Veggie-Packed Couscous!

SoOo...I've been trying my hand at "food prepping". Essentially I'm really just trying to keep myself from being tempted to stop by a fast food joint...thus saving money, my thighs, my belly and my health! This is also a clean eating recipe!!

I would say I'm at the beginning stages of learning how to food prep. I basically know how to make a big batch of something I know will last through the week so I can spoon it on into Tupperware containers and take for lunch. This week I made couscous...my new obsession and rice replacement. Couscous is literally FAST AS HELL to make! On top of that it's got

~6 grams of protein per cup

~2.2 grams of fiber per cup

~43 mcg of selenium per cup (antioxidant)

~& 1 cup is only 176 calories...lower than brown rice and quinoa!

OH...and it's so yummy and all the different veggies & meats you can put into it or along side it are endless. Here is the one I made the other night:

I grabbed a few veggies that I had cut up for the week and sauteed them with some olive oil. This time I used kale, tomatoes (red and yellow) and mushrooms. Check out those amazing colors!

The couscous I have right now is 1 cup of couscous to 1 cup of water. Super easy to remember. After making the couscous all I do is mix in my veggies....how freakin' simple is that?! Here was the end result.

And here is my little collage I used for Instagram. Prepped veggies-->sauteed veggies-->final product! My recipe is below. (I added some dried cranberries on a whim to add some sweetness....so happy I did because they added an amazing touch)

Veggie-Packed Couscous

Ingredients:

~2 cups of couscous

 (this makes my entire batch for the work week, taking a small Tupperware full each day)

~2 cups of water

 (or however your couscous package says to prepare 2 cups of couscous)

~2-3 handfuls of chopped kale

~4-5 handfuls of chopped cherry and sweet yellow tomatoes

~2 cups chopped baby portabello mushrooms

~3/4 cup dried cranberries

~olive oil for sauteing veggies

~splash of lemon juice to taste on final product

~salt to taste 

~any other yummy seasonings you decide to throw in

1.) Bring water to boil over high heat

2.) Stir in couscous and immediately remove from oven

3.) Cover pot and let sit for five minutes 

4.) Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat

5.) Saute veggies about 5 minutes and add seasonings to taste 
6.) Mix veggies into couscous and season to taste again. (Sometimes I add a small amount of olive oil to the final dish to give it a little more flavor)
7.) Keep in refrigerator for up to one week and enjoy all throughout week!

<3 ky

Accountability:

I have a little bit of an issue....with self discipline. Basically I spoil myself. 

If I want it...I get it.

If I want to do it...I do it.

If I don't want to do it...I don't do it.

This was my workout dilemma up until recently. I would constantly...and I'm talking for a good couple of months strait...be nagging about:

--how much I hated my body after having the baby

--how I was so tired all the time

--how all I wanted to wear was yoga pants and a t-shirt because it's all I felt good in

--how none of my clothes looked good on me anymore

--how my big ol' breastfeeding boobs literally fit into no bras...anywhere...not even maternity stores (had to special order...that's how big these milk jugs are)

I wasn't gaining weight...I just wasn't losing those last 15 pounds from baby man. I'm sorry but I thought breastfeeding was supposed to make me melt to a smaller size then before I was pregnant???? Someone...everyone...lied to me!

Anyways...three weeks ago I was sick of nagging about myself and decided it was time to start feeling good. ALL I wanted was to feel good about myself again. And be healthy. Baby boy is 5 months now...it's time.

But...since the first 30 days of working out are the hardest...and I'm such a me pleaser...I had to find a way to make myself accountable...literally MAKE myself workout.

So I did this:

Right on my vanity mirror....the place I stand at in the morning, night and sometimes throughout the day...so I could literally stare my progress...or non-progress in the face. 

I'm marking what I do each day and big fatty fat red lines on the days I didn't workout. 

(Except for the squat challenge...I do that every day no matter what!) 

This method holds me completely accountable for what I'm doing. I want to see results...& I'll do whatever I need to to get there! I want to be wearing WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT TO...not skimming endlessly through my closet just trying to find something I'm comfortable in! The time is now! I'm ready to be the me I want to be! Are you?

Warm Chicken Salad with Feta Cheese Dressing!!

I love love love vEgEtAbLeS...but I really dislike salad! I try....oOoh I try to like salad but I have issues with 1. goopy thick dressings and 2. vinegary dressings. To add insult to injury it's usually all cold ingredients and I'm such a warm and savory girl.

So...along came the warmmm, seasoned chicken...with the feta cheese dressing (omg!)...and the cold, crispy salad mix with a few yummy veggies! And man this was soOoOo good! Me and Chris (boyfriend) DEVOURED it! I have a few not-so-secret tricks I use to make this a salad anyone could love!! <3

Enter: Chicken breast! I used one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast and I halve longways each of the breasts to make them thin cutlets. This allows it to cook nice and even...and also doubles the amount of warm strips we can use for the salad.

Next...well actually first...hit up your local Trader Joe's or health store for some COCONUT OIL COOKING SPRAY...what?!?! You have no idea how excited I was to find this and now I use it for....e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. So much healthier and it also has a higher heating point so you can literally replace Mrs. Pam or Mr. Canola!

I sprayed each side of the chicken cutlets and then sprinkled on my new favorite seasoning...Weber Zesty Lemon...this sh!t is GOOD! Go easy on it though because it has salt in it and we all know salt = blotation (made it up)...among other bad things. 

Here is our seasoned chicken boobs. If you don't want to use this seasoning you can really season the chicken up any way you would like!

Then I coat my room temperature pan with some coconut oil spray and then heat it to medium high. Place those breasts on and let them cook to a goldeny brown! I honestly couldn't say how long to cook them for on each side because I feel like it all depends on your oven and breasts...so just watch them! But...I'd say about 4-5 minutes on each side. BOOM...check those out!

 Now whilst this chicken is cooking you can prepare your other ingredients. I got referred to this AMAZING salad from Costco that is SUPER healthy! It's called Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad kit and it contains 7 superfoods you won't even know are there once you put this Trader Joe's Greek Style Feta Cheese Dressing on! ;) Back to the salad real quick. This salad has: broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, chicory, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds! After Chris gobbled this salad I told him what he just ate and he had nOoOoOo idea. (p.s. it also comes with a poppy-seed dressing but I'm not so much a fan of that)

I also used this Crumbled Feta Cheese with Mediterranean Herbs from Trader Joe's! Yummy! Found myself poppin' little feta chunks in my mouth as I was cooking this.  

Then I put some salad in a big bowl and chopped up some tomatoes to make this even more healthy. In that little bag below is the seeds and dried cranberries. Those cranberries added the most amazing sweetness to the meal.

Now time for the dressing. Like I said before I don't like thick, goopy, globby dressings. Yuck! I put some dressing in a small bowl..about 3/4 cup and mixed in a little less than 1/2 cup of milk to thin the dressing out. Then I poured it into the salad and mixed with my hands to coat each and every piece of the salad....mmmm mmmm my belly is growling just writing this ;)

The next step I didn't quite take a picture of. I heated up the chicken in the microwave to get it nice and smokin' hot. Then sliced it into thin strips. Placed my salad in some bowls and popped the chicken right on top. Cold, creamy salad with hot, seasoned chicken!!! Topped off with a few crumbles of the Mediterranean Feta Cheese. I kid you not...this was soOoOo good! The full recipe is below :))

If you have not been to your local Trader Joe's you must go! This was my first time going and I got so much stuff for about $30. It's very well priced, healthy, organic food. 

Warm Chicken Salad with Feta Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

-1 bag of salad mix, I used Costco's Sweet Kale salad mix

-2 handfuls of baby tomatoes, chopped

-Weber Zesty Lemon seasoning, or any seasoning you would like. I would try garlic & onion powder, salt, pepper and a little lemon juice drizzle on the cooked chicken.

-Coconut oil spray, cooking spray or 1 tbsp of canola oil 

-Feta Cheese salad dressing, I use Trader Joe's but you could use any creamy dressing

-1/2 cup skim or 1% milk

-Feta cheese crumbles

-Dried cranberries if you can't get the Costco Kale mix

1.) Wash & clean your chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise to make thin chicken cutlets.

2.) Season each side of your chicken breasts with the zesty lemon seasoning or whichever seasoning you prefer. Chicken can be seasoned tons of ways and still be amazing over salad!

3.) Coat a room temperature pan with cooking spray, or 1 tbsp of canola oil and then heat your pan to medium high heat. 

4.) Cook your chicken cutlets about 4-5 minutes on each side or until you have a nice, golden brown. Remove breasts once they are done cooking and place on a microwave safe plate.

5.) Either after or while your cutlets are cooking put your salad mix in a salad bowl. Add chopped tomatoes.

6.) Mix feta cheese dressing or other creamy dressing with milk to make a nice, thin dressing. Pour onto salad and mix to coat entire bowl with dressing. 

7.) Mix in dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds or any other healthy mix-ins you would like to add.

8.) Slice your chicken breasts into thin strips. Heat them in microwave until they are nice and hot. Once you have your salad plated you can place your chicken breast strips on top of each salad. 

9.) Sprinkle feta cheese on top and enjoy! 

<3