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Tag: protein rich

05
Jun
2013

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Banana Maple Pudding

categories: Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks, Uncategorized

If you aren’t familiar with chia seeds other than the infamous pets, you probably clicked on this post out of sheer curiosity. I personally was a skeptic at first. I immediately added them to my mental list of foods that are a hippy gimmick. I even tried to convince myself that I wasn’t a hippy at heart. Then I went over my life passions in my head. Oh yeah, I am part hippy. I figured I at least owed it to my fellow hippys to try the seeds. If I didn’t like them, I could move on to something else weird.

Ok, seriously people, they don’t taste like anything. If you like tapioca, you will like them. If you don’t like tapioca, grind them up and drink them in a shake, use them like a flour, so on. There are tons of uses for the nutrient packed seeds. Here is a short list of benefits these poppy seed like beauties contain:

Full of omega-3’s (improves mental performance)
High in fiber
High in protein
High in calcium
High in antioxidants
Helps with weight loss (gives you a full feeling)
Redeuces inflamtion (great for those with arthiritis)
Absorbs extra acid (great for reflux sufferers)
Lowers cholesterol
Lowers the risk of heart disease

With all of these benefits and no taste, I will be adding these to whatever I can. The reccomended amount for an adult is 2 tablespoons a day. An easy amount to add to a morning smoothie, shake, eggs, yogurt, cereal, toast, or even sorbet for dessert. Honestly, I would reccomennd starting off with the recipe below as an introduction. It’s an easy recipe to make, and tastes amazing! The chia seeds act as the thickener. They absorb the liquid and grow 8 times in size. The gelatenous coating creates the pudding like texture. The hardest part in making this is waiting for it to thicken. It will start thickening immediately, but I noticed the greatest consistency 12 hours in.

You can buy these little beauties at your local health food store or by clicking here.

Recipe

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 cups almond mlik

2 tablespoons real maple extract (vanilla works too)

7 tablespoons chia seeds

Mix the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Cover and chill 6 hours. Serve by itself or with fresh berries.

Servings: 8 • Size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 110 • Fat: 6g • Carb: 13g • Fiber: 7g • Protein: 4g •
Sugar: 4g • Sodium: 53mg • Cholesterol: 0mg

08
Apr
2013

Turkey Bacon & Egg Cups

categories: Breakfast, Low Carb, Main Dishes, Quick Meal

Last week I was flying solo in the parenting department. I’ve lectured you before on the importance of prepping meals or ingredients ahead of time. This time I figured I should practice what I preach. In the past I’ve been really bad about not eating breakfast at all when don’t have my partner in crime to help assist with the morning craziness. But, I feel like a hypocrite, so I decided to break that cycle. This breakfast dish is an easy go to, quick breakfast for those busy mornings.

I came across these little babies on pinterest. I have now made them twice and have tweaked the recipe to my liking. They are so delicious, healthy and easy. They reheat well, and give me a much needed protein boost in the morning. I ate them with half of a whole wheat english muffin topped with smart balance butter, and half a grape fruit. The meal was perfectly balanced with carbs and protein. Leaving me satiated till my mid morning snack.

They may look fancy but they are super simple. They would even make a great addition to a weekend brunch. Make them, you won’t be sorry!

1 lb Turkey Bacon

1 dozen eggs (preferably organic)

2 tablespoons green onions, or chives, minced

about a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & Pepper to taste

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line each cup of a muffin tin with foil (or you will never make this again). Make sure the foil is higher than the cup. Make a circle with the bacon and drop it in each muffin cup, it will overlap itself. Crack each egg into the bacon circle. Sprinkle salt and pepper onto each egg cup. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the white is set. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cheese. Sprinkle each cup with green onions. Enjoy hot! (Of course I enjoyed mine with a generous amount of tabasco. Hey! It boosts your metabolism!).

05
Apr
2013

Zucchini Noodles with Asparagus Tips & Portobello

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes

At the end of a long day of school drops offs, pick ups, housework, volunteering, soccer and tennis, I love entering my kitchen for a bit of stress relief. My reprieve is cooking. Making a delicious, healthy meal is just as fun as eating it. Granted, I’ve been doing it a long time and have my flow going. But, even when I had no clue what braise really meant, I still found the kitchen to be therapeutic.

Kitchen gadgets make cooking even more fun. I recently acquired a new one. It was love at first sight. I first spotted this darling on another food blog. I admired the curves and lines, and kept going back to fawn over the green beauty again and again. I told my husband, “If you ever need a gift idea for me, this is it!”. I showed him where to buy it on Amazon. Then I waited. He didn’t take the hint. The green beauty didn’t arrive on my doorstep. Then, something better happened. Amazon local deals had my beautiful green goddess on sale for half price, for one day! That was it. Within 5 minutes, it was bought and a few days later I had her in my hands. I bet you want to know what it is by now. What I have been gushing over. You will probably think I am strange for obsessing over this tool, but here it is…

If you are looking for the proper wording for this bad boy, it is a vegetable processing device. In simpler terms, it makes veggies into noodles. I have chopped vegetables trying to get them to resemble noodles, only getting an o.k. result. The results you receive with this bad boy are perfect. There are two blades, one for angel hair type noodles, and one for wider noodles. In this recipe I used the angel hair blade, but it really doesn’t matter. I piled my plate as high as I wanted, because everything in this recipe is good for you. So go ahead and stuff yourself silly with this dish.

Oh and by the way, the price is even lower than what I bought it for on Amazon now. For $6, this —–> beauty can be yours! (click on pic for a direct link).

Now for the recipe:

1 lb boneless chicken thighs, visible fat trimmed, cut into 1 inch strips

1 Portobello mushroom cap, cut into 1 inch strips

1/4 sliced brown onion

6 asparagus spears, snap woody bottom off and cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup bruschetta (click for recipe)

2 zucchini, cut into pasta like noodles (you can use a knife, it just won’t be uniform)

salt, pepper & garlic powder for seasoning

olive oil

Pre-heat broiler. Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder and put on cookie sheet. Broil for 7 minutes.

While chicken is broiling, sprinkle mushrooms, asparagus, and onions with salt and pepper and saute in 1 tsp, of olive oil over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Put another 1 tsp. of oilve oil in saute pan and saute zucchini for 3/4 minutes, moving constantly. Add in bruschetta, saute for another 2 minutes. To serve divide the zucchini noodles, veggies, and chicken into to bowls. Serve hot

02
Apr
2013

Simple Bruschetta Chicken

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes

There are some recipes that are best left untouched. In their purest form they are perfect, pristine almost. Bruschetta chicken is just that. My mouth is watering just thinking about the basil, garlic and tomato melding together in perfect harmony. It can be used in a multitude of applications, but this time it was perched atop a roasted chicken breast. If you are in a hurry to make dinner, still want to impress and eat clean and healthy, this is the dish. It goes from prep to oven within 10 minutes. I served it with a whole wheat spinach pasta and roasted broccolini.

Side note: The bruschetta topping can be used to make a traditional bruschetta (toasted bread with the bruschetta on top), or could be used like a salsa to dip veggies or pita chips in. Or you can toss it with pasta. Any way you use it, you will love it. It’s actually quite addicting.

Warning: Make sure everyone in your house has some. Guaranteed garlic halitosis will invade everyone’s mouth after eating this. BUT, If everyone eats it, the aroma cancels itself out. Pretty cool, huh?

1 container grape tomatoes, washed

2 large garlic cloves

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (red pepper if you want it spicy, use less first, the garlic has a bite too)

1 lb, boneless chicken breasts, washed and pat dry with paper towels

salt, pepper and garlic powder for seasoning the chicken

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic on both sides. Spray both sides with olive oil (use a misto sprayer). Roast chicken for 20 minutes or until all the juices running out are clear. Internal temp should be 165 degrees.

For the bruschetta:

In a food processor put garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Process till the garlic is finely chopped. Scrape the sides of the processor and push all of the ingredients to the bottom of the bowl. Add the tomatoes in and pulse 4-5 times. They should still be chunky. Set aside.

When the chicken has about 7 minutes left, pull out of the oven and distribute the bruschetta topping evenly among all the breasts. Put back in the oven for the remaining time.

01
Apr
2013

Fit Tip of the Day 4.1.2013

categories: Fit Tips

Eat more fiber: It helps keep you full longer. Foods that are high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, legumes, and whole-grain breads and pastas.

29
Mar
2013

Spicy Sesame Asian Pork & Veggies

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love cauliflower rice. I make up recipes so I can eat the fluffy, antioxidant filled wonder. The recipes I make to go with it are healthy and usually saucy, flavor packed creations. This recipe is no exception. One of my best friends was coming over for dinner with her kids. I had not seen her in a while and knew she jumped on the healthy eating bandwagon. I also knew she had not had cauliflower rice before. I wanted to give her the best introduction to my other best friend.

I scanned the fridge for a protein. After weighing my options I grabbed the organic pork tenderloin I found on sale the other day. Now that I had a protein base, I looked for some veggie friends to introduce the pork to. I decided on a colorful array of red cabbage, red onions, zucchini and carrots. Next, I needed to come up with a sauce to marry the pork, veggies, and cauliflower rice together. I bathed them in a sweet, salty, spicy mix of soy sauce, agave, red chili peppers and a little corn starch to bind their marriage together. This marriage was made in heaven. After the first bite, my friend looked at me and said, “This is going on your blog, right!’. It now is.

2 lbs pork tenderloin, cut into strips about 1 1/2 inches long, 1/2 inch wide

1 cup red cabbage, sliced in strips

1 cup red onion, slice in thin half moons

1 zucchini, cut in half moons

1/2 cup baby carrots , cut in 1/3s

1 garlic clove, minced

sesame seeds for garnish

Click here for the cauliflower rice recipe

For the sauce:

4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar

3 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon chili flakes

Pre-heat your broiler on high. Season the pork strips with salt and pepper, put on a foiled lined cookie sheet and spritz the top of the meat with olive oil. Broil for five minutes.

While the meat is broiling, make the sauce. Mix together all the ingredients and set aside.

Make the cauliflower rice. (see recipe link above)

In a large saute pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil) and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Add all of the veggies and saute for 2 – 4 minutes. The veggies should be crisp but edible in this dish. Add the garlic in and saute for another minute. Add the meat and the sauce in. The sauce will seem thick. Use the chicken brother a half cup at a time to thin out the sauce to desired consistency. It should be a thick syrup consistency. Serve immediately over the cauliflower rice. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Don’t forget to share the recipe with your best friend!

26
Mar
2013

Portobello BBQ Chicken Pizza

categories: Low Carb, Main Dishes, Side Dish

When my husband travels I really don’t like making a huge dinner. But, I still have to feed myself and two voracious boys. The problem lies in the dishes. I despise making a great dinner with every pan in the kitchen and then having to clean it up too. The husband and I have a symbiotic kitchen relationship. I cook, he cleans. It’s a match made in heaven. Every now and then I will get a dirty look when he sees the mess I made, but one bite into dinner I am usually forgiven (I seem to get away with a lot when it comes to food).

Back to the topic at hand, an easy clean up, healthy dinner. The boys and I had just come home from their tennis lessons and it was getting late. As you may have seen I made a ton of shredded chicken the other night. I still had a small amount. Then I saw the portobellas. An idea conjured in my tired head, and boom, portobella bbq chicken pizzas were thrown together in a matter of 5 minutes.

The clean up entailed a chefs knife, cutting board and throwing away the foil that covered the baking sheet. Oh, and if you are wondering if my 4 and 6 year old ate them, the answer is no. I like them to eat carbs at dinner. I popped a frozen, organic, multigrain, 3 cheese pizza into the oven, and roasted some broccolini for them and myself.

They devoured their entire pizza and tiny trees, while I inhaled mine. Showers were taken, books read, kisses given and lights out. For them at least. A mommy’s day doesn’t end till she gets to watch her Real Housewives of _________. Wait, I don’t watch that nonsense. I meant, not until I finish reading the latest epic novel pertaining to global warming. Yeah. That’s it.

Makes 1, but can be doubled easily

1 large portobello mushroom, cleaned and stem removed

1 tablespoon of bbq sauce

1/4 cup shredded chicken

a few thinly sliced red onions

1 heaping tablespoon reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

dash of red pepper flakes (optional as garnish)

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray the bottom of the mushroom cap (the round part) with olive oil (preferably with a misto*, not the chemical laden non-stick sprays). Turn over the mushroom cap so that the bottom side is up. Sprinkle a little sea salt over the mushroom. Spread the bbq sauce on the inside of the cap. Then add the chicken, then the onions, then the cheese. Bake the mushroom till the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

25
Mar
2013

Red Chili Chicken (Crock Pot Recipe)

categories: Crock Pot Recipes, Main Dishes

My favorite type of recipe is a healthy, fast, versatile one. By versatile, I mean, one that has ingredients that can be used in many different meals during the week. Taking the time to figure out recipes that are symbiotic, is worth the time it takes to plan.

This recipe starts with lean chicken breasts that are cooked via crock pot in a delicious red chili sauce. The chicken is then shredded and can be used for a multitude of dinners and lunches. Really, the delicious possibilities are endless. Pictured at the left, is a mouth-watering chicken tostada. The shell is spritzed with a fine mist of olive oil, then baked at 350 for 10 minutes, flipping once. I layered it with 1 tablespoon of a clean (no chemicals added) store-bought guacamole, the featured chicken, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cheddar jack cheese and pickled red onions. Seriously, you HAVE to try pickled red onions if you haven’t. Not only are they extremely easy to make, they are D-LISH-US! AND you can reuse them later in the week on a chicken lime cilantro burger.

This recipe makes a lot. So be prepared to use it in several meals, or freeze a portion for a later date.

(adapted from a Bon Appetit braised pork recipe)

3 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 large new mexican dried chilis

2 tablespoons agave

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 large onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, chopped coarsely

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 can Tecate beer

Place chilis in a medium bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover, and set something on top of the chilis to weigh them down in the water. Keep submerged for 30 minutes or until softened. Drain chilis and puree in blender with 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Put all the ingredients, including the red chili mixture, in the crock pot, except chicken. Mix well and then add chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken will shred easily. Shred with two forks and add back the cooking liquid till the chicken is moist again.

Use the shredded chicken to make the tostadas above, or chicken lettuce tacos, chicken taquitos, pulled chicken sandwiches, quesadillas on wheat tortillas, inside of an omelet, I could seriously go on and on. If you think of another great use put it in the comments below!

18
Mar
2013

Chicken Stew served over Quinoa

categories: Main Dishes, Side Dish

I’m kind of obsessed with quinoa lately. I love that it is an all encompassing food, with the best possible nutrition bio a food can have. I even got my kids to eat it today, begrudgingly, but they did eat 3 bites each. It’s a texture thing with them. At least they tried it.

This recipe is a play on a dish my Assyrian grandmother used to make called kurush. I have always looked forward to eating this dish. Walking into a home where this was cooking would send my salivary glands into over drive. In it’s original state, it is a tomato meat stew with green peppers, and canned green beans, served over rice that has been baked all day in butter. Not exactly the poster child for health. So I took it to the kitchen and gave it a health makeover. After serious changes, in all of it’s stewy glory, it walked out of the kitchen smelling delicious, and looking fit. Instead of the buttery rice, a bed of quinoa now soaks up the luscious red sauce. The canned green beans have been replaced with fresh, crisp green beans. I hope you enjoy this play on my grandma’s dish. I hope she approves of the nutritionally necessary makeover.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, all visible fat removed, cut into bite sized pieces

1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 lb. fresh green beans, wash and cut in half lengthwise

2 large bell pepper, ct into chunks

1 onion chopped into wedges

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 14 oz can organic diced tomatoes

1 8 oz. can organic tomato sauce

1 6 oz. can organic tomato paste

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

sea salt to taste

For the quinoa

2 cups quinoa

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Season the chicken by sprinkling with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven and brown all sides. Brown in batches so that the pan is not overcrowded, if needed. Put the browned pieces in a bowl and set aside. If needed, add a small amount of olive oil and saute the vegetables over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Pour the chicken broth into the pan to de-glaze (scrape all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan). Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, paprika, basil and black pepper to the pot with the vegetables. Bring to a boil and add the chicken back in. Put the lid on and place in oven. Set the timer for 30 minutes.

For the quinoa:

Bring the stock to a boil and add in the quinoa and turmeric. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 to minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. make sure to check after 15 minutes that the bottom is not burning. Stir and put the lid on if there is still liquid present until done. Pull off heat and set aside.

When the stew is done, pull out of the oven. Stir and serve over the quinoa. Then leave a comment and tell me your experience!

04
Mar
2013

Quinoa Pizzas

categories: Main Dishes

Quinoa is an interesting ingredient. It is technically a seed, but grouped in with grains. As one of the most protein rich foods we can eat, it also contains twice as much fiber as all other grains, and abundantly holds iron, lysine, maganese, magnesium, and riboflavin. Essentially, it is a super food that will heal your body. There is a multitude of ways you can prepare the seeds, but one of my favorites is pizza. Who doesn’t like pizza? This version does not disappoint. Try delivering this super seed in pizza form to a picky eater. I’m sure you will be surprised, and they will too.

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 cup parmesan, grated

1/2 c. fat free shredded mozzarella

1 t. minced garlic

1 T. dried basil

1 t. dried oregano

pinch of sea salt

pizza sauce or marinara

yellow bell pepper, sliced (optional)

red bell pepper, sliced (optional)

Olives, sliced (optional)

mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray). Prepare the quinoa according the package directions, set aside to cool when done. Saute the onion, basil and oregano in 1/2 T. of olive oil, mix in the garlic, saute for 1 more minute, then take off heat. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix the onion mixture into the cooled quinoa. Taste and season more if needed. Mix in the egg, parmesan into the quinoa. Divide the quinoa mixture into 4 equal parts. Form each of the four quinoa portions into a round pizza base. Bake the bases for 10 – 15 minutes or until just starting to brown. Keep an eye on them, each oven is different. Remove the bases and put 1 tablespoon pizza or marinara sauce on each. Add whatever topping you prefer on your pizzas and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake another 5 -8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Other Recipes you could make from the quinoa base:

1. Don’t add the egg and eat it as a side dish. You could even add chopped sun-dried tomato. Yum!

2. Divide the quinoa mixture into a mini muffin pan and make pizza bites. Top with cheese and bake. Dip into pizza sauce!