GREEN Cookie Dough Smoothie

Holy crap this green smoothie was SO GOOD..life changing, really. I make smoothies every morning for my fiance and I, and this morning I decided to take a walk on the wild side and try something new. Well, if you couldn't tell, the result was ahhhmazing. This recipe was adapted from Green Thickies and yields one serving.

What you need...

• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 dates, pitted
• 1 banana
• 1 cup spinach or kale
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

How to make it...

1. Pour the almond milk into a blender, add the dates, and blend until smooth.
2. Add the bananas to the blender and blend until smooth.
3. Add all the other ingredients except for the spinach and, yepp you guessed it, blend until smooth.
4. Add spinach and blend until smooth.
5. ENJOY!

The recipe was so sweet and filling, it was the perfect Friday morning treat. I can see myself making this for dessert in the future. Give it a try, YOU WON'T BE SORRY. K, byeeee.

Fake Oatmeal

I like having oatmeal for breakfast because it is very filling. Instant oatmeal packets taste delicious, but they're actually disgusting when it comes down to the ingredients. Back in the day when I did the WLC, I was looking for grain free alternatives and came across this recipe for fake oatmeal. The good part about this recipe is that you can make a batch at the beginning of the week and you have an easy breakfast every morning!

What you need to make a batch...

• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp cup golden flax meal
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 Tbsp + ¾ tsp ground cinnamon

How to make it...

Combine the chia seed, golden flax meal, unsweetened coconut, cinnamon and store in an airtight container. It is super complicated, right?

What you need to make one serving of fake oatmeal...

• ½ cup hot water
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut or almond milk
• Sweetener to taste (Stevia, honey, or agave nectar)

How to make it...

1. Scoop out ½ cup of fake oatmeal in a serving bowl
2. Pour ½ cup of hot water over the fake oatmeal
3. Add 2 Tbsp of milk and stir to combine

The fake oatmeal is very bland on its own, so I really like to add some sort of sweetener  and top it with fresh fruit to make it more enjoyable. Sometimes I'll smash up half of a banana and stir that in - it adds flavor and sweetness. Give it a try! K, byeeee.

Chicken Salad

Lately I have been trying to eat as clean as possible. For some people that includes dairy, for others it doesn't. I have found that for my own personal sanity I cannot give up dairy completely. That doesn't mean I allow myself to snack on cheese with a side of yogurt and then wash it all down with a big ol' glass of milk. I do, however, like to incorporate greek yogurt into dishes as a substitute for mayo. This chicken salad only uses a little bit of greek yogurt and it is my current favorite lunch dish!

This recipe makes one serving - double, triple, quadruple, etc. as needed!

What you need...

• 4 oz chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp onions, diced
• 2 tbsp carrots, shredded
• 1 tbsp almonds, chopped
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

How to make it...

Mix ingredients together in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Serve over a bed of fresh spinach or in a lettuce wrap.



Just writing this post makes me excited for my lunch today! K, byeee!

Pizza Stuffed Zucchini Boats

In case you haven't read my blog before, you should know pizza is my jam.  I love pizza (in all forms, really ALL forms). So you shouldn't be surprised I'm sharing yet another pizza alternative.

What you need...

• 4 large zucchini
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

How to make it...

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
3. Cut zucchini in half horizontally and carefully scoop out the center of the zucchini using a spoon.
4. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.
5. Add ground turkey, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook until browned and drain excess fat.
6. Add marinara to the saucepan and stir until evenly coated.
7. Add marinara mixture to each zucchini and evenly top with mozzarella.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the cheese has melted.

This dish was super filling and guilt free. Give it a try! K, byeeee.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

My fiancé suggested this delicious concoction, and let me just say, HOLY CRAP IT WAS SO GOOD. You should probably make this immediately if not before.

What you need...

• 1/2 lb roast beef, thinly sliced
• 9 slices provolone cheese*
• 3 medium green bell peppers
• 1 medium sweet white onion, diced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp butter**
• 2 tbps olive oil**
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• Pepper, to taste

*For a lighter dish, use six slices of cheese
**For a lighter dish, use 1 tbsp

How to make it...

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds.
3. Line the inside of each pepper with a half-slice of provolone cheese.
4. Sauté onions and mushrooms over medium heat with butter, olive oil, minced garlic, and pepper. Cook until onions and mushroom are caramelized (this took me about 20 minutes).
5. Cut or tear the roast beef into thin strips (I used kitchen scissors) and add it to the onion/mushroom mixture.  Allow this to cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Evenly fill each pepper with the meat mixture.
7. Top each pepper with another half-slice of provolone cheese. Use the remaining three slices to cover the peppers are you see fit...or just snack on the extra while the peppers cook ;)
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.

Annnnnnd enjoy! K, bye!!

Salmon with Honey Mustard Pan Sauce

I'm about to get really fancy in this post, so be prepared. (I'm just kidding, this dish is really easy, but you do have to 'deglaze' the pan, and just saying that makes me feel like I'm on Chopped.) I actually got the inspiration for this recipe from a Trader Joe’s package. I severed mine over an arugula salad with a homemade vinaigrette. It was ahhhmazing!

Vinaigrette

What you need....

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 shallot*

*I used a full shallot and it resulted in a pretty strong onion flavor. If you don't love onions, I would suggest using half a shallot instead. 

How to make it...

1. Finley mince the shallot.
2. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, pepper, and mustard
3. Stir in the shallot.

OR

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend.

Salmon 

What you need...

• 1 lb salmon (or two large fillets)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp honey

How to make it...

1. Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet and cook over medium heat to melt butter.
2. Add the mustard to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the salmon and cook for 3 minutes per side if the fish is defrosted or 6 minutes per side if it is frozen.
4. Add the water (I did this so the fish wouldn't dry out), cover with a lid to complete cooking, mine took approximately 3 more minutes.
5. Remove the fish and add lemon juice to deglaze the pan.
6. Add honey and cook until reduced, about 2-3 minutes.

Salad

What you need...

• 2 handfulls of baby arugula (about 2 cups)
• 4 tbsp dried cranberries, divied
• 4 tbsp crumbled goat cheese, divided
• unsalted sunflower seeds, to taste

How to make it...

1. Divide the arugula evenly and top each portion with cranberries, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds.
2. Pour dressing over salad - I used 2 tbsp on each salad (I had plenty of dressing leftover - if you don't want leftovers, cut the vinaigrette recipe in half).
3. Place the salmon on the salad and spoon the pan sauce over the salmon.

My boyfriend almost skipped out on this meal for a juice. While we were eating he said he was really glad he didn't skip this meal and that its a keeper - and I agree!! K, byeeee.

Lemon and Garlic Shrimp "Pasta"

Recently I realized that entirely too many of my calories were coming from carbs, so I've been trying to cut back! I love pasta dishes and I've been eating a lot of spaghetti squash recently, but I wanted to try something new! I had some zucchini in the fridge so I figured I'd give zucchini pasta a try. I always keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer for quick dinners, so I ended up with Lemon and Garlic Shrimp Pasta!

What you need...

• 1/2lb peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed if frozen
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced into thin strips for zucchini pasta

How to make it...

If your shrimp are frozen, put them in a bowl of cold water to thaw. While they are thawing you can make your zucchini pasta. By the time you get the pasta made and the sauce ingredients into the skillet, the shrimp should be thawed.

To make the zucchini pasta, use a vegetable peeler and make long thin strips of zucchini. Continue around the zucchini until you get to the seeds. If you have a spiral vegetable slicer, you can use that instead!

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and combine all ingredients except zucchini pasta. Sauté until the shrimp turns pink. If you want the "pasta" al dente, just add the zucchini into the pan, toss and serve. If you want the pasta a little softer, remove the shrimp from the pan and set them on a plate covered with foil to keep warm. Add the zucchini pasta and toss for a few mins until softened.



I've made this dish three times since I first created it, its definitely a keeper! K, byeeeee.

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

I've been making my own dressings for a few years now, but I've never really measured things out - I just throw a little bit of this and some of that together and call it whatever I want. I finally decided to make a batch of dressing big enough for more than one salad, which forced me to measure things out...sort of. In the end, I went back and added more of whatever ingredient until the dressing tasted good. So if you decide to make this, just use these measurements as a guideline, and add more or less of whatever you want!

What you need...

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard (optional)
• pinch of sugar (optional)

How to make it...

Finely chop the garlic and add the sea salt. Use your knife to grind the clove and salt together against cutting board (thanks for the tip, Dobby Flay). Place in a bowl with the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and mustard. Whisk together. Season with pepper and sugar. If the mixture it too tart, add water. Store covered in the refrigerator. The dressing might harden because of the olive oil, if this occurs just run warm water over the container. Shake and pour!



I love using this dressing on salads with chicken or fish. Last night I ate it on an arugula salad with chicken, sun flower seeds, and goat cheese...I kept pausing to say how delicious it was. K, byeeee!

Avocado Bacon Sammies

Not having bread in my life was a struggle during the WLC - I love sandwiches!!!!! But I realized you don't need bread to enjoy a sandwich! Recently I've been eating a lot of zucchini sammies...you could probably figure out how to make them just by looking at the picture, but I'll give you brief instructions anyway.

What you  need...

• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil 


• 1 zucchini, sliced


• 1/2 and avocado


• 2 slices of bacon

How to make them....

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Sautée your zucchini until tender. Placed a bite of bacon and a mini slice of avocado in between. Use a toothpick to hold them together. Annnndd then eat those little guys!

{Photo courtesy of @kick_ass_girl_va}

I've also made these sammies with cucumbers or sauteed mushrooms instead of zucchini - both are really good as well. K, byeeee.

Tuna Stuffed Avocado

This dish competes with my Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms as my favorite creation to date. It is super filling and delicious!!!!

What you need...

• 1 medium Avocado


• 1 can tuna, drained


• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced


• 1/4 cup red onion, diced


• 1/4 cup celery, diced


• two hearty spoonfuls greek yogurt


• 1 tsp dijon mustard


• salt and pepper to taste


• chia seeds (optional)

How to make it...

Slice the avocado in half and remove the pit. Using a spoon, remove the avocado from its skin and set it on a plate, pitted side up (this step is optional, I left my avocado in its skin and ate it with a spoon). Mix all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Top each of the avocado halves with tuna.



Give it a try and tell me what you think! K, byeeee!

Trail Mix

Who doesn't love a good trail mix?

What you need...

• 1/3 cup cashews


• 1/3 cup almonds


• 1/3 cup walnuts


• 1/3 cup dried bananas


• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes


• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

How to make it...

Pretty simple, put all the ingredients in one container and mix! I like to portion out 1/3 cup of the mix into snack bags so you can have a snack ready to go when you need it!



Obviously this recipe is easy to adapt, so add your favorite nuts or dried fruit! K, byeeee.

Gingersnap Mallobar

We've already established that I love Larabars. Eventually I'm sure I'll recreate all of them, but so far I've only made Coconut Cream Pie [Mallobars]. Recently I saw a picture of a gingersnap larabar on Instagram. As soon as I saw it I made it my mission to find the gingersnap flavor. I went to four different stores looking for them and had no luck. It was quite depressing. THEN, out of the blue, a friend of mine from Texas mailed me a few to try...HOW AWESOME IS SHE?



Anyway, as soon as I confirmed they are in fact delicious, it was time to make them on my own!

What you need...

• 1 cup pitted dates (about 8 ounces)


• 3/4 cup almonds


• 3/4 cup pecans


• 1-2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger


• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon


• 3/4 teaspoon cloves

How to make them...

Place all the ingredients in a food processor except the ginger and dates and blend until everything is nice and chopped up. Add the dates and 1 tablespoon of ginger and blend. Once everything is chopped and blended, take a pinch of it and try it. If it isn't snappy enough for you, add some more ginger and blend! Once you're satisfied with the taste, portion out 1.8 ounce bars and wrap them individually in plastic wrap! This recipe yields approximately 9 Mallobars.



And this ^picture^ is why I suck a being a food blogger...as you can see I didn't bother to make them pretty, wrap them nicely, or take a decent picture.Woopsie :) I'll do better next time! K, byeeeee.

Almond Pulp Hummus

After I made my first batch of Almond Milk I was left with a lot of perfectly good almond pulp and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I turned to the interweb for some inspiration and found a lot of really good ideas. I decided to turn it into hummus and it turned out really well!

What you need...

• 1 1/4 cup almond pulp (all the leftovers from the almond milk)


• 1/4 cup water


• 1/4 cup olive oil


• juice of 1 lemon


• 2 cloves garlic, pealed


• 3 tablespoons almond butter


• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin


• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder


• 6-8 drops of hot sauce (optional - I used Franks)


• pepper to taste

How to make it...

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If its not creamy enough, add more water or oil and blend. Repeat until you reach the desired consistency.



I garnished mine with some chili pepper flakes and paprika.



I served the hummus with celery, carrots, and cucumber slices. The hummus was so good, I couldn't even tell it wasn't made with chickpeas! K, byeeeeee.

Almond Milk

I had never tried almond milk, but I decided it was time to change that. Before attempting to make it, I did a some reading and learned that you need to have cheese cloth or a nut milk bag (haha) to strain the milk after blending. I went ahead and ordered a nut milk bag because cheese cloth seemed like it would be too much effort/I would end up making a mess. The bag worked great, I definitely recommend getting one!

What you need....

• 1 cup raw almonds, soaked in water overnight


• 3.5 cups water


• 2 pitted dates, or to taste


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

How to make it....

Place almonds in a bowl and cover with water. Soak them overnight (for 8-12 hours).

Rinse and drain the almonds and place into a blender along with water, dates, and vanilla extract.

Blend on high until smooth (1-2 mins depending on how awesome or terrible your blender is).



Hold the nut milk bag over a large bowl and slowly pour the almond milk mixture into the bag. [At first I tried using a mason jar...there wasn't enough room to pour all the milk, go with a bowl.] Gently squeeze the bottom of the bag to release the milk. It took me a few minutes to get all the milk out.

Rinse out blender and pour the milk back in. Add the cinnamon and blend on low for a few seconds to combine. Pour into a jar to store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Shake jar very well before using as the mixture separates when sitting.



I immediately brewed some coffee and had some almond milk with my coffee, YUM!

K, byeeeee.

Fried Bananas

I really wanted to make fried plantains (even tho I have no idea if I even like plantains?), but they didn't have any at the grocery store, so I decided to try using regular bananas. I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I gave it a try and I was pleasantly surprised.

What you need....

• 1 ripe banana, sliced


• coconut or olive oil


• cinnamon


• honey (optional)

Cover the bottom of a skillet in oil.  Heat on medium low heat until the oil begins to sizzle a little. Then add the bananas.  Fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side. Once the bananas are looking golden, remove them from the pan and place them on a plate.  Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon.

I can't have any sugar during the WLC, but I think drizzling the slices with honey would be really good! Go ahead try it for me and let me know how awesome it is. K, byeeeee.

Broiled Grapefruit

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about warm grapefruit. Would it be gross? Or would it surprise me and be delicious? Well, it was delicious!! I think it's my new favorite "dessert."

What you need...

• 1 grapefruit


• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar or agave nectar, divided

How to make it...

1.  Preheat your oven to broil. 


2. Cut the grapefruit in half. Use a paring knife to cut around the grapefruit & between the segments (if not using a grapefruit spoon to eat post broiling) & place the halves on a baking sheet.


3. Evenly sprinkle the nectar/brown sugar over the surface of the fruit.


4. Broil for 2-3 minutes on high or until sugar starts to bubble or brown.


5. Serve warm.

It's so yummy! K, byeeee.

Taco Seasoning

If you've ever read my blog before, then you probably know by now that I love mexican food. When I first started the WLC, I thought I would get over my obsession..because what is mexican food with out CHEESE and sour cream?! Well, I still wonder that, BUT I guess you could say I've gotten used to the absence of my two favorite toppings.

Anyway, I started making my own taco seasoning a while ago (and blogged about it) simply because I forgot to buy a packet of it at the store. Since starting the WLC, I'm happy to know I was doing at least one good thing for my body. Most popular brands of taco seasoning have things like yellow corn flour, maltodextrin, potato starch, and other totally unnecessary ingredients...so just make your own! I've adapted my recipe a little every time (and usually just pretend I'm a pro and eyeball it), but here is my most recent concoction:

What you need...

• 2 tablespoon chili powder


• 2 tablespoon ground cumin


• 2 tablespoon garlic powder


• 2 tablespoon onion powder


• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper


• sea salt and pepper to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon of each)

How to make it...

• Measure and mix....ta dah!! You have taco seasoning!


• Be sure to store it in an airtight container.


• When cooking, add 2-3 tablespoons of this mixture + 1/2 cup of water to one pound of cooked meat (of your choice). Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until there is very little liquid left in the pan.

 

Sorry no food pics, just me giving a thumbs up. Haha k, byeeeee.

Spicy Avocado Lime Dressing

This dressing is amazing. I made it yesterday and have used it for every dish since then, including:

• a salad with chicken


• as a dip for carrots, green peppers, and cucumbers


• as sauce on a burger


• for breakfast on top of a bed of spinach with 1 fried egg and bacon, YUM!

Basically, its awesome on everything.

What you need...

• 2 ripe avocados


• 1 jalapeno pepper, stem removed (or not if you want the extra heat)


• 2 cloves garlic, peeled


• large handful fresh cilantro (literally just grab a handful)


• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt


• 1/2 cup water


• 1/4 cup lime juice

How to make it...

Put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth! If you aren't happy with the consistency, add another 1/4 cup water.



Then PUT IT ON EVERYTHING because its that good.



K, byeeee!

Mexican Chicken Chili

This is the easiest chili I've ever made. It only requires 6 ingredients and literally no effort to make.

What you need...

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts


• 1 16 oz jar of salsa


• 2 tsp garlic powder


• 1 tsp cumin


• 1 tsp chili powder


• 1 11oz can mexi-corn


• 1 15oz can pinto beans

How to make it...

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken & serve.

Some good optional toppings include low fat cheddar cheese, light sour cream, jalapeño slices, avocado, or all over the above! I'm a terrible food blogger and forgot to take a picture of the final product, so just use your imagination. K, byeeeeee.

White Bean Turkey Chili

I was a little turned off by how many ingredients I had to buy to make this White Bean Turkey Chili, but it turned out to be totally worth it. The recipe yields 8 servings, so it feeds you for several nights (this alone makes it a definite keeper in my book). One serving is about 1 cup and is only 285 calories and 6g fat. I added some reduced fat cheese and light sour cream, bringing one serving to ~350 calories - not bad for dinner! It's perfect for a chilly fall night or a cold winter evening.

What you need...

• 1 tablespoon canola oil


• 2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 2 medium)


• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder


• 1 tablespoon minced garlic


• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin


• 1 teaspoon dried oregano


• 3 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained


• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth


• 1 lb ground turkey, cooked


• 1/2 cup diced seeded plum tomato (about 1)


• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro


• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

How to make it....

Heat oil in a large pot (or dutch oven if you have one) over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender and golden.

Add chili powder, garlic, and cumin; sauté for 2 minutes.

Add oregano, beans, and broth; cook for 20 minuets. (Now would be a good time to brown your ground turkey in a separate pan.) Remove 2 cups of the bean mixture and place in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth (or until it looks like vomit - see below).

Add your ground turkey  to the pot then stir in the pureed mixture; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.

Add diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Stir well.

Garnish with low fat cheese and light sour cream, if desired.

Mix and enjoy! K, byeeee.