Walnut Crusted Crispy Chicken topped with Fig & Mozzarella

This chicken was everything I could've dreamed of, the chicken was perfectly crispy with a bit of crunch from the walnuts. This dinner in a whole is filled with protein & superfoods like quinoa & kale, definitely a well-balanced, healthy meal!

Walnut Crusted Crispy Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast (flattened into a thin breast)

1/2 cup flour (I used buckwheat flour, but any type should be fine)

1 tsp of chopped fresh thyme 

1/4 cup walnuts (finely crushed - I put mine in a plastic bag and roll a can over them)

Salt & pepper

2 Tbsp of coconut oil

1 (beaten) egg

1 Tbsp of fig spread

2 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese (you could also use goat cheese)

* I had my chicken with a side of quinoa with big handful of kale, 1 Tbsp of roasted garlic, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, salt & pepper, & 1 Tbsp of balsamic fig dressing (I used Stonewall Kitchen) 

- Cook quinoa as directed on package. Sauté quinoa & remaining ingredients in 1 Tbsp of coconut oil for 2-3 minutes until kale is wilted. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare your (beaten) egg, place in a small bowl. Prepare flour mixture by combining flour, thyme, salt/pepper, and walnuts in a small bowl, mix well. 

In a medium frying pan, heat oil on med-high heat. Dip chicken into egg and coat on both sides. Drop chicken into flour mixture and coat on both sides. 

Place the chicken into the frying pan and let fry on both sides for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown on each side.

Remove from pan and place onto a small piece of foil on a baking sheet. Top with fig spread & cheese then place in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and cook the chicken thoroughly. 

And... enjoy! This dinner is great for someone who has a sweet tooth like me, the fig gives it a hint of sweetness. Overall, AMAZING!

This walnut crispy chicken is a flexible go to for any "fried" chicken recipes...possibilities are endless!

Protein Muffins

Spent my snowy Saturday baking some protein muffins inspired by a recipe I saw by Tone It Up. These are the perfect little treats to have as a healthy breakfast (perfect for on the go!) or as a post-workout afternoon snack orrrr even as an after dinner sweet treat.

The best thing about them is....you can have two, absolutely guilt free!

I made two different flavors, blueberry, and banana walnut carob chip, they both have the same base dry ingredient recipe:

Protein Muffins

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free!)

1/4 tsp salt

1 small scoop of protein powder (I used a packet of VegaOne French Vanilla and split it between the muffin mixes)

then depending on the flavor the other ingredients varied:

Blueberry

6 muffins

1 cup of blueberries

2 Tbsp of lemon zest

1 Tbsp of lemon juice

3 Tbsp of coconut oil 

2 Tbsp of almond milk

2 eggs 

1/2 banana (mashed)

Banana Walnut Carob Chip

6 muffins

1 banana (mashed)

1 egg

3 Tbsp of coconut oil

2 Tbsp of almond milk

1/4 cup of carob chips  (these are a substitute, you could use chocolate chips)

1/4 cup crushed walnuts

*If you use an unflavored protein powder I recommend adding a tsp of vanilla to the recipe

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Grease your muffin tin or place in your baking cups.

In a bowl (two separate - if you're making both flavors), combine base ingredients plus whichever flavor ingredients and mix well. 

*If you are making the banana walnut carob chip ones, mix all the ingredients except the chips & walnuts, fold those in after.

Spoon the mix into your tin, distribute equally so all the muffins cook evenly. 

Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins cook all the way through (you can use the knife out clean trick to tell). 

Hope you enjoy these and feel free to personalize them with any flavor you would like, so many options!

If you do try other flavors use the base recipe of:

Protein Muffins

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free!)

1/4 tsp salt

1 small scoop of protein powder 

2 Tbsp of coconut oil 

3 eggs

*I used bananas ass a replacement for some of the eggs - 1/2 banana mashed = 1 egg

*I also added almond milk & some extra coconut oil to moisten the mixture because I didn't use as many eggs

....Then add whichever spices, nuts, fruits, etc. you would like (making any egg substitutes if necessary)

Herb Roasted Chicken Breast

This is such a simple & clean recipe! Perfect for that night you don't feel like putting much effort into cooking or if you're working on slimming down....how convenient! Who said "fast food" can't help you lose weight?

Herb Roasted Chicken Breast

1 serving

All you need! 

- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used an organic one and trust me you can really taste the difference!)

- 1 Tbsp of olive oil

- 1/2 lemon

- a few sprigs of assorted fresh herbs (Use whatever you have in house or you can purchase a mixed fresh herb package)

- salt & pepper

.....Thats it!

Oh...and some aluminum foil or parchment paper :)

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-Tear off a pretty large piece of foil (large enough you will be able to roll up the sides to make your pocket!). Season your chicken with the olive oil & salt & pepper. Place the chicken breast in the center then begin to roll up the sides to make a pocket around the chicken (leave the pocket open - as pictured above). 

- Place the fresh herbs in the pocket with the chicken, spread them out, on the side, on top, etc.

- Squeeze the half on lemon into the pocket onto the chicken.

- Roll up and close your pocket! Just bring all the sides towards the center and roll down (like a brown paper lunch bag). 

- Place chicken in the oven on a baking pan for 20-30 minutes until thoroughly cooked.

Leave the chicken in the pocket.. it makes it more fun and a better presentation...treat yourself!

I had my chicken with a side of roasted vegetables, I seasoned them with coconut oil, salt & pepper then placed them on the baking pan with my chicken and roasted them at the same time. Easy, peasy.

Shrimp & Veggie Quesadillas

Craving Mexican tonight? Try these cleaned up quesadillas instead of ordering out!

Shrimp & Veggie Quesadillas

So since these are quesadillas, I didn't exactly measure my ingredients out, I just threw together some veggies, kale, 1/4 avocado, few cubes of mango and chopped small frozen shrimp and sautéed them in a frying pan with coconut oil until the shrimp was cooked. 

I seasoned the mixture with some salt & pepper then placed it into a small bowl. In the same pan I placed one of the Ezekiel tortillas and then sprinkled a small amount of cheddar & jack cheese on top of it followed by the veggie & shrimp mix and a little more cheese to hold the top tortilla on. Place the second tortilla on the top and let the bottom side brown then flip for another couple of minutes until the other side is golden brown.

I had my quesadillas with some organic salsa and a scoop of yogurt (Siggi's is my favorite brand, it's much higher in protein, doesn't contain any junk ingredients, and has live active cultures to keep your digestive system happy!). Yogurt is a great alternative for sour cream and taste just the same!

Feel free to get creative with your quesadillas and add whichever ingredients you prefer! This is an easy, quick, and MUCH healthier version to take-out Mexican plus.. it can be personalized...take control of your kitchen :)

Vegetable, Quinoa, & Shrimp Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry

It's been awhile since I got creative with dinner and felt so satisfied after. This hearty dinner is a perfect perk to the week!

Vegetable, Quinoa, & Shrimp Sesame Ginger Stir-Fry

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of quinoa (cooked)

1 cup of assorted stir-fry vegetables (I used an organic frozen stir-fry medley - be sure to thaw first!) 

Big handful of spinach! (the more greens the better!)

5-6 raw shrimp

Sauce:

1/2-1 Tbsp of coconut aminos (this is a more nutritious alternative to soy sauce, you could use soy sauce or tamari)

1 Tbsp of coconut oil

1 Tbsp of sesame oil

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

Dash of rosemary

Red pepper flakes to taste (depending on your level of spiciness)

Black pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl combine the sauce ingredients then pour into a medium frying pan over med-high heat. Then add stiry-fry vegetables (no spinach or quinoa yet!) and shrimp and saute for 3-5 min (until shrimp is cooked and vegetables are tender.) Then toss in the quinoa and spinach and let cook for 1-2 more minutes until the spinach wilts. 

annndddd...enjoy! This is a simple, quick, easy recipe (the way they all should be!) that is filled with protein, vitamins, and minerals....let your food be the fuel for your body.

Banana Walnut & Oat Frittata

Talk about the ultimate brunch item, this sweet style egg white frittata was mouth watering good! Doesn't hurt that it's packed with protein and whole grains to give you the energy to take on the day.

Banana Walnut & Oat Frittata 

1/2 banana (sliced)
1 Tbsp of coconut oil
3/4 cup of egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp of almond milk
1/2 cup of oats (or one packet of prepackaged oatmeal - I used a whole grain with flax seeds)
1 tsp of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of salt
Handful of crushed walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sautee the sliced bananas in a small non stick frying pan in the coconut oil until golden brown on each side. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour the egg & oat mixture into the pan over the bananas (make sure to spread the bananas evenly amongst the pan) and then place into the oven for 5-10 minutes.

I topped my frittata with a scoop of almond butter, more crushed walnuts, and raisins... feel free to add your choice of toppings!

Curry Chicken Salad Wrap

This was inspired by a recipe I saw in SELF magazine, part of a 14 Day Slim Down. The original recipe was with mayo, tofu, and arugula. I made a few substitutions and made it my own :)

This is an awesome healthy lunch option, it's quick, easy, and delicious!

Curry Chicken Salad Wrap

1 serving

Chicken Salad

1 small chicken breast (cooked & chopped)

1 stalk of celery (chopped)

2 Tbsp cashews (chopped)

1 Tbsp raisins 

1 Tbsp of plain yogurt 

1/4 tsp of curry powder

Black pepper

Big handful of spinach (or arugula or mixed greens)

1 whole wheat wrap 

Directions: 

Combine the chicken salad ingredients and toss to combine. Place chicken salad and spinach onto the wheat wrap and roll it up!