Perfect Post-Workout Snack

Typical Monday night....I spontaneously decided that I NEEDED to make homemade granola bars immediately, and thus set about creating the following deliciousness from ingredients that I had in my kitchen.  The nutrition stats are pretty great and they're perfect for a post-workout refueling snack.

The Stats:

• Calories:  150
• Fat:  6g (all good fats)
• Fiber:  2g
• Sugar:  9g (a little high, but no refined sugar was used, so I feel okay about it)
• Protein:  5g

Ingredients:

• 2 c. Unsweetened Almond Breeze Almond Milk/Coconut Milk Blend
• Cinnamon (to taste)
• 1 c. Quinoa (uncooked)
• 2 single-serving packs of Kirkland's Fruit&Nuts Mix (a mix of almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, and dried cherries)
• 4 tsp. Golden Flax Seeds
•  1 c. Organic Agave Nectar
•  1/3 c. Maranatha Natural Almond Butter (unsweetened)
•  1/3 c. Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter (unsweetened)
• 2 c. Old Fashioned Oats

 Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• In a saucepan, bring Almond Breeze, Cinnamon, and Quinoa to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed
• Transfer to a bowl and allow to chill
• Put the Fruit&Nuts Mix into a food processor with the Flax Seeds and pulse until coarsely chopped (be careful not to process too long, or you'll wind up with nut butter!)
•  In a separate bowl, mix the Agave, Almond Butter, and Peanut Butter until combined
• Add the chopped Fruit&Nuts mix and the Oats to the chilled quinoa and stir until blended
• Pour the Agave/Nut Butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to coat
• On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, press the mixture evenly in a thin layer
• Bake for 20 minutes
• Allow to cool before cutting
• Individually wrap bars in wax paper and chill to hold shape

ENJOY!!!

Buffalo Chicken Burger

All of my favorite fitness magazines are featuring burger recipes this month.  This one from Oxygen Magazine is really delicious.  As usual, I tweaked it a bit for my own tastes, and it came out just delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground chicken
• 1/4 c. green onion, finely chopped (scallions)
• 2 tbsp. hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot)
•  1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

• mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• I baked them for 30 minutes at 375 because I don't have a grill, but grilling is probably better
• Place on a multigrain roll with a bit of lite ranch, some lettuce, and cucumbers

Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers

And, I'm back!  It was a long hiatus, but I'm back with new recipes, renewed faith in what clean eating can do for my body, and best of all, a new last name!

Here's a delish recipe for Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers that I tweaked from a recipe I found in Women's Health:

Ingredients:

• 1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 c. chopped red onion
• 3/4 c. shredded carrots
• 1/2 c. dry quick cooking oats (you could also use quinoa or brown rice)
• 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a food processor ad pulse until combined.
• Form into 4 patties (or, if too thin, spoon onto grill pan and cook like a pancake)
• Spray a grill pan with nonstick spray
• Heat pan, and cook until browned on both sides

Enjoy!!

Vegan Banana Pumpkin Bread with Chopped Fig

I may or may not have posted a similar recipe before, but I couldn't locate it on here, so here it is for possibly the second time.  This time, instead of raisins, I chopped up 15 dried Mission Figs...delicious flavor!


Ingredients:

• 3 small, overripe Bananas, mashed
• 1, 15 oz. can Pumpkin Puree
• 1.5 c. Unsweetened Applesauce
• 4 c. Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 c. Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 1/3 c. Stevia in the Raw
• 1 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick spray.

Combine all wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl

Add dry ingredients in the order listed, and stir until just combined.  Then, fold in the chopped figs

Pour into 2 loaf pans, and bake for 60 minutes at 350 until toothpick comes out clean

Even clean eaters like something cheesy

Here's a healthier substitute for Mac and Cheese, made with Quinoa.  Cook 1/2 c. of quinoa according to package directions.  Mix it with 1/4 c. skim milk, 1/2 c. reduced fat Cheddar, 1 c. steamed broccoli, and some garlic powder.  Yum!

Thanksgiving in February

Last night, I made a delicious Thanksgiving-esque dinner for Brad and myself.  It turned out fabulous, and looked really pretty :)

Ingredients:

• 1 Turkey Breast Half, bone-in
• 10-15 small Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 10-15 small Red Bliss Potatoes
• 20 oz. Simply Orange Juice
• Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• Oregano
• 4 Clementines, sliced

In a large roasting pan, line the bottom with Clementine slices.  Place the turkey breast on top, and rub with spices.  Cover with more Clementine slices.  Pour the orange juice into the pan, and surround the turkey with potatoes.  Cover with foil  Bake at 325 for 3-4 hours (remove the foil for the last hour) until it reaches an internal temperature of 170.  Baste frequently to prevent drying.

So good!

Chicken and Avocado Wrap

Another delicious Oxygen recipe.  Perfect post-workout!

On a low carb whole wheat wrap, 1/4 c. reduced fat mozzarella cheese, 4 oz. baked/chilled chicken breast, 6 slices avocado, and shredded carrot.

Clean Chicken and Vegetable Stew

This past weekend, I was again craving soup.  This time, I added extra lean ground chicken, amped up the veggies, and tried some new spices.  I threw in a teaspoon of cinnamon, and it unexpectedly (and amazingly) turned out to be a really dominant flavor of the dish.  It gave it sort of an earthy, middle eastern vibe, and the red pepper flakes really cleared my stuffed up sinuses.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Extra Lean Ground Chicken
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 small Onions, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Coriander (Cilantro)
• 2 small Zucchini, chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 10-15 Baby Carrots, sliced
• 2 c. Broccoli, chopped
• 4 c. Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
• 1 28-oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• 1 c. Quinoa
• 1.5 tbsp. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, minced
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, and Pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute the chicken, onion, green onion, and garlic in the olive oil until cooked through.  Then add the cinnamon and coriander

Add all fresh vegetables to the pot and stir until combined

Add tomatoes, broth, and quinoa and bring to a boil.  Then let simmer for 20 minutes

Add lemon juice and seasonings, and Enjoy!

Clean Curry Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from Oxygen magazine, and adapted it a bit.  It's perfect for lunch, and the flavor is incredible.  On Sundays, I bake 4-5 chicken breasts, rubbed in just garlic powder and black pepper and keep in the fridge for various uses throughout the week.

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. Cooked Chicken Breast
• 2 tbsp. Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 stalk Celery, chopped
• 1 tsp. Curry Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Shred the chicken with a fork (or by hand), mix everything together in a bowl.  Eat plain or on a whole wheat wrap.  The flavor of the curry makes this way more exciting than typical chicken salad, and the Greek yogurt ups the protein factor.

Vegetarian Navy Bean, Kale, and Zucchini Soup

I've been in such a soup mood lately.  This recipe is very similar to the Minestrone Soup recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago, but I tweaked the ingredients and spices a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 10-15 baby carrots, sliced
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 large zucchini, diced
• 1 c. broccoli, chopped
• 1, 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 4 c. low-sodium Vegetable Broth
• 2 c. water
• 1 can Navy Beans
• 4 c. Kale, shredded into bite size pieces
• Spices to taste:  sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, dried basil

Saute the onion garlic, carrot and celery in olive oil for 5-8 minutes.  Add all other fresh vegetables and diced tomatoes.  Stir in broth and water.  Bring to a boil and add beans, kale, and spices.  Simmer until tender ~35 minutes.  ENJOY