Purple nurple

Half a head of purple cabbage juiced with 2 granny smith apples. Delicious!

Blogger absence excuses ;)

WOW.
Life got busy there for a few months and I realized I haven't posted anything in months!
So the good news is that I was filling my days with good things- I ran my first marathon- the NYC Marathon on Nov 6th. It was fantastic! Easily one of the best most painful days of my life. I ran a 5:33- not fast by many's standards- but considering that just three months before I had fractured my toe while brilliantly combining speed work and a trail run which resulted in a super graceful triple somersault when I tripped over a tree root, I think 5:33 is a great time. I finished my marathon with a huge smile on my face which was my only goal for the marathon.
After the marathon, I took some time off running and started focusing on weight training. I'm focusing on building muscle and I'm loving it. In January 2012 I bought a Fit bit and I'm daily trying to walk over 10,000 steps and get in a good 30 minutes of intense exercise.
I'm trying to build habits. I'm trying to make movement just as important and eating the right foods- they go hand in hand after all... My history is that I'll go in in fits and spurts with exercise. I know I feel better when I'm doing it regularly, so I'm trying to build that habit.

So what healthy recipes have I been experimenting with?
Well, let me update you...

Green Juice
I've found myself enamored with green juice lately.Whats Green Juice?
Well- just about any juice that's green ;). There are a million recipes for green juice out there I'm sure, but basically its juicing leafy greens with fruits and other veggies to produce a concentrated nutritious drink that is chock full of mother natures goodness. Lately my favorites have been Kale or collard greens with apple or pear and ginger. Yumm!

Dehydrated Veggie Chips
I've been trying several more veggies in the dehydrator and I'm loving a few that were a surprise to me.
Turnips are my number 1 favorite. Turnip chips are peppery and flavorful with no added seasonings or salt.
I'm also loving broccoli stems, beets, sweet potatoes, and red onions. I dehydrate them as is. I haven't even been adding salt. All together they are a tasty and filling snack. I've been making a mixture of all of these dehydrated with some dehydrated apple ( soaked in lemon juice just before dehydrating to stop browning and help it keep a crisp flavor) and bring it to work for when I get the munchies and want to avoid eating anything else.  All of these are so fibrous that it really helps you fill up without really having eaten that many calories.



Ice cream
Wait. What?!?!?

Okay okay- let me explain. Marathon training left me a bit obsessed but not in a positive way. I realized I needed a dose of realistic moderation to make my goals stick. You can't be on  hyper-drive for too long without burning yourself out. Cheat meals/Treat meals are actually an important part of meeting your goals because you aren't left with feeling like you're depriving yourself.  I'm a nut about ice cream. I love love love a good ice cream. For our honeymoon, my husband and I went to Italy for two weeks. I'd never had gelato before. I'd never had such flavor compacted into such a small amount of ice cream! I fell deeper in love on that trip than I would have expected- and not just with my cute husband. We ate gelato every single day and I unexpectedly lost 3 lbs. Now, I don't think that the gelato made me lose weight, but I do think it influenced the rest of my diet. I noticed I wasn't mindless munching or sneaking snacks because I was either looking forward to gelato and saving my calories or I just wasn't interested in other sweets because all I wanted was gelato. if I was going to eat something sweet it was going to be gelato.

So here are two reasons I love that my husband bought me an ice cream maker for Christmas.
1. When I make my own ice cream I control everything that's put in it. I decide the fat content/ sugar content etc. Because I know exactly what went in I know exactly how many calories etc are in it. Plus the recipes I'm using are so decadent and delicious that my cheat treat's usually aren't even over 200 calories because its just too rich to each any more than that! I love it!
2. I get the opportunity to start experimenting with great basic recipes to find healthier substitutions that still produce a great tasting treat. Making good ice cream is For example- a critical part of a good ice cream is the better fats- but do they have to be butter? I'm going to try to make ice cream with coconut milk and coconut oil. I'm also anxious to start trying to make sorbet and gelato. I want to see if alternative sweeteners/ protein powders/ or fruit only bases work well... I'll let you know how it turns out!

Anyway, I'm back , I have a bunch of new recipes that I'm anxious to share and I'll try to be better about posting consistently!

My Favorite Sweet Potato Fries

I grew up in Idaho so I'm sure its a bit scandalous how much I love sweet potato's. I'll take them over russets any day. Anyway, while searching for a recipe for a one of the two Gomers (go check out their podcast right now- they are hilarious! http://www.twogomers.com/), I realized that I've never posted my favorite sweet potato recipe!

We make these several times a week at my house. Sweet potatoes have so many vitamins in them that I never feel bad about these carbs...

Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium sweet potato, sliced into long steak fries
place in a large zip lock bag and add:
1 tbs olive oil
1  tbs sugar (or honey or splenda-what ever your choice of sweetener)
1 tbs chili powder (I always add extra- I love the stuff!)
1 tbs cinnamon

Shake and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. Depending on how thick you cut the fries this will be more or less... Now- they won't be exactly crispy- you're not frying them after all- but what you're giving up in texture is more than made up for in flavor. They taste amazing!

Enjoy!

Dehydrated- in a good way! Apple Chips

About 2 weeks ago I purchased a dehyrator. I decided to buy the Nesco Square dehydrator for the top fan, heat settings and increase drying surface area that the square provides over the circular models. I think its the best dehydrator out there for less than $70 and after using it for a few weeks I'm still happy with my purchase.
When it arrived my husaband kind of rolled his eyes thinking I'd never use it. He changed his tune after my first batch of apple chips and was sold after some zucchini and sweet potato chips.

I'm still learning interesting ways to use y dehydrator, so if you have nay recipes or suggestions please share!

I brought a bag of my apple chips into work and people were amazed. I got a little ribbing because I'm getting a reputation at work for my "Practical hobbies"... ("Did you know she makes her own yogurt too!") but whenever anyone tried one they were pleasantly shocked at how good they were which then resulted in a conversation about how much money they spend on different foods you can make in a dehydrator...

Apple Chips
Wash several fresh apples and remove the stems- your choice of which kinds but I like the ones with a sweet tang to them like Figi, Gala or granny smith. I tried a macintosh and it didn't taste great- not bad- just not nearly as good as what I just mentioned.
Using a mandolin, slice thinly-the thinner you slice them the crispier they'll be and the faster they'll dry- that said, too thin and you'll have a hard time getting them off the sheet in one piece- experiment and see what you like. You don't need to core the apples- the seed s just pop out as you're slicing. When dehydrated the core tastes no different.
Apples need a lemon juice rinse. You can dehydrate apples with outhte lemon juice rinse but they will brown. The rinse before drying will keep them white and add some tartness- this improves the flavor significantly. Just slice your apples, place them in a bowl and pour about a1/4 cup lemon juice over the apples.Turn the apples and cty to coat each slice witht eh juice before lying them on the dehydrating sheet.
Dehydrate for about 6 hours. Taste test to know when they're done.

Simple Butternut-Leek-Chestnut Soup with Caramelized Pears

Simple Butternut-Leek-Chestnut Soup with Caramelized Pears
Serves 6 to 8

Soup:
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tbsp  nutmeg
1/2 tbsp cardamom
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 dried chipotle chiles
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large leek, white and pale green parts, rinsed and finely chopped
3 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 c. drained canned or jarred chestnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
8 c. water
Garnish: Balsamic-caramelized pears
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

For Soup:
Put the cinnamon stick, ginger and chipotle chiles in cheesecloth. Knot securely or tie with string and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the squash, chestnuts, sage, cheesecloth pouch, nutmeg, cardamom and water. The water should cover the squash by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the squash is tender and falls apart, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove the cheesecloth pouch and discard. Add the maple syrup and salt to taste. Transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth, or process the soup in the pot with an immersion blender. If the soup seems too thick, add a bit more water.

Balsamic-caramelized pears
To make the caramelized pears, heat 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the diced pears and sauté for 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and stir in the maple syrup, cinnamon, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pears are soft and the liquid becomes syrupy and coats the pears. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To serve: Gently reheat the soup, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with the caramelized pears and serve warm.

Clean Tuna Casserole

Clean Comforting Tuna Casserole

I've never really been a tuna caserole fan. I'm sure it was a residual yick factor from my childhood, but they always seemed too greasy/mayo-y/bland for my tastes. However, the other night we were running low on fresh foods (a run to the grocery store was needed), and I was bored with chicken and so I turned to this recipe to utilize the canned meat and frozen veggies we had on hand. I was resigned to a cleaner version of a bland dish. Luckily, I was wrong about doubting this recipe.
At first bite I was a big fan. This is definatley a dish I'll make in my large ramekins to bring to work with me often. It tastes so good that you feel like you're eating a cheat meal but get the satisfaction of knowing you're eating a nutrient packed high protien low calorie clean meal. 

Clean Comforting Tuna Casserole
Another version of an amazing recipe from Oxygen Mag.

1 small sweet potato grated
6 tbsp Parmesan cheese (vegan option- nutritional yeast- I actually do 3 tbsp of each. I'm a huge fan of nutritional yeasts flavor and its very high in protien so definately try it!)
1 tbsp mayo (I use lite miracle whip or greek yogurt)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder ( I used minced garlic)

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup skim milk

1 tsp olive oil  (I just sprayed skillet with olive oil)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup frozen peas (I usually add 1.5 or 2 simply because I love peas)

2 cups cooked brown rice

1-7oz. can drained tuna (I doubled this and used a 2 6oz cans)

Preheat oven to 400
Oxygen says "Cook sweet potato in microwave, mash well, set aside." I grated my sweet potato and micrwaved it for 1 minute then added  it to a large bowl with the parm cheese, mayo, mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and milk. Stir well. Heat oil in small skillet. Saute onion about 2 minutes. Add peas. Add brown rice to reheat. Stir into sweet potato mix. Add tuna and stir well.
Place everything in a 8x8 baking dish and bake 20 minutes.

Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving in Oxygen's version:

Calories: 362.2
Total Fat: 10.6 g

Cholesterol: 45.6 mg

Sodium: 540.6 mg
Total Carbs: 41.3 g

Dietary Fiber: 5.0 g

Protein: 27.3 g

Dark Chocolate Grapes

Some days you just need chocolate.
I don't think I really have to explain more than that- you know it's true.
But what do you do when you're trying to eat clean and don't want to ruin a day of healthy eating? What about a quick easy dessert for when you're having people over for a special occasion? Something that pairs well with wine but won't take you forever to make?
Here's one secret weapon recipe... Chocolate covered grapes!

Homemade Dark Chocolate Grapes

1 100 gram bar of good quality dark chocolate. Use a 60-70% cocoa percentage chocolate for this recipe. The cheap but very good Lindt 70% bar is a great workhorse chocolate.
1 lb of seedless grapes (I love black grapes, but any will do)
2 Tbls of cocoa powder

Removed grapes fro their stems and wash and dry them well. A quick tip for drying them? Line a cookie sheet with a few paper towels and after washing grapes in a drainer, shaking off most of the water, place grapes on the paper towel lined cookie sheet and roll the grapes around- it will remove the excess water. Drier grapes makes it easier for the chocolate to coat them.  Place the grapes into a large bowl, and re-line the cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or in a microwave with an attentive eye) until melted. Let cool down until the chocolate is merely warm.
Add the melted chocolate to the grapes and stir the grapes gently to coat.  You can kind of toss or roll the grapes in the bowl to make sure that the grapes are evenly coated. When you have added all the chocolate to the grapes, and coated them pretty evenly,  sift cocoa powder over them, toss or roll again to coat, and then place the grapes on a wax or parchment paper covered baking sheet.
Refrigerate until cold and the chocolate is set.

It may seem complicated but this is a very easy recipe and you'll be surprised at how well these turn out. Enjoy!

Kale Pesto

Kale Pesto

Original recipe reposted from Vegetarian Times (such a great magazine!) with my alternative recipe added below.

Click here for a full listing of nutritional value of original recipe.

Any type of kale will work in this pasta sauce as long as it is wilted until tender before blending. Pesto is a great sauce for pasta dishes, but also consider using it for sandwhich spreads.

Original recipe:
1 12-oz. bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces
1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup olive oil

My alternative recipe:
1 12-oz. bunch kale, sliced and diced
1/4 cup toasted walnuts or almonds  or your favorite nut
2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbs olive oil
3 tbs + 1 tsp flax seed oil

notes:
I don't remove the stems since you'll be blending everything after all... might as well add fiber!

Toast the nuts yourself by baking them for a few minutes or sauteeing them in a dry skillet

5 tbs +1 sp oil is just an even trade for the 1/3 c oil. Adjust as you see fit. Using all flax seed oil would be great too!

 
Directions

Place kale pieces in large pot with 1 1/2 cups water, cover, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until kale is wilted but still bright green, tossing occasionally. Add more water while cooking if necessary. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Cool. Blend nut pieces and garlic cloves in food processor until finely chopped. Add cooled kale, and blend until thick paste forms. Add Parmesan, and blend until smooth. Add oil and 2 Tbs. kale cooking liquid, and blend until smooth, adding more liquid if necessary to obtain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again- I love Oxygen magazine for quite a few reasons, but thier recipes is certainly one of my main reasons. Last night I put together thier slow cooker recipe for black bean and butternut squash chili! It cooked over night and this morning I woke up to a ready made lunch for work! I love slow cooker recipes and need more good ones, so this recipe is sure to stay in rotation for a while...
I altered thier recipe to make it meat free- vegan actually- because I'm trying to cut my meat intake by about 50% so I can actually afford the organic, grass feed, free range, animal products that I know I should eat over the industrialized meat full of hormones and antibiotics that I know I shouldn't eat... its a process. I also altered the seasonings for what I had on hand, so I'll list what they call for and what I added as substitutions...

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili
Ready in 8 hours. Cook on low. Makes 8 servings

1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced ( I added 4 tsps of bottled minced garlic- maybe too much but I love garlic!)
2 28 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes with juice ( I couldn't fine fir roasted and added regular)
4 cups of butternut squash, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb top round beef, cubed (I added more beans; 1 can black beans, and 1 can of kidney beans. Though, in the future, for the 3 cans of bean total I'll add 1 black, 1 kidney and 1 can of garbanzo bean as those three beans together provide you with a compleate protein profile- or so I've read :)
1 bay leaf (skipped)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano (skipped)
1/2 tsp black pepper (I added 1 tbs)
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp chilli powder (I added 2)
1/8 tsp cayanne pepper ( I added 1 tbs Mrs Dash salt free Extra Spicy Blend)
2 cups water

With a vegatable peeler I peeled the butternut squash of that tough outside and then diced it, removing seeds. I added the squash, beans, on the bottom of the slow cooker, then added the spices, seasonings, and water. I programed the cooker for 8 hours on low and turned it on when I went to bed. This morning I awoke to the smell of yummy chili!

I'm going to have this with some fast gf corn bread I made in the microwave! more on that later :)
Have a great day!

Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Cranberries and Lemon

Tuna is a low-fat, high-protein food that can support your healthy body goals. Protein is a vital nutrient for anyone working out and trying to build muscle and improve thier metabolism, as it contains the amino acids your body uses to create muscle tissue.  At nearly 40 grams of protein per can, tuna fish has all the essentials to be the perfect muscle building food. Tuna is low in fat, high in protein and an essential form of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps combat against heart disease and certain cancers and can lower cholesterol levels.
Tuna also can be super convenient and fast, as it comes in pouches and cans and does not require cooking. This is important for people trying to eat multiple small clean meals a day.


Try to keep your tuna in check though as consuming too much mercury (which can be found in tuna) has been linked to some health problem, mainly in young children and pregnant women. How much tuna is too much? The Environmental Protection Agency provides guidelines on how much canned tuna it is safe to eat based on your weight. Roughly speaking, the guidelines recommend one 6 oz. can of light tuna a week for those weighing less than 110 pounds and two cans a week for the rest of us.

I'm not s huge fan of tuna salads because creamy meat salads are just not my thing, however, a recent trip to whole foods introduced me to a cleaner version of tuna salad that I'm over the moon about. I've cleaned it up even more (less mayo and more lemon juice, honey instead of sugar) and its now a staple recipe at my house. Hope you enjoy it!
Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Cranberries and Lemon

(derived from the likes of what you'll get at the Whole Foods deli :)
Makes about 4 servings at my house, but its all in how you use it!


2 cans solid white albacore tuna
2 tbs mayonnaise (I don't like to add too much fo this, but my husband likes 3-4 tbs- add to taste)
The juice of 1 fresh lemon
The zest of 1fresh lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoon coarsely chopped sun-dried cranberries
Pinch of sea salt

Directions: Zest, roll, and juice the lemon. Remove any seeds. Drain the tuna thoroughly. Combine all ingreadients and serve immeadiately. Tastes great on bread, riceckaes, on salad, and even in lettuce rolls with strips of red peppers and cucumbers... oh the list goes on! Enjoy!

picture from Poor girl eats well who also has another version of this recipe that looks super yummy: http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/2011/03/recipe-cranberry-almond-tuna-salad.html