Pumpkin Chai Shakeology

Fall is here! Even if it's still horribly hot here in California, October is almost here and therefore I am in full pumpkin mode!

Today's Shakeology recipe is inspired by a Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte - and I must say I love this addition to my Shakeology rotation!

Ingredients:

1 Scoop Vanilla Shakeology
1/2 Cup Pure Pumpkin Pure
8 oz Brewed Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea - Cooled
1/4 C Cashew Milk
Pumpkin Spice
Ice

Add all ingredients to blender cup and blend until smooth! Super easy and quick and tastes delicious!!

For the rest of the pumpkin I spooned into an ice cube tray and froze to use in future smoothies! Great way to keep pumpkin fresh when you only use a little! And it will make the next smoothies thicker!

Hope you enjoyed this recipe, if you have any variations I'd love to hear about them, leave a comment below!

Want to know more about Shakeology? Check out my website or send me a message and I'd be happy to chat with you about this amazing drink that has changed my life!

21 Day Fix: Taco Salad

I don't know about you but I love mexican food so finding healthy alternatives that fit within this program is a must for me, and this Taco Salad recipe is one of my favorites!

This recipe is awesome because it takes very little cook time - it's great for left overs, and super quick to throw together!

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey
1 Packet Taco Seasoning (Read labels! Make sure there isn't added sugar!)
1/2 C Beef Broth (water can be used in place of this if doing Whole 30/Paleo)
Shredded Lettuce
Salsa
Guacamole

The only real part of cooking here is the meat. Brown the meat in a large sauce pan, once done, add beef broth and seasoning and simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Then measure out your ingredients: I used 1 Green Container for the lettuce  (you could add other veggies if desired); 1 Red Container for the beef (and set the rest aside for later in the week); 1 Blue Container for the Guacamole (or you could use for cheese); and 1/4 Purple Container for Salsa.

Mix all ingredients together and your Taco Salad is ready to go!

This is super easy to customize for the whole family which makes it a go to for me when I'm having a large group together you can set up an assembly line and everyone can build their own!

Feel free to share your tips or twists on my recipe above, I'd love to hear them!

Chicken Fried "Rice"

I am currently following the Whole 30 eating plan, along with the 21 Day Fix container guidelines. These two programs work together well because all Whole 30 foods are approved on the 21 Day Fix, it just helps with my portion control - which I struggled my first round of the Whole 30 about six months ago!

Today's recipe is super simple - and delicious! I love Chinese food, so I knew I needed a way to incorporate it into my plan! and I must say it turned out great!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Green Container of Riced Cauliflower (make your own or buy frozen from Trader Joe's!) 

1/4  Green Container of Chopped Carrots 

2 Eggs Scrambled 

1 Red Container️ of Chicken 

1-2 Tbsp Coconut Aminos (or Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce) 

1 Tsp Avocado Oil

Start by cooking the chicken ahead of time and chop into bite size pieces (this makes great use of leftover chicken from a previous meal!) 

Next chop carrots and begin cooking in large pan, add "rice" and 1 teaspoon avocado oil, saute until almost done. Now add chicken and egg to the pan and mix well then add coconut aminos to taste! Voila - dinner is served!

The container measurements above were for 2 servings, each serving counts as 1 Red (protein) and 1 Green (vegetables). If you wanted you could sub the Cauliflower rice for brown rice also!

I hope you try this recipe and please let me know your thoughts or how you altered it to fit your family!

Whole 30 - Mashed Cauliflower with Mushroom Chicken

Through my Whole 30 journey I have eaten a lot (and I mean a lot) of salads. And that's fine, I don't mind it but when I find something equally as healthy that tastes like a cheat meal - look out!

This is one of those recipes and I must say, it will likely be a weekly occurrence in my house now!

Mashed Cauliflower with Sauteed Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 Head of Cauliflower
1/4 C Cashew Milk (or other preferred milk/cream)
1 Chicken Breast
3/4 C Diced Mushrooms (Fresh/Frozen/Canned)
2 Tsps Olive Oil (or Avocado Oil)
Garlic Seasoning
Salt (if desired)

Start with cooking the cauliflower. I did this the night before and kept it in the fridge, or you can do this whole process at once. Trim off leaves and steam and steam or boil the whole head, or large chunks, until for tender. I steamed mine and it took about 15 mins.

Add the cooked cauliflower to a food processor along with the cashew milk, granulated garlic, herbs, and salt. Blend until smooth paste. You will need to push sides down a few times and taste once blended to get the ratio of spices to your liking.

If you didn't use hot cauliflower transfer the mixture to a small sauce pan and heat on stove while chicken cooks.

For the chicken, I filleted the breast to be thinner and cook faster, I froze the thinner of the two halves and only used one but you can adjust this recipe to fit your family, or even to have leftovers after. Next, slice into chunks and season to your liking. I added this to a small skillet with only a touch of water in the pan and grilled on both sides while covered until nearly done. Then add the mushrooms - mine were pre cooked so only needed to be reheated, if you're using fresh add them when you filp the chicken the first time. Add the olive oil now and garlic seasoning to taste. Cover and let simmer for another 1-2 minutes so everything soaks up the flavors and juices.

Plate the mushroom chicken mixture over  a green portion of the mashed cauliflower and dinner is served. This is a quick and easy meal that I can assure you the whole family will love - and won't even know its Whole 30 approved!

I'm also doing this program on the 21 Day Fix, this follows the containers portion to be 1 Green - Mashed Cauliflower, .5 Green - Mushrooms, 1 Red - Chicken, .33 Yellow - cashew milk, 2 Tsps - olive oil - Delicious and so filling!

I hope you try this recipe out yourself and let me know how you liked it or altered it to fit your family!