Szechuan Peppercorn Fish Marinade

May 19th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I recently posted my new favorite marinade and/or sauce for fish here. The marinade is made of spicy, numbing szechuan peppercorns, olive oil, mayo, garlic, lemon, and Thai red chili paste.

It is amazing! It kind of reminds me of sriracha sauce (also a new favorite of mine).

sriracha

Anyway, we have perfected the recipe ingredients, so here you go:

Ingredients:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
  • 2 tsp. szechuan peppercorns, ground (you can do this with a spice grinder or mortar and pestle)
  • 1-2 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
  • 3 Tbsp. roasted red chili paste
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. crushed garlic
  • pinch of salt

Pour this mixture on the fish:

szechuan fish sauce

We have also used the sauce on white fish, and it turned out just as tasty!

spicy fish recipe

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Crock Pot Recipe: Lentils, Chicken Sausage, Kale

May 4th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

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!

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What’s for Lunch?

April 24th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Eats of the Week - (1 Comments)

I am a big fan of packing lunches for my day. I used to pack lunch the night before, but now I mostly do it in the morning. I just make sure I set enough time to do it–and it only takes 5-10 minutes! The payoff is huge. You save calories and a lot of money by eating packed lunches.

I recommend this to my patients all the time, but they complain that it takes too much effort. If it’s not part of your routine, it’s time to create this new habit. It may be a little difficult in the beginning, but it will get you feeling healthier in no time :-)

People are always wondering what I am eating for lunch, so I will post a few examples for you. You can also follow me on Instagram where I post many of my lunches ;-)

Brown Rice “Pizza” Tortilla

This was one that I made on my day off in the toaster oven. A brown rice tortilla, topped with fat free ricotta, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, sliced peppers, onions, and then topped with some cheese at the end.

wrap as pizza

tortilla as a pizza

Turkey Burger Salad

This is a typical lunch leftover. I usually will take whatever leftover dinner meat/protein that we have cooked and put it on top of some salad greens. A little crazy, but it is super easy.

turkey burger salad

Whole Foods Lunch

This is not really a pack-a-lunch meal, but Whole Foods lunches can be a treat from time to time. I usually get some type of kale salad with a protein source like tuna (pictured below). and of course, a kombucha to drink. The salad was only $4!! The trick is to fill it mostly with greens that don’t weigh that much.

lunch at Whole foods

Black Bean Burger Leftover Lunch

This is another leftover lunch from when we made homemade black bean burgers. I added a side of Brussels sprouts, all on top of  a bed of spinach. On the side, I think I had some salsa and light sour cream.

homemade black bean burgers

Lighter Tuna Salad

Most tuna salad can be crazy high calorie because of all of the mayonnaise. But, we make ours with a light or olive oil mayo and some other seasonings (and some mustard).

Just another typical lunch of a protein on top of some veggie or greens!

healthy tuna salad

I use very little dressing due to the flavor of the other ingredients. And, I don’t like when my lettuce gets soggy.

You may be asking where are all of the carbohydrates? Well, I usually eat fruits and nuts for my snacks during the day, and more carbs in the morning and evening (example: oatmeal and sweet potatoes). If we had leftovers that work well to bring to lunch, I will include it (for example: beans or quinoa). I usually pack some sort of side to my lunches–maybe another fruit or random healthy snack like Mary’s Gone crackers!

My lunch bag is similar to this one below. I like it because it looks more stylish and like a purse–not a diaper bag or lunch box!

What is your typical lunch?

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It’s the Beet!

April 23rd, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

Beets seem to be one of the most disliked foods out there. Every time I go through consults with patients, the most popular dislikes are beets and liver.

I am not a huge fan either. However, I do like beet chips that have been baked in the oven and I like them cut up in small itty bitty pieces on a salad.

beet salad

I was inspired to make this salad recipe after I went out to eat and enjoyed a similar goat cheese and beet salad.

Ingredients: Greens (spinach), sliced red onions that you have marinated in the pickled beet juice, sliced pickled beets, goat cheese, and candied pecans.

For dressing: A tiny drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette or just a little balsamic glaze.

beet salad with goat cheese

Easy! And, it has a nice pretty color for presentation. Even if you are not a fan of beets, I suggest trying them this way!

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Quinoa and Egg Breakfast Bake

April 16th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

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!

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Coconut Oats and Pollen Week

April 13th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Eats of the Week | Healthy Living - (0 Comments)

Did you know that bee pollen may actually be good for us? I know, it sounds ridiculous. But, I got to thinking about it after this pollen filled week. Here is Georgia, the pollen count reached 8000 and we are at peak pollen season. It’s fine if you don’t suffer from allergies, but for those who do, we kept up inside. Blurgh.

Total Pollen Count for 4/11/2013: 8024

Anyway, fyi, bee pollen is thought to be the next up and coming superfood due to its antioxidant content, and mysterious supposed healing qualities… We can not really say for sure what it may be good for, but a lot of scientists and doctors have been experimenting with it in areas such as in chemotherapy healing.

So, before the pollen hit, we got engagement pictures taken in the most beautiful spring weather!

engagement photo

And, in the meantime, I have been neglecting my blog. Poor blogosphere… Oh well, sometimes it is good to take a break.

…Just like I took a break from eating oatmeal. Sometimes I’ll eat oatmeal for weeks, then I take a month long break until I find a new way to cook it. Well, I have discovered a new oats creation!

coconut oatmeal

Coconut oats!

Cook some plain oats with your favorite milk (or water), add a pinch of cinnamon, 1 packet of stevia, and add 2 Tbsp. of unsweetened coconut. Make sure the coconut you buy is the unsweetened flakes in the bakery isle. Heat for a few minutes as needed, and enjoy! I usually stir in 1-2 Tbsp. of chopped walnuts to make it more filling.

The coconut is nice because it adds a little bit of fat to make it satisfying and a hearty breakfast. Have you tried adding coconut to your oats?

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Lightened up: Macaroni and Cheese Cups

March 28th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

As usual, I was browsing Pinterest for recipe ideas, and I saw this mac ‘n cheese recipe with spinach from Emily Bites.

I am picky about my pasta dishes, and don’t typically eat too much pasta. But, I love baked pastas!

Since this recipe is made in a muffin tin, you get these cute little portion sizes (and yes, you may want to eat more than one!). Another benefit is that you get crispy edges, and this dish cooks more quickly. If you don’t like crispy edges, you may want to bake this in a large casserole dish.

macaroni and cheese muffin

I followed Emily’s recipe exactly, except I added more crushed garlic to mine, and I used half gluten free pasta/half regular elbow white pasta.

You can use whatever pasta you like, but I recommend cooking it so that it is barely done as it will continue cooking in the oven.

We ate ours with some leftover chicken, and a side salad. Yum!! I loved it, and Mr. Cyclist said it was OK (he said you could tell it was healthier). I was happy to eat more of it the next day as leftovers ;-)

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Szechuan Peppercorn Salmon

March 21st, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I have been MIA in the blogging world the past week because I have been in full-swing wedding planning mode. Yep, I’m getting hitched. Perfect time to talk about being healthy and fit. Haha.

I won’t bore you with details, but wedding planning does take up a good chunk of time… so I was happy to come home one day to this super tasty salmon. It is my new favorite recipe! It’s a little spicy, but has a unique flavor from the peppercorns (you can buy the peppercorns at a larger grocery store like Whole Paycheck–I got mine from a large farmer’s market).

They are the ones that look a little pink/dark red in color. You can even order them online if you don’t want to pick them up from the store!

Szechuan Peppercorn Salmon

spicy thai salmon

Ingredients:

  • 1 filet of salmon (or about the amount pictured above)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. ground pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp szechuan peppercorns, ground
  • 1-1.5 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
  • 3.5-4 Tbsp. roasted red chili paste
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
  2. Meanwhile, mix your marinade.
  3. Place your salmon on a baking sheet or baking dish and coat with marinade. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked medium-well.

Yum!

baked salmon with peppers

We had some salad and edamame to go with it.

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Fish in Foil

March 17th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

Happy St. Patty’s Day!! Today, I have a recipe for you with a little bit of green ;-)

I rarely cook fish in a foil packet or parchment paper because it doesn’t get crispy. But, what I discovered is that it becomes super moist and packed with flavor.

fish in foil packet

I followed this tilapia recipe from Key Ingredient, except I used green beans instead of asparagus for the vegetable. It turned out like a gourmet meal! And it was nice and light.

Here is how to lay out the foil with fish and ingredients on top:

cook foil packets

how to make foil packets

Wrap them up tightly and place on a baking sheet. It makes for easy clean-up!!

You can use parchment paper as well for a more natural choice.

Then, Mr. Cyclist made some homemade french onion soup to go with it!

homemade french onion soup

It felt like a gourmet dinner! But, the fish recipe was so easy.

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Protein Almond Butter

March 11th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I was getting a little creative with my normal almond butter spread for breakfast. I mixed a brown rice protein powder with almond butter and almond milk. Spread it on top of Ezekiel bread, and you have a balanced breakfast!

almond butter with protein

  • 1 slice Ezekiel
  • 1.5 Tbsp. almond butter
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla brown rice protein powder
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • almond milk or any milk to moisten the mixture
  • drizzle of real honey on top (1 tsp.)

I eat this warm out of toaster oven. I’m sure you could eat it cold, but it always tastes better when the honey becomes warm.

Nutrition Facts:

nutrition facts for almond butter toast

I ate some blueberries to go with this to make it more of a complete meal :)

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