Loving Lunchtime | Healthy Recipes

Hello lovely reader! It's almost Friday!! Seeing as summer is basically upon us, I know many people want to eat healthy and be active, maybe make good on those New Years resolutions that have been sitting on a shelf for the past few months. So, if you're on that boat, then I'm sailing right along with you. While I was away at school, I made a conscious effort to eat healthy and be active (no freshman fifteen was going to come anywhere near me). Granted walking around campus everyday rather than driving everywhere makes quite a difference as well. Now that I am home though, I'm not walking everywhere, so I am making an extra special effort to remain as active as I was before as well as be aware of what I am eating. Throughout the year I had been saving recipes from various blogs, that sounded tasty and were also rather healthy, so I thought it would be nice to share my current three favorite dishes with you. I have made and liked all of them (I am not just going to throw things out there unless I like them). Hopefully you will too and we can make this a regular thing, I know I love trying new recipes especially ones that create healthier options when deciding what to eat. Enjoy!

This first recipes comes from the "Fitness Magazine" website. It is a Baja Style Chicken Bowl. This dish is extremely simple, quick, and customizable. For me, I like to use brown rice, chicken, corn, black beans, shredded cheddar jack cheese, and salsa. I find that it is satisfying as well as filling.

Baja Style Chicken Bowl
-Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat 
-Sauté 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup frozen corn, 1/4 cup black beans, and 2 ounces diced cooked chicken 5 minutes 
-Season with salt and pepper to taste
-Spoon chicken mixture over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice and top with 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack

This recipe has been my favorite of the three. It is a Grilled Tex-Mex Chicken and Quinoa Wrap and it is delicious! Guacamole, chicken, quinoa, and salsa...yes! I combine all the ingredients, put it in my panini maker and away we go. I found it on the blog "Half-baked Harvest" which has loads of different recipes. Quinoa is a great substitute for rice and I have found that you can get it at around the same price. 

(This recipe is for 4 wraps)

Wraps

• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 pound boneless chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 red pepper, sliced thin
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• Spicy Tex Mex Sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• pinch of salt + pepper

Preheat your grill to medium high heat.

In a medium size bowl combine the chicken, olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss well. When the grill is hot, grill the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from the grill and allow to rest five minutes. After five minutes slice the chicken into strips. Set aside.

To assemble the wraps create and assembly line of ingredients (spinach, quinoa, spicy Tex-Mex sauce, sliced chicken, sliced red pepper, sliced avocado, cheddar cheese and cilantro). Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Working with one tortilla at a time lay the spinach towards one end of the tortilla, place about 1/4 cup of the quinoa on top of the spinach and then drizzle a few tablespoons of the Tex-Mex sauce over the quinoa. Layer 1/4 of the sliced chicken on top and the add a few slices of the red pepper and avocado. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add a few fresh cilantro leaves.

To roll the wrap, fold the sides over the line of food and then roll the tortilla tightly up. Place the wraps directly on the preheated grill and grill for two minutes and then turn ad grill the other side for two minutes. Remove from the grill and if desired cut in half. Serve with remaining sauce.

To make the sauce combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste. Use in the wraps and then serve with the wraps for dipping.

Last but not least is this Cauliflower Crust Pizza, which I found on "POPSUGAR Fitness". The trick to this pizza is that the crust if made from cauliflower, which cuts the amount of carbs significantly! If you prefer a crispier crust make sure to pat the dough very thin, that was the only issue I had when making mine, but it still tasted great!

Nonstick spray
2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves, optional

Directions

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 425ºF. 

Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have two cups of cauliflower crumbles. Place in a large bowl and microwave for seven to eight minutes, or until soft. Remove from the microwave and let cool.

Mix in the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round on the prepared pizza pan. Spray lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

Top the pizza with the sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, grape tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Top with basil before serving.

Are there any healthier recipes that you are loving? If you give any of these a try, I'd love to see! Feel free to link in the comments or tweet me @NEPlainJane Xx