Easy Healthy Recipe Roundup

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite simple and healthy recipes. We are all busy, all the time. It's really easy to get home and nuke something, order take out, or just eat cereal (I am guilty of all of these things). But when I take the time to do a tiny bit of planning, and realize that cooking a good meal doesn't have to be a daunting task, the process becomes so much more enjoyable. Personally, I like cooking especially when I have something really good to look forward to. Note: I have made all of these recipes during the week when I have gotten home from work so they are all manageable I promise. Also they are all Weight Watchers friendly and boyfriend approved!

Natalie's Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs

It's no secret I love Natalie's recipes, and this one is a real winner. I had never made meatballs before, but since making these I have made them several times. You can sub lean ground turkey if you cannot find chicken, I have done both and they come out great.

Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

I love this recipe for when I am trying to ease up on the carbs. This carb addict doesn't even miss the bread. They hit all the right flavor notes and they are a real bang for your calorie buck.

Kale Caesar Salad

I actually never knew I was capable of being a salad addict, but this salad changed my mind. FYI I am too lazy most of the time to make my own dressing so I use a light caesar and measure out a little bit and toss it into the salad really well. I do make my own croutons, with whatever I have around (Fiber One bread, sourdough, etc) and to make it a full meal I will toss some grilled chicken or shrimp on top.

Loaded Turkey Chili Baked Potato

First, you know I love Gina's recipes and cannot wait for her cookbook to come out. Whenever we make chili there is always tons leftover. This recipe is so comforting and filling and when I have leftover chili around, it comes together quite easily (also don't be afraid to use premade from your grocery store just adjust nutrition content if you are counting).

Natalie's Korean Beef Bowls

Yup another recipe from Natalie. I tried this on a whim after we have been ordering Chinese way too often. It is in full rotation now and I always have the ingredients on hand. It's easy, spicy, and makes great leftover lunches. I serve it over jasmine rice from Trader Joe's or brown rice, use super lean beef, and throw in raw asparagus or broccoli while it simmers. 

Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

Yes, sometimes I just want a big bowl of brussel sprouts (but I will typically have some protein too just because it's the right thing to do). They are delicious, versatile, and very filling. I mix up my recipe from time to time. Sometimes I will add some thick cut bacon, truffle oil, parmesan, etc. The combinations are endless.

Old faithful or my anytime meal, Avocado Toast

If you have ever seen my Instagram, you can see that I love avocado toast. It's so simple and delicious I just never tire of it. There is no recipe link for this because all I do is mash half an avocado with sea salt and red pepper flakes, slather it on your toast of choice (I highly recommend sourdough), top with more salt and pepper flakes, et voila best easy meal ever!

Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite, healthy meals you make after work? I am always looking for new ones to try!

Monday Jump Start: Lightened Up Quiche

I play around in the kitchen a lot, but coming up with a good recipe is always exciting for me (especially when it's healthy too). I love quiche for it's ease, versatility, and square meal all in one. What's more comforting than pastry, cheese, and ham? This recipe was created by modifying a recipe Natalie posted about. By modifying amounts of full fat and calorie ingredients with lower fat ingredients my quiche came out wonderfully without the guilt! In no way does this quiche taste figure friendly. You still get all the lovely cheesey, decadent satisfaction that comes from quiche with a lot less fat. This makes a really easy dinner, brunch dish, or quick lunch when reheated. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Skinny Ham & Cheddar Quiche

• 1 deep dish pie shell
• 3 large eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar (I grate mine myself for a finer shred)
• 2 slices good quality lean deli ham, chopped
• 2-3 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 (oven temperature vary I usually heat mine 10-15 degrees higher)

Take your pie shell out of the freezer and allow to thaw for 10-15 minutes

In a bowl, whisk together whole eggs and egg whites. In a separate bowl mix together flour and baking powder. Once mixed, add some of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and incorporate. Add egg and dry mixture to the rest of the eggs and add in the milk. When everything is mixed together add pepper and salt (go easy on the salt as the ham and cheddar have salt in them). Set aside.

When the oven has reached the proper temperature, I like to pop the pie crust in for a few minutes to get it going and reduce the risk of soggy crust (3-5 minutes should do). Remove the partially baked crust and add the ham, cheese, and scallions directly into the pie shell. Pour the egg and milk mixture over top the ingredients in the pie shell. If you are compelled, you can give everything a quick stir with a spoon. Transfer the quiche to a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until the quiche puffs up some* and is golden brown on the top.

Let the quiche cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers will last a few days when kept covered and in the refrigerator. 

Recipe is 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving, 6 servings per quiche.

*Quiche may fall some during the cooling process because of the egg whites, this is totally normal.

Weekend Links: Food + Wine Edition

I have to point out that this DIY bruschetta bar is the best entertaining idea ever and looks insane!

This week's links are all going to be food and beverage related. You're welcome. I get really excited about food in the summer. The variation and selection is so much better, there's grilling involved, and everything is better with the addition of fruits and veggies. So let me share with you some of my favorite food and drink related links this week.

My fave fabby lady Mrs. Lilien shared her favorite flank steak recipe and it sounds awesome (also a great inexpensive cut to entertain with, win win people!).

Gina once again kills it with zucchini tots. These look positively scrumptious. 

The Barefoot Contessa knows her booze. Her pink grapefruit margaritas sound killer and so refreshing for pool lounging or a BBQ!

Wrap your head around this: Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco. BOOM!

I live for summer peaches, the only thing better than a peach is most likely peach berry crumble.

Do you like to drink your dessert? How about a strawberry riesling slushie to cover all the bases of fruity, sweet, and boozey?

Fried chicken, while delicious, is awful for you. Try a lightened up oven fried version that looks like it doesn't suck (most of those recipes out there are just dry bread crumb crusts, bleh).

Homemade pizza is awesome. Grilled or in the oven it's always a winner. I stepped up my game a notch and made dough from scratch with this recipe. It was so easy and fast, I will never buy dough again!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xx

Fit Day

Eat // One of the best things about summer is the seasonal produce. There are a million ways to get your recommended veggie intake, but this tian recipe has to be one the easiest and tastiest. Mix up the veggies to your liking and make this dish all summer long.

Sip// No one likes feeling left out when it comes to drinking, but alcohol is literally dead calories and if you are adding mixers you may end up with a total calorie bomb. Try a "skinny" mojito for a big flavor punch with fewer calories (if it's a little too strong ease up on the rum and/or add some stevia).

Wear// I'm not a flaunter when it comes to workout gear, but some classes require more fitted clothing. Get there and leave in comfort and style with the Sharkbite Top from Athleta that you could literally live in.

Do// Tis the season of jorts and what better way to accessorize them with a toned pair of gams and tight butt? The Tone It Up ladies have created a great circuit to hit all the right spots that could do pretty much anywhere. Jessica Simpson's legs from Dukes of Hazard were not created in a day, but you can get there with a little work.  

What are your Eat/Sip/Wear/Do recs? Always love hearing what you're doing and eating!

       

Fit Talk: Skinnytaste

In the spirit of keeping Thursday posts aligned with health (typically Eat, Sip, Wear, Do but on a litttle break to come back with great conent) I wanted to share with you all my favorite website and soon-to-be cookbook Skinnytaste. I'm sure you've all heard that abs are made in the kitchen and/or that weight loss is 80% what you put in your body. However, in doing some more digging, it seems like 90% of weight loss and maintenance has to do with diet. When I say diet I don't mean a course of restriction, but rather your overall eating pattern.

If you have ever tried to lose weight, or struggled with your weight you know how hard it can be to find nutritious filling meals that you want to eat. We all have the best intentions, but those steamed veggies and lean pieces of fish can get monotonous. This is where Skinnytaste comes to slay the diet food dragon. Gina Homolka started Skinnytaste to share her passion for creating delicious, nutritious meals that you can feel good about serving to yourself, and feel even better about eating. Often, our favorite foods are loaded with not so figure friendly ingredients. Gina is a master at recipe recreation so we can still enjoy our favorites with minor tweaking. Another reason I love Skinnytaste recipes is that they are all compatible with Weight Watchers and their all things in moderation approach.

Some of my favorites from Skinnytaste are:
Lavash Flatbread Pizza
Spicy Shrimp with Chilies and Garlic
Skinny Overnight Oats

Gina's cookbook is currently available for pre-order, and will ship September 30th. I am pre-ordering my copy ASAP, and cannot wait to have it as a kitchen staple. While the recipes are great for those looking to lighten up their meals, I have to also stress that those who couldn't care less about their physique (like freak of nature boyfriends who lose weight by blinking) love them too. You won't be disappointed!

Do you have any other go-to sites or cookbooks for healthy, delicious eats? I would love to hear about them!

Fit Day

Eat // Shrimp with Lemon en Papillote. A fresh healthy way to cook seafood that packs a lot of flavor. 

         Try this method with fish too!

Sip // Strawberry Mango Smoothie. This smoothie takes advantage of seasonal ingredients, but adds a

         nutritional boost with chia seeds and coconut water.

Wear // Athleta's Chi Mesh Tank. A top that is functional in all the best ways and it meant to layer well!

Do // Kate Hudson's Favorite Pilates Moves. Kate has a sick bod, and she's sharing the moves she 

        loves to keep her cut.

ESWD

Eat //   Grilled Peaches with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar. If you have never grilled fresh peaches 

           you are missing out! The sugars caramelize and the flavor elevates immensely. A little fresh 

           rosemary and depth from the balsamic and you have one heck of summer dish.

Sip //   Watermelon Juice. Watermelon is naturally made up of 91% water which makes this one of the

           most hydrating fruits out there. This recipe pairs the melon with fresh lime for a welcome 

           change to plain old water.

Wear // Under Armour All-In-One Capri. These capris mean business. The 4-way stretch, slimming 

            panels, anti-microbial, moisture-wicking material make these an activewear game changer. If

            you have bought UA products before then you know the quality is top notch.

Do //    Eleven Yoga Poses to De-Stress. Yoga is one of the best and healthiest practices out there for

           stress management. Since everyone and their mother is stressed to kill on a daily basis, take the

           time to wind down and center yourself with some therapeutic poses. 

Fit Day Thursday

           

Eat // Sip // Wear // Do 

I am testing out a new weekly series, Fit Day. Maybe it will be Thursday maybe Tuesday, but what I do know is I want to keep it in rotation. So please bear with me while I figure out the presentation of it, the day, even the name.

Eat: I love Greek salad, and grilled veggies. What could be better than both of those combined?!?

Sip: Watermelon season is just around the corner, and this coconut water watermelon cooler is a must!

Wear: I like to be comfortable when being active and I wouldn't have to sacrifice that in this tank.

Do: The ladies at Tone It Up have a great killer ab workout (and full body program). Be bikini ready!

Cookbook Love

1/2/3/4/5/6

It's no secret that I love cookbooks. I could literally sit for hours and fawn over the glossy pages. Cookbooks put me in a good mood and relax me however silly it may sound. Unfortunately I lost a box with all my cookbooks in it, and I have been meaning to build up another collection .

In all reality I would take any cookbook I could get my hand on, but I thought maybe I should start with some that are either about topics I am interested in (whole foods cooking/lifestyle cooking ), or doable meals that lean less on gourmet and more on practical.  Future posts on attempts from new cookbooks coming in the near future!

What are your favorite cookbooks? Any must haves out there?

Menu Planning Week 2

Recipes and images from PaleOMG and Nom Nom Paleo
Frittata/Short Ribs/Meatballs/Hash/Lettuce Cups

This week's menu comes after some deliberating about trying to incorporate the "Paleo" lifestyle in our (the boyfriend and my) diet. I know I'm not willing to go 100% all in, but I think doing 4-5 days a week is pretty doable. I know there is a lot of time and prep work involved in this lifestyle, but I really want to crack down on my carb addiction.

 I searched two well known Paleo recipe sites PaleOMG and Nom Nom Paleo for easy, tasty recipes that I would actually want to make. We haven't started just yet, but I think we're both looking forward to breaking our addictions and honestly eating some "real" food. Has anyone else tried Paleo yet? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Menu Planning

In an effort to get myself in the habit of eating better and eating in more often, I have decided to go back to weekly menu planning. Years ago I did this and I saved tons of money and calories. I don't feel great about eating out a ton especially when my boyfriend and I are really good cooks. So we kind of had our "come to Jesus" moment over the weekend where we committed to being healthier in general. No better way to start than by getting a delicious and healthy menu together for the week. What are your go to recipes for fairly easy, healthy, and delicious meals? I would love more ideas!

You can find all the recipes at the links below!

Tuna Burger/Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash/Peach Salad/Summer Pasta/Korean Tacos

Paleo Dessert You Will Want to Try

Happy Monday! After last week I really needed a weekend away with friends. It was great to relax, have some quality girl time, and not partake at all in social media. Unplugging and having fun was exactly what I needed to recharge.

I am sure many of you have heard about the Paleo Diet where you eat basically like a caveman. Even though I know people who swear by it, I have always been pretty skeptical about any diet that pushes animal fat and red meat. I am more of an "all things in moderation" diet believer simply because I don't do deprivation well. At our girls weekend two of the girls were on Paleo, so many of the foods served were Paleo-friendly.

One of the girls made a Paleo fruit tart which looked really pretty, but again my skepticism got the best of me and I assumed no sugar or butter could not yield good results... I was wrong! The tart was so good, so refreshing, and so light that I had to google it as soon as I got home so I could make it too. I think trying something and liking it really peaked my interest in this lifestyle. I don't know if I could or would want to fully commit to it, but it's definitely something to experiment with. Has anyone else tried Paleo? 

Images and recipe from PaleOMG

It's All Good

I love cookbooks. There is something almost "zen" for me when I sit down and thumb through big, beautiful glossy pages of a new one. If I had to list calming activities, flipping through a cookbook or three would be high on my list. Every now and then I come across a special cookbook that really inspires me, and that is exactly what happened when I picked up It's All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow. It's All Good was born out of Gwyneth's need to clear out her system, heal, and reset (something I'm pretty sure many of us need to do). With the help of Julia Turshen, they created a collection of healthy comfort food recipes but without sugar, fat, and gluten. 

No sugar, fat, or gluten? Bare with me for a moment. While I am intrigued by people who willingly give up those three lovelies I just listed, until I develop an intolerance or allergy to them, I am most likely never giving them up fully. What I would like to do is cut back on all three. I am trying to figure out what works best for me and my body, but that means a lot of trial and error on my part. The golden rule of "all things in moderation" seems to be the key, but for me (a carb-o-holic) how do I moderate a fresh baguette or a side of truffle fries? Sometimes the answer for me is to have none at all, or just on special occasions. 

Anyway back to Gwyneth. The book is broken down into many sections listed by meal or ingredient group, followed by a great weekly menu section with different goals in mind (think detox week, or family-friendly week). The pictures in the book are stunning and drool-worthy even for "Millet Falafel" (I used to feed my parakeet millet when I was six so pardon me if initially I was not chomping at the bit to eat a mouth full of bird seed). What I took away from this cookbook was the concept of truly clean eating and how easy it can be to implement it into my diet. Am I going gluten-free? No. Am I giving up butter? Heck no. Can I cut back on both those things? The answer is yes I can, and I can do it without feeling deprived. I am excited to try some of these recipes out, but I am actually really looking forward to cleaning up my diet. Weird. 

Below are two recipes from It's All Good that I'll be making ASAP!

Chicken Burgers, Thai Style

• 1 pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
• 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
• 2/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, very finely minced
• 1 teaspoon very finely minced red chili 
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola, grapeseed, or safflower oil)

Thoroughly mix the chicken with the garlic, cilantro, shallots, red chili, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 burgers, each about ¾ inch thick.Heat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Rub each burger on both sides with a bit of the safflower oil and grill for about 8 minutes on the first side and another 5 minutes on the second, or until nicely marked and firm to the touch.

Carrots with Black Sesame + Ginger

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil       
• 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger 
• 4 large carrots cut into matchsticks (4 cups)
• Coarse sea salt
• A couple of drops of hot toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted black sesame seeds

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over high heat. Add the ginger and cook, stirring it into the oil, until it becomes fragrant, just 30 seconds or so. Add the carrots and stir to combine them with the gingery oil. Add a big pinch of salt and ¼ cup of water and turn the heat down to medium-high. Cook until the carrots just begin to soften and the water evaporates, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds and serve.