Happy.Healthy.Fit

Feb 17

Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta

by Coach Michelle

OH. MY. GOODNESS. If you have an Instant pot, you need to make this meal IMMEDIATELY. Especially if you’re starved for a good pasta dish – never fear!  My husband didn’t think this sounded that great, but after he tasted it he had one huge bowl and went back for seconds.  Having celiac disease for so long (and not having great options for gluten free pasta when I was diagnosed – there are MUCH better options now!) I have gotten away from pasta dishes – but no more!  If this is any indication of the deliciousness that I can have – I’m all for it!

Instant Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (about 1 inch in size or so)
  • 1 red onion, chopped/diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced (I used 5 tsp of minced garlic from the store)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp fajita or taco seasoning, divided in half (I use Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 bell peppers, seeded and diced (any color – I used 1 red and 1 green)
  • 5 oz can diced tomatoes (no salt added!) – DO NOT DRAIN
  • 4oz can diced green chiles (see photo below for which one I used), optional (this adds a kick – and we loved it!)
  • 8oz dry, gluten free penne pasta (see photo below for the brand I used)
  • Red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (optional, for topping)
  • Avocado slices (optional, for topping)
  • Hot sauce (optional, for topping)

Directions

  • Add olive oil (2 Tbsp) to instant pot, set to “Suate”, and allow to oil to heat. Once hot, add chicken and ½ taco seasoning (1.5 Tbsp).  Stir well to coat, and cook until chicken is white
  • Add onions, garlic, bell peppers, and the rest of the seasoning (1.5 Tbsp). Stir well to coat, and continue stirring drequently until vegetables are slightly tender – about 2-3 minutes
  • Add tomatoes (WITH juices – DO NOT DRAIN), chicken broth, diced green chiles, and dry pasta to the pot. Stir to mix well, place cover on instant pot, lock in place, and select Manual (or pressure cook) option for 6 minutes. Make sure valve is set to SEAL.
  • Once finished, quick release the pressure and remove cover (once all pressure is relieved). The juices should be mostly absorbed.  Stir to mix, then serve!  Add any of the optional additions to top it off, and enjoy!

Maker:S,Date:2017-10-14,Ver:6,Lens:Kan03,Act:Lar02,E-Y

Maker:S,Date:2017-10-14,Ver:6,Lens:Kan03,Act:Lar02,E-Y

I think this is going to become a frequent meal in our house – we both thought it was so good!  And soooo easy – did I mention how much I love my instant pot?!

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Enjoy! And as always, let me know what you think when you try it!

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Feb 1

Chicken and Artichokes

by Coach Michelle

Alright, you all know I’m in love with my instant pot, but this recipe is an easy peasy STOVETOP one that I will never give up!  I make it SO often, I barely need to measure the ingredients anymore.  My husband requests it frequently – so it’s definitely a winner in our book. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have (and continue to!)

Chicken and Artichokes

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (about 1 inch in size or so)
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced (I used 5 tsp of minced garlic from the store)
  • Olive oil spray (may want to add about 1 Tbsp olive oil as well, that’s optional)
  • 1 jar/can artichokes, drained and chopped
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
  • Garlic powder, to taste
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • Handful spinach (optional)

 

**Ideally for this recipe, you will want a skillet/pan that has a cover**

 

Directions

  • Spray skillet with olive oil spray and place on stove, heat to medium. Add chicken and cook, approximately 4 minutes on each side.
  • Remove chicken and set aside
  • Spray pan with olive oil spray (or add in 1Tbsp olive oil), and add onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, stirring as needed. Add artichokes, chicken broth, maple syrup or honey (maple syrup tends to give it a little thicker texture, which I enjoy), sprinkle with garlic powder and black pepper.  Simmer for a few minutes.
  • Add chicken back in and mix to stir. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Once cooked, add in spinach (if using).  Let stand 5-10 minutes and serve! We serve over brown rice (or sometimes riced cauliflower)

 

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Yum yum!! This is a recipe that I make at least once every 2 weeks – it’s so easy, and it ends up being so tasty!! My husband loves it as well.  We have topped it with various things over the several times we’ve enjoyed it – including gluten free soy sauce or liquid aminos, red pepper flakes, and even sriracha sauce!  Just depends what you’re in the mood for!blogsig

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Jan 19

Instant Pot Chicken and Veggie Soup

by Coach Michelle

Okay, can I just say how much I LOVE my new Instant pot?!  Seriously!!  Meal prepping with is it a breeze, and I love throwing ingredients in and having a full meal prepared within minutes (especially when life gets chaotic!)   I’ve had so much fun playing with it!

I just started a new fitness program with a pretty strict nutrition plan, so I was happy to have this recipe work out well – it’s clean, healthy, gluten free (of course) and EASY!  Hubby approved (like I would share one with you that wasn’t! He’s my best taste tester!)

Throw these ingredients in and enjoy this yummy, hot soup just minutes later!

Instant Pot Chicken and Veggie Soup

  • Servings: 6ish
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp minced garlic)
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
  • 1 zucchini, chopped (I cut mine into half moons)
  • 16-18oz low sodium vegetable broth (I used 18oz, but I realize that’s an odd amount so feel free to cut back to 16oz, or add more in if you like it even more soup-y!)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
  • 2 cups spinach
  • Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

 

Directions

  • Spray inner pot of Instant Pot with olive oil cooking spray
  • Set instant pot to “Saute”, and add red onion, celery, and carrots. Saute for a few minutes, until onion is almost translucent
  • Add minced garlic and saute for a minute or two more
  • Turn Instant pot off. Add chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, and vegetable broth.  Place cover on Instant pot and lock in place; set to manual/pressure cook for 12 minutes (longer if using frozen chicken breasts). Make sure the steam release handle is set to “sealing”.
  • Quick release once cooking time is through. Once steam is released, remove chicken and shred.  Add spinach to the pot and allow to wilt while shredding the chicken.
  • Add shredded chicken back into the pot, stir to combine, and serve! Add sea salt and pepper to taste (may also add some cheese on top, if you’d like!

 

 

chickenveggiesoupConvenient, easy, and fast!! Hope you like this recipe as much as we did!!blogsig

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Dec 6

Chicken Fajitas in the Oven

by Coach Michelle

This is such an easy, weeknight meal that doesn’t require many ingredients and ends up SUPER tasty!  I love it!  Husband approved, too – he always goes back for seconds!  Reheating this for leftovers is quite yummy, as well.

Chicken Fajitas in the Oven

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
  • 1-2 Tbsp Taco seasoning mix (the link is to the one I use from Trader Joe’s; you can purchase in a Trader Joe’s store or on Amazon)
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • ½ red onion, sliced
  • ¼ – ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I actually ran out and tried mozzarella cheese on one of the chicken breasts pictured – still tasted great!)
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
  • ½ avocado, sliced (optional)
  • Salsa or hot sauce for topping (optional)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Spray oven safe cooking pan (I usually use a glass container) with olive oil spray
  • Season both sides of each piece of chicken with taco seasoning mix (spread out the 1-2 Tbsp evenly)
  • Place sliced onions, bell peppers, and jalapeno (if using) over chickenIMG_20171203_181913
  • Place in oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (until at least 165F internal temp)
  • Remove from oven, sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly on each chicken breast. Return to oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted
  • Top with avocado, salsa, or sriracha sauce to taste! Enjoy!  May also serve this over brown rice, but I’ve found that we’re often stuffed without the added rice!

As I noted in the ingredients, I ran out of sharp cheddar cheese so I placed mozzarella on another piece of chicken – still tasted great.  Or you have the option of no cheese, if dairy doesn’t sit well with you!  Very versatile!IMG_20171203_190015

This recipe is so convenient – it takes hardly any time to chop up the veggies and season the chicken while the oven is pre-heating. Then pop it in and just wait!  With a mix of vegetables, protein, and healthy fats, it serves as a healthy AND tasty dish

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Nov 10

Oven Roasted Chicken & Vegetables

by Coach Michelle

I have been wanting to try a “one pan” or “sheet pan” roasted chicken and vegetables recipe forever, so I finally took a few recipe ideas and created my own!  I used the veggies that I had on hand, but you could certainly swap some of them out/use whatever you have.  It’s a pretty flexible recipe, and so easy – I’ll definitely be using it again.  It would also be great for meal prepping!

Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed if frozen), cut into 1” cubes
  • 1 zucchini, chopped/sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red onion, chopped (I chopped them into larger chunks, like we do for grilling)
  • 3-5 baby Portobello mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional)
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp paprika

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F
  • Line oven safe cooking pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray foil with olive oil spray
  • Place chicken (already cut) in a bowl and mix with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground pepper, ½ tsp sea salt, and ¼ tsp paprika
  • In another bowl, combine chopped zucchini, red bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, broccoli, and jalapeno. Mix with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground pepper, ½ tsp sea salt, and ¼ tsp paprika
  • Place chicken on aluminum foil covered pan/cookie sheet, followed by the vegetables20171110083158
  • Cook for 25-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (165F internal temp or no longer pink in the center)
  • Serve hot and enjoy!

20171110083509A lot of the recipes I looked at say that the vegetables should char – mine did not, but they were cooked through and had great texture and flavor, so I didn’t worry about it.

I enjoyed mine over riced cauliflower, my hubby opted for a side of brown rice.  I also added some sriracha sauce to mine.  It was quite tasty!!  Hope you enjoy!!heart

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Sep 3

Sundried tomato, goat cheese, & spinach stuffed chicken

by Coach Michelle

This sundried tomato, goat cheese, and spinach stuffed chicken was another winner in our house recently!! Adding in the sundried tomatoes makes for a nice change, and who doesn’t love goat cheese?!  So yummy!! Hope you enjoy it – I know I’ll be making it again, soon!

Sundried tomato, goat cheese, & spinach stuffed chicken

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed if frozen)
  • 3oz package sun dried tomato halves
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • ½ -1 cup spinach
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • Toothpicks

 

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Spray oven safe cooking pan with olive oil spray
  • In a bowl, combine sundried tomatoes, goat cheese, spinach, and olive oil. Mix all together well and set aside.
  • Using a knife, cut a pocket into each chicken breast, being sure not to cut all the way through
  • Stuff chicken with sundried tomato, cheese, and spinach mixture. Stuff each as much as you can, then seal with toothpicks (I used 2 toothpicks per chicken breast, but you can use 3 if you’d like!)IMG_20170830_185955
  • Sprinkle garlic powder and ground black pepper on chicken breasts, place in pan, cook for 30-35 minutes or until internal temp is 165°
  • When fully cooked, remove chicken from oven and enjoy! Be sure to remove the toothpicks before you dig in!

Hope you enjoy this recipe!!  Serving it over brown rice is optional, but I would suggest at least having a vegetable side – we had steamed broccoli with ours.

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Aug 27

Easy Bruschetta Chicken

by Coach Michelle

I’m no gourmet chef, but I did really like this easy bruschetta chicken that I threw together the other night! Few ingredients & simple recipe, but ended up quite tasty!

Easy Bruschetta Chicken

  • Servings: 2-3
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed if frozen)
  • 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I used petite diced)
  • ⅓-½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Fresh basil, chopped, or 1-2 tsp dried basil

 

Miscellaneous

  • Aluminum foil
  • Olive oil cooking spray

 

Directions

 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F

 

  • Spray oven safe cooking pan with olive oil spray
  • Sprinkle garlic powder and grind black pepper on chicken breasts, place in pan, cover, cook for 35 minutes or until internal temp is 165°
  • Drain canned tomatoes and place in bowl. In the same bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, and basil. Mix all together, place in refrigerator until chicken is ready
  • Remove chicken from oven when cooled through and divide shredded mozzarella cheese over them evenly. Place back in over for 3-4 minutes, till cheese is melted
  • Remove chicken from oven, remove tomato mixture from refrigerator. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over chicken & serve!

Hope you enjoy this yummy recipe!!  We enjoyed it over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli. May drizzle a little more balsamic vinegar over, if needed!IMG_20170826_220601_358-01heart

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Aug 17

Pistachio Shakeology

by Coach Michelle

This was such a nice change from the shakes I have been making!  I love pistachios – I’m glad I finally thought to put that flavor into my shakeology!!  Let me know what you think of it when you try it out!

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Want to know more about shakeology and why I drink it?  Take a peek at this short video about the ingredients in this nutritionally dense shake!  Shakeology Ingredients Video

I could type a novel on why I love it and how it makes me feel better inside & out!  Any questions??  Comment below and I’ll reach out to you!!

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Aug 15

Baked Tilapia

by Coach Michelle

Tilapia is such a nice, light fish and I love cooking it!  This husband-approved healthy recipe was tasty, easy, and a nice change from the proteins we typically stick to.  It’s customizable, so use this recipe as an outline/start, but feel free to change up the sides or adjust it to suit you!  Obviously you can double or triple the recipe if you’re entertaining guests, and it’s still quite easy and quick!

Baked Tilapia

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 tilapia fillets, approximate 4-6 oz each, fresh (thawed if bought frozen)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • Garlic powder
  • Ground black pepper
  • Vegetable for side – we typically used asparagus, steamed broccoli, or a veggie medley I made on the stove (if using asparagus, there is an option to cook it with the fish – keep reading!)

Miscellaneous

  • Aluminum foil
  • Cookie sheet
  • Cooking spray (we use Olive oil spray)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375F
  • Pour 1 Tbsp of lemon juice evenly over each tilapia fillet
  • Sprinkle each fillet with garlic powder and ground black pepper to your liking
  • Rip 2 pieces of aluminum foil, large enough to fold over and seal each fillet
  • Spray each piece of foil with cooking spray to avoid sticking
  • Place one tilapia fillet on each piece of foil. **If using asparagus, you can place asparagus spears on foil first and put tilapia fillet on the asparagus spears**
  • Wrap fish tightly in foil, making sure it is well sealedIMG_20170804_190007
  • Place on cookie sheets and put in oven for approximately 10-15 minutes, until fish is cooked through – should be white and flake easily with fork (may take a little longer if cooking with asparagus)IMG_20170804_190041
  • Remove from oven, unwrap foil, and enjoy with a side vegetable you’d like!

This recipe is super easy; the fish comes out nicely cooked and flaky, but not dry!  We haven’t tried this on the grill, but I bet that would be a tasty alternative to the oven.  While we just enjoyed this with vegetables on the side, you could also use a side of brown rice.  Ours was tasty enough that we didn’t need any sauce/dip, but you could use cocktail sauce if needed.  Enjoy!!

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Aug 14

Healthy Snack Ideas!

by Coach Michelle

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a hard time deciding on a snack.  I want to be healthy, but those tortilla chips are sooooo tempting…& who wants to have to “think” about a snack?

That’s why I came up with this healthy snack list – snacks I’ve tried and LOVED, but won’t give you any guilt!  Enjoy the list, and if there’s a favorite healthy snack that you love – let me know that it needs to be added!

Enjoy!!

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