January 2016 - Alyssa Grieco

Gluten-free Clean Chicken Piccata

Happy Tuesday!! I am so excited to be sharing my new blog layout! After a lot of thought, I decided to change from the blog host I had been using to a new host that has a lot more to offer. I love it already; so here is to new beginnings!

This weekend, in NJ, we had a crazy blizzard! A good amount of our time was spent shoveling so I could get to work Monday. 😉

For Christmas this past year, I got T and myself snowshoes (a little self gift :)) as it has been something I wanted to do FOREVER. T and I enjoy hiking and I feel snowshoeing extends the season into the winter. Anything aerobic, low impact on the joints and that burns calories automatically brings a big smile to my face! lol

As far as food goes, I have been working on some recipes more centered around clean meals for busy people. I’ve really been trying to simplify in regards to the time spent on preparing, and making recipes that can be made in advance. I am such a planner and I firmly believe that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail – especially in regards to clean eating. Even though cooking is such a big passion of mine, when I come home tired from work, I try not to spend hours at the stove or else I feel like the day is over and it is time to go to bed, only to do it all over again! With my goal of maximizing in 2016, I want to get the most out of each day so simplifying recipes is definitely something I work towards.

Today’s dish, Gluten-free Clean Chicken Piccata, is one I have been making is one of my favorites that I have been making often. It has a TON of flavor with the capers and it is super lean so it is hard to pass up when I am looking to make something quick. In about 15 minutes, it is all ready! Another awesome thing about this is that it only includes a few ingredients, many of them you probably already have… not to mention, this dish smells delicious!!

gluten-free chicken piccata

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs thin sliced organic chicken breasts
1.5 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp butter
7 garlic cloves (sliced)
4 tbsp capers
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp tbsp red wine vinegar
Parsley & red pepper flakes

Directions:
Heat olive oil in pan along with 2 tsp of butter. Place chicken in pan
and cook on one side. Once browned, turn over and add in sliced garlic cloves. Once the garlic just starts to brown, add 4 tbsp capers and 1/2 cup chicken broth. Add 3 tbsp red wine vinegar. Cover to minimize evaporation of the juices. If you find too much of the sauce evaporated, add in more chicken broth and red wine vinegar (3:1 ratio). Add red pepper flakes and garnish with parsley.

gluten-free chicken piccata

Here is a pic of us snowshoeing! So fun!!

snowshoeIMG_9271

Gluten-free Fussili with Sundried Tomatoes & Arugula

Happy Monday all!! Hope you guys had an amazing weekend! Today is my mom’s birthday! We had a wonderful time yesterday celebrating her and enjoying a delicious lunch at my parents house! My whole family was over and it was an awesome time! I realize even more each day as I get older, that she is my best friend and I am so thankful for how supportive she is and always has been of me!

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As I was thinking about what I wanted to bring to my mom’s, I came across this pasta salad that I am sharing today!! It was definitely a hit amongst my family. I feel like pasta is something you can’t go wrong with as most people enjoy it. This pasta is light and refreshing, a perfect weekend meal. I made it with gluten-free pasta (my favorite one – Trader Joes). I would definitely recommend trying this brand if you are looking to try a gluten-free pasta. I personally try to stray away from gluten-free pastas made with just corn, which many of them are, so this one is a quinoa/brown rice blend that is great!

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While this pasta salad itself is served at room temperature, I added some ingredients like arugula to make it more flavorful. 😉 The peppery flavor is delicious with the balsamic vinegar in the dressing. I used regular arugula because that was the freshest I could find, but I prefer baby arugula. You could add in grilled chicken for protein but I didn’t today because we were having other meat dishes!

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Ingredients:

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1 lb gluten-free pasta

3/4 cup ready-to-eat sundried tomatoes (drained of oil and cut into small pieces)
1 C fresh mozzerella (scooped to make small balls)

2 C baby arugula torn into bite size pieces

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Dressing ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp honey

5 TBSP good balsamic vinegar

2 garlic gloves – crushed

Arugula – cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

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Prepare dressing by placing ingredients into small bowl. Wisk until mixed. I prepare this before the pasta because with gluten-free pasta, I find it needs to be dressed immediately after cooking or else it often tends to stick together.

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Cook pasta according to package instructions. I prefer to cook it more on the al dante side for a pasta salad, but whatever you prefer is fine. Rinse in cold water then transition into large bowl. Wisk dressing again and immediately pour half of it over pasta, tossing carefully not to break pasta. Add in sundried tomatoes & arugula then mozzarella once pasta has cooled.

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I used half of the dressing but I found it absorbed slightly when we went to eat it, so I added a little more. Dress to your desire.

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Last but not least, I cook with my buddy next to me!! I just love her!

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Peanut Butter Cookies – Gluten-free, Low-carb

So, I know many of you probably have the goal of weight loss or fat loss in the new year. Maybe your goal is to begin working out, to work out more often, or to start eating right. Today I am sharing an awesome recipe and my whole idea behind it.. Yes, it is a cookie, but I am not here to bring you a cookie that is going to take you away from your goals. Instead, use this as a tool as I have in my own diet. 🙂

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When I started eating healthy years ago, I realized that there are just too many occasions, parties, corporate events, etc. etc. to live on a diet where you cut out desserts completely. It’s simply too hard. Instead, I found that there are times where you just have to BYO. Additionally, when I went gluten-free, I realized this was even more of a necessity! I realized that I would suffer if I did not allow myself to have any dessert and I also would suffer if I ate the dessert that contained gluten. It was a complete lose-lose!

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That is when I put an end to the frustration and started making these gluten-free, low-carb peanut butter cookies. Ever since that day a few years ago, I have been making these cookies. So you might be saying, “Alyssa, really?? They are just cookies”. Yes, they are just cookies, but If you take the right approach, I believe these can help you. I found that for me personally, eating a higher amount of carbs per day did not work. I have a small carb with every meal but keep my diet balanced for the most part, slightly higher in protein. I typically pack these cookies with me and if there is an event at work, or I come home from work late at night and am DYING for something sweet, (this does happen, emotional eating lol!) I will have a cookie or 2! Not only is it gluten-free but it is a low-carb option and I never feel guilty after having them. Not depriving yourself is a great way to keep you on track. You want to make this a lifestyle so being satisfied with what you are eating is key. If you are too stringent you will not see success! Have a cookie.. Or 2 and meet your goals as well! 🙂

Ingredients:

1 cup organic crunchy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp organic coconut sugar, Truvia or Splenda – whichever suits your preference/dietary needs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Place egg, 1/4 cup Truvia and the vanilla extract into mixing bowl. Mix for 2 minutes on low speed. Add peanut butter until dough starts to form. Take tablespoon size spoonful of dough and roll it into a ball. Place onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Take fork and dip into the remaining tablespoon of Truvia and press a criss-cross into cookies. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes. Leave on cookie sheet until cool. I put these directly into the freezer after they are cool and use them whenever I need! 🙂

2016 – Taking It to the Next Level!!

Happy New Year everyone!! What are you doing to better yourself in 2016? I remember writing my last years post like it was yesterday! It’s crazy how a whole year has gone by. In the past 365 days, I did a few major life-changing things like getting married and moving into our new home, but I also had a ton of other small changes that made me feel like I have grown up so much!

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I remember writing last year about how I don’t really make “resolutions” because from what I observe, most all resolutions fail. I stand behind that thought to this day. Resolutions typically start out strong and dwindle down until the next January when we restart the list again. We all know the example of the gym which is packed the first few weeks of January but then becomes empty a few weeks later. I found that in order to reach any goal, it is better to make small changes that are “non-negotiables” which allow you to better yourself each day, than to set stringent resolutions that seem good from the start but get let go because they are so extreme, they are not sustainable.

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I want to encourage you to set achievable goals. Take a few minutes, write them down, and work each day at trying to get one step closer. No matter what your goals may be with your health, nothing is impossible! After all, a goal without a plan is just a wish!

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#makeithappen !!

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I have a few of my goals on post-it’s all over our home and I read them when I get dressed in the morning or am washing the dishes. It helps me get in the mindset of where I want to be! I took some time to write down some big and some smaller goals that I want to fulfill in this coming year and one of them is to really buckle down on my business and take it to the next level. With that said, my goal is to continue to provide value in the content of my posts about health and fitness, as we can all do a little better each day to improve our health. I just love to read in any spare minute I have, about the newest, healthiest recipes and anything I can on fitness, so this goal is actually easy for me ;). I know I post a lot of healthy/gluten-free recipes which I love and is my true passion but my goal is to help and teach people (especially insanely busy people ;)) how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and/or begin a gluten-free lifestyle, along with fat loss and really getting lean on the way.

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I also love decluttering so I may add some of that into my posts! It brings me joy! 😉

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Stay tuned!

xox