Zucchini Bake

Recipe from Fixate Cookbook

I have 101 reasons lately to try new recipes and it's mostly due to my new favorite cookbook, Fixate by Autumn Calabrese! My recent favorite is this delish Zucchini Bake! I am obsessed with Zucchini and this is a cheesy and fresh summer recipe!! SOOOO good and very easy to make, plus for your fellow Fixers, it's approved for your containers!!! 

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 min (took me more like 5) 

Cooking Time: 20 min (you can cook main dish while you wait!)

Container's: 2 Green, 1/2 Purple, 1 tsp

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. freshly grated lemon peel
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (I used Pink Himalayan)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F 
2. Combine cheese, lemon peel, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
3. Place zucchini skin side down on large baking dish. Brush with oil covering all of zucchini. Sprinkle evenly with cheese mixture.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender.
5. Serve with lemon wedges.

Plated wtih grilled chicken breast.

ENJOY!!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs raw 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 cup all natural mild salsa
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt or Pink Himalayan Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Combine turkey, salsa, quinoa, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well by hand or with a rubber spatula
3. Shape mixture into shape of loaf and place on ungreased 13 X 9 baking pan OR pace spoonful in muffin pan
4. Bake for 60-70 minutes in 13 X9 pan OR Bake 45-55min in Muffin Pan
5. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
6. Serve with veggies and sweet potato  

**Fellow 21 Day Fix/Extreme (1/2 yellow, 1 red, 1/2 purple for meatloaf muffin. This picture also has 1 yellow (sweet potato), 1 green (broccoli).

Tip: Cut cooked meatloaf into single serving (or use single muffin) and freeze in single resealable plastic bags for future meals! 

Kid Approved "Homemade" Granola Bars!

I am always looking for new recipes that suit the appetite of my growing kiddos, but also suit this moms approval of ingredients! I don't know if you've checked the labels of the average store bought granola bars lately, but they have absolutely no nutritional value and have a mile long list of ingredients that I can't even pronounce. Although they may be convenient, they are not something I choose to fill my pantry with nor my wallet! 

I try not to deprive my kids of the "FUN" or "COOL" snacks to have at lunch time, because I remember being a kid and always feeling jipped if I didn't have the Gushers or the Fruit Snacks, but WHY NOT try and break that mold! Teach the kiddos what real food taste like and how fun it can be to make it ourselves! 

W having fun making his granola!

I got this yummy recipe from one of my Challengers and modified it even more, so it could be as clean as possible.  Although it still does have some sugar in it, I at least know I am filling my kids with pure ingredients and not a bunch of yucky chemicals. We had a ton of fun making them and they thought it was so cool to take them to school today and tell their friends we made them! 

Now for the recipe.....

What You'll Need:

• 2 1/2 cups of Rolled Oats 
• 1/3 cup Coconut Oil (you can use butter if you don't have coconut oil on hand)
• 1/3 cup Stevia baking sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut shreds (you can use dried fruit also)
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, I opted out for this go around). 

How To:

1. Preheat oven to 350. While oven is preheating, line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper or tin foil. Lightly spray with coconut oil.

2. Spread the oats on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes (until they are lightly toasted). Then transfer them to a bowl.

3. While the oats are baking, combine the honey, coconut oil, stevia sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until it's liquid and the sugar has melted completely.

4. Pour the heated mixture into the bowl with the toasted oats and stir to combine. 

5. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before adding the coconut shreds, or dried fruit and chocolate chips. (If you use chocolate, don't worry about it melting). 

6. Pour mixture into the lined baking pan and press down with a lightly greased spatula. Press hard so the bars are flattened and stay together!

7. Once they are pressed down you can sprinkle the optional chocolate chips on top.

8. Cover and refrigerate the bars for at least 2 hours.

9. Remove granola from the pan and peel away the foil or parchment paper. Cut the big block in half, and then cut into bars or squares.

ENJOY!!

**Store bars in an airtight container for up to a week!**