Lee Hersh

Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

March 12, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

You guys.

The high was in the 50’s here this past week. THAT SHIZ CRAY. It’s September and it already feels like October. Sigh.

Good thing I’ve been waiting to post this baby since…err, last April when I made it!

I visited my parents in Ohio over my birthday and Grandma Marie and Papa Ray drove to Cleveland from Chicago over the same weekend so we could all see each other. Insert .

My grandma is like a genie in the kitchen. Her pizza is to die for. So is this roasted chicken that her and I made together!

Guys- roasting your own chicken is way easier than it looks! It definitely takes time, but it’s SO NUMMY!

A dash of this and a dash of that. That’s how we roll in this household.

Because grandma didn’t measure, I didn’t measure. We just sprinkled? I’d say we used ~ a teaspoon of each.

Here’s a list of the spices we used:

Salt
Pepper
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil

The great thing about roasting your own whole chicken, is that you can use your favorite flavors. Maybe add some garlic or onion powder?

I think I need to hire Grandma Marie as a part time Fit Foodie.

I sure could use a hand model at my beckon’ call.

Want to know the secret to a golden brown chicken?

Butter + EVOO.

Just a little. Enough to give it that beautify color!

For those that don’t know- this is what basting looks like. You literally squeeze the juice from the bottom of your pan, into the baster, and squeeze it on top of the chicken. It’s like a chicken shower.

This is definitely a show stoppin’ recipe and perfect for a dinner party or small get together!

Obsessed with how golden brown the lemon wedge got 😀

And how could I forget about the potatoes. Uhm. No words.

You guys know my love for potatoes…I mean my second name is Fit Foodie Spud…

And if you made it this far down (so many photos)…The best part of this whole recipe is that…YOU ONLY NEED TO GET ONE PAN DIRTY. Yup, everything is made in a single pan.

It is One Pot Sunday, after all.

Maple Tamari Glazed Pork Roast

March 12, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Maple Tamari Glazed Pork Roast

This tender pork roast is marinaded in a maple tamari glaze and baked to perfection (gluten-free, too!). It’s a perfect family meal and features Fit Foodie Finds partner, Nakano Rice Vinegar.

This was one of those meals where Blake came home from work and the entire house smelled like dinner. The first words out of his mouth were…WHAT IS IN THE OVEN?!

I picked up a gorgeous-looking pork roast from the grocery store and could hardly wait to eat it! I got a steal too…3.5 lb. roast for like $13 bucks. That much meat = dinner for 3 nights!

I started off by making a Tamari Maple Glaze for the marinade featuring Nakano Rice Vinegar. <—-that stuff makes all marinades taste better, I swear! This time I used the roasted garlic variation. Garlic + Love.

It’s a mixture of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce), 100% maple syrup, rice vinegar, teriyaki sauce, garlic, and spices. I poked a few holes in the roast, plopped it in a gallon-sized bag and poured the marinade on top. I let it sit for about an hour in the refrigerator.

The roast took about 90 minutes to fully cook.

When it comes to dinner, I’m usually all about 15 minute meals. This 90+ minute meal is TOTALLY worth it. The meat comes out so tender and delicious.

Ingredients for Maple Tamari Glazed Pork Roast

pork roast
maple syrup
tamari
teriyaki sauce
Nakano Garlic Roasted Rice Vinegar
garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

The nice thing about pork roasts, is that it’s pretty low maintenance. All you need to do is marinade it, stick it in a pan, and bake it.

It also only requires minimal ingredients for a whole lotta flavor!

One thing I recommend doing is lining your baking dish with tin foil. Maple = sugar and sugar + heat = caramelization.

Well, let’s just say I learned the hard way

This post is sponsored by Mizkan’s Nakano Rice Vinegar. Thank you for your continued support as I run my business!

What’s your all time favorite meat marinade?

See more healthy recipes

Maple Tamari Glazed Pork Roast

Author: Sandra
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Print Recipe

Save Recipe

Ingredients

-3.5 lb. center cut pork roast
-1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
-1/4 cup tamari
-1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
-2 tablespoons Nakano Garlic Roasted Rice Vinegar
-2 tablespoons garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Prepare marinade by mixing all ingredients together other than pork roast. Next, pierce roast with a fork, then place in a gallon size bag. Pour marinade on top and massage pork roast so that everything is evenly coated. Let sit in refrigerator for about an hour.
Next, preheat oven to 400ºF. Then, line a casserole or baking pan with tin foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Then, transfer roast onto dish. Brush with a thin coating of additional marinade, but set aside leftover marinade for later use.
Cook for about 90 minutes, uncovered, or until your meat thermometer reads 145ºF.
Once the roast has about 20 minutes left to cook, prepare glaze. Place leftover marinade in a small sauce pan and add in about a teaspoon of starch. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for about 5 minutes to let thicken.
Use a meat brush, to brush glaze over roast. Slice and serve!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours 30 minutes

Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowl Casserole

March 12, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowl Casserole

This post is sponsored by Gold’n Plump Chicken. I was compensated, but, as always, all opinions are 100% my own!

This healthy chicken burrito bowl casserole is made with sponsor, Gold’n Plump Ground Chicken, beans, rice, Mexican spices, and all the topping for a delicious one-pot dinner the entire family will enjoy!

Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowl Casserole- an easy, one-pot meal!

While I am sad that summer is over and fall is in full swing…I am definitely glad that one-pot meals are back in my life. For some reason, I don’t make them during the warmer months, but totally crave them in the colder months. I’ve made at least one a week since late August.

Raise your hand if you LOVE Chipotle and their burrito bowls?

You are in luck because this is a homemade, EASY version of just that! All the nummy burrito bowl flavors jam-packed into one casserole. Best part is, you just mix everything together, throw it in your casserole dish and call it a go. This recipe features Gold’n Plump Lean Ground Chicken, which can be found in your local grocer’s fresh meat or freezer section, packaged in a tray or in round chub package, like my photo. I prefer using ground chicken over chicken breasts because it cooks much more evenly.

I used a mixture of pinto and black beans…because that’s usually what I do when ordering a bowl.

On the bottom of the casserole dish is rice. I used quick cooking white rice, but I am sure it would work with quick cooking brown rice as well. *Note: I have not tried this with regular white/brown rice, only the quick cooking kind!

On top of the rice is a mixture of beans, ground chicken, and lots of spices!

Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowl Casserole

Gold’n Plump Ground Chicken
cooking white (or brown!) rice
water
diced tomatoes
pinto beans, rinsed
black beans, rinsed
jalapeños, diced
minced garlic
chili powder
cumin
paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
shredded cheese (I used colby jack)

For toppings, I went with the classics: fresh diced tomatoes, avocado, and some corn kernels. As clean as you can get! A delicious pico de gallo would have been heavenly and/or homemade guacamole.

I am a huge fan of ground chicken because it’s so lean! There’s less fat than beef and TONS of protein. It’s easy to cook/bake with and SO versatile. I literally had like 14 ideas for this recipe post and narrowed it down to a casserole.

The best part about this whole dish is that you can prep it in the morning, and when you get home from work just pop it right into the oven. If you’ve got burrito lovers (tortilla included) in your house…wrap up some of the casserole in a tortilla and you can make everyone happy!

See more healthy recipes

Top recipes

Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

March 12, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Making your own roasted red pepper hummus is easy, inexpensive, and so much tastier than the store bought kind! Not to mention gluten free and healthy!

I am excited about today’s Fit Foodie Finds’ sponsor, Crunchmaster. I am sure you’ve seen their products at local grocery stores. They make whole-grained crackers, crisps, and (new!) pop chips! Their products are the perfect addition to any piece of cheese, spread, or dip.

I paired this recipe with Crunchmaster’s Popped Edamame Sea Salt Chips. Can I just say that I am obsessed with the texture of those chips!

By the way- the Popped Edamame chips are gluten-free and GMO-free! They taste like edamame with a hint of sea-salt and a mega crunch….just the way I like my chips!

Homemade hummus is my jam! You guys- it is SO easy to make and definitely worth the extra effort to roast your own red pepper at home!

If you’re feeling on the lazier side, you can purchase already roasted red peppers (jarred) and it will be just as tasty!

For this recipe, you’ll need a food processor. I used my small Kitchen-Aid one. It’s 3.5 cups and THE PERFECT size for a batch of hummus.

This Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is……

Perfectly smooth
Red Peppery with a hint of garlic and sea salt
Healthy!
Gluten Free
Vegan
Paleo

Getting up close and personal with the hummus…

Before partnering with Crunchmaster for this recipe, I’d been a log time user (eater). I love that their the products are both gluten and GMO free. Most of them are vegan and dairy free, too! They use whole ingredients….local when possible, which is so awesome!

When they first contacted me I was super excited because I found out they are based in Milwaukee, WI very close to where I grew up! I seriously LOVE partnering with local companies!

Hope you are all having a great week!

This post is sponsored by Crunchmaster. I was compensated, but as always, all opinions are 100% my own!

See more healthy recipes

Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Author: Sandra
Total Time: 40 minutes

Print Recipe

Save Recipe

Description

Making your own roasted red pepper hummus is easy, inexpensive, and so much tastier than the store bought kind! Not to mention gluten free and healthy!

Instructions

First, preheat oven to 450ºF. Then, place your red pepper (whole) on a tin foil-lined baking sheet.
Roast for 15 minutes, before flipping sides. Roast for another 15 minutes. At this point, there should be black spots all over the red pepper. If there isn’t, roast longer.
Once the red pepper has blackened, transfer into a ziplock bag and seal. Let sit for about 15 minutes. This will create steam and make it easier to remove the skin. Peel the red bell pepper. Remove any seeds from the insides and slice into large chunks.
In a small food processor, place roasted red peppers and the rest of your ingredients. Pulse until smooth.
Serve with Crunchmaster Popped Edamame Chips and raw vegetables.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Maple Dijon Baked Salmon Skewers with Garlic Herb Quinoa

March 12, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Maple Dijon Baked Salmon Skewers with Garlic Herb Quinoa

These Maple Dijon Baked Salmon Skewers only call for a few ingredients and are a healthy dinner the entire family will love!

Maple Dijon Baked Salmon Skewers with Herb Quinoa - an easy, healthy dinner with tons of flavor!

Has anyone else gotten sick yet this year? I HAVE I HAVE! And it’s literally the first time in like 3 years that I’ve even had a cold. WTFFFFFFF. Apparently I have sinus congestion, which I have never experience before. My throat hurts, I have mega sniffles, I can’t hear, I’m always tired, anddddd I get super light headed when I exercise.

Crossing my fingers this bug only lasts a few more days because It’s been almost a week and I can’t handle this i’m-always-tired-and-I-can’t-think-straight body of mine.

I’m also eager to jump back on the workout train because it’s been a rough couple of weeks I’ve been a traveling fool and that really throws off your healthy living rhythm. I’ve got 2 weeks before my next trip (We’re going to Kansas for Christmas) and I’d really love to start kicking my own ass in the gym

Otay enough whining (sorry for the negativity this AM!), check out these cute little salmon skewers!

Now that it is officially the North Pole in Minnesota, I am completely devastated that we can’t use our grill. That’s all we’ve done for the past 6 months. How am I suppose to cook my perfect salmon?

I guess I will have to resort to my oven! I played off an old recipe – Lemon Salmon Kebabs – I just love how salmon looks on a stick. This time, I whipped up an easy marinade that is oh so flavorful and baked these bad boys in the oven!

I’d say the hardest part of this recipe is filleting the salmon, other than that it’s easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Also be careful not to stab yourself with the skewers when you’re pushing the veggies through. It can get a little kung-fu.

Ingredients for Maple Dijon Baked Salmon Skewers with Garlic Herb Quinoa

salmon
dijon mustard
maple syrup
Rice Vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
EVOO
sliced veggies
quinoa, rinsed
chicken broth
garlic powder
Tuscan Sunset
salt and pepper to taste

I decided to pair my salmon squares with some brussels sprouts for literally a meal on a stick. You could do any vegetable you like, but brussels are my fav! I suggest tomatoes, potatoes, onion, or peppers.

So cute!!

As for the quinoa…

I have a lot of friends and readers who tell me they don’t like quinoa because it doesn’t tastes like anything. Gang- all you have to do is add a little flavor and you are good to go! For this batch- I cooked the quinoa in chicken broth (KEY) instead of water, and added a little garlic powder and my favorite spice mix- Tuscan Sunset from Penzey’s, but you could sub Italian seasoning. SO GOOD and SO FLAVORFUL!

I am spending the day in the kitchen making Christmas cookies and a few up-coming client recipes! Have an awesome sauce day.

See more healthy recipes

Top recipes

Apple Chicken Sausage Quinoa Bake

March 12, 2023 by Lee Hersh Leave a Comment

Take ten minute to prepare this Apple Chicken Sausage Quinoa Bake. It’s a healthy, one-pot meal made with root vegetables, apple chicken sausage, and quinoa!

Long time no talk, friends! I am finally home safe and sound in Minneapolis. Blake and I had a fabulous holiday in Kansas with his family. We ate tons of yummy food (including some of the BEST Mexican), spent some quality time with the fam, and even got in 2 yoga classes and a run! Woot for us!

We arrived back in Minneapolis Friday at 5PM, and 10 minutes (literally) later my parents got to our house. They drove up from Cleveland to spend the rest of the holiday weekend with us. Yesterday started off with an early morning spin class at Surge, followed by doing returns at the mall. I think I could have legitimately spent 5 hours at the mall, but we had the boys with us, which really sped things up 😉

So this recipe…

It’s all my favorite things in one dish and that’s the truth!

You really can’t beat a brussels sprouts + sweet potato combo, and the addition of quinoa and chicken sausage is ga ga ga genius. Lately, I’ve been adding a little rice vinegar to my quinoa bakes to really bring the flavors out.

Nakano Natural Rice Vinegar is my go-to.

As I was making and photographing this dish, I realized I SHOULD (…a woulda coulda) have seasoned the veggies first, to make sure everything was 100% coated with EVOO and spices. I added in the directions that I “would” have placed them into a gallon-sized bag, added in the EVOO and spices and coated them that way.

Instead I had to make shift stir everything together.

I’ve made quinoa bakes in the past with chicken sausage, and usually I use precooked sausage. This time, I used uncooked and it turned out just great! So for those that are wondering…either works! Fit Foodie tested and approved.

Any kind of chicken sausage would work, but my fav is apple 😀

Such a great meal for busy people. You could even have everything prepped the night before (or morning) and pop it in when you get home from work. I’d say this serves around 4…so if you are a single lady this would be a perfect meal to make at the beginning of the week.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Mizkan’s Nakano Rice Vinegar. I was compensated and all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you so much for supporting Fit Foodie Finds and making my dreams a reality!

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients for Maple Tamari Glazed Pork Roast

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowl Casserole

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

This Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is……

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients for Maple Dijon Baked Salmon Skewers with Garlic Herb Quinoa

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition