Fiesta Chicken Power Salad

B man doesn't like school lunch so I'm always on the hunt for high protein meals I can make him!!  This was quick and delicious!!  He loved it!!

Recipe from: Makayla Thomas Fit - Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 Potatoes, diced

1lb Ground chicken

Fajita seasoning

Lettuce, shredded

1 cup corn, cooked

2 roma tomatoes, cut

1/4 cup red onion, diced

Cilantro

Jalapeno, diced

Greek yogurt

Chic Filet Creamy Salsa Dressing

Cojita cheese

Dice, season potato in air fry at 400 degrees for 10 min - then shake - then 10 more min.

Cook ground chicken with fajita seasoning.

Make Pico de Gallo - tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno.

Mix potato, chicken, pico, lettuce and corn.

Combine yogurt and Chic Filet sauce together and top.  

Top with cojita cheese and enjoy!!

Sheet Pan Greek Chicken and Vegetables

This was super good AND it was easy to make for a week night!!!  You could put on a pita too!!!  Boys liked just making it bowl style!!

OBB - Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper cut into 1" squares
• 1 medium onion red or yellow, cut into 1/2"-1" squares
• 1 small-medium zucchini sliced into 1/3" pieces
• 1 cup cherry/grape tomatoes sliced in half, optional- see instructions
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs about 6 thighs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon lemon pepper or sub 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced rosemary leaves, optional
• 1 lemon
• ⅓ cup feta cheese

Topping options

• additional feta Cheese
• Chopped Parsley
• Tzatziki, recommended
• Hummus
• Greek Salsa

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Prepare pan: If desired, line pan with foil for easy clean up. Note- I like to use an extra large sheet pan for this recipe, but you can also make it on a standard sheet pan (which is what I'm using in the photos). The more crowded your food, the more moisture in the pan so it tends to have a bit more liquid. Sometimes depending on the size of your vegetables, this can get a bit crowded on a single standard pan, but if that's what you've got, it will work great!
• Place cut vegetables on the prepared baking sheet. You can include your small tomatoes whole, or if you have the time, I like to cut them in half and press the seeds and pulp into the sink just to get rid of a little more liquid.
• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Use a clean pair of kitchen sheers to trim off any excess pieces of large fat (no need to remove ALL fat). Slice chicken into ½-inch slices and add it to the vegetables on the pan.
• Drizzle with 4 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle on the salt, lemon pepper, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, and rosemary if using.
• Toss to evenly distribute all oil and spices over chicken and vegetables.  *I use food-safe gloves and do this with my hands massaging everything together.
• Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes.  Use a spatula to toss mixture and then return to oven for an additional 15 minutes. Finally, turn on the broiler and cook (watching carefully) until vegetables are slightly browned and caramelized and chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees or more. 
• Remove pan from oven and immediately toss with 1/3 cup feta cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Add additional salt if needed. Serve in a grain bowl or in a wrap with desired condiments.

Some topping options:

• Tzatziki - tzatziki is a simple condiment sauce made from yogurt, cucumber, and some spices. It's super easy to make at home, or you can find some ready-made versions. If you don't use any other condiment, I recommend at the very least having this one.
• Feta - crumbled feta adds both a creaminess and a tanginess
• Lemon wedges - squeeze on a little fresh lemon juice before serving.
• Hummus - I love a little smear of hummus on a flatbread or a dollop in a bowl.
• Greek Salsa - If you want something cold and crunchy, this greek inspired salsa is a great choice.

QR codes for Storage Boxes

So Rossy HATES holiday season because that means endless trips to the storage unit to bring up the boxes, and he always brings up the "wrong box" hahahah  SO this year - I found a solution!!!!

 

Supplies

Laptop / printer

Tape

Step 1: Create a Google Sheet to Track Box Contents

First, you need a place where you can store and organize the information about the contents of your storage boxes. The easiest way to do this is by using Google Sheets.

Instructions:

1. Open Google Sheets and create a new sheet.
2. In the sheet, create columns for each piece of information you want to track about your boxes. For example:
   • Box ID (a unique identifier for each box)
   • Contents (a description of what's inside the box)
   • Location (where the box is stored, e.g., shelf or room)
   • Date Packed
3. Fill in the details of each box in a row in your Google Sheet.

Step 2: Generate a Unique URL for Each Box (Linking to Your Google Sheet)

Next, you need a way to link each storage box to its information in Google Sheets. You can do this by creating a unique URL for each box that links directly to its details in the Google Sheet.

Instructions:

1. For Each Box: In your Google Sheet, create a unique identifier for each box (for example, Box #1, Box #2, etc.).

2. If you want a specific box to be highlighted when scanning a QR code, you can create a direct link to a specific row or cell in Google Sheets. This can be done by modifying the URL to reference a specific row or column.

   The URL to a Google Sheet looks like this: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/[YOUR_SHEET_ID]/edit#gid=0&range=A2

   Replace A2 with the specific row number where the box's contents are listed.

Step 3: Generate QR Codes for Each Box

Once you have the Google Sheet set up and URLs created for each box’s details, you can generate a QR code for each box. The QR code will link to the URL you generated in the previous step.

Instructions:

1. Copy the URL of the Google Sheet (or specific row for the box).
2. Go to a free QR code generator:
   • QR Code Generator
3. Paste the URL of your Google Sheet (or specific row) into the generator and click “Generate”.
4. Download the generated QR code.
5. Label your storage boxes with the QR codes. You can print out the QR codes and attach them to the boxes.

Step 4: Scan the QR Code to View Box Contents

Now, when you scan the QR code on any storage box using a smartphone or QR code scanner, it will take you directly to the Google Sheet (or the specific row for that box) where the details of the box’s contents are stored.

Brown Sugar Chipotle Flanken Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 3lbs Flanken Cut Beef Short Ribs (cross-cut)
• ½ Cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Spanish Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Mustard Powder
• ½ teaspoon Chipotle Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, stir, and pour into a shaker or seasoning dredge.
2. Apply generous coat of dry rub mixture to all sides of Flanken cut Short Ribs and pat gently.
3. Prepare Big Green Egg for direct grilling at 350-400 degrees using Lump charcoal and pecan wood chunks for smoke flavor. Any type of grill can be used for this recipe.
4. Arrange short rib pieces on cooking grate and cook for 35-40 minutes turning often. Short Rib pieces should be well browned on all sides. Cook until the outside is caramelized moving around the cooking surface as needed.
5. Serve family style with your favorite sides and pickled items

Brussels Sprout Apple Salad

 Serves 10

• 5 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2.5 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 5 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 2.5 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2.5 pound brussels sprouts
• 0.63 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 2.5 apple thinly sliced (honey crisp, pink lady, or other tart apples)
• 0.63 cup pecans chopped

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar vinegar, mustard, maple syrup and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Holding the stem of the Brussels sprouts, thinly slice each one until you get to within ½ inch of the stem. Discard the stems and place the sliced Brussels sprouts in a large bowl, breaking them up with your hands and discarding any tough pieces.
• Toss the sliced sprouts with the dressing until coated. Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to allow the sprouts to soften and the flavors to combine.
• Before serving, toss in the grated parmesan, apples and pecans, and taste again for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper, if needed.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

- 1 pound fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
- 8-10 slices of bacon (choose a thicker cut for best results)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to make cleanup a breeze.

2. Bundle about 3-4 asparagus spears together and carefully wrap a slice of bacon around the center of each bundle, securing the asparagus inside. Repeat this process until all of the asparagus and bacon are used.

3. Place the wrapped bundles on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, ensuring they're not touching. This helps the bacon crisp up perfectly.

4. Lightly drizzle the bundles with olive oil and then season them with a smidge of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Roast in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. The cooking time can vary a bit based on how thick your bacon is, so you're looking for the bacon to reach a lovely golden brown and the asparagus to become tender-crisp.

6. If you've opted for Parmesan cheese and garlic powder, now's the time to sprinkle them over the hot bundles right before you serve. This step adds an extra oomph of flavor that's just divine.

Variations & Tips:

- If you've got family members who aren't keen on asparagus, try using green beans or sliced zucchini as a handy substitute.
- For an extra kick of flavor, consider rubbing the bacon with a touch of brown sugar or a hint of cayenne pepper before baking. It lends a lovely sweet-spicy note to the dish.
- To ensure even cooking, pick asparagus spears that are similar in thickness. They'll cook more uniformly and make for better presentation as well.
- For those following a strict keto diet, keep an eye on the bacon you choose, making sure it doesn't contain added sugars.
- And lastly, if you're in a pinch for time, you can precook the bacon slightly before wrapping the asparagus. This reduces the oven time and is perfect when you need this dish on the table just a little quicker.

Caramelized Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread

 Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 flatbread crust
• 2 pears, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Fresh arugula for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Spread the caramelized onions over the flatbread crust.
4. Arrange pear slices on top and sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese.
5. Drizzle with honey.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the flatbread is crispy and the cheese is melted.
7. Garnish with fresh arugula and serve warm.