Brunch Style Cauliflower Fried “Rice”

Ingredients:

1/2 package Trader Joe’s  Cauliflower Fried Rice (or other frozen cauliflowers rice blend)

1/4 cup liquid egg whites 

5 sliced cremini  mushrooms

1 tablespoon slivered almonds

1 teaspoon olive oil to coat the pan 

sprinkle with soy sauce and Tjoes mushroom unami seasoning

Directions:

Combine all in medium sized pan on medium-high heat and sautée for about 5 minutes until golden brown (I added the egg whites about 2 minutes into cooking)

Makes 1 serving

Serving size about 2 cups  Calories 230  Protein 12 g  Carb 18  g  Fiber 6 g Sugars 7 g Fat 14 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium  280  mg (not including soy sauce or seasoning)

Read more...

Recipe ReDux Post # 82: Power Salad

The Recipe ReDux for May is "Shower Season," meaning we were challenged to develop healthy recipes that could be served at brunches and showers for this time of year....think graduations, bridal baby showers galore!

Vegetables and salads are often overlooked or ignored at these types of gatherings so I wanted to create a salad that would be enticing enough for guests to choose to put it on their plate for its flavor, not just for obligatory health benefits. I tried a combination of trendy kale salad mix, balanced out with some simple butter lettuce, added some fresh fruit and dried cranberries for sweetness and then topped it with chopped nuts for a salty crunch. This salad is packed full of nutritious power foods like berries, kale and nuts, thus earning its name. The tastes and textures work really well together and you can top it with your favorite vinaigrette dressing.

Ingredients:

6 cups kale slaw type salad mix (with kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli- I used Trader Joes Cruciferous Crunch)
6 cups butter lettuce
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pistachios...almonds or walnuts would work well too)
vinaigrette dressing of choice

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing, toss and serve.  Chill in the fridge with dressing on the side if not serving immediately.

Makes 14 cups, about 7 servings

Serving size 2 cups (without dressing) Calories 85  Protein 2 g  Carb 16  g  Fiber 3 g Sugars 11 g Fat 2 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium  27 mg
   

Read more...

Recipe ReDux Post # 81 Paleo Friendly Apple Almond Energy Bites

April’s Recipe ReDux theme is “Bars and Bites” and the goal is to create healthy energy bars or bites for snacks, lunch boxes and quick pick me ups. I am trying my hand a Paleo diet lately (in order to investigate some food sensitivities) so I found this a great opportunity to try to create some grain free and dairy free bites as a first. These are very simple to make and require very few ingredients, yet are quite tasty and filling. I hope you try them out and take a look at all the other awesome bite-size recipes created by the talented Recipe ReDux bloggers.  

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried apple rings (approximately 15-16 rings)

1/2 cup unsalted almond butter

½ cup unsweetened coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of salt 

additional coconut to coat (optional)

1 -2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup (optional, if you like them a bit sweeter)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for a few minutes until mostly smooth,  Form into 14 balls and roll in coconut to coat.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Makes 14 bites, 14 servings

Serving size: 1 bite  Calories 95  Protein 2 g  Carb 7 g  Fiber  2 g Sugars  4 g Fat  7 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium  50  mg

Read more...

The Latest Nutrition News Bites!

Here's the lastest interesting research in the world of nutrition:

New study shows that consumption of nuts may improve cognitive function in older adults

Having a poor diet can really shorten ones lifespan, with new research showing that unhealthy diets were linked to 11 million deaths in worldwide in 2017, with as many as 1 in 5 deaths attributed.

Find some helpful tips to cut food waste HERE!

New study shows that sugar does not improve mood, it actually worsens it!

Diets rich in colorful fruits and vegetables may decrease the risk cataract development, according to new research.

Read more...

Recipe Redux Post # 80 Purple Potassium Power Smoothie

March's Recipe ReDux centers around the theme of "Spring Cleaning."  Being that the first day of Spring falls this week, we were asked to create a recipe with at least 3 ingredients that we have currently on hand to "clean" out our pantry/fridge and reduce food waste.

I ended up making a smoothie with exactly 3 ingredients for a couple of reasons:

1.  Over ripe bananas are always hanging my kitchen around that need to be used up or frozen

2.  A bottle of purple carrot juice from Trader Joes was sitting on my counter and I have been wanting to try it out in a smoothie instead of just consuming it via straight shots here and there to get in some extra vitamins/minerals

3. My daughter was under the weather and asked for a smoothie, which I wanted to use an opportunity to give her some extra nutrition

To keep things simple I tried the combo of just banana, strawberries and purple carrot juice and it came out quite tasty. Gabby was a huge fan and drank it down immediately so that deemed it a winner in my book.

This smoothie has a whopping 500 mg pf potassium (15% of daily value),  100% RDA for Vitamin C and is a good source of fiber.  It is great for a post exercise/sport event snack and you can even add your favorite protein power or some almond/peanut butter to make it heartier as well.

Makes 1 serving 

Servings size 1 smoothie Calories 149 Protein 2 g Carb 37 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 23 g Fat 0 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 17 mg

Read more...

Recipe Redux Post # 79 Mediterranean Bruschetta Mix

The Recipe ReDux for February is Oscar themed dishes. The challenge is focused on create a dish associated with a famous movie or a viewing party appetizer worthy to celebrate the big night. Parties  tend to have more than their share of indulgent goodies so I thought I'd make a very light and refreshing dish to offset all the heavier foods that tend to be served.  This recipe combines very simple ingredients to create a delicious low calorie appetizer that works great with crackers, pita bread or bruschetta style with toasted bread.  It tastes great on toast spread with hummus or mashed avocado as well. I hope you will give it a try along with all the other Recipe ReDux Oscar recipes!

Ingredients:

1 cup diced Persian Cucumber

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup diced black olives

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

dash of dried oregano (optional)

Directions:

Combine all of the above in a medium sized bowl.  Chill is not serving immediately. Serve with pita wedges, pita chips, toasted bread. 

Makes 3 cups  6 servings

Servings size 1/2 Calories 45 Protein 1 g Carb 4 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 2 g Fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 44 mg

Read more...

Trader Joes Treasures Post # 4

Posting about the latest and greatest Trader Joes products I have discovered recently is LOOOONG overdue.  So here it goes. Below are some items I have been enjoying this winter!


Harvest Chili

This chili is AMAZING! Not too spicy but just enough kick and a ton of flavor.  It is chocked full of healthy veggies like cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkin as well as quinoa and.... beans of course. That may sound a bit untraditional but it is quite a delicious combo I swear!
It makes a great quick and easy lunch or dinner.  I love to eat it topped with low fat cheese and/or avocado. I am pretty sure it is seasonal, so I am enjoying it while it lasts!

Pomelos

Finally tried one of these last week after eyeing them in stores. There giants are hard to miss. Pomelos are much larger than a grapefruit and sweeter too! Nice for a breakfast side, healthy dessert or even chopped up to served atop a salad to liven things up.

Umami Seasoning Blend

I have already mentioned my love of Traders Joe's amazing Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, well now they have another blend that will be staple in my pantry. This delicious seasoning combines mushroom power, kosher salt, pepper and other spices to create a unique savory seasoning that is great to add to soups, on cooked vegetables or meats and poultry.

Unsalted Roasted Pistachios

Okay, so I know pistachios are nothing new, but I wanted to share the happy accident that I bought unsalted pistachios a few weeks back instead of salted and they were actually quite tasty.  Without the salt, the nuts actually have a slight sweetness to them which the salted varieties seem to mask.  I have been snacking on them, admittingly almost uncontrollably....

Read more...