Blueberry, Banana, Peanut Butter & Kale Smoothie

I'm back on my smoothie game these days! They never disappoint and are super nutritious. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with all the possible options that I can blend together. I usually survey all the ingredients I have and just type them into google to find a recipe that incorporates them all. Smoothies are a great healthy breakfast or just a healthy afternoon snack. I probably have at least 3-4 smoothies a week, they're so easy to make, can be stored overnight and just so tasty!

Ingredients

• 1 medium banana, peeled (can be frozen)

• 1/2 cup mixed frozen berries (I just used blueberries)

• 1 tsp chia seeds

• 1 hefty tbsp natural peanut butter

• 1/2 cup almond milk (sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla, original...whatever you like)

• 2 cups fresh kale (or spinach)

Step 1: Place all the ingredients in the blender and blend until creamy. Add more almond milk or fruit to thin/thicken your smoothie to a consistency you like.

Step 2: Serve immediately, or cover and enjoy later!

My smoothie is a little more purple than yours may be because of my excessive use of frozen blueberries, but still delicious and nutritious. This batch made about 2 smoothies, but I opted to drink it all at once as my breakfast. The peanut butter and mixed kale kept me full for majority of my morning. I really enjoyed the taste of this smoothie, blueberries, with a hint of banana every now and again with the twang of peanut butter. The batch has about 360 calories, 15 g of fat, 48 g of carbs, and 11 g of protein, it's like a mean in a cup! Definitely going to be making this one again!

ENJOY!!

Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins

I believe that one of the major reasons why we eat out at restaurants and pick up fast food on our way to work or school is because of lack of planning/meal preparation. I am very guilty of stopping at McDonalds or another fast food chain to pick up something quick and easy on my way to school, but this doesn't have to be the case. All it takes is a little bit of planning ahead and your life will be so much easier and healthier too! I saw this recipe for egg muffins on Pinterest and I thought this would be a perfect solution to my morning routine. I love to sleep in as much as the next person and sometimes my breakfast suffers, I end up grabbing a protein bar and some nuts or something insufficient. These muffins are a more filling and better-tasting alternative!

Ingredients

• Eggs (you can choose to use as many eggs as you want, I chose 6)

• Coconut oil (I don't have this, so I just used some Pam to grease the pan)

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• Handful of Veggies (I used spinach, red pepper and yellow onion)

• Your Favorite Protein (I chose to use turkey bacon)- OPTIONAL

• Your Favorite cheese (I chose extra sharp cheddar, obviously)-OPTIONAL

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F and grease your cupcake pan with your oil.

Step 2: Combine your eggs in a bowl, finely chop your veggies and meat. Add some salt & pepper if you'd like until eggs are scrambled.

Step 3: If you are using cheese, sprinkle some on the bottoms of the cupcake places. Evenly pour mixture into cupcake spaces about 2/3 of the way.

Step 4: Bake for 18-20 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan. 

My 6 eggs and ingredients made about 8 muffins!! Another great thing about these little guys is that you can store them in plastic baggies in the fridge for later meals. When you're ready to eat, pop in the microwave for about 30 seconds and there you go! My picture doesn't even do them justice, they smelled and looked delicious. I couldn't wait and decided to have two this morning (Pictured below). 

I just drizzled some Siracha over top with some extra pepper and paired with a Thomas's Multi-grain English muffin and chopped banana and strawberries. These little muffins are so nutritious and you know exactly what is going into them, unlike what you buy at Dunkin Donuts or any other chain like that. It only takes about 30 minutes to prepare these little guys and they make so many that you can either share or save for later days! Definitely give them a try!

ENJOY!!

Greek Yogurt Mac & Cheese

I think we can all agree that mac & cheese is amazing. It has pasta, which is great, and cheese, umm helloo..delicious!! I have been wanting to make a healthier version of mac & cheese because one, I really like it and two Kraft has all kinds of chemicals and add-ins that make their version very unhealthy and fattening. The famous "blue box" has been a staple in childhood diets for years now, and I think it's time for healthier upgrade.

Ingredients

• 8 oz (about 2 cups) elbow pasta (you can use whatever pasta you want, I opted for classic elbows)

• 8 oz (about 2 cups) shredded cheese (I used a 2% skim sharp cheddar)

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Trader Joes Greek Yogurt)

• 2 cups fresh spinach

• Salt & pepper

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Step 1: Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions (should be no longer than 10 minutes) until al dente.

Step 2: Place the spinach leaves in the strainer and before emptying the pasta into the strainer, save 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Then empty the pasta into the strainer, the hot water will start to wilt the spinach. After shaking the excess water out, transfer the pasta and spinach back into the pot. 

Step 3: Add about 1/4 of the pasta water you saved into the pot and stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in the Greek yogurt, garlic and onion powders and S&P until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add the rest of the pasta water you saved. Serve while hot!

I chose to serve my mac & cheese with some roasted asparagus and grilled chicken cutlets. The whole meal took me about 25 minutes and I devoured it in about 5...that's how good it was. When I first read the recipe and saw that it required Greek yogurt I was a little skeptical because it tends to have a strong and tangy taste. To my surprise, I couldn't even tell. It came out creamier than the box mac & cheese and overall tastier too. You can opt to add different veggies or even no veggies if that's what you prefer, you can also play around with different cheeses (cheddar mozz, parmesan and colby-jack). This recipe is definitely one of my new favorites and it will be making future appearances on my blog. Try it out and let me know what you think!!

ENJOY!!

Satisfy Your Sweet Craving!

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not much for sweets but every now and again my sweet tooth kicks in. In my opinion you don't need to eat a chocolate bar or an entire cake to get your sweet tooth fix. There are enough natural sugars in fruits, honey and yogurt to satisfy you. After dinner the other night, I was craving something sweet so I looked in my fridge and found some ingredients, threw them all in a bowl and had an instant sweet snack.

Ingredients

• 1 cup halved strawberries

• 1 cup grapes

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/2 cup almonds

• 2 scoops Greek yogurt

• 1 tbsp honey (OPTIONAL for extra sweetness)

• 1 tsp of cinnamon sugar (OPTIONAL for extra sweetness)

Step 1: Clean off strawberries and cut into halves. Chop up almonds or break into smaller pieces. 

Step 2: Combine all your ingredients into a bowl and mix together.

I'm not going to lie to you, it doesn't look that appetizing but it tasted so sweet and delicious. The sweetness of the strawberries, grapes, honey and cinnamon sugar definitely satisfied my craving. You can add whatever fruits you want (bananas, other berries, mangoes) and you can also use flavored yogurts. So instead of scarfing down a few chocolate bars when you have a sweet craving, reach for something quick and easy that's naturally sweet! 

ENJOY!!

Mashed Cauliflower with Spinach and Garlic

My favorite food in the world is mashed potatoes and when I tell people this, they usually just look at me in bewilderment. In all honesty, they are delicious, especially with some cheese and some spinach...delicious!  Since mashed potatoes are mainly carbohydrates, I chose to ditch the potatoes and opt for a low-carb substitute: cauliflower. My mom usually makes 1/2 potato and 1/2 cauliflower but since I had an excess of cauliflower I decided to use it all. Not going to lie, I was very nervous to ditch my favorite, but they ended up being quite delicious.

Ingredients

• Medium-sized head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

• 3 cloves of garlic (you can add more or less depending how you feel about garlic)

• 1 tsp thyme

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1 handful raw spinach (OPTIONAL)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened Almond milk (OPTIONAL)

Step 1: Fill a large saucepan with enough water where majority of your florets are covered. Bring the water to a boil and then add the florets. (You can also use a steamer basket for this step). Allow cauliflower to cook for about 6-8 minutes, until tender.

Step 2: Drain your cauliflower and transfer to a large bowl (You can use a food processor instead of mashing by hand). Since I don't have a food processor, I used a potato masher to mash the cauliflower. Add in your salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and spinach. 

Step 3: If your mixture is a little too dry, add some almond milk of water. After everything is mixed together, serve hot.

For dinner tonight, I chose to pair my mashed cauliflower with some steamed broccoli and some simple herb and lemon chicken. Chicken is one of my favorites to cook because you can do ANYTHING you want with it and it's usually pretty quick. Although the cauliflower didn't taste like potatoes, the consistency and look is right on, they were still quite tasty especially with the added spinach and garlic. My potatoes were more on the garlicky side, so if you plan on talking with people after this meal, definitely easy on the garlic. To treat the cauliflower like normal mashed potatoes, add some of your favorite ingredients, whether it be cheese, sour cream, chives, bacon, or whatever you prefer. One cup of mashed cauliflower has around 142 calories, about 9 grams of carbs compared to one cup of mashed potatoes which has around 210 calories and over 30 grams of carbs. If you are looking for a low-carb side, this definitely won't disappoint! Give it a try!

ENJOY!!

Whole Wheat Tortilla Pizzas

Hello everyone! I was on hiatus for a bit, but I'm back. I don't think I am alone when I say that pizza should be it's own food group, and I know how ridiculous that sounds but pizza is fantastic, PERIOD. As you can guess, pizza is not considered healthy but there are ways to make it healthier. Like tacos, pizza is super versatile and anything can be added to it. I chose to make a few swaps to make my version of pizza healthier, while still maintaining delicious flavor. I made two tortilla pizzas the other day and they were very tasty. 

Ingredients for Pizza 1

• 1 whole wheat tortilla

• 2 tbsp reduced fat marinara sauce 

• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets

• 5-6 halved cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

• 1/4 bell pepper chopped

Ingredients for Pizza 2

• 1 whole wheat tortilla

• 2 tbsp pesto

• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli florets

• 1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 bell pepper

• 1 4 oz grilled chicken breast, cut into slivers

Step 1: Grab your whole wheat tortilla and put your base down (pesto or marinara sauce). Load your pizza up with your favorite ingredients.

Step 2: Since the tortilla can fit in the toaster oven, that is where I made mine, but you can put your pizza on a baking sheet and into the oven. I set my toaster oven to 400 degrees.

Step 3: Cook for about 10 minutes, or until slightly brown and crunchy. Cut into pieces, top with some hot pepper flakes and enjoy!

The whole wheat tortilla saves you on calories while still providing a crunchy crust for your pizza. The toppings for your pizza should be on the lighter side because you don't want to overload your pizza. I chose to opt for grilled chicken for protein and some light veggies for taste and crunch. These tortilla pizzas are like having your own personal pan pizza, so that everyone can have their own favorite toppings. It doesn't take much to make this yummy dish. Definitely try it out!

ENJOY!!

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken, Spinach and Garlic

I really can't get over how much I love spaghetti squash! I haven't bought pasta in over 2 months, and there really isn't a need to anymore as long as I have my spaghetti squash. It's just so versatile and pasta-like, there's no need to ever buy pasta again!! For this recipe, I wanted to dress it up a bit by adding some veggies and a protein to the mix. It makes for a delicious and simple recipe that you can repeat a few times a week.

Ingredients

• 1 cup spaghetti squash

• 1 6 oz chicken breast

• Grape tomatoes

• 1-2 cups spinach

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese 

• 2 tbsp olive oil

Step 1: Prep your chicken by heating a medium skillet over high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Coat your chicken with whatever seasoning you like (I chose Grill Mate's Montreal Chicken) and put into pan. Cook evenly so that the chicken is fully cooked, about 3 minutes on each side (depending on the size of the breast).

Step 2: Rinse the pot and add the other tbsp of olive oil and your garlic. Let the garlic brown a bit before dropping in your spinach. The spinach should wilt down in about 4 minutes. After the spinach is cooked, portion out your spaghetti squash** into a bowl and pop in the microwave and chop your grape tomatoes. 

Step 3: Chop your chicken into bite-size pieces and add into your bowl along with your spinach with garlic and tomatoes. 

And voilá, there you have it! A simple dish that has everything your body needs; protein, carbs, healthy fats and veggie. I also chose to top my dish with some Parmesan cheese, obviously, to get the full effect. After, I felt just as satisfied as I had eaten a bowl of pasta, and the flavors worked so well together. If you want your dish a little more moist, you can add some more olive oil to the final product, but I found that it tasted just as good without it. Give it try and don't hesitate to comment and tell me what you thought!!

ENJOY!!

**To see how to cook your spaghetti squash, CLICK HERE**