A quick and tasty, healthy recipe to remember

Bruschetta Chicken

This recipe provides 6 servings

1)    4 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2)    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3)    1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

4)    2 teaspoons garlic powder

5)    3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

6)    4 medium tomatoes, diced

7)    ½ red onion, finely chopped

8)    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

9)    ⅓ Cup fresh chopped fresh basil, plus more leaves for garnish

10) Balsamic vinegar, for topping

11) Grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Instructions:

1. Season the chicken on both sides with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned on both sides and fully cooked, approximately 8 minutes.

3. While the chicken cooks, mix together the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, red onion, and basil.

4. Divide the tomato mixture among the chicken breasts, placing a large scoop on top. Garnish with additional basil, balsamic vinegar and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Suggestion: Serve with your favorite salad.

Enjoy!

Book Recommendation

If you have ever experienced stomach issues, or know someone that has, you know it is not fun, at all!

With this being said, I strongly recommend the following book. It is very insightful and informative.

“The Bloated Belly Whisperer,” by Tamara Duker Freuman, MS, RD, CDN

Insight leads to awareness and this awareness leads to goal achievement in health, mind and spirit.

When we lose focus such communication errors happen…

The following is an actual phone message that I received regarding a repair of our stove, arrangements made by our landlord (Linda): 

“Hi Linda, this is Carol, actually…Hi Robert this is Carol from the appliance repair department, your parts are hopefully due in by Wed.

I am pre-scheduling you for Friday, if that does not work please let us know, if it does, one of the girls will give you a call on Thursday with a time for Wed.

Thank You.

Bye Bye.”

She was distracted for whatever reason (s), for example she was not calling Linda (first error) and (second error) “a time for Wed,” when she began the sentence by saying she was pre-scheduling for Friday.

I discuss internal/ external distractions and effective communication in my book, as I have previously stated, my book is a handy reminder for such things that affect us all, on a daily basis, such as effective communication and focusing skills.

All of us make focusing and communication errors, this being said, with the insights offered in my book we are in a much better position to recognize and improve our focusing and communication skills.

When we improve our focusing and communication skills we greatly increase our chances of accomplishing our goals and realizing our dreams! 

6 Reasons Why We Eat What We Eat...

1)   Personal Preference

2)   Availability

3)   Convenience

4)   Familiarity

5)   Temptation

6)   Social Reasons   

Healthy, Tasty Side Recipe

Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This recipe provides 6 servings

Ingredients:

1)    1 ½ pounds Brussel sprouts, cut in half through the core

2)    4 ounces pancetta, diced

3)    ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

4)    2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

5)    Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1)    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan, including some of the loose leaves, which turn crispy when they’re roasted.

2)    Add the pancetta, olive oil, sea salt and pepper, toss with your hands, spreading out in a single layer.

3)    Roast the Brussels sprouts for approximately 25 minutes, until they are tender and nicely browned and the pancetta is cooked. Toss once during roasting.

4)    Remove from the oven, drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar, toss again and serve hot.

          Enjoy!

Point to Ponder...

Life is often a big game of “Tug of War” between mediocrity, and trying to find your best self, which is why it is vitally important to stay focused, each and every day in a goal directed fashion.  

6 Fat Facts

1)    Oils are mostly unsaturated fats

2)    Foods labeled “ fat free” may not be 100% fat free

3)    Animal fat, coconut and palm oil are mostly saturated

4)    Fats help us absorb fat-soluble vitamins

5)    The main way energy is stored is in fat from our excess food intake

6)    Body fats can store unabsorbed drugs that might have been taken years ago

Saturday Salad Idea

Thinly Sliced Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:

1)    1 head cauliflower

2)    3 tablespoons olive oil

3)    1-2 sliced garlic cloves

4)    3-5 thin slices lemon

5)    ½  teaspoon crushed coriander seeds

6)    ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

7)    A pinch of sea salt

8)    A pinch of freshly ground pepper

9)    2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

1)    Thinly slice 1 head cauliflower.

2)    Make dressing: Cook olive oil, lemon slices, garlic cloves, coriander, and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, approximately 4 minutes.

3)    Remove from heat, add lemon juice, and then pour over the cauliflower.

4)    Season the cauliflower salad with salt and pepper and toss.

5)  Enjoy this tasty Saturday side salad! 

Sunday Reminder...

Sunday is the day to be thinking and creating a healthy meal plan for the upcoming week!

One of the keys to your success is fueling your body with healthy foods.

A quote for the week...

“Don’t downgrade your dreams just to fit your current reality. Upgrade your determination to match your destiny.”

Quote to Remember

“What You Are Thinking About, You Are Becoming.”  Muhammad Ali

What are the benefits of bone broth?

Just click on the link below, please...


Benefits of Bone Broth





Enjoy!

6 Reminders

Below are 6 reminders why my book is a handy little resource.

1) This book is a reminder that with each passing week…with each passing day…with each passing hour there is less time for setting goals, accomplishing them, realizing our life’s purpose, and enjoying every day; this book is about asking ourselves: “What is going on in my life right now?” “Is my motivation taking me in a goal directed fashion?” “Where do I want to be in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year…5 years, etc.?”

  

2) This book is a reminder of the importance of resiliency because it is an essential aspect of  motivation. We all face challenges, setbacks, exposure to severe risk at times and stress or injury. With this in mind, it is important to remember; a key function of motivation is to adjust one’s personal goals in ways that improve one’s possibilities to manage one’s life situation. Individuals who have difficulties in making this adjustment are incapable or unwilling to change their previous goals are at a greater risk of feeling unhappy.

3) This book is a reminder that the key to having continued success rest upon reevaluating  your goals  and having realistic expectations.

4) This book is a reminder that self-awareness is an essential pre-condition for positive change; therefore, the topic to explore is what’s working and what’s not working in the area of desired change.

5) This book is a reminder that articulating and creating a compelling vision of your desired future self is the foundation for planning and reaching your long-term goals.

6) This book is a reminder that each day that we awaken, we take a step toward reaching our goals, remain the same, or take a step back. With this in mind, the core goal of this book is to remind everyone reading it (including myself) of the profound importance of realizing…with each passing week...with each passing day…with each passing hour…we have less time to do everything that we hope to in our life’s that brings us a sense of accomplishment and happiness.

Remember, in the words of Diana Scharf Hunt, “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” 

  

Sunday Breakfast Idea

Apple Pie-Spiced Oatmeal

This recipe provides 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1)    2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2)    4 dates, pitted and finely chopped

3)    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4)    Pinch of ground allspice

5)    Pinch of nutmeg

6)    Pinch of sea salt

7)    2 apples, cored and cut into chucks

8)    1 ¾ cups 2% low-fat milk, plus extra to top oatmeal

Instructions:

1)    Put the oats, chopped dates, and spices into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan with three-quarters of the apple chucks and add a pinch of sea salt. Pour in the milk and 1 ¾ cups hot water and stir over medium heat until the porridge begins to simmer.

2)    Simmer gently for approximately 15 minutes, stirring regularly for a creamy consistency. The apple chucks will collapse into the oatmeal and the liquid should all be absorbed.

3)    To serve, top with the remaining apple chunks. Serve with a little pitcher of extra milk on the side to top oatmeal.

Slight variations: Swap the cow’s milk for soy or rice milk...something to think about as an alternative.

Enjoy!

Monday Meal Idea

Sesame Roasted Cabbage Steaks

This recipe provides 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1)    4 slices ( 1-inch thick) green cabbage, cut from the center (10 ounces inch)

2)    4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

3)    1 teaspoon black and white sesame seeds

4)    1 teaspoon sea salt

5)    Cooking spray

Instructions:

1)    Adjust an oven rack in the bottom third and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

2)    Place the cabbage on prepared baking sheet and drizzle it with the sesame oil. Season with ½ teaspoon sea salt.

3)    Roast on the bottom rack until the bottoms are slightly charred, approximately 15 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage, season with the remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt, and roast until tender and browned on the bottom, approximately 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Rice with Almonds and Peas

This recipe provides 4 servings

Ingredients:

1)    1 cup unsalted chicken stock

2)    ¾ cup uncooked white basmati rice

3)    ½  teaspoon sea salt

4)    1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

5)    ½  teaspoon black pepper

6)    ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions:

1)    Bring chicken stock, rice, and sea salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff rice with a fork. Stir in peas and pepper. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds.

Enjoy!

Good to Know Info…

One of the key ingredients of eating right and being ready for sports and various physical training activities is the increased intake of carbohydrates. Typically, the best carbohydrates to choose for exercise are the complex, unrefined varieties, which take longer for the body to break down, therefore releasing their energy more slowly.

Great carbohydrate choices include oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat or brown rice pasta, brown rice, noodles, whole-wheat couscous, beans, and potatoes.

Eat the food that best fuels your body for the task-at-hand, thus putting yourself in a much better position to accomplish your goals and realize your dreams! 

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

This recipe provides 4 servings

Ingredients:

1)    1 head cauliflower (approximately 1 ½ pounds)

2)    2 tablespoons reduced- sodium soy sauce

3)    1 tablespoon olive oil

4)    1 teaspoon sea salt

5)    2 tablespoon mirin

6)    1 ½ tablespoon honey

7)    1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

8)    4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (approximately 4 ounces each), trimmed of fat.

9)    Cooking spray

10) 2 scallions, chopped, for garnish

11) 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

1)    Cut out and discard the core of the cauliflower, then break the cauliflower into florets. Pulse the florets in a food processor until you have rice-size pieces. (Another option, grate the florets on the large holes of a box grater.)

2)    Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and sea salt. Cook, stirring, until the “rice” is crisp-tender, approximately 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

3)    In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, ginger and mirin.

4)    Heat a nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 4 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to low and pour the sauce over the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly, turning the chicken halfway, about another minute. Remove the pan from the heat to prevent the sauce from drying out.

5)    To serve, place 1 cup cauliflower “rice” in each of 4 serving bowls. Slice each chicken thigh on an angle and place over the cauliflower rice. Top each with sauce from the pan and sprinkle with the scallions and sesame seeds.

Recipe Insight: Serving this recipe over cauliflower “rice” is a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your meal.

Enjoy!

Healthy Snack Idea

Crunchy Chickpeas

This recipe provides 4 servings

Ingredients:

1)    2 (15- ounce) cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried well

2)    2 tablespoons olive oil

3)    2 teaspoons ground cumin

4)    Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1)    Preheat oven to 350 F.

2)    Make sure the chickpeas are completely dry, then spread them over 2 baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over the cumin, then season with sea salt and pepper

3)    Put the sheets into the oven and roast for approximately 15 minutes, until the chickpeas are completely crisp. Check them after 10 minutes and give the sheet a shake to move the chickpeas around.

4)    Remove the sheets from the oven and allow the chickpeas to cool before serving. You can store any leftover that you may have in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Tip: The key to getting the chickpeas really crisp is to make sure they are as dry as possible before you put them in the oven.

Enjoy!

Oat and Berry Smoothie

This recipe provides 1 serving

Ingredients:

1)    1/3 cup rolled oats

2)    2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

3)    2 teaspoons honey

4)    ¾ cup blackberries

5)    ¾ cup blueberries

6)    2 teaspoons ground flax seeds

Instructions:

1)    Put oats into a blender and pour the milk over the oats, then let sit for approximately 5 minutes.

2)    Add honey, blackberries, blueberries, and ground flax seeds, then blend until smooth.

By adding oats and flax seeds to your fruit smoothie will not only help you feel fuller longer but will also slow down the rate at which the natural sugars from the fruit hit your system, helping you to avoid peaks and lows in blood sugar levels throughout the day.

You can also add other fruits, for example, bananas, mango, strawberries, and raspberries. This smoothie is great before workouts and the start of a work day.

Enjoy!