recipe: veggie pizza.

i grocery shop too much. between earthfare, tj's, the teeter & the farmer's market, i spend a lot of money on groceries. so this week i challenged myself to use up all of the things i already have being making a trip to any store. i was digging around my fridge looking for something to throw together when i remembered food babe's recipe for a pizza using an ezekial wrap as the crust, so i gave it a go. she used different toppings, but her recipe helped me figure out how long to bake the pizzas - something i have no clue about!

 

ingredients:

organic tomato sauce (earthfare)

black beans

organic corn

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 zuchinni, chopped

1/2 cup shredded raw cheddar cheese

2 ezekial wraps - i only had the mini size so i made 2!

 

 

directions:

1. turn oven on to 400 degrees.

2. thaw ezekial wraps.

3. bake wraps in oven for 3-4 minutes to "harden."

4. use a small amount of tomato sauce on the shell.

5. pile toppings on.

6. throw cheese on top.

7. bake for 8-10 minutes at 400.

8. sprinkle with a little more cheese once you take them out of the oven.

9. enjoy!

 

can't wait to make them again soon!

recipe: peanut butter & banana cookies!

i came across this recipe on pinterest via two peas in their pod blog for gluten free vegan banana peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! i made a few adjustments, but i absolutely LOVED the outcome. like i ate them all in two days kind of love. 

ingredients:

3 large & ripe bananas

1/2 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter

1 tablespoon coconut oil warmed up but not fully melted (trader joe's)

2 tablespoons agave nectar (i used honey instead, so mine aren't actually vegan!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups gluten-free oats (i just used oats i already head - organic steel cut)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (i didn't use any chocolate chips)

directions: 

1. turn over to 350 degrees

2. mash the bananas up with a fork. then mix in the pb, softened coconut oil, honey, & vanilla.

3. in a separate bowl, mix oats, cinnamon, baking powder, & salt. 

4. stir everything together.

5. separate into 12 cookies. (i did this with my hands.)

6. bake for 12-14 minutes.

7. let cool & enjoy! i also stored mine in the fridge just to be safe. 

{dry vs. wet ingredients}

{all mixed up}

{before}

{final product}

recipe: strawberry viniagrette dressing!

when i started eating clean, i stopped eating salads. salad dressings are full of all sorts of crazy things, and so it was just easier to cut them out. but a few weeks ago, i started missing my salads, so i went on the search for a clean salad dressing. i came upon this recipe for a homemade strawberry vinaigrette from the gracious pantry.

 

ingredients:

 

1/2 pound strawberries (momma got me some from the farmers market)

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar (trader joe's)

dash of salt & pepper

 

 

instructions:

 

throw it all in a blender & enjoy!

 

 

 

{i stored mine in an old salad dressing bottle}

{avocados & strawberries were made for each other}

 

so you know: 21 calories per serving, 2 carbs per serving. should last about a week before spoiling.

 

 

recipe: veggie packed burger!

i learned via twitter that this past tuesday was national burger day. half my timeline was filled with people tweeting about their yummy burgers and i got a serious craving for one. seeing as how i've never really made burgers on my own, i wasn't quite sure what to do. but i did know i wanted to throw some veggies in there.

i had been to the farmers market earlier in the day and picked up my weekly stash of veggies. i got a pound of lean meat (96%) from the teeter & some ripe avocados from trader joe's. i decided to use zucchini, red bell pepper, and onion in my burgers. i sliced up the zucchini with my mandolin and finely chopped about half a bell pepper & 1/4 of an onion.

once the veggies were chopped, i combined them with the meat in a large bowl and used my hands to mix & knead them together. i also threw in some sea salt & pepper. i separated them into 5 burgers and turned on the stove (my grill needs propane). i sprayed the griddle with coconut oil cooking spray from trader joe's and threw two burgers on at a time. i cooked one side until i could see it browning on all sides, flipped them over, let them cook, and cut into them to make sure there wasn't too much pink.

 

 

{my griddle is from ikea}

 

i topped the burgers with two small slices of raw goat's milk cheese, and homemade avocado spread (avodcao, lime juice, salt & pepper). YUM!

 

for my side, i made lemon & garlic okra. i simply cut up the okra into small slices, let olive oil heat in my skillet, and threw the okra in (it should sizzle). i squeezed half a lemon in & also sprinkled some garlic salt. i loved the flavor.

 

 

{that is samuel smith's organic strawberry beer - super sweet but refreshing}

 

not too shabby for my first go at burgers!



 

recipe: banana & raspberry smoothie!

i'm not very good at making up recipes. since i started cooking virtually everything i eat back in april, i have been following recipes pretty strictly. i am always amazed by people who can just create yummy dishes by throwing things together. i think my biggest fear is that it will suck, and then i'll have wasted time & money on something i don't even want to eat.

well i decided to take a leap of faith and throw a bunch of stuff in a blender to make a smoothie. i got lucky with my first made-up recipe - YUM!

ingredients:

1 organic banana, sliced
6 raspberries (that's all i had)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup unsweetened plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup crushed ice
1 tbsp organic honey

i threw it all into my little oster single serve blender & was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. it was  extremely fluffy & refreshing. enjoy!

ps. i love these glasses - they are 100% recycled glass. mom bought me a coffee cup a few months back from this same line and then kristin found these fabulous cups at home goods, so i picked up a few.

quick breakfasts with ezekial bread.

most mornings i am running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to find an outfit, pack my meals, walk lola, and not forget to fill up her water bowl. let's face it: the morning doesn't leave a lot of time for making a gourmet breakfast for most of us that work full-time.

my go-to breakfast used to be hard boiled egg whites. boring. then i was mostly drinking the chocolate peanut butter shake for breakfast, but it does take some time to measure everything out for the shake & you have to drink it before it melts which can be challenging. so the past two weeks i've been mixing up my breakfasts using ezekial bread.

natural peanut butter or almond butter: lather the toast with a tablespoon of either & eat on the way out the door. you can also cut up some fruit (bananas are my favorite) and put that on top too!

 

 

 

egg white & raw goat's milk cheese toast: this is like a healthy bacon, egg & cheese, minus the bacon. i just throw the bread in the toaster, fry the egg, & top with shredded cheese. we have these adorable teeny saucer pans that cook 1 egg perfectly.

 

{ i use mt. sterling co-op creamery's raw goat's milk sharp cheddar cheese. that's a lot of words. i get it at whole foods.}

 

 

 

salsa toast: this is my favorite breakfast lately. i use any combo of my homemade salsa (fresh salsa from harris teeter, organic black beans & organic corn), egg whites, raw goat's milk cheese & avocados. sometimes i use them all, sometimes i only use a few, but it is delicious every time!

 

 

enjoy!

 

recipe: another {easier} salsa chicken.

because i love all things mexi-flavored, i found this recipe on pinterest & decided to give it a go. i've already made it twice and am loving it!

 

ingredients:

1 can black beans (i use trader joe's organic)

1 can corn (harris teeter organics)

1 15oz. jar of salsa (trader joes - this is a clean option)

3-4 chicken breasts (trader joe's skinless/boneless/organic)

-- original recipe uses 6 oz cream cheese, but i did not. i would imagine you can use 6 oz of greek yogurt as a healthier substitute as well!

 



 

 

 

instructions:

1. rinse black beans & corn.

 

 

2. wash the chicken breast & pat dry.

3. throw all 4 ingredients in the crockpot.

 

 

5. cook on high for 4-5 hours.

 

 

 

5. if you decided to use cream cheese or greek yogurt, throw it on top & let cook for another 30 minutes.

6. enjoy!

 

my favorite ways to enjoy:

• over quinoa that has been lightly seasoned with lime juice
• burrito style: ezekial wrap (found at whole foods in frozen section), salsa chicken, sliced avocado, and topped with shredded or sliced raw goat cheese (whole foods).
• simply heated up in a bowl - it really is that good!

recipe: tomato basil hummus.

i made hummus! and it's actually good!

i followed this recipe posted here at undressed skeleton. her site has A TON of great healthy recipes - check it out!

ingredients:

 

1 cup chickpeas (i think i used more like 1 & 1/4 cup)
1/4 can whole peeled tomatoes (my can was bigger than a normal can, so i just did like 1/3 cup)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup plain & unsweetened yogurt (i use trader joe's brand)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1/8 tsp cumin

 

{i use all organic products but that isn't necessary}

 

directions:

 

1. throw it all in a blender or food processor.

2. put in the fridge for a few hours.

3. enjoy! you can use pita chips/pita bread or fresh veggies.

 

 

{before}

 

 

{after}

 

 

{the perfect snack! i have this little container made for dressing that hold the exact serving size - 2 tbsp}

 

 if you care:

serving size: 2tbsp
calories: 40
fat: 2g
carbs: 8g
protein: 5g 

eat clean april: done!

{source unknown}

i have eaten clean for an entire month. add that to the list of things i never thought i'd say. a few months ago, i didn't even know what "clean" meant. after starting to do some research about nutrition, i quickly learned a lot of stuff that straight up scared me. the long list of things that we put into our bodies in the form of processed food is alarming. so i set out on what was supposed to be a 2 week journey to see what this clean eating thing was all about.

well after 2 weeks, i was afraid to "eat normal" again because i had a race to run and didn't want to feel sick all week. and then when i got to race day, i figured, "hey, what's another 10 days?"

it's been hard! i have been eating six meals a day & cooking pretty much everything that i have consumed. there have been lots of fruit & veggies, lots of protein shakes, and plenty of chicken. i have drank a few times {because i've been a concert going freak this month} but have kept it limited to drinking only when i have actual plans. another important thing for me is portion control. this has always been a problem for me, as it is for most americans. so i have been measuring all of my food as well & paying very close attention to serving sizes.

a typical day looks like this:

meal 1: chocolate peanut butter protein shake
meal 2: hard boiled egg whites & banana
meal 3: sweet potatoes & quinoa
meal 4: almonds & homemade protein bars
meal 5: salsa chicken & black beans
meal 6: frozen grapes

what about when i travel? i plan ahead of time and pack a cooler. what about eating out? i haven't. the one time i did eat out this month, i asked for my scrambled egg whites to be cooked dry (without any butter or oils), a half an avocado, and fresh fruit. it was brunch, so it was pretty easy. what do i miss most? CHEESE. easy answer. but frozen yogurt is a close second. how much weight have i lost? i've lost another 10 pounds this month.

so now what? good question - i'm not sure. i have been trying to figure this one out for a few days now.   i actually don't even have the desire to eat anything "bad" for me anymore, which is pretty insane. and now that i know what i know, i will continue to be extremely cautious about what i put into my body. but i will eat cheese. i will most definitely eat cheese.

{source}

recipe: 2 quickies!

i have successfully been eating 100% clean (minus a few drinks last saturday) since april 1st. it has not been easy, and when i started out on this journey, i intended to stop after day 15. but here i am on day 16 still chopping veggies, making protein shakes, and eating lots of fruit.

the hardest part about eating clean for me has been the time i have to spend in the kitchen. i have cooked more the past 2 weeks than i ever have in my life. but it's been kind of fun, and as an almost 25 year old woman, i should probably know how to do these things anyways.

below are two quick recipes for your veggies from none other than heandsheeatclean.com.

sweet potato cubes

1. heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. cut potatoes into small squares.
3. cover baking sheet in foil (makes cleaning up a lot easier).
4. drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, & black pepper.
5. bake for 15-20 minutes.
6. remove & flip to the other side.
7. bake this side for 15-20 minutes.

i have been mixing about 4oz. of sweet potatoes with a 1/4 cup of quinoa for a delicious meal!

 

lemon & garlic roasted veggies

 

1. heat oven to 405 degrees

2. choose your veggies! i have now done this with zucchini and asparagus & loved both.

3. cut however you'd like. i chopped the zucchini into small pieces & left the asparagus whole.

4. cover baking sheet in foil (makes cleaning up a lot easier).

5. drizzle with olive oil.

6. cut lemon in half and squeeze juice onto veggies.

7. sprinkle with sea salt, garlic powder, and pepper.

8. bake for 8-10 minutes.

 

 

enjoy! 

recipe: homemade chocolate protein bars.

yet another delicious recipe from heandsheeatclean.com. you will find me saying that a lot lately. actually, every recipe i've made the past few weeks has been from their site!

the first time i made these, it was the 2nd day of clean eating and i thought they were terrible. a few days later (... a few more days without sugar) i thought they tasted like heaven.

ingredients: 

1 cup oat flour (this was hard to find! eventually found it at whole foods)
4 egg whites
2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder
1/3 cup (or less) stevia
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz berry flavored baby food (this was also hard to find! apparently baby food isn't just baby food anymore...)
3 tbsp baking cocoa
4 oz water

directions:

1. turn the oven on to 350 degrees.
2. mix oat flour, protein powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa together in a bowl.
3. mix egg whites, baby food, water, and stevia together in a separate bowl.
4. mix both together & pour into a pan. the original calls for 8x8, but i used 9x13. this just means you cook it less time & the bars are thinner. 
5. cook for 20-30 mins or until they look done/smooth. i think i ended up cooking mine for about 12 because of my pan size difference. 
6. let cool & cut into 16 squares. a serving size is 2 squares.
7. after they cool, i put 2 to a ziploc and store them in the fridge.

 ** you must keep these in the fridge because they will spoil **

{ingredients for first bowl}

{second bowl - seriously, this was the only "berry" baby food i could find at the grocery. i did find a more generic berry at target.}

recipe: chocolate peanut butter protein shake.

here is yet another great recipe from heandsheeatclean.com that i currently can't stop consuming - YUM!

ingredients:

2oz. liquid egg whites
4-6oz. unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (i use vanilla because i don't currently have chocolate)
1 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
stevia, to taste (i use probably about 1/2 tbsp)
a few ice cubes

{this is the single serve blender i use: $29.50 at target}

{i have been "eating" these shakes for breakfast or my last snack of the night.}

if you care:

calories: 261

fat: 11g

carbs: 6g

protein: 31g

recipe: salsa chicken.

in my latest pursuits of learning exactly what all the crap is that we put into our bodies, i stumbled across heandsheeatclean.com. this is a fabulous website for anyone interested in eating clean & they provide a lot of recipes, advice, meal plans, etc.

this salsa chicken recipe appealed to me because i love all things mexican-ish flavored & you can't really mess up a crockpot recipe. so monday after work, i headed to the store to pick up the ingredients.

ingredients:
3-4 lbs (about 5 breasts for me) of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. i also used organic chicken.
4 large diced tomatoes (i used trader joe's organic roma tomatoes)
1.5 cups (roughly) of your favorite salsa (i used harris teeter's fresh salsa)
2 tbsp granulated garlic
2 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper  (warning: this makes it VERY spicy)

instructions: (not that you really need them): 
measure out spices into a small bowl. wash & dry chicken. throw spices, tomatoes, salsa, & chicken into the crock pot. cook on low for 7 hours. i did this overnight which i was very stressed out about because i've never done that before! i also added a teeny bit of water because it didn't seem like there was enough liquid with the salsa. i was wrong & will be leaving out the water next time!

{got a little spice crazy at tj's}

i have been eating this for at least one meal a day all week - it is great! check out the rest of their long list of clean eating recipes here.


if you care:
serving size: 6oz
calories: 160
fat: 2g
carbs: 2g
protein: 36 g