Tag: food

Quick Buffalo Chicken Wrap

20160512_141652Quick and simple lunch! Every once in a while I just crave some buffalo flavor but I don’t want to revert to fried wings. I love adding some buffalo flavor to a clean slate of baked chicken! This wrap is very high in protein by combining chicken and the chick peas. Sample grocery list here* Chow down!!

Prep Time: 3-5 minutes

Cooking Time: 3-5 minutes

Total Time: 6-10 minutes20160512_141710

Calories: 540 cal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Spinach Tortilla (Mission Brand, Medium sized)
  • 2-3 Small Baked Chicken Tenderloins, shredded
  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Spinach
  • Tomato, diced
  • 3-5 Mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Chick Peas (garbanzo beans)
  • 2 Tbsp. Buffalo Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing

Instructions:

  • Pre-heat George Foreman grill or skillet to medium heat.
  • On a flat surface, spread out spinach tortilla.
  • Fill in the center in a narrow pile of fillings lengthwise across the equator of the tortilla. This will allow you to roll it up.
  • Fill tortilla with fresh spinach, chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes and chick peas.
  • Top with buffalo sauce and ranch dressing to taste.
  • Fold in both ends of your tortilla at the equator of fillings and roll middle of tortilla away from you.
  • With the seems down, place tortilla on your hot grill or skillet for 3-5 minutes or until golden grown

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Enjoy!!

 

Play Hard Get Fit

*L*

Jump Inside My Grocery Cart

 

20160510_115630*Full grocery list at bottom of page

Grocery shopping is not my favorite. But it is a necessary means to an end. That end being cooking and eating. I like the eating part. Grocery carts are fascinating. Looking inside someone’s cart is like looking into their soul. Ok, too deep. It’s more like getting a Polaroid of their personality. It also makes you think a little. What do they have planned this week? What are they using that chicken stock for? (so many recipes!?) How do coffee and shrimp go together? Should I judge them for their cat food and sriracha? NO! Those 2 things are amazing… separately. I want to invite you to jump inside my shopping cart on a basic grocery trip for me. Granted 20160127_152915I shop for between 1-3 people (depending on how hungry I am), so your quantities of specific items may be slightly different then mine.

Almost every trip my list looks the same. A few anomalies show up based on season, events or guests but my go-to items stay fairly consistent. This list includes small suggestions and explanations. There will be an easy to read, printable list at the bottom of this page!

 

The Starting Line Up:

  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes– (whatever is on sale-roma, cherry, etc.)
  • Mushrooms-baby bella
  • Peppers-red, green, yellow and/or orange
  • Bananas20160301_111035
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Red Onions
  • Hummus– Food Lion Brand Everything Hummus is my fave right now.
  • Stacy’s Pita Chips
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk– Coconut or Almond Coconut Milk is good too.
  • Chicken breast, tenderloins, drumsticks- usually 2 packs (always stay stocked).
  • Eggs– brown (I’ll pay a little more for happy chickens aka organic).
  • Frozen Fruit– 1 bag each trip.
  • Frozen Veggies-1 bag each trip (also make great ice packs)

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The Bullpen: Things I Don’t Get Every Trip-But Very Often

  • Coffee
  • Oatmeal– Just the plain oats
  • BBQ Sauce– Weber’s Brand has no crap in it- DELICIOUS*
  • Rice– brown
  • Beans– kidney, pinto, garbanzo!20160209_152032
  • Plain Greek Yogurt
  • Cheese– feta, bleu crumbles, cheddar, pepperjack…
  • Wine– cheers!
  • Seltzer water
  • Salsa
  • Hot Sauce
  • Seasonal Fresh Vegetables– (aka who’s on sale?) Zucchini, squash, green beans, etc.
  • Avocados– I only buy them when they are about $1 a piece (it’s like an internal rule of mine).
  • Herbs– parsley, cilantro, basil etc.
  • Seasonal Fruits– melons, berries, lemons, limes, etc.
  • Dried Fruits– cranberries, blueberries- 1 bag every other trip
  • Nuts– Almonds, walnuts, pecans etc. (personal preference!)

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*balsamic vinegar and olive oil are always in my cabinet. I shop for them as needed.

 

Almost every meal I make includes most of The Starting Line Up ingredients. The recipes change with the seasons, and if there is a special event, guests or a new recipe I’m trying. Knowing that when I open the fridge I always have that Starting Line Up, I’m able to easily grow a meal from those items. Variations in seasonings are a perfect way to shake up the Line Up.20160401_173448

Example: Using red onions and bell peppers (red, orange, yellow and/or green).

Option 1– basil, oregano, black pepper, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Sautee together.

Option 2- Paprika, cumin, garlic, red pepper flakes and lime juice. Sautee together. Serve. Eat. Wait for someone to clean up. Sleep.

Both options are DELICIOUS but very different based off seasoning! Spice it up!!

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Whatever your goals, lifestyle, or event you are training for:

Plan your meals. Bring your lunches. Have health snacks HANDY.

Play Hard, Get Fit!

*L*

 

Full playhardgetfit Shopping List:

  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
  • Mushrooms
  • Bell Peppers
  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Red Onions
  • Hummus
  • Pita Chips
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • Chicken Breast
  • Chicken Tenderloins
  • Eggs
  • Frozen Fruit
  • Frozen Veggies
  • Coffee
  • Oatmeal
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Brown Rice
  • Garbanzo Beans
  • Red Kidney Beans
  • Plain Greek Yogurt
  • Cheese crumbles
  • Hard Cheese- cheddar
  • Wine- red, white, pink, all.
  • Seltzer water
  • Seasonal Fresh Vegetables
  • Zucchini
  • Squash
  • Green Beans
  • Cucumber
  • Carrots
  • Avocados
  • Parsley
  • Cilantro
  • Basil
  • Seasonal Fruits–
  • Melons- Watermelon, Honeydew
  • Berries- Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry
  • Citrus-Oranges, Lemons, Limes
  • Dried Cranberries
  • Dried Pomegranates
  • Almonds
  • Pecans

Birthday Smoothie

In honor of my birthday month, I’ve constructed a filling and festi20160324_182704ve smoothie! All of the ingredients are easy to find in your neighborhood grocery store. If you are using an individual serving blender, like a Nutribullet or similar, I blend for 15-30 seconds and then stop. I take the sealed container and shake it up vigorously. It mixes up the ingredients that may be stuck at the top or bottom. Then blend for another 15-30 seconds. If you are having trouble blending or it’s too thick, add more coconut milk!

20160324_182451Happy Birthday to You!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Ingredients

Combine all ingredients into your blender. Add “milk” until you reach your desired consistency. Top with 20160324_183533rainbow SPRINKLES!!!!!
*L*

Peachy Protein Smoothie

20160301_151449This is an awesome smoothie for post workout and/or a big snack or small meal! What I love about smoothies is not just the taste but all the multi tasking a smoothie accomplishes. An entire meal in one cup, I get need grams of protein in – which helps me recover from workouts and/or life, clean up is faster than fast, drinkable – sometimes you just don’t feel like chewing, AND portable – put a lid on it and roll out!! Get excited!!20160301_152005

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

  • 1 whole peeled orange20160301_152724
  • 1 small peeled carrot
  • 5-7 fresh strawberries
  • 1/4 cup frozen mangoes
  • 1/4 cup frozen peaches
  • 2 scoops Dymatize Orange Dreamsicle Protein Powder
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond coconut milk

Combine into a blender and add “milk” until desired consistency! Top with peaches or other fresh fruit!

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This recipe was featured on Dymatize during their weekly March Nutrition Month @VitaminShoppe recipe contest @playhardgetfit Dymatize ISO-100 protein smoothie recipe!

Enjoy!

*L*

 

 

Tortellini Spinach Soup

Perfect recipe for before a long race or run the next day, a cold winter evening, or a cozy lunch a work!

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil

3 celery stalks

2 cloves minced garlice66d9fa3157bb0e50a57339cf9384b65

6 carrots

1 onion

1 package frozen spinach (thawed)

2 packages tortellini (partially cooked)

1 whole rough cut potato

32 oz. chicken stock

2 “cans” cream of chicken- homemade roux (recipe below*)

2 cups of water (may need 1 extra cup)

(salt and pepper to taste)

1.In a large pot, add olive oil and heat on medium. Add celery, garlic, carrots and onion. Stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes.

2. Add frozen spinach to the pot. Breaking up the spinach and stirring until thoroughly combined.

3. Add homemade roux (recipe below), chicken stock and water slowly. Stirring while adding each.

4. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes.

5. Add tortellini and potato.

6. Salt and pepper to taste. (I add this at the end as to not over salt the soup. It’s just a personal preference of mine.)

20141108_180819Makes 8 Servings.

*Note: Pasta will absorb fluids. May become a stew-like consistency when stored.

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Cream of Chicken Soup Homemade

3tbsp. unsalted butter

3tbsp. flour (brown rice flour, all purpose, whole wheat)

½ cup unsweetened almond milk (vanilla)

½ cup low sodium organic chicken stock.

(salt and pepper to taste)

1. In a saucepan, melt butter. Slowly add flour while stirring constantly.
2. Slowly add in milk, then chicken stock while stirring until thickened.

Makes about 1 can

 

 

 

 

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Play Hard, Get Fit

 

*L*