Lee Hersh

Crock-Pot Three Bean Chili Baked Potatoes

February 25, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Crock-Pot Three Bean Chili Baked Potatoes

FUN FACT- My Dad used to call me spud as a kid. As a family, we had a favorite restaurant in town (New Berlin Family Restaurant <— I grew up in New Berlin, WI) and I would order (I kid you not):

A Baked Potato
Hash Browns
And steal my sisters fries

I am thinking about changing all of my social media handles to FitFoodie_Spud. I wonder if they are taken

Crock-Pot Three Bean Chili Baked Potatoes

The day I learned POTATOES WERE BAD FOR YOU was like the worst day ever. Then I did some researched and realized, okay they aren’t THAT bad. It’s really what you do with them and what you top them with.

Insert —> Crock-Pot Turkey Chili.

Guys.

Top your taters with something protein and fiber-filled and it will cancel out the starchiness of the potato. Uh…I think.

That’s what I do at least! I also top it with some plain Greek yogurt, a sprinkle of low fat cheese, avocado and about a cup of salsa (not pictured).

You could also do this with sweet potatoes if that is your jam. I had to go classic this time, because a good baked potato every once in a while never did any harm!

Plus- Blake prefers normal potatoes over sweet…I think.

Normal Potatoes vs. Sweet Potato. What is your jam?

PS: I am out of the country for the next week! I left yesterday for Nelson, BC Canada to spend a week at the Mountain Trek Resort. So just take this as my Out of Office Response for the next 7 days.

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Coconut Oil Baked Goods | Fit Foodie Finds

February 25, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago when I was in Boise/Portland visiting Sam, I ended up with a little stomach bug for 3 out of the 4 days I was there. I thought winter sickness was in the bag and that I got out clean this year, but I was wronggggg. Honestly- if I had to guess, I would say that my little sickness was mostly stress induced. Lot’s of signs have been shining through that I am very stressed: 1. I almost cut my thumb off last month 2. I misplaced 2 ribs during a bootcamp I was teaching 3. stomach bug.

My cure of stress? Bumping my workouts down to 4 days per week and eating donuts.

Did I mention how amazing Portland’s VooDoo Donuts are. Hubba Hubba. Frealz though, they even have vegan options, and I’m going to guess they used coconut oil instead of butter!

It’s no secret that I love using coconut oil

in FFF’s baked goods. It’s not that I’m afraid of butter by any means; I truly love the way coconut oil cooks and the taste as well! Plus- coconut oil is so versatile! We’re talking sweet, savory, skincare, and more!

Here’s a delicious round-up of {healthier} baked good that use coconut oil as the main fat from some of my favorite bloggers! Enjoy 😀

Sneaky Beet Brownies from Fit Foodie Finds

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Cookies from Fit Foodie Finds

Easy Gluten Free Biscotti from Fit Foodie Finds

Coconut Lemon Poppyseed Loaf from The Healthy Maven

Fudgey Paleo Skillet Brownie from Running to the Kitchen

Coconut Sweet Potato Pie from Back to Her Roots

Flax Cranberry Breakfast Cookies from Back to Her Roots

Gluten-Free Banana Bread from Eating Bird Food

Chewy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Mom ables

Deep Dish Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Blondies from with salt and wit

Strawberry Quinoa Oatmeal Bars from Hummusapien

Paleo Chocolate Lava Cakes from Food Faith Fitness

Hazelnut Paleo Brownies from Food Faith Fitness

Whole Wheat Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars from Ambitious Kitchen

The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Chunk Bars from Ambitious Kitchen

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Gluten-Free Asian-Style Pork chop

February 24, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Gluten-Free Asian-Style Pork chop

Make these Gluten-Free Asian-Style Pork Chops for a healthy, weeknight dinner that the entire family will love!

So you know how I got a Costco membership last week…well I was SUPER impressed with their organic/free range meat selection. I am a huge fan of purchasing any kind of food in bulk because it will save you money in the long run. We’re talking $7.99/pound for organic bison and $5.99/pound for organic beef.

I went home with an 11 pound pork loin that I paid $27.00 for. The best part is, we cut the loin into 26 thick pork chops making it each just just over $1.00/pound. Talk about an amazing deal.

After we cut the loin into chops, Blake and I seasoned or marinated them in sets of 4 or 5 and put them right into a freezer bag and into the freezer for later. That will make for easy and inexpensive dinners down the road. I left 5 amazing chops out just for this recipe!

Make these Gluten-Free Asian-Style Pork Chops for a healthy, weeknight dinner that the entire family will love!

I wanted to make a juicy marinade for our first batch of chops with an Asian-inspired twist. This is where the hoisen, garlic, and tamari come in.

I (aka Blake) poked holes in the pork chops and then poured the marinade on top so that they could sit overnight and soak in all the delicious Asiany goodness.

Talk about teamwork!

The beauty of shooting a recipe on the weekend means that I don’t have to attempt to get a pour shot on my own. Maybe next year I’ll ask for a third arm for Christmas.

Once the chops came out of the oven, I rubbed them with a little more hoisen sauce. You could also double the marinade and rub it with that once they come out of the oven or even use it as a dipping sauce!

I paired the meat with some sesame stir fried veggies: kale + pea pods + carrots. Yumtastic.

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Asian-Style Pork chop

pork chops
hoisen sauce
garlic, minced
soy sauce
ginger powder
dried orange peel
sesame oil
salt and pepper
sesame seeds
shredded carrots
pea pods
handfuls kale

This is one of those dinner’s thats great in the oven, but that will be even better on the grill.

Summer- get here fast. K, thanks.

Meat eaters- what is your favorite meat to cook for dinner?

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Copy Cat: Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

February 24, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

chipotle brown rice recipe

The day Chipotle started making cilantro lime BROWN rice was the best day ever! I was inspired to make this recipe for 2 reasons:

1. Blake and I got Chipotle 2 weeks ago and as we were waiting in line….one of the chefs was preparing fresh cilantro brown rice. With FRESH ingredients. You could actually watch her chop the the cilantro and squeeze the lime. Most other place would just use a batch of pre-made rice. This is why Chipotle is so delicious, because everything is FRESH, including their meat.

2. We had a departmental pot-lucked, which was themed Tacos. This gave me the perfect excuse to make Cilantro Lime Brown Rice And so I did!

I used fresh ingredients just like Chipotle. Who woulda ever thunk fresh food tastes so good? (uhhhh….joking!)

I actually did a report on Chipotle my senior year in college so I think I am a little bit biased at how amazing awesome this company is.

Here is what my Taco mosh pit looked like yesterday…We had all the fixings: taco meat that was actually a Mexican recipe, fresh guac, fresh toppings, etc. MMM! We decided we are going to do a monthly pot-luck. YES!

I will say I had a little trouble getting my rice to be “perfect.” It is so hit or miss with brown rice. I make it the same way every single time and sometimes it comes out perfect and others it comes out a tad bit crunchy. I heard that a rice maker is the trick to perfect rice every time. Any recommendations on a brand?

Ingredients for chipotle brown rice recipe

brown rice, uncooked
water
lime
fresh cilantro, chopped unpacked
sea salt
garlic, minced

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Copy Cat: Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Author: Sandra

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Ingredients

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2 cups brown rice, uncooked

4 cups water or (~1/4 cup lime juice)

1 lime

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped unpacked

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Instructions

In a medium sized pot, on medium/high heat, bring 2 cups of brown rice and 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Then, reduce heat to low and cover for about 35 minutes or until all of the water is evaporated.
Transfer brown rice to a medium sized bowl and let cool in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Once the rice has cooled a little bit, cut a lime in half and squeeze lime juice onto rice. Do this with both sides of the lime and mix.
Then, chop fresh cilantro. Add about 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro to your rice. (I just grabbed a handful and that worked perfectly.)
Next, add in 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of sea salt and MIX.
Serve warm.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Steel Cut Oatmeal + Happy National Peanut Day!

February 23, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

This crunchy peanut butter steel cut oatmeal is made with no refined sugars, in under 30 minutes, and with all my favorite ingredients!

Guys – today is the BEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR.

—> NATIONAL PEANUT DAY <—

Seriously I was born to be a Planter’s Peanut ambassador. Why? Because I don’t remember the last day I DIDN’T eat peanuts or peanut butter. Double negative? I eat some form of peanut every single day whether it’s the actual nut, the nut butter, or even peanut flour! I consider peanuts a food group 😉 Really though, it’s my favorite nut for so many reasons.

BETTER-FOR-YOU – a perfect wholesome snack on-the-go.
PROTEIN – every single 1 oz. serving of dry roasted or oil roasted peanuts delivers 7 grams of protein and 6 essential nutrients!
HEALTHY FATS – More than 80% of the fat found in peanuts is the good kind of fat – mono and polyunsaturated!*
CRUNCH – I’m all about that texture
FLAVOR – no brainer.

I also have a peanut crush on Mr. Peanut. Almost forgot to add that one.

This steel cut oatmeal recipe is the epitome of breakfast. It’s made with crunchy peanuts, peanut butter, real vanilla bean paste, mashed banana, and delicious steel cut oatmeal. I know steel cut oats take a bit longer to make on the stove top, but I just absolutely love the texture. It’s a bit coarser, but I feel like I stay fuller, longer with steel cut compared to rolled or quick cooking.

This is a great meal-prep recipe. You can easily double this batch and store the extras in a glass container for the days to come. It should stay good for 3-5 days in the refrigerator!

HOLY PEANUTS. I just did the nutrition calculation for this recipe —> 22 grams of protein! Now that’s what I call a breakfast.

*Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as peanuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of heart disease.

This post is sponsored by Planters Peanuts. Thank you so much for supporting Fit Foodie Finds and my favorite food group 🙂 I was compensated and all opinions are my own.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Steel Cut Oatmeal + Happy National Peanut Day!

Author: Sandra
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup Planters Lightly Salted Dry Roasted Peanuts
1 cup steel cut oatmeal
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 medium banana, mashed
1 vanilla bean (the paste)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions

Place a medium banana in a medium-size pot and use a fork to mash. Then, add steel cut oatmeal, unsweetened almond milk, and vanilla bean paste.
Turn to high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes until thickened. Stir often.
Finally, add in chopped Planters peanuts and peanut butter and mix until combined.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
Calories: 473
Sugar: 7
Fat: 25
Carbohydrates: 46
Fiber: 9
Protein: 22

Quinoa Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage

February 23, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Quinoa Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage

Make this quinoa pasta salad with seasonal veggies, homemade Italian dressing, and tons of spices for a delicious summertime salad that doubles as dinner!

One of my favorite summer dishes is a big ol, chunky pasta salad made with tons of veggies and a delicious Italian Dressing. I thought I’d throw in a little extra protein to make this into a hearty meal that the whole family will love!

In this recipe, I went for all the classic flavors, but feel free to use whatever veggies are in season or in the garden!

Who else finds it really hard to eat some sort of raw veggie every single day? I find I snack on raw fruit much more than veggies, which is what made me so happy about this recipe. All the veggies used in it are 100% raw, crunchy, and delicious. Yes please.

Check out this rainbow of deliciousness…

I kept things gluten-free by using Ancient Harvest Lentil and Quinoa Supergrain Pasta. It doubles as a noodle and a protein boost because of all the good stuff it’s made with.

Basic Ingredients

1 container of Ancient Harvest Proetin Power Gluten Free Lentil and Quinoa Supergrain Pasta Rotelle
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 cups broccoli, sliced into small pieces
1 yellow pepper, diced
3 chicken sausages (cooked), thinly sliced
2/3 cup Italian dressing

How to make Quinoa Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage

First, cook your noodles by following the directions on the back of the box. Once your noodles are done, refrigerate for at least 2 hours so that the noodles can fully chill.
When you are ready to make the salad, slice veggies and chicken sausage (I used leftover grilled chicken sausage because I liked the grilled taste) and place in a large bowl. Add in noodles and Italian dressing and mix.
Serve cold.

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Quinoa Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage

Author: Sandra
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1 container of Ancient Harvest Proetin Power Gluten Free Lentil and Quinoa Supergrain Pasta Rotelle
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 cups broccoli, sliced into small pieces
1 yellow pepper, diced
3 chicken sausages (cooked), thinly sliced
2/3 cup Italian dressing

Instructions

First, cook your noodles by following the directions on the back of the box. Once your noodles are done, refrigerate for at least 2 hours so that the noodles can fully chill.
When you are ready to make the salad, slice veggies and chicken sausage (I used leftover grilled chicken sausage because I liked the grilled taste) and place in a large bowl. Add in noodles and Italian dressing and mix.
Serve cold.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

The one tip I have with this pasta is DO NOT OVER COOK IT! That goes for any pasta

Ingredients

Instructions

Sneaky Beet Brownies from Fit Foodie Finds

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Cookies from Fit Foodie Finds

Easy Gluten Free Biscotti from Fit Foodie Finds

Coconut Lemon Poppyseed Loaf from The Healthy Maven

Fudgey Paleo Skillet Brownie from Running to the Kitchen

Coconut Sweet Potato Pie from Back to Her Roots

Flax Cranberry Breakfast Cookies from Back to Her Roots

Gluten-Free Banana Bread from Eating Bird Food

Chewy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Mom ables

Deep Dish Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Blondies from with salt and wit

Strawberry Quinoa Oatmeal Bars from Hummusapien

Paleo Chocolate Lava Cakes from Food Faith Fitness

Hazelnut Paleo Brownies from Food Faith Fitness

Whole Wheat Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars from Ambitious Kitchen

The Best Coconut Flour Chocolate Chunk Bars from Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Asian-Style Pork chop

Ingredients

For the Veggies

Instructions

For the Pork Chops

For the Veggies

Nutrition

Ingredients for chipotle brown rice recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Basic Ingredients

How to make Quinoa Pasta Salad with Chicken Sausage

Ingredients

Instructions