This past weekend was one of my oldest and dearest friend’s 25th birthday, and I got the pleasure of hosting a surprise party for her at my apartment! Naturally, I took this opportunity to play around with a few recipes as well as set up…
With flu season in full swing and the weather jumping up only to go back down again (thanks, Ohio), I found myself craving soup this week. I always love a good soup, but with my week being a little crazier than usual, I knew I…
For this week’s meal prep, I did my usual fruit washing, dividing some berries into containers for Cameron and I to grab for work, and cutting up some bell peppers for snacking with hummus. I also roasted some butternut squash and broccoli (a butternut squash soup recipe will be coming your way later this week), whipped up some maple cinnamon energy balls for snacking, and crafted a protein packed pasta salad for lunch this week. All of this took me less than 1.5 hours and saves me so much hassle.
Now, onto a few of the recipes I wanted to share with you!
Normally I do peanut butter chocolate chip energy bites.. but I wanted to try something new and they turned out great! These are perfect for snacking or to satisfy that sweet tooth with healthier foods. Also, these take under 10 minutes to make.
Ingredients: 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup almond butter, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup milled flaxseed, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined well. Roll into balls (makes ~14), and store in air tight container in the fridge.
Yes, these are THAT easy! And, each has only ~70 calories.
I have heard of EatBanza’s chickpea pasta before, and decided to finally give it a try yesterday. I am all for regular pastas, but the fact that this one has 25 grams of protein per serving (compared to ~14 g for regular pasta) and 13 grams of fiber (about 4x the fiber in regular pasta) really caught my attention. Also if you haven’t noticed I love chickpeas, so a pasta made from them seemed quite appealing.
I decided on making the pasta into a pasta salad packed with veggies to bring with me for lunches at work this week. I must say this is definitely going to be a go-to of mine now because it was THAT good. Also, it was so satisfying.
Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)
1 box EatBanza pasta (I did Rotini)
1 cucumber, diced
5 oz (~half a carton) roma tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 oz feta cheese
Crushed red peppers and ground black pepper to taste
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp ground mustard seed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pinches dried oregano
1 tsp (each) ground black pepper & sea salt
Directions: Combine pasta and vegetables (&feta if using) in a large bowl. Combine dressing in a separate smaller bowl and mix until combined. Add dressing to pasta salad and stir. Season with red pepper flakes and fresh ground black pepper if desired. Store in fridge and serve cool.
Sounds kind of like a weird combo, right? It gets weirder. This amazing, protein-packed dish also contains quinoa, asparagus, avocado and cucumber, and is topped with a light balsamic lemon vinaigrette. And yes, maybe this combo stemmed from the fact that I had some roasted…
When I say meal prep to some of my clients, a lot of them cringe at the idea because they think it means spending a full day or entire afternoon in the kitchen prepping your foods for the entire week. Some people may choose to…
Happy Valentines Day!
Anyone who knows me knows I have a BIG sweet tooth. I have to have some type of sweet every day. I know that might seem weird for a dietitian.. but I refuse to deprive myself of something I love so much. Besides, it is proven that restriction and limitation actually perpetuate disordered eating behaviors and can lead to binges later on.
That being said, treat yourself this Valentines Day–if your body wants a sweet treat, give it one! And I have the perfect cookie for you to enjoy.
These cashew butter chocolate chip cookies are seriously phenomenal. I made them for my work potluck this morning.. but I also hid a stash at my apartment away from where Cameron will find them. Because I want them all to myself. Sorry, not sorry.
I know cashew butter can be a bit pricey, but it happened to be on sale last week at Aldi for under $2–talk about a steal! Normally I would feel guilty using so much in just one recipe, so this worked out perfectly. Either way though, these cookies are totally worth it. Also, this recipe is gluten free (as long as your oat flour is uncontaminated) for anyone with Celiac Disease or a gluten sensitivity, and it can easily be made vegan by substituting eggs with flax eggs and honey with maple syrup!
It is only 9:30 AM currently and half the plate I brought into work is gone.. cookies for breakfast for the win.
Ingredients:Dry:
3/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Wet:
1 1/4 cup cashew butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 T honey
Preheat oven to 350. Mix together all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Combine wet and dry ingredients until fully mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips. Place about 1 tablespoon worth onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for ~10 minutes.
**Note: Oven times will vary. The bottoms of mine were a little overdone but are still nice and soft on the insides. I put them on a rack a little close to the bottle–I would recommend a rack in the very middle of the oven!
Who doesn’t love a good brunch? It is probably one of my favorite weekend endeavors. But sometimes going out to eat can break the bank a bit, and I thought why not host brunch at home? Plus this was an opportunity for me to have…
This past weekend I visited Washington DC to celebrate one of my best friend’s 25th birthday. I left with both my heart and tummy so full (in the best way possible). I have been to DC twice previously over the past two years (my younger…
I have heard that there are some people that think cilantro tastes like soap.. I feel really bad for those people because this cilantro cashew pesto is absolutely amazing. Typically I make my pesto with basil, but based on the ingredients I had I went with cilantro this time instead and let me tell you I was not disappointed. The way the quinoa soaks up the flavors of the pesto combined with the crunch of the kale and the spice from the roasted chickpeas… YUM.
To make things better, this recipe is packed with nutrient dense foods–whole grains, healthy fats; and don’t let the lack of meat fool you, this dish has plenty of protein from the quinoa, chickpeas, and cashews. Not to mention the great sources of fiber, iron, vitamins A, C, and K, and lots of other vitamins and minerals–talk about a power meal. Make it at the beginning of the week and store the leftovers in an airtight container to take for lunch or make it again for dinner on those busier nights!
Let me know if you give this a try! Enjoy 🙂
Cilantro-Cashew Pesto Quinoa with Roasted Chickpeas:
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 bunch kale, chopped and massaged lightly with olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 red cabbage, chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Paprika
Salt & Pepper
Pesto:
2 cups cilantro
1/2 cup cashews
3 cloves garlic
2 T mint leaves
1/2 lime + zest
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T honey
3 T water
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
**Chickpea roasting method courtesy of The Lean Green Bean**
Breakfast is best when homemade, in pajamas, and shared with my other half. Most mornings are hectic and involve grabbing food to go; having the opportunity to cook to music and sit down and eat together is a weekend morning treat that he and I…