This week marks the 12th birthday of Fit Bottomed Girls. Which is crazy — 12 years! On the internets! With you amazing people! And, usually, our birthdays are a big cause for celebration. But with everything going on right now — *waves hand around at EVERYTHING* — it feels, well, a little weird. Just like yours, our lives have changed. Because the world has changed. And it goes way beyond wearing masks to get groceries and not being able to go to the gym like we once did. As we adapt to living in this new normal, we’ve embraced a…
As always, I hope this find everyone safe and healthy! I am again providing 2 WEEKS of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Note that we are back to weekday breakfast and lunches serving one! I want to thank everyone for their feedback on the meals plans (one week vs. two). Please remember that on the 14 day plan, each weeks grocery list and plan is separated out and people can just choose to do 1 week at a time if they wish. I hope everyone is able to enjoy their Memorial Day safely!
If you’re feeling more anxious these days because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone. Like, SERIOUSLY not alone. It’s a crazy uncertain time — and we’re all feeling it. Which is exactly why we wanted to do a Q&A with Sage Grazer, who’s the co-founder and chief clinical officer at Frame — a mental health platform offering free, live workshops and more As she says, COVID-19 anxiety is a very real thing and it can manifest in a number of different ways. Read on as Grazer answers our top questions about it. COVID-19 Anxiety Q&A Anxiety seems to…
Paprika Chicken Stew is an easy weeknight dish made with chicken pieces on the bone, bell peppers, and lots of Hungarian paprika.
Paprika Chicken Stew
This dish has comfort food written all over it! If you have chicken in your freezer, this hearty chicken stew is a great way to use it up. Just be sure to thaw your chicken first. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so it’s an easy one to cook on a busy weeknight. My family loves all types of healthy chicken stew recipes, others we love are Instant Pot Pollo Guisado, which is also great on the stove, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Stew and Jamaican Stew Chicken when we want it spicy!
This Whole30- and keto-friendly Poached Cod in Tomato Sauce is so simple and delicious! Even my picky kid eagerly scarfs down this deliciously easy dish (“it tastes like pizza fish!”), which is a minor miracle.
Looking to get more fish in your family’s belly but freaked out about how to cook it properly? Well, I’ve got a fool-proof and tasty recipe for you!
As a matter of fact, it’s so simple that I’m a little sheepish about posting a step-by-step recipe. I used store-bought sauce, and my only flourish was to add a sprinkle of fresh herbs at the end, so this is barely a recipe at all. In fact, when I texted my pal Diana Rodgers about posting this recipe on my blog, her reply was this: “LOL. Put fish in Rao’s sauce and turn stove on? I’m on to you. #faker.”
Guilty as charged. I’ve always been about finding and sharing shortcuts to deliciousness, so call me a faker if you want, but I like to think of myself as a lazy genius. (I’m modest, too.)
Quick 15-minute fish dinner!
This dish is on constant rotation in our house because it utilizes a few ingredients I already have stocked in my kitchen: defrosted fish fillets from my freezer and store-bought Paleo-friendly sauces in my fridge or pantry. Plus, I only dirty one pot, and the fish is ready in just 15 minutes or sooner if your fillets are thin!
My favorite Whole30-friendly marinara sauces
Of course, this simple dish will only taste as good as your sauce, so pick a delicious one with high-quality ingredients. You can use homemade marinara sauce, but I don’t normally have that on hand. Instead, my pantry is stocked with jars of Whole30-friendly sauces that are both tasty and made with healthy ingredients that I would use myself if I made my own.
My favorite store-bought brands are Rao’s Homemade marinara sauce, Bianco Di Napoli organic marinara sauce, and the Kirkland organic marinara sauce available at Costco.
If you want the fish to have a Mexican flair, you can substitute salsa for the marinara sauce! The store-bought, shelf-stable Whole30-compliant salsa I like is the mild Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa.
Can you use another fish or protein in this dish?
Yes! If you don’t have cod fillets, you can use another mild white fish fillet like halibut, pollock, bass, grouper, haddock, and even tilapia. This recipe also works great with boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs—just make sure the chicken is cooked through before serving.
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (e.g. chives, Italian parsley, basil, or cilantro)
Equipment
Here’s my favorite meat thermometer. All of my other recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method
If you’re using frozen fillets, thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t be frustrated if the fillets aren’t completely thawed by dinnertime; simply place the cod packets in a bowl and run cool water on them. Let the fillets sit in the water for 10-15 minutes, and they should be ready to go.
(Obviously, you can skip the step above if you’re using fresh cod.)
Blot the fish with paper towels…
…and sprinkle both sides with salt.
Grab a skillet with a lid, and pour in about two cups of marinara sauce or salsa. The skillet should be large enough to fit the fillets snugly in a single layer. If you’re poaching four fillets, a 10-inch skillet works great.
Crank the heat up to high to bring the sauce to a boil.
When the sauce is bubbling…
…carefully slip in the seasoned fillets.
Lower the heat to about medium-low—enough to maintain a simmer.
Then, cover the pan and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked to your preferred doneness. Once the thickest part of the fish reaches 130°-140°F on an instant-read thermometer, I take the pan off the heat. (I know the FDA says 145°F is the safe temperature for cooked fish, but for my tastes, that’s overdone. Instead, I refer to this chart for fish cooking times.)
Top the fish with freshly cracked black pepper and a shower of fresh herbs.
I like to garnish the cod with Italian parsley, basil, and chives when I poach in marinara sauce, and cilantro and green onions when I poach in salsa. I’m flexible like that.
This Whole30- and keto-friendly Poached Cod in Tomato Sauce is so simple and delicious! You can get it on the table in just a few minutes on a busy weeknight!
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs e.g. chives, Italian parsley, basil, or cilantro
Instructions
If you’re using frozen fillets, thaw the fish overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t be frustrated if the fillets aren’t completely thawed by dinnertime; simply place the cod packets in a bowl and run cool water on them. Let the fillets sit in the water for 10-15 minutes, and they should be ready to go. (Obviously, you can skip this step if you’re using fresh cod.)
Blot the fish with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt.
Grab a skillet with a lid, and pour in about two cups of marinara sauce or salsa. The skillet should be large enough to fit the fillets snugly in a single layer. If you’re poaching four fillets, a 10-inch skillet works great.
Crank the heat up to high to bring the sauce to a boil. When the sauce is bubbling, carefully slip in the seasoned fillets.
Lower the heat to about medium-low—enough to maintain a simmer.
Then, cover the pan and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked to your preferred doneness. Once the thickest part of the fish reaches 130°-140°F on an instant-read thermometer, I take the pan off the heat. (I know the FDA says 145°F is the safe temperature for cooked fish, but for my tastes, that’s overdone. Instead, I refer to this chart for fish cooking times.)
Top the fish with freshly cracked black pepper and a shower of fresh herbs. (I like to garnish the cod with Italian parsley, basil, and chives when I poach in marinara sauce, and cilantro and green onions when I poach in salsa.)
Serve the saucy fish with a giant green salad, a big platter of roasted vegetables, or cauliflower rice.
Now more than ever I feel SO grateful to have my garage gym. (See how it all came about here.) In this crazy time, it’s one place I can go that gives me comfort and normalcy, burns off stress, and allows me to get away. Before we get into my latest garage gym workouts, just a quick note on what we know about exercise and COVID-19, and how to stay well. Please, even if it’s just you at home, consider doing the following: Wipe down your own equipment with a disinfectant before and after use. Be sure to wash your…
This easy seafood paella, made with shrimp, clams and chorizo is a delicious one-pot weeknight dish! Under 30 minutes too cook!
Weeknight Seafood Paella
This clam and shrimp paella with chorizo is seasoned with saffron for that authentic paella flavor. Paella, a popular dish in Spain, is a favorite in my house. It’s a one-pot meal made of rice, seafood, chorizo, and veggies. Another delicious Spanish rice dish that I love if you don’t like seafood is my mom’s Arroz Con Pollo.
