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Hello September!

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September is a special month for me. It marks the anniversary of when I made the decision to start taking care of myself – inside and out. I was 215 pounds, incredibly out of shape, unhappy and very insecure in myself. I had told myself a million times that I would start on Monday. Monday would come and go and I kept giving myself excuses of why I couldn’t. But one day it hit me that whatever I wasn’t changing – I was CHOOSING.

I didn’t want to choose a life of being insecure, unhappy and frankly unhealthy. I was done putting it off, I was done accepting mediocrity and I was done treating my body like crap.

So, I started. And 8 years later, I haven’t looked back.

Girl, if you know you can do better – DO BETTER. It is never too late to change and ditch the excuses. We only have ONE life and ONE body!

Celebrating my 8 year fitness anniversary a little early with a Pink Lily haul of new fall items! Nothing better than buying clothes, not worrying if they will fit and feeling good in ANY style you love! Hard work pays off!

If you check out Pink Lily, use my code, JESSDUKES20 for an extra 20% off! They have SO many new fall sweaters in! CLICK HERE to shop my outfits!

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Recipes

Parmesan Asparagus

INGREDIENTS

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  • 1 bundle of asparagus

  • Olive oil cooking spray

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • Sea salt

  • 3 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Prepare asparagus by rinsing and cutting off the ends.

  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place asparagus on the baking sheet.

  4. Sprinkle with garlic powder and sea salt to taste.

  5. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the asparagus from the oven and top with parmesan cheese. Return to oven for another 4-5 minutes, or until parmesan cheese is melted and starting to turn golden brown.

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Recipes

Parmesan Zucchini Fries

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INGREDIENTS

  • 2 zucchinis, cut length wise into fries

  • 1 tsp olive oil

  • 1/3 cup fresh parmesan, shredded

  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan

  • 1/2 tsp paprika

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1/2 tsp basil, dried

  • Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat your oven or air fryer to 400 degrees.

  2. In a bowl, combine zucchini fries and olive oil. Gentle stir together and then add fresh parmesan, grated parmesan, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, basil and salt. Mix together.

  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

  4. Add zucchini to the baking sheet. There will be a lot of the cheese mixture still in the bowl. Sprinkle mixture over the zucchini fries.

  5. Bake in air fryer for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. If baking in the oven, bake for about 15 minutes.

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Recipes

Pepperjack Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups brussels sprouts

  • 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt, (more or less, to taste)

  • 1 cup pepperjack cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Trim and slice brussels sprouts and cut in half.

  3. In a large bowl, combine brussels sprouts with olive oil, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt.

  4. Lay brussels sprouts cut side down on a non stick baking sheet, then top with onions and slighly spray with cooking spray.

  5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until brussels sprouts are tender, then remove from heat and add chesse. Return to heat for another 5 minutes.

  6. Remove from heat and enjoy!

This recipe works great with broccoli too!

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Recipes

Fresh Veggie Spring Rolls

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SPRING ROLL INGREDIENTS

  • 8 sheets of rice paper

  • 1 head of butter lettuce, leaves torn

  • 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced

  • 1 medium carrot, julienned or thinly sliced

  • 1 cucumber, julienned or thinly sliced

  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

PEANUT SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • ⅓ cup natural peanut butter

  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar

  • 2 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

  • 2 tbsp honey

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

  • 1.5 tsp garlic, minced

  • Water, as needed

DIRECTIONS

  1. Fill a shallow pan with an inch of warm water. A pie pan works great. Have a clean cutting board ready and all of your spring roll fillings within reach.

  2. Place one piece of rice paper in the water. Be sure it is fully covered and wait about 20 seconds. Rice paper is tough to work with, but the key is not letting it get too sticky.

  3. Once the paper is ready, lay it carefully on the cutting board. Add 1-2 pieces of torn butter lettuce in the middle, leaving about 1 inch of rice paper around the edges for folding. Add cabbage, cucumber, carrots and red pepper.

  4. Fold one side over the fillings, then fold the ends up like you would a burrito. Tuck the fillings in and tightly roll up. Repeat with the rest of the 7 rice paper wrappers and fillings.

  5. To make the peanut sauce: In a small bowl, add all peanut sauce ingredients and mix together. Add water (1-2 tbsps) until it reaches desired thickness.

  6. Serve spring rolls immediately with peanut sauce on the side!

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Main Dish

Cauliflower Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

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SERVES 6 COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large head Cauliflower (cut into small florets)

  • 3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

  • 1/2 lb of deli black forest ham, diced in 1 inch pieces

  • 8 ounces light cream cheese

  • 2 tablespoons chicken broth

  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp dijon mustard

  • 1 tbsp butter

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 8 slices of swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Pour about an inch of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add cauliflower and cover for 5 minutes. You should be able to put a fork through it. Remove from heat and set aside.

  3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium low heat, add cream cheese, chicken broth, dijon mustard, butter, lemon juice and salt. If sauce is too thick, you can add more chicken broth, but sauce will continue to thin while it bakes! Stir until fully melted and mixed, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

  4. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Add chicken, ham and cauliflower, then top with cream cheese sauce. Mix sauce around so it is evenly distributed. Top with slices of swiss cheese.

  5. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 then turn up the temperature to 425 for the last 5 minutes so the top gets golden brown!

  6. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes, then slice into 6 servings!

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Recipes

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

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SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 chicken breast

  • 1 tsp olive oil

  • 1 tsp BBQ seasoning, I used Flavor God’s Honey BBQ Seasoning

  • 3 cups of greens (I used a mix of chopped romaine and mixed greens)

  • 1/2 tomato, diced

  • 2 tbsp red onion, chopped

  • 1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

  • 2 tbsp Bolthouse Greek Yogurt Ranch

  • 2 tbsp Stubbs Sweet and Spicy Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce

  • 2 tbsp green onion, chopped

  • 1 small avocado, cut in half, pit removed

  • Optional: tortilla strips

DIRECTIONS

  1. Turn barbecue on to medium high heat. While the grill is preheating, rub chicken breast with olive oil and barbecue seasoning.

  2. Grill chicken breast for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked thoroughly. Remove from heat and let the chicken breast rest.

  3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, add greens, tomato, red onion and black beans.

  4. Chop up the chicken and add to the salad.

  5. Slice avocado and use a spoon to add it to the salad.

  6. Top salad with ranch, bbq sauce and green onion. TIP: I like to add a tiny bit of water to the ranch so it is more pourable and goes further!

  7. Optional, add some tortilla strips for an added crunch!

2B MINDSET: Perfect lunch option! Remove the black beans and it becomes a perfect veggies most dinner!

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Main Dish

General Tso’s Chicken

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SERVES 4 COOKING TIME: 20 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces

  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp liquid aminos

  • 2 tbsp egg whites

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch, divided

  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

  • 1 tsp garlic, chopped

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1 tsp sriracha, or to taste

  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

  • 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp sesame oil

  • For garnish: chopped green onions and sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a bowl, combine chicken, liquid aminos and egg whites. Combine and set aside.

  2. In a small pot over medium heat, add 1 tsp of sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Saute for 1 minute and then add chicken broth, sriracha, hoisin and 2 tbsps of liquid aminos. Stir and then add 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Turn heat to low while you cook the chicken.

  3. In a large frying pan over medium high heat, add tbsp of sesame oil. Add half of the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip the pieces and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. Set on a paper towel and then repeat with other half of chicken pieces.

  4. Return cooked chicken to the frying pan and add the sauce. Toss to coat and top with green onions and sesame seeds!

2B MINDSET: Perfect protein option for lunch or dinner!

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Main Dish

BAKED CHICKEN TACOS

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I absolutely LOVE Mexican food – and I also love that my meal plan allows me to eat a lot of it! I love tacos and wanted to spice them up a bit. I get bored of my ground turkey tacos. These were a huge hit in our house. I was able to make the chicken mixture ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. That way, I could just put a couple of them together each night for dinner and dinner was ready in less than 15 minutes! Score!!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 chicken breasts, shredded (I boil mine and then shred)

  • 3/4 cup white onion, chopped

  • 1 tsp olive oil

  • 1 can of diced green chiles

  • 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained

  • 1 packet of taco seasoning

  • Taco Shells – I used Old El Paso Stand and Stuff shells (love the short list of ingredients in them!)

  • Mexican shredded cheese

  • Shredded lettuce

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  2. Head a large frying pan over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and chopped white onion. Cook until the onion is translucent.

  3. Add in diced tomatoes and green chiles. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  4. Add in shredded chicken, taco seasoning and 1/3 cup of water. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.

  5. In a baking dish (I used a 9×9 dish to bake four tacos), place taco shells standing up. If you are following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, use 1 green container to fill two taco shells.

  6. I used 1/4 cup of Mexican cheese for every two tacos. 

  7. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

  8. Top with shredded lettuce and enjoy!

Two Tacos is equal to one serving. If you are following the 21 Day Fix Meal plan:

Two taco shells, 1 cup of the chicken mixture, 1/4 cup of cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded lettuce is ONE serving and equals 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 green and 1 blue. 

These were a huge hit for us and lasted us all week for dinner!

Enjoy!

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Main Dish

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

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This recipe cooks ONE pizza! This is not a pizza that you will be able to pick up and eat like a regular pizza. Going to be something you eat straight from the dish. I love this because it is so many veggies and kicks my pizza cravings!

PIZZA CRUST INGREDIENTS

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  • 1 spaghetti squash

  • 1 egg

  • 1/4 cup almond flour

  • 2-3 tsp oregano

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • Salt

TOPPINGS: Wanted to share my 2 favorite ways to top my pizzas!

  • COMBINATION PIZZA: Chopped chicken, turkey pepperoni, crumbled turkey sausage (jimmy dean!), sauteed onions, sauteed green peppers, roma tomatoes, mushrooms, mozzarella, oregano with pizza sauce!

  • CHICKEN RANCH PIZZA: ranch dressing (I use simply60!), ranch seasoning, chicken, red onions, roma tomatoes, mozzarella and if you want it to be really good – add bacon! Love adding Flavor God’s ranch seasoning on it too!

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Cut spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds and microwave for 7-8 minutes or until you can easily scrape out the squash.

  3. In a bowl, combine squash, egg, almond flour, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt. Mix ingredients together.

  4. Take baking sheet spray with cooking spray. Pour spaghetti squash mixture into the pan and spread evenly as thin as you can get it, usually 1/2 inch!

  5. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes and then remove from the oven.

  6. Add toppings! This is where you can get creative with your pizza! Add sauce, protein, veggies and cheese, then pop back in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted!

  7. Enjoy! Tag me in your pizza creations on IG Stories (IG: mrsdukesfitspo!)

2B Mindset: Perfect for a veggies most dinner!

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Main Dish

Bruschetta Chicken Zoodles

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INGREDIENTS

  • 2 chicken breasts, butterflied

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tbsp italian seasoning

  • 3 roma tomatoes, diced

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1/2 red onion, chopped

  • 8 basil leaves, sliced

  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

  • 2 zucchinis, spiralized

  • Balsamic glaze

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a bowl, add chicken, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Allow chicken to marinate for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking.

  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, basil and parmesan cheese. Mix ingredients and set aside!

  3. Cook the chicken. You could do this on the stove or on the grill. I grilled mine on medium high for 3-4 minutes a side, or until fully cooked.

  4. Once chicken is done, in a skillet over medium heat, add the zucchini noodles and saute for 2-3 minutes. During this time, I chopped my chicken up to prepare to serve.

  5. Remove zoodles from the pan and add to a plate. This recipe serves 2! Top zoodles with çhicken, tomato mixture and drizzle over balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

2B MINDSET: Perfect option for dinner!

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