Get Skinny South of the Border

I love ethnic food. Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Greek but Mexican flavors take the cake for me. Salty, spicy, melty cheese its all just so good! And when the Hubbs had a craving for enchiladas I felt a challenge coming on. Sure, I could absolutely use a corn tortilla but just eliminate the cheese. However, I try to limit my corn because its high in carbs and also corn is GMO and I try my best to avoid that whenever possible (I don't avoid it like the plague). I could do a whole wheat tortilla, but to me it is just plain wrong to use a flour tortilla for enchiladas! So, what's the best part about an enchilada? The filling and the cheese. Am I right or am I right?!? So I decided to make a tasty filling with red onion, black beans & spinach. Then the vessel....hmm. I got it. The round Zucchini that I had leftover from the Yakima Farmer's Market is the same diameter as my individual ramekins. So I sliced the zucchini super thin and layered the filling and cotija cheese. Instead of sour cream I topped it with a clinatro-lime yogurt & served it up with leftover Quinoa Black Bean Salad The end result was a guilt free, incredibly flavorful enchilada.

Individual Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas

-1 pkg Frontera Red Chili Enchilada Sauce (You can totally make your own, but time was of the essence for me. This sauce is super good, and it isn't full of crap.)
-1 Round Zucchini, thinly sliced (If you don't have a round or 8-ball zucchini you can use regular zucchini sliced thin, or no zucchini and just make the filling & top with cheese)
-1/2 Red Onion, diced
-1 can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
-2 C. Spinach, chopped
-1 garlic clove, minced
-4 oz Cotija cheese (or queso fresco, or any other cheese you want. I had this leftover from the quinoa salad I made earlier this week) Divide into 4 equal portions.
-1 tsp Olive Oil

-Preheat Oven to 375.

-Add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat, once the oil is hot add the onion. Saute' until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add in black beans, spinach & garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Cook another 2 minutes.

-To the ramekin, add a little enchilada sauce to the bottom. Then start layering zucchini, filling, cheese. Repeat until the ramekin is full. Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.

-Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble.

-Top with Cilantro-Lime Yogurt & Serve.

Makes 4 Servings

Serving Size 1

The Skinny per Serving:
Total Fat: 9.5g Calories: 244 Carbs: 26.9g Protein: 13.4g


Cilantro-Lime Yogurt

-3 TBS Non-Fat Greek Yogurt
-2 TBS Chopped Cilantro
-1 small garlic clove, minced
-1/2 of a lime zested
-Squeeze of lemon juice

-Mix all ingredients together. Let the flavors meld while the enchiladas bake.

Makes 4 servings

The Skinny:
Total Fat: 0g Calories: 11.5 Carbs: 0.3g Protein: 1.5g

My (not so) typical day....

I think there is a misconception that you have to have a surplus of time to eat healthy and exercise. I used to think that too, but I can assure you I don't have a surplus of time. I wish I did! It truly is about finding a balance, creating a system and making the deal with yourself that you are worth it. I have struggled with this for years. I am dedicated to my job, I am dedicated to my husband, I have an active social life and I never want to miss a happy hour! I always had this guilt of leaving my husband to fend for himself while I go and work out, or "forcing" him to eat healthy. Realistically though, I am a better wife to him when I take care of myself (and homeboy can handle eating healthy too.)

This is a very typical Monday-Friday day for me.

4:55am - Wakeup

5:15am - Off to the Gym

6:00am - Home from gym start breakfast & pack lunches/snacks

6:30am - Hubbs & I eat breakfast together
               -Typical breakfast is: Hot oatmeal w/ mini quiche, omelet w/ fresh fruit, overnight oatmeal

7:00am - Send the Hubbs off to work, time for me to get ready for work.

8:30am - Leave for work & Starbucks stop!

9:00am - Welcome to the insane asylum...aka WORK.

10:00am - Snack time. *Maybe, kind of sort of. If I am not too busy to remember. Even though I have alarms set on my phone and fit bit, I often forget this one*
               - Typical snack: Rice cake w/ 1 TBS Peanut Butter, 1/2c. Greek Yogurt w/ 1c. fresh berries,
                 2 TBS hummus w/ cut up veggies.
1:00pm - Lunch.
             - Typical lunch: 4oz chicken, 1/2c. brown rice & Salsa, 2c. salad greens w/ black bean patty,
                Starbucks zesty chicken & black bean salad or salad from Whole Foods
                *aka Whole Paycheck* if I forgot my lunch (which happens more often than I'd like)

4:00pm - Snack *if I have time, if I remember. Sometimes I forget this one too*

7:00pm - Quitting time! Off Work! Woohoo!!!

7:30pm - Home. Time to start dinner OR if we didn't hit the gym in the morning, we go now.

8:00pm - Hubbs & I have dinner together
             - Typical dinner 4oz salmon, brown rice & veggie, tofu stir fry, curry, big salad.

8:30pm- Laundry/Meal Prep/Cleaning/TV Watching/Nails/Hair etc. Basically anything that I need to
               do to be ready for the next day needs to be done between 8:30-10pm.

10:00pm - Late Snack. *Only if I am feeling snacky or if my sweet tooth is nagging. Typically I'll
                 have 1 rice cake with 1 TBS peanut butter and 1 tsp of raw honey.*

11:00pm - Pop a melatonin and lights out.

Hubbs and I work 50-60 hours a week each. I work every other Saturday and even longer hours at the end of the month. Hubbs has soccer 1-2 nights a week, I do girls night usually 1 night a week. We have a very busy life with struggles and challenges, but we are making it work as best as we can. I am tired. I hate 5am. I hate spending 2 hours Sunday prepping meals, but I feel better. I'm happier not eating crap. I am actually getting in MORE time with the hubbs because we workout together and have breakfast together.

 It *can* be done. You *can* be busy and eat well! You *can* be busy and workout!

Make a deal with yourself that you DESERVE to LOOK and FEEL your BEST!!!

Is it possible? Can I actually like working out?!?!

I'm still in the dying phase...

It is crazy how you can adjust to any routine when it becomes, well,  a routine. When I first started getting up at 5am to workout it was awful. I was cranky, I was getting headaches, I just had the hardest time getting moving. That was the end of July. It is now August 19th and I nearly spring out of bed when the alarm goes off (after that little thought of how nice it would be to sleep for another hour or so...hey! I'm not perfect. I still love my sleep!). I have a much more productive workout and generally feel really good. Today I increased the resistance by 2 and was able to power through without that "ugh! I want to stop!" feeling.

I have often heard fitness gurus or people who have lost a lot of weight before saying that you'll learn to love it. I seriously don't know about that (I still think they might be eating some low-cal pot brownies) but I am starting to believe a little bit more that I could actually *like* working out (love is too strong of a word to even contemplate when it comes to working out).

So, I guess the challenge begins. Workout until I learn to love it.
Something tells me this is going to be a loooooong challenge. But the end result is worth it.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

The Hubbs has a meeting with one of the professional organizations he belongs to tomorrow night and he needs a side dish to take with him. Ever the loving wife, I told him of course I would make something for him to take. The question was just WHAT? The side dish needs to be able to be made the day before because I wont see him after the gym in the morning. It has to be able to stand up with little refrigeration because its a potluck style dinner. It needs to be clean eats. So a lettuce based salad is  a no-go. A pasta salad? eh. I got it! A quinoa salad. It meets all of the criteria and it tastes amazing!

This recipe feeds a crowd. But definitely cut the recipe down to work for your needs.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

-4c. Cooked Quinoa
-1 25oz can Black Beans (try to find cans that are BPA free)
-2c. Frozen Roasted Corn, thawed. (If you can't find roasted corn, you can roast it yourself in a pan on the stove. Turn the pan on high add the frozen corn and sear it. voila! roasted corn!)
-5oz. Cotija Cheese, crumbled
-1/4c. Cilantro, chopped
-1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
-1 cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
-1/2 of a Red Onion, chopped (about 1 cup. Chop it and then soak it in water to draw out that strong onion taste. Drain off the water after 10ish minutes)
-1/2c. Avocado Tomatillo Salsa (recipe follows)
-3 limes juiced

-Drain the black beans and rinse. Place them in a large bowl. Add in the thawed corn, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. Toss together.

-Add in the avocado tomatillo salsa. Stir.

-Mix in the quinoa, then gently fold in the cheese and lime juice.

-Season with salt & pepper

Makes 20 servings

Serving size 1/2c.

The skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 4.6g Calories: 197 Carbs: 18.6 Protein: 5.6g

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

-2c. Tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed & chopped
-2 Serrano chiles, chopped
-2 Avocados, peeled
-1/2c. Cilantro
-Juice of 1 lime
-1/4 tsp Cumin

-Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth

Makes about 2 1/2 c.

Serving Size 2TBS

The Skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 2.7g Calories: 21.3 Carbs: 2.3g Protein: 0g

Sweet & Spicy Salmon

I absolutely LOVE the mix of sweet and spicy anything. So when I was dreaming up dinner tonight I knew I wanted to do a sweet & spicy salmon. This is INCREDIBLY easy, its clean eats, and it comes together fast. Oh, yeah, and its freaking delicious!

Side note: I really wanted to grill these, but we ran out of propane right before I was set to cook, so I did them inside. You can do either.

Get prepared for some magically deliciousness.

Sweet & Spicy Salmon

-1/4c. Raw Honey
-1/4c. Siracha
-1 Garlic Clove, minced
-1/2tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
-4 5oz Salmon Filets

-Pre-heat broiler

-In a bowl mix together honey, siracha, garlic and ginger. (This glaze is so spicy, so if you don't like things really hot stick with the 1/4c honey, but lower the siracha down to 2TBS.)

-In a sauté pan over medium heat, place the salmon flesh side down. Sear the salmon for about 3 minutes. Flip over and spoon a little bit of the glaze on top. Continue cooking the salmon skin side down until it is almost completely cooked through, about another 5-7mins.

-Spoon more glaze over the top of the salmon and transfer the pan under the broiler. The glaze will get thick and start to bubble.

-Pull out and serve.

Makes 4 servings

The skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 12.8g Calories: 311 Carbs: 21.5g Protein: 30g

Spice Spice Baby...

Sunday brunch with the Hubbs is probably my favorite weekend tradition. We get to sleep in, he makes the coffee, I make the food and we just have a slow start to our day. Today, I started out with the usual onion/mushroom/bell pepper sauté that most of my egg scramble/omelets start with, but then I started craving something spicy. Spicy, eggs, veggies...hmm...breakfast burrito? Yummy, but not really feeling it. Salsa omelet? eh...love them, but nah. Then it hit me, a spicy veggie breakfast hash. I grabbed a sweet potato, diced it and threw it in the mix (I really should have pre-thought about this, as the onion and mushroom were pretty well cooked and I tossed raw potato in. Not my brightest moment, but I put a lid on it and it steamed nicely) The end result was smoky, spicy, slightly sweet, just a perfect brunch meal before starting our Sunday errands. Change the veggies and spices to your liking, but definitely give this dish a try!

Spicy Veggie Hash with Scrambled Eggies

-1 yellow onion, diced
-1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
-1c. Sliced Mushrooms
-1 Zucchini, chopped
-1 Small Sweet Potato, diced
-2c. Spinach
-1/2 tsp Salt
-1/2 tsp Cumin
-1/2 tsp Chili Powder
-1/4 tsp Pepper
-1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
-4 Egg Whites
-2 Whole Eggs
-2 Green Onions, chopped
-2 TBS Cilantro, chopped & divided in half
-1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil, divided

-In a non-stick skilled over medium heat, add 1 tsp olive oil. Once pan has gotten to temp, add in the diced sweet potato. Cook until the potato starts to get tender, about 5 mins. Add in the onion, bell pepper & mushrooms. Cook until the veggies are tender, about another 5-7 minutes. Add in zucchini.

-To the veggie mixture, add in the seasonings (side note, I never measure my spices, I dump a little and taste as I go. This is my best guess as to what I use. Taste as you go and adjust to your liking), stir.

-Place the spinach on top of the veggie mix, but don't stir in. Put a lid on it and turn the heat off. This will allow the spinach to gently steam, and remain a beautiful green color.

-In a separate non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, add the remaining 1/2 tsp of oil. While the pan is heating up, in a small bowl, beat the whole eggs and egg whites. Add to the pan. Season lightly with salt. Scramble the eggies & add in about 1/2 of the chopped green onion. Cook until the eggs are set.

-Uncover the veggie mix and stir to combine the spinach.

-Serve up the veggie hash, then top with the scrambled eggies & sprinkle with remaining green onion & cilantro.

You can serve this with some sliced avocado, fresh salsa, sprinkled with a little cheese, whatever floats your boat.

Makes 2 big servings

The skinny (per serving)
Total Fat: 9.2g Calories: 276.3 Carbs: 34.1 Protein: 18.6

Bananarama

I love sweets specifically ice cream. There is just something so good about sugar and cream whirled together into delectable frozen awesomeness. Unfortunately ice cream is neither clean eats nor figure friendly. So what is a recovering fatty to do when the late night sweet tooth starts nagging?!? I present to you Banana Ice Cream

Banana Ice Cream

-3 Bananas, frozen

-Allow the bananas to slightly thaw at room temp for just a few minutes. Peel the bananas and chop them into large chunks.

-Pulse in the food processor until it starts to look like sand. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then puree until smooth.

Voila! Banana Ice Cream!

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition per serving:

Total Fat: 0g Calories: 135g Carbs: 34.5g Protein: 1.4g

That's a wrap!

My dad sent me an email the other day with a recipe for grilled veggie wraps with hummus. It looked so good and I am always trying to find new ideas to keep lunch interesting.

I knew I had everything to make them, so this is my easy, clean version.

Mediterranean Veggie Wraps

-1 Portobello Mushroom, cut into long slender pieces
-1 Red Bell Pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/4" pieces
-1 Zucchini, cut into long, slender pieces
-Balsamic Vinegar

-Whole Wheat Tortilla
-1/4c. Hummus
-1/4c. Chopped Spinach
-1 oz. Feta Cheese
-Fresh Basil

-Turn the oven on to broil

-On a cookie sheet lay out your sliced veggies. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. The veggies don't have to be coated in the vinegar, just a light sprinkle will do.

-Broil the veggies until they are tender and the edges just slightly char. Allow to cool completely.

-Heat the tortilla gently just until it is pliable. If you try to roll it while it is cold it can split and crack.

-Spread the hummus out over the surface of the tortilla. Top with the chopped spinach, and the cooled veggies. Add on top the feta cheese and basil. Roll up and cut in half.

-Makes 1 serving

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 19g Calories: 452 Carbs: 56g Protein: 18g

Dine & Dash

Anyone that knows me knows that my life is anything but slow and boring. The hubbs and I both work a lot of hours every week, fit in the gym, and a very active social life. So sometimes we are eating as we are running out the door...literally. This is my favorite quick and easy clean meal. It takes less than 5 minutes to throw together (unless you are my husband, then it takes you at least 30) it is filling and really tasty.

I used to rely on Chipotle when I had a Mexi craving, as I know their ingredients are real, and I love their philosophy. However, at $8 bucks the cost is just to high for a daily meal and at over 600 calories a pop, its just too much!

 The real key is making sure you have the ingredients ready on hand. I always have brown rice pre-cooked and ready to go in the fridge. I also always have a protein at the ready. These days it is usually pre-grilled chicken breasts, but some days it is tofu or albacore tuna. I also buy a pre-made, quality salsa from our health food store's deli. I could of course make it from scratch, but this is my time saving meal!

Super Quick, Super Easy Rice Bowl

-1/2 c. Pre-Cooked Brown Rice (check out my previous blog post on how to make *perfect* brown rice)
-4 oz Cooked chicken
-2oz Salsa
-1/2 of an avocado

-Measure ingredients out (yes, I weigh and measure EVERYTHING) and layer in a bowl.

-Top with anything additional you would like: black beans, Mrs. Dash (I super love their Fiesta Lime & Chipotle blends), fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh cilantro etc.

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 17g Calories:  353g Carbs: 36g Protein: 30g

Stacked like a girl with Double D's.

I was cruising through the Yakima Farmer's Market with my family and came across these round zucchini and knew immediately that I wanted to do some sort of stacked zucchini dish. It all came together while dreaming up flavors and textures. I decided to stack zucchini, eggplant, Portobello mushroom and buffalo mozzarella with pesto and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Eggplant Zucchini & Portobello Mushroom Stacks

-1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/2" rounds
-2 round zucchini, sliced into 1/2" rounds
-2 protobello mushrooms, stems removed & cleaned
-6 ounces of buffalo mozzarella, cut into 6 slices
-2 tsp olive oil
-4 tsp pesto (either a prepared pesto, or homemade pesto - my recipe below)
-Balsamic Vinegar
-Coarse sea salt & pepper

-Lay out all sliced vegetables and brush with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper

-Grill on a grill, grill pan, or broil in the oven until tender and edges slightly charred

-Stack the vegetables. However you like, I chose to do mine eggplant/1 tsp pesto/zucchini/mozzarella/mushroom/1tsp pesto/zucchini/mozzarella you get the idea!

-Sprinkle salt over the top and drizzle with balsamic vinegar

Makes 2 Servings

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 15.2g Calories: 246.2 Carbs: 11.9 Protein: 14.4g

Pesto

-1c fresh basil leaves
-1/4c parmesan cheese
-1 clove garlic
-1 TBS olive oil

-combine all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

Serving Size 2 teaspoons

Makes about 2 servings

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 12.9g Calories: 135 Carbs: 0.7 Protein: 4.3g

Herb-Almond Crusted Salmon

I heart salmon. We eat it a few times a week, so I am always looking for a new take on it. I was dreaming of dinner while at work and knew that I wanted to do an herb crusted salmon, but I didn't want to use bread crumbs as the binder. I decided instead to grind up almonds to use as the binder. The almonds impart a really great texture and subtle nutty flavor. This is going to definitely be one of my favorite go-to salmon recipes!

Herb-Almond Crusted Salmon

2 5-ounce Salmon Filets (I prefer Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon)
30g slivered almonds
1 TBS lemon zest
1 garlic clove
1 green onion
1/4 c. fresh basil
1/4 c. flat leaf parsley
1 tsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

-In a food processor, pulse almonds until they are coarsely chopped. Add in lemon zest, garlic, basil and parsley. Pulse until all of the ingredients are finely chopped. Stir in the olive oil to create a paste.

-With a paper towel, pat the surface of the salmon dry. Season fillet with salt & pepper. Place 2 heaping teaspoons of the crust on top of the salmon and smooth out to evenly cover the surface.

-Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.

-Just before serving, sprinkle the top of each salmon fillet with fresh lemon juice.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition facts per serving:
Total Fat: 25.7g Total Calories: 414 Carbs: 5.4g Protein 33.9g

 

Lazy Girl's Breakfast

I have seen a lot of different recipes on Pinterest describing these overnight oats (overnight oatmeal, oatmeal in a jar, summer porridge, overnight oats in a jar, refrigerator oatmeal call it what you want) and was finally inspired to give it a try.  The night before I mixed the ingredients together in a jar, popped it in the fridge and the next morning after the gym breakfast was ready. It was delightful! Give it a try, it is as easy as pouring a bowl of cereal, but so much more interesting and delicious!

Mango-Raspberry Oats in a Jar

1/4 c. uncooked old rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats)
1/3 c. Almond Milk
1/4 c Greek Yogurt
1 tsp Chia Seeds
1 tsp Ground Flax Seed (I used Spectrum Flax Seed with Berries)
1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 c. Diced Mango
1/4 c. Raspberries

-In a jar combine the oatmeal, almond milk, greek yogurt, chia, flax and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Place lid on jar, and put in the fridge overnight.

-The next morning, add fresh fruit on top

Makes 1 Serving

Nutrition Facts:
Total Fat: 6.1g Calories: 246 Carbs: 40.8g Protein: 13g

Granola...Its not just for hippies

Adam loves granola with yogurt, so I have been looking at every bag of granola around and all of them are loaded with extra sugar, oils, fillers, just grossness! It is crazy how you don't realize what you are eating until you open your eyes and read labels. So I decided I would experiment in the kitchen and come up with a clean version of granola. This is what I came up with, and believe me, it is IN-CRAY-AB-LE' (translation: INCREDIBLE in Brittany speak).








Coconut Almond Granola

-2c. Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (I use Bob's Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats)
-1/2c. Almonds, coarsely chopped
-1/2c. Shaved, unsweetened coconut
-3 TBS. Raw Honey
-1 TBS. Coconut Butter
-1 tsp. Vanilla
-Pinch of salt

-In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.

-In separate bowl mix together honey, coconut butter & vanilla.

-Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Prepare to get messy, you need to mix with your hands to get it thoroughly coated.

-Pour the granola out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

-Bake 10-15mins at 300 degrees.

-Let granola cool completely. Break into chunks, and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 8 servings.

Serving size 1/4c.

Nutrition Facts-
Total Fat: 9.2g Calories: 200 Carbs: 26.2g Protein: 4.4g

Fit Jacks, Not Flap Jacks...

It seems any clean eating blog, magazine, athlete, body builder isn't complete without a protein pancake recipe. I was pretty skeptical about this protein pancake phenomenon as I am a true carb addict, and "protein pancake" just doesn't sound all that appetizing. But, I gave it a shot and let me tell you, they were actually really good! I only had chocolate protein powder at the ready so I decided to make Chocolate-Almond Protein Pancakes. These bad boys are completely filling and contain a whopping 51 grams of protein!

I can't wait to try these again with vanilla protein powder!

Chocolate-Almond Protein Pancakes

-4 egg whites
-1/3c. dry oatmeal
-1 scoop chocolate protein powder
-1 TBS almond butter
-Strawberries, cleaned & sliced
-Stevia

-Mix egg whites, oatmeal, protein powder & almond butter together in a bowl.

-Place your strawberries into a separate bowl and sprinkle with stevia. Slightly mash them to create juice, then set aside.

-Put your skillet on medium heat, spray with cooking spray then pour in your batter and cook like you would normally cook a pancake.

-Pancake is done when it is golden brown

-Top the pancake with the strawberries for a delicious guilt free syrup.

Makes 1 pancake

Nutrition Facts:
Total Fat: 12g Calories: 470 Carbs: 45g Protein: 51g

 

Egg Muffins to Lose the Muffin Top



I love anything that can be made ahead for a later meal. When I saw my friend Cindy make these breakfast egg muffins, I knew I instantly had to make them! I was definitely not disappointed. They were so full of flavor, the egg was delicate and the Parmesan cheese was perfectly dispersed into every bite. They are good hot, good cold, and hold in the fridge for a few days. I however, do not like the name "Egg Muffin". I don't know, it just make me think of odd pastries with pieces of scrambled egg. So I renamed them mini quiche. It sounds cute, like me. :)

I urge you to give these a try. Change the flavorings to whatever you'd like. The possibilities are endless!

Mini Spinach & Mushroom Quiche

6 egg whites

2 whole eggs

1c. diced mushrooms

½ yellow onion diced

1 large handful of spinach, roughly chopped

½c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2tsp Olive oil

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, cook the onion until just translucent. This should take 1-2 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and sauté until they become soft. This should take another 1-2 minutes. Then add in the spinach and remove from heat. The spinach will wilt from the residual heat in the pan.

-In a bowl, whisk the egg whites + 2 eggs until they become fluffy.

-Add the Parmesan cheese into the spinach mixture.

-Evenly distribute the spinach mixture in 10 silicone muffin cups. The mixture should fill them about half-way.

-Pour the beaten eggs over the top of the spinach mixture, filling the muffin cups to the top.

-Bake the quiche for about 20mins. Until the edges are starting to turn golden, and the egg has become set. Remove and let cool.

Makes 10

Serving size 2

Nutrition facts per serving:

Total Fat: 8.8g Calories: 160g Carbs: 5.5g Protein: 14.7g

Brown Rice, Very Nice

I think brown rice gets a bad wrap becuase often times it is poorly cooked. When cooked properly, brown rice is super delicious. The best part? It is so easy to make. I don't know about you, but when I get off of work at 7pm I don't have time to wait 60 mins for my rice to get done cooking. I'm a fat girl, I need to eat NOW! So, I make a large batch of brown rice at the beginning of the week and store it in the fridge. It reheats beautifully and is a huge time saver!

No-Fail Brown Rice

-2c. Brown Jasmine Rice
-4c. Water
-Pinch of salt

-In a pot with a tight fitting lid add the brown rice, water, and pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then cover with a lid and drop the heat down to a simmer. DO NOT PEEK! Let the rice simmer for 50mins. When the 50mins is up, turn the heat off and let the brown rice steam for an additional 10mins.

The result is soft, slightly chewy, full flavor brown rice.

I often throw in some chunks of fresh ginger, garlic, lemon peel, and various other aromatics before bringing to a boil. This infuses the flavor into the rice and turns something ordinary into something special without added fat, salt, and sugar!

Fit Take on Take Out...



The hubbs was out of town for work so I decided I would make a special dinner for his return. I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do, but something Asian sounded good. So I was wandering through the grocery store looking for inspiration and orange chicken was calling my name. But how do I make orange chicken without breading, frying, and a sugary sauce? That's when I saw the fresh mango and it all clicked! I ended up with Spicy Mango Glazed Shrimp and Very Veggie Fried Rice. It came together very quick and best of all the hubbs approved!

Give this take on take out a try!

Spicy Mango Glazed Shrimp

1 mango, peeled and diced
1/2 c. Orange-Mango Juice (I used the Santa Cruz organic mango orange juice. But any 100% juice will work)
1 clove garlic, minced
1lb peeled & deveined shrimp (or any lean protein)
½ tsp red pepper flake (more or less depending on how spicy you want the dish to be)
½ tsp. olive oil

-In a pot over medium-high heat add the ½ c. juice. You are going to cook the juice until all of the water evaporates and the juice reduces down to 2 TBS of thick, syrupy juice. This process takes about 5 minutes. You’ll want to watch it pretty closely as once the water is gone the juice will burn quickly. After it has reduced, set it aside.

-In a skillet over medium heat, add ½ tsp of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the shrimp and cook until just slightly pink. Then add in the diced mango and the garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds longer. Then add in the reduced juice and the red pepper flake. Stir so the sauce coats everything, and serve.

Makes 3 servings. (serving is about 6 medium shrimp)

Nutrition facts per serving:

Total Fat: 5.6g Calories: 226g Carbs: 11.4g Protein: 31g

 

 Very Veggie Fried Rice


1 zucchini – finely diced
1 onion – finely diced
1 crook neck/yellow squash – finely diced
1 head of broccoli – finely chopped
1 c. Cooked & cooled brown rice
2 TBS. Soy sauce
½c Fresh bean sprouts
2 tsp. Olive Oil
1 clove of garlic – pressed or finely chopped
1 TBS of minced fresh ginger

-In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add in the onions. Sautee until just translucent. Then add in the zucchini and yellow squash. Sautee another minute and then add the broccoli, ginger and garlic. Cook another 2 minutes until the broccoli is just tender. Remove the veggies to a bowl.

-In the same skillet add the remaining 1 tsp. of olive oil. When the oil is hot add in the brown rice. Cook the rice over medium-high  heat until it begins to get golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. When the rice is “fried” add in 1 TBS. of the Soy sauce and stir until the rice is evenly coated. Then add the cooked veggies into the rice. Sautee until the veggies are heated through. Add the remaining 1 TBS of soy sauce and the bean sprouts.

Makes about 2 one cup servings.

Nutrition facts per serving:

Total Fat: 5.7g Calories: 222 Carbs: 38.5 Protein: 7g

 

 

I am not a blogger...

I must confess, I am not a blogger. I rarely read them, and when I do it is very infrequently. So why is a non-blogger blogging? The simple answer is peer pressure. No, my friends don't think I am hilariously funny (even though I think I am) nor do they think I have insightful wisdom to impart to the masses. So what do I bring to the table? Food. Delicious food. ...and unfortunately it shows, on my waist, hips & thighs. *le sigh*

However, I have been embarking on a healthier lifestyle because while I am fabulous, I am also overweight and that is just cramping my style (literally). I decided I am going to eat clean. Real food, but really good. So before you cringe at the idea of healthy food, let me tell you a secret... I am a culinary ninja. No boring food here. I am all about full flavor.

The whole purpose of this blog is to share my recipes with my friends, and what would a Brittany blog be without some musings and rambles to go along with it?

So, follow me on my journey of eating clean and going from fabulous & fat to
fit & fabulous.