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Mexican Lime {grilled} Chicken

This marinade is simple and packed with lots of flavor.  The chicken from this marinade would be great on tacos, nachos, quesadilla, etc.  I am pretty sure I could eat Mexican flavored foods every day of the week.  I know, for a fact, that if I were to be stranded on an island and given two things to bring with me they would be chips and salsa. An endless supply of course!

I am one of those people that grills year round, even on a cold snowy day. I just love the flavor it adds to a dish with very little effort.  I'm always looking for simple meals to create with items found in my everyday kitchen. Who wants to be always running to the grocery store, I sure don't!

 This recipe is just that, a creation of my love for Mexican food and items I had on hand.  I really think you can never go wrong when marrying cumin, chili powder, and lime. 

Mexican Lime {grilled} Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 {all natural} chicken breasts
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 c cider vinegar
• 1/3 c {fresh} lime juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)

1)  Mix all ingredients (minus chicken) together in a bowl or large ziploc bag.

2)  Cut breasts in half, lengthwise and add to marinade. (this will help the flavors penetrate)

3)  Marinate in fridge for 2-3 hours.

4)  Grill chicken until no longer pink. Chop, shredded, or slice your chicken.

NOTE: This is a mild recipe. Feel free to add chipolte powder, cayenne or fresh jalapeno. 

KID APPROVED??? Yes.

{clean} Cheeseburger Pizza

I saw a Cheeseburger Pizza recipe in my Clean Eating Magazine a few weeks back and decided that was something I wanted to try for Pizza Friday. The recipe is the magazine wasn't quite what I was going for so I set out to create my own Cheeseburger Pizza recipe.  

This pizza is the best of both American classics, cheeseburgers and pizzas. I don't eat red meat very often but I decided to give a low fat, good quality beef a try.  I truly enjoyed sinking my teeth into this pizza. I hope you enjoy it as well.

{clean} Cheeseburger Pizza

Ingredients:

• Wheat Pizza Dough
• 1 can {organic} tomato paste
• 2 Tbps {all natural} ketchup
• 1 Tbps {all natural} yellow mustard
• 1 Tbps {all natural} worcestershire sauce
• 1 small sweet onion (chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Approx 1 lb. Grass-fed {extra lean} ground beef 
• Cheddar cheese (I use Trader Joe's Mild Cheddar, which is rBST free), shredded
• Fresh Mozzarella , shredded
• baby dill pickles, sliced
• fresh tomatoes, chopped
•  romaine lettuce, chopped

1)  To make the sauce combine paste, ketchup, mustard, and worchestershire sauce. Set aside.

2)  To make meat, saute garlic and onions until translucent (Remove from heat to a small bowl) then add beef to pan. Cook until no longer pink. Drain any grease and return to pan, adding in the onion/garlic mixture plus the Italian seasoning.

3)  To make pizza roll out dough and top with a thin layer of the sauce.  Add ground beef, tomatoes, pickles and cheeses. 

4)  Bake at 450 degrees 10-12 minutes on a preheated stone. Top with lettuce.


NOTE: A little amount of good quality cheese goes a long way, don't over do it! Also this would be great with any type of cheese that you like on your burgers!  I get my dill pickles at Trader Joe's. I can't seem to find them many places without added colors.  

Chocolate Banana "Pudding Pops"

Who remembers eating Jell-O pudding pops growing up?  I sure do!

Last night at dinner my husband was going on and on about how the homemade Popsicle he was eating reminded him of the {old school} ones when he was a kid! (and then they couldn't stop laughing from doing Bill Cosby impersonations together-and yes, you are correct in thinking...my daughter, age 6, doesn't have a clue who Bill Cosby is!) 

Chocolate Banana "Pudding Pops"

Ingredients:

• 1 c Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk 
• 1 Frozen or fresh banana

1) Blend the two together in a blend and pour into Popsicle molds. 

2) Freeze

NOTE: Feel free to add whey protein powder to this or add more bananas. I never measure when making these. Most of the time it's just leftover mix from smoothies I make. The Choco Loco recipe makes awesome Popsicle as well. We always have fresh homemade Popsicle on hand. 

These two give them a thumbs UP!

Check out this video from the 80s...Prepare to FLASHBACK:

And I'm here to say, YOU CAN BE A KID WITHOUT 'EM! :) Sorry Bill Cosby, I'll make my own without the chemicals, sugar, and artificial colorings!

Chicken Piccata with Israeli Couscous

I have fond memories of eating Chicken Piccata. It was one of the menu items served at my wedding rehearsal dinner over a decade ago. I just love the taste of capers and lemon together. 

I'm always up for tasting new and interesting things and last week was no different. I had the opportunity to taste a new(to me at least) type of couscous. Israeli Couscous. It was different from the type I have made in the past (Moroccan) because the grain was much larger (and I liked it better).  Israeli couscous are little balls of pasta that resemble the size of a peppercorn. I know it will be one of my new obsessions when it comes to pastas.

Chicken Piccata with Israeli Couscous

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbps {organic} no salt added butter (I use Horizon brand)
• 3 Tbps Olive Oil
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• 1/3 c fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 c capers (drained)
• 1 c {low sodium} chicken stock
• 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
• white whole wheat unbleached flour
• Israeli Couscous (approx 2 cups or 11 oz)
• 3 {organic} chicken breasts, flattened with a meat mallet
• sea salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

1) Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium/high heat. (also, start a pot of water to boil for couscous)
2) Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge chicken breast in flour, evenly coating each breast.
3) After chicken is dredged in flour, add to hot skillet. Cook approximately 3 minutes each side or until browned.
4) Add couscous to boiling water (see package for details) and reduce to a simmer for 8-10 minutes. 
5) Remove chicken from pan and add garlic, lemon juice, chicken stock, capers, and sliced lemon to the pan. Stir and scrape bottom of skillet to loosen any brown bits. Cook for approx 2-3 minutes.
6)Add chicken back to pan, reduce heat and cover.
7) After couscous is completed cooking, add it all to the skillet and stir. Salt and Pepper to taste.
8) Serve.


NOTE: This recipe serves 2-3 people.  Next time I make this dish I WILL be doubling it. I loved it! It was great the next day as leftovers too. You can find Israeli Couscous at Kroger near the boxed rices. 

Cheese

Cheese! I love cheese! There was (and still is) SO much to learn about cheese.  I was raised on processed cheese. I can remember eating cheese from a tube, jar, and each slice you had to unwrap individually.  The thought today makes me ill. But, then again, I didn't know any different. I wasn't taught the difference between fresh {real} cheese and processed cheese. I feel if you don't know any better, how can't you do better. 

Well...that's all about to change for you today! You will soon know what you need to know if you are still living off processed cheeses. One of my biggest rules that is easy to follow is, if it lasts more 7-10 days, it's probably processed cheese or has many chemicals added. Not to mention, lots of added sodium!

I have revamped my cheese intake during this journey. I quit buying bagged cheese because of all the added chemicals and additives.  Which, in turn, has lowered my amount consumed since I can't grab handfuls of it from a bag. 


I now buy fresh Boar's Head cheese from my deli each week, fresh grated cheese from the cheese department, and blocks of cheese to shred at home.  I have noticed that it really does take less of good quality cheese to be satisfied. The flavor is incomparable!

Processed Cheeses

If you are eating cheeses like the photo above you are missing out on the taste of {real} cheese.  You are also missing out of all the options of cheeses the world has to offer. Not to mention causing more trash in the world by unwrapping each and every cheese slice you consume.  

Wanna know how processed cheese is made? Check out the video below:

Here's the ingredients in Kraft American Singles: Ingredients: MILK, WHEY, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILKFAT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, CHEESE CULTURE, ENZYMES, ANNATTO AND PAPRIKA EXTRACT (COLOR), VITAMIN D3.

Kraft brand has 250 mg of sodium. Some of the generic/store brands have up to 350 mg of sodium per tiny slice. For a healthier alternative you could try the Boar's Head {no salt added} Swiss cheese at 10mg of sodium and almost triple the amount of protein per 1 oz(one thin slice). My favorite now is Boar's Head Muenster cheese, at 190 mg of sodium per slice. Only 60 mg less than Kraft, but a lot more flavor than the processed "cheese". 


I encourage you to read the labels on your current cheeses and see if there are  simple changes you can make to better your health.

Here's a great article suggesting some healthier cheese options:The Truth About Cheese and Health

2014 UPDATE: Always look for Organic or Rbst (hormone free) cheese when shopping for cheese. Trader Joe's has a lot of hormone free cheese at a great price in blocks. It has been 3 years since I have bought a SINGLE bag of processed cheese. This is a huge deal as I would buy them by the dozen!!!!

Please do not think this is an impossible task to grate your own cheese each time you want cheese. It's very possible! I have bought tiny containers of Pecorino or Parmasean shredded for me at the cheese counter and sometimes sliced Boar's Head, but other than that I buy Organic or Rbst Free.

If you have a Vitamix it can shred cheese for you too! It will last a few days in the fridge after shredding. The cheese doesn't stay longer than that in my fridge so I can say how long it would last before molding.  

Grilled Corn Medley

This recipe is very simple to make.  It's packed with awesome {grilled} flavor and is a perfect summertime side dish. It could easily be doubled or triple to take to a pitch in or cookout.

The smoky flavor of the cumin makes this a great side dish to serve with your tacos or enchiladas.  Fire up the grill, grab your veggies, and make this super fresh {clean} side dish.

Grilled Corn Medley

Ingredients:

• approx 4 cups corn (grilled)
• 1 large Red Pepper (roasted, skin removed, and chopped)
• 1 large sweet onion (grilled and chopped)
• 1 jalapeno (seeded and chopped)
• juice of one lime
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• dash of sea salt

1) Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve hot or cold.

CF Note: Fresh cilantro would be a great addition to this side dish. I didn't have any on hand when I made it. Since I didn't have corn on the cob on hand either, I used frozen organic sweet corn and roasted it in a grill pan on the grill.  Less work if you ask me! I buy large bags of Organic Super Sweet Corn at Costco. It's SO good!