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Easy Chicken Parm Recipe [Made By a Vegetarian!]

This is my first time making Chicken Parmesan (or better known–Chicken Parm) and I think I did pretty darn well! I’m a vegetarian, so I can’t taste while I cook, which I don’t particularly like, but I was able to feel it out and follow directions and made ’em nice and tasty. I found this easy recipe here and changed it to fit what I wanted. This is a quick fix for any hungry meat-eater and boy did Chris like it!

photo 4 (8)

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7-10 minutes
  • Serves: 2-3 people (or JUST Chris)

Ingredients

  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 egg
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I used homemade)

Directions

  • Wrap the chicken breasts in some plastic wrap. AND BEAT IT! JUST BEAT IT! Really, smack the heck out of it until it’s around 1/3 inch thickness. Or just eye it.
  • In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, and oregano. In another bowl, combine the egg and salt.
  • photo 1 (26)
  • Now roll those smacked-up chicken breasts first in egg and salt mix, and then, once coated in that, roll it in the breadcrumb mixture. Really coat it.

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  • Heat up some oil and once it’s nice and hot, place those breaded-up suckers in. It should only need about 3 minutes on each side, but just keep an eye on them until they’re golden brown. The original recipe calls for putting mozzarella on top, but, ummm, I forgot to put it on and it was just fine without it.

photo 3 (20)

  • Heat up some marinara sauce (I made mine from scratch) and pour on top of the beautiful golden breaded chicken and serve!

photo 1 (27)

It was delicious and Chris literally ate all 4 chicken breasts. I served it with a broccoli-zucchini mix on the side. It’s the perfect meal for after work because it takes less than 30 minutes to make and it’s DELICIOUS. It feeds a whole family if you don’t have a freak like Chris who can eat the world (hi Vishnu). Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

yum!

yum!

photo 3 (21)

Homemade sauce

Homemade sauce

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BONUS KITTY PIC 

Close-up

Close-up

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Quinoa Chia Bowl

I always like saying quinoa the wrong way (“kih-no-ah”) just to bug Chris, so it’s always great when it’s in my life more frequently. This is an easy (PEASY) recipe that is perfect for breakfast, but will serve as a nice refreshing snack anytime of the day. I was inspired by Happy Fit Mama when she instagrammed a picture of this dish. I had to try! It fit my clean-eating perfectly. After all, I’m getting close to the end of contest prep! She gave me the ingredients she used, but I went ahead and created the recipe with measurements and all. Kinda winged it, but it worked! Enjoy this perfect recipe for summer living.

Mmmmmm!

Mmmmmm!

Macros (for 1 serving)

  • Serves: 2
  • Calories: 208
  • Fat: 5g
  • Carbs: 33g
  • Sugars: 4g
  • Protein: 8.3g

Ingredients

  • 3/8 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp drizzled honey
  • 1/2 cup Silk Vanilla Unsweetened Almondmilk 

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
  • Mix together the quinoa, cinnamon, chia seeds, and honey in a small dish that can be put in the oven
Mixed up and ready for bake-age!

Mixed up and ready for bake-age!

  • Put in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (until well-bonded and kinda crisp)
THIS is the proper serving. If you eat the whole thing, double the macros at the top of the post

THIS is the proper serving. If you eat the whole thing, double the macros at the top of the post

  • Pour 1/2 cup almond milk over and enjoy!
Mmmmmm!

Mmmmmm!

Yeah it’s that easy. And I was able to have the other half for breakfast the next morning! Talk about a good deal. The texture of the chia seeds after baking and then drowned in almond milk is next to perfect. It feels like a truly wholesome meal whether you have it for breakfast or any other meal of the day. Use this recipe to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah trying to help me with work

Sajah trying to help me with work

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Easy Korean-Style Beef Bowl

If you know us, we love Korean food (as Chris spent a summer in South Korea and consequently fell in love with the culture he had already been into). So when I stumbled upon this fantastic easy (ridiculously easy) recipe by one of my favorite food bloggers, I had to recreate it (altered it slightly)! Mine may not look as pretty, mostly because it was all for Chris so he got the entire beef bowl (4 servings) so that you can’t see the rice (oops!). My version of the recipe has less sugar, less spice (Chris has a Geographic Tongue, so he can’t have spice), and brown rice instead of white. Makes it a little bit healthier, but it was healthy from the start.  He had worked a long day at work, and I was taking a rest day on workouts, so I decided to make him something that he would love and fill him up...Korean style!

photo 2 (16)

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 10 minutes
  • Serves: 3-4 normal people (Chris ate it all)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame teriyaki sauce
  • 1/4 crushed red-pepper flakes [you can use more if you like spice]
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1.5 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • cooked brown rice

Directions

  • Mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame teriyaki sauce, ginger, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. It’d be best to use a fork or a whisk to really blend everything together.

photo 1 (18)

  • Leave that to the side. Heat up the oil in a saucepan over medium to high heat. Add the chopped garlic to the oil

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  • Once you get that lovely cooking garlic smell, it’s time to throw the ground beef in. Cook it until it’s browned, breaking it up as you do. Could take 4-8 minutes depending on your stove. While it’s cooking, chop up your green onions.
So purdy

So purdy

photo 5 (6)

  • Drain the excess fat (ew). Stir in the magical mixture we created at the start, letting it get to all of the meat and soak up the flavor. Add the green onions as well. By this time, it will be smelling goooood. 

photo 1 (19)

  • And serve over rice! It’s smart to cook it beforehand so it’s ready there waiting for you.

photo 2 (16)

You won’t be able to see the rice in my dish, because it’s smothered by the beef! It was such an easy, quick recipe (perfect for summer days when it’s too hot to cook a lot), I would do it again in a heartbeat. Chris loved it and literally ate the whole pound of ground beef plus the rice. Guess it was alright. Thanks to DamnDelicious for the recipe and use it to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Sajah watching me cook

Sajah watching me cook

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Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner: Tofu Scramble

Now this is another recipe from the great book my lovely client got me: the McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook. It’s full of delicious, healthy recipes that don’t take the whole evening to prepare. My client encouraged me to try the tofu scramble and I finally did. I am very thankful I did so, and I was rewarded by having it for many meals since it makes plenty of servings. This recipe is healthy and easy to make, especially for those who take lunch to work. You can have it any time of the day with anything–toast, eggs, stir fry! It is SUPER easy.

Feel free to spice it up!

Feel free to spice it up!

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking Time10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 packet firm tofu
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1-2 cups mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika

Directions

  • Put the water in a medium frying pan and turn on heat
  • Put in the chopped mushrooms and bell pepper
Ready to be cooked!

Ready to be cooked!

  • Once the mushrooms and peppers have been somewhat cooked, throw the spinach in as well. Feel free to season how you’d like

photo 2 (4)

  • While it continues to cook, take out your tofu and put it in a bowl. Mash it up, reeeal well. Keep going!
  • Put all your seasonings in with the tofu and mix it around the mash
  • Add the tofu to the veggies and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until you see fit.

photo 3 (4)

  • You can serve with potatoes, tacos, eggs–whatever meal it is and whatever you are in the mood for!
I, of course, opted for the tacos

I, of course, opted for the tacos

Feel free to spice it up!

Feel free to spice it up!

It  may not be pretty, but it is nutritious and delicious! It’s easy to whip up (I did it after a long workout) and it kept me fed for a few days after I made it! Definitely worth it. There’s so many ways you can change it around. The original recipe calls for onion, but I say whatever vegetables you have in the house, throw them in! This is the perfect recipe to stay hungry and fit!

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BONUS KITTY PIC

Bed cuddles

Bed cuddles

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Hungry’s Monster Shake

So this is one of my “protein shake” recipes. I have a solid amount of go-to recipes for shakes and they change depending on what fitness goal I am trying to reach. I might add some more protein and calories if I am bulking. I might avoid checking carbs and fats if I am trying to gain weight. If I am cutting I will probably mix some isolated whey with water to minimize carb intake and calories. Right now, I am in a bulking phase, trying to put some quality muscle mass on and increase my strength. Thus, I have a relatively calorically rich, fatty, and protein abundant shake.

First, I place my two scoops of Cytosport Monster Milk in the bottom of the blender. You can use your protein supplement of choice. You can use a mass gainer if you’re really trying to bulk up. It’s up to you. Then I add two cups of milk; I’ve been using 1% lately because that’s what Fit likes to drink. Next comes one (or two) scoops of Breyer’s Natural Vanilla Ice Cream. Finally I throw a banana in there. Blend it until it’s the consistency of your choice and chug, or sip.

It’s not my best tasting recipe by any means but it’s refreshing enough and gets the job done. The reason why I drink protein shakes is that I need to often hit a certain protein intake that reflects my goals. If I’ve only consumed 160 grams of protein in a day and my goal is 225 grams, this shake can reach that deficit. You don’t need to have these shakes to get leaner or bigger and stronger, but they are a convenient and fast nutritional source. It takes me a lot longer to make some ground turkey or beef.

photo (4)

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There is a lot of confusion as to when you need to consume protein after a workout. The truth is that you have a rather large window that it is still effective, and I mean a rather large window. Trust me, you’re not going to miss that window. I have my shakes typically after my workouts because I workout on a near empty stomach so I am starving by the end of my workouts and can consume a full dinner and a shake. Again, that’s all up to you.

The master product

The master product

If you have any questions relating to this post, please ask so you can stay hungry and fit!

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The Easiest Healthiest Dessert Recipe Ever: Sweet Baked Pears

I really need to cut down on these title lengths. Anyways, to the recipe. I discovered this recipe through a program I work with at the YMCA, called MEND. It’s a free program to fight childhood obesity and change the lifestyle to a healthy one at home. It’s been very successful! During each session, the participants get a MEND “cookbook”–a compilation of MEND-friendly (aka HEALTHY) recipes. This is from there. This is a guilt-free recipe. It’s basically fruit, cheese, and cinnamon. ENJOY!

Finished product

Finished product

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients [serves 6-8 people]

  • 6 pears (if you’re less-hungry people, you can use less)
  • 1 1/3 cup ricotta
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
  • Wash the pears and cut them into halves

photo (15)

  • Scoop out the seeds and most of the middle

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  • Put the pears on a baking sheet (no oil required) and put in the oven for 20 minutes
  • Let’s now turn our focus to the mixture. Put all the other ingredients (ricotta, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and agave/honey) into a small-medium bowl and mix! Feel free to taste

photo (23)

  • Put the mixture into the fridge to chill until you serve.
  • Take out the pears from the oven after 20 minutes
  • When ready to serve, put dollops of mixture in the hollowed part of the pears!

photo (26)

And that’s IT! Seriously amazing, delicious, and you don’t feel bad eating it because there isn’t any crap in it. This is a recipe I will be frequenting. I whipped it up very quickly after a gym session before we went to a friend’s house for dinner–it’s amazingly simple for how delicious it is. Enjoy!

BONUS KITTY PIC

Someone's sleepy...

Someone’s sleepy…

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Peanut Butter Oat Bars

This is such an easy delicious recipe. Mary Kate sent this recipe to me–I altered it a little bit and boy is it goooooood. And it’s such an easy recipe, I whipped it up extremely fast. And there’s no added sugar that you have to pour in, making them healthy little things full of protein. Look below for the recipe and directions. This is one you won’t want to pass up and you only need about 25 minutes to do it.

  • Prep Time: 7 minutes
  • Bake Time: 18 minutes

ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups of oats
  • 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup of agave nectar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • small handful of chocolate chips 

Directions

  • Grease a baking sheet and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  • Mix the flour and oats together

dry

  • Go ahead and put the wet ingredients in (the egg, peanut butter, and agave nectar) and mix
  • Fold in some chocolate chips

mixing

  • Spread out on the baking sheet
Ready to bake

Ready to bake

  • Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes (mine took 18). You want it to bake until it starts to brown slightly

all done

  • Wait until completely cool to cut and serve.

bars

peanut bars

Enjoy! And as always…stay hungry and fit!

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