Gobble Gobble, It's a Wrap!

Well I am trying to be diligent in keeping up with my blog; I seriously need something to occupy my brain from thinking about the crap that has been going on over the past several months: the lies, the games & the deceit.  Cooking has always been such a therapeutic measure for me so being able to use my knowledge and talents to create healthy meals AND get paid for them is actually keeping my mind and thoughts occupied.  

I met an individual almost 2 mos ago who works for a very prominent oil & gas company who is also an avid baseball player.  He has been thoroughly impressed with my knowledge of nutrition and my cooking so he asked me to help him get leaner and faster.  As a person who runs several miles daily, works out in the gym daily and lives at a baseball lab to hone in on his skills, my goal was to watch carb intake but not delete it completely, increase his protein intake, fiber, and stay under the fat per calorie ratio as well.  After talking with one of my friends, who happens to be a medical professional and avid Crossfitter, I take into consideration several Paleo aspects when meal prepping for him.  It has now been 5 wks, and he was excited to report the other night that his energy has increased tremendously and he can see more muscle definition.  My other client is an MMA fighter, and his needs are on the severe opposite spectrum of the board since he needs to stay bulked and build more muscle.

I get asked where I find my recipes, but in actuality what happens are several things:  I have a wall of cookbooks, magazines, research online, do Pinterest and follow several individuals on Facebook.  What happens most of the time is I come up with an idea for something I want to work on, research and pinpoint about 3-5 different recipes.  I pay attention to the ingredients and start piecing components of each to create that dish; once that is done, I run a nutritional analysis to see how "bad" it is, lol.  Then what I end up doing is substituting ingredients with healthier options, scale down measurements for 2 people, add spice elements from my cupboard and find extra ways to sneak in protein and fiber.  Then I run another nutritional analysis and calculate everything to see how far under I came with things such as sodium, carbs, fat etc., and TADA, I have my recipe!

This recipe just so happens to be one of those gems I am thoroughly thankful and pleased to share with all of you because it tastes AMAZING!!!  The calories are awesome, the fat content is under the recommended per calories, plus the protein is super high, the fiber has been boosted past the recommended levels and the sodium is just under recommendation as well. There is absolutely nothing wrong with anything here.....PLUS HERE'S THE ADDED BONUS:  IT IS SUPER EASY AND FAST TO MAKE!!

Ingredients:

6 oz. Honeysuckle White Extra Lean Ground Turkey, cooked & drained

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp low sodium soy sauce (I use Kikkoman)

1 tsp water

1 tsp Sriracha

1 oz water chestnuts, diced

1 Tbs chopped green onions

1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp chia seeds

8 Romaine Heart Leaves

1 Tbs chopped raw, unsalted cashews

Preparation:

Brown and drain the turkey.  

Mix all of the ingredients (except the cashews) thoroughly until everything is completely incorporated.

I find that doubling the Romaine Hearts holds up better.  I see places that use iceberg lettuce, but there is really zero nutritional value in it so I went for the Romaine.  (I wonder how it would do with kale?!?! lol)  Spoon turkey mix onto leaves and sprinkle with chopped cashews.

Note:  this recipe is a one-serving recipe and easy to calculate double, tripe, etc...

Here's the nutritional skinny:

Calories:       333.0
Total Fat:         8.6 g
Sat Fat:             0.9 g
Cholesterol:    76.0 mg
Sodium:         544.0 mg
Potassium:     181.0 mg
Total Carbs:    11.5 mg
Fiber:                 8.4 g
Sugar:                8.9 g
Protein:             45.2 g

Vit A:      29%
Calcium:  4%
Vit C:       8%
Iron:       40%

Well I hope you enjoy making these and that they are enjoyed thoroughly as well.  

Until next time, Happy Eating!!

Feed your sweet tooth without the guilt!!

WOW, are your ready for something SUPER sinful but low cal, low carb and high in protein?  Well look no further because I've got JUST the thing for you.....AND if you're a peanut butter fan such as myself, these will be totally up your ally.

This evening, my friend Matt posted a low-carb recipe idea to my page.  The recipe was from a blog called Buttoni's Low Carb Recipes; HOWEVER being the stickler that I am, I was not impressed by a lot of the ingredients OR numbers.  Guess what? I have all the ingredients on hand to make this MY way by not only drastically cutting the calories but also the fat and did not compromise the fiber either.  

Note that I am being very specific about items and ingredients as these are items I keep on hand; any changes or substitutes you make, you will need to account for as there will be subtle changes.

NUTTY COCONUT PATTIES

Ingredients:

2 scoops Advocare Performance Elite Muscle Gain Vanilla Protein Shake Mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup Fancy Jr. Mammoth Pecans, finely chopped (found in bulk section of HEB)
4 Tbs Fage Total 0% Nonfat Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup PJ2 Powdered Peanut Butter (mixed w/ 1/8 cup water)
2 Tbs. So Delicious Dairy Free Culinary Coconut Milk Lite
1 Tbs Josephs Sugar Free Maple Syrup
1/3 cup Natures Eats Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (HEB)
1 Tbs Madhava Coconut Sugar Pure & Unrefined

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a medium sized bowl.  Put muffin/cupcake papers in a regular sized muffin tin; spoon 2 Tbs of mixture into tin (I measured out exactly 9)

This currently is just a tad wet so I froze them, and they are absolutely DIVINE!  I am going to continue to tweak this recipe to the right consistency (I have an idea on what changes to make).  I also have an idea about using pure Cacao Powder because it is amazing, AND chocolate and peanut butter go great together.  As I make changes, I will update and re-post as it develops.

OOPS!  We HAD to try them first!

And here's the skinny on this recipe:

Recipe makes 9 patties - each serving is as follows:

Calories:             77.0

Total Fat:             5.1g

Saturated Fat:     2.3g

Cholesterol:         6.0mg

Sodium:              38.0mg

Potassium:         12.0mg

Total Carbs:        3.6g

Fiber:                   1.3g

Sugar:                  1.7g

Protein:                5.1g

Vit A:        0 %

Calcium:   1%

Vit C:       11%

Iron:         14%

Good points:  Low Sodium, High Vit C & Iron.

Hope you try these out and enjoy them as much as we did.  One is very filling because of the protein content plus the fiber is practically on point which is also very good for your body.

Until next time, HAPPY EATING!!!

Pasta without the pasta!

I am back!  I've been going through some trial and tribulations over the past several months that have been clogging up my mindset and my heart thus leading me to want to do absolutely nothing.  Now that I have somewhat, not completely, overcome the situation and ordeal, I am now back in the kitchen.  I have been fortunate to have met someone who has a serious interest in his health as he is a baseball player and works hard daily in the gym.  He has brought a breath of fresh air into my lungs and has his priorities set and is very kind, affectionate, passionate in what he does and works very hard.  He has asked me to help him stay fit and get even leaner by prepping his daily breakfast and lunch, and I now have meaning again, not only in what he has brought to my life but my love of cooking.

I have been following a blog lately My Whole Food Life and have found a couple of interesting recipe ideas.  I of course run them through my recipe analyzer and tweak them to fit our goals and needs a lot better including dropping the sodium and fat content and increasing the protein, and in some cases, the fiber.  One such recipe idea I loved was the Peanut Noodle Stir Fry and below is my version of her recipe.  (By the way, I seasoned my chicken with a little Chinese Five Spice & garlic powder)

Here is my version:

Ingredients

6 oz. Simple Truth boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked & cut into cubes
4 oz Explore Asian Organic Black Bean Spaghetti
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 green onions, cut into strips
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 Tbs PB2 mixed
1/8 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/8 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preparation:

1.  Cook noodles according to package direction (very low simmer for about 7 min) & set aside.
2.  In a small bowl whisk together PB2, orange juice, soy sauce & red pepper flakes & set aside.

3.  Thoroughly spray a large skillet with cooking spray &, saute carrots, mushrooms, celery, broccoli & onions over medium heat for about 5-7 min.

4.  Add the sauce & saute for another 4-5 min; you may need to add about 1/2 cup of water to keep sauce from thickening too much and sticking to your skillet and to keep it creamy.

5.  Add the noodles and chicken & stir well to coat.  Continue to saute until well incorporated.

You may be wondering about the noodles; honestly they do not even taste like beans at all!  They are extremely high in fiber which is good because fat binds to fiber so you can expel it (LOL).

This recipe makes 2 servings, and here are the nutritional comparisons (cutting hers in half):

                                      MINE                    HERS

Calories                        520.0                       466.0
Total Fat                          5.8                         15.4
Saturated Fat                  2.0                           3.1
Cholesterol                    49.0                            ---
Sodium                         682.0                     1059.0
Potassium                     370.0                       561.0
Total Carbs                    46.1                         63.3
Fiber                               27.4                           5.7
Sugar                              14.7                           6.2
Protein                           74.8                          20.2

Vit A                              103%                     103%
Calcium                             8%                       28%
Vit C                                70%                       65%
Iron                                448%                       36%

I hope that this dish is a hit and that you enjoy it as well.  Until next time, Happy Eating!

Mussels With a Twist

So today finds me wanting to try out a new way of cooking up mussels than the usual wine & herbs steaming method.  Friday night on our way to Chris' boilermaker meeting, we stopped by the store so I could pick up some reading  materials to keep me occupied.  I happened to be drawn to a magazine called Cuisine Tonight For Two; I was like, "Wow, really? I have to get this."  The magazine is separated in four sections: poultry, seafood, meat & vegetarian.  I found a rather interesting recipe for Apple Cider Mussels which I slightly tweaked to my liking and to ingredients I had here at home.  I will post the original recipe and then my tweaks.

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider

2 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into strips

1/4 cup sliced shallots

4 tsp chopped fresh thyme, divided

1 cup dry white wine

2 lb mussels, rinsed & debearded

2 Tbs heavy cream

Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

Reduce apple cider in a large sauté pan over high heat to about 3 Tbs, 17-20 min. Transfer reduction to a bowl coated with nonstick spray.

Cook bacon in another large sauté pan.  Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.  Drain all but 1 Tbs drippings from pan.

Sweat shallots and 3 tsp thyme in same pan in drippings over medium heat until softened, 1-2 min.  Whisk in wine & cider reduction and season with salt & pepper.  Add mussels, increase heat to high, and cover with a tight-fitting lid until mussels open, 3 min.  Discard any mussels that don't open.  Spoon mussels from the broth into two serving bowls. 

Stir in cream, remaining 1 tsp thyme, and bacon into broth, then pour over the two bowls of mussels.

This recipe also calls for the following as an accompaniment to the mussels:

Salami & Apple Dippers

Ingredients:

2 slices Gruyere cheese, halved
2 slices hard salami
4 slices Pink Lady apple
4 slices baguette (1/2-inch thick)
1 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:

Layer a quarter of the cheese, half the salami, half the apple and another quarter of the cheese onto each of 2 baguette slices.  Top with remaining baguette slices to form sandwiches.

Brush the outsides of the sandwiches with melted butter.  Cook sandwiches in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, covered, until golden brown on both sides, 5-8 minutes.


My version:

Ingredients:

2 cups apple cider

3 strips center-cut bacon

1/4 cup chopped shallots

4 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2.3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup seafood stock

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 lb mussels, rinsed & debearded

2 Tbs heavy cream

1 Tbs chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

As I stated earlier, I tweaked it a bit to my preference and what I had on hand. I do not like wine so I cut down the wine and added seafood stock which I always keep in the pantry and fridge.  Also I used 3 slices of center-cut bacon because it is mainly meat and lots of the fatty ends are cut off; additionally since it did not render enough drippings, I added extra virgin olive oil to make up for it.

Preparation:

Reduce apple cider in a sauce pan over high heat to about 3 Tbs; this actually took just over 25 minutes to get thick and syrupy.  Transfer reduction to a bowl coated with nonstick spray.

Cook bacon in a sauté pan.  Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; chop once cooled.

Add olive oil to drippings & sauté shallots and 3 tsp thyme over medium heat until slightly caramelized, about 4 min.

Whisk in wine, stock & cider reduction and season with salt & pepper.  Add mussels, increase heat to high, and cover with a tight-fitting lid.

Until the mussels open, about 3 min.

Discard any mussels that don't open.  Spoon mussels from the broth into a large pasta bowl.

Stir in cream, remaining 1 tsp thyme, and bacon into broth.

Pour over the mussels.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

I did not understand the need of making the "dippers" to go along with the mussels.  I found a great tasting loaf of fresh Buttermilk Sourdough Bread while at Central Market this morning when I went to buy the mussels.  I simply brushed one side with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled lightly with salt & fresh cracked pepper and baked in a 350 degree oven for about 5 min until toasted.  This served as a great vehicle for soaking up the magnificent broth.

I also made Mojitos which Chris & I both think complimented our lunch perfectly.

Wanna make a Mojito? 

Ingredients for 1 Mojito:

10 mint leaves

2 Tbs sugar

1/2 lime, quartered

1.5 oz Bacardi Rum

Mineral water, like Topo Chico

Ice

Preparation:

Add mint leaves and 1/4 lime to a sturdy glass and muddle well in order for the mint leaves to release its oils and break down with the lime.  Add the sugar and 2 more lime quarters; muddle well.  Fill glass with ice, add rum and top with mineral water; stir well.  Top the rim with remaining lime quarter.

**Note**

I like flavored Mojitos and have found that Naked's Pomegranate Blueberry Juice works perfectly for my Mojito.  After I add the rum, I add about 1.5 oz of juice, and then top off with the mineral water.  Super yummy!!

Lunch was great, and there were definitely NO leftovers.  You will certainly be surprised by the flavors in this dish, and I promise that the apple cider syrup does NOT overpower this dish; it is actually subtle and ties the dish together. 

I hope that you give this dish a try and that it is a hit in your household as well.  I can only imagine how good this would be with clams; hmmmm......something to try next time!

Until next time, Happy Eating!!