Chicken Pesto "Taco"

Basil Kale Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves, quick chop
1 cup fresh kale leaves, quick chop
3 garlic cloves
1/2 lemon, juice
1/4 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup water

Put the above ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Pulse on low speed, and slowly add 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil as all ingredients start to blend together to desired consistency

Chicken Pesto "Taco"

1 small sprouted Ezekiel tortilla
1-2 Tbsp Basil Kale Pesto
1/2 grilled chicken breast, sliced
1/2 Roma tomato, sliced
handful of fresh arugula

To assemble "Taco"

Spread pesto all over tortilla, add chicken breast slices, then tomato slices and finally top with arugula.
Fold like a Taco & Enjoy!
It was too stuffed for me to call it a wrap, I really like arugula and tomatoes :)

Had this for lunch today with a mango, peeled & sliced. It was amazingly refreshing and easy to make! 

Cinnamon Oats & Garlic Brussels Sprouts!

Prepping for the day!

Breakfast: Cinnamon, Apple, & Walnut Oatmeal with a side of egg whites

Lunch: Garlic Brussels Sprouts & Tomatoes

What is great about both recipes I posted? Both are vegan and vegetarian! If you are vegan and can't have the egg whites, you could make 2 servings of the oatmeal to have a bigger serving, or make a fresh fruit salad.

Cinnamon, Apple, & Walnut Oatmeal:

In a medium size bowl, add
•1/4 cup oats
•1/2 cup water
•1/4 apple, peeled and chopped
Microwave for 2 minutes

Add & Stir in:
•1 tablespoon ground flax
•1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Top with:
•1 tablespoon chopped raw walnuts

This recipe is for 1 serving.

Final Product!

Breakfast served. Pictured with cooked egg whites & red pepper flakes.

Garlic Brussels Sprouts & Tomatoes:

In a small sauté pan drizzle a small amount of coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil (~1/2 teaspoon), set heat at medium to medium low. Add 8 halved Brussels sprouts with the hard woody stem part cut off. Let this sauté for 5 minutes; until they start to brown a bit.

Then add 1/2-1 cup whole cherry tomatoes, 2-3 chopped garlic cloves depending on their size, and salt & pepper (to taste). Turn down heat to low and sauté for 3-4 additional minutes.

Finally, add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian spices. Cook this on low heat for 2 minutes and then it is ready to be served! I like to cook it until the tomatoes are bursting.

This recipe for 1 serving if a main dish, 2 servings as a side dish.

Final Product:

A great addition would be to top with shredded Parmesan cheese, especially of you are serving this to someone who does not love Brussels sprouts. I was also thinking next time to add some pine nuts as well.

Coconut Oil:

I bought my first jar of unrefined coconut oil from Whole Foods Market yesterday. This was my first time using coconut oil and it turned out really well. I had seen a lot of people using coconut oil, so I thought I could try it out, since I am an olive oil fiend! I used the coconut oil on my egg whites for breakfast and topped them with red pepper flakes.

Have a great day!

Put Your Lunch Face On

After work yesterday, I made myself an open faced sandwich!

I have never mixed avocado and hummus but I saw a recipe for an appetizer that did it, so I thought why not try it in a sandwich!

1• I began by roasting a thick tomato slice and toasting a piece of whole wheat bread.
2• After my bread was toasted, I added 1/4 mashed avocado in top, and then added 1 tbsp of Trader Joes eggplant hummus.
3• I like mesquite turkey, but any lean meat will work (or no meat at all too!). I used 4 slices of turkey breast, adding some good lean protein.
4• Top the turkey with a small amount of arugula, the roasted tomato slice ad a sprinkle of black pepper.

A fresh tomato will work well also, but roasting it for a couple minutes adds a little sweetness and warmth that I really enjoy on this sandwich.

That's it! How easy was that?

This open faced sandwich has good protein, whole grains, healthy fat, and fiber!

Mmmmm

Italian Inspired Frittata

On Tuesday morning before class, I did an intense an workout I got from April Oxygen Magazine! (I am obviously late posting this one haha)

After an intense ab workout and a 4 mile run, I was hungry!

I made a Tomato, Spinach, Feta Frittata with toast and a glass of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

To make the frittata:

1• Spray Trader Joe's Olive oil spray (or any other cooking spray) in a small sautée pan, add 2 cups fresh spinach, once wilted, transfer to a separate plate
2• Spray a little more cooking spray so eggs don't stick. Then add 1/2 roma tomato, sliced (4 slices), then add the spinach back into pan, and pour 6 tbsp egg whites into pan, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
3• Put top on the pan, cook until bottom is cooked (I like mine a little browned) (~4 min over medium heat)
4• Flip over carefully (!!!) and cook another 2 min-3 min over medium heat.
5• Top with 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can add more if u like it spicer) & 1-2 tbsp nonfat feta, put top on pan to let cheese get warm (~1 min)

****Serve!

For the toast:
• Toast 1 slice whole wheat bread, add 1/4 mashed avocado on top with a sprinkle of black pepper

Nom nom nom! :)