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January 5, 2022 By Shelli Poole

Shirtless Chef – New year, new you…again

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Local fitness enthusiast Jason Murphy remakes favorite meals of his youth into healthy dishes. See the full list of his recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.

Once again it’s time for all the New Year resolutions to kick in, and most of those involve losing weight and getting in shape. As someone who has been there and done that, I have a word of advice for you. If you are starting an exercise program and changing how you eat, make sure you are doing it for you, and only you. Don’t worry about what other people think or what they may say, because no matter what, it will come with criticism and opinions you neither asked for or needed to hear. I’ve had a family member tell me twice over the holidays about him having to eat healthy because of blocked arteries, quote “I don’t want to get skinny and look as bad as you did when you lost all that weight” unquote. That really just hit me all wrong. I didn’t just lose 80 pounds on a whim, it was absolutely vital for my mental well being and self-esteem. I put everything I had into it, not for some vanity project, but to literally pull myself out of some serious dark depths. Even now, five years later, hearing someone just casually tell me how bad I looked when I “got skinny” is enough to make my self-esteem take a nosedive like a 747 dropping 3 of it’s 4 engines. Then I have to remind myself that these are the changes I made and maintained:

My family members not wanting to be “skinny” like me is not a concern they should worry about, I would bet.  They were also bemoaning not being able to eat McDonalds anymore due to said health issues.  They make it seem like I suffer eating the way I do, when in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.  I’ll take my healthy food over any fast food joint any day, and be glad I did.  Healthy food can be fun and delicious.  I made these chicken bbq tortillas on a whim this weekend, and there’s nothing at Mickey D’s that can touch it.  You’ll need my tortilla recipe from a few articles back, and my ranch dressing.  I’ll include the link to the tortillas here:
The ranch dressing:
1/2 cup of avocado oil mayo
1/4 cup grass fed plain yogurt
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion and garlic powder
1 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp lemon juice
Mix all ingredients and serve.
These wraps are full of fiber, healthy fats, and protein.  It’s just the thing if you want to look good enough to get insulted by family members at your next gathering.  That’s when you know it is working.
Chicken BBQ flat wraps:
 
Ingredients:
4 pasture raised chicken breasts
1/2 tsp sea salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika
Sliced red onion
Noble made bbq sauce, or other low sugar version
Smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
1 slice cooked bacon
Sliced avocado
Shirtless chef tortillas and ranch dressing
Instructions:
Sprinkle the chicken with the spices and grill until 170 degrees.  That takes about 8 minutes per side on my outside electric grill, if the breasts are small or pounded thin.  Cover with foil and let rest for at least five minutes before slicing thin on the bias:

Saute the sliced red onion until they start to get soft, and then add a couple of tablespoons bbq sauce to the onions, reducing heat and stirring. Add enough chicken for 1 tortilla to coat. I prefer this brand if you use store bought sauce. The ingredients are clean and the taste is great:

Heat your pre-made healthy tortilla in a small frypan, then drip some bbq sauce on it and sprinkle with the smoked cheese. Layer with the red onions and chicken, then cover with more smoked cheddar. Crumble the cooked bacon on top. Place under a high broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese, then top with sliced avocado and ranch dressing if desired. Serve with Jicama fries for a great meal:

See the list of all the Shirtless Chef recipes at www.mysaline.com/shirtless.