Summer Pasta Salad

2025 Edit: This recipe is fabulous despite the diet culture messaging and the very outdated image!
Next time I make it, I will update the images!!! Also, disregard the “container” count - eat what feels good for you, enjoy it and move about your day!

Old cringe messaging that no longer aligns with who I am but man I love to see how far I have come from unlearning diet culture rules and messaging!

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We are coming up on a holiday weekend which means BBQing with friends and family...plus a lot of tempting side dishes that aren't always the best choices!

There are definitely some ways you can avoid overeating on the weekends, here are the tips I share with my challengers:
Tip 1: Schedule in your ONE HAPPY MEAL for the weekend and have a game plan in place. 
Tip 2: Check out the restaurant menus that you are going to or pre-eat before you go to a party. That way you are never caught in a moment where you have to eat garbage! 
Tip 3: Going to a BBQ or pool party? Take a healthy side dish & DO NOT linger near the food table! Go & socialize, talk to people, that is what parties are about anyways, right??! Not sitting in a corner eating alone! 

So, here is my perfect side dish, that is even Fix Approved, that you can take with you and enjoy at all of your summer get togethers!  Of course, this is only 1 serving, so modify as needed but this was my go to last summer and I can't wait to make it again! 
 

Spicy Asian Tilapia w/ Mixed Veggies

I typically prep 80% of our lunches and dinner.  However since we have gotten back from our cruise (another post, another day), I have tried to mix things up a bit! I decided to throw some fish back on the menu, I can't tell you the last time I bought Tilapia, cooked it at home and actually enjoyed it! Usually it is way too fishy for me but this was so good! And it was the EASIEST meal to throw together ever, especially on a week night! 

No prep work, just out of the package & into the pan! I even used the same pan for the tilapia after I cooked the veggies to save myself (er...Aaron) the hassle of washing more than one pan! Yes, you read that right, he does the dishes around here too. 

What you need: 
2 pkg precut veggie mix from Trader Joe's (pictured) 
1 lb Tilapia (farm-raised fresh tilapia from TJ's, pictured)
San-J Szechuan Sauce (or other flavor you like), this one is spicy! 

1. Spray a large pan with olive oil cooking spray. Warm it up & throw in the veggies! Sauté them to your liking, I cook mine for a while because I prefer them softer. 
2. Once they are done, set them aside, covered in a bowl or container. 
3. Spray a tad more olive oil in the pan & place the tilapia in there. 
4. Salt & pepper the fish. Cook 2 minutes & flip. 
5. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the fish. (About 1-2 tsp total) 
6. Cook another 5 minutes. Fish will flake when done. 
7. Place 2 cups veggies on a plate with 1 piece of fish. Top with 1 tbsp of the sauce (or less if you can't handle spicy), serve immediately and devour! 

You can add brown rice if you want or even turn it into tacos but it is perfect with just the veggies!

Enjoy!

Margaritas for Cinco De Mayo!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!! (or at least, I hope it is Cinco De Mayo, I wrote this post and scheduled it ahead of time since I am cruising the ocean with my hubs right now) 

If you know me, you know I love tequila...especially margs.

When we went to Disney this past summer, I found a version at our hotel that I drank....everyday (oops). It was so good that when we got home my husband decided to recreate it so we could enjoy it when we wanted without the guilt! 

What better day to share this recipe than today and if you are going to celebrate, why not celebrate the drink that gives me the giggles...

What you need: 
TEQUILA! Preferably Patron.
Cointreau
Agave Nectar
Fresh Limes

Yes, that is all you need to this fabulousness. 

Recipe (1 skinny margarita): 
Juice of a lime
1 tbsp of Agave Nectar
1 shot Cointreau
2 shots of TEQUILA (yes, I am yelling when I type it)
A ton of ice, put it all together in a cup and shake well!! Enjoy. 

Warning!! You may only need one...just saying. I mean, not that I know that from experience or anything.  

Pulled Chipotle Chicken & Slaw Pizza

...insert drool here

Oh my goodness you guys...we made this pulled chicken and slaw from the Team Beachbody Blog a couple of weeks ago and loved it but then it hit me to turn it into a pizza, I mean who doesn't love BBQ Chicken Pizza? And one that is good for you!! Like so good for you, I can eat it while doing my program without any guilt! THAT's A WIN! Plus, I love having pizza on the weekends! It's my jam. 

Pulled Chipotle Chicken with Cilantro Slaw Pizza
 4 servings, about ¾ cup chicken and ¾ cup slaw each

Ingredients:
½ cup apple cider vinegar, divided use
7 tsp. olive oil mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. raw honey
½ tsp. celery seed
4 cups shredded cabbage (or half a small cabbage) --> (I buy this shredded at Trader Joe's)
1 tsp. olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped (yeah, I use 1/4 onion, we aren't onion people though)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
2 Tbsp. adobo sauce (the sauce from chipotle pepper in adobo sauce)
½ cup barbeque sauce, no sugar added (I used a local company, Pappy's, it was NOT no sugar added though)
3 cups cooked chicken breast, boneless, skinless, shredded (I used rotisserie) 
For Pizza:
Extra BBQ Sauce (2 tsp per pizza) 
Shredded Cheddar (4 tbsp per pizza) 
Golden Home Ultra Thin Whole Grain Crust, Individual Size (or other crust of your choice) 

Preparation:

1. Combine ¼ cup vinegar, mayonnaise, cilantro, honey, and celery seed in a large bowl; mix well.
2. Add cabbage; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.
4. Add onion; cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
5. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute.
6. Add chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, barbecue sauce, and remaining ¼ cup vinegar; cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly.
7. Add chicken, cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is well coated and heated through.
To make into a pizza:
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, once preheated, place the crust in the oven on a foil lined pan for 3-5 minutes.  Careful not to burn it.
9. Take out the crust, spread 2 tsp of BBQ sauce on the pizza crust. Top it with 3/4 cup chicken and 4 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese. 
10. Place back in oven at 350 for another 5-8 minutes or until edges are golden brown. 
11. Remove from the oven and top it with 3/4 cup slaw.

Slice and enjoy! 

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

I love Mexican food. Any kind.  I could seriously eat Mexican every day of the week in some form or another...it probably isn't a coincidence that Margaritas are my favorite drink too! Which, by the way, don't forget to check back on Cinco De Mayo for my Skinny Margarita recipe! 

These fajitas were really good and I doubled the amount of chicken from what the original recipe called for so that we could have extra for tonight's dinner! 

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Prep Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 2-5 hours (just depends)

What you need:

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with green chiles), no salt added
1 medium onion, cut into quarters, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into strips
3 tsp. ground chile powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 lb. raw chicken breast, boneless, skinless, sliced

Optional: 
8 6-inch whole wheat flour tortillas, warm OR 4 cups romaine or bib lettuce (for salads) 
½ cup fresh tomato salsa
8 tsp. low-fat (1%) plain Greek yogurt
½ medium avocado, sliced
Finely chopped cilantro

Preparation:
1. Place tomatoes, onion, bell peppers, chile powder, cumin, pepper, and lime juice in a 3-quart slow cooker; mix well.
2. Add chicken; cook, covered, on low temperature for 4 to 5 hours (or on high or 2 to 3 hours), stirring once or twice, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
3. Evenly divide mixture between tortillas or onto lettuce for salads. Top evenly with salsa, yogurt, avocado, and cilantro.

For mine, I didn't use the greek yogurt or the tortillas (obviously), instead we made ours into big mouth watering salads!

For the salad:
2 cups lettuce & fajita veggies
3/4 chicken
toppings....

That left us enough chicken for salads tonight and just enough to make the kids some quesadillas from it.  I topped my salad with tomatoes, salsa, cheese and avocado.