Grilled Steak and Portobello Mushroom with Tomato Vinaigrette and Steamed Asparagus- 21 Day Fix Approved

Grilled Steak and Portobello Mushroom with Tomato Vinaigrette and Steamed Asparagus

One of the best purchases we have made this season is our grill.  Chad keeps creating these delicious, healthy dishes for us.  To be perfectly honest, he is a MUCH better cook and recipe creator than I am. This dish takes a bit of planning and prep.  It's perfect for a leisurely weekend with friends.  

21 Day Fix container counts: 1 Red, 2 Green, 1/3 Blue, 1.5 tsp

Items needed: 

• Flank Steak (approximately 2-3 lbs)
• Portobello Mushrooms
• Fresh Asparagus
• Grape Tomatoes
• Fresh Garlic
• Green Onion
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar 
• Oregano
• Feta Cheese (optional)
• Salt and Pepper
• Smokin' Coals Original Dry Rub

For the steak: 

This is a flank steak or sometimes labeled as London broil. Chad likes to do a dry rub with Smokin' Coals Original Dry Rub, a local South Carolina product that has a delicious sweet heat flavor.  He applies the dry rub to the steak and then allows the meat to come up to room temperature before grilling to medium. Allow steak to rest, while steaming the asparagus, before slicing.  

For the tomato vinaigrette:

2 Servings

• Approximately 10 grape tomatoes, quartered
• 2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 green onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and lightly press the tomatoes to release their juices without breaking.  Cover and allow to marinate for at least an hour before serving.

For the grilled Portobello mushroom: 

Remove the stems of the mushroom and clean by wiping with a dry cloth.  Place the mushrooms in a shallow dish and marinate in equal parts extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar for 1 hour turning the mushrooms half way through.  Grill approximately 5 minutes per side or until done.  

For the Asparagus:

Steam asparagus until tender- about 7-10 minutes. 

Serve topped with about a tablespoon or 1/3 blue container full of crumbled feta cheese.  

We've made this several times and like to make extra for leftovers the next day.  It all reheats beautifully and the flavors only seem to improve!  

Who is the better cook and recipe creator in your relationship?  

Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese-Fixate Cookbook

This recipe had me at "Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese."  I mean, seriously, how could this not be good? The fact that it's a 21 Day Fix approved recipe from the Fixate cookbook, was simply an added bonus.  I made this recipe and realized after it was already in the oven, there seemed to be some missing spices to make this feel like those delicious pumpkin treats we all look so forward to each fall.  Nonetheless, the recipe still turned out delicious and had more of an earthy flavor, not spicy.
I an somewhat confused as to how the container counts were determined for this recipe.  The book says that it makes 9 servings, which was true, but that each serving equals 1 purple and 1 orange.  I get the orange count, but because there is only 1 cup of pumpkin in the entire recipe, I'm not sure how each serving can count as 1 purple.  I did check the updates on the cookbook and there were no edits to this recipe.  If anyone understands how this equals 1 purple, please share in the comments.  I personally feel like this should count as 1 yellow since the ingredients are very similar to the treat recipes in the original 21 Day Fix guide.

Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese
Serves 9 (1 Muffin each)  Container Equivalents per serving: 1 purple, 1 orange

Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese
(minus 1 that I ate before I took a picture)

2 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups almond flour (see tip below to make your own or if you have nut allergies)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 dash sea salt
2 Tbsp. raw pumpkin seeds. (I felt like this was a typo and they actually meant 2 tsp. based on how mine looked versus the picture in the cookbook.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare 9 muffin cups by lining with muffin tin liners or coating with spray.  Set aside
3. Combine cream cheese and maple syrup in a small bowl; mix well.  Set aside.
4. Combine egg and pumpkin in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
5. Combine almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl: mix well.
6. Add almond meal mixture to egg mixture; mix until just blended.
7. Spoon batter into each prepared muffin cup, filing a little less than 1/2 full.
8. Spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin.  Evenly fill muffin cups 3/4 full with remaining batter.
9. Sprinkle muffins evenly with pumpkin seeds.
10. Bake 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11. Transfer muffins to rack; cool.

Tip:  1 cup of slivered almonds ground in a high speed blender or a food processor will yield approximately 1 cup of almond flour. Pulse in 20 second intervals to avoid turning it into almond butter.
If you have nut allergies, Autumn suggests trying ground oat flour.  This is going to be the closest consistency to the almond flour.  You can make your own by grinding old fashion oats in the blender or food processor.
Whole wheat flour might be a trickier substitution and you may have to play with the moisture balance before getting it right.

I plan to make these again sometime this week and will be adding at least 1 tsp of good vanilla extract and some pumpkin pie spices.

Has anyone else tried these?  Did you add any spices or flavoring?  Share below!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad- Fixate Cookbook

If you haven't yet tried quinoa, what are you waiting for? It's protein packed, gluten free and can be substituted in most rice recipes and pasta salad recipes.  The Quinoa and Black Bean Salad from the Fixate cookbook is a great make ahead meal or healthy dish to take to your next potluck.  Feel free to cut this recipe in half as it only keeps 2-3 days in the fridge.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
Serves 12- 1 cup each
Container Counts 1 Green, 2 Yellow

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

1/3 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
4 1/2 tsp. Red Wine Vinegar
Black Pepper to taste

4 Cups Water
2 Cups Dry Quinoa (I used red quinoa which is why mine is so dark.)
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1 Medium Orange Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1 Medium Yellow Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1 10 oz. Bag Frozen Corn, thawed
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped

1.  Combine lime juice, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Slowly add oil, while whisking constantly; set aside.  (I combined all the ingredients in my high speed blender)
3. Combine beans, vinegar and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well.  Set aside
4.Bring water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat.
5. Add quinoa,  Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 10-12 min or until all water has been absorbed.  Remove from heat.  Cool for 15 to 30 min  Set aside.  (Better yet, follow the instructions on your quinoa box.  I always have to let mine simmer for at least 15 minutes before all the liquid is absorbed.)
6. Place cooled quinoa in a large bowl.  Fluff with a fork.
7. Add bell peppers, corn, cilantro, bean mixture, and dressing; toss gently to blend.

I plan on making this recipe again this week!  It was super convenient to have this made ahead and the fact that I could have a whole cup as a serving left me feeling very satisfied without feeling overly stuffed.

Do you have a favorite quinoa recipe?  Share it in the comments below!

Easy French Toast

I didn't always like breakfast.  I skipped that meal of the day for about the first 30 years of my life.  There would be the special occasion breakfast here and there, but that was it.  It wasn't until one of my many times I hopped on the weight loss wagon that I began to realize my need for this meal of the day.  I was doing a very intense exercise program and I couldn't properly fuel my body without those calories.

While I yet again fell off that wagon, I did continue to eat breakfast.

Growing up, my mom began serving us Ezekiel bread long before it ever made it's way into mainstream grocery stores. I can't remember if this was before or after the juicing revolution hit. We went to the little local health food store to buy this bread that was completely different than any whole wheat bread we had ever eaten.  Strangely enough, I really liked it. In college, I was even able to find it at this tiny little health food store in Sylva, NC.

Ezekiel bread- you and I have been through a lot together.

About the same time I began liking breakfast, I noticed a new item beside the old faithful regular Ezekiel bread- Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel bread.  Game changer.

This item quickly found it's way into my shopping cart and became an instant favorite.

I personally think the best way to enjoy it is in french toast.  It tastes so good you will think it's bad, but it's not!

Easy Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Makes 1 serving

Heat griddle on medium heat or about 300 degrees.

2 pieces cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or more if you like the egg mixture thinner)

1/4 tsp real vanilla extract (totally optional)

dash of extra cinnamon

Optional Toppings

maple syrup

favorite fruit

Coconut oil for greasing the griddle

Toast the Ezekiel bread in a toaster on medium to light setting just so it becomes slightly dry.  It will absorb the egg mixture better.

While you are toasting the bread, mix up the remaining ingredients.  Pour into a shallow dish or pie pan.

Dip each side of the bread in the egg mixture until well coated.

Spray griddle with coconut oil and cook each piece 2-3 min on the first side and 1-2 min on the other side.

Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Do you like Ezekiel bread?  What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy it?