Hey FiP Babes!  At this point in time, I know we all are feeling the pain of being cooped up in our homes and not being able to enjoy the finer things in life, am I right? The thing that I really miss doing is being able to eat at some of favorite restaurants. On a positive note, this time of quarantine has pretty much forced my hand into submission of eating clean and healthy again. The downside, I am having to hide all the junk food that my husband and son love to snack on during the day to avoid temptation! ☺ I feel myself trying to just fall into my old ways and make something quick, easy and greasy for dinner but there is no room for that! I have goals to crush and my summer body to obtain! I have a brain full of clean, eating recipes at my disposal & writing this blog to share with ALL my FiP babes, is also holding this FiP Ambassador accountable! So no matter what your specific goal is at this point in time, we all could use some additional yummy, delicious recipes that doesn’t take hours to achieve. Eating clean is hard, but I have found that if you plan in advance, force yourself to only buy the needed ingredients at the store and meal prep for the week, it is a lot easier to stick with! So let’s get to it. 

One of my easiest and fun dinner meals I love to cook is Broiled Flank Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes. This recipe is super easy, total time is about 25 minutes and only requires a few ingredients. You will start with the following: 6 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 6 ounces sweet potato, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced into thin half-moons 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 (1-lb.) flat iron steak, trimmed 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided. Step 1: Preheat broiler, with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Step 2: Place Brussels sprouts and potato on a rimmed baking sheet; toss with 1 tablespoon oil, and spread in an even layer. Place a wire rack in pan over vegetables. Rub steak with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and place on rack in pan over vegetables. Sprinkle steak with 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and half of pepper. Step 3: Broil 10 minutes. Turn steak over; drizzle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, and sprinkle with remaining thyme, salt, and pepper. Broil about 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Step 4: Remove steak from pan, and let stand 5 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices. Place vegetables in a bowl; pour in pan juices, and toss to coat. That’s it! Now you can separate it into each container for your daily dinner prep.

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely LOVE chicken. I love chicken FRIED, baked, broiled, grilled, you name it, I will eat it… except RAW of course! When we are eating healthier, regular baked chicken is boring and gets old REAL quick, but is one of the BEST sources of protein choices for your body and it keeps your fuller longer! I love to make my Grilled Basil Chicken during this time! I actually made it last night! Ingredients you will need: 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped red onion, 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil, 1 garlic clove, minced, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each), Grilled romaine, optional. Step 1: In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Step 2: Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat 5-7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 165°. If desired, serve over grilled romaine. FREEZE OPTION: Freeze chicken with marinade in a re-sealable plastic freezer bag. To use, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Grill as directed. I like to throw some fresh green beans and rice/quinoa mix for my sides to ensure I get the right amount of vegetables and complex carbs my body needs for fuel!

Sometimes we all crave a salad, am I right? Okay Okay, I mean not all the time, but hey they are so many fun and creative ways to spice up our salad meals! They don’t all have to be BORING! Many times people try to overcompensate for the lack of “flavor and taste” by adding unhealthy additives that throw off the entire premise of WHY we are eating a salad to begin with! My BBQ Salmon BLT Salad covers all areas to make it an effective and delicious meal without compromising calories! Ingredients include: 2, 6oz salmon filets, 1/2 lemon, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 3 slices bacon (I use turkey bacon), 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half, 1 avocado, chopped, Mixed greens (I used a baby kale, arugula, and radicchio blend). Directions: Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add smoked paprika, salt, brown sugar, and pepper to a small dish then mix to combine and set aside. Step 2: Place bacon in a large, cold cast iron or other oven safe skillet then turn heat to medium and cook until bacon is crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain then chop when cool. Remove all but 1 Tablespoon bacon grease from the skillet then turn heat up to medium-high. Step 3: Squeeze lemon juice over salmon then sprinkle seasoning mix generously on top and rub in lightly. Add salmon to skillet skin side up then sauté for 2 minutes. Flip then sauté for 3 minutes, and then place the entire skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 6 minutes. Step 4: Divide lettuce between two plates then top with chopped bacon, tomatoes, avocado, and BBQ salmon. Serve with your favorite salad dressing – (I recommend a vinaigrette for calories and flavor!).

Another one of my go-to’s is breakfast for dinner. You can never go wrong when it comes to eating eggs for your protein intake and I love that you can always get creative in this area. So I am adding a dinner favorite, the Herb Breakfast Frittata. You can use this for breakfast OR dinner, whatever you’re craving! The following ingredients needed are: 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large Yukon Gold potato (OR sweet potato), peeled and thinly sliced,  6 large eggs, 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed, 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese (you can omit this). Step 1: In an 8-in. ovenproof skillet, sauté onion in oil until tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove onion and keep warm. Arrange potato slices in a single layer over bottom of pan. Preheat broiler. Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, seasonings and onion; pour over potatoes. Cover and cook until nearly set, 4-6 minutes. Step 3: Uncover skillet. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat until eggs are completely set, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

I hope these meals bring convenience and tastiness for your eating routines! I have tons more to share and am always willing to provide recipes that so many other generous women have shared with me over the years!  

Love,

Sarah

2020 FiP Ambassador