Peanut Butter & Oat {Recovery} Bites and Pacific Beach Peanut Butter Review

Well, I made it through another tax season and now I am all wrapped up in my wedding planning, so I apologize for the scarcity.  Plus, we are in the process of selling our house and searching for a new one, so cooking time has been a bit lacking.  Race season is (well, has already been) upon us, as well as trying to get back into shape for summer/honeymoon/just in general.  So I love coming up with little recipes to help your body recover after lots of exertion, whether from racing your motorcycle, cycling at the gym or even just running after your little ones.

Not only is this a recipe, but also a review of this wonderful little organic peanut butter company named Pacific Beach Peanut Butter. 

You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and of courseeee Pinterest

https://www.facebook.com/PBPeanutButter?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/PBPeanutButters

http://pinterest.com/pbpeanutbutter/ 

And not only is this a review of these wonderful (and did i mention, cute and unique) jars full of peanut butter but all my wonderful loyal readers get:

One FREE jar with any purchase from their website!

*Limit 1 FREE jar per customer.*

Just use this code: blogger4 

(Reader Code valid through May 16, 2013)

They have so many amazing flavor combos- but I will review three: 

Organic Unsalted, Chocolate, and Chocolate Raspberry

I'll start with my least fav, the Chocolate.  Don't get me wrong, it was good, but I guess not what I expected.  Really didn't do anything for me just straight out of the jar.  But I did think it would be a great addition to recipes (which I did use in my bites).

Chocolate Raspberry was very decadent, it was almost like a fruity nutella- um, yea, delicious! Eat with fruit or crackers or anything. 

I am a real basic type of person, so when it came to the unsalted regular peanut butter- I could have eaten the whole jar with just a spoon.  My fiance said it was different because the texture was in between chunky and smooth peanut butter.  Personally, I am a chunky fan, but this was definitely a nice switch up.  The taste was fresh and clean.  You really taste the amazingness of these peanuts (which by the way was the ONLY ingredient! Another amazing perk)  

Wanna Spoon? haha I LOVE IT!

I recently switched from those "less fat" peanut butters to all organic natural peanut butters, because even though it is full fat, you are eating natural ingredients you can pronounce- the only thing in your peanut butter should be peanuts! (and salt)  So when PB PB (haha cute right?) contacted me about their peanuts butters, I was definitely in! And I am so glad I was because now I can pass along this amazing find to all you guys! AND you can get a free jar with a purchase! Score!

Now, here is a recipe using their great peanut butter, if you don't eat it all right out of the jar first ;)

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. or peanut butter (I used half organic unsalted and half chocolate)
• 1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
• 2-3 tbsp of honey
• 2-3 tbsp of canola oil
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 3/4 c. oats (I used rolled organic)
• 1 c. flour (I used AP flour, but you can use whole wheat if you want)
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 4 tsp of flax seeds
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper and spray with non stick cooking spray
3. Mix peanut butter, sugar, honey, oil and applesauce in one bowl.
4. Mix oats, flour, baking soda, flax seeds, salt and cinnamon in another bowl.
5. Mix the dry into the wet in two or three batches
6. Drop about tbsp (or big tsp) sized balls onto the sheet.
7. These are not going to spread out, they will cook exactly the shape and size you drop them onto the sheet as.
8. Bake about 10 minutes until brown slightly on the edges and bottom.
9. Let cool, then enjoy!

This makes about 28 bites (tbsp sized)

I take them in a little baggie for a snack right after the gym.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Funny thing is that I already have posted this recipe, but wanted to repost with better pictures etc (which I'm still not happy with the outcome of them), and when I went back to look at the original post I noticed I posted it a couple days from today- so I guess I must have a craving for fall recipes right around the beginning of October.

Worked out perfect because it is all rainy up here in NY this week- and the rain doesn't seem like it's letting up any time soon. So this is a perfect opportunity (rain or shine) to make this SUPER DELICIOUS recipe. Seriously it is hard for me to contain myself while eating this. 

I wanted to make it with short grain brown rice, buttttttt time constraints made me use long grain white rice.  Oh well.

This recipe will be incorporating my Classic Risotto recipe and making it into a fall favorite of mine, so if you want to read up more about risotto- go check it out.

Ingredients

• A medium sized butternut squash, peeled and diced into bite size pieces (after diced it will look like about 3 cups of diced small pieces-after roasting it will shrink to about 2-2 1/2 cups worth)
• Plus all the regular ingredients for classic risotto:
• 1 1/4 cup of rice (shorter the grain the better-but I used long grain white rice this time) 
• about 5-6 cups of chicken stock (you might not use it all- it varies each time)
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ cup of dry white wine
• ½ cup of Parmesan cheese
• Oil or butter (2 tbsp)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. For the squash: preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Dice up the squash into bite sized pieces and scoop out the seeds.  Reserve for later.  Toss the squash with salt, pepper and oil and roast on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes until soft (will vary on how small you cut the squash pieces.  I just let it roast until I'm ready to stir into the risotto at the very end). 
2. In a sauce pan, add the stock (or I use water and bouillon cubes sometimes) and heat until a simmer, then reduce to not even a simmer.  The point is, we are just keeping the stock warm.
3. In a large shallow pot or I use a large high sided skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil or butter on medium then add the onion.  Saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the other tbsp of oil and then add the rice.  Toast the rice for about 5 minutes, make sure it doesn't not burn.  Lower the heat if necessary.
5. Add the white wine and deglaze (scraping all the bits off the bottom of the pan).  When the wine is almost all absorbed add a ladleful of the warmed chicken stock.  Stir until the liquid is absorbed.  (Technically I think you have to stir the whole time, but I don't.  You just want to stir enough throughout the whole process to break up the starches in the rice to make the end texture creamy).
6. Repeat the ladleful of chicken stock and stir until the liquid is absorbed.  Repeat this until all the chicken stock is gone or the rice is done.  I taste the rice towards the end to see if it's cooked through.  When it was all done, I had about 1/2 cup of chicken stock left that I didn't wind up using.
7. When the rice is done add the cheese and mix until well incorporated.
8. Gently stir in your roasted butternut squash.
9. Serve and top with more cheese and sprinkle on some roasted seeds!*

*Seeds: After your scoop them out add them to a bowl of water.  Using your fingers try and clean the seeds from any flesh.  Let sit so all the seeds float to the top.  Gently scoop all the seeds from the top of the water and let dry briefly on a paper towel (its ok if they are still a bit wet- helps spices stick).  Put them on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Put in the oven to roast with the squash for about 7-10 minutes. It will depend on the size of the seeds- if you hear them start popping- they are done.

Butternut Squash

After roasting

{Healthy} Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Last time we went to the track I made the fruit and nut muffins, which were great, but I wanted to change it up- so I browsed the Internet for healthy PB banana muffins.  But I didn't think any of them were really on the healthy side.  Either too much oil or all AP flour or ::gasp:: loads of added sugar! So after browsing numerous recipes- I just came up with my own.

This makes 12 muffins.  I was glad to see these rose a bit- the last muffin I made didn't rise as much as I thought- these were less dense.  They weren't heavy but still filling, perfect for breakfast before a big track day or even a workout.  The flavor wasn't like "pow in your face" but the subtle flavor of the banana and then the crunchy peanuts was really nice in this light and fluffy muffin. Really easy too- they aren't fussy at all- I just mix the wet, then the dry then all together, then bake!

Ingredients

Dry Stuff:

• 1/4 cup of flax seeds
• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of bread flour
• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon

Wet Stuff:

• 2 bananas
• 2 tbsp of honey
• 1/3 cup of super chunky peanut butter (you can use creamy if you want, just make sure you use all natural peanut butter i.e only 2 ingredients of peanuts and salt)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp of canola oil
• 2/3 cup of fat free plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp of water (add this if the mixture is too dry)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In one bowl add all the wet ingredients. Mix
3. In another bowl add all the dry ingredients. Mix
4. Add the dry into the wet and mix just until incorporated. 
5. Fill cupcake tins.
6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. When you take out of the oven remove the muffins from the tin and let cool on a cooling rack (otherwise the bottoms get soggy)

Spicy Sweet Citrus Summer Salad

So the summer is winding down, which I wish it could go on forever. I love the summer.  But on the other hand I do welcome fall with its crisp clean air and warm delicious meals.  Enjoy the last days of summer with this crisp bright salad.  The chicken was so good I will probably just use this marinade for grilled chicken basically all the time. 

I also have exactly one year and one week left until I am getting married.  ::exciting:: I have to start dress shopping soon- and what better thing to make yourself feel skinny and healthy then a salad :)

The combo might seem a bit strange- but I really love the different textures and flavors. I'm sure you might have seen a similar combo of flavors before.  The earthy rosemary with the creamy beans and the orange just adds such a fresh pop along with the cool crunch of the fennel and lettuce.  The onion is spicy and sweet, and olives with that salty bite- and the chicken- like to die for so yum.

 ::Side note:: I used chick peas in the picture- but I really wanted to use cannellini beans- and I usually have a can but OF COURSE when I really need them- I don't have them. So I wrote the recipe for cannellini beans (but any light colored bean or even peas could work- or you could just totally omit them)

Oh and for this I totally whipped out my trusty George Foreman Grill.

Spicy Sweet Citrus Summer Tuscan Salad (w/ Grilled Chicken)
serves about 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 1 orange, zest and juice (if the orange doesn't give a lot of juice, I used an extra splash of regular orange juice)
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• pinch of salt and pepper
• pinch of fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp of canola oil

Mix all these ingredients together and add the chicken.  Pop in the fridge for half an hour at least to let the flavors infuse.

For the Salad

• 1 orange, segmented* (I used the small navel orange)
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 bulb of fennel, sliced thin
• 1 romaine heart, chopped
• about a 1/2 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• about 8 black olives, sliced

For the Salad Dressing

• 1 orange, zest and juice
• couple fennel fronds from the fennel, chopped
• pinch of fresh rosemary, chopped
• pinch of salt and pepper
• about 3-4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• small pinch of cayenne (optional)

1. Grill your chicken. Then I thinly slice on the bias.
2. Toss all your salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Add all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl, except the oil.  Mix the ingredients and then slowly stream in the oil while whisking.  Pour a small amount of the dressing on the salad and toss.  Just enough to lightly coat.
4. Then add salad to bowls, top with chicken and drizzle more dressing on if you want.  You can even finish the salad off with some shaved Italian cheese. MmmMMmm.

*Segmented: this is a fancy way to cut up citrus.  First cut off the ends and then cut off the rest of the rind as shown in the pic below.  Then you carefully cut the fruit with a small pairing knife in between the white lines of the pith. (here's a helpful video)

Zucchini Spaghetti w/ a Quick & Fresh Tomato Sauce

Super easy weeknight dinner that even the kids are going to have fun eating!  And no one will even know its healthy! ::haha:: Serve with my Homemade Sausage.

Cut down on carbs with this dish while getting your dose of veggies.  {I used whole wheat pasta for even bigger protein boost}  If you can find this in your grocery store pick it up! I found this in my pre-packaged produce section.  How cute is this package of zucchini!?

Sauce is super simple and takes minutes to come together- all you're waiting for is the pasta water to boil!

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb of whole wheat spaghetti (yes! only 1/2 the box in necessary!)
• about 1 lb of shredded-into-strings zucchini
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tsp of salt (or more to taste)
• 1 tbsp of dried basil
• pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Get the water on to boil for the pasta.
2. In a large sauce pot or skillet (bc when the pasta is done we will toss in with the sauce- need some room to toss)  over medium heat add the oil.
3. When the oil is hot add the onion and saute until soft (about 5-7 minutes).  Then add the garlic, saute for a minute or so.
4. Then add your tomatoes- cook for a minute or so- I like to squish them a bit in the pan so they release some juices. 
5. Then add your spices.  Cook for a minute.
6. Then add the water.  Bring to a simmer and keep on a low simmer until ready to serve.
7. (In the picture I used a small branch of rosemary too, bc I had rosemary in the sausage- but this is totally optional)
8. When the pasta is al dente add it to the sauce pot along with your zucchini and toss until warmed through and zucchini is soft (zucchini is cut so thin it cooked in a minute or so)
9. Serve topped with some parsley and grated romano!

Rustic Whole Grain Bread (in the Crock Pot!)

So I was searching around the Internet and happened to come across the concept of making bread in the crock pot.  I was like no way! but it's possible! And to make it even better- it's easy!  Now a disclaimer here: this bread is not like store bought bread- considering the process of making bread the correct way involves rising, or even double rising, lots of kneading, special ovens etc.  So this bread was a bit on the small size, it didn't rise too much, it also is a bit dense.  This bread is a whole wheat/grain bread so that could be why it is like that. But...

Regardless, for a healthy bread that you make at home with no oven (aka no hot house), no kneading and no rising it is pretty awesome.  Toast it up for breakfast or I even sliced it as thin as I could for sandwiches.

Perfect for making bread in the summer and basically fool proof. So go and try it tonight!!!  I am going to experiment with different doughs to see different results. 

Oh and sometimes the bread doesn't get that crispy texture on the outside- this one kind of did, but I wanted more- so just pop under the broiler for a couple minutes to get that nice brown crust.  But be careful handling the dough out of the crock pot- it will be hot.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of (boiling) water
• 1/2 cup of bulgar (cracked wheat)
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups of bread flour
• 1 packet of active dry yeast (or 3 tsp of instant yeast)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour (or 1/2 of wheat flour and 1/2 of rolled oats)
• 1/4 cup of flax seeds* (or any seed/nut you have- like sesame, poppy, walnut etc)
• 1/2 cup of silken tofu (or you could use yogurt or cottage cheese)
• 1/4 cup of honey (or a about 2-3 tbsp of sugar)
• 2 tbsp of oil (I use canola)
• 1 egg

Directions

1. In your crock pot line the bottom with some parchment paper and sprinkle with a bit of flour.
2. In a small pot bring the cup of water to boil and add the bulgar- then shut off the heat and let steep for about 5 minutes.
3. Add all your dry ingredients into one large bowl (bread flour, yeast, salt, wheat flour, seeds) and mix.
4. In another small bowl add your wet ingredients- tofu, honey, oil and egg- beat the until the mixture is combined well.
5. Drain bulgar (but reserve excess water if possible, I needed a bit more liquid for the mixture later for it to come together, so I figured use the left over water from bulgar- but you may not need it, or you could just use regular water)
6. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just comes together a bit, then add the drained bulgar.
7. Mix until it becomes a dough.  I had to knead it until it became dough (but just until it came together). (This is where you might need a bit more of that water or if it is too sticky/wet add more flour).
8. Form it into a ball shape and put into your crock pot on top of the parchment paper.
9. Close up your crock pot and put on high for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  They say the internal temp should be at least 200 degrees F.  You can tell when it is done- the crust will be firm and the dough will hold its shape. 
10. Carefully remove with mits or a towel and let cool before slicing.  Let it cool on a cooling rack otherwise the bottom of the bread will get soggy.
11. As I mentioned before if you want a crispy crust just put under the broiler for a couple minutes- just keep an eye on it.

Enjoy!

* Here's the low down on flax seeds- if you can find them for a good price get them- if not, it's not the end of the world but here's what's so good about them:

• High in calories.  Most calories are fat calories (which are common in nuts and seeds)
• Super high in iron, calcium, protein, fiber and vitamin E
• Excellent source of health-benefiting nutrients, dietary fiber, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.
• The seeds are packed with many important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates
• Furthermore, flax seed is rich source of minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium
• Flax seed is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid. It is also one of the top vegetable sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. One spoonful of flax seed oil provides about 8 g of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Helps lower LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increase HDL or “good cholesterol” levels in the blood. 

{http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2}
{http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/flax-seed.html}

Food to Boost Energy and Fight Fatigue (Rider Nutrition)

Now I am no nutritionist or expert by any means, so if you do have a serious problem you might want to speak to your doctor, but I have be researching a bit about food that helps boost energy, keeps you going and also fights fatigue.  When we go to the motorcycle track I need to feed Brendan food that will be beneficial to him for his performance and to not make him feel heavy or sluggish when he's out there holding down the throttle.

A phrase I like to keep in mind is the saying "garbage in-garbage out".  Meaning that if you fill yourself with foods that are processed and not nutritionally beneficially you might as well be eating dirt or shortening out of the can.

These are a couple great tips to help you even if you aren't an athlete.  Eating correctly will help you in your everyday life- because who wants to feel sluggish and tired.  That "3pm crash" commericals ::cough:: 5hr energy ::cough:: mention sluggishness can be combated with an overpriced little shot of B vitamins, caffeine and taurine- but instead you should be filling your body with healthy foods that are slow releasing that keep you going- examples being low fat protein or complex carbs.

Fluids

This is a huge factor in health and fitness- you need to keep your body hydrated.  The human body is made up of something like over 80% water- so yea, water is important- and I said WATER- not soda or juice.  We started carrying around the gallon jug of water instead of the little bottles- which definitely gets you to drink more water.  (Ever wonder why those huge guys carry it around at the gym? Yea, that's why)  I'm not a huge fan of sports drinks, but when you are intensely active- like when Brendan is racing his motorcycle (all zipped up in a full leather suit with temps soaring over 100 degrees at times) or you're in a marathon or playing hard at whatever- it is a good idea to have a couple of these drinks on hand- and that brings me to the next point...

Sodium

I know- this one was new to me too.  Which it kind of wasn't because if you think about when someone is in the hospital and they get an IV- it usually is saline solution for dehydratrion- which is essentially sodium.  Sodium helps to prevent cramping and helps you when the weather is extremely hot and/or humid.  This is where the sports drinks come in- they have sodium and also electrolytes which help keep the body going- but don't forget to drink lots of water in between or even mix your drinks half and half.  FYI you are also consuming a lot of sodium in foods you eat- so don't go dousing your food with table salt or anything like that- just be aware of how much you are consuming and when you are consuming it.  Here's an interesting article Water vs Sports Drinks.

A higher sodium intake yields a greater overall blood volume and blood flow to the working muscles. With increased blood flow, the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to the working muscles is maximized...It is the responsibility of sodium to deliver potassium into the cell membrane of muscle tissue {racerxvt.com}

Complex Carbs
If you have read anything about carbs lately these are the recommended ones.  Complex carbs are just what they sound like- carbs that are complex- they are made up of chains of three or more single sugar molecules linked together.  These usually contain fiber which helps slows down the absorption of the carbohydrates so you feel full longer and be less likely to over-eat throughout the day.  (Non complex carbs are made up of more refined sugars that spike blood sugar levels that give us that boost, but make us feel hungry and sluggish again later).  Now, if anyone that knows more about nutrition is reading this, I know there is WAY more that goes into explaining carbs (on the molecular level) but for us regular people- just eat high fiber, whole grain carbs.  Most importantly- look at the ingredient list of foods you buy- what are the top three ingredients- are they natural? healthy? pronounceable?  Brendan has also told me most riders carb load the night before and that it helps the next day- I have also read this in other areas, but that is usually for people that will be doing some sort of intense activity the next day.

Protein

Protein can be absorbed from meats and dairy for the most part.  Examples: Boneless skinless chicken breasts, fish, eggs, low fat yogurt, tofu, quinoa, almonds, other nuts, beans, even lean beef.  Protein helps muscle and helps keep you feeling fuller longer- just like your complex carbs.  Also provides certain vitamins and minerals, like iron, vitamin D etc.

So besides all the nutritional facts- a couple other tips caught my eye:

1. Stretch. Some people forget how important this is.  For anyone- even in the morning when you wake up.  It helps blood flow, flexibility and helps us avoid injuries.  For any riders reading this- stretch your arms and forearms before to help combat the arm pump.
2. Sleep. Easy one but it helps recharge and rebuild your body in every aspect.
3. Booze. Yea- don't drink it.  Or just really try and not drink yourself into an oblivion.  We like to enjoy some beers and hang out after a long day on vacation- so we drink a bit earlier- try and get a couple glasses of water in between beers and before bed try and consume water.  Then we wind up going to bed earlier so the next day isn't that bad.  (By the way, drunk sleeping is not good for cell regeneration or rebuilding your body because the body is just trying to mainly push out all the toxins and not focusing as much on the other things- that's putting it very very simply)  Also if you are going to drink after doing something intense (running, riding, gym- sounds odd but)- make sure your first drink is a real recovery drink or water before putting back a couple beers to help your body recover properly. If you really want a boost to not drink- read this
4. Hydration. Yes I'm bringing it up again.  It is important for well being, but also for people needing to loose weight- drink some water before you eat- your body might just be thirsty- not hungry.  Also how do you know if you are hydrated? Check your pee- if it is clear- you're good (unless you are taking some vitamin or supplements that would counter act this effect).  You also want to drink before you are actually thirsty- because if you're thirsty you are already dehydrated.  If you are active- Drink cold water because is absorbed more rapidly and will aid in decreasing body temperature.
5. Fatigue. How do you know your even fatigued? Headaches, dizziness, nausea and cramping can all be first signs of (heat) exhaustion. 
6. Fats. Seems like I left this one out- nope- it's there but just not directly mentioned- healthy fats you will be consuming mainly through the proteins- lean meats, nuts and dairy.  Other healthy fats can come from avocados, olives, and peanut butter.  They are important for your body- but just in moderation.
7. Exercise. All articles I read mentioned exercising and conditioning your body for the "main event".  Example being- most moto guys will mountain bike, run, swim etc to prep their bodies for the intense rides (esp motocross).  Just like marathon runners don't wake up one day and decide to run the marathon that night.  Starting small is ok- even just for better over health- at lunch time, take a ten min walk to refresh your mind and legs.  Take the stairs, stretch, get to the gym, walk your dog a bit longer than usual, clean your house vigorously etc. 
8. Eating at the correct times. Like right after a work out for example- eating the right food helps regenerate your muscle and refuel your body.  This is a great easy read article from Spark People

Random thought: I heard something so awesome- "If it has a food label on it- it's not food"  I just love that quote because you never wonder the nutritional facts on corn or a bag of dried lentils.  Because these foods are natural and good for you.  (Obviously this is not 100% true, but still it is a good guideline to think about) When you are in a supermarket -try and walk the perimeter- and venture into the aisles for only natural whole foods- like grains/pastas or canned veggies.  I'm sure you've all heard it before that the supermarkets set their stores up like this on purpose- you need to walk through the aisles to get to the real food- so you are more likely to see unhealthier foods and make an impulse buy.  Why do you think they put all those little candy bars up by the register?

Anyway- I know this was a bunch of reading, but every ounce of knowledge gained leads to every ounce of your waist lost :)

Main sources:
livestrong.com
racerxvt.com
mayoclinic.com
sparkpeople.com

Some on-the-road recipes to keep you eating like a (healthy) king:

Smashed Avocado and Chick Peas Sandwiches

• These are so good.  I added a bit of garlic and topped with bacon on whole wheat bread.  Good fats from the avocado, complex carbs from the bread and protein from the chick peas all make this sandwich a great lunch filled with fuel to keep you going without weighing you down.  Top with cucumber slices or baby spinach to bump up the nutrition.

Fruit & Nut Breakfast Muffins

• Start your day with this awesome portable breakfast that will fuel your morning.

Grilled Pizza

• Because who doesn't love pizza!  And when you do this on the grill people do a double take- because they are like- Where did you get that pizza?!

Turkey Burgers

• In a food processor (or by hand)- chop 1/2 red onion, a small pepper, and 2 garlic cloves.  Take a package of ground turkey (it's like 1.3 lbs) and mix that with the chopped veggies.  Crumble some feta cheese into that, some breadcrumbs and a palmful of McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning until the meat is firm enough to form a patties.  Form 4 large patties and grill until cooked all the way through since they are raw poultry.  Serve on buns.

Italian Chicken Foil Packets

• These were one of the best meals I've ever had on the grill. The meat fell apart and was still super juicy and flavorful.  Something that is hard to achieve in boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Grilled Veggies

• You can also throw some pre cut veggies into a ziplock with oil salt and pepper and then just put on the grill when ready- our favs are asparagus and zucchini.

Italian Chicken Foil Packets

I usually have a lot to say about what I make - but not these- these were just AMAZING. Period. Easy and healthy too- you can't go wrong- try them out tonight or at your next camping trip or cook out. You will NOT be sorry.

I know it's not the prettiest picture- but hey- we were roughing it ;)

This made four good sized packets.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 3-4 plum tomatoes, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil
• extra virgin olive oil
• tinfoil

Directions

1. You will need to triple layer the tinfoil packets- so each packet with be three layers thick of tinfoil.
2. So size out three fairly big tinfoil sheets and layer them up.  In the middle of the sheet put 1/4 of the chicken, onion, tomatoes and garlic.
3. The spices listed were what I used- so about a pinch on each packet.
4. Drizzle it all with a little olive oil.
5. Then take the end closest to you and farthest from you and pull up like a tent.  Fold/crimp and roll together the ends to create a seal and continue to roll them down until you reach the chicken.  Then take the ends on the right and left and seal/crimp-  then roll up like the first time. Here's an idea of what they would look like.
6. Cook for about 30 minutes on a medium grill.  I rotate my packets to the size with more heat then the side with lower heat.  Keep the lid closed too.
7. When they are done, be careful because they will obviously be hot and steam will escape when opened.  I actually had forgotten how long they were cooking so I just opened one up to check if they were done- if it isn't pink you're good.
8. Just unwrap the packet and go to town with a fork! I served with large store bought garlic knots.

Oh yea and no fuss clean up- just through away the foil!

Sinless Cocktails & Milagro Tequila Review

So the wonderful people over at Sinless Cocktails had sent me some free samples to try and blog about. So here's what I thought!

So biggest FAQ-
Q: What exactly are Sinless Cocktails mixers?
A: Our Sinless Cocktail mixers are non-alcoholic mixers that are All Natural, Sugar Free and have ONLY 5 Calories per serving sweetened with Stevia Extract! Other similar cocktail mixers on the market have anywhere from 60-80 calories for the same serving size.

My Pros:

• um 5 calories per serving duh! Move over Bethenny (From their FAQ page: Did you know that an average glass of the "Skinny Margarita" mix has about 24 grams of sugar? Seriously! That doesn't sound very skinny to us. How much sugar does an average glass of the Sinless Margarita mix have? ZERO of course.  24 grams of sugar vs. 0 grams of sugar? We don't know about you, but we think it may be time to rethink the meaning of skinny.)
• their design/name is catchy and fun
• variety of mixers- Margarita, Strawberry Margarita and Sour Mix
• all ingredients listed are pronounceable and you know what they are
• no need to add anything except the alcohol
• you can make SO many different drinks with just these three mixers- go check out their recipes on the website!

My Cons:

• it was a bit on the sweet side for me (the Margarita Mixer)- but then I just added more tequila ;)
• needs to be kept refrigerated- now this is a pro and a con- reason it needs to be kept refrigerated all the time (con) is because of the all natural ingredients they use (pro).  They say that keeping the mix refrigerated will help maintain the mix's flavor, color and taste.  I asked them what if it was left out of the fridge for a while and they said the mix is still good- but it might alter the flavors a tad bit.
• I really can't say anything else- they have an awesome product!

I love the concept and the people over at Sinless are awesome- and Sorry again guys for taking just about forever to right this blog. 

So go check out their Website
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I also just want to comment on the tequila I purchased.

Milagro Tequila is my new fav. It is a great quality and was cheaper than the higher end tequila that EVERYONE thinks is the best.  I like to get behind stuff like this- good quality that doesn't need every artist singing about to be good.

Honestly all tequila tastes similar to me- but this was smooth (but still has a bite to it- because it IS tequila after all).  Another important factor is that it didn't give me the wretched hangover like other tequilas, or really any hangover at all.  The bottle design is amazing (on all of their lines!)-it has a cork top-super surprised about that! Straight awesomeness! Just go look at their line of tequilas. I cannot wait to try the coconut one. 

Maybe they'll send me some samples too ;)

Hummus

Totally had a hummus craving.  Luckily for me I have about 100 cans of chick peas in my pantry for some reason.  My girl Dee just posted her recipe up on her new blog Deeliciously Healthy Eats so feel free to check that out too for more inside tips, tricks and pointers about hummus and how to make it.  I also promised my sister's bff that I would post this for her.  (Don't worry Maria next time I will bring hummus for you). 

Hummus is an amazing snack in moderation because it is high in fat- boo.  (Vanessa: Sorry, you are right, I forgot to mention that they are good fats like in avocados and such) You can customize hummus in many different ways too- toss in roasted red peppers, spinach, salsa, chipolte, cayenne and the list goes on.  I actually grated up some seedless cucumber and added it.  So fresh and delicious.

Ingredients

• 5 tsp of tahini paste (this is ground up sesame seeds, look for it in Asian markets or in the international food aisle.  I have also spotted this where the jellys or nuts are sometimes)
• 1 can of chick peas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 2 tsp of salt
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1/2-1/4 cup of water
• extra virgin olive oil (for garnish)

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender add everything except the water.  Buzz it up until it breaks down a bit.  Add 1/4 cup of water to start.  Check consistency and taste.  Thinner just add more water.  The consistency will vary depending on how much lemon juice the lemon gave you or other flavor ingredients you used.  You can eat right away or leave in the fridge to let the flavors marry a bit more.  You can garnish by drizzling the top with a bit of oil, but that is up to you.

Pearl Barley Summer Salad

Definitely serve this over my Grilled Chicken w/ Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Sauce.  If you have never tried pearl barley- you should- it is one of my favorite grains (low in fat and pretty high in fiber).  It is like a puffier piece of rice; delicious cold or hot- in soups or salads.  I made an in-between version which is hot barley over cold crisp vegetables tossed with a vinaigrette.  The hot barley soaks up the vinaigrette, then the crunch of the veggies and oh soooo goood!

I was on a clean-out-and-use-up-everything-in-the-fridge spree this week because we are going to motorcycle track this weekend (super excited! pics to follow!) Anyway, basically you can swap out any veggies you have lying around in the fridge.  Just cut them all into similar bite sized pieces. Also you can use whatever nuts you have lying around- almonds or walnuts would be good here too.  This salad is good for picnics because it is in a vinaigrette and can be left out.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of uncooked pearl barley, 2 1/2 cups of water, 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1 pepper, diced (I used a yellow one)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 handful of parsley, chopped
• 2 small carrots, diced
• 1 ear of corn, kernels taken off (about a 1/2-3/4 cup of frozen if you don't have fresh)
• 3 tbsp of pine nuts, toasted*
• 1/4 cup of lime or lemon juice (if you don't get that much out of 1 lime or lemon just add a splash of vinegar)
• a little less than 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper

1. Cook the pearl barley according to directions (the first bullet lists what I used). Bring water to a boil and cook barley on low for about 30-45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile prep all your veggies, herbs and nuts and add to a large bowl.
3. In a smaller bowl add the citrus juice, oil and salt and pepper and whisk up.
4. When the barley is done mix with veggies.  Then pour vinaigrette over everything and stir until combined.  Serve alone or over my Grilled Chicken w/ Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Sauce.

If you are serving with the chicken, grill the chicken while the barley is cooking.

*If you buy raw nuts, just put them in a dry skillet and heat on medium.  They will toast up in the skillet- but ALWAYS keep an eye on the them and shake the pan frequently, you don't want them to burn.  Should only take about 5 minutes or so.

Grilled Chicken w/ Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Sauce

Super excited for this weekend! The future hubby and I are driving down to West Virginia to the Summit Point Motorsports Park for our first track day together of the year!  Going for the whole weekend means a lot of food prep and BBQ'n!  This week has been a clean out the fridge week because we will be gone close to five days or so.  First one was the Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, then I made a rice, chicken and veggie casserole topped with cheddar cheese, and now this (plus the pearl barley summer salad)!

Will try and have a good portion of the weekend documented- for easy portable grill recipes and just so you guys can see what we do on our free time lol.

Not only is this recipe super easy AND healthy but it's basically a no cooking involved one. Perfect for those hot summer days/nights.

For the chicken I just season boneless skinless chicken breasts with some salt and pepper and throw on the grill, here's the sauce you top it off with (which is a no cook)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup of non fat plain yogurt
• 1 roasted red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, grated or pasted
• pinch of fresh thyme
• pinch of lime or lemon zest (if making the pearl barley salad too you use the juice of this there)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of red pepper flake
• freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Put everything into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. If too thick add a splash of milk, water, or citrus juice.
3. If too thin add more yogurt.
4. Serve over grilled chicken and alongside the Pearl Barley Summer Salad.

Mayo Crusted Chicken

This is a super flavorful and super easy way to prepare chicken.  I have seen this done a lot with fish, but we are not so big with fish in my house- so chicken it is.  Serve along side my Pasta with Creamy Broccoli Sauce.

For this you need to use low fat mayo or a soy based mayo.  The low fat (green cap) Hellman's mayo only has 15 calories and 1 gram of fat per tablespoon. You just can't beat it. I never buy any other mayo and it has basically the same texture and just a lighter, less heavy flavor than regular mayo. Love it.

This recipe is easy to manipulate to other serving sizes- just remember 1 tbsp of mayo per breast.

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts
• 3 tbsp of mayo
• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme
• salt and pepper
• red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F
2. Lay out your chicken on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
3. In a small bowl combine the mayo and spices.
4. Each chicken breast gets one tbsp of mayo- spread out over the top of each chicken breast.
5. Sprinkle and coat the mayo with bread crumbs.
6. Bake until golden on top and cooked through -about 25-35 minutes.



Before the oven



Pasta with Creamy Broccoli Sauce

When you are craving a creamy Alfredo sauce this is a good swap.  It is creamy but way lower in fat.  Also the edition of broccoli is optional, but gives that extra nutritional boost and color pop!  Instead of incorporating the broccoli into the sauce you can always just serve steamed on the side (you could even pour a little extra sauce on it)

I used a long noodle pasta, but any pasta will do- try linguine!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta of your choice
• 3 tbsp of a butter substitute (e.g. I cant believe it's not butter)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp of fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp of flour
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup of low fat milk (I used 1%)
• 1/2 tbs of corn starch
• 2 tbs of non fat yogurt (or you could use low fat cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup of pecorino cheese (or parm)
• For the broccoli: 1 1/2 cups of broccoli florets & 1 cup of pasta water and a food processor/blender)

Directions

1. Get your water boiling for you pasta.
2. Meanwhile in a sauce pot add the butter and heat over medium heat.
3. When the butter melts add your minced shallot and garlic cloves
4. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then add the thyme.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Careful not to burn the mixture, lower the heat if cooking too much.
6. Deglaze the pan with your wine. Cook until the wine almost completely evaporates.
7. Sprinkle in your flour.  Mix and cook for about one minute to get rid of the flour taste.
8. Now whisk in your chicken stock- stir until everything is a smooth mixture.
9. Measure out your milk in a measuring cup and add the corn starch BEFORE adding to the pot.  Stir until the milk and corn starch are completely mixed. Add the milk mixture. DO NOT LET THIS COME TO A BOIL. If you are using low fat milk do not let this come to a boil- it will cause the milk to separate and your sauce will taste gritty.
10. Add your yogurt and cheese.
11. Whisk everything until a combined mixture.  (This would be the opportune time to cook off your pasta)  Cook the sauce for 5-10 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and let sit for a couple minutes to thicken up even more.
12. For the broccoli part: in a food processor add the broccoli and carefully add one cup of that salted pasta cooking water.  The pasta water will be hot enough to just cook the broccoli but still let it maintain its bright green color.  It also adds some seasoning to it as well.  Blend until it is a thick paste.
13. In a large pot or bowl, add your drained pasta, about 3/4 of the sauce and broccoli paste.  Stir until all combined.  I leave a bit of sauce to the side to add to the top later or use for something else I cooked with the pasta- like my Mayo Crusted Chicken.
14. Plate and garnish with a bit more sauce and shredded cheese!

Sweet Tater Tots and Kale Chips

I had some left over sweet potatoes and kale- and this was born! I have made kale chips before and they are so good! Kale is awesome, if you haven't tried it, you should.  It's like spinach but can withstand more heat basically and still maintain its integrity.  So good just lightly crisped up in a skillet or baked as chips.  I would suggest don't let them go too far- because otherwise it kind of tastes like you are eating air.

And these tater tots were awesome, I kind of made up my own recipe for these and was hoping they came out good! And thank god they did because I will definitely be making these again.


Kale Chips

• A bunch of kale, stripped from the stem, washed and dried and cut/pulled into bite sized pieces
• salt, pepper, and cooking spray

Directions

1. Oven preheat to 475 degrees F
2. On a baking sheet or wire cooling rack arrange the kale pieces



new salad spinner too!

3. Spray with spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Put in the oven for 5-10 minutes- you want the leaves to be wilted and just a bit brown and crispy on the edges.  Try no to let them cook too much.

Sweet Tater Tots

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 regular baking potato
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• pinch of celery seed (optional)
• about 2 cups of panko bread crumbs
• cooking spray

Directions

• Oven should already be at 475 degrees for the kale chips (and almond crusted chicken, if you made that too)
• In the microwave, in a microwave safe container put all the potatoes peeled and stabbed a couple times with a fork in and press the "potato" option (should be about 10 minutes)
• Meanwhile in a food processor (or you could just do this in a mixing bowl) add the spices.
• In another shallow dish add the bread crumbs (I added them a cup at a time)
• When the potatoes are done combine them with the spices and taste to make sure they taste good.  Adjust spices to your preference.
• When they are cool enough to handle, take a ziplock bag and fill with some of the mixture.  Snip the corner to make it into a piping bag.  

• Pipe out small (tater tot size) pieces into the bread crumbs, a couple at a time.  They kind of look like baby carrots.  Try not to make them too big. 

• After the are in the bread crumbs, shake the dish to coat.

• YOU MUST HANDLE THESE VERY GENTLY. They are super soft so gently pick up and roll in your hand a bit to get off excess crumbs.
• Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with spray.  Line up your tots and then when they are all done spray again with spray.
• Pop in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until they are golden and crispy.
• In hindsight I would flip them half way throw cooking so they are nice and brown on both sides.
• This made all these in the picture with about 1/2 cup of potato filling left over- I just let my fiance eat the rest lol