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4
May
2013
 Crock Pot Recipe: Lentils, Chicken Sausage, Kale



I discovered this light and more natural chicken sausage at the grocery store the other day:

Lean chicken sausage

healthy chicken sausage

Most turkey and chicken sausage you find will be closer to 9-16 grams of fat per link, and will contain many more preservatives or additives. Since this sausage was so light, the taste was so-so. I would not recommend using these sausages for cooking in a mixed dish because of the lower fat content. They do not add flavor to the meal because they are so light (and typically, that is what you use sausage for!). These sausages would be much better grilled by themselves. Or, cook your dish first, and then add the sausage at the very end.

For recipes, I would use a slightly higher fat sausage–I tend to choose this Al Fresco brand  (or Aidell’s brand) when they have it at the store. Their products have 5-10 grams of fat.

Anyway, let’s move on to the recipe!

crock pot lentils with kale

Crock Pot Lentils with Kale and Sausage

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 shallot, minced (optional)
  • 2 tsp. minced or crushed garlic
  • 1.5 tsp. dried sage (fresh would be better)
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 10-12 oz. natural chicken or turkey sausage (not too low fat like the ones I used!), sliced
  • 1.5 cups dry lentils
  • 1 large bunch of kale, leaves torn from the stems
  • 1 cup water
  • 1.5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock (you may need to add a little more as it cooks down)
  • 1 cup red wine

Directions:

  1. Heat your crock pot on high. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables.
  2. Add olive oil, onions, shallots, garlic, and seasonings and allow to heat up in the crock pot.
  3. Next, add your sliced sausage, and stir to combine.
  4. Next add the lentils, liquids, and lastly, the kale.
  5. Cover and heat on high for about 1 hour.
  6. Reduce to low heat for 4-5 more hours.

This dish could cook all day if you were to go to work and come home for dinner. The lentils need a while to cook and soften. This is an easy, full of fiber, complete meal!

30
Apr
2013
 Brown Rice Triscuits vs. Whole Wheat Triscuits



A few years ago, I stopped buying most big brand crackers including Triscuits. The main reason was I realized all the crackers were made with a vegetable oil like soybean oil (which is pro-inflammatory). Plus, they usually contain some processed ingredients even if the first ingredient says “whole wheat”. Whole wheat doesn’t mean healthy all the time.

brown rice triscuit cracker

brown rice triscuits

Well, now Triscuit decided it would follow along with the brown rice health fad. Even though brown rice is gluten free, the crackers are not gluten free.

I did a comparison of the two. As you can see, the generic, original, reduced fat version is on the right.

are brown rice triscuits healthy

New Triscuit negatives: soybean oil, sugar, yeast extract (basically like MSG), lower fiber, lower protein, somewhat small serving size for the calorie level

Triscuit positives: Brown rice as first ingredient, contain some sweet potato, sodium is lower

Generic original reduced fat cracker negatives: higher sodium, TBHQ preservative, still contains some vegetable oils

Generic positives: More simple ingredients, less oils used, larger serving size for the calories, more fiber, more protein, more iron, cost about $1.00-0.70 less.

One big problem I have with the new Triscuit is that it seems like all they were trying to do is make an addictive cracker. Once you open the box, it is hard to stop. Probably because yeast extract is an addictive taste additive. I do like that they were trying to go a little more natural and use more brown rice. But, the third ingredient is still some type of white wheat!

In conclusion, I will very seldom buy these crackers, or any type of cracker like this because I still know there are healthier cracker options out there. However, I still like the Triscuit brand for trying to be better than the rest of the big brand crackers.

For now, it will be back to my Mary’s Gone Crackers!!

mary's gone crackers

16
Apr
2013
 Quinoa and Egg Breakfast Bake



I found this recipe from Whole Foods and Fit Sugar while on Pinterest.

What a  great idea it is! They use quinoa as the bottom “crust” part and then the egg filling with some spinach, and topped with a small amount of cheese.

quinoa breakfast bake

I only modified the recipe slightly because I used frozen spinach (and more of it) and a few other tweaks.

Quinoa and Egg Breakfast Bake

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon butter or butter substitute to grease the pan
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 6-7 eggs
  • 2-3 egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cup nonfat milk
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 3 tablespoon chopped onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
  • 1 cup finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese (and I mixed in some leftover Gruyere we had)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease your baking dish (the recipe called for an 8×8 dish, but I used an 11.5 x 8.75 baking dish). Do not use 9 x 13–it will be a little too big.
  2. Rinse your quinoa in a colander.
  3. Whisk together your eggs, spices, and milk. Stir in the quinoa.
  4. Pour into the baking dish. Then, stir a little and shake pan a little to let the quinoa fall to the bottom of the pan. Don’t worry–you probably won’t be able to see this, but it will work.
  5. Gently stir in your onions and spinach into the egg/quinoa mixture in the pan.
  6. Bake covered for about 40-45 minutes until it has set. Uncover and sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for another 17-20 minutes until golden.

quinoa egg bake

You could even eat this for lunch or dinner (I am going to eat for lunch today with a side of raw sliced peppers). It is the perfect balanced meal because it contains complete proteins, fiber, vegetables, and a pinch of fat ;-)

Tip: Make it ahead of time, the night before, and then you can just reheat in the morning. Since it takes a while to bake and cook, I made mine at about 9:30 pm and finished cooking it close to bedtime!

25
Feb
2013
 Healthy Mug Muffins



For a long time now, I have seen other bloggers posting their cake mugs or mug muffin ideas online. I didn’t think much of it because I immediately thought of it as an unhealthy cake.

But, you can easily turn it into a healthy snack or breakfast!

healthy mug muffin

healthy cake mug

I found this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie for the mug muffin pictured directly above. It came out great, so I used this as my starting point to make a healthier mug muffin.

Healthy Protein Mug Muffin

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 a banana (or 1 small) mashed–or you could use applesauce, sweet potato, or pumpkin
  • 2 Tbsp. brown rice protein powder
  • 2 Tbsp. oat flour
  • 2 packets stevia
  • 3-4 Tbsp. almond milk (or until the consistency of cake batter)
  • 1-2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • splash of vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • dash of cinnamon
  • pinch of walnuts or almonds for the top

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients until you get a cake batter consistency. Top with walnuts.
  2. Microwave about 60-75 seconds.
  3. Cool 2 minutes before attempting to eat. It will be VERY hot.

Approx Nutrition Facts: 300 calories, 35 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 9 g fat, 28 g protein, 38% of your DV for iron! Very low sugar–only from the banana.

Perfect nutrition for the morning. I ate some more cantaloupe, and the rest of the banana to go with it all!

23
Jan
2013
 Juicer Muffins



Huh? What?

Yes, juicer muffins! The perfect use for leftover juicer pulp:

juicer pulp

Look at all that shredded carrot pulp just waiting to be eaten.

I got a new and FREE juicer from NutriPro (more on that later), and now have all this excess plant material. I don’t want to be wasteful, so I whipped up this concoction:

carrot muffins

These “muffins” definitely seem like “health food” upon closer inspection and taste. But, they passed the Mr Cyclist taste test.

Ingredients (*I am not completely sure on this as I just threw ingredients in a bowl!):

  • 24 oz. (3 cups) carrot pulp leftover from juicing (mine had traces of celery and ginger in it)
  • 1 cup oat flour
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1  Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 12 packets stevia (about 3 Tbsp.)
  • 1-2 tsp molasses
  • 1-2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk (may need to add a little more until moist)
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Mix all together and bake in greased muffin tins at 375 F for about 20-23 minutes (or until the tops become a little more crisp).

juicer muffins

There is A LOT of carrot in these muffins. That is where they get the deep orange color from. Plenty of vitamin A!

20
Jan
2013
 Quinoa Guacamole Salad



I call this “guacamole quinoa” because that is what it tastes like: guacamole mixed with quinoa.

guacamole quinoa

This recipe is filling, tasty, and contains all the nutrients you need: Healthy fats, complete proteins, vegetables, fruit, high fiber, and a healthy carbohydrate.

I am not sure where I originally got this recipe idea from, but I know it was first adapted from Oh She Glows. I modified it to make it fit the ingredients I had at home, so here you go:

Quinoa Guacamole Saladavocado quinoa

Cooking time: About 30 minutes     Serves: About 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup dry quinoa (Mr Cyclist doubled this because he thought it wasn’t enough, but agrees that it should’ve been 1/2 cup)
  • 2 cups water with large pinch of salt or reduced sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 small can chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1/2  a pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 cups of fresh spinach or about 3/4-1 cup frozen and squeezed dry
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 avocados, sliced
  • 1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro (or you could use a tube of puree cilantro herb to season)

    Dressing (from the Diva Dish):
  • Juice of 1-2 lemons
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp. dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Cook quinoa according to package. Meanwhile, mix all your dressing ingredients together and prepare the rest of your ingredients.
  2. When the quinoa is near done, you can stir in your spinach and cilantro, and continue to heat until they are cooked in.
  3. Add the chickpeas, onions, garlic, and seasonings to quinoa.
  4. Add your dressing, then cool the quinoa. You can put it in the fridge for a little while or over a bowl of ice.
  5. Add in the tomatoes and avocado. Stir to combine until it is creamier. Put back in the fridge for another 5 minutes or so.

Serve with a cilantro garnish! You can also add some crushed red pepper for spice or a little chipotle chili powder.

quinoa avocado salad

Mr Cyclist says this wasn’t his favorite dish, and doesn’t want to make anymore cold quinoa dishes. He says he prefers it warm. So, if you like, try the dish warm and see if you like it better. I think it is good either way. I loved how easy it was to take to work for lunches. It is a complete meal all-in-one.

 

6
Nov
2012
 Superfood Dinner: Romano Crusted Salmon & Sliced Brussels Sprouts



I was tired of salmon stinking up my house, so I decided to bake it! Fish smell-free!

This recipe turned out delicious! And, the cheese “crust” is really not bad for you. I used olive oil mayo (a little better than regular mayo because it has less fat and more olive oil), gluten free almond crackers for the breading, and romano cheese! Romano cheese is pretty strong, so you don’t need a lot.

Romano Crusted Salmon

Makes extra breading. I put what I don’t need inside a zip-top baggy, and save for chicken another night!

Ingredients:

  • 1 box blue diamond nut-thins (any variety is fine–I chose almond for a nutty flavor)
  • Approx. 3.5-4 oz. Romano cheese (can use Parmesan if that is what you have), sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • Pepper
  • 4 Tbsp. olive oil mayo *Use just enough to combine the cracker crumbs/cheese together
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 lb. wild salmon or steelhead fish

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until you have what looks like bread crumbs.
  3. Pour half the “bread crumbs” into a bowl and combine with the mayo. Reserve the other half of the “bread crumbs” for another night.
  4. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Place the fish skin-side-down, and squeeze half a lemon over the fish.
  5. Press down your cheese/cracker topping on top of the fish with a spoon, and you can use your hands (just make sure to wash well after).
  6. Bake about 15 minutes.

For the brussels sprouts, slice them up length-wise. Saute them lightly (with about 1 Tbsp. olive oil) in a large saute pan. Add salt, pepper, and dried minced onion. Cook on medium for about 8-10 minutes. If you like, you could grate some leftover romano over top of the sprouts!

The reason I call this a superfood dinner is from all of the healthy omega-3′s in the fish, and the potent antioxidants in the brussels sprouts! An added bonus is that brussels sprouts are coming into season now.

2
Nov
2012
 Pumpkin Apple Protein Bake… Attempt 1



I tried to create a no sugar added, high protein bar. It turned out more like a bread pudding…

At least it looks pretty. Tastes similar to a french toast almost.

I used quinoa flakes, brown rice flour, milk, 1 egg, egg whites, stevia, chopped apples, applesauce, pumpkin, spices, and walnuts. It really wasn’t too bad, it just turned out too moist.

Back to the kitchen!! When I figure it out perfectly I will post the recipe.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

16
Oct
2012
 Naked Shrimp Burrito



Oh no, these shrimp are missing their burrito shell!

Leaving off the tortilla usually saves about 200 calories, and saves you from white processed carbohydrates and sometimes nasty trans fat! Plus, an added bonus is that you get to eat all the yummy filling, and leave off the flavorless shell.

Naked Shrimp Burrito

Makes about 3 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry brown rice
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped or use 5 frozen cilantro cubes (can find a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods)
  • 1-2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. dried ground chipotle pepper
  • 1/2 lb. frozen shrimp, thawed, deveined and peeled (about 7 shrimp per person)
  • 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large green pepper (or 2 small), sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. dried ground chipotle pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Prepare the brown rice according to the package, and add a pinch of salt to the water. Add the next 4 ingredients after the rice and water when the rice has about 10 minutes left of cooking. Stir to combine, then put the saucepan lid back on to cook together the remaining 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then, add the green pepper along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook about 3 more minutes until slightly softened.
  3. Combine the thawed shrimp in another bowl with the taco seasoning, minced garlic, cumin, chipotle, and garlic powder. Add the shrimp mixture to the pepper/onion mixture. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir and cook until the shrimp have all cooked through (about 4 more minutes).
  4. Taste test your rice and shrimp mixture to see if you like the flavor. You can always add an extra pinch of spiciness if you like hot food.
  5. Serve the shrimp and peppers over top of the black beans and brown rice. Garnish with cilantro if you like, or add salsa on top, or maybe some avocado!

Makes a balanced meal, full of fiber and nutrients, and packed with flavor!

4
Oct
2012
 Pumpkin Protein Pancakes



I created a variation on my quinoa protein pancakes that I often make and freeze ahead for the next week. Pumpkin recipes are every where. Why not in my breakfast!

The pumpkin replaces the fat in the recipe, but also adds loads of vitamin A and some iron and manganese too!

For the recipe, click here. And, instead of the applesauce, use canned pumpkin! That’s it!

And here is what they look like when cooking. Don’t worry that they are a little more thick than normal pancakes. They come out smooth and very moist.

Happy Fall! Now, time to get outside and enjoy the weather!

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