Best Corn Salad Ever!

Summer is here and I love me some good ole summer salads. Black beans, avocado, CORN! Eat them hot or cold, summer salads are what grilling out is all about!

Years ago my good friend, Ashley over at Wee Wander, gave me this recipe. I’m not sure if she concocted it because she’s and former chef and all, but either way, it’s amazing. It’s super simple and yet the flavors are unlike any other veggie summer salad (or corn salad for that matter) that I’ve ever tried. The secret? Apple cider vinegar.

Here’s the recipe and 21 Day Fix container breakdown, below!

INGREDIENTS

• 5 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. EVOO
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. basil (dried) or 1 Tbsp. chopped (fresh)

DIRECTIONS

Boil corn for 3 minutes. Remove and plunge into ice water to stop the corn from cooking. Remove kernels and toss all ingredients (except fresh basil) together in a bowl. Allow to marinate for several hours or overnight. Toss with fresh basil before serving.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

1/2 cup = yellow

Meatballs!!

I LOVE meatballs. I love when they’re browned ever so slightly on the outside to lock in the delicious, moist meat on the inside then baked to perfection so that when you bite into one, it literally melts in your mouth.

Yeah, I daydream about meatballs. You know what else? My waistline can’t afford to eat said meatballs all that often because of the amount of fat and calories loaded in ONE of those little bad boys. So, alas, I had to find a clean version that not only tasted just as wonderful as the ones packed with fat and oil, but were also just as easy.

Guess what? I found it! Even better? They’re 21 Day Fix approved!

Here’s the recipe:

One serving is 2 meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup Pecorino (or Parmesan)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 egg, whisked
zest of half a lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 14-ounce can store-bought pizza sauce
About 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (I use shredded but slices would actually be a good option, too)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F, setting rack to upper third part of oven. In a large bowl, using your hands, gently mix together first 11 ingredients. Shape into lacrosse-ball size balls (that would be somewhere between golf and tennis) and place a few inches from each other on a sprayed, foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix one spoonful of your pizza sauce with olive oil. Brush this mixture on top of each meatball. Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove meatballs from oven, spoon some sauce on top of each meatball, and cover each with a slice of cheese. Broil another 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. Heat remaining sauce in a small saucepan.

21 Day Fix container breakdown per serving:

1 red 1/3 yellow 1/2 to 1 blue

Recipe courtesy of Dinner: A Love Story

What’s For Dinner: Fajitas!

Need something quick, easy and VERY kid friendly? Try these 21-Day Fix-approved fajitas!

We love quick, easy, and kid friendly in our house. And these fajitas hit the spot! I’m too often underwhelmed by fajitas when I get them at Mexican restaurants because the flavor is usually so-so. So I was reluctant to try these bad boys because, well, the spice ingredients, or, rather, the amount of the spices for this recipe seemed like nothing. I mean, how could 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and a teaspoon of chili powder, etc. season FOUR chicken breasts, a green pepper, and an onion and remain flavorful?

I don’t know the answer but I do know this: the flavor is bangin’! And the way it’s cooked leaves the chicken super tender and moist. So tasty is the chicken that I had to stop myself from nibbling here and there on it once it was finished! One thing we did modify was that we added a second pepper to up the veggie content.

This is just one of the amazing recipes from 21 Day Fix Extreme. (There are SO many more from the eating plan!) It amazes me sometimes that eating healthy can be THIS good AND this EASY.

Here’s the recipe and the 21 Day Fix container breakdown, below:

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 servings, 2 fajitas each

• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 (5-6 oz.) raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into 1/2 in strips
• 2 medium red or green red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 medium avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh salsa
• lime wedge for garnish, optional
• Nonfat plain Greek yogurt for garnish, optional
• Corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine chili powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 tsp oil in large resealable plastic bag.
2. Add chicken, bell pepper, and onion; mix gently to coat.
3. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Empty contents of bag into skillet; cook stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Remove from heat. Add lime juice.
7. Toasts corn tortilla in skillet.
8. Evenly top corn tortillas with chicken mixture, avocado and salsa.
9. Garnish with lime wedges if desired.

21 Day Fix container breakdown:

2 Green, 1/2 purple, 1 red, 1/2 blue

Family-Friendly Recipe Redo!

I’ve sort of become obsessed lately of scouring Pinterest and my copies of Southern Living, bon appetit, and Martha Stewart Living to find recipes that aren’t necessarily that good for you, but that I can make clean … and kid friendly. I’ve been able to tweak things here and there by subbing out sour cream for non-fat Greek yogurt or sugar for honey. It’s all been in an effort to eat clean and in the proper proportions, all of which has been fueled by my great results from 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme.

(I’m also following the baby-led weaning method of eating for my 6 month old in order to 1) have her eat unprocessed foods and 2) allow her to explore food more and, in turn, create a less picky eater. More on this topic in a later post!)

So my question for you is this: what is your go-to family-friendly recipe? Is it homemade mac ‘n’ cheese? Is it buttermilk chicken fingers? Is it shrimp stir fry? Is it baked ziti?

And my second question is: how healthy do you think that meal is? Because here’s the thing: I want to remake YOUR go-to meals and make them cleaner and healthier. I want to provide YOU with options on how to create a healthy meal for you and your family that doesn’t contain a whole assortment of processed foods with artificial coloring and dyes and sweeteners, etc.

So I’m asking YOU to provide me with your go-to, family-friendly recipe so that I can attempt to remake it into a healthier, cleaner version. Comment below with your recipe or comment with the link. And please share with your friends! The more recipes we can remake, the cleaner and healthier we all can be for ourselves and our families!