Mini Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Do you ever miss nachos?  I know I do.  While I still do enjoy them from time to time, these mini stuffed peppers really help me not even miss the chips! 

Mini Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
1 1b ground turkey
2-3 T southwest seasoning mix (store bought or make your own)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 lbs mini bell peppers
1 cup cheese

Cilantro Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 °
1. Slice 1/3 of the pepper off lengthwise, reserving for later use. Seed the peppers.
Chop the reserved peppers finely and set aside.
2. In 10-inch skillet, cook the turkey and chopped peppers over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once meat is browned stir in southwest seasoning mix and water. Cook over medium heat 5-10, stirring occasionally.
3. Fill each pepper as full as possible with the beef mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake peppers for 13-15 minutes.
4.While peppers are baking, make the cream sauce. For the cream sauce: In a food processor, pulse the greek yogurt, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
5. Remove peppers from oven and top with cheese. Return to the oven for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let peppers cool for 10 minutes and top with cream sauce.
Tip:

To dress up the peppers, drizzle the peppers with the cream sauce by placing the sauce in a small plastic bag. Snip the corner off with scissors and drizzle. This is a great make ahead dish and the cream sauce is even better if made the day before so the flavors can blend.

Recipe inspired by: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2014/08/mini-taco-stuffed-peppers.html

Easter Brunch - Frittata with Kale, Tomatoes and Parmesan

I have been on the prowl for the perfect Easter Brunch item to bring to my family gathering tomorrow.  I stumbled upon a recipe for a Frittata and felt inspired!  I am a huge fan of eggs, egg whites and veggies!  What better way to start your day then with protein and veggies?! I cannot wait to serve this at Easter Brunch tomorrow!

Frittata with Kale, Tomatoes, and Parmesan

Total Time: 35 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 20-25 min.
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
10 large egg whites (1¼ cups)
6 large eggs
¾ cup almond milk 
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and ground black pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups chopped Kale
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine egg whites, eggs, milk, cheese, salt (if desired), pepper (if desired) in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
4. Add onion and kale; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Turn off heat.
5. Lightly coat sides of skillet with spray.
6. Add tomatoes and egg mixture to skillet.
7. Place skillet in oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until puffy and set.

Tip: You can use spinach or any other favorite greens.  Also omit parmesan cheese for a dairy free.  

If you are using a Beachbody program such as the 21 day fix here are the conversions: 

**recipe adapted from Team Beachbody.com 

Dairy Free Oatmeal Banana Cookies - 21 day fix dessert

One of my all time favorites and vices is COOKIES!  I don't discriminate when it comes to cookies!  Sugar, chocolate chip, cutouts, gingerbread - you name it, I will eat it!  Since I've made a change to be healthier and eat cleaner cookies are limited.  Well, not anymore with these super yummy Dairy Free Banana Oatmeal Cookies!   

If you are following the 21 day fix  you should know that you can trade out one of your yellow contains for one of these yummy cookies!  

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

(Makes 8 cookies - Serving size is 2 and replaces 1Yellow container on the 21-Day Fix)


Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
2 medium ripe Bananas, mashed
1/4 cup golden raisins 
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Vegan chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Combine oats, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl, making sure to mix well.
4. Add mashed bananas, walnuts, golden raisins and chips if using, mix well.
5. Drop by heaping Tbsp onto your baking tray.
6. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until they are firm.
7. Cool and Enjoy!

(recipe adapted from 21 day fix meal plan guide)

These cookies are a great Dairy Free option!  I sometimes enjoy them for breakfast on the go or if I'm having a sweet craving.  My kids also like them which is exciting!  

Never heard of the 21 day fix or you are looking for a Coach, comment below, message me or head over to my website: http://www.beachbodycoach.com/ERICAAMADORI

Clean Turkey Chili

I love CLEAN meals that I can make ahead of time, reheat well and are healthy!  I don't always have time to make a fresh meal each time I need to eat.  I LOVE leftovers!  I try to cook extra at times to have leftovers for lunch the next day or to freeze as my own personal homemade frozen meal.  

That being said, there aren't a ton of meals out there that are a complete meal and reheat well.  One pot meals with a protein, veggie and complex carbohydrate are a busy Mommy's dream!  Chili is one of those meals for our family!  Do my kids eat it, no....maybe in time!  But, it's something that I can make a BIG batch of easily and relatively quick.  I'm always on the hunt for great clean meals and this is a GREAT one that is also 21 Day Fix AND 21 Day Fix Extreme Approved!!!  

(Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each) **doubles well**

1 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 lbs ground lean turkey, chicken or beef 

1 medium onion

1 large zucchini 

2 cups sliced carrots 

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika 

1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste; optional)

1/4 tsp black pepper 

2 (15 oz) cans black beans or pinto beans undrained 

1 (15 oz) can all-natural diced tomatoes

12 fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped (for garnish; optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat
2. Add meat, veggies, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink
3. Add all spices; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute
4. Add beans and tomatoes (with liquid). Add 1/2 can of water if seems too dry.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Serve warm, sprinkle with cilantro.

Container Equivalents

1 Green

1 Red

1/2 Yellow

You could also make this recipe in a Crockpot!  I serve with 1/4 cup of wild or brown rice.  This recipe freezes well and I highly encourage you double the recipe and freeze individual portions for busy days!  Enjoy!!! 

(recipe adapted from the 21 Day Fix Extreme Nutrition Guide)

Family Friendly HEALTHY Baked Ziti

I have been on the search for a healthy pasta dish, more specifically BAKED ZITI!!  My husband is a pasta lover, I guess I'll blame it on his Italian genes!  He always gets bored with my typical chicken dinners so I have been inspired to create a HEALHY Baked Ziti that is also FAMILY/KID friendly!  It's not too time consuming and makes for great leftovers!!  It also fits very nicely into my Insanity Max30 or 21 day fix Nutrition Plan!  This dish includes carbs, protein, cheese/dairy and veggies so it a 1 DISH, complete meal!  

If you enjoy pasta, cheese, any one dish meals you will LOVE this recipe!

Ingredients (**I try to use Organic as much as I can**)
-1 pound lean ground beef 
-sea salt and pepper 
-1 T Italian Seasoning 
-1T mined garlic 
-2 cups carrots sliced/chopped 
-1 cup tomatoes diced 
-1 cup plain tomato sauce 
-3/4 cup 1%/part skim ricotta cheese 
-10oz dry whole wheat/grain pasta 
-2/3 cup mozzarella cheese 

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375.  In a large sauce pan add ground beef and cook until browned.  Pour cooked beef into a dish.  Save some of the fat from the meat in the pan to use to cook with.

2) Before you prepare sauce, cook pasta.  In a large pot, add 6-8 cups water and bring to a boil.  Cook pasta according to directions on box.  Drain and set aside.   

3) While pasta is cooking, create sauce.  In the pan with some of the beef fat add garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes or until softened.  Add diced tomatoes.  Add tomato sauces and seasonings.  Let simmer for about 10 minutes.  

4)Add ricotta cheese, stir in slowly.  Add cooked beef, stir.  Add 1/2 mozzarella cheese and stir.  

5) Spray a large casserole dish (9x13) with cooking spray.  Add the pasta mixture to the dish.  Sprinkle other 1/2 mozzarella on top of pasta mixture.  Bake for 15-20 minutes to melt cheese.  Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and/or basil if desired.

If you are following the Insanity Max 30, 21 Day Fix or CIZE Nutrition Plan this dish makes 4 servings. One serving would be 1 Red, 3/4 Green, 1/2 Blue, 1.5 Yellow and 1/4 Purple 

Never heard of the above nutrition plans and want to learn more about clean, portion controlled eating and daily exercise check it out here: More info

For MORE recipes like this follow me on Facebook and learn more about my story here <3

INSANITY MAX: MONTH 1 TRANSFORMATION

I'm so excited to share with you the newest Shaun T fitness program and MY MONTH 1 RESULTS!  Today I want to talk about MONTH 1 of the program and what to expect! 

If you don't know who Shaun T is, he is the creator of Hip Hop Abs, Rockin Body, Insanity, Insanity the Asylum, T25 and now Insanity Max30.  He has been creating amazing fitness programs that truly work and get you the results you are looking for!  I started my journey with Insanity almost 3 years ago after my 2nd child but before my 3rd.  I fell in LOVE with Shaun T and have been addicted ever since! 

So, what is Insanity Max 30?  It is a program that combines cardio and strength moves without using any equipment at all.  There are 150 new moves to help you dig a little deeper and get your body in the very best shape of your life!!!  No, there are no weights!  I promise you won't need any!  

The program is 60 days long and is broken down into month 1 and month 2.  The workouts are all 30 minutes each with a 10 minute ab workout.  The idea of this program is not to make it through the entire 30 minutes, but to "MAX OUT" and go as hard as you can until you have to take a break!  It's important to understand that maxing out is not a bad thing.  On of the ways you will track your daily progress is with your Max Out time!  Each time you repeat an exercise you should do your best to increase your MAX OUT time.

Who is Insanity Max30 created for?  It is for anyone that is a fitness beginner who wants to jump start their journey with an insane workout, (it does have a modifier the entire workout) a T25 graduate ready for a harder challenge, or an Insanity grad looking to take it to the next level!  It can be for, but not limited to Spartan Racers, Adventure Races, marathon runners, any ATHLETE!  But, don't get me wrong, it's not only about your physical fitness.  It's also VERY MENTAL!  Anyone can do insanity max 30, you just have to WANT IT!  You have to be willing to PUSH IT each day and DIG DEEPER!!  I'm not saying it's easy, but I am saying its worth it!

I just completed MONTH 1!  The workouts in month 1 are a combination of cardio and tabata style strength workouts!  If you have never heard of tabata style, it is 20 seconds of work on and 10 seconds of work off.

To Max Out means to stop or fail for the first time in the workout.  When you start the workout you continue with each move and DO NOT take a break.  If you have to stop and catch your breath, or take a break, THAT'S A MAX OUT!  The whole idea is to go AS HARD as you can for AS LONG as you can, till you MAX OUT.  Once you MAX OUT you write down the time, take a break, maybe grab some water and get right back into it!

MONTH 1 workouts:

Cardio Challenge:  This workout serves as your FIT TEST and your introduction to the program. All cardio with 4 1/2 minute interval 30 second rest.

Tabata Power:  Your strength training starts here with 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off" workout structure.  It is plyometrics focused.  

Sweat Intervals:  Cardio intervals that have you sweating!

Tabata Strength: This workout starts Week 3 and it takes it up a notch.  There very little rest, with 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off.  

Friday Fight: ROUND 1: You've been preparing all week and now it's time for the FRIDAY FIGHT!  This workout will be a battle between your mind and your body!

This program is 5 days with an optional Pulse workout for Saturday.  Plus is an 20 minute active recovery workout, low impact, combo of stretching and small pulsing movements.  

So what were my MONTH 1 RESULTS LIKE..........

I LOST 5 pounds AND 3.5 inches!!!  I lost more inches in other areas but gained in some, adding a 1/4 inch to each arm of muscle!  Each week I felt stronger and faster!  I could feel my body changing!  I'm super excited about my results and cannot wait for MONTH 2!

For more info about my transformation follow me daily on facebook at: HEALTHY LIFE WITH 3 or on Instagram at: healthy_mom_of_3

Disney Fast Service dinner option

Last night we went out to dinner at one of the Disney Hotels.  Living in Orlando, one of the FREE things we like to do with our kids is go out to eat at a Disney Hotel.  The kids love to run around the chosen resort, play on the playground and go in the gift shop.  It makes us feel like we are on vacation for a few hours!  

Since I have started my journey with the 21 day fix and cleaning up my nutrition one of my main focuses as a coach is to help people make good choices while eating out!  Soooo many trainers, coaches and plans advise again eating out, while I agree it is a healthier choice and way to optimize your results, it also isn't always doable or very fun.  Eating and meals are VERY social acts.  I know for myself, I'm always facing temptations at playdates, lunch dates, parties, date nights, etc.  You name it, there is temptation!  Sometimes it is not always easy to make the best choice.  

I don't post about this for you to think 'oh I will just eat out all the time and loose weight', the main goal of a healthy lifestyle is to learn how to prepare YOUR OWN clean meals.  It's simple, If you don't learn how to do it yourself, you will just revert once you stop using prepared meals.  It is not healthy or sustainable financially to buy prepackaged meals, frozen meals, eat out every meal or pay someone to make your meals for you.  I know it may be hard at first, but take one meal, one day at a time.  I promise if you start small you can make huge changes in a short amount of time.  The goal is health first, weight loss second!

So, back to my Disney fast service dinner!  What did I order?  

White meat turkey (no gravy), corn, and steamed veggies!  Hold the cornbread!!

I post this meal idea photo so that you can see that I'm a real person, with 3 young children and we go out to eat. I have learned how to make healthier choices while on the go but I do try to eat at home more now then before.

Always remember, food at restaurants has a TON of added salt and butter, but it's also not realistic to think you will never eat out again. My family loves to live on the go!  Plus, who doesn't LOVE Disney!!!