Banana Balls

So far, the month of clean eating has been a challenge.  Our schedule has been a little crazy with little time to prepare for the unexpected.  Mr. J's grandfather passed away last week so most of our week consisted of traveling back home to be with family.  But we are still trying to stay on track as much as possible and I will have to say we have some new favorites.  Sweet potato chili was a huge hit in the house.  Miss A actually wanted more and then asked for it the next day.

The problem I have when trying to eat clean is I am a snacker.  And I want a snack normally at night, after dinner.  Mr. J and I have found a new love for grapefruit and we have eaten an embarrassing number over the last couple of weeks.  But sometimes, you need something more than a piece of fruit.  These banana balls were loved by everyone in the house and satisfied the craving for something a little more than grapefruit.

Banana Balls

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 2 T pure maple syrup
• 1 T all-natural nut butter (Use your favorite)
• 3 T coconut flour
• 1 t cinnamon
• 6 T unsweetened, shredded coconut
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until a dough begins to form.
Drop balls, teaspoon size, onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Enjoy :)

I will say, that we gobbled a lot of them down after baking them, but with the extras, I placed in the refrigerator and then re-warmed the next day on 400 for about 5-10 minutes.  I preferred the texture the next day.  They were even more awesome!

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Day 1, Week 1

I am a firm believer that healthy food does not have to be "bland" or "boring".  I do not do well with eating the same things over and over and I knew this would be one of my biggest issues with this nutritional challenge.  But I refused to let boring food be the thing that made me back out of doing this challenge! So I have made it my mission to make fun, flavorful food!  

We really enjoyed this meal!  They were full of flavor and satisfying.

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from: BevCooks

Enough for about 10 good size wraps

• 2 Tbs EVOO
• 3 large chicken breast
• 2-3 chipotle peppers with sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 cups red bell pepper, diced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1/8 cup green onion, sliced thinly 
• Romain or Butter Lettuce, rinsed and leaves separated 
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season your chicken with your salt, pepper and garlic and sear for about 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through and is browned.  Move to a cutting board and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Chop chicken into small bites.

In a food processor, my favorite kitchen appliance, combine the chipotle peppers in sauce, lime juice and cilantro.  Process until mixed well and peppers are in very small pieces.

Place the red peppers, beans, and chipotle mixture into the skillet. Let cook for about a minute or 2 just to get warm. Add chicken back in and mix well. Toss in green onions.

Top those lettuce leaves with that yummy mixture and enjoy!

Recreating Our Favorites...part 1

Life has been busy! My brother, sister -in-law and sweet niece came in for a visit.  While they were home we celebrated two very special little girls birthdays.  (My niece, Mads, and sweet A!) I can't believe Mads is 4 and A is 1! They don't kid when they say they grow up quickly! It was so great being able to celebrate the girls together!  It was a really special week.

Since they have left, Mr. J and I have been working so hard to "get healthy".  With my love of cooking I am trying to re-create some of our favorite foods into a "healthier" version.  Tonight...Burgers.

Mr. J and I like our food spicy (and so does sweet a!).  These burgers had just the right amount of spice and a whole lot of flavor.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Jalapeno, Black Bean and Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey meat
• 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg white
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon taco or southwestern seasoning (or both) 
• Salt and Pepper, to taste 

Drain black beans and rinse.  Seed and dice jalapeno.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Pat out into 6 patties.  Grill around 5 minutes on each side.  Enjoy!

I did place a little bit of guacamole on top of mine and it was fabulous! Mr. J turns green at the thought of guacamole so he passed but still loved the burgers just as much as I did.  We ate them on 80 calorie buns and paired with some broccoli . It was a great meal and we are looking forward to left over tomorrow night! 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!