It’s a Pinterest Party!

If you head over to The Lean Green Bean today, you’ll see a fun blogger link-up — a Pinterest Party! I’m pumped to participate 🙂

Here’s the deal: Lindsay over at LBG asked us all to put together a post of our five favorite recipes we’d like to see pinned and visit other blogs to pin some of theirs in return. So, let’s get moving! Here are my five favorite pin-able recipes from Levels…

(P.S. Share the love! Pin your favorites and then visit Lindsay’s blog and check out the other blogger pin parties!)

Avocado Cobb Salad with homemade Chipotle Dressing

Chicken and Bean Crockpot Chili 

Slow Cooker Chicken Cheesesteak

Sweet Potato Vegetable Chili

Honey almond flax pancakes

And, a bonus one! (Can I do that? I’m going for it!)

25 Healthy Snacks!

What’s been fueling my workouts all week

Happy Friday!

I don’t typically post twice in one day, but I have lots to share with you over the coming days! First up, I want to share this recipe for Chicken and Bean Crockpot “Chili” — a super easy and delicious crockpot recipe that I’ve been enjoying all week. (I call it “chili” because I’m not quite sure what else to call it, but trust me — you eat this thing with a fork, not a spoon!)

I threw this in the crockpot on Monday morning and was ready to enjoy it for dinner that evening. One of my favorite things about this meal is it’s versatility! I served it over quinoa one day, brown rice another, quinoa/lentil chips another, and a sweet potato another. It never got boring because I was always adding a different texture/flavor to accompany it.

 

Chicken & Bean Crockpot “Chili”
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Skinny Taste

• One red onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz. can black beans (drained)
• 1 16-oz. can kidney beans (drained)
• 10 oz. package frozen corn
• 2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes (I used one regular diced tomatoes; another one of garlic roasted)
• 1 small can of green chilies (Or just purchased diced tomatoes with the chilies if you prefer)
• 1/4 c. chili powder
• 2 Tbsp. cumin
• Optional seasonings: Siriacha, Pepper, Paprika, Salt
• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used frozen)
• Cilantro for topping (optional)

1. Spray your slow cooker with some non-stick spray. Combine onions, beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, and seasonings. Place chicken on top and cover.
2. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken, shred, and return to slow cooker and mix well.
4. Serve over your choice of quinoa, brown rice, steamed sweet potato, or tortilla cheese, top with fresh cilantro (and cheese if desired), and enjoy!

How to level up this recipe: 

• I think chopped peppers would be a great addition to this recipe and an easy way to pump up your veggie count.
• Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce (as I did with my quinoa and brown rice).

How to level down this recipe:

• For added flavor, top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream (or plain greek yogurt if you can)!
• If sweet potatoes aren’t your thing, you could easily serve this over baked russet potatoes as well.

And the best part was my friend Leslie introduced me to this Freakin’ Fresh Salsa to top it with, and oh. my. goodness. This stuff is seriously amazing…

 

The company is actually based right here in Delaware and sells their product at a few local stores including Whole Foods. This stuff is seriously…freakin’ fresh. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) Look at how thick this stuff is…

Andddd…it’s made with all natural ingredients (tomatoes, onions, lime juice, cilantro…nothing you can’t pronounce), and absolutely delicious. If you’re in the Delaware area, be sure to check out where they sell it and pick some up for yourself!

Please note: I was not compensated for this post in any way…I just loved this stuff and wanted to share! 

I’ll be back later this weekend with a review of my 18 mile training run I did yesterday, my first product review of NuGo Nutrition bars, and more! Enjoy your Easter weekend, everyone!

 

Turkey veggie chili steals the WIAW show

Happy What I Ate Wednesday! If you’re new to this virtual foodie fun, head over to Peas & Crayons to see what it’s all about.

My eats came from yesterday (Tuesday). I had a very busy, stressful day at work and felt a little off all day, but still got in some decent eats!

I started off the morning with some blueberry chia seed oats topped with melted peanut butter! For my morning snack, I enjoyed some grapes. We’ll get to lunchtime in just a second…but in the meantime, we’ll skip ahead to my afternoon snack, which includes some cashews, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and raisins while traveling for work.

I had originally planned to make sweet potato & black bean burritos for dinner but ended up working late, and just wasn’t really feeling it when I got home. Therefore, I popped a sweet potato in the microwave, topped it with some paprika and cheese and enjoyed some sauteed asparagus and onions on the side.

And, the star of my WIAW was this turkey veggie chili I whipped up earlier this week!

I’m not sure why I’m so into chili lately… I used to hate it! I think the key is filling it with veggies and healthy beans to fill up on rather than just lots of ground beef. Here’s what I came up with…

Turkey bean veggie chili
Serves 4 

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey, browned
• 1 can white kidney beans, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice (I used no-salt-added.)
• 1 c. peppers, chopped (I used a frozen blend of red and green peppers)
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped
• 3/4 c. corn
• 1 c. water
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp. paprika

1. In a large pot, add your olive oil, onion, peppers, corn, and, zucchini. Saute until onions begin to brown.
2. Next, add your cooked meat, beans, diced tomatoes, and water.
3. Add spices and stir well.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. Add more water before serving, if necessary.

How to “level up” this recipe:

• To make this vegetarian, add in a can of drained black beans rather than the turkey. 

How to “level down” this recipe:

• Not a fan of ground turkey? Try lean ground beef instead. 
• You can easily take out the beans if you dislike beans, or swap black or red beans for the white if you prefer.

What I Ate (last) Wednesday…and what I’m eating this Wednesday

Happy hump day! In the food blog world, that can only mean one thing…our What I Ate Wednesday bash, hosted by Peas & Crayons!

These eats came from last Wednesday…but if you scroll down, you’ll get to the star of today’s eats — some leftover sweet potato vegetable chili that I teased you with last weekend.

But, first up, my WIAW…

Morning: Oatmeal, of course! In the mix: 1/2 c. oats, 1/2 Tbsp. chia seeds, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, blueberries, and a big scoop ‘o peanut butter. Mmm.

Morning snack: A Pink Lady apple

Lunchtime: I enjoyed some leftover shredded buffalo chicken (made with no butter or ranch mix…and still delicious!) that I defrosted from the freezer over celery sticks with some carrots on the side. An awesome, very filling, gluten-free meal!

Afternoon snack: Pomegranate CHO topped with some puffed wheat and almonds — it’s my go-to afternoon snack; I just can’t get enough!

Dinner: I’m not sure why this dinner appears so anemic looking, because it was actually delicious! I enjoyed some Trader Joe’s spinach tortellini with roasted cauliflower and a side salad. (Times my veggie intake x2!)

Bedtime snack: It looks gross, but tastes amazing! A melted banana, topped with a few dark chocolate chips and oats.

And now, an awesome slow-cooker recipe for you that I’ve been enjoying this week!

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potato Vegetable Chili
Adapted from Real Simple

• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c. lentils
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 c. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt (I used seasoned salt.)
• 2 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. In a 4 to 6- quart slower cooker, combine all of the above ingredients, adding the spices last. Stir well. 
2. Set crockpot to high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally until sweet potatoes are soft and chili is heated through.
3. Enjoy!

How to “level up” this recipe:

• For an added lean protein, add 1 lb. cooked ground turkey. 

How to “level down” this recipe:

• You can easily leave out the peppers. 
• For added flavor, serve with cheddar cheese, light sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), and/or crushed tortilla chips.