Meal Made in Minutes: Chicken and Brown Rice Salad

Another weekend has come and gone and this weekend was especially busy! Luckily, I thoroughly enjoy having a busy schedule and I spent my time volunteering at the Children's Cancer Center and celebrated a friend's birthday with a group of close friends! Let's not forget about the time dedicated to College Football on Saturday night and watching the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon, along with my weekly household chores and meal prepping!

Since I had a lot on my plate this weekend, I did not have a lot of time in the kitchen so whipping up this SUPER EASY recipe for this week's meal made in minutes was just perfect! Let me introduce to you my version of homemade chicken salad that has some extra ingredients for longer-lasting energy and is the perfect combination of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fasts.

This week's Meal Made in Minutes: Chicken and Brown Rice Salad

Chicken and Brown Rice Salad (on top a bed of Zoodles!)

Ingredients: (Serves 1)

• 4-5oz cooked chicken breast (or Organic canned chicken breast, white meat only)
• 1/3 c cooked brown rice (I used Minute Whole Grain Brown Rice)
• 2 Tbsp crumbled Goat cheese
• 2 Tbsp Pesto sauce (or 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice and Dill, to taste)
• Red Chili flakes (to taste)
• Ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Shred the cooked chicken breast (or drain the canned chicken and run under cool water in a strainer).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add cooked brown rice and shredded chicken breast and mix together. Then add the Pesto sauce or plain Greek yogurt (mixed with lemon juice and Dill seasoning) and Goat cheese, mix well.
3. Season the chicken salad with Red Chili flakes and ground pepper, to taste, and mix well to combine all ingredients!
4. BOOM, you're done in 3 steps!

This hearty chicken salad can be eaten alone with a handful of whole-grain crackers for some added crunch; placed on top of a large salad or a plate of Zoodles for extra antioxidants; or eaten as a sandwich when placed between two slices of whole-grain (or gluten-free) bread and paired with some raw veggies on the side for a complete and satisfying lunch to power you through a hectic weekday at work! I personally love this chicken salad with a bed of Zoodles and Pesto sauce (see picture above), but it honestly goes with any combination of vegetables and tastes great with the Greek yogurt mixture!

Hope you enjoy your hearty chicken salad this week and have a great week ahead!!

Meal made in minutes: Shrimp with Quinoa, Spinach, and Feta Salad

It's Sunday Funday again, and I have had so much "fun" catching up on my Clinical course work for my Internship that I failed to post this delicious recipe last weekend. I originally planned to make this meal on Sunday to have leftovers for a few days of the beginning of the work-week, but my father-in-law was able to join us for dinner and spending quality time with him was way better than any leftovers ever could be. Nevertheless, this delicious meal only took 20 minutes for me to make and about 10 minutes for the guys to devour! 

This week's Meal Made in Minutes: Shrimp with Quinoa, Spinach, and Feta Salad

Paired with a side salad for a complete, balanced meal!

Ingredients: (serves 2-4 people)

• 1 cup dry Quinoa (Ancient Harvest pre-washed Quinoa)

• 1 package Athenos Reduced-Fat Sundried Tomato and Basil Feta

• 4 cups loosely-packed Spinach (stems removed)

• 2 Tbsp Light Italian dressing

• Garlic Salt (to taste)

• 36 Medium Shrimp (Peeled and deveined, frozen and thawed out)

• Old Bay seasoning (to taste)

• Olive Oil spray

Instructions:

1. Cook Quinoa according to package directions (about 15 minutes)
2. While Quinoa is cooking, remove the (thawed) shrimp from the refrigerator and run under cold water, set aside.
3. Break off the stems of the spinach leaves and break the leaves into smaller pieces, then measure out about 4 cups of loosely-packed spinach.
4. When Quinoa is done, turn off the heat and fluff with a fork. Season with garlic salt (to taste) and add the spinach leaves - mix well so that the leaves are fully incorporated into the Quinoa (the heat from the Quinoa will cause the spinach leaves to wilt nicely). Then add the crumbled feta cheese and mix well (the cheese will melt into the Quinoa and spinach nicely). Lastly, add the Italian dressing and mix well. Put the cover back on the pot and let mixture stay warm.
5. Lastly, spray a large saucepan with Olive Oil spray and sauté the shrimp for 2-4 minutes (flipping over the shrimp half way) until they are heated all the way through.
6. Divide the Quinoa, Spinach, and Feta Salad between 2-4 plates and top with about 9 shrimp for each serving.
7. BOOM, you're done! Enjoy!

Quinoa, Spinach, and Feta mixture (staying warm in the pot)

Perfectly cooked shrimp, perfectly seasoned with Old Bay!

I must say that I impressed myself with this meal and even the guys loved it! There wasn't a bite left! The best part was how healthy this balanced meal was with only 233 calories, 6g of fat (1.5g saturated fat), 34g carbohydrates, and 10.5g protein in one serving of the Quinoa, Spinach, and Feta salad! Adding the 9 shrimp brought this meal to 333 calories and 31g protein!

Nutrition facts for 1 serving of Quinoa, Spinach, and Feta Salad

I truly enjoyed making this meal and enjoyed the company even more! I hope you take the 20 minutes needed to prepare this meal and spend as much time as you can enjoying this meal with family and friends.

Have a great Sunday and wonderful week ahead!

Meal made in minutes: Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

I would like to welcome you to my BRAND NEW WEBSITE for Fuel for the Soul, LLC, and I couldn't think of a better way to introduce my new website than to share these Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars with you! The best part is that these bars can be made in minutes, do not require baking, and licking the spoon after you are done is highly recommended!

It has been about two weeks since my last recipe post, but I have been busy preparing for my Dietetic Internship (which starts tomorrow morning) and perfecting these tasty protein bars (which I will be eating throughout my first week "on the job" at DaVita Dialysis). 

This week's Meal made in minutes: Nut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars

Bars are set in the baking dish and ready for refrigeration! 

Ingredients: (16 squares)

• 1 cup plain Rolled Oats (Certified Gluten-free Oats if needed)
• 2 scoops Vanilla protein powder (whey protein or vegan / plant protein)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup natural nut butter (any nut butter will do)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (or agave or honey)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk...)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (or almond extract)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

All the ingredients needed for the protein bars (Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk not pictured)

Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (oats, protein powder, and cinnamon) and mix well with a large spoon.  
2. Add in the nut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk (in that order) to the dry ingredients and mix well. You may have to use some elbow grease to mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined (dough will be sticky).  
3. Add in the chocolate chips and fold into the dough mixture. 
4. Lightly spray an 8X8 baking dish with olive oil spray and pour dough mixture into the bottom of the dish. Use the back of the spoon (or your hands) to flatten the dough evenly to cover the entire dish. (Then you can lick the spoon or eat the dough right off your finger tips!)
5. Cover dish with aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes to set. After dough has set, cut into 16 even bars and enjoy!

** You can wrap each bar in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

The mixture will form a sticky dough (similar to cookie dough, but try to refrain from eating it straight from the bowl!

Grab a bar (or TWO) before you head out the door for the day for easy on-the-go transport to fuel you throughout the day. Whether you are at work, running errands, or about to work out, these bars are perfect fuel to give you the energy you need to take on any challenge you may face!

There you have it, friends! Hope you enjoy making and eating these delicious protein bars! Remember to come back to www.fuel4soul.com for more easy and healthy recipes, quick and effective workouts, and all around fitness and nutrition tips to help you achieve the healthy lifestyle you deserve!