Whole Wheat Shells with Asparagus, Spring Peas, Shallots, and Garlic in a Fresh Lemon and Olive Oil Vinaigrette with Slivered Almonds, Fresh Parsley, Chives, and Mint

Ingredients:

Ingredients

• 1 box Whole Wheat Medium Shell Pasta
• 3 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 4 Shallots, finely chopped
• 1 lb. Asparagus, cut in 1/2 inch slices
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 c. Spring Peas
• 1/2 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• Zest from 1 Lemon
• Juice from 1 Lemon
• 1 c. Mixed Herbs, chopped (I used parsley, chives, and mint)
• 1/2 c. Slivered Almonds
• Sea Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Instructions:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, leaving around 1/2 cup of water in the pot
• Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large pan.  Add shallots and saute until soft and fragrant, 4-5 minutes
• Add asparagus and garlic, and saute 3-4 minutes
• Add peas and saute for another 2-3 minutes
• Add the vegetable mix to the pasta and stir over low heat until a "sauce" forms
• Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl
• Add the parmigiano-reggiano, lemon zest, lemon juice, rest of the olive oil, herbs, almonds, and spices and toss to coat

Avocado Egg Salad

Avocados are my new obsession.  I've only recently discovered that I like them, and now I like to try to incorporate them into recipes.  I've blogged before about making Clean Egg Salad using only the egg whites and subbing fat free Greek Yogurt instead mayo.  Adding avocado kicks this recipe up a notch.  It's packed with vitamins and healthy fats, and it really amps up the taste....the color takes a little while to get used to, but it's kind of like Green Eggs and Ham...minus the ham.

Ingredients:

• 4 Hard Boiled Egg Whites
• 1/2  an Avocado, mashed
• 2 tbsp. Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp. Spicy Mustard
• Spices to taste including Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder, and NuSalt

Instructions:

Cut the avocado into chunks.  To preserve the other half of the avocado, lightly coat the cut side in lemon juice, place into a ziplock bag, and refrigerate...you can usually get another day or 2 out of it this way

Mash the avocado with a potato masher

Add the egg whites (a little yollk residue is okay, but avoid adding to much yolk)

Mash the eggs, add the yogurt, mustard, and spices, and stir until well combined

The nutrition stats for this dish are pretty fantastic.  250 calories, 15 grams of fat (all from the avocado), 21 grams of protein, and 7 grams of fiber, plus lots of vitamins!

I usually eat this on top of a bed of baby spinach leaves.  It's literally the perfect lunch.

Have a Healthy 4th of July! :)

Hello All!  I bring you some deliciously healthy, vegetarian, and summery dishes to spice up any summer party:

First, here is a Quinoa Black Bean Salad (serves 8):

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked Quinoa
• 1 can low sodium black beans
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 handfuls sugar snap peas, halved
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 medium sized carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tbsp. lime juice
• chili powder
• cumin
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• celtic sea salt

Instructions:

• Bring 4 cups of water to a boil; add Quinoa and reduce heat to simmer; cover and simmer 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed; set aside
• Place all vegetables and garlic in large skillet with 2 tsp. olive oil and lightly saute for 3-4 minutes to release flavors (vegetables should remain crispy).  During last minute of saute, add cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, and a dash of sea salt (all spices are to taste)
• In a small container, make the dressing:  whisk the remaining olive oil with the lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper
• In a large container (or serving bowl) mix the quinoa, veggie mixture, and dressing together
• Refrigerate and serve chilled

sauteeing the veggies

Quinoa is such a cool looking grain...additionally, it is high in protein and in fiber

Finished Product!

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 Next up is a chilled lentil salad with spinach, broccoli, zuchini, and red onion in a lemon-garlic vinaigrette (serves 8).  Lentils are great because they have the highest protein content of any legume and they also don't require pre-soaking like most other dried beans

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry lentils, uncooked
• 2 handfuls baby spinach, shredded by hand
• 1 cup chopped broccoli 
• 1 small zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 oz. feta cheese, finely diced
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic

 
 Instructions:

• In a pot, place the lentils in enough water to cover them by 1 inch; bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender (this should be done slightly in advance to allow the lentils to cool)
• Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and minced garlic
• In a large container, mix the lentils, spinach, onions, zucchini, broccoli, and feta
• Add the dressing, and stir to mix
• Serve chilled!

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Another delicious summer salad, inspired by my friend Dan, is a 5-Bean Salad with Orzo:


Ingredients:

• 1 can low sodium Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium White Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can low sodium Golden Corn, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• White Pepper
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 package of Orzo, cooked according to package directions

Instructions:

• Whisk together white pepper and balsamic vinegar
• Mix the cooked orzo with the beans, cilantro, and onion
• Pour the dressing over and mix gently
• Serve chilled!

Hope these delicious recipes inspire you to bring a little health and clean eating to your next barbeque or party!

Happy Independence Day!!

A bit of spice...

As you can probably tell from most of my recipes, I enjoy using a multitude of different spices in my cooking and baking.  Spices are good for more than just flavor.  Most are actually antioxidants, so in cooking and baking, the more you add, the better!


Today's baking adventure was a recipe I got from the lovely Jamie Eason (who loves spices as much as I do) for Carrot Cake Protein Bars.  Ever since I started my new job, I have been having some difficulties keeping my energy up throughout the day.  It's so busy that there is little time to drink anything let alone throw some food in my mouth.  At the end of the day I wind up dehydrated, starving, and often with a headache (which makes workout # 2 of the day all the more unappealing).  I sent an e-mail to Jamie regarding this topic, and she suggested making various kinds of protein bars that would be easy to transport and that I could grab small bites of throughout the day.  Like myself, Jamie also eats clean, so her recipes are both perfect, and easy.  They turned out really delicious, but the main ingredient is baby food carrots, and purchasing them at Shop Rite was an experience in itself.  On my left was a mom who asked me if my baby liked a particular brand of organic food.  I proceeded to turn stutter that I don't have a child, I'm just buying baby food for a recipe.  Then, as I was leaving the aisle, with said jars of baby food in my cart, an older woman remarked on the growing numbers of teen moms in this town.  That being said, I was reallllllly hoping these bars turned out to be worth it.  And they did!

Carrot Cake Protein Bars 

 

• 1 cup Oat Flour (if you buy this in the super market, it's expensive.  I made my own by putting a cup of old fashioned oats in my Magic Bullet and blending it until it was finely ground)
•  2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (any type you like it is fine.  I use Elite Whey's Gourmet Vanilla.  I find it to be the least protein-y of all the protein powders I've tried, and it has no sugar, which is a huge bonus)
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. Allspice
• 4 Egg Whites
• 3/4 cup Truvia (I use Truvia because it's one of few truly natural calorie-free sweeteners.  Feel free to use Splenda if you prefer)
• 8 oz. Baby Food Carrots (jars are usually 4 oz. each, so 2 jars.  I use Earth's Best Organic Baby Food Carrots for no particular reason other than that it had less sugar in it than Gerber)
• 4 oz. Water 

 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Grease an 8x8 Pyrex with non-stick spray
3.  In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, protein powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt
4. In a small bowl, mix the egg whites, Truvia, carrots, and water
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend well with a wire whisk
6. Pour the mixture into the Pyrex and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
7. Once cooled, cut into 16 squares

 

For any WW friends out there, this recipe is just 1 point per square...full of protein, fiber, and antioxidants :o)

 

 

 

Today on my trip to Vitamin World to re-stock my supply of Elite Whey and Brad's supply of Emergen-C, I came across an Egg White Protein powder made by Jay Robb.  I bought a single serve packet of the strawberry flavor, and I'm curious to see how it blends and tastes compared to whey.  I'm hoping it tastes better since it has similar nutritionals and is also sugar free.  

I will conclude this long and rambling post with a photo of my dinner tonight.  Another variation of vegetarian "chili" made with soy crumbles, salsa, spinach, peas, black beans, water chestnuts, and brown rice served in 2 of the Magic Pop rice cakes I mentioned before.  Delish!

"Oh wow...that looks awesome. What is it?"

At work, my breakfasts and lunches are always attracting attention.  I can't say that I mind.  If I am proud of the things I make, I tend to enjoy eating them more.  Tonight's dinner will also be tomorrow's lunch, which I am sure will garner the usual attention from the 1st floor therapy crew.  I used this week's challenge food (the Acorn Squash).  I made up the recipe myself, so I will re-create it here (lucky for me - and you, I measure basically everything to figure out the points, so it makes recipe making easier).

Stuffed Acorn Squash with Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients - serves 2

• 1 medium sized Acorn Squash (either orange or green is fine)
• 1/8 tsp. Olive Oil
• Chili Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 c. canned Low Sodium Black Beans, drained and rinsed well
• 1/4 c. sliced Water Chestnuts, drained and rinsed well
• 1 c. Morning Star Meal Starters Soy Crumbles
• 2/3 c. Salsa
• 1/2 c. fresh Spinach leaves

 Instructions

Squash:

1. Cut squash in half with sharp knife and scoop out guts
2. Brush the squash with the olive oil, and season it with chili powder and red pepper flakes
3. Place the halves cut side down in a pyrex with an inch of water
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the tops begin to brown (don't under cook)
5. Remove from oven, flip halves face up, and drain water.  Let cool

Vegetarian "Chili":

1. Spray a skillet with cooking spray
2. Throw in Soy crumbles and start to brown
3. Add more chili pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
4. Add in black beans, water chestnuts, and spinach and saute about 5 minutes
5. Add salsa and continue to cook 2 minutes more

Spoon the "chili" into the squash halves, and ENJOY!  Who doesn't love an edible bowl?? (make sure to eat the actual flesh of the squash as you eat the chili).  I think I might use this idea to serve squash and pumpkin soup when I host Thanksgiving this year!

Pre-bake...cut, scooped out, and seasoned

"Chili" Mixture - soy crumbles, black beans, water chestnuts, and spinach

Finished Product!  So pretty :o)

Close-Up

My dessert tonight is pretty delicious at well.  6 oz. Fage Total 0% fat free Greek yogurt, mixed with 1 tsp. Truvia and 1/3 c. craisins.  Put the mixture in the freezer for a couple hours, sprinkle it with a few mini chocolate chips = ice cream treat!

Hello, Lover

It's only Tuesday, but I'm liking this week :o)