Cheesy Quinoa Bake

Hello

Last weekend during a shopping trip to Costco I was super tempted to buy the pre-package scalloped potatoes (they are amazing BTW) but deep in my heart, I knew it would end bad (me eating half the tray and regretting it soon after) there had to be a better option for some cheesy deliciousness.  This is what I came up with and it was satisfying to say the least.  

Ingredients: 

3 cups dry quinoa (1 cup dry)
1 package of frozen spinach – drained and defrosted 
2 tablespoons of diced sundried tomatoes
1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper - finely diced
1 sweet onion - finely diced
3 cloves of garlic - minced
½ cup shredded parmesan 
¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 medium size eggs
6 ounces of non-fat plain Greek yogurt

Seasoning Used: 

Salt and Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Garlic Powder

Cook the quinoa and allow to cool to room temp.  (my secret to perfect quinoa…cook in a rice cooker) one cup quinoa and two cups water. Perfection ever time!  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Using a one quart casserole dish - spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Heat the olive oil & saute the onion, bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, garlic and spinach until cooked through and soft. 

Meanwhile, combine the eggs, yogurt and cheese in large bowl and whisk together.  Add pinch of each seasoning. 

Combine the cooked quinoa, veggies and cheese mixture until fully incorporated. Place in your baking dish.  Top with a bit more of parmesan and bake until cheese is golden brown.  

So Yummy! 

Enjoy!

Wishing you all a fit & fun Labor Day Weekend!  Don’t forget to be awesome! 

Just a little Earthy Crunchy - Granola

Hello

Last week an office mate brought in granola from Panera Bread.  In a weak moment, I took a small handful just to realize it was full of processed sugar & oil.  I did not eat enough to regret it (make me feel bad) but it got my wheels spinning on how I could improve such a delicious treat and make it somewhat healthy.  While this recipe is certainly not low in fat because of the various nuts used, it is super filling & delicious. Let’s just say the first batch lasted less than 24 hours at Cafe5400 - whoopsie!  I could not stop eating it….yes, it’s that good!

Fantastic on its own but amazing with plain yogurt and fresh berries!  

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup pitted and chopped dates

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut oil - melted

1/4 cup almond flour - sold at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine everything together. Turn out on a baking sheet and spread into an even layer.  Bake for 15 minutes and allow to cool completely.  Allowing to cool will form clusters. 

All ingredients in a bowl.

Ready to be baked! 

Baked and Cooling 

Ready to EAT!

Let’s chat Running & Motivation: 

I recently went to Sport Chalet to get a birthday gift for my dad and while checking out I saw all these “I’d rather be _______” license plate frames hanging on the wall.  While the cashier was ringing up my purchase, I asked “how much are the frames?” She responds, “oh, they are free - which two would you like?”  I glance at them all and decide on the “I’d rather be running” frame.  I figure I finally qualify as a runner…I get up when rest of the world is sleeping to run, I have officially suffered a “running” injury (no fun by the way) and I am signed up for my first half marathon in October…what more do I need right?  So with pride, I officially consider myself a runner and advertise it to the world. 

Speaking of which, tomorrow I am setting out for 9 miles!  To be honest, running any amount of distance always makes me nervous – nervous in a good sense!  It’s the only activity I truly mentally prep for…I go through the full checklist: 

• Is my Garmin charged? Where is my chest strap?
• What clothes/shoes will I wear?
• Fill up the water bottles.
• What sort of nutrition?
• Don't forget the Sunscreen. 
• Cue the tunes! 

Even through all of this, I would not change it for the world…the sense of accomplishment outweighs it all!  

How do you convince yourself to work out when you don’t really feel like it?

YOU NEVER REGRET A WORK OUT – I have never finished a workout and said to myself “man, I wish I never did that”.  A great work out is the best medicine in the world…think of how good you feel when you are done!  

SHOWING UP IS HALF THE BATTLE – I work out in the early morning (4:30a) to be exact and NO it’s never easy peeling myself out of bed. My reward is how I am going to feel the rest of the day!  I lay out my clothes the night before and once I am up, there is not turning back.  I am committed!  

REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED – This one is super important.  I think back to January before I started eating clean and staying committed to my plan, I had so many “un-happy” days….I would start something, dream big and before I knew it, I was pushing my goals down the road for a quick instant feel good fix.  I gave myself a million excuses and never completed what I set out to accomplish.  Staying on track means never looking back and not having to start over numerous times!  Set goals & crush them!  The rewards are huge and deserving! 

I end this post with a reminder, keeping up a healthy lifestyle and being active is important as we all know... if not, you could end up looking like this.....LOL

Wishing you all a fun and fit weekend!  Go out and be AWESOME! 

Delicious Egg Scramble (Vegetarian friendly)

Hello

I seriously believe eggs are one of the most under rated proteins available.  Eggs are so versatile and in my opinion, they can be served not only for breakfast but lunch & dinner too.  Last weekend in a moment of not feeling like going to the grocery store, I had to get creative and whip up a meal with ingredients on hand.  This egg scramble was the result and it was nothing short of awesome!  In fact, it was so good that it will make the weekly rotation for sure! 

Ingredients: 

8 eggs (4 yolks and all 8 whites)
1 medium sweet potato – pre- baked and cut into cubes
2 vegetarian “Morning Star Sausage Patties” – cooked and crumbled 
5 basil leaves- shredded 
Fresh oregano finely chopped – appx 2 tablespoons
Olive Oil for cooking 

***Fresh avocado and salsa for serving 

Seasoning I used:

Salt and Pepper
Smoked Paprika 
Garlic Powder 

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil.  Add vegetarian sausage patties and allow to brown.  Remove from pan and crumble.  Add cubed cooked sweet potato and cook till lightly browned and crisp.   While that is cooking, mix the eggs in a separate bowl and combine with seasonings.  Add the eggs, “sausage” and herbs and cook until completely done.  Serve with fresh avocado and salsa.  

On a side note, I love Morning Star products (I am not a vegetarian) but their products are tasty and fairly healthy.  While breakfast sausage is the bomb, it is usually full of fat and grease.  I found these to be a reasonable alternative without sacrificing too much flavor.  Trader Joe’s sells a house brand that is really good too.  Give it a try…be open to new ideas, you never know, you just may like it! 

I forgot how much I enjoyed egg scrambles….get creative, the options are endless with this one! 

Enjoy!  

3 Bean Salad and Farmer's Market Fritatta

Hi, 

I ventured out and tried a couple of new recipes this week.  They were easy to make and perfect for this hot summer weather...Nice & Light! 

Three Bean Salad 

½ onion finely - chopped

1 orange bell pepper – finely chopped

1 bunch of parsley – finely chopped 

1 jalapeno – finely chopped

1 bunch of green onions – finely chopped

1 can organic garbanzo beans – drained and rinsed

1 can of organic red kidney beans – drained and rinsed

½ pound of fresh green beans – cut into bite size pieces and blanched. 

Fresh basil – sliced 

Dressing:

½ fresh squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil 

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup 

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 

Chop all vegetables, rinse/ drain garbanzo & kidney beans.  Boil a pot of water to cook the green beans and combine in a large bowl.  I made the dressing in my blender.  Add all ingredients to blender and mix.  Combine the dressing with the beans and allow to marinate in the fridge (overnight) if possible.  Season with salt and pepper! 

***Vegetarians unite…this can certainly serve as meal, I added fresh cubed avocado the next day for lunch and it was nothing short of perfect. Makes a great side dish to grilled meats and would be awesome to bring to a picnic. ***

Farmer’s Market Fritatta 

12 eggs – use 6 of the yolks and all egg whites 

1 package of frozen spinach

1 package of frozen petit peas

1 finely chopped red bell pepper

1 bunch of green onions – finely chopped

 Light shredded cheese….I used the light Mexican variety from Trader Joe's

Season eggs with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. 

In a large non-stick frying pan, add a swig of olive oil and stir fry all veggies.  Separate the eggs…you can certainly use all 12 yolks and it would be amazing but to keep it on the lighter side, I only used 6 of yolks and it turned out fabulous. Whip eggs until fully combined (whites and yolk) & season.  Add shredded cheese to eggs and fold into sautéed vegetables.  Allow it took on the stove top and finish in the broiler of the oven.  This will cook the top without having to flip it.  Cook until browned and firm. 

You can certainly add ham or whichever veggies suit your taste!  Enjoy! 

Wishing you guys a fit and fun weekend! 

Homemade Protein Bars

Hello
I love protein bars.  They are convenient & come in all sorts of delicious flavors but let's be honest, most of them are glorified candy bars.  I can't believe I just admitted that!!! I am a guilty consumer, I peruse the protein bar isle at every health food store and could write a full review on each one....bad, I know!  After spending countless dollars in search of the perfect protein bar, I have discovered an alternative that is a hybrid between a bar and a fresh baked cookie....
I made these last weekend and they are amazing....the calories are a bit high but I promise they will power you through the entire morning...they are that filling and good!

3 cups quick cooking rolled oats
1 cup of chocolate protein powder or your favorite flavor
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almond butter or sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 unsweetened chocolate chips
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 13X9 baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine oats, protein powder, sunflower seeds, coconut, unsweetened chocolate chips, nuts, coconut sugar and cinnamon....mix well.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt almond butter and coconut oil.  Add to dry ingredients.  Add almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla...mix well.

Pour batter into baking dish and press down with wet hands.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool and cut into squares.  If you prefer a crispy texture...you can return cut squares on a cookie sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes. 

Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze for long term storage.

Ready to go in oven! 

Enjoy!

Wishing you all a super fit and fun weekend!