Spaghetti Squash

One of my FAVORITE things to eat is spaghetti squash.. It's like having spaghetti without all the carbs of regular spaghetti (even if it's whole grain). Since spaghetti squash is in season right now with the fall, I picked up one last week and just made it tonight:

1. Cut spaghetti squash in half with a knife. Then, using a spoon, dig out the pulp and seeds from the center.

2. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil, and put squash halves with the cut side down. Put in offer at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. You should be able to pierce the squash easily with a knife.

3. Once the spaghetti squash is done, let it cool for about 10 minutes. During this time, I made the spaghetti sauce with Bertolli's olive oil & garlic with some whole pitted black olives, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano leaves and basil. I simmered it on the stove until it was hot.

4. Once your sauce is heated up, grab the spaghetti squash and start from the top pulling down to bring the spaghetti "strings" out of the squash.. Do this until the squash is bare, and your bowl is full!

5. Dish out the spaghetti, add sauce of top and enjoy! I'll definitely be saving mine for dinner tomorrow, and probably lunch the next day! I also had a side of whole grain bread on the side, since the spaghetti is low carb!

My dinner with a spaghetti squash and sauce came out to 141 calories, 4.9g fat, 22g carbs (7 from the squash, 14 from the sauce), and 5.2g protein. Obviously, if I wanted, I could add ground turkey or lean beef to add some protein, but it's #meatlessmonday!

Making Dinner Easy

I've compiled a bunch of photos that were already on my cell phone to show meals that I make often.. and they're SO easy!

Top Sirloin, Israeli Couscous and Garlic Green Beans

Filet Mignon,Garlic Green Beans and Spinach

Top Sirloin with Asparagus

Salmon, Green Beans and Brown Rice

Chicken, Zucchini and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains

Chicken, Couscous and Garlic Green Beans

Filet Mignon, Couscous and Garlic Green Beans

Chicken, Brown Rice and Chopped Broccoli & Asapargus

Filet Mignon, Asparagus and Brown Rice

Top Sirloin and Zucchini

Chicken, Green Beans and Trader Joe's Harvest Grains

Steak, Spinach, Trader Joe's Harvest Grains and Olive Bread

Chicken, Trader Joe's Harvest Grains and Chopped Broccoli

Halibut, Asparagus and Brown Rice

I try to portion control everything with measuring cups, especially my grain/rice. If I make chicken or steak, I always make an extra to put in my breakfast the next morning, or have for lunch the next day! 

What is your favorite healthy dinner???

Great Harvest Bread Company

As some of you know, we have made the move to Temecula.. Well, almost.. The horses are there, and we just need to move ourselves. Last weekend, on a rainy Saturday, we met with all the people from our barn at the Great Harvest Bread Company. Dare I say that it BLOWS Panera Bread OUT of the water!?!?!?!

The bread is INSANE, and the sandwiches are SO good. Everything is fresh, natural and made to order. The prices are similar, if not a little cheaper than Panera. It's also closer to the barn, so I do think that we'll be making many trips in the near future. You know how we are.. once we love something, we're OBSESSED with it!! I can't wait until we live there, and I can buy the loaves of bread. It's also right next to a Gold's Gym. That could be dangerous! The ONLY downfall is that it isn't open on Sunday... Like today... So, we opted for Panera.

Basically, if there's one around you, I recommend that you try it!

Turkey Tacos

Ashley has been on the kick to cook the last few days, so tonight, we decided to make tacos! Of course, I didn't take a picture, but I still thought I'd share how to make healthy "acceptable" tacos.

Ingredients

• Lean Ground Turkey (Seasoned with Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning)
• Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas or Soft Corn Tortillas (NO flour tortillas)
• Black Beans
• Salsa
• Onions
• Cilantro
• Avocado 

You get the idea!

This brings me to the topic of mexican food. Sometimes, people don't think that you can eat healthy at a mexican restaurant... but you can! Opt out of the chips and get a side of warm corn tortillas to dip in the salsa, I also eat salsa with a fork (yes, I've received many interesting looks, but then people just get used to it, and I get my own bowl!). No cheese or sour cream on anything. Swap refried beans for black or pinto beans. Have corn instead of flour tortillas (some restaurants have wheat). 

Healthy options consist of:

Ceviche and Shrimp Cocktail

Chicken, Steak, Shrimp or Vegetable Fajitas

Chicken or Steak Street Tacos

Any Clear Broth Chicken or Seafood Soups (No chicken tortilla)

Ground Beef Taco Salad (No cheese or sour cream)

Guacamole is not a bad choice if eaten in moderation. Avocado provides a very healthy fat that is great for your hair and  skin, and lower cholesterol levels (meaning good for your heart!).

So, next time you're at a mexican restaurant, consider these options! It isn't as difficult as everyone thinks. It's easy to make a change, and it's easy to take an unhealthy food and make it healthy so that it can still be enjoyed!

Wisdom Teeth

So, I just got my wisdom teeth out eight days ago. If you know me, you know that I'm really specific on what I eat, and the list that the oral surgeon gave me was 95% not applicable for me. So, here's how I made it through the first seven days.

Natural Apple Sauce

Egg Whites

Chicken Soup & Chicken Noodle Soup

(pretty much minus the chicken, veggies and noodles)

Panera Bread's Black Bean Soup

(no whole grain baguette, unfortunately, and not many beans!)

Protein Shakes.. All day, Everyday

I even got smart and started putting espresso in to get my coffee fix

mix in variations included: banana, pear, sunflower seed butter, All One Vitamins & Minerals, almond milk, stevia, cinnamon, and Sunwarrior Protein Powder

and that pretty much sums it up! Bland, completely liquid, but my check up today at the oral surgeon said that I'm healing AMAZINGLY.. So, I'm assuming that I've done something right. It also was not the worst pain that I've ever felt, so if you need to get your wisdom teeth out, don't be scurred, homie!

Protein Pancakes

I've been wanting to post this one for a while, but life gets away from you sometime!

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Egg Whits
• 1 Scoop Protein Powder (I use Sunwarrior)
• 2 tbsp Almond Milk
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Ground Flaxseed

Mix ingredients together, then mash half a small banana and whisk it into mix.

Next, poor into a pan that has been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray and heat on Medium. Cook the first side until you see it start to bubble, and then carefully flip over until that side is done.

Cook it like a normal pancake.

You can top with anything! I use the second half of my banana, cinnamon, and sunflower seed butter. It is SO good and filling! Even Ashley liked it.. Try it!

Final Product!

 This recipe is for 1 serving, which came in at 280 calories, 12g fat, 25g carbs (8g fiber) and 29g protein.

Spanish Chicken

Tonight's dinner was SOOOO good! SPANISH CHICKEN with zucchini and couscous..

It was delicious!

Coating Mixture

Coating Ingredients

• 1 Cup Ground Almonds
• 1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seed
• 1/4 Cup Paprika
• Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Parsley, Oregano

Mix together in a bowl.

Stuffing Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup Minced Olives
• 1/4 Cup Minced Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Minced Onion
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 Lemon Juiced
• Garlic Salt, Black Pepper, Parsley

Heat oil in pan with onions and garlic. Once onions become translucent, add additional stuffing ingredients until cooked.

 

Next, butterfly your chicken breasts, and put stuffing mixture in each one. Close them, and coat with coating mixture (above).

Warm EVOO in another pan and brown both sides of coated chicken. Put chicken in 350 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes.

While they are baking, steam zucchini with garlic salt, pepper and EVOO...

 

Couscous was heated up with EVOO until browned, then chicken broth, parsley and garlic salt was added until all the broth was soaked up.

 

Finished Product

 

This recipe is for 2 servings. 1 Serving came in at 276 calories with 7g fat, 35g carbs, 29g protein.

Portabella Mushroom Sandwiches

Yes, I've been slacking over my busy weekend..

Since today was another BUSY day, I made a really simple dinner.. I took two portabella mushroom caps and marinated them in 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic salt and minced garlic. Then, I put them in a skillet with the remaining mixture for about 4 minutes a side, popped some Ezekiel toast in the toaster, and made a sandwich. Portabella mushrooms are a great substitute for meat as it tastes and feels very "meaty" when cooked. Took about 10 minutes from start to finish!

 

Simple and delicious... even if it doesn't look like it.

Kickin The Soda Habit

Back in the day, I loved soda.. First, 7up and Sprite.. Then, when I started "dieting", Diet Coke was my go-to. Soda is soda. Plain and simple. It's all bad for you!! I was able to kick soda easily.. I am a "cold turkey" type of person. A good substitute if you HAVE to have your bubbly are.. Sparkling Ice beverages. They have the bubbly, but no sugar, calories, OR aspartame (the killer in Diet sodas & Sweet N Low). You can get them in bulk from Costco.

The goods.. and a little insight to my fridge, as this is what it looks like ALL the time!

Baked Basil Chicken

Last night's dinner was not so successful as my fish went back before I was able to eat it! =(

However, tonight's was GREAT! It was baked basil chicken with cherry tomatoes over spinach and brown rice.

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• Fresh basil

Directions
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken into baking dish with broth and vinegar. Place tomatoes on top of chicken, and sprinkle fresh basil. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Ready to go in the oven!

I used spinach as my next layer, however you could use any greens you want. I started by heating olive oil in a pan, putting in spinach, then I made a sauce of balsamic vinegar, garlic salt, pure honey, and dijon mustard. When the spinach was almost done, I let it finish cooking in the sauce.

Brown rice cooking up top. Oil for spinach in the larger skillet.

 

The sauce

Brown rice was my bottom layer!

The finished product!

It was even Ashley approved! I'll definitely be making this again sometime!