Zucchini Lasagna

My husband is Italian so of course he loves those amazingly good but fattening dishes, such as Lasgna.  Ok let's be honest WHO DOESN'T!!!

I am far from an Italian or an Italian cook at that! But I enjoy cooking and I enjoy creating  healthier dishes for my family to enjoy.  

We grew zucchini, basil, oregano and tomatoes in our garden this year so I though... Why not!! 

Although I will be honest I cheated And skipped using the tomatoes and bought organic tomato sauce! 

Don't worry though I dolled it up so its half homemade! (You can tell I'm not an Italian .... Hahaha)

In this recipe I used the zucchini as the noodles to create a delicious low carb and gluten free lasagna! I promise, you won't miss the noodles! 

I also used ground turkey instead of beef to cut on fat and keep it more lean! 

Here is what you will need 

- 1 lbs of lean ground turkey 

- 2Tbs minced garlic

-1 small white onion diced 

- 1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms 

- 2tsp garlic salt

-1 Tbs Italian seasoning 

-two jars organic tomato sauce 

- 3tbs fresh chopped basil 

- fresh oregano 

-2tsp garlic salt 

- 3 medium/large zucchinis ... Sliced 1/8" thick 

- 15 oz part skim ricotta 

-16 oz part skin mozzarella cheese (shredded) 

- 1/4 cup grated fresh parmigiana 

So what I do first is slice the zucchini with a mandolin to keep it thin and a consistent thickness.  (I used three medium to larger zuccs)

Once they are all sliced I place them out on paper towels and lightly salt an let sit for 10 minutes. This pulls out some of the  moisture. (After ten minutes dab with paper towel ) 

While that's sitting I start to brown the turkey in large sauce pan. 

While the turkey is cooking I dice up 1 medium to small white onion, and about 1 1/2cup of mushrooms (I use baby portobello) 

Once the turkey is cooked through drain and rinse and add back to large sauce pan.  

Add in a small white diced onion and two big tbs of minced garlic. Cook until onion Is translucent.

Then add in the mushrooms.   

Also add in spices 

1 tbs Italian seasoning 

2 tsp garlic salt 

Let cook for a couple minutes to get mushrooms soft 

Once mushrooms are soft poor in the two jars of organic tomato sauce and add in about 3 tbs of fresh chopped basil and 1 tbs fresh spicy oregano. 

Stir and Let simmer on low for at least 30 minute 

While this simmers begin either grilling your zucchini strips on the grill or stove. This softens the zucchini a and helps to pull out additional moisture .

Once sauce and grilling is done you can begin layering in your zucchini, sauce and ricotta and mozzarella  cheese. 

I layer it at least twice and I then sprinkle with fresh parm on top ! 

Bake at 375* for 45 minutes covered. Then uncover for for the remaining 15 minutes. 

Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

And enjoy!!! I hope this is Italian approved! I know my picky husband approved!!!

Authentic margarita

You know the saying "when life gives you

Lemons make lemonade!"  

Well I say when life gives you limes make margarita!!!

Lemonade isn't going to do a dang thing for ya!!  

Have I mentioned I looovvvve Mexican food! Okay maybe I've mentioned it once or twice, but I seriously do love Mexican food! And of course that includes margaritas!!!

I mean if you have an authentic Mexican meal without a margarita. 

Of course health is important to me but your allowed to cheat every once in a while!! Although a margarita may be considered a cheat I try to keep it healthier by using Fresh squeezed lime juice! 

This is one recipe you will want to keep in the books!! 

It's so good you might want to be careful because it will knock you on your butt! 

So here is what you will need...  (And a Splash of OJ) 

And lots and lots of these ... 

I usually buy about 12 to 15 . 

A little tip when you're buying limes you want the skin to be smooth and the lime to be soft.  

 

Squeeze your limes with the juicer And pour into a  cup or measuring cup 

The ratio will be one part of lime juice to 1 part of tequila to 1/2 part Cointreau and another 1/2 of triple sec. And just a splash of orange juice! 

Mix in a pitcher with ice and let sit for about 15 minutes before serving. 

Serve on the rocks with some salt and enjoy!!  

Just remember...  "tequila (may) make her clothes fall off!"  

So drink responsibly!  😉

Baked Curry Chicken

I love Curry!! Like seriously LOVE it!! Hence why I like Thai food so much! 

 Not to mention its totally amazing for your body!!! 

Check out all the amazing things curry can help your body with! 

So anyways I decided to create this curry baked chicken... 

You will need 

A package of chicken boobies 

1/2 cup oc diced Celery 

1/4 white Onion (diced)

1Tbs Minced garlic 

1 heaping tsp Curry 

1/2 tsp Poultry seasoning 

1/2 a can of Evaporated condensed low fat milk 

Salt to taste 

Butter 

First sauté the onions and garlic in the butter 

Mix milk, sautéed onions and garlic, celery and seasoning in a bowl

Add chicken to baking dish and poor mixture over 

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes 

Once meat is slightly browned and white to cut into it is done! 

Suggestion:

Serve with steamed green beans And brown rice or quinoa ! 

Enjoy!!! 

Zucchini Egg Bites

Are you bored of your breakfast?
Want to add some pizzazz and flavor?!
Try these Zucchini Egg Bites.  (you can make them bigger into muffins, or keep them in small bite sized pans like these are... )

This is a perfect combination of protein and complex carbs for any snack or meal. 

Here is what you will need
3 Cups Grated Zucchini (squeeze out the moisture)
2 or 3 eggs (beat together)
1 cup of shredded low fat, cheese of choice (we used natural and whole shredded Parm)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup of finely chopped white onion
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Spay little bite size muffin pans
-Evenly divide mixture into tins, packing down each and filling to the top
Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes or until edges are browned

Enjoy these as a breakfast, a snack or even a side dish!!

Clean chicken fajitas

I am slightly obsessed with Mexican food... I am almost positive I could et Mexican every single day and never get sick of it!  As long as I can have my margaritas in there too!!! (Recipe to come!) 

So I thought I would share a simple and tasty chicken fajita recipe my cousin shared with me!! 

You will need 

Here is what you will need 

1 medium/small white onion 

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 orange pepper

2-3 jalepano peppers (to taste)

Bunch of Cilantro 

1 lime

Chicken 

Whole wheat or Ezekiel wrap 

Greek plain yogurt 

Shredded cheese 

Papas Pico de gallo 

Avocado 

Chop up peppers and onions 

Coat pan with olive oil and sautée onions until translucent -you can even add some minced garlic if you want! 

Once onions begin to turn add in diced peppers- stir frequently to keep from burning. 

 

While this is cooking cube your chicken breasts

Then add to pot.  

Mince jalepano's (use as many as you need to get it as spicy as you want) . Then add to the pot.  

Chop up cilantro and then add into pot 

Let this cook for a while on medium heat, stirring often until chicken is cooked through.  

Squeeze half a lime into the pot and add seasoning 

Once chicken is cooked create your fajita and enjoy! 

I sometimes skip the wrap and add all in a bowl .... But not tonight! 

Ohhh yum! 

 

Healthy Banana Bread

Growing up I loved my moms banana bread! And now my son loves it as well. I mean it's bomb! I don't know who wouldn't like it....

But the problem is there's refined sugar and white flour in it- making it ehhh NOT so healthy! 

Braden was begging for it the other day so we decided to have some fun in the kitchen. 

They are such good little helpers!!! 

So with a little tweaking I created my own healthier  version and it's still pretty dang good!! It is kid (by my picky eater) approved so I think it passes the test 😜.

 

Here is what you will need! 

2 cup whole wheat flour or oat flour 

1cup organic coconut sugar 

2 bananas 

2 eggs 

1 stick butter

1 tbs of Greek yogurt 

1 lemon (1tsp lemon juice and lemon rind grated) 

1tsp baking soda 

(If you like it a little sweeter you can add a tbs of honey or agave) 

Mix butter and sugar together until smooth

Add rest of ingredients in and blend 

Bake for about an hour at 350 on middle rack 

Enjoy! 

Asparagus Salad

Want a twist to your asparagus!? 

Well why not shred it with a peel wrong and create a salad!? 

Delicious and sooo nutritious!! 

Asparagus is loaded with vitamin A, C, E, and K.  Along with chromium, fiber and folate. It helps to enhance the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream trough trace minerals.    It also helps to detox the body through glutathione.  It may even protect against certain cancers such as bone, breast, Colin and lung cancer. It is also packed with antioxidants and anti aging properties.    So why not eat it!? (Some people are scared of it! Maybe it was prepared awfully as a kid and they don't want to have it again... But trust me- its worth it and it's good!)   

So take your asparagus and break the ends off.  This will get all the stringy hard part off ! (Don't cut the ends) 

Then use a peeler to peel the asparagus so it looks like this ...

Then top it with some goodies am dressing! 

I added canned water packed Tuna with a squeeze of lemon 

And balsamic . 

And you get this.... 

You can add some more spices to it or basil, oregano or tomato.  But I need to go shopping so mine wasn't as spruced up.  But still awesome!!! 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

Healthy Ice Pop Recipe

HEALTHY ORANGE CREAMSICLE

Do you remember as a kid eating those Orange Creamsicles ice pop?!
OOhhh YUM! I ALWAYS loved those!

Ohhh man.. Well as you grow up you realize how unhealthy these yummy little things are!

So I decided- Hey- why not make a new ORANGE CREAMSICLE ice pop our of the delicious NEW Vanilla shakeology!!! So that's what I did!

 

My kids love them and I have to admit... (shh).. so do I!!

 

Try them out! It is 70 pure, natural ingredients in AN ICE POP! BONUS!

 

First you need Vanilla shakeology, which you can get here.

 

Orange Creamsicle Ice Pop recipe:

1/2 cup fresh squeezed OJ

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 tsp grated orange peel

1 scoop vanilla shakeology

 

Blend together in a blender until smooth.  Then fill your ice pop trays and freeze!

 

These are perfect for a nice hot summer day, without the guilt!

 

And you will win the kids over with these treats! They will never know its like eating 5 salads!  *****You can keep that our little secret *****

 

 

3 Day Cleanse

The Shakeology 3 Day Cleanse

 

I am doing the 3 day cleanse right now as Phase 1 of my new Challenge group How to lose 10lbs in 21 days (which I will blog about later!)!

I am on day 3 and feeling AWESOME!
I honestly can say that I have no cravings, I have energy and I am feeling empowered!!
I have not had a problem doing the 3 day cleanse at all. It is mostly a mental challenge, but once you get past that, its cake! (oh shoot maybe I shouldn't be mentioning CAKE while on a cleanse.. whoops)

The first time I did the cleanse however was a different story.
The first two days I was more fatigued and I had a headache from withdrawal of caffeine and releasing of the toxins.
Since that first cleanse I have been eating way beater, laid off the caffeine for the most part and just feel better overall with my eating habits, so I think this time around the cleanse isn't as shocking to my body.
The first time I did the 3 day cleanse I lost 4 lbs! We will see tomorrow AM how much I lost this time! :)

Here are a few words from my Challengers as to how they are feeling on Day 3:

Danielle Ewing

 I am feeling GREAT today!! I honestly think this is the longest I have ever stuck to a meal plan (sad I know), I usually always start modifying and justifying, but not this time!! I can't believe the differences I see. Especially my face! My skin is brighter, it looks tighter and clearer. Very pleased

 

Kaitlin Marks

 

I also feel great! I've noticed I have a ton of energy (which I didn't think was possible without coffee!). When my alarm goes off in the morning I'm up and ready to start the day, where as before I would hit the snooze as much as I could! I feel lighter, and am ready for the next phase!!!

 

Jena Desiderio

Yeah I feel awesome today so proud of myself making it to day 3 of this cleanse and sticking to it i can already feel a difference in my body!

Amy Estes

I literally woke up this morning after only one day of the cleanse (I'm a day behind), and my husband says, "Whoa! 19-year old Amy!" Must have lost a ton of water weight?! Haha!

 

 

So here is the DL on the 3 Day Cleanse

The Benefits of the Shakeology 3-Day-Cleanse

What is the Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse? The Shakeology 3-Day cleanse is truly a nutrient wealthy, calorie restrictive strategy that's made to rid your whole physique of undigested meals and poisonous compounds, as well as to permit your whole body run far much more successfully. The benefits are many, here are the top ones…

§  Rid your body of fat

§  Detoxify your body

§  Jump start your weight loss and fitness routine

§  Body rejuvenation

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

§  How many calories will I get per day?
800 - 1,100 per day 

§  How often can I do the Shakeology Cleanse?
Ideally you should do it once per quarter (every 3 months) 
When you start a new workout program 
When you feel you need help breaking through a weight-loss plateau   

§  Should I/Can I still do my workout during the Cleanse?
It depends on the individual as you will have less energy.  If you are very active and do intense workouts you may want to ease up for the three days, not stop all together but simply do something less intense.  Listen to your body!

§  Can I do a 1-day or 2-day Cleanse?
Yes, some people see results in 1 or 2 days.  It is NOT recommended doing the Cleanse for longer than 3 days.

 

 

 

So you want the DETAILS?!

 

First go log onto my beachbody account and sign up for a free online account with ME as your coach :) CLICK here TO SIGN UP TODAY!

 

 

Ok, now that you signed up for a free account here it is!

 

 

The shake cleanse is meant to jump start you in your fitness, break a plateau or shred pounds fast and effectively in a healthy way, in just 3 days!

SHAKEOLOGY 3 DAY CLEANSE

     TRY IT TODAY

  

The basics are as follows:

3 SHAKEOLOGY shakes a day

2 cups of Green tea a day

2 pieces of fruit a day

1 salad for dinner

Only white grilled protein in salad.

 

NO: 

Dairy or extra sugar

Only low fat dressings.

You can put your 2 snacks before/after any major meals-breakfast, lunch & dinner.

The fruit is optional.  Some will need the calories where others would not.  Power workout participants (super conditioned-not the weight challenged) are recommended the greater calories.

(For max results NO additives.)

NO DAIRY products at all for max results, no almond soy or rice milk.

Dinner salad was only WHITE GRILLED PROTEIN. Poultry or fish

REPEAT ALL 3 DAYS!

 

EXAMPLE DAY:

 

Breakfast: Shakeology- 1 scoop

½ cup of fruit-optional

Add ice & 8-10 oz water

Snack:  1 piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, peaches).

Water 8-10 oz

Lunch:  Shakeology- 1 scoop, ice & 10 oz water.

Snack:  (either a snack here or after dinner - one or the other)

Shakeology, 1 scoop, ice and 8-10oz water.

Dinner:  Salad with grilled white fish or poultry with low fat dressing if you wish

(I made my own with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil & 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar.  Add as many veggies as you want!

Snack: You can have a snack here if you haven’t already had your snack earlier in the day.

I would drink a cup of green tea in the evenings to stave off my hunger!

 

For additional information or to place an order for the CLEANSE please contact

 Amie DeSanzo at 908-328-7284 or adesanzo22@gmail.com

www.shakeology.com/amiedesanzo

www.facebook.com/amiedesanzo