Barre3 Chicken Tikka Masala

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We are now halfway through week 2 of the Barre3 challenge. I'm feeling so good so far. Good food flowing inside my body and good vibes outside of it. Easily the best part of the Barre3 challenge is the "nourishment" component. The Barre3 website is full of amazing healthy recipes. I've always coveted this tikka masala recipe, so I knew I would be making it during the challenge. 

I have a soft spot for any kind of food outside American. Thai, Ethiopian, Latin, India etc. Tikka Masala is a traditional indian dish made with chunks of chicken in a creamy spicy sauce with tomatoes and indian spices. The original recipe was developed by Andrea of Dishing up the Dirt. No cream just coconut milk, brown rice instead of basmati and skipping the naan help to keep this version of masala a little more health friendly. 

There is no skimp on flavor and it's incredibly satisfying. The tikka masala was last week's B3 recipe, Kathleen made their pistachio crusted tilapia this week, and next week it's my turn again!  

Barre3 Chicken Tikka Masala
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch piece of whole ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbs. garam masala
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. salt
2 (14-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup coconut milk (from the can)
1 Tbsp. corn starch (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 cups brown rice, cooked (1 cup dry)

Directions:
In a medium-size deep saute pan or heavy bottom pan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the it is tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the chicken and cook until the it begins to brown on all sides, about 5-8 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, garam masala, paprika, salt, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, checking often to make sure the curry doesn't dry out (add water if necessary). Cook until chicken is cooked through and tender and the masala is thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. I struggled with my masala being really brothy and not thickening up properly so I added a corn starch slurry. Combine 1 Tbsp. corn starch and a 3 Tbsp. water then pour into your sauce. This thickened my dish perfectly!

Serve with cooked brown rice and garnish with cilantro.

Annie

Cranberry Orange Holiday Detox Smoothie

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If you don't have the Timehop app on your phone, please download it. It's the first thing and my favorite thing I check in the morning. It pulls your photos, Instagrams, Facebook posts, tweets and more from that exact day over the past few years. Downside is it can be extremely embarrassing when it shows you tragic Facebook statuses from freshman year of high school. Annie Tucker is...so pumped for winter formal with my girls!!

According to Timehop, a year ago today I had just gotten home from skiing, two years ago I was posting about my favorite things, three years ago I made parmesan baked eggs for breakfast and ate at The Mule for the first time, and 8 years ago I tweeted "has no hair." No idea what that meant. 

The real point of this whole Timehop rant is that it brought this holiday detox smoothie back to my attention. I screenshot recipes all the time, and since Timehop pulls your iPhotos too I'm also reminded of recipes that sometimes get forgotten. My recipe was adapted by an original post from Free People. 

Cranberry Orange Holiday Detox Smoothie
yields 1 smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. almond butter
1/2 cup frozen cranberries (I buy fresh then freeze them)
1 clementine, segmented
1/2 frozen banana
cinnamon

Directions:
Smoothies are always better if you use frozen fruit! You then avoid having to add ice which waters down your smoothie. That being said, keep all of your fruit in the freezer. Add everything to your blender and blend blend blend! It will be a pretty shade of pink with little bright redish pink specs from the cranberries. I only use half of a banana because I'm not a banana girl, but you can add more if you choose. 

This smoothie still has a few tastes of the holidays from the cranberries and orange, but it's refreshing and bright to get you through dreary January mornings. 

Who says copper mugs are only for Moscow Mules?

Annie

Bites of My Life

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January - I was fairly optimistic of you at the beginning of the week. A fresh new start, a new week, a new year, the whole shebang. Then I realized you stunk. I'm going to be pessimistic for a second. January is cold and gray. It effects our moods. Everyone is depressed coming off the holidays and a whole bunch of other things just make it not so great. I had one of those real world-I have no money-I want to do more with my life-stress pimples are all over my face-kind of break downs this week. 

The thing I've realized after, said number of these kind of meltdowns, is that I can feel them coming, and I know everything is going to be 100% fine if I just get it out of my system.

So January you suck, sorry you do. But now that I got it out of my system, we are turning you around. I'm trying really hard to kick my stress out the door and focus on what I want, what I need and how I'm going to make it happen. Friday was said "breakdown," then Saturday I woke up to a blanket of snow, so there ya go, things are already looking up!

-Monday got turned around real quick with an unexpected half day at work and my favorite falafel salad.
-The Bachelor is back and boy am I ready.
-Made this Crockpot Quinoa Chicken Primavera last week and I'm still noshing on it.
-A warm and toasty lunch during these freezing cold days.
-Week 1 down of the Barre3 challenge with my Barre3 buddy.
-India came to Oklahoma for the night with this tikka masala, recipe this week!
-Breakfast doubled as a snow day celebration and a cure from the night before.
-Still chocolate chip cookie testing, still haven't found "the one." 
-The Golden Globes and a barre3 challenge approved meal.

Annie

Tuck It In

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The hair tuck, have you heard of it, have you tried it? I am so all over this trend. The hair tuck takes no products, no blow dryers and really no effort to achieve. All you need is a turtleneck or coat. It's kind of my dream. My mane of hair somehow grew like a weed overnight, so this is the perfect way to tame it. All you gotta do is tuck it in.  

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I'll be over here all tucked in if you need me!

Annie

Barre3 Challenge

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image via @barre3

image via @barre3

This year I am striving to challenge myself more. Challenge myself in the kitchen, challenge myself at work and challenge myself in everyday life. Working out is a part of my everyday life. It's something I do almost everyday and honestly really enjoy. I didn't always like to work out until I discovered Barre3. Barre3 changed the way I look at working out. I crave it instead of dread it. Barre3 is often described as a combination of ballet, pilates and yoga. It is built on the three pillars of exercise, connection and nourishment.

Yesterday marked the first day of the Barre3 January challenge. In efforts to challenge myself more in 2016, I jumped on the bandwagon. The challenge is to commit to four in-studio classes, one 10-minute online workout and try out a new Barre3 recipe each week for the whole month of January.

Challenge accepted! My sister/instructor/barre3 buddy and I are living out the challenge by cooking our Barre3 recipes together each week. Up first is b3's Chicken Tikka Masala! Stay tuned.

We would all be lying if we didn't tell ourselves we were going to eat better and work out more in 2016. The foundation of a healthy lifestyle is what you feed yourself. Since this is a food blog I have rounded up a list of my most nourishing and b3 approved recipes! You can find more on the Barre3 website if you are a member and by purchasing the app. 

Anyone other Barre3ers out there doing the challenge? Never heard of Barre3? I challenge you to read into and try it out. The mind body connection is something you don't get anywhere else. If you are in the Oklahoma City area, grab me and we can take a class together!

Annie