Parmesean Zucchini Bake

A lot of things went wrong in my crazy house today, but one thing that went amazingly right was this side dish. It's simple, delicious, only takes a few ingredients, and my kids not only helped make it, but they gobbled it up! The only problem I had with this recipe is when I took it to work, my coworkers tentatively took tastes... And then ate almost all of my dish! Try this out next time you need to get some veggies in with dinner. You might be surprised who eats it!

Here's what you need:

• 4 Zucchini quartered lengthwise
• Lemon (zest and wedges)
• 1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
• Garlic, finely chopped (I used minced garlic)
• 1 T Olive Oil

 

First, preheat your oven to 350°.  Combine your cheese, lemon peel, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in small bowl and mix well. You'll want to wash your zucchini and have it sliced lengthwise. Place it skin side down on large baking dish. Now, here was a great job for my 5 year old: I let her brush all the zucchini with olive oil and then sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. 

Pro tip: Make sure you supervise this step closely or you'll most likely have a giant pile of cheese in the middle of your pan! ;)

That's it! Now, you simply bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until they're nice and tender (poke with a fork), or a little longer if you want some crisp. You can garnish with lemon wedges, or like me, thin slice them right on top before baking for a little extra kick. My 3 year old son loved getting to have the "important job" of placing the lemon slices.

PROTIP: If you're a crazy busy mama like me, after brushing the zucchini with olive oil (you can mix a dab of lemon juice in instead of zest), grab your pre-blended Italian herb blend and sprinkle it on, then the cheese. It's just as good and twice as simple!

I truly hope you enjoyed this recipe. It's clean, simple, easy, and delicious- all my favorite things in one dish! For the 21 Day Fix (the clean eating nutrition plan I used to help myself lose 95 pounds and keep it off!), this entire dish serves four, with each serving counting as 2 greens, 1/2 a blue, and a teaspoon! If you want to learn more about that program, message me, email me here, or order it here!
 

Please share this recipe with your friends and loved ones who may enjoy it, and as always, love healthy, live happy! 

Love, Amanda

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe, and let me know what you think

A Healthy Kicken' Chicken Salad

I really love the chicken salad wraps and sandwiches from Arby's, but although they brand them as healthy, they simply aren't. They are chock-full of mayo and unhealthy sugar and fat that you don't really need in your healthy diet. One thing that has helped be be successful with my clean-eating lifestyle, not only losing 95 pounds but KEEPING it off, is finding ways to make these favorite recipes in a way that actually is good for me and that y whole family enjoys. This way, I never feel like I'm missing out. This chicken salad is my own version, inspired by Autumn Calabrese' recipe from the Fixate cookbook. **If you haven't heard of that cookbook but want to get your hands on your own copy, you can find it here.**

I always start my week by prepping chicken breast in the oven. It saves me time and money throughout the week, and I can use it in various recipes.

Here's what you'll need to make my version of this delicious salad, with the 21 Day Fix Container equivalents also:

• 1 Cup Chopped Celery (1 Green)
• 1 Cup Chopped Red Seedless Grapes (1 Purple)
• 1 Cup Chopped Apple (1 Purple)
• 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Chicken Breast (Bake your own like I did or buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it to save time!)

For the dressing part, you'll need:

• 3 T Rice or Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 T Local Raw Honey
• 3 T Dijon or Stone Ground Mustard
• 1 1/2 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt (2 Reds)

Take a few minutes to prep your ingredients and chop them up.

I wait until I'm ready to use the chicken to chop it up. This prevents it from drying out in the fridge. :)

This is really so simple. First, mix your dressing base together in a bowl (yogurt, vinegar, honey, and mustard). You can add salt and pepper to taste.

Once you've done this, dump all your chopped ingredients on top!

Fold, or gently mix your ingredients together in the bowl. That's it! You now have your Creamy Chicken Salad!

If you divide this entire bowl into two portions, it will count as 1 Purple, 1 Green, 2 Reds, and 1/2 an orange on the 21 Day Fix Plan. Yes, that's a HUGE amount of salad! I personally broke it up over 2 meals at work. Questions? Just ask!

I love to use this on whole grain wraps, but you can also place it on whole grain bread to make a sandwich, or even put it on crispy lettuce bibs to avoid the carbs!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and your family loves it as much as I do. Please comment on this post if you have any questions, and share this recipe with those you think will want to try it! As always, I'm here for you if you need help and support on your fitness journey. Live healthy, live happy! Love, Amanda