Toned Taco Salad

Toned Taco Salad

Hola! This recipe is nothing short of fiesta in your mouth! The goal here was to take the much loved restaurant style taco salad bowl and create it at home without the grease, goo and gunk our stomachs do not want or need. You will be getting a sombrero full of vitamins and nutrients from this veggie packed salad along with a huge helping of protein! Alright amigos let’s head to the kitchen for some fit food fun!

Skinny Grocery List:

1 Pkg Jennie-O 99/1 Ground Turkey

4 Cup Shredded Iceberg Lettuce (Small head)

1 C Beef Steak Tomato (1 Medium) or Vine Tomato (2 Small)

1/3 C Red Onion (Small)

1 C Orange Bell Pepper

1 Cup Black Beans - Try to go all natural with your black beans ♥

4 Smart and Delicious Low Carb Wraps (Smaller Size – 50 Calories, 7 Net Carbs Mmmm!)

Non-Stick Spray

1 Tbsp. Chili Powder

1-2 Tsp. Garlic Powder (I like a little more garlic but if you only want to add 1 Tsp. go for it J)

1 Tbsp. Minced Onion

¼ Tsp. Ground Cumin

½ Tsp. Black Pepper

4oz Can Diced Green Chiles (I chose mild because I am a baby when it comes to spicy but if you like it calienté, then add some HOT green chilies! Whoa Enchiloso!

½ C Water

Kitchen Taco Salad Tools:

Baking Sheet

Oven Safe Bowl – Bake ware – I used a regular cereal bowl that was oven safe up to 400 Degrees

Measuring Cup

Measuring Spoons

Paring Knife

Strainer

Skillet– non-stick pans are great for easy clean up!

Spatula or Large Spoon

Directions to a Tasty Taco Salad:

Preheat your oven to 400 Degrees

Place your Ground Turkey into your Pan on medium-high heat and stir occasionally until turkey is fully cooked

When turkey is cooked through add ½ Cup water, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, minced onion, cumin and diced chilies and stir well. Drop heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

1) Med-High Heat 2) Cook Through
3) Add Water, Chilies and Spices - Stir well 4) Simmer (low heat) for 30 Minutes

While your turkey is simmering how about we dice up our veggies J

Make sure to rinse your veggies and beans well – See photos for a Salad tutorial

I can not stess this enough!
Keeping our bodies Healthy & Happy with clean produce :)

Slice, Chop, Dice, Measure Fun Fun FUN

Once your oven has preheated coat each side of your tortilla and neatly tuck and fold into your bowl – I folded over the tortilla to make it fit snuggly. A few bends and curls add character!J

Bake your tortillas for 14-15 minutes or until firm and golden brown on the ends – if you want them to be a bit softer lessen to 10-11 minutes.

1) Spray Both Sides with Non-stick 2) Make sure your bowl is oven safe
3) Tuck and fold til it is nice, neat and cozy at the bottom of the bowl
4) Place on the middle rack and bake

Once all the water has cooked off from your Turkey remove from heat and set aside.

Now it is time to clean up awww the fun is almost over :( !

Once that is done build your taco salad and enjoy the fruits of your labor! Yummmm!

The best thing is the Left overs are delicious too!!! ♥♥♥

Skinny on the Nutrition:

Yields 4 Servings

Serving Size 1 Salad

Calories…………………… 293.5

Carbs………………………. 29.5g

Fat…………………………... 5g

Sugar……………………….. 3.5g

Protein……………………. 42.5g

Fiber……………………….. 12.5g

***Nutrition is based off of serving size and brand recommendation.

Thank You for stopping by and I hope to see you again for dinner next week! Same Time Same Place! ♥

XOXO,

Magan



Image by Hibmages Photography
Stay in shape with Dancing!
There is no reason staying skinny has to be so much work!
♥So Have Fun with it and Bust a Move! ♥



Carb Counters Monte Cristo with a Sweet Side

Carb Counters Monte Cristo

With a Sweet Side

The motivation in creating this recipe was to take something so sinful and so fun and make it skinny without sacrificing that delicious taste! This is by far not my lowest carb recipe but it does have a drastic difference in nutrition compared to your classic Monte Cristo and Sweet Potato fry combo. We are taking every day foods and finding the best choice in brands and making a delicious combo! So let's hit the kitchen and get our cooking caps on and prep for a monstrous appetite!

Note: This meal is great for gearing up for a run!

Skinny Grocery List:

Sweet Potato Fries-

1 Medium Sweet Potato (approx. 6-8")

1-2 Tbsp. Garlic Salt

Non-Stick Spray

Monte Cristo Sandwich -

3 Slices of Low Carb Bread (Oasis Low Carb or California Lifestyle are great!)

3 Egg Whites

2 Tbsp. 0% Fage Greek Yogurt (no Fage? You can also use Fat Free Sour Cream :) )

1/2-1 Tsp. Nutmeg

1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper

3oz Honey Turkey (Jennie-O 99/1 Deli is the best choice!)

2oz Oven Roasted Turkey- 99/1 (Go Jennie, Go, Go, Go Jennie)

2 Slices of Swiss (I love ♥ Sargento, Backing Lena, WI all the way...Woot Woot)

Dijon Mustard (Give it a kick!)

2 Tbsp. Strawberry or Raspberry Jam (Walden Farms is my Choice - 0 Everything!!! and made by Angels, Promise 0:) - Splenda Jams and Jellies are good too)

Non- Stick Spray (Pam is Back!♥)

Your Kitchen Tools:

Scale - Remember what I always say...weigh your food folks!!! It makes a big difference!

Sweet Potato Fries -

Cutting Board

Sharp Knife

Measuring Spoons

Baking Sheet

Aluminum Foil (Optional)

Monte Cristo Sandwich-

Non-Stick Pan

Small Shallow Mixing Bowl

Whisk or Fork (I always like to whisk my eggs with a fork but that's just me ;)

Measuring Spoons

Spatula

Directions to Monte Cristo Magnificence:

Sweet Potato Fries -

Pre-Heat Oven 375 Degrees

Rinse your Yam or Sweet Potato

Slice into Thin Slices (Approx. 1/4" - 1/3") Do the best you can ;)

1) Slice 2) Lay out Evenly on Greased Pan
3) Sprinkle with Garlic and Spray with Non-Stick
4) Place on Middle Shelf and Bake for 10 Minutes

Lay out evenly over your baking sheet - I like to line mine with foil to make washing dishes easier...call me lazy or call me just plain smart :)

Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. of Garlic Salt and Spray with non-stick coating each piece

Bake for 10 Minutes

Remove from oven and very carefully flip each fry (Caution Very HOT!!!)

After all of them are flipped repeat with remainder of Garlic salt and coat with non-stick

Bake for additional 5 minutes and then remove to cool before eating..MMMmmmMmmMmm YUM!

Monte Cristo Sandwich -

Weight out your deli meats and set aside

Mix 3 egg whites, 0% Fage Yogurt, Nutmeg and pepper - Whisk Well

1) Egg Whites 2) Add Nutmeg, Pepper & Fage
3) Whisk Well 4) Let Bread Soak

Heat Skillet on Medium - Medium High and coat with non-stick spray

While your pan is heating let a piece of your low carb bread soak up your batter, flipping to coat both sides

5) Let Bread Soak so both sides are coated
6) Place in Pan 7) Flip 8) Add Cheese

Place first slice into pan and repeat with 2nd and 3rd slices

Flip after approx. 2-3 minutes or until one side is cooked thoroughly

Place a slice of cheese on two of the battered pieces of bread leaving the 3rd without (Sorry No cheese for you)

Place your turkey on a free side of the pan to heat up and then place on top of the cheese

9) While Cheese is melting let Turkey Heat up
10) Place Turkey on Cheese and Repeat with Honey Turkey
11-12) Add Mustard to each side

Remove your battered bread from the pan and top the meats with Dijon Mustard (if you choose)

Now Place the 3rd battered piece of bread on top of one mustard piece and then the other on top of the plain battered piece - Stacking them (See Photo)

13) Place the 3rd piece of bread on top of on of the mustard layers
14) Top with Last Layer and Cut in half ♥

Ok Now Slice in Half and this is the most important part.......ENJOY!!! YAY TA DA!!

Skinny on the Nutrition:

Sweet Potato Fries –

Yields 4 Servings

Serving Size Approx 1/2 Cup

Calories ……………….. 40.5

Carbs ……………………. 9g

Fat ……………………….. 0g

Sugar …………………… 4g

Protein ……………….. 1g

Fiber ……………………. 1g

Monte Cristo Sandwich –

Yields 2 Servings

Serving Size 1/2 sandwich

Calories ……………….. 323.5

Carbs ……………………. 11.5g

Fat ……………………….. 11g

Sugar …………………… 3g

Protein ……………….. 43g

Fiber ……………………. 1.5g

***Nutrition is based off of brand recommendations and serving size


I am sorry this post was a little late :( Please stop by again later this week for a new recipe!!! - Promise ;)


♥XOXO♥

Magan

This is my excuse for posting late :(
I will be on time from here on out....Promise!!!

Mediterranean Madness

Mediterranean Madness

I recently had a request to make a complete meal based on the basics of clean eating and I must say that was a fantastic idea! We are going to take good wholesome foods that feed our bodies and minds and put them into a meal. We will have a salad that has good fats and good carbs and shish kabobs that are packed full of lean proteins, now this is a recipe to a beautifully built body! Now, to the kitchen for some Greek goodness!

Skinny Shopping List:

Remember what I said about making that list? This recipe has quite a few ingredients so remember to write them down before we find ourselves in the candy isle!

Shish Kabobs-

2lbs of Chicken Breasts (By time we are done cleaning them we will be down to about 1.5lbs haha)

4oz 0% Fage Greek Yogurt

1 pkg. White Mushrooms (about 30 pieces)

½ Lemon (1 Tbsp. Juice Only - We will use the other half for our saladJ)

1 Tbsp. Dill

2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic

Kale Salad-

1 C Kale (large bunch)

½ C Grape Tomatoes (Cherry tomatoes are good too J)

1/3 C Red Onion (Diced)

1 Can Garbanzo Beans (Mmmm Hummus!)

½ C Fat Free Feta (If we want it to be Ethnic we NEED Feta! ♥)

½ Medium Yellow Pepper (Cored and Diced)

1 Small Cucumber (About 6-7”)

½ Lemon (1-2 Tbsp. Juice only – Did you know that throwing lemon halves into your garbage disposal will not only freshen it but it will also clear up all the junk stuck on the blades ect, just flip the switch and grind ‘em up! Little everyday kitchen tip of ya’)

2 Tsp. Minced Garlic

½ Tsp. Black Pepper (tri-color peppercorn would be amazing if you have it! If not every day pepper is A-Okay!)

½ Tsp. Basil (Dried basil is great; if you want to take the time for fresh…go for it!)

Dash of Sea Salt (this means literally two turns of the grinder or a sprinkle of the shakerJ)

1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (ßGood Fats!)

2-3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar (Sooo Good on Salads ♥)

Tools and Gadgets:

Shish Kabobs-

Grill (you can use the oven if you so choose – 375 Degrees for approx. 25 minutes – Turn at 15 minutes)

Cutting Board

Knife (needed to clean chicken)

Measuring Spoon

Large Gallon Zip Lock Bag

Shallow Baking Dish (you can either marinate your chicken in a dish or in the bag – the bag makes it easier to mix the marinate but if you bake the chicken I suggest you use the shallow baking dish)

Skewers

Strainer

Kale Salad-

Cutting Board

Can Opener

Strainer

Knife (For cutting your veggiesJ)

Large Mixing Bowl

Measuring Cup

Measuring Spoons

Shaker Cup (Optional ) or Small Bowl

Tongs for Tossing your Kale Salad

Directions to a Delicious Dinner (or lunch or breakfast haha):

Rinse your mushrooms and set a side

Clean all the fat from your chicken and discard – weigh out about 1.5-2lbs of chicken

Cut into square inch pieces (I ended up with 36 pieces)

Now take your skewers and rotate mushroom, chicken, mushroom, chicken and set aside

            You should have 6 skewers with about 3-4 mushrooms and 5 pieces of chicken

1) Clean Chicken 2) Cut into square inch pieces
3) Skewer Mushroom 4) then Skewer Chicken and keep rotating



1) Should look like this 2) Yields approx 6 Skewers
7) Add 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice into your bag 2) Add Basil



In your Large bag or shallow dish mix Greek Yogurt, Dill, Minced Garlic and Freshly Squeezed Lemon – Mix well

9) Add Minced Garlic 10) Add Yogurt
11) - 12) Mix by Squeezing and Rubbing Bag



13) Place Kabobs in Bag *Note the skewers will poke out the sides
14) Submerge each one so its coated evenly
15) I put mine in a shallow dish in case it leaked and let it marinate in the fridge for 24 hours



Now submerge your kabobs into the yogurt mixture and let marinate for about 24 hours

24 Hours Later……..

Heat up your grill

Start Prepping for your salad -

1) Kale Leaf 2) Remove Spine / Stem
3) Cut into small Pieces 4) Place in Bowl

Rinse all of your vegetables

Cut the Stems and spine from your kale (this is very hard to chew and we want a easy to eat salad)

Now Chop Dice and Slice all of your remaining veggies, rinse your beans and place in mixing bowl

5) Quarter your Cucumber down the length 6) Cube
7) Add to Bowl 8) Cut your pepper in half

9) Core your Pepper 10) Cube
11) Add to Bowl 12) Cut each end of Onion and remove the outside layer

13) 1 slice should equal approx 1/3 C 14) Dice
15) Add Tomatoes and Onions to Bowl 16) Add Rinsed garbazo beans (No liquid)

At this time you can place your Shish Kabobs on your grill on medium heat

Cook for approx. 15 minutes

16) Place Kabobs on Grill 17) Cook for approx 15-20 Minutes
18) Turn and Grill for approx 10-15 More Minutes

While your chicken is grilling let us finish up our salad J

You can either mix your spices and oil in a bowl or a shaker cup, I chose a shaker cup ♥

Add your lemon, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, oil, red wine vinegar and fat free feta into your shaker cup (or bowl) and mix well

1) My Favorite Blender Bottle 2) Add Lemon / Spices
3) Add Fat Free Feta 4) Toss with Salad Well, Coating all of the Veggies

We will now toss our kale salad with the dressing we just created (make sure to toss it well assuring nothing is settled on the bottom of the bowl)

Yummmmm ♥

You should be able to turn your chicken now

cook for an addition 10 minutes

Now it’s time to clean up and get ready for a Yummy Mediterranean Meal!

After your Chicken is cooked through (no pink) Turn off your grill, plate your food and ENJOY!!! ♥ MmmmMmmmMmmm Mediterranean Madness!



Skinny on the Nutrition:

Kale Summer Salad –

Yields 6 servings

Serving Size – Approx 1 Cup

Calories ……………….. 135

Carbs ……………………. 16.75g

Fat ……………………….. 3.5g

Sugar …………………… 3g

Protein ……………….. 9g

Fiber ……………………. 4.5g



***Nutrition is based off of brand recommendations and serving size.

Mediterranean Chicken Kabobs –

Yields 6 servings

Serving Size –1 kabob approx 4oz Meat

Calories ……………….. 127.5

Carbs ……………………. 1.5g



Fat ……………………….. 1.5g

Sugar …………………… <1g

Protein ……………….. 25g

Fiber ……………………. <1g

***Nutrition is based off of brand recommendations and serving size.

Thank You for stopping by! Drop by again for next week’s recipe J!

XOXO

Magan



Brett and I at our Friend's Beautiful Wedding
♥♥♥