Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa and Tostones

Grilled Chicken with a Mango Salsa

I will go into the Tostones in a second.

Here's what you need:

Seasoned chicken, ready to grill (go with a subtle/salty flavor)

2 Ripe Mangos (or peaches)

1/2 cup finely diced red pepper

1/4 cup finely diced white onion

2 tbsp chopped jarred jalapeno

2 tbsp cilantro leaves

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 salt

Grill chicken. (Sorry I'm not more specific but my hubby did the chicken)

Salsa is simple: assemble!

Serve immediately on top of chicken and enjoy!

Calores: 196, 19 g Carbs, 7 g fat, 28 g Protein, 4 g Fiber

And TOSTONES!

Tostones are a hispanic side dish (I guess like fries to Americans) that are amazing and come from plantains.

There are many ways to cook a plantain and this is one of the more popular way of cooking them.

There are 3 stages of a plantains life. 

Green: great for salty/garlic-y dishes.

Yellow: Great for a bit sweeter dish, like Amarillo.

Black: Great for making desserts.

For Tostones I wait til the plantain turns a pinch yellow to have a little sweetness added but most make Tostones with a green plantain.

What you need:

Green Plantains

Oil

Frying pan

Plantain squisher... I don't know what it's called. Or you can use a plate and the bottom of a cup, or 2 plates.

First, chop off the ends of the plantain and make a slit along the inner plantain. Peel away the... peel.

If you are having trouble peeling:

My grandma taught me this move. Place your plantain in a sink full of hot water and let sit for a minute or two and then peel it. It should come right off!

Chop up your plantain into 3-4 pieces and place in a pan of hot oil. 

Cook for a minute and flip

Flip all the way around

Using your 2 plates or your squisher-er...

Flatten!

Place back into hot oil.

Let cook each side for a minute or two until golden.

Place on a napkin to soak up excess oil.

Sprinkle salt and garlic on them.

Optional:

My family like eating these with a 'dip' 

Mix together vinegar, oil, salt and garlic. 

It's a strong flavor, but it goes great with these tostones!

Tostones aren't the best for low calorie meal, but they are an every once in a while treat.

For 3 pieces:

170 Calories, 37 g Carbs, 2 g Fat, 1 g Protein, 9 g Fiber

Enjoy!

How to Gain Motivation

I got hit with a triple dose of lethargy recently.

I don't know what happened. I was burning 1000+ calories a day, eating awesome, feeling great, motivation out the wazoo, then BAM! Couch , TV and ice cream, you say? Sounds wonderful! Maybe I burned myself out, maybe I just needed a break. But this is no time for a break. I'm running the Color Me Rad Run this Saturday! I need fuel! 

So for the last week, I've been working out a little here, a little there. But nothing like I was used to and I dreaded every moment of it. So, you won't believe what I did: I had a crazy splurge on acid day. My husband and I went to this amazing burger joint and had THE MOST amazing burger of my life... with a bun :( BUT I did get sweet potato fries instead of the regular fries. Then I had ice cream and more snacks than I care to mention. If someone had thrown a pizza in my face I probably would have eaten it all. I over did it like crazy. But... it worked! 

Today I woke up and had some scrambled egg whites with some sauteed onions, peppers and turkey sausage and some coffee. I was planning on having some fruit, but I got so full 3/4 of the way with my eggs. And I have this urge to go running, but it's down pouring outside, so I'm waiting for Joe to get home with car so I can go to the gym. I think I MAY be back!!

However, I don't recommend you do that every time you have the urge to just do nothing. I say do this evvvvery once in a while. But here are some other ideas that I do:

• Look at my Fitness board on pinterest. I look at all the motivating words and goals and skinny... no fit people and it amps me up!
• Make a motivation wall. I don't have one, myself, but I hear it's fun and you can be crafty, which I love!

• Look at myself in the mirror and see how far I've come or look at photos of my old self. I don't want that back! And I don't want to stay where I am either!
• Do some crazy, heavy, intense, deep cleaning. Even if you don't work out that day, you'd still have burned some calories, especially if you're moving stuff around. Clean until you drop!
• Okay, this is personal, but what do I care? HAVE SEX! It does burn calories, but that's not why I'm saying this. When I have sex, I feel way better about myself than before. I feel sexy and unstoppable! Then afterwards I want to workout again! Sounds weird and it does sound like I use my husband but don't worry.. He does not mind at all! ;)
• I tell myself "Just go for a walk or a jog for a mile or for 15 minutes. If you still don't want to, than we'll go back home" I've quit once and I was under the weather that day.

• Ask a friend to go along with you. When others are around I push myself harder.
• Take my fur babies on a walk
• Challenge yourself. I set monthly goals and take photos of myself every 10 days to see the results. And that in itself is motivating to keep going. 
• Post your lack of motivation on facebook or myfitnesspal or LifeKraze. People will either respond with sympathy, kind words or encouragement or they'll chew you out. Either way, go do it!
• Do a small workout. I like Bodyrock.tv or doyogawithme.com they have short clips of workouts that help me at least do something then I feel like doing more!
• Drive to the gym. Go inside. People will look at you if you don't do something, so you might as well just go.

• Change into workout clothes.
• If you skip your workout for even just a few days, when you do it's so much harder to pick it up where you left off. You'd have to start over again. Is that really what you want??
• Go to Zumba class. You don't feel like you're working out, you're having fun! But you're also burning calories... serious calories! 
• Go swimming. It's a light and fun activity that involves no sweating!

• Eat a salad for lunch with lots of protein. It'll make you move! Remember: what you eat effects you. Some people think that carbs give them energy, but for me it makes me feel sluggish. I go for protein instead.
• Play tennis or bowling! Something that is fun and requires other people.