Post work out breakfast ... Huevos Rancheros

Good morning everyone! It's been a fabulous morning so far here on the Cali coast ... A pretty, foggy morning and got a great work out in! On my way home, I wanted something filling but that wouldn't drag me down for the rest of the day. As much as I love the concept big, ol greasy breakfasts, I can't do it anymore! If I do, I'm on my tush for the entire day napping and watching Netflix. 

Now I had originally seen this recipe on Real Simple and loved the concept of a breakfast that had a good source of black beans, fiber and protein. But there was only one thing wrong. Ok .. Two.

1. A couple super simple ingredient swaps could reduce the fat and cholesterol.

2. The eggs were poached.

Now bless you if you like runny eggs ... I can't do it. I think I had already explained my little OCD with my recipe for: Sweet Potato Hash & Eggies ... It's just a texture/irrational fear of food born illness thing/I'm a little nuts kinda deal. Let me tell you this will be a little easier if your a poached egg kinda person ... But if not, here's the way I spun it :)

Ingredients

-4 small whole grain or sprouted grain tortillas (if these are unavailable, corn is preferable over flour tortillas)

-4 eggs

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-1 16 oz jar salsa 

-1 15oz can of organic, reduced sodium black beans *rinse,rinse, rinse!

-4 tbsp of reduced fat shredded Mexican style cheese

-4 tbsp Greek yogurt

-black pepper

-if you wish for toppings, I think cilantro, additional hot sauce or shallots would be lovely

1. In a large skillet, give it a spray with your EVOO filled Misto. Place approx 1 tbsp of your minced garlic in the pan and allow to slightly golden. Then crack your eggs and begin to cook as if you were making sunny side up eggies. Sprinkle pepper on top.

2. Transfer your eggs when a little more solidified to a plate (this was the pain the arse part)

3. Preheat your oven broiler to high. Remist your pan and throw in your jar of salsa and black beans and begin to simmer for approx 10 min.

4. While your simmering, throw 4 tortillas into your oven on the top rack and broil for about 2 min.

5. Transfer your eggs from the plate to the ranchero mix (I did it runny side down to cook further) and cover with a lid and continue to simmer.

6. Flip your tortillas and sprinkle about 1 tbsp of cheese to each tortilla. Allow to melt and become awesome.

7. When your cheesy tortilla has achieved that awesomeness, transfer to a plate and top with the Huevos rancheros. Top with Greek yogurt, cilantro, avocado, pico de gallo etc etc.

Next round, I am going to make my own salsa to further decrease the sodium content ... today was just easy :) And not to toot my own horn, but compared to the one I found on Real Simple, my recipe cut the fat in half and had less cholesterol & sodium. So toot-toot!

If you have other suggestions or use your own salsa, share and let me know!

Enjoy!!

Nutritional Information

Serves 4

Calories: 287

Fat: 7.6

Saturated fat: 1.4

Poly: 0

Mono: 0

Trans: 0

Cholesterol: 176.9

Sodium: 976.4

Potassium: 463.8

Protein: 14.8

Vit A: 21.5%

Vit C: 22.5%

Calcium: 12.2%

Iron: 13.8%

Cooper and Owen decided to be my lovely assistants ... Or stalk me for dropped food. I'll figure it out eventually :)

Clean Shredded Chicken and Salsa

I have been on a mission lately to be more dedicated to clean meals with higher protein content. If all goes according to plan with venue shopping, my fiancé and I will be celebrating our big day in 8 months (a little scary time wise actually writing that down!)

Other than wanting to obviously fit into my dress right, it's actually been nice too seeing the changes in my body I've made with consistently working out again after a long hiatus (weird concept, right?) If anything, I want to make sure my diet will compliment my changed work out routine. I'm always open to ideas and suggestions, so if anyone has had success with certain dietary changes, I want to hear them!

This little meal does have it all though ... Flavor, low in calories, freezer and budget friendly and super versatile. Since you get an insane amount of leftovers from just 2 chicken breasts, I like to serve it in different ways so I don't get bored ... Tacos, over quinoa, enchilada or even just a larger serving in a bowl with se avocados and Greek yogurt. Try it out!

-2 chicken breasts

-5 cloves garlic, minced

-1 can black beans

-1 jar taqueria style salsa (I used Fresh and Easy's "Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa")

-2 tbsp tomato paste

-1 tsp rosemary

-splash of EVOO

-1 pinch red pepper flakes

1. Spray your trusty crockpot with a Misto of EVOO. I threw in both breasts full on frozen and it was totally delish. 

2. Add the rest of your ingredients and cook on low for about 5 hours.

3. When you're ready, remove the breasts from the crockpot and shred ... It was super easy to do!

4. Return your shredded chicken back to the crockpot and mix with the salsa and beans.

5. Serve which ever way makes your heart happy!

Nutritional Information

(Makes enough shredded meat for approx 9 tacos)

Calories: 94

Fat: 1.5

Saturated Fat: 0.3

Monounsaturated fat: 0.4

Trans: 0

Cholesterol: 21.1

Sodium: 378.3

Carbs: 12.1

Fiber: 3.2

Sugar: 2.1

Protein: 8.1

Sunny Fruity Breakfast Smoothie

Just as promised ... Another tasty brekkie smoothie! I plan on posting my daily smoothie to share so you'll have some great variety every day :)

Every time I'm in the kitchen, my one pup, Owen always follows me and sits patiently right at my feet. He doesn't jump on the counters, or really get in the way ... Just patiently waits for that one little piece to fall. This dog is weird ... He even loves kale. I've never seen a dog drool when I start cutting veggies :)

"You'll drop something ... Eventually"

And of course, throw all those lovely items listed above in the picture into your trusty blender and blend till smooth!

Nutritional information

Serving: 1

Calories: 269

Fat: 10.3

Saturated fat: 2.5

Polyunsaturated: 2.6

Monounsaturated: 4.6

Cholesterol: 0

Sodium: 187.2

Potassium: 816.2

Carbs: 35.5

Fiber: 9.1

Sugar: 21.6

Protein: 12.6

Vitamin A: 95.6%

Vitamin C: 165.1%

Iron: 20.9%

Calcium: 23.6%

Berry & Veggie Breakfast Smoothie

For the next few mornings, I'm gonna give you a TON of great smoothies to get your day going. I did my little grocery run this past weekend, and was able to whip up 30 packs of veggies and fruits to freeze and save for an easy breakfast every morning for myself and the soon to be hubby man. It's a great way to utilize all the bulk veggies and fruits at a good price, and to be able to not give yourself the excuse of not eating well in the am!

In the picture above is the ingredients for this lovely little brekkie ... Just blend till smooth in your blender!

And now for the much anticipated nutrition information ... 

Calories: 270

Fat: 10

Saturated fat:1.7

Polyunsaturated fat: 2.9

Monounsaturated fat: 1

Cholesterol: 0

Sodium: 133.7

Potassium: 156.7

Carbs: 30.4

Fiber: 13.4

Sugar: 8.7

Protein: 15.9

Vitamin A: 204.3%

Vitamin C: 118.6%

Calcium: 28.8%

Iron: 20.5%

Acai Superfood Smoothie ... Crazy Healthy!

Good morning! And of course, happy new year. Now that it's the new year, it's always insane to see the mad rush of people at the gym and the influx of diet books and such at the stores. 

The worse part is that we all feel obligated to need a "resolution", but get so burnt out, we're done by February. Check the amount of people at the gym by the end of February! 

I feel like instead of resolutions that are arbitrarily made in the beginning of the year, we should live our days with intentions. I may sound like a yogi here, but I agree wholeheartedly with the lifestyle of daily intention. To allow yourself to notice the day for what is, and to more wholeheartedly realize why and what you're doing.

Healthy living and eating shouldn't be a punishment that is forced upon us once a year until it becomes intolerable, but a day to day lifestyle to enjoy feeling and looking good, on the inside and out!

Now that I am off my soapbox, I wanted to share a great morning smoothie that definitely makes me feel great! 

This is no doubt one of the easiest ways to pack in a ridiculous amount of nutrients in one shot. 

Even if I'm working that day, I'm full from when I finish around 6am to about 1030, when I like to have a snack and help keep my energy and insulin levels stable to help prevent me from being cranky and sassy. It's a great source of protein, veggies & tastes delish.

Does it look pretty? Hell no. 

Do the old people at work tell me I look like I drink science experiments? Hell yes. 

Does it taste great? Hell yea!

Let's begin ... 

-2 large handfuls of greens (I love a kale, chard & spinach blend)

-1/2 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt

-a splash of agave nectar (honey or pure maple syrup can sub, but I prefer to the low glycemic index of agave)

-a large tablespoon of flaxseed

-1 Acai pack ... I used Sambazon's

-1/2 cup almond milk (I also typically use coconut milk and love it!)

Be crazy and add extras!

Chia seeds & unsweetened coconut flakes are great add ins :)

1. Mix all your ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.

2. Youre done! I like the portable blender containers ... In a rush, I can make one of these in just a couple minutes and throw it in a cooler to have a post workout drink

now the best part ...

Nutritional Information

1 serving

Calories: 342

Fat: 7.8

Saturated Fat: 1.2

Polyunsaturated: 2

Monounsaturated: 1.5

Trans: 0

Cholesterol: 0 (yayyyy)

Sodium: 840

Potassium: 1761.2 (say whhhhhatttttt?!)

Carbs: 43.5

Dietary Fiber: 15.2

Sugars: 22.5

Protein: 24.2 (even better!)

Vit A: 493%

Vit C: 320%

Calcium: 78.8%

Iron: 85%

Tell me the last time a Sausage McMuffin packed that much nutrients!

Coconut curry tilapia with Farro

Hello all! Just had to share tonight's dinner ... It was simply ... Num.

While I have been on my savory kick lately, my other savory(ish) love is Thai and Indian inspired dishes.

I found this recipe a while ago, and unfortunately had only wrote down the ingredients. No cooking instructions, nothing else :) I also didn't have quite a few of the ingredients recommended, but hey ... Isn't that part of the fun? :) a lot of this was guess work but delicious none the less. 

Its sad how easily entertained I am. Curry makes me happy. Cumin makes me happy. Therefore this dish makes me happy. A meal for just about 330 calories and 28 grams of protein makes me estatic.

Sigh.

I'm lame.

Ingredients

Serves 5

-5 4 oz. tilapia loins

-2 tsp sesame oil

-1 tbsp ginger 

-1/2 cup diced shallots

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-1 tsp curry

-2 tsp red curry paste

-1/2 tsp ground cumin

-4 tsp reduced soy sauce

-1 tbsp brown sugar

-2 tsp fish sauce

-1 can light coconut milk

-1/4 cup(ish) cilantro

-a couple of pinches of dry basil (fresh if available)

-lime

-salt & pepper to taste

-siracha to splash on too

-Farro or whole grain side of your choice

1. Preheat broiler to high. In a large pan, spray with a spritz of EVOO from your misto or non stick cooking spray. Drizzle in a small amount of sesame oil. Toss in minced garlic and shallots, cook for a min or two.

2. Put in curry, red curry paste and cumin. Toss with garlic and shallots to cover. Cook for another minute or two, just to lightly toast your spices.

3. Add soy sauce, fish sauce and brown sugar just to slightly carmelize. Then add coconut milk and reduce heat just to slightly simmer.

4. Begin to cook your Farro per directions. Then, spray a baking sheet with EVOO. Sprinkle your tilapia with salt, pepper & pinches of dried basil. Squeeze lime juice over all loins and then place into your broiler. Cook for 5-8 min, depending on the thickness of your fishies.

5. Place your Farro on a plate, then your tilapia and drizzle with your sauce to your liking. Sprinkle siracha & diced cilantro on top :) 

Nutritional information

Calories: 334

Fat: 9

Saturated: 4.3

Monounsaturated: 1.5

Cholesterol: 25

Sodium: 495.6

Carbs: 35.7

Dietary fiber: 3

Sugar: 8

Protein: 28.4

Savory Slow Cooker Raspberry Pork & Thyme Quinoa

One of my favorite things I have in my kitchen is my slow cooker, much like many other people. I like that it allows me to embrace my lazy side, but still gives you tasty little creations. I also like that it naturally allows you to keep the moisture and tenderness of foods without having to add a ton of oils or fats to compensate.

Lately, I've been on a savory food kick .. part embracing winter, part using what I have bought for my budget for the month. 

I created this one to get some of the extra stuff out of the fridge to make way for next months shopping trip. And at about 329 calories per serving (pork and quinoa) and a whopping 29 grams of protein, I'm a happy (and full) lady!

So lets begin ... 

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients

-Boneless pork roast (mine was approx. 1 lb? .. I adore from Costco the pork loin that includes pork chops, pork roast, and a sirloin roast as well .. you get a TON for under $20 typically!)

-1 cup raspberries (I used frozen due to it being winter ... and it was leftovers from my smoothie recipes)

-1 tsp fresh thyme

-1 tsp fresh rosemary

-3 sliced sage leaves

-1 tsp EVOO

-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (one of the best parts of this recipe)

-1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

-6 minced garlic cloves

-1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt (or sea salt)

-1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the Quinoa

-1 cup dry quinoa

-1 tsp "Better than Bouillon" .. I used beef for this round ... feel free to go wild and use chicken or veggie

-1 tsp thyme

1. Turn your slow cooker on "low" and spray with a non stick cooking spray (or Misto that thing ... goodness I love my Misto)

2. Throw everything in ... I put my meat and berries in full on frozen. No defrost!

I like to coat the roast with all the ingredients to help let the flavors saturate and keep it tender

3. Cook on low for approx 6 hours ... I had off that day, so after 6, I switched it over to "warm" while I started the quinoa and had a glass o' red. It was in for a total of about 8 hours and did totally fine. 

4. Cook your quinoa per directions ... 1 cup quinoa typically needs 2 cups of stock ... I always throw in a splash of EVOO. At this time, also throw in your thyme.

5. While the quinoa was cooking, I felt like an au jus style sauce would be nice too for the meat. I love the contrast of the sweet raspberries with the acidy tang of balsamic, so I scooped about 1/4 cup of juice from the slow cooker and reduced it on high heat for approx 3-5 min. 

6. Serve. It was dude approved ... the fiance man had high remarks for it :)

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 329

Fat: 11.2

Saturated Fat: 2.7

Polyunsaturated: 0.2

Monounsaturated: 2.2

Trans: 0

Cholesterol: 74.3

Sodium: 131.1

Carbs: 28.4

Fiber: 3.2

Sugar: 5.3

Protein: 29

Iron: 19.7%

Dill & Herb Turkey Scallopini with Kale & Grains

Hello all! So I bring you tonight's din-din ... A plateful of healthy nummyness. This is adapted from a recipe I found on one of my favorite web sites, "Clean Eating". 

This is a fantastic resource of not only great recipes, but meal plans. I highly recommended!

If you would prefer the version that wasn't all messed up and adapted to what I had in my fridge, here's the original:

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/classics-made-clean/herbed-turkey-scallopine-with-lemon-dijon-kale/

I love when I think of a great recipe, and have this fantastic idea I have an amazingly stocked pantry ... And then find I have an old banana, a Fiber One brownie and pepper. That's how I felt going into this recipe.

But that's the beauty of food! And what I love about cooking ... Learning the flavors of foods, what you like and how they compliment each other. Thus in a pinch, you can still make something that is delish and goes down easy.

Serves 6

-1.5 lbs of turkey scallopini (if you're lucky) or turkey cutlets (if you have a meat cleaver)

-3 tbsp whole wheat flour

-2 tbsp dill

-2 tsp sesame seeds

-1/4 tsp sea salt & ground black pepper

-1/2 tsp paprika

-Olive oil cooking spray (or a steady hand with tiny splashes of EVOO)

-1 large scallion, minced

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-2.5 cups water with "Better than Bouillon" chicken or 2.5 cups chicken stock (low sodium)

-2 tbsp Dijon mustard

-2 tsp lemon juice

-1 package Trader Joes kale (16 oz) or fresh preferably

-grains of your choice ... I used a mix of basmati, lentils & oats

1. Mix flour, dill, salt & pepper, sesame seeds & paprika in a small bowl. If available, use fresh dill ... If not, I adore the freeze dried version

2. If you found the turkey already a la scallopini, then sprinkle the flour mixture on both sides of the meat. If not, get to hammering. Place each cutlet in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap (or a Baggie if it's not available) and mallet until thin. Take care to not hit holes in your meat (so worth the effort, BTW)

3. Heat a skillet with EVOO & begin to quickly cook your turkey cutlets. 

Tip: to keep warm, I set my oven to 170 & placed my cutlets one layer at a time. In between each layer, I placed a piece of aluminum foul sprayed with non stick cooking spray ... I wanted to keep those thin lil pieces as juicy and warm as possible! (And it worked!)

4. In the mean time, start your grain of choice. As always, I cook my grains with a splash of olive oil and sub chicken stock for water.

5.  In the same pan you cooked your turkey in, add an extra drizzle of olive oil and then sauté your onions and garlic for approximately 2-3 minutes.

6. Next add your stock, mustard and lemon until well mixed. Then add your kale. Take into 

consideration ...

If fresh kale, cook till kale is limp and you can reduce the sauce until thickened.

I only had frozen kale available to me, which made the sauce more watery. I ended up cooking the kale to the consistency I wanted, and then transferred it to a bowl so I could allow additional cooking time to my mustard sauce.

7. Remove turkey from warmed oven and serve!

I was able to make 2 dinners, freeze 2 additional meals and make 2 lunches that I kept in the fridge for this meal!

Nutritional information 

Calories 320

Fat: 7.1

Saturated: 1.2

Monounsaturated: 3.7

Polyunsaturated: 0.3

Cholesterol: 46.7 (low in cholesterol!)

Sodium: 452.3

Carbs: 34

Dietary fiber: 5.3

Protein: 27.1 (woohoo!)

Vitamin A: 92.5%!

Vitamin C: 53.3%!

Applesauce & Dijon Pork Tenderloin

Happy holidays to all! So I had a tasty little meal that I created for Christmas that I was hoping to post, but unfortunately my finger got into a battle with a serrated knife while attempting to make my own stuffing with stale bread. Blast you, Pain Rustique and your tasty, crusty crust! Alas, that meal was put on hold. When the finger is a little more presentable and I don't have resentment towards bread, I'll try again.

This little guy, on the other hand, was a little more finger friendly and incredibly nummy. The applesauce keeps it's super juicy, and super savory.

Ingredients

-pork tenderloin (the one I cooked was 1.25 lbs)

-3 sage leaves

-approx 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

-1/4 tsp salt (my favorite for cooking is pink Himalayan)

-1/2 tbsp brown sugar

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-1 cup applesauce (I like Trader Joes Big 'n Chunky, but I also recommend anything chunky and/or unsweetened)

-1 tsp fresh thyme

-1 small minced shallot

-2 tbsp Dijon mustard

-1 tbsp EVOO

1. Mix all your ingredients in a bowl and coat the pork tenderloin

2. I allowed mine to marinate overnight because I worked the next day

3. Heat oven to 375 ... For the size tenderloin I cooked, I baked it in a dish covered with aluminum foil for 20 min & then uncovered for an additional 20 min.

4. Remove from oven. I drained the excess applesaucey marinade from the pan & transferred to a sauté pan. Over high heat, reduce the sauce until slightly caramelized. 

5. Pour over tenderloin & serve!

Nutritional information

4 servings

Calories 250

Fat 8.5

Saturated fat 2.4

Polyunsaturated fat 0.2

Monounsaturated fat 2.8

Trans 0

Cholesterol 93.8

Sodium 403.8

Carbs 13

Protein 30 (yayyyy!)

Iron 10%

Breakfast Quinoa

I love a good warm breakfast cereal when the temperatures start to drop. This is my first winter down in Southern California and sad to say, I've already been spoiled by the perpetual nice weather ... I have been dying of cold these last couple weeks ... With it only being in the 40's. I'm a brat. After living in Reno & Tahoe for the past few years, and growing up with the icy cold winters of Philly, you would think I had more of a tolerance :)

Typically, I'm a fan of steel cut oatmeal, but I decided to start experimenting with quinoa in the mornings for its protein content (see how I live on the wild side?) This a delicious and filling breakfast ... Feel free to try to substitutes that I suggest below! You can start with the basics and really create a bunch of different tastes. Enjoy!

4 servings 

-1 cup quinoa

-2 cups coconut milk (and extra for the end ... 1 or so cups)

-4 tsp vanilla extract

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1/2 tsp nutmeg

-1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

-2 tablespoons flax seed

-1/2 tablespoon chia seed

Nummy things to add!

-fruit of your choice ... Bananas (I tried this for this round ... I used 2), peaches (frozen or fresh), cherries 

-1/4 cup nuts of your choice ... Almonds, pecans, walnuts 

-1/4 cup shredded coconut

For the calories & nutritional content noted below, I used bananas, pecans & shredded coconut

1. I substituted cooking my quinoa with coconut milk instead of water. In your pan, add all your base ingredients for your cereal ... Coconut milk, quinoa, flax seed, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg & cinnamon. Cook until all liquids are dissolved

2. Now this is a lovely thing about this recipe ... It's incredibly freezer friendly! In a large Rubbermaid container, I covered the bottom with a large spoonful of quinoa and then layered sliced bananas, a sprinkle of pecans & shredded coconut. Repeat until full. On top, I sprinkled the chia seeds. 

3. If you decide to eat this deliciousness now, pour a little more coconut milk on top. 

Nomnomnom ...

Calories

338

Fat: 16.9

Saturated: 1.9

Polyunsaturated: 3.9

Monounsaturated: 7.4

Cholesterol: 0

Sodium: 7.2

Carbs: 41.8

Dietary Fiber: 5.5

Protein: 7.9

Sweet potato hash and eggies

Good morning! This week I've had off quite a few days off in a row from work, so I have been enjoying a steady pace of cooking, pure barre classes ... And a glass or 2 3 of wine :)
This morning I woke up with a persisting cramp in my leg from all this working out that my butt is definitely not used to. Therefore I was on a search for extra potassium :)

This breakfast meal is savory & great on chilly mornings when other foods won't do. With the exception of the real egg I used, it's a healthy meal! You're more than welcome to perhaps try with egg whites if you prefer a lower cholesterol version, but all in all ... Eggies are a great source of protein. Even explained by the Mayo clinic, "eating too many eggs can increase your cholesterol, eating four egg yolks or fewer on a weekly basis hasn't been found to increase your risk of heart disease". http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/HQ00608

Let's get started!

4 servings

-1 medium sized sweet potato, diced
-2 medium sized sweet potatoes, diced
-1 medium sized red bell pepper, diced
-2 cups spinach
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 scallion, diced
-2 tsp EVOO
-<1 tbsp butter (I tend to use "Land O Lakes butter with olive oil". You're more than welcome to substitute with margarine of your choice, but I try to avoid processed foods)
-1.5 tsp dried sage or fresh if available
-1 tsp dried thyme or about 1 tbsp fresh
-salt to taste
-1 tsp red pepper flakes
-4 eggs

1. Throw your diced potatoes in a pan with the evoo, sauté until some edges begin to brown

2. At this time, add your garlic, scallions, seasonings and bell pepper - sauté until garlic and onions sweat.

3. In another pan, begin to cook your eggs to you and your family/guests liking. Me? I cook the thing all the way, over hard. If you like dippy eggs, I think it would be good here as well, but I'm crazy and fear food borne illness and have texture issues.

Feel free to sprinkle eggs with garlic salt and pepper too.

4. Toss your spinach on top of your hash and in small divided doses, places pieces of butter on top to allow to melt. 

Hint: I'm lazy. I hate cutting leafy things. But I have found it easiest to roll those suckers up like a burrito and dice that way.

5. After the butter melts, toss the spinach with the rest of the mixture and sauté until wilted. 

6. Serve! Enjoy!!

Nutritional information for each serving

4 servings

Calories: 213

Total fat: 10.5

Saturated fat: 2.8

Polyunsaturated: 1.4

Monounsaturated: 5.7

Cholesterol: 192.8mg

Potassium: 651.8mg

Sodium: 159.3mg

Total carbs: 21.5g

Dietary fiber: 2.8g

Protein: 8.9

Vitamin A: 164%! Woohoo!

Vitamin C: 93.1%!