Recipes Galore

I really outdid myself in the recipe department this week.

Chicken taco bowls

Scallops and asparagus

Sweet potato hash

First up: Chicken taco bowls

By far one of the easiest recipes! I throw the chicken in the crock pot in the morning. Get home and shred it. Done. BUT you can’t just use a taco seasoning packet…so, I made my own and it is sooo good! Check it out: http://chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com/2010/05/taco-seasoning.html?m=1

I followed this recipe and its great! I used chicken, but you could definitely use another meat if you’d prefer! And you can make it in larger quantities and store it in the cupboard. I put tomato, cilantro, and squeezed lime juice in my food processor to make a salsa for the chicken and added avocado.

Next: Scallops and asparagus

MY FAVORITE dish so far! Yum! And easy. Sauteed the scallops in a pan with olive oil and sprinkled sea salt and pepper. About 3 minutes per side and they are done! I grilled the asparagus with lemon juice, olive oil, onion powder, salt and pepper. The scallops were so rich and delicious. Definitely a treat!

Did you know scallops are really good for you!??

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=105

DESSERT!

I got desperate and needed dessert..bad. So, I created one. In my handy dandy food processor I threw a frozen banana, teaspoon of pure vanilla, half handful of chia seeds, almond butter, and unsweetened almond milk to smooth. Eat with a spoon. Amazing, banana almond butter custard. And its good for you.

Last but NOT least: Sweet potato hash

A sweet potato dish I like! Shout out to Jordan Faulder for this fabulous dish. She has said she tried it on a trip to Dallas and fell in love. So glad she shared because I did as well! These are the directions she gave me. I followed them exactly and had great results.  She noted that you can add any veggies that you want.

Ingredients:

- Sweet potato

- Bacon (from whole foods - it's organic and make sure you get the nitrate free bacon if you choose to use it)

- Red Pepper

- Garlic

- Avocado

- Green Onions

- Olive Oil

- Salt/Pepper

- Farm Fresh Egg

First, I preheat the oven to 400 degrees and I put the bacon on a cooking sheet lined with tin foil and I cook it in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. Bacon in the oven is  so stinkin good.

In the meantime I cubed the sweet potato. I left the skin on, but feel free to peel first. Mince a clove or two of garlic, cut the pepper into pieces, and slice the green onions.

I sautéed the garlic for a couple minutes in a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium heat in a pan. May need to add a little more as potatoes soak up the oil fast. Next, I added the cubed sweet potatoes and turn the heat up a little bit and cook those until they are soft. I added in the pepper last and continued cooking for about 3-5 more minutes.

At this point you can add any remaining ingredients. I didn’t add the avocado or egg until it was plated.

Feel free to send any recipes or ideas my way! 

Check In: Week One

Check In: Week One

So, here it is. Week one in the books.

Am I surviving?

            Barely. Just kidding! Kind of.

Have I lost weight?

            The scale said so, but I can’t really tell if its made a physical difference yet.

Do I feel better?

            The biggest physical change I can feel is feeling consistently less bloated. In the past I have had some issues with stomach pain and digestion. I haven’t had any of these issues in the past week. However, I know it is still early on in the process.

So far, this has been one of the more challenging things I have ever done. The biggest struggles include the amount of prep time required to get everything together and more than frequent trips to the store. I feel like I’m at the grocery store at least 3 days a week buying a ton of veggies and fruit. By the end of the week I officially have an empty fridge and fine myself scrounging for food.

Getting creative has been the only way to turn a standard dish into something more. I love red pepper flakes and cumin! 

What I’ve learned:

Those GMOs we talked about? They are EVERYWHERE! And the meat that is USDA Organic and Non-GMO is very expensive and practically still has the feathers on it. That kinda grosses me out. Also, the only places you can find organic and non-GMO foods is Sprouts and Whole Foods. Occasionally I can find a product at Fry’s (Bakers/Kroger equivalent) in the health food section. Did you know that almond butter can cost over $20 for 8 ounces? I literally laughed out loud in the aisle. Forget it. You can grind it yourself at Whole Foods for much cheaper and much fresher.

It IS becoming easier. Even though I find myself near tears on nights where I just don’t want to cook anything, I am enjoying the process. I do wish food would magically appear most nights, but unfortunately it doesn’t. Oh, what I would do for easy Kraft mac 'n cheese just one night...I usually don’t get to eat dinner until about 8:30 because of prep time after work. The only days I eat closer to 7 pm are the days that I throw chicken in the crock-pot.

Next weeks challenge: find good crock-pot recipes that will allow me to decrease prep time at night and last me more than a few days.

Prepping for the Week

I've decided to face my biggest challenge head on before the week starts: Preparation.

What got prepped? 

Garlic Hummus

Boiled Eggs

Spaghetti squash

Cutting fruits (apples, strawberries, blackberries) and veggies (cucumbers)

Wow, that sounds like it would've taken 5 minutes. Ha, no. Two hours later…But this also includes putting foods in containers and baggies for the week. 

Disclaimer: As I start posting recipe I want you to know that I have a tendency to make my own or alter recipes as I deem necessary. I also tend to go through my cupboards and throw in whatever sounds interesting. If you so choose to imitate any recipes, I'm not responsible for them being bad. Feel free to add whatever you want too, especially CHEESE!

Garlic Hummus 

(followed basic guidelines, however added my own stuff)

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/13-different-ways-make-hummus

1 can garbanzo (chickpea) beans

2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used fresh)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Add water as needed for smooth consistency

1/3 cup tahini sauce (non-GMO for me). These are ground sesame seeds...I didn't know either.

2 cloves garlic

Sprinkled parsley

Sprinkled salt/pepper

Spagetti Squash (no recipe, made it up) 

1 squash 400 degrees x55 min or so…until soft enough (will depend on size of squash)

1.5 garlic cloves

Basil

Mushrooms

2 Roma tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Splash balsamic 

Red wine vinegar (not necessary I'm sure)

In a pan I sautéed all ingredients other than the squash for a few minutes, then added the squash. To get the spaghetti squash out of the squash use a fork to go against the grain. It will look like pasta. 

Since the squash takes forever to bake, I made the hummus, cut up all the fruits and veggies for the week and for this dish. My favorite part about spaghetti squash is that it lasts a couple meals, maybe even more depending on the size of the squash. You can make spaghetti squash whatever you want it to be. To me, spaghetti squash is a pasta or white potato substitute!

To follow up on the snacks…I have found a new one! Banana with almond butter. Basically a dessert. Also, boiled eggs, raw almonds, and berries. 

AND another go to? Egg white omelette with cilantro, tomato, and avocado. Today was the first day that I decided egg white omelets don't taste very good without cheese. I think I will have to mix up the ingredients. 

Thank you so much for the continuous support and feedback! So many of you have sent recipes and suggestions my way and it means so much! 

Snacks are Our Friends

I officially feel like I’m back in Ireland and trekking to the store every day. Every. Single. Day. Woof. And I still feel like I have nothing to eat. 

If I end up losing weight from this ordeal there is a very good chance (actually guaranteed) that most of it will probably come from never sitting down and having to prepare food for every waking second I’m not at work. Or researching what to eat. Or grocery shopping. Or blogging to avoid cooking.

Today’s saving grace? Protein energy bites that I slaved over for half of my evening last night. Definitely a nice addition to my sparse diet today. Check them out. Yes, they look like uncooked meat balls, but they are actually very good. Basically, I threw honey, almond butter (unsalted), chia seeds, oats, raw protein powder into my Ninja and let ‘er rip. I may have thrown in a little almond milk to move things along. No, I did not measure out anything. Sorry. I rolled them into balls and threw them in the fridge. They are great ‘space savers’ for my stomach. The only downfall is the massive amount of chia seeds that get stuck in my teeth. Yes, that’s a personal problem but also a disclaimer.

So far, the hardest thing about making it through the day is snacks. I have a nice supply of raw almonds at my desk that are great for snacking on and I bring a few pieces of fruit and/or berries and veggies as well. BUT I feel like they digest so quick!

WANTED:

Seeking suggestions for, 'stomach savers,' also known as protein filled (other than my protein bites) snacks other than fruits or veggies.

Sincerely,

Your Hungry Friend

P.S. I miss cheese. 

Day ONE

Day One: I’m famished.

Day one is in the books. Seriously, this is going to be harder than I thought. I definitely thought it would be a breeze. Hopefully this is just because I didn’t plan well enough and need to pack more protein and acceptable snacks.

Breakfast: 

             One large grapefruit and 1/4 cup coffee

Snack: 

             Raw almonds

 

Lunch:

            Chickpea salad: I just used organic canned low sodium chickpeas, red bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, squeezed lemon and lime juice, a little sea salt and pepper.

            Strawberries/blackberries

          

Snack: 

            Large apple

            Green tea

Dinner: 

            Grilled salmon topped with an avocado salsa

            Grilled asparagus

            Cilantro lime quinoa

Looking back this looks like a lot, but it doesn't feel like it!

Challenge: Kale and Sweet Potatoes

Challenge: Kale and Sweet Potatoes

T-minus 2 days until go time.

First up: Kale

So good! I followed a recipe from: http://hannahsglutenfreeadventure.tumblr.com/post/72475861726/kale-chips-two-types

I loved both kinds. I made a roasted red pepper and Parmesan. I preferred the roasted red pepper because I liked the spice! Definitely will make again! I could not believe how crisp and ‘chip-like’ they came out! Big fan.

I looked up the health benefits of kale and found them to be very high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory effects, and vitamins (especially Vitamins K and E). I also came across this website: 

http://health.heraldtribune.com/2012/09/25/kale-good-nutrition-for-you-just-dont-overdo/

That breaks down the health benefits of kale and encouraging first timers to not 'over do it'. ;)

Next: Sweet Potatoes

Typically I am not a huge sweet potato fan. I honestly get a little grossed out by the idea of taking a bite of one if served as a normal baked potato would be. I do love sweet potato fries though…so here was my effort at making them myself.

Amazing. I altered the recipe just a smidge. I didn’t have chili powder so I used roasted red pepper flakes and garlic powder.

http://www.girlsgonesporty.com/recipes/best-sweet-potato-fries-recipe/#_a5y_p=1209552

Health benefits of sweet potatoes? Apparently they also have high inflammatory effects like kale. Sweet potatoes are especially high in beta-carotene and Vitamin A. 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

Definitely will make these again. As a whole,  this weeks' challenges were a huge success.