Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

I won't lie, so far the WLC has been prettyyyyy easy - I work from home, so I always have my entire kitchen at my fingertips; I haven't gone out at all, which means I haven't had to face any temptation to drink; and let's be serious, it hasn't even been a full week - but tomorrow this will all change! I am heading to Florida for four and half days with my best friend Meredith.



Meredith and I will be running the Disney Princess Half Marathon on Sunday. After the race...and probably after a shower and a nap...we plan on celebrating. I have already planned for Sunday to be one of my cheat days during the challenge (the other? St. Patrick's Day, of course :)), but every other day I'm there is going to be so...challenging (ha, guess that's the point though, right?!). I will be faced with every temptation in the book!! So, here's to hoping I have enough willpower to make it through!!

Before I leave I wanted to share my recipe for prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. It is so simple I probably shouldn't call it a recipe...but I'm going to! It is great for breakfast, as an appetizer, or side dish. It fits in perfectly with paleo eating...and they're freaking delicious, so you should try them regardless!

What you need....

• 12 slices prosciutto (only ingredients should be pork and salt)


• 1 bunch of fresh asparagus


• olive or coconut oil for frying

How to make them....

Wash and dry the asparagus spears and cut off the tough end. Cut the prosciutto in threes, lengthwise. Start at the bottom of the spear and wrap the prosciutto around the asparagus until you get to the top – it does not have to be completely covered. Heat some oil in a pan and fry the asparagus on medium-high for about 3 minutes per side. Serve immediately.



Like I said, SUPER EASY and amazingly delicious. K, byeeee.

Sautéed Greens with Pine Nuts & Rasins

As I mentioned before, my friend Sara and I are participating in the WLC together. She is actually the person who introduced me to the idea and, three days prior to the challenge, I made the hasty decision to join her...silly me. ANYWAY, I'll turn it over to Sara now.....

It was day two of Whole Life Challenge and I needed to find a paleo-friendly side dish to go with london broil. My kale was about to go bad, so I knew I wanted to use it, but I also wanted something more exciting than just sauteing it with garlic. After spotting some leftover pine nuts in my fridge, I turned to google to for inspiration and came up with this recipe - sautéed kale and spinach with pine nuts and rasins. It is easy to make and the raisins are amazing in this dish!

Ingredients:

2 tbps olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
bunch of kale
1 cup spinach
3 tbps pine nuts
1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

Step 1: Heat a large saute pan to medium-high heat and add the pine nuts. Toast them until they are fragrant and begin to brown, but make sure to pay attention as pine nuts burn easily. Stir the nuts frequently. Once they are toasted, remove from pan and set aside.

Step 2: Add the olive oil to the pan and swirl it around. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds; the pan should already be hot, so it won't take long for the garlic to begin to brown. Add the spinach and kale and saute until the greens begin to wilt. Once they do, add the pine nuts back in, along with the raisins. Stir for about another minute or so and then remove from heat.

For those of you that haven't jumped on the kale train - you are missing out! Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat and it comes with a ton of benefits. Just to name a few, kale aids in detoxification and weight loss, strengthens your immune system, gives you healthier hair, skin and nails and is an anti-inflammatory. Plus, it is a winter green so now is the time to get it!

.....I actually have not jumped on the kale train with Sara, but seeing how this dish looks super easy AND delicious, count me in. I will be buying kale the next time I'm at the store...and you should, too! K, byeeee.

Bacon & Avacado Dip

I woke up on day one of the WLC with only a handful of cuties in my apartment to eat. In the days leading up to the challenge I was so busy eating all the things I couldn't have for the next eight weeks, that I had neglected to plan a single meal. So, while trying not to eat my computer, I planned a week worth of meals and heading to the grocery store. Once I got home from the store with all this fresh, delicious, healthy food...of course, I was in no mood to cook a meal. Grouchy and starving, I settled on making Bacon & Avocado dip. Not only was it quick and easy, but it was delicious and super filling!

What you need....

• 1 ripe avocado


• 4 slices bacon


• quarter of a lime, juiced


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1 tsp chives, very finely sliced


• sea salt and black pepper to taste


• optional: 1 tbs sour cream

How to make it....

Cook the the bacon until browned and crispy. Let it cool then cut/chop it into small pieces.



Mash the avocado until its smooth (or at least as smooth as you can get it) and stir in lime juice.

If you feel like  making your dip pretty, set aside some of the chives and bacon for topping, then stir in bacon, garlic, and chives.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with remaining bacon and chives. Chill dip for an hour...OR, if you're like me and you're starving, serve immediately (although I think it is slightly better cold)!

  For clean eating, serve with your favorite vegetable (celery, carrots, cucumbers...the possibilities are endless)!

If clean eating isn't something you're concerned about, stir in a tablespoon of sour cream to make it creamery and serve with chips! K, byeeee.

Mexican Chicken Chili

This is the easiest chili I've ever made. It only requires 6 ingredients and literally no effort to make.

What you need...

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts


• 1 16 oz jar of salsa


• 2 tsp garlic powder


• 1 tsp cumin


• 1 tsp chili powder


• 1 11oz can mexi-corn


• 1 15oz can pinto beans

How to make it...

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken & serve.

Some good optional toppings include low fat cheddar cheese, light sour cream, jalapeño slices, avocado, or all over the above! I'm a terrible food blogger and forgot to take a picture of the final product, so just use your imagination. K, byeeeeee.