Category: #Timesavingmeals

Apple, Cheddar, and Walnut Salad

Apple, Cheddar, and Walnut Salad

J Walden

Salads do not have to be boring. Here is a twist on some of my favorite ingredients just in time for Fall. 

Prep: 10 min
Servings: 4

1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

6 cups fresh spinach
1 honeycrisp apple, cored and cut into matchsticks
1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine first 5 ingredients in container with lid. Shake to stir together.

In large bowl, combine spinach, apple matchsticks, cheddar cheese, and walnuts.

Place in refrigerator separately until ready to serve

When ready to serve, pour dressing overtop and toss to coat. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Per serving: 420 cal.  35g total fat, 9 g sat. fat, 0g trans fat, 20g carbs, 3 g fiber, 14g sugar, 12g protein

Clean Eating Shrimp Jambalaya

J Walden

Since we are all still staying at home and mostly cooking at home…I wanted to pass along a recipe I used last night.  You could substitute any protein source for the shrimp based on what you have in the house.  Stay safe and keep your nutrition in check these days!  More important than ever now to keep your immune system strong. 

Shrimp Jambalaya

recipe by: Dr. Gabe Mirkin, Drmirkin.com

1 pound shrimp
3 cups bouillon – low sodium
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, broken up
1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Peel the shrimp and set aside. Bring the shrimp shells, bouillon and bay leaf to a boil and simmer 20 minutes while chopping the vegetables. Strain the bouillon and return to the pot. Add the onion, pepper, celery, garlic, tomatoes, rice, hot sauce and thyme to the bouillon and simmer 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Stir in the shrimp, green onion and parsley and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and firm. Serve with ground pepper to taste.

4 servings

 

One final note, if you haven’t found Alton Brown’s (Good Eats) FB posts or You Tube posts about cooking from your pantry, you should check it out.  Look up Pantry Raid and Alton Brown.  Good laughs and creative recipes using common items in your pantry. 

Worth a look!  

Boring Breakfast Solution #8

J Walden

Don’t suffer from a boring breakfast one more morning, or worse yet, skip it all together. This week I made my own Apple Pie Yogurt and guess what…it took less than 3 minutes. It is low in sugar, full of protein and quick. Here is the recipe:

Apple Pie Yogurt

recipe by eatlivefit.net

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 apple, cored and sliced into 1 inch chunks
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 1 cup of plain greek yogurt

Place apple in microwave safe dish and heat for 1 minute until soft but still crunchy. If you like your apple pie filling very soft add 20 second increments to cooking until soft enough. Sprinkle with dash of cinnamon while still hot. Top with 1 cup of Greek yogurt, and serve.

Boring Breakfast Solution #7:

J Walden

I am always looking for new products that support healthy, clean eating. I realize that sometimes that means options that are in the processed food isles. Here are the latest items added to my local store that, with a little tweaking, are great breakfast ideas:

I tell clients all the time that as we demand better products, the industry will respond. This cereal is an affordable way to get a balance of fruit, fiber and protein with limited sugar. To make it a powerhouse breakfast, add a handful of your favorite nuts and/or fresh berries and serve with milk or plain yogurt. Now you have boosted the protein content and it keep you fuller longer.

This is a great one for Sunday mornings with the family. These pancakes only require eggs and milk/water. They are also low in sugar and bake up fluffy and light. Add berries or sliced banana and a smear of peanut butter and you have a balanced meal.

Simple Apple Pancakes

J Walden

I discuss balancing each meal with clients frequently.  Here is another example of how to do this quickly in the morning rush.  Healthy does not have to be time consuming.

 

SIMPLE APPLE PANCAKES
Pancakes are one of those recipes that seems like it takes a long time, but actually comes together quickly. Try these tasty, no-sugar-added flapjacks from Cassey Ho, creator of POP Pilates and POPFLEX. “I love this breakfast because it’s not only delicious, it’s packed with protein and complex carbs to keep me full and energized throughout the morning,” she says.

Ingredients
2 eggs
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon nut butter
1/2 small apple, spiraled or chopped
1 pinch of cinnamon, optional
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, applesauce, almond flour, coconut flour and baking powder. Heat a griddle or pan over medium-low heat and coat with cooking spray. Reduce to low heat. Using a small measuring cup, scoop batter to make two pancakes. Cook for 2–3 minutes per side, or until firm and cooked through. Top one pancake with nut butter and cinnamon, if using. Place the other pancake on top and add apples and more cinnamon. Recipe makes 1 serving.
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 356; Total Fat: 19g; Saturated Fat: 6g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 370mg; Sodium: 226mg; Carbohydrate: 26g; Dietary Fiber: 9g; Sugar: 11g; Protein: 20g

Dinner Tonight: Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Cauliflower Rice

Dinner Tonight: Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Cauliflower Rice

J Walden

Love the simplicity of this dish not to mention the taste!! It’s on my table tonight for dinner.

Yep, Cauliflower rice is the “new” rice.  No need to add a cheesy sauce to cauliflower any longer, just substitute it in for rice in your favorite dishes.

Spicy-Shrimp-Cauliflower-Rice-CleanFoodCrush

Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Cauliflower Rice:

recipe by: cleanfoodcrush.com modified by eatlivefit.net

Ingredients:
Makes about 3 servings

  • 1 lb. shrimp
  • 1 Tbsp. avocado oil, or olive oil + an extra tsp.
  • 1 head cauliflower, grated (can buy this already prepped for you in most stores now)
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 3 cups fresh chopped kale

Directions:

  1. Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Once hot, add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and set aside on a plate.
  3. In the same skillet and a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, kale and sauté until softened. Add the cauliflower rice, chili flakes and season generously with salt and pepper.
  4. Stir fry for about 5 minutes, then add the shrimp back to the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes until reheated.
    heart emoji❤Rachel

Grilled Cod with Basil and Tomatoes

J Walden

This was dinner at my house last night. I was running in the door from picking up my son from practice and didnt have a lot of time to cook.  Fish is one of my favorite “GoTos” for a quick turnaround from grill/oven to plate.  This was a hit with my entire family.  It is mild and flavorful and couldn’t be easier to prepare.  Pair with a side dish of steamed broccoli and brown rice and dinner is served!

Grilled Cod and Shrimp with Basil and Tomatoes

recipe by: eatlivefit.net

Prep: 10 m      Cook:  10 m    Ready in 20 m

Ingredients:

4 fillet cod

12 frozen raw shrimp

salt and ground pepper to taste

 1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or 1 cup spinach leaves

2 cups cherry tomatoes, approx. 20

4 Tbs chopped onion (optional)

2 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium high heat (or oven to 350 degrees).   Place cod piece on aluminum foil and season each lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Top cod piece with shrimp, basil (or spinach), 5 tomatoes, and onion.  Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar evenly over all the pieces.  Fold over foil to make packet, crimping the edges together to make a seal.  Place directly on grill grates or on cookie sheet in preheated oven.  Grill until fish flakes with a fork, approx 7-9 minutes.  May need to cook longer if fish was frozen, approx 12-14 minutes.

 

Homemade “Cup of Soup”

J Walden

I can remember many a lunch hour pouring the hot water into my brand name “cup o’ soup,” letting it steep, and sitting down to enjoy a hot meal.  Of course, now I know that those pre-made packets were full of lots of sodium and disappointingly small doses of freeze dried veggies.

Here is a quick way to have a hot lunch and all you need is a little prep time and 4 Mason Jars.  Add the hot water when your ready to eat.

Instant Chicken Noodle Soup

Ready in 15 minutes

makes 4 jars

Ingredients:

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

3 ounces brown rice vermicelli noodles (found in oriental section of grocery store)

2 cups sliced cooked chicken

2 tsp grated lemon zest

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup parsley (fresh or dried)

Directions:

  • In small bowl, stir together thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes.  Divide evenly amongst 4 large mason jars
  • Top with noodles, broken slightly to fit into jar
  • Layer in next the cooked chicken slices, lemon zest, celery, carrots, peas and parsley in that order.
  • Seal jar shut tightly and chill until ready to use

When ready for soup, cover contents of jar 1 1/2 cups boiling water.  Stir contents and seal tightly with top (For thicker soup reduce water to 1 cup).  Let stand until the noodles are tender, about 10 minutes.  Eat and enjoy.

A Sweet for your Sweet Tooth!

J Walden

I try to cut sugar completely out of my diet and for those of you that are doing the same, I found a sweet for your sweet tooth that won’t undo all your hard work in the gym.  These are for occasional indulgences, not regular meals mind you, but they are delicious and easy to whip up quickly.  The rich filling is so satisfying that a little goes a long way!

 

These balls is that they take 10 minutes to whip up, there is no baking involved!  No sugar highs or crashes with these yummy treats, just good old yumminess! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups soaked, pitted Medjool dates
  • 2 cups of nuts (pecan, walnut, almond, brasil nut, or a mix)
  • ½ cup unsweetened natural coconut (optional)
  • organic 72% chocolate (for coating)

Instructions:

  1. Place all ingredients in food processor and process until a thick paste forms, not too smooth but almost like chunky nut butter.
  2. With a heaping teaspoon amount, form balls in between your palms.
  3. You can keep them like this, or you can roll some in coconut, nut pieces, or dip in melted chocolate.  Keep in airtight container or freeze until needed.  They get chewier in the freezer, not rock hard.

recipe by Your Beauty Fuel Rita Catolino, modified by eatlivefit.net

Overnight Power Oatmeal

J Walden

We are all pressed for time this holiday season, myself included. This is not an excuse to give in but rather a good opportunity to look for ways to prep ahead of time. I don’t know about you, but it seems often I end up with 15 minutes between two other things. I am NOT encouraging you find ways to fill up that time with more stuff to do, but rather to take a minute to do something to save time later for you.

Put on one of your favorite songs on the radio and make your breakfast for the entire week and quickly. Here’s the overnight, delicious to get your oatmeal ready for the entire week in a few easy steps.

Overnight Power Oatmeal

❖ Gluten free raw oats
❖ Small 8oz mason jars or other sealable containers
❖ Chia seeds
❖ Unsweetened non-dairy milk  (almond, coconut, rice, hemp, flax etc.)
❖ 1/2 Scoop of Protein Powder of choice

Last step-any superfood toppings your little heart desires! i.e. nuts, berries (or other low/mid glycemic fruit such as apples or pears), cacao powder, gogi berries, hemp hearts, bee pollen, raw pumpkin seeds, pure vanilla, unsweetened coconut flakes, a dollop of nut butter, cinnamon etc. Use your imagination, just keep the sugar to a minimum as you already have a good amount of low glycemic carbohydrates in the form of oats.

Preparation
❖ Raw Oats always go first-fill to approximately half way
❖ 1 tablespoon or chia seeds (white or black is fine)
❖ Shake vigorously
❖ Add milk to the top leaving enough room to add the toppings you wish
❖ Add some toppings and don’t forget some superfoods!
❖ Seal and leave in the fridge overnight.

Pull out and warm if desired.  Add a little milk or moisture in the morning to give it a smoother consistency.  Enjoy.

thank you Ciarafoy.com, modified by eatlivefit.net