Ingredients

• 1¼ cups almond flour
• 1¼ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten-free
• ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 6 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin organic coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
• Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Combine almond flour, flour, oats, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl; mix well. Set aside.
• Combine bananas, extract, egg, oil, maple syrup, and almond milk in a medium bowl; mix well.
• Add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until just blended.
• Place batter in loaf pan that has been lightly coated with spray.
• Bake for 43 to 48 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool completely before slicing.

Who says you have to sacrifice the foods that you love to lose weight and get healthy! It's all about balance and making good food choices along the way. To get the absolute best results from your health and fitness, join one of our online groups where you will find great ideas  and recipes, friendly accountability and the best tips and advice to help you look and feel your best at any age!

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Southwestern Rice & Bean Salad

from the Beachbody blog

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (or other cooked whole grain)
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained, rinsed
• 2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño, finely chopped (or cayenne pepper to taste)
• 1 tsp. mild chili powder

Instructions

1. Combine rice, beans, corn, tomato, green onions, oil, vinegar, cilantro, jalapeño, and chili powder in a large serving bowl; mix well.
2. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

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Brenda

Chicken Meatballs (21 Day Fix approved)

These meatballs are a healthy alternative for traditional meatballs and are super easy to make. They can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 3 months. 1 serving is 3 meatballs and counts as a 1 GREEN,  1 RED and 1/2 tsp

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg beaten
1/2 c wholegrain bread crumbs (omit this if you are gluten free or substitute GF bread crumbs or panko)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 shallot (minced)
1/4 c red bell pepper (chopped fine)
2 TB fresh parsley(chopped fine)
1 TB fresh thyme (chopped fine)
2 TB grated Parmesan cheese
2 TB extra virgin olive oil

Homemade Marinara Sauce or store bought marinara with no added sugar

Preparation:

1. Combine chicken, ¼ tsp. salt, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, shallot, red pepper, parsley, thyme, and cheese in a large bowl; mix well with clean hands.
2. Roll mixture into eighteen 1½-inch meatballs. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add half of meatballs; cook, turning occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until meatballs are browned on each side. Place browned meatballs in a 3-quart slow cooker.
4. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Set aside.
5. Top meatballs with homemade marinara sauce and remaining ¼ tsp. salt; cook, covered, on low temperature for 5 to 6 hours, stirring once or twice.

If you're ready to make a commitment to your health, clean eating is a great way to start. Us e these recipes on our blog to make your transition a tasty one! If you really want to achieve success, join one of our challenge groups where you will join a fun group of people who are all working on reaching our health and fitness goals. A challenge group combines healthy eating and daily fitness with 24/7 support and accountability. No one fails in our groups so join today!

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Homemade Marinara Sauce (21 Day Fix approved)

Ingredients:

1 29 oz. can Tomato Puree (GREEN)
1 29 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes (GREEN)
1/4 cup fresh Basil, chopped (FREE)
4 cloves Garlic, minced (FREE)
1 tsp. ground Black Pepper (FREE)
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tbsp. Oregano (FREE)
2 tsp. fresh Rosemary, chopped (FREE)
1 Tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper (FREE) (optional)

Directions:

Pour both cans of tomato puree and crushed tomatoes into a large saucepan.  Heat over low heat.
Mix in all other ingredients and stir well.  Let sauce simmer for at least an hour.
Measure out serving of sauce in GREEN container (if an entire GREEN container is more sauce that you desire, then just measure out half of the container)
Serve with your favorite pasta and Enjoy!

*** Note: This homemade marinara sauce is counted as a GREEN because it has no added sugar. When purchasing store bought sauce read the label carefully. If it contains sugar (as most store bought brands do) then count the sauce as a PURPLE.

Brenda

The best turkey burgers ever!

Ingredients (makes 4 burgers):

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 egg beaten
1/4 c parsley (chopped fine)
1 shallot (minced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 c red bell pepper (chopped fine)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and divide into 4 patties. Grill over medium heat approximately 3-4 minutes on each side.

Ready to make a commitment to your health? Clean eating is a great place to start and these recipes are super easy and delicious. You can find more great family friendly recipes on the recipe page of this blog. But if you're ready to take the next step and completely transform yourself a challenge group is where it's at! It's a great way to stay accountable and motivated, meet new friends and lose weight and improve your health right form the comfort of your own home. All levels of fitness are welcome. New groups forming every Monday. Start by filling out this simple form to tell us a little more about you.

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Ginger Soy Flank Steak

Steak night always feels like a special occasion, even when you use a simple recipe like this one. Flavors of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and honey combine to create an umami sauce that takes lean flank steak to another level of delicious. The marinade takes minutes to make, and about an hour to fully flavor and tenderize the meat, but if you’re in a hurry, you can cook the steak after just 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

2-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. raw honey
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
1½ lbs. flank steak (or tenderized round steak)

Preparation:

1. Combine ginger, garlic, red pepper, lime juice, honey, soy sauce, and oil in a small bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Place steak in a shallow dish. Pour ginger mixture over steak; marinate, covered, turning once, for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
3. Preheat grill or broiler on high.
4. Grill or broil steak for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches desired temperature on your meat thermometer (rare is 120° F., medium rare is 125° F., medium is 130° F.). Remove from heat; let steak rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
5. Slice steak thinly against the grain.

Brenda

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Chicken Gumbo

This Cajun-style stew uses lean chicken breast meat in place of high-fat sausage, and is thickened with arrowroot instead of butter and flour. Aromatic spices combine in a luxuriously rich sauce with okra and other vegetables. If fresh okra is not available in your local market, frozen okra will work just as well.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1½ lbs. raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch strips
2 Tbsp. arrowroot (or corn starch)
3 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
8 oz. medium okra, sliced into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 cups cooked brown rice

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until onion softens.
3. Add garlic and chicken; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Add arrowroot to broth; whisk to blend.
5. Slowly whisk broth into chicken mixture; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until mixture thickens slightly. The mixture should not be lumpy.
6. Add bay leaf, thyme, pepper, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Add okra; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 additional minutes. Remove bay leaf.
8. Serve about ¾ cup over ½ cup of rice.

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Easy Oven Omelet

Ingredients

8 eggs
1/2 c milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 c meat (choose your favorite) ham, turkey, turkey sausage, bacon
1 c vegetables (use a combination of your favorites) peppers, onion, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms
1 c cheese (choose your favorite) feta, goat, Parmesan, cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Add in meat, veggies and cheese.
2. Pour into a greased 9x9 inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Brenda

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

There’s nothing better than coming home to the smell of a delicious dinner that’s been slowly cooking all day, especially when you don’t have to toil away in the kitchen for hours to make it! Throw all the ingredients for these turkey meatballs into a crock pot in the morning, set the timer, and indulge in a warm, hearty meal that night. Roll the meatballs in smaller bite-sized pieces and they make a great holiday party appetizer!

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground turkey
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup whole grain breadcrumbs, or gluten-free breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional if you want a little kick of heat!)
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes, crushed or your favorite spaghetti sauce

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine all ingredients except sauce in a large bowl and mix well with clean hands.
3. Roll mixture into 1½-inch meatballs and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Set aside. (for a party appetizer I like to roll them a little smaller)
4. Place meatballs in the oven for 20-25 minutes
5. Remove from oven an place the meatballs in a crock pot (be careful not no get any fat that was cooked out of the meat into the crock pot).
6. Add sauce and turn the  crock pot on high for 4 hours.
7. Serve turkey meatballs hot with your favorite pasta or alone as an appetizer.

Give Yourself the Gift of Good Health!

Eating healthy is a big part of taking control of your health and these recipes are a great start. But if you really want to get in the best shape of your life, lose weight and fight aging and chronic health problems join an online challenge group and get fitness, nutrition and support 24/7. It doesn't matter how old you are, there's a challenge group for people of all ages and ability. To learn more, or to reserve a spot in an upcoming group, fill out this application or email me at brendalajay@gmail.com

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Pineapple Coconut Popcicles

We're kicking off launch week for the Fixate cookbook by featuring some of Autumn Calabrese's family favorite recipes. Here's a refreshing yet healthy snack idea from Autumn that your kids will love! This could not be any easier! Try switching up the flavors by replacing the pineapple chunks with other fruits like strawberries, peaches, raspberries or a mixture of a few.

Ingredients:

Popsicle molds
1 1/2 cups Coconut Milk (carton not can)
1/2 cup Coconut flakes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4- 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients into high powered blender and blend on high until combined.
2. Fill popsicle molds and put into freezer.
3. Freeze overnight.

Want to see more of Autumn's 21 Day Fix recipe collection? She's launching her new cookbook, Fixate tomorrow! This month only, you can get a copy for FREE with the purchase of any Beachbody challenge pack! In addition to the cookbook, you will get meal planning tips and advice, free personal coaching from me, 30-day trial Team Beachbody membership with Beachbody on demand and best of all, you can join our online fitness and nutrition challenge groups at no additional cost! The challenge groups are a great way to kick start your fitness and nutrition transformation. Before I became involved with Beachbody a little over a year ago, I had no idea that this online support system existed. Once I discovered the online challenge groups and started participating in them, my transformation really took off! So believe me, it works!
We've got a new 21 Day Fix/ Fix Extreme challenge group coming up next week. Want to know more about it? Fill out this application:

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Grilled Corn with Chili & Parmesan

Grilled Corn with Chili & Parmesan

Course: Side Dish
Categories: Vegetable
Source: adapted from www.fingerforkknife.com
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients

6 corn cobs, with husks and silks
Extra Virgin Olive Oil oil, for brushing*
Large handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped, or chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese – or however much you like!
Finely grated lime zest

4 lime wedges, to serve

Directions

Prepare the corn for grilling by peeling back the husks from cobs – but don’t detach – then remove the stringy silks. Fold back the husks and tie ends with some kitchen string. Place in a deep bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside to soak for 25 minutes.

Drain cobs well.

Heat a grill plate or barbecue over medium-high heat. Grill corncobs, rotating every so often, for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from grill, peel back husks, brush with olive oil, then grill, turning occasionally, until the kernels have turned a bright yellow and the cob is slightly charred – approx. 6-8 minutes.

Arrange on a serving platter, brush with extra virgin olive oil and scatter with chili, sea salt, and chopped cilantro. Finish with Parmesan and lime zest. Serve with lime wedges.

Brenda