Dinner in 15: Baked Garlic Parmesan Tilapia

I’ve got the perfect “dinner in a pinch” recipe to share with you all that only takes 15 minutes and a few common ingredients to prepare. My long holiday weekend was filled with pool parties and lots of cooking, and consequently, I neglected to plan mine and Ryan’s dinners as thoroughly as I usually do. At around 8PM on Monday after a long day back at work and two hours of intense workouts to follow, I needed to think of something quick and simple for dinner.

My freezer had three basic options: Tilapia, chicken tenders, and a big cut of steak (which I want to save for later this week). I opted for the fish and decided to make a dinner that is a staple in my weekly meal prep for friends — Garlic Parmesan Tilapia. The pickings in my kitchen for sides were very, very slim, but I happened to have a couple of pre-made dinner rolls, a steamable bag of broccoli, and some cooked/seasoned spaghetti squash to use up. Convenient! If you don’t have the luxury of pre-cooked sides sitting in your fridge/pantry, you can cook up some vegetables, quinoa, rice, and/or any other easy side as the fish is in the oven. The point here is that your sides can be plain and super-simple because the Tilapia has enough flavor to carry the whole meal.

Baked Crab Rangoons

I’m baaaack! Saying the last few days have been crazy-hectic would be an understatement, but I made it through my portion of SXSW and am (slowly) getting back into my regular routine. Today is really day 1 of working my way back to “normal.”

Being in the midst of the conference was completely invigorating. It made me want to go out and change the world, and my appreciation for Austin was totally revived. Basically, I never want to move. And, I ate 3D printed food. (Yep, that’s a thing. Technology is crazy.) My lapse from the regular day-to-day lasted an additional 2 days because of the unexpected passing of a friend, so there was a funeral to attend and a day full of quality time with my best friends from my home town (plus a little more than my fair share of cookies). Now, it’s back to the grind with work, cooking, and exercise.

How to NOT Fail Your New Year’s Resolution + Clean Shrimp “Fried” Rice

Welp, tomorrow is officially the last day of 2013. I don’t want to make this some sappy post all about how much I’ve grown this year, so I’ll avoid that as much as possible, but I will say that I have accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible in the last 12 months. I bet you guys are more curious about HOW I got here, so I’ll focus on that instead. I’m closing out this year healthier, happier, and more motivated than I’ve ever been: all things that I am extremely proud of. I’m 50 pounds lighter, a LOT smarter (or so I think…), and I finally feel comfortable in my own skin.

That last part — the self-acceptance — is something I’d never nailed down before. I’ve always been able to seem self-confident, but I wasn’t ever truly there. I hid behind materialistic things, alcohol, and/or work to make everyone believe that I was, but I never really loved myself as much as I should have. This year, I stopped partying as much, stopped bringing work home, and started focusing on plain ol’ me. It made all the difference. I had to learn to appreciate myself for who I am and believe that I’m worth the effort first and foremost before I could dive into working toward a goal of becoming healthier.

Why 92% of People Fail At Their New Year’s Resolutions

TONS of people make health-related resolutions at the beginning of every single year. “Get in shape” or “lose weight” had been at the top of my list for as long as I remember, but I never made it happen until this year. I started 2013 with a resolution to stay dedicated to working out at Synergy, which was also tied to finally losing the weight that I’d been trying to lose since high school. What made this year’s resolution different was that I actually knew why I wanted to do it.

My Weight Loss FAILS: What Doesn’t Work? (Plus, A Shrimp Pasta Recipe + This Week’s Meal Plan)

On Saturday, I posted a comparison of my 12-week progress picture alongside Ryan’s 8-week. His results have absolutely blown my mind. In case you missed it, prepare to be amazed:

Almond Crusted Tilapia

This is my favorite fish recipe in the history of fish recipes. It’s fabulous. Ryan deemed it the “best fish he’s ever eaten” the first time I made this.

This can be made healthier if you choose to bake it instead of pan-frying, but I usually don’t take that route because I can essentially trick myself into thinking this is a “cheat meal” during the week if it’s prepared as outlined by the recipe below. A little butter is okay — just don’t overdo it, and use reduced fat Parmesan if you have it. :)

Nutritional Overview
Calories: 400
Carbs: 17
Fat: 20
Protein: 33

Serves: 2
Cook time: 20 minutes