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!

Oats & Kiwi with Greek Yogurt

Breakfast was kind of small the other day, but I made sure every nutrient counted!

*Wheat Germ is an excellent source of folic acid, as well as iron and zinc.

*Flax seed is an good source of omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, manganese and magnesium.

*Oats are heart healthy and contains soluble fiber. 

*The non-fat Greek yogurt is a good source of protein.

*Kiwi are a good source of fiber, folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin E.

More about Kiwis: http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/superfoods/sf_kiwi.php

Chia seeds would be a great addition to this as well, but I did not have any on hand. 

Oats & Kiws with Greek Yogurt:

Mix in a cereal size bowl:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 Tbsp Wheat Germ

2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed

1 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Top with:

1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped

1 container Trader Joe's non-fat Honey Greek Yogurt

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! :)

Roasting Up!

I wasn't very hungry for dinner last night since I had been munching on raw walnuts all day, so I made a small plate of roasted veggies for dinner! I have never cooked brussels sprouts nor sweet potatoes, but I know I like them!

4 brussels sprouts, quartered
4 asparagus spears
5 cauliflower florets, halved if too large
1/2 sweet potato, peeled & cubed

Preheated oven 375

 

I first boiled water in a pot and added in the sweet potato chunks for 3-4 minutes, so they softened. (This was to ensure that all the vegetables would cook in the same amount of time)

Once I had arranged vegetables on the baking sheet, I sprayed olive oil cooking spray on each, and sprinkled lightly with sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. I put the baking sheet in the oven for ~10 minutes, and broiled them for the last 30 seconds to 1 minute!

Served immediately!

Delicious

Back to the Tropics!

I actually got up this morning before 8AM work and did a 2 mile walk with my dog. I was impressed with myself. Work today is short luckily so I will be able to do some legs and a light run after work!

I made a tropic breakfast shake this morning!

1 small banana
1 container Trader Joe's nonfat mango Greek yogurt
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 small orange, peel removed
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2-3/4 cup water
Ice!

Blend until smooth, you can change up the water and ice amounts depending on how thick you prefer your shakes!

Tofu Part 2

I used some more tofu this morning to make my breakfast shake!

1/3 cup firm tofu
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 scoop vanilla Pro7 Synthesis Protein Powder
Water & ice

Total calories: ~250 calories, 4g fat (0.5 saturated fat), 25g protein

This tofu shake turned out a lot better then yesterday's and I think it's because of the vanilla protein powder! in my opinion, vanilla protein powder is a lot more versatile then chocolate.

Now I am at work reading April Oxygen Magazine having my healthy and yummy breakfast!

Hot Hot Hot!

For dinner, I cooked Clean Chinese Sweet & Sour Chicken! Holy moly it was spicy! I do not eat spicy foods very often, because both my mouth and tummy are sensitive to foods that are too hot. However, I am definitely getting into the spicy life. I got this recipe idea from April 2012 Oxygen Magazine.

~4 oz. chicken breast, diced into bite size pieces

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 red bell pepper, diced

Sauce: 1 Tbsp ketchup (low-sodium recommended)

1 Tbsp peach preserves (low sugar recommended)

 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard

Combine first three ingredients in a bowl until chicken is completely covered. 

Add olive oil cooking spray to a saucepan then add chicken, cook 6-8 minutes on medium to medium-high heat until browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, dice bell peppers and set aside, then combine the three ingredients for the sauce in a separate bowl.

After the chicken is cooked, add the bell peppers and sauce to the skillet and lower heat. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until heated through.

(Makes 1 serving; 230 calories, 2g fat, 20g carbs, 28g protein)

I served this with brown rice-quinoa mixture and steamed broccoli, green beans, and carrots.

Next time I made this (which I definitely will!), I will add the steamed veggies to the chicken-bell pepper mixture for the last few minutes of cooking to give them some extra flavor and hopefully make the dish a little less spicy! 

For the boy, I made him steamed veggies, brown rice-quinoa mixture and grilled chicken. Simple, tastey and healthy all at once! He is not a fan of the spicy food, so he got the regular chicken, veggie dinner.

Cottage Cheese

In between classes today I went home to make a quick, easy, yet healthy lunch!

•1 hard boiled large egg
(80 calories, 5g fat (2g sat fat), 6g protein, 1g carb (1g sugar))
•1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
(80 calories, 1.5g fat (sat fat), 4g carbs (3g sugar), 14g protein)

Salad:
•2 cups of fresh spinach
(20 calories, 0g fat, 3g carbs (dietary fiber 2g, 0g sugar), 2g protein)
•1/4 of a cucumber (8 slices)
(20 calories)
•1/2 Roma tomato, quartered
(20 calories)
•1-2 tbsp fat free balsamic vinaigrette
(25 calories, 0g fat, 6g carbs (5g sugar), 0g protein)

Total calorie count: 245 calories, 22g protein, 6.5 g fat, ~14g carbs

Final product...

Pineapple Tofu Shake

This morning  I had a completely new experience for both making and drinking a pre/post workout shake. It involved my first time working with tofu! I have had tofu in a vegan pasta dish once but I have never myself worked with it. Not going to lie, I was a bit scared of what to expect!

I used chocolate whey protein powder in this shake but next time I may use my vanilla one instead. If you're vegan or trying to make this recipe vegan, using rice or hemp protein would work too!

This shake has about 300 calories with 33 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber!

1 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 medium banana
1/4 cup firm tofu
1 scoop whey protein powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ice
-->Blend until smooth

Why is this shake beneficial?
•Pineapple contains manganese, thiamine which will give you energy and bromelain which aids in muscle repair and recovery.
•Bananas give you sustained energy that will fuel you through your workout.
•Tofu contains high quality proteins as well as antioxidants that repair damage from free radical build up during workout.
•Whey protein gives your muscles energy and builds an repairs these muscles after your workout.
(info and recipe idea from April 2012 Oxygen Magazine)

Whey protein! In double dutch chocolate flavor

I have extra tofu, so I will either make another shake tomorrow or I got an idea from @sprinkledwlove on instagram for a salad with tofu. The salad has spinach, roasted cauliflower, tofu, cucumber, and hummus.

Pasta!

I was watching the food network and got good ideas for "volumezing" pasta. If you want fettucini then add half a serving of whole wheat cooked fettucini with zucchini or squash ribbons (use a peeler to peel zucchini and add to cooked pasta). Add a healthy sauce and serve with a salad or steamed veggies! It will look like your eating a full serving or more of pasta with cutting calories. If you prefer angel hair pasta or spaghetti, you can do the same thing but instead of zucchini , microwave a halved spaghetti squash for ~8 minutes and with a fork create strands and add to cooked pasta + sauce.

I was craving pasta all so I decided to try this volume zing technique. I used 1/2 serving whole wheat linguini and 1 cup zucchini ribbons. For the sauce I sautéed some onions, garlic, basil and oregano in a small amount of olive oil. After the onions were translucent I added diced zucchini and tomatoes, then spinach, a spoonful of marinara, red pepper flakes and finally some red wine. I let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes and served over the pasta.

Fresh Ingredients!

Just added the red pepper flakes, it ended up having a nice kick to it.

Linguini and zucchini ribbons

I am definitely making pasta with zucchini ribbons again because I feel full and satisfied but I cut the calories! So now I feel even more satisfied knowing I made a healthy substitution that I will use again.

Paleo Vegan Pizza!

I have been wanting to try a paleo pizza with cauliflower crust. I didn't have cauliflower in my fridge but I did have broccoli! Yummm. So I decided to give it a try. First, I had to make flax eggs (since this was a vegan paleo crust). To make a flax egg you will whisk 1 tablespoon ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons water (make sure to whisk while adding water to flax), and refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes (an hour is preferred).

I took about 4 cups of broccoli and put into the blender until "riced", and then transferred broccoli to a big bowl.Then to the blender, I blended about 1/3 cup of almonds to make almond flour. Once the almonds were a flour consistency I added them to the big bowl of broccoli. I then added my 2 flax eggs and mixed them all together with a big spoon until a dough ball formed. On a cookie sheet I spread the dough out, and cooked it in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Once the crust was getting crispy, I took it out and added some fresh marinara, veggies (bell peppers, garlic, onions, spinach and mushrooms), fresh herbs, and the last part of my soy mozzarella cheese (pretty sure the cheese isnt a part of the paleo diet, but I wanted to finish up the cheese so I added it!). Once all the toppings were on, I put the pizza back in the oven for 8-10 minutes. And then it was all ready to eat!

 

It turned out pretty well! I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Next time I want to try with cauliflower because the broccoli had a very strong taste and the crust was a bit moist. I think this is a healthy alternative to regular pizza. The vegan cheese is very low in calories as well as the crust, and I put a lot of veggies to add nutrients! 

For the boy I made an egg white scramble with red bell peppers, spinach, onions, and turkey, with a couple grilled shrimp skewers and a glass of orange juice!

Lemon Cucumber Infused Water

When I was at Starbucks this morning I tried the egg white, feta and spinach wrap (~300 calories) and I really liked it! I have nonfat feta, spinach, and eggs at home so I can make an egg scramble with.

Before I left for work I was getting lunch together. I made a big salad and for a snack I made carrots with eggplant hummus. I had a bunch of lemon, limes and cucumbers I need to use up in my fridge so I decided to add some lemon and cucumber slices to my water!

I'm sure I have talked about it before, but Trader Joe's eggplant hummus is so delicious! I love it with veggie sticks.

Prepping Ahead

Today is a long day at work, 12 hours, starting before the sun even comes up! So I prepped all my meals last night before bed.

Early breakfast: Mini breakfast shake
Late breakfast: Regular shake

The shake is very similar to the one I did yesterday, but instead of blueberries I put a whole sliced kiwi and added a scoop of vanilla protein powder!

For lunch I made a salad with mixed greens, chopped red bell pepper, celery, tomato, cucumber and non fat feta cheese.

For snacks I brought a sliced orange and a handful of raw pistachios.







After prepping my meals for today, I made dinner! It was a simple and typical dinner but still tasty nonetheless. Left over grilled chicken with a drizzle of ketchup (I know, I know), 1/4 cup brown rice & quinoa, and a hearty serving of steamed broccoli. I did treat myself to a glass of white wine because I fought temptation by not having pizza for lunch when I met up with some friends, and also for the Lakers win last night ;) 

Grilled Chicken Night!

I do love grilled chicken. I top it with a little olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and Lawry's seasoning salt. Last night I served it with roasted asparagus, steamed carrots, steamed peas and a brown rice/quinoa mixture. I had to have a glass of Sauvignon blanc too!

If I know I am going to be busy during the week, like this week (43 hours work + school!), then either on Sunday night or Monday night I will try to grill chicken and make some brown rice to have for a couple dinners since these are both easy to combine with different ingredients to make new meals. I unfortunately don't always remember to do this but I at least try to keep a few things in my fridge that are easy and healthy dinners that will last a few days so I can easily heat them up with minimal work after a long day.

I work 9 1/2 hours today, double shift, and I am having some of the brown rice I cooked last night and some broccoli I steamed this morning.

Tomorrow I will add the chicken on top of my lunch salad or heat it up for dinner!

Mini Pizzas!

I tried vegan cheese for the first time! Not too bad on pizza. It was a mozzarella, Parmesan blend. I put it on top of a Sara Lee whole wheat pita (200 calories for the whole pita). For toppings I put purple basil, bell pepper, onion, tomato, and steamed broccoli, with a vegetarian low fat marinara. It was really good and pretty low in calories. I also had a side salad and a glass of champagne in a sweet mini goblet I found in my mom's wine glass cabinet.





I want to experiment more with whole wheat mini pita, flat bread, and homemade cauliflower crust pizzas. Using different vegan cheeses could be fun as well as different sauces like pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, olive oil & garlic, bbq or different favors of marinara. Any other ideas?

Here are some specific pizza combos I want to try:

Original Pizza:
•Marinara sauce
•Bell pepper, sliced
•Onion, sliced
•Tomato, thinly slice or chopped
•Basil, fresh, chopped
•Low-fat or Vegan Mozzarella cheese/Italian blend
•Garlic, minced

BBQ Pizza:
•BBQ sauce
•Grilled BBQ chicken
•Red onion, sliced
•Low-fat or Vegan Mozzarella cheese
•Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Pesto Pizza:
•Pesto or Sun dried tomato
•Low-fat or Vegan Mozzarella cheese/ Italian blend
•Pine Nuts
•Onions, white, sliced
•Broccoli, steamed, chopped
•Garlic, minced
•Tomato, sliced/chopped, optional

White Pizza:
•Olive Oil
•Garlic, minced
•Onion, white, sliced
•Basil, fresh, chopped
•Spinach
•Low-fat Ricotta
•Tomato, sliced/chopped, optional


What other combinations have you tried or would like to try! Let me know

Sister time!

My half sister came in town to Santa Monica with her husband so I was able to go up and visit her! Minus the fact that I got lost on the drive there and ended up near Pepperdine University! On a high note, I did see Taye Diggs walking through the parking lot at the Santa Monica pier. I was very excited.

My sister, her husband and I had brunch at Jack n Jill's, which was so good. We had a whole wheat crepe with vanilla yogurt and fresh berries.

We walked on the beach by the Santa Monica Pier. It was nice to see my sister, she is 7 years older then me and we have became a lot closet over the past year being able to actually talk to each other and get to know each other better.








The parking garage by the Santa Monica pier is so high tech! It has a little computer box on each level and if you type in your license plate number it can locate your car and show you a picture of it; no matter where it is parked in the garage.

Morning!

I do love me some fresh strawberries and bananas in the morning!

Grilled Corn

I made a grilled corn salad. First, I grilled the corn, let it cool then added tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and minced garlic. In a seperate bowl I wisked together chopped cilantro, olive oil, honey, lime juice and pepper, then added that to the corn mixture. As the final touch, I added fresh avocado on top. Served this salad along side my brown rice with dried cranberries, corn, sliced almonds, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.

        With the left over salad, I put it in my cactus leaf corn tortillas added black beans, salsa verde and a little jalapeno cheese.  

Bananas & Peanut Butter

I never liked peanut butter really as a kid but now I seem to not be able to get enough! A really quick snack is to half a banana long ways and put a tbsp of peanut butter on it. I prefer the crunchy kind but any will work.

Oats & Fruits!

I love hot oatmeal, but sometimes I am not in the mood for a hot breakfast. So, I will make cold oats with milk and fruit! It's simple and super easy. All it had us old fashioned oats, almond milk, chopped fruit like grapes, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries I occasionally will add ground wheat germ and ground flax to bump up the nutrient value.