The Best Grilled Chicken Marinade

Hey friends!!! Well, summer might not "officially" be here, but the sun is out, the days are longer and that means it's GRILLING TIME!!! Living in California, we grill pretty much year round so frankly, it can get a little old and I run out of grilling recipes really fast!

After vacation last week, I knew I wanted something HEALTHY, so I whipped up this random grilled chicken marinade and it was a hit! I made the marinade Saturday mid morning at it was perfect at 5pm. This recipe is especially good when it's super hot out and you just need something light and healthy. I just served it alongside roasted broccoli, but you could easily throw some corn or mixed veggies on the grill and call it a night! A nice Pinot Grigio would be great, too :)


Tip: Grill up some extra chicken for lunches later in the week!

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons honey
Black pepper or crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Whisk all ingredients (minus the chicken!) in a small bowl.
2. Place chicken in a large zip top bag. Pour marinade over chicken and seal the bag. Place in fridge.
3. Marinade for 3-6 hours.
4. Grill the chicken breasts and serve alongside brown rice or veggies!

The BEST Summertime Salad ~ Orzo Salad

If you follow me on Facebook HERE or HERE you know that last weekend I posted a picture of my absolute favorite salad to make in the summer -- this orzo salad is mayo-free, it's great for outdoor grilling and taking to parties. It's ALWAYS been a hit!! Lots of people wanted the recipe, so here it is!!

The great thing about this recipe is you can customize it any way you like..use more or less olives, more herbs, less cucumber, more dressing..it's really not fussy!

Ingredients
Salad:
1 lb package orzo
1 8 oz jar sun dried tomatoes (i like the flavor of the ones in olive oil but you want to go healthier, use without oil)
1 12 oz jar kalamata olives (halved or diced)
1/2 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, diced (optional)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Rinse to stop cooking and allow to cool.
2. Whisk all ingredients for dressing, taste and adjust flavors. Set aside.
3. In the meantime, add the sun dried tomatoes, olives, cucumber (if using) and tomatoes (if using) to a large bowl. Add cooled orzo.
4. Add as much dressing as you like and toss to coat.
5. Stir in basil and mint and toss. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve!

Essential Tips for Eating Out and Staying Healthy

My friends know I am a ((former)) health and fitness coach and they know I am always (usually) cooking healthy, working out and prepping my meals.  It's always funny to see their face when I order fries or something super unhealthy when we go out to eat.

For me, healthy eating (and healthy living!) is all about balance, not deprivation. I am sure you have heard--and experts have confirmed--80% of weight loss is diet and 20% is exercise. ((So that explains my inability to lose ONE POUND of baby weight by just going to the gym for years! HA!))
Here are my tips for eating out while still sticking to your nutrition plan:

• EAT OUT AS A TREAT: When you are trying to lose weight and stay healthy, eating out should be looked upon as a TREAT, not a regular occurrence. When you only eat out a few days a month, you can afford to splurge a little! Order the fries! Have the bread! When you are on track most days of the month, a few days of eating out won't spoil your weight loss progress.
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• GET YOUR WORKOUT IN: If you’re going out for a nice dinner, workout that morning and stick to healthy eating for breakfast and lunch. Enjoy your dinner and get back on track the next day.  Just because you eat ONE meal out, doesn't mean the entire day has to be unhealthy.
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• STICK TO SMALLER PORTIONS: Stick to smaller portions, take leftovers, and share dessert (if you have it at all). No matter how great it might taste at the moment, the bad post-meal feelings of eating too much just aren’t worth it. Sometimes just a bite or two of dessert is enough to give me my post-meal sweet fix.Need help with portion control?? Read about my Health and Fitness groups HERE! In my groups we learn ALLLL about portion control--it literally CHANGED the way I ate!
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• ASK FOR MODIFICATIONS: Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter for modifications to keep it healthy. Baked, grilled and broiled proteins are usually always an option.
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• LIMIT STARCHES: Instead of getting chips, rice AND beans...choose one or two and skip the other! Double up on protein if you can as it will keep you full longer.
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• DRINK UP: Unless you prefer to drink your calories (sometimes I do!! #wine), choose food calories over drink calories. Water is the best thing you can order....drinking water will help with digestion and help to fill you up--with NO extra calories :)
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• ORDER FIRST: You'll be less tempted to change and be swayed by what others are getting.
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• USE COMMON SENSE (but be honest with yourself!!): Life (and food!) is meant to be enjoyed, so don't stress out about eating out or having a treat meal once in awhile. But also--BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF about your eating out habits. Are you eating out once in awhile as a treat or is it a more regular occurrence?  If it's more of a regular thing, maybe try your hand at having one or two more meals per month at home. I

Meal Plan Monday ~ Dinner Inspiration for Busy Moms

Welcome to Meal Plan Monday! One of the main reasons I can stay on track with good nutrition is taking a few minutes each weekend to plan out our meals and snacks. Each Monday I will be sharing our family's weeknight dinner plan with you!

Inspiration
I find inspiration for dinner in four main places:

• Magazines: I love Cooking Light and Food Network Magazine. Most of their recipes are healthy, easy and family friendly.
• Food Network: I love their website and if I see something good while I am watching a Food TV show, I can always look up the recipe! I love their ratings and reader reviews too!
• Pinterest: I am constantly pinning healthy recipes! I've done the work for you--check out my Pinterest board here: https://www.pinterest.com/coachcaseyr/pins/
• This Blog: LOL! Sounds weird but I often forget what healthy recipes I've made! This blog is a record of my family's faves. It's like my "best of the best" recipe file...because I don't share bad recipes with ya'll!!!

This Week
This week is similar to last week, crammed full of baseball and play rehearsals. I am looking forward to the following week when all (most) of the craziness ends!
This week is also my 40th birthday!! Arghhhhh!!! So Tuesday will be a takeout night!!

The Menu
Monday: Kung Pao Chicken

• Inspiration: Food Network--I saw Pioneer Woman make this and knew I had to have it!!
• Notes: Overall, this is one of her healthier dishes! I might lower the sugar a bit, but otherwise it's healthy! I will substitute chicken breasts for thighs and serve over brown rice.

Tuesday: My birthday!! Thai Takeout :)

• Inspiration: I'm 40, I can eat what I want to! LOL!
• Notes: Eating out is a "treat" for us (less than once a week), so I feel like if I am on track with my nutrition 5-6 days a week, I can afford to have zero guilt about eating out or special occassions!

Wednesday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches or Salad

• Inspiration: Pinterest
• Notes: Since my daughter and I won't be home for dinner, I wanted to make something I could make ahead and leave in the fridge for everyone to eat when they got around to it.  This chicken salad is perfect-plus, it gets better as it sits in the fridge :) I will have my chicken salad over mixed greens and hubs will probably have a sandwich! I will probably omit some of the ingredients (like parsley and red onion) to make it easier and use rotisserie chicken breast to save time!

Thursday: Portable Turkey Burritos

• Inspiration: Pinterest search on "Healthy portable meals."
• Notes: Baseball night! If I want to avoid the crap at the Snack Bar, I have to pack food! These burritos are portable--i can wrap them up and head to the ball park. I also like how you cook the veggies separately from the meat. I can customize the kid's burritos without veggies (sigh--i know, they aren't veggie lovers just yet).

Friday: Chicken and Pesto Mini Pizzas

• Inspiration: Pinterest search for "Healthy Pizza"
• Notes: Friday night is ALWAYS pizza night at our house! I love this somewhat healthy take on pizza! Gotta mix it up sometimes! The kids will have their "Usual"--cheese!! BORING!! :) I LOVE LOVE these naan breads from Costco. If you can't find them, you can also use Flat Out wraps or even a whole wheat tortilla. I might even go crazy and throw on some kalamata olives!

Delicious Baked Zucchini Tots

Today my obsession for zucchnni comes in the form of Baked Zucchini Tots. Have you tried these?? They are HEAVENLY- a little crispy and full of flavor! I may or may not have eaten the ENTIRE pan of them!! They are great dipped in a little Greek Yogurt or my favorite Trader Joes Ranch Dressing!

INGREDIENTS
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (Parmesan is also great or ANY cheese you love)
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
A few dashes of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray well with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and stir together until everything is well mixed.
3. Using your hands, form the mixture into small balls or "tots"--i usually make mine a little smaller than a golf ball.
4. Bake about 20 minutes until the tots are starting to get a little golden brown.

Serve with ketchup, Greek Yogurt or Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing for dipping!!

Meal Plan Monday ~ Reheat & Eat

 

Welcome to May and Meal Plan Monday! One of the main reasons I can stay on track with good nutrition is taking a few minutes each weekend to plan out our meals and snacks. Each Monday I will be sharing our family's weeknight dinner plan with you!

Inspiration
I find inspiration for dinner in four main places:

• Magazines: I love Cooking Light and Food Network Magazine. Most of their recipes are healthy, easy and family friendly.
• Food Network: I love their website and if I see something good while I am watching a Food TV show, I can always look up the recipe! I love their ratings and reader reviews too!
• Pinterest: I am constantly pinning healthy recipes! I've done the work for you--check out my Pinterest board here: https://www.pinterest.com/coachcaseyr/pins/
• This Blog: LOL! Sounds weird but I often forget what healthy recipes I've made! This blog is a record of my family's faves. It's like my "best of the best" recipe file...because I don't share bad recipes with ya'll!!!

This Week
So this week is going to be one of the craziest weeks we have had so far this year! My daughter has her school play this weekend and rehearsals every single night this week from 6-9pm! There are a few baseball games thrown in there, too so it will truly be a "divide of conquer" kind of week for hubs and I!

On these weeks where we won't all be eating together, I opt for "Heat (or REHEAT) and eat"- type meals. Meals that a good reheated or that we can just grab and eat whenever we get around to it.

The Menu
Monday: Grilled Steak with Pineapple Rice

• Inspiration: Pinterest Search for "Healthy Summer Recipes"
• Notes: I will have hubs grill this steak up on Sunday while he's grilling our Sunday dinner, so it's ready to go. I'll substitute brown rice for white. EASY PEASY! My kind of Monday!

 

Source: Good Housekeeping

Tuesday: Korean Pork Lettuce Wraps

• Inspiration: Pinterest Search for "Healthy Summer Recipes"
• Notes: Since I work on Tuesdays, a crockpot meal is perfect! I will use a leaner cut of pork (like a tenderloin) and adjust the sriracha for the kids.

 

Source: Good Housekeeping

Wednesday: Crockpot Taco "Skillet"

• Inspiration: My blog!
• Notes: None! I figure the more Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo week, the better!

Thursday: Cajun Shrimp and Rice

• Inspiration: Food Network website. I searched "healthy shrimp recipes."
• Notes: I will sub brown rice for white rice. I use Weber's Canjun seasoning. It's not too spicy :) Also, it's likely my kids won't eat this since they are not huge shrimp fans. So on nights like that, they will usually just have a Trader Joe's pizza or  Mac and Cheese and fruit. If it's a grab and go night, I might just make them a sandwich/fruit and pack it for them. I don't over complicate things if my kids aren't eating what we eat. I used to drive myself crazy stressing about them not eating everything but I've learned to give that up!

Friday: Cinco de Mayo soooo... Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas! (you can never have enough Mexican food in one week!)

• Inspiration: This month's Food Network Magazine
• Notes: I will sub plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream

 

Source: Food Network Magazine

Crockpot Taco Enchilada Soup

I posted this recipe on my Facebook Page a few weeks back and wanted you to have it to refer back to! This soup was a big hit with my family and a great alternative to plain old Taco Tuesday :)

Serves 6+

INGREDIENTS
1lb lean ground turkey
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15oz) can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (or any bean you like, really!)
1 (14 oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes with juices
1 cup frozen corn
1 can red enchilada sauce (about 14 oz.)
2 cups chicken stock
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
Optional toppings: Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, avocado, cilantro.

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a skillet, brown meat, crumbling as you go.
2. Add meat to crockpot along will all other items. Give it a big stir!
3. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours until it bubbles and thickens a bit.
4. Top with plain Greek Yogurt, cheese, avocado and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!!