Let me explain a little…. During my whole first trimester I was nauseous. This lasted about 16 weeks, and there were certain foods that made my stomach churn (Mexican being one of them). After I got passed all the morning sickness, chili, tacos, and Mexican flavors slowly made there way back on our menu, but it wasn’t the same.

I literally have to crave Mexican food in order for me to want to cook it and eat it now. I’m not gonna lie, I’m not happy about this, but there’s nothing I can really do to change it.

Anyways, Sunday night I had a Mexican craving, woohoo!! I wanted some sort of chicken fajita salad with lots of fix-ins and toppings.

I whipped up a quick marinade for the chicken, without following a recipe online and I couldn’t have been happier with the simple flavors.

I debated whether or not to add cumin or chili powder (which would probably be amazing) but I know Ava isn’t a huge fan of cumin.

CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN MARINADE

Ingredients:

1 lime, juiced (about 2 tbsp)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp cilantro chopped

3 large chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)

Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a large plastic ziplock bag and mix until chicken is coated evenly.

Thank goodness the weather is warming up, because we were able to grill this delicious chicken and it only took about 20 minutes on medium-high heat. While we had the grill on, we also roasted a red pepper and zucchini (drizzled with olive oil & sea salt).

I originally thought I was going to make a salad, but my plate turned into a big pile of Mexican madness. There was no organization to it but I couldn’t put my fork down. I had lettuce, brown rice, roasted peppers, zucchini, cilantro lime chicken, salsa, avocado, and a sprinkle of cilantro on the top. I don’t think Marc and I spoke while we ate because we were too into the delicious flavors.

We also enjoyed some Late July Tortilla Chips with our meal.

Ava even loved the chicken! It’s always a win when she approves of the meal.

Are there any foods you couldn’t eat while you were pregnant?

Are you a Mexican food fan, if so what’s your favorite dish?

Are you ever looking for an easy, healthy lunch or dinner idea? My go to family summer meal is BBQ pulled chicken.  Click on that link for a simple recipe!

It is SO yummy and goes perfectly with some cold cole slaw. You can even toss it over a large salad for more veggies.

This batch was made by my mom so it was a double win for me!! Make sure to choose a BBQ sauce that does not have ADDED SUGAR. Whole foods sells some great BBQ sauces.

Also for the cole slaw dressing. Try making it at home, that way you can control the ingredients and again that unwanted sugar. Here is a SIMPLE & EASY recipe for Homemade Cole Slaw Dressing.

What is your go to summer meal?

I had chicken, ricotta, and grilled eggplant so I came up with a somewhat easy recipe that literally takes NO skill but tastes great. I will definitely be making it again because Marc and I devoured our plates.

The directions may look complicated but it really isn’t hard! I had some leftover grilled eggplant so that is what I used but the directions call for baking the eggplant in the oven.

You can barely see the chicken because it is smothered in creamy saucy ricotta goodness

EGGPLANT STACK WITH CHICKEN CUTLET

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast

1 container of Part Skim Ricotta cheese

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce

3/4 cup of bread crumbs (I use 4 seasons)

1/2 cup egg whites

olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut eggplant into slices and chicken breasts into medium size chunks. Place sliced eggplant on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Stick the eggplant in the oven for about 20 minutes flipping half way.

In a large pan add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Place chicken on a dish, add egg whites to a medium size bowl, and breadcrumbs onto a separate dish. Take chicken and dunk into the egg whites and then into the breadcrumbs & add to the frying pan. Repeat until all chicken is coated and frying in the olive oil.

Once chicken is golden brown on each side (about 4 mins per side) place them on a baking sheet and stick them in the oven for another 10 minutes until eggplant is done cooking. Heat up sauce in a small sauce pan.

Finally, once everything is done you will start to layer it all together on a dish. Chicken, a little sauce, ricotta, eggplant, then sauce, then a little more ricotta, eggplant and top with sauce!!

We enjoyed this meal with a side of whole grain pasta! YUM.

In hope that this is the last cold weather day, I have a recipe for you that is one of our family’s favorite go to dinner recipes during the spring & summertime!

A few years, ago I was looking for a healthier alternative to pulled pork so I decided to give pulled chicken a try. It was hands down delicious and we decided to add it to our weekly menu. It is so easy to throw together and if you need something to bring to a BBQ you won’t be disappointed!

I have tried this recipe a couple of ways… in the crock-pot and on the stove. I enjoy the crock-pot version better but if you are in a time crunch the stove is definitely faster.

BBQ Pulled Chicken 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast

1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce

water

Directions:

Take out your crock-pot and start the timer to 4 hours on high. Place enough water in the crock-pot to cover the bottom. Mix some about 1/3 cup of BBQ with the chicken and then place the chicken in the crock-pot. Drizzle about 1/4 cup more BBQ sauce on top of the chicken. Close the lid and let it cook! After the 4 hours is up or whenever you are ready, pull & shred the chicken using 2 forks. If the chicken looks dry add more of the BBQ sauce.

Serving suggestions: 

I love my bbq chicken served on a bun or a piece of whole grain toast open faced with cole slaw & a pickle! It is also great over a salad or just on a plate as is!

Now onto things WE CAN CONTROL …. eating healthy and exercising  

Last night I made my version of a healthy Chicken Cacciatore . With only 5 ingredients, this recipe is super easy to whip up last minute. You might even have most of the ingredients on hand.

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• ½ jar of your favorite sauce, I used Tomato & Basil sauce from Trader Joe’s)
• ½ bag of frozen mixed peppers
• 1 container of fresh mushrooms, sliced
• olive oil (1-2tbsp)

Directions:

Place a large pan on the stove, add in olive oil (1-2tbsp) and turn stove on to medium-heat. Add chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes on each side until browned. Add in peppers, sauce, & mushrooms and cook for 15-20 minutes. Mix about ½ way through.

steaming hot!

Serve with whole wheat pasta, a salad, or just as is! Sprinkle a little crushed pepper for spice and some parmesan cheese.

I headed to they Y to train some clients. In between I snacked on a banana, a pumpkin bran muffin, and a greek yogurt!

My training went well this morning, my clients were dripping with sweat by the end of their sessions. While I was training I noticed that demonstrating certain exercises are getting a little more challenging.  Even a regressed burpee or an overhead walking lunge seems difficult! I am not used to it but it is probably because the belly is GROWING!!

Check out the difference in belly size in just 2 weeks from Week 34 on the left to Week 32 on the right!!

On Sunday we made an easy oven roasted whole chicken. I wanted to share this recipe because it was so simple and really takes 10 minutes to prepare. If you are hanging around the house on the weekend you can just pop this in the oven for a delicious meal. The leftovers are perfect for easy lunches during the week!

Roasted Whole Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (5lb) whole chicken

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp of basil & oregano

1/2 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp of thyme & rosemary

1/4 tsp salt & pepper

lemon zest (shaved over the top of the chicken)

Directions:

Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove all the unwanted insides from the chicken. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray or if you have a wire rack place that on the pan. Mix all spices together in a small bowl. Coat the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle spices evenly over the chicken. If you like lemon zest, use a hand grater to shave some zest over the chicken.  Bake for approximately 1 hr and 15 minutes or until cooked through.

I just took Cooper for a walk, he’s feeling much better and has tons of energy. He recovered nicely from his surgery and has come a long way these past 10 days. On our walk I had to deter him from all the leaf piles…. he wanted to jump and roll around in all of them!

On the menu for dinner tonight is Sauteed Chicken with Kale & Tomatoes. It’s a fairly simple dish to make and packs a nutritional punch. Kale is high in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. It has a slightly bitter taste, but a little salt and olive oil helps cut out some of the bite.

If you haven’t tried Kale before, give it a shot

Healthy Sauteed Chicken with Kale & Tomatoes!

Ingredients:

1 1/4lb Chicken Breasts

1 bunch Kale, chopped

3/4 can of petite diced tomatoes

1/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon of crushed pepper or more if you like it spicy

1 small onion diced

2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese

Directions: 

In a large pan saute onion in 1 tbsp olive oil, after about 3 minutes push onions to the side. Cut chicken breasts into small chunks and add to pan. Brown chicken about 4 minutes on each side over medium heat. Add kale, tomatoes, white wine, 1 tablespoon and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix ingredients well and let cook for another 10 minutes. Add seasonings and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese over the top. Reduce to low heat until you are going to serve dinner!

Optional (serve over pasta)

If you don’t have any of the vegetables that are listed in your fridge you can always substitute! This is a simple recipe that makes a ton and can feed a whole family or makes great leftovers for the week.

Healthy Chicken & Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts (about 1.25lb)

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped kale

1 medium onion chopped

1 cup organic low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons any jarred marinara sauce

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Fill a large pot with about 6-8 cups of water, place chicken breasts in the pot and boil for 30 minutes. Scoop out any chicken fat from the top of the pot. Add in remaining ingredients (veggies & seasonings). Boil for 30 minutes and then remove chicken breasts and shred with a fork. Return chicken to the pot and continue cooking on medium heat for 30 minutes. Serve hot in a bowl and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese!

Serves 6, per serving approximately 195 calories, 4g fat, 8g carb, 2.2g fiber, 32g protein

Optional: Cook up and type of small pasta or noodles and cook separately. Serve the soup over the noodles.