We finally have some sunshine here in Tennessee! Boy, is it hot but I would choose that over cold any day! Warm weather means more patio dining which I love. The other night I found myself on the patio of a cool little Nashville vegetarian restaurant called The Sunflower Cafe. I was meeting up with some new friends who also are eating a plant-based diet. I ordered this scrumptious vegan barbecue bowl that was made up of brown rice, smoky collards, and vegan seitan barbecue. It was out of this world!! I don’t know how in the world they made that barbecue taste and feel so much like pork, but they did it. Blew my mind!
I got home and immediately starting longing for a repeat of that meal. I tried making the seitan in my instant pot and although it wasn’t a disaster, it was way too chewy. I will have to keep trying on that one. The collard greens was quite a bit easier to recreate, and today I am sharing it with you! These collard greens have NO oil, NO meat, and only a few ingredients. Quick, easy and healthy!
Check out how it’s done here:
Print Recipe
Modern Day Fox Instant Pot Easy Smoky Collard Greens (Vegan)
Easy, healthy and delicious! These smoky collards green go perfectly with barbecue or in a grain and greens bowl.
I know many of you see my invitations for my monthly challenge groups and think to yourself that your issues with your health and weight go deeper than just committing to an exercise program or meal plan. In fact, exercise might not even be something you can do at this point in your life. It might be instead that the answer to your health obstacles does not start with a dumbbell.. it might start with changing your… MIND!
Your mind can make or break you in every area of your life. It is the thing that gets you going in the morning, helps you excel at your job, helps you deal with your everyday relationships and navigate through problems. But, it can also be your worst enemy. The thing that tells you aren’t “good enough,” “won’t ever succeed,” and “you should just eat everything in sight because what difference does it make it anyway.” It can tell you constant lies about your ability to find change in your life. And, it’s the one thing you cannot escape.
Maybe you know what you should be doing as far as your nutrition, but you consider yourself an “emotional eater” and cannot get a handle on it. Or, maybe you just don’t have the first clue what a healthy diet even looks like. Either way, my company has created a revolutionary program called 2B Mindset that focuses first on why you are making the food choices you make, and what triggers make it hard to lose weight. Now, wait a minute! Don’t get me wrong! The 2B Mindset can ABSOLUTELY help you lose weight without feeling deprived, counting calories, cutting entire food groups, and even without exercise if you aren’t ready for that. Take a look at this overview of the program:
2B Mindset faces head on the leading cause of weight loss issues and weight management — our relationship with food! Of course exercise is essential for a functional life, but good health truly starts in the kitchen. The 2B Mindset solution is created by someone who has actually been there and lost over 100 lbs herself using this method. Ilana Muhlstein is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist — the highest standard in the field of nutrition — and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Maryland. (You know I loved her immediately because she is a TERP!) Illana, along with a private success group run by me, will personally help you shift your mindset, helping you to create a positive, healthy weight loss. Ilana’s system is a healthy approach to eating that lets you feel full and satisfied, while arming you with proven strategies that will help you co-exist with food in real-world situations, satisfy cravings, and anticipate setbacks before they happen. This is the key to winning the weight loss struggle!
Here is a little more on Ilana:
This program is simple to follow. You will learn strategies to help you consume more water, prepare and eat wholesome foods and actually enjoy them, and we will shatter the myth that the bathroom scale is your enemy. In fact, you’ll end up loving the scale, because it will become a powerful weight loss tool. Once you take ownership of the program and its principles, it’s yours for life.
One of the first questions I’ve gotten from my existing client base about this program is how Shakeology is integrated into 2B Mindset. Ilana is a huge fan of Shakeology! Because of its high-protein content (17 g), Shakeology can count as the protein for any 2B Mindset meal. One of Ilana’s primary tips for weight loss is for people to have a consistent breakfast. And since Shakeology is easy and quick to make—and tastes great—she chooses it as part of her consistent breakfast every morning. Since it’s a protein, it can also work as part of your lunch, snack, or dinner so it integrates perfectly into every day, and the best news is you get to decide when! And she has so many great ways to enjoy it and make it even more satisfying.
The next question is whether exercise can be incorporated. Absolutely! As I said before the 2B Mindset does not require exercise, but it’s encouraged and it’s considered “extra credit.” Yes, the program focuses on nutrition and weight loss through the foods we eat. But, once you start seeing some real progress with your weight loss, you are inevitably going to want to move in your new and improved body!
So, are you ready to say goodbye, once and for all, to emotional eating, mindless snacking, punishing yourself for indulging on foods you love? If so, 2B Mindset is the answer. Let’s change our MINDS together. I am thrilled to be able to offer this brand new program that is 100% focused on changing your relationship with food. Whether people have 150 lbs to lose or 5 lbs, this program is going to change lives. Beginning May 7th, I will be launching The Mind Shift Success Group on Facebook (secret, completely private group) and I want YOU to be a part of it. With this program and the help of me, your dedicated Team Beachbody Coach, we will master the 2B Mindset! The time is NOW to take control of your life and your MIND! For more information, fill out this form!
This last month was hard on me. Losing my best friend, Ted, to a pulmonary embolism just four weeks ago blind sided me like no other. It’s hard to grieve when you have little people to take care of and a household to run. You wonder how the world keeps turning when something so tragic happens, but somehow it does. You want to be mad about that, but it’s actually the thing that forces you to move forward. You literally have no choice.
Here is a photo of Ted and me on one of our many trips across the world. We were in Athens, Greece:
That’s why I’ve been absent from my blog for several weeks. I hope you understand! The good news is that Ted and I mutually shared a love for cooking (and eating) and so I believe I would do a real disservice to him to give up on my recipes and videos. Ted would look at me in his overly sarcastic way and say, “Really??” if I even considered that. So, I’m back!
Today I have a 21 Day Fix and 80 Day Obsession approved Creamy Zucchini Soup that you can make in your Instant Pot with the help of your blender! I recommend doubling or even tripling this recipe if you are feeding a crew. I made this specifically for my meal prep and the serving size is only 1/2 cup which equals one green container and one blue container. This recipe makes 2 cups total so that’s four snacks for my meal prep for the week. We all know that your family will laugh at you if you give them a half cup of soup, so doubling the recipe may be best for you.
Here is a video to show you how it’s done:
Print Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Creamy Zucchini Soup (Fix and Obsessed Approved - Dairy-Free)
This creamy zucchini soup is rich and velvety and oh-so-easy to make in your Instant Pot and blender! If you are following the Fix meal plan, a serving is 1/2 cup which is not a whole lot. You may consider doubling or tripling this recipe for larger serving size. This recipe as is makes two cups of soup!
I feel like a lot of people psych themselves out by making food prep way too complicated. There is a saying called KISS that I love and follow: “Keep It Simple, Stupid!” Especially when you are new to meal planning, you don’t have to pretend you are a master chef and cook things that have a 100 different ingredients and take 3 hours. Choose recipes that are easy and quick, and that have enough servings to make multiple meals.
I have many people in my monthly fitness challenge group that are doing the 21 Day Fix and searching for easy ways to use their containers. I came up with this simple Instant Pot prep that makes at least four meals with chicken leftover for other meals. I suggest serving the chicken and black bean salad over two cups of chopped romaine lettuce with a 1/4 avocado. If you are using the container system, that would calculate to a red, yellow, 2 greens, and a blue container. Not only is it low fat, low calorie, and delicious, but it all comes together in roughly 15 minutes including the time your Instant Pot needs to come to pressure!
Check out this video to see the prep in action! Make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel too!
Print Recipe
Easy Instant Pot Mexican Chicken and Black Bean Salad
A quick and easy Instant Pot food prep that is low fat and low in calories! You can jazz it up with cilantro, jalapeño, onions, extra spice... make it your own!
Place chicken breast into Instant Pot. You may want to slice your chicken length-wise in half if your breast is extra thick.
Pour broth over chicken.
Pour spices over chicken. Flip chicken to help spread out spices.
Replace lid and set pot to manual high pressure for 7 minutes.
When timers goes off, use a quick release. Turn Pot off.
Remove chicken and place onto a cutting board. Shred with two forks. If by chance the center of your breast is slightly undercooked, set pot to Saute and pour shredded chicken back in to cook for a few more minutes.
To make black bean salad, drain and rinse black beans.
Stir quartered tomatoes and frozen corn into black beans.
Add juice of one lime, cumin, salt, and pepper to black bean salad and stir well.
As a serving suggestion, serve black bean salad and chicken over romaine lettuce.
Meal prep can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Instant Pot to the rescue!
I’ve been experimenting with cooking spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot. It is admittedly a bit of a different texture than when baked in the oven as it is cooked with moisture in the Instant Pot rather than dry heat. But, it gets done SO much faster and I like that. I love how spaghetti squash is so porous and takes on flavors so easily. I recently had a meal from my favorite meal service, Paleo Works, that combined spaghetti squash, chicken and tomato bruschetta. I decided to try to do a quick copycat recipe using my Instant Pot. While mine is admittedly a hack in comparison to that chef’s creation, I think I threw together a tasty meal. You can certainly make your own homemade bruschetta, but I use a jarred grocery store kind in this recipe in order to save time.
I also have been exploring warm potato salads. Have you ever had a Hot German Potato Salad where the potatoes are slightly over cooked and starting to fall apart? The potatoes begin to fall apart as you stir in the dressing and it creates a thick sauce. It is so good! It occurred to me that I could create an Italian version of Hot Potato Salad using jarred basil pesto and red potatoes. I also threw in some green beans for a veggie kick, and chicken for added protein. Best of all, I could cook it all in the Instant Pot at once!
I made four of each of these meals for a total of EIGHT meals all at the same time in roughly 45 minutes. While the squash was cooking, I prepped the chicken, green beans, and potatoes. When the squash finished, I removed it and washed my pot. I then added the chicken, potatoes and green beans to the pot to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. I scraped out the spaghetti squash and mixed in some tomato bruschetta. I portioned it out in four containers. When the pot timer went off, I released the steam and removed half of the chicken and evenly distributed over each of the servings of squash. I added a heaping spoonful of bruschetta on top of the chicken, and BAM! Four meals were done. Next I scooped out the potato mixture and put it in a bowl. I thinned out some jarred basil pesto with olive oil and then gently tossed the potato mixture with the pesto until it was coated evenly. I divided it into four servings, and BAM! Four more meals done!
A couple notes: I tried the hot potato salad using frozen chicken. I cooked it for 13 minutes. It was good, but the potatoes were extremely soft. I think if you are using frozen chicken, then you should cook the potatoes and green beans separately for 8 minutes. Cook the frozen chicken for 13 minutes. Then, combine. Also, if you don’t like basil pesto, just use melted butter instead. I also made this with cilantro pesto and it was delicious!
This prep is easy, quick, AND healthy. Get yourself an Instant Pot and give it a try!
Interested in the mesh steamer basket shown in my instruction video! Grab it here! Or, try this one that was just released on Amazon!
xo Jaime
The links found in this post are affiliate links that help support the life of this blog. All opinions are my own, and I am not sponsored by any companies at this time. When you use my links to purchase, you help keep Modern Day Fox going!
Slice spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise. Spoon out seeds and strings. Place halves in steamer basket and into liner pot. Add one cup water.
Set pot to manual high pressure for 4 minutes and allow 5 min natural release. If you like firmer strands of spaghetti squash, you may opt to do 3 minutes instead.
While squash is cooking, cube red potatoes. Trim ends from fresh green beans and cut into thirds. Cube raw chicken and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. You may choose to add additional seasonings of your choice. I typically add a garlic seasoning from Sprouts that I like.
When Instant Pot timer goes off and steam has released for five minutes, turn the valve to release remaining steam. Use an oven mit to remove squash from pot. Allow to cool.
Wash your liner pot.
Add potatoes, green beans and chicken (in that order) into pot. Add one cup broth.
Replace lid on pot, turn valve to sealing, and reset to 8 minutes high pressure.
While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, use a fork to scrape spaghetti squash out of its skin. Transfer strands to a large bowl.
Stir in 6 oz (half the jar) of Tomato Bruschetta. Portion out squash into four meal prep containers.
When timer goes off in Instant Pot, use a quick release for the steam.
Use a large spoon to scoop out half of the chicken chunks and evenly portion in each container on top of the squash.
Spoon remaining Tomato Bruschetta evenly across all four containers over the chicken chunks.
Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.
Carefully use a slotted spoon to scoop the remaining chicken, potatoes, and green beans out of the pot. Potatoes will be very soft so handle with care. Discard broth that remains in the pot.
Combine pesto and olive oil in a small bowl to thin it out a bit.
Spread pesto over chicken and potato mixture, and carefully toss to coat evenly.
Distribute to four meal prep containers.
Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese and walnuts or pine nuts, if desired.
I just wrapped up week one of the 21 Day Fix on Beachbody on Demand. I’ve done that program quite a few times and I love that I can fall back on it whenever I need fast results. I especially love that the workouts incorporate ab exercises into some of the rounds. Many of the Beachbody programs require you to do a second shorter ab workout in addition to the main workout for that day. I’m just gonna be honest and say that doesn’t happen with this girl. I typically only have 30 minutes to squeeze in the workout and that’s all I’m going to do. Every 21 Day Fix workout is thirty minutes and that fits the bill for me perfectly.
When I’m on the Fix eating plan, I try to keep the green containers (vegetables) interesting so I don’t skip over them. Since it is getting warmer outside, I’ve been craving raw salads so I threw together this light and fresh Waldorf Brussels Salad. I used the shredded brussels sprouts so that you can now conveniently find in the produce section. If you can’t locate these, you can simply throw the Brussels Sprouts into your food processor to shred them.
I hope you enjoy this unique salad as much as my family did!
xo Jaime
This post contains affiliate links for Beachbody as I am an active coach and firm believer in the Beachbody products. My proceeds from Beachbody directly support this blog! Join my monthly challenge group!
This girl is back on the Fix wagon. I finished up Hammer and Chisel a few days early so that I could join my rock star challengers with a new round on May 1st. Since I have a few newbies in the group, I decided to go to battle with them and do the 21 Day Fix again on Beachbody on Demand. I’m excited. I know this program gives me results and that is what I’m looking for! So many exciting things coming up this summer and I want to be in tip-top shape. My group truly inspires me to be better and to do better.
To celebrate my first week of the Fix, I am putting up a super easy breakfast recipe that you can make in your Instant Pot. Don’t have an Instant Pot? No problem. Make it on your stovetop. Then, go to Amazon and order your Pot! (I’m sorry, but I just love that thing.)
This recipe is a sweet twist on quinoa while still being clean and healthy. When served with berries and nuts, it makes for a hearty breakfast. Eat it up, then go get your workout done! Enjoy!
xo Jaime
This post contains affiliate links for Amazon and Beachbody, but this is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. When you use my links for purchases, you are directly helping to keep this blog afloat!
Print Recipe
21 Day Fix Approved Instant Pot Good Morning Quinoa
It’s hard to get vegetables into this body of mine. I do my best, but a disguised vegetable is my favorite vegetable. That’s why I drink Shakeology religiously, and that’s also why I was super intrigued by this recipe from my favorite blogger, Juli Bauer at PaleOMG. The recipe for Juli’s PaleOMG’s Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Soup caught my attention because I love any and everything “buffalo,” but the soup base consisted of nearly all vegetables pureed into a smooth, velvety soup. To make it even better, it came with Instant Pot directions. After a long drive back from a very short trip to Charleston this weekend, this easy soup fit the bill. Stay tuned for a post on what to do with one day in Charleston. I was in foodie heaven in that gorgeous town!
Check out the ingredients below direct from Juli’s recipe and head over to her blog for the full recipe and instructions. Juli also has three incredible cookbooks with tasty Paleo recipes.
This has nothing to do with stir fry, but don’t you agree that Trolls is the cutest movie ever? I’ve watched it at least 20 times with my boys and I’m still not sick of it. I love the cloud character that makes a cameo! “Little slappy, make Daddy happy?” Laughter across the household ensues every time we see that part. That movie just makes me feel good, and we have the best dance parties every time we watch it.
This post isn’t about the Trolls. This post is about stir-fry. Not the kind with loads of rice though! In fact, there are no grains in this recipe at all. Just tasty vegetables and chicken, and one unexpected ingredient that takes the flavor over the top! This is a perfect meal to prep on Sunday and portion out between four containers for lunches all week long!
PALEO STIR-FRY
(Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS
1 Riced Cauliflower Head or (2) bags Steamed Riced Cauliflower bags
1 TBSP Coconut Oil (or cooking oil of your choice)
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken (great use for your rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
1 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1 Green Bell Pepper, julienned
2 cups Frozen Broccoli
1 8oz can of Water Chestnuts
1/2 cup Sliced Mild Pepperoncinis
1-2 TBSP Modern Day Fox Kitchen Sink Seasoning, or the seasonings of your choice (salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder are a great start!), season to your own taste preferences
DIRECTIONS:
If you are using the frozen steam bags of cauliflower, follow the directions to steam in the microwave. Open the bag and drain the water. If you are using raw cauliflower, here is a great link from the Minimalist Baker with concise instructions. Prepare and set to the side. NOTE: It’s important to try to get all the water out of the cooked cauliflower rice before adding to your stir-fry.
Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok.
Add julienned peppers and carrots to hot oil and saute until softened.
Add frozen broccoli and saute until defrosted and warmed. You may need to put a lid of your pan to help the frozen broccoli cook. (NOTE: When I am preparing this dish for a weekly food prep, I don’t worry about cooking the broccoli all the way through. When I reheat later in the week, it will cook in the microwave.)
Add water chestnuts and saute until warmed.
Add in cooked chicken and seasoning. Mix well until chicken is hot.
The steamed cauliflower only needs a minute or two of saute since it is already cooked. Add the steamed cauliflower after the other vegetables are cooked as shown in my photos below. The raw riced cauliflower will need a bit more time to saute and cook.
Finally, add in the pepperoncinis. This ingredient adds a lot of flavor and zest to this dish.
Serve immediately, or portion out in four meal prep containers to reheat and enjoy throughout the week.
OPTIONAL – Add Soy Sauce (not Paleo) or Coconut Aminos if you wish. If you do not have allergies to nuts, this stir fry is off the hook topped with roasted cashew pieces on top.
Please welcome one of my rock star 21 Day Fix challengers, Alley, who is sharing her food prep for the week!
Hello Modern Day Fox Readers!
I am excited to share the meal prep I did for my husband and myself for the next four days using the 21 Day Fix Nutrition Plan. This week, I tried some new recipes from the Beachbody website: Chicken piccata and Greek chicken pitas. (Click here to learn more about Beachbody All-Access and join our challenge!)
The Chicken piccata is served with with organic rainbow carrots and a whole wheat pasta.
The Greek chicken pitas are served with broccoli. The recipe calls for lettuce but I couldn’t seem to get it to all fit into the pita. Because of this, I’m planning to have a little side salad with this as well to make sure I get in my full green containers. Also, my husband likes steamed broccoli and I like roasted broccoli so I prepared both.
I also made the chicken for the Greek chicken pitas in my Instant Pot. I followed this simple recipe and added garlic.
I use these containers: https://www.amazon.com/Freshware-15-Piece-3-Compartments-Bento-Lunch/dp/B01GH5KQLO/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=mode054-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=2fd7dd11c6c7c4e5e9e1d8f02f27787c&creativeASIN=B01GH5KQLO
Check out a video of this prep here!
(Some links on this post are affiliate posts and when you use these, you are directly supporting Modern Day Fox!)
Hi I'm Jaime.
Modern Day Fox is a place where we celebrate the multi-passionate people in this world who are making it happen. This is also a place for me to create content around the topics I am personally most passionate about – personal development, photography, fitness, food, image, and music. This is a space to inspire and to be inspired. It's a classroom to teach and to learn. It's a table to share and explore. Together, let's learn how to "outfox them all!"
Hi I'm Jaime.
Modern Day Fox is a place where we celebrate the multi-passionate people in this world who are making it happen. This is also a place for me to create content around the topics I am personally most passionate about – personal development, photography, fitness, food, image, and music. This is a space to inspire and to be inspired. It's a classroom to teach and to learn. It's a table to share and explore. Together, let's learn how to "outfox them all!"
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