Low Carb Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

Hi fit fam!  It has been quite some time since I've shared a delicious and nutritious recipe with you all.  But, wait no more!  Lol :)  I like to get creative with my food.  Because, let's face it, food is awesome!  I will probably eat almost anything, and I'm not going to lie I love pizza, froyo, and nut butters probably a little too much lol.  But, it IS possible to make healthier versions of your favorite foods and here is an example of doing just that!

With just 3 simple ingredients you can make...

Low Carb Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

Ingredients:
- One bag of frozen Cauliflower Florets (you can use a head of fresh cauliflower)
- 1/4 cup Unsweetend Vanilla Almond Milk
- Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning

Instructions:
- Empty cauliflower florets into a microwave safe dish with a couple tablespoons of water and cover.
- Heat on high (covered) for 10-12 minutes, stirring one time half way.
- Pour microwaved cauliflower into a blender or processor (if you don't have either, you can use a masher, it will just take longer).
- Add in the 1/4 cup of almond milk and season with Mrs. Dash to your liking.
- Blend the ingredients together to your desired consistency (I personally like mine a little chunkier, but I know some people who prefer them pureed).

And.... you are done!

Additional Ideas:
You can choose to garnish with some low fat shredded cheese or if you're going gluten and dairy free you can use almond cheese like I did.  You can purchase almond cheese at your local health food store such as Whole Foods.  They have a few different flavors like cheddar, monterrey jack, or mozzarella like I used.  If I had some green onions or chives I probably would have added those on top too!

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

100 grams of Cauliflower:

23 calories, 0g fat, 4g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 2g protein

vs.

100 grams of Potato:

94 calories, 0g fat, 21g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 2g protein

Chicken Breast Bundles

I love buying my food in bulk and preparing my meals in advance so I always have clean and delicious food ready to eat.  No excuses!  If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail and I'd rather set myself up for success!  So I went to SAMs with my mom today to stock up on some healthy eats for the week.

My fit food for this week!

I wanted to do something a little different and have some fun with my chicken and veggies so I just rolled them all up together and they turned out ahmazeballz!

These Chicken Breast Bundles were so simple to make and tasted moist and scrumptious so I thought I'd share my easy recipe with you all :)

Candy's Chicken Breast Bundles

Ingredients:
- 4 Chicken Breasts (4 oz. each)
- 4 tbsp Mrs. Dash Zesty Garlic Herb Marinade 
- 12 Asparagus Spears (cut in half)
- 1/4 Red Bell Pepper (sliced small)

Instructions:
- Pound chicken breast down to thin layer (about 1/4 an inch thick).
- Spread 1 tbsp of Mrs. Dash Marinade on each chicken breast.
- Wash and cut asparagus spears in half and place 6 halves on one end of marinated chicken breast.
- Wash and slice a red bell pepper and place 2 thin slices amongst the asparagus.
- Roll up the veggies inside the chicken and place toothpicks through to hold.
- Grill Chicken Breast Bundles on 400 degree heat for about 12 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink and fully cooked (chicken should be cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees F).

I really loved the blend of flavors this provided!  The marinade made the savory chicken and asparagus zesty, and the red bell pepper added a wonderful sweetness.  You can always experiment and add different vegetables or even fruit!  I can't wait to try out various combinations :)  Keep it simple and keep it clean and of course enjoy every bite!

Nutritional Information:

Per Serving (Serves 4)

153 calories, 5g fat, 70mg sodium, 

5g carbohydrates (1g fiber, 2g sugar), 25g protein

Southwest Chipotle Chicken Salad

This is is super easy salad you can make for lunch or dinner.  It's only 155 calories, very high in protein (27g), and has virtually no carbs.  It's perfect if you're preparing for a competition or just trying to shed some unwanted fat and lean down!

Southwest Chipotle Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
- 1 4oz Organic Chicken Breast
- Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Salt Free Seasoning
- 2 cups Organic Baby Spinach
- 2 cups American Salad Blend
- 1/2 cup Coleslaw Cabbage Mix
- 1 Tomato Slice (diced)
- 1 tbsp Almond Slices
- 1 tbsp Walden Farms Ranch Dressing

Instructions:
- Season chicken breast with Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning and cook in steamer for 20 minutes.  If you do not have a steamer (which I suggest you go out and buy one right now!) then you can bake the breast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or, you can grill at medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side.
*Note*  Chicken should be cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees F.
- While the chicken breast is cooking, assemble your salad my mixing the spinach, lettuce, and cabbage together.
- Add the diced tomato slice and sprinkle almond slices on top.
- Drizzle ranch dressing over salad.
- When chicken breast is fully cooked and has rested, slice and place atop salad.

Yum!

Nutritional Information:

Serves 1

155 calories, 3g fat, 210mg sodium, 294g potassium, 

8g carbohydrates (4g fiber, 4g sugar), 27g protein.

Enjoy.

Cabbage Slaw Salad

Today I was blessed to spend the day with my mom!  Whenever we get together, we always have a great time :) Our activities usually consist of shopping, crafting, and of course... cooking!  A lot of my clean eating ideas stem from things my mother makes.

Currently, my mom and my stepdad are gradually transitioning into the Paleo lifestyle.  In fact, I even bought them a Paleo cookbook for Christmas.  So today's lunch is 100% Paleo approved!  We made made a delicious grilled chicken breast topped with a strawberry, mango, clementine salsa and on the side, an amazingly healthy cabbage slaw salad.  I knew immediately I had to share this with you all because it is incredibly easy and SO yummy!  I'm glad we made a big batch of it because I'm going to take some home with me to eat with my lunch tomorrow :)

Cabbage Slaw Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients:

- 3 cups Coleslaw

- 3 miniature Bell Peppers (red, orange, & yellow)

- 2 medium Organic Gala Apples, diced

- 1 medium Cucumber, diced

- 1/2 cup Green Onion, chopped

- 1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

- 1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

- 1/2 cup Raisins

- Lemon (squeeze on diced apples to prevent browning)

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl!

How easy is that?!

Simple. Healthy. Delicious.

My mom and I went shopping before lunch and picked up some organic hazelnut oil and organic walnut oil.  We tried both oils on separate slaw to see which one we preferred.  I liked the walnut and my mom liked the hazelnut!  So everyone has their own preference of flavor of course.  You could also use organic olive oil or your own dressing.  I think a light raspberry vinaigrette would be a great choice.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Information:
Per 1 Cup Serving
71 calories, 2.5g fat, 8.1mg sodium, 108.6mg potassium, 11.1g carbohydrates (2g fiber, 8g sugar), 1.4g protein.