Easy lunch & dinners!

Turkey burgers

Normally i would buy lean ground turkey and make my own burgers but on a night when your tight on time these are a super easy alternative!  You can cook them on the stove top or on the grill. 

We cooked our on the grill then served them on whole wheat sandwich thins (100 calories), provolone cheese, avocado slices, tomato, red onion, jalapeno mustard, bacon, and a fried egg! They are a family fav and we eat them about once a week. Served with sweet potato tots :)

Fish Tacos

You can buy a bag of about 10 tilapia fillets for about $7. This last us 2-3 meals! I love cooking with this fish because its cheap and so versatile. 

Marinade 

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of one lime

1/4 cup honey 

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Mrs. Dash fiesta lime seasoning, salt & pepper, onion powder

Place all of those ingredients in a large zip lock bag and shake. Put thawed tilapia fillets into the bag and marinate for 30min-2 hours. Remove fillets from back and cook on med heat for about 4 minutes on each side. We used corn tortillas and cabbage ^^pictured above^^ but they taste even better with hard shelled tacos and lettuce :) Also topped with tomato, onion, cheese, and avocado. 

Pita Pizza

 Ingredients

whole what pita bread (or i like to use Joseph's whole wheat and flax pitas, very low in carbs if you're watching your carb intake - im not, but they're tasty!)

Pizza sauce

part skim mozzerela cheese

toppings of your choice - we did buffalo chicken!

Preheat oven to 375. Add all of your topping and bake for about 10 minutes. Sometime i put it on broil for a minute to make the cheese bubbly. 

One Pot beef skillet

This recipe is from bodybuilding.com. I used lean ground turkey instead of lean ground beef. Also added some avocado :) I think next time i will add a can of black beans as well for added carbs, since i need lots! 

Ingredients

1lb lean ground beef - i used turkey

1/2 cup water

1 cup salsa - i used medium

1 can low sodium tomato soup

1 can of whole kernel corn

1 cup carrots sliced

1 cup onion sliced

1 cup mushrooms sliced

1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese

1 tbsp garlic

LOTS of spices - i used cilantro, parsley, salt&pepper, Mrs. Dash fiesta lime, etc.

Brown ground beef or turkey over medium heat. Once its cooked add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for cheese and simmer for 10-15 min. Top with cheese and avocado and enjoy!  

Spinach ravioli with pesto chicken

I cheated and bought Bertolli pesto basil sauce for this. Next time i am going to attempt to make my own pesto sauce to help cut down on the fat. The store bought pesto is usually made with canola oil instead of olive oil and when you make your own you can control how much you use :) So if you're watching your fat, use the store bought stuff in moderation.

Ingredients

1 pkg ravioli - they sell reduced fat and organic so look for those :)

2-3 chicken breasts

3-4 cups of fresh spinach leaves (or about half the bag)

1 container of basil pesto sauce

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

parmigiana cheese

Cut chicken breasts in half long ways, making them thinner. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Bring water to a boil for the ravioli and follow directions on package. Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp garlic in a pan over med heat and cook chicken thoroughly. Then brush one side of the chicken with the pesto basil sauce, flip and cook for about a minute. Do the same to the other side of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and add spinach and 1 tbsp garlic, cook for a minute or two. Serve on top of ravioli :) Also sprinkled mine with parmigiana cheese! 

I found this for a home made pesto sauce 

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, (2-3 bunches)
• 1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted (see Tip)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 large clove garlic, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Paninis

Who needs to buy a $60 panini press when you have a George Foreman?! This thing is my new best friend :) There are TONS of different ways to make your sandwich and this is one of my favorites.

Chicken Pesto Panini

Ingredients

2 slices whole wheat bakery bread

1 slice provolone cheese

1 tbsp pesto

deli chicken

tomato

spray butter

Heat your George Foreman on Medium. Spray your bread with spray butter. Spread on the pesto and add the remaining ingredients. Press George Foreman down and cook for about 3-4 minutes. There you have yourself a homemade panini! 

Chicken Parm!

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

whole wheat breadcrumbs

garlic powder, pepper, oregano, parsley, etc

1 egg

1 tbsp water

whole wheat spaghetti noodles

pasta sauce (less sodium - the better!)

Cut chicken breasts in half to make them thinner (they will stay moist and cook fast). Scramble the egg and water. Put breadcrumbs on a plate with whatever seasoning you'd like. Did the chicken breasts in the egg was then cover with breadcrumbs. Place on a foil lined baking dish and cook at 375 for 15-25min depending on thickness of chicken. In the last few minutes of baking you can top the chicken with provolone cheese, or the cheese of your choice. Serve over noodles and top with sauce! Tastes like it does in the restaurants but MUCH healthier for :) I used bagel thins as our garlic bread, just brushed with olive oil, minced garlic, and parsley. 

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

Ok ok, i do cheat sometimes. This isn't totally homemade but its an overall healthy dinner (other than the amount of sodium the packet has) and it tastes SO good. Leftovers taste even better! 

Just follow the recipe on the back of this packet. Instead of using fresh tomatoes i picked up a large can of whole tomatoes, reserved the sauce and baked the tomatoes with the chicken. When the chickens done, slice the meat and tomatoes and mix in a large bowl with whole wheat pasta and reserved tomato sauce. 

Wraps 

Wraps are awesome! They are quick and great for on the go! I like to use "Flatout" wraps. You can usually find them near your deli section or the bread area. They are low in calories, carbs, and fat but loaded with nutrients and yumminess :) You can put whatever you want in them....try to stay away from stuff like mayo and high in fat dressings. 

In this one i used a multi grain flat out wrap. Spread it with roasted red pepper hummus and topped with chicken breast, tomato, red onion, spinach leaves, and avocado. 

Pepper Steak

1.5-2 lbs top round or bottom round steak cut thin and into strips 

1 can low sodium beef stock/broth

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion - sliced

1/2 bag of frozen mixed peppers

1/4 cup corn starch

pepper

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add steak, onions, and pepper and cook for  3-4 minutes. Add peppers and cook for 2 more minutes. Add 1/2 cup beef stock and bring to slight boil. Mix 1/2 cup broth and 1/4 cup corn starch and add to pan. Stir for 2 minutes and reduce to low simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes and serve over brown rice!