dairy-free deliciousness: Mexican Mess Dip

after what has seemed like 2 straight weeks of rainy, gloomy days in houston, this is my friday the 13th mood:

so our iMac's hard drive started doing weird things last week and Sonny immediately took it to the Apple store.  i have been using that 27 inch beast of a screen to blog since we got it 2 years ago and i kinda couldn't function without it this past week! seriously. blogging from anywhere else is just not the same. translation: i am terribly behind. but that ain't nothin' new.

Dego has been taking 2 naps per day and the first one usually starts at 11am without fail.  the second one is tricky though!  he'll wake up around 1ish, but then he doesn't get sleepy again til 7. one would hope that he would just sleep through the rest of the night at that point, but no, he takes another 'nap' and wakes up again at 9. so then i'm ready to hit the sack around 10 and he is WIDE. AWAKE. and wants to play. soooo i've been trying to put him down around 5ish to prevent this so we can all go to bed at the same time. not going so well yet lol.  but consistency will take care of that in the coming days. that said, i only got about 4 hours of sleep before i had to get up and teach Barbell Strength thursday morning! but i made it. my lazy selfie proves it.

one of the moms brought a layered mexican dip type dish to small group this week that i could not get off my mind! after i left, i was officially on a mission to create a dairy-free mexican dip kinda deal so i stopped by Wally World (aka walmart) to get some avocados.  gotta have avo. then i came across this new (well, new to me) Weber seasoning blend in the spice isle: Garlic Sriracha!!!!

so i made some homemade Garlic Sriracha Guac, naturally!

• 4 ripe avocados
• juice of half a large lemon
• 1 heaping tbsp Weber Garlic Sriracha seasoning blend
• 1 tsp sea salt (optional) *i actually added this by habit before i added the Weber seasoning. not sure i needed it.*

then, i got a little surprise visit from... my brother!  he is back from working overseas in Afghanistan again for a lil' bit! so i made him a homemade meal and deemed him my guinea pig for the garlic sriracha. i chopped up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and threw them into my hot wok with the seasoning...and that's it!  once the chunks were almost done, i added some red and orange mini peppers and sautéed them for about 2 min.  i paired that with steamed brown rice, the Garlic Sriracha Guac, and some shredded monterey jack cheese. he was one happy home-sick guy.

then this happened. it all came together perfectly.

Mexican Mess Dip (cold or hot)

the stuff:

• 1 cup organic vegetarian refried back beans (mine are HEB organic brand)
• 1 cup Tofutti dairy-free cream cheese spread
• 1 cup Garlic Sriracha Guac (see above)
• 1 cup chopped grape tomatoes OR your fave salsa
• 2 cups cheese diary-free cheese of choice (mozzarella, cheddar, jalapeño jack), shredded
• 1 cup black olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

do this:

1. i made one hot (rectangle pan) and one cold (mixing bowl) dip.
2. layer away! starting from the bottom add your beans and smooth each layer flat using the back of your spoon or a spatula.
3. next, add cream cheese, then guacamole, then salsa/tomatoes, shredded cheese, olives, green onion.
4. if eating cold, you are done!  if hot (which is what we preferred) bake in the oven on 400 degrees until the cheese is melty, bout 10-15 min.
5. 

for the homemade chips, i used La Tortilla Factory low carb, high fiber light flour tortillas.  cut them into 8's, coat them with no-stick cooking spray and place them flat on a large, foiled baking pan.  bake for 5-6 minutes tops!!! they burn easily so keep an eye on them. k?

then i hit the gym for round two! taught a double yesterday, which is why i'm forcing myself to rest today. and eat more chips and dip.

an IGer pointed out that Lisanatti almond cheese is lactose free, but not dairy-free and she's exactly right.  Daiya is another popular dairy-cheese brand you could use for this dip though, which is available at Sprouts Farmer's Market and also Whole Foods Market.

Q: do you prefer hot or cold dips?

*reminderrrrr*

bootcamp is tomorroooooow!  also, prenatal classes will be available beginning in APRIL guys!! if you're interested or know a Preggo Patty who might be, send her my way. email me: le@fitfoodiele.com. even if you are unable to workout, meal plans are available as well.  here's to healthy, fit pregnancies!

le

all pink everything

my sunday started with the usual breakfast (oat bran pancakes and egg whites) but this was my lunch:

Weber Kick 'N Chicken grilled chicken breast and veggie stir fry using every fresh veggie i could find: mushrooms, yellow squash, asparagus, and red bell pepper.

i skipped church (but listened to the podcast later) and stayed home to finish getting things ready for my sister Michelle's  baby shower! this was a #sisterssquared production; something my other sis Kara and i like to refer to ourselves as!  as of may 17th of this year she officially became my sister-in-law as well as my Soror.  i had so much fun hosting with her.

#skeewee

cake batter rice crispy treats were requested so cake batter rice crispy treats were made! Sonny brought me back the super-duper jumbo size marshmallows from the store which didn't exactly melt aaaall the way down in the cooking process but i was totally OK with that. why? the clumps of ooey gooey marshmallow in the bars was an awesome touch in my opinion! recipeeeee: (fyi, this is definitely a treat that should be eaten in moderation, guys.)

Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats

the stuff:

• 5 cups rice crispy cereal (can use brown rice puffed cereal too)
• 10 oz marshmallows
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dry boxed yellow cake batter
• 4 tbsp butter (i haven't tried any dairy-free alternatives in place of regular butter yet)
• 1/4 -1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

do this:

1. coat the sides of  a large pot/saucepan as well as the pan you intend to press the rice crispy batter into
2. melt butter in large pot/saucepan over medium heat
3. add vanilla
4. add marshmallows and cover; let melt for 1-2 minutes
5. add cake batter & sprinkles and stir a few times to incorporate then immediately add cereal and KEEP STIRRING
6. remove from heat and stir until all combined. be sure to scrape the sides of the pot really good
7. pour batter into a rectangular or square pan and press down on the batter until even across the top
8. add more sprinkles
9. once cool (bout 10 min or so), cut in squares, bars, or however you'd like!

who remembers this drink? who still makes this drink lol!? rainbow sherbert and 7 Up (or Sprite, or natural ginger ale). the ugliest, tastiest party drink, ever. it's been a good while since i've had it, whew.

 Kara made the most adorable, pink cupcakes.

 and she also got another idea from Pinterest: mini strawberry shortcakes in a glass. aren't they beautiful(bottom right)!? there are cubes of light angel food cake, sliced strawberries, cool whip, and sprankles in there. SO.GOOD.

per Michelle's request: subway sammiches, shrimp fried rice, egg rolls, chicken meat pies, wings, and chips.

happy shower day, Michelle! eviction notice goes into effect in 4 weeks (or less).  aaaand we can't wait to plan your shower, Kara! HAHAHAHAHA

thanks for reading.

Q: what's your favorite, indulgent party food?!

le

sb sunday

i started my super bowl sunday out with a beast of a workout!  why was it such a beast?  well, my bro-in-law, Brian, strolled into the gym and took the last 30 minutes of my total conditioning class with me, and he made me do 30 minutes of his workout afterwards in return, whew.  s/n- it's always a great thing to see familiar faces in my class!!! when i first started teaching, i used to get ridiculously nervous if someone i knew told me they were coming.  even having my own husband there used to frighten me!  i just didn't want to get so nervous and mess up.... unconfident much?

 but you know what i learned? nobody even know's i've 'messed up' unless i SAY something.  i actually used to apologize on the mic to everyone in the middle of the routine!  i have grown tremendously over the years through practice and experience and did NOT give up.  even now, i have brain farts often  but it's usually because i get so pumped and start to run around the room motivating members that i forget what i was about to do next in my routine!!

quitting is NOT an option though- do. not. give. up.  if you're committed to something you truly LOVE,  your passion for it won't let you.  it's worth all the time, energy, and effort you put into it.

we did a kettle bell and box circuit.

when i saw him go get those stupid boxes i knew it was about to be ON. #crotchsweat

that's my grimace face...not a smile.

i post pics of my Polar watch after my workout on Instagram sometimes and i get questions like, 'wow, what'd you do to burn all that??' or 'how much of those cals were from ____?'

truth be told, it's different every work out, of course.  i try to get in and out in under 90- minutes, but it also depends on what i'm workin that day.  here's the approximate breakdown for this particular day though:

200 cals - 15 min fat burning warmup on the elliptical while waiting to begin my class

750+ cals - 1 full hour of Total Body Conditioning (cardio + weights, HIIT)

350 cals - 20 minutes of kb's and boxes with my bro

i go over 1k maybe twice a week at the most.

working out with Brian = soreness in places i forgot about. never a dull moment with him, EVER.

hope you guys enjoyed watching the big game on Sunday, whatever you did! we had a little last-minute viewing party at our home and i told myself i wouldn't stress this year and to make it a SB potluck party!  i only made four things:

1. chunky grilled shrimp dip

grilled chunky shrimp dip

the stuff:

• 1 lb EZ peel shrimp, any size
• 1 avocado, chopped
• half of 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• half of 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped

do this:

cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the thawed shrimp and add 1 tbsp of liquid aminos.  season with your choice of no-low sodium seasoning, and let it sit for 30 minutes minimum.  whip out your grill pan and grill them up on high heat. remember they cook extremely fast...no more than 3 min on each side.  plate them, cover with foil, and let them sit tight for about 5 minutes.  chop up everything else if you haven't yet and throw it in a bowl: cilantro, bell peppers, red onion, avocado, and finally your shrimp.  bite size pieces perfect for scooping with chips is best.  add the last tbsp of aminos, squeeze the other half of the lemon over your mixture, and sprinkle with the cracked pepper.  let this chill in the fridge for at least an hour. then, scoop away.  fresh, easy, quick, mmm hmm, all that!

2. tidy turkey janes

waaaaait a minute....i said i was saving this recipe for my Fit Foodie Le  fit e-cookbook, remember!?!? uh oh, i think i only disclosed that info on IG and hadn't mention it on my blog yet. well, SURPRISE!!!! :shock:

the meat sauce is aaaaaalll clean, but you can always switch out the rolls and use whole wheat/grain for sure.  e-book is still in the works! will hop right back working on it after i finish this post. it'll be worth the wait;)

3. homemade, clean guacamole

i did everything 'to taste' with this guac recipe! forgive me! here is everything i used though:

ffl's homemade guac:

the stuff:

• 8 ripe avocados
• 2-3 roma tomatoes
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• coconut aminos
• half of 1 medium yellow onion
• fresh cracked black pepper
• sweet, smokey chipotle paprika
• juice of half of 1 lemon
• fresh chopped cilantro

do this:

you can throw ALL this into your food processor/blender and whip it into a smooth, creamy avocado mousse like texture, or chop everything finely by hand and keep it chunky.  here's a tip though- make sure the tomatoes are somewhat dry, cause they can make the dip runny.  taste and season accordingly from there!

4. savory & sweet rotisseri chicken bites

ok....i did not get to go to Sam's and get some rotisserie chicken, but i DID have some leg quarters in my freezer already. so i totally switched this recipe up this year.  i roasted them on 350 for about an hour or so, then shredded them after they were cool.  dark meat just doesn't shred as easily as white meat, but i did my best to make it work.  and i didn't use flour this time.  the clean version is right beside each ingredient in parenthesis for ya, as promised!

savory sweet rotisserie chicken bites w/ pb toast crunch coating

the stuff:

• 4 cups shredded chicken (white, breast meat)
• 1 bunch chopped green onion
• 4 oz garlic and herb goat cheese (4 oz fat free cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar (1 cup low fat or 2% cheddar)
• 1/2 cup sriracha hot sauce
• 2-3 tsp black pepper
• coating - 3 cups crushed peanut butter toast crunch cereal (3 cups peanut butter puffins or fiber one cereal)
• 4 scrambled raw eggs (5 egg whites)
• 2 tbsp tony chacheres cajun seasoning (salt-free tony chacheres)
• 2 cups flour (whole wheat flour) OPTIONAL!

do this:

turn oven on 350.  after  the chicken has been shredded finely, add the cream cheese, hot sauce, shredded cheese, green onion, seasonings, and  form individual balls (1-2 in in diameter) with your hands.  get two separate bowls and put the eggs in one, crushed cereal in one, and the flour in another.  use one hand to roll the chicken ball into the flour first (optional), then the egg wash,  and finally the dry cereal mix until it is covered completely.  place the balls on your baking pan, and cook them for about  15-20 min or until brown and crispy.  makes about 30+ balls, depending on the size you rolled'em!

yes, more goat cheeeeese! i found this one right next to the honey goat cheese @ HEB. it worked GREAT in the chicken bites recipe! so much flavor.

alright, here's some of the spread!

these snacks made the Beyonce concert, i mean, the game much more enjoyable. a family member of ours brought wangs, YUM! you can't watch football without'em.  hot, galic and parmesan, and my fave, honey bbq.

friends also brought several bags of chips, like these multigrain Tostitos i adore,  among other things! we were so grateful for every contribution thank you MUCHO, friends and fam! and lastly, there is NOTHING thing clean about these babies! i just used an ordinary vanilla boxed cake and made mini and reg size cup cakes topped with vanilla icing and sliced strawberries.  they went FAST.

alright, those were our game day treats!

now, what did you make? was it 'clean' or 'dirty'?

le