Tag: grocery

Greek Yogurt W/ Gluten-Free Granola and Berries

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This breakfast was created from leftover ingredients in my fridge and pantry. I knew I needed to use these items or risk them spoiling. This is an example of how sometimes the simplest creations can be colorful and full of flavor.

What you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients

3/4 cup Greek yogurt
3/4 cup assorted berries (I used blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries)
1/4 cup gluten-free granola or granola mix

Directions

  1. Measure out 3/4 cup Greek yogurt in a bowl.
  2. Add 3/4 cup of assorted berries.
  3. Top with granola when you’re ready to enjoy this recipe.
  4. Mix and serve.

This recipe makes 1 serving.

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Healthy Greek Chicken

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I love Mediterranean flavors. This dish was inspired from a picture I saw on Pinterest. I came across the Greek Chicken and knew I had to try to make my own version of the recipe. I also make my own tzaziki sauce and felt I could pull inspiration from this recipe. The end result, yum! It turned out way better than I expected. This chicken can be eaten as a main or as an ingredient in a salad or bowl.

Let’s get started:

Ingredients

1 package of chicken breast (I used thin sliced)
1 cup of Greek yogurt
4-5 sprigs of dill chopped
1/2 lemon (squeezed for juice)
1-2 pinches salt
1 pinch black pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a shallow Tupperware or ziplock bag. Evenly coat meat with marinade and place in fridge for 30-60 minutes.
2. The chicken can be cooked on a grill or in the oven. If you choose to cook the chicken in the oven, preheat to 375 degrees.
3. Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Cooking time will vary based on the size and thickness of chicken.

This recipe serves 4.

Pro tip: When trimming your chicken breasts, it’s important to try and get your pieces as evenly in size as possible. This will allow for more even cooking times. Additionally, if you do not purchase thin sliced chicken breasts, they can be butterflied to have the same effect. The thinner the meat cuts, the faster the cooking time.

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Gluten-Free Fried Rice

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I love Asian inspired flavors. I wanted to take on a gluten-free option of one of my favorite dishes, fried rice. Before I found out I was gluten intolerant, I always thought the high sodium and oil content was what made me sick. However, since gluten-free is a little challenging from many Asian food establishments, I decided to take on my own healthier version to meet my dietary and weight loss goals. Every time I make this dish, I feel like I’m cheating on my diet. I fulfill my bad food cravings without impacting my waist line!

I created this recipe as a plant based meal. However, your favorite protein can be switched out for the garbanzo beans as an alternative for my carnivore friends. Additionally, you’ll see egg is added to this recipe. To make it vegan, simply remove the egg.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1.5 cups of cooked white rice
1 cup of chopped white onion
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 bag of your favorite frozen stir fry veggies (I used Season’s Choice)
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup gluten-free tamari soy sauce (low sodium if possible)
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp of sesame oil

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a wok or large fry pan over medium heat.
2. Scramble two eggs in a bowl and add them to the wok. The eggs will cook very quickly, so be sure to stir the eggs so they don’t burn.
3. Once the egg is solidified, add your chopped onions, garlic and cooked white rice to the wok. You want the rice to heat up to prevent it from getting soggy from the sauce. The oil will help to stiffen the rice slightly.
4. After a few minutes, add in 1/8 of the gluten-free tamari soy sauce along with the rice vinegar and sesame oil. Stir and evenly coat the rice mixture.
5. After a minute or so cooking, add the frozen stir fry veggie mix and the garbanzo beans to the wok. Stir occasionally.
6. Once the veggies are cooked through, add the remaining 1/8 cup of gluten-free tamari soy sauce to the wok. Stir. Let cook for an additional 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes 3 servings.

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Savory Caprese Chicken

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I’m Italian and there is no better appetizer than a Caprese Salad in my opinion. It’s nostalgic and reminds me of family. With the quarantine, I miss being gathered around a noisy table. Even though it’s my favorite, the large amounts of cheese aren’t exactly helpful to my waistline. The mozzarella is limited in this dish to make it diet friendly, but there is no lack of flavor. You’ll feel like you’re cheating on your diet while you savor every bite of this recipe!

What you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients

1 package of chicken breasts
4 oz. of sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (I bought a small pre-sliced log)
1-2 tomatoes (Campari, Roma or Beefsteak)
1 bunch of basil (2-3 cups was used in this recipe)
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1-2 pinches salt
1-2 pinches black pepper

A few things I’d like to point out before you dive into the recipe. I will be making a homemade pesto sans nuts. If you like your pesto with pine nuts, please feel free to substitute with your favorite pesto. Additionally, I’m making a small quantity which makes it hard to purée in a food processor. I used a mortar bowl to purée my ingredients, but they could easily be finely chopped as an alternative. Let’s get cooking!

Directions

1. Combine the chicken, 2 tbsp of oil, the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper in a shallow Tupperware or ziplock bag. Evenly coat the chicken with the mixture.
2. Marinate in fridge for 30-60 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. While the chicken is marinating, prep the pesto that will be placed on top of the chicken. Combine 2-3 cups of basil, 2 tbsp of oil, 1 clove of garlic and salt/pepper to your mini food processor. Again, if your quantity isn’t large enough for your processor a mortar bowl can be used as an alternative or the ingredients can be finely chopped and stirred/crushed together. Place to the side.
4. This step is optional: In a fry pan heat oil over medium heat and pan sear the chicken (approx 1 minute each side). This will help seal in flavor and give the chicken more coloring. Transfer to a sheet pan or dish to finish cooking in the oven.
5. Once chicken is in the sheet pan or dish, place the pesto mixture over each piece of chicken. I usually use one tsp of the pesto per piece of chicken and spread over the top.
6. Place the chicken in the oven and cook to an approx. internal temperature of l35-140 degrees.
7. Add one slice of tomato in the center of each chicken slice. Then add 1 oz. of sliced mozzarella cheese to each piece of chicken. The cheese slices should be evenly spread and centered. This will allow the cheese to melt around the tomato and chicken, holding it all together. Don’t be alarmed if your cheese melts off the chicken. Simply scoop it to cover any spots that may have been missed on the chicken.
8. Once the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees (cook times will vary depending on size and thickness), remove from the oven and rest for 3-5 minutes, then serve.

This recipe will create 4 servings.

I love to serve this dish with roasted asparagus or broccoli as a side. Buon appetito!

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Cajun and Jalapeño Potato Hash

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Yum! This dish was created out of pure creative necessity. I opened my fridge and saw that my spinach and mushrooms really needed to be depleted, otherwise I would risk them going bad. I also had some jalapeños that were left over from a previous recipe. I hate food waste, so I immediately thought, “How could I put these together?” I love breakfast “bowls.” I’m not someone that needs my food separated. If anything, I feel each ingredient enhances the flavor of every bite. I decided to grab a potato and go to work. This recipe was made for myself, so it can be doubled and so on for more people.

I’m all about simple recipes. This hash is very easy to make if you have a little time in the morning or on the weekend. What you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients:

1 potato cubed (I used a red potato)
2-3 cups of spinach
2/3 cup chopped mushrooms (I used white mushrooms)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 jalapeño chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1 egg or 1/3 cup chopped bacon

There are so many variations to this recipe to suit your dietary needs. It’s important to highlight that this dish can be made vegan, vegetarian or for our carnivores out there. Heck, if there aren’t enough veggies to suit your liking, you could even add fresh peppers or broccoli to this dish. Spice isn’t for everyone either. You could easily remove the jalapeños to tone down the heat level or substitute the Cajun seasoning with herbs. Whatever you chose, this dish is hands down amazing!

Directions:

1. Add oil to fry pan and heat over medium.
2. Add cubed potatoes to the pan with 1tsp of Cajun seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Stir occasionally to ensure the oil and seasonings are evenly spread throughout the potatoes. If you’re going to add bacon, I recommend adding it during this step.
3. Once the potatoes are browned, add the red onions, jalapeño and spinach to the pan. Stir occasionally to ensure the seasoning and oil coat your veggies!
4. When the spinach starts cooking down (you’ll see it shrinking) add the mushrooms.
5. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to serve. Top with egg if desired.

This recipe serves 1.

 

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Meal Planning = $avings

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One area where I know I rule my budget is in the grocery category. I’m a boss at meal planning and I wanted to share how simply planning meals can help eliminate unnecessary spending when you go grocery shopping. I live on my own, so realistically I only need to cook 2-3 “types” of meals and I eat leftovers for the rest of the week. Some of you will go through groceries faster and can have more variety. This week was one of those times where I knew I wasn’t really going to be home much so I opted for larger portions of a few easy meals. Feel free to adjust this plan to your lifestyle and try it out before your next shopping trip. By knowing your menu and ingredients for the entire week, you’ll be able to go to the grocery store with confidence and not buy items that aren’t on your list. It’s important not to over plan. When I first began meal planning, I scheduled it like I had to cook every night. You don’t; just be aware of how many servings you’re preparing and I promise you’ll spend way less.

Here is my Meal Plan for the week:

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Breakfast Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie Smoothie Waffle w/ peanut butter and fruit Waffle w/ peanut butter and fruit Smoothie
Snack Apples and peanut butter Apples and peanut butter Apples and peanut butter Apples and peanut butter Apples and peanut butter Apples and peanut butter Apples and peanut butter
Lunch Veggie fajita bowl Chickpea avocado salad Chickpea avocado wrap Veggie fajita salad Chickpea Avocado Wrap Large Salad Large Salad
Snack Carrots, Celery, hummus Broccoli, grape tomatoes, hummus Carrots, celery, hummus Broccoli, grape tomatoes, hummus Carrots, celery, hummus Broccoli, grape tomatoes, hummus Carrots, celery, hummus
Dinner Large Dinner Salad Veggie fajita wrap Large Dinner Salad Chickpea Avocado Wrap Large Dinner Salad Asian Stir-fry Asian Stir-fry

 

Now that you’ve had a chance to see my meal plan, I want to break down what all of these meals will cost.

Meal Totals for the Week:

  • Day 1: $5.78
  • Day 2: $5.52
  • Day 3: $4.90
  • Day 4: $5.98
  • Day 5: $4.81
  • Day 6: $4.06
  • Day 7: $4.10

Weekly Meal Cost = $30.34

By using this planning method, your entire week will cost you $30.34! You could spend that going out to dinner for only one night! Your grocery shopping trip will realistically cost more than that because some of these items, like condiments, tortillas, etc. will last longer than the one week period. Happy planning!

 

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