6 minutes on each side. The outside should be crispy and the salmon should easily flake with a fork.
YES…I have lots to say about keeping it simple and being such a chatter box, and trying not to jump too hard on the soap box, I knew this was going to become a series of SIMPLE.I came across a quote that struck me “90% of people avoided obesity and diabetes long before anyone knew what a calorie was let alone counted them…let’s make “healthy” healthy again” and it ended with the word…SIMPLE.
WOW, I thought on that and realized just how dynamic and powerful this statement was to me and how true it is for my life.As a child, my parents modeled living from the land in our back yard and boy do I ever remember how my weekends were spent…pulling weeds from the garden.Talk about a bitter sweet chore as a child…dirty hands, dirty knees, blisters…and the smell of tomato leaves so strong it could choke you…anyone relate?Fruit trees adorned our backyard, and my Dad was a master grafter trying to create the perfect blend of fabulous fruit flavors.I could walk in the garden and pluck a vine ripe tomato or enjoy an apple from one of our many trees…Simple.What I am trying to say by sharing a small glimpse into my childhood is that food should be simple, and for me…simple is healthy.Part one of this Blog, I will be covering food and what simple means for my Stay Healthy Life and as it relates to what and how I eat.
I enjoy food in its’ true, SIMPLE form to this day and believe that the simpler the food, the healthier the food.If it comes in a box, with a label full of words that I can’t understand, and the ingredient list takes up the entire side of the product, this is not a simple food…it is a bunch of mixed up crap in a box that sits on a shelf and has a shelf life longer than me.That is what I am talking about, and am I going to put this in my body...A BIG NO on that.Now, toss me an organic Fuji apple, and this is one happy girl ready to enjoy Simple Real Food, full of nutrients that my body needs.Keeping food simple eliminates all stress of what I should be eating…how fabulous is that.Once food becomes complicated, stress over the how much, what, and when to eat enters the picture…ok…a small soap box…and thanks to agencies that will go un-named, media, marketing, blah blah blah…this world has gone crazy with complicated food and empty promises of pseudo health in a box that has greatly increased illness in this country.Bringing food back to simple keeps me healthy and I am sure all of America would be healthier too.
Simple means fresh, simple means I can pick the item up and smell it, and inspect it for the best pick of the produce.Simple means one ingredient, I can usually eat the item at purchase, and if I am hungry for example, I will enjoy an organic piece of fruit during my drive.When this concept is truly grasped, it eliminates all questions like…what did she/he eat to look like that? What did they do?What diet was used…YUCK…diet is a dirty word in my book.Keeping my food simple is how I maintain ME.There is no secret this or that and I am hopeful that one day, everyone will wake up and realize this.A few other foods that I include in my simple line up are organic boneless skinless chicken breasts, wild caught fish, grains, nuts, seeds, strained organic Greek yogurt, and cage free organic eggs…now, check this list in addition to what I shared earlier.I am eating foods that are from the earth, as fresh as possible when I purchase organic, not processed in a factory and stuffed in a box.
I enjoy the colors, aromas, textures, and flavors of simple foods and when I combine them into a salad…WOW…simple at its’ very BEST!Of course some of my food items come in bottles and containers such as my Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Vinegars, Honeys, Nut Butters, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Greek Yogurt, Almond Milk, etc…but I research to ensure that they are minimally and organically processed, minimal ingredients and simple stored form. NOW…this is the thing about eating my simple food…if I do not eat it raw or blend for a green smoothie, I am in the kitchen slicing, dicing, and cooking up a SIMPLE and HEALTHY meal that surpasses any complicated junk- in- a- box non-food item that is being passed off as “good for your health” food.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
I enjoy a stress free simple eating life that allows me to enjoy lots of healthy foods throughout the day.I do not keep a food journal, count calories, grams, ounces, etc…I SIMPLY eat to live.My body tells me when to eat and that is usually every 2 ½ hours and I eat to satiety, not to feel uncomfortable.It is amazing how much MORE food I can eat when it is simply healthy…my large salads for example…OH MY…they seem to get bigger instead of smaller with every bite.One of my favorite simple veggies right now are brussel sprouts….I roast these in the oven with EVOO and spices and OH MY…these nutrient packed baby cabbages are filling.
So….I will continue to keep my food SIMPLE…it is my LIFESTYLE…and I am happy to know that I am making “healthy” healthy again! Stay Healthy ~
Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list. If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding!
Stay Healthy~ Darla
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Motivation of the Day: Take Time to Smell the Coffee
Off Work & Ready to BLOG :)
What a day…and what seems to be never enough time to do everything that I may think I can accomplish. Is there ever enough time? The answer to that is…a BIG NO. A huge wake-up call for me in my journey of life….I wish more people would catch on. Sometimes I can be an over achiever….another personal share. This can back fire however when I am not able to do everything that I set out to do for the day. I would have to say that this used to bother me….somehow I failed myself or something silly like that. Looking at the glass as always half full is so important to me now. I try not to dwell on those things I did not do and FOCUS on the accomplishments of the day and even in my life. I can think of this and that to do, letters to right, filing, programs, accounting, domestic engineering, etc…the list is endless…don’t you think. I love that phrase….”Life is what is happening while you are busy doing other things”…What are those other things…do they matter in the BIG scheme? REALLY? I think about this and have come full circle to taking time to smell the coffee. Life is such a treasure, a gift, and an honor to live and what is important to me….is living each moment to the fullest. I appreciate the interruptions in life that feed my day in a positive way….an unexpected call from family or friends, visit from my children, or just the beauty of the day. These are all things that provide balance to my healthy life. I could never imagine having as a regret….I wish I would have worked more, done more dishes, laundry, paperwork….OH MY…and hell to the NO. Meaningful regrets like I wish I would have had more quality conversation and time with my husband, children, parents, siblings, and friends…NOW this makes more sense to me. I am working on NOT having any meaningful regrets by living NOW what has meaning in life to me….what is important…My time with my family & friends. Quality of life includes taking care of me, spending time with my family & friends, and taking time to enjoy a nice cup of coffee…and taking in the aroma. My plan is to take care of my health and not miss out on the living….because this is what Staying Healthy is all about;)
Sweat ON!
My Workout of the Day:
45 minutes cardio on my Stair Stepper Stretching
My Nutrition of the Day: (WATCH THE VIDEO)
Coffee, one and ½ cup…YIKES
1-Post-workout shake
My Protein Balls....YUM!!!
2-Powered Up Steel Cut Oats 3-B/S chicken breast & avocado on sprouted bread 4-2 Protein Balls 5-Grilled Salmon & Spinach Salad 6-Protein Pudding
Stay Healthy ME!
IF YOU ENJOYED THE CONTENT, LIKE IT, LEAVE A COMMENT….AND IF YOU LIKE….OFFER ME A SHAKE;)
A HEALTHY BURGER WITH FLAVOR THAT WILL KEEP YOU COMING BACK FOR MORE!!!!!!
Hi Readers!!!
This recipe is so easy to put together, fun, fresh, healthy, and with so much wonderful flavor...YES...cooking and eating healthy TASTES DAMN GOOD!!!
Ready, Set, Let's Go!!!!!
Stay Healthy Turkey Burgers and Baked Steak Fries
Baked Steak Fries:
Cook these first so they can bake while preparing the Burger
Heat oven to 400 degrees
Line cookie sheet with foil for easy clean up Extra Virgin Olive Oil Johnny Garlic Seasoning (or any seasoning you like)
Wash 1 large potato and pierce with knife. Put in microwave for 3 minutes. Place on cutting board, and slice into wedges leaving the skin on.
In a bowl, pour 2-3tbsp of olive oil and mix in the Johnny Garlic Seasoning. Dip each wedge into oil mixture and place on baking sheet. Put into oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until browned the way you like. I prefer a bit of a crispy outside and soft center. Continue to watch the cooking on these while making the burgers, and remove when browned the way you like. Set aside
The Burger:
Prepare griddle with Pam and set heat on medium high
Place the ground turkey into a bowl and pour 2-3tbsp of Yoshida Sauce over meat, sprinkle with 1-2tsp seasoning, and use your hands to mix together thoroughly. Form the meat into 2 patties and place on the hot griddle. Turn after browned, and continue to cook through, about 8-10 minutes.
The Toppings (have them ready to go!!!):
Fresh Avocado Fresh Baby Spinach Sliced Jalapenos in the jar (you choose your heat level) Sliced Tomato Sliced Red Onion (if the onion is not sweet, I grill mine for a bit) Sweet Heat Mustard
Toss the Oroweat Sandwich Thins into the toaster to warm or if there is room on the griddle heat next to the burgers after they have been turned.
Spread mustard on both sides of the Oroweat Sandwich Thin, and top the bread with the cooked turkey patty. Start layering your burger with the toppings...I start with the Baby Spinach, Onion, Tomato, Avocado, and end with the Jalapenos. This is a messy burger so be prepared with a fork on the side.
Grab your plate, your burger, and a few fries.....You WILL LOVE THIS!!!
You have seen them on my Blog.....now see them in Natural Muscle Magazine!!!! Enjoy four fabulous Stay Healthy Recipes all in one Blog Post and as featured in Natural Muscle:) The November issue marks the 14th anniversary of Natural Muscle Magazine and I celebrate being part of such a wonderful publication and for all there support in helping me spread the Stay Healthy Lifestyle!!!!
I am attaching my LIVE video for preparing my Stay Healthy Tostada. I will be posting the written instructions soon...but in the mean time...join me in my kitchen, grab your food items, and let's cook an absolutely delicious healthy meal.....
In today's economy where health bars/cookies can be anywhere from .88 cents to over $3.00, it is so worth a little bit of time to save sooooo much money. Even at .88 cents, your investment in the health bar/cookie is almost $20.00 per month if consumed daily. Also, being creative in the kitchen is so much fun, a fabulous stress relief, and you can involve your family and friends in the adventure. There is nothing better than a sample of a fresh cookie right from the oven...I think we can all agree on that. A fabulous note...you are in control of what you are consuming and even understand what you are eating. No lengthy food labels where words that seem to not exist in Websters ever venture into self baked healthy goods. The fats and sugars have been greatly reduced in this recipe, as well as any empty calorie white product ingredients. Guilt free enjoyment awaits the first batch out of the oven:) and the perfect power snack that you can carry with you on the go, giving no excuse to not fuel that body!!! Now let's get started.....
Stay Healthy Oat Protein Cookies
Created by Darla Benfield
6 Tbsp "Real" butter @ room temp (no margarine...fake chemicals)
2/3 cup vanilla fat free yogurt
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 whole egg
1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups ground old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup vanilla whey protein powder (I have not tried this with a soy product)
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large handfuls of Craisins (dried cranberries)
1 large handful flaked coconut
1 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (you may choose to use 1/2 bag)
Preset oven temperature to 300 degrees. Have ready a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper. If no paper, then spray the cookie sheet with PAM. I personally like easy clean up by tossing the paper when I am done.
Dry Ingredients:
Place oats in your blender, and grind until flour consistency and until you reach 2 1/2 cups in a separate mixing bowl. Add the 1 cup of vanilla protein powder, and 1 1/2 tsp baking soda.
Wet Ingredients:
Place soft butter in your mixer bowl, along with vanilla yogurt and cream together. Add the brown sugar and continue to blend until creamy. Add the egg, and continue to mix thoroughly. Add the pure vanilla extract, and continue to cream together.
Together: Time to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Slow the mixer down, and slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Now, add 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats, mix; add the coconut and mix; add the Craisins and mix; and lastly add the chocolate chips and mix slowly. You should have a wonderful cookie dough ready for baking at this point.
I use a large tablespoon to make large cookies. This recipe will create 20 large cookies or approx 80 tsp size.
Scoop a large tablespoon of the dough onto your prepared cookies sheet and continue this process until the sheet is full. Place in your pre-heated oven and bake between 15-18 minutes. Be careful not to overcook these, as they will be dry. There should be a slight give to touch the top of the cookie in the oven and only very little browning. They will continue to cook on the sheet when you remove them from the oven. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat the baking process until all the dough is used. Don't forget to lick the bowl:)
Enjoy and Stay Healthy!!! Darla Benfield, LCPT, LCMT
Tonight's blog is having dinner with you tonight. I want to show that eating healthy is fun, simple, requires no measuring, and is not about getting caught up in the numbers, percentages, etc.... I put this together in about 25 minutes (less if the chicken was pre-cooked). All you have to do is open one can, chop a few vegies, throw over mixed greens, and enjoy a Stay Healthy Meal!!!
1 chicken breast seasoned with Trader Joes 21 Salute Seasoning and cayenne pepper (I like things spicy) and placed in Pam sprayed pan, and a drizzle of Yoshida's gourmet sauce and water, cover and simmer, turn over 1/2 through cooking and continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Cut the chicken breast in half or thirds....they are always too big. Save the remainder for meals tomorrow.
The Rest of the Ingredients...
1 can kidney beans (drain and use 1/2)
1 bag of spring mix (I use one large handful)
1 sweet onion (as much as you like)
5 small red and yellow peppers (chopped)
1 roma tomato (the whole thing)
1/4 fresh avocado (sliced)
Grab a dinner plate and start layering...handful of spring mix, 1/2 can kidney beans, chopped onion, pepper, and tomato, and sliced avocado. Slice or chunk the chicken and place as the last layer. I dig into this without dressing....enjoy the textures and tastes of every bit of the dish!!!!
Are you thinking.....eating healthy is too hard? I say....keep is simple and do not stress. I see people getting so caught up in calorie counts, weighing food, percentages of proteins, carbs and fats that the new healthy food choices become an overwhelming chore. Have you heard of the saying.....throw out the scale.....well....apply it to the food....throw out the scales and calculators. Look at it this way....if you are eating pastries, white breads, and high sugar empty calorie cereals for meal 1 or breakfast....simply switch it out for a healthy choice such as oatmeal and while you are at it....throw in some blueberries. Sound easy.....now enjoy how the meal tastes. Often times eating healthy needs to start with just that.....EATING HEALTHY. OK....moving on to meal 2.....this would be a snack between breakfast and lunch.....resist those donuts sitting out in the office break room....and bring out that Clif bar you brought today. Again, take your time eating and enjoy the flavors. Meal 3......the friends want to go to their favorite pizza restaurant......well....you can opt to go and select the salad bar and throw in some egg whites, load up on the vegies and mixed greens...ALL DRESSINGS ON THE SIDE.....try to avoid the creamy stuff.....dip your fork in the dressing and enjoy the colorful mixture of greens, vegies, beans, proteins, that managed to make it on your fork. Meal 4.....another snack between lunch and dinner......I love to mix Non Fat Knudsen cottage cheese with a light and creamy Yoplait yogurt and throw in a few raw almonds....YUMMO. Meal 5......this is usually dinner.....load up on your favorite vegies and a grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast seasoned with spice. If you are a night owl.....you will feel hungry about 2 1/2 hours after meal 5.....I love to have rice cakes on hand with a smear of peanut butter....this does the trick. I also have vanilla whey protein powder on hand and will sometimes mix that in some vanilla silk light soy milk.
So....you see....eating healthy is just switching out unhealthy choices for healthy choices and the above is just a sample of the many wonderful choices you can make. Normal hunger is every 2 1/2 hours and eating small meals throughout the day keeps your metabolism turned on, your blood sugar stable, and eliminates the urge to grab that unhealthy choice because you are hungry. Eating this way should keep you feeling satisfied and NEVER hungry. Eating is WONDERFUL and incorporating healthy food choices and ENJOYING them will set you up to adapting a healthy nutrition lifestyle and you WILL SEE A CHANGE in your overall health. So....I challenge you to start today....begin with switching out the unhealthy choices for the healthy ones.....no calculators and no food scales. If you want to write down what you eat for time sake in order not to go over 2 1/2 hours....that is all I would worry about. If you want to include a protein, carb, fat column per meal.....simply put check marks next to those nutrients for your info that they were included with each meal. That is it though.....do not make this a overwhelming task.....and remember to ENJOY getting healthy!!!!
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