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Ultimate Chopped Salad with Creamy Avocado Pesto Ranch Dressing

What do you do on Saturday afternoon when you have a thousand things to do and yet another vacation to start packing for…COME UP WITH A NEW RECIPE OF COURSE!

I was craving a salad…go figure…and I had all the fixins for this amazing chopped salad! The dressing is totally amazing! It is seriously bowl-licking good!!!

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You could really interchange the veggies, based on personal preferences and what you have on-hand!

The amounts I used here served 2-3 people.

I used:chop_salad4

  • 1 romaine lettuce head
  • 4-6 Roma tomatoes (from our CSA)
  • red onions to taste (from our CSA)
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 1 English cucumber
  • 1/2 avocado

Directions: Chop all of the veggies into small, bite-sized pieces. In my opinion, that is what makes a good chopped salad! Place all of the veggies into a big bowl

For the dressing (should be MORE than you need):chop_salad2

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/4 c. Greek yogurt
  • 1 garlic clove – chopped/minced (I used garlic scapes from our CSA.)
  • 1 T. white balsamic vinegar
  • Juice from 1/2-1 lemon (depending on size and taste)
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves (or just a nice bunch!)
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste

chop_salad1Directions: Place everything except the oil into a blender or food processor and pulse until it starts to come together. Then blend, while slowly drizzling the olive oil into the mix (may use less or more depending on taste and desired consistency). Add by spoonfuls into the veggie bowl and gently toss together until everything is lightly coated with dressing. Reserve the rest for later!

*Optional Extras: add some chopped grilled chicken, feta cheese, nuts, beans, etc…you can’t make a mistake with this!

 

 

For 21 Day Fix:
1 blue, 1 teaspoon, 1.5 greens per serving

21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme Challenge Packs are on sale through the end of July! You can actually get either program PLUS Shakeology for LESS than a one-time order of Shakeology! Check out the links below! And then go make this salad!!!

check_out_fix_cp 21dfx_cp_button*I’ll coach you through it – for FREE – as I have SO many others! I’ve seen women lose up to 10-15 pounds in the first 21 days…and just keep going! I’ve seen men lose even more! (not fair though is it?) Just join my next challenge, and you won’t be alone. I’ll help you every step of the way!

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Grilled Marinated Chicken Kebabs

First of all…you don’t have to ‘kebab’ this chicken if you don’t want to. You can just marinate it and grill it up…cause it’s really about the marinade! You could slather it on a shoe and it would still be pretty tasty!

But for the purposes of this recipe, let’s assume you’ll be grilling chicken (not shoes).

kebab_aip

Ingredients

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper to taste
This marinade is enough for about 5-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.

Instructions

  1. Whisk all of the ingredients together.
  2. Cut up chicken (if making kebabs) into 1 inch chunks.
  3. Put the chicken in a large Ziploc bag and add marinade.
  4. Put the chicken in the fridge and try to marinate for at least 2 hours (less if you’re in a hurry and didn’t plan ahead).
  5. Place 5-6 pieces of chicken on each kebab stick (I pre-soaked mine so they wouldn’t burn).
  6. *Optional – feel free to add some veggies to your kebabs (mushrooms, peppers, onion, tomato…)
  7. Grill chicken over med/high heat and cook until juices run clear. (kebabs will take about 5-7 minutes on each side.

kebabs_pan

 

Then, when they were done grilling, I took the pieces off the stick, and shoved them into my 21 Day Fix container to see how many would fit! I was able to fit almost 2 full sticks in one red container – which was a lot of food!

kebab_dinner

 

Not familiar with the 21 Day Fix?

Through the end of this month, you can get the 21 Day Fix OR 21 Day Fix Extreme FREE when you try Shakelogy (vs. a one-time order of Shakeology). Check them out below! And you also get a 30 day FREE trial of Beachbody on Demand!

 

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Delicious Strawberry Vinaigrette!

‘Tis the season for fresh strawberries!

I have such fond memories of picking strawberries as a kid. My mom would take us and I remember laying down between the rows, so nobody could see me eating my weight in berries! I would come back with an empty quart container, a drippy red chin and a FULL belly!

strawberry_pick2Taking my own kids is a lot of fun too! They are excellent taste-testers! With 4 extra pickers, I usually come home with 10 million strawberries and then try to figure out what to do with them all!

strawberry_pick4strawberry_pick3strawberry_pick

 

I like to make my grandmother’s strawberry shortcake recipe. I’ll usually do some freezer jam. Of course, we eat them fresh too!

strawberry_summer_saladA tasty strawberry spinach salad is always a nice summer treat!

 

I made this one the other day, topped with some grilled chicken. But what made the salad was this AMAZING dressing! OMG! It was SO incredibly delicious. The kids were seriously trying to DRINK it! (Not kidding). When I told them they couldn’t drink the salad dressing, they poured it on their plates and licked it clean! Oy!

 

strawberry_vinagraitte

You could also make this with thawed frozen berries – but FRESH is best!

Strawberry Vinaigrette 

Total Time: 10 min.

Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. raw honey
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
1⅓ cups sliced fresh strawberries

Directions:
1. Place vinegar, oil, honey, salt, pepper, and strawberries in a blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

*21 Day Fix-Approved! 🙂 1 serving= 1/2 blue/orange

 

And here is the salad recipe I used for the above salad.

Spinach Salad w/Berriesspinach_salad_berries

Total Time: 10 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: None
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
8 cups fresh baby spinach
1 medium orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup sliced fresh strawberries
¼ cup slivered almonds
8 Tbsp. Strawberry Vinaigrette

Preparation:
1. Combine spinach, bell pepper, blueberries, strawberries, and almonds in a large serving bowl; toss gently to blend.
2. Drizzle salad evenly with Strawberry Vinaigrette; toss gently to blend.
3. Serve immediately.

*21 Day Fix-Approved! 🙂 1 serving= 1 green, 1/2 purple

WHAT’S ON SALE?

And, if you’re ready to get to work and want support and accountability to help you reach your goals…
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21 Day Fix Approved BBQ Chicken Pizza

This was my quick and easy lunch today, so I thought I’d share the delicious, happy love!

To start, I had leftover rotisserie chicken, and 1 Ezekiel tortilla. I scratched my head for a bit and remembered it was Friday. Friday means pizza, at least it does in my book! Then I saw the BBQ sauce and that’s what sealed the deal!

I whipped out my 21 Day Fix containers and 5 minutes later I was eating this delicious treat!

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PS – 21 Day Fix & 21 Day Fix Extreme NOW AVAILABLE with the all new all new Annual ALL ACCESS Beachbody on Demand Membership (like workout Netflix)! Get 12 months ALL Access to every Beachbody Program ever made, including all new releases, for 12 months!

Learn More HERE

 

*If you decide to try one, be sure to sign up for my next VIP support group!

Anyway…on to the recipe! This was SO delicious…I think it’ll become part of my rotation!

So here is what I did:

21 Day Fix-Approved BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 Ezekiel (or whole grain) tortilla
  • 1 orange container of bbq sauce (use natural or make your own! see below)
  • 1 blue container of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 red container of shredded chicken
  • *optional – a purple (or half a purple) container of fresh pineapple would be amazing!

Directions:

I spray my tortilla with a little olive oil and pop into the toaster oven for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the chicken and bbq sauce together. Place on top of pre-warmed/toasted tortilla. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in oven (or toaster oven) for about 5 more minutes until the cheese is all melty and scrumptious-looking!

Take it out and enjoy!

*Clean-eating/21 Day Fix-Approved BBQ sauce

  • 1/4 c tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or raw honey)
  • 2 tsp coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Pour 1/2 c water into a small saucepan. Add all of ingredients except the olive oil and whisk together. Bring the sauce to a boil and continue boiling for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the olive oil.

* This recipe will equal about 2 orange containers. Use half for the pizza and save some for later!

If you have the 21 Day Fix program, but lack the support to help you plan your meals, stay on track with your workouts, stay motivated and reach your goals…I can be your FREE coach! And I would be happy to help you!

*Message me to get started: angie@angieinprogress.com

What’s on SALE this month?

Get Annual ALL ACCESS Beachbody on Demand

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Results (and Nickels) are POURING in!

If I had a nickel for every person I hear from who says that doing the 21 Day Fix is what FINALLY worked…

Nickels

well…I’d have a whole lotta nickels!

 

In January, Nancy lost 10.4 pounds and 9 inches and Jenny lost 11 pounds and 3 inches! Among others!

Last week alone, Fawn lost 5 pounds and 3.5 inches!!! In one week people!

UPDATE: And take a look at Michelle’s results after almost 3 full rounds of the 21 Day Fix & Shakeology.

michelle_update_results

 

And check out Ashley’s results:

awesome_before_after

Ashley has completed 3 rounds of The 21 Day Fix.
She has lost 22 pounds and about 18 inches! And she has gained a BIG beautiful smile and a TON of self-confidence!

And some fellow coaches and I are joining our challengers this month with the NEW 21 Day Fix Extreme and getting some amazing results with it!

Kristin is a week ahead of me, but check out her 2 week results.

kristin_2weeks

In just 2 weeks she’s down 6.4 pounds and 6 inches! And I seriously can’t WAIT to see how she finishes!

In one week of dialed-in nutrition and 30 minute workouts I was able to drop 3 pounds and 1.5 inches!

week1

 

This program WORKS!!! You know what else works? Challenge Groups.

Here is what Jennifer says: “Feeling stronger (mentally) everyday. I chose to eat a salad with balsamic vinegar instead of the pancakes that my kids wanted last night for dinner. And I’m getting my workout in everyday even when I am exhausted from getting up with a teething 10 month old . Loving this program and the motivation from all of you ladies!”

“I love your positivity. I wish I could print out all your posts and hang them on my wall! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!”

FITNESS + NUTRITION + SUPPORT = SUCCESS!

In our private group on Facebook, we’ll support each other and keep each other accountable. I’ll share daily tips, recipes and motivation and be available to help you 24/7. Are you going to get that kind of support in the gym? Nah…don’t think so.

Check out these videos for more information.

21 Day Fix

21 Day Fix Extreme

Get your hands on one of these programs – see the buttons below – and hop into my next Challenge Group, and we’ll get to work on reaching YOUR goals! Fill out the information below and let’s get to work!

 

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Clean Eating Chicken Salad

Best. Lunch. Ever.

My husband was telling me about his lunch out the other day and it got me craving chicken salad!

I pulled out my 21 Day Fix containers and got to work.

chicken_salad-pin

What I ended up with, was heaven in a bowl! I might eat this every day for the rest of my life!

Ingredients

  • shredded chicken breast (I love to buy the cut up rotisserie chicken at Costco – so convenient!)
  • celery – chopped
  • 1/2 green apple – chopped
  • raw walnuts – chopped
  • Greek yogurt
  • sea salt

Stir it all together and enjoy on whole grain bread or a whole grain tortilla (such as Ezekiel), a bed of lettuce, or just right out of the bowl!

Container count, for the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme, is in the picture below.

chicken_salad_FIX

 

MORE healthy, 21 Day Fix approved salad and homemade dressing recipes in my FREE ebook!

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DOWNLOAD MY FREE EBOOK!

Save money when you get a 21 Day Fix Challenge Pack!

 

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When you try Shakeology, you’ll get either the 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme at a discounted ‘bundle’ price. You’ll save big on shipping, get a FREE workout from me AND 30 days FREE access to Beachbody on Demand! 🙂

21 Day Fix Challenge Pack – Click HERE

21 Day Fix EXTREME Challenge Pack – Click HERE

JOIN MY NEXT ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP!

 

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Clean Eating Chicken Pot Pie

Mmmm… I’m drooling just thinking about how good this was!

I made this for a family visit yesterday, and it was a HIT! The kids loved it too! (Well…all but one, but he hates most everything I cook! Hoping he grows out of that!) 😉

This is creamy comfort food, with WHOLE food ingredients! *No red cans were opened for this recipe!

And…it’s 21 Day Fix approved! SCORE!

chicken_pot_pie

I love the way the quinoa crust on top turned out!

Feel free to get creative with your veggies and spices. There are a lot of combos that would be quite tasty I think!

Ingredients

Quinoa Crust:
    • 2 eggs, large
    • 2 egg whites
    • 1 tsp thyme, dried
    • 2/3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
    • 3 cups quinoa – cooked & cooled
Filling:
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper, ground
  • 1 bunch broccoli – chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves – minced
  • 1/2 large onion – finely chopped
  • 4 cups frozen mixed veggies – thawed
  • 3 cups cooked chicken breast – diced
  • 2 t. olive oil
 Directions
    1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites together. Add thyme, cheese, quinoa and stir to combine. Set aside.
    2. Preheat oven to 375° F. In a small bowl, whisk broth, milk, flour, salt, pepper and set aside.
    3. Preheat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add oil. Add garlic and onion, saute until translucent. Slowly pour slurry (broth and milk mixture) into the skillet, whisking and making sure no flour is left at the bottom of the bowl. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat and add veggies and chicken and stir to combine.
    4. Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish and flatten with a spatula. Drop spoonfuls of quinoa mixture on top and spread with a spatula to cover the filling evenly. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes, cut into 8 portions and serve hot.
21 Day FIX portions:
1 serving = 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green
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Qurazy for Quinoa & Quale?

Kale (not quale!) –  I took that joke TOO far! 😉

I was in the mood for a Mediterranean salad the other night, and didn’t really feel like looking for recipes on-line, so I just made this one up! And oh MAN was it delicious! My husband and I gobbled this up and fought for the left-overs. (Slight exaggerations occur on this blog from time to time). Oh! And this is super easy, too! And I’m all about easy!

kale_quinoa_greek_salad

 

Here’s what you’ll need:

 

Greek Quinoa Kale Salad

Makes 8 servings

  • 1 c. Quinoa (I used red and brown – for fun!)
  • 2 c. water
  • 3 c. chopped kale (I used curly leaf for this recipe)
  • *1/4 t. kosher salt (optional)
  • 1 long cucumber (or 2 regular)
  • 6-7 roma tomatoes (or whatever tomatoes you like!)
  • 1/4 C. chopped red onion
  • 2-3 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T. dry)
  • *Optional add-ins: kalamata (or black olives), light feta cheese

Dressing:

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T. red wine vinegar
  • juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
  • 1-2 cloves garlic – minced
  • 1 t. Mrs. Dash, Spike or any other all-purpose seasoning
  • salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions

Prepare quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside to cool. While the quinoa is cooking, place the chopped kale in a large bowl. *Sprinkle with kosher salt. IMPORTANT STEP: Massage the kale! WHAT?! Yep…I promise, it makes ALL the difference! Simply rub together, smash, toss and smash for a few minutes and the texture becomes much softer and better for salads! Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and parsley. When the quinoa is cooled, transfer to a big bowl. Add kale and chopped veggies. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over everything. Toss gently. Add optional mix-ins like olives and feta cheese.

Tell me that’s not delicious!

If you’re following the 21 Day FIX…one serving counts as 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 orange (olives), 1 blue (feta), 1 t. (olive oil)

If you’re NOT following the 21 Day FIX, but you’re interested in doing the 21 Day program that’s helping people lose 10 – 15 pounds in just 21 days, than you’re in luck! I’m starting a new 21 Day FIX group on Monday October 6 where you’ll learn how to incorporate foods like this, as well as daily 30 minute workouts, and get GREAT results in just 21 Days! Fill in the info below, and I’ll tell you how to get started.

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Clean Eating Taco Salad

I’ve stumbled onto something…and it’s my new favorite thing in the whole wide world!

I was making nachos for the kids the other night and decided that I would make myself some sorta health-ed up taco salad! So I had browned and seasoned the lean ground turkey for everyone, and now I just needed to figure out what I was going to do to make my salad deelish! I chopped up the veggies I wanted. I crunched up some baked blue corn tortilla chips – in place of the Doritos that we used to use. All that was left was the dressing! I think I only ever bought thousand island dressing for making taco salads in the past! (Doritos, too for that matter!) So I needed to find a substitute. My invention – as I am SURE that I am the ONLY person who ever thought of this 😉 – well go ahead and read the recipe!!!taco_salad_dressing

Clean Eating Taco Salad (for 2)

  • 1/2 pound lean ground turkey (browned and seasoned to your liking – I don’t use packaged seasonings, *I just make my own)
  • 2 handfuls of baked blue corn tortilla chips – crunched (that’s what I used, feel free to add crunchy bits of your choosing)
  • 2 romaine lettuce hearts – washed, rinsed and chopped
  • 2 Roma tomatoes – diced
  • 1/4 sweet onion – chopped
  • 1/2 sweet bell pepper – chopped

Directions – Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing…oh BOY…you’re going to LOVE this!

And for the DRESSING!

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (I like Fage)
  • 1/2 cup medium salsa (or whatever heat suits your fancy!)
  • 1 lime – squeezed!
  • little fresh cilantro! (optional but delish!)

Directions for the dressing: BLEND! As in – use a blender, or a food processor would probably work, too!

Top with shredded cheese and black olives. And ENJOY the heck out of it! I have several times since my discovery! I’ve also been using the dressing as a dip, condiment, topping for random objects, etc.

*My taco seasoning consists of lots of chili powder, some cumin, paprika, garlic salt, pepper, oregano and a pinch of chipotle chili powder. I’m sorry…I don’t measure. So that’s probably not very helpful at all!

NOTE for 21 Day FIX-ers: If you’re following the 21 Day Fix OR the 21 Day Fix EXTREME, I use 1 red, 2 greens, 1 yellow and 1 blue and 1 orange for this deliciousness!

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For more Clean Eating, 21 Day Fix approved salad and homemade dressing recipes, download my free ebook!

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