Lean Living Tips

08/03/2024

🌿 Welcome to "Lean Living Tips"! 🌟 I'm your guide to a healthier, more vibrant you. 🌈 Explore daily doses of nourishing advice in a supportive space free of judgment. Together, let's cultivate positivity and vitality! 🤗

08/01/2024

07/31/2024

Sweet Summer Salad

Ingredients
- 7 radishes, depending on size
- 1 cup black beans, cooked and drained
- 1 cucumber
- 2 smalls zucchini
- Handful of fresh basil
- 2 cups bibb lettuce (or a green)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime, honey, and salt and pepper to combine.

Slice the radishes and zucchini into thin rounds. Peel and halve the cucumber, scoop out the seeds and dice into small pieces. Chop the lettuce into strips to create 2 cups of greens.

In a large bowl, combine the radish, cucumber, black beans, greens and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add desired amount of fresh basil (chopped or slivered).

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and allow to marinate for an hour. You may not need to use all of the dressing, so bottle it up and save it for another salad

Source: Foodista

07/30/2024

Grilled Chicken With Spinach-Chive Pesto

Ingredients
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped chives (about 1 oz. chives)
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 cup of lemon juice
- Olive oil
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- pepper
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- Salt
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preparation
To make the pesto, combine baby spinach, chopped chives, chopped garlic clove, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp salt.Puree until the mixture is finely chopped.Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use the pesto.When ready to use, bring to room temperature.Rub each of 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts with 1 tsp olive oil.Season with salt and pepper.Preheat the grill to high heat and then turn down to medium heat.

Place the chicken breasts on the grill and cook until done, about 5 minutes on each side.

Remove the chicken from the grill, let rest for 5 minutes, and then slice on a diagonal.

Serve the chicken breasts with the pesto spread over top.

Source: foodista.com

07/29/2024

Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers With Chipotle Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients
- 1 whole apple, diced
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 pound ground turkey (give or take 3 ounces depending on package weight)
- 1-2 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce (or your favorite hot sauce or salsa)
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- Garnish with diced green onions

Preparation
Mix burger ingredients in a bowl and shape into 4-6 patties. Grill (or pan fry) for 2 minutes each side or until juices run clear.

Serve with a dollop of chipotle yogurt sauce.

Source: foodista.com

07/28/2024

Mouthwatering Mushroom Pie

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of Broth (Mushroom, Veggie, or Chicken)
- 2 tablespoons of Butter, Melted
- 3 eggs
- 2 cloves of Minced Garlic
- 1/4 cup of Gorgonzola Cheese
- 3 Green Onions, Chopped
- 1/4 cup of Milk
- 5 1/2 cups Cooked Mushrooms, Chopped
- 1 Pie Crust
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 1 tablespoon of Sherry
- 4 ounces of Chopped Fresh Spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon of Tarragon

Preparation
First up, grab your pie crust and lay it into your pie pan.Grab a bowl and add to it your eggs, milk, tarragon, sherry, garlic, melted butter, stock and cheese.

Mix it up and set it aside.If you're using dried mushrooms, boil up a quart of water and add them to it.

Let them simmer for about 20 minutes to soften up. If you're using fresh mushrooms, instead of adding your melted butter above, melt it up in a skillet and cook your fresh mushrooms in it for about four minutes until cooked through.Go ahead and grab your spinach and onions and drop them into your dish. Now add your chopped mushrooms to the top. And then the blue cheese. Last up, grab your egg mixture and pour it over the top.

Sprinkle a few shakes of salt and pepper over the top.Pop it into your oven preheated to 325 degrees for 35 minutes.

Source: Foodista

07/27/2024

Grilled Chicken & Corn Red Potato Salad

Ingredients
- 2 cups Grilled Chicken, chopped and diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 fresh ear corn, with husked removed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on corn
- 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 7 red potatoes
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- a pinch of salt

Preparation
Put the onions and jalapeno in a bowl

Add olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.Then whisk until the vinaigrette becomes a smooth dressing

In a pot of salted water, bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes

Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool

Then cut into bite-size pieces

Grill the corn and keep turning until almost all sides have char marks, which should take about 10 minutes or less

Slice the kernels off the cobs

Add the corn to the potatoes

Then add the grilled chicken

Add the vinaigrette

The toss to combine all of the ingredients

Source: Foodista

07/26/2024

Cassoulet with Chicken or Duck

Ingredients
- 1 lb dried white beans
- 8 cups cold water
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 (3-inch) piece celery, cut into thirds
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs plus 1/2 cup chopped leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 (14-oz) can stewed tomatoes, finely chopped with juice
- 4 chicken or duck legs (1 3/4 lb total)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb cooked pork or chicken sausage, cut crosswise into thick slices
- 2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a baguette)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Cover beans with cold water by 2 inches in a large bowl and soak 8 to 12 hours.

Drain in a colander.

Transfer beans to a 6- to 8-quart pot and bring to a boil with 8 cups cold water, broth, tomato paste, onion, and 2 tablespoons garlic. Put celery, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, parsley sprigs, and peppercorns in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni.

Add bouquet garni to beans, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until beans are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in tomatoes with juice and simmer until beans are just tender, about 15 minutes more.

Source: foodista.com

07/25/2024

Moroccan Chicken Tagine
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Moroccan spice mixture (1/2 tsp. cayenne, 1/2 tsp. turmeric, 2 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp. allspice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. coriander)
- 1/8 c. almond slivers
- 1/2 c. dried apricot halves, roughly chopped
- 1 14-oz. can chick peas, drained
- 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Cilantro
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 c. fat free chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger root, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Preparation
In a pie plate, combine the flour and Moroccan spice mixture.

Add chicken pieces and toss to coat.

Heat oil in your pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken pieces and allow to brown for one minute per side.

Remove chicken from pressure cooker and set aside.Reduce heat to medium and add ginger and onions.

Saute for three minutes, until onions are semi-translucent.

Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the apricots, whole tomatoes, chicken broth or stock, and browned chicken pieces to the pot.Cover, and bring to low pressure over medium-high heat. Once you have reached pressure, cook for eight minutes then remove from heat and release the pressure using the quick release method (open the steam valve).Stir in the chick peas, almonds, and honey and let them warm for a few minutes.Check your chicken for done-ness and taste the tagine. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over couscous and garnish with cilantro leaves.*If using a Dutch Oven instead, follow steps 1-4 as described, then bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until apricots are tender. Continue with step 6.

Source: foodista.com