Movement Monday: How To Get It ALL Done

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here.

Busy.  Busy.  Busy!!!  "I'm just so busy!"  Who doesn't say this?  The days go fast.  The weeks go faster.  Our calendars are jam packed.  Every minute of the day is filled taking care of something.  All the while we feel overwhelmed and even though we're getting stuff done, we don't seem to accomplish what we want for our own life! 

Why?!

"It always seems impossible until it's done." -- Nelson Mandela

As a health and fitness coach, "busy" is the excuse I hear the most for people not caring for themselves.

• "I'm just too busy to go to the gym."
• "I'm too busy to cook meals."
• "I'm too busy to _______" [fill in the blank with anything that involves taking care of yourself]

Once again the question is WHY?!

"It is not enough to be busy... The question is: what are we busy about?" -- Henry David Thoreau

Yes we have our children's needs, our spouse's or significant other's needs, work responsibilities, but why do we choose to give to others before ourselves?  Why do we choose to place the activities that will actually allow us to do more for the people we care about on the the back burner?

Anyone that's taken my 5 Day Productivity Workshop knows that it's not about Time Management but Life Management.  It's your life.  You get just one life.  Why not manage your life to your liking?

So, how do you find the time to get it ALL DONE?  How do you find the time to do for you self, so you can be at your best for all that you want to do?  Just take a look at some of the most successful people.  How do successful people get it done?  Maybe considering successful people in general is not relate-able, so I will put myself out there for consideration.  I am a single mother, pre-silicon design verification technical team lead, health and fitness coach, PiYo and RPM instructor currently teaching 5 classes/week, crazy football mom who not only ensures my son has what he needs, but diligently works to support the team by running the social media accounts for the football boosters and most importantly takes the time to enjoy my family and friends who mean the most to me.  How do I get it all done to my liking and still get sleep?  I'll list a few:

1. Exercise - Exercise is more than just an activity to aide weight loss.  Increasing your heart rate increases blood flow to the brain.  This makes you more alert and focused to tackle your challenging tasks. Regularly completing physical activity also improves your confidence, giving you the determination to get the job done.  Additionally, routine movement gives you more energy and allows you to get better sleep which makes you less stressed and an overall happier person to be around.
2. Protect your focus - Multitasking is a myth.  You spend more time and energy trying to context switch on complicated tasks.  According to a study by Microsoft, it takes the brain 15 minutes to re-focus after losing your train of thought during your work.  You can get more done spending 15-50 focused minutes on a task than attempting to manage a couple things at the same time.  Our life is full or interruptions and distractions, so you have to be proactive to avoid distractions while completing tasks.  If this means silencing or turning off your phone, do it!
3. Set routines - We are creatures of habit.  Believe it or not, our brains are meant to operate on auto-pilot.  When you create regular routines, setting what your do when you wake up, go to sleep, prep your meals, pack your gym bag, grocery shop, etc., you can use your brain power for developing and creating things that make your life and the lives of the people around you better.

The Fall season is a great time to evaluate what you're doing right now to get it all done!  With kids back in school, most parents have more activities and responsibilities.  Many start to get overwhelmed with the continuous requests on their time due to the increased number of activities and commitments.  This can become a draining and exhausting downward spiral leading into the holidays and I don't know anyone who wants to spend the holiday season feeling defeated.

Getting it ALL DONE is the focus of my next online fitness challenge opening October 24th and running through the first day of Winter, just in time to get it fALL DONE!

Movement Monday: Life Lessons from 'The Greatest'

Welcome to this special edition of Movement Monday!  This is an email I send weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After the passing of Muhammad Ali, this past weekend, I was motivated to share my email with everyone... especially since there was so many inspirational quotes that my email would have been much longer than usual.  So I kept the email short and kept the unabridged version here.

To say Muhammad Ali lived a spectacular life is an understatement.  His charisma and charm was catching and he won the hearts of many across the world.  As a good portion of the world mourns his passing, we can take a look at the way he lived his life and the statements he made in life to leave a lasting impact on every person we come in contact with during our life, from here on out.  All quotes today are accredited to The Greatest, Muhammad Ali.

"Live every day like it's your last because someday you're going to be right ."

How many times do we go back on our own promises to ourselves and push things off until tomorrow?  You've been given each day to make the most out of your life.

"What I suffered physically was worth what I've accomplished in life. A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish anything in life."

Yes, it will be hard getting from where you are to where you want to be, but it will also be equally as hard to stay where you are.  No one enjoys being stagnant.  Can you imagine looking back and wondering 'if only ...?'  Choose your hard.

"I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be.  I'm free to be what I want."

Are you living life by design? Are you following your vision?  Are you living your dreams?  Don't worry if you're not quite there.  Just be intentional about living your life and not allowing life to just happen to you. Only you can define what your live should look like.

"I am the greatest.  I said that even before I knew I was."  

You've got to believe that you can achieve your dreams.  Say you are who you want to be every morning and watch yourself get there.

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wears you out, it's the pebble in your shoe." 

How many times do we let the little things keep us from reaching our big goal?  We want to lose weight, for example, but won't make the time to prepare our meals, schedule our workouts or invest in the proper tools we need.  The difficulty of the goal is not what keeps us from reaching it, but our belief that we can not and our unwillingness to get out of our own way. 

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain.  It's not something you learn in school.  But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

Life is measured by the quality of our relationships.  We were meant to be connected to others, so make it a point to take time to build quality relationships.

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

Your gift was meant to be shared with the world. Take the time to develop it and most importantly share it.

"To be a great champion you must believe you are the best.  If you're not, pretend you are."

Sometimes you simply have to fake it until you make it.

This is my absolute favorite!  Take the time to explore your power.  Change impossible to "I'M POSSIBLE!"

Make movement this week!

If this message has helped you in any way, feel free to share with a friend.  Also, if this is something that could get you going weekly, but aren't interested in receiving weekly emails, leave a comment and I may consider this a weekly blog post.  With love... 

Take Me Back to Jamaica - Jerk Chicken and Shrimp

Jerk Pork Chop Dinner

Only a few short months ago, I had the honor of watching two dear friends commit their lives to one another in the beautiful city of Negril, Jamaica.  Everything I went through to ensure I could keep my commitment and witness this once in a lifetime event was out of this world and enough for a completely different blog post that I'll have to share soon, but it made my time there even more special.  I will always remember the inviting hospitality, the welcoming atmosphere, the great company of old and new friends alike, the beautiful beaches and of course the delicious jerk seasoning they had on several of the dishes I tried.

My crew

When I first decided to make jerk 'something' I was in search of something I could make that would be tasty enough for me and exciting enough that my teenage son wouldn't get bored with the leftovers.  I remembered a Jerk Catfish recipe from a Cooking Light magazine I did a few years back and luckily I still had the seasoning.  Have you ever found yourself trying out new recipe that calls for a whole bunch of seasonings you don't actually carry in your kitchen?  You go out an buy it and then never really use it again!  I got so fed up with my overflowing non-existent spice cupboard that when I moved out of that house I took a spice purchasing sabbatical.  I was only allowed to buy common spices when I ran out.

Selfie time!

I digress, so back to my dilemma with the Jerk Catfish seasoning...When I checked the ingredients of the seasoning blend, I saw the first item listed was SUGAR!  "Nooooo!," I thought.  This would not do for my 21 Day Fix Extreme eating, so I searched online for a sugar free version.  I settled with this recipe:  http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014722-no-fuss-jerk-chicken, and it did not disappoint.  Even though I did not have all the ingredients, I had enough to make it work.  I actually doubled the recipe so I could use it with the shrimp and chicken I had.  I will list a single batch recipe as I made it, but check out the link for the true recipe as I'm sure I will go through the effort to get some of the real stuff next time, if they make sense.

Jerk Chicken (or Shrimp, or whatever you choose!)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ground Allspice
• 1 Tablespoon dried Thyme

  

  Mixed seasonings

• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Jalapenos (the spice factor for jalapenos is very low compared to the habanero chiles.  I wanted to be sure my son would eat this first time around)
• 6 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger thickly sliced
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• Juice of 2 large limes
• 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken tenders, shrimp or whatever you choose

Marinating...

Directions:

Broiled Jerk Shrimp

1. Combine allspice, thyme, garlic, jalapenos (or chiles), scallions, peppercorns, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and lime juice in a blender or food processor and grind to a rough paste.
2. Put meat in a baking dish or plastic Ziploc bag.  Add seasoning paste and coat well.
3. Cover dish or seal bag tightly and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees for chicken or turn on broiler for shrimp.
5. Bring meat to room temperature.
6. Bake/Broil uncovered until well browned and juices run clear when probed with a paring knife - about 20-25 minutes for chicken tenders and 10 minutes for shrimp, turning halfway.

Meal packaged for RJ

Servings: Use your red container to measure your protein, but I found that 1 Red container = 1 1/2 - 2 tenders or 10 shrimp.  This was easy to add with the veggies I roasted during the week or I added them to a spinach salad and sometimes paired with a sweet potato.


Enjoy Mon!

1. 

Fish n' Fries

Who eats fish and fries a.k.a fish n' chips while they're watching what they eat?

Me! Me! Me!  Especially if the fish is broiled and the fries are made from carrots.  Not only is this meal much healthier than the fried version, it is also much quicker to prepare and much quicker to clean up.

So tell me... are you a "Fish n' Fry" person or a "Fish n' Chip" person?  If you're a 'fish n' chipper', you can easily switch out the carrot sticks for carrot coins.

I hope this recipe saves your dinner by letting it be known that you can have fish n' fries (or fish n' chips) when eating healthy, regardless of what you like to call them.

Fish n' Fries

Ingredients:

• 2 baking sheets lined with foil
• 1 1/2 pounds catfish nuggets
• 1 pound carrot sticks (~3 C)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Combine chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and salt in a small bowl
3. Place carrot stick in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and 1/3 (~1 Tablespoon) of the seasoning mix.
4. Place carrot mixture on 1st baking sheet
5. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until carrot stick are tender and start to crisp
6. While the carrot sticks are baking, toss the catfish nuggets with the remaining seasoning.  Mix well.
7. Add fish mixture to the 2nd baking sheet.
8. When carrot sticks are finished, turn on the oven broiler.
9. Place fish in broiler for 10 minutes, turning at minute 6.

Servings: 4 - 1 Red & 1 Green  

Perfectly Tempting Pork Tenderloin

I just have to say before I share this recipe, that if you love food (OK, who doesn't?), but don't enjoy cooking or cleaning up, you MUST get a Ninja!  Not only can slow cook, bake, roast and more with it.  But it comes with an awesome recipe booklet which was the start of this recipe.  OK, now that I've given the appropriate shout out to my favorite kitchen tool,  I will share my recipe based off their "Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloins & Potatoes" recipe.

Perfectly Tempting Pork Tenderloin

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut in quarters (or eighths)
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds baby carrots
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons smoked chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan sea salt
• 1 large pork tenderloin (about 3 pounds)
• 1 1/2 C chicken broth

Directions:

1. Combine chili and garlic powders, cumin and salt.
2. Cut potatoes, onion and carrots and combine in a large bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of seasoning mixture.  Toss to coat.  (If you are not using a Ninja, go ahead and toss in a roasting pan.)
3. Rub the pork with the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining seasoning.
4. Place the tenderloin in your Ninja pot and cook for about 10 minutes on the STOVETOP setting.  (If you do not a Ninja, you can do this in a skillet.)  Cook until it's browned on all sides, then remove from the pot.
5. Pour the chicken broth into the pot.  Add in the potatoes, carrots and onion mix.
6. Set the roasting rack on top and add the browned tenderloin onto the rack.
7. Cover and cook at 375, checking after the first 20 minutes or so.
8. Make sure pork is cooked through.

Final Meals Prepped for the week!

Servings: Depending on the time of day, grab 1 Yellow of potatoes with 1 Green of carrots (about 8-10 depending on the size) and 1 Red of tenderloin (about 2 slices depending on the thickness).  I had about 8 servings if eating this way, but I like to use the tenderloin for sandwiches and wraps too!


Alternatives: Use any of the 21 Day Fix Seasonings to season this recipe.

Ninja-Slow Cooker Pumpkin Coconut Chicken Curry - Fix Approved

It's funny sometimes how I come up with recipe ideas.  This one was actually quite simple.  I had some canned coconut milk from another recipe that I wanted to use up.  I also had some canned pumpkin from a completely separate recipe that I wanted to use up. I figured coconut and pumpkin would go well together and BAM!  I searched online, found a recipe and made it work for the 21 Day Fix.

The base for this recipe came from: http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/slow-cooker-pumpkin-coconut-curry/.  I used my Ninja, so I could only clean one dish because I do not enjoy dishes one bit!  Plus, for some reason, I do not prefer meat cooked in a slow cooker.  It must be cooked ahead of time and added to it.  Don't ask how I can tell, but I guess my taste buds are pretty picky.

This recipe was actually quite easy, but finding some of the spices were a bit tricky.  I ended up finding everything at Sprouts Farmer's Market.  I'm sure Whole Foods will carry them too, especially if there is not an Indian grocery in your area. 

Fix Approved Ninja-Slow Cooker Pumpkin Coconut Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 blue containers of coconut milk (you can opt to do 4, but I never like to use up all of my blue unless I'm making pizza)
• 1 C pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 C chicken stock/broth
• 1/2 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon pink himalayan sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 C 1-inch cubed sweet potatoes
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

1. Cook chicken over medium heat until lightly browned.  (Transfer to slow cooker, if not using a Ninja)  
   
2. Add coconut milk, pumpkin puree, chicken stock, curry powder, tumeric powder, garam masala, salt, and pepper.  Whisk together to make sure its all combined and spices are evenly distibuted.
3. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes and lime juice to the mixture and stir.
4. Cook on low for 6 hours.
5. Serve over rice, quinoa (or cauliflower rice as I have shown, to add another green, over another yellow)

Servings: About 1 1/4 C is 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 Green and 1/2 Blue.  When served with cauliflower rice you add 1 more Green.

Enjoy!

Mustard-Glazed Cod

Mustard Glazed Cod Dinner

Eating healthy doesn't mean boring!  Eating is an experience to be enjoyed.  This quick and easy cod dish is a great start to experiencing a healthy dinner.

I got this recipe from the TeamBeachbody Meal Planner that is available at the Club Membership level.  I then modified it to fit the 21 Day Fix portions.  This recipe was so easy and delicious that it will make it back in my meal prep rotation soon.

Mustard Glazed Cod

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3

Raw cod fillets

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs cod, raw
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon basil, dried

Directions:

Glazed cod before cooking

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Rinse fish and pat it dry with a paper towel.
3. Lightly coat a shallow baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Place fish in prepared pan, tucking under any thin edges.
5. Combine olive oil with lemon juice, mustard and basil.
6. Pour sauce over fish, and bake for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness of fish or until fish flakes easily with fork.



Cooked, flaky cod

7. When ready to serve, place fish on serving plate and spoon sauce over top.

Servings: 1/3 fish is 1 Red and 1 teaspoon.

I enjoyed this dish with 1 Green of sauteed asparagus and 1 Green of Zoodles (zucchinni noodles).  Total meal was 1 Red, 2 Green and 2 teaspoons.


To get your own copy of the 21 Day Fix and join an upcoming group, go to: 21 Day FIx Deal

Mini Veggie Egg Cups

I've been inspired by a new round of the 21 Day Fix and viewing posts and videos from the program's creator, Autumn Calabrese to create more recipes for my "Fixers."  This recipe is simple and easy and came straight from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Eating Plan booklet.  I whisked up 2 batches and put one in the freezer.

I have included the recipe below and some pictures from when I made it.  At the very bottom I have added a link to a video Autumn created while making these egg cups.  I consider cooking an art and just like any form of art, the interpretation of the recipe is truly in the eye of the chef.  You will  see that we took slightly different paths, so do what works and is easiest for you.

Ingredients:

• Non-stick cooking spray
• Reynolds Aluminum Foil Jumbo Muffin cups (optional, you don't even have to use Reynolds, but just make sure the paper liner can be removed.) 
• 12 large eggs
• sea salt of Himalayan salt (Mineralize) and ground black pepper to taste
• Oregano, Basil and/or Marjoram to taste (this isn't in the recipe but I love any one or all of these spices in my eggs!)
• 1 10-oz. bag raw baby spinach finely chopped (I made a double recipe and had a hard time utilizing 2.5 5-oz. bags, so do your best)  
• 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 green onions finely sliced

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Lightly coat a 12 cup muffin tin with spray.  (I prefer to use the Reynolds Aluminum Foil Jumbo muffin cups with this inner paper removed because I strongly dislike washing more dishes than necessary and I really don't want to get inside 12 or 24 muffin tins to catch what got stuck.  Spray the baking cups just like you would the pan and don't forget to remove it when reheating in the microwave.)
3. Place eggs in a bowl and whisk to blend.  Add in seasonings, if desired and stir.
4. Chop veggies and add them to the whisked eggs.  Mix completely.
5. Spoon egg mixture into tins evenly.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly from the center.

Servings:

2 muffin cups is 1 GREEN and 1 RED.

These will last ~1 week in your refrigerator.  They can also be frozen.  Check out Hatch Green Chile Extravaganza for more muffin cup ideas. 

Check out Autumn's video too! http://www.teambeachbody.com/teambeachbodyblog/nutrition/recipes/mini-vegetable-egg-cups

Ninja Chili

I tend to crave hot soups and chili when the temperatures get cooler.  Last week's unusually early cold snap got me in the mood to whip up a quick batch of chili.  I wanted this chili to include more vegetables than usual, but I know my son who is currently in a "I don't like peppers or zucchini phase" would not eat my chili if he could see them in there.  So I used a little trick I read years ago from a book I have called Stealth Health by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., R.D.  She has many tips to "Eat Right in Spite of Yourself."  One of these tips is to dice the veggies so small they are almost undetectable.  You must be careful to choose veggies that will blend in with what you're cooking, otherwise I would advise pureeing them.  For this chili, I added red and green peppers because they would blend in easily.
  
One more tip to keep this recipe cost effective and healthy is to use your own seasonings.  If you are working towards eating at home more always keep the most generally used seasonings in any recipe.  This includes oregano, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and I'm sure a few more.  I used to always buy the Fowler's 2-Alarm Chili Kit, until I actually read all of the packets and realized I had all the ingredients anyway.  I decided I was wasting my money buying a chili kit so I stopped.  Plus, you can control exactly what goes into your chili and change things up as you get more confident in knowing what you and your family will eat.

Finally, I only call this Ninja Chili because I made it using my Ninja.  This device is a staple in helping me make quick healthy meals.  I enjoy my slow cooker and you can make this recipe using yours.  I prefer my Ninja because I can cook or sear the meat in the same pot where I'm slow cooking.  I also think the cast iron pot gives the food a different taste than the typical ceramic pot of a slow cooker.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground meat (at least 95% lean ground beef, ground chicken, turkey or even lean pork)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 C stewed tomatoes (I ALWAYS make extra of Brooklyn Farm Girl's and freeze them - BFG Best Stewed Tomatoes)
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 3 8-ounce cans of water
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp rubbed sage
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 1 red pepper, chopped finely
• 1 green pepper, chopped finely
• 1 15 ounce can or 2 Cups cooked, drained and rinsed black or kidney beans (optional)

Directions:

1. Brown the ground meat on high and break apart with a utensil that will not damage your Ninja's coated surface.  (For the recipe in the picture I used 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of ground chicken)
2. Add the garlic and let cook for about 1 minute with the meat.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, except the onions, peppers and optional beans.  Stir and switch to the slow cooker mode.  Choose your temperature based on how much time you have before serving time.  (I  put it on high since dinner needed to be in about 2 hours)
4. Chop your onions and peppers and stir in.  
5. Add your drained and rinsed beans.
6. Cooks Tip: Since the chili has had a few minutes to cook, take a teaspoon of the liquid and see if it will be flavorful enough for your family.
7. Serve hot and enjoy!

For 21 Day Fix portions - 1 1/4 C is 1 Red, 1 Green and 1/2 Yellow

Asian-Fix - 2 Recipes portioned for 21 Day Fix

I had a taste for Asian food after completing my 2nd round of the 3 Day Refresh.  There was something about this Ginger-Carrot recipe they have in the program guide that really had me thinking about what else I could add ginger too.  I could write a whole article about the benefits of ginger for you overall health as it is believed to stimulate digestion by aiding in ridding the body of toxins built up in the liver, colon and other organs, but you probably just want to get to the recipes, right?

OK, before I do, though I have to say just two small things.  The first is that these two dishes were planned close together because I had the ingredients on hand.  It's always a goal to use up the fresh veggies buy so it doesn't go to waste.  I happened to have cabbage, carrots, cilantro and peppers.  It's helpfult to plan your meals this way so you don't waste your money letting your food spoil.  Second, both of these recipes are low-carb.  I'm not a low-carb eater per se. I exercise too intensely for that.  I do try to limit my carbs in the evening, so I try to create dishes that will fit my lifestyle.  I will also add that I do consider portions when cooking and have followed 21 Day Fix eating since March of 2014, so these are perfect for someone who does the same.

Ginger Carrot Chicken Meatballs

• 2/3 C shredded carrots
• 1 C chopped or shredded cabbage
• 5 stalks of green onions chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 Tbsp. chopped garlic, or 1 garlic clove pressed
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 egg, beaten (when I tried it out, I used 2 eggs and you can see from the pictures it might have been too much)
• 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos (I use Braggs liquid aminos, but any soy-free seasoning will do)
• Cooking spray

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare baking sheet.  I like to cover with foil for easy clean up.

Combine  first 7 ingredients to a large bowl.  Add the ground chicken.  Beat egg(s) and add aminos.  Pour into mixing bowl.  Use clean hands to combine all ingredients.  Form into 12 equal sized meatballs and place on the baking sheet. (check out Hatch Green Chile Extravaganza! at Green Chile Sliders for directions on scoring meat into equal sections).

Bake for 20 minutes.  (Serve over rice or veggies)

Makes 3 servings (4 meatballs)

21 Day Fix Portions (meatballs only): 1 Red, 1 Green

Flavorful Asian Cod

• 1 lb wild cod, cut into cubes      
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos (I use Braggs liquid aminos, but any soy-free seasoning will do)
• 1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
• 1/3 C almond flour (can use almond meal)
• 1/3 C coconut flour
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Peanut Oil
• 2 tsp. Olive oil
• (omit oils if pan frying, otherwise use cooking spray if broiling)

Directions:
After cutting cod into cubes, set aside.  Beat 1 egg in a dish or bowl large enough to hold the cod.  Stir in the liquid aminos and Sriracha sauce.  Add cod to the dish and ensure every piece is coated with the mixture.  Let set for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, in a separate large flat bowl, combine flours, powders and pepper.  Mix well.  Prepare iron skillet for pan frying with oil, or turn on broiler for if not.  If using the broiler, I recommend lining a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup and spraying with cooking spray.

Finally, toss the fish in the flour mixture.  Be sure to shake off the excess when transferring to the pan or baking sheet.  If broiling, top spray generously with cooking oil over the top of the fish as the almond flour tends to burn at high heat.

Pan fry for 3 minutes each side or broil for 8-10 minutes.

Serve over rice or your favorite veggies.  For the picture, I sauteed the remaining cabbage I had from the first recipe, onions and red, yellow and green peppers and mushrooms.

Makes 3 servings.

21 Day Fix Portions (when served over 2 C Veggies and): 1/2 Blue, 1/2 Orange, 1 Red, 2 Green, 3 teaspoons (1 teaspoon for broiled)