Cajun Jambalaya 

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

My son requested this for a birthday dinner, and LOVED it!!! It's easy and tasty. 

12 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped

4 ounces chicken, diced

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows                           

2 tablespoons olive oil                                                               

1/4 cup chopped onion                                                               

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper                                    

1/4 cup chopped celery                                                      

2 tablespoons chopped garlic                                             

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes                                                      

3 bay leaves                                                                        

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce                                             

1 teaspoon hot sauce

3/4 cup rice

3 cups chicken stock

5 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced

Salt and pepper

Emeril's Bayou Blast:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt        

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 T black pepper

1 T onion powder

1 T cayenne

1 T dried oregano

1 T dried thyme

In a bowl combine shrimp, chicken and Creole seasoning, and work in seasoning well. In a large saucepan heat oil over high heat with onion, pepper and celery, 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces.

Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add shrimp and chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning.

Refrigerator Oatmeal

This is the only way I've found to get my son to happily eat oatmeal.  The last time I tried serving him cooked oats for breakfast, he very nicely asked me not to do that again.

Thankfully, my sister told me about this -- lots of variations.  I've started using almond milk instead of cow's milk, and if I'm feeling lazy, I use a flavored yogurt and don't add any sweetener.

Enjoy!

Refrigerator Oatmeal

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and flavorings. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add fruit and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

Flavor Options

      Mango/Almond

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup diced mango (approx. half of a small mango)

      Blueberry/Maple

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup (more or less to taste)
• 1/4 cup blueberries (or enough to fill jar)

Banana/Cocoa

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup diced ripe banana, or enough to fill jar (approx. half of a small banana)

Peanut Butter/Banana

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (may substitute PB2 powdered peanut butter)
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup diced ripe banana, or enough to fill jar (approx. half of a small banana)

Raspberry/Vanilla

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon raspberry jam, preserves, or spread
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup raspberries (cut each berry in half), or enough to fill jar

Apple/Cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, or enough to fill jar

Pumpkin Pie 1 serving of Vanilla Shakeology ½ cup canned pumpkin puree ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 1 tsp pure maple syrup (or raw honey) 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 Tbsp coarsely chopped raw pecans With Fall approaching, pumpkin and spice flavors really appeal to me.  Creamy, rich and still good for you!!!

Calories: 271 Total Fat: 10 g Saturated Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 5 mg Sodium: 349 mg Carbohydrate: 31 g Fiber: 10 g Sugar: 15 g Protein: 19 g

Sweet Potato Salad

This salad is topped with hearty sweet potatoes--a superfood that is high in beta-carotene, potassium, and manganese. Pumpkin seeds add extra crunch!

Total Time: 1 hour 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min.
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 dash Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
1 tsp. chopped fresh herbs (like basil, oregano or parsley) (to taste; optional)
1 medium baked sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium green apple, chopped
½ medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk green onion, finely sliced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups fresh arugula
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seed kernels, toasted (or chopped raw walnuts)

Preparation:
1. Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and herbs (if desired) in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
Set aside.
2. Combine sweet potato, apple, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl; mix well.
3. Drizzle dressing over sweet potato mixture; toss gently to blend.
4. Place even amounts of arugula on two serving plates; top each with sweet potato mixture and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Tip: Bake fork-pierced sweet potato at 450° F for 30 to 40 minutes or until just tender. Do not over bake; cool.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 236

Fat: 11 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 194 mg

Carbohydrate: 32 g

Fiber: 6 g

Sugar: 16 g

Protein: 5 g

P90X/P90X2 Portions (per serving)

½ carb/grain

1 vegetable

½ fat

½ fruit

P90X3 Portions (per serving)

2½ carb

1 fat

Body Beast Portions (per serving)

1 starch

1 fat

2 vegetables

1 fruit

21 Day Fix Portions(per serving)

1 green container

1 yellow container

1 blue/orange container