Part of my weight loss plan was to increase my protein macros. I read that if you're lifting weights you want to eat a certain amount of protein to preserve your muscle mass so you don't slow down your metabolic rate plus eating protein throughout the day makes weight loss easier because it helps with hunger and  fullness aka managing your appetite. I did not replace any meals with a protein shake, but I thought since lifting heavy weights 5x a week is such an intrical part of my workout regime it would be good to add a protein shake as a snack. I don't drink it daily, but a few times a week and it tastes really good. It was important for me to find a plant based protein powder that has clean ingredients. Truvani only has 6 ingredients in their protein powders! Just be aware that shipping is very slow and their marketing practices can be annoying.

I’ve been making a batch of these energy balls every week for months now. It’s a great healthy snack to keep on hand to tie you over between meals or after meals when you want something sweet. These balls are loaded with healthy fats from the walnuts and coconut and naturally sweet from the dates and honey.  I’m addicted to these delicious energy balls!

Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals
by Ali Maffucci

Last year I noticed my Giant grocery store had Zucchini Noodles or Zoodles (now all my local groceries are carrying it) so I bought it on a whim. I have never heard of this before so I googled to find recipes for it and came across this amazing book which I borrowed from the library. It's changed the way I look at vegetables. After reading it I purchased a spiralizer. I figured it was cheaper than buying the noodles which cost $6.37 when I can just buy a zucchini and spiralize it myself which I've been doing for eight months now.

The very first zucchini noodle recipe I made was a Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Avocado Pesto. It was so delicious and then I made an Oil-free walnut pesto zucchini noodles. A friend of mine once gave me a tip to use walnuts in pesto instead of pine nuts because it's cheaper and tastes the same. It's been such a creative way to have pasta without pasta by turning zucchini into spaghetti noodles. If you're wondering, once spiralized I put the raw zoodles on the frying pan for a few minutes to soften them up. Spicy Sesame Zoodles is another great dish!

The author of the book doesn't just spiralize zucchini, she also does butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, and exotic vegetables like rutabaga, daikon and celeriac. She explains that "zucchini noodles are helpful for weight loss, thanks to their low calorie and carb count, and high dietary fiber content. They’re also packed with folates, which help your metabolism function properly." If you're trying to low-carb but don't want to eat salads, spiralized vegetables are a great option!  It's a way to turn vegetables into noodles and create fun new recipes with it. To me it's been a perfect way to make healthy low calorie dinners. Because let's face it spiralized veggies are just more exciting than chopped veggies! Plus it looks like a larger volume of food, takes less time to cook and are cut perfectly. Here are some of my recent dinners:




I was very skeptical about the last two dishes. Lasagna noodles made out of butternut squash, how would that taste? Surprisingly tasty and filling! I used Field Roast vegetarian apple sage sausages. This week I'm making a sweet potato noodle lasagna with kale and lentils.

 I had never had baby bok choy before so I probably over cooked it but with the carrot "rice" and tofu, it was another fulfilling meal. I've also made plantain "rice" and beet "rice". The possibilities are endless! Spiralizing vegetables has really encouraged me to try new vegetables and have fun making new creations with them. This year so far I've lost 10 lbs making the switch to spiralized vegetables for dinner. Have you tried spiralized vegetables?

1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 poblano pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
2 bell peppers (red and yellow)
1 carrot
1 cup kale
4 celery stalks
1 lime (squeezed and zested)
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 red onion
1/4 cup corn
3 garlic cloves
1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TB agave syrup
raw cacao nibs
soy chorizo

Spices:
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 TB chili powder
2 tsp nutritional yeast
1 ½ tsp ginger
½ tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cumin
dash cayenne
1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat a little oil over and add the onion and garlic and saute a few minutes.
2. Add the ginger and cumin and let cook for one minute.
3. Then add all the peppers for a few minutes.
4. Next add the celery, carrots, tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, chili powder, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic powder, bay leaf, nutritional yeast, agave, vinegar, cocoa and lime. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes uncovered.
5. Add beans, sausage, corn and kale. Stir well, cover with lid and simmer on low for 1 hour. 

Fall has become one of my favorite seasons since it involves everything pumpkin. Saying goodbye to summer isn't easy, but the crisp autumnal breeze and festive aspects of fall make the transition easier. From watching the leaves change color, to apple picking, pumpkin patches, and making seasonal fall foods, there's so much to enjoy this season. I love pumpkin recipes as much as the next person but would rather stay away from the high-calorie pumpkin pie.  Here are some true and tried recipes to get your pumpkin fix with these low-calorie but high nutrient foods. Did you know that pumpkins are high in fiber and contain the antioxidant beta-carotene which keeps your eyes sharp? This week on my blog will feature fall themed foods you need to add to your list to try this season.

Last week I baked a sugar pumpkin to have fresh pumpkin puree. With it I made Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal for breakfast all week, it was delicious!
Sugar-Free Pumpkin Bread  check out the calorie comparison I did between my recipe and Starbucks pumpkin bread.

Overnight pumpkin oatmeal - if you're not ready to turn the oven on yet.

Pumpkin curry - if you love Thai food, you'll want to try this.

Pumpkin soup with tofu croutons.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake - Last Friday I went out to lunch and saw on the menu "Pumpkin Pie Smoothie" which I'm sure would be delicious but made with ice cream which is just way too much sugar for me. It reminded me I had a delicious but low in sugar protein shake made with pumpkins. Watch the video of me mixing it up.

Check out my other favorite fall recipes.

In the last few years, I've come to appreciate Fall fo all the things the season offers. I love the changing of the leaves and seeing the pretty red leaves on the trees. I can finally enjoy the crisp air outside as this summer was just brutal. I'm going apple picking again later this month. Next month I'm visiting a new pumpkin patch. It's fun to get dressed in the Fall as I break out all my tunics, leggings, and boots along with layering with scarves and sweaters.  When it comes to food, Fall starts soup season and honeycrisp apples!

Here's a recipe for a Healthy Apple Walnut Bread that has no white flour, white sugar or oil and still tastes sweet and moist.


I will start making baked oatmeal again, particularly Apple Pie Oatmeal.


My lunch for work will start to be soup. One of my favorites is this lentil, coconut based soup with some Indian spices.

I'm already seeing but butternut squash in the stores so I plan on making some risotto with it.

It's eggplant season and I've been shopping at farmers markets lately and ran across white eggplant! I bought one just for the novelty of it. I have a favorite eggplant curry recipe I make, but I wanted to make something that would still show some of its unique color. I searched pinterest for eggplant recipes and everyone was making eggplant pizza! What a great idea! I bought some delicious cheese called Midnight Moon Cypress Grove and resisted the desire to buy bread to pair with it so I thought they would match up perfectly! It's a hard goat cheese from Holland and its flavor is described as "nutty and brown buttery up front with a long caramel finish". You must try this cheese and check out my other favorite cheeses here.

I made the recipe pretty simply based on how it looked but afterward, I felt the eggplant wasn't seasoned right. I did another search and compared all the recipes and discovered that this dish was a Julia Child recipe! I loved the movie about her, but as a vegetarian never tried any of her recipes. Here's her recipe done properly and you can't be lazy, you really need to follow all the steps for a rich flavor.


Ingredients
1 Eggplant
Cheese
Tomatoes
Italian seasoning

Directions
1.   Slice the eggplant 1 inch thick and put the slices on a paper towel and sprinkle both sides with salt. Let sit for        20 minutes to draw out the liquid.  Then blot the eggplant to remove the excess water and salt. 
2.   Preheat oven to 375 and grease a baking sheet with olive oil. 
3.   Arrange the eggplant slices on the baking sheet and sprinkle with oil and Italian seasoning.
4.   Roast in the oven for 25 minutes then remove the eggplant and turn the oven to Broil.
5.   Add your favorite toppings: marinara sauce or grape tomatoes, cheese, basil, and or spinach. 
6.   Broil until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

I love anything matcha - ice cream, lattes, and smoothies. Matcha is finely ground green tea leaves that are full of antioxidants (higher than regular green tea) and gives an energy boost. It's popular at Japanese tea ceremonies. You can tell the quality of your matcha by how radiantly emerald green it is. Another ingredient in this smoothie is maca which is an ancient Peruvian superfood that gives you energy and is full of B vitamins. Maca may be helpful to weight loss because it's a strong hormone regulator. Chia seeds have omega-3 fats,  help you feel full longer and sustain your energy levels. I put them on my oatmeal and in every smoothie I make. Pumpkin seeds are full of magnesium, omega-3 fats, and tryptophan that helps with sleep. I put a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds on all my salads.

I revisited this cookbook and found this delicious smoothie recipe that tastes like ice cream. The frozen fruit are the secret ingredients as they make this smoothie extra frothy and sweet. This summer I've been making a habit of freezing watermelon to put in smoothies as it won't water down your drink like regular ice cubes and makes it more frozen and sweeter with added vitamins. So if you have a protein powder you don't like the taste of, add watermelon ice cubes to it! I was worried I wouldn't be able to make this smoothie anymore once watermelon season is over, then learned I could do the same with frozen cantaloupe! The frozen fruit will make this smoothie so creamy!


Ingredients:
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp chia seed
1 frozen banana
1.5 cup frozen watermelon
1 tsp raw pumpkin seeds
1 tsp Matcha Tea Powder
spirulina (optional)

Directions:
Cut up some watermelon and put it in your blender to make a juice. Then pour into your ice cube tray and freeze.  Chop up a banana and freeze, it will be easier for your blender to handle versus an uncut banana.

Mix the almond milk with everything except the fruit. Once combined slowly add the fruit a little at a time. 
Blend and pour into a glass. Top with the pumpkin seeds.

Nutritional Analysis:
1 serving, 358 calories,  22g protein, 10g fiber, 55g carbs, 31g sugar 
The sugar and carbs come from the fruit. Only 15g of the protein come from the protein powder.

I've updated my crustless quiche recipe  which has been a staple for breakfast lately. Yes, I run the oven in the summertime. lol I've been reading up on how healthy cottage cheese is, but have never eaten it so I was trying to figure out a way to incorporate into my diet, then thought I can just throw it into my quiche! Cottage cheese is high in protein, a slow digesting complete protein that will keep you full longer. It has essential amino acids (which  help rebuild and repair muscle fibers), vitamin B-12, calcium, electrolytes, and the mineral phosphorus. Try to look for a low sodium cottage cheese if you can, and know that fat-free cottage cheese is much higher in carbs.

This weekend I made two of quiches and put one in the freezer for next week. Here's the portion size which I eat with ¼ avocado and fruit (peach, nectarine or watermelon) and together makes 300 calories.


Ingredients
6 eggs
6 egg whites (8oz liquid egg whites)
½ onion
½ cup cottage cheese (full fat)
¼ ts black pepper
½  ts salt
1/8 ts garlic powder
mushrooms or red bell pepper (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9-inch pan then line with parchment baking paper which makes for easy removal and cleanup.
2. Spray a frying pan and caramelize onions. Add in vegetables if using.
3. In a bowl combine eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, and spices. Add cooked veggies, then pour into pan.
4. Bake for 40 min.

Nutritional Analysis:
5 servings, 160 calories, 4g carbs, 20g protein

Related Posts:
Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Quiche
Crustless Quiche
Caramelized Garlic Tart

I hope everyone had a happy holiday weekend. I went to Dancetrance, a bbq and watched the fireworks on a rooftop. Here's a roundup of some of my favorites recipes for summer. Have you tried Starbucks Strawberry Acai Refresher? It's flavored with passion fruit & acai, lightly caffeinated with green coffee extract and served freeze dried strawberries. It's 90 calories with 20g of sugar, so sweet and delicious! From their secret menu, you can ask for the "Pink Drink" which is for them to use coconut milk instead of water in this drink. It's similar to their Tazo Passion Iced Tea but better.








                                                                                                                                                                   

My favorite drinks for the summer are green smoothies, melon cucumber cooler, and Tazo passion iced tea.











                                                                 If you're a regular reader of my blog you know I'm obsessed with popsicles! Apricots have a short season and right now they are in Trader Joe's so be sure to pick some up! My favorite popsicles are Boozy Apricot,  Grapefruit Rosemary, and Nectarine Buttermilk.
















For breakfast, I'm eating a lot of oatmeal in a range of flavors from Apricot, Black Forest Cake, and fresh peaches.














I'm also eating a lot of salad and making my own dressing which is super easy to do. Try out my Peach Vinaigrette and my Cilantro Lime small batch fresh and unique salad dressings.










                                                                                                                                                           

Back to breakfast, I have some more unique options. First up is the super filling Chia Pudding, Blackberries and Cream Quinoa, and Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats which tastes similar to the ice cream!

Last winter I read the cookbook The Forest Feast  and saw this yellow salad recipe which I couldn't wait to try but had to wait until summer to find yellow beets. Beets are high in folate and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well as lutein for eye health. Yellow beets need to be eaten immediately after cutting because they oxidize and turn black within hours. To prevent this discoloration you can try squeezing some lemon juice on it.

I think it's a great recipe to bring to a potluck brunch (which my friend had last weekend). You don't have to follow recipe exactly and I added some chopped gruyere cheese to it.  I couldn't find yellow cucumbers so I just used a regular one, but next to everything else in the salad it looked very green so I hid them at the bottom. I omitted the raisins to cut down on calories. For the dressing, I just added some white balsamic vinegar and pepper.

  Ingredients:

1 yellow bell pepper

1 can chickpeas

1 cup yellow tomatoes

1 yellow beet

1 lemon cucumber

½ cup corn

1 ts lemon zest

½ cup golden raisins (optional)

2 oz Gruyere cheese  (optional)

Directions: 
Rinse the beets and cut off the stalks then cook the beets in boiling water for 30 minutes. Next rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Once the beets have cooled, peel the skin off. Then chop the beets and mix with all the other ingredients and add dressing of your choice. 


Recipe source: The Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson

Two summers ago I was on a popsicle kick trying out new recipes every week but slacked off last summer. Well I've decided to pick it up again because it's such a refreshing low calorie treat. Have you noticed that strawberries lose some of their rich flavor after you put it in the fridge? I made these popsicles with the strawberries as soon as I brought them home from the grocery store. You also want to use freshly cut watermelon. The combination of the two flavors create a spectacular taste!

Ingredients
Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender. Taste to adjust sweetness.
2. Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

Makes 6 popsicles


Related Posts:
Strawberry Picking
Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles
Balsamic Strawberry Popsicles

Veggie Burger

Goddess Bowl

I've read a lot of cookbooks and The Forest Feast is the most beautiful one I've ever seen! I'm a visual person and if a cookbook doesn't have pictures for every recipe, I can't make the recipe. Erin, the author, lives in a cabin in the California woods and used that as inspiration for all her photos. The vibrant colored recipes are shot on slabs of wood and look more like an oversized art book rather than a cookbook. The layout and presentation are not your typical cookbook, for instance, there are no white page backgrounds. It's a vegetarian cookbook but Erin describes her cooking style as very simple and so her recipes require few ingredients and there's little directions in the book. It's more an eye candy coffee table book with whimsical sketches. Expect lots of creative ways to use vegetables and many of the recipes are seasonal. While it's the most beautiful book I've ever seen, the recipes are more geared for party planning as there are no entrees. But I found these balls really delicious, they're the perfect sweet treat! I stored mine in the freezer.

Ingredients:

½ cup peanut butter, softened

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

1 TB raw honey

10 pitted dates, soaked

Directions: 
Recipe source: The Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson

  Ingredients:

2 cups filtered water

7 cups chopped spinach

1 small head of romaine lettuce

2 celery stalks

1 apple

1 ripe pear

1 banana

2 TB fresh lemon juice

½ ts bee pollen (optional) per serving

Directions: