Fresh and Fit

Spiced Chicken Skewers with Riced Cauliflower and Rocket Medley

Cauliflower rice has become mainstream in the nutrition and cooking world. It enables anyone trying to cut back on starchy simple carbohydrates to amp up their nutrition and still feel like you are getting to indulge in a rice dish. Today’s recipe for ‘Spiced Chicken Skewers with Riced Cauliflower and Rocket Medley’ is an exotic dish that is heavy on fresh flavors and great nutrition. The chicken skewers would be great on the grill during warmer months. The dish is also vegetarian friendly, just serve the skewers on the side.

Recipe makes 8 small chicken skewers and 8 cups of cauliflower and rocket medley

For Chicken

2/3c Greek yogurt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
2 chicken breasts, cut into large cubes

For Rice Medley

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 can chickpeas, drained
3 cups rocket/arugula, set 2 cups aside.
3-4 basil leaves, chopped
3 mint leaves, chopped
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Coat chicken in mixture and marinate for 1-24 hours.

Slide chicken onto skewers.

Grill or cook on flat top until juices run clear about 15 minutes. Flip once.

Pulse cauliflower florets in food processor until finely chopped.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add cauliflower rice and minced garlic. Stir in cumin. Cook 5 minutes.

Add chickpeas. Cook until hot, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat.

Stir in chopped herbs and 1 cup rocket. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken skewers over 2 cups reserved rocket, cauliflower and rocket medley

Beautiful Living

Our Home Remodel

Last year, my boyfriend and I purchased our first home. We spent all of the summer remodeling. We pulled up old floors, refaced our fireplace, put in new cabinets and countertops, sanded and stained woodwork, and repainted all of the rooms. It was quite an undertaking, but we are so pleased with the results. With the help of our family and especially my step-father, we were able to pull off most of the work by ourselves. Although we went over budget, we managed to save a lot of money doing the work ourselves. I thought you would enjoy seeing our before and after shots. I love interior decorating and repurposing decor and furniture. Our style is more on the rustic side with touches of clean modern lines.

Here are some of the before and after photos so you can get a good idea of just what went into this remodel.

The refacing of the fireplace. We were hesitant to do this ourselves, but my boyfriend and step-dad tackled the job like pros.

And yours truly got a lesson in home construction

The sanding of the woodwork was the most tedious part of the remodel for me. I don’t mind painting or laying floors, but sanding was not my jam.

Choosing the flooring was very difficult. We wanted to go with something classic but we also love the distressed look. We ended up going with a wide plank dark birch with some light distressing. We would have liked to do lighter with even more distressing, but we figured this would be a safer bet in case we sell in the future.

And now for the fun part, decorating! This is where we are able to add special touches and pops of colors. We stayed with a neutral pallet on the walls so that we could always brighten things up with different colored accents.

I enjoy rustic elements like rattan and weathered wood pieces. This folding trestle table was meant for our sunroom, but we are currently using it for our dining space until we find (or build) a dining table that is the correct measurements and style we like. I found this one at Homegoods for only $300. The blown glass pendant chandelier is from Pottery Barn.

We still have some more finishing touches to add but I am very pleased with what we have done so far. Our home is a wonderful place for me to work and be inspired. I hope it will inspire you too!

Spicy Asian Peanut Zoodles

Springtime is wonderful for experimenting with different salad recipes. There is always a bbq or party to bring a fresh salad to. Asian peanut noodles are my weakness whenever I see them on the menu at asian restaurants. So I knew I had to tweak the recipe to be healthier for my Fresh and Fit readers. This lightened up version uses zucchini “noodles” instead. You can use a julienne peeler to achieve the noodles or a spiralizer that will turn out beautiful spiral noodles. This recipe is quick to throw together once you chop up your veggies. And it looks so vibrant you will want to show it off.
I added jicama to bring a crunchy sweetness to the dish. I am seeing jicama more and more in supermarkets, so it should be fairly easy to find. I actually bought mine at Meijer which has a surprisingly exotic produce department, and great prices.This refreshing and satisfying salad is sure to be a hit this spring and summer. I hope you enjoy it!

4 zucchini, julienned
1/2 c red cabbage, shredded
3 mini bell pepper, sliced
3 green onions, sliced thinly
1/2 c jicama sliced into strips
1 carrot, julienned
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

For dressing
5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp chili paste
4 tbsp peanut butter

Combine all vegetables in a large bowl. Reserve half of cilantro and half of the scallions to use as a garnish.

In a separate bowl whisk together peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, chili paste and sesame oil. Pour half the dressing on the vegetables.

Chill for at least 30 minutes. Pour remaining dressing on before serving. Garnish with remaining cilantro and green onion.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Asparagus Focaccia

One of my favorite foods is a great rustic pizza. I recently shared a recipe on the app I contribute to for “Lemon, Herb and Asiago Focaccia Bread.” I have also shared my Primal Pizza Crust Recipe here on Fresh and Fit, for those who are gluten-free. There are so many delicious varieties of pizza, flatbread, and focaccia. They are easier to make than you may think. This recipe uses no egg or yeast and can be made in about 45 minutes. You can also make it in any oven safe pan. No need for a fancy pizza pan.

Now, I know what your thinking “all purpose flour?!” Yes it is an ingredient I don’t commonly use. But I have been doing a lot of thinking about balance. That is what I try to give you here at Fresh and Fit. Some of my recipes are vegan and plant based, others are more Paleo friendly. The important thing I want to stress here is the idea of balance for everyone. A diet that embodies whole foods and quality ingredients. With any balanced diet there will be the occasional ingredient that is less that perfect, but oh so good. I would prefer to not use the idea of “Good” and “Bad” when talking about ingredients. Instead, ask yourself if you are achieving balance, a mix of whole foods with a touch of indulgence.

Now let’s talk focaccia. This is a thinner focaccia than you might see in stores and restaurants. Sort of a cross between focaccia and flatbread. It is great for parties or paired with a big salad. The combination of sweet and tangy sun-dried tomatoes with fresh and dried herbs plus lightly toasted parmesan cheese is sure to please whomever you share it with. And they will probably think you slaved forever in the kitchen making this fresh sun-dried tomato and asparagus focaccia bread. But you and I know better ;).

1 c all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
3 large leaves fresh basil, sliced thinly
1/2 c water
1 tsp minced garlic
4-6 asparagus stems, chopped into 2 inch pieces
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 c diced sundries tomatoes with oil

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a round oven safe medium pie pan or skillet with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a separate pan pan flat top grill. Lightly sauté asparagus in 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Add water gradually and stir to incorporate. Mixture will still be slightly dry.

Stir in sundries tomatoes with oil.

Add garlic, basil and cheese. Form mixture into a ball.