Kale & White Bean Quesadilla

Who doesn't LOVE cheese? I know, I know, I am a dietitian and I know what cheese is and what it can do to your body. That being said- it's still amazing and delicious. If used correctly, you don't need a lot to make a flavor impact on your dish and still eat something super yummy.

I have been feeling a little uninspired as of late for some new recipes so I turned to old faithful, Pinterest. As always, I was diving through hoards of unhealthy recipes and looking for something special. Then I found the inspiration for these quesadillas from the blog Running to the Kitchen.
The original recipe looks so delicious but packs a whopping 2 cups of cheese! Now,for the purposes of my blog I knew I had to trim that don but boost up some other flavors so I didn't feel like I was missing out. After 2 attempts, I found what I was looking for! Here is my take on Kale & White Bean Quesadillas that are a high fiber, low fat, excellent source of plant protein and PACKED with yum!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well

4-5 leaves tuscan kale, stems removed and ripped into small leaves

8 tbsp. low shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese alternative)

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

3 whole wheat Flat Out Wraps or whole wheat wrap of your choice

 

1. In a medium skillet, brown onions, green peppers and garlic in olive oil for about 10 minutes on low. The onions should become somewhat clear in the middle and slightly browned on the edges.

2. Add cannellini beans, black pepper, onion & garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Cook beans in onion mixture until beans are tender, on medium for about 10 minutes.

3.Take a potato smasher or a large fork/knife and mash mixture thoroughly.

4. Place 1 wrap on a griddle pan set to medium. To one half of the wrap: add 2 tbsp. of cheddar cheese and 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of bean mixture. Then add kale leaves to cover top of bean mixture. Again top with 2 tbsp. cheddar cheese.

5. Carefully fold the empty half of the wrap over the top of the filling.

6. Using a spatula, carefully flip the quesadilla over to melt the cheese you added in the final step of #4.

7. Cook until cheese is melted and enjoy!!

 

This recipe makes 3 hearty, delicious quesadillas! Enjoy!!!

 

Chick Pea and Spinach Sauté

Recently I was in Atalntic City for a bachelorette party and we dined at a tapas restaurant in Revel Casino called Amada (a Jose Garces restaurant). The restaurant offered a pretty extensive menu of tapas or Spanish style appetizers, finger foods and snacks. This restaurant offered gourmet tapas and I was just in heaven! S many items were absolutely delicious but one in particular stood out, the "Espinacas con garbanzos". Let me say that my version was not anywhere as amazing as the version I had however, it is so delicious in a different way. Give it a whirl! 

Ingredients 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 can garbanzo beans 

2 cups frozen spinach 

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 heaping tbsp tomato sauce 

Salt and pepper

1) Heat olive oil in a large saucepan until hot. 

2) Add 1/2 can chickpeas to skillet carefully (the chickpeas will cause the oil to pop so be careful). 

3) Cook chickpeas on medium-high heat for ~10 minutes until crispy. Set aside. 

4) In a different skillet, cook spinach in a small amount of water until wilted. Drain water when spinach is completed. 

5) Add tomato sauce, spinach, seasonings and garlic to the 2nd skillet. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. 

6) Add other 1/2 can of chickpeas and lemon juice to spinach mixture. Cook for 5-7 minutes. 

7) Add original crispy chickpeas and fold into the spinach mixture. 

8) Allow to rest for a few minutes. 

This can be served alone, with a hearty Italian bread or over quinoa! 

 

Nutrition Information

285 calories per serving
34 gm carbohydrates
13gm fat
0 gm saturated fat10gm protein

62mg sodium
2gm sugar
8 gm fiber

Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I personally cannot take credit for this awesome recipe! I was watching The Chew a while back and Daphne Oz featured it on an episode dedicated to pizza. Anyway, its so easy and pretty fast to whip up and I use it pretty frequently now. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (I think Chobani works best, I tried the Trader Joe's version and it was too thin)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

1. Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment for about 5 minutes.
2. Allow to sit for 4-5 minutes.
3. Roll out and knead for 30 seconds.
4. Roll out on a floured surface with a rolling pin.
5. On a stove-top skillet cook both sides for 3-4 minutes.
6. Top with your favorite pizza topping and cook in a 400 degree oven for 8-12 minutes depending on your toppings. Tough veggies will need longer in the oven.

Tips:
a. If cooking a plain pizza, less time is needed. Make sure cheese is melted.
b. If your dough is very sticky, add more flour and knead until it no longer sticks to your fingers. With the Trader Joe's Greek yogurt I had to add about 1/4 cup of flour.

Paleo Pancakes!

So, one of my best friends asked me about the Paleo Diet recently. She was interested in the "clean eating" aspect and I started to look into it. The diet is basically a caveman diet, with foods consumed that are not processed, treated or filled with chemicals. It is mostly organic and low carbohydrate from the lack of breads allowed.

These pancakes are light and you won't think you will get full but all the protein makes this satisfying and so easy to make!

I started researching recipes, etc. and found an Instagram profile of a girl who follows it but also plates the food beautifully. I started following her profile and she is pretty awesome. So I took one of her pancake recipes and altered it slightly. She is pretty fantastic though and I suggest you check out her blog: www.liverightbehealthy.blogspot.com


Okay, here is my rendition of the pancakes:

Ingredients
1 banana
2 tbsp organic peanut butter
1 tbsp organic cashew butter
2 tbsp almond meal
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
Crushed walnut optional
Maple syrup optional

In a food processor, purée banana, nut butters, almond meal, cinnamon and honey until well mixed (about 20 seconds).
Preheat a skillet and pour small saucer size amounts on to skillet.
When edges begin to bubble, carefully flip.

Cooks about 6-7 pancakes. 3= a serving

Sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle syrup if desired (not necessary though!).

So good and surprisingly filling!

Tips:
Make sure the pancakes are small because they are kind of hard to flip.
I cooked mine in an Orgreenic pan which allowed me to avoid using butter!
Next time ill cook up some apples and use that instead of syrup!

Enjoy & let me know if you make them!

Have a delicious day!

Sesame Peanut Tofu over a Simple Kale Salad

Mmm mmm good!

So, last night I was perusing Facebook and stumbled across a delicious looking photo of some kind of sesame tofu that my FB friend Jeffery had posted. The tofu was skewered and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The picture look fabulous and got me in the mood to try something different.
This recipe was a spontaneous try in my kitchen to see how it turned out. I was hoping it wouldn't be horrible and it wasn't! It was very tasty and I will absolutely be making this again! The instructions are long but in total it took me about 20 minutes to put this lovely lunch together! It served as one big lunch for me, so if you are making this for more people just double the recipe.

By the way, Jeffery has a really fabulous food/healthy blog, too! Check it out "The Matters of Mitter".

Ingredients
For the sauce:
1 Tbsp organic peanut butter (regular peanut butter would also be fine)
2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Paprika
Chili Powder
Black pepper
Salt
Vegetable Seasoning (I used a locally made one but you can make your own in a flash. See the tips below).

For the Salad:
5-6 stems of kale, washed and dried
1/2 block of extra firm tofu, water removed
1 tomato
1-2 slices of vidalia onion
1/2 lemon
sesame seeds

1) In a saucepan, combine oil, peanut butter and soy sauce. Mix.
2)Heat mixture on medium-low until peanut butter begins to melt. Stirring continuously.
3) I used very limited amount of paprika and chili powder. I'd say about 1/4 teaspoon of both. If you prefer more heat, add extra. Add in the vegetable seasoning and stir. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
4) Reduce heat to low and let simmer.
5) While sauce is simmering, cut your 1/2 block of tofu into 3 slices. Then cut slices into triangles or whatever shape you like.
6) Using a misto sprayer, spray a frying pan with olive oil and place slices into the pan.
7) Saute on medium heat until the edges of the tofu begin to brown slightly. Flip. This may take 3-5 minutes for each side.
8) While tofu and sauce are cooking, cut the kale. I included the stems for a little extra crunch.
9) Cube the tomato.
10) Mix the kale, tomato and sliced onion in a bowl or add to a plate.
11) When both sides of tofu are browned add the peanut sauce mixture. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes flipping and turning the tofu continuously.
12)  Squeeze the lemon juice onto the salad to brighten up the flavors.
13) Gently add tofu to the top of the salad.
14) Sprinkle with sesame seeds and some of the remaining sauce if you like.

Enjoy!

Tips:
a) If you don't have a vegetable seasoning that you like, you can simple make your own by mixing your favorite seasonings together and keeping a bottle in your spice cabinet. The seasoning I used is a mixture of flax, mustard seeds, onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, dill, fennel, turmeric, sesame, and paprika. Big flavor!

b) If you have time, I'd try to marinate the tofu in the sauce. It would give a nice flavor boost!

Thanks & Have a Delicious Day!

Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie

I already enjoyed some of the smoothie before I snapped the pic! :)

Below is another example of a simple and delicious smoothie that is packed full of nutrients! You can make this ahead of time and enjoy right after your workout!

Ingredients
1 fresh ripe banana
7 medium/large strawberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder of your choice
16 oz almond milk (or low-fat/fat-free cows milk)
Ground Cinnamon
Blender

1) Pour the almond milk into blender.
2) Add 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder to blender.
3) Cut off stems/leaves from strawberries. If you have an older blender that is on it's way out, you may want to slice the strawberries in half to help it along.
4) Peel the banana and break into 3-4 pieces.
5) Add fruit to blender.
6) Blend on high or liquefy setting for 20 seconds. The smoothie will be frothy on the top.
7) Season with cinnamon as you prefer. I shook my cinnamon container about 4 times and blended for 2-3 seconds to mix it. Feel free to sprinkle on top of your smoothie after you pour it in your glass.

Voila! Enjoy!

Have a delicious day! :)

Angel

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie

Chocolate PB Banana Smoothie

After a hard workout, it is sometimes hard to make a meal/snack that will replenish your body with the nutrients it needs. It's easy to grab a bag or box of whatever is on hand and begin to chow down. Sadly, this habit will basically eradicate any work you have just done and probably at compensatory calories to your daily intake. In other words- eating garbage after your workout doesn't help no matter how hard you exercised! 

I have begun to incorporate more protein smoothies into my daily regimen because they are tasty and often will kick a sweet tooth at the same time. 

Tonight I went a little bananas in my classes at the gym and felt that some protein would be necessary to fuel my muscles and body after my workout! This shake has 28 grams of protein, healthy fats and a nice little oomph of carbs!

Ingredients

1 scoop chocolate protein of your choice (I use Whole Foods Chocolate Whey)

1 frozen banana, sliced

2 tbsp organic peanut butter of your choice

16 oz of almond milk 

1) Pour almond milk into blender and add protein powder. Blend.

2) Add 1 tbsp of peanut butter and 1/2 frozen banana. Blend.

3) Repeat step 2 with remaining PB and banana. 

Enjoy! 

Tips:
a) dairy/soy/rice milk can be used but will alter protein content

b) If using organic peanut butter, keeping it refrigerated not only assists in reducing bacterial growth but also makes it much easier to mix or scoop out! 

c) I use a junky blender so if you have a high-end blender or something fancy, just toss it all in! 

Peanut Butter Banana Whippers

Whip it Good!

So my darling fiance and his family LOVE ice cream! I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE ice cream! I have definitely caught the ice cream bug from them and enjoy it once in a while. About 2 years ago, I went to a fabulous restaurant in Philadelphia owned by my best friend's friend Rocco. The restaurant is called Fuel and features a substantial menu of fresh, organic ingredients and all under 500 calories. Now, I know some of you are thinking, "Yeah, and it all probably taste like paper." Nope! The food is filling and flavorful!
Well, to get on with the story, my friend told me about these Banana Whips that Fuel sells. She described it as ice cream but without the guilt. Sounds good to me! When I tried them, I ordered the Nutella Banana Whips and oh my goodness, delicious! So here are my rendition of the Banana Whips!

Ingredients
2 bananas, sliced and frozen
2 tbsp peanut butter (I used organic, but any will do)
Ground Cinnamon

(Yes, that's it!)

1) In a food processor, puree the frozen bananas until smooth. You may need to pulse the processor a few times to pull the banana down toward the blade. Use a silicon spatula or wooden spoon to push down banana. Whip for about 30 seconds more.
2) Add peanut butter and puree until completely incorporated.
3) Using a silicon spatula, scoop banana whips out of food processor bowl and into an air-tight, freezer safe container.
4) Scoop your own portion out and sprinkle with cinnamon!

Tips
a) This simple recipe can be adapted in a million ways! Add nutella (like fuel), berries, protein powder, anything! You name it and it will probably taste amazing!

Pumpkin Blueberry Quinoa Bake

Pumpkin Blueberry Quinoa Baked with apple butta on the side! Mmmm!

Hey there readers!
So I know I am always making the "will blog more" promise! Sorry I have been away for some time! School and internships are very intense but I am surviving!

Below is a recipe I modified from a pin that my good friend Danielle put up on Pinterest. Of course I can never leave a recipe alone. So here is my modified bake! Please note- this is not a sweet breakfast food. Quinoa has a nutty flavor and the pumpkin is not noticeable at all. I am working on a more Autumn Friendly version of this but with oats.

Have a delicious day & enjoy!

2  cups quinoa, cooked and cooled

1 cup blueberries divided
1 cup pure plain pumpkin
2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup egg whites
1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
2 tbsp maple syrup 

2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cinnamon 

Optional: apple butter

Optional: flaxseed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF and grease 8-by-8-inch baking pan

2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, almond milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Add maple syrup (if using) and whisk.

3. Add pumpkin to egg mixture and whisk until completely mixed. 

4. Add quinoa to egg mixture. Stir with a large spoon to combine. Pour 1/2 into the baking dish and spread it around to ensure that it’s even.

5. Sprinkle in half of the blueberries and pour remaining quinoa mixture on top.

6. Sprinkle last half of blueberries on top of mixture.  Sprinkle about a tbsp of flaxseed on top if you have it.

7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until set and golden.

8. Cool completely and cut into squares. Serve with a dollop of apple butter.

** To make sweeter: you may add about a Tbsp of honey or additional brown sugar to the egg mixture. 

Chili: Part 2!

Out of chaos comes clarity! My life has been crazy, crazy, crazy lately! I was inspired to revamp my chili recipe after meeting with a nutrition client last night. It is a combination of my own recipe and some inspiration from a fabulous site called: cookingcomically.com. The writer of that blog is a creative and hilarious cook and his recipes kill! Enjoy!!!!!!

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
1 package soy crumbles
1 cup water
1 chopped green pepper
½ chopped red pepper
½ chopped yellow pepper
½ white onion chopped
½ red onion chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups pasta sauce
1 can no added salt kidney beans, drained
1 can butter beans, drained
1 T red crushed red pepper flakes
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
1 T paprika
1 T cumin
1 T sugar
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Get up close and personal with your food!

In a large pot, add 3 T olive oil at medium heat.
Add both varieties of chopped onion and allow to simmer until edges start to become somewhat golden.
Add soy crumbles and water to pot. Stir so crumbles break apart.
The contents of your pot will begin to sizzle. Add water, celery & chopped peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Drain and add kidney & butter beans to chili mixture. Stir well.
Add 2 cups of pasta sauce to mixture. Stir well.
In a sealable container such as a zip baggie or plastic container, mix all dry seasonings together in this container. Seal and shake it up!
Add seasoning to the chili mixture and stir well.
Reduce heat and stir occasionally. Cook for about 30-45 minutes.
Serve hot & enjoy!

Tips/Tricks:
1)The sauce used in the images above is homemade. If you do not have access/time to homemade sauce, try to find one that contains little sugar and preservatives. The less junk in your chili, the better!

2) If you are NOT vegetarian and would like to add ground meat to this recipe, I would suggest first cooking the meat and draining it before adding to mixture. My recommendations would be ground turkey/ chicken.

3) I love to enjoy my chili with a corn muffin. Until I perfect a recipe, I swear by Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. It take 15 minutes to prepare and it really delicious! No high fructose corn syrup, too!

4)  Try topping this fabu dessert with fat free cheese, sour cream or enjoy with whole grain crackers.

5) Chili is wonderful to freeze! Make this whole recipe and freeze for a great go-to lunch or dinner!

Baked Avocado with Tomato salad & Steamed broccoli!

I absolutely love avocado! Its an amazing fruit that is commonly associated as being a vegetable because it isn't sweet. They are so versatile and can be incorporated into so many things besides guacamole (which is one of my favorite things in the world to eat!).

A very good friend of mine posted a blog about baking an avocado in an egg! It is pretty simple and the original post that I was inspired by came from here. I Googled it and there were so many baked avocado messes that came up from the weight of the egg causing the avocado to roll. My finished product was intact! Yay!
Check out the recipe for my whole delicious and nutritious lunch!!
Have a delicious day friends!!

Ingredients
1 avocado
1 medium/large egg
1 tomato (I use slicing tomatoes on the vine)
10 yellow grape tomatoes
1 cup broccoli
1/4 cup chopped onion
10 stalks chives (I used the smaller, prepackaged kind)
Italian seasoning (McCormick works well)
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

AvocadoPreheat your over to 425 degrees.
1) Start by selecting an avocado that is just ripened enough to be somewhat tender when you squeeze it. You don't want one that is too firm or that gives way when you grip it.
2) Press the avocado slightly into your cutting board so one side flattens out slightly. Don't press too hard so the skin breaks. Just enough pressure that the avocado doesn't roll around on your counter.
3) Roll the avocado a half turn so you can see the flat side and the remaining rounded side. Cut it in half so there is a flatter side and will be your "dish".
4) Remove the core of the avocado and discard.
5) With a spoon, follow the edge of the hole left in the avocado and scrap out toward the bottom and edges of the existing hole. Make room for the egg to be dropped into it.
6) Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion. Place on a baking sheet.
7) Crack and egg and gently allow the uncooked egg to fall into the hole you created.
8) Season the egg with the same spices as in step 6.
9) Gently put the baking sheet into the oven for about 15 minutes or until the egg is cooked through.
Tomato Salad
1) Chop vine tomato, yellow grape tomatoes, chives, onion and place in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and season with salt, pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning.
*If you have some, add basil or fresh mozzarella cheese. It's mouthwatering!

Steam the broccoli and plate with avocado and salad!

Enjoy!! Mmmmmm!

Quinoa Patties with sauteed greens

This recipe was adapted from one I found on Pinterest (my newer obsession). It came from wholeliving.com and I did adapt it a bit to offer less cholesterol and a bit more flavor. My mind was going crazy thinking about all of the vegetable variations I could mix into this recipe; it's endless!  So here goes!

Ingredients for patties:
2.5 cups cooked/room temp quinoa
3 cloves of garlic
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup egg beaters
6 stalks scallions
1/2 large white onion
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup whole grain seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup almond meal
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried thyme
olive oil sprayer/spray
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for greens:
3 stalks kale
3 stalks swiss chard
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
rosemary

Quinoa Patties:
1)Cook quinoa as instructed on the package. To get about 2.5 cups quinoa I used 1 cup of dry quinoa. Let cool to room temperature.
2) Using a food processor chop and combine the onion, scallions, cheese, rosemary and thyme. Chop into small, coarse pieces. If the mixture gathers some liquid at the bottom of the processor bin, drain slightly.
3) Combine quinoa, eggs, egg beaters and salt in a bowl. Add processed mix into bowl until well combined.
4) In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs and almond meal. Add to quinoa mixture. It should be mixed well and not overly dry/wet.
5) Spray a pan with olive oil and heat at medium/low.
6) Using a spoon (or in my case a 1/3 cup silicon measuring cup), scoop the mixture onto the pan and push down to flatten into patties.
7) Let cook until you can see the edges of the patty begins to brown. Flip. Continue this way for about 7-10 minutes or until evenly browned on both sides.

Greens:
1) Pour olive oil into a large saucepan with garlic cloves. Allow garlic to heat up at medium.
2) Add kale and chard to pan and gently mix with olive.
3) Cook until the leaves begin to slightly wilt and become bright in color.
4) Add seasonings to taste and serve.

This recipe was so good and filled a craving I was having for a hearty meal. Add grated vegetables to the patties for a variety of flavor combinations!

Quick Snack: Banana Parfait

Here is a hearty snack that is packed with protein, vitamins and minerals.
About 1 cup Greek yogurt vanilla flavor, granola and a sliced banana!
Hearty and filling!