Skinny Minny

Hey there!

I've got a great recipe to share with you tonight! But first, my workout for the day.

Today was my cardio day. I did a 20 minute HIIT treadmill workout and 6 minutes on the step mill with a 4 minute walk around to cool down.

Time	Speed
0:00-3:00	4
3:00-5:00	6.5
5:00-5:30	8.5
5:30-6:30	6.5
6:30-7:15	8.5
7:15-8:15	6.5
8:15-9:15	8.5
9:15-10:15	6.5
10:15-11:45	8.5
11:45-12:45	6.5
12:45-13:45	8.5
13:45-14:45	6.5
14:45-15:30	8.5
15:30-16:30	6.5
16:30-17:00	8.5
17:00-20:00	4

This interval is from Sweet Tooth Sweet Life.

It was so much more difficult than it looked. I had to pause a few times and catch my breath, but I definitely got my sweat on. 

I prefer doing intervals like this because it makes the time go by much faster.

After the workout, I came home and got started on dinner.

Skinny Alfredo!

Yes, the word "skinny" and "alfredo" can be used in the same sentence!

Alfredo was my absolute favorite dish when I was younger. I would order it all the time and I never branched out of my alfredo-is-the-only-italian-dish box.

My uncle always called it "heart attack on a plate." I never understood why until I read the nutritional information of a serving of alfredo.

So, between that realization and my sensitivity to gluten, alfredo hasn't been in my life for quite sometime. But that has all changed.

Don't grab the butter or the heavy cream, because you won't need it and you won't miss it!

First throw some thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the skillet with some olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with some salt and pepper.




















Once the chicken is brown on each side, but not done in the middle, remove and cut into pieces. Throw them back in the skillet and turn it to medium-low heat and let them finish cooking. 

While your chicken is cooking, boil the pasta. Below is the gluten-free pasta I used. 

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. 

Next, add flour.



















Then add chicken broth, milk and Greek yogurt. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce thicken.



















Once the 2-3 minutes have passed, turn the burner off and stir in grated parmesan cheese.

























Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and combine.

Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir.

Then add steamed broccoli and stir again.

Skinny Alfredo
Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats
*serves 8

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups steamed broccoli
• 16 oz pasta
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 4 tbsp Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper 

1. Cook 4 chicken breasts in olive oil. Cut into pieces and place back into skillet and cook on medium-low heat.

2. Cook pasta in salted water.

3. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly until golden brown. Roughly 1 minute.

4. Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook for 1 minute.

5. Whisk in chicken broth, then milk. Add Greek yogurt and salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and simmer 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens.

6. Turn off heat and stir in cheese. Then add the chicken. Pour over pasta and stir. Add in broccoli.

7. Serve!

***

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories: 322

Fat: 14.5

Carbohydrates: 18

Fiber: 2.25

Protein: 29.75

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 8

***

This was so yummy!

It was rich but not over the top like most alfredo dishes. It was nice and light.

No heart attack on a plate here!

Enjoy,

Kaci

No Worries, Mon!

I'm freeeeeee!

Yes, ladies and gents, I have officially completed my undergraduate degree. It hasn't completely sunk in yet and I'm still worried that I'm forgetting to study or complete an assignment.

For now, the plan is to watch copious amounts of Criminal Minds and get to the gym more consistently. One of these two will be very difficult.

So, in honor of my freedom from the chains of college, I present to you a island-worthy recipe that will make you feel like you're on the beach basking in the sun.

This Coconut Rice & Jamaican Jerk Chicken will blow you away.

Serious. 

This recipe comes from Iowa Girl Eats.  Her blog is amazing and every single recipe is out of this world. When I saw this recipe on her page, I knew it had to happen.

And it did.

There are a lot of different components to this marinade, but it's so worth it.

First you'll take allspice, thyme, sugar, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne and combine in a bowl. 

Then you'll add vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, green onion, onion and garlic.

Mix it all together and allow the chicken breasts to thaw and marinate. 
 

Because I'm crazy and can't leave anything alone, I would stab and turn the chicken with a fork every 45 minutes or so. You don't have to do that.

I let them marinate for pretty much all day. I left them on the counter because they were frozen. If the chicken you are using is already thawed then stick it in the refrigerator. 

When the chicken is ready to cook, you can either grill them or broil them. I broiled them and they turned out fine, but you can do whatever you want.

While the chicken is cooking, go ahead and make the rice.

In a large pot, heat coconut oil.




Add garlic, green onion and thyme and cook for a few minutes.


Then throw in kidney beans, water, and coconut milk and bring to a boil.

When it's ready, throw in the rice and salt.

Turn the heat down and let it simmer for roughly 20 minutes.

You may feel the urge to taste the rice. This urge is completely normal. However, once you taste it, you won't stop eating it. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I don't have any specifics on the cooking time for the chicken. Just cook it until it's done. That concludes my advice for the night.

Coconut Rice & Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats 
*serves 6

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 tbsp allspice
• 1 1/2 tbsp thyme
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp sage
• 1 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 3/8 tsp cayenne 
• 1 1/8 cup vinegar
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 3/8 cup olive oil
• 3/8 cup soy sauce
• Juice of 1 1/2 limes
• 3 green onions
• 1 1/2 onion
• 7 1/2 cloves of garlic

1. Combine all the ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours.

2. Grill or broil chicken until done.

Coconut Rice

• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 1/2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 green onion
• 3/8 tsp thyme
• 1 can kidney beans (drained, rinsed)
• 1 1/2 water
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cup long grain rice
• 3/4 tsp salt

1. Heat coconut oil in large pot. Add garlic, green onion and thyme. Cook for a few minutes.

2. Add drained and rinsed kidney beans, water and coconut milk. Bring to boil.

3. Add in rice and salt. Turn heat down to medium to low, cover and simmer for roughly 20 minutes.

***

Guys, this dinner was fantastic. The rice was creamy and so flavorful. The chicken was moist and bursting with so many different flavors.

I put barbeque sauce on my chicken. You don't have to but I think it took it over the top!

I could eat this rice every single day. The coconut flavor isn't overwhelming, in case you were worried. 

It's so creamy and I love that the kidney beans add a little extra protein.

This dish is so easy and perfect. There was a little bit of rice leftover and I ate it for lunch the next day and I'm pretty sure it tasted better the second day.

Next time, I may or may not double the recipe.

Enjoy!

Kaci

Eat Your Colors, Please.

I don't like processed food. I like colorful, whole ingredients. I like to know what's in my food. 

That is probably why I don't like to eat out. The food can sometimes be sketchy and it is usually pretty expensive. Maybe that's why I like to cook so much. I can control what goes in my food and I have a lot of fun while doing it. 

Recently, I have become obsessed with burrito bowls from restaurants like Chipotle, Qdoba and Freebirds. They are gluten-free and so yummy. However, they are pretty expensive. 

I found a recipe for burrito bowls and tweaked it. 

I highly recommend making these. They are amazing. Amen.

First, take 2 thawed chicken breasts. Brown on each side, not cooking all the way through. While they are browning, season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder and garlic salt on both sides. When brown, move to a cutting board and cut into pieces. 

Then do the same with the sirloin steak. 

Then transfer all the meat back to your pan.

Let it cook.

While it's doing its thing cooking, whip up some brown rice. When that is done, throw some butter in it.





















Then add the juice of 1 lime, salt and cilantro



















In a small saucepan, add 1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained), water, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper. Set that over medium heat. You're just trying to warm them up.



















By now, your meat should be done.



















Assemble into bowls and top with whatever you want.

Homemade Burrito Bowls

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
* Serves 4-6

Meat:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 sirloin steak
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Salt

Rice:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3 cups Minute brown rice
• 3 tbsp. butter
• Salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• Cilantro

Beans:

• 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/4 cup water
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Cayenne Pepper

1. Season and brown both sides of chicken and steak in a pan with olive oil. Move to cutting board and chop into pieces. Throw all the meat back into the pan. Cook.

2. Meanwhile, cook up brown rice according to package. Then add butter, salt, lime juice and cilantro.

3. In a small saucepan, add drained and rinsed black beans, water, and seasonings. Set over medium heat to warm.

4. Assemble into a bowl, add toppings and serve.

***

It wouldn't be fair if I just left you with that. You've got to have some killer things to put on top of these things. 

So, behold a glorious recipe for pico de gallo.

First, chop up 5 Roma tomatoes

Add 1/2 of an onion

Then 2 1/2 jalapenos. I take all the seeds out, but if you want a spicier pico de gallo, then leave some in.

Add cilantro, salt and juice from 1/2 a lime.

Stir and try not to devour in one sitting.

Pico de Gallo

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 5 Roma tomatoes
• 1/2 large onion
• 2 1/2 jalapenos
• Cilantro
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• Salt

You can serve this immediately after you make it, but I recommend putting it in the refrigerator for a few hours. This lets all the flavors intensify and makes it much better.

***

Another great topping is corn salsa. It's super easy to make and it tastes heavenly.
 

Corn Salsa

Adapted from CopyKat Recipes 

• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1/2 juice of a lime
• Kosher salt
• Cilantro

Thaw corn. Chop up jalapenos and add all the ingredients together. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

***

These burrito bowls would be a great for a crowd. Set up all the ingredients buffet-style and let people customize their own. You could even provide tortilla shells so that real burritos can be made. 

There are so many other toppings that could be added. Here are a few I can think of:

• Shredded cheese
• Tortilla chips
• Queso
• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Guacamole

These also make excellent leftovers, so make a huge batch and you'll be set for lunches and dinners for the week.

If you're into colorful food, whole ingredients and the absence of weird chemicals, then this is the dish for you.

There are so many different flavors going on here, but they all come together so well. My mom even said, "my taste buds are dancing."

Go ahead and let your taste buds dance.

Enjoy!

Kaci

Starting Off With A Bang!

I tried a lot of recipes this weekend and I will share them all with you, but this is the perfect dish to kick off this blog. When I tell you that you need to make this as soon as possible, I mean it. It also is probably the easiest and most flavorful pasta dish ever.

My whole family loved this dish. This is amazing because

1. My dad hates (HATES) pesto.

2. My sister won't eat anything green and doesn't like pasta.

So if they like it, I can guarantee you'll love it.

Okay...to the recipe! (said like "TO THE BATCAVE")

Don't worry about it.

First, cook some pasta. This is Mrs. Leeper's corn pasta (gluten-free) and it is fabulous. You can obviously use normal pasta. Obviously.

While the pasta was doing its thing, I took some yummy basil and dropped it in the food processor

Then the Parmesan cheese

Pine nuts and garlic came to the party

I then threw in the salt and pepper, gave it a whirl and then drizzled in some olive oil

This smells amazing. I literally walked around my house with this stuff making every one smell it.
Except my dad. Please refer to #1 above.
Butter and heavy cream are melted in a large pot then I added the pesto, stirred it together and let it simmer for a few minutes.
SIDE NOTE: I meant to get a picture of the butter and cream in the pot, but right when I put the butter and cream in, my sister dropped four plates on the floor, breaking all of them and halfway ripping off her toenail. Appetizing, right?

Add remaining Parmesan cheese, stir to melt then gently toss in the pasta and add some rotisserie chicken.

Andddd....VOILA! Everyone will be incredibly impressed with your culinary skills. And tummies will smile.

That's a win-win.

Rotisserie Chicken Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

Adapted from Kevin and Amanda

• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper, each
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 12 oz Mrs. Leeper's corn spaghetti pasta
• Roughly 1 rotisserie chicken, cut into pieces.

1. Bring water to boil, then add 1 tbsp kosher salt and pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside. Meanwhile, make the pesto.

2. Add basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic cloves, and salt and pepper to a food processor. Process while slowly drizzling in olive oil. Add the cream and butter to a large bowl set over medium heat. Pour in the pesto, stir until well combined, and let simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off heat, and add the the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and stir until melted and combined.

3. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir together. Now, you can either serve and top with hot rotisserie chicken or if your chicken is already chopped and is cold from the fridge, add it to the pasta and stir together for 2 minutes to heat up the chicken.

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Make this soon. As in now. It's the perfect pasta dish and it's so quick and wonderful.

Good luck!

Kaci