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!!

Pumpkin Dip.

This pumpkin dip is so easy and super yummy! I made a really large portion which I then split and served half and froze the other half to enjoy at a later date. If you don't want a ton, just split the recipe in half!

What you need...

• 16 oz Cool Whip
• 1 5oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 15oz can can pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Whatever you would like to serve the dip with - i.e. apple slices, vanilla wafers, gingersnap cookies, etc.

How to make it...

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together and stir until combined. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.  Easy enough, right? If you want to get really festive, you can carve a small pumpkin to use as the serving dish!  After carving, I lined the pumpkin with plastic wrap and filled it with the dip.



With or without the pumpkin bowl, the dip is great! K, byeee!

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!

Southwest Breakfast Casserole

My mom's breakfast casserole is one of the many things I've been missing a lot during the WLC (this is another post I wrote a few months ago and forgot to publish). I gave this southwest breakfast casserole a try and it was tasty enough, but not being able to have hashbrowns or cheese makes it really hard for me to love any breakfast dish. I'm probably not doing a very good job of convincing you to try it, but I have to be honest about my love for cheese.

What you need...

• 1tablespoon coconut oil
• half a yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sweet potato, peeled and grated
• 1 pound grass fed ground beef or sausage
• 1 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup salsa verde (I used Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde)
• 12 eggs
• Sea Salt to taste

How to make it....

Preheat oven to 350. In a large saute pan, saute the onions and minced jalapeno in the coconut oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent.



Add the ground beef and cook until it starts to brown and add the grated sweet potato and garlic. Cook until the beef is completely browned and the sweet potato is soft.




Add the chili powder, cumin, and salsa, stir and cook until heated through.  Add sea salt if desired.  Transfer the meat mixture to a baking dish and spread evenly over the bottom of the dish.



In a large mixing bowl, beat together the 12 eggs add pour over the meat mixture in the baking dish.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.



Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are set in the middle when you jiggle the pan.



I tried the casserole topped with the salsa verde, hot sauce, and Maggie's Fresh Pico - all three options we equally tasty. What would you top it with? K, byeeee.

Coconut Chicken

I have been eating so much coconut since I started the WLC (I wrote this back in March and forgot to post it....woopsie), it was only a matter of time before I ate it with chicken. I'm used to coconut being sweet, so at first I wasn't sure how I felt about the finished product. It wasn't sweet and it was almost kind of bland? I ended up adding some sea salt to trick my brain into thinking it was a slaty-sweet dish. Haha I don't think it worked, but I enjoyed it either way.

What you need...

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup almond or coconut flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs coconut oil

How to make it...

Mix the flour, shredded coconut and sea salt together in a bowl. Beat an egg in a separate bowl. Dip the chicken breast in the egg and roll in dry mixture. Heat a pan over medium heat and add coconut oil when hot. Pan fry chicken until fully cooked.

 If the crust starts to brown and your chicken isn't fully cooked yet (this will depend on the size of the chicken breast - it happened to me), take it out of the pan and place it in the oven on a baking sheet at 350F for 5-10 minutes covered with foil. K, byeeeee.

Peanut Butter Banana "Ice Cream"

I love dessert. I haven't always loved it, but recently I have developed the biggest sweet tooth and it is a problem (duh, most desserts aren't exactly healthy). Recently, my version of dessert has been a Lara Bar (coconut cream pie and key lime pie are my current favorites) or fresh cut pineapple. The other day I was craving ice cream, but I can't have any dairy during the WLC. My solution? Two ingredient peanut butter banana ice cream.

What you need....

• 3 large very ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used fresh ground peanuts from whole foods)

How to make it...

Peel bananas and slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a large plate or baking sheet. Freeze for 1-2 hours. Once frozen, place the banana slices in a food processor or powerful blender. Puree banana slices until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add the peanut butter and puree to combine.

Serve immediately for soft-serve ice cream consistency. If you prefer harder ice cream, place in the freezer for a few hours and then serve. K, byeeee.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I apologize to all my readers that follow my blog for healthy food, but sometimes I just have to embrace my inner fat girl and NOMZ on something terrible for me. Yes, I realize there are "healthy" version of buffalo chicken dip, but guess what? I LOVE THIS VERSION. It is dangerous having this recipe...

What you need...

• 2 12.5oz cans canned chicken
• 1 cup Ranch
• 1 cup Buffalo Sauce (not hot sauce)
• 16 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

How to make it....

Stir it all up and bake at 350 for 20 mins or until the top is golden brown.

I usually serve it with celery or Baked Scoops, but you can do carrots, or crackers, or bagel chips, or bread...its basically good on anything! K, byeee.

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!

Bacon Avocado Burger

This isn't really a recipe, but more of a quick and easy dinner idea that I thought I'd share. This one is actually brought to you by Sara...

Last night I had no idea what to eat because my mom made tuna noodle casserole...FACK, can't have that. I had a ton of avocados (a result of my frist Costco adventure this past weekend), so I knew I wanted to use one of those. I ended up mashing up an avocado and added lime juice, cilantro, and cayenne pepper. Then I cooked a hamburger patty really quickly on the stove and topped it with whole blob of avocado mixture. I also cut up tomatoes and added them on top. It was DELICIOUS. Definitely an easy yummy dinner.

...Sara emailed me this dinner idea and I thought it sounded so good I made it that same day. OF COURSE I added bacon.



Next time you need a quick and easy dinner, you should give this a try! 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.

Bacon Avocado Deviled Eggs

I have been craving deviled eggs for a while, but I'm way too lazy to make paleo mayo (even if it is easy - I don't like mayo enough to put in the effort). I saw a pin the other day for avocado deviled eggs and realized I could just as easily make them without mayo! So I did, and they were great! (Of course I added bacon.)

What you need...

• 8 hard-boiled eggs (why 8? that's all I had and it ended up working great)


• 1 avocado


• juice of half a lemon


• 1/4 tsp dried mustard


• 3 strips bacon, cooked crispy and diced


• salt and pepper, to taste


• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)


• paprika (optional)

How to make them...

Peel off egg shells and cut eggs in half. Carefully scoop out yolks. In a bowl (or food processor if you like - I just did it by hand and it wasn't difficult), combine yolks, avocado, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Once everything is blended, mix in the bacon. Transfer to a ziplock bag and cut one of the corners. Squeeze mixture into the egg halvs. Top deviled eggs with paprika, more bacon, or any spice of your choice! Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.



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.

#Fiftybythe4th

In order to keep myself accountable, I've decide to make my goal public!! We are exactly 9 weeks away from the 4th of July and I want to be at my goal weight by then!! My goal weight would actually be a total weight loss of 46lbs, but #FIFTYbythe4th has a better ring to it. Only 10lbs to go!

K, byeee!

 

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.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I was walking around the grocery store yesterday trying to decide what I was going to have for dinner. I ended up grabbing portobello mushrooms thinking I could try and make a WLC-compliant version of stuffed mushrooms. I had no idea what I was doing when I started, but holy crap, the result was magical. I was cooking for one, so this recipe only serves one. Double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe as needed!

What you need...

• 1 portobello mushrooms


• premium pork or turkey sausage roll (I cut off a 1 inch piece, equivalent to approximately two sausage patties.)


• a big handful of spinach


• 1 egg


• 2 tsp flour (I used coconut flour)


• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce


• 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

How to make it...

Preheat the oven for 400 degrees. Clean the mushroom with a damp cloth, remove the stem, and  spoon out the gills. Spray both sides of the mushroom with olive oil (I suggest you invest in one of these). Place on a baking sheet gill side down and bake for 10 mins. Remove from oven, flip the mushroom so gill side is up, and set aside.



While the mushroom is baking, brown the sausage in large skillet over medium heat. Once the sausage is cooked all the way through (no more pink), drain the grease and remove from heat. While the skillet is still hot, throw in a handful of spinach and toss it around - it will wilt quickly. Pour the sausage/spinach into a bowl and mix in the red pepper flakes, egg, and flour.



Top the mushroom with all of the sausage mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 10 mins.


Once the mushroom is done baking, turn the oven to broil and leave it in for 5 mins or until browned (just keep an eye on it...no one wants to burn this yumminess).



Top with tomato sauce and DESTROY THAT SHROOM.



Oh my lord it was so good. Try it, you won't be sorry. K, byeeeee.

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.

Salmon In A Bag

Salmon is delicious AND good for you. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to waste your money at an expensive restaurant (or even worse, a horrible cheap one) to enjoy a good salmon dish. Cook your fish in a bag! It’s as easy as it sounds.

What you need...

• 1 salmon filet 


• 1 tablespoon of butter


• 1 lemon, sliced


• salt and pepper, to taste

How to make it....

Stack your lemon slices, salmon, butter, salt and pepper on tin foil and wrap it up tightly. If you want to get really fancy, slice-up some vegetables and throw them on top before sealing the bag.



After a quick bake in the oven (325 degrees for 35 mins) you will have restaurant quality dish worth posting on instagram. Good ol' fish in a bag. DO IT. K, byeeee.

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!

Quick Cucumber Snack

This is another one of those instances where I'm cheating by calling this a recipe, but whooooo cares?!

What you  need...

• 1 cucumber, sliced


• 1 tbsp lemon juice


• 1 tbsp olive oil


• a sprinkle of chile powder


• salt and pepper to taste

How to make it...

To be 100% honest, I made up those measurements. I'm just trying to make this look like a legit recipe......it's not.

Just cut up the cucumber and sprinkle all of the ingredients on top until you're satisfied with the taste. Sometimes I skip the lemon juice and use red wine vinegar instead. Sometimes I just use vinegar! Regardless of how you make it, this is a great snack! I like to make it ahead of time so the juices [whatever they might be] have time to soak into the cucumber, yum!



How do you like your cucumber? I'd love to know! K, byeeee.

WOD for 32

Live for 32. Love for 32. WOD for 32.

"While 32 of our friends and classmates are in heaven trying to explain what a Hokie is, I stand here sure in the fact that I wouldn't want to be anything else."

Coconut Cream Pie

Larabars are the shit. Every single flavor is more delicious than the next. Why has it taken so long for someone to figure out that squishing these natural ingredients together would create such tasty treats?! More importantly, why wasn't that person me? I could be making bank selling Mallobars at $1.80 a piece! Which brings me to my next point, they're not cheap! However, because there are so few ingredients, I figured they couldn't be that hard to make! Annnddd I was right! I started with my current favorite flavor, Coconut Cream Pie, and after some trial and error I found the perfect balance of the ingredients! This recipe makes four larabars mallobars.

What you need...

• 1/2 cup raw almonds


• 1/2 cup unsweetened organic coconut flakes


• 8 large dates, pitted


• 1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil

How to make them....

Put all of the ingredients in a food processer and blend well. It should looks something like this:



Dump the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap, form a rectangle, and place it in the fridge for about 10 mins and allow it to harden. Remove it from the fridge and cut it into four bars (I used a pizza cutter). Wrap them individually with plastic wrap to avoid eating them all in one sitting :)



I should also mention that the real coconut cream pie larabars contain cashews. I didn't have any cashews and these taste awesome, so I'm going to say they're not necessary!

So which would you prefer, store bought larabars @ $1.80 or homemade mallobars @ $0.60/bar?! Seems like a no-brainer to me! K, byeeeeee.

 

Brussels Sprouts

I hardly ever ate bacon before the WLC started. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE BACON, avoiding it just seemed like a necessary evil in order to fit into my jeans. However, since the WLC started, my basic food groups are fruits, veggies, and bacon. We all know bacon makes everything better. It’s true. Yes, even chocolate. I’m crazy like that.

Anyway this post isn't actually about bacon, its about brussels sprouts - haha! I had never cooked brussels sprouts before. My immediate reaction to them is yuck, they smell bad. But during the WLC I've been branching out a lot and trying new things, so why not try making brussels sprouts?! After some careful research on the interweb, I found that roasting or sautéing them is the way to go. Adding bacon, well that was just a given.

What you need...

• 1 pound brussels sprouts - trimmed and halved


• salt and pepper to taste


• 6 slices bacon (0r an entire package, whatever works)


• 3 cloves of garlic - minced or sliced thinly, your choice

How to make it...

1. Peel off any bad leaves from the brussels sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise.


2. Heat a pan over medium heat, add bacon (I cut my bacon up in to small pieces), and cook  for 1 minute.


3. Add the brussels sprouts and fry until they start to brown around the edges.


4. Add garlic slices and fry 1 minute until softened.


5. Drain brussels sprouts to remove excess oil and serve immediately.

Pretty easy right? Personally, I still think brussels sporuts smell like feet. My apartment smelled for a solid two days after I made these, BUT they're quite tasty...so I guess it's worth it? I'll let you all decide for yourseleves. K, byeeeee.