Almond Coconut Protein Balls

Yes, I said protein and balls.  Now that you're done giggling to yourself, let's examine why these were one of those tasty treats I loved to have around right before a workout. For those of you who workout, and workout hard, you know that there's nothing better than that boost of energy you get right before your lifting, where you can do those extra three push-ups, or that extra 5 minutes on the treadmill. And these are the perfect treat to help you get to that point. 

These had been something I had wanted to try for a while, and I ended up with this recipe, after much research, basically because I already had all the ingredients in my house. Also, my husband loves coconut, so it seemed like a good little snack for him as well, since it was something that mixed in an ingredient he really likes, with the protein that we both really needed.

And so, out came the The Almond Coconut Protein Ball. 

There were a couple things in the recipe that I changed up a bit.  First I believe I used chocolate Unsweetened WestSoy Milk, and I also skipped the step where they microwave the almond butter.  I keep my almond butter at room temperature all the time, so I didn't have to worry about getting it to a texture that I could work with.  I also used finely chopped almonds that I had put in my food processor, rather than coarsely chopped, because that's what I prefer.  

These taste great, and were one of the snacks I brought with me to eat right before my Tony Horton workout at Fitness Atlantic 2012.  It was a great little boost of energy to get me through the hour long torturous workout we preformed.  As a matter of fact, I should make these again very soon!

Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad

I had been reading about Wheat Berries all over the place, and couldn't find them in my local grocery store, and was starting to get aggravated.  What where these so-called Wheat Berries, what did they look like, and where could I find them?  Well, while in another grocery store, with more health food options, I spotted them in a bag placed with other grains, and I did a mini-celebration dance in the middle of the isle.  Hooray!  

Now, what did I want to do with them?  The Wheat Berry (also know as Hard Red Winter Wheat) are the grains of wheat without the husk.  They can be used in both savory dishes, and to my delight, sweet dishes.  I found this recipe on the back of the Wheat Berry package and immediately had to give it a try.  I love Waldorf Salad, and everything in this recipe screamed Superfood, and I didn't have to modify it at all!

I took 1/2 c. of Nature's Earthly Choice Red Winter Wheat Whole Grain Wheat Berries and cooked them with 1 1/2 c. of water.  You'll want to cook them for about 15 minutes.  The grain should be soft, but still chewy.  You will want to drain them like you would a pasta.  In a large bowl, I combined 2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. of honey, 1 sweet apple, I stalk of cerlery, 2 tbsp. of raisins, 1/3 c. of FF Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1/2 c. of walnuts.  I then added the cooled Wheat Berries and mixed away.  

This has become one of my favorite cold salads, and is a great dish to bring to cookouts where so many people prepare potato salads, that I'm always trying to avoid, mostly because of the potatoes themselves, and the mayo that is always being added.  I promise that you won't feel like you're missing out on anything when you combine this dish with any grilled meat that you love!

Beef and Cannellini Bean Minestrone

Your probably thinking to yourself, if you've read my past blogs, "Damn, this girl eats a large quantity of soups!" And, you would be correct.  I do this for a few different reasons, but the most important two are this: 1) You can fit all your protein and vegetables into one small bowl, in one sitting, and have it taste unbelievably yummy; 2) I cook for two, and I cook for days.  I would love to hang around everyday all day in the kitchen and cook, but I've got other things to do, as do you.

This soup sparked my interest while browsing cookbooks with Food Network on in the background, and Giada was introducing her meals for the show.  As I half paid attention, I was got increasingly excited when I saw red meat, and no potatoes.  I know this sounds weird, because I know that turkey and chicken are the healthier choice, but I like red meat, and I live with a man who also likes red meat.  Every once in a while, you want something that tastes huge, and flavorful, and rich.  And I'd rather eat this, than a double cheeseburger.  

I should add here, that I have no issue with potatoes.  Good carbs, are good carbs, as long as you eat them in moderation.  So I celebrated the lack of potatoes, and the substitution of beans, because I knew we'd have left overs, and I didn't want to be eating potatoes for three days straight.  Check out the webpage and give the recipe a try, especially if you have a guy in your house who like a nice meaty meal.  It's so delish! 

Beef and Cannellini Bean Minestrone

And, integrate more soups into your household.  If you have kids, or don't have kids, soups are a great way to plan meals over a couple days, and they make you feel so full and nourished.  

Oh the Black Bean Brownies

Yeah, it can be done, and still taste delicious.  Sometimes people say, "I'll diet, but if I'm going to eat a 'brownie', I'm going all in and eating a real brownie.  One that's chewy and gooey and worth the calories."  And this people, is how we break.  It's not that every once in a while we shouldn't allow ourselves to have that chewy gooey brownie, but every once and a while doesn't need to be every couple of weeks because we end up at social events that throw them at us.  

My food quest so far has been a constant battle in how to satiate the cravings for the things I'm used to, and replace them with alternatives that are healthier, and make me feel good.  Like I said before, I am admittedly a sugar-whore.  What I did not say, is that I am also a chocolate-whore.  That being said, I searched out this recipe because other people had tried them, said "Eh" things about them, and I wanted to judge them for myself.   So, I went to Oxygen Magazine, and searched them out.

How does the Black Bean Brownie hold up?

And the verdict is...DELICIOUSNESS!  I think that part of the reason people don't like these, is because they look like brownies, and they smell like brownies, but they don't exactly taste like brownies.  Every once in a while I think it's important for us to step back from our food and remind ourselves that we are SO conditioned when it comes to the way our food looks, and the way it tastes.  Don't think about it as, "Ew.  This doesn't taste like a 'brownie', I am never eating these again", and more of a, "Does this brownie fulfill it's purpose?  I ate because I was craving chocolate: check.  I also wanted sweetness: check.  I also don't want to feel like I gave up everything that falls into these two categories because I chose to live a healthy lifestyle: check."  

I followed the recipe, for the most part, to a tea.  I did exchange Stevia in place of the Sucanat which mildly changed the texture of the brownie (Sucanat cooks much like a brown sugar keeping in the moisture with a molasses), and in the future, I think I'll use a tad bit more applesauce, but other than that the recipe was a success.  My husband actually loved these, and everyday was so excited to pack his little brownie for a snack at work.  The whole time they were on the kitchen counter, it was like you felt guilty, but had nothing to feel guilty about, and that was fantastic!

AND...beans are a Superfood, so it's the best of both worlds! 

Chicken Sausage Spinach Mushroom Grilled Pizza

A couple of years ago, when my husband and I tried to make the change into clean food, and a healthier lifestyle, he would constantly say that there were some things that he could just not let go of.  Greasy, gross, disgusting Greek pizza was one of those things he craved.  Where I'm an admitted sugar-whore, my husband is a greasy food lover.  It wasn't until I introduced this pizza into our dinner rotation,  that my husband openly stated that this pizza, was much better than any pizza you could get at a pizza shop, and this only two months after we had a full blown conversation about how there is no substitute for the nasty pizza you get at your local Main Street pizza pub.  Celebration!

The recipe itself was inspired by the Spinach and Chicken Sausage Pizza in The Best of Clean Eating, but took on a whole new life when we were watching a Grill It episode with Bobby Flay.  Grilling pizza dough?  Yup, that's what we're talking about here.  

I had tried making my own clean pizza dough at one point, which was very good, but found that my local grocer had a multi-grain pizza dough, already defrosted and ready to go, that was healthier, and easier, and so, I shaved some time of my prep and went in this direction.  

Grilling the pizza, again came out of necessity.  Our oven had given up on us, and in order to prep all our food for a couple days before we received our new one, I decided this was a food adventure I wanted to jump into.  I formed the dough, and brushed one side with a thin layer of Canola oil.  I placed that side down on a preheated grill grate and let it cook until browned.  In the meantime, I brushed the other side with Canola oil, and flipped when it was ready.  

I then topped the pizza with one can of organic diced tomatoes, drained, and over this put sauteed mushrooms onion and spinach.  I then placed on two sliced, grilled chicken sausages, and topped it all with part-skim mozzarella cheese that was grated.  Throw the lid back on your grill, and let everything get nice and warm and gooey, and you're good to go!

If you want to cook the pizza in your oven, you can always do that as well.  Just follow whatever instructions are on your pizza dough, and top your dough when raw, and then cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Not quite as tasty and delicious, but still pretty freaking yummy!

I think what I love most about this recipe is the idea that you have all sorts of Superfoods on here.  Spinach, tomatoes, grains, chicken...who knew pizza could fall under the Superfood category???  Just don't go eating half the pizza in one sitting.  This would completely eliminate the meal as a healthy alternative.  

Strawberry Protein Pan-Crepes

I had recently told my father that I eat Fat Free Greek yogurt with all sorts of weird stuff, in all sorts of weird ways.  He asked how.  And how do you answer that question when you use it for pancakes, and cupcakes, quiches and all sorts of other strange things. Yogurt?  Yup.

This recipe was born out of a an idea that came from one of my favorite dessert websites to reference (although there are many other recipes available on there), Dashing Dish.  I highly suggest you check it out and see what you can find.

My version, however, was brought to life by mixing my vanilla protein pancake recipe with the idea of a crepe.  

Instead of make one big pancake, I divided the mixture into two thin pancakes and used them as crepes.  And because that wasn't yummy enough (sarcasm), I took a heaping tablespoon of Fat Free Greek yogurt, a tablespoon of Fat Free Cream Cheese some Stevia, and four strawberries and threw them in a food processor until it was pureed.  I then filled the "crepes" with the mixture, rolled them, and drizzled the remainder of the puree over the top, and garnished with some freshly sliced strawberries.  More calories?  Yes.  Yummier?  Most definitely, YES! 

Eggplant Parmesan and Quinoa Risotto

Some people grew up eating Eggplant Parmesan, I however, did not.  My only interaction with eggplant as a child was my grandmother dropping it off at the house for my mother, and me being disgusted by the fact that it was a purple plant.  My husband, when I brought up eggplant as a dinner food, was also turned off.  But, we powered on through, and in doing so, both fell in love with the version of Eggplant Parmesan.  

This recipe was taken from The Best of Clean Eating, and was so simple and yet, with the homemade tomato sauce, and baked panko crusted eggplant, it tasted so much better than a baked vegetable should be.  Where's the fry oil?!? Sorry people. You've got the wrong eggplant recipe here.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Put 3 large egg whites in a dipping container and beat them.  In a separate container mix together 3/4 c. of Whole Wheat Panko ( I use the Emeril's brand because, after much label reading in my grocery store, this was the healthiest version I could find), 6 tbs. of grated low-fat Parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 tsp. of dried oregano, 1 tsp. of garlic powder and a dash of salt.  

Cut your ends off the eggplant, cut crosswise into 3/4 in. slices, dip your eggplant in the egg white wash, then into the Panko mixture and place on a large non-stick sprayed cooking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, or around 25 minutes.  

While that's baking, take to medium tomatoes cut into chunks, 1 tbsp. of tomato paste, 2 garlic cloves, and 12 large basil leaved and throw them into your food processor and pulse to make a chunky sauce.  Throw this into a pan heated on a medium burner and reduce down for about ten minutes.  

When your eggplant is done, take it out, and turn your oven to broil. On your baking sheet layer eggplant, tomato sauce, and part-skim mozzarella cheese.  Put another slice on top and repeat.  When all are layered, throw it back in the oven for about 3 minutes or until cheese melts.  

Quinoa Risotto

I love Quinoa.  There I said it.  I like it more than white or brown rice, and I like it more than cous cous.  Judge me, I don't care.  I like Quinoa for so many reasons, I can't even begin to tell you.  One, it's a complete protein, meaning you don't need to add anything else to the dish for it to acquire all the amino acids which make a protein complete.  But, beyond that, it cooks and fifteen minutes.  And, I LOVE that!

Risotto is often thought of as being prepared with Arborio rice, and nice thick cheese, and everything else that I don't want to eat.  The reality is, you can make risotto with any type of grain, you just need to prepare it low and slow.  

I start by sauteing onions and mushrooms until soft.  I take soaked quinoa (soak it to activate the germ, as well as remove any of the dirt and residue that is on the grain) and add it to the pan.  I then take already heated chicken or vegetable stock (make sure it's already heated, but not boiling) and add it VERY SLOWLY, A VERY SMALL AMOUNT AT A TIME!  You want to make sure that the grain takes in the liquid slowly and reduced down to almost no liquid before adding more liquid.  

How much Quinoa to stock depends on the serving size you plan on making.  Look at the package and decide what serving size you would like and prepare enough stock for whatever amount of grain you choose.   

When it's all done (you'll know when the ring around the grain separates), I put SOME freshly grated Parmesan and Part-skim Mozzarella cheese into the risotto and mix.  Yes, I am human people, and I do like cheese.  I just don't eat entire blocks of it to myself!  

Orange-Scented Almond and Olive Oil Muffins:

Breakfast Synergy at It's Best

I truly believe that breakfast is the most important part of any person's day.  It's a hard reality that skipping this meal basically sets you up for food-failure the rest of the day.  EAT BREAKFAST PEOPLE!

I'm done yelling. Now, this is basically one of my, "Look how yummy your day can begin!" pictures, and it can, but the focus here should be on the muffin in the upper part of the picture that looks so sad and alone.  I came across this recipe, again watching Giada on Food Network, while doing some other mundane task, and said to myself, "I like Almond Flour, and OJ, and Greek yogurt, and EVOO!"  But, more importantly, I LOVE muffins!  So I rolled my sleeves up, turned on the Kitchen Aid and made some muffins.

Orange-Scented Almond and Olive Oil Muffins

I did, of course make two important substitutions when making these muffins.  First, I eliminated the sugar for Stevia, and in place of the AP flour I substituted Whole Wheat Flour.  I've found that at times this change in flour can make baked goods a little denser in texture (not unbearable, just different), but because it's mixed with Almond flour in this recipe, you barely notice the difference at all.  The are SOOOO delicious, and the best part is that your entire house smells like citrus and almonds while you're cooking.  

But, remember, a single muffin does not a meal make!  Eat your muffin as your carb/grain/fiber, but add some FF Greek yogurt or Cottage Cheese, some fruit, and maybe some egg whites.  You'll feel like a new person at the beginning of your day, and an even better person at noon when your stomach isn't cursing you for feeding it that Special K bar (which BTW has nothing but crap in it, so just walk by the damn box in the grocery store and leave it for some other person).  

White Bean and Chicken Chili

This recipe was initially introduced to me by one of my besties, who is also an amazing cook, and who also loves the food network.  It was so great to find a different chili recipe than the Three Bean red chili that I had been making, although that remains my husband's favorite, and as soon as the weather changes to cool, it is the first  thing that he asks for in his meal rotation.  

I love Giada De Laurentiis despite her annoyingly perfect life, and her constant need to whisper, "There we go" whenever she adds an ingredient or mixes something.  Whether it's her Italian heritage, or her recipes that can be cleaned up and modified, I DVR every episode, and throw it on in the background whenever I'm doing tasks around the house.  So, imagine my excitement when I found out that this was one of her recipes!  

White Bean and Chicken Chili

The only ingredients that I changed was the AP flour to Whole Wheat flour, and instead of Swiss chard, I added kale (upon trying the one at my friends, I didn't want to change her recipe because it tasted so yummy).  

I also made a half batch of this recipe, thinking that 2lbs. of chicken was a bit absurd, but in retrospect, I wish I had just made the full batch because I would have like to have more for left-overs. 

Expand your chili horizons and try a new type of chili today!

Italian Portobello Mushroom Sandwich

The Portobello made it's way into our lives through a grilling day when my husband and I were trying a Bobby Flay recipe of marinated pork tenderloin and some steak or another, and I made it as a side dish on top of some greens with some sort of dressing (we'll get back to this recipe at another time).  Anyway, my husband turned to me and said, "I can see how people can eat these as burgers.  They're so hearty and delicious."  What's that husband?  You'll eat them in sandwiches?  Ummm, done and done!

In making the Portobello Mushroom Sandwich delicious, one has to realize that the seasoning for the mushroom itself, when roasted, makes the vegetable worth eating and very savory.  I came across a recipe in Clean Food by Terry Walters (an unbelievable read if you're looking for great seasonal recipes), saw the ingredients, and couldn't resist.  

I take Oregano, Basil, and Parsley and chop it all up.  How much you need really depends on how many mushrooms you're preparing.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  I brush all of the dirt off of the mushroom and take out the stem.  I then rub olive oil on the tops, and place them top down in a baking dish.  On the bottoms place all of your herbs mixed together with some salt and pepper.  Roast them for 10 minutes (more or less depending on the size of the mushrooms).  I then take the Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, spread either Dijon mustard, or hummus if I have it in the house, on the bread, and on the bottom slice place thinly sliced tomatoes, topped with the Portobello mushroom, topped with thinly sliced avocado and then topped with the other slice of bread.  

It's up there with one of the best sandwiches I have ever made.  You should try it out if you haven't used Portobello mushrooms as the "meat" in your sandwich before!   

The Egg White, Oatmeal, Banana, Almond Butter Omelet

I eat weird stuff to nourish my body.  It is what it is.  If you aren't aware, all of the Superfoods are great food choices in and of themselves, but it's the synergy between eating them all together that gets us the greatest benefit from the nutrients that they provide.  So take a look at this bad boy.  We've got egg whites, oatmeal, banana, almond butter, and a hint of cinnamon all mixed up into one.  

The recipe was introduced to me by a co-worker, and there are a handful of us that eat it, and I've found that we all have a different way of putting it together.  I take three egg whites and scramble them before adding anything else to the bowl.  I then place in about 1/8 c. of oatmeal, 1/2 a banana very thinly sliced and a touch of cinnamon.  I mix this all together very well to make sure that both the oatmeal and the banana are covered in the egg whites.  I pour everything into a 9in. saute pan heated to medium and sprayed with non-stick spray and cook until it starts to become firm.  I then flip the egg mixture over, and on the cooked side spread about 1-2 tbs. of almond butter (use whatever butter it is you prefer).  When the bottom is cooked, I fold it over and ENJOY! 

The Better Monte Cristo with Kale Chips 

Once upon a time, my relationship with kale went no further than a steakhouse restaurant, where it was beaten into our heads "NO KALE, NO SALE!"  In this atmosphere, kale was used as a garnish; a pretty green flower-looking plant that decorated the plate full of bacon, butter, and steak.  Well, imagine my shock and surprise when I learned that people actually ate kale!  

I'm the first to admit, that with many greens, I'm not such a huge fan, primarily because the not so popular ones: kale, Swiss chard, endive and such, were not introduced to us in our household, and therefore I had no idea that they even existed, never mind that they could be eaten as a side.  However, the fact is, these yummy greens have nothing but great vitamins and nutrients to offer us, and so, they have made their way into my household in many different varieties.

The Better Monte Cristo Sandwich was a no-brainer.  I like turkey or chicken, Dijon mustard, spinach, pear and low-fat Swiss cheese and I definitely like it more when it's been dipped in egg and milk and then pan-fried.  So, when I saw it in The Best of Clean Eating, I thought, "Yes, please!"

Again, I use Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, place spinach on the bottom slice, place thinly sliced pear on top of the spinach, place thinly sliced turkey or chicken, top it with Swiss cheese, spread some Dijon mustard on the top slice, close that puppy on up and dip it in an egg white and milk mixture (I use WestSoy Unsweetened Milk) with some cayenne pepper.  Spray your pan with some non-stick spray, heat at medium, and cook on both sides. 

When it comes to the protein in the sandwich, I've done this with grilled meat because I buy the large packages of the already sliced chicken, and cook it all at once.  It's not necessary, but I will say that it adds a large amount of flavor.  Use whatever meat you want, but grilled meat = yummy meat!

So I guess the main problem with just the sandwich, is that who wants a delish sandwich with no chips?  And as much as I love baked pita chips, and all the other options there are out there for those similar products, they are not vegetables, and they are usually filled with a carb load that is unnecessary when you're already eating a sandwich.  And so, the research of the kale chip was born.

Important note.  When you wash your kale, do it hours before you plan on baking them.  If they are at all wet when you oil them, you will end up with a chip that is chewy and kind of gross.  When clean, pull out the inner rib and rip into bite size pieces. Once they are dry, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a LARGE bowl (and capitalize this because one bunch of kale is going to produce more chips than you think you can handle) mix together two tablespoons of Olive Oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Throw in your kale, toss it around to make sure all the leaves are coated, and lay them out in a single layer on a LARGE baking sheet.  Cook for about 15 minutes, but as you get nearer to the finish time, check on them, because they can go from really delicious chips to ashes in your mouth within a two minute span. You'll know they're about done when you see them browning around the edges.  And, the really great part is that you can use whatever seasoning you want.  Get creative and have fun.  

Isn't it great that your sandwich sidekick is also a Superfood sidekick?  I'd say so! 

Tofu Cabbage Rolls

Why are we talking about Tofu, and also, why cabbage?  Well folks, here's the real deal.  Tofu, Soy, Tempeh; they are all Superfoods, and well, as they say, them's the breaks.  Therefore, fitting these foods into your diet at least a couple times out of the week is a very good idea.  I've never been a huge cabbage fan, however, my husband is Polish, and therefore, Gwumkis were a staple in his house growing up, which made it easy for me to fit this one into a dinner without the nose up at Tofu.  Also, like Tofu, Cabbage is yet another sidekick in the Superfoods group.

The good thing, and the bad thing, about Tofu is that it really doesn't taste like anything at all, that is, until you season it on up. So, you can make it taste however you want.  Hooray! This particular recipe came out of The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook and it's something that both my husband and I were unusually happy about.

In a medium saute pan place 1/2 onion chopped, 3 cloves of garlic pressed, 1 c. of carrot grated, and one celery rib finely chopped.  Saute until soft, add 1/4 c. of basil and 1/4 c. of parsley and crumble 1 block of medium firm tofu in the pan.  Cook until heated through and add 3 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Take 6 large green or Savoy cabbage leaves (I recommend doing a couple extra in case they tear) and place in boiling water until it just changes color.  Remove immediately and run under cold water.  Put the tofu mixture into each or the leaves, wrap them tightly so the mixture does not fall out, and place in a steamer basket for ten minutes.  Serve nice and hot!  

The best part is that you are pretty much using the cabbage as a wrap, so you can switch this recipe up by rolling whatever you want in the middle of them, as long as it's clean and healthy of course! 

The Protein Pancake:  It's Limitless Awesomeness

Right now, I am walking a thin line in regards to nutrition, and where Protein powder fits in.  I know it's advantages, however, I also know that it's definitely not a whole food.  How do I know this?  The twenty-five ingredients that are listed on every single protein powder container, whether it's "natural" or not.  Some days though, I want a protein pancake.  I don't want to chug down a protein shake, haphazardly enjoying the semi-sweetness and it's mix with tasteless water.  I want the advantages of using a protein powder, with the texture of food.  For the love of food, I just want something to chew!!!  Anyway, that's where this, and several other protein pancake recipes came from.  I'm not sure where I initially got the first recipe, it may have been Oxygen Magazine, but I've modified several different times, to fit whatever food craving mood I'm in.  

For this particular recipe, I started with one scoop of vanilla protein powder, three egg whites, and a heaping tablespoon of Fat Free Greek Yogurt.  I whisk it all together until it forms a pancake batter texture.  I then pour it in a sprayed pre-heated 9 in. pan, cook one side, and then flip, and cook the other.  A little warning though, it will still be lose on top when you go to flip it, so be careful you don't fling batter all over your stove.  

For the topping I just took a quarter cup of frozen blueberries, two tablespoons of water, and a tablespoon of Stevia and heated thoroughly in a saucepan.  I mashed it all up to make a Blueberry Syrup, and then enjoyed with a dollop of FF Greek Yogurt on top.  

Modifying the Recipe

Sometimes I use chocolate protein powder, and put bananas in the batter, then cook the pancake.  I usually eat that recipe dry.  On a side note, I used to use Sugar Free Pancake Syrup, until I became super crazy about reading labels, and then decided, I'd rather eat it with nothing at all, or make my own fruit sauces.  You make whatever choice works best for you and your lifestyle!

Below is a Strawberry Shortcake version I've made with vanilla protein powder, a splash of vanilla extract and fresh diced strawberries thrown directly into the batter.

Who Needs Carrot Cake, When You Can Have Carrot Cake Pancakes???

My husbands loves Carrot Cake.  He won't eat Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Cake, or any other type of cake (OK, maybe Ice Cream Cake), but he will eat Carrot Cake, all day, every day.  With his birthday falling in the middle of March, and with our focus on eating healthy and clean, regardless of what day it is (although I should enter here that we went out to eat and he ate a burger, which was his one request, and who could deny anyone that on their birthday?), I wanted to give him Carrot Cake sans refined wheat and nasty refined sugar.  And so, in my quest to find a recipe that I could modify to achieve this, I turned to my old faithful, Food Network. I urge everyone, once comfortable and knowledgeable enough to do so, to check out their favorite recipes, and modify them to a "cleaner" version.  I should mention that Bobby Flay is my Chef crush.  I have several crushes, depending on fitness and food, as you'll learn through this blog over time, however, this special ginger is one of my FN favs, and when I found this recipe, I had to start here:

Carrot Pancakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

How, you ask, does one start to "clean up" a recipe?  Well, first off, I automatically took out the AP Flour.  Although it's lighter, and fluffier, it is so because all it's natural, good for you qualities have been removed.  Will the texture change?  Yup.  You'll get over it, believe me.  I substituted Whole Wheat Organic Flour there.  I also replaced the granulated sugar with Stevia.  It's a sweetener you learn to work with over time, and I say this because it tends to be much sweeter than regular refined sugar, but it's not unmanageable.  

Lastly, the Cream Cheese Frosting.  How is it possible to make this taste delicious and make it healthy?  Well, sometimes, you have to realize, that although Fat Free products aren't the best option, gosh darn it, you need freaking Cream Cheese to make Cream Cheese Frosting!  So I used Fat Free Cream Cheese in place of regular, substituted Stevia again for sugar, and used soy milk for regular milk.  Voila, a healthier cream cheese frosting!  

I might add, that these may have possibly been the best pancakes that I have ever made.  I'm just throwing that out there! 

My Love of Ricotta: The Strawberry Ricotta Almond Breakfast Sandwich

So those of you who know me, know that I have a never ending, sick obsessive, ridiculous relationship with ricotta.  Call it a genetic Italian trait, or what you will, but I will find any possible way to fit ricotta into breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Luckily for me, ricotta's natural whey makes it something I am able to fit into much of my cooking, and thanks to The Abs Diet Cookbook this recipe was one of the first breakfast ricotta recipes I tried.  

Many people have some crazy carb-obsessed fear, that makes them avoid bread (thanks Dr. Atkins, you douche!), and I myself have fallen victim to the belief that "bread is bad".  However, after years of struggle with this, and a large amount of reading, I am happy to say that I have a healthy relationship with carbs, and more importantly, have found a product that I don't mind eating when I do feel like a sandwich, be it breakfast or lunch.  

Ingredients

2 slices of bread

2 tbsp. Fat Free Ricotta

1 tbsp. honey

Strawberries

Sliced almonds

Cinnamon

1 egg

3 tbsp. Unsweetened Soy Milk

I start with two slices of Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread and put a tablespoon of Fat Free Ricotta on each slice.  I then top the ricotta with cinnamon, a drizzle of honey on each, and then lay on some sliced almonds.  After that, (I know, you're wondering how much better this can get), I top each slice with sliced strawberries.  How many I use depends on the size of the strawberries.  

This is where it gets really out of control, and where I diverted from the recipe in the Abs Diet Cookbook.  Rather that just stop there, I took one egg, three tablespoons of WestSoy Unsweetened Milk, some cinnamon, and a titch of Stevia, and scrambled it all together in a square container (much like you would if you were going to make french toast).  I then dipped the sandwich in the egg batter, sprayed some Non-stick spray in a heated pan, and cooked both sides (again, exactly how you would cook french toast).  The result is AMAZING.  

I have had people ask me how many calories this breakfast sandwich has, and I'll be entirely honest.  It probably has more than I need, but I'll exit by saying two things.  One, I don't count calories, I merely pay attention to what it is that I put into my body.  Is there anything in here I shouldn't be eating?  NO.  Two, I work out six days a week.  I strength train, I do Bikram Yoga, and I Interval run.  So, long story short, I am pretty sure that every couple of weeks, I deserve my Strawberry Ricotta Almond Breakfast Sandwich, high caloric intake or not!

To conclude, this recipe doesn't stop at ricotta, strawberries, or almonds.  I make one for my husband and swap in peanut butter, and bananas, and then dip it and pan sear it.  Both are DELICIOUS!

Where It All Started

After two weeks of deliberating about whether or not I could make the transition from the restaurant girl who knows how to make drinks, to the restaurant girl who cooks, trying out new recipes came out of necessity, rather than from desire to learn how to cook.  

I was invited to a Ladies' Night with some close friends, when I realized that I was going to be the only one who wasn't going to be eating chips, dips, cakes and cookies, never mind the bottle of water that had replaced the all-to-comfortable martini glass.  For those who have made a similar lifestyle change, you know the difficulty that comes with social affairs.  You don't want to be rude and refuse, but it's unrealistic to think that you can show up somewhere, whether you have eaten already or not, and just stand around while everyone else eats.  And so, my solution, was to start finding recipes that others could enjoy, that were healthy, and that I did not feel guilty about later that night.  And so trying this recipe was the direction I went toward.  I like peanut butter, I like, bananas, and I like cookies.  How could you go wrong?  I was definitely happy with the results.  And owe the credit here:

Clean Eating Club Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. pure maple syrup

3/4 c. unsweetened, natural peanut butter

1 large banana, mashed

1 large egg, beaten

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.
4. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, peanut butter, banana, beaten egg and vanilla extract.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients.  Combine well, but make sure to not over mix.
6. Drop by tablespoon full onto the cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

What I particularly like about the recipe, as well, is that you can freeze the cookies, and when you defrost them, they are still nice a hot and chewy in the center.  Although they have whole wheat flour, something that I'm trying to limit in general, and also contain a good amount of calories, I think we can all agree that they are the healthier choice when placed down next to chocolate chip cookies.  This is where I started.

Just Getting Started

Hey Everyone!  That's me, Maria B.  Welcome to my page!