Lemon Chicken Skewers with Homemade Tzatziki

This picture makes me drool just looking at it and remembering it's amazing flavors! This is a true keeper and a constant in our recipe rotation. Super easy and can be prepared ahead of time - what's not to love?

Ingredients:

• Chicken Skewers:
• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper 
• Tzatziki Sauce:
• 1 cup peeled and diced cucumber (about 1/2) 
• 1 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• juice of half a lemon 
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Tzatziki sauce: mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chicken is grilled. 
2. Prep chicken ahead to marinate: In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients and add the cubed chicken to coat. Cover or place in a gallon ziploc bag and refrigerate up to 3 hours. 
3. Prep skewers with marinated chicken and heat the grill to medium-high heat. 
4. Grill the skewers for 3-4 minutes on each side. 
5. DONE! Serve with a vegetable or salad. 

Zucchini Lasagna

This layered dream is composed of thinly sliced zucchini, your favorite sauce and ground beef or turkey, spinach and mushrooms, & mozzarella and ricotta mixture - voila! Here's the details on this yummy number: 

Ingredients:

• RICOTTA MIXTURE:
• 8 ounces part skim ricotta
• 3 tbsp parmesan cheese 
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• black pepper to taste 

• OTHER:
• 2 large zucchini cut into slices 
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 package spinach
• minced garlic
• salt and pepper 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix Ricotta filling: add all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Refrigerate until you're ready to layer. 
2. Brown ground beef or turkey over medium-high heat. Add sauce and simmer. 
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and brown, adding spinach and garlic until cooked.
4. While everything is simmering, slice zucchini for your noodles. Thickness of the zucchini will depend on how many layers you'd like. Thinner noodles = more layers. Thicker noodles = less layers and more time in the oven. 
5. Layering: Spray a 9 x 11 pan with cooking spray. Spread sauce and meat mixture on the bottom of the pan, then add noodles, spinach/mushroom mixture, more sauce, 1/2 ricotta mixture topped with mozzarella in the middle. Continue with one more layer of sauce, noodles, spinach/mushrooms and ricotta mixture on top. Top with mozzarella cheese! 
6. Bake uncovered in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Our Best (yet) Broccoli-Cauliflower Pizza Crust

So by now you know that I'm all about cauliflower substitutes and we found a decent cauliflower crust recipe a few months ago. This is a huge upgrade. It's thicker, has more flavor, and spreads out to fill the whole pan. With just cauliflower, it's tough to make a pizza big enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day! Top with your favorites and enjoy - guilt-free feeling included.  

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen cauliflower crumbles (TRADER JOES!) 
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs Italian seasonings
• 1 c Parmesan 

• toppings of choice (we used Classico pizza sauce, Classico pesto, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni with a sprinkle of garlic powder) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a small pan over medium heat, thaw frozen cauliflower crumbles. Stir often.
3. While thawing cauliflower, place broccoli florets in a food processor and finely chop. 
4. Add broccoli bits to the pan on the stove, stirring to evaporate the moisture in the vegetables (this is a crucial step and this is THE BEST way we've found to do this). Pay close attention so they don't burn! 
5. Remove from heat and add remainder of ingredients in the pot and stir to combine.
6. Roll out crust on pizza stone. *I use a smidgen of wheat flour so the crust doesn't stick to the stone (learned that the hard way). 
7. Place in the oven for 20 minutes without toppings. 
8. Remove, add desired toppings and cheese, and place back in the oven until everything's melted (about 5-10 minutes).
9. EAT UP! We add a side salad for a complete meal! 

Home Workouts!

OK folks, so I've already admitted that I like working out at the gym as much as I like Brussels sprouts; however, I am really starting to enjoy Brussels sprouts. We had them in Ohio last week while visiting our friends Aaron and Regina and I actually bought some this week to cook! SHOCKING. I'll post how they are later this week. Anyways, I've really started to get into working out in my home gym in the garage. In an earlier post, I mentioned we have an elliptical and bowflex purchased off Craigslist (great finds) and I bought a 10 lb. kettle bell from TJMaxx for $12. Best $12 spent.  This workout excitement comes at a great time - grad school will be finished in two weeks! I can't wait to tone up and get stronger.

So the last few workouts I've done have involved 30 mins on the elliptical and some form of kettle bell workout - a.k.a. me scrolling through my Pinterest page to find the billions of workouts I've saved.  I found I was wasting so much time but I couldn't remember a good sequence to all the kettle bell "moves" I was trying out. Since I'm a teacher, of course I had chart paper and chart markers in the garage...so I stopped and wrote out a sequence of moves compiled from a bunch of workouts. Y'all. This kicked my butt. I am still sore and I did it on Sunday afternoon but it feels so good!

I hope this motivates you to get up and MOVE!

Home Workout

• Warm-up/stretch
• 30 mins cardio (elliptical, jogging, running, run/walk, brisk walk, any combination - use what you have)
• Kettle bell series of moves (see chart and explanations in the photo below) 
• Crunches after every set of kettle bell moves 
• Drink lots of water and stretch when you finish. My dad said stretch like Cal Ripken - he never suffered any serious injuries b/c he stretched before and after playing baseball.

Before anyone starts throwing tomatoes and writing slanderous statements in the comments, YES...I spelled kettle bell wrong and YES I'm a teacher. I never claimed to be the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.  I was excited to write it all down - my bad. 

10/10 means 10 on each side 

• 10/10 Single arm row: in lunge position, raise kettle bell up to shoulder level and back down
• 20 Single arm swings: regular kettle bell swing but with one hand, switching at the lowest point
• Triangle tippers: legs more than shoulder-width apart, right arm straight up with kettle bell (triangle). Slowly reach left hand down to left ankle, coming up to triangle position each time. 10 each side. 
• 15 squat thrusters: Holding kettle bell, squat all the way to the ground and raise back up with the kettle bell straight over your head (like a pencil). Repeat.15.times.and.feel.the.burn.
• 10/10 around body pass: swing kettle bell around your body, switching hands. 10 in each direction.
• 10/10 split lunges: 10 with each leg in front while holding kettle bell
• 20 regular swings (my fave) 
• 8 sets of 8 crunches (or more) I do sets of 8 b/c it matches the timing in my workout music. Use yoga mats if you're on concrete. 

Again, best $12 I've spent. I love this thing! 

Old Standby: Greek Sloppy Joes with Cauliflower Rice

This recipe has been one of our favorites for years. Before we got married in 2011, we started the South Beach Diet and I signed up for every bootcamp I could find to get my tush in shape! My parents bought us the South Beach Diet Super Quick cookbook (I recommend getting) and this is one that we immediately loved! Seriously - the page has almost ripped out we've made it so many times! 

It's a Phase 2 recipe but we subbed out the whole wheat orzo for cauliflower rice recently (once I became obsessed with finding cauliflower substitutes!) Even if you used the orzo, it's still a healthy and delicious meal and only takes about 30 minutes! 

Servings: 4        Prep time: 20 mins      Total time: 30 minutes

Greek Sloppy Joes Ingredients:

• riced cauliflower (we found it in the frozen section of Trader Joes, or you can make your own by chopping a head and putting it in the food processor. "Rice" it and then steam it in the microwave for 6 minutes.)

• 4 tsp olive or coconut oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice (we use the ones with peppers)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste (I use about 1/2 those tiny cans)
• 1/4 cup water
• reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese, sprinkled

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion and garlic to cook. Stir occasionally until the onion is soft. 
2. Add the turkey and break up with a spoon. Sprinkle with oregano, cayenne, and cinnamon. Cook until turkey is white the whole way through. 
3. Stir in diced tomatoes and juice, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until the sauce is think - about 10 minutes.
4. Spoon cauliflower rice (or orzo cooked by package directions) into serving dish and place the turkey mixture on top. Sprinkle with feta. YUM!

TOP MEAL ALERT: Spicy Shrimp, Kale, and Cauliflower Mash!

Get ready for this one - it's a keeper for sure and is SO incredibly easy and healthy! It takes very little prep and is finished within 30 minutes. This recipe was found on Pinterest from Lindsay over at Pinch of Yum.  Maybe one day my blog will look like her's but for now this is what you get! 

So here's the skinny: I followed her directions for the shrimp and used a different cauliflower mash recipe from KITCHme and sautéed/steamed the kale. EASY PEASY. 

Shrimp Ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut)
• 1 lb shrimp (we use peeled & deveined, frozen or fresh - whatever's on sale!) 
• generous shakes of cayenne pepper, garlic salt, chili powder, and black pepper 

Cauli Mash Ingredients:

• 1 head medium cauliflower (or frozen riced cauliflower, thawed/warmed)
• 1 tbsp cream cheese, softened 
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• few generous shakes of salt and pepper

Sautéed/Steamed Kale Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil (or coconut)
• minced garlic (however much you like)
• 3 cups chopped kale (we use the whole bunch)
• water (as needed to "steam") 

Directions:

1.  FOR THE CAULI MASH: Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Chop the cauliflower into florets and drop in boiling water until they get soft (about 8-10 mins). Drain and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients and use an immersion blender to get desired consistency.
2. FOR THE KALE: While cauliflower is boiling, heat oil in another pan on medium to medium high heat and add about 1/2 cup water, kale, and garlic. Place lid on pan and let steam, adding water and stirring as needed. Place aside and use the same pan for shrimp.
3. FOR THE SHRIMP: Add oil over medium heat. Pat the shrimp dry and add to the pan. Sprinkle seasonings to your liking and cook for a few minutes on each side (until pink).
4. Serve shrimp over the cauliflower mash and add kale as a side. MMMM. So good. 

Dry Rub Baked Pork Chops, Artichokes with Garlic Aioli and Fruit Salad

WOAH...this one was super good and relatively easy with the timing right. This was my FIRST TIME EVER buying and cooking whole artichokes!!! 

Total Time: 45 minutes for artichokes, 30 for the pork chops so 45 total if timed nicely!

Artichokes:

• 1 lemon (quartered) OR hefty squeeze of lemon juice 
• 2 artichokes

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the lemons or lemon juice.
2. Cut stems and top inch off the artichoke and place in boiling water. 
3. Boil for 45 minutes, cut off heat and let rest in water for 10 minutes. 

While artichokes are boiling, make garlic aioli sauce. 

• 1 tbsp chopped garlic (about 2 cloves)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup mayo (or miracle whip)
• lemon juice (about 3 tbsp) 
• 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard (ours also had horseradish)

STIR all of the above and use to dip artichoke pieces in and use teeth to tear off the tender meat. The bottom tender portion can be eaten too (best part around the stem). Pretty sure this was the "heart" everyone loves. I know I did.

Pork Chops: 

• 4 bone-in chops 
• dry rub of your choice - we used 3 Beer BBQ Rub 
• olive oil pan spray 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Rub both sides of chops with dry rub. 
3. Lightly spray baking dish and place pork chops inside.
4. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, take out and flip, cook another 15 minutes. 
5. Viola! So good! 

Fruit cup: 

• anything you have chopped up :) 

June Weekend Vibes

Wedding season has slowed down and I am hunkered down for most of the summer with my final graduate school principal internship. PHEW! Our weekends have been relaxing and I have procrastinated enough - time to get busy! We made a few easy and delicious meals this weekend pictured below. Simple breakfast, a mushroom and Gruyere cheese tart, and a breakfast scramble. 

Easy breakfast: Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil and scramble 2 eggs with a handful of spinach. Slice a variety of fresh fruit and combine in bow. Easy peasy! 

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This tasty Mushroom and Gruye're cheese tart pictured above with side salad: DELICIOUS!

For the tart, I tweaked the recipe found here on Amuse Your Bouche. SO.GOOD. 

Here's my version:

Prep Time: 30 minutes     Cook Time: 30 minutes     Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 store bought pastry crust (I used a pie crust)
• 1 tbsp oil (coconut, olive, grape seed, whatever)
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• salt and pepper
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 1 handful chopped parsley (or cilantro)
• 4 oz grated gruye're cheese (or a tad more) 

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a pie pan (10 inch diameter). 
2. Roll out pastry until it covers the dish and gently press into the corners. Don't cut off too much excess because it shrinks as it cooks. Pierce with a fork all over and bake for 20 minutes.
3. While cooking, heat the oil in a pan and saute' mushrooms and garlic over medium heat for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Beat the eggs and milk in small bowl. 
5. When pastry is finished, remove it from the oven and fill as follows: egg mixture, a thin layer of chopped parsley or cilantro, and an even layer of mushrooms. Top with the gruye're cheese. 
6. Place back in the oven for 25 minutes until the egg has set and the cheese is melted.

Shout out to Amuse Your Bouche for this delish recipe! We had this for dinner and it would make a yummy addition to any brunch, bridal or baby shower spread. 

Our side salads are ALWAYS as follows:

• spinach
• grape tomatoes 
• sprinkle cheese 

and this salad also included: chopped radishes (leftover from another recipe), sunflower seeds, chopped celery (from grilled wing night) 

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Sunday consisted of this "everything in the fridge" breakfast scramble with a fresh fruit bowl. Can you tell that fruit was on sale at Publix last week? 

Here's what we threw in the skillet:

• black beans (leftover from another meal)
• 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
• about 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• handful of chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper
• 4 eggs 
• sprinkle of gruye're cheese (leftover from above) 

Bowl of strawberries, GA peaches, and blueberries topped with a dollop of fat free whipped topping. It's the little things ya'll. As long as the whole tub isn't consumed, you're good!

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We also enjoyed some kayaking out on the Santa Fe with our friend Lynnette! 

Welcome!

Well...here goes nothing! Welcome to my FOOD BLOG. Yup. I'm adding yet another side to the entrée of life.  Never in a million years would I have thought about doing anything like this but food has definitely changed my life over the past 6 months.  I am thrilled to be sharing the recipes that we've tried and what has been successful in our low carb journey. I am a recipe tweaker and will cite originals accordingly! 

In my inaugural post, I'll leave you with these before and after pictures. Most of the "before" are from December 2015 and some were never posted because I looked at them and felt disgusting. The picture with our niece and nephew was the one that did it for me - I was determined to take control. We felt and looked exhausted. I was also a bridesmaid in two spring weddings (March and May). One dress size I had never ordered before and the other dress would not zip up. It was time. 

Check back for recipes and follow me on Instagram: tanlinesandslimwaistlines (blog name with no spaces)

December 2015: 

May 2016:

 March 2016 

Left is December 2015 ::  Right is March 2016

December 2015

May 2016:

May and June 2016: